Monthly Archives: July 2017

NYC – 4/10/17 – Empellon Midtown

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I still remember my first visit to Empellon Taqueria soon after it opened.  It was very quiet.  Just myself and a friend and a food blogger taking a lot of photos.  I continued to go back frequently as well as to Empellon Cocina.  The midtown Empellon is a fantastic next step once you get past the midtown location.  The chopped cabbage salad may be one of my absolute favorites of the year.

guacamole

king salmon ceviche with jicama and hibiscus broth

octopus tacos with celery and savory peanut butter

short rib confit with picadillo garnish

chopped cabbage salad with toasted fave bean dressing

London – 4/8/17 – Bao, Zetter Townhouse, Kitchen Table at Bubbledogs

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Bao
Upon the recommendation of a trusted friend I decided at the last minute to scrap my original lunch plan and check out Bao.  I did have to wait in line (to be found across the street from the entrance) but it moved quickly.  A solid tasty stop although not the best buns I have had.  Service is extremely fast so if you don’t have to wait in line you can be in and out in under 30 min.

house pickles
Taiwanese fried chicken, hot sauce
baos – lamb shoulder and classic


Zetter Townhouse
Once again I was the only person at a bar mid afternoon in London.  Loved the space and this drink was perfectly refreshing for the warm day.

Kitchen Table at Bubbledogs
It always seems to be the most difficult to write about the places I love. If I lived in London I would quickly become a regular.  Yes the food is all fantastic with so many local ingredients and great accompanying stories.  But KT excels at hospitality as well and the overall experience is so lovely that I will probably never go to London again without dining here.  So many restaurants track a guest’s past reservations and various other details but never seem to do anything with the information.  It so easy to just acknowledge that a guest has dined with you before and welcome them back (and bonus points for remembering the time frame).  The crispy chicken skin was as delicious as I remembered (although I had a fix at at collaboration dinner not terribly long ago) as was the sloe gin.
 
raw hand dived scallop, ponzu, pickled seaweed

raw grey mullet, buttered miso infused with Meyer lemon, turnip, confit Meyer lemon skins, turnip tops, sliced fresh apple

crispy chicken skin, rosemary mascarpone, bacon jam

parkerhouse rolls, smoked and cured cod’s roe, dehydrated grated scallop roe, brown butter, fresh lemon zest


raw kale, sour cream and anchovy dressing, Meyer lemon puree, toasted sourdough breadcrumbs

steamed Cornish brill, roasted cauliflower florets, cauliflower puree and pickled cauliflower couscous, diced apple, mango puree, toasted peanuts, coriander stem, house made yoghurt, Moilee sauce, house made Goan curry powder

skate cooked in garlic cream, black garlic puree, wild garlic (wilted fresh, sauce, pickled stems, flowers)

in house made gnocchi, 36 month aged parmesan sauce, roasted chestnuts, perigord black truffle

24 hour cooked lamb belly, fresh mint sauce, English asparagus, Scottish morels, lemon thyme, lamb sauce

Saint Duthac blue cheese, crab-apple and rosehip jelly, caraway and fennel cracker

beetroot and brambly apple marmalade, sour cream ice cream, woodruff infused beetroot sauce, woodruff granite

rhubarb, hibiscus poached Yorkshire forced grown rhubarb, charred black pepper meringue, milk ice cream, poaching syrup

parsnip treacle tart, natural creme fraiche

caramel ‘ice cream cookie sandwich’

house made sloe gin

London – 4/7/17 – Kricket, the Connaught Bar & Kitty Fisher’s

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Kricket
I absolutely loved this casual and stylish Indian spot in Soho.   I was afraid there would be a line but arrived at opening and had no issues.  The counter is definitely the place to sit as I ordered more food after seeing what was being plated for others that looked fantastic.

Lasooni scallop, goan sausage, poha, seaweed

kid goat raan

pumpkin, makhani sauce, fresh paneer, hazelnut crumble

Connaught Bar
At least I had a lot of luck with hotel bars on this trip.  Connaught Bar is absolutely gorgeous and somehow I was the only person there mid-afternoon.  I will be back for sure.

Kitty Fisher’s
Evidently Kitty Fisher’s was quite difficult to get into when it first opened but somehow seems to have slipped under the radar of most of my American friends.  The space is incredibly comfortable and felt like it had been around for years.  Very elevated ‘pub’ food and really a perfect low key evening.

perfect lady – gin, creme de peach, lemon & egg white

whipped cod’s roe on toast

leeks, smoked hollandaise, crispy chicken skin & hazelnuts

mackerel, heritage carrot, radish, piccalilli

London – 4/6/17 – Hoppers, American Bar, the Gibson, and Street XO

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Hoppers
I generally quite detest the possibility of waiting in a line to get into a restaurant but will make somewhat of an exception if it suits my schedule to arrive 10-15 minutes prior to opening and be guaranteed the first seating.  Most often this rules the spot out entirely but I am glad that I made the effort for Hoppers as soon as my flight landed.  I have been missing out having never before tried a hopper – the Sri Lankan crepe of sorts made with a batter of fermented rice and coconut (enhanced further by an egg fried into the bottom).  This will be at the top of my to-do list for my next trip to London. Delicious all around.

arrack attacked – arrack, lime, bitters, house ginger beer
hot butter devilled shrimps

egg hopper and lamb kari

American Bar at the Savoy
I wish I could remember what was in it, but months later of course I cannot.  However this was the best cocktail I had on this particular trip made by an absolutely lovely bartender.  American Bar ranked #2 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list for 2016 and is certainly worth a visit.

The Gibson
Unfortunately all ‘best’ lists end up filled with those places that deserve to be on the list and those that shouldn’t be there in any rational world.  Somehow the Gibson ranks #6 on the same World’s Best Bars 0f 2016 list.  Perhaps I would have fared better if I had kept to a classic Gibson.  I think the photos pretty much speak for themselves as the fairly out-of-control garnishes completely destroyed the drinks as they fell in and changed the flavor and became a soggy mess.  I did love the candy but it would have been better on the side!


garnishes

Street XO
I didn’t intend to plan such a theatrical evening but somehow it worked out that way. Everything about Street XO is a bit over-the-top from the uniforms to the plating. So much so that I almost expected to hate it but thought the flavors were quite good, even the unexpected combinations. I was seated overlooking the kitchen which is always the best spot. However the exhaust system was completely terrible (I’m not sure if this was the normal state or it was broken) and my eyes were burning and my clothing and hair reeked when I left. Nobody wants to add drycleaning to the dinner bill. It was fairly intolerable yet I did order an extra dish and suffered it out because I was enjoying the food so much.

grilled squid with green papaya, sour & spicy hibiscus dressing, peanuts, fine herbs and lime pesto with a shot of Thai Rebujito

Galician grilled octopus, tomatillo and green apple mole with creamy yuzu potato bonbons

Pekinese dumplings, strawberry hoisin, Ali-oli and pickles

NYC – 3/25/17 – Marea & Momofuku Nishi

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Marea
So many years later still a standby and one of my favorite midtown lunch stops.  It is a bit scary to think about how much of the fusilli I have eaten in my lifetime!


polipo – grilled octopus, smoked potatoes, pickled red onion, radish, chilies, tonnato

fusilli – durum wheat pasta, red wine braised octopus, bone marrow

sorbet



Momofuku Nishi
If only I could now transport Nishi to my new neighborhood on the west coast.  It quickly became one of my favorites in NYC.  Service has often been spotty and on this particular visit it took me an entire course to get our server’s attention to order another drink.  But the food somehow always trumps the less than perfect service and I continue to return. Plus finding a penicillin on a cocktail list is reason enough to visit.

penicillin

diver scallops – shio kombu, tiger’s milk, cucumber

romaine – walnut bagna cauda

beets & avocado – shiro shoya, quinoa, chia seeds

squash pancake & onion vinegar

roasted pork – brussels sprouts, barley miso

pound cake

NYC – 3/22/17 – Kristian Baumann x Chef’s Club

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In a different setting I think I would have enjoyed this dinner so much more.  Its completely personal preference but for some reason Chef’s Club just didn’t work for me even though I quite like the space.  I also think its difficult to have these dinners in the main dining room.  But still fantastic to have Kristian Baumann in NYC.

little neck claims, rosehip seed oil, salted gooseberries, seaweed

California spot prawn

brown beech mushrooms, fresh goats milk cheese


grilled & glazed squab, nashi pears, arugula, blackberries



rausu combo ice cream, toasted barley, blackcurrant wood oil

NYC – 3/18/17 – n’eat

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I have almost blocked it out but of course chose an incredibly cold day to trek far away from the subway to 2nd Avenue.    You have to order a fair number of dishes at n’eat to make a whole meal however it would be a great stop for pre-dinner snacks with more regularity.  I could have eaten several orders of the buckwheat toast and the duck heart tartare was absolutely fantastic.

buckwheat toast, crimini, aged cabot clothbound cheddar

spicy duck heart tartare, huckleberry, almonds

potato pancake, salt pork, pear marmalade

grilled prawns, Myer lemon, chili, egg yolk jam

NYC – 3/7/17 – Loring Place

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I loved everything about the food at Loring Place except perhaps the pizza crust, but then there are few that I do like.  However as is the downfall of many restaurants, too many plates were brought at once and they barely fit on the table.  While I have list of dining pet peeves, this one is so irksome because there is just no need for it to happen.  Chef Kluger clearly has the experience to manage pacing of the kitchen. You know how big your dishes are and how large my table was, so at what point do you just tell the customer that they have ordered too much food?  And if you know as a server that the kitchen is going to send everything at once, warn me and don’t make me place my entire order at once.


butternut “fries” with lemon-parmesan dressing

leeks & pears with walnuts, yogurt and sherry vinaigrette

fluke crudo with citrus, chilies and radishes

wood grilled broccoli salad, orange, pistachios and mint

portobello mushroom pizza, ricotta, mozzarella, cherry peppers and oregano

Orlando – 3/4/17 – Ravenous Pig

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So happy to find another excellent stop on the pre-conceived culinary wasteland of Orlando.  A great salad and one of the best steak frites I have had in recent memory.

Farmer salad – baby kale, house bacon, brioche croutons, Parmesan, soft boiled egg, Caesar vinaigrette

Steak frites – porcini marinated ny strip, truffle fries, a2 steak sauce

Orlando – 3/3/17 – the Rusty Spoon & Hanson’s Shoe Repair

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The Rusty Spoon
Going to Orlando for a convention may be my worst nightmare. While there are chains that are passable in a pinch near the convention center, I just couldn’t do it for more than just lunch. While downtown Orlando is a bit young and clubby at night, there are great finds such as the Rusty Spoon. I did have to chuckle when our server asked if we knew the carpaccio was raw. Perhaps a bit ahead of its time for the Orlando market!

carpaccio – pepper crusted tenderloin of beef, prezzemolo, crispy capers, pickled things & greens

charred squid and octopus – hammock hollow romanesco, sweet potato, arugula, preserved lemon, oil-cured olives & crispy chorizo

a special

handcutt fettuccine nero – charred squid steak alla diavola with local fresno chili, sweet peppers, broccolini & light tomato ragu

Hanson’s Shoe Repair
I am a sucker for a bar with a hidden entrance and a password is even better. We may have walked the block a time or two looking for the address then finally ducked into a bar to ask where Hanson’s was. We were in the right place and after heading upstairs and giving the password to the doorman went back to the downstairs bar to await entry. Drinks at both bars were fantastic and I only regretted not taking Uber there!

NYC – 2/27/17 – Isaac Toups @ Tasting Table Test Kitchen

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I have always loved the guys chef dinners at the Tasting Table test kitchen although it was certainly easier to get reservations years ago.  Isaac Toups is one of my favorites in New Orleans and he brought some great crawfish dishes to NYC.

crawfish roll, brioche, celery hearts, citrus

crawfish bisque, stuffed crawfish heads

Louisiana crawfish pie, potato puree, herb salad

cinnamon and blood orange “Mardi Gras” hand pie

NYC – 2/26/17 – ALT x Atoboy

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The trio of Laurent Gras, Alex Leonard and Tim Dornon, have been doing a series of pop-up dinners in NYC restaurants and have coined the endeavor ALT based on their first initials.  This particular installment was at Atoboy and the menu titled “La Riviera.” This menu was highs and lows with not much middle ground.  The crudo was beautiful and delicious and the nougat one of my favorite desserts in recent history.  But the steamed grains were bland and as if they were missing a multitude of ingredients and the much of the feet, neck and tripe dish I couldn’t even chew.  This was also one of the few times that I was starving after dinner and actually needed second dinner.

soupe de poisson a la niçoise, rouille a l’oursin – saffron fish soup, sea urchin’s rouille

fish crudo, lemon, olive oil, basil

steamed wheat & barley, fermented vegetables with olives

lamb feet, neck, tripe

almond milk, sea salt

frozen nougat

Chicago – 2/24/17 – Au Cheval, Milk Room, and Quiote

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Au Cheval
Twice in a week and I don’t live in Chicago. I think I have a problem!

Milk Room
I had been wanting to check out Milk Room, coffee bar by day/spirits by night, since it opened but never planned far enough in advance for a reservation. While perhaps cost prohibitive to visit with any regularity, anyone who appreciates the unique and hard-to-find should love Milk Bar.  And with only a few seats you will get plenty of time to chat spirits with the knowledgeable staff.


Quixote
Yet another excellent addition to the Chicago dining scene for 2017.  We enjoyed some tasty mezcal based cocktails in the basement bar before dinner which is worth going early or staying late to visit.  The avocado salad may not look like much but I could eat it everyday and I somehow forgot how much I enjoyed this bone marrow dish until going though the photos.  Thank you for the excellent hospitality Daniel D!

quesillo y jamon – country ham, queso Oaxaca, escabeche

aguachile – hamachi, pomegranate, walnut, habanero, mint

avocado salad – brussel sprouts, lemon, tomatillo, quinoa

pork collar – pasilla, pinto beans, gem lettuce

bone marrow – avocado, salsa macha, sourdough

chorizo verde – potato, raisin, poblano

Chicago – 2/18/17 – Next Ancient Rome

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I admittedly was prepared to dislike this menu based on the report of a dear friend whose visit predated mine.  There have been a few Next menus that have been somewhat polarizing and this seems to be one of them.  My expectations were greatly exceeded and I found myself enjoying the theme much more than I thought I would.  With the Roman Cookery book it all made more sense.  And it did not hurt to be dining with the best man in my life, my dad, who is still up on his Latin.


vinum ex atro candidum facies (honey, cabbage, apple, grape)

herbal rusticae (melon, herbs, liquamen)

cuminatum in ostrea et conchylia (kamut pancake, oyster, pomegranate)
isicia ex sphondylis (mussels, saffron, lardo)
patinam de rosis (rose, white asparagus, rosemary)
aliter tubera elixas et asperso sale gusti de cucurbitis (beets, black truffle, chicken skin)


pisam coques (smoked mascarpone, beans, mackerel)

panem (beef fat, poppy & fennel seed)

isicia de sculls vel de cammeris amplis (shrimp, olives, walnut)

aliter porros (leek, cabbage, butternut squash)

pullus farsilis (quali, spelt, lovage)

embalm in cervinam assam (venison, chestnut, laurel)

sales conduits ad multa (oxtail, turnip, horseradish)

aliter car duos (artichoke, carob, citrus)

gaius octavos gustan de praecoquis (goat cheese, honey, fennel)

domum felix (mastic, taffy, lavender)