Monday, July 23, 2018

The ROSE & KETTLE in Cherry Valley rises again for our annual Glimmerglass Artists divine dinner (7-22-18)

Fifteen of us joined last night after the final concert of the weekend by Eric Owens (and he was in attendance as well) for our annual client/friends/young artists' dinner at the Rose & Kettle in Cherry Valley, just 15 minutes away from Cooperstown and the Glimmerglass Theater. Everything was a hit this year starting with the amazing drinks such as a Pomegranate Cosmo and Lancaster Lemonade(vodka,limoncello,cointreau). The wines were also excellent as always with a Wachau Gruner Veltliner, Chateau de Campuget Rose, Marchesi Mazzei Badiola and the always spectacular Earthquake Petit Sirah.

I started with the spicy delicious Samosas of sweet potato, pea and onion with mango chutney and tamarind glaze and tasted the awesome special of Salmon Cake with Nuoc Cham Asian Fish sauce. I almost always order the amazing definitive Meatloaf of locally raised beef, pork and lamb mixed and served with garlic mashed potatoes, an amazing pan gravy thick and rich and string beans. I think more than 1/2 the table ordered the special main course of NY Strip Steak with Horseradish-Dijon Cream, Steak Fries, Spinach and amazing crispy fried onions(FB photos). This is one of our favorite nights of the year and this year was just as special as it always is. Back in August 2019!

Friday, July 20, 2018

Cooperstown, NY's The BLUE MINGO brings me relaxation and rest on the shores of Lake Otsego, but sometimes barely makes the mark (7-19-18)

Each year that we return to Cooperstown, NY and the Glimmerglass Festival for our always memorable weekend of operas, we have a quandary as to where to dine on our nights free. As we attend four operas and a concert this year, one brunch and two dinners are arranged for patrons through the company and their superb caterer, The Horned Dorset. This year we have two free evenings and our last will be spent with a dozen and a half opera singers at The Rose & Kettle in nearby Cherry Valley, which we have deemed the best food in the region. Some of the places in town and out go up and down over the years, so we decided to return to the Blue Mingo where we have not been for sometime, in its placid setting on the lakeshore several miles north of town.
We had a beautiful view from our table(check the FB photos) and settled in with a Mingo Margarita and a Cooperstown Cosmo. Will learned a lesson by ordering the former frozen and it came loaded with way too many small chunks of just ice, rather than a smoother slush, while mine was nice, if a bit too loaded with cranberry juice; at least I got the extra from the bar in a small adorable container(see photo).
Bread was warm and delicious and came in brown and yummy mini corn muffins with soft butter.
Samuel had his eyes on the starter of SRIRACHA FRIES with Cilantro, Green Onion, Lime & Garlic Mayo and they looked great as he devoured the monstrous plate(please read on for my opinion). Will tried the TUNA NACHOS with Crispy Wontons, Seared Sesame Ahi tune, Wakame, Pickled Ginger and dipping sauces of Ponzu & Wasabi Crema. If the ordering of the ingredients on the menu has any meaning, then we should have noted that wontons are listed first as the dish was piled high with dozens of the fried tasty dough triangles, but sadly the less than a dozen tiny bites of ahi were negligible. The dish was tasty, but needs reordering of its ingredients and priorities. I fared best with the COCONUT SHRIMP featuring 6 plump pieces beautifully battered and fried with a sweet chili sauce, lime, ginger and a spoonful of Napa Cabbage(it was really a cabbage mix) underneath.
We ordered a bottle of Chateau d'Escalus Whispering Angel Rose which we knew and was crisp and refreshing as the weather cooled to below 70 and the sun set; it was a perfect evening. I noticed at this point the flowers(well on stem) in the vase on the table were wilting and needed some freshening, but at least that can't mar the beauty of the lake here.
Main courses were all decent, but still could use some minor improvements. Faring tops was Sam's QUINOA BOWL (the only veggie main option on the entire large menu!) made with Broccoli, Chickpeas, Zucchini, Squash, Sauteed Spinach, Sundried Tomato all dressed up with a delicious homemade Thai Sauce. Again it was huge, but truly varied and tasty. His friend's BAR STEAK was explained as a Sirloin on large roll with Maple Bacon Bourbon Jam and fries and it was just that and quite delicious as she raved about the tasty meat and sauce.
My LOBSTER ROLL was tasty but needed salt and pepper as it was barely seasoned, although the large chunks of lobster were delicious. It normally comes with a side of fries, but for $3 I upgraded to the Sriracha Fries. DON'T! They were truly the gummiest batch of fries I have ever had in my life, even if deliciously seasoned. The accompanying Garlic Mayo was perfect to add flavor to the lobster roll.
Will chose the SLEEPING LION BURGER, a gorgeous hunk of Grass-Fed beef on a bun with Arugula, Goat Cheese and that yummy Maple Bacon Bourbon Jam. Sadly the latter tow ingredients were barely in attendance, and I told him to ask for more, but he just ate on. A glass of Mountain Door Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina was a bit wimpy for the burger(oh, you Europeans might get that wimpy joke!).
The portions are huge and despite our seeing the totally fun looking dessert of "Grill you own Smores tableside" at the next table, we headed back to our cottage on the lake, very full, but wishing the Mingo took a bit more notice to its menu when delivering the dishes.



Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Des Moines, Iowa's HARBINGER is heavenly, modern and marvelous (7-8-18)and other Des Moines tidbits

My long weekend in Des Moines, Iowa was ,y virgin visit to the state's capital and I cam away finding amazing food everywhere, not to mention some of the friendliest folks around.
My first night at the Maytag Dairy Farm 40 miles east of town in the middle of nowhere, the Des Moines Metro Opera catered and amazing meal from Table 128 in town featuring Pork Chops with Maytag Blue Cheese, Grilled Corn, Beans, awesome biscuits and so much more. A real treat before the opera was the complimentary popcorn, made from the corn right next to the opera stage set outside! There were Maytag Blue Cheese & bacon popcorn as well as what they call Chicago popcorn (Cheddar & caramel mixed!!), there was an anise/orange which I skipped. After the opera, the cast and operagoers enjoyed the best ever Strawberry-Rhubarb pie made by a local woman in nearby Newton. It was a great first night. The other evenings I ate at the theater in Indianola and the food was a decent buffet, but needs no review.
One lunch at Bubba's in the city featured the best brined and fried chicken I have ever had that was so juicy I needed multiple napkins and the crusty skin was so good I at every last crumb. The mashed garlic potatoes won't win a prize, but the beans were delish. Sunday brunch, also in town, was at St. Kilda's, and when I arrived at 1130am the place was heaving. There was one party of 10 waiting for quite some time and it turned out to be the soprano lead from Fledermaus the night before! I was lucky enough to get a counter seat with a view of the whole place and enjoyed my one course of Salmon Burger with Avocado, slab bacon, fried egg and arugula on a gorgeous fresh seeded bun. The coffee was delish. It was a quick stop, but if you want to go reserve ahead!
The last meal and only real dinner out was at Harbinger, where Iowa native Chef Joe Tripp set up home just a year ago who has won TWO James Beard Awards for best Chef in the Midwest over the years. I invited 5 opera singer client/friends and we all had a truly amazing time. The grained wooden tables and chairs are pretty, but don't offer much rearend comfort; bu there are some bench leather seats along the walls. The walls have gorgeous lathed wooden bowls from local wood sculptors as well as jars with fresh sunflowers; one wall has a giant dried wreath. There is a small bar and the small space that seats under 50 is open to the kitchen at the side. I arrived early and started on a bottle of Stolpman Vineyard 2016 Roussanne from Ballard Canyon, Lompoc (Santa Barbara area), California. The rich unfiltered wine had tones of melon and pineapple and went with virtually everything, but drank beautifully alone. Our server Katelyn was extremely accommodating as we all ventured through the menu of 5 starters and twelve or so mains, but they were all really small plates meant for each person to have 4 or so. Some folks opted for the five course Chef's Tasting. I never did get a price on that menu, but the average cost per person without the drinks, tip or tax was about $45, and we ate a lot for 3 hours!
Many of the dishes can be viewed on my facebook page and are presented below in no specific order.
Haikuri Turnips were grilled over Thai Fruit wood and came with Nasturtium, Buttermilk and Green Tomato Marmalade (the marmalade enough was able to send us into ecstasy) was the first course of the tasting
Squash Blossom Rangoon was battered and deep fried with Tomato Sweet & Sour Sauce and Chinese Mustard. I started with this crunchy delight and it was the 2nd course for the tasting.
Spicy Eggplant toast with Thai Basil, Crispy Shallots and Pickled Fresno Chili looked a bit odd, but got raves, but the 
DUCK EGG inspired by Japanese omelet was a Tamago Custard with Smashed New Potatoes, Garlic Chives & Bacon Consomme that was truly a major breakthrough in cooking.
They also have Steamed Buns and the Vietnamese Meatball with Chili Glaze, Aioli and Cilantro got high marks as well.
The third course of the tasting was a perfectly grilled Miso Glazed Octopus and the
fourth course was a Superb Pork Loin with fermented Black Beans, Blueberry Vinaigrette(more like a gastrique) and Squid Ink.
Baby Heirloom Carrots (flavors of Thailand) with Lemongrass Marshmallow, Toasted Peanuts and Flowering Cilantro may not sound so interesting, but these were some of the best carrots from local farms and the lemongrass marshmallow was an inspiration that made the dish simply unequaled to any carrot dish ever had before in my mind.
I adored the English Pea Gnocchi-inspired Mochi with House Ricotta, Pine Nuts, Snap Peas & Tendrils which was probably one of the heaviest plates and at $9 was truly unbelievable.
My main course was the Lucky George Farm's Rabbit (memories of claypot in Singapore) with magnificent local mushrooms, broken rice and scallions. The dish was cooked perfectly so the rabbit shone, but like a stew without a single tiny rabbit bone.
By this time we had moved on to the celebratory Balfour Pinot Noir/Chardonnay Leslie's Reserve Sparkling Wine from Hush Heath Estate in Kent, UK and if this is where "champagne" is going in the future it's a good sign. It was intensely bubbly but full of wonderful yeasty flavors. It was even better using the Riedel crystal. Our dinner was right after the matinee of the remarkable Jonathan Dove masterpiece "Flight" and two of it's singers had joined us, so champagne was in order for it was one of the most memorable operatic encounters of my entire life.
The many plates were not that filling so dessert was in order and some chose the Lemon Meringue Blueberry and Spice which had a large lemon pudding with toasted meringue cookie. 
The tasting menu dessert was a Carrot Cake with Dehydrated Thai Chilis and while there was cream cheese involved, this was not your traditional carrot cake; it was divine, as was the entire evening with such a great group of singers.
This meal alone proved what Des Moines is capable of and I understand there are many other wonderful dining spots, so I guess I will have to return again for another Des Moines Metro Opera season!!

Sunday, July 01, 2018

Bistro Aracosia brings awesome Afghan to DC(6-30-18)

Will had been to Bistro Aracosia around the corner on MacArthur Blvd a couple of times and has been raving all year, so we finally headed over last night for a quiet dinner for two(www.bistroaracosia.com).

The location is where the late Listrani's and Bistroquet were, but unlike those, the place was full on Saturday at 7pm and a line was waiting for tables. I think this is here to stay!

The décor in the front retains the tin ceiling and small bar with bistro style seating(chairs are more comfy, but tables are small and crowded) in the two rooms. The walls have Afghan jewelry, scarves, paintings (think whirling dervishes) and quotes from famous poets(Rumi, Hafaz) and the rear room now has a beautiful fabric ceiling that makes it quieter (but last night a tad warmer than the front room, especially with the outdoor heat topping 90). The staff sport long embroidered Afghan shirts, which are most attractive.

We were warmly greeting and seated quickly as we perused the drink menu. Will chose the Khyber Pass made with Casa Noble Crystal Tequila, Patron Citronage, lime and chile while I aimed for the Sumac Infusion with sumac-infused vodka(mild), velvet falernum, pomegranate and lime. The tall thin glasses look smaller, but are misleading as the drinks seemed to last quite long. The Afghan bread arrived and Will said it was not as fresh as the previous visits, but still delicious with the four "chutneys" or sauces that come with it and can be put on any or all of the various dishes, but especially the kebabs. The mildest was the Avocado/Yogurt with spices and they progress very quickly in spice levels to the Red Chile then the Thai Pepper & Green Herbs(almost tomatillo-like) and the intense Mango Sweet & Spicy, definitely the hottest, but still superbly tasty.

It was quite busy and took a while to order, but we specifically told the server to give us a good break between courses as we saw the portions arriving near us were quite huge. The owner was back over asking what we had ordered and if we had ever tasted the lamb chops. Within minutes he returned with a plate of two gorgeous grilled lamb chops in Afgan spices. Unfortunately, Will is highly allergic to sumac and when he asked, the owner mentioned that all the grilled meats use sumac as it is a pre-mixed spice rub; more for me. The chops were cooked perfectly and were even more amazing with the green and mango sauces.

We ordered a bottle of Rioja Imperial Reserva 2012 from Compania Vinicola del Norte de Espana in Haro and it was drinking beautifully. The wine list offers many lower prices options in the 30's and up, but they do tend to get pricey for the better quality ones and at $90 this was as high I was willing to go. Some wines were in the $300's!!

Will started with a Cold Scythian Soup of Yogurt, Avocado, Cucumber and Dill, with the latter being quite intense(a bit too much for my taste) while I was thrilled with my Sabzi Boulanee (turnovers) which are the flakiest of pastries (quasi-phyllo, less than turnovers), filled with spinach, kale, collard, mustard & turnip greens, and cilantro, then deep fried and served with the avocado/yogurt chutney dipping sauce. This is one of the best veggie dishes around for my bang!

I later learned that Sabzi means greens as Will ordered the Lamb Shank Sabzi Moghuli for his main course which was braised bone-in shanks with braised mixed greens in a spicy tomato stew with Garam Masala. It was delicious and huge as well.

I could not resist ordering the Bodana (Quail) Kabob with Basmati Rice and the most amazing Butternut Squash side dish topped with amazing spice sauce and a dab of yogurt drizzle. There were three huge quails(see the FB photos) all grilled and seasoned perfectly, but after those two lamb chops, I only got through half the plate and took the other 1-1/2 birds home for another night! Everything was cooked perfectly and again the supers sauces made every bite different.

We decided to try the Firni for dessert which is an Afghan pudding infused with cardamom and topped off with crushed pistachios akin to flan, but even thicker. It was nice, a bit rich and quite heavy, although refreshing. I would have liked more pistachios for crunch on top, but we left very happy knowing that we will be back soon to another awesome establishment in our 'hood!