One of my best friends came into town for dinner the other night. Gee and I decided that Watts Grocery would be the best place to further his journey into the Durham food scene. We had already taken him there for brunch, but dinner at Watts is even better. There is a unique ambiance that allows you to feel at home on a big date, business dinner or a night out with the guys. We sat down and quickly ordered some of their awesome cocktails and perused the menu. I was not drawn in by any of the entrees, but three appetizers looked unbelievable, so I went for the three appetizer dinner, often a favorite of people like me, those with an inability to make food based decisions.
Pan Fried Chicken Livers with duck fat, flavored fingerling potatoes and little onions
Liver has become one of my favorite foods. It started with an introduction to the ‘Joan Holloway’ (Mad Men) of liver, foie gras, and has now extended into liver that has not been fattened up with the forced feeding of an animal. While I am not ready to add beef liver to my list of liver loves, chicken livers are most definitely climbing higher and higher by the day. Like any liver lover, I ordered them pink. The duck fat provided an unctuous and velvety sauce when combined with the onions, potatoes and crispy livers. People often describe chicken liver as grainy or mineraly in texture, with a gamey flavor reminiscent of very few other flavors. This can turn away more than a few diners, but once you develop a love for liver, it’s for life.
Fall Beet and Blue Cheese Salad with endive, lettuce, toasted walnuts and dijon vinaigrette
Beets have become another item recently added to my food lexicon. For beets it’s as much for their nutritional benefits as their taste. They are definitely not my favorite vegetable, but with the phytonutrients, B vitamins, fiber, etc they are a welcome addition to any meal. Beats have a starchy almost potato like texture, they are easy to prepare, and when added to a salad, with walnuts, blue cheese and a wonderful Dijon vinaigrette, they hit the necessary notes to complete the harmony in a symphony of flavor. The creamy rich flavor of blue cheese is a perfect accompaniment to beets.
Fried Oyster and Pickled Okra Basket with low country remoulade
The okra were pickled whole, and the oysters fried perfectly, with the insides still plump and juicy. The acidic okra played well against the rich and creamy oysters. Both were enhanced by the remoulade which was like mayonnaise flavored with Dijon and Old Bay.
Another great night of food and drink in Durham, but the drinking was not done. (Two posts above, Whiskey, Durham).
-J
Liver has become one of my favorite foods. It started with an introduction to the ‘Joan Holloway’ (Mad Men) of liver, foie gras, and has now extended into liver that has not been fattened up with the forced feeding of an animal. While I am not ready to add beef liver to my list of liver loves, chicken livers are most definitely climbing higher and higher by the day. Like any liver lover, I ordered them pink. The duck fat provided an unctuous and velvety sauce when combined with the onions, potatoes and crispy livers. People often describe chicken liver as grainy or mineraly in texture, with a gamey flavor reminiscent of very few other flavors. This can turn away more than a few diners, but once you develop a love for liver, it’s for life.
Fall Beet and Blue Cheese Salad with endive, lettuce, toasted walnuts and dijon vinaigrette
Beets have become another item recently added to my food lexicon. For beets it’s as much for their nutritional benefits as their taste. They are definitely not my favorite vegetable, but with the phytonutrients, B vitamins, fiber, etc they are a welcome addition to any meal. Beats have a starchy almost potato like texture, they are easy to prepare, and when added to a salad, with walnuts, blue cheese and a wonderful Dijon vinaigrette, they hit the necessary notes to complete the harmony in a symphony of flavor. The creamy rich flavor of blue cheese is a perfect accompaniment to beets.
Fried Oyster and Pickled Okra Basket with low country remoulade
The okra were pickled whole, and the oysters fried perfectly, with the insides still plump and juicy. The acidic okra played well against the rich and creamy oysters. Both were enhanced by the remoulade which was like mayonnaise flavored with Dijon and Old Bay.
Another great night of food and drink in Durham, but the drinking was not done. (Two posts above, Whiskey, Durham).
-J
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