Colicchio and Sons. New York City

This was somewhat of a surprise visit to Tom Colicchio’s new restaurant in Chelsea on a Wednesday night. Earlier in the day, I was planning on heading back to Vermont. I spent an hour and a half lugging an unnecessarily large bag through subway stops, train stations, and seemingly endless walkways at JFK. Arriving at the ticket counter, I soon found that I was not on any of the afternoon’s flights. Spending the next half figuring out the cost of getting on a flight, I decided to head back in to the city. My step-dad would be in town for work, and getting a ride back to Vermont with him seemed like the best option. Luckily, a friend of mine was also able to set me up with a place to stay for the next two nights.

Slightly frustrated with this misfortune, I decided to release some steam. What better way to do this than to head out the door in search of a great meal. Recently, I have seen a few articles and heard of some good things being done at Colicchio and Sons. I hopped on the subway from the Upper West Side and arrived in Chelsea in just fifteen minutes. When I arrived at the door, I was greeted by the front of house staff. There were at least four or five of them, each one happy to see each customer to walk through the doors. On the way to a table for on in the Tap Room, I had a host and a hostess each ask me how my day was, and both seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say.

The decor in the restaurant was striking. The deep browns that dominated the surroundings gave the room character. It was dark but still managed to be inviting. A wall of wine bottles separates the tap room from the main dining room. The bar is on the tap room side of the wall and holds a great number of options with significant variety. There was what seemed like endless choices. The two beers (of about 25 on tap) I had were ones that I had not tried before, and they fortunately complimented the food quite well.

The beers were great, but I was more excited about the food to come. I started with a squid salad with chickpeas, raddichio, celery, carrots, red onion, and a vinaigrette. The salad was well dressed with a nice kick from the acidity in the vinegar. There was a pleasant chew to the squid, but it wasnot tough. My only issue with the dish came from the number of chickpeas served. The dish was pretty heavy on the beans. Don’t get me wrong, I ate every one of them, but I am a fan of chickpeas and could deal with a few forkfulls that were about 90% chickpeas.

For an entree, I ordered the braised rabbit legs over polenta w/ soffrito. The dish came out with two rabbite legs sitting on top of golden polenta, a ring of jus surrounding the dish, and a couple of spoonfulls of soffrito on top of the pair of legs. The rabbit came our well caramalized and was extraordinarily tender. The dish’s aroma was enticing and was begging me to dive in. This was not as hard as I had imagined, the meat eager to be eaten. Needing only a fork, the tender flesh flaked apart and away from the bone. The polenta was creamy, but maybe could have had more corn flavor. It was also a bit loose for my taste. It did, however, compliment the tangy and salty soffrito, contributing to a well rounded dish.

Having been somewhat wowed by the food, I had to change my original plan. This plan involved skipping desert, but I just couldn’t get myself to do it. I ordered a cinnamon raisin pain perdu with grapefuit slices, pine nuts, and rosemary ice cream. The cinnamon raisin bread, with caramalized sugar glistening on the outside, had soaked up the custardy liquid. In cooking, the center set up nicely contributing to a pleasant texture. The caramalized outer layer gave way to a creamy interior. The dessert had some complexity as well. The ice cream was smooth, and the rosemary provided a complimentary herb flavor that did nor overstep its bounds. The grapefruit added some tartness, and the crunch from the pine nuts was a welcome addition. In fact, I would not have minded a few more scattered on my plate.

The service in the dining room did not veer from professionalism and warmth I felt from the front of house. The wait staff was not intrusive, but they also did not skip a beat. They were well trained, made you feel comfortable, and their attitude and professionalism contribute to your ability to enjoy the food as much as possible. Chef Colicchio was speaking on a panel uptown that I was disappointed to miss. Knowing that he had an event, I had not expected to see him in the restaurant. To my surprise, he walked in the dining room buttoning his chef’s coat, around 10pm. After a couple quick hellos, he headed back to the kitchen. It was refreshing to see a celebrity chef making this kind of effort to be around. If this keeps up, the restaurant is sure to have a bright future. Upon exiting the restaurant, I was handed a carrot muffin for the morning and was wished luck for safe travels home. I thanked them and assured them that I would be back, hopefully sooner rather than later.

01/27-01/28 in New York

These past couple days in New York, I have enjoyed some food that was interesting and delicious. On a few separate occasions, I ate until I was full, and I did so without putting too much stress on my wallet. Last night, I went out for a nice run in Central Park. I had planned to do this at a reasonable hour, but spent a couple of hours going back and forth on whether or not it was actually going to happen. Finally, a friend and I decided to hop on the subway to Central Park. It was 7:45pm, so I was getting pretty hungry. It was relatively nice out, and by the time I was done, I had run ten miles, it was 9 o’clock, and I was starving. I finished the last mile or so of my run, having left the park, on the streets.

The final destination? 53rd and 6th. I pulled a bit of cash from a pocket in my jacket and proceeded to order chicken and rice from the famed truck occupying this corner from 7:30pm until the very early hours of the morning. In an assembly line fashion, three men quickly put together a meal, starting with rice, then some lettuce, a couple slices of pita bread, and finally piling on a healthy portion of chicken. The tin of food was heavy, and I needed every bit of it if I was going to be happy at the end of the meal. My friend and I each paid six dollars and headed to his sister’s apartment to enjoy the food. I made a quick pit stop at the side of the cart to put some of their red hot sauce over the chicken and rice. When we reached the apartment, we both ripped open our containers and started to pig out. The chicken was tender, the rice cooked well, and the thing I was most intrigued by, everything was flavorful and seasoned very well. The red sauce was very spicy, and I had piled it on, so i was able to enjoy the burning sensation in my lips long after the food was gone. Both my friend and I finished completely satisfied, and I think we both will be heading back to the chicken and rice cart very soon.

This morning my friend and I woke up at his sister’s apartment, and I had slept much later than I have in a long time. I don’t think it was the air mattress I slept on, so I am going to attribute it to the stomach full of food I went to bed with. On any other day, I would be awoken long before I needed to get out of bed by a grumbling stomach. I got out of bed a little before ten though, and took my time getting ready to head out for brunch. After hearing a fair amount about the Jamaican Dutchy cart on 51st and 7th, I suggested we make our way over there. When we finished the 20 min. walk, I sufficiently hungry and ordered a small Curry Goat (9$) and the Thursday breakfast special, hominy porridge (4$). The goat came with rice and peas, a small portion of steamed cabbage, and a slice of fried plantain. Fortunately, there was a good portion of both the goat and the rice. The curry had a good flavor, and the rice was well seasoned. The goat was a little difficult to eat because there was a fair amount of grissle and bone to get around. Other than that, the meat was actually pretty tender.

While enjoying this dish, I also had a large serving of the breakfast porridge. It consisted of stewed hominy and corn with coconut milk and spices (cinnamon/nutmeg). This was excellent. I very much enjoyed the creamy texture as a breakfast item, and the spices added a lot to it. On any given day, this alone could feed somebody on the way to work. For the price you pay, it is quite the deal. Unfortunately, it is only sold on Thursdays…

As the day wore on, and my walking through the city began to stir my hunger, I found myself in Chinatown. More specifically, I was heading down Mott St., and was two blocks from Tasty Hand Pulled Noddles. I had heard very good things, so I decided to make my way over. I looked over the selections, and I chose to get the hand pulled noodle soup with chicken and tripe. As I sat waiting for my order, the door to the kitchen was open, and I watched as a man flung noodles around, pulling them to the desired thickness and consistency. It is somewhat of an art, and it certainly makes one appreciate the food they are about to receive. And for only 5 dollars…? Yeah, for around 5 dollars you receive a large portion of broth, the protein of your choice, and a healthy mound of hand pulled noodles that were made seconds ago. This was another great deal. The noodles were tender, the broth was flavorful, and the chicken and tripe made this a substantial meal. White meat chicken was shredded apart, and the tripe was tender while also providing a chewy contrast to the chicken.

I am very glad to have found these places in the city. I am coming closer and closer to making the city my home, and I have a feeling these inexpensive meals are going to contribute greatly to my ability to survive here.

Homemade Falafel with a Twist

Israeli Salad

Tonight for dinner, I had two friends over (one being my roommate) and made falafel. My roommate gotmean ebelskiver pan as a gift, and had tried making falafel in it once before. My family thought it turned out fairly well, and my roommate wanted to try it. So I planned falafel for dinner, but I decided not to make the traditional style that I do on most occasions. I started yesterday making some Israeli salad. To do this, I finely diced red and yellow bell pepper, red onion, tomato, cucumber, pasrley, mint, and very finely diced four cloves of garlic and three habanero peppers. I added the zest and juice of a lemon, a touch of olive oil, and seasoned it with salt and pepper.

Miso Tahini Hummus

Next I made a large batch of the hummus that I planned to put in the pitas. I made extra so that we could have some during the day and so that there would be leftovers for later snacking. I started with rinsed and drained canned chickpeas in a food processor. I added a couple tablespoons each of olive oil and tahini, miso, sriracha, salt, and enough water to reach the smooth consistency I was looking for.

Egg Sliced for the Sandwiches

This afternoon, I decided to prepare some additions for the sandwiches that would allow for some variation. On my last trip to New York City, I had an excellent Sabich sandwich at Taim Falafel. There was hard boiled egg and fried eggplant slices in the sanwich. To make the hardboiled eggs, I started with eggs submerged in cold water with a teaspoon each of salt and vinegar. I brought the water up to a boil, reduced the heat so the water was at a simmer for one minute, then removed the pot from the heat and covered it. After ten minutes, I put the eggs in an ice bath to stop the cooking. I later peeled and sliced them for the sandiwches.

Homemade Whole Wheat Pita

I wasn’t sure if I would end up making the pita at home, but yesterday I whipped up a whole wheat dough and it kind of worked out today… To make the dough, I added some warm water and about a tablespoon of honey to a packet of instant yeast. After about five minutes, the yeast was activated, and this was very apparent by the yeasty smell and layer of foam that had developed. In a large bowl, I put whole wheat flour and a few teaspoons of salt. I added the yeast and water mixture to the flour and mixe it in. The consistency was about that of cake batter. At this point, I continued to add flour until everything came together in a ball of what I thought might be the right consistency. I kneaded the dough for a few minutes, then put it into an oiled bowl and covered it with a damp towel. I let it rise for a few hours, then punched it down, wrapped it in plastic, and put it in the fridge overnight.

A few hours before dinner today, I took the dough out and let it sit at room temperature in a covered bowl until it starte to rise again. When the dough was almost ready, I put a pizza stone in the oven and set the oven to broil. After about 30 minutes, the stone was hot enough, and I left the oven on broil. I pulled portions of the dough from the large ball and rolled them out to circles about a quarter inch thick. After rolling them out, I would place them on the stone about 90 seconds on the first side, and another 60 seconds after flipping. The dough puffed up nicely, creating a pocket for the sandwiches to be built.

Pita Sliced and Open

In making the falafel, I wanted to stick with the theme I had established in the hummus, adding a bit more of a Far East twist in flavor. I started with rinsed and rained canned chickpeas in a food processor. I them added a couple roasted red peppers, a handful of cilantro, a couple teaspoons of tamarind concentrate, lime juice, salt, and black pepper. I pulsed the mixture, adding some baking powder, then adding buckwheat flour untilit reached the desired consistency.

Falafel in the Ebelskiver Pan...

I then heated the pan, sprayed each semi-circle with canola oil spray, and added enough falafel mixture to them most of the way. I cooked them at a relatively low heat until one side browned, then I would flip them and let them finish cooking on the other side. I tried one when they had finished, and I still am fairly surprised at the quality of the falafel that one can end up with using this healthy alternative to deep frying. The flavor is slightly different without sucha thick, crispy crust. It tastes less like a fried product, but I think that in a sandwich with supporting flavors and textures, the overall quality is excellent.

Falafel and Pan Fried Eggplant Slices

The eggplant was done very simply. I sliced them into circles and salted them to draw out a fair amount of the water. I then ground some black pepper on them an pan fried them in olive oil until browned on both sides.

After constructing the sanwiches, I was very pleased with the results. The red pepper, cilantro, and tamarind in the falafel went very well with the miso-tahini hummus, and I made my version of a Sabich sandwich. I started with slices of hard boiled egg adding a meaty quality and a flavor that goes surprisingly well with the fried eggplant and hummus that I piled on. I then added the Israeli salad which brought a quality of freshness and some acid  to the experience. It was all held together by the fliffy homemade pita. It was my own take on what I had experienced somewhere else, and I am happy to say that it satisfied a craving that was starting to get to me…

Daily Planet. Burlington, VT

Back in December, Daniel Boulud announced the names of twelve semifinalist chefs who would gather in February to compete to represent the United States at the next Bocuse d’Or culinary competition. This international competition is the World Cup of the culinary world, and I was curious to see the list of chefs that had been chosen by a group consisting of all star chef and restauranteurs Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller. Included in the list of semifinalists I saw chef Michael Clauss, and next to his name, The Daily Planet in Burlington, VT… Shortly after this, I looked it up and saw that he would be doing some test work until January when he would be the new executive chef, introducing a new, locally inspired menu.

I was excited by the prospect of such an acclaimed chef entering the Burlington restaurant scene, and was also excited by the fact that he was looking to keep things simple, fresh, and local. The night before last my mom made a reservation for three. My mom, step-dad, and I met at the restaurant on a Sunday night, finding it surprisingly busy for the end of a Burlington weekend… We waited a few minutes for our table then were led to our seats near the kitchen. The restaurant has new custom made tables that contribute to an interesting overall feel. It was almost surprisingly casual (in a good way) with a bustling bar and one or two small groups being served food on couches as you walked in the door.

The menu does not veer away from this casual feel offering an extensive appetizer selection comprised of a couple of salads, calamari, mussells, and olive cured tuna to go along with entrees like a broiled veal chop, pork loin, a burger, and a couple of vegetarian/vegan options. Their was also a fair number of specials including a pumpkin hummus appetizer that the three of us decided to share. It was served with toasted pita and the pumpkin flavor was there (I half-expected there to be very little “pumpkin”) though not overwhelming. The dish could have had an easier time coming alive had it been seasoned a little more aggresively, but I noticed this much more taking my first bite than I did my last.

To start, I had the olive cured tuna with chikpeas, roasted red pepper, arugula, and vermont qual egg. The portion was larger than I had expected. There was an impressive serving of fresh tasting tuna broken up on top of a lightly dressed chickpea salad. The arugula was fresh. The quail egg was hard boiled, but I had expected/hoped for a touch of bright, runny yolk to add to the dish.

Next I ordered the vegan lasagna. root vegetable curry. Vermont soy tofu. tarragon read the description. I don’t normally go for the vegetarian/vegan options, but I was intrigued. Many chefs offer vegan alternatives, but this dish seemed rather bold. For it to be included on the menu, I thought it must have been something the chef was proud of. Upon receiving the dish, there was very little that I would associate with a curry. This is not a bad thing. In fact, when it arrived, it was a very large portion and was presented in a very appealing way. It looked more like a traditional lasagna, and I was excited to eat. There were two different textures of soy, one resembling mozzarella and the other ricotta, layered with well done vegetables and hefty sheets of al dente pasta. I assume the pasta was eggless (in order that the dish remain vegan), but the color also suggested that it was something other than a plain, white, semolina pasta (maybe spinach pasta???). It was overall very hearty and had excellent flavor, and this flavor was accentuated by the bright red tomato sauce that the sqaure piece of lasagna appeared to be floating in. The sauce was not only bright in color, but in flavor. Overall, I found the dish very successfull, and I hope to have it again soon in spite of the fact that I might like to try other menu items.

My mom and step-dad both ordered and were very happy with a salad appetizer, and my step-dad was impressed by the short rib “sloppy joe.” My mom ordered the pork loin with potato puree and mustard sauce. She did not enjoy the dish, but is also very partial to the way she cooks pork at home. I tried the dish and found that it was okay but nothing to write home about. The flavor of the sauce was decent, and the accompanying potatoes and saurkraut were acceptable, but the pork was fairly dry and underseasoned. In addition to this, two of the three pieces of pork were relatively fatty and probably should not have been served.

Other than this one slip up, I thought that our trip to the slightly reinvented Daily Planet was a positive experience. The tuna and the vegan lasagna were both excellent, and they are both items that I will be back for. I would also like to make it back to ask the chef about his vegan lasagna. I enjoyed the dish very much, and I would like to know what went into creating it.

More on NYC Trip

As fantastic as my culinary adventures over the holidays were, it was inevitable that disappointments would be a part of it. I always hope the disappointments are outweighed by the positive experiences. During this week, they were, overwhelmingly so. The few sub-par experiences did not ruin my trip by any means. In fact, if I had a flawless three meals a day for an entire week, I would have considered it a failure in a different sense. Trying new things and exploring the city is something that I love to do, but I came across a few things that I will not try again, and some that I hope will find redemption the next time I do.

Something that I have tried at home is baking falafel. I have had limited success, and I actually have never baked them 100%. I have quickly fried them to get a crispy exterior, then cooked them the rest of the way in the oven. I have also recently cooked falafel in an ebelskiver pan. Both of these produced acceptable final products, but neither approached the quality that has been reached when I fully deep fry the balls of chickpeas and herbs. When I heard about chickpea and its few locations in New York City, I was intrigued. They bake their falafel, and this healthy alternative seemed worth a shot. When I arrived, I looked over the straightforward menu, and ordered two items. I ordered a chicken sandwich served in a pita. I chose between the four different kinds of hummus, original, roasted red pepper, basil toasted pine nuts, and jalapeno and scallions. I chose the jalapeno and scallion hummus, and it was served with lettuce and tomato. The vegetables were fresh, the chicken had a nice flavor and was cooked well, and the pita was of decent quality. What I was shocked by was the quality of the falafel. I had imagined what baked falafel might be like, and I thought that one should be able to produce something satisfying, even if it was not on the same level as fried. What I did not expect was something so dry that they practically needed to be submerged in sauce to absorb enough moisture to be palatable. Not only did they need to bake and not fry their falafel to achieve this state, they needed to severely overcook them. They probably needed to add too much flour and leave them out for too long as well. These were so far away from an acceptable falafel.

The next morning I woke up at my friend’s apartment and was ready for breakfast. It was 6:30am, and I was starving already. My friend would not be up for hours, so I had a little food at his apartment and hopped on the subway to the lower east side. I had never been to any of the Momofuku establishments but have been interested in much of what they are doing. Something that people seemed to be excited about were the steamed pork buns. I wanted to try them, and I saw that they served them for breakfast at Momofuku Milk Bar. I walked in at 9am and ordered them to go. I walked a couple blocks to a Starbucks, ordered a coffee, and sat down to enjoy the slow cooked pork belly in the soft, tender bun. What I experienced was by no means outstanding. The bun had a very pleasant texture but was a little overwhelming only because the bread to pork ratio was too high. The pork had clearly been cooked a long time, as the fat had become pleasantly tender. Unfotunately, the meat of the pork was a little dry and chewy. The sauce was okay, but it lacked a certain brightness. It just fell a little flat for me. Part of me thinks that 9am isn’t the best time to go get these buns. It was very quiet in there, and I am not sure when the pork was cooked, when the buns were cooked, and whether or not you might be able to expect a higher quality product during dinner service at one of the David Chang eateries.

The last evening I spent in New York, I went to Kefi for dinner. I had been there on a couple of occasions previously, and I was returning because of how much I enjoyed the food. I have had fantastic octopus, pasta, and meatballs, and I was never disappointed with a dish. On this visit, I would not come across a dish that satiated any of my expectations. I ordered the octopus appetizer (described in a previous Kefi post), a sweetbread appetizer with spinach, garlic, and crispy shallots, and the pork souvlaki. The octopus appetizer was so good the last time I went, but on this visit it was like I had been given another dish. The octpus was a little tougher than I remembered, and the tomatoes and bean salad might as well not have been there. On my last visit, it was extremely flavorful, the cooked tomato serving as an acidic sauce mellowed by a generous drizzle of olive oil, and the beans were well cooked while still holding onto some of their texture. The beans this time were undercooked and it seemed like they had run out the saucy tomatoes and thrown in a couple reconstituted sun dried tomatoes. I am not saying they did this, but they might as well have. The pork souvlaki was also not what I remembered. The pita was okay although a little soggy, the pork was slightly overcooked, and the tzatziki sauce was hardly that. It needed to be thinned out and freshened up a bit. The herbs seemed to have lost some of thier freshness, and the cucumber was a bit soggy. I hope to return to Kefi at some point in the future not because of this last experience, but because of what I remember from my first two trips. I want to give their food a chance to wow me again.

This last plate was by no means a bad dish, but it is one that I have read so much about recently. Over the past few months, I have seen so many rave reviews of the sea urchin toast at Marea. I had a fantastic meal when I went, but I would not say that the sea urchin toast was a highlight. The sea urchin is served on a piece of toast with a thin layer of lardo over the top, sprinkled with sea salt. I am a huge fan of the briny, oceany flavor of sea urchin, so all of the reviews I had seen excited me. When I took the first bite of this first course, I was not blown away. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, and I cleared the plate. Regrettably, I did not find that the dish as a whole offered more than high quality sea urchin served on vinegared rice by a sushi chef. The addition of the lardo varied the texture some, offering a fatty film to coat your tongue. The sea urchin was fresh and flavorful, but I think a well toasted piece of bread with the same slathering of roe could be enjoyed to the same extent without the lardo and sea salt. The entire meal was surely a highlight of my trip, and this dish did not want to take away from the experience. I enjoyed the sea urchin, but after all that I read about it, I did not share the same feelings as some. The dish, in my eyes, was not a revelation.

Disappointing experiences clearly have much to do with one’s expectations. I experienced disappointment on a number of different levels while investigating many different kinds of food in New York. At Marea, the sea urchin toast was good, if not great, but I may have sat down that night with unrealistic expectations. At Chickpea, I was looking for decent falafel, not expecting anything close to the best falafel I ever had. I did, however, leave disappointed nonetheless. After having the Chickpea falafel one night and the disappointing meal at Kefi the next, I felt compelled to search the city late at night to make up for these meals. This is where my trip to Minetta Tavern from my last New York post fits in. It was one thirty in the morning, and I was elated to find the best burger I have ever had, only to leave the meal, cross the street, and order a surprisingly good falafel from Mamoun’s for $2.75. This was a perfect way to end my New York trip. I may have been up until four in the morning, but it more than made up for any of the dishes that had let me down.

Mezze Bistro. Williamstown, MA

I have spent the last few days in Williamstown, MA visiting my brother at college. It has been a nice few days, but I have had not had much in the way of interesting dining experiences. Tonight, my mom and step-dad were in town and took us out to dinner. They had a good meal with my brother a couple weeks ago at Mezze Bistro and suggested we go back. I was excited to be getting a nice meal. Unfortunately, the experience was disappointing from start to finish.

We started off ordering a couple of drinks and a few dishes to share. Coming to the table was a plate of pickled vegetables, some Italian sausage with fried polenta, and a plate with chicken liver mousse and duck rilletes. I had some of the pickled vegetables and the chicken liver mousse. Both were just okay. The mousse lacked creamy texture and richness while the pickled vegetables (cauliflower, beets, radishes, etc…) were a little overpoweringly vinegary to the point where not much else was noticed.

For an appetizer, I ordered a winter green salad with a soft boiled egg and a sherry vinaigrette. This was slightly more disappointing than our first set of plates. The soft boiled egg was overcooked. The white was a bit tough and the yolk had begun to set. I had looked forward to a bright orange yolk oozing out of the center, but instead most of the yolk had solidified and was fairly unappetizing. “Winter green” was also a little misleading as the salad consisted solely of raddichio and frisee. It lead to a salad that was very bitter and lacked any texture contrast.

For the main course, I had a the fish special. It was a tangerine oil poached fluke served with wilted spinach in a fennel and preserved lemon broth. It was served with a few slices of assorted citrus on top. The fish was not terribly cooked, but was not cooked properly. It was a touch dry and a bit tough, and the dish as a whole was underseasoned.

My brother did tell us that he had a pretty good mac and cheese, and my mother confirmed as she also had a bite of it. This was the brightest aspect of the meal. There were other downfalls. My step-dad ordered a cream of mushroom soup. There was a strong mushroom flavor, but the soup overall fell flat. It was in serious need of some acidity and freshness. My mom and step-dad ended up sharing the bolognese. They did not share much of it. Each had about two bites before it was wrapped up to take back to the college roommates.

To add to the food, the service also left so much to be desired. The bread to a very long time to come to the table, and when it did, it was absurdly stale. I noticed before I even touched the piece placed in front of me. The next time the waiter came by, we asked for some fresh bread. He then proceeded to tell us that it was focaccia and it had just come out of the oven… I may have cut him off a little bit and interjected, “It’s stale.” He told us that maybe it had been overcooked. This was simply not true. Fresh out of the oven? In my book it is not okay to stick stale bread in the oven and tell somebody that it is fresh. One more thing that bothered, other than the lack of attention we received in a nearly empty restaurant, was the response I received from the waiter when I asked about one of their pasta dishes. I asked about a rabbit ragout. The chef explained that it was a homemade pasta tossed with rabbit that was braised and pulled apart. He got to this point, and I asked him what the rabbit was cooked with. He started to try and tell me what braising was… I cut him off again after “braising is.” He then told me that the pasta and rabbit was served with the braising liquid. This seemed very obvious to me, so I had to ask again, rephrasing the question. “What is it braised in? You have to braise it in something.” He headed back to the kitchen and returned with the answer. I felt a little bad about being so forward with him, but his condescending tone drove me to this point.

All in all, one out of the four of us left feeling satisfied, having had a decent meal. Mt food was full of flaws, and the experience only suffered further as a result of the service. We will not make it back in the future, as my mother declared after the meal that Mezze Bistro had made it on “the list…”

NYC Recap

After a busy fall trying to balance a full time job, taking classes, and keeping to my track coach’s training schedule, I knew that I wanted to take some time during the holiday season to get away. Living in the northeast, my first choice is always New York. When I think about going out of town, my thoughts immediately turn to what food I might be able to eat and explore while I am there. New York has so much to offer, from what you find at the market, to the seemingly endless number of high end restaurants, to the equally unique and special “cheap eats” that are essential to survival for one in my position. On this trip to New York, I would be spending some time with family, some time with friends, and some time exploring the city on my own (mostly in the morning when friends were asleep and I would sneak out for a couple hours…). My parents were kind enough to take me out to dinner at places I cannot afford due to the ever dwindling bank account of a college student, and this added to the excitement of the trip. Meals included dinner at Michael Psilakis’ Anthos, a seafood centered, Greek inspired restaurant a block and a half from Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain (just an example of the culinary power that is so prevalent in the city), dinner at Ouest on the Upper West Side, New Year’s brunch at Norma’s at the Parker Meridien, breakfast at Shopsin’s in the Essex Street Market on the Lower East Side, and dinner at the new and highly acclaimed Marea. I would have felt lucky to dine at just one of these establishments on my trip to the city, so being able to visit them all felt like somewhat of a miracle. Even more unbelievable is the list of places in the city where I hope to eat in the future, and how this list managed not to reduce in size after this trip, but to grow…

In addition to the meals I enjoyed with family, I was also on my own (with a friend) for a great number of meals. I had saved some money from my work this fall in anticipation of this trip, but for the most part I attempted to restrain myself as I wandered the streets in a state of wonder and amazement. It seems strange to speak of these feelings while waiting for a subway, watching the rats scurry across the tracks, but I had moments while exploring the streets when I was struck by all this city has to offer for someone as captivated with food as I am. During the rest of my time in the city I ate at falafel “joints,” I ate at Barney Greengrass and Kefi (another Michael Psilakis establishment) on the Upper West Side, and I ventured to the Lower East Side to try David Chang’s pork buns at 9am. I met friends for lunch at Ocean Grill and enjoyed (maybe a little too much) a late night trip to Minetta Tavern. I also spent some time at a number of different markets where I would discover some new foods ingredients, some of which I am very glad I did.

The trip had so many high points, and not all came along with the high price tags. I had a smoked Sturgeon appetizer at Ouest which brought exactly what I had wanted. I never ate smoked sturgeon before this trip to New York, and I knew that New York City was where I wanted to try it. I expected to find what I was looking for at Zabar’s or a deli, somewhere that specializes in in this kind of thing, but I found the sample I had purchased at Zabar’s to be lacking. The flavor was slightly fishy and lacked a noticeable smoke. The appetizer at Ouest however, far exceeded my expectations. Being in a high end restaurant, the dish was more refined, served with frisee, a poached egg, and lardons, but what accompanied the dish was not what defined it. The sturgeon had a velvety texture and retained a certain fresh quality in addition to a gentle smoke.

On a previous trip to New York, I visited Taim Falafel and Smoothie Bar. I had a falafel sandwich and tried each of their three flavors of falafel. They have a green falafel with parsley, cilantro, and mint, a roasted red pepper falafel, and a harissa spiced falafel, all of which I enjoyed the flavor of. One late morning while I wandered the city alone, I stopped by for an early lunch and decided to try their Sabich Sandwich. The sandwich is served in a pita and includes slices of fried eggplant, a sliced hard-boiled egg, hummus, Israeli salad, marinated cabbage, tahini, and a mango chutney. It sounded like a lot to me, but I found that when eating it, something was added to the experience by each ingredient. The fried eggplant was meaty and flavorful. The hard-boiled egg added to the “meatiness” but contributed a subtle eggy flavor that was not at all overwhelming. The Israeli salad and cabbage added freshness and crunch. The hummus and tahini added great flavor and creaminess, and the mango chutney added a touch of sweetness. Over all, it was a very satisfying sandwich, and for six dollars, it was certainly a highlight of the trip.

Also a highlight of the trip was an unexpected late night trip to Minetta Tavern. A friend of mine and I had split a couple bottles of wine and had two rounds of drinks at the bars before we made it to an eleven o’clock showing of Fantastic Mr. Fox. The movie was fairly entertaining, but I decided midway through the film that I was going to borrow my friends phone and look up somewhere to find good late night food during the middle of the week. I ended up on the Minetta Tavern website, and their closing time was listed as 2am. I had heard so much about their Black Label Burger, and could not think of anything I might want more than to have a great burger experience. I have spent some time looking for this experience in the past, and I always manage to some up short of what I hope. We get out of the movie at 12:30am and hop on the L train to Washington Square Park, three blocks from Minetta Tavern. We were not concerned about time, and this was nearly a problem. We made our way to the door at 12:55am, only to see that the listed closing time was 1am… The man at the door confused us for drunk college students who had made their way across the street from Mamoun’s Falafel, so we informed him that we were actually looking for a table. The hostess saw us come in and immediately sat us down, as the kitchen would be closing in five minutes. I ordered quickly for both my friend and me. I told him this was to be my treat, and I quickly grabbed his menu away. I ordered two appetizers, squid stuffed with salt cod, piquillo pepper, olives, and preserved lemon, and a trio of tartares, one beef, one lamb, and one veal. The appetizers were much enjoyed. The filling in the squid was excellent and made of for the fairly chewy exterior. The tartares were great. Each had a distinct flavor, and the texture was perfect. None of the three were the least bit chewy, and all had good “mouth feel.” Next we had the Black Label Burger. I had not ventured out for a burger in quite a while. I was a little sick of coming up short of my expectations so consistently. This time would be different. The burger was mix of prime dry-aged beef loosely held together by its own fat. It came on a custom made brioche bun and was served with caramelized onions. I am a big fan of caramelized onions, and I appreciate the sweetness they bring to any burger. The brioche bun was buttery and soft, very light and did not have as much sweetness as an ordinary brioche. But this burger was all about the meat. It had a nice crust and was thick and juicy. It was meltingly tender, a result of both the dry aged beef and the fat that had melted into it. The meet had a superb beefy flavor and an almost nutty quality that can only be obtained through careful dry-aging. I savored each bite, and though time has passed since, I still feel as though I can just barely taste that last bite. The memory remains on the tip of my tongue, although it is unfortunately not accompanied by the satisfaction that was in the moment. The only shared feeling is one of longing. I cannot wait until I can have the burger again, or at least another like it, wherever it may be. I had begun to doubt that I would find such a satisfying burger, but this trip gave me hope. I was not dreaming of some unattainable beast.

These highlights made the trip great, but there was so much more food that added to the experience. I had great food all over the city, and I will post about some of the experience soon. I may also get to some of the disappointments I came across. While exploring any great food city, these disappointments are inevitable. But don’t get me wrong, the positives I found far outweighed the negative, and I can’t wait to do it again.

Tourterelle

Just north of Middlebury, VT on Rt. 7 used to be Roland’s Place. This past summer, a new establishment took over the location. Last night was a friend’s birthday, and eight of us met up to celebrate with some classic French cuisine. The menu is intersesting, with a section devoted to appetizers, one to crepes, an entree section, and then bistro fare. They have soup and salad, four different kinds of crepes, entrees like pork tenderloin, bouillabaisse and salmon, and also have steak frites and two different burgers.

Looking over the menu, I decided to start with an appetizer portion of the bouillabaisse and a glass of Clean Slate Riesling from Germany. For an entree, I chose one of the specials, a pan-seared cod served with quinoa, zucchini and squash.

The Riesling was pleasant, but was a little sweet for my taste and was not all that complex. The bouillabaisse came with scallops, mussels, “fin fish” (most likely cod as it was the special), and shrimp served in a tomato broth with a saffron aioli. The fish was all well cooked, very tender, but the tomato broth was a little heavier than I am used to for a bouillabaisse and that was not helped by the aioli. It is not easy to cook the different pieces of seafood correctly together, and I was very satisfied with how this was done, but the broth could have had a bit more in terms of the depth of flavor. In my opinion, more attention could have been paid to what the fish were swimming in.

The cod was simply seared, served on top of quinoa mixed with zuchini and squash. The dish was served with a sage brown butter sauce. I enjoyed the dish very much. The quinoa was simply prepared, but was cooked well. The zucchini and squash were cooked through and were certainly not overcooked, still holding on to some of their texture. The cod was cooked perfectly. It had an nice, hard sear on the outside, but was extraordinarily tender and as moist as any piece of sashimi. It almost melted in your mouth and was a joy to eat.

Overall, I was happy with the meal. The atmosphere was very pleasant. They have a nice bar, although I might like to see more than the three beers they have on tap with all of the local Vermont brews around. The tables were elegantly set, and the owners were attentive. Our waitress could have impressed me more as she made a couple of mistakes in my eyes, asking a couple of uncomfortable and unnecessary questions. In terms of the food, I was impressed by how well the ingredients were treated, the only thing lacking being the bouillabaisse broth. It is certainly worth trying out if you are in the area and looking for an upscale meal interspersed with bistro fare.

San Antonio and Coming Home

This weekend was my first trip to San Antonio. I heard it was something like the seventh largest metropolitan area in the country. My brother was playing in a soccer tournament, so on top of that, I wanted to find some good food. Upon arriving, I found that the hotel I was staying in was a mile away from a Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives destination. I had never been to one of the Guy Fieri visited establishments before, so I figured we could try The Cove. I went with my mom and step-dad. We walked in and it certainly looked like a dive. There were old signs on the walls, picnic tables both outside and in, and a bike parked right in front of the drum set at the far end. The dining area was separate from where you ordered food, in the same room as the bar. They had an extensive selection of beers in bottles. Many from the southern and western parts of the country, as well as a few Mexican beers and other imports. There was nothing on tap which was too bad. My step-dad ended up getting a relatively light, malty wheat beer brewed about 30 miles away.

For lunch, we ordered a chicken-poblano soup, sweet potato fries, and seafood tacos. One thing that I noticed in San Antonio was the extraordinarily large amount of soups like this, some kind of chicken and mild chile soup with or without crisp tortilla chips. The soup was okay, and I thought the seasoning was fine, but everyone at the table tried it and thought it was missing something. There was a certain brightness missing, maybe it could have used some fresh herbs or to have been sitting around a little less. With the fish tacos, there was also something missing. The fish was mild and did not contribute in terms of flavor. The tortilla was fine, and it was served with a cilantro cabbage slaw. The whole thing was missing something, and this was where it could have been helped in my opinion. The slaw was relatively bland, and the cilantro in it had lost all freshness. An addition of some of the house made salsa that they had brought out with the tortilla chips actually helped some. I did not try the sweet potato fries. My mom and step-dad had ordered them and I did not feel compelled to try them as they were pretty soggy.

So our first meal in San Antonio could have been better, and I had less hope for that evening’s dinner. It was a banquet for the soccer teams and their families. I ended up eating food from Whole Foods that I had picked up on the way and not eating the meal that was served. The next day consisted of breakfast at the hotel with team parents, oatmeal and a standard omelette. Lunch was again from Whole Foods after a long run, and we had dinner at a restaurant after the soccer game hosted by Williams College Alumni. It was standard Tex Mex, and we had salad, chicken fajitas, and chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

The next day we again had breakfast with the parents. For lunch, we went to a local grocery store. It was a chain of five or six in Texas, and it was fun to go. It definitely made me wish I had a kitchen, because they had a lot of quality products. The produce section was good, they had fresh fish, including a fair amount whole, and I was very impressed by the meat selection. All of the meat (chicken, beef, veal, buffalo, and maybe some other) looked high quality and fresh. They also had an impressive wine section, a decent sized cheese section, and some good prepared foods, including fresh made tortillas (white flour, whole wheat, and butter flavored). For lunch, I had a beet salad with an orange and rasberry vinaigrette, a salad, and pastrami and turkey with chipotle mustard in a warm whole wheat tortilla. Unfortunately, this would be the best meal I would have on the trip. I had planned on going out for dinner later that evening, but had to run a workout on a track. I had a lot of trouble finding a track, it got very late, and I ate leftover groceries and frozen yogurt from a local, Pinkberry-like place.

We left the next morning, picking up breakfast from Jamba Juice on the way to the airport, and this was the best breakfast I would have on the trip. Jamba Juice consistently produces quality, fresh tasting smoothies with a great consistency, and I am a loyal fan.

Tonight was the first night back that I was able to cook, and it was a relief. I made a trip to the Great Harvest Bread Company for a free loaf of bread as I had filled my frequent customer card. I made an asparagus leak soup with garlic, shallots, thyme, and stock. It was simple but very flavorful, was a bright, vibrant green, and did not take much time to cook at all. The loaf of bread I got earlier had spinach, parmesan, and roasted red pepper in it and was perfect toasted and dipped in the soup. I also made buffalo burgers with number of different pantry ingredients mixed in. I added chopped garlic and shallots, capers, olives, miso, and horseradish. After struggling through a weekend of food searching, trying to make my way past all of the Tex Mex that was being thrown at me, it was nice to be home.

Thanksgiving Dinner

I was cooking for five. On Thanksgiving, there are many dishes to be cooked, and I knew there was no way we were going to get through all of the food. Instead of worry about this, I just planned on eating leftover side dishes for a week. In my last post, I laid out a plan, and stuck to the plan in many cases. When the shopping was over, after three or four trips to the coop, there was a lot to deal with.

This was at least close to everything...

We were going to start with a fennel and white bean soup. I started with diced onions, garlic, carrots, and celery sauteeing in some olive oil. I added a couple cups of fennel and let that sweat out with the other veggies. I added some thyme, two cans of drained white beans, and a few cups of homemade chicken stock.

At this point, I let it cook for 20 minutes or so so the flavors could come together, then used an immersion blender to puree the soup. The stock I used was unsalted, so I seasoned the puree with salt and pepper, and added a little more stock and a splash of white wine vinegar to thin the soup out and brighten up the flavor a bit. During all of this, I cubed up some butternut squash and roasted it with olive oil, salt, and pepper in the oven for 45 minutes until tender, adding some balsamic vinegar and during the roasting. In the end, I served the soup with the pieces of butternut squash in the middle. Here we are at the dinner table, soups ready to be eaten.

Soup Course

This was only the beginning. Along with the soup, we started with a Snowden Sauvignon Blanc from northern California. It was subtle, not too sweet, and the acidity of the wine was a great way to open the meal. The soup was excellent. It was creamy with a nice fennel flavor, and the sweetness of the roasted butternut squash brought and excellent sweetness that I had hoped for.

After this course, I loaded up my plate.

Turkey and Sides, Minus the Stuffing

I’ll start with the turkey and move clockwise. The turkey went into a brine on Wednesday and was refridgerated in the brine for 24 hours. The brine was a mixture of water, salt, honey, bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, the juice of two oranges, and the skin of one of the oranges. I had originally planned on a roulade with stuffing. After taking the turkey out of the brine and beginning the stuffing, I decided to change the plan. I turned on the grill and let it get hot, then created a rub of olive oil, rosemary, thyme, sage, garlic, and allspice. When the grill was hot, the turkey hit the grill.

Turkey on the Grill

It would remain there until the internal temperature reached 137 degrees in the thickest part of the breast. Yes, this may seem a little low, but I assure you that by the time the turkey was sliced twenty minutes later, it was cooked through, moist, and delicious. The brine added a lot of flavorandacidity, and the rub brought the flavors of the herbs to the nice charred outside and crispy skin.

I had my turkey with cranberry sauce. Cranberry sauce is so simple to make. I don’t really understand the canned stuff. I started with some frash local cranberries in a pot with some ginger ale. The cranberries stewed and began to pop. I added some honey, orange zest and juice, a touch of salt, a cinnamon stick, and a few cloves. I let it thicken up a little, and it was done.

Cooking Cranberry Sauce

I did not add too much sugar, so it was a bit sweet but kept the tartness of the cranberries. Their was also a nice clove flavor which I enjoy.

The orange pile on the plate there are the mashed sweet potatoes. I started by simply roasting them. This would soften them up and bring out some of their natural sweetness.

Pumpkin/Sweet Potatoes in the Oven

The pumpkins are for the dessert. After the sweet potatoes were roasted, I scooped out the flesh and mashed them up with some buttermilk, salt, pepper, grated ginger, orange juice and zest, and some vanila extract. The buttermilk made the mixture creamy, and the other ingredients brought their own flavors and provided something very unique. It was a nice twist on a classic mash.

The braised cabbage was the same “recipe” that I had cooked the previous week. I sauteed onions, garlic, leaks, and carrots in some olive oil, then added a large amount of cabbage. I also added about 3/4 of a pint of hard cider, a cinnamon stick, a few cloves, some chile piquin forsome heat, a bay leaf, and then covered it until the cabbage had wilted and cooked for about 40 minutes. At this point, I removed the top and allowed the liquid to reduce until it had almost disappeared.

Braised Cabbage

The cabbage was great. I have eaten each night since Thanksgiving, and I enjoy the sweetness, the flavor of the cabbage, the spicy kick from the chiles, and the fall flavors of apple, cinnamon, and cloves.

The beets I did very simply. I boiled them in their skins until tender. I removed the skins and diced them into fairly large chunks. Before dinner, I put some olive oil in a pan and sauteed onions, garlic, and thyme, then added the bits at a fairly high heat to caramelize the ouside. A minute or two before they were finished, I added a splash of white wine vinegar and a tablespoon or two of honey. I love the earthy flavor of beets, and the sweet and sour preparation definitely brightened the flavor.

Sauteeing the Beets

The cauliflower puree was also pretty simple. I steamed the cauliflower to cook it through. I then put it into the food processor with some Vermont Butter and Cheese Fromage Blanc, a head of roasted garlic, chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper. There was a strong rosemary flavor that went along with the very creamy cauliflower. It was a hit at dinner, and I was excitedly surprised to hear that my brother liked the dish a lot.

Cauliflower Puree in the Food Processor

Not on the final picture of my plate was the stuffing. It got its own plate as there was no room at all for it.

Okay, so That Isn't my Plate

To start the stuffing, I made some sausage. I did a buffalo sausage, starting with some ground buffalo I got at work. I added chopped garlic, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and some fennel seed. I let this sit in the fridge overnight and the day of, I browned it in some olive oil to start the stuffing. When it was browned, i removed it from the pan and added onions, crimini mushrooms, garlic, carrots, celery, and leeks. I let these sweat and I added rosemary, sage, and thyme. I let this cool while I toasted up cubes a a cranberry orange loaf I got from the Great Harvest Bread Company that I thought would make a great stuffing. At this point, I combined the sautee with the bread, added two eggs, and some chicken stock. I baked it until the top was a bit crispy and it had cooked through. The flavor of the stuffing was very good. There was a lot of flavor, and i know my brother thought it was a little too far from tradition. I also was in the mood for a fairly breadlike stuffing, so it was a little less moist than my mom might have liked. My dad thought it was great, and I really enjoyed the flavor of the stuffing with the sausage and mushrooms. When eating the leftovers the next two nights, I agreed with my mom and would have preferred a more moist stuffing.

After the sauvignon blanc was finished, we opened up an Arcadian Sleepy Hollow Pinot Noir. This was an excellent fall wine with a fair amount of spice and a long finish. Although I believed it to be a great fall wine, I didn’t find that it was the perfect pairing for our meal. Perhaps we could have used something different to counteract the spices in the meal…

For dessert I made a pumpkin souffle. I started by roasting a couple of local fresh pumpkins.

Pumpkin After Roasting

I then scooped out the flesh into the food processor and blended it with cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, fromage blanc, a touch of milk, sugar, and some molasses. I whipped up five egg whites and gently folded these into the mixture. At this point, I put portions of the fluffy mixture into individual ramekins and baked them at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. This was the first time I had every made a souffle, and I was happy to see them rise and come out light and airy. I added a a cream on top that I made from melted marshmellow, heavy creamy, and vanilla ice cream. I then sprinkled some crumbled graham crackers over the top. The souffle had a strong pumpkin flavor complimented by the spices, and it was brought into a full dessert category with the sweetness of the cream. Along with this, we had a light and sweet sparkling wine from Italy. It was fruity and not very complex, but served as an excellent palate cleanser.

Overall, it was a great meal. I had some fun cooking some new things. I was not too stressed out as my mom and I did a great job with prepping everything. I ate until I was stuffed, and most importantly, it was great to spend time with my family. There weren’t many of us which made for an intimate meal that I will remember for a long time.