Bergdorf Goodman's Asian Crab Cake Salad

Kristy (Woodson) Harvey and I had lunch at Bergdorf Goodman yesterday. We attended a book signing the evening before in the 7th floor dining area and couldn't get enough of the space, so we headed back first thing the following day for lunch. The fact that it was cold and raining also nudged us along in the "where to eat lunch?" decision-making process. If you haven't been to the Bergdorf restaurant and you're a lady, you have time on your hands and you don't mind spending a pretty penny for a leisurely, elegant, sophisticated lunch.....ding ding ding! this is the spot for you. The chairs, the tables, the china with the Bergdorf seal, the upholstered walls, the light fixtures and the million dollar view of the park are enough to make a girl squeal. And if you have to wait before being seated....there's a conveniently located wedding boutique on the 7th floor to peruse. It's a great place to be a girl.

For lunch I ordered a bottle of sparkling water (I couldn't slum it, it's Bergdorf's after all!) and the Asian Crab Cake Salad. It was beautiful. On top of 2 jumbo lump crab cakes was a slaw of sorts. Ingredients as follows:

chopped mango
toasted cashews
bean sprouts
julienned red pepper
water chestnuts
chinese long beans
yuzu dressing

*Key Ingredient: I couldn't pick one out*

Everything went so well together and there wasn't any 1 flavor that dominated the rest. Not necessarily a bad thing. The crab cake was excellent and tasted exactly like a crab cake should. Meaty, crispy, spicy, juicy. I think they used a spicy mayo in it to match the Asian flavors of the slaw/salad on top. The slaw was light and refreshing-perfect for lunch. I left feeling satisfied-not full-which is how a lady who lunches at Bergdorf should feel!

The best part of the meal was the surprise vanilla macaroon we each got with the check.

Q-Tip: 3 o'clock is the new 5 o'clock

When the weather is this nice who needs to wait til 5 o'clock for a cocktail? Unless you're at the office. But if not, go out, seize the day and order a tall Tequila Sunrise. Early bird gets the (tequila) worm! It's 3 o'clock somewhere.

Cafe Gitane Avocado on Toast

Mom and I breakfasted at Cafe Gitane (definition: Gypsy Lady) 2 out of the 3 mornings she was here which should tip you off onto how great this place is. We both ordered the Avocado on Toast with our cappuccinos. My expectations were greatly exceeded. At first I was a little wary that this wouldn't be an adequate breakfast order--with a full day of walking, biking, and talking in front of me I needed something hearty and filling. Judging on the way this looks on a menu I didn't think it'd fit the bill. It did.

Ingredients:

thick cut of homemade grain bread
olive oil
smeared thick layer of avocado
generous squirt of lemon juice
red pepper flakes

*Key Ingredient: lemon and red pepper flakes*

The lemon and red pepper flakes elevated this simple dish from so-so to chi-chi. From drab to dramatic. There was more flavor in one bite of this than in any eggs benedict or egg scramble breakfast order I've ever had. Also key to its success was the bread. The crust was perfectly crusty--not hard--enough to stand up to the creamy avocado.

Aquagrill Periwinkles

Carter, Mom and I headed to Aquagrill to kick of my mom's visit to the Big Apple on Monday. We--SAT AT THE BAR--ordered tons of oysters I couldn't name to you right now, tuna tartare and tried for the first time periwinkles. If you haven't had them before, they are teeny tiny little conch shells that house little tiny curly cue buggers. Kind of like escargot except much MUCH harder to get out. My mom called half of the periwinkles in our bowl 'vacants'--left the building without paying rent. Duds.

I had the most patience of the 3 of us in digging out the little guys and found them to be OK. Snails much more satisfying. Too much work for too little-about as filling as a blueberry. What did help their case was a side of aioli which added richness and flavor.

First time for everything.

Q-Tip: Order Sparkling Water with Wine

My mom and I ordered a bottle of sparkling water with our Spanish wine at Bar Jamon the other night and found that it was a nice way to stay hydrated between glasses. In my opinion, sparkling water is the more sophisticated, fancier choice of H20--when I drink it I feel like I'm indulging myself in a cocktail whereas gulping tap water that's been sloshed in my glass from behind the bar only serves to remind me of an impending hangover.

Never Blu

Tonite I went to my favorite restaurant in Durham. It is called Blu Seafood and Bar. It may not be the best restaurant, but it is definitely my fav.

I have a rule where I only order food at restaurants that I cannot make better than they can, which is why I love eating seafood. A restaurant's ability to procure and serve an abundance of fresh seafood is far greater than the home cook. Such is true for all cuisine, but especially for the fruits of the sea. One of my favorite ocean delights are oysters.

And on Tuesday nights at Blu they have half priced oysters. They always have a variety of gulf coast and cool waters. Tonite I had half a dozen Apalachicola and half a dozen Blue Points. There is a reason that cold water oysters cost twice the price of gulf coast. The briny flavor far outweighs the half fresh water taste of the gulf coast. I love oysters in general, but cool water is the way to go. Tonite both selections were delicious, but as always, I preferred the blue points.

Another great thing about Blu is the fact that they have 5$ appetizers from 5 to 7, if you eat at the bar. After my oysters I had the beef carpaccio. It was covered in arugula, Parmesan and capers. Out of this world. My roomate had the mussels, which come in a spicy chile and lime broth, amazing when sopped up with their buttery bread. He also had the oysters Rockefeller. They were fantastic, but the cheese, bacon and pesto completely muted the flavor the oysters. He loved them, as did I, but if I am going to eat oysters I want to taste oysters, which is why I only eat them raw.

As is always the case, Blu was a great meal. It is perfect for cocktails and appetizers after work, or for a real meal. Along with their every day menu, there is a fresh catch of the day and a whole fish of the day, so you can never get tired of the selection.

With my meal tonite I had a few cucumber martinis. Blu is where I discovered this delicacy, which I have spoken about before. I have had many recreations, and even attempted them in my own home, but cucumber martinis made by Megan at Blu are by far my favorite drink.

-Jonathan

The Smoker

Inspired by Andi's trip to one of my favorite lunch spots, I went on a 'work lunch' to Sandwhich. It has been months since I've visited Sandwhich, partly because I am much busier at my new job and partly because I moved from Chapel Hill to Durham, but it, along with Neal's Deli in Carrboro are the best places to get a sandwich in Orange County.

I had The Smoker
-House-smoked, slow-roasted Niman Ranch beef
-Harissa, a North African hot sauce
-And mustard slaw
-All on sourdough.

It was like a Reuben with a twang of heat and smoke. I loved it, as I do anything with slaw on it.

-Jonathan

Q-Tip: Eat at the Bar

I find that eating at the bar for lunch or dinner is the way to go. You're in the middle of the hustle and bustle. No getting stuck in the dead corner behind the busboy station. Prime real estate for people watching. Great if you're dining solo and want to strike up conversation with the buddy sitting next to you. Any question you have about the menu or wine list you can direct to the bartender and get a quick immediate answer. If you're on a date you don't have to worry whether he/she notices the food stuck in your teeth or the fact you keep spilling soup down your shirt (hand-eye coordination on first dates is always tricky). And when you're ready for the check all the bartender has to do is turn around--the register's right there!

Q-Tip

I often have random thoughts that pop into my head at any given moment and since I have this space to share those little ah-ha's I'm going to do just that. To avoid total stream of consciousness they will be packaged in the form of "Q-Tips"....clever tricks or tips I learn from dining out I think are worth passing along. blips. clips. quips.

(I like the sound of Q-tip....very staccato. When you say it out loud you can't help but perk up--which I guess is the intended effect of my entries on you the reader!)

Luke's Lobster Roll

Andi here....

Luke's Lobster in the East Village just opened so Kathryn and I popped in for a try. Luke's is a specialty business that concentrates its M.O. on 1 thing and 1 thing only. Lobster Rolls. Restaurants and boutiques like Luke's are my favorite. They're what make the world go round. You can't help but be inspired when you see someone bet against all odds that their little niche can't draw a consumer base wide enough to turn profits--especially in a city as unforgiving as this one. The guts it takes to open a shop that only makes lobster rolls....or only does old fashioned men's shaves...or only sells pickles. Guts, pride, dignity, respect, money. Willing to put it all on the line because they know they've got their hands on something out of this world. I get an extra pep in my step every time I walk past a specialty goods store. Wanna go in and give the guy a high five.

I digress. The lobster roll. Ingredients:

fresh Maine lobster, chilled
Bay seasoning
small amount of mayonnaise
buttered Texas toast, warm

*Key Ingredient: fresh Maine lobster*

Did you expect the key ingredient to be anything but? I also loved that they put the lobster on cold--I think this may have highlighted the freshness and flavor as opposed to serving at the same temperature as the bread. I'd run back for another.

Freemans Artichoke Dip

Andi here.....

I went to Freemans the other night--tucked away down Freemans Alley--and had the best artichoke dip of my life. Hands down. This dip focused solely on the artichoke unlike a lot of other recipes that throw in spinach or tomatoes, allowing just a sliver of what's probably canned artichoke hearts to squeeze through. And I'd be willing to bet that their recipe calls for fresh artichokes because I couldn't detect that sour taste that a lot of canned artichokes get. But what got me hooked on this dip was the cheese! Although one day I'd like to be a professional cheesemonger, I'm not quite there yet so I'm not able to tell you exactly which cheeses were present, but I'd be willing to guess parmiggiano reggiano was a major player. The cheese and artichoke complemented each other so well. And that's all you needed--no bells and whistles here.

*Key Ingredient: keeping it simple and fresh*

Cafe Habana Corn

Andi here.....

A trip to NoLita and Elizabeth Street (Garden of Eden of NYC restaurants) isn't complete until you've had Cafe Habana's grilled corn. So to make my first week complete I placed my order, sat at the bar overlooking the sidewalk, and dove in. Ingredients are as follows:

grilled corn
mayonnaise
cotija cheese, grated
paprika
lime

*Key Ingredient: lime*

While some may argue the key ingredient is the cotija cheese, I say it's the lime. The spritz of lime seals the deal for me. It imparts a zing and punch on the cob unlike any you've ever had before.

Raoul's Escargot Ragout

Andi here.....

AHHHH to be back in SoHo just blocks away from the best restaurant in the world.....Raoul's.

Last night they debuted their new Autumn menu and boy was I a lucky girl! We ordered the Escargot Ragout appetizer which was a smash hit. Ingredients are as follows:

Anson Mills ricotta polenta
escargot (out of the shell)
wild forest mushrooms
whole garlic cloves
golden raisins
crispy parsley
stewed/cooked in a mini cast iron skillet

*Key Ingredient: Anson Mills ricotta polenta*

The creamy ricotta grits took the rich silky escargot to a whole new level of richness. Every bite was like a spoonful of ice cream that you allow to linger in your mouth until all melts away.

Banh Mi Bo

Andi here.....

Had myself a delicious Vietnamese Banh Mi Bo sandwich at Chapel Hill's ingenious lunch spot--Sandwhich--off Franklin Street last Friday before scooting off to Wilmington for Kathryn's wedding. Ingredients are as follows:

Crushed grass-fed meatballs
Nueske’s bacon
pork pate
cucumbers, onions, pickled daikon
carrot
jalapenos
tomato sauce
cilantro on baguette

*Key Ingredient: pickled daikon*

The crunchy texture of the daikon & onion balanced nicely with the softer baguette and mashed meatballs. Without it the sandwich would have been nothing more than a meatball sub. And the vinegar used to pickle the daikon & onion cut nicely through the smoky flavor of the meatballs and bacon, giving the sandwich complexity and depth.

C.A.W.

Jonathan here…

Last night some coworkers and I went to 411 West Franklin, for what we like to call Cocktails After Work (C.A.W.). It has been a while since I have eaten there; however I used to go all the time when I lived around the corner. I felt a tinge of nostalgia when we walked thru the doors. We sat at the bar and as is often the case, I was having a hard time deciding what I wanted. So I looked at the cocktail menu. I am not a huge fan of cocktail menus b/c the drinks often end up reading a lot better than they taste, and they are almost always too sweet. I ordered a Sparkling Cosmo. It was Belvedere vodka, cranberry juice and champagne with a lemon twist. It was great, but after a long day at the office I definitely needed something more stiff, I could’ve put away 10 of those, and at 9 bucks a piece I could’ve bankrupted myself. But it was definitely the perfect brunch drink.

After the Sparkling Cosmo I decided to up the ante a little bit, and to my surprise and pleasure I discovered that they had Hendricks Gin. More and more bars are starting to carry it, and I couldn’t be happier. Hendricks in my favorite gin in the world, and maybe my favorite liquor. I had a cucumber martini, which my also be my all time favorite drink. It is simply Hendricks Gin in a glass that has been coated with Vermouth but without any actual Vermouth and a cucumber garnish. I think my favorite is when there is pickled cucumber chopped and sitting in the bottom of the glass and a slice of cucumber on the rim. Last night the bartender made it with 4 slices of cucumber, which is great because by the time you are done you get to eat the gin soaked cucumbers. Many people do not prefer gin, but I have found that gin is similar to tequila in that there is a huge gap between top and bottom shelf. That is obviously true for all liquors, but it is especially true for gin and tequila. I feel as if cheap tequila and gin can’t even be considered the same type of beverage as Hendricks and Patron. Hendricks is cucumber and rose petal infused gin that will make you think of gin in a completely different way. I guarantee it.

After a few cocktails we realized we should probably eat dinner or else work would be horrible the next day, so I ordered the Grilled Swordfish with olive and tomato tapenade. It came served over herbed mashed potatoes and broccoli raab (rapini or whatever else you wanna call it). The mashed potatoes were great, it was the first time in a long time that I have had light mashed potatoes. They were not overly buttered or seasoned (not that there is anything wrong with butter in your mashed potatoes) but it was a nice deviation from the standard. The broccoli raab was great, as it always is and Swordfish is definitely a fish that can stand up to an olive tapenade. I enjoyed the dish immensely, even though the fish was a little overcooked, as Swordfish is also adept at that as well.

If you are someone who wants to learn how to cook fish or to start eating it, Swordfish is a great one to start with. It is always sold in steaks and has a very firm texture, which makes it easy to handle. It is more difficult than other fish to overcook and if you do overcook it, it is not completely ruined. Just cover with olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs and throw it on the grill. Keep the skin on to lock in the moisture but remove it before serving. No one loves fish skin, or any skin for that matter, more than me, but Swordfish skin is not very appetizing.

I’ll post later this week, but until then hope for a post from Andi!

The Key Ingredient

Andi here....

After dining at dozens of restaurants in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, DC, NC, SC, London, Hong Kong and China it's about time I had something to show for it besides a full stomach.

What I've learned about food over the years has been tremendous & I'd like to think all of my culinary experiences have made me a more interesting person than the one I was the day I graduated college. 3 years ago I had never tasted a raw oyster, roasted bone marrow, oxtail meat, mussels, sushi (at its finest), escargot, rabbit, pate, foie gras, poached eggs on salad, truffles, burrata cheese, blood sausage, or grilled baby octopus---to name just a few.

With each new bite I discover a new surprise, a lesson, a memory, and a story. Even if it's just a story of where the recipe originated or how long the restaurant's been using it--it's still a story. Even if the surprise is just that there's a little dolop of wasabi between the fish and rice I wasn't expecting--it's still a surprise. If you're eating--which I hope you are in moderation--then there's always a conversation to be had. Half of the stuff I talk about usually pertains to what I ate today, yesterday or last year. Ask my friends, they'll tell ya.

So with this blog I decided that---sure I'd like to talk about the meals I have---but moreover I'd like to focus on that 1 thing about each meal I have that makes it special. What's the key ingredient? What makes this particular BLT jump off the plate? What's it gonna take to etch this dish into my long term memory and ultimately into this blog? Maybe it's just the mustard or the fresh baked sourdough slices. Who knows.

Sit back, relax and enjoy as I play detective, uncovering key ingredients on the West Coast.

Cooking at Home

I recently moved to Durham, in an effort to save money in hopes of purchasing a house in the very near future. One unexpected side effect is that I moved into a house without a dishwasher. (Note to readers: it is important to know what is in the house/apt/cardboard box you are moving into. Note 2: I am stupid).

I hate washing dishes, luckily my roomate hates when the sink is full of dishes so he washes them when they get that way. But don't think I'm a total asshole, I make most of our meals, like we are a gay couple. I guess an old married gay couple, because we fight all the time about stupid things and don't have sex with each other. We don't really fight, we just argue about who is a better rapper than who, or what to watch on TV.

Sidebar, I started cooking when I was really young, but never really got into it until I realized girls like it when you can cook and when the food network started having Iron Chef and cool shows like that, now I consider myself pretty talented in that area.

Now that you have stopped reading because all of this was boring we can talk about the meal I made last night.

I stopped at the Whole Foods and got some fresh Coho Salmon (random fact: state fish of Chiba, Japan). I was pumped that they had great choices of fresh (not previously frozen) fish, so I made it as soon as I got home. Cut it into about 6 ounce pieces, placed a cast iron skillet on the stove with butter and olive oil, got the pan nice and hot and then put the fish in. After about 5 minutes I flipped them and seared them on the top side for a good 3 or 4 minutes. The result, perfectly crispy skin and salmon cooked as good as you can cook it. (I prefer my fish barely cooked thru, some people feel otherwise, those people are wrong).

I served the salmon over some fresh pasta with sauteed broccolini and brussel sprouts. I kind of wish I would've had a sauce, but I didn't really put alot of thought into dinner, I was mad hungry.

You will see a theme with my meals and brussel sprouts b/c they are my fav vegetable. Cut them in half, put them cut side down in a cold oiled pan. Put heat on medium, in ten minutes deglaze with red wine and turn them over until wine reduces. Best thing ever!

After that, my roomate was fine with doing the dishes.

-Jonathan

Inaugural Post

So, this is the first post on what is sure to be an interesting blog. Andi and I both grew up in Salisbury, NC and went to the University of North Carolina. After graduation, I stuck close to home while she has been all over the place. We have both traveled all over the world, tasting amazing food and trying to create our own masterpieces. Throughout our journey we have both developed a love for great food, and this blog is our way to share that with everyone, and each other. Most of our communication is thru food texts and emails about different dishes we have recently tried and made, and here we can do that and more.

On Thursday October 1st, I went with my family to Magnolia Grill for my mother's birthday. It was my first time having a full-on dining experience there, and I was not at all disappointed.

Appetizers: I had a pan seared duck foie gras, garnished with peanuts, pickled watermelon rind, citrus vinaigrette, and a small green salad. The foie gras was amazing, while the peanuts and watermelon rind added a wonder textural element, and the salad and vinaigrette balanced out the richness quite nicely.
-My sister had a perfectly prepared Georgia quail over bacon risotto.
-My mom enjoyed a roasted red pepper soup, with lump crab.
-And my dad had their twice baked grits souffle, with wild mushrooms, aged sherry-mushroom emulsion and shaved confit foie gras. It was described by the waitress as , "grits in a way you have never had them." She was right, and there is a reason this dish is always on the menu.

Entrees: I had the t-bone lamb loin chops, over roasted vegetables in lamb jus. The lamb was cooked perfectly and melded perfectly with the sauce, however the sauce was a bit overpowering for the vegetables alone and the chops were what you would expect from lamb loin chops, small and difficult to get to.
-Lil Sis' had the Carolina triggerfish, which was on top of a vegetable succotash. The fish was cooked well but didn't necessarily mesh with its partners on the plate.
-Mom had the grilled scallops. Served with grilled pineapple and a bunch of other mouthwatering sides. I think this was the best composed entree and was definitely a hit at the table. I love scallops but I can never eat them for my entree, I just don't love them enough.
-You can never go wrong with beef short ribs, and my father had them served with wonderful parmesan mashed potatoes and roasted carrots. The beef was tender and flavorful and the mashed potatoes were mashed potatoes, only better.

Normally I am not a dessert person, it's not that I don't have a sweet tooth, its just that if I have to choose between foie gras and cheesecake, I'm taking foie gras every time, or crab cakes or some other cliche appetizer. However, at Magnolia Grill you have to try the desserts, so even though I was two seconds away from unbuttoning my pants to get more comfortable we ordered one each. I had the manchego brulee. I have had this dessert before and it is still my favorite, ever. When I saw it on the menu the first time I knew it would either be amazing or disgusting and luckily it was the former. With poached quince and olive oil crisps, this dessert is simply ah-may-zing!
-My sister had the Mexican chocolate cake with Mexican chocolate ice cream, which was out of control good.
-My moms had some crazy kind of banana sundae that was awesome.
-And lastly, pops had the goat cheese cheesecake with strawberry and rhubarb something or other on top of it. It was killer, its like cheesecake but not as dense and rich (I love cheesecake period so I don't mind it being dense and rich but I digress).

This restaurant was named Gourmet Magazine's 11th best restaurant in the US in 2006, so I think expectations are going to be hard to meet, every dish we had was not 100% spectacular, but it was definitely a great meal with many high points. Overall I was happy with the meal, as was everyone else, and I didn't have to pay for it which makes it something special.

Since this was a party of four and we were all trading plates I am not going to delve into the bottle of wine and the cocktails we had, but for future reference that is often my fav part of the meal, so we will usually touch on that quite heavily, but I didn't want this to be too heavy of a read.

-Jonathan