Foodie in Denial

Smorgasborg

2011-11-16T18:27:00.000-06:00

We went a little nuts with Smorgasborg in Brooklyn. The Bearded One and Big Baby were in town for a visit from The Windy City.

There was a deal on Gilt City where we got vouchers, and we went and got seven, which translated into 35 "entrees" plus a healthy smattering of drinks and appetizers.

We had maybe a dozen plus people join us, whereupon we split into teams and "attacked" the stands.

Standouts include:
- blood orange donut
- maple glazed bacon sticks

Sadly no pictures. They came later when my fingers were too greasy and my mind too slow from the rapidly rising food coma to snap some shots.

Haewoondae Korean Restaurant

2011-11-16T17:56:00.000-06:00

After a truly bizarre afternoon watching gangly-legged college kids bash into each other at the Quidditch World Cup, our trip courtesy of the Pesky Pescatarian's obsession with all things Harry Potter, the Bastard Consultant and I abandoned the PP and headed to Queens in search of some meat.

Soon before departing however, we did see a spectacular sunset from our vantage point on Randall's Island.

We landed in Haewoondae, drawn by a quick web search that promised ox tongue BBQ, and chigae with tripe. We opted to just go with the ox tongue as the Bastard Consultant had been craving some Al Chigae, or spicy cod roe stew. Even if dining companions claim you can order whatever you want, it's really not that east to order pig's feet, tripe, sweetbreads, and cod roe stew amongst those of the more traditionally-inclined palate. I love a good bubbling pot of Al Chigae and was happy to oblige.

The ox tongue had a surprisingly meaty flavor and was quite nice dipped in an addictive salt, pepper, and sesame oil sauce. The roe in the chigae wasn't the best we have had, nor the worst, but the overall flavor of the stew was quite nice.

We saw other diners order big bubbling pans filled with noodles, kimchee, tofu and other tantalizing items. I hope I can come back soon with a large group to try them.

Haewoondae, 7532 Broadway, Elmhurst, NY

Elmhurst, Dumpling House

2011-11-13T16:36:00.001-06:00

Swung by this spot on way to check out Chao Thai. Insides not so good, but the skin was quite nice.

Ahhhh... ramen

2011-06-19T18:14:00.000-05:00

It may feel like 90 degrees in New York, but it's been more than a year since I have had Ippudo, and I needed to get my fix. For a moment, a dallied with the possibility of ordering a cold noodle that was on special, but instead I got a spicy ramen and order the extra serving of noodles when I went through what was in the bowl. A pint of icy Kirin helped cool me down too!

Ippudo, NY, NY

Crisp: Korean Fried Chicken

2011-06-01T15:42:00.001-05:00

I don't know. If I were desperate it would do in a pinch, but it doesn't quit hit the spot on the head.

Chicago does KFC: Korean fried chicken at Crisp, where their burritos don't have kimchee and that should tell you something. The wings are quite good, but don't have quit the crispy snap in skin that Mad For Chicken boasts. Also, they fry whole wings, and the wings are a bit big.

I really like the setup with unadorned benches adorned by rolls of brown paper towels and bottles of sriracha.

Crisp, Chicago, IL

More TAC Quick

2011-06-01T15:31:00.000-05:00

Okay, let me just make it clear that I like Sripraphai in New York more than I like TAC, but in Chicago, I find myself continually drawn to the place, probably due in large part to their fantastic green papaya salads, with which I am wholly obsessed.

Two new dishes I tried there recently. Som Tom Tod is green papaya salad, except the restaurant fries the green papaya slivers in a tempura-like batter. Not health food, but a nice twist on a classic. Made for a great lunch with a bowl of sticky rice.

The other dish is a variation on classic Pad Thai, except the noodles are vermicelli, my guess based on a green bean flour. Then the whole thing is encased in a thin omelet crepe.

TAC Quick, Chicago, IL

Publican

2011-06-01T15:07:00.000-05:00

I have talked about Publican before, but we tried a few new dishes.

Pork rilletes were quite nice, as was the spring salad with farro.

The sweetbreads were not particularly notable, aside from perfectly prepared Jerusalem artichokes that really does evoke the memory of its prickly moniker.

The french fries topped with fried egg was lovely as always. Utterly addictive and tantalizingly sinful.

A cassoulet type dish was wonderful, with pearly couscous? nestled in a savory broth.

The crudo was unremarkable: not bad, but it didn't make eyes widen with surprise.

Publican, Chicago, IL

Nuevo Leon

2011-06-01T14:21:00.000-05:00

Oh boy, I still have a backlog of posts, but I have spent the past few days detoxing from the prior gluttony.

On Day 1 of food crawls, we hit up Nuevo Leon, where a friend, who has yet to have a name, discovered horchata for the first time. Pesky Pescatarian watched the loss of virginity unfold and declared the experience akin to a teenage boy discovering sex for the first time: my friend was stunned and could only think about having more.

Personally, I was more smitten with the barbacoa, which was tender, fatty, and flavorful. I would tease away a few strands of meat with my fork and let the flavor sit in my mouth, savoring the experience.

Nuevo Leon, 1515 W. 18th, Chicago, IL

Han Bat

2011-05-20T19:42:00.000-05:00

Crossed the river to get some throat soothing Sol Long Tang. Warm, hearty oxtail soup hits the spot.

Han Bat, 2723B Lawrence Ave., Chicago, IL

Money Bag pic

2011-05-20T18:53:00.001-05:00

Money Bag

2011-05-20T18:51:00.001-05:00

We've been funding our food crawl via a communal money bag that we all chipped money into. Genius. It relieves a lot of stress associated with having to keep track of who has paid and such.

And it makes us feel like illicit small time drug lords.

God Crack

2011-05-20T18:42:00.001-05:00

In between Dawali and the Pupuseria, we passed a Mexican grocery store, swung in and grabbed a quarter pound of carnitas, with heavy emphasis on the gelatinous flavorful skin. Not as good as the god crack sold near Urban Belly, but it still hit the spot.

Pupuseria y Restaurante Cuscatleco

2011-05-20T18:39:00.001-05:00

We tried three types of pupusas, all in a corn shell:

- queso
- loroco
- queso y chicharron

You top them with this vinegary cabbage slaw called curtido.

The smell of the pupusas, the freshly griddled corn batter was wonderful. The taste didn't really pop, perhaps because we've already had so much rich food. The loroco was the favorite.

We also tried some new drinks:
- Granadilla or Maracuya: a passionfruit drink, which smells really good and has a nice fresh taste
-Banana Tropical de Honduras, tastes like those orange fluffy circus peanuts

Pupuseria y Restaurante Cuscatleco, 3125 W. Lawrence, Chicago, IL

Jaafer Sweets

2011-05-20T17:29:00.001-05:00

Returned to Jaafer for some sweets. The proprietor was extremely generous, reheating the sweet cheese and phyllo custard, offering us drinks and giving us a lot of personal attention.

Jaafer Sweets, 4825 N. Kedzie, Chicago, IL

Salam Restaurant

2011-05-20T16:37:00.001-05:00

Quick stop for hummus and pickles.

We also got foul, which is made with fava beans. The foul is not so good.

The hummus was AMAZING, so smooth with some bright lemon juice. The pickles were disappointing but others disagree, there was a strong affinity for the hot pink turnips.

Salam, 4634-36 N. Kedzie Ave., Chicago, IL

Sanabel

2011-05-20T15:38:00.000-05:00

The proprietress was an extremely kind and generous. She had her worker give us exactly the amount of bread and pie we wanted, reheat it and slice it.

Zatter bread: fresh dough topped with zatter, sesame and oil

Spinach Pie:

Sanabel, 4213 Kedzie, Chicago, IL

D'Candela Restaurant

2011-05-20T14:50:00.000-05:00

Chicha Morada: traditional homemade Peruvian drink made of purple corn

Pollo a las Brasas with papas fritas and fried plantains

Jalea Mixta: deep fried fish, shrimp, squid topped with onions in lime juice. Served with corn and fried yucca. Super good with this spicy sauce they had on the table.

Alfajor: cookie with dulce de leche sandwiched in the middle

D'Candela, 4053 N. Kedzie Ave., Chicago

Crisp

2011-05-13T21:20:00.000-05:00

Headed to a Korean fried chicken place. Good, but Bon Chon/aka Mad For Chicken still blows it out of the water.

And their Korean burritos don't have kim chee in them! Fail.

But I would go back. Me. FID. Desperate for KFC: Korean Fried Chicken.

Crisp, 2940 North Broadway, Chicago, IL

Balsan

2011-05-03T14:28:00.000-05:00

Dinner with Big Baby at Balsan last night, which is situated in a the beautiful Elysian Hotel.

- Agnolotti with ricotta, English peas, tarragon: very rich and buttery, dense pillows of bright green pea filling

- Tete de Cochon with arugula, artichoke, lemon oil: very nice, fatty and tender

- Charcuterie of house made duck terrine and pork terrine: both very nice with a great in-house spicy mustard. Not on same level as Bar Boulud, but would order again, particularly liked look of duck terrine.

- French fries fried in beef fat: very addictive

- Steak Tartare with quail egg, grilled sourdough drizzled with oil and cornichon: way too salty, disappointment of night. Original sourdough tasted a bit stale, like it had been frozen and reconstituted, and had been grilled awhile ago. Asked for freshly grilled bread, which helped moderately. Oil made bread too rich and masked steak tartare. Pieces of the meat were chewy. Disappointing enough to make me feel hesitant about the restaurant overall. And why is something cold served in a Staub dish?

- Profiteroles with pistachio ice cream: quite nice

- Meyer lemon tart: surprise winner and I loved the bright puckerish sweetness

Balsan, 11 East Walton, Chicago, IL

Las Culebrinas

2011-04-28T11:16:00.000-05:00

Landed in Miami and headed straight to the closest Cuban that Chowhounders would endorse.

The warm toasted soft bread loaves with the garlic butter were utterly addictive.

Split a Frituras Canarias (fried seafood) and a pork tenderloin stuffed with fufu (mashed sweet and green plaintains).

The seafood wasn't that special but fried decently well. The tomato sauce seemed pretty standard. The pork was good and the fufu hearty. The rice and beans just standard.

Las Culebrinas, 4700 W. Flagler, Miami, FL

India House

2011-04-21T12:30:00.000-05:00

In a rookie move, I ate Indian buffet for lunch before a big ole' meal of Thai at Aroy Thai.

India House is in River North, and a bit pricey, but my Indian classmates declare it one of the better Indian joints in the area.

Aside from the achar, I'd rather hop in a car and go to Devon for my Indian eats.

The achar, a puckeringly, eye-squintingly sour pickle, however, was fantastic. I kept eating it until I felt like my stomach was curdling, and then I ate a little more.

India House, 59 W. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL

TAC Som Tom Tod

2011-04-21T12:26:00.001-05:00

Special at TAC. Essentially regular green papaya salad, but they fried the green papaya strips first.

TAC really likes frying crap. They are good at it. Light and crispy, not greasy. This was good, primarily because of the delicious Som Tom sauce that I drizzled over my sticky rice. I still prefer my Som Tom straight up.

TAC Quick, off Sheridan stop on Red Line, Chicago

Sunday Dinner Sandwiches

2011-04-21T12:22:00.000-05:00

A few months ago I dubbed myself a genius when I piled shredded roasted turkey soaked in gravy atop hamburger buns and dolloped some cranberry chutney on top.

I like the idea of Sunday dinner as an open faced sandwich. This time I roasted chicken thighs atop new potatoes. Pat chicken dry, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Halve potatoes lengthwise, cover bottom of oven-safe pan with potatoes, put chicken thighs atop. Roast for 30 minutes at 450 degrees.

Then eat five pieces of crispy chicken skin alone in your kitchen and consider having a heart attack, but delay that plan for fear of embarrassment when paramedics find your grease stained cheeks.

Drain fat from potatoes and pan. Rough mash potatoes with some whole milk. Make a gravy from pan drippings. I threw in some frozen cubes of concentrated chicken stock, scraped up browned bits in pan, threw in flour to make roux, whisked vigorously, then added some homemade chicken stock, reduced, and seasoned with salt and pepper. Pour gravy over chicken.

Toast hamburger buns. Use circle cutter to take off edges. Top with mashed potatoes, then chicken, then sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Uva Trattoria

2011-04-15T06:31:00.001-05:00

I don't know what keeps me ordering breakfast pizzas. This one I ordered for dinner, at a spot in Napa. Fail. Same problem. The pizza had not been cooked long enough, and the crust was floppy.

Uva Trattoria, 1040 Clinton St., Napa, CA

Ulah Bistro

2011-04-14T15:47:00.000-05:00

I was less of a fan of Ulah Bistro, where my breakfast pizza was undercooked, the dough still floppy and lacking the crispness I seek.

Ulah Bistro, 1214 U Street NW, Washington DC

Vinoteca

2011-04-14T15:44:00.001-05:00

A visit to a friend in DC landed us at Vinoteca, a great place to share wine, conversation, and charcuterie.

Vinoteca Wine Bar, 1940 11th Street NW, Washington DC

Sik Gaek

2011-04-14T15:37:00.000-05:00

Sik Gaek hit the map when Anthony Bourdain visited and tried the live octopus. It's not really alive in the sense that the head is gone, and it's just the tentacles still moving, but it still gives one the heebie jeebies to watch.

The restaurant gets the octopus from Korea, and apparently October is the best season for them.

Sik Gaek, Queens, NY

Beer Tasting

2011-04-14T15:28:00.000-05:00

I have long lost my notes and post draft for this beer tasting event, but I wanted to share pictures of the food that accompanied each beer.

Pastoral Cheese Tasting Event

2011-04-14T15:24:00.001-05:00

Pastoral

2011-04-14T15:23:00.001-05:00

Sandwich with Jamon Serrano, Blue cheese! Fig jam. The bread was too floury and a little stale, but the insides were fantastic.

Pastoral, 53 E. Lake St., Chicago, IL

Hog Island Oysters

2011-04-14T13:57:00.001-05:00

When I was in the Napa/Sonoma region, we stopped and got a half dozen Hog Island Sweetwaters as a point of comparison because we were going to check out Tomales Bay Oyster Co. the same weekend.

I usually go to Hog Island, but the Tomales Bay oysters hold up fine to the Sweetwater. If one wants Kumamotos, then it still makes sense to go to Hog Island. Otherwise, Tomales Bay is cheaper, has a lot of space, and has less yuppie-pretention.

Chinese New Year Part 2

2011-04-10T15:49:00.001-05:00

A few more dishes.

The Peking Duck was the best thing and not part of the set menu. Some of the dishes were undercooked, perhaps due to our party size: over 70. The owner's daughter had gotten me excited about the tofu dishes, but they were unexceptional.

The fatty pork decent, and I liked the dried oysters and "hair".

Chinese New Year

2011-04-10T15:40:00.000-05:00

Oh boy these are long overdue. Chinese New Year's dinner at Sun Wah BBQ in Chicago, IL

Food Coma

2011-04-10T15:29:00.000-05:00

Properly prepared hash browns are unappreciated. I could have happily had a plate of these.

Prune in New York also does a very fine job with the humble potato.

Fish Tacos!!!

2011-04-10T15:23:00.001-05:00

Oh yes baby, my trip to Southern California is complete because I had some mighty fine fish tacos. Fish fried, not grilled thank you very much.

Never mind that I came to the region to attend the wedding of a very dear friend. Never mind that I got to see loved college buddies. Never mind that consuming the tacos may have contributed to stretching the seams of my Narcisco Rodriguez dress, and it is highly questionable whether that sheath can ever make an appearance again.

I fit in the dress before lunch, but I looked pregnant afterwards. Only some careful yet energetic shimmying got the pink and white affair up over the hips and zipped up, and it was all very much worth it.

Those tacos were good. I may dream about them tonight.

(Near the Hilton Waterfront Beach Hotel in Huntington Beach, CA)

Proper Egg Salad

2011-04-10T15:15:00.001-05:00

Had a quick lunch near my friend's work in Pasadena. Ordered a beautiful egg salad sandwich with perfectly cooked eggs, yolks with a touch of runny in the center, roughly chopped, simply dressed but with a hearty dollops of mayonnaise, over toasted dried cranberry bread.

Aires de Peru - Part 2

2011-04-10T15:12:00.001-05:00

Oops, here is the picture of the lomo saltado.

Aires de Peru

2011-04-10T15:02:00.000-05:00

Local Peruvian restaurant in Anaheim. Not the best, but the lomo saltado was decent.

Inca Kola tasted like Bubblicious.

The arroz in the arroz con pollo was mealy, the chicken unexceptional.

The fried calamari in the seafood dish was delicious.

The empanadas decent but not noteworthy.

The potatoes in cheasy cream sauce rich and made even a fat-loving lass pause and worry for her arteries.

Birrieria Zaragoza

2011-04-07T18:42:00.000-05:00

A small unassuming restaurant in Archer Heights has a well-deserved spot on the top of Yelp! Chicago restaurant listings. I am a Yelp! skeptic, and when I first heard praises of the establishment by someone who wound up at the restaurant via Yelp!, my biased pigheadedness made me dismissive, but then a foodie friend I trust spoke glowingly of his own visit, which piqued my interest.

Finally visited the restaurant and had a wonderful time. The owner's congenial son mans the kitchen, and by taking seats at the bar, we were able to chat with him and learn a lot. The goat is steamed for several hours, then slathered with mole before roasting. Out comes beautifully flavorful meat, falling off the bone, that the chef chops up and places a mix of choice bits on your plate. Then he ladles a wonderfully rich and aromatic vegetable consomme over the goat. Paired with homemade tortillas and some spicy salsa, lunch was bliss.

The style of the goat (or birria) is Birria Tatemada, and the owner frequently returns to Mexico to get ideas for recipe tweaks. The restaurant sticks to what it is good at: birria, tortillas, salsa, and the vegetable consomme. Vegetarians have come for Mexican grilled cheese and tomato soup: the tortillas and consomme, and left more than satisfied, but I still grieve for what they are missing.

The restaurant barely seats 16-20, so they have opened an overfill dining room next door for weekends, when families tend to come for a good meal. The son will be serving as guest chef at a food truck in Evanston in early May. He is still finalizing the menu he'd like to serve.

The best part was when the son served the Bearded One choice bits of goat meat with a nice bark, still sizzling, as it had just come from the oven, in a bowl and then he ladled a generous amount of consomme over the whole affair. I got pieces of bone with marrow to suck and fatty bits of meat to savor.

When I heard about the special dish I was about to receive, I involuntarily licked my lips in anticipation.

Birrieria Zaragoza, 4852 S Pulaski Rd, (between 48th St & 49th St),
Chicago, IL

Seoul: Noryangjin Fish Market: Part 1

2011-04-04T16:09:00.000-05:00

The next day was one of the highlights of the trip. We went to Noryangjin Fish Market, a sprawling warehouse packed with vendors. It looked like the fisherman had plundered the riches of the ocean and brought them to Seoul for our gluttonous delectation. I am posting pictures in parts.

Seoul: Korean BBQ

2011-03-29T03:18:00.001-05:00

That evening I met up with my high school friend, who is now working in Seoul. We ended up in Myeongdong again as that was the most convenient place to meet.

My friend chose a pretty nice place, and it was nice to see all the banchan loaded up on the table.

We opted to get beef, and he ordered something that I suspect was some sort of Kobe, it was so beautifully marbled. Sorry, I forgot to take a picture.

Knowing that I love chigae, he got one that was creamy because it was made with some sort of pureed bean.

Seoul: Namdaemun

2011-03-29T02:38:00.000-05:00

Oops, I forgot to post the pictures!

At the end of the street, there were some stalls selling snack food and we picked up these stuffed little pancakes that were filled with a sweet paste.

Myeongdong continued

2011-03-29T02:36:00.002-05:00

One of the benefits of an excessive amount of graduate education is getting Spring Break. One of the downsides is having to study for final exams when you are thirty.

But we are focusing on the positive today. For Spring Break I went to Seou, Guangzhou and Beijing. Originally, it was supposed to be Seoul and Tokyo, but the tsunami forced us to rearrange things a little.

We were pretty groggy the first night we arrived, so we decided to just walk the boisterous streets of Myeongdong. It was nighttime when we arrived, and there were a good number of street vendors plying their wares. I cared less about the earrings and scarves and handbags, but I did care about the things on a stick bubbling or sizzling away.

First up, we tried some fish sticks. Literally, fish paste molded onto a stick and deep fried. I'll post a video later of them making the fish sticks. These actually weren't so good. A bit mushy.

Then we had some gyoza that was topped by a cold slaw and drizzled with some hot sauce. Delightful.

Some barbecued chicken skewers were a bit on the sweet side. The proprietors had laid down old flattened cardboard boxes around the stall, so that we could eat the skewers, sauce dripping, without dirtying the streets excessively.

Then we spied an old man tossing chestnuts over a charcoal flame. We picked up a bag of those (sadly undercooked) and some thinly sliced dried octopus tentacles that the man reheated on his little wok. These were wonderful, and as we slowly chewed the sweet octopus meat, we surveyed the flashing lights and hipster Seoul-styles.

Seoul: Namdaemun

2011-03-29T02:36:00.001-05:00

One of the benefits of an excessive amount of graduate education is getting Spring Break. One of the downsides is having to study for final exams when you are thirty.

First up, we tried some fish sticks. Literally, fish paste molded onto a stick and deep fried. I'll post a video later of them making the fish sticks. These actually weren't so good. A bit mushy.

Then we had some gyoza that was topped by a cold slaw and drizzled with some hot sauce. Delightful.

Myeongdong

2011-03-29T02:11:00.001-05:00

One of the benefits of an excessive amount of graduate education is getting Spring Break. One of the downsides is having to study for final exams when you are thirty.

First up, we tried some fish sticks. Literally, fish paste molded onto a stick and deep fried. I'll post a video later of them making the fish sticks. These actually weren't so good. A bit mushy.

Then we had some gyoza that was topped by a cold slaw and drizzled with some hot sauce. Delightful.

Return to the Purple Pig

2011-03-18T16:09:00.001-05:00

I love the Purple Pig. Popped by the restaurant this week and insisted on ordering the dish with the fried pig's ear and fried egg.

I also tried a new salad, the sunchokes in this one drew me in. A dish with morcilla, a type of blood sausage was nice, but not as rich and creamy as the French-style boudin Noir at DBGB.

For dessert, in addition to the Iris, we got the lemon panna cotta with some pistachios sprinkled on top. It was nice and light (well, it tasted light, even though I know full well it is anything but light).

Purple Pig, 500 North Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL

grahamwich

2011-03-18T15:14:00.001-05:00

Waiting in bureaucratic lines can be demoralizing, and after a morning spent under flickering fluorescent lights, in order to get a visa for a last-minute trip change, I craved a pick-me-up.

While waiting, I had begun craving my usual indulgence desire: fried chicken, but after I finished submitting my passport and started heading home, I passed by a yuppie-looking sandwich join that reminded me of 'wichcraft, and I popped in for a splurge of a lunch.

grahamwich doesn't appear to have any sandwiches involvinh graham crackers. Instead, according to the take-away menu, it's grahamwich, "by graham elliot". Fancy.

I ordered the banh mi, which had pork belly, roasted pineapple, daikon slaw, shiitake mushrooms on a French baguette. Then I opted for g'wich popcorn, which had grated parmesan, chopped chives, sea salt, cracked pepper, and truffle oil. It was a bit heavy on the parmesan, and the truffle tasted slightly artificial, so I wish I had gotten the g'wich chips instead, which are Yukon potatoes with fresh herbs, bacon bits, cheddar cheese, and ranch powder. For soda, I got the orange ginger, which arrived in an eco-friendly plastic cup. I think it was one of those biodegradable plastic. The whole she-bang had run me $19.98, which is pretty steep.

Perched on a stool, munching on my gourmet popcorn, I forgot that I was a student with disheveled hair, and rocking a North Face jacket over a sweatshirt, and pretended that I was my former adult self in patent leather buckled heels and having my yuppie lunch.

grahamwich, 615 N. State St., Chicago. IL

Chizakaya

2011-03-17T14:32:00.000-05:00

The Bearded One and I, after much talk and little action, finally met up for dinner one night, whereupon he gifted me with a loaf of fresh homemade sourdough. Boy oh boy am I a lucky chickabee. The Bearded One has also been known to win my affection with a surprise jar of duck fat too. Uh-ah, he's my friend, and you can't have him. I'm not sharing.

First, some grilled smelt. I would have preferred more char on these, as they were a bit more limp than I would have liked.

Then some crispy pork belly and gently poached egg. The restaurant really felt compelled to live up to the "crispy" description, and overdid it in this lass's opinion. The egg was divine, and I loved sopping it around the delicate soy broth.

Then a disappointing hamachi crudo with a barely discernible addition of bone marrow. It also had some flash fried garlic that sometimes overpowered the fish and umeboshi. The fish was warmer than we would have preferred as well.

Chicken skin yakitori were fantastic. As were some duck hearts and chicken gizzards.

The baby octopus was interesting, but not terribly eye-opening.

Shishito peppers with dancing bonito flakes are always fun and easy.

Wagyu cheek was lovely as well.

The hamachi collar was the big winner of the night, as we sighed and savored the rich, oily fish.

The fried pigs ears were too crispy and a disappointment, as The Bearded One had predicted. It was really bar food.

Finally a bowl of hot ramen cooled my sore throat and served as our final hurrah to the meal.

Over the course of the evening we tried a few cocktails:

- Bob Harris with Cynar, Old Overholt Rye, Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth, Bittercube Blackstrap Bitters

- our favorite of the evening, Yasaka Shrine with Yamazaki 12 year., Lmeon, Ginger-Honey Syrup, Angostura Bitters

- Rakushisha with Old Weller Bourbon, Persimmon Syrup, Lemon Juice, Bittercube Bittersweet Bolivar bitters

Chizakaya, 3056 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL

TAC Quick

2011-03-15T11:37:00.000-05:00

Oh the pain, the pain. Well worth it, but oh mah stomach. Ordering 6 dishes for 2 people will seriously make a lass feel fat.

First up, the pork neck dish that is on neither the regular menu or the secret menu, but which I now realize I have been seriously, abhorrently remiss in failing to order it in my previous trips to the restaurant. Charred, savory, and fatty, if one eats pork, one really must order it.

Then my beloved green papaya salad with the salted crab, whose shells require some dexterity and controlled enthusiasm.

The Issan sausage was fine, my friend loved it, but I need to point him to Aroy because I think it is better there.

Then a beef salad, which while good was a pale shadow to the glory of the pork neck.

Then a rich, soupy noodle, whose flavor profile reminded me more of Thai or Chinese dishes, and which we failed to finish. My dinner companion managed to go home with some mighty fine leftovers.

Finally, in a fit of ordering frenzy, I went and ordered the Crispy on Choy, and when it arrived, we eyed it like we were about to summit Kilimanjaro. After some limp jabs with our forks, we declared ourselves defeated and trudged home, sated, more than a little uncomfortable, but very happy.

TAC Quick, 3930 North Sheridan, Chicago, IL

Aroy Thai

2011-03-15T11:03:00.000-05:00

After a few great meals at TAC Quick, decided it was time to try a new Thai spot. Jumped on the brown line and headed to Aroy Thai.

I always like to get a green papaya salad to test a Thai restaurant, and I am utterly obsessed with the dish. The one at Aroy is better than at most restaurants, but not as good as the one at TAC Quick.

Then a Tom Yum soup, which did just the trick on a cold night that had slapped us in the face on the way over to the restaurant, reminding us that winter was not toying with us.

Then upon instructions from The Bearded One, who may soon lose the beard as the weather slowly, grudgingly turns, I got the Issan sausage, which was nice, but it's not a dish that I love as much as my salads and curries.

Then, also upon The Bearded One's guidance, a northern-style larb made with offal, which was a bit robust, and I was grateful that the waiter had repeatedly suggested that I eat the larb with the papaya salad and sticky rice.

Finally, my friend got a vermicelli pad thai, which had a lovely slippery sheen and added new mouthfeel to a familiar entree.

Aroy Thai, 4654 North Damen Avenue, Chicago, IL

Maude's Liquor and Bar

2011-03-10T12:35:00.000-06:00

I had a lovely dinner at a French inspired restaurant called Maude's. We started with roasted bone marrow, and I appreciated the ease of access that the split bone provided. I might get the butcher to do that in the future because it seems one could experiment with various flavor combinations more easily with the exposed marrow.

Then we had a light salad to cut the richness of the marrow, followed by a fantastic steak tartare, with good sized chunks of beef and the sous vide egg yolk. Then a beautiful, hearty, and rich cassoulet arrived, and I felt warm and comfortable and content.

Maude's Liquor and Bar, 840 W. Randolph, Chicago, IL

Podhalanka

2011-03-09T12:27:00.000-06:00

If you are ever feeling blue and miss your grandma, the kind of grandma that dons a floral print apron and fusses at you, head over to Podhalanka for some Polish love.

Walking into this restaurant is like walking into someone's home, and a steaming bowl of white borscht will bring welcome relief to your sore throat, incurred over one too many nights of boisterous outings. She'll ladle with a generous intent a rib-sticking savory bigos that upon first spoonful made some of the grown men at our table involuntarily groan with appreciation and absentmindedly pat the thigh of their girlfriend. Then they leaned back and rested their hand on their beating heart.

Not everything at the table generates such eye-widening responses: the potato pancakes were dense and oily, and the potatoes unremarkable, but it's clear that a woman with a generous spirit presides over the stove, and it is none too difficult to take a third helping of her mushroom dumplings.

Podhalanka, 1549 W. Division St., Chicago, IL

Crappy Greek

2011-03-08T11:36:00.000-06:00

I don't usually like to out and out bash a restaurant, largely because I try to do enough due diligence to avoid ending up at a placr that deserves bashing, but I slipped up the other day and went with a friend to The Parthenon. Travelzoo had offered a Groupon-like deal for the restaurant, and in a moment of weakness, the deal wooed my student pocket book and I went.

The most exciting and possibly the most foul thing was the split lamb's head. It was a thrill to see the tongue lolling on the plate, but the whole thing was a shade between gray and brown and really not that fresh, so it had a strong aroma that turned me off.

I don't think it's the dish, but rather poor execution, which is my general complaint fir the restaurant overall. Our octopus appetizer lacked char and swordfish skewers were overcooked.

The restaurant waiters love to flambe, and the tacky practice has left scorch marks on the ceiling. This girl likes a little pyro now and then, but when it is indoors, exercise some discretion my good man.

Luckily my friend and I were in a hurry, as we had to meet up with friends to see "Black Swan," which by the way, seriously messed with my mind, and so our stay at the restaurant was brief.

The Parthenon, 314 S. Halstead, Chicago, IL

Sweet Mama

2011-03-06T14:30:00.000-06:00

I had the most wonderful dinner last night, photos to come as soon as I manage to download the pictures. To give you the sense of how wonderful life can be, let's just say that I had the option this morning of eating foie gras torchon for breakfast, paired with homemade brioche, and perhaps a bit of Brie de Meaux with some homemade porcini ciabatta. All aside from the brie, made by some dear friends.

Granted right now I'm chugging MUG root beer and trying to cram in some studying, so one can also quickly return to the mundane, but I'm grateful for nights like last evening. Nights that make a lass marvel at her good luck in life.

SuperBowl

2011-02-22T16:50:00.000-06:00

This is long overdue. Been running around like a mad woman.

Here's the spread from SuperBowl. After 12+ hours of prep, I think I would have kicked anyone who didn't like the food.

- Mac 'n Cheese with a crispy bread crump topping. Bread crumbs I made from saving Acme and Bouchon baguette from the Napa trip. Couldn't handle letting those beauties hit the compost pile, so I brought them back to Chicago, pulverized the stale suckers and froze the bread crumbs for future use.

- Chili with hot Italian sausage, ground beef and cubes of beef, plus some of my friend's chili powder mix and some ground chipotle chili powder. When the recipe said pour in water, I went and poured in red wine. Sadly though, I didn't realize I had homemade beef stock available, so I ended up using store bought, which nearly gave me a fit, but the chili turned out okay in the end anyways.

- Coleslaw with a peanut-Asian slaw. Definitely need to make this again. It had green and red cabbage, red and yellow bell pepper

- Burgers with Andouille sausage, a sun-dried tomato mayonnaise, slivered roasted bell peppers, red onions caramelized with some balsamic and red wine, and topped with Asiago.

- Buffalo wings with Frank's Hot Sauce. I'm usually in a mild panic frying, and at one point the oil in one pan soared in temperature, and I had visions of burning my friend's apartment down with all our guests in it, but everything turned out okay except for one batch of wings with a bit more char than one would desire.

- Finally, some dense brownies and oatmeal raisin cookies!

I need a break

2011-02-07T08:02:00.000-06:00

It's time for a cooking hiatus. My knuckles and fingers sore, my hands dry and cracked. Starting Tuesday night with the snow blizzard, I started whipping up stuff in the kitchen. First some meaty spaghetti sauce, then some homemade chicken broth reduced and thrown into ice cube trays. Then came some entertaining over the next few days, culminating with a marathon 11 hours in the kitchen to serve 25 people for Superbowl Sunday. This girl is pooped. POOPED I tell you. I feel the need to sink my hands into a vat of shea butter, and then find a manly man with strong hands to give this lass a massage.

Carrot top vinaigrette

2011-02-02T11:26:00.001-06:00

I have been splitting with a friend a CSA box of vegetables and fruits for the last few weeks. Last week we got some carrots complete with tops, and today I whipped up a carrot top vinaigrette. Hmm, what to use it for? Light dressing for the leafy greens we got? Gently sauté the carrots in butter and drizzle with vinaigrette?

It's just some garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, sherry vinegar, olive oil, and kosher salt.

Chimayo

2011-01-31T21:12:00.000-06:00

My apologies for having been increasingly sporadic in posting of late. There has been an exceptional amount of running around feeling like a chicken with its head cut off recently, and hence, my act isn't totally together.

By the way, I applied to write a restaurant review column for the school paper, and the editors rejected me. My pride is wounded, but perhaps you, my dear readers, may agree with the wisdom of that choice.

Okay, let's talk about Chimayo. I found myself in Park City, Utah for a weekend of skiing, and our final dinner was at this Southwestern restaurant. It was definitely a splurge, and while the food was good, I think the establishment is overpriced. Then again, I am not really familiar with the going rate of things in ski resort towns.

We started with a fundido, a relleno, and some fried calamari. Some of you know about my addiction to fried calamari, and this time the order was a success. It came with a lemon aioli and a chipotle aioli, which was reason enough for me to loudly demand my desire that the calamari make the cut for our appetizer choices.

The fundido was a cheesy mess but fun and an easy, communal, non-pretentious starter. I rolled my eyes as three of my dining companions got the willies thinking about the mushrooms in the pot. People, mushrooms are your friends, but if you don't want them, that's just more for me.

I only picked a bit at the relleno because we were sharing the one phallic looking chili amongst the seven at us.

For an entree, I went with the elk, a dish of which our friend repeatedly spoke admiringly. The elk was tender and properly done with a grainy peppercorn crust, but it was this dish that rankled my nerves. A starchy disk stabbed with several fried spaghetti noodles, augmented by a spiked array of simply prepared asparagus is not what I expect from a dish that cleared $40 a plate. I found the stiff noodles offensive and tacky and would have appreciated more thought applies to the accompaniments to the protein component. If the restaurant had been as deft with those vegetables as it has been with the meat, I would be much more eager to whole-heartedly recommend the place.

Spiky fried spaghetti aside, the main components of the other dishes were also well done. Mussels in a creamy broth were plump and tender, suffused by the aromatic liquid. A crab and corn chowder was rich on the palate. A lamb remoulade was cooked medium-rare with a creamy goat cheese and some bright spinach.

And the deluxe margaritas were a lot of fun going down, and we quickly become a boisterous table gabbing happily in a conversation peppered with shocking statements, at one point a dining companion enthusiastically relating about a confused request by her mother at a pharmacy for a dinner plate sized diaphragm. I shan't explain the context of that story more, for there isn't much edifying clarification to offer.

It can be a terror to sit near such a table, when one seeks a civilized environment in which to enjoy one's own meal, but it is an encompassing joy to be immersed in the loud, rambunctious, roiling conversation of new friends suddenly free and intimate.

Chimayo, Park City, Utah

King of Noodles

2011-01-23T21:44:00.000-06:00

For Dumb Kid Brother's birthday we went somewhere super casual to check out some Shanghai-nese soup dumplings that are supposed to be better than our regular go-to place.

- Hand Pulled Noodles

- We each got an order of the soup dumplings.

- Then my parents went nuts. We got chive pancake with vermicelli and scrambled egg.

- Potstickers boiled

- Potstickers pan-fried

- Scallion Pancakes

- Clear flat cold noodles that are supposed to be made from green bean flour, but it wasn't very tasty, so my mom is convinced we got cheated and the noodles weren't made from green beans.

When my family eats, we eat like we've never seen food before and speed is of the essence so that some evil person doesn't take away our vittles before we're done. One feels rather dazed afterwards.

King of Noodles, 1639 Irving St. (b/n 17th and 18th), SF, CA

Napa: Hill Family Estates

2011-01-22T19:20:00.000-06:00

Last stop was at Hill Family Estate, but prior to arriving at this location we passed a fellow who was playing horseshoes with his friend - playing shirtless. Since our driver Larry said hello, I suddenly felt that this established a level of relationship that made me feel comfortable shouting from the open window of an Escalade that shirtless fellow should put his clothes back on. Then I learned that he was a member of the family that owned our next winery and was the driving force behind much of their marketing innovations.

Also later, I learned that his wife sitting in a Jeep parked nearby.

Well, perhaps this is what happens when one drinks enthusiastically at a prior winery to distract oneself at a visit led by a too-conceited tour guide.

We had a lovely tasting platter of prosciutto with some Bouchon baguette and some burrata topped with sea salt and the Hill family's own in-house olive oil.

The front doors we walked through were stained with red wine. Ryan heads up the winery's staining program. They've also stained surfboards and baseballs.

The family has 100 acres spread across several vineyards.

-2009 Sauvignon Blanc ($22)

- 2007 Pinot Noir - Stewart Ranch, aged in French Oak for 14 months. ($38)

- 2006 Origin. One of their top two wines. Every year it is a different bland. It comes from the top 5 vineyards and top 5 lots. The one is a 57 percent Merlot and 43 percent Cabernet. ($42)

Then we learned about the Fender project. Fender 60th anniversary Presidential blend. They made four blends and presented them to the president and let him taste them. For $12,000, a buyer got the guitar and six wines in the Fender amplifier shaped box. It sold out in less than an hour.

- 2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($50)

Napa: Del Dotto

2011-01-22T18:27:00.001-06:00

We signed up for the Cave Experience and Barrel Tasting.

Apparently this place pours with a heavy handn, so I scarfed down three-quarters of an ACME baguette, best bread west of the Mississippi.

We went into a cave first carved 1880s.

-2005 Merlot

Then we started the barrel tastings.

-2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
-2009 Merlot
-2009 Sangiovese
-2008 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena Mtn in a Margaux (French)Oak barrel
- 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena Missouri air-aged for 36 month oak

It was fascinating to taste the difference between the two.

-2009 Cabernet Sauvignon from Vineyard 887

- 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon in Allier Stave French Oak, which exposes the wine to 30 percent more oak. This had less tannin and was easier to drink.

Another comparison between French and American oak:

- 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon with St. Emillion Fouquet-Allier & Troncais French Oaks

- 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Missouri U-Stave Oak

It was illuminating to do the comparison again and get confirmation that the differences between French and American Oak hold between different Cabernet Sauvignon wines.

Then we switched to bottled wine:

-2009 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Héléne Mountain in U-Stave American Oak

Napa: Salvestrin

2011-01-22T16:11:00.000-06:00

The same family has been operating this vineyard since 1932. It is now the 3rd generation working here.

The yellow flowers we had been seeing are wild mustard that serves as green manure. They mow it down into the field when they see the new bud break out, signaling the vine's need for nutrients.

Then we saw hundred-year old vines that pre-dated trellis-application.

-2009 Estate Sauvignon Blanc ($22)

- 2008 Estate Retaggio ($36). This is their version of a Super Tuscan.

-2007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
($55)

Napa: Fontanella Wineries

2011-01-22T14:13:00.000-06:00

It is amazing how willing people are to tell us about their stories. The owners of Fontanella met when Karen met her husband in San Diego at a Jimmy Buffet concert. Jeff had accidentally taken a course in wine making while at UC Davis, while trying to fill prerequisites for a sports medicine major. He had worked at Opus One and was at ZD Wineries when they met. Karen moved up north. Jeff eventually got experience at Saddleback as well, and after years of hard work they were able to purchase a place in Napa.

They are also a custom-crush facility and make 9,000 cases a year, of which 1,800 cases are the Fontanella brand.

They have 26 acres and are getting a permit to plant vineyards. Right now they purchase fruit, and plan to do it in future even after they have grapes from their own vineyard.

If a bottle of wine says it is from Napa, then at least 85 percent of the grapes came from Napa. There are 15 sub-appellations in Napan, and the same rule applies. If you put the sub-appellation on the bottle, then also at least 85 percent of the grapes must come from the sub-appellation.

They are going to start selling in NY, primarily through restaurants.

- 2009 Mt. Veeder Chardonnay ($30). Owner calls it the red-lover Chardonnay, and out friend who prefers red and doesn't generally prefer Chardonnay, but she easily finished her wine.

Then we got to barrel taste a 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon. One came from a vineyard with a lot of shale. The fruit is small, so the wine is really dark.

Turns out half of all the soil types (orders) in the world are in Napa.

Then we got to taste another 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon that will eventually be blended for the final product. This one came from soil that has a lot of volcanic ash. This one will be the backbone of the wine.

Jeff also works as a wine consultant, and will work with clients to make wine. Usually the client needs to commit to at least to 200 cases of wine.

We got to try a wine made from grapes from a vineyard called George III. The grower is Beckstoffer, who apparently is very famous. The aroma was distinctly more appealing than all the other good wines we had been trying this trip. They are selling futures on the wine now, both because it is so coveted and also to manage the timing of the return on the investment.

-2007 Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon ($40). This got a 92 from Wine Spectator.

-2009 Napa Valley Zinfandel ($36)

Napa: O'Brien Estate Winery

2011-01-21T18:30:00.000-06:00

The owners of this winery came to Napa on their 3rd date, and Barb said she'd like to live in the region one day. Bart kept in mind, they married a year later, he worked in IT and had a few successes, which enabled him to purchase this property. They decided to build a portfolio of wines that reflected their relationship.

Each bottle comes with a poem on the back. It's a bit more sentimentality than makes me comfortable, but it's lovely to think of this happy couple and this new project in their lives.

We got an explanation of how the bottling machine works. As someone who likes to watch "How Things Work" this was fun.

The winery's wine club has grown to the point that the estate is ending distribution and transitioning to a private wine club only.

-2009 Impression Sauvignon Blanc

- 2009 Chardonnay - Unoaked and Oaked

-2009 Flirtation Rose of Merlot

-2008 Merlot

-2007 Seduction Bordeaux Blend

Napa: Laird Family Vineyards

2011-01-21T17:37:00.000-06:00

This is a custom-crush facility that will make wine for about 50 smaller vineyards, supporting maybe 60-70 labels.

Lunch was from Michael Chiarello's NapaStyle.

I had a roast chicken sandwich with roasted potato and arugula. I also had a pulled pork sandwich with mostarda di fruta.

The wines are from the Whetstone label:

-2008 Chardonnay Carneros 'El Pajaro ($45)

-2008 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Pleasant Hill Vineyard ($45)

-2008 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Bella Vigna Vineyard ($65)

-2007 Syrah Napa Valley Phoenix Vineyard ($50)

Napa: The Terraces

2011-01-21T15:48:00.000-06:00

A small production, they produce 2,000 cases a year. Two very happy dogs greeted our arrival, and a disinterested gray and white cat eyed us from nearby.

We jumped into a Kawasaki "Mule" and headed off for our tour. The property spans 120 acres, but only approximately 30 acres are in production.

The winery was active pre-Prohibition, but a fire burned down the building and production faltered.

For awhile, the owners instead used the land for Christmas trees, walnuts, and as a rock quarry.

Zinfandel is the primary wine here, and they do a little Cabernet Sauvignon. They also sell a portion of their grapes to other larger wineries.

We passed by a rolling chicken coop, where the fowl where on patrol looking for slugs and roly-poly bugs. That's free-range.

The winery plants a decorative plum try that attracts wasps that prey upon animals that are harmful to the vines.

The owners are also making balsamic. They first make wine, and then turn it into vinegar, using a 1,200 year-old recipe. The balsamic ages for at least a generation in a tiny stone house. The barrels are in different sizes, and each year they take the new batch in the larger barrel and pour it into the older, smaller barrel to top off and refill what has evaporated in the past year. The barrels are made from different woods including acacia, cherry, and juniper pieces in an oak barrel. The tradition is that the balsamic is given to the next generation as a dowry.

We tried a 14-year balsamic in cherry wood barrel that was heady and held an intense flavor that lingered long on the palate. Then we tried a 14-year old with the juniper wood that was less intense and more herbaceous. Acacia makes the balsamic more floral tasting.

The general rule is $0.50 to $1.50 for a milliliter, and that is on the low end!

Ground squirrels are a worrying resident, as they like to tunnel underneath the terraces and eat the vine roots. Then when it rains, it washes out the ground soil.

The tasting:
-2009 Napa Valley Chardonnay. They don't do the malolactic fermentation, so there aren't buttery notes.
-2008 Napa Valley Zinfandel. It was originally planted in the 1870s.
-2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. They only produce 300-400 cases.
-2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Napa: Robert Mondavi

2011-01-21T14:34:00.000-06:00

Oh no! I am a loser and accidentally deleted my blog post before I was done. An abbreviated rewrite follows.

But first, to express my frustration: AuuuuuuGGGGGH!

The Mondavi tour was a great way to start the day. Our guide was a jovial grandfatherly-type with a gift for story-telling. I can easily see him holding a gaggle of young school boys in rapt attention with creeping visions of dark forests and baying hounds.

The winery pays the grape pickers by the hour versus by weight, as some wineries do. It gives the workers an incentive to only harvest the highest quality grapes.

In homage to French tradition, the winery plants rose bushes on premises, as many other wineries do, and the plant serves as a sort of canary in the mine. It is easier to see powdery mildew, otherwise known as odium, on the rose bushes, which indicates to the winery that it needs to spray the bushes with sulfer.

The presence of a beautiful olive tree had me dreaming of a lazy day lounging under the hot Tuscan sun.

It is difficult to express the size of the large oak barrels. One should keep hold of small children when the lids are open and the grapes are pouring in.

Entering the room filled with wine barrels elicited the requisite oohs and ahhs. The winery paints the new French oak barrels with press wine, which is a concentrated wine made from pressing the pulp.

Finally, the tasting:
-2007 Chardonnay Reserve ($40)
-2008 Carneros Pinot Noir ($27)
-2007 Carneros Cabernet Sauvignon ($65)

Beef, Chile and Potato Empanadas

The empanada helped cut the strong tannins in the Cabernet.

Then we did a fun experiment where we smelled the Cabernet in the large glass our guide had poured it in. Next we poured it into the smaller glass that originally held the Chardonnay. This time the aroma was noticeably flatter and the flavor less pronounced.

- 2009 Moscato Duro.

Robert Mondavi, Napa, California

Steak Tartare

2011-01-15T21:47:00.000-06:00

Mmm, quick dinner. Modified from Mark Bittman recipe. Pulse good quality steak, then add egg, Worcestershire sauce, shallots, garlic, mustard powder, Dijon mustard, gherkin, salt and pepper.

With a glass of red wine and toasted bread, I am content.

Time for Pho!

2011-01-14T21:35:00.000-06:00

Just wrapped up a dinner with classmates led by a Vietnames friend, who has been dubbed "The General" for the iron fist with which she ruled our table. She ordered a wonderful assortment of dishes.

Spring Rolls

Bo La Lot: grilled marinated beef wrapped in an aromatic Hawaiiian leaf. I loved this dish, as I love interactive food. You take the rice crepe and reconstitute it in a bowl of hot water. Then one places various aromatic leaves abd some vegetables before topping it with the beef rolls. Wrap the whole thing up and then dip into the vinegar-fish sauce.

Ga Nuong: grilled chicken

Goi Ga: chicken salad

Combination Seafood Hotpot: we had it in multiple stages. First we put all of the fresh seafood into the bubbling seafood broth. Then we added watercress. After the shellfish had cooked, we spooned it into our bowls. Topped with a bit of red chili sauce it was a heartwarming dish for a cold wintry day. Then we added the Napa cabbage, and when it was done, added the noodles to our empty bowls and topped it with the rest of the steaming soup.

There were a lot of Asians and Southeast Asians at the table, and a conversation about the WSJ article that has been circling the email airwaves had us sharing stories of corporal punishment from our youth. One fellow won the prize when he related a story about his schoolmaster beating him with a meter stick until it broke, at which point the teacher kept after my friend with the broken stick.

Hai Yen Restaurant, 1055 Argyle Street, Chicago, IL

The Bristol

2011-01-09T09:46:00.000-06:00

We had meant to go to Coast, my lady friends and I. But we were not thinking properly, and arrived at 8:45 on a Saturday night. A projected wait of an hour-and-a-half or more had us stumbling back to the frigid street looking for another establishment. We popped into here and there, everywhere was busy, but I found a spot or two that I'd like to revisit. Duchamp, you don't know it, but you and I have a date in our future.

Finally we popped into The Bristol, where the promise that there would be space to have a drink upstairs and a nibble or two had us shedding our coats and ordering glasses of Chenin Blanc.

My friends and I dove into duck fat fries, whose heady aroma had our heads turning and sniffing appreciatively. Dipping the rich potato spears into garlic aioli we started to share our secrets.

Then came the burrata, our fresh mozzarella on steroids, and always a joy to introduce to friends. Topped with Translucent slivers of radish and an earthy hen of the woods conserva, it was fun to spread the creamy cheese on bits of toast and taste the cool rich texture rolling on the tongue.
How nice to be warm in a room with a soft glow! Feeling returning to cold fingertips. How nice to be with friends one has not seen in weeks and hear their stories.

So it was an easy decision to extend our stay and migrate to the dining room when a table opened up downstairs. There we continued our feast with a glorious apple salad with marinated manchego and hazelnut. It was crisp, bright, salty, juicy, and green - so great to see some green, a wonderful hint that winter would not last forever.

Next up handmade chitarra pastan which is similar to spaghetti, toothsome with a tender goat sugo, picholine olives and mint. We twirled the long noodles onto the tines of our forks and as girls are wont to do, looked at pictures of someone beautiful one of us had bumped into.

Finally, a roast quail with a delicious peppery creamed spinach, roasted batons of salsify and yellow foot mushrooms. Each bite was a joy, and I knew I would need to return to The Bristol. Food thoughtfully prepared, shared with dear friends, over a conversation filled with shrieks of laughter and hushed whispers, a lovely evening.

The Bristol, 2152 North Damen, Chicago, IL

Mombar

2011-01-06T16:56:00.000-06:00

This is also from the summer. Mombar is an Egyptian joint with eclectic decor.

The Mom bar, hand stuffed sausage with rice, beef, lamb and spices looked like, well, not something we should be chomping our teeth down on.

The Be-Sara was my favorite, a fava bean puree with moulekhia, coriander, and sauteed onions, It was rice and begged for return visits with a bit of torn flatbread.

The entrees were less exciting. We got the Ar-Nab Moulekhia, or rabbit with vegetables and dried fruit. Their menu suffers from the same lack of appetizing descriptions as many a Chinese restaurant. Immigrant proprietors would do well to encourage their English-adept children to excel at creative writing in order to extract some well-worded menu descriptions.

The Lamb tajeen over couscous pissed me off because the vegetables in the pot looked like the reconstituted frozen dice of carrots and green beans that adorned cafeteria trays from my elementary school days.

Though I loved the whimsical hodge podge of information adorning the walls of Mombar, many of the dishes did not astound me. There are other Egyptian restaurants along that strip on Steinway, and in the future I would try another establishment.

Mombar, 2522 Steinway Street, Astoria, Queens, NY

Kline's

2011-01-05T18:50:00.000-06:00

This is from the summer, but I had a lovely time on the Jersey Shore downing clams on the half shell and watching my friend's adorable daughter play with her father, all of us generally enjoying the beautiful weather.

Telling myself to just hang in there as I slog through this last Chicago winter!

Cap'n Mike's Holy Smoke

2011-01-04T23:15:00.001-06:00

Pesky Pescatarian got a white salmon lox sandwich with shaved fennel, capers, cream cheese, and capers.

The white salmon has a really delicate flavor easily overwhelmed by the sliver of red onions and the shower of capers. I would have preferred a more spare preparation to highlight the subtlety of the lox.

The stand did have an amazing spiced steamed milk though.

Cap'n Mike's, the Ferry Building, San Francisco

Tai Wu for dim sum

2011-01-04T23:12:00.001-06:00

The whole family is gathered at Tai Wu, a restaurant in Daly City on King Street. We used to go to Koi Palace, which I still love, but apparently a bunch of managers (why are there multiple managers?) defected from Koi Palace to Tai Wu.

See, this is why I never believe friends in new cities about Chinese restaurant recommendations if they aren't plugged into the Chinese Foodie gossip circles. My parents are always exchanging information with their friends when a new chef from Hong Kong has hit our shores or when management or chefs have moved to other locations.

All my bragging about my family's purported methods aside though, the shrimp dumplings were not good this day. I hate how the skin isn't translucent. Shoddy workmanship.

Snack Time!

2010-12-30T18:51:00.000-06:00

Roasted a turkey leg for tomorrow night and slid some potatoes underneath. Finished with some salt and pepper, a tasty treat.

4505 Meats

2010-12-30T15:12:00.000-06:00

Bastard Consultant: There's chicharrone!

Me: Yes!

Turned out to be flavored with chili, salt and sugar, and the sugar was disconcerting on the palate but oddly addictive. The chicharrones were very light and airy, not suitable for dipping in the ramen broth, but it melted on the palate.

We also got a chicken sausage with apricot and mustard seed done in the style of boudin blanc. Very mild in flavor but acceptable.

4505 Meats, Ferry Building, San Francisco

Namu

2010-12-30T15:06:00.000-06:00

Next up: Okonomiyaki. Described as crispy, gooey savory pancake with kimchee, market vegetables, topped with bonito flakes, okonomiyaki sauce and kewpie mayo, topped with a fried free range egg.

Not as good. I am not as big a fan of the Japanese pancakes with the dark sweet sauce. Towards the end I started just scraping up the toppings with bonito flakes and egg and ignoring the pancake.

Namu, Ferry Building, San Francisco

Hapa Ramen

2010-12-30T15:00:00.001-06:00

Bastard Consultant, Pesky Pescatarian, Dr. Consultant, and I are starting our preparation for the annual New Year's party. We're at the Ferry Building, and the allure of the pop-up food stalls has momentarily distracted us.

First up ramen with pork belly and slow-cooked egg. Definitely not superior to Momofuku and Ippudo. The broth is reminiscent is of No Recipes' ramen broth recipe. But it is warm and filling.

Ramen is available only Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Hapa Ramen, Ferry Building, San Francisco

Korean-Mexican Culinary Bliss

2010-12-30T14:42:00.000-06:00

Stopped at John's Snack and Deli for Kalbi Kimchee burrito. Fantastic. Found a POPAS: privately owned public open spaces to eat it in.

John's Snack and Deli, San Francisco

Why San Francisco Chinese markets are superior

2010-12-30T12:48:00.000-06:00

Silkworms. Why they are labeled as frozen ground cucumbers, I don't know.

Yogurt in Baja

2010-12-28T14:05:00.001-06:00

I just got back from a trip in Baja, where I got utterly addicted to their yogurt. The yogurt is richer, creamier, and superior in every way. I could it eat it by the bucketful. Sometimes I'd have it for part of dinner.

A hearty handful of granola on top and some sliced banana ... mmm. I don't miss the bumpy dirt road or the cockroach that greeted us when we entered our rental apartment, but I do miss that yogurt.

Okay, maybe one more

2010-12-19T20:33:00.001-06:00

After a week of revelry amongst the snowy peaks, I thought I'd not want to see another beer for a long time to come, but a long layover in the Portland airport and an order of buffalo wings had my finger lingering on the beer menu at Laurelwood Brewing Co. A ass of Organic Free Range Red Beer has left a pleasant glow and me feeling remarkably zen about my delayed flight home.

Speaking of the Portland airport, this joint seems to reflect the town's stereotype perfectly. I could not easily find a McDonald's, don't know if there is one here. There is a boy with sandy blond hair and dirty bare feet sitting cross-legged on the floor opposite me in an apparent exercise of open-eyed meditation. Columbia Sportwear has a shop before you go through security. And overall a lot a lot of earth tones.

Bouchon Las Vegas

2010-12-19T10:41:00.000-06:00

I don't know if it is because it came after the New York food crawl, with an amazing lunch at Del Posto, but I was not madly in love with my dinner at Bouchon.

It was Thanksgiving, so perhaps the sous chef was spending time with the family. I ordered the lamb and my friend, the pork. I can't pinpoint anything wrong with either dish, it's just that neither enticed a blissful sigh of contentment, which is what I have grown to expect from a Thomas Keller establishment. For example, I love the oatmeal raisin cookies at Bouchon Bakery and the pain de mie ice cream at Per Se.

Bouchon, Las Vegas, NV

Mancakes

2010-12-19T10:35:00.000-06:00

It is always surprising when I man can bake. My classmate baked these as penance for some dumb things he said, and though he's a tad light on the frosting, overall I am impressed. The cakey part was actually moist, which is the pitfall of many a cupcake.

Paella

2010-12-11T09:40:00.000-06:00

It was a mistake to buy mussels and clams from Costco for paella. I had so much shellfish left, I was making enough moules mariniere to feed a battalion. Actually battalion sounds very large. How big is a battalion? Maybe just enough to feed three French teenage boys. I figure most male American year-olds don't want to help polish off a bowl of bivalves.

I love the abundance of a paella.

Pig's head

2010-12-06T22:39:00.001-06:00

I had high hopes to make head cheese this term. I just realized that this did not happen. I cannot believe that this did not happen.

(I am supposed to be studying for finals, so of course I am thinking about all the other things I would prefer to be doing instead.)

On the resolution list for 2011, buy a pig's head and make charcuterie magic.

On the list of things to do before I graduate, heave a pig on a stake and cook for a hundred. I am convinced this will make my life more complete.

Swing

2010-12-05T01:04:00.000-06:00

Sweet lord, what is my obsession with the word "swing" lately? It's all over these recent posts. Sorry my friends. Sorry I suck at writing. Sorry that previous sentence was all sorts of awful.

Christmas Cookies

2010-12-04T23:42:00.001-06:00

I have just discovered Pandora and have been playing Christmas music for over six hours. Listening to Jingle Bells while baking cookies, melting chocolate, and mulling wine will put a swing into a lady's hips. I wish I had a Christmas tree and a fireplace for stockings. But the candles are flickering, and I just spent a lovely evening with new friends, so there was plenty of holiday cheer in the home tonight, which shows one needs not evergreen and tinsel as delightful as both those things may be.

Double chocolate peppermint cookies

Lemon ricotta cookies

Chocolate dipped marshmallows topped with crushed candy canes

Happy Holidays!

I want a balcony

2010-12-04T23:35:00.000-06:00

One of my classmates has a balcony, and he has a grill out on it. We've met at his apartment for group meetings, which means delicious dinners where the red wine flows freely.

I want a balcony. I want a grill. Because meat on a grill is a guaranteed smile. Frankly, I just like to see slabs of marbled meat period. A beautiful butcher case will do it for me too. Do it for what? Well, let's not get too personal here.

Grilled chicken topped with bacon and cheese, with a side of grilled asparagus and jicama slaw.

Kallari Chocolate

2010-12-02T15:24:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I went to a talk on sustainable chocolate that involved a tasting. What's not to love?

Kallari Association forest and farms are in the Ecuadorian Amazonian region. The cacao trees are interplanted with other species of trees, which makes cacao more flavorful.

70% chocolate:
- Green and Black: owned by Kraft
- Cooperative chocolate: Belgian recipe with a smoother mouthfeel
- Valhrona: apparently the company loses money or breaks even on its retail chocolate bars for eating, and its profit primarily derives from their baking chocolate

During the fermentation, the farmers mix the beans only with their hands or with wooden paddles because a metal implement can affect the flavor of the cacao bean. They only use wood from the Bay tree, which has a wood that does not react to the beans.

After fermenting, the beans are dried. After drying the workers screen the beans. The plumper larger beans are more flavorful, and the cooperative keeps the plumpest chocolates

72%-75% chocolate
- 72% cacao: purported to be about Sustainability but gave less than 1% of sales to Sustainability
- 74% Vosges: most chocolate have low percentage of cacao, but this bar has the higher percentage
- 75% Dagoba: taking chocolate made in Switzerland and remelting it
- 75% Cooperative: recipe recommended by Scharffenberger, has 5% more cocoa butter to it

85% bars:
- 85% this second to last one was bad bad bad, very astringent on the palate, but I had to leave the talk before I could find out the maker
- 85% This one was excellent, and I suspect it was a Kallari chocolate because I liked their chocolates in the other tastings, but sadly both you and I will never know.

Gotta Love a Strip Mall

2010-11-29T01:16:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I forget how downright convenient life can get in American suburbia. A search for ski gear landed me at an REI in a strip mall in suburban Vegas and after a bit of shopping, one craves a pedicure, which lo and behold was conveniently located around the corner.

We arrived 20 minutes prior to close but the ladies succumbed to our doleful faces and did some fantastic work on a tight timeline. They did have to shoo us out 20 minutes after the shop had officially closed to rush to some Sunday evening party, but we happily waddled out into the crisp night air in our disposable flip flops, twisted white tissue snaking amongst our newly buffed toes.

A quick 2 minute drive brought us to a movie theater where we bought tickets for an animated confection and then shuffled over to the Thai restaurant next door, which turned out to be a well-rated Zagat location.

I ordered the Pad See Ew, and the waiter startled me when he asked how spicy I wanted the dish. Spicy! I had intended to ask for a side of hot sauce, but this was something new. Turns out the restaurant would prepare our dishes on a level of spiciness between 1 and 10. I chose seven slash eight and it was perfect: certainly not above average heat for food in Thailand but it seemed about right for an American audience: about the level of a decent buffalo wing.

The Pad See Ew was one of the better I have had, and it was with a full belly that I walked in my disposable sandals into the movie theater to watch "Tangled" with some of the sandbox set.

Archi's Thai Cafe, 9350 W. Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, NV

Ah, the West Coast

2010-11-29T00:48:00.000-06:00

Earlier in our holiday weekend, my friend and I whiled away two days in Vegas and failed to gamble even a penny. Driving back from the Grand Canyon, however, I knew I would lose my California credentials if I did not include in my Canadian friend's American adventure a stop at In 'N Out.

The sponge bread buns impressed her, and we could happily scarf them down having properly worked on our own buns the day before hiking up one of the canyon trails the day prior. I ordered a cheeseburger animal style and enjoyed the crunch of a sour pickle as I watched the dozen young employees scurry about the gleaming kitchen in crisp whites and neat red aprons.

A vanilla shake completed my road trip lunch, and no matter what my Google maps says about the restaurant location in Arizona, this was clearly a California meal and had me missing long car rides with Dumb Kid Brother under a bright blue sky and our favorite music from high school blasting from the radio.

In 'N Out, somewhere off of Highway 40 West, Arizona

El Tovar

2010-11-29T00:39:00.000-06:00

El Tovar is one of the nicer lodges on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, and my lady friend and I had a drink and dinner at its cocktail bar and restaurant respectively, with a view of the canyon as the sun set. Long sentence but romantic evening eh?

I was in the mood for something warm because we had been hiking amidst snow and icy paths all day. We had thought that the canyon would be cool but relatively warm compared to a Chicago winter, how wrong we were! Earlier mentioned lady friend got mild frostbite on her fingertips in a short jaunt down Bright Angel Trail.

The canyon itself is beyond amazing. Rocky mountainous scenery usually doesn't do it for me, but this bit of craggy landscape makes one pause. I had a vocabulary of one word most of the day, as "Wow" was a frequent and constant refrain.

The views came with biting cold air, however, so I ordered French Onion Soup to warm the belly. Though I love the narrow and deep bowl, the soup was thin and far too salty. An entree of portabello mushrooms stuffed with a vegetable hash that included artichokes and bell peppers, came with a side of overcooked quinoa, and was pretty uninspiring.

An earlier warm cocktail dubbed Barn Burner and spiked with some Bourbon properly got the heart stirring, and I think sticking to the cocktail bar is the way to go. Make sure your smartphone has decent battery life when you leave because after the sun sets, Grand Canyon Village is as hard to navigate as a woman's soul, and those personal digital assistants go a long way towards making sure a shuttle bus doesn't run you over, even if the same devices can be pretty good at getting oneself in dicey situations with a lover.

El Tovar, Grand Canyon Village, AZ

Snake in US

2010-11-29T00:22:00.000-06:00

I love snake. I only get to eat it when I go to mainland China, and perhaps because access is difficult, salt and pepper fried snake is one of my favorite dishes.

When I saw fried rattlesnake at this steakhouse outside Tusayan, I jumped on the opportunity to order them. Let's just first detour and note that this was a really bizarre steakhouse with animal skulls on the wall and the Hispanic waitstaff dressed in John Wayne outfits. At one point we watched a waiter throw his white cowboy hat onto one of the horns of some dead animal, in order to switch to a black cowboy hat. Why? Was this evening wear? The waitstaff were putting chairs upturned on tables at the late late hour of 8:45 PM. Maybe he was about to swing his hips at a bar down the street.

As far as the rattlesnake fritters, some kind of awful: shriveled little skinny rat tails of meat drowning in thick heavy blobs of fried batter. There's not much to eat on this lonely strip in Tusayan, but I would direct you to the recognizable fast food joints along Highway 64 before suggesting you swing by here.

The Steakhouse, Tusayan, AZ

Phoenix for dim sum

2010-11-21T15:36:00.000-06:00

There was a school dim sum event today. Last time I went I was relegated to the back seat where I could not easily order from the roving carts.

This time, I got to the restaurant early and firmly planted myself in a seat near the maximum amount of cart traffic, only to find out that this year they organizers pre-ordered items, so there would be no drama with the cart ladies.

In all honesty, the food at Phoenix is not the best. My test is always the shrimp dumplings, and the skin should be translucent but Phoenix's were cloudy and sticky.

Nevertheless, I was really happy after dim sum. It was a whirlwind of food, and that is not a bad thing in my book. But then I went grocery shopping and good lord the grocery stores in Chinatown suck. I am seriously considering abandoning my ethnicity and going to the Korean store for my Asian ingredient needs.

Finally, when I was waiting on the el platform, the CTA Santa train rolls by, which redeemed the afternoon for me.

Phoenix, 2131 S. Archer Ave., Chicago, IL

Crap Plus

2010-11-21T11:30:00.001-06:00

I am a bit absentminded in the best of circumstances, but after prepping for a joint dinner party and engaging in a fascinating and educational 6-hour tutorial on Scotch, I lost of all of my meager faculties, forgot where I placed my smartphone, and I forgot the exact aspects of my colleagues dishes.

So the only picture I have is the lamb before it went into the smoker.

We served:

- risotto balls - porcini, Moral and button mushroom risotto with whiter truffle oil wrapped around fresh mozzarella and rolled and deep fried

- Roasted Kambocha squash, confit potatoes, bacon, and galic and aioli isn't exciting enough on it's own.

- celeriac and potatoe puree

- Asian slaw with carrot, radicchio, scallion, lime, seranno and rice wine vinegar

- Roasted Brussel sprouts with chestnuts in cream

- Smoked Lamb with Mediterranean inspired spice rub on naan with pesto and freshly shaved Parmesan

- Grilled chicken that had marinated in an Asian-inspired marinade

- Fudgie brownies

All I can say is that if you weren't there, it kind of sucks to be you.

Crappity crap

2010-11-18T09:55:00.001-06:00

I am co-hosting a potluck tomorrow with a new cooking partner. And by potluck we mean we don't want anyone to bring anything because as far as the dining table spread goes, I at least, have some trust issues. The man has a mean reputation behind the grill, so I am suffering from performance anxiety.

Add on top of that the total lack of time I've had to come up with something brilliant and pre-prepped by now. For example, why did I not confit some potatoes in a combination on canola oil and bacon fat last night? Why have I not braised a pork belly and am now going to be reduced to buying a slab of bacon, which admittedly, is not the most disastrous outcome one could encounter.

Add on top of that the new cooking buddy's desire to throw a dinner that people will talk about for years. My ego has no doubt we could do it. I have been hankering to use my plastic shot glasses to do a tasting of panna cottas for years, but time to be brilliant I lack. Need to scrounge up some quick and wowsa ideas ASAP.

Now I feel secure

2010-11-17T14:34:00.001-06:00

I made chicken stock with free range chicken necks and non-organic vegetables yesterday? Does that make me a hypocrite?

For my turkey sloppy joes I had run out of homemade stock and was using store bought. Store bought! What have I sunk to?

Anyways, the whole experience gave me the heebie jeebies, so I felt much better last night to see in my fridge quarts and quarts of beautiful golden-brown stock.

So much for detoxing

2010-11-16T21:37:00.001-06:00

You've got to love classmates that spend more time debating cuts of steak than finalizing a powerpoint. A Southerner grilled our steaks, and even though he's generally unreliable, I have to admit the steak was pretty good. He won't tell me the marinade recipe, and he's married, so there's no hope for seducing it out of him.

P.S. He's actually pretty reliable too. Cooks meat well and dependable. Rare eh?

Last stop: Jean Georges

2010-11-15T19:21:00.000-06:00

What is up with the clientele at Jean Georges? I never saw such a dour bunch of diners in my life. Slap a smile on that mug for Christsakes, there's Foie Gras Brulee on the menu.

Amuse: (1) Goat cheese fritters with burgundy truffle (2) Trout sashimi with clementine (3) Broccoli soup with creme fraiche

I shared with The Bearded One, and we got:

First course
(1) Sea Trout Sashimi Draped in Trout Eggs, Lemon, Dill and Horseradish (one of TBO's favorites. He loved the bright punches of lemon foam and dill sauce.)

(2) Black Sea Bass Sashimi with Green Chili, Pistachios and Mint (A disappointment, served a bit too warm, with way too much pistachio and too little sauce. This was too bad as the sauce was excellent. I didn't notice much mint.)

Second Course
(1) Crispy Crab, Pink Peppercorn Mustard and Exotic Fruits (Nicely done, but could have used more fruit or an addition of a sauce. Loved the mustard and the light application of it.)

(2) Sea Scallops, Carmelized Cauliflower, Caper-Raisin Emulsion (Ugliest dish of the night, needs a serious makeover, no wonder it came hidden under a silver dome. The emulsion is rich and delicious, but the dish could use more textural and visual contrasts.)

Third Course:
(1) Slow Baked Salmon with Burgundy Truffle Crumbs, Silky and Crispy Parsnip (The puree was a tad on the gummy side and too sweet. The salmon was nicely done, but not as good as Aquavit's back under Samuelsson's direction.)

(2) Red Snapper Crusted with Nuts and Seeds, Sweet and Sour Jus (A disappointment. The sauce was good, but sufficiently bold for TBO on the sour profile. The fish and tomatoes didn't pick up the flavorfulness of the sauce though, so tasted relatively dull.)

The table shared the following desserts, which came with a Theme and two parts to the dessert:

(1) Garden
(a) Chocolate Cremeux, Mochi, Blackberries, Hazelnut (The strip was like a thick fruit roll-up.)
(b) Bitter Almond Macaron, Sweet Pea Ice Cream, Green Almonds (The ice cream was too cold, and we couldn't pick up notes of sweet pea.)

(2) Apple
(a) Granny Smith Sorbet, Chartreuse Compressed Fennel, Crispy Salted Fronds (Fantastic. Bright, acidic, fresh.)
(b) Spice Cake, Cider Sorbet, Dates, Hazelnut

(3) Chocolate
(a) Jean Georges' Chocolate Cake, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (Rich, familiar, very good.)
(b) Caramelized Honey Ganache, Amaranth Seeds, Hibiscys Streusel

(4) Late Harvest
(a) Warm Sweet Potato Cake, Cranberry Honey Compote
(b) Roasted Pumpkin Ice Cream, Crystallized Sage, Salted Pumpkin Seeds (Excellent. Rich, savory, addictive)

The restaurant also gave us at dessert:
- Homemade marshmallows (surprisingly good and not too chalky)
- Chocolates
- Mini Macarons

Jean Georges, One Central Park West, New York, NY