Nantucket

I could have written about this before, I can’t remember, but I have been eating this dish every few months for the past three or four years. Nantucket Grill & Café is a great restaurant on the corner of the 40 and 54 intersection, a great family atmosphere, nice outdoor seating, and now a bar that not only serves beer and wine, but also liquor! When I lived across the street I used to eat here at least once and week, and almost every time I would have this salad. A small piece of salmon expertly blackened and placed upon a bed of mixed greens, red onion, walnuts, carrots and feta cheese, all lightly covered in a delightful raspberry vinaigrette. Filling, light and a great meal to eat with a cocktail outside.

-J

Samosa Chaat

I have written about Kabob and Curry many times. I almost always top off any order with the vegetable samosas. One night I ordered these samosas and received a surprise, but a very pleasant one. A new dish was placed on the menu and I had ordered it without even knowing. The Samosa Chaat is very similar to the samosas but they are samosas that have been busted open with a topping of additional chickpeas, sour cream and Indian spices. They are like the samosas but better.

-J

Toast

There have been tons of gourmet sandwich shops popping up in the area over the past few years.  The most delicious and well known, would definitely be Sandwich in Chapel Hill and Neal’s of Carrboro.  Now Durham can lay claim to its own, Toast.  A great Italian sandwich shop, where authentic paninis and tramezzini’s are served with crostini, bruschetta, soups and salads.  All of their sandwiches are made with local farm raised ingredients or flown in directly from Italy. 

On my first trip to this fabulous sandwich shop, I had a tasty cured salmon tramezzini, served with watercress, pickled red onion and lemon aioli.  All of the sandwiches are six dollars, which is the thing that sets Toast apart from its Chapel Hill and Carrboro counterparts, where some sandwiches can be more than twice that amount. 

Toast is a great place for lunch, dinner or just an afternoon with a bottle of wine and a nice snack.  

-J

Triangle Brewing Company

My friend Steve has lived in Durham his entire life. He knows just about everything there is to know about this city. His expertise has led me on countless culinary and cocktail laden adventures. This past Saturday he took me to the Triangle Brewing Company in downtown Durham. Every Saturday at 1pm there is a brewery tour. Other than the actual 20 minutes you are touring the brewery, the beer is flowing from the tap and it’s free. This is the perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon, drinking free beer with your friends while learning everything you need to know about brewing beer. And you can bring a growler home, so even though the party ends, it is just beginning.

-J

IP3

I’m not the biggest fan of pizza, but when I have a hankering for good old fashioned Italian Pizzeria style pizza, and the possibility of eating with a UNC basketball player, Italian Pizzeria #3 is where I go.  I have been in IP3 at least 3 or 4 times a year since I started going to college at UNC, and I have never sat down and eaten a complete meal without seeing a UNC basketball player.  I’ve even had Marcus Ginyard make me a soda one time.

A great place to watch a soccer game, to have a pitcher of beer with a group of friends, or just to check in on how the team is looking over the summer, IP3, Franklin Street’s best choice when you are looking for pizza.    

-J

Tomato, Tomatoe

Summer is a great time for fresh tomatoes. Gee and I planted a few tomato plants in the back yard and they have grown out of control, but due to their lack of sunlight, they have produced more vines than fruit. I love fresh salsa, tomato sandwiches, tomato and cucumber salads and a myriad of other tomato dishes. In restaurants all over North Carolina you will find some form of an heirloom tomato plate, bruschetta or caprese salad. I had a dish at Watts Grocery that was a blend of all 3. Grilled sourdough bread, Heirloom Tomatoes, Local Goat Cheese and pea tendrils with a lemon vinaigrette. This was an excellent celebration of the tomato and another bullet point in the long list of reasons to go to Watts.

-J

411

During my first two years at UNC no one helped me out more than my best friend’s sister Katie.  She was always there to share some sage advice or take me out to a nice dinner when I was having a tough time getting acclimated to college life.  

For the past few years Katie has lived on the west coast, but luckily she is now back in The South where she belongs.  The other day the two of us had a nice lunch at 411 on Franklin.  She had The Crab, a red pepper papardelle in a rich dill cream sauce, with scallions, bacon and fresh crab.  It is a pasta dish that 411 is famous for, it is one of my favorite dishes in Chapel Hill, but too much for me on this day.  I had the dry packed scallops pan seared with house gnocchi, wilted spinach and a balsamic red wine reduction.  The scallops and gnocchi were made to be indistinguishable which gave the dish a nice touch of whimsy, and other than a heavy hand with the salt, this was a delectable lunch on a beautiful summer afternoon in Chapel Hill.

-J

Jimbaran Beach Fish Grill at Kekeluargan

Where are pictures when you most need them? I have thrown in the towel when it comes to food pictures with my camera. Everything comes out looking greasy or fished from the garbage. But for this post it won't be hard relying on sensory memory as this was the best seafood meal I've had the pleasure of eating. Ever.

Place: Jimbaran Beach, Bali
Table: on the sand
Time of Day: sunset
Menu: cooked water spinach, fried peanuts, rice, fresh from-the-tank grouper, clams, prawns, lobster & slice of pineapple and watermelon with a squeeze of lime for dessert

The way the seafood restaurants operate is "you pick it-we grill it." Back to back, each warung originated as a mom-and-pop food booth. Now with modernity and a flush of tourism, each resembles a proper restaurant. We chose a wide assortment of seafood because we were hungry, yes, but also because prices in Bali are cheap.  We didn't have much to lose.

So as we sat down at our table with our toes in the sand, we waited patiently while snacking on garlic flavored fried peanuts, and just as the sun set before our eyes our feast was laid forth. We requested everything to be grilled over the coconut husk fire and marinated with their secret sauce. After dinner we caught a glimpse of the chefs first brushing the fish with a puree of garlic and olive oil and then towards the end slathering on a marinade of tomato, garlic, sugar, red chile and magic. The grouper was my favorite--partly because I didn't expect it to be. Cut lengthwise and grilled whole, we tore away at the juicy meat with our fingers, daring to eat the eyeball but wimping out at the last minute. Besides that and the skeleton, nothing was spared. The lobster meat had a hint of coconut husk smoky flavoring.

Fresh and al fresco, nothing can beat this meal. Now if only I took a picture.....

Lau Pa Sat Hawker Centre - Singapore

Yesterday I had my favorite lunch from Lau Pa Sat Hawker Centre in the business district of Singapore. I got a side of rice which took my tab up to $4.80 from $4.00 but it was an extra handful of change I was happy to hand over. I was most impressed by this food stall for making my order of garlic naan fresh in the circular oven in the back--it came out warm. Soft and doughy towards the outer edges. Crispy thin towards the middle and seasoned with the perfect balance of garlic and some other green herb that I couldn't identify. The chickpeas were seasoned with star anise and cinnamon. The fried cauliflower was the spiciest. I tasted what I thought could have been a spicy pickled carrot like you see in Mexican cuisine. It had the faintest crunch to it but was mostly cooked down and "geriatric" as my Mom would call it. The tumeric seasoning on the okra was mild. Altogether these 3 vegetarian dishes balanced each other out well.

Crispy Pork Cracklins Tacos (Chiccarones)

Before we flew the coop we had to have one last trip to the beloved taco truck on Rose Avenue. I went out on a limb this time and ordered the chiccarones taco....otherwise known as pork cracklins taco with white Peruvian beans, cilantro, diced white onion and salsa. Easy peasy Oaxacan style.

By itself I had no idea these lardons of crispy fried pork skin could be so tasty and so not.....gross. But in a taco I gotta say I prefer the standard filling of carne asada or carnitas pork meat. Something to do with texture. The cracklins did have more ummph and filling to them than pork rinds you get out of a bag but they didn't give as much resistance as a braised piece of juicy meat would. And something to do with richness. Popping bites of skin is one thing but taking a full mouthful along with the other accoutrements made me a little dizzy. Perhaps an acquired taste. 

Reporting from Hong Kong

 

I'm back on the blog after an unacceptably long break and Asia is why. The preparation for the move in the weeks prior kept me away and now that I've successfully crossed that mark, and the border, I'm back in business. We landed in Hong Kong this morning so I did the only thing I knew to do, eat dim sum and take pictures of food.....errrr, or animals that will soon be food. In order of appearance:

prawns

pork dumplings

chicken dumpling soup

steamed barbeque pork with mini buns

steamed barbeque pork bun (before)
peking duck (I think)

crispy pork belly

beef TONGUE

pig ear and snout

It's good to be here.

Bourbon Dinner

Growing up I was a vodka man, or should I say boy.  As I grew into a man, I began to appreciate other spirits, mostly for their complexity of flavor and the abundance of unique high quality choices on the market.  Those were the attributes that attracted me to bourbon more so than any other liquor.  When I heard that my favorite restaurant (as we all know its Blu Seafood and Bar), was having a dinner centered around my most beloved spirit, was there any chance I would not attend?  For $50 apiece, myself and three friends were treated to four courses of Kentucky inspired cuisine all accompanied by a bourbon cocktail.  The perfect event for the Wednesday before the Kentucky Derby. 

Our first course was a baked brie served with a Maker’s Mark Old Fashioned.  I am a huge fan of baked brie, and this luscious, rich and creamy cheese was covered with a drizzle of maple syrup, some slivers of toasted almonds, all easy for dipping and finishing in a matter of seconds.  The Old Fashioned is a classic cocktail with bourbon, sugar, orange and bitters.  The citrusy drink cut right through the brie. 

Our second course was a Kentucky Hot Brown.  Shredded turkey confit, roasted tomatoes, and a bacon mornay sauce over toasted brioche.  This classic dish was served with a new aged cocktail, ‘bourbon sangria’.  Bourbon, mango puree and orange juice made this the best sangria I have ever had.  And the tender turkey and bacon infused mornay made this introduction to Kentucky Hot Browns a memorable one.      

The next plate was something truly unique.  A lamb bbq, served over pureed potatoes and a corn, lima bean and green bean succotash.  The lamb had a distinctive spice rub, was kissed with smoked, shredded like pork bbq but with a taste that was all its own.  This was served with some Elmer T. Lee, a single barreled bourbon that I had on the rocks, and quite frankly it rocked!

We finished up with a piece of pecan pie under a coconut whipped cream.  I am a sucker for pecan pie and homemade whip cream, so this was right in my wheelhouse.  With the Derby around the corner we knew a Mint Julep was in the works, and we were right.  The classic Derby cocktail with a classic Derby dessert, a fitting ending to an unforgettable meal. 

Chubby's Tacos

Chubby's tacos is a great hole in the wall type restaurant with a few locations in Durham, one of which is on Ninth st.  Authentic Mexican tacos complete with fresh ingredients and salsas, the kind of place everyone loves. There was a Mexican restaurant in Concord by my mom’s job that used to serve authentic tacos like these; shredded meat, cilantro and chopped onions. The tacos were so good we never ordered anything else on the menu; the same is true for Chubby’s.  A variety of fillings from shrimp to barbacoa (Mexican shredded bbq) lay on top of six inch corn tortillas with toppings like the old standbys of cilantro and onion or fresh new ideas like chipotle cream. These tacos are so tasty that you end up eating two or three more than you should, every time. The last few times I have had Chubby’s has been at a favorite bar of mine, The Tavern. It is on Markum right off Ninth in Durham. The Tavern hasn’t gotten their kitchen up and running yet, so a lot of the fellas like to bring in some tacos (including a few for the bartender Chris) and have them with their best side dish, a cold beer.

Black Bean Salad/Salsa

Soak one bag of black beans overnight, bring a pot of water to a boil, add worchestire, powdered garlic, salt, olive oil, and pepper, along with the black beans.  Reduce the beans to a simmer and let them cook for an hour and a half or two.  Drain the beans and let them chill. Finely chop a whole red onion, a bunch of cilantro and three jalapeños, then cut the kernels off three raw ears of corn.  Add all of these veggies to a bowl along with salt, pepper, the juice of 1 lemon, 3 limes and red wine vinegar.  Mix well and add to the beans, along with 2 diced avocados, 1 diced heirloom tomato and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Let the salsa chill overnight and use as a side dish, for dipping or just for a snack. 

Only Burger

A few weeks back I hit up the Only Burger truck for dinner with a few friends. This truck has been trolling the streets of Durham over the last year, and has become so mythical and popular that they will soon be opening up a restaurant downtown. They call it the “Only Burger” you will ever want. While I wouldn’t go that far, it is the best burger I have ever had out of a truck, and one of the best I have ever had period. Perfect crust from the flat top grill, fresh onions, pickles, lettuce and tomatoes, and shoe string fries that taste like a gourmet version of the ones you would get at Steak N Shake. You can go to onlyburger.com, follow the truck in real time, and make your next burger the Only Burger you will ever need.

Blu Again

My mother took my sister and myself out for dinner the other night.  We went to an old standby, Blu.  It was there that I had a new dish on the menu, which was definitely one of the best I’ve tasted in a while.  I ordered the Diver Scallops with country ham lardons, grapefruit supremes, shallots, arugula, roasted potatoes and an herb and sherry vinaigrette.  The scallops were perfectly seared, so tender, juicy, and delectable.  Potatoes were expertly roasted; the grapefruit and arugula cut through the sweet and rich flavor of the scallops and the ham provided a hint of salinity, while the vinaigrette offered up a punch of freshness and bite.   Dishes like these are why I go to Blu so often, days later I am still left savoring the flavor. 

Late Night Grubfest at Emporio

In recent years "getting late night" has evolved from a thrice-weekly hobby to, for the most part, a pasttime. Lord only knows how many late plates I snuck out of the KD dining room and slices of white pizza I walked out of Ben's Pizza with back in the day. But every now and then I find myself in the right company with the right appetite and make an exception to my new rules. This time I classed it up and went with Emporio on Mott between Elizabeth and Prince. I figured if you're gonna do it, go somewhere worth remembering the next morning.

I must note that I was not the only one at the table. While my appetite late at night does increase, you can rest assured it's not to these gargantuan proportions:

tasting of 3 cheeses
mushroom croquettas
pepperoni pizza
mozzarella, proscuitto, & arugula pizza
1 bottle of Dolcetto d'Alba

This was a pretty standard order for a rustic Italian trattoria--I've ordered all of these dishes at least 3 times in my life--but the quality of food rose above...and that's not just the tipsy talking. The atmosphere was warm, lit by small tea lights that reflected a soft glow off the wood interior. I enjoyed the setup we had at our table and would definitely keep this on my list of neighborhood favorites, regardless of time of day.

Kenmare's Sicilian Margarita

The Sicilian Margarita contains:

Milagro Silver tequila

Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur 

a touch of Campari

blood orange juice

shaken and strained into a tall glass with 2 large cocktail ice cubes.

Gin Cocktail fit for Spring

        

A great Spring martini I discovered last week combines Bombay Sapphire gin with Lillet and St Germain elderflower liqueur. 

Lillet is a French aperitif that blends white wine with orange and lemon liqueurs. It's very light and mild--not at all like the lighter fluid aperitifs, sambuca and grappa, or the herbal aperitifs, amaro and bitters. Like Lillet, Elderflower liqueur exhibits milder flavors and smells. Made from fresh picked Alpine elderflowers and elderberries, St. Germain has a light pink hue and a sweet floral nose. 

I'm not sure what parts Lillet, St Germain and gin are called for but I don't think you can go wrong with trial and error. Serve in a martini glass with a lemon rind garnish.

Grand Central Oyster Bar's Bourbon & Pecan Oysters

Last week I came across an oyster dish at Grand Central Oyster Bar I've never seen before--broiled oysters on the half shell topped with bourbon butter and pecans. The oysters were cooked just a little--not searing hot like they are when served "rockefeller"--with a dash of the bourbon butter and a small pecan donning each shell. Serving the pecans chopped, not whole, made them more of a garnish than anything. Good move.

Durham Food Makes the NY Times

I told Jonathan a while ago I felt like Durham/Chapel Hill has more "locavore" restaurants than Santa Monica--which is to say a lot considering the fact that Santa Monica hosts 3 farmers markets every week all year long. All of the restaurants that Jonathan reviews on his blog posts seem to take such care to feature local, seasonal products. The NY Times agrees....

Durham, a Tobacco Town, Turns to Local Food

Cooking At Home

My back up for Friday night was a Salmon dish that I also thought up in Fresh Market.  I ended up making it on Saturday for my roommate and myself.  Salmon is one of my favorite foods, and while I prefer Pacific Salmon, I always go for fresh fish and it is extremely hard to get any Salmon other than Atlantic that has not been previously frozen in NC.  And even though I prefer Pacific, Atlantic Salmon is great in its own right. 

-Ingredients: 1 lb of Atlantic Salmon, one Meyer lemon, fresh dill, fresh basil, fresh garlic, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinegar

-Place Extra Virgin Olive Oil in pan on medium heat

-Add Salmon to pan skin side down, heat for 5 minutes and then turn over for 5 additional minutes

-Top salmon with chopped dill and slice of lemon, and put in 400 degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes depending on desired doneness

-Blanch asparagus in boiling water for 1to 2 minutes; add to bowl with balsamic vinegar, olive oil chopped garlic, and juice of one lemon

-Place in preheated 400 degree oven for 10 mins

-Mix tomatoes in bowl with olive oil, chopped basil and balsamic vinegar

-Add cherry tomatoes to oven for 20 mins

This is an unbelievably simple dish, that is easy to make, and even easier to clean your plate!

-J

Cooking At Home

On Friday night I was luckily enough to host a wonderful Colombian woman who I am quite fond of, at my home for dinner. I went back and forth when deciding what to serve, and with some help from my work girlfriend Jenny and the imagination starter that is The Fresh Market, here is how it turned out:

Ingredients: 2 10oz grass fed beef tenderloin steaks, 1 pint of brussel sprouts, 1 pint of gemstone fingerling potatoes, 1 sweet onion, 1 red bell pepper & 1 yellow bell pepper, chili garlic paste, fresh rosemary and thyme, and one lemon

-Cut larger potatoes in half, long ways, use smaller ones whole
-Coat in olive oil, rosemary and thyme
-Place in 400 degree oven for one hour

-Juliane the onion and peppers, coat with worchestire, minimal amount of chili garlic paste, juice of half a lemon, and extra virgin olive oil
-Add to sauté pan at medium high heat, cook until caramelization begins (8 to 10 mins), then lower to medium heat for another 8 to 10 mins
-Peppers and onions will be caramelized and cooked down a great deal

-Heat cast iron skillet to med high with 1 pad of butter, 1 to 2 tablespoon(s) of extra virgin olive oil and worchestire
-Place steaks in hot pan, 5 mins on each side
-Put steaks into 400 degree oven for 7 mins
-Take steaks out of oven; rest on plate with tented aluminum foil for 10 mins

-Cut the bottom off of the brussel sprouts, then cut in half long ways
-Add cut side down to the pan that the steaks were seared in, (add more worchestire, butter, olive oil, if needed)
-Cook for 5 mins on medium high heat, lower heat to medium; add red wine to deglaze the pan and turn brussel sprouts over in pan until wine reduces

-Place sautéed peppers and onions on top of steak, and serve with potatoes and brussel sprouts. You can time all of these elements to come together at the same time, it takes a little forward thinking and the use of quite a few dishes, but it is definitely worth it!

-J

Milltown

After a particularly hard day at work, my friend Megan and I headed to a Carrboro staple, Milltown.  I often shy away from this heavily trafficked venue because of the many bad experiences I have had in the past, but I was in the mood for a good beer and a nice warm hearty meal, two things that Milltown does well. 

I ordered the cheddar and beer soup, which was a comforting warm bowl containing big flavors, served with some crusty bread.  For my entrée I had the vegetarian sliders.  These were wonderful black bean cakes, cooked down and melded with a variety of herbs and spices.  Many times people talk about a meaty flavor and texture in things like a veggie burger or a mushroom dish.  I often laugh this off, nothing can taste like meat except meat, this case seemed to be the exception.  With some melted gruyere cheese on top, and accompanied by sweet potato chips, these sliders were off the meter.  After a few beers Megan and I were ready to go home, unfortunately here comes the rub.  One of the reasons I have such disdain for Milltown is the subpar service.  Milltown is the illustration of all of the negative aspects of Carrboro, waiters and waitresses who feel as if you are lucky to be served by them.  We waited for over 30 minutes just to get someone’s attention and ask for the check, and then it was another 10 before we could get that.  The crazy thing is they weren’t even busy.  I had a great meal at Milltown, and almost forgot why I never go there, but unfortunately the taste left in my mouth was not that of a delicious veggie slider, but that of their usual horrendous service.     

-J

This is Me

First Camera, Then Fork

People Who Photograph Food and Display the Pictures Online....article in the NY Times

GLASSHALFULL

Over the past few years tapas have become all the rage.  Tapas bars have sprang up all across America, and countless fine dining establishments have added a small plates section to their menus.  To me, tapas are a double edged sword.  They are perfect for someone with my inability to choose one item off of the menu, but they often end up wreaking having on your wallet.  Recently the concept of the wine bar has supplanted tapas bars on the scene, but in name only.  They are basically the same thing, except tapas are now called small plates.  I have visited more than a few of these establishments, and Glasshalful in Carborro is definitely my favorite. 

I made my first trip to Glasshalfull last weekend with my roommate and my sister, two of my most consistent dining companions.  We shared five different plates, four from the small plates menu and one large plate.  The large plate was a NC Bouillabaisse, with shrimp, red snapper and mussels, simmered in a crustacean fennel broth with leek and saffron.  It was unbelievably full bodied and flavorful.  Was it a large plate?  I don’t know about that, but it definitely was a great plate. 

Small Plates:

-Crispy Calamari with peppadew peppers, garlic butter and parmesan cheese.  You could tell the calamari was local because of its smaller size, and you could tell it was fresh because it’s amazing taste.  Lightly breaded, cooked to perfection, this was some of the best calamari I have had in a while.  With just a squeeze of lemon, it was to die for.  I am glad, because the aioli was not doing it for any of us.  

-The Cheese Plate, with spiced Chevre, sheep’s milk Manchego, and Ba Ba Bleu, which is also a sheep’s milk cheese.  The cheeses were served with Morello cherries, quince paste and shaved pear.  All of the cheeses were delicious, as were their accoutrements, the Manchego was my favorite, but it almost always is. 

-Grilled Chicken Brochette Oreganato, which are herbed crusted chicken skewers, served with artichokes in a chicken jus.  Chicken is probably the meat I eat the most of at home and order the least of at restaurants.   This chicken was perfectly spiced, perfectly cooked and a surprisingly good if not uninspired, choice from my roommate. 

- House Cured Gravlax, my favorite dish of the night, lightly cured salmon, salty capers, tangy pickled shallots, cool crème fraiche and tasty buckwheat blinis.  This was the definition of a well put together dish.  All of these ingredients were tame on their own, but together they form a symphony in your mouth. 

For desert we had the chevre cheesecake, and the homemade banana pudding.  There are some things that cannot be churched up; banana pudding is one of them.  They tried it with butter cookies instead of Nilla Wafers, somehow just not the same, too hard, not as good.  The cheesecake on the other hand, was a hit.  I have had many a goat cheese, cheesecake, never one that I did not enjoy. 

With our meal we had a great Spanish Red and a nice Pinot Noir, unfortunately we had enough to where I cannot remember much about these wines, other than the fact that they went down very easily.  Glasshalfull is a wine bar with a great atmosphere, upscale décor, a nice bar, delectable plates and of course, awesome wine. 

-J

Emilio's Ballato

Tonight was Round 2 with Emilio's Ballato on Houston between Mott and Mulberry. The first time I ate here was a Thursday night with 4 friends. We sat around one of the few tables in the narrow dining room that stretches back from the Houston-facing front door and filled the next 2 hours sipping Emilio's fine red wine (I think he actually makes and bottles it), indulging in several of his mouthwatering classic appetizers and entrees including meatballs and eggplant parmesan, enjoying great conversation and at the end of the night, we received a special tour of the new private dining room and downstairs club renovations. Talk about Italian hospitality.

This time around I took my order back to the apartment and found that the food was just as magnificent out of house as it was in house. While there was definitely magic to the dining in experience, the majority of it comes from the food. Tonight we ordered the broccoli rabe, arugula salad with oranges, fennel and meyer lemon vinaigrette, tagliatelle bolognese, and linguine with clams in a white wine garlic sauce.

Though these may sound like pretty standard Italian dishes you could find anywhere on Mulberry Street in Little Italy, the quality of ingredients makes them anything but standard. Exceptional is the word. The bolognese reminded me a lot of Capo's rigatoni with truffle meat sauce in Santa Monica, where the meat is rich but not heavy, the weight of the sauce kept in check by the light oils and absence of tomato. For the linguine with clams, what stood out the most to me was the pasta itself. I often don't think too much about pasta quality but this stuff was so good that it made me pay attention. The tagliatelle pasta in the bolognese was equally as premium--both pastas made into soft dough with a little bit of gluten elasticity but not so much that it sticks and bounces like a rubber band as so many dry pastas from the grocery store do. I wasn't surprised to discover later that they make their pasta from scratch every day. Moving onto the broccoli rabe. The rabe was super green--greener than spinach--and sauteed with olive oil, thick slices of garlic, and red pepper flakes. The arugula salad's soft, sweet, not-too-tangy meyer lemon vinaigrette was the complement of all complements to the peppery fresh arugula leaves (wouldn't be surprised if they got the arugula from a local source) and crunchy light shavings of fennel. I was practically drinking the leftover juices from the salad. Actually I did.....

Of all the Italian restaurants in this city I've tried, I must say Ballato and Babbo are tops. There are so many I've been to that imitate the rustic menus of cheese plates, cured meat plates, pizzas, pastas, ensalate and frankly, I'm getting a little bored with them. They're great don't get me wrong but when you see the same thing over and over, it feels less special. The novelty wears off after a while. Otto Pizzeria was the 1st of those types of Italian restaurants I ever went to and I'll never stop loving it but I think there's just too many copycats in the city these days. They'll never be able to make me feel like I'm eating in a hillside trattoria in old Italy like Ballato and Babbo do.

2 Champagne Cocktails Taste Test

I'm always eager to read over cocktail menus especially since these are the revival days of the mixologist, where bartenders receive as much acclaim for their inventions as four star chefs. The drinks with the most exotic ingredients grab my attention first but in the end it's usually the simplest drink I like the most. This was the case for 2 champagne cocktails I had at the Gramercy Park Hotel last night.

1st up: the James Bond
Hennessey Cognac, Orange Curacao, a splash of pineapple and fresh lime topped with Prosecco

2nd: classic Champagne cocktail
Champagne, bitters, cube of sugar

I preferred #2. I had high hopes for the James Bond--which wasn't too different than the classic--but the juices overpowered the other flavors in the flute making it too sugary and less fizzy. When you have such a little space to work with, balance and proportion is crucial to nail. You can get away with mistakes in a pitcher but not so much in a delicate glass like a flute.

I was also enamored with the way the sugar cube dissolved in the bottom, adding more bubbles to the visual.

Does Searing Seal In The Juices?

The short answer is no, and before I go any further let me admit that I stole all of this information from an episode of Good Eats. That being said, it doesn’t take a TV show host to taste the inherent goodness of a properly seared protein. Alton proved that when you sear a piece of meat and then cook it to the same temperature as a similar sized un-seared piece of the same meat, the seared piece actually weighs less, thus proving that it did not help with the retention of moisture.

This is where the issue becomes more complex. While searing may not seal in the juices, it does contribute a great deal to flavor and appearance. A well seared piece of beef, chicken, poultry, fish etc looks much more appetizing than a protein that has just been put in the oven to roast, and we do eat with our eyes first. However, the most important part of searing is the flavor it imparts. The caramelized surface of a well seared protein creates depth of flavor and a contrast of texture that is a key to the enjoyment of a dish.

I sear almost any protein that I cook, whether it’s something delicate like a piece of salmon, something simple like a chicken breast, or something bigger like a pork tenderloin or even a pork shoulder. Searing your meat is the first step in creating a flavorful dish. So, should you be searing your meat? Yes, but maybe not for the reason you thought.
-J

Drinking on an Empty Stomach

There are a lot of food myths out there; the danger of drinking on any empty stomach is not one of them. Countless studies have proven that the rate of intoxication increases when you have not had much to eat. Eating stems the tide of intoxication, because it decreases the rate of your body’s alcohol absorption. By decreasing your body’s metabolization of alcohol, your stomach contents also decrease the amount of alcohol in your blood stream, which is a nice little tidbit for those who try to push the limits of the law.

I did my own research Friday night. It was no double blind study; actually it all happened by accident. I started drinking as soon as I got off of work, and kept putting off dinner. By the time 9 o’clock rolled around, I was heading off to bed instead of spending the rest of the night with my friends. Not only did this miscalculation affect my night negatively, it led to quite the unpleasant feeling when I woke up the next day. So remember, never drink on an empty stomach, especially if you plan on having more than a couple.
-J

NYC Pimm's Cup Winner

I tried a Pimm's cup at the Spotted Pig and Madame Geneva on Bleecker. To my surprise, Madame Geneva served the better glass. Spotted Pig's was too watered down.

Spotted Pig Gnudi & Burger

BP and I hit up Spotted Pig for dinner at the bar last week. First up was the sheep's milk ricotta stuffed gnudi with brown butter sauce and crispy sage. Next was the burger cooked medium rare on a brioche bun with rosemary and fried garlic seasoned shoestring fries. If you read my post about the mochi balls, the gnudi was fashioned with the same fundamental structure but instead of rice flour and ice cream, it's potato pasta and creamy cheese. If you think about it, this kind of formula does well across all cuisines if the translations are pierogies, spring rolls, samosas, etc.

I mentioned the Spotted Pig in my Breslin post as they share the same head chef, April Bloomfield. The Spotted Pig takes the same British gastropub approach and similarly turns up the notch on richness and flavor in their dishes. I once had brunch here and nearly passed out on my walk home. A fully cleaned plate of 2 fried duck eggs (which are twice the size of chicken eggs) over a fried chicken liver hash did me in faster than a plate of country ham and grits. Phew. Decadent and health hazardous, but never disappointing.

Next time I go back I'm going to be a little more adventurous and try their roll mops which the bartender told us was pickled herring. Doesn't sound very appetizing but you never know.

Fun Fact

Another fun fact I learned in the wine class. Monks are who we can thank for wine. They started growing vines in France way back when and they were the ones who determined which estates got the "grand cru" classification.

Q-Tip: Sancerre

I took a wine class last night and learned that Sancerre is 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Sancerre is a village in France and their forte, the only grape they really grow for white wines, is Sauvignon Blanc. French wines don't list the grape varietal on the bottle, they just expect you to know who uses what grape since they've been in the business for 400 years.

New Zealand mussels & leeks

New Zealand mussels have a tint of green on their shell and are huge in size. I had these at 230 Forest in Laguna Beach, CA. The leeks made the broth and each bite that much better. (I love love mussels and always have a hard time ordering around them on a menu. If they're there, you bet I'll be eating them.) I don't have that much experience with leeks but they're such a great addition to broths and dips and pasta sauces. I always thought they'd taste like onions because I think they're from the same family but they actually don't at all. They're very refreshing and slightly crunchy.  Healthy and green without the onion tang or smell. I almost want to say there's a bit of citrus to them.

The wine in the picture is a La Crema Pinot Noir from California. White wine probably would have paired better but since the Pinot is a light bodied wine, it matched the light white wine broth. If the broth was creamier, a Merlot or CA Chardonnay probably would have been a better pair. The only issue I had with this wine is that I woke up with a searing headache and this was my only glass. I have different next day experiences with different wines. Sometimes I can drink a whole bottle and wake up the next day fine and dandy. Other times just 1 glass of red keeps me up all night with a headache and jitters. This might be a sulfite factor but I'm not 100% positive.

The Breslin's Scotch Egg & Onion and Bone Marrow Soup

All I can say is Wow. The Breslin and its decadent menu nearly knocked me off my feet. April Bloomfield, the same chef behind the Spotted Pig, opened up the Breslin last year and I just now discovered it. Like the Spotted Pig, the food is British gastropub and it's all super duper rich. Like whoa super heavy. For example, they have thrice fried french fries which they cover in salt. We ordered the Scotch Egg and Onion and Bone Marrow Soup.

A scotch egg is a soft boiled egg that's wrapped in bacon and then breaded with a peppery dough and deep fried. The dough was a little bit of overkill but their egg was perfectly soft boiled. I wouldn't order it again but glad I tried it.

The onion and bone marrow soup was another story. I can confidently say this was my favorite version of this dish and I love French Onion Soup. They served it like any traditional French Onion Soup with a slice of bread and melted cheese (think they used parm) in a brown baking bowl. The difference in contents was that instead of beef stock they used veal stock and to the veal stock they added bone marrow for flavor. If you're thinking, bone marrow?! yuck! Think again. You can't taste or see or feel the bone marrow in there--it's a taste enhancing component. As for the veal, I learned in my cooking class last week that veal stock imparts more flavor than beef because veal bones are younger and have more gelatin in them which turns out to be a good flavor agent. Hmmph. The end result is a thick, rich stock that's a touch on the sweet side. Bon apetit!

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Spring Wine: Vinho Verde

Vinho Verde and Rose make fantastic Spring wines. At only $10 a bottle from Whole Food's, this is one of the best deals. The wine is slightly effervescent but not as carbonated and bubbly as champagne or prosecco. Its teeny tiny bubbles make it really crisp and zippy. The tip of your tongue will be the giveaway for this characteristic. It's super light bodied, very pale yellow/green, and has citrus notes. The sales rep described it as "poolside" wine. This was great by itself but I could also see it pairing nicely with shellfish and salads with citrus vinaigrette.

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Spring Has Sprung

Tonite I went to Acme with my wonderful sister and my awesome friend Megan. Yes I spell tonight, tonite, I just like it better that way. I sent some of my blog entries as writing samples for this food critic job, and that was one of the few things they corrected me on. I know how to spell it, but I just like tonite better. So there! On to the food…..
I have posted about Acme Food and Beverage Co. at least once in the past, and for good reason, it is probably the best restaurant in Carrboro. Acme also speaks to my soul. Their theme is southern food with a gourmet twist, the two halves of me made whole. Their menu changes semi-regularly, with most of the changes occurring in the small plates portion of the menu. They also always have a few good specials for the evening. On this night they were offering Shad roe. Many of you have probably never heard of Shad roe, and I never had until an evening last year at this same restaurant. Shad is also known as river Herring. It is a fish native to the eastern/northeastern United States and prized for its roe, because of the remarkable taste and because it is only available during the spring. Thus, Shad roe is the culinary equivalent to the opening of flower buds. My roe was fried, covered in bacon, capers and lemon juice, then baked and served over cheese grits. This was an amazingly rich, savory and filling appetizer, so much so that I regretted ordering the pork belly small plate for my entrée. That regret soon faded the moment I took my first bite. It was so tasty that I completely glossed over the fact that I was full until I was making my way out to the car.
The pork belly was braised then seared, and served with a chile marmalade, radishes and pickeled confit onions. If I thought the last dish was rich, this one made it seem like a salad. It is often said that Pinot Noir goes well with pork, and that fact was proved once again, with my pairing of those two on this night. Before my Pinot I had a nice cocktail made with Bombay Sapphire Gin, rosemary syrup and lemon juice. While tasty, as with all Acme cocktails, it was not strong enough for me to pay the 8 dollars it cost. My sister loved the fried green tomato, mozzarella, and balsamic napoleon I had the last time, that she went with that on this night, as well as the Mahi-Mahi special. Megan had the field green salad and a nice vegetarian risotto. Acme can make a mean risotto, but while risotto is always rich, Acme’s risotto is like eating 2 lbs of butter, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. And as always, eating at Acme was not a good thing, it was a great thing.
-J