Ferrara's Kitchen + Bar (Boston, MA)

Some of the better meals of my life have been in Boston, including the best I'd ever had prior to going to Bouchon Bistro at Mamma Maria in North Square, and now I've been fortunate enough to add another hit to the list.  Ferrara's Kitchen + Bar, located a short walk from the Haymarket MBTA stop on the Green Line, and just down the street from the famous Neptune Oyster Bar, is but one of many fine examples of Italian cuisine in Boston's North End, but there are a few things that set them apart.

The first thing that drew my dinner companion and I to Ferrara's was its open front; they have a large bay window that opens out onto Salem St., and in nice weather they open it up and allow the place to breathe a bit, a feature that I thoroughly enjoy.  Upon entering, I noticed that, while it was not bright inside by any means, it was not so dim as to nearly require a flashlight to even read the menu, a trend that I cannot stand.  It was, in fact, perfectly lit, allowing a good view of the entire dining room and bar, where we sat, but without any glaring lights.  Behind the bar are a pair of flat screen televisions, which offered a chance to watch Peyton Manning kick his little brother's butt all over the field; always an enjoyable experience.

Our bartender was friendly, knew at least a bit about beer and was happy to engage with us without ever becoming, in my mind, overly intrusive or omnipresent.  Speaking of beer, they had only a few options on tap, including a Sam Adams seasonal and the Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, which had just been added.  Since there was nothing new or exciting, we both went with the Dogfish.

As for food, the kitchen kept up well with the positive impression the layout and bartender had given initially.  I ordered the Spaghetti Carbonara, among my favorite dishes in the world, and my date

Spaghetti Carbonara served in a stainless pan

ordered the Gnocchi alla Sorrentina.  We both thoroughly enjoyed our meals, which were prepared very well, but there were a couple critiques that I had.  My Carbonara was delicious, though the menu describes it as being in a cream sauce; I do not know if that means they actually used cream in the preparation, or if they are simply describing the sauce as creamy.  It tasted right, and felt right, as an egg and cheese only sauce, and at least the bartender knew that a proper Carbonara lacks cream, but it is something that I am left wondering about.  The pasta was perfect, and the flavor and texture of the sauce was spectacular, with the taste of the Parmesan (not sure if it was actual Parmiggiano-Reggiano or if it was the impostor we usually find here in the USA, but the menu says Parmesan) and some garlic coming through beautifully.  The pancetta was delicious, but served in very large chunks, which was unwieldy; I like my pancetta cubed to about one centimeter, because it keeps a better texture that way I have found, but that is about my only real critique of this dish.

The gnocchi in my date's dish were sublime, perfect little pillows, with just enough density that they felt substantial but not nearly so much that they felt heavy.  The mozzarella in the dish was solid, but nothing amazing, though it worked well in combination with the sauce and the gnocchi.  The sauce itself was a little sweet for me, so when I first tasted it, with just the gnocchi and no cheese, I was not super thrilled.  After adding some mozzarella, I enjoyed it more, as the salt of the cheese did help balance the sweetness of the sauce, but if you are not going to have cheese in every bite (which you will not with this dish) then that is not a saving grace.

The last thing to say about the food is that I must comment on how they serve it, supposedly in the dish it was cooked in.  While I highly doubt this, as the pan mine was served in was far too clean along the sides to have really cooked such a messy meal (trust me, I've been trying for a while now to make a proper version; I'm at about a D+ right now, passing but nothing to be proud of), but it looks neat.  It is a gimmick, but sometimes gimmicks work, and I must say, I really liked this one.  The price was ridiculously reasonable as well; before tip, we were at $39, which for two entrees and two beers is insanely cheap in this neighborhood, especially when the food is so good.  Admittedly, we did get the two cheapest entrees, but that was purely accidental, as they just happened to be what we wanted.  I would have gladly paid significantly more for the same meal, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the check.  All in all, I highly recommend Ferrara's, and I will absolutely consider a return, though with the incredible breadth of options in the North End, it may be hard to justify not trying something else.

******

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Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Head Rhizing Bines

It is rare that in a business as competitive as craft brewing that two companies would come together to create a product, but in this case, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and Dogfish Head Brewery put that aside to brew a really fantastic IPA.  Though they do not really compete for the same market--Sierra Nevada is a west coast brewery that typically does not factor in when discussions of the best breweries come about, while the east coast Dogfish is a frequent visitor to the top of those types of lists and tends to be a craft beer drinker's company--it is still a remarkable testimony to the camaraderie and sense of family that exists within this industry, where a man like Sam Calagione, who as the founder of Dogfish Head is at the forefront of his industry, is thrilled to come together with another pioneering company in this way.  Having collaborated once before, on 2009's Life & Limb, the two joined each other once again to make Rhizing Bines, released in February 2013.

Served in a 22oz bottle with a very cool looking label designed with vines curling down from the top, and the words "Rhizing Bines" twisting together underneath and the logos of the two companies on either side.  It pours a light, crisp amber color, with a massive frothy head that never seems to dissipate.  Tasting it, you get an instant hit of hops, bitter yet smooth, with a slight fruitiness and very slight citrus notes.  It drinks much easier than its 8% ABV would suggest, and until looking it up I did not realize it was such a high alcohol beer. I drank it while eating some smoked port loin, and it really worked well, which jives with Dogfish Head's recommendations for barbecued meats.  It was light enough that it did not overwhelm the light and subtle smokiness of the pork, but it also held up well to the stronger tastes of the mustard and Roquefort that the pork was served with.  I can see this as being similar to the Chimay Blue Cap Grande Reserve for me, in that it is a versatile option with food.

At $12 a bottle, this is not a cheap beer, and while I didn't buy it this time, I absolutely would in the future; it is among the better options that Dogfish Head has put out, and is definitely among my favorite IPAs, holding up well to even the iconic 90 Minute IPA.  I highly recommend it if you can find it, and if you want some, you should start looking now, because I suspect that like most collaborations, this will be a limited release.

******

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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. 

Seafood risotto; those little balls are the confit tomatoes

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. 

Panna Cotta

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.

My mom's scallop dish; perfectly seared scallops

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.

Short ribs

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.

French fries

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.

Crème Caramel

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.

All three of the original "bites" from Sirio's wine bar

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.

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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Burgar Bar (Las Vegas, NV)

Burger Bar is the creation of the master French chef Hubert Keller, whose Fleur de Lys is considered by many to be among the finest restaurants in the United States.  Burger Bar is the more laid back of Keller's concepts, focusing on the classic American dish with a strong nod towards fresh ingredients.

A small selection of "Chef's Burgers," recipes of Keller's own making, which include an "American Classic," "Vegas Vegan," and "Spicy Lamb Burger," make up the backbone of the menu.  The crown jewel of these offerings is the "Rossini," a "Kobe Style Wagyu Beef" burger, with sauteed foie gras, and shaved truffles on an onion bun.  Getting past my objections to the whole the "Kobe" and "Wagyu" naming issue, this does sound like one hell of a burger, though at $60 a pop, it's tough to justify it if you haven't had a great weekend at the tables.

Along with the "Chef's Burgers," the customer can choose to build their own burger, using one of five base burgers:  Black angus beef ($9.75); Naturesource ($10.50); Lamb "Merguez Style" ($15.00); Buffalo ($17.75); Kobe Style Wagyu beef ($17.25).  You can also pick from "non beef" options, including the vegetarian burger, chicken breast, salmon steak, and turkey burger.  Upon choosing your burger, you then choose among a few bun options, including a classic plain bun, onion, or ciabatta.  There are 46 topping options, split into categories:  The Garden, including such things as baby spinach, avocado, and chopped jalapeño; The Dairy, with a number of cheese offerings; The Grill, with peppers, zucchini, and carmelized onions; The Farm, with various bacons, egg, and foie gras; The Ocean, which has lobster and shrimp; The Pantry, with such offerings as guacamole, homemade beetroot pickle, and truffle mayo; The Earth, containing the $30 black truffle shavings, and other less expensive mushrooms; and lastly sauces from Keller's Fleur de Lys, including an au poivre cream sauce.  Your last choice is accompaniment, including "skinny" and "fat" fries, referring to their cut, not their caloric or fat content, sweet potato or zucchini fries, onion rings, and croquettes.  Each item adds a certain amount to the cost.

I went fairly simple, sticking to things I knew I would like.  For the burger I selected the Naturesource beef, which is USDA prime beef raised without antibiotics or hormones, cooked rare, to which the bartender/waitress said "you know, that's really rare..."  I wanted to settle in and live there from that moment.  I selected a ciabatta roll for a bun, with bleu cheese, bacon, grilled onions, and a chipotle aioli, with tomato, lettuce, sliced onions (which I didn't use) and a dill pickle coming standard on the side.  As an accompaniment I ordered the skinny fries, which quite honestly were disappointing.  The burger was fantastic; perfectly rare, almost cool inside, with a soft, melting texture to the meat; my only complaint was the lack of a good crust on the burger, though that is a risk with a rare burger.  The toppings were great, the bleu cheese nicely melted into the grilled, slightly caramelized onions, while the bacon added a nice, slightly crisp, meaty, piggy taste.  The onions provided a little sweetness that cut the intense meatiness of the beef and bacon, and the roll was a great vehicle for the burger.  The aioli was disappointing, as it was completely lost in the midst of everything else, and lacked the spice that I was expecting from something made with chipotles.  It did serve well as something in which to dunk the fries, which while perfectly cooked lacked flavor of their own and needed something to make them a little more impressive.

Along with the extensive list of available burger options, the drink list is incredibly impressive.  Between the milkshakes, which can be ordered off the menu or customized, both virgin and alcoholic, the beer floats, and the beer list itself (which is pretty impressive) you have a ton to choose from.  I ordered the Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, which ended up being the perfect beer to go along with the burger, as it was strong enough not to be overpowered, but also not to overpower the food.

Overall, this was a great experience, and a great burger, easily the best I have ever had.  The ingredients were fresh and delicious, the service was friendly and welcoming, and the setting was nice, a real sports bar feel despite the upscale nature of the food, with televisions lined up behind the bar.  Price-wise, it's not cheap, clearly, and I got out with a $30 tab after leaving an extremely generous tip, but it was well worth it and I'll absolutely go back.

******

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My Favorites

It makes sense, I suppose, to start with my favorite from each category; this blog's version of the "What would you want if you were stranded on an island" game.  So here goes.

• Whisky 

I'm starting here because, quite honestly, it's the easiest decision.  As I write this, I am drinking my last half shot of BenRiach, a 20 year old single malt Speyside Scotch that I bought in England several years ago.  In a break from my normal tastes, this has almost no smoke to it, but it is even smoother than even the best blends I have had.  With a light note of vanilla, and a beautiful finish, this is the perfect Scotch, with just one problem:  I CAN'T FIND IT IN THE USA!  I have tried, and tried, and tried, but I have yet to find it, even in stores that are Scotch heavy.  I could order it, but even as good as this stuff is, I can't bring myself to spend $200+ on a single bottle to get it shipped here from England when I can drink from any of the numerous bottles of good to great Scotches on my shelf.

Honorable Mentions:  Lagavulin 16, Balvenie DoubleWood 12

• Beer

This is a tough one, but it really comes down to two breweries competing for the number one spot:  Stone Brewing Co. of Escondido, CA; and Dogfish Head Brewery of Milton, DE.  Stone's Arrogant Bastard Ale is a heavy, harsh, bitter, and delicious beer that will make fun of you as you drink it.  Seriously, it does.  This is what it says on the label and their website, www.arrogantbastard.com:

"This is an aggressive ale. You probably won’t like it. It is quite doubtful that you have the taste  or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth. We would suggest that you stick to safer and more familiar territory–maybe something with a multi-million dollar ad campaign aimed at convincing you it’s made in a little brewery, or one that implies that their tasteless fizzy yellow beverage will give you more sex appeal. Perhaps you think multi-million dollar ad campaigns make things taste better. Perhaps you’re mouthing your words as you read this."

 So, if you're of the sensitive variety, either in taste buds or personality, this is NOT the beer for you.  If you like big, strong, higher ABV beers (7.2%) this is for you.  Just remember, "You’re Not Worthy™"

As for Dogfish Head, they are my favorite brewery overall, and WorldWide Stout is the best of the best.  At a massive 18% ABV, this will literally knock you on your ass.  I tried it at the 2011 American Craft Beer Fest and it blew me away.  It was the first beer I tasted and I'm so glad, because it was by far the best I had all day and it disappeared shortly after (Stone's was already out of Arrogant Bastard by the time I arrived).  I'm not really sure how to describe this beer other than to say it reminded me of sipping a really, really good bourbon, if bourbon had a creaminess and smoothness to it that can only come from a true stout.  Despite its high alcohol content, this beer drinks really easily, but don't make the mistake of drinking it like a normal beer; it's not, it's more like drinking whisky or other high ABV spirits.

If you forced me to pick one of these, I'd take the WorldWide Stout, but only because it's not available year round like the Arrogant Bastard.  You really can't go wrong with either, but don't pick up either one if you're looking for a refreshing beer that will be nice on a hot day.

Honorable Mention:  Geary's London Porter

This is also the time for a shout-out to Beer Advocate, the best beer rating website on the internet; these guys are AWESOME!  Seriously, check them out, you won't regret it the next time you go out and are trying to decide what kind of beer to drink.

• Food

This is even harder to decide than the beer, because I just love all kinds of food.  I won't even offer you a specific dish that is my favorite, because I won't be able to decide; rather, I'm going to talk about a few cuisines and dishes from each that I really love.  These are in no particular order.

*Korean:  Spicy heat is probably my favorite food characteristic, and Korean delivers with ease and impunity.  From real Ramen soup (which totally ruined my shameful past love of the stuff that college kids think is Ramen), which makes me grin from ear to ear as I cry spicy tears, to squid and vegetables in spicy sauce, and almost everything else I've tried for that matter, I just really love Korean cuisine.  It's really simple in a way, in that it focuses on the ingredients, not on some kind of fancy technique like French or other European cuisines (not knocking French cuisine, but it does often seem to focus more on the technique than the individual ingredients), but the flavors are tremendously complex.  The heat in my favorite dishes never overwhelm the other flavors, which is key, because so often we experience spice as being this hurdle that the eater must overcome, rather than as a simple complement.  

There is a great little restaurant in New York City called Danji that serves tapas style food using traditional Korean flavors; pretty great concept, not cheap, but worth every penny.  Try the Steak Tartare and Bulgogi Sliders; you'll thank me.

*Ethiopian:  For all the jokes that are made about East African foods (search alternate definitions for  "MRE," the Meals Ready to Eat that the military gives personnel in the field for one example), this really is an amazing group of foods.  Like in many poorer countries, Ethiopians took what they had available (spices) and used them to great effect to enhance the sometimes meager ingredients available.  Kitfo, a spiced, raw ground beef, is not for the faint of heart in the USA, where we have been taught that raw beef is evil and dangerous (it's not, at least not inherently so), but it is among the most flavorful things you could ask for.  Lamb and chicken are also heavily featured in Ethiopian cuisine, but I've been to Ethiopian restaurants with a friend who is a vegetarian and she enjoyed herself immensely (she had a lentil dish, and it was delicious).  Forks will not be found at an authentic restaurant, so be warned, if you don't like using your hands, you won't like Ethiopian, where you will be given plenty of injera, a spongy, flexible flatbread to use as a vessel.  The first time I had Ethiopian, I did not enjoy the injera on its own, finding it to have an acidic, vinegary taste that was unappealing, but since I have not had that issue, though the injera was not particularly flavorful anywhere, but I suspect its not supposed to be heavily flavored.  FYI, like with most Middle Eastern countries, Ethiopians eat with their RIGHT hands; the left is traditionally used for certain, shall we say, sanitary purposes, and so it is considered unclean.  You have to be more talented than me to avoid using your left hand at all to tear pieces of the injera off, but if you get a weird look from the staff, that's probably why.


*Japanese (Sushi, really):  I like Japanese food in general, but sushi is really where it's at.  I love fish in general, but especially raw fish, without much adornment, where you really taste the fish itself.  Toro/Otoro (fatty bluefin tuna belly), hamachi (yellowtail) and unagi (freshwater eel, not served raw) are my favorites, but I really like just about everything offered in most traditional sushi joints other than a few of the roe (fish egg) options, which just don't quite work with me for textural reasons.  The simplicity of sushi really appeals to me greatly, as most traditional sushi does not include much in the way of sauces, and if the ingredients aren't perfect you can tell; despite this simplicity, the quality of the chef is key, and if you find a good one...KEEP HIM.


So, those are my three favorite cuisines, and just like with the beers, if I had to pick one it'd be the one that I find the least often; in this case, Ethiopian.  I can find acceptable sushi and (shockingly) very good Korean in my area, despite it being very rural here, but I have to drive two hours to Boston or three to New York City to have Ethiopian.

Honorable Mentions:  Chinese (the real stuff, not what you get at "Chinese" restaurants), Bar-b-que (Eastern North Carolina style being my favorite, but any will do; gotta love smoke!), and Yucatan Mexican (a great combination of numerous different ancestral cuisines)

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