Read It and Eat - Cooking and Eating in Chicago and Cincinnati

New Blog Alert!

2009-05-15T22:29:00.002-05:00

Extra! Extra!

We've started a new blog: TwIN Season

It's all about our first-time experience being part of a CSA, and being parents. Check it out!

Happy New Year Fortune Cookies

2008-01-01T10:37:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! It's 2008 and it's going to be a great one. Part of our annual tradition is to make homemade fortune cookies filled with hand written fortunes that are more funny than prophetic. This recipe is really easy and yields a cookie that is far more tasty than the kind you get wrapped in plastic at the end of your Chinese take out meal. Plus, since you get to write the fortunes they'll be much more relevant and heartfelt than your average fortunes.

The batter is simple to whip up but there's some skill, time and tools required in the proper forming and shaping of the cookies. You really need to have a Silpat silicone cookie sheet liner or these will just stick right to the sheet. But even if you don't get them into the traditional "fortune cookie" shape, I guarantee you'll love the taste of this cookie. Peter declared that they taste like pancakes and I agree. There's something almost maple syrupy you get from the crunchy cookie.

Ingredients:

4 egg whites from large eggs

1 cup superfine sugar (either place regular white sugar in your Cuisinart and grind or just use it as is)

pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

3 Tb heavy whipping cream

6 Tb butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place Silpat liner on sheet pan or cookie sheet. Prepare fortunes on small strips of paper. Get out a drinking glass with a fairly wide mouth.

2. Place egg whites in mixing bowl and add sugar. Using the whisk attachment mix until frothy, about 1 minute.

3. Add salt and vanilla and continue to mix for 30 seconds.

4. Add flour, cream and melted butter and mix until batter is smooth, about 1 minute.

5. Using your measuring spoons, place 1 Tb of batter on one side of the cookie sheet. Use the back of the spoon to spread batter into an even circle, about 5" across. Place one other circle of batter on the other side of the sheet.

6. Bake for 8 minutes, until the edges are golden brown.

7. Remove from oven and working very quickly remove one cookie from the sheet using an offset spatula. Place a fortune strip in the center of the circle and fold the cookie in half into a half moon. Pick up the cookie and fold it over the mouth of the glass, holding for a few seconds to press it into shape. Repeat with other cookie.

Tip: only try to do 2 cookies at a time or they'll harden too quickly to shape. I space mine apart by about 4 minutes and work with 2 sheets to be most efficient.

Yield: about 20 cookies

Caramel Pecan Buche de Noel

2007-12-30T23:36:00.001-05:00

Can you believe Christmas is already over? I had so much to do this year the week before that I really waited until the last minute to do all my shopping. Still, the way the holiday fell this year I somehow felt like I had more time prior to Christmas day than other years. We drove back to Cincinnati Saturday morning and I started baking pretty much from the moment I arrived. I made double and triple batches of all my favorite cookies and was contemplating whether or not to just leave it at that.

Since I finished all my shopping Sunday, I decided I had enough time to attempt something a bit more ambitious: a buche de noel (that's yule log, for those of you who have long forgotten your high school French). I think I made one of these many years ago, but it had definitely been awhile. I was inspired by this recipe to make it a flavored log, and boy was it worth it. This recipe was pretty time-consuming start to finish, and I definitely had a freak out moment while making the frosting because it took way longer than the recipe instructed to set, but the end result was so worth it. I think the meringue mushrooms made the entire thing--so realistic, don't you think? Then I got really fancy and smushed up some gummy drops and cut out leaves and petals to make an edible pointsettia garnish.

Our dinner Christmas night was so rich, but everyone managed to eat a lovely hunk of log, drizzled with some caramel sauce and accompanied by none other than Graeter's butter pecan ice cream.

And now, we diet.

Pork and Bean Chili

2007-11-05T21:53:00.000-05:00

It was finally chili weather this weekend! A couple of cooler days put us in the mood to make chili for friends coming over for a party on Sunday afternoon. I thought this chili was delicious the first time around, but even better as leftovers tonight. Though pretty much all our party guests felt a little sick after leaving our house, I blame that on the ginormous bowl of guacamole, taco pie, chips and pumpkin bars I made. Or it could be the fact that while this recipe called for 1 pound of pork Peter actually used 8, even though all other ingredients were only tripled. Regardless, it was tasty stuff and I'd definitely make it again.

I'd like to dedicate this recipe to Eunice, who like me loves all things containing beans.

Ingredients:
3 Tb olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 medium celery stalks, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 pound pork sirloin, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1/2-inch dice
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
1/8 tsp ground sage
1 cup beef broth
1 14 1/2-oz can peeled tomatoes (undrained, and we used the fire roasted kind)

2 15-ounce white (cannellini) beans, drained and rinsed

Accompaniments:
Grated cheddar and/or Monterey Jack cheese
Chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Pat pork dry. Add to skillet, season with salt and pepper and cook until browned, stirring frequently, approximately 6 minutes.

Add pork to vegetables. Blend in chili, cumin, oregano and sage and stir 3 minutes. Add broth to skillet and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Stir into pork mixture. Add tomatoes with liquid and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until pork is tender, stirring occasionally, approximately 1 hour.

Add beans to mixture and stir until heated through. Spoon into bowls and top as desired with accompaniments.

Serves: 2 to 4 (or an army, should you happen to use 8 pounds of pork instead of the prescribed 1)

Recipe adapted from Epicurious.com

Tru

2007-09-30T10:26:00.000-05:00

I didn't have overly high hopes for Tru. Sure, it's one of the so-called "great" Chicago restaurants but I'd heard from several people I know that it was overpriced, pretentious, and not worth the time and money. After our pretty perfect meal to celebrate our second anniversary last night I couldn't disagree more.

Despite calling a month prior, the earliest reservation put us at 9:45 pm. We took long, late afternoon naps to prepare to make sure we could fully appreciate the experience. We walked in through the lounge that's filled with lots of cool art of various sorts. The dining room is a large room with exquisitely high ceilings and the windows covered with soft white curtains. Given the late hour I expected the place to be clearing out but every table was filled and several parties were seated AFTER we were.

This place is all about the little details and they get major points from me in this area. A tiny stool just to store my purse for the evening (available for purchase online, of course). Customized menus printed to wish us a happy anniversary. The choice between white or black cloth napkins depending on what suits your outfit. Service timed such that everything happens in a synchronized fashion, from the unveiling of each course to the simple pouring of water.

We opted to try two of the tasting "collections." Peter chose the Chef's Market Collection and I went with the more seasonal Autumn Collection. Each featured nine courses, not including small extras like a delightful amuse bouche of tomato gelee and unlimited bread in three varieties. We both enjoyed nearly every course, and noted that the portion sizes were considerably larger than those we received at Charlie Trotter's. Highlights from my meal were the red and yellow beets, the almond-poached poussin (wow, this was stellar) and the homemade tagliatelli. Peter enjoyed the sashimi (it came with an unbelievable white soy sauce that had hints of pineapple) and the whipped salt cod, which I tried to eat as much of as he'd let me.

Both menus ended with a cheese course and dessert. The cheese cart featured three glorious rows of cheese separated into groupings based on the type of milk they were made of: cow, goat and sheep. We each chose three different selections and enjoyed the accompaniments of fruit and nut bread, fresh figs, apple chutney and champagne grapes. Our desserts were good but not great. I've had better sticky toffee pudding (one of my faves) but Peter's cherry coupe was a nice and light option. Each came accompanied by a homemade root beer float and were served with the painted plate pictured above wishing us a happy 2nd anniversary. Just when we thought we couldn't hold another bite, another cart of mignardises arrived at our table and we enjoyed a selection of tiny sweets including blackberry gelee, peanut butter fudge, pistachio toffee and homemade lollipops.

We didn't see a formal wine pairing option on the menu but did have the knowledgeable sommelier guide us to an extremely nice bottle of 2003 Savennieres, what I'd call an 'interesting' Loire valley chenin blanc. Its gorgeous honey color and taste to match made it the perfect complement to our courses across the board. As I'd never heard of the wine I asked our server to please write the name down for me. To my surprise and delight he went a step beyond and carefully removed the label off the bottle, taped it to a Tru notecard, and presented it to me at the end of our meal. Our other parting gifts included copies of our customized menus and an adorable mini loaf of pumpkin bread.

I found the service to be perfectly friendly and not overbearing. All in all, a truly lovely evening and way to spend an evening. Two years into our marriage I couldn't feel luckier to be married to a wonderful man and living in a city with such phenomenal food.

------------------------
The damage: at $545 including gratuity it was just shy of what we spent at Trotter's, but we felt like the overall experience was worth much more.

Food: 4 3/4 out of 5 forks - excellent, and you won't leave hungry.

Romance: 4 3/4 out of 5 kisses - maybe we were just in exceedingly good moods, but it was pretty darned romantical!

Watch out for: the length of your meal. Ours took 4 hours so it was after 1 am when we finally left! Just be sure to get up and walk around a few times to keep the blood flowing in your legs, and you'll have fun checking out the super cool sinks in the bathroom.

Tru
676 N. St. Clair
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 202-0001
www.trurestaurant.com

A Perfect Fall Weekend

2007-09-23T21:34:00.000-05:00

What a weekend! We were blessed with phenomenal weather in Chicago this weekend and I managed to talk my parents and sister into driving up here Friday for a rather spontaneous visit filled with food and fun.

After a delicious dinner on Friday at Piazza Bella on Roscoe, we decided to head north to Lake Geneva, WI Saturday morning. The Brat Stop is right there off route 50, so of course I had to take them to this classic where we all enjoyed fried cheese curds, brats, hot dogs and German potato salad. Next we stopped at the Apple Holler (thank you Libby for the recommendation!) where we picked our own 1/2-bushel of apples from the acres and acres of orchards they had. We carefully followed our apple picking map and wandered until we found Cortland, Macoun, Fuji and Golden Delicious apples to pick. The next question is, what on earth am I going to do with all these apples?

We spent the night at a resort called The Abbey and ate seafood at local favorite Popeye's. It was on the drive back this morning that we found the real highlight of the trip: an enormous pumpkin patch that had just opened for picking! It wasn't all that crowded and all you do is you drive your car up the hill through the patch, stop on the side of the path, then go in the field and gather all the pumpkins and gourds your car can hold. It's only $60 for a whole car full! Had we known this we surely would have brought a bigger car.

This was seriously fun. Check us out!

Caution: do not attempt to pick pumpkins in a skirt and flip flops. The patches are full of prickles and bugs.

We had such a great time. This place even offered raspberry picking across the street, but our car was a little full for that by the time we had shifted around every piece of luggage to accommodate the pumpkins.

I loved having my family here and I'm sad they've now headed back to Cincy. But luckily I have a little creature to keep me company...if Peter were in town he would kill me. Doesn't little Hammy look adorable?

Pumpkin Bar Goodness

2007-09-18T21:40:00.000-05:00

The plethora of fun Halloween stuff that's appeared at Target really got me in a fall mood this past weekend and inspired me to make a pumpkin dessert. Oh, and the fact that we had accumulated so many heavy cans in our cabinet's lazy susan that it actually cracked in half and we're now trying to eat all the soup, salsa, chili and other miscellaneous canned goods we can.

Anyway, this dessert isn't fancy, but it was scrumptious. The frosting, with a combination of butter and cream cheese, was the perfect balance with the moist cake. I added far more spice than the recipe called for to kick it up a notch. My version of the recipe is below.

Cake Ingredients:
4 large eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15-oz can pumpkin
2 cups AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Icing Ingredients:
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (8 Tb) butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted powdered sugar, sifted (one of the few times it's critical to sift)
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Add all dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread batter into a greased 13" x 10" baking pan and bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled bars. Cut into individual servings.

Yield: about 20 squares

Adventures in Smoking

2007-09-15T09:51:00.000-05:00

We have literally used our smoker one time. It was back in Cincinnati and the voltage required to keep the thing on blew a fuse in my 125-year old house. It's sat idle for several years, but for some reason Peter was inspired to do Texas barbecue brisket this weekend. Here's the start of the adventure.

The Best Berry Cake

2007-08-29T20:40:00.000-05:00

I don't know if my co-workers were just inflating my ego or not (it worked, regardless) but this mixed berry cake was a pretty huge hit at the office on Monday. It was really a very simple recipe, so here goes:

Ingredients:
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 to 4 cups mixed berries of your choice (I used blue, black and a few straw)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 oz. mascarpone
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray your Mary Ann pan with pan spray (I like the kind with flour in it for baking). Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups of sugar and beat another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add the vanilla, salt and baking powder. Now add the milk and flour in small increments, beginning and ending with the flour. Do not overbeat the mixture. Pour batter into the pan and gently tap the pan on the counter to smooth it and get rid of any air bubbles. Bake for 40 minutes, until golden brown on the top and edges. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes and then remove from pan and let cool 1 hour.

While the cake is baking, place berries in a bowl with 1/2 cup sugar, stir, and let macerate in the refrigerator while the cake bakes and cools.

Beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Stir in mascarpone, vanilla and powdered sugar.

Drain the berry mixture into a bowl so you have just the juice. Paint the juice on the top of the indentation using a pastry brush. Top with the whipped mascarpone and finally top with the berry mixture. Garnish with mint if desired.

Serves: 12

Berry Licious Mary Ann Cake

2007-08-26T23:29:00.000-05:00

I promise to post the recipe for this loveliness tomorrow, but until then I just couldn't resist showing off the cake I made this evening. I haven't baked anything in so long, and all the beautiful fruit at the market coupled with the fact that I found this awesome cake pan I'd never used inspired this creation. It's called a "Mary Ann" cake pan (don't ask me where that comes from), and what makes it so unique is the indentation it has all around the top/bottom--perfect to hold for all sorts of fillings when the cake is done and inverted. I made mine with a traditional golden pound cake and topped it with a mascarpone chantilly cream and of course the macerated berries. I was really happy with the way the mascarpone gave the whipped cream a bit more substance so it really held its shape. This cake was tasty. Tasty enough that it needs to go with me to work tomorrow so I'm not tempted to eat the rest of it.

Do you like the quenelle of whipped cream, powdered sugar and fresh mint accompaniments? Here's a pic of the unfinished cake so you can see what I mean about the pan:

I'm trying to get better at my food photography, but it's tough with a point and shoot digital.

Stay posted for the recipe!

Auf Weidersehen, German Food!

2007-07-23T21:53:00.000-05:00

I've just returned from a pretty glorious trip to Europe in which I was lucky enough to visit a bit of both Austria and Germany. We spent most of our time in teeny tiny farming towns in the Alps, and if we hadn't been traveling with native Germans I don't think we would have gotten very far. There were few to no Americans and even the English of most people we encountered was pretty limited. If you'd like to see and read more about the trip, click here to check out my photo blog.

As much fun as we had, I'm not sure I'm going to be ready to have German food again for a long, long time. With the exception of the odd pizza or spaghetti here and there it was nonstop schnitzel (with a variety of sauce types), frites, red cabbage, goulash and beer.

Here's sort of what the typical dinner looked like. Don't even try to ask me what those circular potato things are. And get your mind out of the gutter! But it didn't all look like this. Below are three of our top choices.

These "frites" were a favorite. They count as a food group, right? Yeah, they're basically french fries, but they're served piping hot with plenty of salt, and a ketchup that I found to be less sweet and more tomato-y than American ketchup.

Second, the "schneeballen" we found in the super-charming, medieval city of Rothenburg. These are sliced pieces of dough fried up in "snowball" shape and flavored with everything under the sun. I had one filled with hazelnut cream and coated in frosting. Deelish.

And last, but certainly not least, I have a new favorite beer drink: the Radler (pronounced Rahd-lur). It's basically just the town's locally brewed beer mixed with about a quarter Sprite, but who would've thought that such a simple mixture could be so refreshing? The perfect antidote to the 95-degree weather we had. I'll be recreating this drink on my deck here in Chicago in the very near future.

No, German food isn't quite up at the same level of French or Italian, but I'd still be hard pressed to find a more satisfying appetizer than a tall glass of beer and a salty, crispy plate of frites at the end of the day.

Bacon Pinto Beans

2007-07-08T00:18:00.000-05:00

If you know me well, you know that I pretty much absolutely adore beans. Of any sort really, I'm not too picky. In fact, good old cans of refried beans as a surefire hangover cure when nothing else sounds good. Those lovely legumes are a huge part of my diet so I'm always eager to try new recipes, and this one is really a winner. I love and often enjoy Betsy Beans but if you want something a little fresh and spicy with just the right amount of smoky flavor, try these sometime soon. Peter had 3 helpings they were so good. Maybe that's the reason his stomach hurt Saturday night? Beans, beans, the magical fruit...

Don't let the ingredient list scare you. Especially if you live in Chicago I promise you can find them in the Mexican section of your local Dominick's or Jewel

Ingredients:
4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut in small pieces
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped (use your mini Cuisinart so your hands don't get sticky)
1/2 15-oz. can of fire-roasted tomatoes
2 15-oz. cans pinto beans, with juices
2 canned pickled jalapenos
salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
Queso Fresco or Queso Anejo (optional)

Directions:
1. Cook bacon in large stock pot over medium heat until crispy. Be sure to breathe in all those wonderful bacon smells and let them permeate your house.
2. Add chopped garlic and let saute until just golden brown and not burned.
3. Add the 1/2 can of tomatoes. Be careful, as they'll bubble up when you add them to the rendered bacon fat. Cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the canned beans, with all the juices intact.
5. Take the pickled jalapenos from the can and remove the stems. Cut them in half and rinse out the seeds and white membrane (they contain the heat, or capsaicin).
6.Turn heat to medium low and simmer as 15 minutes or as long as you need to get the rest of your meal complete, making sure to stir every now and then so they don't stick or dry out.
7. Just before serving, stir in the chopped cilantro if you like so it stays a bright, vibrant green. Add salt to taste.
8. For an extra special added bonus, top with a sprinkling of crumbled Queso Anejo. It's salty stuff, sort of the consistency of feta cheese, so you might not want to add extra salt if you plan to use the cheese.

Adapted from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless

Mexican Fiesta!

2007-07-07T23:40:00.000-05:00

I know, I know, it's been a little while since my last post. After a few weeks of eating out (I'll blog about them soon, I promise) and several "grab and growl" meals at home, we finally decided to make a night of it and cook a real meal. Since it's Saturday we went all out and pretty quickly settled on Mexican food as our theme. We were lucky enough to receive a great book recently: Mexican Everyday by none other than legend Rick Bayless. You're probably familiar with Bayless and his locally popular and nationally recognized Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, but this was my first time trying any of his recipes myself.

Some cookbooks, especially those by famous chefs, look nice but lack a lot in execution, unless you're a professional chef with access to things like glace de viand, truffles and foie gras. This book however lived up to our expectations. Each recipe we chose had excellent, detailed instructions and clearly had been thoroughly tested in a home kitchen. The descriptions and variations helped us adjust each recipe to our particular tastes (spicy vs. mild) and avaible ingredients (canned fire-roasted tomatoes vs. fresh). And one of my favorite features of any cookbook, it has lots of full-color pictures to accompany the recipes throughout, not just a small sampling pasted together in one section.

Here's what we chose to make:
Rustic Roasted Tomato Salsa
Guacamole with Blue Chips
Quick Cowboy Beans
Ancho Chile Flank Steak

We were going to have an upside down cherry cake too, but after all the above and several passion fruit margaritas courtesy of a mix given to us by Shelley Heinen, we quickly determined that we should hold off on dessert until tomorrow.

Everything was delicious. Sitting on the deck and sipping our margaritas in the gorgeous weather, I couldn't help but think that this was really the most perfect date night possible. It was made only slighly more un-romantic by the fact that Peter ate so much of the delicious food that his stomach started to hurt.

I'll share our twists on some of the recipes this week, but I highly recommend you buy this cookbook if you don't already have it.

2007-06-20T22:23:00.001-05:00

Crunchy Slaw

2007-06-12T00:10:00.000-05:00

Due to popular request, here's the recipe for my mom's Crunchy Slaw. Yet another staple at family gatherings, just like Betsy Beans this one couldn't be easier to toss together on hot summer days.

Ingredients:
16 oz. broccoli slaw
5 green onions, sliced
2 3 oz. packages of ramen noodles, any flavor, seasoning packet reserved
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tb vinegar

Directions:

1. Mix slaw, onions and noodles, broken up into pieces, with seeds and almonds.
2. Mix together all liquid ingredients and ramen noodle seasoning packet.
3. Just before serving, toss slaw with dressing.

Betsy's Baked Beans with Bacon

2007-06-11T23:59:00.000-05:00

In my family these are really just known as "Betsy Beans" and they're a staple at almost every cookout/party/outdoor gathering between Memorial Day and Labor Day. I wish I could take credit for them, but really they're originally the work of my mom's friend Betsy, hence the ultra creative name. They're a super yummy combination of all kinds of beans mixed together, combined with various flavorings and topped off with, what else, bacon. I made them for our first ever rooftop deck cookout and they were a huge hit. So to all you Lincoln Park Zoo 10K'ers, this one's for you! I even used turkey bacon and halved the sugar in the recipe to stay true to Team Skinny.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
2 Tb prepared mustard
2 Tb molasses
3/4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
16 oz. can kidney beans, drained
16 oz. can butter beans, drained
28 oz. can pork 'n beans

Directions:
Combine above ingredients and blend well. Cover casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more. Can be held, covered, in low oven for 1 hour.

Note: this is a great recipe to double - it fits nicely in a 9x13 party-friendly Pyrex dish

The Round-up: Lazy Writing or Too Much Dining?

2007-05-13T20:49:00.000-05:00

Written by Peter

As someone who’s written for pay for many, many years, I know the value of the “round-up”—a valued chestnut in any writer’s toolkit. A “round-up” allows a writer to avoid delving too deeply into any given subject, providing instead the ability to create a pastiche of impressions or convey short little nuggets of information. You’ve all seen and read countless of these puppies: “10 New Boutiques With the Best Beads,” “5 Toe-Tapping Tapas Bars,” “8 Mystery Novels From Florida Writers.” These kinds of pieces allow any writer worth his or her salt to go on auto-pilot.

In this case, however, it’s all about wading through volume. We eat out a lot. A whole lot. And if we reviewed every restaurant, writing reviews would be all we’d do. Hence, the round-up below. Perhaps instead of the headline above, maybe we should call this one: “Receipts Found When Cleaning out My Wallet.”

Landmark Grill + Lounge
This is our kind of place. Beautiful woods, soaring ceilings, a killer wine list, good-looking clientele (present company included, of course) and, most important, great food. This restaurant really deserves its own review, but, well, you read the introduction. Some highlights: The lobster bisque was smoky and deep, not as creamy and rich as its traditional preparation. Although I do love the cream-soaked decadence of classic bisque, this update was a welcome change. The pork chop was even better and ranks now as the tastiest I’ve ever ordered (an honor previously held by Jean-Ro Bistro). It came barbequed with a light glaze, served on top of white corn grits. The salt of the chop and the sauce dripped to mix with the grits, creating a delightfully salty stew. The chop was brined then cooked to perfection and although Angie doubted my ability to eat the entire portion, I yet again showed her why I may have a future in eating competitions. A final highlight (this is a round-up, remember?) was our shared goat-cheese ravioli. I’ve become a big fan of English peas and this dish featured those in a big way. The raviolis, soaked in a parmesan soup of sorts, threw together some big flavors and with a few more on the plate, would have made for a satisfying entrée. 1633 N. Halstead St. 312.587.1600.
www.landmarkgrill.net

Las Palmas
We eat a lot of food from south of the border. And be it burritos from the Burrito House at the corner of Lincoln and Addison or guacamole from Lalo’s, we almost always love what we have. Las Palmas was no exception, but offered something extra in an atmosphere that was both visually stimulating and fun. We stopped in at this Bucktown location after jewelry shopping. Angie’s been on a jewelry buying kick lately, and she received word that one of her favorite designers was having a sale. So we hopped in the car, found a hell of a parking spot and walked to the boutique. After buying a few items, we kicked around the neighborhood, in a conscious attempt to avoid the piles of work waiting for us at home. It was Cinco de Mayo and a few of the tequila lounges were already in a festive mood, and the streets were clogging with young families and urban hipsters. And us. We were going to stop into Piece for a few slices of pizza, but when we passed this place, we just turned right in. Burnt orange walls. Large paintings (we sat underneath El Diablo) and ducts wrapped to look like palm trees greeted us. The restaurant is large; we, however, sat in the smaller and funkier front room. It was too early (by our standards) for tequila or anything alcoholic so we had a couple of juice blends. Angie had “agua fresca,” a mix of strawberries that was not as thick as a smoothie and much more interesting. As is our custom, we had the guacamole mixed tableside and our server was fun and friendly as she prepped one of our favorite foods. The salsa that accompanied it was deep brown and smoky, which is how I prefer it. Our entrees were tasty, although non-transcendent. Presentation, however, elevated them above standard fare. Each items was given its own space on the rectangular plate, a far cry from the usual “ingredients soup” that some plates become. 1835 W. North Ave., 773. 289.4991.
www.laspalmaschicago.net

King Crab
Is it a bar? Is it a restaurant? After three bloody marys, who cares? We stopped in here after an event at the Steppenwolf theater (to see Grant Achatz no less) and didn’t expect a whole lot. And that’s fine. Who says every time a fork passes our lips it needs to transport us somewhere…like Alinea? This place serves food as you’d find it on the east coast: pulled from the sea and set on your plate unadorned. I had a fish sandwich and it…it…filled me up. Angie’s seafood salad disappointed her. It featured less than fresh greens covered in just a few meager shrimp and crab bits. But what I would recommend here are the Bloody Marys. Served with a skewer of shrimp and a lot of booze, they more than make up for any culinary shortcomings. 1816 N. Halstead. 312.280.8990.
www.kingcrabrestaurant.com

Brownstone Tavern & Grill
Yet another fine find within walking distance of our house, perched on a busy corner between of Lincoln between Addison and Irving Park. Angie and I set out for a walk on a warm evening, became hungry and voila, we found ourselves standing in front of the Brownstone. We opted for a table outside and found ourselves within a classic mix of north-side types: young families with kids running around the tables enjoying the warm evening, people with dogs sitting quietly and waiting for scraps and handsome couples…oh, wait, that’s Angie and me. The food is a solid cut above bar variety. We shared the Reuben rolls, lightly fried little dumplings stuffed with corned beef and sauerkraut and, of course, tangy thousand island dipping sauce. My chicken tortilla soup was rich and red, and as the sun was dropping along with the temperatures, just what I needed to keep warm. Angie had the seared salmon. This was served in a cold cerviche and provided a spicy counterpoint to the sedate salmon. We’ll be back here often, as this place has proved that not all of our dining-out options need to take us a few blocks south to Roscoe Street. 3937 N. Lincoln Ave. 773.528.3700. Look up the restaurant at www.metromix.com.

Wishbone
Paula Deen would love this place. If she were funkier and urbanier (yeah, it’s a word—look it up). Southern cooking with a city twist is what this place is all about. And yep, it’s yet another swell place we can walk to. The first thing you notice when you walk in is how big the place is, especially for this part of town. There’s fun art on the walls (a couple of pieces we may buy, actually) and fun people in the booths and tables. Everyone seems to be in a good mood here, and why not? The sun streams through the two walls of windows and the food comes fast and filling. It was the brunch hour when Angie and I stopped in, fresh from a good walk around the neighborhood. In my battle between lunch and breakfast, I decided to stay on the middle path: I ordered the North Carolina crab cakes. The two small cakes were more crab than breading and dipping each bite in the hollandaise sauce side made for a bite so rich that I was afraid Angie would give me the “you’re fat” look. (She did, ultimately, but only when I suggested we split an order of bacon.) A big corn muffin and cheese grits rounded out my plate. How can it get more southern than that? (I suppose a mint julep would have made it so, but we had more walking to do.) Angie went with red beans and rice with a side of apple sausage. It was as good as it sounds; again, one of those dishes from which a diner doesn’t demand too much, just some solid filling-upedness. (Yep, that too is a word.) This was our second meal here (we cured our New Year’s Day hangovers here months back); it’s a fave of ours and I’m sure we’ll wander by and in many more times. 3300 N. Lincoln Ave. 773.549. 4105.
www.wishbonechicago.com

Online Restaurant Reviews

2007-05-12T08:08:00.000-05:00

I recently added a new feature to this blog: content feeds. See it there, down on the right side of the page? It automatically populates with content according to food-related keywords I've set up. So this morning I saw a link to an article about online restaurant reviews from MarketWatch. Apparently these reviews people keep posting are pretty powerful things, and are increasingly on the radar of more progressive restaurant owners. This article caught my eye for a few reasons. First, simply because it elevates online reviews, something about which I'm obviously intensely interested. Review sites like Zagat and Yelp leave a lot to be desired, in my opinion. The typically pithy review with short snippets of content doesn't do much for me, and there always seem to be equal parts of over the top good and bad review, always leaving a question of whose opinion to really trust.

The other reason this morning's article caught my eye is because it mentions a review of Kaze (read my review here), the sushi restaurant in our neighborhood that's near and dear to my heart. We love this place because it's so close to us, so much so that I recommended a review of it on WTTW's popular "Check, Please" show. And now, a confessional story. When we first moved here last summer I found and instantly loved Check, Please. I went to check out their Web site and filled out the form to be on the show, only to find out that 20,000 people enter to be on! I put it out of my mind until I got an email from the show's producer about 6 weeks ago, saying he liked my entry and was considering me for the new season. I even had a phone interview with another member of the show's production team, and told her why I love Kaze and would love to be part of the show. I was THRILLED to even be called. Everyone in the office watches! And I'd love to meet the very accomplished Kalpana Singh! I hesitated to write about the experience here on the blog, hoping I'd have a great success story to tell you readers about how I was going to be on the show, but alas alack I've heard nothing. It's been long enough that I think I'm finally going to have to admit that I'm not going to have my five minutes of fame. Well, it was exciting to think about while it lasted.

So for the time being I'm going to keep up my reviews here on the site for all to enjoy. Maybe I'll get the opportunity to share with a wider audience sometime in the future, but for now my reviews will remain a fun hobby. Thank you to those of you who are regular readers (my site tracking tells me that 30% of you are return visitors!) and please let me know how you think I'm doing!

Gluttony at the Food Marketing Show

2007-05-06T19:05:00.000-05:00

We've just spent a gloriously excessive day at this year's Food Marketing Institute tradeshow. Sure, it was a nice day outside and we could've spent it doing something healthy and active, but our friend, colleague and blog reader George Rafeedie gave us free passes to the show. So, being the foodies we are we really couldn't pass up the opportunity.

I've been to many a tradeshow in my b-to-b marketing days, but this was by far the biggest and best I've encountered. As we walked through the hall entrance our eyes grew large as a booth staffer immediately offered taquito bites and two flavors of margarita. Luckily we hadn't eat breakfast, which gave us all the more room in our stomachs to fill up on all the delights being generously handed out. George had tried to paint a picture of the amount of food we'd encounter, but I still wasn't prepared for the scale of all there was to eat. Kraft's booth was far and away the best: full-size hot dogs, grilled cheese made with their new premium cheese, CPK pizza, sauteed shrimp and tortilla wraps were just a few things we sampled. The Pillsbury section of the General Mills booth lured us with crustless PB&Js, 7-layer bars and Toll-House cookies. We kept moving through the bigger booths to the smaller ones in back where we found just as many samples including pad thai, fish cakes, beef jerky and pasta sauces galore. It was here that we encountered the worst thing we ate all day: peanut brittle made with overly smoky bacon. We passed through both the Miller and Bud booths without sampling, but if we'd wanted to we absolutely could have sat at the cocktail tables in either one and drank beer to our hearts content, all served by scantily clad female bartenders. Just when I thought I couldn't hold any more, I was tempted by some pomegranate and chocolate chip gelato that was truly amazing and managed to find room to stuff down a bit of Reese's new "Whipped" candy bar that has 40% less fat (oh, thank goodness, because we were really watching what we ate today).

We took a break and decided to cross into the next hall where our passes allowed us to enter the "Fancy Food Show." We soon realized we'd entered heaven, and that we surely should've started our day in this hall and not the other. In this hall we ate cheese, cheese and more cheese, not to mention countless salsas, mustards, sauces, crackers, jams and jellies. Wait, I forgot all the cookies, fudge, dried fruit and the petit fours I couldn't pass up. It all just looked so incredibly good. We even ran into a friend of a friend who operates a cheese importing company from Cincinnati, called Cheese from Britain, and enjoyed a cheddar bleu combination as well as an unbelievably good costwald. I know, it sounds like a lot of cheese. Not since the day in culinary school when I was forced to eat 23 cheeses in succession for a palate education class have I eaten so much cheese all at once. We went down one aisle to find the "Italian Marketplace" where there was the most amazing selection of olives and other antipasti I've ever seen. Despite feeling semi-nauseous at this point, I managed to scarf down enormous green olives stuffed with provolone and roquefort and salami stuffed with mozzarella. It was around this time that Peter turned to me and said, "I think I'm sweating." We were quite the sight, moaning and holding our stomachs in pain, yet pressing on down row after row. Did I mention the mango creme brulee and aloe water? We meandered back to the entrance by way of the produce section, amused by the machine that was cleaning and sorting potatoes, and another that cleaned lemons.

We left the fancy food show and took a short break in the space between the two halls, spreading out on the carpeted floor trying not to throw up. I was pretty much ready to leave at this point, but Peter got his second wind and despite my protests insisted we go back to the first hall. We were pickier our second time around but still managed to eat more pizza, some Diet Coke Plus (now, with vitamins and minerals!), Italian sausage, another crustless PB&J, and some of Campbell's new low sodium soup (to which my reaction was, 'this needs salt'). At this point I had really reached my limit and even Peter started to lose his ability to fill up on any more. So, with tired feet and uncomfortably full stomachs we made our way back to the car, vowing not to eat again all day.

Last week I entered our office's Biggest Loser weight loss challenge. Before today I was even starting to feel like I was maybe doing okay and possibly going to lose a pound or two by weigh in time tomorrow. But after today I think it's safe to say that the scale tomorrow will move in the opposite direction--maybe I can get a bye this week?

Frasca

2007-04-14T09:26:00.000-05:00

For my friend and colleague George, I'll try to keep this posting a bit on the shorter side. Maybe that way I can update it more often!

Peter and I found yet another fantastic restaurant right in our neighborhood this week: Frasca. I've walked by it countless times and had heard great things about it from my friend Libby, so on a cold, rainy night in April I was pretty excited when I walked into this cozy spot. Libby was right: with its flickering votives, large wood-burning oven, and warm wood throughout, this place definitely has a romantic feel. We were seated at a large booth and greeted with a friendly smile.

The first thing our server offered was a paper menu called "The Farmer's Table." Much like a sushi menu in which you check off the rolls you'd like, this featured various bruschetta options as well as meat and cheese selections, sort of like a create-your-own antipasto. You have the option to choose individual items or choose 5 items for $15--what a bargain! We chose 2 types of bruschetta, 2 meats and 1 cheese. Everything was delicious, but the standout was the brie and green apple bruschetta that our waiter highly recommended. The brie was perfectly ripe and super buttery, the perfect complement to the acidity of the green apple, finished with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkling of pepper. Wow. This one I'm going to try to recreate at home.

Though I had every intention of ordering the Tuscan Chicken as my entree, our waiter very kindly let us know that it was BOGO pizza night. 2 pizzas for the price of one? Again, what a bargain! Peter really tried to convince me that we should order both the chicken AND the BOGO pizza so we could take an entire pizza home and keep it for snacking, I eventually won the argument and we settled on just the pizzas.

I ordered the prosciutto pizza and Peter went with shrimp and Italian bacon. Though we were already pleasantly full from our Farmer's Table, our eyes widened when our pizzas were set before us. Mine was piled with large, overlapping slices of prosciutto and topped with a large pile of arugula in the center that had been dressed in a light vinaigrette. It was fantastic. Though prosciutto has a tendency to be too salty, the combination of the peppery greens with the meat (oh, and the mozzarella, of course) was delightful. If I had to offer one criticism, it would be that it was just a bit difficult to eat, as the greens kept sliding off. Peter loved his pizza so much that he very nearly wouldn't trade me a slice of mine for his creamy, cheesy and gooey concoction. We both loved the crispy crust with its smoky, grilled flavor.

The best part of this meal is that our bill came to only $34 total. For this amount of food at this quality, we'll absolutely be back soon.

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The damage: that's right, only $34

Food: 4 1/2 forks - all delicious, and I can't wait to come back and sample more of the menu

Romance: 4 1/2 kisses - flickering candlelight is flattering

Watch out for: seriously, the only thing I can come up with is that my pizza was hard to eat

Frasca Pizzeria and Wine Bar
3358 North Paulina
Chicago, IL 60657
773.248.5222

Slim's - Fufu and Cracklin'

2007-04-06T10:37:00.000-05:00

Ah, Easter weekend. The perfect time to take a much-needed visit back home to Cincinnati to visit friends and enjoy a good meal or two. Ever since the list of 2007's Top 25 restaurants came out several weeks ago I've been wanting to get in town and knock a few more I haven't visited off the list. My friend Laura has been my tried and true partner for many such dining occasions--each time the new issue comes out she calls me and reads through the entire list over the phone and we talk about where to go next. I was delighted that this weekend both Laura and my friend Julie (yup, same one from our Volo excursion) were free for dinner to try out the much-publicized Slim's for the first time.

The first thing we learned is that Slim's is only open Thursday through Sunday. When Laura called on Wednesday she was greeted by a voice mail directing to leave her reservation request after the beep, and advising that they couldn't guarantee anything since they stay open only until the food runs out. Interesting, slightly strange, and inspiring in that we rushed to get to the place earlier than we'd usually eat for fear they might actually run out of food and send us home hungry.

We walked in to a mostly empty restaurant to find ourselves in a warm, comfortable, eclectic room dominated by yellow walls and warm wood. There were two of the "community" tables I've read about and while they looked interesting and inviting we opted for a four-top on the upper level. Locally produced art adorns the walls and bowls of fresh produce line the windowsill. Though it wasn't crowded when we entered (we did arrive on the very early side), we were soon joined by several other patrons.

Laura had learned that Slim's is a BYOB so she and Julie came prepared with a bottle of pinot grigio each, thereby making me a slacker and a mooch. We all admitted to not having much experience with a BYOB, but after this one I know I for one will seek them out. What could be better? You bring your own wine and they provide the opener and glasses. Slim's doesn't even have a corkage fee so in the end you get great wine of your choosing without the annoying 200% markup you usually get in restaurant wine. But the best part is that we had spoons the size of shovels that let us spoon ice cubes into our wine glasses (don’t laugh—we know we’re classy chicks).

Our server presented us with menus (handwritten, which to me indicated freshness and a frequent change of menu items) and a basket of what had to be homemade bread to start. As we gnawed on the three different types of bread (sweet bread with a salt and pepper crust, distinctly orange jalapeno bread and cornbread), we ran through the menu and tried to decide what to eat. If our server hadn't been there, we'd have been lost. Everything on the menu sounds interesting, but the descriptions weren't terribly helpful. Smoky fufu? As in little bunny? Mofongo pequeno? But our server patiently answered all our questions and carefully described all the dishes, offering up his suggestions in the process with words that clearly indicated that he truly loves food.

We each ordered different starters and entrees and sat back to enjoy our wine, trying not to stuff ourselves with bread. Once the first round of dishes arrived we shared and critiqued each one and determined they rated in the following order: 1) mofongo pequeno (spicy shrimp), 2) asapao de pollo (like a chicken gumbo) and 3) salad with shiitake mushrooms. The mofongo was great: two large shrimp covered in a spicy cocktail sauce sit inside a cup made of sweet bread with crisp greens in a mustardy vinaigrette on the side. We were off to a promising start.

Then came our entrees. I don't know why, because I never do, but for some reason I ordered the vegetarian entree, which was a tamale with black beans and salsa. Though the presentation was impressive, as it was served in a black hexagonal bowl that seemed to be filled with delicious delights, in actuality I thought it was bland and uninteresting. The tamale was just cooked cornmeal with a few lonely mushrooms inside, and the beans lacked seasoning. I should have gone with my gut on this one. Laura ordered the pork tenderloin that she tasted and promptly declared that it tasted "floral." I took a bite and had to agree. Not terrible, but the "floral" taste of lavender and herbs just wasn’t that particularly appealing to our palettes. Julie had wisely ordered what the server had told us was his favorite: braised pork belly with fufu. It sounds strange and even a little bit gross, I know, but this dish was great. Turns out fufu is a combination of mashed plantains and bacon chunks that's a little piece of heaven. And the pork belly was tender and meaty and coated with a crust of cracklin’, that crispy crunchy skin that coats the meat (it’s the same cut of meat as bacon). Laura and I basically pouted our way through the rest of the meal, bitter that we hadn’t ordered that yummy and delicious belly.

We were pretty full of both food and wine at this point, but I felt the need to sample at least one dessert. We chose the Oatmeal Sundae, a large oatmeal cookie topped with ice cream. Maybe I was still bitter about not ordering the pork belly, but I found the cookie to be so overcooked and hard that it was difficult to eat and a little burned tasting. The good thing is that I don’t think in the end we were charged for it.

Slim's bills itself as a restaurant dedicated to "real comfortable food." I'd wholeheartedly agree with that classification. Slim's isn't trying to be something it's not and is clearly just out to serve good, honest food four nights a week. I think their location in Northside keeps more people from eating there more frequently, but if Honey and others in the area can be successful and keep drawing people to the neighborhood they'll likely overcome this challenge.

As for Laura and Julie, we're now on a mission to cross off the others in the Top 25 we haven’t visited before the end of the year. With hard work and empty stomachs I think we'll get there.

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The damage: just over $30 per person, which we all agreed was a steal

Food: 3 out of 5 forks, though if Laura and I had chosen more wisely and ordered the pork belly, this might've scored 4 forks.

Romance: 2 out of 5 kisses - it just seems like a restaurant better suited to either a girls night or night out with a group of friends

Watch out for: the vegetarian tamales - bland and disappointing all around

Slim’s
4046 Hamilton Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio
513.681.6500

Kaze

2007-03-31T17:10:00.000-05:00

This city has some great sushi. Since we've moved here we've really enjoyed how much fresher and more available great sushi is, and Kaze, yet another restaurant just a few steps away from us, is a great example of this.

Kaze's Web site calls its offering "traditional" sushi preparation, but one thing I've been struck by on every occasion we've dined there is just how unique and interesting their combinations and ingredients are. When I first passed this tiny restaurant while strolling down Roscoe I thought it was just another carry-out fast food type of sushi place, but how wrong I was. You enter the door to find a serene, minimally decorated and mostly white room that seems to be so trendy right now. But far from being sterile, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming, in part because it's so darn small--there can't be more than 25 tables or so. The flowers that decorate the exhibition sushi bar are perfectly and precisely chosen and placed at regular intervals along the counter. I wonder if they get these at that adorable floral shop down the street I've been meaning to go into?

And the service is equally welcoming. Whether it's a weeknight after work or a fancy night out, we've never felt out of place or inappropriately attired and have always been treated extremely well by our servers. Both times we've gone we've had appetizers and sushi, though the restaurant offers several selections of Japanese entrees that look enticing. For appetizers, I have to rave for a minute about the Carrot Soup Peter ordered on our last visit. I'm highly suspicious of carrot soup as it usually just tastes like mushy baby food to me. And when Peter's small dish of soup arrived in what looked like an espresso cup, I didn't have high hopes. But as soon as I tasted the rich, slightly spicy and smoky soup I wanted more. Not to mention that there was a substantial chunk of crab floating on top. What a great way to warm up the palette. On another visit we had the Sweet Potato Soup, another creamy, delicious, warming creation that features (shhh, don't tell) just a hint of foie gras garnish.

We've sample various rolls (makimono), the best of which have been the caterpillar, soft-shell crab and whatever the special roll of the day is. Far from rolls you get at your local grocery store, these rolls are the freshest and most delicate I've tasted. We had the special last time we went, which featured ahi tuna spiced with jalapeno, and though it was good the taste wasn't as strong as we'd have liked. A colleague told me that the best thing to do here is go in, sit at the sushi counter and just ask them to create whatever specials they feel like. Sitting at the counter and watching the precision of the cuts and skill with which the chefs created the rolls, I could believe that pretty much anything they made would taste fantastic.

Though I've seen it on the menu we've never tried the tasting menu. It changes seasonally and looks delicious, and one night soon I'm sure we'll partake. Apart from this seasonal menu, there's a prix fixe tasting menu offered each Tuesday night. It's a bit pricey at $45 per person, but keep in mind that the price includes both sake and wine tastings. I'm also looking forward to enjoying the outdoor patio now that spring seems to finally have sprung.

Loyal readers will know of my obsession for dessert. Based on our server's recommendation we went with the Black Sesame Flan. This dessert was so unique from anything I've tasted before that I don't know that my description can truly do it justice. The flan was in the center of the plate but surrounded by a green soup of tapioca-like pearls that appeared to have sesame seeds in the center. The really cool thing about this dessert was really its texture, and we quickly lapped up every last bite trying to figure out just what it was and how it was made. It was light and fruity, slightly reminiscent of a lychee, and was the perfect ending to a meal that doesn't leave you feeling guilty for partaking. I'd probably need to sample it again to really describe it better. Or maybe next time I'll try the dessert sample to get a variety of Chef Macku's favorites? Now that sounds heavenly.

In short, Kaze is yet another reason I'm so glad we moved to Chicago. I know I'm going to be surprised and delighted with delicious, fresh food each time. It's the perfect night out to relax during the week or on weekends. And while sitting at the sushi bar is a fun and interactive way to enjoy the restaurant, it's equally good for a romantic night out or an evening with friends. Sure Japonais is more of the "it" place to hang out and be seen, but to enjoy Japanese cuisine that's at least as good if not better in a much more friendly environment, head to Kaze, right here in the Village.

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The damage: depends on what you get, but about $50 per person with tip and a glass of wine each

Food: 5 out of 5 forks - seriously, I think this is some of the best sushi I've ever had (sorry to Beluga in Cincinnati--I still really like yours too)

Romance: 4 1/2 out of 5 kisses - I think this would be great for a first date (sit at the counter) or a fiftieth (go for a 2-top by the window). The lovely floral arrangements and candlelight make for quite a nice atmosphere and most importantly it's not too loud to enjoy a nice conversation

Watch out for: the crowd! There have a been a few times we've noticed a pretty long wait and have had to go elsewhere, so do yourself a favor and call ahead--it's worth it

Kaze
2032 W. Roscoe Street
Chicago, IL 60618
773.327.4860

Dining on Captiva Island, FL

2007-03-25T19:35:00.000-05:00

I'd like to formally apologize for the delay since my last posting, but for the past week plus we've spent a lovely week on Captiva Island, Florida. For those who aren't familiar with the place, it's located on the southwestern (Gulf) side of Florida, about an hour or so away from the Ft. Myers airport, and after Hurricane Charley basically connected to the better known Sanibel Island. Some describe it as sleepy, but that all depends on your point of view. It doesn't have the hopping nightlife of Daytona or even Tampa, but here's a sampling of some of what you can enjoy: biking, shelling, walking, swimming, tennis, golf, boating, shopping, fishing, kayaking, gator watching, sand castle building and birding. And yes, the islands were hit hard by Charley 2 1/2 years ago, but they've made a striking recovery and with the exception of some mangroves and pine trees, everything is just as beautiful as it ever was. It's a piece of heaven, in my opinion, and just the respite from our busy work lives that we needed.

So while I can't report on any Chicago or Cincinnati restaurant news today, what I can share with you are some of the favorite dishes and restaurants we enjoyed this week, just in case you're ever lucky enough to find yourself on the islands.

The Mucky Duck - the food is just okay, but this is known as THE place the place to catch a Corona and sunset - this is the kind of island where people actually clap for a great sunset.

The Bubble Room - known for 3-hour+ waits for dinner, we've found a way around this in recent years by getting take out of their two best dishes: the creamy, cheesy, garlicky warm Bubble Bread and a sampling of their enormous slices of cake (get them early in your trip so you can enjoy for many days). Though you'll be tempted by over a dozen cake varieties, don't go without trying the Orange Crunch Cake. The layers of yellow cake with cinnamon and almonds between are topped with orange cream cheese icing. The "Bubble Scout" who cut our cake deemed this dessert to be too sweet, but I disagree--it's perfect as it is and sells out every night, so you know it's great.

Keylime Bistro - service isn't their strong point, but you're on island time, right? Who's in a hurry? I've only eaten here for breakfast and lunch, both of which offer a range of choices. I've heard dinner is great as well. You'll often be treated to live music, most frequently of the Jimmy Buffet/James Taylor sort.

Sunset Grill - for dinner, this is our favorite of favorites. The service is friendly and welcoming, yet a notch above food-wise the typical casual fare of most island restaurants. The presentation is outstanding and everything we've had was delicious. This trip we had exquisite escargot, seared scallops with lobster risotto, and tender osso buco.

The Lazy Flamingo - there are two of these on Sanibel, and we like the one closer to the causeway. Looks are deceiving here. Though it appears to be nothing more than a typical sports bar, the seafood couldn't be fresher and service is fast and friendly. We enjoyed the grouper sandwiches and the 4-hour old stone crab claws with mustard sauce. Oh, and we polished off a lovely slice of key lime pie.

An Afternoon with Grant Achatz

2007-03-13T22:43:00.000-05:00

I've never felt so much like a foodie as I did earlier this month. I got an email one Friday morning that notified me that Grant Achatz (of Alinea fame) and Michael Ruhlman would be discussing "The Making of a Chef" at the Steppenwolf Theater. No, we haven't yet made it to Alinea to use our gift certificate, but ever since Gourmet magazine's Ruth Reichl named it the best restaurant in America I've been following the restaurant and Grant's career. And Ruhlman's book The Making of a Chef is one of the driving forces that caused me to want to attend culinary school. So when I learned about this event I just had to have tickets. Devoted readers and friends will kindly remember how starstruck I get in the presence of celebrities, and to be this close to two celebrities (at least to me) made me giddy.

This might be a good time to pause for a moment to comment on the fact that Mr. Achatz managed to pull in a crowd of over 400 avid foodies, all gathered and paying money simply to be in his presence and hear his thoughts on food and how he got to where he is. Undoubtedly the audience was full of fellow foodies and kitchen professionals (the pre-show conversation eavesdropping was fantastic), but we had to wonder if this kind of crowd would have paid money for such an event even 5 years ago.

It's no small task that he's accomplished all he has in a mere 32 years. He's worked at some of the best kitchens in the country: Trotter's, French Laundry, Trio. He spoke most fondly about his time at FL, clearly a life-changing experience. It was here that under the tutelage of one Thomas Keller that Grant says he gained a mastery and appreciation of the "basics." But when he visited the often cited "El Bulli" restaurant in Spain for a week-long stage, he knew he had to break out of the FL kitchen for a brave new world of an entirely innovative type of food. Though he detests the word, some have termed this cuisine "molecular gastronomy."

It's strange stuff, really truly. If you haven't heard about this phenomenon, it's food unlike any other you've seen or tasted before: a single bite of food perched on an antenna; a spritzer that you squirt in your mouth that contains the essence of shrimp; foams and gelees aplenty; solids suspended in liquids. Interesting, of course, but my main concern about all this cuisine de science has been about how utterly un-filling and un-satisfying I perceive it must be. Food that doesn't require a utensil? My fear is that it's all in the clever, coy and innovative presentation and not about taste.

If you haven't guessed yet, I'm skeptical of this new type of cuisine that Achatz is spearheading in the United States. Could Grant convince me otherwise? We've had a gift certificate for Alinea we've yet to use, but I'm looking forward to it soon.

Adesso

2007-03-11T19:22:00.000-05:00

The first week of March and I was quite depressed to find that snow and ice were still accumulating on the ground last week. But this weekend the warm temperatures and sunshine finally broke through and the neighborhood was abuzz with adults, kids and pets everywhere. Peter and I headed out this morning (well, it was really this afterNOON given the spring forward time change) for a long walk to take in the fresh air and finally log some miles by foot around our new condo.

We headed straight down Addison towards Wrigley, then made our way south on Broadway. Having come over 2 miles and not eating before we departed, by that time we'd worked up a pretty mighty appetite. Luckily this stretch of Broadway in the Lakeview/Wrigleyville/Boystown area is chock full of restaurants, cafes, grocery stores and other food options. After window shopping several restaurant menus we settled on Adesso, a tiny spot that lured us with its compact yet yummy-looking menu of pancakes and egg dishes. This small spot can't have more than 20 tables, and we were lucky enough to score one right in the window so we could easily people watch and comment on passersby (one of our favorite pastimes).

The menu was small, but Peter is convinced (and I agree) that a small menu means each item is going to be better because it gets more attention from the chefs. There are several egg dish options, each with a twist from the ordinary. Eggs Benedict is served on polenta, eggs are poached in marinara sauce, and the eggs and bacon comes topped with pea puree. Peter chose the Eggs Romana (the one topped with pea puree) and I opted for the more traditional Adesso Salmone, described as a plate with smoked salmon and its traditional accoutrements like capers and egg. Our coffee was good and strong and gave us just the extra jolt we needed to feel more awake as we waited for our food.

We only had time to comment on a half dozen or so dogs and their owners strolling by before our food arrived. Peter's plate looked fantastic: two large pieces of toast covered with thick, wide strips of bacon, over easy eggs, topped with that green pea puree we'd been so curious about, and accompanied by a creamy potato gratin. My plate was lovely, but not quite the portion size my empty stomach was hoping for. Neatly arranged around the perimeter of my plate I had six perfectly cut piece of very thin toast (no crusts), red onion marmalade, grated egg yolk, grated egg white, capers, and mascarpone cream cheese. In the center of the plate was a small pile of strips of smoked salmon. Both our meals were delicious, even if I would've been more satisfied with a slightly larger amount of everything on my plate. I proceeded to make appetizer bites of all the elements on my plate, being careful to divide each one as equally as possible so as not to be left with toast and nary a caper in sight.

All in all, this was a great little brunch spot that allowed us to eat a great meal for a very reasonable price and still have plenty of time to enjoy the sunshine. I'd love to come back for dinner sometime soon to see what other offerings are on the menu.

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The damage: about $25 total, including tip, which we considered a steal.

Food: 3 of 5 forks - good (not great), with some nice menu items to make it unique and memorable.

Romance: 3 out 5 kisses - It was daytime and a bit loud, though I can imagine this place would be pretty romantic during the evening

Watch out for: some of the tables can be a bit close to one another, especially the two-tops

Adesso
3332 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 868-1516

Peter's Votes for Best of Cincinnati

2007-03-03T11:57:00.001-05:00

Here are Peter's picks:

Best Overall Restaurant: Boca
Best New Restaurant: Chez T's
Best First Date Restaurant: Boca
Best Restaurant with a View: The Chart House
Best Restaurant with Live Music: Dee Felice
Best Asian (Not Chinese): Bangkok Bistro
Best Bagels: no place in Cincinnati
Best Bakery: Busken's
Best Barbeque: Bar-b-que Review
Best Breakfast: Price Hill Chili
Best Burgers: Arthur's
Best Burritos/Wraps: Don Pablo's
Best Business Lunch: Palomino
Best Cheap Eats: Chez T
Best Chef: Jim Demaree
Best Chili (Chain): Gold Star
Best Chili (Non-Chain): The Tea Room
Best Chinese: Szechuan Wok in Silverton
Best Coffeehouse: Starbucks
Best Deli: Dilly Deli
Best Desserts: The Bonbonerie
Best Italian: Nicola's
Best Mexican: Don Pablo's
Best Outdoor Dining: Chez Nora
Best Pizza (chain): Papa John's
Best Pizza (non-chain): Dewey's
Best Salads: Dewey's
Best Sandwiches: Jersey Mike's
Best Seafood: McCormick & Schmick's
Best Steaks: Jag's
Best Sunday Brunch: Grand Finale
Best Sushi: Beluga
Best Takeout: Bangkok Bistro
Best Waitstaff: Kenwood Skyline
Best Wings: Buffalo Wild Wings

Angie's Best of Cincinnati

2007-03-01T11:49:00.000-05:00

I learned that it's the time of year for Citybeat voting so I'm going to offer up my favorites here. Hopefully Peter will weigh in with his choices in the next few days.

Best Overall Restaurant: Boca
Best New Restaurant: Nectar
Best First Date Restaurant: Boca
Best Restaurant with a View: The Charthouse
Best Restaurant with Live Music: Allyn's
Best Asian (Not Chinese): Lemongrass
Best Bagels: Marx
Best Bakery: The Bonbonerie
Best Barbeque: Walt's
Best Breakfast: The Echo
Best Burgers: Zip's
Best Burritos/Wraps: Chipotle
Best Business Lunch: Jean-Ro Bistro
Best Cheap Eats: Arthur's
Best Chef: Jean Robert de Cavel
Best Chili (Chain): Skyline
Best Chili (Non-Chain): JK's in Madeira
Best Chinese: Szechuan Wok in Silverton
Best Coffeehouse: Awakenings
Best Deli: Dilly Deli
Best Desserts: The Bonbonerie
Best Italian: Nicola's
Best Mexican: El Coyote
Best Outdoor Dining: Ferrari's
Best Pizza (chain): LaRosa's
Best Pizza (non-chain): Dewey's
Best Salads: First Watch
Best Sandwiches: Dilly Deli
Best Seafood: Trio
Best Steaks: The Precinct
Best Sunday Brunch: Teller's
Best Sushi: Beluga
Best Takeout: Bangkok Bistro
Best Waitstaff: Kenwood Skyline
Best Wings: I don't eat them

Another Cincinnati Restaurant Blog!

2007-03-01T11:30:00.000-05:00

Wow! I was pleasantly surprised this morning to discover that there's another Cincy restaurant blog on the scene. While I could view this as competition, and had previously prided myself on maintaining the only blog dedicated to this topic, I'm actually glad that the city's dining is growing enough for two blogs. I'm even happier that this blog links to ours and have returned the favor!

So, David Moriarty, I'm going to rely on you to help keep me posted on the restaurant scene there between visits back home. I don't necessarily agree with your assessment of Aqua, but hands down agree that the best pizza in town can be found at Dewey's. My favorite is the Edgar Allen Poe, which I always have to get on just half so Peter can steer clear of the olives he so detests.

Welcome!

Volo Restaurant Wine Bar

2007-02-24T19:12:00.000-05:00

Volo is yet another reason I love, love, love living in Roscoe Village. When Julie, one of my best friends from Cincinnati came to visit this weekend, I felt the need to take her to a good Chicago restaurant and show off our new city. She'd eaten at Boystown's XO the night before with another friend and went on about the meal, the wine and the atmosphere, and truthfully I felt a little pressure to make my restaurant choice equally as good.

Peter chose to stay in and let us have some "girl time," so we ventured out towards Roscoe Street ready to catch up, drink wine and of course enjoy some good food. I hoped Volo wouldn't let me down. We were seated right away near the front window. The space is small, for sure, but we settled into our cozy spot right away. We spent some time reading our menus, pondering what exactly to get. There's a list of food down the left side and a limited choice of four or five wine flights on the right. At first confused, I eventually realized that the symbols next to each food item were coded to match the flights (yup, I'm a smart one). After discussing what sounded good to each of us we realized that the Pinot Noir flight was the right one for us. We ordered four plates and a flight each and were on our way.

The wine proved to be the only thing we were served that looked the way I thought it would. Our server first brought out the calamari, stuffed with shrimp and andouille sausage. I know it's a bit ignorant of me, but when I read calamari on a menu I've come to automatically expect piles of the stuff on a plate or in a bowl, generally fried or grilled. This was neither, but was instead a single tube that had been stuffed with the seafood mix and stood upright in a row, on a stripe of leek fondue and another stripe of creole sauce. It was delicious and I was secretly glad when Julie left both me with two extra pieces with which to soak up the sauce still on the plate. At the same time as the calamari our waiter brought us a goat cheese, bacon and mushroom pizza. Heavenly. Not your average pizza in the slightest, the three wedges of crust appeared to be almost fried, and this cracker-crisp crust was the perfect base for the creamy goat cheese, thick slices of crunchy bacon and sauteed mushrooms. There was even a dash of red pepper flakes sprinkled on top (my fave) that lended the perfect amount of kick. Thus far, we were very happy with our choices.

Our second two courses were good but fell a bit flat. The white bean and escarole dish I'd hoped would be a thick spread with some nice flatbread arrived as just a somewhat bland soup (clearly I missed the word "soup" somehere on the menu). Julie had adventurously ordered the duck confit, never having had duck before. I expected it to be off the bone and sprinkled on top of the lettuce, but it arrived in full bone-in form that we had to pick off. I'm not normally a big fan of the strong, oily meat of duck, but this was pretty tasty. The crisp skin on top melted in our mouths and were a nice balance with the red wine jus and spiced greens.

As for the wine, our three tastings were good but not great. The first, a Burgundy, was described as "soft." We agreed, but also thought that it was so soft it lacked body and was pretty forgettable. The second, and Pinot from New Zealand, was our clear favorite and the perfect match with the duck. Too bad I was thirsty enough to have consumed most of it before we made it to the second set of courses! The third wine we both agreed was just plain bad. Our waiter instructed us that the wine listed on the menu had been replaced by one the chef found to be better, but we both winced at the cough syrupy taste and floral bouquet. I powered through and finished my glass (well, it would be wasteful not to, right?) but Julie left hers half un-drunk. Instead of ordering dessert, we each had one more glass of the gem from New Zealand.

All in all we had a lovely evening. The service was friendly but not overbearing and the atmosphere was hip and stylish but not in an overly trendy way. I read on their web site that they have a "loungy backyard" so now I've got yet another reason I'm counting down the days until warm weather is here again. And with reasonable prices and several special wine and food tasting events each week you can bet I'll bring Peter here to experience Volo in the very near future.

I'll admit that I was more than a little pleased when Julie declared that our meal had been better than XO.
---------------------

The damage: about $50 each for a wine flight plus several small courses

Food: 4 of 5 forks - I can still taste that delicious pizza and its fantastic combination of flavors.

Romance: 4 out 5 kisses - I can't wait to bring Peter back to enjoy a romantic, candlelit meal, especially now that I know they have a relaxing patio in back.

Watch out for: the fact that you might not enjoy all the wines chosen for you in your flight.

Volo Restaurant Wine Bar
2008 West Roscoe
Chicago, IL 60618
Phone (773) 348-4600

Valentine Sugar Cookies

2007-02-20T20:54:00.000-05:00

Here's a great, easy recipe for cutout sugar cookies. I'll admit that I actually intended on making a recipe that used both eggs and cream cheese, but when I opened up my parents' fridge to find we had neither of those, I opted for this recipe instead. These cookies were crisp and buttery, and much more of a crunchy shortbread than a soft and chewy sugar cookie. They were particularly delicious with the frosting and red hot and sprinkles adornments most artfully applied by my sister and grandmother!

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tb milk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
1. Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and with paddle attachment beat until creamy.
2. Add all remaining ingredients and mix until smooth dough just begins to form.
3. Divide dough in half. Place on plastic wrap and cover and refrigerate at least one hour or until firm.
4. Roll out dough to 1/4"-1/2" thickness (I like mine thicker). Using cookie cutters dipped in flour or powdered sugar cut desired shapes. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. These don't spread or rise much, so you can put them quite close together.
5. Bake at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes until very lightly browned.
6. Remove from oven and let rest on cookie sheet for one minute before placing on cooling racks. Decorate as desired.

Mom's Famous Marinated Flank Steak

2007-02-18T20:59:00.000-05:00

I always love coming home for a visit, and for quite awhile now Sunday night dinners at home are a tradition when we're all in the same location. This recipe for marinated flank steak goes down in the Fischer family as one of our all-time favorite meals. No matter the time of year or occasion, when anyone is asked what they would like when we're having a special dinner, time and time again we request this dish. We've made it so many times we've perfected it, but until this evening I hadn't asked from where the recipe originally hailed. It turns out that when my parents first married 35+ years ago and went to dinner at my father's sister's house, she made this especially for my mom in place of the fish she made for everyone else, knowing that my mother pretty much detests things from the sea beyond shellfish. Tonight, our flank steak was accompanied by Mom's award-winning Caesar salad (sorry, that one will have to stay a family secret for now), asparagus, and fluffy potato casserole tinted pink in honor of our belated Valentine's Day celebration. It was as delicious as always, seared to perfection on the grill for a crispy crust and melt-in-your mouth tender on the inside with just the right balance of salty and sweet. If you're lucky enough to have leftovers, try them on a sandwich between two pieces of sturdy white bread and a healthy amount of mayo. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 bottle (10 oz) soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tb lemon juice
1/4 cup bourbon
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups water
2 large flank steaks

Directions:
Pour all ingredients into large Tupperware or pyrex dish. Place meat in, cover, and refrigerate all day, turning several times to cover all sides.

Get the grill as hot as you can. Place meat on grill for 2 minutes on each side, making sure to get a nice crusty sear on the outside. Once seared, close grill cover and bake meat for an additional 10 minutes or until desired doneness. Remove from grill and let rest 5 to 10 minutes. Cut on an angle into thin slices and serve.

Serves: 6 to 8 people.

Paulina Pot Pies

2007-02-14T23:03:00.000-05:00

Anyone who lives in the Midwest right now knows how snowy and cold the weather has been this week. So when we were socked with a fairly significant snow and wind storm yesterday, we refrained from driving and took the El in to work. The El is great, and we were truly excited to move to a city with a decent public transportation system. But shortly after we moved in our nearest El stop closed for renovations for a year, leaving us to trek 10 blocks to the next stop. All of which is fine except on days that are as cold and snowy as yesterday. I started my walk from the station home and made it about halfway home yesterday, toes frozen and snow-covered, when I had to take a break. The closest thing that caught my eye was the Paulina Meat Market, a place we’ve driven by countless times but never been in.

I walked in to find a large, open market atmosphere filled with cases of fresh and frozen food, produce and dry goods. What I didn’t even realize was that this meat market is often cited as the top in the city—how lucky are we that it’s within just a short walk of our door? I love Roscoe Village more every day. Chilled to the bone I thought about what would taste good once I finally made it home. While several things looked appealing: roast beef, barbeque pork tenderloin, raviolis, I finally settled on individual chicken pot pies. They remind me of my childhood, as they’re one of three meals (pizza, mac ‘n cheese are the other two) we cycled through when my parents went out and left us with a babysitter. As I peeled off my gloves to pay for the food, the older gentleman behind the counter told me just how much I was going to enjoy these pot pies. He mentioned twice the fact that everything in them except the pastry was homemade, and that they even roasted the chickens themselves to make the filling.

Delighted with my purchase and eager to get home and get warm, I braved the rest of the walk home and immediately turned on the oven. One hour and 400 degrees later, our pot pies were ready. They were golden brown on top and the pastry had puffed above the rim of the container (don’t open your oven once you put it in—that’s the secret here). Peter and I sat down with the latest episode of American Idol, prepared to enjoy the comforting food. The pot pies were delicious. The pastry was light and flaky and covered not just the top, but also the bottom and sides of the dish. It was crispy, not soggy, and was filled with creamy chicken filling that also contained carrots, potatoes, red and green peppers and mushrooms. About halfway through Peter stopped, turned to me, and said (with utter seriousness), “I don’t want my pot pie to end.” He was adorable, and he was right. It was an absolutely perfect meal, and at $7 each, it was an exceptional value. Regardless of whether it’s snowing or whether I happen to be walking by on my way home from the train, I know I’ll stop in at the Paulina Meat Market again to partake of their delicious prepared foods.

Paulina Meat Market
3501 N. Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
773.248.6272
www.paulinameatmarket.com

From Ambria to Weber Grill. And a Whole Lot In-between.

2007-02-06T08:20:00.000-05:00

Note: This post was written by first-time blog author Peter Blocksom!

Ambria. Terragusto. Kitch’n. Weber Grill. Singha. Su Casa. Vong's Thai Kitchen. Shaw's Crab House. Giardano's. Big Bowl. Robey's. CPK. Lalo's. Cafe Ba-Ba-Reba. Kaze. The Melting Pot. Brasserie Jo. Pizzeria Due. Rockits. Brazzaz. The House of Blues. Ruth Chris' Steak House. Quartino. Toast. Fogo de Chao. Japonais. Piazza Bella. The Black Rock. Park Grill. McCormick & Schmick’s. Naha. Ben Pao. Keefer's. Flatwater Grill. Rosebud. Carmine's. El Tinajon. Scoozi. Coobah. Riojah.

These--and dozens of others--are places that you'll most likely never read about here. (With the probable and notable exception of the absolutely perfect Ambria. Okay, and Kaze and Riojah, too. ) It's not that each of these restaurants had not their charms and reasons to write home about. It's just that, well, we got a little overwhelmed.

Now that we're cozily settled in to our condo our first few months in Chicago seem a distant memory. We’re a long way from El maps. From the confusion found at those 10-way intersections. And, thank God, far from our viewing of more than 100 properties before finding the one.

Before we were settled, we'd spent about 90 days in a state of nomadicism, moving from corporate apartment to hotel to corporate apartment and back again, interspersed with about 20 trips back and forth to Cincinnati. And each one of those days found us eating out at least one meal per. And we don't eat breakfast and take more lunches at our desks than not. See my point? We ate out for at least 75 dinners. That's a lot of reviews to write and with all our new-city responsibilities, something had to give.

But we don't want to short-shrift some of the wonderful places we've found in our first six months. You've read about some. Here are some quick-hit impressions on some others. In no particular order, of course.

Quartino. Always packed, yet always fast, Italian tapas are the thing here. Order a bunch and the servers bring whatever's ready whenever it's ready. Fantastic bruschettas and cheese are what we get here. And wine and meatballs, too.

Kitsch’n. A short two blocks from our house, we stopped in one night because it was the only place still open. If you remember the 70s, you'll be right at home in the decor. Blow off your diet and chow down on the Twinkie tiramisu. Yeah, you read that right. Twinkie.

Kaze. Another walking-distance restaurant, this is spare but elegant spot serves up the best sushi I've ever eaten. Imaginative ingredients and one-of-a-kind sauces are the specialty. I think we'll go again soon and you'll be treated to a real review.

Piazza Bella. We love this place. Cozy, neighborhoody, full of Roscoe village families. The food is traditional Italian. And in my book, that means absolutely delicious. This is another place we've been several times.

Japonais. High-end sushi and high-end celebrities. Although I admit to liking the sushi at Kaze a bit more, this place screams swanky. The night after we dined there with a dozen or so work colleagues, we heard Oprah and Jennifer Aniston stopped by.

Lalo's. A lot like Don Pablos, but better. Every entrée comes with tortilla soup. Get the guacamole and watch it made tableside. Huge portions for small money.

Terragusto. When picking our condo, we picked right. This is another excellent spot just a short stroll away. Choose from a small menu that’s kept that way to ensure only the freshest of foods are served. Try to sit at the pasta-making table in the front window and watch the bustle on busy Addison St.

Now that we’re sufficiently settled, I think the blog will make a come back. So whether it’s a guide to all that’s good to eat on Roscoe Street, or one-off looks at the places we’re chowing, be sure to stay tuned.

Peter's Super Bowl Meatloaf

2007-02-04T18:41:00.000-05:00

Peter's been talking for weeks about how he wanted to make a meatloaf. As far as home cooked comfort food goes, meatloaf ranks at the top of my list. My mom doesn't cook a lot, but when she does one of the dishes we all truly adore is her meatloaf. The cornflakes keep it moist and the spicy ketchup sauce on top adds just the right tangy zing. Peter's version was a little bit different, but pretty darned delicious all the same. It calls for a mix of ground beef, pork and veal, but our local grocery store didn't carry veal so we doubled the amount of pork. One of the best parts about meatloaf is eating the leftovers over the next couple of days, whether reheated or sliced cold and placed between two slices of bread slathered with mayo (I forced Peter to use the light stuff, of course). Peter prefers his on rye bread and topped with red pepper jelly. This made for a darned delicious meal in front of the fire, accompanied by nice cold beers while watching the Super Bowl (even if the Bears did lose).

Peter's Meatloaf (adapted from the New York Cookbook by Molly O'Neill)

Ingredients:
1 cup celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 Tb butter
2 pounds ground sirloin
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
pinch of dried thyme
pinch of dried marjoram
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
1 Tb Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups Heinz chili sauce
3 slices bacon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil 2 loaf pans.
2. In a heavy skillet over medium heat, saute the onion and celery in butter until soft. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
3. Add the meats, parsley, sour cream, bread crumbs, herbs and seasonings to the pan. Whisk the egg and Worcestershire sauce and add to the mixture. Combine the mixture, using a spoon or your hands.
4. Divide loaf into pans. Top with chili sauce and layer top with bacon slices. Bake until cooked through and browned, about 1 hour.

Serves 6 to 8 people.

Shanghai Terrace

2007-02-02T15:11:00.000-05:00

For Peter's birthday celebration this year I thought it only fair to let him pick the restaurant. To be completely honest, I was a little disappointed when I found out that he'd chosen Shanghai Terrace in the Peninsula Hotel, a place I'd never even heard of. Chinese cuisine isn't my favorite and the thought of spending a lot on it seemed somehow a contradiction in my mind, but since it wasn't MY birthday I decided to just go with it. And I have to admit, I was pretty pleasantly surprised.

First of all, how can you not love the lobby of the Peninsula? We drive by it literally every single evening on our way home, but we'd only stopped in once to get a drink at The Bar on the 5th floor. The lobby is just gorgeous--so majestic with its high ceilings and view of Michigan Avenue. The restaurant itself is tucked one floor down from the lobby, basically beneath the grand area above. It's not a large place, but the long, narrow, red-hued space takes full advantage of the windows that look out onto sparkling Michigan Avenue. We ate on the later side, so besides three or so other couples, we pretty much had the place to ourselves.

After accepting a glass of champagne (it was a special occasion, right?) we opened our menus to find a not so typical array of Chinese dishes. The first page is all dim sum, or small dishes we chose to eat as appetizers (click here to see my review of one of the top Cincinnati dim sum locations, Pacific Moon Cafe). We selected the Peeky Toe Crab Wontons, the Crystal Lobster Dumplings and the Shrimp Spring Rolls. The wontons were pretty much just like the Crab Rangoons you get anywhere, though a touch more light and delicate. But the dumplings and spring rolls were delightful. Not too filling and not too greasy, which continued to be a theme throughout our meal. Our amuse bouche was even interesting: a pillow of dough resembling the smooth, airy texture of a marshmallow and even with a touch of sweetness, which was served with a duo of sauces including hoisin and sweet chili. Perfect to whet our appetites.

We had a more difficult time selecting our entrees, but Peter finally settled on the Kung Pao Prawns and I chose the Wok Fried Beef Tenderloin. Peter has been on a quest to find good Kung Pao since we moved here, convinced that nothing can beat his all-time favorite from The Szechuan Wok in Silverton (Cincy). Unfortunately, though it cost over three times what it does from your average Chinese neighborhood restaurant, his Kung Pao didn't deliver three times the enjoyment. It was fine, but worth $38? Nah, neither of us thought so. For once my entree proved to be the better choice! My beef was exceedingly tender and was served with a selection of Chinese vegetables in a light brown sauce. I ate every single bit and before I knew it had but a single bite to share with my birthday beloved.

It *was* his birthday, so of course we indulged in dessert. I chose the coconut lychee rice pudding and Peter chose the Steamed Sweet Potato Cake. I was somewhat shockd to find that the rice in my pudding was actually black and the sauce the thinly, superficial sweet of the lychee fruit I like only on occasion. The jackfruit ice cream on top is a taste that's hard to describe - somewhat rubbery in texture the jackfruit tastes to me like a creamy banana. Peter's dessert was less memorable, but still a sweet ending to a delightful night.

Our service throughout was attentive and friendly, even for such an upscale environment. All in all, a lovely, if light, experience certainly worthy of a birthday.

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The damage: $200 for two (tip is extra), including 2 drinks each, dim sum, entrees and desserts - a veritble bargain compared to other places we've dined of late

Food: 3 out of 5 forks - good and interesting choices that are a break from the norm, but some are more successful than others

Romance: 4 out of 5 kisses- the red overtones in the room and twinkles of light on Michigan make this a great place to sneak a smooch between courses

Watch out for: the Kung Pao - you're better off trying something you've never heard of and can't get at your neighborhood take-out place

Shanghai Terrace
The Peninsula Hotel
108 E. Superior (at Michigan)
312-573-6744
http://chicago.peninsula.com/pch/dining_02.html

Tasting Report 2: The Stew Reheated

2007-01-30T22:22:00.000-05:00

This is the last post about the stew, I promise. Maybe it was just because it was extra cold today, or perhaps it was because I was extra hungry when we finally arrived home after a long day, but that stew reheated two days after it was initially slow cooked was delicious. The flavors melded and deepened in the Tupperware terrarium, and I knew enough this time to add a healthy (well, maybe unhealthy) amount of salt upfront. After running from the condo to the car to meeting to meeting to the car and back to the condo, this meal stuck to my ribs just as I wanted it to.

Okay, that's it, I'm done. I just thought I owed it to anyone who's reading this to tell you try this recipe out after all. I promise not to be so lazy and to try out either a new recipe or new restaurant tomorrow!

Tasting Report: The Stew

2007-01-30T02:41:00.000-05:00

To report back on this, I'd have to say I was ultimately disappointed in the results. After 8 hours of enjoyable smells filling both floors of our condo as we patiently waited until the evening to dig in, we filled our bowls and found the stew rather tasteless and desperately needing a more than generous amount of salt. The strong flavor of the Guinness that I was hoping would have permeated the meat and vegetables seemed to have simply simmered away. The sprigs of thyme added a little depth, but only a little.

Don't get me wrong--it wasn't terrible by any means, but it just wasn't all that different from any other beef stew. The beef was exceedingly tender and the vegetables had soaked up the true beef flavor after cooking together for such a long period. At the end of the day, I almost wonder if the concoction cooked too long?

If you've had a similar experience or know the secret for a more flavor infusion of Guinness into meat, please write and let me know.

Guinness Beef Stew

2007-01-28T13:52:00.000-05:00

It just feels like a stew kind of a day. A snow flurry filled, bitingly cold Sunday when I'm having trouble getting out of my pajamas and the thought of putting something other than slippers on my feet inspired me to try a new stew recipe. This one comes from my "gourmet" slow cooker recipe book by Lynn Alley, and is for a Guinness (yes, the stout) beef stew. It took a little more prep time than the average "throw it all it and let it sit for 6 hours" typical slow cooker recipe, but I think it'll be worth it. Of course, I'll have to wait 8 hours to report back on how it actually tastes!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 pounds lean beef stew meat, cut into 1-2" cubes
2 Tb vegetable oil
3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes
3-4 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 yellow onions, cut into chunks
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cups Guinness stout (equal to bottle of the standard sized bottle available at most supermarkets)
1 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Place flour in a Ziploc bag. Add the beef to the bag (don't do it all at one), shake it around to coat, and put on a plate
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the meat (you'll likely need to do it in 2 batches) turning occasionally until nicely browned on all sides, about 8 minutes total.
3. Place browned meat on plate lined with paper towels to drain off excess oil.
4. Pour about 1/2 cup of the second bottle of Guinness into the skillet that's still on the heat to deglaze the pan (why risk losing those yummy, crispy beef pieces?)
5. Place all vegetables in slow cooker. Top with beef and whole sprigs of thyme. Top with beer and that delicious deglazed sauce you just made.
6. Cook for 8 hours on low heat, until the meat is very tender. Season with salt to taste and chopped fresh parsley if you like.

Servies 4 to 6.

New Year's Resolutions

2007-01-20T23:37:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year, and true to form Peter and I have resolved to eat healthier and cook meals for ourselves more frequently. To get inspired I did some searching for good recipes and ended up purchasing Bob Greene's newest diet/cookbook called "The Best Life Diet," mostly because the recipes sounded good and not too terribly restrictive. Last Sunday night I made the Roasted Chicken with Citrus. The recipe called for a whole chicken to roast, which was sort of fun but more work than the measly amount of meat it really yielded. But the crumb topping and citrus flavor were delicious. So I'm going to post a variation of the recipe here and ask if one of my readers will try this out using just chicken breasts instead of the whole chicken. Be sure to let me know what you think and how it turns out!

Roasted Chicken with Citrus Bread Crumb Topping
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3/4 tsp salt
ground pepper
1 orange, zested and cut into 8 wedges (zest reserved)
1 lemon, zested and cut into 8 wedges (zest reserved)
1/4 cup bread crumbs
3 Tb grated or shredded parmesan
6-8 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 Tb olive oil

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Place in roasting pan and squeeze 4 orange and 4 lemon wedges on top of chicken, then place wedges on and around chicken. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 and bake for 15 minutes longer.
3. Mix all other ingredients into a paste and set aside.
4. Remove chicken from the oven. Squeeze remaining orange and lemon wedges on top. Coat top of chicken with paste and bake for 30 more minutes, or until chicken is done.
5. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Charlie Trotter's

2006-10-15T22:18:00.000-05:00

Charlie Trotter's is one of those legendary, nationally-known restaurants I've been obsessed with for years. Before I ever became so enthralled with the culinary arts to even consider going to culinary school, I'd heard about and longed to dine chez Trotter. I own two cookbooks Trotter penned (his classic "desserts" and "vegetables" editions) and have spent hours looking at the beautifully photographed dishes that accompany the impossible to recreate at home recipes. When I received a gift certificate for the place for my most recent birthday, it was truly the one about which I was most excited.

Though I'd heard rumors of three-month long waits for a reservation (this warning was, in fact, printed boldly on our gift certificate), Peter was able to secure a Saturday night spot just a few weeks after he called, in honor of our one-year anniversary. When Saturday rolled around, we arrived perfectly on time, ready to experience the meal of our lives. My first impression of the small bar we entered was somewhat more chaotic than we expected. Most likely because it was 9 pm, and a sort of changing of the guards, it was crowded with people coming and going. Had the hostess even noticed us? Why hadn't anyone asked to take my coat? Was our name really in the closely guarded reservation book? I took the waiting time as an opportunity to peek inside the dining room, which was fancier and more traditional than I thought it would be. Perhaps it's because I've become so accustomed to the cool, hip, modern decor of the "it" restaurants that seem so typical of Chicago that I was a bit caught offguard. The room was lovely, don't get me wrong, but with its muted palette, textured wall covering and wall sconces, it felt much more Maisonette than I was expecting.

We were seated not long after, and one of the waiters presented us with paper menus. I was still skeptical. The menu cover had the signature Trotter "T" logo of course, but the edges of the paper were a bit tattered and worn and seemingly unfitting of a restaurant of this caliber. I opened the paper cover to find two simple, printed pages on the inside, again not terribly remarkable. But when I looked at the right-hand side and saw printed at the top "Happy 1st Anniversary, Angie and Peter!" I was pretty wowed. While I'd thought we had just been shuttled in and sat at the first available table in a hurry, all the while they'd known exactly who we were and why we were there. A very nice, personal touch, plus I now had a keepsake of the evening!

We read through the two eight-course tasting menu choices, offered in "vegetable" and "grand" varieties, and quickly settled on the "grand" option. Not much of a decision in my mind, since I think you'd be crazy to come to a place like Trotter's and order just vegetables. There was no indication of price printed anywhere, mind you, but I was confident that what we'd chosen would cost a pretty penny. We also decided on the chef-selected wine pairing to accompany our meal. This came with it an $85 per person price tag, but we figured that such a special occasion was no time to skimp.

As I've tended to do of late, I had planned to unobtrusively take notes during the meal on the back of an envelope I had in my purse. I wrote down the name of our first wine, a delicious Bouzy champagne, and tucked the envelope to my side, only to realize a few minutes later that the envelope had fallen between the seat and the wall completely out of my reach. This wouldn't have been that all that big a deal if I hadn't had a check inside the envelope. I didn't want to ruin the moment though, so I put it out of my mind and tried to commit every detail to memory.

Our first couple of courses proved to be tasty, but strange. In fact, that theme carried throughout all our courses. The meal began with a nearly raw skate wing with mushrooms and horseradish foam. The foam was something I'd seen in Charlie's books, and I was always amazed at how he could create this substance in a professional kitchen. Even more surprising to me was that the foam held its shape and substance for upwards of ten minutes, whereas I had assumed foam would deflate in mere moments. I liked the dish, but Peter thought it was just okay. From there we had two additional seafood courses, one a Japanese hamachi and the other an extremely flavorful ocean trout. Service was friendly and informative. Everyone who brought us a glass, utensil, wine or food was accommodating and happy to explain the details of what we were eating. With each wine pairing came a fresh, perfectly shaped Riedel glass, perfectly suited for that particular varietal (never mind that every teacher I had in culinary school thought that Riedel was full of it and just marketing 80 different types of wine glasses to make money).

Our first "meat" course was a whole-roasted squab breast, served with hominy and huitlacoche sauce (yup, that's right, it's corn fungus). This was by far our favorite of the savory dishes, and finally had the richness, substance, and body we had been looking for. The lamb loin that followed was okay, but the fried pieces of brain that accompanied it almost finished me. It looked nice and creamy inside, and I knew I had to be adventurous and try it, but after half of a bite I was convinced I didn't need any more fried brain. Truthfully, it was the texture that got to me. A little softer than cooked egg white but not as firm as feta, it just didn't taste good. The waiter that picked up our plates at the end smiled at me and inquired, "Are you sure you don't want to finish your brains?" I was sure. It looked like he'd carried a lot of half-eaten fried brains back to the kitchen.

Next began the sweet courses. We had a sherry granita with dates that was good but overly boozy tasting. The next course was my all-time favorite. Instead of just one beautiful plated dish, our table was suddenly covered with three varieties of desserts: an apple and endive crisp with a bleu cheese cream, chocolate profiteroles with crème fraiche ice cream, and a small dish filled with mignardises: small tidbits of sweets including ginger gelee and pistachio nougat. Every last bite was absolutely delicious.

It had been three hours, eight courses, and seven different wines, but I can't say that after all this did we find ourselves overly full of either food or wine. There was no one dish that I thought was truly a standout or that I would even order again, but we'd eaten some things we never had (fried brains, olive sorbet, corn fungus) from one of the most highly regarded chefs in the country and it had been a fun experience.

And then the check came. Again, recall that the dinner price was not printed anywhere on the menu, nor is it listed anywhere on the official Trotter's Web site. We had of course assumed that this meal would be pricey, but nothing prepared us for the amount that was printed on the bill. Our only consolation was in the fact that an 18% gratuity was already included in this ridiculous high price. I won't disclose the exact amount but I will tell you that even with the gift certificate this meal was three times what we'd estimated, and three times that of a prix fixe (and what I'd consider tastier) meal at Jean-Robert at Pigall's. We had to laugh about it a bit to make ourselves feel better, but in truth I think that no matter how long I live in this city I won't think that the meal we had there was worth what we paid.

So as we prepared to leave, still shocked by the total amount bill, I suddenly remembered the check in the envelope I'd dropped down the edge of my seat and asked for some assistance from our waiter. Ever the accommodating staff, he sent us off on a tour of the restaurant with another waiter and said that he'd have the envelope for us upon our return. This was by far one of the coolest parts of the evening as we got a glimpse of the behind the scenes view of the surprisingly small production kitchen, the sleek and luxurious TV-show kitchen, and the expansive wine cellar. Sure enough, we came back to find that the waiter had magically made my check appear. We exited and just as we turned to head down Armitage to catch a cab, the woman working at the valet stand handed us a mini loaf of sweet cherry bread, beautifully packaged and again adorned with that signature "T." Again I had to admit, it was a nice touch. Throughout our entire experience, there wasn't a single detail left undone.

Was it an enjoyable meal? Sure, it was good. But was it the meal of our lives? I'd have to answer that it wasn't. It was wonderful, and the small touches and impeccable service made everything that much more delightful, but I can't look at the price of the meal and equate it to our experience. I'm glad we went, but unless someone else is footing the bill, I can't way we'll be back.

--------------
The damage: I refuse to write it. Unless you're accustomed to frequenting restaurants of a national caliber regularly, you can take the most expensive meal you've had and double or triple it and that will put you in the right ballpark.

Food: 4 1/2 out of 5 forks - good, but strange. You're completely in the chef's hands, so get ready to be adventurous. You'll undoubtedly try something you've never ever had before.

Romance: 4 1/2 out of 5 kisses - the soft colors and refined atmosphere can't help but put you in a romantic mood. Plus, it's always kind of fun to giggle through the experience of trying completely new food together.

Watch out for: yes, I'll mention it one more time and then I'm done: the cost! Just have room available on your credit card is all I'm saying.

Charlie Trotter's
816 West Armitage
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 248-6228
www.charlietrotters.com

Butter

2006-08-21T23:53:00.000-05:00

As promised, the blog is back, and I'm happy to report that we used the first of our many gift certificates this past weekend. While I was off traveling the world as usual, Peter oh so thoughtfully booked us a reservation at Butter, one of several high-end restaurants we'd read about and eagerly wanted to try since we got here. Zagat's promises that this Greektown spot is "sleek," "trendy," and full of "positive energy" and "pretty things." The Web site boasts that it was voted one of the top 20 restaurants in the nation in 2005. And the name Butter alone, one of our favorite foods (add it to anything to make it taste better, I learned in Basic Skills 101), convinced us that this spot deserved a try.

We arrived early to check out the ambience over a drink and weren’t disappointed. The loft-like space was filled with beautiful people and things and we made our way to the bar to soak it all in. The crowded bar almost meant that we had to go to the upstairs lounge (which, curiously, had no bartender), but just as we made our way to order beverages, spots opened up and we found ourselves in a prime location. On the surface, Butter looked certainly like the upscale place I expected: beautiful orchids artfully arranged in large vases with shiny rocks, flickering candles on each table, and immense works of original art on the expansive walls. Still, the longer we sat, the more we realized it was all just a façade. I reached in the vase to find that the orchids were fake, picked up the candles to find that they weren’t even real wax but battery-powered. The art was still cool and fitting of the space.

Still, I remained optimistic and shortly we were seated at a nearby table and presented with menus and the signature Butter martinis: a slightly fruity concoction that tasted of pineapple, framboise, topped with a bit of frothy champagne. Our waitress kindly offered to hang my purse from our table with a shiny metal hook—perhaps this is par for the course in the big city, but for us Cincinnati bumpkins I was impressed by the gesture meant to keep my Kate Spade off the floor. We were off to a swimming start, happily sipping away and perusing the menu, made all the better when a server brought us three individual small bowls of “snacks” to whet our appetite: truffled popcorn, crispy shrimp chips and peppered deep-fried potato chips. Since we’d taken a late reservation and saved up for a big fancy meal, we made short work of these innovative treats, which I found to be a refreshing change from the typical baguette or dinner roll.

Looking around and reading the menu trying to decide what to order, Peter looked at me and suddenly made me aware of the fact that despite seeing many beautiful people in beautiful clothes with beautiful drinks, we’d actually seen no food appear on any table. This seemed even more remarkable when I recalled that the waitress, upon giving us our menus, had commented on the fact that the menu was all-new and that the portion sizes had recently increased. These two facts together made us slight suspicious, but I happily ordered our server’s recommended starter and entrée.

Our first course arrived a long but still reasonable 30 minutes later. My risotto with perfectly brunoised (a cut I never quite mastered) prosciutto and melon chunks was as good as the waitress had promised, but the portion size was miniscule. It was accurately cooked al dente (no gluey “rihzohtto” here as Gordon Ramsay would say) but there was so little of it that I found myself fiercely protecting each bit from my husband’s fork. He had ordered the safer but seemingly interesting “Fork and Knife Caesar Salad” and was disappointed to find that it tasted nothing like the deliciously smoky version at Boca in Cincinnati. Don’t get me wrong—it was okay—but definitely nothing to write home about. His brioche croutons were tasty though.

And then we sat. We sat and waited, and drank another Butter martini, and sat some more. We each visited the restroom, hoping this would make time pass more quickly, but came back to an empty table. There were no more snacks given, and only teeny tiny ovals of bread we affectionately began calling “bread turds.” Once we’d consumed those, there were no more given. When I looked down at my watch and noticed that we’d been seated at our table for 1 hour and 45 minutes, I was peeved. I complained. Our waitress apologized. We were starving.

Finally, our entrees arrived. I’d ordered the Chicken and Lobster. I know, I know, why would you ever order chicken when dining out? But our waitress had highly recommended it, and it did have lobster, so I took a chance. I should’ve gone with my gut, because the half of a poached chicken breast on my plate tasted like dishwater and I couldn’t eat more than two bites. The lobster was tasty, but barely consisted of more than three bites. Peter had gone with the scallop appetizer made into an entrée. His dish was certainly better than mine, but still nothing more than a basic seared scallop on a bed of black-eyed peas. His four scallops were an admittedly respectable size, but not for his Cincinnati-sized appetite.

By the time we reached the end of the meal, we’d been sitting in our cheap, straight-from-IKEA, nice-looking but uncomfortable chairs for far too long to be in a good mood. To prove to you how impatient I was, I even passed up looking at the dessert menu in favor of getting up and getting the blood flowing back to my appendages. We even stopped by Bin 36 on our way home in the hopes of getting a cheese tray, but at that point I was too weary to sit any longer.

Needless to say, we won’t be back. It won’t diminish my enthusiasm for this city or for eating out in more of the fantastic restaurants I’m so looking forward to (Charlie Trotter, here I come at the end of September), but it will make me think twice about the “stylish” places we choose to frequent. I prefer places that have the chops to back up the fluff.

---------------
The damage: about $80, NOT including tip or the gift certificate we had going for us. If this is typical for Chicago restaurants, we're going to have to eat out less.

Watch out for: exceedingly slow service and disappointing food.

Food: 1 out of 5 forks – disappointing, especially given the price. I’ll give credit for the snacks that preceded our meal though.

Romance: 3 out of 5 kisses – you’d better go with someone you really, really like though, because you’re going to be together for a looonnng time

Butter
130 S. Green Street
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 666-9813
www.butterchicago.com

The Blog is Back

2006-08-05T09:58:00.000-05:00

My apologies, dear readers, for going an entire month without a posting. For those of you who know me, I've had just a few changes in my life lately. First, I switched jobs, and now am happily back at HSR. And when we were subsequently presented with the opportunity to move to Chicago, we jumped. So now our house is up for sale, we've got a new client, and we're packing up this weekend to move into an extended stay apartment on Monday. Wow.

Though I'm not quite as happy to disclose this next bit of information, I did indeed turn 30 two weeks ago. The good part about that is that for my birthday my parents (with Peter's help) gave me a very creative and wonderful gift that I'll be able to share with you: 30 gift certificates to restaurants in both Chicago and Cincinnati. So here's a sampling of some of the deliciousness in Chicago you'll be able to read about in coming weeks:

Japonais (can't wait to try the sushi)
Alinea (the description in our book sounds divine)
Topolobampo (Rick Bayless' original)
Tru (legendary)
Charlie Trotter's (I've wanted to dine here for years and years)
Ambria (right on Lincoln Park at the lake)
Vong's Thai Kitchen (Jean-George Vongerichten right here in Chicago)
Ba-Ba Reeba (we love tapas)

While I'm excited to eat at all these new and wonderful places, I'm also excited to be able to come home at eat at some of my favorites!
Boca (my all-time favorite--love those scallops)
Jean-Ro Bistro (I want that pork chop again)
White Castle (I can honestly say I haven't been there before!)
Sturkey's (they have great desserts)
Graeter's (thank goodness they ship this stuff out of the city)
The Precinct (back in our 'hood)
Skyline (what am I going to do when I can't eat here once a week?!?)

So we're back! Check back often to read about our latest adventures.

Chi-Town

2006-07-04T22:15:00.000-05:00

We spent the holiday weekend in Chicago. I'm actually still here at the House of Blues hotel, recovering from all the food we've consumed over a 4-day period and contemplating a diet in my very near future.

It all began after a long, traffic-filled drive to the city that brought us to Taste of Chicago in Grant Park. Sure, it was 95 degrees outside, but that didn't stop us from eating steak tacos, lobster beignets, stuffed sausage pizza, and a ginormous chocolate turtle, all washed down with some cold Miller Lite. Fine dining it was not, but satisfying nibbles nonetheless. After successfully navigating through the hordes of people, we felt completely justified in plopping down on the grass in front of one of the music stages to take a restorative afternoon nap.

Sunday morning we ate brunch at a wonderful and unique spot in Evanston called Le Peep (similar to First Watch but with more unique menu selections). Later we got snacks in the Water Tower mall at Foodlife, an interesting experience in which you can sample cuisines from all over the world. And we topped off the day with a wine, cheese and charcuterie tasting at Bin 36, conveniently located in our hotel. It was my third visit, and each time I love this place more. They’ve removed any unnecessary snottiness and scariness from the wine drinking experience, and the “flights” make it fun to try a variety of wines all at once. We sat up at the cheese counter and made fast friends with the restaurant’s cheese monger (I’ll admit I didn’t know that title existed anywhere) from Mexico City. He not only gave us his favorite tallegio, but also shared a Persian feta made in Australia as well as a cheese that tasted exactly like stinky feet. Wine, cheese, and a little sausage made us happy, stuffed Chicagoans.

Monday we were so full we didn’t eat until lunchtime, but what a lunch it was. A friend took us to Harry Caray’s, which would’ve been worth the experience just to see inside this historic restaurant and check out all the cool sports memorabilia. We dined on the best (and I might add, largest) burgers I’ve had in a long time. I had a lamb burger topped with goat cheese served with sweet potato fries. I think I’m in love.

But lest you think we were so full that we couldn’t eat dinner, fear not, because we rose t to the challenge and managed to fit even more food in. Monday evening by far our best meal. After a fantastic boat ride to see the best of the city’s architecture, we cast off our grubby walking/sightseeing clothes, got all cleaned up, and headed for the very exclusive, by invitation only Foundation Room at the House of Blues. The two kids from Cincinnati felt like rock stars in the ultra-cool yet friendly, candlelit top floor room where we enjoyed a delicious (and very expensive) martini for me, and wine for Peter. Since the Foundation Room's dining room was closed for the evening, we opted for the Smith & Wollensky restaurant we've been eyeing all weekend. We secured a lovely table outside overlooking the river and perused the traditional yet solid menu selections. Peter and I fought over the bacon chunks on my Wollensky Salad, and he tried to lick the bottom of his bowl of the day's Tortilla Soup. Our steaks were simply prepared and cooked to perfection. I couldn’t resist getting my filet “Oscar style” and wasn’t disappointed by the generous amount of crab and hollandaise on top of my tender, medium-rare beef. We didn’t really need the truffled mac and cheese as a side, but it sounded (and was) so very decadent. We took our server’s recommendation for dessert and went with the Coconut Cake. Cake is hit or miss for me, but this one was a surefire hit. The layers of soft cake and whipped cream icing were the perfect balance for the fresh coconut shavings and mango sauce.

We ate breakfast in Boys’ Town this morning, and not surprisingly all I could manage was an egg white omelet. My only consolation is that in addition to my stomach expanding, my calves are sore from all the walking we did, so I’ll hope that at the end of the day the two canceled each other out.

How can you not love Chicago? So much to do, so much to explore, and so much to EAT! But what I really found delightful is that everyone we met here was so genuinely friendly. Store clerks, valet parkers, cheese mongers, and strangers alike were kind, accommodating, and happy to have us here. I think we just might be able to live here…

Jean-Ro Bistro

2006-06-22T19:17:00.000-05:00

As anyone in Cincinnati can attest, Jean-Robert knows food. I first met him in person at La Maisonette while I was in culinary school. I went in during one of my intern periods to beg to do what’s known as a “stage,” or apprenticeship, in his kitchen, and he willingly agreed (stages are unpaid, or course). I’ve met many ill-tempered French chefs who yell, scream, demoralize and throw pots and pans around the kitchen, but Jean-Robert was not one of those, by a long shot. Sure, when dinner service kicked up he was stern and serious about his work, never settling for anything less than excellent. But he was also human, and a good mentor, loving to show people how to prepare unfamiliar ingredients in a new way. While I was free labor, his “payment” to me at the end of my stay was to invite me into the restaurant with my family

Our meal last Friday at Jean-Ro was superb, from start to finish. It’s never just grabbing a bite at one of his restaurants, but is rather dining in the truest sense. It’s sort of like Pigall’s, but a whole lot cheaper. The place was abuzz on Friday, even though it was late by Cincinnati standards (8:30 pm). Still, we were seated in about 20 minutes.

One of my favorite things about Jean-Ro is the “pichet.” That’s French for pitcher, and, at this restaurant it stands for a healthy quantity of either white or red table wine. Nothing fancy or name brand, but very good, solid wines to go with a classic bistro meal. When I say cheap, I’m not kidding. It’s only $9.50 for the larger size, which is the perfect amount for 2 people to share and get 2 glasses apiece.

I started my meal with the Belgian Endive Salad, a delicious mix of sliced endive, walnuts, chunks of Swiss cheese and crisp apple, all tossed in a cider vinaigrette. It’s the salad I always get here, be it lunch or dinner, and it didn’t disappoint. All those textures and flavors combine into a delicious starter. Peter began with a Shrimp Stuffed Avocado, which tasted okay, but a little too mayonnaise-y for me, and too much like something I might get at a hoity toity bridal shower.

We both enjoyed our entrees, but Peter’s merits some additional description. He ordered the Twice Baked Pork Chop, whose description has always piqued my interest. In a word, it was amazing. The best pork chop I’ve ever had. Our server told us that it’s brined and then roasted. Where some pork chops are tough and chewy, this chop was perfectly tender and melt-in-your mouth good. Surrounded by braised, buttery apples, it was delicious and I’d recommend it to anyone.

Crème caramel and Ile Flotant (Floating Island) topped off our meal perfectly. Neither was too sweet, but just enough to make us not feel guilty.

Jean-Robert is a master. Not only do I enjoy his food, but I know him to be a kind, genuine, passionate person, and a brilliant, devoted restaurateur. I’m eagerly anticipating his next venture, Greenup Café, a coffee and pastry shop in the old Wildflour space in Covington. Given his track record, I don’t see how it can miss.

__________________________

The damage: The total amount we owed was just $60! (just kidding, it wasn't really that cheap. We were lucky enough to have a $60 gift certificate to use, so you do the math)

Watch out for: it's pretty loud in here, so you'll have to sit and talk close to your sweetie

Food: 5 out of 5 forks - this guy sets the city's standard

Romance: 4 out of 5 kisses - see "watch out for" above

Jean-Ro Bistro
413 Vine Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
(513) 621-1465
www.bistrojeanro.com

Chef Clinton's Dry Rub

2006-06-11T22:11:00.000-05:00

Chef Clinton gave out this super-simple rub recipe at his lecture at this June's Second Sunday on Main. Use on beef or pork for a nonfat way to bring out the flavor of the meat.

Ingredients:
Pink Peppercorns
Thyme (dry)
Black Peppercorns
Sugar
Salt (must be sea or Kosher)
Anise

Directions:

Mix equal parts of all ingredients in a spice or coffee grinder (just depends on how much you need whether you use 1 Tb or 1 cup of each).
Apply rub to meat and grill.

Conversation with Clinton

2006-06-11T20:11:00.000-05:00

So to be honest, the real reason I signed up to help out on Second Sunday in Main in the first place was because I saw the lineup of amazing chef speakers. I’m sorry that I missed Jean-Robert in May, but was delighted to see a lecture by Chef Clinton Jones of The Palace on the program for today.

This turned out to be far from a lecture though, and much more of a conversation. The weather wasn’t great which kept attendance down, but for me it was a great chance to get a front row seat and pick the brain of a first-class chef. Clinton (yes, we’re on a first-name basis now) has only been in Cincinnati since late last year. Over the course of his thirty-year career he’s worked in New York, California, and Hawaii. He’s worked with Alan Wong. And Charlie Palmer. I’m impressed already, and this guy must be the real deal! Though I dearly love this city, I’m always a little surprised when someone like Clinton chooses to settle down in Cincinnati, but he said he loves it here, which I hope means he’s planning a good, long stay.

Most of his talk today focused on the importance of using fresh, seasonal ingredients. To prove his point he presented us with a small plate full of lettuces and raw vegetables topped with vinaigrette. He picked up the produce just yesterday from a farmer in Kentucky. All he did was wash the vegetables, plate them, and dress them with a very simple heirloom tomato vinaigrette. He encouraged us to nibble away as he spoke, just using our fingers, so we could experience first-hand the undeniably fresh taste and clean flavors. His biggest frustration with Cincinnati have been finding fresh seafood and produce, but clearly he’s making progress sourcing produce.

Clinton also spoke about using the freshest, tastiest ingredients from the point of view that it means he doesn’t have to use an abundance of cream and butter. While he believes people should savor and enjoy their meals, he also thinks that after a meal you shouldn’t leave stuffed to the gills and feeling guilty about the meal you just had. Though his waitstaff warned him not to, he significantly cut down portion sizes soon after starting at The Palace. He was also told that we’re a “meat and potatoes” town, but he’s having success selling exotic dishes like Coffee Rubbed Elk Carpaccio on his menu.

I haven’t had the chance yet to dine at The Palace since Clinton took the helm, but now I’m just dying to. We asked for his current favorites on the menu and I’d love to try them all. Hanger Steak with a Bleu Cheese Fritter that melts on top of the steak when you break it open? Wow. Whole Fried Yellowtail Snapper with Mushrooms and Chinese Longbeans? Yup, I’m there. And top it all off with a Mille Feuille containing Pistachio Mascarpone Cream and Strawberries, right in the middle of strawberry season? Well, now there’s drool coming out of my mouth.

I learned a couple of other fun facts about Clinton. Seeing as an average day at work for him is about 14 ½ hours, he said he never cooks at home (his verbatim reply to me was “never buy a house from a plumber”). Oh, and he also said he’s never been to Skyline, which I encouraged him to try.

Now that I’ve talked to him, I don’t have to have tasted his food to know that we’re so lucky to have such an accomplished, experienced chef in town. The Palace has always been good but not great, and I’m excited to see it come into its own under the direction of Chef Jones.

Chez T

2006-06-10T15:01:00.000-05:00

I've always had a thing for France. The food, the language, the wine, you name it. I was first enchanted when my school suddenly switched our language education from German to French, and my first ever trip to Europe was a three-week tour of France with my beloved French teacher, Mme. Hobson.

I love Chez T in Mt. Lookout for lunch not because it's less than a mile from our house (which is a bonus) but because it really makes me remember how much I love the French culture. The chef/owner clearly shares my passion, and has done everything she can to create a little piece of France right here in Cincinnati. Just like the cafes of Paris, it's a tiny little space just a few doors down from the previously reviewed Nectar. The self-serve coffee and tea bar makes the welcoming, comfortable space feel like it's the dining room of an intimate small hotel or bed and breakfast. And how cute is the bathroom?!? All kinds of knick knacks from France in a large, bright space make it a bathroom I could spend some time in (yes, women notice these things, and yes, nice bathrooms matter to us).

The food here can't be beat. Peter started with the Yellow Pepper Soup. I can't say I've had Yellow Pepper Soup much if ever, so I was intrigued to see how it would taste. It turned out to be not to thick and not too creamy, but just silky and deliciously sweet with exactly the right kick of spice. It speaks well of the chef that it didn't need an ounce of additional salt or pepper. Though I started with just one taste of the soup, I found myself lifting the spoon to my mouth for bite after bite while Peter looked at me disapprovingly.

For lunch I ordered what I've ordered a few times before: Grilled Vegetable Pita with Hummus. I also requested a substitution of the Wheatberry Salad for the slaw becuase I had it once before and remember it so fondly. My lunch was fabulous. The grill marks on the soft pita bread gave such a nice overall smoky flavor that balanced well with the roasted eggplant, red onion and creamy hummus. The side of Wheatberry Salad was just as good as I remembered. It's got a unique flavor and consistency, with its chewy grains matched with grated carrots, currants and tomato chunks, all dressed in a light but flavorful vinaigrette.

Peter ordered the ham and brie baguette, which also looked fantastic. The bread was piled high with shaved ham, a very generous amount of brie, and a tarragon mustard-y, mayonnaise-y combination. We both gobbled down everything on our plates, including the last bites of soup. If we'd had more room, we could've tried one of the yummy-looking baked goods for dessert, but we had to refrain.

The only problem is that every time I leave Chez T I'm left thinking about how much I want to go back to France, and right now it's looking like I'm quite a ways off from that. For the time being, I'll just have to settle for a taste every now and then.

_______________

The damage: $27 for beverages, soup, and two lunch entrees

Watch out for: there are no soft drinks, so you're limited to water, iced tea, and coffee. Also, remember that this is a lbrunch/lunch-only place.

Food: 4.5 out of 5 forks

Romance: 4 out of 5 kisses (it's the French part of it)

Chez T
1004 Delta Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45208
513.321.2053

Second Sunday on Main

2006-06-07T20:51:00.000-05:00

If you've been following this blog of late, you'll know that we're fairly seriously considering moving to the 'burbs. Still, as a born and raised Cincinnati girl, I love to see and participate in things that make our downtown grow and thrive.

I recently found out about a new event called "Second Sunday on Main." A good friend told me about this, knowing my passion for food and wine. The second event of the season is this Sunday, and I'm definitely planning to check it out. Here's the "foodie-appealing" part of what's on tap for this weekend:

Chef Clinton Jones, the brilliant new executive chef at the Palace Restaurant, will talk about “Fine Dining with Health – not Butter and Cream.”
2 p.m. at Mr. Pitiful’s. Space limited. First come, first seated.

Sommelier Paul Ortiz of the Cincinnati Wine School will conduct a wine tasting on “Wines for the Dog Days.” Great wine for the hot summer months; wines for the front porch and picnics, while you hang out with your dog.
3 p.m. at Mr. Pitiful’s. They have to charge a nominal fee because they can't legally just give away wine for free.

Among other things that will be on Main, I've heard that you can purchase fresh produce from the Eco Garden courtesy of Impact OTR: www.findlaymarket.org/impact and sample real Italian-inspired gelato from the only real gelato maker in the area.

There's music, shopping, and art for those of you who aren't interested in any of the above activities. If you can't come this weekeend, I'll bring my camera to capture the day, and will let you know how it goes next week, right here on www.readitandeat.blogspot.com .

A Dilly of a Deli

2006-06-06T21:08:00.000-05:00

You already know that Peter's favorite animal is the pig. But I think we'd both agree that our favorite food group is cheese. That's right--not dairy--just cheese. Peter proposed to me by planning a picnic in Alms Park that consisted mostly of cheese along with its best friends bread and wine. I'm not sure if he got the cheese from the Dilly Deli on that particular occasion, but it's a meal we recreate there frequently.

The Dilly Deli has come a long way over the years since it relocated to the Mariemont Strand. It started out as just a small storefront and has now expanded into a charming restaurant, wine and cheese shop. The part store-part restaurant atmosphere is crowded, cozy, and reminiscent of a European cafe. You can eat inside, outside (they've got a nice outdoor fireplace for chilly evenings), or just carry out a selection of delectable goodies like we did last night.

Part of the fun is just perusing all the lovely selections of none too ordinary foodstuffs. A beautiful array of cheese is at the forefront, with a staff ready and willing to help you find the flavors and textures just for you. Then there are all the beautiful jars of honey, jam, sauce, tapenade and countless types of crackers, flatbreads and other "bases" for the cheese and other accompaniments. What I love is that you'll find hidden containers throughout the shelves that have small samples of the various crackers so you can get just a bit of a taste before making your selection. Last night I sampled varieties of crackers that tasted like red wine, lasagna, and vanilla. And I took much more than my fair "sample" share of almond cranberry biscotti.

If you choose to eat a more traditional meal, you'll find everything from gourmet salads to homemade soups to delicious sandwiches. I highly recommend the Mariemont Gobbler if you're in a sandwich mood--turkey layered with Brie and lettuce on a baguette, topped with the truly special ingrdient, Cranberry Fool (you'll have to look up that one yourself). I'm also a sucker for the Grilled Shrimp and Asparagus Salad. I've never tried any of the entrees, but they offer things like seared Ahi and Grilled Ribeye, as well as all kinds of pasta dishes.

Last night, we of course ended up mostly with cheese, some of which smelled like sweaty feet but tasted pretty darn good all runny and oozy (make sure to eat this and all cheese at room temperature). We had some crackers of course, and the last bowls of Tuscan Bean and Chicken with Wild Rice Soup the deli had to offer. Oh yes, and Peter threw on a Chicken Salad Sandwich for good measure. All in all, the perfect meal.

If you're wondering, yes Peter cringed at the title on this blog entry (maybe I should just stick with the straightforward restaurant names as I've been doing). So what, Mr. Big Time Creative Director, does "dilly" mean anyway? All he could tell me was that Ned Flanders uses the expression "dilly of a pickle" when he's in a tough spot.

------------------------

The damage: $35 or so, and we've got tons of cheese and crackers still left for tonight's snacks

Watch out for: service can be a little bit slow, so go on a night when you don't have anywhere particular to be at any particular time

Food: 4.5 forks

Romance: 4 kisses, because with all that wine and cheese, how can it not be "romantical?"

Dilly Deli
6818 Wooster Pike (in the Mariemont Strand)
Cincinnati, Ohio 45227
513.561.5233
www.dillydeli.com

P.F. Chang's

2006-05-31T21:58:00.000-05:00

I apologize in advance to all my readers who, like me, don’t usually like to eat in national chain restaurants. But they’re so hard to avoid these days, and as I said about Palomino, if it’s a higher end chain with decent food, then I’m okay with it.

When we have all these great neighborhood choices for Asian food, don’t ask me why Peter likes P.F. Chang’s so much, but he does. And occasionally, on nights when I’m feeling either really nice or really tired, I let him have his way. Tonight it was the latter, after a long day at the office that ended with the color printer not cooperating in a time of great need, as all printers are known to do. It's as if they can sense when the really big projects need to be printed and act up only then. The screen just continued to blink “Fix Image Sensor” or some such nonsense as my co-worked and I poked, prodded and tried to repair it.

So after the drama was resolved and the sun was setting, I went the lazy route and called in an order to Chang’s. We love the steamed Peking dumplings and the fact that we choose them steamed instead of pan fried makes me feel healthy even if it’s not. Then we each ordered a shrimp dish: Orange Peel Chicken for me, and Kung Pao Shrimp for Peter (see, I told you he always gets Kung Pao something). The dumplings were good, as usual, but we both frowned at the rather skimpy portion. I was delighted with the contrast between the bitter orange peel and rich shrimp in my entree and really enjoyed the nutty, chewy flavor of the accompanying brown rice, not something you find in every Asian restaurant. Even if you don't give a hoot about nutrition, give it a try because it's so much more interesting than the bland white stuff. Peter on the other hand, was most disappointed to find that his shrimp had been seriously overcooked. I asked for a bite to taste and immediately realized that he'd actually received Kung Pao Chicken instead of shrimp. Normally this wouldn't be a huge deal, but Peter is somewhat of a hypochondriac and has recently decided that the avian flu is a real threat in the US and we should therefore avoid all chicken. I think it’s just an excuse for him to eat more of his favorite animal: the pig. It was also an excuse to polish off half of my shrimp dish.

Sure, it was an easy dinner "out" that we didn’t even enjoy in a restaurant, but tonight's meal reminded me of the true benefit of takeout: you can sit in the comfort of our own home, on the couches and pillows, watching the premiere of “The Hills” on MTV with no shame.

So what did my fortune cookie say?
Your labors will bear sweet fruit.

Well, time will tell, but for now I'm taking that to mean that the battle with the copier will ultimately go our way.

______________

The damage: about $20

Watch out for: last minute switches in your order--always, always check the bag before you leave and it's too late

Food: 3 out of 5 forks

Romance: 2 out of 5 kisses (but this just might chalked up to fatigue)

P.F. Chang's
2633 Edmonson Road (Rookwood Commons)
Cincinnati, Ohio 45209
513.531.4567
www.pfchangs.com

Bella Luna

2006-05-30T23:35:00.000-05:00

I really *want* to like Bella Luna. It’s got a charming atmosphere, convenient location, and great concept in serving regional Italian food. Since it’s located on Eastern Avenue in the Linwood area, it’s just a stone’s throw away from Mt. Lookout, Hyde Park and downtown, and would be incredibly convenient if it was one of our favorites.

My recent occasion for visiting the restaurant was a night out with a girlfriend (and now coworker) of mine. We get together from time to time to talk about life, work and most of all, the ups and downs of being newlyweds (she was married just a week before we were). Since Peter’s made it no secret that he’s not a fan of the place, I figured it would be a good choice to lessen his feelings of being left out.

Our service was quite friendly and accommodating, especially since we weren’t the easiest diners that evening. We ordered the Bella Luna Salad (we decided to pay extra to get the figs and feta) but didn’t like the overly acidic vinaigrette dressing that clashed with the sweet, dried fruit. Our server promptly brought us new salads with honey balsamic that proved to be better, but was overly sweet and thick such that it looked and tasted more like molasses than dressing.

I chose a spicy pasta dish, the bucatini, as my entrée. Bella Luna actually did well on this one, preparing al dente spaghetti-like noodles in a rich, smoky sauce chock full of thick bacon chunks. Not the best choice before swimsuit season, but the flavor was worth the splurge and I ate every last bite. Don’t tell him since I’m trying to make him healthier, but as president of the “I love the pig” fan club, I think Peter would’ve really liked this dish.

My friend ordered good old spaghetti and meatballs. The dish looked great, but she was disappointed to find that the meatballs really didn't look like they were cooked all the way through. Not wanting to bother our server with a replacement yet again, she just picked them off and placed them to the side.

Not quite ready to go home and busy watching a violent thunderstorm roll in, we took our server’s advice and ordered the restaurant’s famous bread pudding for dessert, which we were told was a hit at last year’s Taste of Cincinnati. I love bread pudding, and hey, I needed more carbs, right? But this version wasn’t like any bread pudding I’ve ever had, and that’s not a good thing in this case. The consistency was much too smooth, as though the bread had been pureed in a Cuisinart instead of just soaked in larger chunks. I was also disappointed that there were no hidden “goodies” like nuts or dried cherries in the pudding, but just ultra-smooth, bland pudding. The sauce here was thin and syrupy where I like a more traditional thickened whiskey sauce with my version. We left most of it on the plate.

All in all, the food part of the dinner was a pretty mediocre experience. It wasn't food I would classify as terrible, but also wasn’t good enough to be memorable or worth in the money. I will give credit to Bella Luna for its charming, romantic atmosphere. Inside the decor is funky and brightly colored without being garish, and offers diners comfy booths filled with cushions and pillows—just right for those looking to relax, kick up their heels and gab. It’s my philosophy that atmosphere and service are half of what contributes to a good or bad dining experience, so Bella Luna got that half of the equation right.

______________

The damage: about $30 each, which seemed really high considering we had no alcohol at all (my pregnant friend looked longingly at the wine list though—did we get charged for that?)

Watch out for: the vinaigrette salad dressing

Food: 2 forks (overall inconsistent)

Romance: 4 kisses, thanks to good lighting and 1/2 price bottles of wine served on Wednesday nights

Bella Luna
4632 Eastern Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45226
513.871.5862
www.bellalunacincy.com

BLT Bites

2006-05-29T22:44:00.000-05:00

It was finally hot enough this weekend to feel like summer. I had to bring an appetizer to our family gathering in Ryland, KY (that's right, the location of our wedding reception) and picked this recipe for its decided summer-ness. Peter and I had a busy day of yard work, with my focus on scrubbing the mossy scum off our back deck, so we bought all the ingredients with the plan to just quickly assemble everything once we arrived. Great idea in theory, but definitely not in practice. These bites took so long to prep that they had to be a side dish for our dinner (see, even trained culinary "experts" have their share of troubles in the kitchen). Never mind though, because they were still yummy and delicious and received rave reviews. What's even better is that they require just a few fresh, tasty ingredients. Just the right tempting amount of BLT, perfect for an appetizer OR a meal accompaniment!

Ingredients:
36 cherry tomatoes
2 cups chopped lettuce - we used Bibb
8 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
3-4 Tb. mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Slice the very top and bottom off the cherry tomatoes, using a serrated knife for ease of preparation. Using a knife or mini melon baller, remove the pulp from the tomato and rinse, making sure tomato is still whole. Set the tomato top side down on a paper-towel lined cookie sheet to drain. If you cut all the way through the tomato cup, it's okay.
Chop lettuce and place in a mixing bowl with the crumbled bacon. Add enough mayonnaise just to combine and season with salt and pepper.
Turn over tomatoes and stuff tops with lettuce mixture (we found the easiest way was with our hands).

Cactus Pear

2006-05-26T21:22:00.000-05:00

I remember when this restaurant was located in Madeira, in that location that's been a swinging door of sorts. Now it's a Ferrari's (and we eat there often), and Cactus Pear has branched out to now have two locations: one in Blue Ash, the other in Clifton. Since we were (yet again) out in the area looking at houses, we decided to check out the Blue Ash location.

Cactus Pear bills itself as a Southwest Bistro. I'm not completely clear on how "Southwest" differs from traditional Mexican fare, but I can tell you that there were many interesting menu items, all of which sounded delicious. Atypical things such as tofu and eggplant fajitas, Enjoying the bistro's delicious (and free) chips and salsa, we decided between things such as tofu and eggplant fajitas, various noodle dishes. Incidentally, the salsa was not just any salsa, but a dark, rich, smoky and most out of the ordinary salsa that we could've eaten plain with soup spoons.

We ordered what I thought sounded like the most interesting appetizer: casserole of chihuahua (Peter says this should be pronounced chah-hoo-ah-hoo-ah) beans with beef and cheese. It came served warm with flour tortillas so we created mini burritos right there at the table. The taste was good, and reminded me of those chilitos I used to get at Zantigo's (now Taco Bell) on Ridge Road.

While waiting for our entrees, musicians entered the restaurant looking to set up and start playing. Peter eyed them nervously, wondering if they were going to be loud and disruptive, but they were most pleasant. I got to mouth "Fly Me to the Moon" across the table to Peter, who actually looked amused.

For dinner I had the blue corn enchildadas , which were covered in a sweet, flavorful mole sauce and sour cream. Peter had the beef tamales, which were topped with a tangy tomatillo sauce and yes, more sour cream. Truth be told, with the exception of the sauces our two dishes didn't actually taste all that different. There was an overwhelming amount of tender, shredded beef inside and for once, we requested a box to take home leftovers. Peter encouraged me to dump the rest of our salsa on top of the rice I was packing up, which I reluctantly did just as a server came back to the table to clear our plates. Embarassesd, I felt like that person who tries to take home all the free rolls or salad at the Olive Garden. Peter of course made the most of the opportunity and reported to the server that I was stealing salsa. Nice. A few minutes later, the server dropped off an entire plastic container of the salsa, all packed up and ready for us to enjoy at home--what a great surprise and way to take home a little more of our dining experience. Since chips and salsa are officially Peter's favorite meal, we were both ecstatic.

___________________

The damage: $61.61, for one app, two entrees, wine (two for me, one for Peter) and a pint of salsa!

Watch out for: I honestly can't think of anything!

Food: 3 out of 5 forks (good, but not the best I've ever had)

Romance: 3 of out 5 kisses (it increased to 4 when the musicians started)

Cactus Pear Southwest Bistro
9500 Kenwood Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45242
(513) 791-4424

Brio

2006-05-22T21:09:00.000-05:00

My mom's been out of town for almost two weeks and we wanted to welcome her home with a dinner out. Really, we wanted and did start at Jeff Ruby's Tropicana. Though it's received mixed reviews locally, it's somewhat of a guilty pleasure that I liken to my ongoing obsession for MTV's Real World series. "Excessive" is the adjective that comes to mind when I think of this and almost any other Ruby restaurant, but like Las Vegas, they're good in small doses. I love Tropicana's decadent manchego cheese ravioli, adore the green apple martinis, and am afraid to admit that I like to steal glances at the shirtless guy who works in the women's bathroom (don't tell Peter). But tonight the place was dead as a doornail, so after a single drink each we elected instead to go to a few doors down to Brio Tuscan Grille.

Yes, it's a chain, and in my oh-so-snotty way I typically avoid that restaurant genre, but Brio is one of the few exceptions I'll occasionally make. After a week and a half of rain, the nice weather beckoned us to Brio's lovely patio that sits at the heart of Newport on the Levee, in clear view of the fountain and valet parking stand. With the exception of traveling to a client meeting, I hadn't been outside all day, so the fresh air and sunshine were a welcomed change. Though it was right in the middle of the busy dinner service, the fact that it was a Monday meant that we got right in with no wait at all.

We began with the Brio Bruschetta appetizer for the table to start. We were deep in conversation so the appetizers all but vanished before our eyes, but not before Peter had time to remark about how much he really loves grilled bread. He was right. The grilled bread doused in flavorful olive oil was a perfect base for the grilled shrimp and roasted red peppers topped with melted mozzarella cheese.

Peter ordered the Bistecca salad as a next course, and our waiter generously offered to split this between the two of us so we could each taste. While I'd assumed that "bistecca" translated to something involving beef, I was instead surprised to find that this was more of the traditional iceberg lettuce wedge salad, complete with bleu cheese crumbles and dressing, bacon pieces, and chopped tomatoes.

For dinner I went with the fish special of the day: a sauteed tilapia with a cream sacue, roasted new potatoes, and spinach with prosciutto. The server advised us that they're making some adjustments to the menu tomorrow, so Peter ordered the "Straw and Hay" pasta dish that's about to be discontinued. It was a mix of regular and spinach fettucine with peas and bacon in a light alfredo cream sauce. His was just okay (I see why it's coming off the menu), while mine was divine and should be a permanent menu feature. My dad's lamb chops must have been good because he didn't offer us any bites, and my mom went lighter and had a crab cake appetizer as her entree, trying to be mindful of the cruise they're going on in just a few weeks.

Convinced that we simply couldn't and shouldn't order dessert, we ended up talking ourselves into sharing a chocolate cake among the four of us. The cake itself was a bit bland and gelatinous, but the vanilla bean gelato and chocolate fudge drizzle on top made up for it, so we had no trouble polishing off the entire dish.

I sure am glad Peter gets along with his in-laws so well. I had a lovely time tonight and wouldn't mind repeating tonight's meal frequently.

______________________

The damage: I honestly have no idea. There are times I still act like a major daddy's girl and let him pay, hoping it makes him feel needed.

Watch out for: parking at the Levee. It's expensive to park there and seems specifically designed to make sure you can't find your car at the end of the night. I advise the lot across the street, if it's available, or the valet parking option either at the Levee or Tropicana.

Food: 3 out of 5 forks (though our meal was good, I just can't bring myself to go higher on a chain)

Romance: 4 out of 5 kisses (close your eyes, forget your in KY, and you might just be able to imagine you're in Tuscany)

Brio Tuscan Grille
1 Levee Way, Suite 1140
Newport, KY 41071
(859) 431-0900
www.brioitalian.com

Pacific Moon Cafe

2006-05-20T21:33:00.000-05:00

I've always heard that there's no better place for dim sum in Cincinnati than Pacific Moon Cafe. I've been a fan of the cuisine ever since I lived in San Francisco and used to frequent the extremely well-know establishment called Yank Sing. I've even experienced the privilege of having dim sum in Hong Kong where it just doesn't get any better. I was in heaven while my family looked warily at each cart of food, certain that they would get food poisoning at any moment. But right here in river city, it's a little more difficult to find authentic dim sum, so when Sihui, one of our co-workers, offered to make a reservation at Pacific Moon and serve as a guide to those who were interested, we (and six others) jumped at the chance.

I love the whole concept of dim sum. It's kind of like my obsession with tapas, but with an Asian spin, consisting of small plates of food best shared among friends. While I love eating out, I find the excessively large portions of food typical in many restaurants overwhelming, not to mention boring after several bites. Maybe it's the influence of Peter's ADD-ness on me? Regardless, any kind of dining experience in which I can sample many different flavors all in the same meal makes my tastebuds happy.

As we arrived one by one we ordered tea, discussed the recent Da Vinci Code movie release, some of us nervously eying our chopsticks. When we were ready, Sihui signaled to the servers that we were ready to get started. Here's how it works: servers roll carts around the restaurant, each containing dozens of steaming hot round metal containers and ceramic plates of items. The servers pull the lids off the containers, give a brief description of its contents, and you have a few seconds to respond with your yes or no answer. There must be at least 100 different items from which to choose, but Sihui did a fantastic job of ordering and two minutes later the oversized lazy susan in the middle of the table was overflowing with containers of unrecognizable dishes. Don't like what's in front of you? Just spin the wheel until you see something that piques your interest!

We all bravely dug in, sampling steamed pork buns, bean curd rolls stuffed with pork, mushroom dumplings, roast pork, scallop dumplings, fried tofu, short ribs, and curried calamari. Thankfully, Sihui had steered clear of the chicken feet (and yes, they look just like you'd think they would, but covered in sauce). Far and away my favorite dish was the jalapeno peppers, which were split lengthwise down the center and stuffed with shrimp. The dish had just the right hint of spicy kick from the jalapeno, an ingredient I don't recall seeing in Asian cuisine. The crispy salt and pepper prawns also went over well, but were somewhat of a disaster at our table. Peter managed to spray his shirt, shorts, and the tablecloth (thank goodness I bought him all those Tide to Go stain sticks for Christmas) with a reddish orange sauce while pulling the head and peel off, while another co-worker made the mistake of attempting to eat the prawn without peeling anything off. The only dish that the table unanimously dismissed was the beef tendons, and I have to admit that they looked and sounded scary enough that I couldn't force myself to try even a small bite.

After a brief pause to sip our green tea and ice water, we dug into the dessert cart. Even though we were stuffed, we still managed to polish off chocolate tarts with mango filling, custard buns, and sesame buns filled with sweet bean paste. I truly had trouble breathing at that point, and wished I'd worn pants with an expandable waistband.

We tried so many things that I was convinced that the check was going to sting, but everything is priced by the plate or container in the $3 - $5 range, and therefore turned out to be surprisingly affordable. In the end, a small price to pay for such a fun outing. Who knew you could have such a good time with your co-workers when you're not forced to be together and without any alcohol involved?

______________________

The damage: much to my surprise, it was only $20 per person, including tip

Watch out for: getting there! The location is unassuming and easy to miss, so make sure you look for the large sign that reads Market Place along Montgomery road and turn there. Also, Sundays are super crowded and not the best for dim sum newbies

Food: 4 out of 5 forks

Romance: 3 out of 5 kisses (though we're off the market, I think this would be a great place for groups of friends to go to introduce other friends for potential setups)

Pacific Moon Cafe
8300 Market Place Lane
Cincinnati, OH 45242
(513) 891-0091
www.pacificmooncafe.com

European Cafe

2006-05-20T00:04:00.000-05:00

We were out house hunting last weekend and came across a great little spot I hadn't been to in a couple of years. If you're ever in the downtown Montgomery area, home to the original Montgomery Inn, the classic Pomodori's of Clifton fame, and Germano's, but are more interested in a lighter, faster meal, this is a stop to put on your list.

"What's European about it?" Peter wondered as we walked in, and even now I'm not really sure I have a good answer. Sure, they claim that Greek-style gyros are their specialty, but other than that the menu isn't all that European-themed. There are plenty of classic lunch favorites to please any palate, from soups (none on Sundays though), sandwiches and salads. We briefly perused the menu and quickly settled on the gyros, both lamb and chicken, since they're just not something you see every day. And because we've been on such a health kick lately, we added on an order of onion rings to share.

Our service was attentive and prompt in the bustling cafe, and the counter was perfect for us to sit and debate the pros and cons of the open houses we'd just attended. Our gyros were delivered to us steaming hot and handily wrapped in foil wrappers for ultimate ease of stuffing our faces. The tangy cucumber yogurt sauce served on the side was the perfect complement to the flavorful meat as we poured it on the soft, fluffy pita bread. It's pretty hard to ruin onion rings, but these were especially light, crispy and golden brown. Delicious with gool old Heinz Ketchup.

I was pretty full after all that, but that didn't stop my sweet tooth from forcing me to order some of the homemade baklava. The single serving consisted of two triangles that were plenty large to share, and the employee who retrieved it from the case for us was kind enough to heat it up before we ate it so that the flaky pastry soaked with honey and nuts absolutely melted in our mouths. In my attempt to feed Peter a bite with my plastic fork, I watched him go at it with such anticipation that he actually bit through one of the plastic tines. Since he didn't spit it out, I'm pretty sure he swallowed it.

The only thing we didn't try was the scary-looking hookah on the counter. What do you do with those things, anyway? Yes, I'm pretty naive as far as those things are concerned, but I'm sure Peter would be happy to supplement my knowledge in that area.

I don't know if we'll be able to come to any resolution on where to buy a house in this lifetime, but I know we'll be back to this great lunch location soon.

_____________________

The damage: a very reasonable $16 total, including tax and tip, for 2 gyros, onion rings, and soft drinks (that didn't include our $2.95 dessert)

Watch out for: crowds on weekends and closing early (2 pm) on Sundays

Food: 4 out of 5 forks

Romance: 1 out of 5 kisses

European Cafe
9450 Montgomery Road
Cincinnati, OH 45242
(513) 891-4551

Boca

2006-05-17T20:30:00.000-05:00

I warn you upfront--I'm going to gush about this one, and as a result this posting will be longer than most.

Some of my favorite dining experiences are those unexpected times when we just happen to go to a great place. Peter and I met at Lowe's after work, in an attempt to choose a new kitchen light. Unsuccessful at making a purchase but full of new lighting ideas, we were both cranky and starving by 7 pm. Peter nonchalantly suggested Boca, which took no convincing to get me to agree. Skeptical that the always-crowded restaurant might not accept us, I called to first be told we'd have an hour wait (really? on a Wednesday?) but then convinced the hostess to hold one of the front tables for us if we arrived within 10 minutes. We got there in 5.

From start to finish, this dining experience was flawless. Truly, Boca ranks up there as one of our favorite, if not the single favorite, restaurants in Cincinnati. We were fans way back when they were located in a hole in the wall in Northside (now home to the delicious Honey). But, like Bangkok Bistro, this restaurant has a special place in our hearts because it is the first place we ever dined as a couple. As I've said in previous posts, it was a phenomenal first date, and one neither of us will ever forget. It made such an impression that as part of Peter's marriage proposal to me, he had my sister photograph him in all of the places we'd gone on our first date, holding signs that read "Will," "You" "Marry" and "Me?" A wonderful and touching surprise, evidenced by the photo above.

I could write an entire post about how great our server was. He was competent and knowledgeable about the menu, yet friendly like a guy next door all at the same time. When I inquired about specific ingredients in particular dishes and asked for his recommendations, he expressed informed opinions that showed he'd tasted everything on the menu and had passion for his real favorites.

We intended to have just a quickish sort of meal, but when we saw the newly expanded dinner menu we had a really difficult time choosing between our options and after ordering glasses of an Australian Shiraz, elected to go with four courses each (well, it started out as three and we added on dessert). I started with a seasonal special, the morel mushrooms with fiddlehead ferns in a cream sauce. It was to die for. The entire dish tasted like spring, with fragrant green flavors of the ferns and onion grass, earthy mushrooms, and a delicate yet rich sauce that I sopped up with my warm bread. Peter had the grilled romaine salad, one of our standbys, which didn't disappoint. The smoky, charred lettuce is a beautiful complement to the creamy caesar dressing with shaved parmesan topping.

Next we each had a pasta course, sharing between us appetizer-sized plates of what had to be homemade pappardelle (wide, flat pasta) with cinghiale (boar meat sauce) and a spring pea ravioli with butter basted lobster. The lobster "raviolo," as it's phrased on the menu, was divine. Sweet yet creamy, the sugar in the pea filling matched perfectly with the based buttery lobster. The pappardelle was delicious, but we couldn't honestly tell the difference between this and your average meat sauce made with ground beef.

For our third course, we couldn't escape without our real favorite, the scallops with carmelized Brussels sprouts (which the menu now indicates as "3-hour" sprouts), shaved parmesan and truffle oil. This is one of those dishes that is so distinctive and memorably good that I can close my eyes, think hard, and imagine its flavors on my tongue with minimal effort. I'd commit my first born child for this recipe. Our server was nice enough to split the dish between us so there wouldn't be any fighting, which was a wise move.

Not wanting the meal to end and being true conoisseurs of dessert, we chose to have both the classic mascarpone cheesecake with hazelnuts and a new dish: crispy waffle with apple fudge and vanilla gelato. The waffle was good but sounded a lot better than it tasted, and the cheesecake's smooth, light consistency won us over as it always does.

I drove by our old apartment on Erie on my way home, just for old time's sake.

____________________________

The damage: More than I'd like to share, but not that much to pay for such a great dining experience that I'd put against any other I've had in Cincinnati and beyond. We're also very good tippers when servers prove their worth, so in short, it was a lot of money.

Watch out for: this place on Thursday-Saturday nights. If you're not in a "going out" sort of mood, this place can let its great reputation swell its head a bit too much.

Food: 5 forks - there's not a better meal in the city.

Romance: 5 kisses - there's no better place to go for a first date, a fifth date, or a fiftieth date.

Boca
3200 Madison Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45209
(513) 542-2022
www.boca-restaurant.com

White Chicken Chili

2006-05-15T19:33:00.000-05:00

Here's the recipe for the slow cooker white chicken chili Peter made over the weekend. We chose the "longer" method of cooking on low heat for 10 hours (we elected to do this overnight) and though the onion smell was so strong it made us toss and turn in our sleep, it was DELICIOUS after having simmered all that time. We're still eating the leftovers and it's getting better everyday. Other than chopping the raw ingredients, this recipe couldn't be easier or faster.

Ingredients:
3 15-oz. cans Great Northern beans, drained
8 oz. cooked and shredded chicken breasts (we grilled ours, diced it, and added about twice as much for good measure)
1 cup chopped onion (any kind of onion is fine)
1 1/2 cups chooped yellow, green or red bell pepper (we used yellow and red only 'cause they're the sweetest)
2 jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
3 1/2 cups chicken broth

Topping:
sour cream (I always go with fat free)
shredded cheddar cheese (gotta go full fat here)
tortilla chips (we like blue ones)

1. Combine all ingredients except topping in slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
3. Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream, cheese and crushed tortilla chips.

*Adapted from Fix it and Forget It by Dawn J. Ranck and Phyllis Pellman Good

Entertaining

2006-05-13T17:50:00.000-05:00

I make way too much out of parties. I know this about myself, and yet I can't ever seem to keep myself from overthinking each and every detail of the entertaining experience. I have a pillow on my couch that says "WWMD-What would Martha do?" and people regularly come to my house and comment on how appropriate this is. But for some reason, even if my previous party bombed, the slate is wiped clean and nothing can keep me from being excited about the propsect of having the next great event.

One of my recurring party rituals is to produce way too much food for the number of guests in attendance. Always better to have too much rather than too little, right? My most recent gathering made no exception to my rule. Billed as a simple lunch/brunch/snack, I could have kept the meal pretty straightforward. Instead of just one kind of sandwich I insisted on three: ham and brie, turkey and cheddar, and egg salad, for the vegetarians in the group of course. I set up a yogurt parfait bar with berries, granola and yogurt. There were raw veggies and dip, including green beans and pea pods, my favorites. There were Terra chips that everyone thought was pot pourri--those didn't go over too well. Since it was cold, very late last night Peter made a white chicken chili in the slow cooker. I had lemonade and fruit punch, and orange juice and champagne that never made it out of the fridge. For a sweet finish, cupcakes of course (white cake, raspberry filling, white frosting), and chocolate covered strawberries. Wait, did I forget to mention the lemon hummus with pita bread?

All this for about 10 people, when clearly I was more prepared for 20 to 30. I was feeling under the weather Thursday-Friday, which made the preparation challenging, and in the end I feel a little let down. Why did I make so much food and now what do I do with the leftovers? I fear the leftovers will rot and mold as they tend to do in our house, when our fleeting attention spans have moved on to the next meal. Am I left with so much extra because summer is approaching and people are more eating more sensibly and exercising portion and calorie control? I'll figure it out, and will still look forward to the next party. But with me and party food preparation, it's kind of like drinking too much alcohol. You swear you'll never do it again but then find yourself right back in the midst of the exact same thing. And enjoying it.

Peter's Full of More than Just Dewey's Pizza

2006-05-09T21:17:00.000-05:00

I'm officially filing a complaint. I first created this blog by myself with all my own individual information, then had the idea for this great blog in which BOTH my husband and I would post our opinions on various restaurants where we've dined together. Realizing that having everything in my name was a little self-centered, I went through the rather arduous process to change everything so that it didn't just say "Angie" anymore and said "Angie and Peter" everywhere. So now I ask you, where the heck is Peter in all this posting? He claims to be this fantastic writer/editor/food critic extraordinaire, but I'm starting to think it's all a bunch of bull. He's even boasted that his last name is now "Blogsome" instead of "Blocksom," but again, he's all talk and no write.

It's not like it's that hard. He could be writing about the great pizza we just had at Dewey's (by far our fave in the city), or how we raved about both the House Salad and the Candied Walnuts and Grape Salad, or how we now smell like roasted garlic from our Edgar Allen Poe and sausage/onions/prosciutto special order, but no. You can see for yourself from the picture here exactly where he is and what he's doing.

Write in and tell him that he should support his wife and that he should be part of this wonderful phenomenon known as electronic journaling. Long live the Internet!

Our Neighborhood Bistro

2006-05-08T20:54:00.000-05:00

I have a confession. We didn't even start out intending to go to Bangkok Bistro tonight, and to be honest we eat there with such regularity that I feel strange including it as a "review." We were headed for nearby Cumin but hadn't realized it was closed on Mondays. So being ultimately tired and lazy, we went for the next closest alternative and ended up at our old favorite. Seriously, we're probably there at least once a week at this point in our dual career lives, alternating between dining in and carrying out.

But we go there time and time again because it's consistently good. Whether we're in the mood for sushi, pad thai, or edamame, the menu at Bangkok covers a range of Asian food to suit our mood. It's also a special place for me because it's the site of our second date. First date, we went all out and did it up right at Boca. Second date, we went for the more friendly, neighborhood favorite of the Bistro. I vividly remember that second date, partly because of the excitement and optimism that surrounds a new relationship after a phenomenal first date, and partly because we ordered the sushi boat. That's right, I said boat. Much too much food for two people, and it comes extravagantly presented on a large wooden boat form that's sure to raise a few eyebrows, especially if you're sitting in one of the cafe tables that line the street like we were.

This evening, tired from a long day spent traveling, I was quite pleased to switch gears and go to one of our old favorites. I truly love starting my meal with the Hot and Sour Spicy Shrimp Soup (hmmm...I'm starting to see a trend here with me and spicy shrimp). The soup is a deliciously spicy broth flavored with sliced mushrooms and 3 large, whole shrimp. It's a healthy portion, and tonight I enjoyed mine so much that I had trouble getting down much of my Drunken Noodle entree. Peter enjoyed his regular dish, Pork Pad Thai, though he didn't have quite as much left over. But that's the beauty of almost all the dishes at Bangkok Bistro--they're perfect as tomorrow's lunch, midnight snacks, or just to finish right there and then at the table with a satisfying pat of the belly.

I didn't have the sushi tonight, but I frequently do. No, it's not the quality of Beluga, but it doesn't cost nearly as much either.

I'm sure we'll be back again next week. And hopefully as many weeks as we're married.

_________________________

The damage: $70 for four entrees, and three of us had large bowls of soup to start. Plus, we've all got lunch taken care of for tomorrow.

Watch out for: service can be inconsistent.

Food: 4 out of 5 forks.

Romance: 4 out of 5 kisses (but I'm biased).

Bangkok Bistro
3506 Erie Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45208
(513) 871-0707

Doodles Noodles

2006-05-06T20:05:00.000-05:00

I've always driven by Doodles noodle restaurant in Hyde Park Square and wondered how the heck it could still be in business. Not that I haven't enjoyed the time or two I've eaten there, but just because it always seemed to have few if any patrons. We were running errands in the area yesterday evening, had a hankering for Asian food, and decided to give it a whirl.

We were surprised to see tables covered with white tablecloths. Seeing as we were both in "Saturday errand clothes" we thought that maybe we'd be underdressed. But a closer look showed us that the tops of the linens were actually covered with butcher's paper and crayons had been placed on each tabletop for ultimate doodle-ability (ah, I get it now).

Everything on the menu sounded good, and even better, it was almost all under $12. We ordered Spicy Shrimp Wontons to start, which arrived topped with chopped peanuts and a yummy soy sauce turned out to be tasty, but more sweet than spicy. We also ordered a cold Sesame Noodle salad to start, which was light and fresh-tasting with its shredded raw carrots, bean sprouts and carrots. For our entrees Peter chose the Kung Pao beef--I will give him consistency on this one--he hardly ever orders anything else when we're getting Asian food. I ordered Sesame Chicken with Shanghai Noodles. As so often happens when we're eating out, I try to order something that sounds healthy but tasty and Peter goes for the most fat-laden thing on the meal, and I end up eating half the food off his plate because it's so much tastier. His was great, mine was pretty bland. The cold noodle dish that was SO enormous we were sure that we'd have leftovers to take home quickly disappeared and Peter even tried to eat my bland chicken skewers when all this Kung Pao was gone.

All in all, it was a pretty good night out. We left stuffed to the gills and had to walk around the Square to get our bloated stomachs back to a normal size. I don't know if it's true, but I at least felt like it was healthier than the average Chinese take-out places.

_________________

The damage: $44, including 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 2 sodas.

Watch out for: Spice level - if you like spice, make sure you tell them to kick it up a notch, because Peter's 6 out of 10 spiciness wasn't so much.

Food: 3 forks

Romance: 2 kisses (good people-watching through the glass facing the square).

Doodles
3443 Edwards Road
Cincinnati, OH 45208
(513) 871-7388
www.doodlesnoodles.com

Palomino

2006-05-04T22:05:00.000-05:00

I almost never get out for lunch these days. Between lunch meetings and just being so busy that it's easier to heat up read-to-eat soup, it's a rarity that I take a full hour and actually dine out for the mid-day meal. But knowing that I need to stop and smell the roses a bit more, I jumped at the chance to meat a friend for lunch at Palomino today.

Even after doing a bit of brief window shopping at Macy's, I arrived at 10 minutes before noon to find my friend sitting in the bar area because the dining room was booked up and had a 30-minute wait! Who knew this downtown spot overlooking the soon-to-be completed revamped Fountain Square was such a popular dining choice?

Our service was friendly and a bit slow, but perhaps that's to be expected on such a busy day. I ordered the Greek salad with rotisserie chicken, primarily because I've had the chicken as a dinner entree in the past and found it to be quite enjoyable. But while the cucumber-yogurt sauce and mixed greens with feta, slivered red onions and Greek olives was tasty, I was disappointed with the oily, rubbery chicken on the side. The portion seemed skimpy, and the pita bread wedges that were listed on the menu were mysteriously absent. I was more disappointed to bite down on some gristly bits in the chicken twice throughout the meal. Who wants to have to deal with politely spitting that into one's napkin while in the midst of a lively conversation?

My friend's salad looked better, and the experience was a pleasant one, but I'd attribute that more to my friend than to the food itself. Despite today's lunch, I've always liked Palomino--it certainly ranks as one of the higher-quality, more dependable, slightly more unique of the chain restaurants that are so plentiful here. Hit or miss, for sure, but it's a nice spot and not too unreasonably priced. From now on I'll stick with making this more of a pre-Aronoff choice for me when they're not so rushed. Or a drinks-only delight. Those pear martinis are like no other.

_____________________

The damage: $35 for two, including two "big salads" and soft drinks.

Watch out for: the gristle in the chicken and not having a reservation.

Food: 2 out of 5 forks.

Palomino
Fountain Place
505 Vine Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
(513) 381-1300
www.palomino.com

Ooey Gooey Carrot Cupcake Recipe

2006-04-30T21:28:00.000-05:00

Here's the winning recipe from today's cupcake tasting:

Cupcakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tb ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 Tb vanilla
3 cups shredded carrots
8 oz. crushed pineapple, juice drained but reserved
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine eggs, both sugars, buttermilk, oil and vanilla and mix until well combined. Add in spices and other dry ingredients. Stir in carrots, pineapple and nuts by hand. Batter will be quite runny, but do your best to scoop it into muffin pans lined with cupcake papers. Fill the cups almost to the top because batter does not rise much. Bake for 20 minutes, until browned on top. While cakes are still warm in muffin pans, poke holes in top with toothpick or fork and drizzle with buttermilk glaze (below). Let cool and frost with Pineapple Cream Cheese frosting (below)

Buttermilk Glaze:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup buttermilk
3 Tb granulated sugar
1 Tb light corn syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients in saucepan over low-medium heat until smooth and simmer for 5 minutes, being careful not to get it too hot or glaze will break and separate.

Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tb unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 Tb drained pineapple juice
3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups confectioners' (powdered) sugar

Combine all ingredients in bowl of electric mixer, using only 1 Tb of the pineapple juice to begin. After mixture starts to come together, add more juice or sugar, depending on desired consistency.

Based on recipe from American Home Cooking, by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison.

carrot cake cupcake

The Bloggers

2006-04-30T18:37:00.000-05:00

Cupcakes

2006-04-30T16:14:00.000-05:00

I spent my morning making cupcakes. Not just any cupcakes, but wedding cupcakes. This was a trial run, a tasting, for a close friend of mine who's getting married in July. The happy bride-to-be and her fiance wanted carrot cake, one of my favorites, and the flavor of my wedding cakes (oh yeah, we also had some Opera Cream Torte from the Bonbonerie too). Sure, I went to culinary school and worked in a professional pastry kitchen, but the thought of making a traditional multi-tiered wedding cake scared the hell out me. Just too much risk associated with stacking the layers when it's not something I do every day. But cupcakes, now those I think I can handle.

I put two competing carrot cake recipes to the test, the doctored them up a bit to give them some choice. The winning recipe came from a classic book, American Home Cooking, and though time-consuming to make, yields a cake that tastes dense, rich and worthy of a momentous occasion. I love "from scratch" cakes and this one's a delicious example of why. Freshly grated carrots, crushed pineapple, chopped pecan and a hint of buttermilk make this recipe a standout. For some reason, I had trouble judging the number of carrots I need to grate to get to three cups, grated enough carrots to feed an army, and am now left wondering if I should make carrot soup. Once the soupy batter is baked, you poke holes in the top of the warm cakes and then pour a sweet buttermilk glaze on top to soak in and make the cake rich and gooey. I finished the top with a cream cheese buttercream frosting, lightly flavored with pineapple. After eating at least three cupcakes "just to make sure," Peter agreed that the cake was a winner.

The tasting went well, and I now have my work cut out for me come July. But sitting between my friend and her mom and listening to them talk through decision after decision about detail after detail, I remembered again why I'm so glad all my own wedding planning is behind me. It's only after the fact that you realize that no one will remember the color of the napkins, the kind of centerpieces, or even the taste of the cake.

Paula Deen and Mayonnaise

2006-04-29T23:15:00.000-05:00

This post isn't about a restaurant, but instead about a meal we cooked ourselves this evening. Paula Deen is one of our favorites on the Food Network because of her liberal use of butter, cream and bacon--we watch her religiously on Saturday mornings as part of our drink coffee/read the paper routine. So for Christmas I bought Paula's cookbook for Peter. We had yet to make anything from it and decided tonight was the night. Peter chose the Hot Chicken Salad and I avoided watching the specific ingredients he used so I wouldn't freak out about how much weight was going to be instantly added to my hips. It's a very simple recipe: mix together rotisserie chicken with some celery and chesse, and glue it all together with mayonnaise. Our first problem came when the amount of mixed ingredients didn't come anywhere close to needing a 9x13 pan--an 8x8 square was much more appropriate. It was sprinkled with potato chips before a quick 20 minutes in the oven until brown and bubbly.

The dish looked promising enough when it came out, but when we went to dish it up, we saw that nearly the entire 8x8 pan fit into just our two bowls. This would've been fine, except that the recipe indicated that it served 8-10. The taste was just okay--not terrible, but much too salty and it had a definite oily sheen. I got about halfway through my portion when Peter told me he'd used an entire cup of mayonnaise in the mix. So given that we were already eating portions meant to feed 4 people, I now had 1/2 CUP of mayo in my serving alone? I had to put the bowl aside and put my hand to my mouth to keep from seeing what I'd already swallowed come back up. That was the end of that. To say the least, we won't be repeating this recipe again. Good thing that we bought some popcorn to go along with our viewing of King Kong tonight. If only Peter could keep the popcorn off the floor.

My mom has a similar but vastly improved recipe, and if readers are interested I'd be happy to post it here. It's much lighter and has the additional crunch of water chestnuts. Peter will vehemently disagree with me here, but there's no earthly reason to use full-fat mayo when the light stuff tastes so good.

Polly Campbell Agrees!

2006-04-29T12:45:00.000-05:00

See her take on Nectar here: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20060428/ENT01/604280301/1026/rssenq0502

Sweet Nectar

2006-04-29T12:40:00.000-05:00

We'd been eagerly anticipating the arrival of Nectar. I first heard about the restaurant through a friend currently enrolled in the Culinary program at the Midwest Culinary Institute. Excited to hear that it would be opening on New Year's Eve, I kept a watchful eye on the location but was disappointed when nothing new came on the scene. Soon enough though, the dumpster went out front (strangely closer to Millions than I'd anticipated) and the paper on the windows and paint indicated some activity inside the tiny store front. When I finally read that the restaurant was opening, I couldn't wait to try it and put it at the top of my list. With a great location and great chef, I knew this restaurant had much promise.

The night we were there the restaurant fit the bill perfectly. Having worked far too much at my day job in advertising, both my husband and I were in desperate need of both some alone time together and some nourishment beyond pizza and Rice Krispie treats. After one glass of wine on our porch, we decided it was the perfect evening to try out a new restaurant. Nectar was full of other patrons, but not to the point that it was overflowing or that we had to wait for a table. Our service was prompt and cheerful, and I was delighted to see that though the wine selection was limited, every offering was available both by the glass and in full bottles. The warm rolls and marinated olives quickly disappeared from our tabletop and I had to use every ounce of willpower to refuse seconds.

I began with the bibb lettuce salad, a starter I chose largely for the salty, crunchy marcona almonds mentioned in the description. The dish did not disappoint, with a very well-balanced, not too acidic vinaigrette and just the right amount of seasoning. For my entree I chose the healthier-sounding escolar, served on a bed of le puy lentils. The dish was rich and flavorful and the fish was seared to perfection--crispy on the outside, flaky and tender on the inside.

We were enjoying everything so much that there was no way we could pass up dessert. To be extra indulgent, we chose the cheese course and a fried banana concoction, not to mention dessert wine, which we hardly needed after 2 other glasses of a yummy, crispy white wine. The cheese course gets especially high marks for its the presentation complete with membrillo (quince paste) and Fourme d'Ambert , which we recently learned about on Bravo's Top Chef. Is there any better way to end a meal than cheese?

The decor is a bit stark and lacks personality. Some wall hangings could help to really cut down the ambient noise for a more pleasant dining experience to match the refined food. This is really a minor criticism to an overwhelmingly positive special night out.

The damage: about $70 per person, for three courses each plus 3 glasses of wine each.

Watch out for: it's loud in here. Also, there is no bar or waiting area, so call ahead and make a reservation .

Food: 3.5 out of 5 forks

Romance: 2 out of 5 kisses (it's so close in here there's not much privacy, but the lighting and atmosphere are nice).

Nectar
1000 Delta
Mt. Lookout
(513) 929-0525