Showing posts with label Celebrity Chef. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Celebrity Chef. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Zengo (Washington, DC)
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*****
Anyone who knows me knows that I love brunch; breakfast foods, mixed with lunch foods, at a reasonable time of day (aka, not breakfast time) on weekends with delicious champagne drinks? What is not to love? Well, I am living in the right place apparently, because the DC Metro area is saturated with, and Richard Sandoval's Asian-fusion restaurant Zengo is a great example of how good brunch can be. I went with a friend from school, and we both enjoyed ourselves, though there were a couple small hiccups.
The brunch menu is all-you-can-eat, and all-you-can-drink; what a great combination! Drinks include standard and tequila-variant Bloody Marys, a sangria made with Sake, and four different Mimosas; you can hope back and forth between the offerings, or simply stick with one if you find one that you like. The food includes three categories, all of which are "small plates" (an annoying trend that actually works for brunch): "Ceviches/Sushi/Salads;" "Dim Sum & Antojitos;" and "Brunch Plates." The list of dishes we ordered was, to say the least, extensive, and I did not take notes or anything, so combined with a few mimosas, my memories are not as crisp as they could be, but I can point out a few highlights, as well as the issues I saw.
To start with, I had the Guava Mimosa to start, and after a refill or two, I switched to the Traditional Mimosa. The guava variety does not really taste like a mimosa, as it is much sweeter, and the alcohol is not strong enough to get much taste of it; on the other hand, the traditional, orange variety is quite boozy, just the way I like it! As for the food, I have listed the dishes we ordered below, in in order of how they appear on the menu.
Angry Zengo Roll: Tuna, avocado, and cucumber are the primary ingredients, with a little sauce dabbed on top, it was certainly far from traditional (and traditional is my preference, to be sure), but it was very tasty, and I finished the meal with two of these. The fish was fresh, which is always the key.
Vegetarian Roll: I hate vegetarian rolls, but this one was pretty decent; it was not simply some cucumber and carrot shavings wrapped in rice, but rather had grilled asparagus, red pepper, and even some mushroom, so it was quite tasty.
Edamame: On the menu, it actually says "Edamame Salted," and holy crap, are they serious. I love edamame, and I love salt, but this was maybe a bit of overkill with the sea salt. Still tasty, though.
Bacon & Scrambled Egg Steamed Buns: We ordered these first, and had to ask multiple times to get them, and I was really looking forward to them. Sadly, they were...blah. The buns were too dense, not the light and airy steamed buns I love, the egg was similar in texture (though admittedly not flavor) to the egg in a Dunkin' Donuts breakfast sandwich, and the bacon was barely there. Highly not recommended.
Shrimp-Vegetable Potstickers: Really tasty, but not a ton of shrimp flavor. I would have preferred a bit more of a crust on the potstickers, maybe just another thirty seconds or so on the flattop, but otherwise, very good.
Angus Beef & Pork Meatballs: Probably my favorite thing of the day, the meatballs were juicy, flavorful, and just incredibly tasty. Highly, highly recommended.
Thai Chicken Empanadas: Very tasty, crispy dough and tender filling, though I would not have said "Thai" was the dominant flavor profile.
Achiote-Hoisin Pork Arepas: This was not an arepa, but was tasty; the pork especially was good, though it was just on top of the "arepa" which was dense and a little dry.
Lobster-Chipotle Grits: Bad texture did nothing to ruin this ridiculously delicious dish; I love grits, regardless of the quality, and though the lobster did not come through that well, the chipotle did, and the chunks of bacon were just freaking amazing. My second favorite dish.
Peking Duck Chilaquiles: Why do chilaquiles keep disappointing me?! Not nearly so bad as at The Brass Buckle back home, I had higher hopes this time, and while the duck was reasonably tasty, the overall dish was nothing to write home about.
Bacon Roasted Brussels Sprouts: Apparently I like Brussels sprouts a lot now; who knew? Pai Men Miyake may have been the first to really convince me, but they were certainly not the last, and these were very solid, tasty sprouts. They may have been the slightest bit undercooked, but the crunch of the interior was quite pleasant.
Plantains: Well, what is there to say; they were delicious, duh. Platanos always are. The sauces, a crema and a chipotle, were both cook, though I preferred the crema to the slight heat of the chipotle.
House Cured Bacon & Eggs: Over-easy eggs always get the better of me when I try to make them, so when properly cooked I am always a bit impressed when they are well made, and these were. The bacon, however, was too crispy for me, and less flavorful than I was expecting. Nothing you could not get at any decent diner.
All in all, this was an expensive, but enjoyable, experience, one that I would repeat again, though because of its cost it would likely be a very, very rare thing. I would recommend it, though with the caveat that while the service was pretty good, the kitchen was somewhat inconsistent. Kudos to the concept though.
Monday, August 4, 2014
Lolita (Cleveland, OH)
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*****
Over a five day road trip to the Midwest, my friend Forrest and I hit four different baseball stadiums, generally eating standard ballpark fare and breakfast at our hotels. We had one very good meal at a restaurant the first night of the trip, in Columbus (OH), but it was dinner on the final night that was really something special.
I watched a lot of Food Network for a couple years, as it was just about the only channel with anything good on during the wee hours of the nights while I was at work with nothing to do, and every time Michael Symon was on, I would drool over the thought of going to one of his restaurants. The man just seemed to appreciate pork in a way that no one else does, and that is my kind of chef. So, when we arrived in Cleveland and were looking for somewhere to eat dinner, I checked out his restaurants. Lolita, the more casual of his two primary restaurants (the other being Lola), is located in Tremont, at the corner of Literary Rd and Professor Ave. Every day, Lolita has a happy hour menu (served only at the bar) for a couple hours, which has a white wine, red wine, two mixed drinks, a beer, and four small dishes available, with the food just $5 per plate and the drinks that or less. This was perfect to try a few different things on the menu, so we sat at the bar, ordered a couple beers ($2 each!), and a few items off the menu. Sadly I did not think to write down what the beer was, since it was actually pretty good, but I do remember the food!
Forrest had to step out to take a call right when we arrived, so I ordered us the Mac & Cheese (a half portion of their regular serving) and the Mussels off the happy hour menu, and the Crispy Pig Tails & Ears appetizer from the regular menu. The Mussels arrived first, a large portion for just $5, perfectly cooked (aka not chewy), with a creamy sauce including house-made chorizo, garlic and parsley, along with a couple pieces of bread to soak up the sauce, which the bartender replenished at my request so as not to waste the remnants of the sauce after we were finished with the shellfish itself. The chorizo was delicious, salty and savory, and the sauce was perfectly creamy, with a slight tang. Not quite as good all in all as the mussels at Local 188 in Portland (ME), but probably top three I've ever had.
The Crispy Pig Tails & Ears arrived at about the same time as the Mac & Cheese, so I tried the pasta first. This was the only real disappointment of the evening, as the macaroni (rotini, in this case) was slightly overcooked, the chicken was boring and plain, and the cheese sauce was nothing I could not make myself. In fact, my own version of the dish is better. I am glad I did not order the full portion of this, because I think I would have had a very disappointing meal if this were my entree. It was not even that it was bad; it simply was nothing you could not get at any decent diner or at most peoples' homes.
The Crispy Pig Tails & Ears made up for that disappointment and more. I have been describing the pig tails to my friends as a perfect combination of bacon and chicken wings; they were crisp, succulent, and fatty. The sauce they were tossed in was a fennel-onion agrodolce, which resulted in a very slightly sweet and very vinegary flavor, which actually would be great on wings as well. There was a salad of fried slices of pigs ear, pickled chili peppers, and the onions and fennel from the agrodolce, which was just absolutely amazing; the fried pigs ear pieces were so incredibly good they were only topped by the tails themselves, and the crunch from them was a great counterpoint to the soft vegetables and even the tender meat of the tails. The whole thing was prepared so well I honestly can not find a single flaw, and I can usually nitpick something in every dish. This is probably the single best dish I have ever eaten, and I would drive back to Cleveland just to have it.
We were still hungry after those three, so we ordered the Fried Brussels Sprouts (Forrest does not like eggplant, so the Charred Eggplant Dip was not an option), and they were also incredibly good, even surpassing my previous favorite preparation of these formerly hated greens at Portland's Pai Men Miyake. Deep frying makes everything better, and that holds true for these, with the crispy outer leaves and slightly crunchy center giving it a nice contrast to the softer inner leaves. Served with walnuts, capers and anchovies, there was a vinegar-like tang (likely from the capers) to these as well, just like the pig, and the walnuts added a nice meatiness to the dish. The anchovies were a bit lost, though there was a healthy saltiness that could have been from them. For people who think they do not like Brussels sprouts, they should really try these; I think they would change their minds.
Food is obviously the main thing you go to a restaurant for, but I firmly believe that people go back for service; after all, you can get good food just about anywhere, but really superlative service is honestly kind of rare. While I was a little leery of the bartender at first, as he did not immediately provide the attentiveness that I am used to at higher end restaurants, he eventually turned it around, joking with us, talking about basketball (we were in Cleveland, after all; LeBron was bound to come up, right?) and baseball, and just generally chatting with us in a way that was pleasant and unobtrusive. Top notch service in the end, and a really nice guy in general.
All in all, this was one of the best meals I have had, with just the one dish that was not spectacular, and two that were legitimately incredible in the Crispy Pigs Ears & Tails and the Brussels Sprouts, while the mussels were really delicious as well. I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough. It is also most assuredly not vegetarian friendly, but if you are looking to break out of that lifestyle, this is the place (and the pigs ears are the dish) to do it. Additionally, though it is not cheap for a real dinner, if you just go for the happy hour, you can get out of there pretty cheap; our meal was under $30 before tax and tip, for four dishes and four beers, a pretty tremendous value.
*****
Over a five day road trip to the Midwest, my friend Forrest and I hit four different baseball stadiums, generally eating standard ballpark fare and breakfast at our hotels. We had one very good meal at a restaurant the first night of the trip, in Columbus (OH), but it was dinner on the final night that was really something special.
I watched a lot of Food Network for a couple years, as it was just about the only channel with anything good on during the wee hours of the nights while I was at work with nothing to do, and every time Michael Symon was on, I would drool over the thought of going to one of his restaurants. The man just seemed to appreciate pork in a way that no one else does, and that is my kind of chef. So, when we arrived in Cleveland and were looking for somewhere to eat dinner, I checked out his restaurants. Lolita, the more casual of his two primary restaurants (the other being Lola), is located in Tremont, at the corner of Literary Rd and Professor Ave. Every day, Lolita has a happy hour menu (served only at the bar) for a couple hours, which has a white wine, red wine, two mixed drinks, a beer, and four small dishes available, with the food just $5 per plate and the drinks that or less. This was perfect to try a few different things on the menu, so we sat at the bar, ordered a couple beers ($2 each!), and a few items off the menu. Sadly I did not think to write down what the beer was, since it was actually pretty good, but I do remember the food!
Forrest had to step out to take a call right when we arrived, so I ordered us the Mac & Cheese (a half portion of their regular serving) and the Mussels off the happy hour menu, and the Crispy Pig Tails & Ears appetizer from the regular menu. The Mussels arrived first, a large portion for just $5, perfectly cooked (aka not chewy), with a creamy sauce including house-made chorizo, garlic and parsley, along with a couple pieces of bread to soak up the sauce, which the bartender replenished at my request so as not to waste the remnants of the sauce after we were finished with the shellfish itself. The chorizo was delicious, salty and savory, and the sauce was perfectly creamy, with a slight tang. Not quite as good all in all as the mussels at Local 188 in Portland (ME), but probably top three I've ever had.
The Crispy Pig Tails & Ears arrived at about the same time as the Mac & Cheese, so I tried the pasta first. This was the only real disappointment of the evening, as the macaroni (rotini, in this case) was slightly overcooked, the chicken was boring and plain, and the cheese sauce was nothing I could not make myself. In fact, my own version of the dish is better. I am glad I did not order the full portion of this, because I think I would have had a very disappointing meal if this were my entree. It was not even that it was bad; it simply was nothing you could not get at any decent diner or at most peoples' homes.
The Crispy Pig Tails & Ears made up for that disappointment and more. I have been describing the pig tails to my friends as a perfect combination of bacon and chicken wings; they were crisp, succulent, and fatty. The sauce they were tossed in was a fennel-onion agrodolce, which resulted in a very slightly sweet and very vinegary flavor, which actually would be great on wings as well. There was a salad of fried slices of pigs ear, pickled chili peppers, and the onions and fennel from the agrodolce, which was just absolutely amazing; the fried pigs ear pieces were so incredibly good they were only topped by the tails themselves, and the crunch from them was a great counterpoint to the soft vegetables and even the tender meat of the tails. The whole thing was prepared so well I honestly can not find a single flaw, and I can usually nitpick something in every dish. This is probably the single best dish I have ever eaten, and I would drive back to Cleveland just to have it.
We were still hungry after those three, so we ordered the Fried Brussels Sprouts (Forrest does not like eggplant, so the Charred Eggplant Dip was not an option), and they were also incredibly good, even surpassing my previous favorite preparation of these formerly hated greens at Portland's Pai Men Miyake. Deep frying makes everything better, and that holds true for these, with the crispy outer leaves and slightly crunchy center giving it a nice contrast to the softer inner leaves. Served with walnuts, capers and anchovies, there was a vinegar-like tang (likely from the capers) to these as well, just like the pig, and the walnuts added a nice meatiness to the dish. The anchovies were a bit lost, though there was a healthy saltiness that could have been from them. For people who think they do not like Brussels sprouts, they should really try these; I think they would change their minds.
Food is obviously the main thing you go to a restaurant for, but I firmly believe that people go back for service; after all, you can get good food just about anywhere, but really superlative service is honestly kind of rare. While I was a little leery of the bartender at first, as he did not immediately provide the attentiveness that I am used to at higher end restaurants, he eventually turned it around, joking with us, talking about basketball (we were in Cleveland, after all; LeBron was bound to come up, right?) and baseball, and just generally chatting with us in a way that was pleasant and unobtrusive. Top notch service in the end, and a really nice guy in general.
All in all, this was one of the best meals I have had, with just the one dish that was not spectacular, and two that were legitimately incredible in the Crispy Pigs Ears & Tails and the Brussels Sprouts, while the mussels were really delicious as well. I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough. It is also most assuredly not vegetarian friendly, but if you are looking to break out of that lifestyle, this is the place (and the pigs ears are the dish) to do it. Additionally, though it is not cheap for a real dinner, if you just go for the happy hour, you can get out of there pretty cheap; our meal was under $30 before tax and tip, for four dishes and four beers, a pretty tremendous value.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Two Years Later
I began this blog with a post about my favorite beers, whiskys, and food. The end of this month will mark two years of posting, and I have enjoyed it immensely, as I have used it as an excuse to try new foods, beers, and other things that I may not have experienced over that time. So, below you will find my favorite things from the last two years, as well as ones that I want to try in the coming year. Some of these are new, some are places I have enjoyed for years but reviewed over the life of this blog, and some have not quite made it here yet, but will in the near future. I hope you enjoy, and as always, I welcome suggestions on the next thing(s) I should try!
Restaurant: Bouchon Bistro
My family went to Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bistro for my mother's birthday in 2012, and it was a sublime experience, with food to die for, impeccable service, and an atmosphere as comfortable and enjoyable as any I have ever been in, which is surprising for a Las Vegas restaurant.
Honorable Mention: Tacos Lupita and Julian Serrano
Local Restaurant: Curtis' BBQ, Hope and Olive and of course, Manna House
Before the end of this year, I hope to try more than a few new restaurants, but Neptune Oyster in Boston's North End, and Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas, are the two that I most want to try.
Beer: Maine Beer Company's Lunch IPA
A perfect IPA, this is my favorite iteration of my favorite style. I love the citrus notes and complexity of this beer's hops, and it is an easy drinking brew despite a 7% ABV.
Honorable Mention: Sam Adams' Tetravis and Ballast Point's Sculpin IPA
I am hoping to get my hands on one of the Sam Adams Utopias for a reasonable price (or split one with someone), and of course try anything new from MBC, Ballast Point, or Great Divide.
Whisk(e)y: Glenfiddich 18 Year Ancient Reserve
This is a ridiculously smooth, powerful and complex Scotch, and while I only had a small "nip" of it, it was tremendous and I cannot wait until I have an opportunity to try it again.
Honorable Mention: Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel Bourbon and Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year Family Reserve Bourbon
There are not really any specific whiskeys that I want to try over the next year, but I think I would like to get more into ryes and some of the whiskeys from countries outside the normal list we think about, like India and Japan.
Bars, Coffee Shops, and Other "Not Quite Restaurants": The Dirty Truth
With great food, an incredible beer list and a knowledgeable staff, this is sort of like a mecca for people like me. Try the french fries with white truffle oil, the Pulled BBQ Duck Nachos, and of course the Mac and Peas.
Honorable Mention: La Fiorentina
Anywhere with good coffee will be on my list to try over the next year; any suggestions would be appreciated!
"Other": Sweetfern Farm
My friends' farm, it truly exposed me to the wonders of fresh eggs, and it is just so relaxing there (at least for me; I don't have to wake up absurdly early to feed the sheep and all that) that even spending a few hours there makes me feel like a whole new person. Plus, cute furry animals.
So, I hope you have had as much fun over the last two years as I have, and I hope that everyone gets to experience just as much as I have!
******
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Restaurant: Bouchon Bistro
 |
| Short ribs at Bouchon Bistro |
Honorable Mention: Tacos Lupita and Julian Serrano
Local Restaurant: Curtis' BBQ, Hope and Olive and of course, Manna House
Before the end of this year, I hope to try more than a few new restaurants, but Neptune Oyster in Boston's North End, and Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas, are the two that I most want to try.
Beer: Maine Beer Company's Lunch IPA
 |
| A flight of beers at Maine Beer Company; Lunch is back left |
Honorable Mention: Sam Adams' Tetravis and Ballast Point's Sculpin IPA
I am hoping to get my hands on one of the Sam Adams Utopias for a reasonable price (or split one with someone), and of course try anything new from MBC, Ballast Point, or Great Divide.
Whisk(e)y: Glenfiddich 18 Year Ancient Reserve
 |
| The far too tiny bottle of Glenfiddich |
Honorable Mention: Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel Bourbon and Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year Family Reserve Bourbon
There are not really any specific whiskeys that I want to try over the next year, but I think I would like to get more into ryes and some of the whiskeys from countries outside the normal list we think about, like India and Japan.
Bars, Coffee Shops, and Other "Not Quite Restaurants": The Dirty Truth
 |
| A burger and fries at Dirty Truth |
Honorable Mention: La Fiorentina
Anywhere with good coffee will be on my list to try over the next year; any suggestions would be appreciated!
"Other": Sweetfern Farm
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| A very inquisitive looking sheep |
So, I hope you have had as much fun over the last two years as I have, and I hope that everyone gets to experience just as much as I have!
******
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Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Craftsteak (Mashantucket, CT/Foxwoods Resort Casino)
I was really excited to try Craftsteak, one of the Craft family of restaurants owned by celebrity chef (and "head judge" of Bravo's Top Chef franchise) Tom Colicchio, and arguably the flagship restaurant of the MGM Grand at Foxwoods; sadly, I ended up a little disappointed by the food. That is not to say that the food was bad, or even mediocre; in fact, it was quite good, but when eating at a restaurant owned by someone who is supposed to be among the masters of the steak world, I really expected something transcendent.
I sat at the bar, which, while dimly lit, is a pretty decent atmosphere to grab a drink or a bite to eat if you do not feel it necessary to sit in a fancy dining room; there is a flat screen television in the middle of it that was playing the Red Sox game, and the chairs are relatively comfortable. The darkness wasn't a huge problem for me, but if you don't have good eyes, it probably would be a bit too dark to easily read the menu; I can guarantee that my grandparents would not be able to read in that light.
I went with the prix fixe menu, which includes a salad, a choice of two entrees, and a choice of two desserts. The salad, consisting primarily of spinach, was the highlight
of the meal, with cubes of crispy bacon a centimeter across, some
Bayley Hazen blue cheese from the Cellars at Jasper Hill, and some kind of delicious dressing that I could not quite identify. The bacon was spectacular, salty and succulent, and the cheese was great, with a sweeter taste than most blues, but with that classic flavor you associate with the variety. There were also balls of what I think may have been confit pearl onions, which were pretty tasty, as well as some hard-boiled egg that did not really add anything. This was a good example of what a salad can be; not something you eat just because you need some green vegetables, but a legitimately good, major part of a meal. With the salad came a small skillet of "Parker House" rolls, which are pretty boring with the exception of the fleur de sel sprinkled over the top.
The entrees were a Scottish Salmon with spring garlic and fava beans or a Filet Mignon with black garlic and confit potatoes. Figuring it was a steakhouse, I went with the filet; it was a pretty big
piece, considering the $45 price of the prix fixe, and it was reasonably well cooked, but for some reason, they slice it for you! I do not get this; why would you take a beautiful piece of meat and cut it into pieces? It makes the filet look terrible on the plate, like it has been mangled, and does not add anything to it as far as enjoying the meal. That said, it tasted fine, though it was a little chewy for a filet; I do not know if this is an issue with the quality of the meat or what, but it was nowhere near as good texturally as the filet at David Burke Prime. The potatoes were great, as was that black sauce you can see drizzled around the plate, but that was not enough to make up for the fact that the filet was lacking.
The dessert options are a Chocolate Espresso Tart or two scoops of your selection from a dozen or so ice creams or sorbets. I went with the Raspberry Rosé and Mango sorbets, which were both good, but the mango far, far outstripped the raspberry. The raspberry was a little bit too tart, giving me a pretty nasty canker sore, but the mango was spectacular, probably the best sorbet I have had in many years, and equal to most ice creams. It was similar in texture to a good gelato, though clearly without the same level of fat content, which was fine with me.
With the meal I had the Mystic Bridge IPA, one of four beers on tap, from Cottrell Brewing Company, a Connecticut brewery that has some pretty well regarded beers on BeerAdvocate, including this one. I was not paying a huge amount of attention to the beer, quite honestly, focusing more on the food, but it was quite good, a really solid IPA, though admittedly it did not stand out to me. I would love to pick up a six pack of it to really get a better idea of where its strong and weak points are.
Overall, it seems like the restaurant makes an effort to keep things relatively local where they can, including the beers, the cheese, and some other produce. This is a distinct positive in my mind, but at the same time, if they cannot make the overall quality of the meal stand up to that of the ingredients, then it is a waste. I would absolutely choose Burke Prime over Craftsteak if I were eating at Foxwoods, and it would not be a difficult decision at all.
******
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 |
| The bar at Craftsteak |
 |
| Spinach salad with bacon and blue cheese |
The entrees were a Scottish Salmon with spring garlic and fava beans or a Filet Mignon with black garlic and confit potatoes. Figuring it was a steakhouse, I went with the filet; it was a pretty big
 |
| Filet Mignon with black garlic and confit potatoes |
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| Raspberry Rosé and Mango sorbets |
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| Mystic Bridge IPA |
Overall, it seems like the restaurant makes an effort to keep things relatively local where they can, including the beers, the cheese, and some other produce. This is a distinct positive in my mind, but at the same time, if they cannot make the overall quality of the meal stand up to that of the ingredients, then it is a waste. I would absolutely choose Burke Prime over Craftsteak if I were eating at Foxwoods, and it would not be a difficult decision at all.
******
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Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Prune (New York City, NY)
I first heard about Prune via a post on Keith Law's blog The Dish about Gabrielle Hamilton's memoir Blood, Bones & Butter, which he raved about. His description, and several quotes from the book, made me want to immediately drive down to New York City and go to Prune. Hamilton's philosophy is simple: good, unpretentious, fresh food, and this ethos won Hamilton a James Beard Award in 2001 and 2011, as well as multiple additional nominations as Best Chef in New York City. While getting a reservation for dinner can supposedly be difficult, brunch--served on weekends from 11:00am to 3:00pm--is first come, first served. Luckily, less than two weeks after reading Keith's post, I was on my way to NYC to see a friend, and she very nicely agreed to accompany me to brunch.
We arrived a little before noon, and were told it would be an hour wait, so we decided to wander around the area a bit, returning after about 35 or 40 minutes, only to find that they had already called for us. However, we were put right back on the list, and within the next few minutes were being seated at the bar. The restaurant is tiny, with tables for maybe three dozen people, packed in pretty tightly, plus another ten or so at the small bar, which has bright magenta stools that goes with the rather eclectic look of the whole place. The menu doesn't look like anything special, with mostly old favorites like the Monte Cristo sandwich, steak and eggs, and even huevos rancheros. There are also some more creative and non-traditional options, such as spicy stewed chickpeas, egg "en cocotte," coddled egg with chicken, and even spaghetti a la carbonara and a sausage and oysters dish. The drink menu includes a number of traditional and non-traditional brunch drinks, such as a variety of Bloody Marys, Mimosas, and the bizarre Chicago Matchbox, which includes homemade lemon vodka (I presume that means they take regular vodka and add the lemon flavor in house, rather than actually distilling the vodka), pickled Brussel's sprouts, baby white turnips, caperberries, green beans, and radishes, and is served with a chaser of my personal guilty pleasure beer, Red Stripe. It sounded interesting, but not quite interesting enough to get one.
I went simple, with the Classic Eggs Benedict, my all time favorite breakfast dish, which was served with "potatoes rosti," which was really just a giant potato latke, albeit a very good one. My friend
ordered the Soft Scrambled Eggs, served "on the wet side" according to the menu, with fresh chopped parsley, bacon, potatoes rosti, and a toasted, buttered English muffin. Since she is gluten intolerant, I was the happy recipient of her English muffin. We also both ordered Mimosas, because...well, does that really need an explanation?
My Eggs Benedict was perfect; the Canadian bacon was not chewy, a common problem with it, and the eggs were perfectly cooked, spilling the runny yolk all over as soon as I cut into it, giving me something to dip the potatoes and my extra English muffin in, which was exactly what I was hoping for. The hollandaise was light, but very tasty, and definitely homemade. The potatoes rosti were crisp on the outside, slightly chewy on the inside, and delicious, though if I had to make a complaint it would be that they were a little under-seasoned; Julie added salt and pepper, but I just used the egg yolk to add flavor. With a bit more salt, however, it would have been just about perfect, reminding me of eating latkes during Hanukkah as a child. Julie was also very happy with her food, saying that though the eggs were cooked rather less than she was used to, she really enjoyed them. The Mimosas were the perfect accompaniment, with good, though slightly pulpy (I hate pulp) orange juice and actually decent champagne.
At just under $47 for our meals, drinks, and a good tip (the bartender was fantastic) this was an exceptionally reasonable meal, especially by New York City standards. The service was great, the restaurant beautiful, and the food was superb; I cannot recommend it enough. It is also very vegetarian friendly if that's your thing.
******
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We arrived a little before noon, and were told it would be an hour wait, so we decided to wander around the area a bit, returning after about 35 or 40 minutes, only to find that they had already called for us. However, we were put right back on the list, and within the next few minutes were being seated at the bar. The restaurant is tiny, with tables for maybe three dozen people, packed in pretty tightly, plus another ten or so at the small bar, which has bright magenta stools that goes with the rather eclectic look of the whole place. The menu doesn't look like anything special, with mostly old favorites like the Monte Cristo sandwich, steak and eggs, and even huevos rancheros. There are also some more creative and non-traditional options, such as spicy stewed chickpeas, egg "en cocotte," coddled egg with chicken, and even spaghetti a la carbonara and a sausage and oysters dish. The drink menu includes a number of traditional and non-traditional brunch drinks, such as a variety of Bloody Marys, Mimosas, and the bizarre Chicago Matchbox, which includes homemade lemon vodka (I presume that means they take regular vodka and add the lemon flavor in house, rather than actually distilling the vodka), pickled Brussel's sprouts, baby white turnips, caperberries, green beans, and radishes, and is served with a chaser of my personal guilty pleasure beer, Red Stripe. It sounded interesting, but not quite interesting enough to get one.
I went simple, with the Classic Eggs Benedict, my all time favorite breakfast dish, which was served with "potatoes rosti," which was really just a giant potato latke, albeit a very good one. My friend
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| Eggs Benedict, Potatoes Rosti, and Mimosa, with pickled veggies in the background |
My Eggs Benedict was perfect; the Canadian bacon was not chewy, a common problem with it, and the eggs were perfectly cooked, spilling the runny yolk all over as soon as I cut into it, giving me something to dip the potatoes and my extra English muffin in, which was exactly what I was hoping for. The hollandaise was light, but very tasty, and definitely homemade. The potatoes rosti were crisp on the outside, slightly chewy on the inside, and delicious, though if I had to make a complaint it would be that they were a little under-seasoned; Julie added salt and pepper, but I just used the egg yolk to add flavor. With a bit more salt, however, it would have been just about perfect, reminding me of eating latkes during Hanukkah as a child. Julie was also very happy with her food, saying that though the eggs were cooked rather less than she was used to, she really enjoyed them. The Mimosas were the perfect accompaniment, with good, though slightly pulpy (I hate pulp) orange juice and actually decent champagne.
At just under $47 for our meals, drinks, and a good tip (the bartender was fantastic) this was an exceptionally reasonable meal, especially by New York City standards. The service was great, the restaurant beautiful, and the food was superb; I cannot recommend it enough. It is also very vegetarian friendly if that's your thing.
******
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Saturday, December 8, 2012
Bobby's Burger Palace (Uncasville, CT/Mohegan Sun)
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| Exterior view of the menu boards |
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| Napa Valley Burger (I couldn't resist taking a couple bites) and sweet potato fries |
The sweet potato fries were really good, but not so good that after trying to put the burger down and make a dent in the (rather large) cup they came in, I had two and then finished the burger. The fries were crispier than I have ever seen with sweet potato fries before, covered in a visible amount of kosher salt, which I was worried would lead to them tasting over-salted, but only a few, which were completely doused in salt, were. The honey mustard horseradish sauce was good, simple like the sauce on the burger, but instead of a bit of a citrus bite, there was instead the sinus clearing spice of horseradish, which could have been stronger but is likely designed to not offend people who are less accustomed to that particular root. I also used the chipotle bar-b-que, one of about five sauces that are placed at every table, and this spicy sauce went perfectly with the slightly sweet and salty flavors of the fries. You get a rather large serving of fries, which I could easily have split with someone else and not been left wanting.
So, overall, I had a really good meal, for a pretty reasonable price ($7.75 for the burger, $3.00 for the fries, and I went with water since I had to drive home), that makes me think either my first trip was an aberration or that I just picked the wrong thing that time. I will likely return to BBP at some point, and it's worth trying if you're at Mohegan or near one of their other locations. That said, however, if given other options, I probably would choose something else, partially because the burger is not that much better than most, and also because I find Bobby Flay to be a bit of an asshole. I watch a lot Food Network, on which he is omnipresent, and I am constantly struck by just how poorly he treats people, both those who work for him and those around him. He is a showman who puts on a good face most of the time, but he consistently lets his true colors out, and they are not positive at all. If his food was far and away better than everything else, I'd probably find a way to ignore that completely, but with it being very good, but not great, I always end up just thinking about how little I want to put more money into his pocket; too bad Mohegan doesn't have better options available.
******
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Friday, November 30, 2012
Chimay Blue Cap Grande Reserve/David Burke Prime Steakhouse 3
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*****
So apparently a trip David Burke Prime Steakhouse is my new post poker tournament ritual, making getting knocked out by idiots who don't know math or strategy rather more palatable. I try to pick new things each time I go, having the bartender (I always sit at the bar) make suggestions on the food. I pick my own booze, but I have gotten a "thumbs up" on the choices I make each time. I have had the same bartender, "Tim" each time, and he has yet to steer me wrong.
Having thoroughly enjoyed my first experience with Chimay Brewery beer, I decided to go with it again, trying the Blue Cap Grande Reserve despite its (extremely) hefty price-tag. At $25 for a 750ml (aka wine) bottle, it is definitely not a beer for the cheap, but it's honestly almost like drinking four beers, at just over 25oz and 9% alcohol, and it really isn't a bad deal if you think about it that way. A light (in feel, not flavor), slightly sweet, crisp beer, it was a great choice. My first impression was it just flat out looks good, with a rich caramel color, which is actually borne out in the taste, and a thick, tall head that slowly dissipates into a light lace that covers the entire surface of the remaining beer, rather than simply clinging to the edges. It smells of fruit and grain (as beer should), and you can taste just a hint of caramel and fruit in the beer. This ordinarily would not be something I'd be interested in, as I despise most "sweet" beers, but this is no Blueberry Beer or Raspberry Hefeweisen; it is a hefty, strong, beer that is a perfect example of why Trappist monks are so famous for the goods they sell. Despite its high alcohol content, for someone who is looking to try some higher quality beers this may be a good introduction; it is not the least bit bitter, and the alcohol does not come through...at least until you finish the whole bottle and then wonder why the damn hallway keeps moving! Really though, this is one of the best beers I have ever had, and highly recommend it.
For dinner I once again went with the prix fixe menu, as it really is a great deal and I figured the beer was expensive enough. At Tim's suggestion, I tried the Double-Cut Maple Pepper Bacon Strips, three giant strips that are probably five times thicker than standard bacon, served rather cleverly hanging from what looked like a tiny clothesline. It is a huge portion, and I felt pretty well stuffed after finishing it, but I wouldn't change a thing. Glazed with maple syrup, it was sweet, fatty, and succulent, leaving me craving more in spite of my stomach's protestations to the contrary. The pink peppercorns are a bit heavily applied, and I brushed most aside, but they added both a nice snappy bite and a really great peppery flavor, without the overly spicy taste of a full corn of black pepper. I would like to try making this at some point, because quite honestly I don't think it would be difficult; it seems to just be slow cooked pork belly, but exceptionally well done. Once I get through all the options on the appetizer menu (I've only got three more to go among the prix fixe choices) I'll definitely be coming back to this.
Since I had yet to try it, Tim suggested the Braised Short Rib Stroganoff, which was offered topped by a truffle sour cream that was to die for. The short rib itself was slow braised and falling apart, but after the the short rib at Bouchon Bistro, it was hard to appreciate this one. It was certainly tasty, but it was a little dry, and lacked the absurdly rich flavor of Bouchon's; maybe it's unreasonable to expect anything else to match up to a Thomas Keller creation, but it's very tough not to compare the two. The rest of the dish was more successful for me, with housemade (I presume) cavatelli, succulent wild mushrooms, and, again, the truffle sour cream. The cavatelli had just the right amount of tooth, and were perfectly dense, so as not to feel overwhelmed by the creamy, beefy sauce it swam in. The mushrooms were not remotely overcooked, a problem I think most of us have encountered at restaurants (and our own homes, for that matter), instead maintaining their natural plumpness. The sour cream was coolly refreshing with a rich creaminess that only added to the sauce.
For dessert I didn't pick something new, since the only option I hadn't had was a chocolate cake thing that quite honestly doesn't interest me in the least, sticking with the last trip's success and the crème brûlée, which was just as good as last time.
There was one negative to this trip, as the couple sitting to my right at the bar were exceptionally loud, profane, verbally abusive towards each other and the staff, and quite simply offensive. I don't mind profanity (in fact, my friends would inform you that I'm quite a big fan of it at times) but this was not only overboard, it was really uncomfortable, including references to physical violence between them that I'm pretty sure foreshadowed the remainder of their evening together. I asked Tim's partner, a lovely young woman who along with the remainder of the staff, was forced to put up with their verbal abuses and rudeness, if they were regulars, and she said that not only are they there at least once or twice a week, this behavior was normal, or even good for them. The manager came around to ask how my meal was, and I asked him about it as well; he said they can't really do much since the two are "high rollers," so be aware this could be an issue for you. If so...good luck.
*****
So apparently a trip David Burke Prime Steakhouse is my new post poker tournament ritual, making getting knocked out by idiots who don't know math or strategy rather more palatable. I try to pick new things each time I go, having the bartender (I always sit at the bar) make suggestions on the food. I pick my own booze, but I have gotten a "thumbs up" on the choices I make each time. I have had the same bartender, "Tim" each time, and he has yet to steer me wrong.
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| Chimay Blue Grand Reserve, in a wine glass |
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| Double-Cut Maple Pepper Bacon Strips |
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| Braised Short Rib Stroganoff |
For dessert I didn't pick something new, since the only option I hadn't had was a chocolate cake thing that quite honestly doesn't interest me in the least, sticking with the last trip's success and the crème brûlée, which was just as good as last time.
There was one negative to this trip, as the couple sitting to my right at the bar were exceptionally loud, profane, verbally abusive towards each other and the staff, and quite simply offensive. I don't mind profanity (in fact, my friends would inform you that I'm quite a big fan of it at times) but this was not only overboard, it was really uncomfortable, including references to physical violence between them that I'm pretty sure foreshadowed the remainder of their evening together. I asked Tim's partner, a lovely young woman who along with the remainder of the staff, was forced to put up with their verbal abuses and rudeness, if they were regulars, and she said that not only are they there at least once or twice a week, this behavior was normal, or even good for them. The manager came around to ask how my meal was, and I asked him about it as well; he said they can't really do much since the two are "high rollers," so be aware this could be an issue for you. If so...good luck.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Las Vegas Trip 2
I was in Las Vegas, NV for the second time in about a month for my mother's 60th birthday (or as she'd want me to put it, the 32nd time she's celebrated her 29th birthday). This time I really didn't do much but eat, which is pretty much fine by me; after all, that's what Las Vegas is good for if you don't feel like doing much gambling. I arrived on Friday evening, and left Monday morning, and in that short four days I ate some very good food.
Friday Night
On Friday night after arriving, I went straight to d.vino, a moderately fancy Italian restaurant at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino. This was probably the worst meal I had with the family, though it wasn't bad at all. We started with the Shrimp and Artichokes appetizer, which had probably the best artichokes I have ever had, with perfectly cooked hearts cooked in a lot of butter, tender but with a little bit of "tooth" to it, and it was clearly very fresh produce. The shrimp were cooked properly, but lacked flavor despite supposedly being butter braised as well, being overshadowed by the artichokes. I tried a little salad that my mom ordered, the d.Vino Salad, which was pretty good, but nothing special, certainly nothing compared to the salad I had the next night. My cousin's Roasted Beet Salad, on the other hand, was fantastic, the beets perfectly roasted and the goat cheese combining nicely.
For an entree, I had Seafood Risotto, which was only okay; while it was creamy, it appeared to be more from using heavy cream than the actual cooking process of the rice contributing to the texture. Essentially, they appeared to add a lot of fat unnecessarily instead of taking the time to do it properly; I could be wrong, but that was my impression of the dish. The shrimp, clams, mussels and calamari were all really well cooked, which was nice, but they didn't have a huge amount of flavor, nor did the confit tomatoes.
My dessert choice was the Panna Cotta, which tasted a little weak, but having never had it before I don't know if that's normal or not. It was served with a couple raspberries and a raspberry sauce drizzled on it, though not enough to make any real difference in the taste or overall experience. I enjoyed it, but probably wouldn't recommend it.
The most disappointing thing was the beer; I was excited when I arrived to find that my brother had ordered a Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, among my favorites, but upon ordering it I was informed that the keg was empty. I instead ended up with a Full Sail Brewing beer, that may have been their IPA, but certainly didn't taste like one. This was one of the worst craft beers I have ever had, having almost no flavor whatsoever. This was equivalent to Bud Light, but three times the price. Avoid at all costs.
After dinner we went to see Blue Man Group, who I also saw several years ago in Boston. I was completely exhausted, having barely slept in the previous 24 hours, but it was quite fun, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has a chance to see them.
Saturday
I spent Saturday with my brother, watching football mostly after sleeping for a solid ten hours (don't judge, it was great), and we grabbed lunch at some Chinese/Vietnamese combination restaurant, that also had a couple of Thai dishes. I went with pho, which was good, though honestly, it's kind of hard to mess up. He had some approximation of pad thai that he thought was only okay. Thankfully, this was just the beginning of the day's meals.
Saturday night was when we officially celebrated my mother's birthday (which was actually on Wednesday), going to The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino for dinner at Bouchon Bistro, a Thomas Keller creation, one of three of the same name. My mom and step-dad had eaten at the Yountville, CA restaurant a few years ago and loved it, so she felt this would be the perfect choice. There were eight of us in all: my mother, step-father, my mom's first cousin, my uncle, aunt and cousin, and of course me and my brother. The restaurant experience was incredible, from the food to the atmosphere to the decoration to the service, it was impeccable. The only complaint anyone could make was that the restaurant was a little dark, though this was not a problem for me. Our waitress, Julie, was wonderful, funny and engaging, and really making the overall experience perfect.
My step-father and I split the Salade Maraîchère au Chèvre Chaud, with mixed greens, herbes de Provence, and goat cheese with a red wine vinaigrette. It is pretty simple to make a good salad, but tremendously difficult to make a great one. This was a great salad, with incredibly fresh greens, bright and vibrant, with a perfect little disc of goat cheese, really high quality product, presented beautifully atop the mixed greens.
There were two specials that night, one with seared scallops that my mother ordered, and was perfectly cooked and delicious, and a slow braised short rib dish that I ordered. Braised for 12-14 hours according to Julie, the short ribs were fork tender, with a deep, rich beef flavor that was only enhanced by the braising liquid on the plate. Those little white balls are confit chestnuts, which I could not identify while I was eating them, but which were really quite nice, with a woody, earthy quality that is unique to them but quite pleasant. There were also bits of roasted quince that reminded me of pear, but rather less crunchy; very tasty. The short ribs were placed upon a nice pile of wilted collard greens that tasted great with the braising liquid. As good as all this was (and the short ribs were the best I've ever had, by far) the best part was what they labeled a "pain perdu," though this was a bit of a play on the term. It was really more of a savory bread pudding, only very slightly sweet, with a flavor that almost reminded me of really good pumpkin pie (you know, not the stuff from a can), with some cinnamon flavor really coming through. I don't think I could even ever hope to replicate it, but I would love to find a recipe.
We also ordered a side of frites, or french fries. They don't look like anything particularly impressive, but they were incredible. Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, with just the right amount of salt. I'm not sure what they were fried in, but it was a stronger flavor than normal fries, and there was no greasiness.
For dessert I ordered the Crème Caramel, a classic caramel custard that was, to keep up the trend, perfect. Smooth, gelatinous, and a little creamy, with just a mild caramel flavor, and not too much sweetness. Among my favorite desserts of all, this was really quite fantastic, and I highly recommend it.
The beer list wasn't bad at Bouchon, though their focus is clearly on the wine list. I went with the Chimay Trippel, a fantastic trappist ale that I enjoyed for the first time. Mild, slightly hoppy, with a nice citrusy flavor, served in a goblet like glass bearing the Chimay name. This was a great beer to have with this meal, as it complemented the short ribs nicely but was not so strong as to overwhelm even the salad.
Sunday
Sunday was a fairly lazy day as well, which consisted mostly of my step-dad and I reading by the pool (until it got cold) and wandering around CityCenter and checking out some of the many shops containing clothes we could never afford (including an $8700 leather jacket at Kiton that my step-dad wanted until I told him the price, and a $4400 Ermenegildo Zegna wool jacket that I may have considered selling my car to buy), before grabbing a beer and some food at the Aria Resort and Casino (also home to the previously reviewed Julian Serrano, where my family went on Thursday night...I am still displeased with them for that) where the family was staying.
After wandering around CityCenter, my step-dad and I adjourned to the wine bar at Sirio Ristorante, another moderately fancy Italian restaurant not entirely dissimilar to d.vino. They have a "happy hour" menu from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, which includes "cheap" (it's a relative word) drinks and small plate options.
For beer I went with a Birra Moretti Lager (picture on right), a beer similar to that old standby Stella Artois, extremely crisp and light, with no hops to speak of. The head dissipates quickly, like a lot of these super light beers, and there was no aftertaste. This was nothing to write home about, but if it weren't imported (aka, expensive) it would be a great session beer.
There were five options for food (mozzarella bites, pork cheeks and tomato bruschetta, salted cod croquette, chicken meatballs, and spinach and ricotta ravioli), and we picked three initially. Once the rest of the group arrived we ended up having all five.
The pork cheeks and tomato bruschetta were amazing, with thin, crisp slices of baguette topped with fresh tomato and slices of fried pork cheek that were incredibly salty, fatty, and crisp. It was a little too fatty for my step-dad, but I loved it; after all, fat is flavor, right? It was my favorite of the night.
The ravioli, which came in a sage butter sauce, were unremarkable, less impressive than the similar ravioli my mother occasionally makes from scratch. They tasted fine, but I really doubt there was anything homemade about them. There was a nice earthiness that almost tasted of mushroom, but that is really it.
The chicken meatballs in a tomato-Gorgonzola fonduta were more successful, as they were still moist, with a mild chicken flavor that really should have been stronger, but was pleasant nonetheless. The fonduta was the best part, tasting (and looking) rather more like a roasted red pepper sauce than tomato, but was really fantastic, with just the right amount of salt imparted by the cheese. These were a great option.
The mozzarella bites were nothing special, with virtually tasteless cheese on skewers with delicious oven roasted tomato and some basil pesto. The salted cod croquettes were better, crispy and moist, and the puttanesca coulis was nice for dipping. It did not match up with the pork cheeks, but it was pretty darn good.
We ended up having dinner at Sirio as well, which had a slightly better result than the bar food. I went with the gnocchi, served in a very heavy green sauce that I can't really describe too well. The gnocchi were fine, having a good flavor, but they were a bit too light. I know that lightness is a virtue in gnocchi, but these had almost no substance to them, and a little more density would have been nice. Dessert was a platter of small Italian doughnuts, dusted with cinnamon and sugar, and served with three dipping sauces. Happy Birthday was written out in chocolate on the side of the platter. These were actually pretty awesome, though a little overly sweet with the sauces, which included a caramel sauce and a "tropical" sauce (aka, lemon). Overall, this was not my favorite meal, but it wasn't the worst either, and I would not object to going back, though there are certainly better options both in the Aria and in the surrounding casinos.
******
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Friday Night
On Friday night after arriving, I went straight to d.vino, a moderately fancy Italian restaurant at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino. This was probably the worst meal I had with the family, though it wasn't bad at all. We started with the Shrimp and Artichokes appetizer, which had probably the best artichokes I have ever had, with perfectly cooked hearts cooked in a lot of butter, tender but with a little bit of "tooth" to it, and it was clearly very fresh produce. The shrimp were cooked properly, but lacked flavor despite supposedly being butter braised as well, being overshadowed by the artichokes. I tried a little salad that my mom ordered, the d.Vino Salad, which was pretty good, but nothing special, certainly nothing compared to the salad I had the next night. My cousin's Roasted Beet Salad, on the other hand, was fantastic, the beets perfectly roasted and the goat cheese combining nicely.
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| Seafood risotto; those little balls are the confit tomatoes |
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| Panna Cotta |
The most disappointing thing was the beer; I was excited when I arrived to find that my brother had ordered a Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, among my favorites, but upon ordering it I was informed that the keg was empty. I instead ended up with a Full Sail Brewing beer, that may have been their IPA, but certainly didn't taste like one. This was one of the worst craft beers I have ever had, having almost no flavor whatsoever. This was equivalent to Bud Light, but three times the price. Avoid at all costs.
After dinner we went to see Blue Man Group, who I also saw several years ago in Boston. I was completely exhausted, having barely slept in the previous 24 hours, but it was quite fun, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has a chance to see them.
Saturday
I spent Saturday with my brother, watching football mostly after sleeping for a solid ten hours (don't judge, it was great), and we grabbed lunch at some Chinese/Vietnamese combination restaurant, that also had a couple of Thai dishes. I went with pho, which was good, though honestly, it's kind of hard to mess up. He had some approximation of pad thai that he thought was only okay. Thankfully, this was just the beginning of the day's meals.
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| My mom's scallop dish; perfectly seared scallops |
My step-father and I split the Salade Maraîchère au Chèvre Chaud, with mixed greens, herbes de Provence, and goat cheese with a red wine vinaigrette. It is pretty simple to make a good salad, but tremendously difficult to make a great one. This was a great salad, with incredibly fresh greens, bright and vibrant, with a perfect little disc of goat cheese, really high quality product, presented beautifully atop the mixed greens.
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| Short ribs |
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| French fries |
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| Crème Caramel |
The beer list wasn't bad at Bouchon, though their focus is clearly on the wine list. I went with the Chimay Trippel, a fantastic trappist ale that I enjoyed for the first time. Mild, slightly hoppy, with a nice citrusy flavor, served in a goblet like glass bearing the Chimay name. This was a great beer to have with this meal, as it complemented the short ribs nicely but was not so strong as to overwhelm even the salad.
Sunday
Sunday was a fairly lazy day as well, which consisted mostly of my step-dad and I reading by the pool (until it got cold) and wandering around CityCenter and checking out some of the many shops containing clothes we could never afford (including an $8700 leather jacket at Kiton that my step-dad wanted until I told him the price, and a $4400 Ermenegildo Zegna wool jacket that I may have considered selling my car to buy), before grabbing a beer and some food at the Aria Resort and Casino (also home to the previously reviewed Julian Serrano, where my family went on Thursday night...I am still displeased with them for that) where the family was staying.
For beer I went with a Birra Moretti Lager (picture on right), a beer similar to that old standby Stella Artois, extremely crisp and light, with no hops to speak of. The head dissipates quickly, like a lot of these super light beers, and there was no aftertaste. This was nothing to write home about, but if it weren't imported (aka, expensive) it would be a great session beer.
There were five options for food (mozzarella bites, pork cheeks and tomato bruschetta, salted cod croquette, chicken meatballs, and spinach and ricotta ravioli), and we picked three initially. Once the rest of the group arrived we ended up having all five.
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| All three of the original "bites" from Sirio's wine bar |
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| Better view of the ravioli |
The ravioli, which came in a sage butter sauce, were unremarkable, less impressive than the similar ravioli my mother occasionally makes from scratch. They tasted fine, but I really doubt there was anything homemade about them. There was a nice earthiness that almost tasted of mushroom, but that is really it.
The chicken meatballs in a tomato-Gorgonzola fonduta were more successful, as they were still moist, with a mild chicken flavor that really should have been stronger, but was pleasant nonetheless. The fonduta was the best part, tasting (and looking) rather more like a roasted red pepper sauce than tomato, but was really fantastic, with just the right amount of salt imparted by the cheese. These were a great option.
The mozzarella bites were nothing special, with virtually tasteless cheese on skewers with delicious oven roasted tomato and some basil pesto. The salted cod croquettes were better, crispy and moist, and the puttanesca coulis was nice for dipping. It did not match up with the pork cheeks, but it was pretty darn good.
We ended up having dinner at Sirio as well, which had a slightly better result than the bar food. I went with the gnocchi, served in a very heavy green sauce that I can't really describe too well. The gnocchi were fine, having a good flavor, but they were a bit too light. I know that lightness is a virtue in gnocchi, but these had almost no substance to them, and a little more density would have been nice. Dessert was a platter of small Italian doughnuts, dusted with cinnamon and sugar, and served with three dipping sauces. Happy Birthday was written out in chocolate on the side of the platter. These were actually pretty awesome, though a little overly sweet with the sauces, which included a caramel sauce and a "tropical" sauce (aka, lemon). Overall, this was not my favorite meal, but it wasn't the worst either, and I would not object to going back, though there are certainly better options both in the Aria and in the surrounding casinos.
******
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Saturday, October 27, 2012
David Burke Prime Steakhouse (Mashantucket, CT/Foxwoods Resort Casino) Trip 2
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| One side of Prime Steakhouse's bar |
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| Widmer Brothers Pitch Black IPA |
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| Popover with butter |
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| Lobster Bisque with "crisp lobster stick" |
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| "Angry" Filet and Jumbo Shrimp, with garlic spinach |
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| Crème brûlée |
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| David Burke Prime Steakhouse's bar, from outside
******
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Friday, October 19, 2012
David Burke Prime Steakhouse (Mashantucket, CT/Foxwoods Resort Casino) and Widmer Brothers Pitch Black IPA
David Burke Prime Steakhouse is exactly what its name implies; a top of the line steakhouse utilizing the recipes of America's king of steak. Along with Tom Colicchio of Top Chef and Craft Restaurants fame, David Burke is at the top of the steak-centric restaurant world, and I have been dying to try Burke Prime for a couple years, ever since I started playing poker at Foxwoods Resort Casino, but hadn't had a chance. Burke Prime is pretty damn expensive typically, but with Foxwoods rewards points I was able to cut the bill in half before tip.
I arrived fairly early in the evening, around 5:30pm, having busted out of a poker tournament. Needing something to perk me up, I decided to treat myself to a nice dinner, and I'm quite glad I did, as this was some of the best food I've ever had. As I didn't feel like spending $150, I went with the three course prix fixe menu, which for $50, allows you to choose from six appetizers (French Onion Soup, Lobster Bisque, Double-cut Maple Pepper Bacon Strips, Clams Casino, Surf and Turf Dumplings, and the Mixed Green Salad), four entrees (Slow Roasted Prime Rib, "Angry" Filet Mignon and Jumbo Shrimp, Braised Short Rib "Stroganoff Steak," and Grilled Salmon), and the various desserts on the menu (I suspect the "Can 'O' Cake," the restaurant's signature dessert, is not available). I would like to have had the chance to try the Himalayan Salt Dry Aged Steaks, aged using a proprietary process that he has even managed to patent, but I wasn't in the mood to spend $65 for a steak; following a tournament win, I'm sure that will change.
The beer list was at once disappointing (the draughts) and promising (the bottles), and the beer I initially was going to go with, an IPA on draught I had never heard of before, had actually just run out, but I was changing my mind even as the bartender informed me of that. I instead went with the Widmer Brothers Pitch Black IPA, a 6.5% "black IPA" or "black ale" offered in 12oz and 22oz bottles (I went with the latter, of course, which my waiter/bartender, Timmy, applauded, making a crack at McDonalds and "super-sizing" in the meantime). I wanted something that I knew would go well with steak, and IPAs, especially these new black IPAs, offer a great compliment, having enough flavor to stand up to even a very heavy, beefy steak. I absolutely loved this beer, my first foray into Widmer's lineup, as it approaches even the best of this genre that I have had (the Stone Sublimely Self Righteous Ale I had at the ACBF). Poured into a 12oz flute glass, the color matches the name, as it is a pure, deep black color, reminding me of liquid onyx, and it has a truly beautiful look with the lacy, cappuccino colored foam forming on top. The taste is heavily of hops, with a great bitterness as it hits your tongue, which subsides quickly, leaving a subtle, but pleasant, aftertaste. The mouth feel is smooth, almost porter-ish, and I would say overall this beer seems to me to be almost the result of a marriage of a porter and an IPA. I will be searching for this at my local beer stores.
When it came to the food, I needed a little help, so I relied on Timmy's knowledge of the menu. I was struggling to decide between the Clams Casino (clams on the half-shell cooked with butter, bacon and breadcrumbs) and Lobster Bisque for the appetizer, and the Slow Roasted Prime Rib versus the "Angry" Filet Mignon and Jumbo Shrimp, all of which sounded fantastic. Timmy suggested pairing the Clams Casino with the Prime Rib or the Lobster Bisque with the Filet, matching light with heavy in the first case and heavy with light in the second; at his recommendation I went with the former, because, as he put it, "I like fat in my steak," and the Filet lacks that.
The Clams Casino were well cooked, with the breading crisp but not to the point of shattering when you touched it. The clams themselves were juicy, though a couple had a little grit to them. With a little Tabasco sauce and lemon juice, they were perfectly tangy. The clam shells were nestled into small piles of whipped potatoes, which were really good, but could have used more butter (but then, what couldn't use more butter?). Overall a really good, but small, appetizer, that went nicely with the beer. (I thought I had a picture of this, but apparently my phone crapped out on that one.)
The Slow Roasted Prime Rib was truly incredible, the best I have ever had, beating out even Lawry's The Prime Rib (I went to the Beverly Hills location) and Kimo's in Lahaina, HI. They won't serve it less than medium rare, because the method they use to cook it, a very long, slow roast, actually makes it extremely difficult to get a true rare, but this was closer to rare than medium rare anyways (Timmy put in the ticket a request for "As rare as possible"), and it came floating in a lake of au jus so strong it tasted like beef stock. So tender that it essentially melted in my mouth, the prime rib tasted of just three things: beef; salt; and pepper. This is exactly as it should be. Nothing else is necessary to make a quality hunk of beef perfect, and Burke Prime embraces that. Along with the prime rib itself came a large baked potato crusted with kosher salt, served with butter and what I believe was homemade sour cream. The sour cream was the best part of that, as the potato just tasted like...well...a potato. Nothing special there. I didn't finish it, but that was less because of how it tasted than the fact that the portion was huge, and I was attempting to save a little room for dessert.
I don't particularly love super sweet dessert, and I was already so full that I didn't want someone too rich, so Timmy suggested that I go with the Carrot Cake, which I agreed to. Carrot cake as a general rule isn't my favorite, but it sounded perfect in this case, since it's typically very light and airy, and since this doesn't come with a super heavy cream cheese frosting, sweetness wasn't as big an issue. This was probably the best carrot cake I've ever had, but it was a little sweeter than I was hoping for. It was served with shredded carrot on top, which was the saving grace in this case, as it cut the sweetness to a manageable level. That little smear in the bottom left corner of the plate was pineapple sauce (there were also little chunks of it in the cake itself) that was absolutely freaking divine. Seriously, if they could bottle that I'd pay exorbitant amounts of money for it. I was so full by the end I couldn't even finish the cake.
The service here bears some additional mention. Timmy was probably the best waiter/bartender I have ever had. His knowledge of the menu, beer list, scotch and wine was impressive, he was entertainingly funny (I was eating alone, so it was nice to have him occasionally stop by to chat), and he was happy to discuss all of the above. He easily earned his tip (about 30%, and honestly, he should have gotten more) and I made a point of finding one of the managers on the way out to ensure that he received some recognition.
Overall this was one of the finest meals I've ever had, at an exceedingly reasonable price (except the beer; the beer was expensive) considering what I got. I'll definitely be going back, and I highly recommend it to anyone who finds themselves at Foxwoods and hungry for some meat.
******
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I arrived fairly early in the evening, around 5:30pm, having busted out of a poker tournament. Needing something to perk me up, I decided to treat myself to a nice dinner, and I'm quite glad I did, as this was some of the best food I've ever had. As I didn't feel like spending $150, I went with the three course prix fixe menu, which for $50, allows you to choose from six appetizers (French Onion Soup, Lobster Bisque, Double-cut Maple Pepper Bacon Strips, Clams Casino, Surf and Turf Dumplings, and the Mixed Green Salad), four entrees (Slow Roasted Prime Rib, "Angry" Filet Mignon and Jumbo Shrimp, Braised Short Rib "Stroganoff Steak," and Grilled Salmon), and the various desserts on the menu (I suspect the "Can 'O' Cake," the restaurant's signature dessert, is not available). I would like to have had the chance to try the Himalayan Salt Dry Aged Steaks, aged using a proprietary process that he has even managed to patent, but I wasn't in the mood to spend $65 for a steak; following a tournament win, I'm sure that will change.
The beer list was at once disappointing (the draughts) and promising (the bottles), and the beer I initially was going to go with, an IPA on draught I had never heard of before, had actually just run out, but I was changing my mind even as the bartender informed me of that. I instead went with the Widmer Brothers Pitch Black IPA, a 6.5% "black IPA" or "black ale" offered in 12oz and 22oz bottles (I went with the latter, of course, which my waiter/bartender, Timmy, applauded, making a crack at McDonalds and "super-sizing" in the meantime). I wanted something that I knew would go well with steak, and IPAs, especially these new black IPAs, offer a great compliment, having enough flavor to stand up to even a very heavy, beefy steak. I absolutely loved this beer, my first foray into Widmer's lineup, as it approaches even the best of this genre that I have had (the Stone Sublimely Self Righteous Ale I had at the ACBF). Poured into a 12oz flute glass, the color matches the name, as it is a pure, deep black color, reminding me of liquid onyx, and it has a truly beautiful look with the lacy, cappuccino colored foam forming on top. The taste is heavily of hops, with a great bitterness as it hits your tongue, which subsides quickly, leaving a subtle, but pleasant, aftertaste. The mouth feel is smooth, almost porter-ish, and I would say overall this beer seems to me to be almost the result of a marriage of a porter and an IPA. I will be searching for this at my local beer stores.When it came to the food, I needed a little help, so I relied on Timmy's knowledge of the menu. I was struggling to decide between the Clams Casino (clams on the half-shell cooked with butter, bacon and breadcrumbs) and Lobster Bisque for the appetizer, and the Slow Roasted Prime Rib versus the "Angry" Filet Mignon and Jumbo Shrimp, all of which sounded fantastic. Timmy suggested pairing the Clams Casino with the Prime Rib or the Lobster Bisque with the Filet, matching light with heavy in the first case and heavy with light in the second; at his recommendation I went with the former, because, as he put it, "I like fat in my steak," and the Filet lacks that.
The Clams Casino were well cooked, with the breading crisp but not to the point of shattering when you touched it. The clams themselves were juicy, though a couple had a little grit to them. With a little Tabasco sauce and lemon juice, they were perfectly tangy. The clam shells were nestled into small piles of whipped potatoes, which were really good, but could have used more butter (but then, what couldn't use more butter?). Overall a really good, but small, appetizer, that went nicely with the beer. (I thought I had a picture of this, but apparently my phone crapped out on that one.)
The Slow Roasted Prime Rib was truly incredible, the best I have ever had, beating out even Lawry's The Prime Rib (I went to the Beverly Hills location) and Kimo's in Lahaina, HI. They won't serve it less than medium rare, because the method they use to cook it, a very long, slow roast, actually makes it extremely difficult to get a true rare, but this was closer to rare than medium rare anyways (Timmy put in the ticket a request for "As rare as possible"), and it came floating in a lake of au jus so strong it tasted like beef stock. So tender that it essentially melted in my mouth, the prime rib tasted of just three things: beef; salt; and pepper. This is exactly as it should be. Nothing else is necessary to make a quality hunk of beef perfect, and Burke Prime embraces that. Along with the prime rib itself came a large baked potato crusted with kosher salt, served with butter and what I believe was homemade sour cream. The sour cream was the best part of that, as the potato just tasted like...well...a potato. Nothing special there. I didn't finish it, but that was less because of how it tasted than the fact that the portion was huge, and I was attempting to save a little room for dessert.
I don't particularly love super sweet dessert, and I was already so full that I didn't want someone too rich, so Timmy suggested that I go with the Carrot Cake, which I agreed to. Carrot cake as a general rule isn't my favorite, but it sounded perfect in this case, since it's typically very light and airy, and since this doesn't come with a super heavy cream cheese frosting, sweetness wasn't as big an issue. This was probably the best carrot cake I've ever had, but it was a little sweeter than I was hoping for. It was served with shredded carrot on top, which was the saving grace in this case, as it cut the sweetness to a manageable level. That little smear in the bottom left corner of the plate was pineapple sauce (there were also little chunks of it in the cake itself) that was absolutely freaking divine. Seriously, if they could bottle that I'd pay exorbitant amounts of money for it. I was so full by the end I couldn't even finish the cake.The service here bears some additional mention. Timmy was probably the best waiter/bartender I have ever had. His knowledge of the menu, beer list, scotch and wine was impressive, he was entertainingly funny (I was eating alone, so it was nice to have him occasionally stop by to chat), and he was happy to discuss all of the above. He easily earned his tip (about 30%, and honestly, he should have gotten more) and I made a point of finding one of the managers on the way out to ensure that he received some recognition.
Overall this was one of the finest meals I've ever had, at an exceedingly reasonable price (except the beer; the beer was expensive) considering what I got. I'll definitely be going back, and I highly recommend it to anyone who finds themselves at Foxwoods and hungry for some meat.
******
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