My brother ordered the BBQ pulled pork sandwich. The sandwich was enormous. The proportions were a little off, but it’s hard to complain when they pile too much meat onto a sandwich. A heaping pile of pulled pork came in a slightly sweet barbecue sauce with a little bit of red cabbage slaw on a fluffy, light roll. The meat was juicy. The sauce and meat might have benefited from some smokiness, and the bun did not hold up well, quickly becoming soggy. I tried the dish, and it was definitely something that can be enjoyed in spite of any flaws I may have found.

The dish placed in front of me was a fried chicken breast on top of a sweet potato waffle smothered in a country gravy studded with bits of sausage.  Served in two small dishes alongside this gorgeous pile were some grits and two poached eggs. The grits were slightly bland and lacked any creaminess. They certainly would have benefited from even just a little cream or butter and some salt. They were slightly elevated by some Cholula hot sauce and some yolk from the poached eggs. Lucky for me, I did not come here for grits and eggs. I came here for the chicken and waffles, and it was great. The chicken was moist and flavorful and was pleasantly crispy. The waffle was not dry at all, slightly crispy where not covered in gravy, and provided a wonderful sweetness to complement the rest of the dish. The gravy was rich and rounded out the entire meal. There was even some extra that I soaked up with some of my brother’s leftover french fries. The chicken and waffles at Sneakers bistro is my new favorite brunch dish, and it will be the one I look forward to having when I visit Burlington in the future.

Yesterday was my step-dad’s birthday, and since I was away last night, I wanted to make dinner tonight. I picked up some lamb at a local coop as it is definitely a favorite of my step-dad’s. There were also some boneless country style pork ribs that looked great. When I got home, I was in the mood to make tacos. I had a mole sauce in the fridge that I made the other week. It was heavy on the chiles with notes of sweetness from bananas and some dried fruit in addition to some bitterness from a rich dark chocolate. I wanted to serve this with the pork, and I wasn’t sure what I would be doing with the lamb…

I was going to braise the pork in the oven, then finish it on the grill. In an oven proof dish, I put onions, garlic, celery, and carrots with a quality dark ale. I brushed the mole onto the pork ribs and placed them on top of the vegetables. I covered it all in foil and put it in the oven at 325 degrees. They cooked for a few hours until tender, then I removed the ribs, still lightly sauced, and finished them on the grill to give them a nice char. I served the pork in warm homemade flour tortillas with a little bit more of the mole, cilantro, and raw red onion.

With the lamb, I knew I would not be cooking with Mexican ingredients, but I did not know exactly the direction I would head. I began by searing the lamb, removing it, then sauteing onions, garlic, celery, and carrots in some olive oil. When they had cooked down a bit, I deglazed with red wine and some beef stock and added dried chile, bay leaf, and cinnamon. I added the lamb back to the pot. I let this cook for a couple of hours until the lamb was nice and tender. I had some avocado that I found ripe at the coop this afternoon, and I decided to make an avocado-basil crema. In a food processor, I combined avocado, basil, olive oil, lime juice, cumin, paprika, salt, black pepper, and a touch of water and cream. With this creamy condiment and a somewhat rich stew, I knew I had to cut through this with some acidity and maybe a little sweetness. I had some more red onion, and I found some dried California yellow cherries in my kitchen. I decided to pickle them together. In a small sauce pot, I brought to a boil rice vinegar, mirin, salt, pomegranate molasses, and a number of spices including allspice, juniper berries, clove, cinnamon, bay leaf, and mustard seed. I poured the hot liquid and spices over sliced red onion and the dried cherries and added some water. After about two hours in the refrigerator, the onions and cherries had reached a nice pickled state. I was excited how it all came together, and some toasted marcona almonds brought a little more texture and some welcome nuttiness to the taco. My favorite part of it was definitely the avocado-basil crema, and I found myself eating small spoonfuls of it before we even sat down to eat…

Today was fun, and as I have said before, I love cooking without a recipe. There are certainly aspects of the taco fillings that can be improved upon, but for an afternoon/evening of cooking on a whim, I was very happy with how the food came out.

At Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, NY, I had a similar feeling. The food was all so fresh, and precisely prepared.  The fact that so much of it came right off the farm elevated the experience. I wasn’t sure if dinner at Daniel could match the feeling. It did. It was a different experience. They had taken the same care with their food. One place where Daniel separated itself was their sauces. None of the sauces were too heavy, yet each and every one had layers of flavor, extraordinarily developed, complimenting the flavors of the rest of the dish. In addition to this, the service  wowed me. A few months ago, I ate at Picholine in New York City. The room was not as inviting, and the atmosphere seemed slightly stuffy. The servers seemed to be doing everything they should, but it was overbearing. They were not nearly as inviting as the staff at Daniel, and they were awkward in their actions. Placing every diners food down at the same moment was something they did, but it just didn’t fit. At Daniel, I expected to feel similarly about these kinds of orchestrated actions. To my surprise, this was never the case. Servers came to the table unnoticed to deliver each and every course. More important than this, however, were the welcoming feelings they exuded. Each and every member of the staff made you feel happy to be there, answering each and every one of our questions as if it was their priviledge to do so. One commented that we were almost to the end after she delivered our fifth plate of food. My dad quickly responded, “We don’t want to get to the end.” It would be ridiculous to say we felt at home here. I have to say, my home feels nothing like this, but we feel comfortable.  We are having a wonderful time.

To go through everything we tasted might be a little excessive, so I will just mention some highlights from the meal. To start, an amuse bouche was sent out from the kitchen. It was a trio of beet preparations, the favorite of the table being a spoonful of a highly refined borscht. The soup was thick, a deep red color, and allowed the flavor of the beet to shine through with proper seasoning and touch of pleasant acidity.

To start, I had a meyer lemon royale with sea urchin. The dish came out with a meyer lemon royale, a sea urchin royale, an oyster, caviar, a sea urchin emulsion, and one piece of fresh sea urchin. I am an avid sea urchin fan, so I was happy to see it in three different applications. This dish tasted like the ocean, briny and sweet, and the lemon royale was perfectly creamy, the lemon brightening the dish and rounding out the flavor.

Next I had a hazlenut crusted sea scallop served with morel fricasee and swiss chard. The scallop was perfectly cooked, and the earthiness of the morel played well along the sweetness of the scallop. The freshness of the scallop was extraordinary, and the deeply developed flavor of the fricasee and peppercorn sauce brought the dish to another level. The only part of the dish I found unwelcome was a textural issue. There was a pleasant crunch that the hazlenut crust provided, but there was an occasional grittiness that I came across that was slightly unpleasant. In spite of this, the dish still managed to be one of my favorites.

In the next course, I had a black seabass with syrah sauce. It was also served with a leek potato parmentier and roasted and tempura celery. My dad and brother both had yellowfin tuna with hearts of palm and fennel confit.  Each fish was perectly cooked. The tuna was properly rare, and the sea bass was very moist. Again, what I found shining in each dish were the sauces. The syrah sauce with the sea bass was flavorful, glossy and rich. The tuna was dressed with a chicken based sauce. It was perfectly executed, and I was surprised at how well it complimented a fish dish. The flavors came together in such a pleasing way.

For my final savory course, I had a duo of beef, braised short rib and seared tenderloin. The short ribs were falling apart and tender, and the saucing of the dish was again the star. Velvety and rich, the sauce still allowed the excellent flavor of the beef to shine through. The server brought out the dish, mentioning the seared tenderloin, and I had forgotten that the menu stated it would be wagyu beef. But whenI started to cut into it and taste, I knew immediately. This was not a typical unmarbled piece of tenderloin, prized for its tenderness but lacking in flavor. It was a well-marbled piece of meat, rich and flavorful. This is certainly somewhere I don’t mind ordering tenderloin of beef. The flavor is not lost.

After all of these wonderful courses, the desserts did not disappoint. The chocolate was rich and smooth, and each sorbet was smooth and perfectly textured, not the least bit grainy. And the wine pairings throughout the meal elevated the entire experience. Each of the six courses came with a different wine, and the effort put into finding the right wines for each course was clear. Beginning with a refined and fruity white, we moved into some more minerally whites, onto a lighter, fruitier red with the sea bass, and a rich, robust red came with the beef. It was clear that the people behind the menu believe that great food and great wine go hand in hand.

This is a meal I will never forget. It is something I wish I could enjoy more. It is one of the priciest meals one can enjoy in an already pricey city, but it was worth every penny. The food and service are refined and polished. With all of the stars and accolades that the restaurant has received, including its recent James Beard Award for Best Restaurant, there is a pressure to keep standards high. On this night, the kitchen and staff showed me why they deserve everything they have been given. If I had an award to give out, Restaurant Daniel would be the front runner that all other fine dining restaurants should strive to emulate.

While at the coop, I also picked up some fresh chicken livers. I rinsed them a few times under cold water, then submerged them in milk and allowed them to soak for about six hours. After six hours, I removed them, gave them a rinse, cleaned them up a little, and drained them on some paper towels. When the livers were ready to be cooked, I started sauteing some shallots, garlic, thyme, sage, and just a few shitakes in butter and olive oil. I allowed them to soften up a bit then added a small amount of chopped green apple. Soon after, I added the livers. I cooked them for about two minutes on one side and 90 seconds on the other before adding some port to deglaze the pan. I cooked this for a minute to allow the alcohol to cook out, then threw everything in the food processor. I seasoned everything with salt and pepper and began to puree it all. I added a couple small chunks of butter to round out the flavor, and I added a splash of white wine vinegar and some parsley to brighten it a little. I then put the mixture in the refrigerator to cool a bit while I got the rest of the sandwich ready.

I sliced some hearty bread that I picked up at the Great Harvest Bread Company and began to toast it. Then I sliced the beef tongue. I cut about half inch slices, seasoned them with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and began to grill them. They needed only to be heated through and given a little char on the outside.

When the bread was a golden brown, I spread some honey truffle mustard on one side. On the other, I spread some of the chicken liver mousse. I took a couple pieces of beef tongue and sandwiched them in the middle, then put the whole thing in the panini press for a minute or two so that the sandwich would come together. I was very happy with how the sandwich came out. The creamy mousse offered a nice livery flavor, the mustard offered a kick of dijon, a subtle earthy flavor of truffle, and some sweetness from the honey, and the beef tongue was extremely tender after being heated through while offering its superbly beefy flavor. The sandwich came together on a whim, and it is by no means a perfected dish. I do like the idea, and I think that I can have some fun with the idea in the future, looking to improve on something I already enjoy.

With the snow continuing to pile up on top of the foot and a half that had already fallen, the restaurant was a little quiet. I sat at the bar, ordered a beer, and looked over the menu. My focus was on the small plates section, as I was fairly certain I was in the mood for a burger. After some deliberation, I ordered the steak tartare. It comes with a fried egg and frites. I asked if it was possible to have some of their grilled bread served on the side as well. The bartender happily accommodated the request. I also ordered their double burger, asking if I could have a side of their pumpkin polenta in place of the fries (already coming with the tartare), also not a problem.

The tartare came out shortly after I ordered, and it was well presented. Two slices of charred bread, a mound of french fries, and a dome of deep red tenderloin, glistening with olive oil and speckled with capers and grated cheese. I was astounded by the look of the meat itself. It was very fresh and chopped by hand. I enjoyed each spoonful of the stuff, deciding not to eat it on top of the bread, but by itself. I wanted to be able to savor the beefy flavor brightened by the chef’s additions. I did also eat the bread, pleasantly oily with a nice char. The fries made the dish quite a large portion, and most of them were crispy and well seasoned. A few suffered from being on the bottom of the pile, losing a bit of that crispness. My choice for dip was their sharply acidic house ketchup, also a nice addition to the burger.

The burger came with a nicely charred, soft bun next to a cast iron dish of pumpkin polenta. Inside the bun was two charred patties topped with melted Boucher blue cheese. The bun held up well and did not get soggy, and the cheese did well not to overpower the flavor of the meat. Properly fatty, the meat had good flavor, but I found that the two thin patties were a little more cooked than I would have liked. This led to meat that was a little more dry and tougher than one would find in medium rare patties. This is not always the case. My friend ordered the burger last night and the meat was cooked through, but it did have a nice pink center. Next time I order the burger, I may just make sure to mention that I like my burgers on the rare side. The pumpkin polenta served alongside my burger was successful in every way. The polenta had a strong and sweet corn flavor. It was topped with toasted pumpkin seeds that added nice texture and flavor the outrageously creamy polenta. It was a great trip to a quiet restaurant on a snowy evening.

The food satisfied the craving I had been dealing with for some time, but the quality of the food left me wanting more. Lucky for me, after being away for most of the weekend, I made it back on Sunday while they were still open for brunch. Another plus was that this time, my roommate would be joining me. I arrived adequately hungry, and my roommate and I decided to share three dishes. We ordered corned beef and hash, the mushroom toast, and poached eggs with house ham and brown butter hollandaise. In each dish, the eggs (fried with hash/mushroom toast) were cooked perfectly, the whites just set but not tough, and the yolk runny and golden. The corned beef and hash was flavorful, the meat well cured and salty. The poached egg dish came with a large serving of salty and smoky ham and charred bread underneath. On top was a brown butter hollandaise sauce that added a little moisture but its flavor was difficult to detect in the presence of the ham and eggs. Alongside the dish were ping pong ball sized potatoes, expertly crisped. The vegetarian option is something that is also served as a small plate on their dinner menu. It was a mushroom toast served alongside those perfectly crisp potatoes. The charred bread served as a base, sauteed mushrooms with sage resting between the bread and a perfectly fried egg. The earthy flavor of the mushrooms were able to shine in this simple dish, the drizzling yolk adding richness as it worked its way through the mushrooms into the bread. My roommate and I left very satisfied. I think one would be hard pressed to find a better brunch in Burlington.

With this taste, I found my roommate much more willing to put off other obligations when I asked if he would like to head to Bluebird Tavern soon after our brunch. Every Tuesday, they offer their complete menu, but the double burger, boudin dog, and mussels are only ten dollars. We showed up around seven o’clock and had a very difficult time finding a parking space in either of their two lots. Eventually squeezing in to what very clearly was not meant to be a spot, we got out of my car and entered the restaurant. The place was packed. I don’t think I have ever seen a restaurant this lively ever in Burlington, and it was a Tuesday night. I was impressed by this not only because of the night of the week, but also because the restaurant is nowhere near Church St. and is less than a year old. Word has spread quickly. My roommate and I were hungry but happy to wait for a seat at the bar.

It had only been maybe ten minutes before we had a seat and were ordering drinks. We both had plans to study when we got home after dinner, so we could not drink too heavily. We do like to have a beer with dinner, and we usually like to try something new. Bluebird has twelve beers on tap, and they offer most of them in small glasses for just about half the price of a pint. This was perfect for us, and we actually ended up ordering four small beers between the two of us.

For dinner we decided to share two small plates to start. We ordered the warm testa and the bone marrow. My roommate hadn’t had the burger and wanted to try it, and I ordered the boudin dog. The testa was a dish of thin slices of head cheese draped over creamy, sweet polenta in a cast iron dish. They throw it in the oven briefly so that the testa is heated through, blanketing the polenta with a nice crust. Overall the dish was a success, the silky, sweet polenta pairing nicely with the addition of pork flavor and texture from the testa. With this we were also served the bone marrow which came with four slices of their excellent grilled bread and some chopped parsley and pickled onions. The dish came with two marrow bones and a butter knife to scoop out the fatty, gelatinous center. Unfortunately, the two bones had very little to offer. Initially disappointed, I asked Sue at the bar (she had introduced herself when we came in, having recognized us from brunch) about it. Without hesitation, she had the kitchen fire two more. They do take some time to prepare, so she came back twice to check up on us, but soon delivered two more sections of bone and four more slices of grilled bread. This time around, my roommate and I had more than enough of what can be described, in this dish at least, as the meatiest butter you have ever tasted.

When the entrees arrived, we both were thankful that we substituted a salad of greens and herbs for the frites that would normally accompany the burger and dog. We had both had their fries before, and we had both eaten a fair amount up to this point alone. My roommate ended up being very happy with the burger, and I was equally pleased with my dish. The boudin dog is a housemade sausage surrounded by cheese and covered in their 21 day sauerkraut, sitting comfortably in a toasted sesame seed bun. The boudin had a good pork flavor, the cheese added a creaminess that I found surprisingly comforting, and the saurkraut added another layer of saltiness along with an acidic tang.

Both my roommate and I left very happy once again, and I think it is safe to say that we will return again soon. There are items on the menu I have yet to try, and I am not entirely comfortable with that  fact.

I ordered a first course of smoked ham with a lentil stew and some grilled bread. The ham was shaved, pleasantly salty, but may have benefited from a more significant smoky flavor. The lentils were cooked well, holding on to some of their texture, and the stewing method produced a well developed flavor. The grilled bread, pickles, and mustard provided an excellent vehicle for the ham, allowing the customer to build your own open face sandwich if you chose to do so.

My favorite part of the meal was the New York style cheesecake. It is usually served with a cranberry orange sauce, and on another night I am sure I would have liked that very much. But I was sharing the dessert, and our interest in the doughnuts was piqued by the thyme honey served alongside the doughnuts. So we decided to ask them if we could have the cheesecake served with the honey, and they seemed to happily oblige. The cheesecake was very light with a creamy texture that had me thinking of something between whipped cream and ricotta cheese. The honey provided the necessary sweetness, I found the dish a satisfying way to end the meal.

Friday night, my friend’s parents were around and were kind enough to take me out to dinner at The Kitchen Table Bistro in Richmond, VT. The four of us met my friend’s uncle and cousin. The six of us walked in a few minutes before our reservation and were immediately seated upstairs. The atmosphere throughout the restaurant was comfortable. It remained somewhat intimate in spite of the number of seats due to the fact that there are a number of different rooms. One would not easily forget that they are in Vermont, as the refined yet rustic ambience is reminiscent of an old farmhouse.

But the atmosphere here is something that compliments the food, for without satisfying the customers gustatory desires, the restaurant would not survive. I ended up, thanks to the generous group who had brought me along, trying a number of different dishes.

Among my favorites were the macaroni and cheese, the braied short ribs, and the salmon. The macaroni and cheese is orecchiette pasta with a three cheese sauce made with vermont cream and an herbed breadcrumb crust. The orecchiette was well cooked, not overdone after being baked, the breadcrumbs provided a nice crunch, and the cheese was melted and creamy. Each forkful pulled away from the baking dish reluctantly, strands of cheese clinging to pasta left behind. The short rib dish was a straightforward braise served with a sauce made from the braising liquid and some root vegetables. The short ribs were tender, again only a fork necessary to pull away each bite, and the fat had melted, making the dish fit for a young child in the middle of losing his or her baby teeth. Finally, the salmon served with creamed spinach and a lemon beurre blanc was perfectly cooked. The soft, tender salmon was a joy to ingest, and the sauce provided some necessary and welcome acidity.

Saturday night, and another group of six of us headed out for the evening. My parents would be joining us this time on our trip to Vergennes, VT and The Black Sheep Bistro. The restaurant seemed slightly cramped as there were a few different tables of five or six. The seating area is fairly small which created this feeling. Once we were seated, the cramped feeling disappeared and the restaurant staff made us feel at home. By the end of the meal, I would tend more towards describing the space as cozy. Many dishes here were served in a rustic fashion, and substantial portions were placed in front of all of us.

To start, I was impressed by the short rib stew with garlic crostini and a seared scallop dish. The short ribs were tender and delicious, and the toast was a perfect means by which to soak up the thick, rich stew. The entree that stood out to me was the braised lamb shank. It came out topping white beans, the bone protruding about eight inches above the plate. The shank was cooked until the fat had softened, and the meat seemed in a hurry to be consumed, practically jumping off of the bone. The dish was rich but did not seem too heavy, and the long braising allowed the lamb flavor to fully develop. Along with the main dishes, two large portions of garlic mashed potatoes and french fries were served to the table. The mashed potatoes retained some texture, were not overwhelmed by butter or cream, and held a strong garlic flavor. I am not usually one to be impressed by potato side dishes. I did, however, have a very difficult time stopping myself from continuing to eat these far beyond being full. The french fries were served with ketchup, basil aioli, and a garlic aioli. The fries were thin, crisp, and well seasoned. They were fun to eat, especially with the selection of dips, each distinctly flavored. This trip to Black Sheep Bistro was enjoyable from the atmosphere to the staff to the food, and I plan to return in the near future.

Finally, the weekend of eating out ended with a late Sunday brunch/lunch. My friend’s parents treated us to a meal at Magnolia Bistro in downtown Burlington. It is a certified green restaurant that caters to the significant vegetarian and vegan population of Burlington. I had the Huevos con Diablo. The dish was two fried eggs served on top of polenta and chipotle black beans with salsa and sour cream. Everything came together well and the elements were cooked as I wished, but I feel as though some cheese, perhaps parmigiano reggiano, would have enriched the polenta and the dish as a whole. On a recent trip to New York, I had the famed Clinton St. Baking Company pancakes. On this trip to Magnolia, I tried their oatmeal pancakes. The large pancakes were surprisingly light and fluffy with a touch of texture from the rolled oats added to the batter. These pancakes, in spite of containing whole grain, had a more pleasant texture and overall flavor than the pancakes I enjoyed in New York. And I did enjoy them, but today’s pancakes were more than I had expected to get here, and were surprisingly enjoyed more than those I found in the heart of Manhattan.

Overall, this weekend was both entertaining and enjoyable. I was in good company for nearly all of it, and I was in the presence of good food nonstop. Frankly, I feel a little worn down from it all. Not that I would turn down an invitation to a nice meal right now, but I am certainly going to be able to enjoy a quick and easy meal at home. Perhaps I will enjoy it on the couch, in front of the television.

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.

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.

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…

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.

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.