I found myself wandering north of Times Square Saturday evening before
the theater and remembered how I adored Natsumi (www.natsuminyc.com-
226 West 50th Street)on my previous visits. I headed right over and
the place was very quiet at 5:30pm, only to be full when I left two
hours later.
I was seated at the sushi bar and got to watch the three chefs at
work, and even chatted some, although they were busy and didn't seem
to like small talk in English.
I started with a SPICY MARTINI, knowing my show was a light musical, I
could drink heavily! This large portioned drink made with jalapeno
vodka, canton ginger liqueur and a splash of lemonade, is not too
spicy but is a strong martini for sure and was indeed a nice foil to
may starter salad of ENDIVE, Mustard & UNAGI. I am in love with this
simple salad of SMOKED warm EEL served in three large Endive leaves
with walnut pieces on the side (they should sprinkle them on top for
crunch as using chopsticks to move them can be tough--I reverted to
fingers) and a soy based Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette.
As I was at the sushi bar, I decided to forego some of the Asian-
Italian fusion pasta dishes I love here, but still chose the Italian
named "BACIA de FROCO." This Spicy Super White Tuna Sushi is made with
Kani, Tempura Flakes, Asparagus and has an medium spiced Asian Chili
Sauce. I liked to quickly dip each piece in soy for a bit of extra
flavor, although the wasabi on the side was totally unnecessary.
Indeed the ginger here is so fresh and tasty one could munch on it to
no end.
I enjoyed this with SHICHIKEN JUNMAI GINGO SAKE which is served by the
half carafe and each carafe has a hole in the center for ice to keep
it cold, but not dilute; how smart is that? After finishing this sake
I went on to a less pricey, but even better OTOKAYAMA JUNMAI.
I had a hard time choosing sushi and really wanted the DOPPIO TORO
(another Italian namesake), so the lady next to me offered me a piece
of hers as she could not finish....how nice was that! The Doppio Toro
melds two toro sushis-salmon and yellowtail--with asparagus, avocado,
tempura flakes (I love these for crunch), pesto and a spicy mayo
sauce. The sauces come beautifully decorating the platters and are
never overdone or too much, and you can easily use just a smidgen if
you like as it is not in a bowl or dish to dip.
I loved the TORO so the sushi chef suggested the HAMACHI TORO of two
pieces which was simply plain and perfect. I then finished my sushi
course with the CHUTORO two pieces of tuna toro, one seared and one
not. The unseared was a bit chewy, but the seared was perfection.
A small plate of WAFU SEAWEED Salad was my "dessert" here presented
atop cucumber "logs" with a slightly too rich Ponzu dressing. I will
stick to the seaweed at my Sushi A GoGo and in the future head to the
unagi/endive salad when here.
Monday, March 14, 2011
DINO's in DC is doing it better than ever (3-10-11)
Every year Food & Friends has te Washington, DC citywide benefit
called DINING OUT FOR LIFE. Many restaurants donate a portion of their
proceeds and DINO's was generous this year at the 35% level, so we
decided to return with Samuel and our friends Mel & Juan. The place
was jammed when we arived and we had a short wait for our table and
enjoyed somes wines by the glass at the bar: ALERAMO (Cortese) 2009
from PIedmont and Mt. Eden Arroyo Seco Chardonay 2008 from Monterey
while we munched the yummy complimentary olives, pickled veggies,
tapenades, bread, marianted beans and more that grace the bar each
evening.
When we got to our table Samuel ordered up his standard Pasta with
Tomato Sauce and a giant meatball (extra Parmesan, please) as he
dipped the yummy bread in olive oil (quality stuff). He was one happy
camper as we ordered some starters to share:
BURRATA with Kalamata Olive and Red Pepper Purees and Oven Roasted
Tomatoes is still some of the best burrata to be found around.
CAVOLINI are Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Onions, Crispy Pork
Belly and Aged Balsamic and will make any Brussels spout lover (we
both are) happy, although there were some belly pieces that were a bit
too fatty.
CARCIOFI FRITTI -These baby green artichokes are flown in from the
Santa Monica Farmer's Market and fried simply with black salt and
lemon and were gone so fast, we thought we should order
more.....but....
There is a fixed price 3-course option most evenings and at $39 for a
starter or half pasta/ main course/ and dessert we needed to move on
and avoid over-eating to boot.
Our first wine was a creamy but dry Santa Barbara "Le Vaglie"
Verdicchio Castelli di Jesi 2009 from Marche.
Juan started with the superbly seasoned and tasty TROTTER TOTS which
are a croquette made from potato and pig's trotters from Ossabaw pork.
This take on the "tater tot" is a great way to get kids into their
foods with new tastes!
RISOTTO ai FUNGHI was rich and creamy with sage and garlic and the
PAPPARDELLE with FUNGHI sported some great wild exotic mushrooms but
was not as exciting as the other pastas. My pasta was the simply
termed SUGO which was a mix of many meats in a rich dark sauce with
wide pasta that was simply superb. It was a huge portion, but I
managed to get through it (I did have to take home part of my main
course!)
We moved on to a \COLLEMATTONI 2007 Rosso di Montalcino 2004 and then
finally an intense La Chiete Brunello di Montalcino 2004 La Chiete.
These were, as all the wines at Dino's are, superb fully rounded and
just right for our food wines as suggested by owner Dean Gold, who
really knows his stuff (they are starting wine classes there again
soon).
Our main courses went from the lighter side of CAPESANTE- SPIGOLA alla
MOSAICA, grilled Rockfish in a traditional Livornese Jewish spicy
summer tomato essence (only Dean Gold, a Jewish chef who runs an
Italian restaurant could do this justice!) and Parsley Sauce which
comes with Wilted Turnips, Kohlrabi Radish and House Pickled Shallots.
What a treat!
SALSICCIA are huge eco-friendly garlic pork sausages with prosciutto
and lentils, cabbage and pancetta...another heavy but wonderful winter
dish.
If you sense the dishes are getting heavier, on you next cold night go
right for the SCOTTIGLIA, a Montalcino stew made with Texas Wild Boar,
eco-friendly pork from Virginia and Dr. Joe's Duck from Pennsylvania
in a soffrito (onion/celery/carrot) with wine that I dare anyone to
finish if they are eating three courses! It is rich and satisfying and
just plain filling.
We moved on to desserts with some yummy dessert wines
(grapefruitcello, berry grappa, moscato) and were thrilled with the
take on BUDINO di PANE or bread pudding that had barberries, raisins,
vanilla gelato and amaretto (whipped) cream that was none to overdone
or heavy. TIRAMISU is always great here and chocoholics will adore the
CAPPUCCINO di NUTELA with Mascarpone, Bourbon Cherries and Amaretto
Cream.
I always go for the cheese and opted for ROBIOLA ai TRE LATTI, a cow/
sheep/goat treat and GUFFANTI BLU di Moncensio that is creamy and
rich, yet not intensely blue (which I prefer).
It was a great night for food, friends and charity indeed.
called DINING OUT FOR LIFE. Many restaurants donate a portion of their
proceeds and DINO's was generous this year at the 35% level, so we
decided to return with Samuel and our friends Mel & Juan. The place
was jammed when we arived and we had a short wait for our table and
enjoyed somes wines by the glass at the bar: ALERAMO (Cortese) 2009
from PIedmont and Mt. Eden Arroyo Seco Chardonay 2008 from Monterey
while we munched the yummy complimentary olives, pickled veggies,
tapenades, bread, marianted beans and more that grace the bar each
evening.
When we got to our table Samuel ordered up his standard Pasta with
Tomato Sauce and a giant meatball (extra Parmesan, please) as he
dipped the yummy bread in olive oil (quality stuff). He was one happy
camper as we ordered some starters to share:
BURRATA with Kalamata Olive and Red Pepper Purees and Oven Roasted
Tomatoes is still some of the best burrata to be found around.
CAVOLINI are Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Onions, Crispy Pork
Belly and Aged Balsamic and will make any Brussels spout lover (we
both are) happy, although there were some belly pieces that were a bit
too fatty.
CARCIOFI FRITTI -These baby green artichokes are flown in from the
Santa Monica Farmer's Market and fried simply with black salt and
lemon and were gone so fast, we thought we should order
more.....but....
There is a fixed price 3-course option most evenings and at $39 for a
starter or half pasta/ main course/ and dessert we needed to move on
and avoid over-eating to boot.
Our first wine was a creamy but dry Santa Barbara "Le Vaglie"
Verdicchio Castelli di Jesi 2009 from Marche.
Juan started with the superbly seasoned and tasty TROTTER TOTS which
are a croquette made from potato and pig's trotters from Ossabaw pork.
This take on the "tater tot" is a great way to get kids into their
foods with new tastes!
RISOTTO ai FUNGHI was rich and creamy with sage and garlic and the
PAPPARDELLE with FUNGHI sported some great wild exotic mushrooms but
was not as exciting as the other pastas. My pasta was the simply
termed SUGO which was a mix of many meats in a rich dark sauce with
wide pasta that was simply superb. It was a huge portion, but I
managed to get through it (I did have to take home part of my main
course!)
We moved on to a \COLLEMATTONI 2007 Rosso di Montalcino 2004 and then
finally an intense La Chiete Brunello di Montalcino 2004 La Chiete.
These were, as all the wines at Dino's are, superb fully rounded and
just right for our food wines as suggested by owner Dean Gold, who
really knows his stuff (they are starting wine classes there again
soon).
Our main courses went from the lighter side of CAPESANTE- SPIGOLA alla
MOSAICA, grilled Rockfish in a traditional Livornese Jewish spicy
summer tomato essence (only Dean Gold, a Jewish chef who runs an
Italian restaurant could do this justice!) and Parsley Sauce which
comes with Wilted Turnips, Kohlrabi Radish and House Pickled Shallots.
What a treat!
SALSICCIA are huge eco-friendly garlic pork sausages with prosciutto
and lentils, cabbage and pancetta...another heavy but wonderful winter
dish.
If you sense the dishes are getting heavier, on you next cold night go
right for the SCOTTIGLIA, a Montalcino stew made with Texas Wild Boar,
eco-friendly pork from Virginia and Dr. Joe's Duck from Pennsylvania
in a soffrito (onion/celery/carrot) with wine that I dare anyone to
finish if they are eating three courses! It is rich and satisfying and
just plain filling.
We moved on to desserts with some yummy dessert wines
(grapefruitcello, berry grappa, moscato) and were thrilled with the
take on BUDINO di PANE or bread pudding that had barberries, raisins,
vanilla gelato and amaretto (whipped) cream that was none to overdone
or heavy. TIRAMISU is always great here and chocoholics will adore the
CAPPUCCINO di NUTELA with Mascarpone, Bourbon Cherries and Amaretto
Cream.
I always go for the cheese and opted for ROBIOLA ai TRE LATTI, a cow/
sheep/goat treat and GUFFANTI BLU di Moncensio that is creamy and
rich, yet not intensely blue (which I prefer).
It was a great night for food, friends and charity indeed.
Monday, March 07, 2011
over in the Atlas District-having fun at the H Street Country Club(3-6-11)
H Street NE is DC's newest hip spot (if you can find a parking space) and is starting to sport many mid-range and upscale dining spots.One of the quirkiest has to be the H STREET COUNTRY CLUB (http://www.thehstreetcountryclub.com) at 1335 H Street, NE right next to the gorgeous Atlas Theater complex.
We headed there with Samuel yesterday after a matinee and were surprised to find the downstairs bar has miniature bowling and shuffleboard (for a fee), while the upstairs restaurant sports a miniature golf course at the rear (which is free to diners on Sun-Tues:$7 other times and not really worth that). We had fun for 20-30 minutes playing the nine small holes (#4 is a killer) and even Sam was in good spirits as we sat down. Of course, they have a kids menu and of course he chose the Chicken Fingers and a Ginger Ale. The dish came with a red sauce that resembled ketchup, but was a very spicy habanero salsa (OOPS!) which was quickly replaced with ketchup (they don't always have this, despite the kids menu).
The menu is Tex-Mex and a large tequila menu as well. If you arrive between 5-8pm nightly the happy hour (offered at dining tables) sports $3 Bud Light or Dos Equis, but we went right for the $5 Classic Margaritas which are a great deal. Last night they also have the Frozen Guava model on special!
The servers (Angela was ours) are cheery and the decor is about eclectic as it gets with metal tables and light fixtures made from upside down coffee urns, toasters and cuckoo clocks with antlers. This is not classy or fine dining, just a good deal. We started with BLACK BEAN SOUP for Will and I chose the NOPALITO SALAD made from slices of tasty cactus paddles with tomato, red onion, cilantro, Romaine and queso fresco with a light vinaigrette. We devoured the tasty salted pumpkin seeds on the table and even asked for more....
Will chose the CHICKEN ENCHILADAS with green rice and beans and a side of SPINACH that was way too salty. I went for the CHILAQUILES with ROASTED DUCK which was a whole half one of the biggest ducks I have ever seen on corn tortillas which were alternately crunchy and soft (depending on where they were in the casserole), Longhorn cheddar and a crema roasted tomatillo sauce (you can also get red tomato sauce).
The portions were huge and we couldn't even think about dessert, but sadly Will had a bad tummy all night, so not sure what to attribute that to (Sam & I were fine).
I do also have to note that one of the two bathroom doors does not close tight or lock, which could be an embarrasment.
We headed there with Samuel yesterday after a matinee and were surprised to find the downstairs bar has miniature bowling and shuffleboard (for a fee), while the upstairs restaurant sports a miniature golf course at the rear (which is free to diners on Sun-Tues:$7 other times and not really worth that). We had fun for 20-30 minutes playing the nine small holes (#4 is a killer) and even Sam was in good spirits as we sat down. Of course, they have a kids menu and of course he chose the Chicken Fingers and a Ginger Ale. The dish came with a red sauce that resembled ketchup, but was a very spicy habanero salsa (OOPS!) which was quickly replaced with ketchup (they don't always have this, despite the kids menu).
The menu is Tex-Mex and a large tequila menu as well. If you arrive between 5-8pm nightly the happy hour (offered at dining tables) sports $3 Bud Light or Dos Equis, but we went right for the $5 Classic Margaritas which are a great deal. Last night they also have the Frozen Guava model on special!
The servers (Angela was ours) are cheery and the decor is about eclectic as it gets with metal tables and light fixtures made from upside down coffee urns, toasters and cuckoo clocks with antlers. This is not classy or fine dining, just a good deal. We started with BLACK BEAN SOUP for Will and I chose the NOPALITO SALAD made from slices of tasty cactus paddles with tomato, red onion, cilantro, Romaine and queso fresco with a light vinaigrette. We devoured the tasty salted pumpkin seeds on the table and even asked for more....
Will chose the CHICKEN ENCHILADAS with green rice and beans and a side of SPINACH that was way too salty. I went for the CHILAQUILES with ROASTED DUCK which was a whole half one of the biggest ducks I have ever seen on corn tortillas which were alternately crunchy and soft (depending on where they were in the casserole), Longhorn cheddar and a crema roasted tomatillo sauce (you can also get red tomato sauce).
The portions were huge and we couldn't even think about dessert, but sadly Will had a bad tummy all night, so not sure what to attribute that to (Sam & I were fine).
I do also have to note that one of the two bathroom doors does not close tight or lock, which could be an embarrasment.
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Seek out the SOURCE (but not for quiet) 2-28-11
Last night after the Helen hayes Awards nominations were announced
Will and I headed over to THE SOURCE in the Newseum (http://
www.wolfgangpuck.com/restaurants/fine-dining/3941), the well known and
sadly a bit too noisy dining emporium of Wolfgang Puck where chef
Scott Drewno reigns and does a pretty good job with a modern take on
Asian fusion.
We waited almost 10 minutes after being seated before anyone
approached the table with menus. I was surprised and this only
occurred when I caught the eyes of one server and kind of shrugged.
We ordered a bottle of superb STEINIGER "Loisium" Gruner Veltliner
from Kamptal in Austria, listed as vintage '07 on the menu, but '08
came. It had a superb dry apricot flavor hinting that this grape might
be superbly suited for a Trockenbeerenauslese sweet wine if harvested
late!
An amuse of SPICY TUNA TARTARE in a Sesame Miso Cone was divine and
then a second amuse of Szechuan Green Beans with Toasted Sesame Seeds
and Candied Walnuts was a perfect blend of medium spice for this
traditional dish with the slightly sweet nuts (Will did not like
them).
The appetizers here are large portions, especially those with wontons
or dumplings.
I had the SCALLOP & SHRIMP SUI MAI with Shanghai Lobster Curry-Uni
Emulsion and a Spicy Slaw and Fresh Cilantro on top. The 6 dumplings
were stuffed with fresh shrimp and scallop and the sauce was divine, I
wished for only a dribble more to coat each tasty dumpling.
Will started with the HOT & SOUR LOBSTER Egg Drop Soup with lobster
Wontons and Crispy Shallots which he asid was quite spicy, although we
both liked it. Again filling with the wontons. Instead of a main
course, he opted for a second starter with the GARLIC-CHIVE DUMPLINGS
with king Crab and Pork, again a large filling portion...so two
starters do easily make a meal here.
I had the CRISPY GLAZED QUAIL with Garlic Chili Sauce, Mizuna Salad
and Rice Sticks. There were no rice sticks so they brought another
salad with the sticks which were merely some rice cellophane noodles
on top. It was nice of them and the salad was great, but the quail was
slightly spicy and a superb preparation. I had switched to nice
Palacios Remondo "La Vendima" Tempranillo 2009 from Rioja (served by
the glass for $10) which was quite nice.
The BERRY CRUMBLE with SALTED STREUSEL and Vanilla Ice Cream was nice
but won no awards.
SOURCE is nice, but try to go when it's not crowded and maybe the
service and noise level will improve as the food is well worth the
visit.
Will and I headed over to THE SOURCE in the Newseum (http://
www.wolfgangpuck.com/restaurants/fine-dining/3941), the well known and
sadly a bit too noisy dining emporium of Wolfgang Puck where chef
Scott Drewno reigns and does a pretty good job with a modern take on
Asian fusion.
We waited almost 10 minutes after being seated before anyone
approached the table with menus. I was surprised and this only
occurred when I caught the eyes of one server and kind of shrugged.
We ordered a bottle of superb STEINIGER "Loisium" Gruner Veltliner
from Kamptal in Austria, listed as vintage '07 on the menu, but '08
came. It had a superb dry apricot flavor hinting that this grape might
be superbly suited for a Trockenbeerenauslese sweet wine if harvested
late!
An amuse of SPICY TUNA TARTARE in a Sesame Miso Cone was divine and
then a second amuse of Szechuan Green Beans with Toasted Sesame Seeds
and Candied Walnuts was a perfect blend of medium spice for this
traditional dish with the slightly sweet nuts (Will did not like
them).
The appetizers here are large portions, especially those with wontons
or dumplings.
I had the SCALLOP & SHRIMP SUI MAI with Shanghai Lobster Curry-Uni
Emulsion and a Spicy Slaw and Fresh Cilantro on top. The 6 dumplings
were stuffed with fresh shrimp and scallop and the sauce was divine, I
wished for only a dribble more to coat each tasty dumpling.
Will started with the HOT & SOUR LOBSTER Egg Drop Soup with lobster
Wontons and Crispy Shallots which he asid was quite spicy, although we
both liked it. Again filling with the wontons. Instead of a main
course, he opted for a second starter with the GARLIC-CHIVE DUMPLINGS
with king Crab and Pork, again a large filling portion...so two
starters do easily make a meal here.
I had the CRISPY GLAZED QUAIL with Garlic Chili Sauce, Mizuna Salad
and Rice Sticks. There were no rice sticks so they brought another
salad with the sticks which were merely some rice cellophane noodles
on top. It was nice of them and the salad was great, but the quail was
slightly spicy and a superb preparation. I had switched to nice
Palacios Remondo "La Vendima" Tempranillo 2009 from Rioja (served by
the glass for $10) which was quite nice.
The BERRY CRUMBLE with SALTED STREUSEL and Vanilla Ice Cream was nice
but won no awards.
SOURCE is nice, but try to go when it's not crowded and maybe the
service and noise level will improve as the food is well worth the
visit.
Georgetown lunch-LA CHAUMIERE(2-28-11)
Yesterday I enjoyed a relaxing and enjoyable lunch at Georgetown's LA
CHAUMIERE which has been around for ages (http://
www.lachaumieredc.com) and still has great charm and great prices,
too.
We had two fish main courses, both in the low teen price range! TROUT
AMANDINE came with mashed potatoes and carrots and the butter/almond
sauce was perfect while the trout was tasty and fresh.
HALIBUT came in a brown butter sauce with yummy fried potato chips
standing up in the puree on the plate.
SANCERRE by the glass was tasty and a great pairing.
You folks know I am not a Georgetown person, but this lunch treat at
La Chaumiere was much better than my last dinner experience there!
CHAUMIERE which has been around for ages (http://
www.lachaumieredc.com) and still has great charm and great prices,
too.
We had two fish main courses, both in the low teen price range! TROUT
AMANDINE came with mashed potatoes and carrots and the butter/almond
sauce was perfect while the trout was tasty and fresh.
HALIBUT came in a brown butter sauce with yummy fried potato chips
standing up in the puree on the plate.
SANCERRE by the glass was tasty and a great pairing.
You folks know I am not a Georgetown person, but this lunch treat at
La Chaumiere was much better than my last dinner experience there!
Monday, February 21, 2011
when in Westchester, maybe MERITAGE in Scarsdale, NY (2-19-11)
Dining with large groups ultimately has its issues. Dining out
Saturday night ultimately has some issues, and dining out with your
family can often be a disaster.
Last night TEN of us headed about 10 minutes away from my mother's to
MERITAGE at 1505 Weaver St in Scarsdale, NY
(www.meritagerestaurant.net). It is a nice, if too dimly lit, spot in
a mini-strip mall that makes you feel away from the crowds, although
Scarsdale hardly has crowds! The decor is nothing special, and the
service leaves a bit to be desired, but the food is quite good and
reasonable as well.
Since my sister only likes Chardonnay for white, we chose the Vincent
JJ Bourgogne Blanc 2008, which was declared too fruity by some though
most of us liked it as an aperitif while we ordered and said hellos.
We switched to a big okay Sonoma Chard "Overlook" from Landmark that
was instantly declared as corked. So I suggested we move to a light
red. Nobody at the table, other than us, had ever heard of the
DOLCETTO d'ALBA and the sommelieuse, who seemed pretty knowledgeable
said it was quite intense for a Dolcetto. The ROAGNA 2008 was more
than medium bodied and it satisfied all perfectly; we even had a 2nd
bottle!
Samuel was super pleased with is TAGLIATELLE alla BOLOGNESE which was
a monster portion, so we asked for a doggie bag which they lost. At
the end of the meal they simply sent out a fresh 1/2 order to take
home at no cost, which was a good move.
The starters were all quite yummy from the pates to the Marinated
Artichokes, and my divine STEAMED MANILA CLAMS and MUSSELS in a
Garlic, Tomato sauce with ARUGULA Crouton, which turned out to be a
large slab of bread soaking in the sauce and dusted with pieces of the
greens for flavor.
The pasta category on the menu had "All fresh pasta is homemade" under
it, which gave me a giggle. Pasta dishes were indeed all fresh and
good including Will's LINGUINE with Cauliflower, Garlic, Olive Oil,
Chive & Bread Crumbs.
For the main course several ordered yummy chicken specials, fluke and
two of us had the Sauteed HUDSON VALLEY DUCK BREAST with Cauliflower
Puree, Apples and Dates. The preparation was perfect, but after asked
for mine rare to medium rare it came out RAW. They fixed it quickly as
our very giddy (her laugh was more bothersome than infectious) server
Callie giggled as she tried to apologize.
We were all tired and the dessert menu offered little more than
sorbet, ice cream, cookies, bread pudding, cheesecake and some
chocolate dish, which none of us felt like...so we headed home, happy
for the most part, but realizing that large family dinner, especially
on Saturday can get dangerous.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Phyllis List" group.
To post to this group, send email to phyllistines@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to phyllistines+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/phyllistines?hl=en.
Saturday night ultimately has some issues, and dining out with your
family can often be a disaster.
Last night TEN of us headed about 10 minutes away from my mother's to
MERITAGE at 1505 Weaver St in Scarsdale, NY
(www.meritagerestaurant.net). It is a nice, if too dimly lit, spot in
a mini-strip mall that makes you feel away from the crowds, although
Scarsdale hardly has crowds! The decor is nothing special, and the
service leaves a bit to be desired, but the food is quite good and
reasonable as well.
Since my sister only likes Chardonnay for white, we chose the Vincent
JJ Bourgogne Blanc 2008, which was declared too fruity by some though
most of us liked it as an aperitif while we ordered and said hellos.
We switched to a big okay Sonoma Chard "Overlook" from Landmark that
was instantly declared as corked. So I suggested we move to a light
red. Nobody at the table, other than us, had ever heard of the
DOLCETTO d'ALBA and the sommelieuse, who seemed pretty knowledgeable
said it was quite intense for a Dolcetto. The ROAGNA 2008 was more
than medium bodied and it satisfied all perfectly; we even had a 2nd
bottle!
Samuel was super pleased with is TAGLIATELLE alla BOLOGNESE which was
a monster portion, so we asked for a doggie bag which they lost. At
the end of the meal they simply sent out a fresh 1/2 order to take
home at no cost, which was a good move.
The starters were all quite yummy from the pates to the Marinated
Artichokes, and my divine STEAMED MANILA CLAMS and MUSSELS in a
Garlic, Tomato sauce with ARUGULA Crouton, which turned out to be a
large slab of bread soaking in the sauce and dusted with pieces of the
greens for flavor.
The pasta category on the menu had "All fresh pasta is homemade" under
it, which gave me a giggle. Pasta dishes were indeed all fresh and
good including Will's LINGUINE with Cauliflower, Garlic, Olive Oil,
Chive & Bread Crumbs.
For the main course several ordered yummy chicken specials, fluke and
two of us had the Sauteed HUDSON VALLEY DUCK BREAST with Cauliflower
Puree, Apples and Dates. The preparation was perfect, but after asked
for mine rare to medium rare it came out RAW. They fixed it quickly as
our very giddy (her laugh was more bothersome than infectious) server
Callie giggled as she tried to apologize.
We were all tired and the dessert menu offered little more than
sorbet, ice cream, cookies, bread pudding, cheesecake and some
chocolate dish, which none of us felt like...so we headed home, happy
for the most part, but realizing that large family dinner, especially
on Saturday can get dangerous.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Phyllis List" group.
To post to this group, send email to phyllistines@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to phyllistines+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/phyllistines?hl=en.
Friday, February 11, 2011
NYC has great tapas at GRAFFIT (2/9/11)
While in NY overnight for a recital I made agreat find just blocks
from Lincoln Center. GRAFFIT (www.graffitrestaurant.com) at 141 W 69th
just opened about 7 weeks ago and is already hopping.
I entered at 6pm down several steps to the almost hidden location to
find a long entry with long white bar lit from above and below (it
even has purse hooks under the bar!). The front room has high tables
with Plexiglas not to comfy high chairs and this is where the tapas
menu is found. If you wish to move to the elegant rear dining room you
must order off the main menu (although you can also order tapas along
with main courses here).
The front room has exposed brick walls with graffiti which upon
closer inspection has pictures of women's faces with long flowing
hair. The lighting is subdued, the Latin beat-themed (it did vary to
American and mid-Eastern at times) music was nice, but just a tad too
loud.
It was tough to decide what to eat by my excellent server Amalia
helped me choose from the large tapas and appetizer menus. Nacho, the
wine steward /manager from the north of Spain was there in flash to
help me with the wines as well. I started with a superb crisp acidic
Godella Louro do Bolo 2009 which was perfect with the PULP a la
GALLEGA a gorgeous presentation of Octopus served flattened and
squared off at the edges in a large rectangle dotted with cubed purple
potatoes and puree as well as white potatoes enrobed in paprika and
white puree with an odd flat disc of paprika potato as well. The dish
uses Spanish smoked paprika which is less intense than Hungarian, but
gave flavor and there was Olive Oil as well for flavor.
Tasty warm bread comes with the yummy oil as well.
Nacho let me taste the Priorat "Embruix" Vall Llacj 2006 which was too
bold at 4-1/2 years old so I went with the smoother Rejadorada 2006
Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo). It was great with my other two tapas:
CONFIT ARTICHOKES with Serrano Ham and Clams. The tiny clams were in a
salsa verde and there were sauces of "ham" reduction along with a
chemical "ham powder" that actually melted like cheese as the dish
warmed the powder. It was fun and reminded me of the ingenious new
style tapas dishes I had in Barcelona two years ago! The overall
effect and flavor was divine.
The final appetizer was the "Not your average" EGG with Seasonal
VEGETABLE STEW. Apparently one of their signature dishes and again
MAGNIFICENTLY presented the dish has a soft egg yolk wrapped in a
white made completely from CAULIFLOWER! YES! It was fun and it was
great!
The vegetables in a superb rich broth included endive, sprouts, purple
potato, cauliflower and more. A true vegetarian's dream dish.
Dessert was a hard choice and I went with the WARM Liquid CHOCOLATE
FRITTERS with Orange Textures. These melt in your mouth mini fritters
oozed milk chocolate and sat on gelees, rinds and purees that you
could dip them in. The BLOOD ORANGE PUREE being the best (they should
bottle and sell it!).
Nacho suggested the PEDRO XIMEMES Bodegas Tradicion VSOP aged Sherry
which was super sweet and again a great match and really an extra
dessert.
It was all a great treat...only the table next to me with a loud woman
with awful grating voice and her male friend who kept hitting me as he
got up and down were a problem. I will go back, but into the dining
room next time!
from Lincoln Center. GRAFFIT (www.graffitrestaurant.com) at 141 W 69th
just opened about 7 weeks ago and is already hopping.
I entered at 6pm down several steps to the almost hidden location to
find a long entry with long white bar lit from above and below (it
even has purse hooks under the bar!). The front room has high tables
with Plexiglas not to comfy high chairs and this is where the tapas
menu is found. If you wish to move to the elegant rear dining room you
must order off the main menu (although you can also order tapas along
with main courses here).
The front room has exposed brick walls with graffiti which upon
closer inspection has pictures of women's faces with long flowing
hair. The lighting is subdued, the Latin beat-themed (it did vary to
American and mid-Eastern at times) music was nice, but just a tad too
loud.
It was tough to decide what to eat by my excellent server Amalia
helped me choose from the large tapas and appetizer menus. Nacho, the
wine steward /manager from the north of Spain was there in flash to
help me with the wines as well. I started with a superb crisp acidic
Godella Louro do Bolo 2009 which was perfect with the PULP a la
GALLEGA a gorgeous presentation of Octopus served flattened and
squared off at the edges in a large rectangle dotted with cubed purple
potatoes and puree as well as white potatoes enrobed in paprika and
white puree with an odd flat disc of paprika potato as well. The dish
uses Spanish smoked paprika which is less intense than Hungarian, but
gave flavor and there was Olive Oil as well for flavor.
Tasty warm bread comes with the yummy oil as well.
Nacho let me taste the Priorat "Embruix" Vall Llacj 2006 which was too
bold at 4-1/2 years old so I went with the smoother Rejadorada 2006
Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo). It was great with my other two tapas:
CONFIT ARTICHOKES with Serrano Ham and Clams. The tiny clams were in a
salsa verde and there were sauces of "ham" reduction along with a
chemical "ham powder" that actually melted like cheese as the dish
warmed the powder. It was fun and reminded me of the ingenious new
style tapas dishes I had in Barcelona two years ago! The overall
effect and flavor was divine.
The final appetizer was the "Not your average" EGG with Seasonal
VEGETABLE STEW. Apparently one of their signature dishes and again
MAGNIFICENTLY presented the dish has a soft egg yolk wrapped in a
white made completely from CAULIFLOWER! YES! It was fun and it was
great!
The vegetables in a superb rich broth included endive, sprouts, purple
potato, cauliflower and more. A true vegetarian's dream dish.
Dessert was a hard choice and I went with the WARM Liquid CHOCOLATE
FRITTERS with Orange Textures. These melt in your mouth mini fritters
oozed milk chocolate and sat on gelees, rinds and purees that you
could dip them in. The BLOOD ORANGE PUREE being the best (they should
bottle and sell it!).
Nacho suggested the PEDRO XIMEMES Bodegas Tradicion VSOP aged Sherry
which was super sweet and again a great match and really an extra
dessert.
It was all a great treat...only the table next to me with a loud woman
with awful grating voice and her male friend who kept hitting me as he
got up and down were a problem. I will go back, but into the dining
room next time!
Monday, January 31, 2011
raves for our return to RIS (1-28-11)
Washington's Chef RIS LACOSTE has always been dear to us and we have enjoyed her cooking for years, wherever she may go.
Just over a year ago she opened her own place RIS (www.risdc.com) in the Ritz-Carlton complex in the West End here in DC and we loved it when we went. This trip was even better, and believe it or not, she was away on vacation. Which tells anyone in the biz, how good the staff really is, when you can't tell the boss is away!
It was a special 70th birthday for one of our best friends and we started with cocktails. Cosmo lovers would adore the FALLEN ANGEL made from Ketel One, Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur and Yuzu Syrup. It has more of a bite than a Cosmo and the yuzu brings in a more intense lime flavor as well.
Ris now serves BADOIT as its sparkling water, which always gets top marks on my menu.
It was difficult to choose between the wonderful options, but our delightful server, Gladys, steered us perfectly to and from certain items.
The starters were all hits from the CRUDOS of pastrami cured salmon with gingered grapefruit & sesame seared tuna with soy, wasabi and Napa cabbage slaw and especially the GNUDI or ricotta dumplings in tomato and eggplant fondue, the Grilled OCTOPUS Salad with feta, cucmber, cured lemon & spinach yogurt. Our favorite was the SPICY (and they were) SHRIMP TEMPURA on Napa cabbage slaw, yuzu & pea shoots.
Our FLOWERS Chardonnay 2007 was the perfect temperature so we could have those wonderful hints of apple, but the chardonnay was too soft for the spicy shrimp, great with everything else.
We moved onto BAILEYANA 2007 Firepeak Vineyard Pinot Noir from Edna valley which we liked so much we ordered a second bottle of!
The main courses were also magnificent save the one dud, a Pan Roasted ROCKFISH with Potato Confit, Pickled Onions, Olive & Cured Lemon, Minted Pine Nuts. It also had anchovies and suffered from just being a bit too intense. In the end, we were not charged anyway, and another option was offered. The Honey Ginger Glazed MUSCOVY DUCK with butter poached pears & Almon Mushroom Wild Rice was excellent, the duck cooked to perfection and the revelation was the MONFISH OSSOBUCO with champagne lobster risotto, buttered cabbage, mushrooms, tomato fondue and truffle oil. My Peppered VENISON MEDALLIONS were also cooked perfectly and served with Braised Red Cabbage, Celeriac Cream and Lingonberry Mustard Sauce which was a nice change with some mustard flavor to the sauce rather than just the fruit.
Desserts are very "American" here such as Butterscotch Pudding with Cocoa Crisps & Chantilly Cream and Pecan Carrot Cake with Brown Sugar Sour Cream Ice Cream. These are not my style, although they were delish, I could never eat a whole portion. I headed tight for the superb cheese platter which had each cheese served with a House made jam or Chutney and Asian Pears. The divine cheeses were OAK SPRING DERBY from Upperville, VA, Saint Andre, and Latur an Italian sheep, cow, goat combo that I loved...I loved them ALL!
The pears were so fabulous that when I mentioned this Gladys brought over a plate of them for everyone to try.
How perfect a way to end a yummy meal on a special occasion!
Just over a year ago she opened her own place RIS (www.risdc.com) in the Ritz-Carlton complex in the West End here in DC and we loved it when we went. This trip was even better, and believe it or not, she was away on vacation. Which tells anyone in the biz, how good the staff really is, when you can't tell the boss is away!
It was a special 70th birthday for one of our best friends and we started with cocktails. Cosmo lovers would adore the FALLEN ANGEL made from Ketel One, Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur and Yuzu Syrup. It has more of a bite than a Cosmo and the yuzu brings in a more intense lime flavor as well.
Ris now serves BADOIT as its sparkling water, which always gets top marks on my menu.
It was difficult to choose between the wonderful options, but our delightful server, Gladys, steered us perfectly to and from certain items.
The starters were all hits from the CRUDOS of pastrami cured salmon with gingered grapefruit & sesame seared tuna with soy, wasabi and Napa cabbage slaw and especially the GNUDI or ricotta dumplings in tomato and eggplant fondue, the Grilled OCTOPUS Salad with feta, cucmber, cured lemon & spinach yogurt. Our favorite was the SPICY (and they were) SHRIMP TEMPURA on Napa cabbage slaw, yuzu & pea shoots.
Our FLOWERS Chardonnay 2007 was the perfect temperature so we could have those wonderful hints of apple, but the chardonnay was too soft for the spicy shrimp, great with everything else.
We moved onto BAILEYANA 2007 Firepeak Vineyard Pinot Noir from Edna valley which we liked so much we ordered a second bottle of!
The main courses were also magnificent save the one dud, a Pan Roasted ROCKFISH with Potato Confit, Pickled Onions, Olive & Cured Lemon, Minted Pine Nuts. It also had anchovies and suffered from just being a bit too intense. In the end, we were not charged anyway, and another option was offered. The Honey Ginger Glazed MUSCOVY DUCK with butter poached pears & Almon Mushroom Wild Rice was excellent, the duck cooked to perfection and the revelation was the MONFISH OSSOBUCO with champagne lobster risotto, buttered cabbage, mushrooms, tomato fondue and truffle oil. My Peppered VENISON MEDALLIONS were also cooked perfectly and served with Braised Red Cabbage, Celeriac Cream and Lingonberry Mustard Sauce which was a nice change with some mustard flavor to the sauce rather than just the fruit.
Desserts are very "American" here such as Butterscotch Pudding with Cocoa Crisps & Chantilly Cream and Pecan Carrot Cake with Brown Sugar Sour Cream Ice Cream. These are not my style, although they were delish, I could never eat a whole portion. I headed tight for the superb cheese platter which had each cheese served with a House made jam or Chutney and Asian Pears. The divine cheeses were OAK SPRING DERBY from Upperville, VA, Saint Andre, and Latur an Italian sheep, cow, goat combo that I loved...I loved them ALL!
The pears were so fabulous that when I mentioned this Gladys brought over a plate of them for everyone to try.
How perfect a way to end a yummy meal on a special occasion!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
try the unCOMMON at COMMONWEALTH (1-24-11)
Every now and then we return to Commonwealth Gastropub (http://www.commonwealthgastropub.com) as Samuel seems to enjoy it, and so do we.
We were invited by friends last night and it was a foodie extravaganza. We started off with one of our favorite treats the LEMON FRIED OLIVES and had to order a second plate. We still can't get Sam to try these despite the fact that he likes lemons, olives and fried things. Any suggestions?
It was happy hour, so drinks were in order, which was a good idea as when we finally decided on a wine, they were out of almost all the reds we asked for. Avoid their mediocre Pinot and head for the Spanish or French options (if they are in stock). We finally had the Kermit Lunch Cotes du Rhone (still billed as Grenache 2006 on the menu, even though it is a 2008 blend). which works pretty well, although is not a huge wine for monster beef dishes; maybe the Zin would be better.
We also tried the HOUSE CURED BUTCHER BOARD which had dried lomo, prosciutto, spicy Canadian salami and duck rillettes. the rillettes were nowhere to be seen, so we had to ask for them. The platter is nice, but it seems a bit pricey for what you get. Go for the always superb SCOTCH EGGS with 3 dipping sauces as well as the superb SHRIMP with THAI CHILLIES & Extra Virgin olive Oil; don't fret the chilies, they are super mild. Beef here is a great choice as they get their meat from Bassett Farms in Virginia and the Grilled Marinated BEEF KEBABS were juicy and tender.
Samuel loved his burger and chips and I too adored the UNCOMMON Burger, which changes nightly and was stuffed with Blue Cheese & Caramelized onions last night--the meat was juicy and the taste of it all divine. The chips are great too.
Speaking of beef, the Grass fed NY Strip was tender and tasty too and the Lamb Burger with green Sauce and Halibut Fish special also got high marks.
As if we were not full enough we tried several desserts and they were all yummy from the CHOCOLATE PUDDING to the STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING (Will always switched the whipped cream for Ice Cream, although it should be in Creme Anglaise!) and the simple yet tasty LEMON TRIFLE with BERRY SAUCE which sits parfait-like on a tasty thick shortbread-like cake.
We were invited by friends last night and it was a foodie extravaganza. We started off with one of our favorite treats the LEMON FRIED OLIVES and had to order a second plate. We still can't get Sam to try these despite the fact that he likes lemons, olives and fried things. Any suggestions?
It was happy hour, so drinks were in order, which was a good idea as when we finally decided on a wine, they were out of almost all the reds we asked for. Avoid their mediocre Pinot and head for the Spanish or French options (if they are in stock). We finally had the Kermit Lunch Cotes du Rhone (still billed as Grenache 2006 on the menu, even though it is a 2008 blend). which works pretty well, although is not a huge wine for monster beef dishes; maybe the Zin would be better.
We also tried the HOUSE CURED BUTCHER BOARD which had dried lomo, prosciutto, spicy Canadian salami and duck rillettes. the rillettes were nowhere to be seen, so we had to ask for them. The platter is nice, but it seems a bit pricey for what you get. Go for the always superb SCOTCH EGGS with 3 dipping sauces as well as the superb SHRIMP with THAI CHILLIES & Extra Virgin olive Oil; don't fret the chilies, they are super mild. Beef here is a great choice as they get their meat from Bassett Farms in Virginia and the Grilled Marinated BEEF KEBABS were juicy and tender.
Samuel loved his burger and chips and I too adored the UNCOMMON Burger, which changes nightly and was stuffed with Blue Cheese & Caramelized onions last night--the meat was juicy and the taste of it all divine. The chips are great too.
Speaking of beef, the Grass fed NY Strip was tender and tasty too and the Lamb Burger with green Sauce and Halibut Fish special also got high marks.
As if we were not full enough we tried several desserts and they were all yummy from the CHOCOLATE PUDDING to the STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING (Will always switched the whipped cream for Ice Cream, although it should be in Creme Anglaise!) and the simple yet tasty LEMON TRIFLE with BERRY SAUCE which sits parfait-like on a tasty thick shortbread-like cake.
try the unCOMMON at COMMONWEALTH (1-24-11)
Every now and then we return to Commonwealth Gastropub (http://www.commonwealthgastropub.com) as Samuel seems to enjoy it, and so do we.
We were invited by friends last night and it was a foodie extravaganza. We started off with one of our favorite treats the LEMON FRIED OLIVES and had to order a second plate. We still can't get Sam to try these despite the fact that he likes lemons, olives and fried things. Any suggestions?
It was happy hour, so drinks were in order, which was a good idea as when we finally decided on a wine, they were out of almost all the reds we asked for. Avoid their mediocre Pinot and head for the Spanish or French options (if they are in stock). We finally had the Kermit Lunch Cotes du Rhone (still billed as Grenache 2006 on the menu, even though it is a 2008 blend). which works pretty well, although is not a huge wine for monster beef dishes; maybe the Zin would be better.
We also tried the HOUSE CURED BUTCHER BOARD which had dried lomo, prosciutto, spicy Canadian salami and duck rillettes. the rillettes were nowhere to be seen, so we had to ask for them. The platter is nice, but it seems a bit pricey for what you get. Go for the always superb SCOTCH EGGS with 3 dipping sauces as well as the superb SHRIMP with THAI CHILLIES & Extra Virgin olive Oil; don't fret the chilies, they are super mild. Beef here is a great choice as they get their meat from Bassett Farms in Virginia and the Grilled Marinated BEEF KEBABS were juicy and tender.
Samuel loved his burger and chips and I too adored the UNCOMMON Burger, which changes nightly and was stuffed with Blue Cheese & Caramelized onions last night--the meat was juicy and the taste of it all divine. The chips are great too.
Speaking of beef, the Grass fed NY Strip was tender and tasty too and the Lamb Burger with green Sauce and Halibut Fish special also got high marks.
As if we were not full enough we tried several desserts and they were all yummy from the CHOCOLATE PUDDING to the STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING (Will always switched the whipped cream for Ice Cream, although it should be in Creme Anglaise!) and the simple yet tasty LEMON TRIFLE with BERRY SAUCE which sits parfait-like on a tasty thick shortbread-like cake.
We were invited by friends last night and it was a foodie extravaganza. We started off with one of our favorite treats the LEMON FRIED OLIVES and had to order a second plate. We still can't get Sam to try these despite the fact that he likes lemons, olives and fried things. Any suggestions?
It was happy hour, so drinks were in order, which was a good idea as when we finally decided on a wine, they were out of almost all the reds we asked for. Avoid their mediocre Pinot and head for the Spanish or French options (if they are in stock). We finally had the Kermit Lunch Cotes du Rhone (still billed as Grenache 2006 on the menu, even though it is a 2008 blend). which works pretty well, although is not a huge wine for monster beef dishes; maybe the Zin would be better.
We also tried the HOUSE CURED BUTCHER BOARD which had dried lomo, prosciutto, spicy Canadian salami and duck rillettes. the rillettes were nowhere to be seen, so we had to ask for them. The platter is nice, but it seems a bit pricey for what you get. Go for the always superb SCOTCH EGGS with 3 dipping sauces as well as the superb SHRIMP with THAI CHILLIES & Extra Virgin olive Oil; don't fret the chilies, they are super mild. Beef here is a great choice as they get their meat from Bassett Farms in Virginia and the Grilled Marinated BEEF KEBABS were juicy and tender.
Samuel loved his burger and chips and I too adored the UNCOMMON Burger, which changes nightly and was stuffed with Blue Cheese & Caramelized onions last night--the meat was juicy and the taste of it all divine. The chips are great too.
Speaking of beef, the Grass fed NY Strip was tender and tasty too and the Lamb Burger with green Sauce and Halibut Fish special also got high marks.
As if we were not full enough we tried several desserts and they were all yummy from the CHOCOLATE PUDDING to the STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING (Will always switched the whipped cream for Ice Cream, although it should be in Creme Anglaise!) and the simple yet tasty LEMON TRIFLE with BERRY SAUCE which sits parfait-like on a tasty thick shortbread-like cake.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
more bravos for BIBIANA on Restaurant week (1-17-11)
Restaurant Week was off to a quiet start with the impending rain/ice/snow, but we got out before the mess and had a truly fabulous time at OSTERIA BIBIANA with Samuel last night (www.bibianadc.com). we were here a year ago for Restaurant Week and again we were totally impressed for the special $35 dinner.
Samuel just wanted penne pasta with tomato sauce and his requisite ginger ale.
We started with a bottle of the "on special" wine a De Angelis Rosso "Piceno" 2009 Montepulciano from Marche that was young but tasty and went superbly with Will's huge portion of CALAMARI stuffed with Soppressata & Potato in a Lemon & Squick Ink Vinaigrette. My BEEF TARTAR was no less impressive with several different sauces across the plate for flavors-Parmigiano Cream, Pistachio-Red Wine Puree and some crushed pistachios as well. I was in heaven as we moved on to our second wine -CAPRAI from Montefalco in Umbria, a 2007 blend of Sangiovese, Sagrantino & Merlot that was a bit tight at first but opened up beautifully after 30 minutes or so.
It was perfect with our big meat dishes-my BUE or BRAISED BEEF CHEEKS with White Polenta, Onion Compote and a yummy side dish of CAVOLFIORI, cauliflower in garlic and anchovy.
Will's AGNELLO was a novelty in that the leg of Shenandoah Lamb was lightened by Grilled ROMAINE and a Tomato-Olive Tapenade that gave the dish a very springlike feel.
Desserts impressed as well with Will's Honey-nut SEMIFREDDO with hazelnuts and Milk Jam Sauce, but my PANNA COTTA was another revelation flavored with VANILLA and topped with Pistachio Streusel and a Sour Cherry Compote!!
We all went home full, happy and knowing that we must really return on a non-Restaurant Week night for more!
Samuel just wanted penne pasta with tomato sauce and his requisite ginger ale.
We started with a bottle of the "on special" wine a De Angelis Rosso "Piceno" 2009 Montepulciano from Marche that was young but tasty and went superbly with Will's huge portion of CALAMARI stuffed with Soppressata & Potato in a Lemon & Squick Ink Vinaigrette. My BEEF TARTAR was no less impressive with several different sauces across the plate for flavors-Parmigiano Cream, Pistachio-Red Wine Puree and some crushed pistachios as well. I was in heaven as we moved on to our second wine -CAPRAI from Montefalco in Umbria, a 2007 blend of Sangiovese, Sagrantino & Merlot that was a bit tight at first but opened up beautifully after 30 minutes or so.
It was perfect with our big meat dishes-my BUE or BRAISED BEEF CHEEKS with White Polenta, Onion Compote and a yummy side dish of CAVOLFIORI, cauliflower in garlic and anchovy.
Will's AGNELLO was a novelty in that the leg of Shenandoah Lamb was lightened by Grilled ROMAINE and a Tomato-Olive Tapenade that gave the dish a very springlike feel.
Desserts impressed as well with Will's Honey-nut SEMIFREDDO with hazelnuts and Milk Jam Sauce, but my PANNA COTTA was another revelation flavored with VANILLA and topped with Pistachio Streusel and a Sour Cherry Compote!!
We all went home full, happy and knowing that we must really return on a non-Restaurant Week night for more!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
FERVOR -great food served with fervor in Buenos Aires (1-8-10)
On our last night in BA, Will and I left Samuel with a sitter at the
hotel (he was in heaven as he got pizza before we went out and was
gobbling up all the fresh fruit on the hotel platter delivered to our
room!) and headed around the corner in Recoleta to FERVOR Brasas de
Campo y Mar (Posadas 1519 y Callao - Ciudad de Buenos Aires
Tel: 4804-4944), easily one of the better dining spots around for meat
or fish as noted in the name. In South America, Campo refers to the
land outside town where the cattle are raised, Mar of course is sea.
Our big tummies decided to split a starter and take in one fish and
one meat course. We did not know that each portion was bigger than
anything Morton's could ever think of....OOPS!
We started with a delish bottle of LUIGI BOSCA 2008 MALBEC RISERVA
which is better than Bosca's regular Malbec, but not as good as the DV
Catena we had the previous night. It had a bit more spice, less oak
and finish. We thought this would work better with the fish, but not
necessarily with the meat, although the spice did do well in that
department.
A triple amuse arrived of Pulpo (octopus) tender and tasty, Mozzarella
with Sun Dried Tomato and Jamon. It was a nice treat and made us feel
special and a bit more formal. The spot is well appointed with a
mezzanine overhanging the large main room and utensil made chandeliers
that I loved! The breads were sublime as well as two salsas that came
with lemon and lime on the side for seasoning.
Our starter was Rueda de ACHURAS or Grilled Offal Platter. The menu
indicated it came with those yummy MOLLEJOs we had in Uruguay which we
now know are sweetbreads as well as (rinon) kidney and
(chinchulin)veal chitlings, which I have never had. The HUGE hot grill
plate came to the table sizzling and loaded with sweetbreads, kidneys,
hearts and sausage! While I can handle just about anything, I have to
say the chitlings (intestines) were rubbery and totally inedible. The
sweetbreads, kidneys, sausage, heart and all were divine.
We had ordered the 1/2 grilled parrillada de mar (seafood grill) and
our waiter came by and asked if we still wanted it as he began to
serve the other main course, the smallest portion on the menu of OJO
DE BIFE or RIBEYE Steak weighing in at 400grams or just under a pound
(for like $20--eat your heart out Smith & Wollensky!). We quickly
asked if we could cancel the seafood and he was most gracious. Any
other place might have taken advantage ans simply sent it all out
while we looked in awe knowing what fools we had been. He earned a big
tip and our thanks!
The meat was the best we had in Argentina, but still not a revelation.
We ordered it with the GRILLED VEGETABLES, a superb combinations of
mushrooms, Eggplant, Zucchini, Onion & Sweet Potato.
We waived dessert and enjoyed a delish cappuccino along with some
little dulce de leche cookies and others....another good move as we
headed off to our tango show. Luckily, we were just watching and not
dancing!
hotel (he was in heaven as he got pizza before we went out and was
gobbling up all the fresh fruit on the hotel platter delivered to our
room!) and headed around the corner in Recoleta to FERVOR Brasas de
Campo y Mar (Posadas 1519 y Callao - Ciudad de Buenos Aires
Tel: 4804-4944), easily one of the better dining spots around for meat
or fish as noted in the name. In South America, Campo refers to the
land outside town where the cattle are raised, Mar of course is sea.
Our big tummies decided to split a starter and take in one fish and
one meat course. We did not know that each portion was bigger than
anything Morton's could ever think of....OOPS!
We started with a delish bottle of LUIGI BOSCA 2008 MALBEC RISERVA
which is better than Bosca's regular Malbec, but not as good as the DV
Catena we had the previous night. It had a bit more spice, less oak
and finish. We thought this would work better with the fish, but not
necessarily with the meat, although the spice did do well in that
department.
A triple amuse arrived of Pulpo (octopus) tender and tasty, Mozzarella
with Sun Dried Tomato and Jamon. It was a nice treat and made us feel
special and a bit more formal. The spot is well appointed with a
mezzanine overhanging the large main room and utensil made chandeliers
that I loved! The breads were sublime as well as two salsas that came
with lemon and lime on the side for seasoning.
Our starter was Rueda de ACHURAS or Grilled Offal Platter. The menu
indicated it came with those yummy MOLLEJOs we had in Uruguay which we
now know are sweetbreads as well as (rinon) kidney and
(chinchulin)veal chitlings, which I have never had. The HUGE hot grill
plate came to the table sizzling and loaded with sweetbreads, kidneys,
hearts and sausage! While I can handle just about anything, I have to
say the chitlings (intestines) were rubbery and totally inedible. The
sweetbreads, kidneys, sausage, heart and all were divine.
We had ordered the 1/2 grilled parrillada de mar (seafood grill) and
our waiter came by and asked if we still wanted it as he began to
serve the other main course, the smallest portion on the menu of OJO
DE BIFE or RIBEYE Steak weighing in at 400grams or just under a pound
(for like $20--eat your heart out Smith & Wollensky!). We quickly
asked if we could cancel the seafood and he was most gracious. Any
other place might have taken advantage ans simply sent it all out
while we looked in awe knowing what fools we had been. He earned a big
tip and our thanks!
The meat was the best we had in Argentina, but still not a revelation.
We ordered it with the GRILLED VEGETABLES, a superb combinations of
mushrooms, Eggplant, Zucchini, Onion & Sweet Potato.
We waived dessert and enjoyed a delish cappuccino along with some
little dulce de leche cookies and others....another good move as we
headed off to our tango show. Luckily, we were just watching and not
dancing!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
DIVERTIMENTO CHILENO offers a cool setting and true Chilean cuisine if slow service(12-19-10)
For our last night in Santiago we wanted something more traditional
and the wonderful concierge Patricio at the San Cristobal Towers
suggested DIVERTIMENTO CHILENO. We liked the varied menu and took the
nice 15 minute walk from the hotel and found the hotel situated in the
oh so pleasant PARQUE METROPOLITANO at the foot of Cerro San
Cristobal, the city's tall peak (with the Virgin Mary atop it).
There were people strolling everywhere outside the open windows which
we sat next to and could see the tops of the Andes from. A truly
beautiful setting.
The service, as we have seen here, was lacking. The table next to us
had 6 folks and got their drinks, bread, salsa and entire order taken
practically before we got menus!
We asked for bread and the waiter said it was being baked...it did
eventually arrive steaming hot with soft inside, clear proof it was
right from the oven. The salsa here was milder and more tomato-ey and
was nice on the bread as well.
Upon the recommendation of Ignacio (our guide for the day) we ordered
PISCO SOURS which were refreshing and tasty and quite sour. Samuel
went for the Ginger Ale and ordered the Spaghetti with Pesto which he
gobbled up.
The Ceviche was REINETA, supposedly the best fish around for ceviche
which was indeed yummy and simply prepared. The Smoked PORK SHANK
CARPACCIO had arugula and a lemon-coriander dressing, but was quite
fatty for my taste.
KINGKLIP, which I had adored in South Africa, is another type of eel
found here which was again rich, meaty and tasty served with Blackened
Butter. The SEA BASS (Corvina) was sublime with Cilantro & Chimichuri
Sauce, Ginger & Lemon Zest and served with Razor Clams, Calamari,
Shrimp and SCALLOPS with that gorgeous coral intact! Our wine was a
fantastic tasty buttery LEYDA FALARIS Single Vineyard CHARDONNAY.
We thought about dessert, but it took the waiter so long to come over,
we just asked for the bill and headed back to the hotel after a 9-1/2
hour day of touring knowing that the next day we had a long trip to
the ship on the coast.
and the wonderful concierge Patricio at the San Cristobal Towers
suggested DIVERTIMENTO CHILENO. We liked the varied menu and took the
nice 15 minute walk from the hotel and found the hotel situated in the
oh so pleasant PARQUE METROPOLITANO at the foot of Cerro San
Cristobal, the city's tall peak (with the Virgin Mary atop it).
There were people strolling everywhere outside the open windows which
we sat next to and could see the tops of the Andes from. A truly
beautiful setting.
The service, as we have seen here, was lacking. The table next to us
had 6 folks and got their drinks, bread, salsa and entire order taken
practically before we got menus!
We asked for bread and the waiter said it was being baked...it did
eventually arrive steaming hot with soft inside, clear proof it was
right from the oven. The salsa here was milder and more tomato-ey and
was nice on the bread as well.
Upon the recommendation of Ignacio (our guide for the day) we ordered
PISCO SOURS which were refreshing and tasty and quite sour. Samuel
went for the Ginger Ale and ordered the Spaghetti with Pesto which he
gobbled up.
The Ceviche was REINETA, supposedly the best fish around for ceviche
which was indeed yummy and simply prepared. The Smoked PORK SHANK
CARPACCIO had arugula and a lemon-coriander dressing, but was quite
fatty for my taste.
KINGKLIP, which I had adored in South Africa, is another type of eel
found here which was again rich, meaty and tasty served with Blackened
Butter. The SEA BASS (Corvina) was sublime with Cilantro & Chimichuri
Sauce, Ginger & Lemon Zest and served with Razor Clams, Calamari,
Shrimp and SCALLOPS with that gorgeous coral intact! Our wine was a
fantastic tasty buttery LEYDA FALARIS Single Vineyard CHARDONNAY.
We thought about dessert, but it took the waiter so long to come over,
we just asked for the bill and headed back to the hotel after a 9-1/2
hour day of touring knowing that the next day we had a long trip to
the ship on the coast.
don't ask DONDE AUGUSTO in Santiago de Chile, just go....(12-19-10)
Today we had the experience of eating inside the MERCADO CENTRAL, the
wonderful Victorian market of downtown Santiago. DONE AUGUSTO is
perhaps a stalwart spot that will always amaze and if you are in for
an adventure offer you many new tastes as we had.
Ignacio our tour guide took us thru the market and showed us all the
different fish available as Samuel held his nose and then ordered a
grilled chicken breast with fries.
Will went for the CEVICHE as we have loved this so much as well as
superb SEAFOOD EMPANADAS. His third plate (appetizers all) was a huge
presentation of LOCOS (no, not crazies) which are huge tender ABALONES
served with mayo and a creamy potato salad. Ignacio explained the
Chileans love mayo and creamy mayo salads!
I thought the abalone was much like a tasty fishy artichoke heart,
but it did not go over too well with the others.
I loved my 1/2 bottle of Chardonnay/Sauvignon Blanc blend from Torreon
de Paredes 2009 which refreshed me to no end after my major spicy
CENTOLA al AJILLO a sizzling plate of King Crab with Garlic Butter
Sauce laced with spicy chiles. My second starter plate was PICOROCOS
al VAPOR which are simply steamed barnacles. These looked like tiny
crabs in the market but came to the table in a simple broth as
"claws"which I put a bit of lemon on for flavor and loved. Nobody else
was in my party for this tasty treat either.
Here the table salsa was called PEBRE, Ignacio explained and was more
like pico de gallo with cilantro.
Our favorite part of the afternoon tour of the city was sitting on the
city's peak Cerro San Cristobal as Ignacio treated us to MOTE con
HUESILLO, the national "dessert" which is a sweet juice made from
sundried peaches with wheat added as well as the whole peaches...YUM
YUM....we must have it tomorrow before we board the ship!
wonderful Victorian market of downtown Santiago. DONE AUGUSTO is
perhaps a stalwart spot that will always amaze and if you are in for
an adventure offer you many new tastes as we had.
Ignacio our tour guide took us thru the market and showed us all the
different fish available as Samuel held his nose and then ordered a
grilled chicken breast with fries.
Will went for the CEVICHE as we have loved this so much as well as
superb SEAFOOD EMPANADAS. His third plate (appetizers all) was a huge
presentation of LOCOS (no, not crazies) which are huge tender ABALONES
served with mayo and a creamy potato salad. Ignacio explained the
Chileans love mayo and creamy mayo salads!
I thought the abalone was much like a tasty fishy artichoke heart,
but it did not go over too well with the others.
I loved my 1/2 bottle of Chardonnay/Sauvignon Blanc blend from Torreon
de Paredes 2009 which refreshed me to no end after my major spicy
CENTOLA al AJILLO a sizzling plate of King Crab with Garlic Butter
Sauce laced with spicy chiles. My second starter plate was PICOROCOS
al VAPOR which are simply steamed barnacles. These looked like tiny
crabs in the market but came to the table in a simple broth as
"claws"which I put a bit of lemon on for flavor and loved. Nobody else
was in my party for this tasty treat either.
Here the table salsa was called PEBRE, Ignacio explained and was more
like pico de gallo with cilantro.
Our favorite part of the afternoon tour of the city was sitting on the
city's peak Cerro San Cristobal as Ignacio treated us to MOTE con
HUESILLO, the national "dessert" which is a sweet juice made from
sundried peaches with wheat added as well as the whole peaches...YUM
YUM....we must have it tomorrow before we board the ship!
SANTIAGO's (Chile) superb seafood experience is ACQUI ESTA COCO(12-18-10)
While I am not sure how many of you get to Chile, but if you do, don't
skip dinner at ACQUI ESTA COCO (www.acquiestacoco.cl) in the
Providencia neighborhood in a grand mansion that has been totally
rebuilt since devastating recent fire. The seen is fun plus with an
inverse wooden ship hull design as the ceiling, a cute raw bar mini-
ship with mast at the rear, red leather whalefin chairs and sinks
outside the bathroom that Samuel simply called awesome. There were
three huge driftwood basin sink with foot pedal pumps to boot.
Even the Christmas decorations were adorable and tasteful in miniature
red wood webbing. Add all this to some of the best seafood we have
ever had, and you have a great night out.
It was impossible to choose so Will & I chose three starters each as
delectable as the next:
OCTOPUS CARPACCIO with Black Olive Mayo Sauce, Lemon & CIlantro was
superb and the mayo was more of a light dressing than a creamy
overpowering mayo. RAZOR CLAMS in Parmesan Cheese are a long narrow
not at all chewy local tender clams cooked a la clams casino and
broiled with smothering parmesan cheese that will make anyone have a
foodie orgasm. CHILOTAN CEVICHES come in the coolest of stemless
martini glasses held on iron 4 prong "trees" from a large dark wooden
plank. The presentation is gorgeous and the ceviches are true bliss:
Sea urchin, shrimp, octopus, scallop and crab claw were in one glass
and a spicy Peruvian style sea bass with lime, onion, and endive was
in the other.
Our first wine was a LEYDA Single Vineyard GARUMA Sauvignon Blanc that
would outshine any similar wine and worked brilliantly with the
ceviches and everything else.
Samuel opted for the Seared SALMON with SOY and Fried RICE. The rice
was really not "Chinese" style fried and Sam declared "I could come
back again and have this tomorrow..." We agreed.
The main courses were good but not as amazing as the appetizers.
SEARED SWORDFISH with Black Butter Sauce & CHARQUICAN, a vegetable
smash of squash, peas, corn and more benefitted from the slightly
spicy salsa on the table (at every meal in Chile), while the MAI MAI
CONGER EEL was a monkfish textured thick fleshy eel that you would
have sworn was fish. It was beautifully prepared with ham, corn,
mushroom and shrimp in a yummy sauce. The two steamed potatoes seemed
so weird and useless and I would have preferred rice to mop up the
yummy sauce instead of the potatoes.
Our main course wine was from the uber famous MONTES ALPHA vineyard in
Leyda as well and for $40 their PINOT NOIR '07 was perfect with these
big fish dishes as the were aged in French oak and had spice and fruit
in the back of the mouth with each sip.
Did I mention that at each place was a different colored dyed eelskin
"place mat" although they were narrow
and really did not cover the place setting, they were novel and fun.
While Samuel enjoyed scoops of MANGO Ice cream we chose the ELOGIO a
la LACUMA. Lacuma is a traditional Chilean dessert made from eggfruit,
but here the "homage" turned it into a delightful and thick with
superb topping creme brulee with Myrtleberry Compote. Even a cute spun
sugar "spoon" was on the side.
We loved all the food, all the fun and got used to the slightly off
service (which is pretty basic here we have been told by everyone),
and had a delightfully fabulous night on our first day as we head even
further south.
skip dinner at ACQUI ESTA COCO (www.acquiestacoco.cl) in the
Providencia neighborhood in a grand mansion that has been totally
rebuilt since devastating recent fire. The seen is fun plus with an
inverse wooden ship hull design as the ceiling, a cute raw bar mini-
ship with mast at the rear, red leather whalefin chairs and sinks
outside the bathroom that Samuel simply called awesome. There were
three huge driftwood basin sink with foot pedal pumps to boot.
Even the Christmas decorations were adorable and tasteful in miniature
red wood webbing. Add all this to some of the best seafood we have
ever had, and you have a great night out.
It was impossible to choose so Will & I chose three starters each as
delectable as the next:
OCTOPUS CARPACCIO with Black Olive Mayo Sauce, Lemon & CIlantro was
superb and the mayo was more of a light dressing than a creamy
overpowering mayo. RAZOR CLAMS in Parmesan Cheese are a long narrow
not at all chewy local tender clams cooked a la clams casino and
broiled with smothering parmesan cheese that will make anyone have a
foodie orgasm. CHILOTAN CEVICHES come in the coolest of stemless
martini glasses held on iron 4 prong "trees" from a large dark wooden
plank. The presentation is gorgeous and the ceviches are true bliss:
Sea urchin, shrimp, octopus, scallop and crab claw were in one glass
and a spicy Peruvian style sea bass with lime, onion, and endive was
in the other.
Our first wine was a LEYDA Single Vineyard GARUMA Sauvignon Blanc that
would outshine any similar wine and worked brilliantly with the
ceviches and everything else.
Samuel opted for the Seared SALMON with SOY and Fried RICE. The rice
was really not "Chinese" style fried and Sam declared "I could come
back again and have this tomorrow..." We agreed.
The main courses were good but not as amazing as the appetizers.
SEARED SWORDFISH with Black Butter Sauce & CHARQUICAN, a vegetable
smash of squash, peas, corn and more benefitted from the slightly
spicy salsa on the table (at every meal in Chile), while the MAI MAI
CONGER EEL was a monkfish textured thick fleshy eel that you would
have sworn was fish. It was beautifully prepared with ham, corn,
mushroom and shrimp in a yummy sauce. The two steamed potatoes seemed
so weird and useless and I would have preferred rice to mop up the
yummy sauce instead of the potatoes.
Our main course wine was from the uber famous MONTES ALPHA vineyard in
Leyda as well and for $40 their PINOT NOIR '07 was perfect with these
big fish dishes as the were aged in French oak and had spice and fruit
in the back of the mouth with each sip.
Did I mention that at each place was a different colored dyed eelskin
"place mat" although they were narrow
and really did not cover the place setting, they were novel and fun.
While Samuel enjoyed scoops of MANGO Ice cream we chose the ELOGIO a
la LACUMA. Lacuma is a traditional Chilean dessert made from eggfruit,
but here the "homage" turned it into a delightful and thick with
superb topping creme brulee with Myrtleberry Compote. Even a cute spun
sugar "spoon" was on the side.
We loved all the food, all the fun and got used to the slightly off
service (which is pretty basic here we have been told by everyone),
and had a delightfully fabulous night on our first day as we head even
further south.
Buenos Aires LA BRIGADA is a bust (1-6-11)
On our first evening in Buenos Aires, Argentina we headed for a top
rated parrilla in the old San Tel mo district with Samuel. It was an
adorable spot with tons of soccer posters and memorabilia as well as
an iron chandelier full of soccer balls. the menus were leather and
cowskin bound and "fluffy" as Sam calls it. LA BRIGADA (Avenido
Estados Unidos 465) was recommended by the concierge and I should have
gone with MY own instincts, as we were happy for about the first half
of the meal then it was all downhill.
The DV Catena MALBEC 2006 was divine with a smoky oak flavor and was
great with the food, but the food was the issue.
Samuel did not like the MILANESE de LOMO, here a meat slad that was
dry, breaded and served a la NAPOLITANA with Mozzarella and Tomato
sauce. The Papas Fritas a la Provenzal here were TOTAL DUDS as they
were so bland!
The appetizers were quite good with LENGUITAS (lamb tongues) as tender
as could be marinated in a light oil, red pepper, parsley, garlic--
chimichurri-like sauce. ENSALADA RUSA was an overloaded with mayo
salad of potato, egg, carrots and peas that was good, but just
overdose.
The main courses we chose from the parrilla were COLITA de CUADRIL de
BUFALO or a buffalo sirloin that was only okay, not a touch on our
buffalo here. The BIFE ESPECIAL was supposed to be the most tender
filet available. the server attempted to cut it in half with a spoon
repeatedly tableside. We kept proffering our knives which he declined.
It wasted like 10 minutes as Sam fell asleep. We tried to cut the meat
with our knives and had little luck. Nobody seemed interested in our
displeasure, so we paid and left and told the hotel concierge the
place sucked!
What a shame!
rated parrilla in the old San Tel mo district with Samuel. It was an
adorable spot with tons of soccer posters and memorabilia as well as
an iron chandelier full of soccer balls. the menus were leather and
cowskin bound and "fluffy" as Sam calls it. LA BRIGADA (Avenido
Estados Unidos 465) was recommended by the concierge and I should have
gone with MY own instincts, as we were happy for about the first half
of the meal then it was all downhill.
The DV Catena MALBEC 2006 was divine with a smoky oak flavor and was
great with the food, but the food was the issue.
Samuel did not like the MILANESE de LOMO, here a meat slad that was
dry, breaded and served a la NAPOLITANA with Mozzarella and Tomato
sauce. The Papas Fritas a la Provenzal here were TOTAL DUDS as they
were so bland!
The appetizers were quite good with LENGUITAS (lamb tongues) as tender
as could be marinated in a light oil, red pepper, parsley, garlic--
chimichurri-like sauce. ENSALADA RUSA was an overloaded with mayo
salad of potato, egg, carrots and peas that was good, but just
overdose.
The main courses we chose from the parrilla were COLITA de CUADRIL de
BUFALO or a buffalo sirloin that was only okay, not a touch on our
buffalo here. The BIFE ESPECIAL was supposed to be the most tender
filet available. the server attempted to cut it in half with a spoon
repeatedly tableside. We kept proffering our knives which he declined.
It wasted like 10 minutes as Sam fell asleep. We tried to cut the meat
with our knives and had little luck. Nobody seemed interested in our
displeasure, so we paid and left and told the hotel concierge the
place sucked!
What a shame!
BA lunch--go to EL SANJUANINO for empanadas and more (1-6-11)
Our first lunch in BA near the hotel in Recolta was a huge success. EL
SANJUANINO (www.elsanjuanino.com) offers up the tastiest of EMPANADAS
from chicken to meat to a fried verson with spicier meat. They also
specialize in gam and venison, but we were there for a light lunch.
They do a decent job of PAPAS FRITAS a la PROVENZAL but still not as
good as in Uruguay!
Oh well! It's an adorable and reasonable price option!
ALAN
SANJUANINO (www.elsanjuanino.com) offers up the tastiest of EMPANADAS
from chicken to meat to a fried verson with spicier meat. They also
specialize in gam and venison, but we were there for a light lunch.
They do a decent job of PAPAS FRITAS a la PROVENZAL but still not as
good as in Uruguay!
Oh well! It's an adorable and reasonable price option!
ALAN
LA MAESTRANZA in Montevideo's Mercado del Puerto is a major parrilla (1-5-11)
Welcome to 2011!
I know it's been a while since I last posted in Santiago de Chile, but
we had been at sea in Antarctica for some time and finally made our
way north (those of you on Will's TRAVEL DIARIES postings know what
we've been up to!)....
Montevideo has a gorgeous new Victorian market structure right at the
port (mercado del puerto) and it is chock full of places to eat,
especially the world famous parrillas or parrilladas that one finds
all over souther South America. It was hard to choose and we settled
into the counter seats at LA MAESTRANZA and just looked at a menu,
available only in Spanish, as if it were Chinese. We know lomo is
beef, but after that certain things just don't translate easily.
I asked the server for Sam's Sprite and a Chicken Cutlet Milanese with
fries which he adored. We ordered up a bottle of the Uruguayan
national beverage "medio y medio" made up of half sparkling and half
white wine. It is refreshing in summer (it was close to 85 degrees!)
and perfect with all the grilled meats which can tend to be a bit
greasy. CHORIZO was easy enough to figure out and it was super, not
too spicy, but just right. the plainer national sausage is called
SALCHICHA and was also divine. We were unsure what MOLLEJA was as the
server pointed to her throat...so we assumed cow's throat. It was a
bit fatty, yet tender and tasty, especially with the cilantro laden
chimichurri sauce at every place setting. We later discovered after
Will posted his journal that Molleja is sweetbreads....but these were
not as good as the cuts we get at home.
The highlight of the meal was the discovery of PAPAS FRITAS a la
PROVENZAL....these are fries pan fried and tossed with garlic, thyme,
rosemary, cilantro and other seasonings which you must decline the
ketchup for!
It was a fun experience, and we were to experience more in the next
several days as well...some good and some bad.
ALAN (now back home)
I know it's been a while since I last posted in Santiago de Chile, but
we had been at sea in Antarctica for some time and finally made our
way north (those of you on Will's TRAVEL DIARIES postings know what
we've been up to!)....
Montevideo has a gorgeous new Victorian market structure right at the
port (mercado del puerto) and it is chock full of places to eat,
especially the world famous parrillas or parrilladas that one finds
all over souther South America. It was hard to choose and we settled
into the counter seats at LA MAESTRANZA and just looked at a menu,
available only in Spanish, as if it were Chinese. We know lomo is
beef, but after that certain things just don't translate easily.
I asked the server for Sam's Sprite and a Chicken Cutlet Milanese with
fries which he adored. We ordered up a bottle of the Uruguayan
national beverage "medio y medio" made up of half sparkling and half
white wine. It is refreshing in summer (it was close to 85 degrees!)
and perfect with all the grilled meats which can tend to be a bit
greasy. CHORIZO was easy enough to figure out and it was super, not
too spicy, but just right. the plainer national sausage is called
SALCHICHA and was also divine. We were unsure what MOLLEJA was as the
server pointed to her throat...so we assumed cow's throat. It was a
bit fatty, yet tender and tasty, especially with the cilantro laden
chimichurri sauce at every place setting. We later discovered after
Will posted his journal that Molleja is sweetbreads....but these were
not as good as the cuts we get at home.
The highlight of the meal was the discovery of PAPAS FRITAS a la
PROVENZAL....these are fries pan fried and tossed with garlic, thyme,
rosemary, cilantro and other seasonings which you must decline the
ketchup for!
It was a fun experience, and we were to experience more in the next
several days as well...some good and some bad.
ALAN (now back home)
Saturday, December 11, 2010
TANDOORI NIGHTS - Arlington's IN Indian (12-9-10)
The other night we went with some friends to TANDDORI NIGHTS located in a snazzy upscale mini-mall in Clarendon (http://indaez.com/tandoori-nights-clarendon) at 2800 Clarendon Blvd. On a cold night the $3.00 discounted parking in the mall lot makes it an added attraction. The decor is comfy and cozy, if the service is a little abrupt and lacking.
The menu is large and there are many vegetarian and meat choices, so anyone could enjoy a varied meal here; we, of course, chose too many dishes as we are wont to do!
The 2006 St. Francis RED from Sonoma at $29 is a great blend of Cabernet, Zinfandel, Merlot & Syrah that works wondefully with some of the spicier foods. It was so good, we had a second bottle of the same knwoing that trying anything else might result in a wine that would not be as good.
On the table at arrival were three tasty sauces (chutney, homemade mustard and that green sauce that I can never remember the name of!) along with crunchy super thin flatbreads.
We asked our server for some suggestions, but he went so fast and mumbled, that I had to ask him to repeat several times. I have to say that it was the first time I was sorry I listened. His top suggestion of the GOAT CURRY was only okay, and a bit too heavy on the bones as goat often is.
Children always have food issues, and Indian food can be quite a problem, but both of them handled it quite well.
Samuel ate some of the VEGETABLE SOMOSA, then declared it was too spicy. A big hit for both of them was the FISH & CHICKEN PAKORA which are basically battered in chickpea flour and fried making them the closest thing to fish and chicken fingers around. The assorted bread platter of GARLIC NAAN, ROTI & NAAN was a big hit with the boys and all of us as well.
The top hits for the adults were the RAJ KACHORI an appetizer of main course proportion that is thin crunchy vermicelli noodles in a large chickpea crusted puffy pastry ball with Tamarind & Yogurt Sauce and Mint Chutney. We all loved the textures and flavors and the bite of spice in this oh-so-fun dish.
FISH TIKKA was a tasty salmon delivered to the table on a sizzling platter with onions and some veggies along with a tasty lentil sauce. The fish was well cooked and not dry and was even better reheated a night later.
The veggie main courses were of the best quality: KHILE PHOOL was a slightly spiced fried CAULIFLOWER & PPTATOES with Ginger, Tomato, Peas and Spices while the traditional PALAK PANNER was a tasty creamed spinach with simple white cheese chunks. The Palak Paneer was amplified in the LAMB & SPINACH dish which was Palak Paneer with the cheese being substituted with tasty chunks of lamb; far superior to the Goat Curry.
We could not even fathom dessert as we packed much of the leftovers up and headed home quite full. I have to say that we enjoyed everything save the curry recommended by the server. We arrived at 630pm and the place was empty, by 7pm it was almost full. I almost felt that they just wanted to get us served and out, even though there was nobody waiting when we left. If you do take to TANDOORI NIGHTS, go on your instinct with the menu and try not to listen to the server and you should fare well.
Speaking of farewell...this is the last report this year from the USA, so a happy New Year to all, and look for some exciting reports soon from South America (Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and maybe even Antarctica!).
ALAN SAVADA
Washington, DC
The menu is large and there are many vegetarian and meat choices, so anyone could enjoy a varied meal here; we, of course, chose too many dishes as we are wont to do!
The 2006 St. Francis RED from Sonoma at $29 is a great blend of Cabernet, Zinfandel, Merlot & Syrah that works wondefully with some of the spicier foods. It was so good, we had a second bottle of the same knwoing that trying anything else might result in a wine that would not be as good.
On the table at arrival were three tasty sauces (chutney, homemade mustard and that green sauce that I can never remember the name of!) along with crunchy super thin flatbreads.
We asked our server for some suggestions, but he went so fast and mumbled, that I had to ask him to repeat several times. I have to say that it was the first time I was sorry I listened. His top suggestion of the GOAT CURRY was only okay, and a bit too heavy on the bones as goat often is.
Children always have food issues, and Indian food can be quite a problem, but both of them handled it quite well.
Samuel ate some of the VEGETABLE SOMOSA, then declared it was too spicy. A big hit for both of them was the FISH & CHICKEN PAKORA which are basically battered in chickpea flour and fried making them the closest thing to fish and chicken fingers around. The assorted bread platter of GARLIC NAAN, ROTI & NAAN was a big hit with the boys and all of us as well.
The top hits for the adults were the RAJ KACHORI an appetizer of main course proportion that is thin crunchy vermicelli noodles in a large chickpea crusted puffy pastry ball with Tamarind & Yogurt Sauce and Mint Chutney. We all loved the textures and flavors and the bite of spice in this oh-so-fun dish.
FISH TIKKA was a tasty salmon delivered to the table on a sizzling platter with onions and some veggies along with a tasty lentil sauce. The fish was well cooked and not dry and was even better reheated a night later.
The veggie main courses were of the best quality: KHILE PHOOL was a slightly spiced fried CAULIFLOWER & PPTATOES with Ginger, Tomato, Peas and Spices while the traditional PALAK PANNER was a tasty creamed spinach with simple white cheese chunks. The Palak Paneer was amplified in the LAMB & SPINACH dish which was Palak Paneer with the cheese being substituted with tasty chunks of lamb; far superior to the Goat Curry.
We could not even fathom dessert as we packed much of the leftovers up and headed home quite full. I have to say that we enjoyed everything save the curry recommended by the server. We arrived at 630pm and the place was empty, by 7pm it was almost full. I almost felt that they just wanted to get us served and out, even though there was nobody waiting when we left. If you do take to TANDOORI NIGHTS, go on your instinct with the menu and try not to listen to the server and you should fare well.
Speaking of farewell...this is the last report this year from the USA, so a happy New Year to all, and look for some exciting reports soon from South America (Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and maybe even Antarctica!).
ALAN SAVADA
Washington, DC
Sunday, November 28, 2010
PUBLIC HOUSE puts out at National Harbor, MD (11-28-10)
Just back from brunch at National Harbor and I must say the PUBLIC HOUSE (199 Fleet Street, National Harbor MD) puts out big time on its brunch menu. The service is attentive and while I wanted to hit that make your own Bloody Mary Bar, I refrained.
Samuel was not thrilled with the chicken fingers saying he has had better (and he is an aficionado), but the OPEN CRABCAKE SANDWICH is divine and at $16 offers up a monster sized cake with tons of crab, charred corn, seasoning and a peppery bite on top of some guacamole, greens and bread topped with a fried egg and served with home fries. I would estimate the crab cake at about 1/2 pound, perhaps a bit less, which is truly amazing for the price.
three of us adored it and the Southern Breakfast features true homemade SAUSAGE GRAVY (the chef's recipe from his grandmother) on a biscuit that is truly decadent.
I am not a brunch fan as it tires me out so early in the day, but if you are near National Harbor, this is a great deal not to be missed (and they open at 10am!).
Just to let you know that we are getting very busy with Hannukah, upcoming theater and such, so that there won't be too many reviews in the coming weeks, but we do head to South America soon! Keep your eyes open for a whole new cuisine!
Samuel was not thrilled with the chicken fingers saying he has had better (and he is an aficionado), but the OPEN CRABCAKE SANDWICH is divine and at $16 offers up a monster sized cake with tons of crab, charred corn, seasoning and a peppery bite on top of some guacamole, greens and bread topped with a fried egg and served with home fries. I would estimate the crab cake at about 1/2 pound, perhaps a bit less, which is truly amazing for the price.
three of us adored it and the Southern Breakfast features true homemade SAUSAGE GRAVY (the chef's recipe from his grandmother) on a biscuit that is truly decadent.
I am not a brunch fan as it tires me out so early in the day, but if you are near National Harbor, this is a great deal not to be missed (and they open at 10am!).
Just to let you know that we are getting very busy with Hannukah, upcoming theater and such, so that there won't be too many reviews in the coming weeks, but we do head to South America soon! Keep your eyes open for a whole new cuisine!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)