Had fabulous brunch at the gorgeous Hotel Hershey on Sunday. I'll start from the start. The building is incredibly beautiful. And Sunday brunch is held in the circular dining room, which has beautiful frescos painted on the ceiling, and pretty great views of the ponds and fountains behind the hotel. Very elegant.
Which, to maintain that elegant air, you'll be expected to get fancified. Jackets required. No jeans, no flip flops, otherwise you'll get no brunch. Pretty straight forward.
I thought the food was very good. And, actually, one of the most memorable things was the coffee. It was medium bodied and nutty. I'd be willing to say it was better than Dunkin Donuts, and I love their coffee! This brunch had a nice mix of different foods. Lots of seafood, numerous meat dishes. I thought the dessert could have been a little better done. In part because a lot of the desserts were just too big! I wanted to try a little bit of everything, but I ended up with a giant piece of cheesecake. Chocolate peanut butter cheesecake, mind you. Yes, please cry for me now.
This was a very good brunch, and worth the money. It wasn't as amazing as the brunch at Rittenhouse, but that brunch was twice the price. So, if you're in Hershey for a weekend, hit up the Hotel Hershey for a classy time.
Showing posts with label Restaurant Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Restaurant Review. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Restaurant Review - Eastern Standard
Went to Boston a few weeks ago, and I've been meaning to post about this restaurant since then. So so SO fantastic! Chris picked the restaurant, and it was the perfect low key high brow local. Nice ambiance, crowded as all get up, but a place you could feel comfortable being dressed business casual or classy casual. I wouldn't wear flip flops or anything, but a jacket wasn't required either.
I decided to force a little adventure Chris, so we started with the marrow (tip of my hat to Mr. Peifer here, who a few years ago forced my first marrow adventure upon me). OMG. Amazing. It was served with toasted baguette slices, which there could have been more of, minced garlic, herbs, and rock salt. It was like my tongue had been raptured. Although, to be fair, I wouldn't have described it like that at the time, because I didn't realize the rapture was coming then. I learned that a week later. But it was a really wonderful starter. Marrow is kind of gross to look at, but tastes great. Its buttery and fatty and just a wonderful treat. And you get to scoop it out of the bone with a cool little spoon!
For entrees we split the rib-eye, which was served with a bleu cheese sauce over potatoes and lightly sauteed spinach, and the lobster gnocchi with meyer lemon brown butter sauce. Do I really need to go into the details? Both of these dishes were hands down delicious. I don't usually order rib-eye, but this one was excellent. And the gnocchi! OH the gnocchi! It was soft and squishy, but was apparently pan seared so that at least one side of every perfect little dumpling was crispy. It gave it such a unique twist. Loved it. Lovelovelove.
Dessert was surprisingly unremarkable. We had profiteroles (they are sort of like mini brioche (which are sort of like mini round croissants (which are...just kidding!))) that were toasted, filled with ice cream, and drowning in caramel and chocolate syrup. Good, but seemed pale in comparison to the rest of the fabulous meal.
Must take a moment here to tip my glass to the great bartenders at Eastern Standard. The cocktails were fabulous. Whiskey Smash will surely be a hit. I also had a fruity froufrou girly drink that involved pineapple and ginger. It was great. But very girly. The cocktail list will overwhelm you, so plan to have (at least?) two!
If you happen to be in Boston, go to Eastern Standard. I promise you won't regret it. Thanks taking me, Chris!
I decided to force a little adventure Chris, so we started with the marrow (tip of my hat to Mr. Peifer here, who a few years ago forced my first marrow adventure upon me). OMG. Amazing. It was served with toasted baguette slices, which there could have been more of, minced garlic, herbs, and rock salt. It was like my tongue had been raptured. Although, to be fair, I wouldn't have described it like that at the time, because I didn't realize the rapture was coming then. I learned that a week later. But it was a really wonderful starter. Marrow is kind of gross to look at, but tastes great. Its buttery and fatty and just a wonderful treat. And you get to scoop it out of the bone with a cool little spoon!
For entrees we split the rib-eye, which was served with a bleu cheese sauce over potatoes and lightly sauteed spinach, and the lobster gnocchi with meyer lemon brown butter sauce. Do I really need to go into the details? Both of these dishes were hands down delicious. I don't usually order rib-eye, but this one was excellent. And the gnocchi! OH the gnocchi! It was soft and squishy, but was apparently pan seared so that at least one side of every perfect little dumpling was crispy. It gave it such a unique twist. Loved it. Lovelovelove.
Dessert was surprisingly unremarkable. We had profiteroles (they are sort of like mini brioche (which are sort of like mini round croissants (which are...just kidding!))) that were toasted, filled with ice cream, and drowning in caramel and chocolate syrup. Good, but seemed pale in comparison to the rest of the fabulous meal.
Must take a moment here to tip my glass to the great bartenders at Eastern Standard. The cocktails were fabulous. Whiskey Smash will surely be a hit. I also had a fruity froufrou girly drink that involved pineapple and ginger. It was great. But very girly. The cocktail list will overwhelm you, so plan to have (at least?) two!
If you happen to be in Boston, go to Eastern Standard. I promise you won't regret it. Thanks taking me, Chris!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Bricco - Italian, Harrisburg Style
I hit Bricco for dinner the other night. Apparently they have a partnership with the local culinary school. And, honestly, you could sort of tell. Lots of good ideas that were not executed so well. With almost every dish there were good things, and, unfortunately, there were not so good things. Except the dessert. It was adorable! The restaurant itself was really nice. Great layout, lots of space, nice bar and awesome chef's table. The prices were reasonable, and the portion sizes were very large.
Here's what I had:
Caponata
Salted roasted beets with goat cheese and pistachios
Pappardelle with duck and pancetta
Risotto with beef short ribs and mushrooms
Adorable mascarpone cheesecake square
And...here are my thoughts on the food:
The caponata was very sweet. Not what I was expecting, but good on the crostini it was served with.
The salted roasted beets were a miss. The combination of beets+goat cheese+pistachios just didn't work. The beets were, as beets are prone to be, very sweet. But the goat cheese didn't really do anything to off set that. And the pistachios were added on whole (at the most slightly chopped), which meant that you would occasionally get a pistachio, but it wasn't evenly distributed. So. eh. This dish didn't really work for me.
The pappardelle was rather interesting. I was really excited about this dish, but as it turns out, I just don't think pappardelle was the right pasta for the sauce. The sauce was hearty, and a penne would have probably been a better pair. Pappardelle are wide noodles. The sauce was also a little too salty. I think the chef underestimated the salt factor of the pancetta. But, man, this was close to being a delicious sauce. And they were generous with the duck and pancetta. So, if this dish was made by a culinary school student, then they're getting close!
I'm starting to wonder if I've gotten sensitive to salt. Because I had a soup at another local restaurant a few weeks ago, and sent it back based on the fact that it was way too salty (in fairness my friend sent hers back, too). I just said the last dish was salty, and, finally, I thought that the major failing of this dish was that it was a bit too salty. But, as far as risottos go, this was otherwise very good. The texture was creamy, the dish was hearty, and the short ribs were cooked perfectly. So, aside from the fact that I thought they'd gone just a touch heavy on the salt, this was a good effort.
Finally, just a little note on the dessert. They had two dessert menus. One for full size desserts, and another that featured what I'd describe as tapas-style desserts. And those little desserts were the perfect size and price, not to mention the fact that the one I ordered was delicious!
So, while I wouldn't say this restaurant is the best Italian I've ever had (I'm lookin' at you, Perbacco) I'll certainly go back and try other things.
Here's what I had:
Caponata
Salted roasted beets with goat cheese and pistachios
Pappardelle with duck and pancetta
Risotto with beef short ribs and mushrooms
Adorable mascarpone cheesecake square
And...here are my thoughts on the food:
The caponata was very sweet. Not what I was expecting, but good on the crostini it was served with.
The salted roasted beets were a miss. The combination of beets+goat cheese+pistachios just didn't work. The beets were, as beets are prone to be, very sweet. But the goat cheese didn't really do anything to off set that. And the pistachios were added on whole (at the most slightly chopped), which meant that you would occasionally get a pistachio, but it wasn't evenly distributed. So. eh. This dish didn't really work for me.
The pappardelle was rather interesting. I was really excited about this dish, but as it turns out, I just don't think pappardelle was the right pasta for the sauce. The sauce was hearty, and a penne would have probably been a better pair. Pappardelle are wide noodles. The sauce was also a little too salty. I think the chef underestimated the salt factor of the pancetta. But, man, this was close to being a delicious sauce. And they were generous with the duck and pancetta. So, if this dish was made by a culinary school student, then they're getting close!
I'm starting to wonder if I've gotten sensitive to salt. Because I had a soup at another local restaurant a few weeks ago, and sent it back based on the fact that it was way too salty (in fairness my friend sent hers back, too). I just said the last dish was salty, and, finally, I thought that the major failing of this dish was that it was a bit too salty. But, as far as risottos go, this was otherwise very good. The texture was creamy, the dish was hearty, and the short ribs were cooked perfectly. So, aside from the fact that I thought they'd gone just a touch heavy on the salt, this was a good effort.
Finally, just a little note on the dessert. They had two dessert menus. One for full size desserts, and another that featured what I'd describe as tapas-style desserts. And those little desserts were the perfect size and price, not to mention the fact that the one I ordered was delicious!
So, while I wouldn't say this restaurant is the best Italian I've ever had (I'm lookin' at you, Perbacco) I'll certainly go back and try other things.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Restaurant Review: Chalit
Chalit is one of three places in Harrisburg that does Thai. I was having a serious spicy (as in flavorful, not hothot) craving, because I got really sick on Tuesday, and therefore had spent two days on a stomach imposed oatmeal only diet. My taste buds were pretty sure they were being tortured.
While this is my first experience with Chalit, I doubt it will be my last, so I'm just going to list the items I ordered and review.
Golden Triangle: Appetizer. Deep fried triangles sent from Heaven. They are stuffed with a combination of shrimp, scallops, and some other stuff. I honestly couldn't distinguish what all was in each wonderful crunchy triangle, but they were great. The dipping sauce, some type of aioli, left a bit to be desired though. Still, will do this again. And again. And....
Pad Thai: I was not wowed by this, but it was still a solid effort. I honestly think pad thai is better when its that kind of greasy-oily-totally bad for you pad thai. This was all sorts of wholesome and healthy. I also got veggie pad thai, which had a good selection of veggies but, eh. So wholesome. I asked for just a bit of spice, and I would have said that it was just sigh of medium spicy. But, really, the spicy scale is always hard to guage. My "HOLY CRAP FIRE TONGUE HOT OW!" is Dean's "Meh. This is almost spicy." I probably won't go back for the pad thai again.
While this is my first experience with Chalit, I doubt it will be my last, so I'm just going to list the items I ordered and review.
Golden Triangle: Appetizer. Deep fried triangles sent from Heaven. They are stuffed with a combination of shrimp, scallops, and some other stuff. I honestly couldn't distinguish what all was in each wonderful crunchy triangle, but they were great. The dipping sauce, some type of aioli, left a bit to be desired though. Still, will do this again. And again. And....
Pad Thai: I was not wowed by this, but it was still a solid effort. I honestly think pad thai is better when its that kind of greasy-oily-totally bad for you pad thai. This was all sorts of wholesome and healthy. I also got veggie pad thai, which had a good selection of veggies but, eh. So wholesome. I asked for just a bit of spice, and I would have said that it was just sigh of medium spicy. But, really, the spicy scale is always hard to guage. My "HOLY CRAP FIRE TONGUE HOT OW!" is Dean's "Meh. This is almost spicy." I probably won't go back for the pad thai again.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
The Long Awaited Review: Andre's at the Monte Carlo
So, this is more than a month after I had my wonderful seven course tasting menu dinner at Andre's. Luckily I took extensive notes on the meal, and the restaurant kindly provided me with a copy of the tasting menu, and the wines they paired for me! Wonderful touch, and certainly a sign of the high caliber of this restaurant.
First, I want to mention the gorgeous decor, in my favorite color pairing! Chocolate and turquoise. The dining area was intimate, modern, chic, and extremely comfortable. Absolutely gorgeous. And on my trip to the bathroom I stopped in to check out the swanky cigar bar and private dining area. Pretty sweet. I'd definitely try to find my way there some other time.
So, I'm going to organize this post by course, since there was a lot of delicious food!
Amuse Bouche: Brown butter Dover sole mousse. This was delicate, extremely rich and buttery, but I could still taste a little bit of fishy. Fish mousse weirds me out (and reminds me of a horrible cod liver mousse my mom and I had in Paris!)
Round 1: King Crab Mignon,with smoked grabanzo, winter melon, and umbrian olive oil. Paired with a 2009 Whitehall Lane, Sauv Blanc, Napa Valley. The garbanzo and winter melon were very strange on their own. Rather salty. But when you put it all together, it really came together, and tasted pretty delicious. The wine was a great pair, because it had a very fruity nose with a crisp taste. It gave a nice sweet balance to the salty starter.
Round 2: Diver scallop, caviar, lotus root, with a coconut and yellow curry sauce. Paired with 2008 Chamisal, Chardonnay, Unoaked, Central Coast. This was my first foray into caviar. And, in all likelihood, my last. Blech. Just not my thing. The salty factor was fine, but I just couldn't deal with the fishy flavor. Sigh. But the rest of this dish was awesome. The curry was spicy, full of flavor, and incredibly delicious with the perfectly prepared scallop. The caviar was served on the lotus crisp, which was very beautifully plated. The Chardonnay was sharper than I'd expected, and helped to smooth the spicy scallops. A very nice pairing.
Round 3: Seared foie gras with roasted apples and five-spice angalise sauce. No wine pairing on this one. And no wine pairing was needed. This was AMAZING! It tasted like a buttery apple pie, with just a hint of woody smokey flavor. I took tiny tiny bites to savor this amazing dish, and was so sad when it was gone!
Intermetzo: pear sorbet with sparkling water and mint oil. This was lovely with mild flavors. There was a hint of mint and sparkle!
Round 4: Berkshire pork belly, with jeweled yam, tonka bean, puff pastry and a truffle jus. Paired with a 2003 Chanteclair Merlot, France. This was a pretty incredible dish. The sides were paired so beautifully with the pork. They were smooth, rich, and could almost have been a dessert. The tonka beans, which I'd never had before, tasted like butter. The merlot was a great pair for this very rich plate, because the merlot really cut through the fat. I loved everything about this plate.
Whew. I'm getting full. And then...
Round 5: Marcho Farms veal duo with maitaki mushroom, root spinach and cardamon jus. Paired with a 2003 Chateau Grand Bert, Saint Emilion, France. The duo was a veal steak and sweet breads. And this was a giant portion! The veal steak could have been served on its own, and I was already getting full. The steak was incredibly tender, peppery, and had a very delicate flavor to it. The sweet breads had only subtle flavoring, so it really allowed the flavor of the meat to speak for itself. The spinach and mushrooms were very salty, but tasted amazing in combination with the meat. Particularly the steak, because it wasn't salted but did have wonderful pepper flavor. The Bordeaux was full bodied, definitely the biggest wine of the night.
Round 6: Morbier with candied pistachios, and cassis and green peppercorn jam. I was so full at this point. The pistachios were really sticky. As in stick in your teeth sticky. Eating the cheese by itself was extremely strong. But in combination this was very good.
Round 7: Whew! We made it. And this. This dish was amazing. Chocolate marqius with milk chocolate and raspberry. Paired with a 2006 Sauternes, Charmes de Rieussec. Dessert wines. Meh. I just don't love them. Too sweet. My least favorite pairing. Paired with one of the best chocolate desserts I have ever had. This chocolate was delicious, decadent, and had a perfect smooth and creamy texture. And the raspberries and raspberry sauce really set it off. My grandmother, who doesn't like chocolate, ate her entire dessert. She loved it. And that is really saying something.
Overall, this was a fantastic experience. The service was impeccable. The chef came out to check on our experience. They always had at least two servers to take the silver dome lids off the plates. Yes. That's right. Silver dome lids. So French! And yet...this restaurant put an amazing new spin on classic French cuisine.
I guess I should mention the price. The seven course meal was $125. The wine pairing (which I did the 5 course wine pairing, not the 7), was an additional $65. And, you know what? It was 100% worth it. The five course meal skipped the cheese plate, which wouldn't have bothered me. But it also skipped the Foie Gras. And missing that would have been a mistake. So good. So so so good.
So, if you're in Vegas. Go big. And go to Andre's.
First, I want to mention the gorgeous decor, in my favorite color pairing! Chocolate and turquoise. The dining area was intimate, modern, chic, and extremely comfortable. Absolutely gorgeous. And on my trip to the bathroom I stopped in to check out the swanky cigar bar and private dining area. Pretty sweet. I'd definitely try to find my way there some other time.
So, I'm going to organize this post by course, since there was a lot of delicious food!
Amuse Bouche: Brown butter Dover sole mousse. This was delicate, extremely rich and buttery, but I could still taste a little bit of fishy. Fish mousse weirds me out (and reminds me of a horrible cod liver mousse my mom and I had in Paris!)
Round 1: King Crab Mignon,with smoked grabanzo, winter melon, and umbrian olive oil. Paired with a 2009 Whitehall Lane, Sauv Blanc, Napa Valley. The garbanzo and winter melon were very strange on their own. Rather salty. But when you put it all together, it really came together, and tasted pretty delicious. The wine was a great pair, because it had a very fruity nose with a crisp taste. It gave a nice sweet balance to the salty starter.
Round 2: Diver scallop, caviar, lotus root, with a coconut and yellow curry sauce. Paired with 2008 Chamisal, Chardonnay, Unoaked, Central Coast. This was my first foray into caviar. And, in all likelihood, my last. Blech. Just not my thing. The salty factor was fine, but I just couldn't deal with the fishy flavor. Sigh. But the rest of this dish was awesome. The curry was spicy, full of flavor, and incredibly delicious with the perfectly prepared scallop. The caviar was served on the lotus crisp, which was very beautifully plated. The Chardonnay was sharper than I'd expected, and helped to smooth the spicy scallops. A very nice pairing.
Round 3: Seared foie gras with roasted apples and five-spice angalise sauce. No wine pairing on this one. And no wine pairing was needed. This was AMAZING! It tasted like a buttery apple pie, with just a hint of woody smokey flavor. I took tiny tiny bites to savor this amazing dish, and was so sad when it was gone!
Intermetzo: pear sorbet with sparkling water and mint oil. This was lovely with mild flavors. There was a hint of mint and sparkle!
Round 4: Berkshire pork belly, with jeweled yam, tonka bean, puff pastry and a truffle jus. Paired with a 2003 Chanteclair Merlot, France. This was a pretty incredible dish. The sides were paired so beautifully with the pork. They were smooth, rich, and could almost have been a dessert. The tonka beans, which I'd never had before, tasted like butter. The merlot was a great pair for this very rich plate, because the merlot really cut through the fat. I loved everything about this plate.
Whew. I'm getting full. And then...
Round 5: Marcho Farms veal duo with maitaki mushroom, root spinach and cardamon jus. Paired with a 2003 Chateau Grand Bert, Saint Emilion, France. The duo was a veal steak and sweet breads. And this was a giant portion! The veal steak could have been served on its own, and I was already getting full. The steak was incredibly tender, peppery, and had a very delicate flavor to it. The sweet breads had only subtle flavoring, so it really allowed the flavor of the meat to speak for itself. The spinach and mushrooms were very salty, but tasted amazing in combination with the meat. Particularly the steak, because it wasn't salted but did have wonderful pepper flavor. The Bordeaux was full bodied, definitely the biggest wine of the night.
Round 6: Morbier with candied pistachios, and cassis and green peppercorn jam. I was so full at this point. The pistachios were really sticky. As in stick in your teeth sticky. Eating the cheese by itself was extremely strong. But in combination this was very good.
Round 7: Whew! We made it. And this. This dish was amazing. Chocolate marqius with milk chocolate and raspberry. Paired with a 2006 Sauternes, Charmes de Rieussec. Dessert wines. Meh. I just don't love them. Too sweet. My least favorite pairing. Paired with one of the best chocolate desserts I have ever had. This chocolate was delicious, decadent, and had a perfect smooth and creamy texture. And the raspberries and raspberry sauce really set it off. My grandmother, who doesn't like chocolate, ate her entire dessert. She loved it. And that is really saying something.
Overall, this was a fantastic experience. The service was impeccable. The chef came out to check on our experience. They always had at least two servers to take the silver dome lids off the plates. Yes. That's right. Silver dome lids. So French! And yet...this restaurant put an amazing new spin on classic French cuisine.
I guess I should mention the price. The seven course meal was $125. The wine pairing (which I did the 5 course wine pairing, not the 7), was an additional $65. And, you know what? It was 100% worth it. The five course meal skipped the cheese plate, which wouldn't have bothered me. But it also skipped the Foie Gras. And missing that would have been a mistake. So good. So so so good.
So, if you're in Vegas. Go big. And go to Andre's.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Restaurant Review: CraftSteak, Las Vegas
CraftSteak is Tom Colicchio's steakhouse in the MGM. It's got serious company/competition, because MGM has a collection of restaurants laid out by the best of the best: Emeril, Wolfgang, Robucheon. CraftSteak has a gorgeous interior. Rough leather seats, spacious layout. The service was impeccable. Our waiter was extremely knowledgable, gave me a number of great recommendations, and didn't try to get me to buy the most expensive thing on the menu.
Which...I considered buying the most expensive thing on the menu. CraftSteak features some of the highest quality steak that you can get in an American restaurant. As the waiter informed me, the Japanese rate beef on a 12 point scale. American beef usually rates a 3 on this scale. CraftSteak offers Grade 7 and Grade 10 beef, in a number of cuts. The most expensive of these is a $150 Grade 10 filet mignon. Which I deeply considered ordering. You only live once, right?
Well, the waiter talked me down. So I went with a Grade 7 skirt steak. I also ordered the quail to start, and Brussels sprouts on the side. Starting with the quail, I thought the quail was good. But nothing amazing. I was a little disappointed, because I love quail, and had such high expectations for CraftSteak. And the quail had good flavor, but I didn't feel like they had added anything to it.
Here's my fantastic tip of the day, and you'll do well to remember this. My grandparents were with me, and for their 61st Anniversary, I bought them the dinner and a show package at MGM, which included a 3 course meal at CraftSteak for 2 and 2 tickets to KA. The value on this package is unbelievable. My grandparents' meal started with a bed of fresh greens with a light dressing, a full plate of prosciutto with a bit of fig preserve on the side, and a plate of roasted red peppers. With the starters they also served drop rolls in an adorable little cast iron pan. These rolls were so good! They had been brushed over the tops with salted butter, so they had great flavor. And they were served warm, and stayed that way courtesy of the cast iron tray. A lovely and delicious touch.
I took this little detour to describe the dinner-show package, because CraftSteak served the entrees family style. Which was a wonderful touch, because it allowed us all to share the fantastic variety that the show package provided. My grandparents' meal included baked chicken, hanger steak, a couple of scallops, pureed potatoes, and marinated mushrooms. It was....SO MUCH FOOD! Everything was delicious, but it really was way too much food. I ended up taking it on the plane with me the next day!
In a brief run down, the chicken was wonderful. I never get chicken, because its usually boring, but this was simple, moist, and incredibly flavorful. The scallop was well prepared. The hanger steak was great, with a little char on the outside. And the Grade 7? It was very lightly seasoned, so that it was really about the flavor of the meat. It was perfectly prepared. A great steak.
Oh, and the sides? Awwwwesome. I love Brussels sprouts, and these were pretty fab. They were all small in size, and were roasted until they had a nice crisp outside. The mushrooms were great with the steak. And I loved the potatoes, and was sad that we ended up sending so much of them back, because there was just no more room!
Finally. And this has been a long post to get to the finally. Dessert. They served us a personal size new york style cheesecake with a blueberry compote. The compote was big on the blueberries and scant on the sauce, which I prefer. That dessert was pretty good, although nothing I haven't had before. But the other dessert....MONKEY BREAD! What a great treat! They served us an individual sized bundt of monkey bread, with a side of vanilla bean ice cream, drizzled with caramel. I want that bundt pan! But I could also go for this dessert again, because it was warm, gooey, and delicious. Loved it. And, because this restaurant rocks my socks, they wrote "Happy Anniversary" on the plate! I didn't even tell the reservationist that I was doing this for my grandparents anniversary, just mentioned in passing that I had forgotten to call because their anniversary was the day before I made reservations. How thoughtful! And delicious!
So, CraftSteak definitely gets my seal of approval. Great service, great food, lovely ambiance. Everything you want in a fancy steakhouse!
Enjoy!
Which...I considered buying the most expensive thing on the menu. CraftSteak features some of the highest quality steak that you can get in an American restaurant. As the waiter informed me, the Japanese rate beef on a 12 point scale. American beef usually rates a 3 on this scale. CraftSteak offers Grade 7 and Grade 10 beef, in a number of cuts. The most expensive of these is a $150 Grade 10 filet mignon. Which I deeply considered ordering. You only live once, right?
Well, the waiter talked me down. So I went with a Grade 7 skirt steak. I also ordered the quail to start, and Brussels sprouts on the side. Starting with the quail, I thought the quail was good. But nothing amazing. I was a little disappointed, because I love quail, and had such high expectations for CraftSteak. And the quail had good flavor, but I didn't feel like they had added anything to it.
Here's my fantastic tip of the day, and you'll do well to remember this. My grandparents were with me, and for their 61st Anniversary, I bought them the dinner and a show package at MGM, which included a 3 course meal at CraftSteak for 2 and 2 tickets to KA. The value on this package is unbelievable. My grandparents' meal started with a bed of fresh greens with a light dressing, a full plate of prosciutto with a bit of fig preserve on the side, and a plate of roasted red peppers. With the starters they also served drop rolls in an adorable little cast iron pan. These rolls were so good! They had been brushed over the tops with salted butter, so they had great flavor. And they were served warm, and stayed that way courtesy of the cast iron tray. A lovely and delicious touch.
I took this little detour to describe the dinner-show package, because CraftSteak served the entrees family style. Which was a wonderful touch, because it allowed us all to share the fantastic variety that the show package provided. My grandparents' meal included baked chicken, hanger steak, a couple of scallops, pureed potatoes, and marinated mushrooms. It was....SO MUCH FOOD! Everything was delicious, but it really was way too much food. I ended up taking it on the plane with me the next day!
In a brief run down, the chicken was wonderful. I never get chicken, because its usually boring, but this was simple, moist, and incredibly flavorful. The scallop was well prepared. The hanger steak was great, with a little char on the outside. And the Grade 7? It was very lightly seasoned, so that it was really about the flavor of the meat. It was perfectly prepared. A great steak.
Oh, and the sides? Awwwwesome. I love Brussels sprouts, and these were pretty fab. They were all small in size, and were roasted until they had a nice crisp outside. The mushrooms were great with the steak. And I loved the potatoes, and was sad that we ended up sending so much of them back, because there was just no more room!
Finally. And this has been a long post to get to the finally. Dessert. They served us a personal size new york style cheesecake with a blueberry compote. The compote was big on the blueberries and scant on the sauce, which I prefer. That dessert was pretty good, although nothing I haven't had before. But the other dessert....MONKEY BREAD! What a great treat! They served us an individual sized bundt of monkey bread, with a side of vanilla bean ice cream, drizzled with caramel. I want that bundt pan! But I could also go for this dessert again, because it was warm, gooey, and delicious. Loved it. And, because this restaurant rocks my socks, they wrote "Happy Anniversary" on the plate! I didn't even tell the reservationist that I was doing this for my grandparents anniversary, just mentioned in passing that I had forgotten to call because their anniversary was the day before I made reservations. How thoughtful! And delicious!
So, CraftSteak definitely gets my seal of approval. Great service, great food, lovely ambiance. Everything you want in a fancy steakhouse!
Enjoy!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Review: Taste of Colorado
I had the great pleasure of hitting up Taste of Colorado with three fantastic friends who were willing to try, and share, 12 hours of tasty treats! I jotted down comments while we made our rounds. I'm leaving out many of the unremarkable items.
1. Lora's Donuts: I had the old fashioned, and it was tasty, but nothing special. I definitely prefer the Cville farmer's market donuts better.
2. Dave's Famous BBQ: This was one of the things I was really looking forward to. Chocolate covered bacon! But, apparently I was looking forward to it too much. The bacon was thin cut, and the chocolate overpowered the bacon flavor. But at Dave's we also tried the pulled pork, which was really delicious. The devil's spit sauce was nicely spicey. Not impossibly hot, and with a delicious flavor.
3. Mustard's Last Stand: these were chicago style hot dogs. The toppings were great, and I'll definitely do chicago style again, but the dog itself was unremarkable.
4. Divine Donuts: These were lovely! They were like mini funnel cakes, which made them wonderful, because a full funnel cake is always too much. But a few little funnel cake rings? Perfection!
5. Rosa Linda's Mexican Cafe: I tried the cactus burrito. And, ya know, I really enjoyed this. It had the texture of red bell pepper. I think that it had been pickled, but that made the flavor interesting. I would definitely do this again.
6. Bayou Bob's: Fried alligator is dissapointing EVERY time I have it. Never having it again. Done with it. This stuff was awful. Blech.
7. Cookie Indulgence: Deep fried cookie dough. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm. What do I need to say about this? Heart attack in a little container. Delicious, wonderful, ooey-gooey heart attack.
8. Randolph's: Golden beet gazpacho was delicious, refreshing, and had a very pretty golden yellow color.
9. Assignments Restaurant: We tried the white gazpacho and it was...disgusting. The flavors were fine, but the texture was really grainy, and it wasn't refreshing like a gazpacho usually is. It was bean and cream based, which just really didn't work out for me.
10. The Cork House Wine Restaurant: The lamb meatball was just great. It was moist, delicious, and a little gamey in a great way. It had so much more flavor than your normal run of the mill meatball. It was served with tomato sauce, and some feta. Tasty!
11. Grand Lux Cafe: OMG BEIGNETS! I've had these before, and they are always out of this world delicious. If you ever have the opportunity, these are a must have. They always come with delicious dipping sauces, and are served hot and fresh. Probably my favorite thing we had all day.
12. Xing Tea: This is a Colorado based tea company that makes canned iced tea. This tea was great. Not too sweet, like most canned teas (think Lipton's). And all natural. Very nice.
13. Hard Rock Cafe: The twisted mac n' cheese was a giant dissapointment. It had zero flavor, and was not made with flavorful or good quality cheeses. The only little bright note was a little bit of heat from the crushed red peppers they used. I'll remember that for the next time I make mac n' cheese, which will be endlessly better than this junk.
14. Tocabe: The frybread was just awful. We had a couple of bite each and threw it away. Flavorless. Just bread with cinnamon on it. Not even cinnamon sugar. Blech.
15. Saltwater Cowboy: This was our dinner. And a WONDERFUL dinner it was! We had an elk brat and a wild boar brat. These were delicious. The boar brat was nicely spicey, and the elk brat tasted like the hot dog of your dreams. It had big, bold flavor all the way through. I wonder if I can have these shipped to me, because this would take tailgating to the next level....?
16. Gigi's Cupcakes: The final item of what was a truly delicious day. Cupcakes! They had cupcakes in this perfect mini size. They were each four bites of delicious fattiness. The buttercream frosting was wonderful. My favorite combination the chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting. What a perfect ending to this epic eating day!
1. Lora's Donuts: I had the old fashioned, and it was tasty, but nothing special. I definitely prefer the Cville farmer's market donuts better.
2. Dave's Famous BBQ: This was one of the things I was really looking forward to. Chocolate covered bacon! But, apparently I was looking forward to it too much. The bacon was thin cut, and the chocolate overpowered the bacon flavor. But at Dave's we also tried the pulled pork, which was really delicious. The devil's spit sauce was nicely spicey. Not impossibly hot, and with a delicious flavor.
3. Mustard's Last Stand: these were chicago style hot dogs. The toppings were great, and I'll definitely do chicago style again, but the dog itself was unremarkable.
4. Divine Donuts: These were lovely! They were like mini funnel cakes, which made them wonderful, because a full funnel cake is always too much. But a few little funnel cake rings? Perfection!
5. Rosa Linda's Mexican Cafe: I tried the cactus burrito. And, ya know, I really enjoyed this. It had the texture of red bell pepper. I think that it had been pickled, but that made the flavor interesting. I would definitely do this again.
6. Bayou Bob's: Fried alligator is dissapointing EVERY time I have it. Never having it again. Done with it. This stuff was awful. Blech.
7. Cookie Indulgence: Deep fried cookie dough. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm. What do I need to say about this? Heart attack in a little container. Delicious, wonderful, ooey-gooey heart attack.
8. Randolph's: Golden beet gazpacho was delicious, refreshing, and had a very pretty golden yellow color.
9. Assignments Restaurant: We tried the white gazpacho and it was...disgusting. The flavors were fine, but the texture was really grainy, and it wasn't refreshing like a gazpacho usually is. It was bean and cream based, which just really didn't work out for me.
10. The Cork House Wine Restaurant: The lamb meatball was just great. It was moist, delicious, and a little gamey in a great way. It had so much more flavor than your normal run of the mill meatball. It was served with tomato sauce, and some feta. Tasty!
11. Grand Lux Cafe: OMG BEIGNETS! I've had these before, and they are always out of this world delicious. If you ever have the opportunity, these are a must have. They always come with delicious dipping sauces, and are served hot and fresh. Probably my favorite thing we had all day.
12. Xing Tea: This is a Colorado based tea company that makes canned iced tea. This tea was great. Not too sweet, like most canned teas (think Lipton's). And all natural. Very nice.
13. Hard Rock Cafe: The twisted mac n' cheese was a giant dissapointment. It had zero flavor, and was not made with flavorful or good quality cheeses. The only little bright note was a little bit of heat from the crushed red peppers they used. I'll remember that for the next time I make mac n' cheese, which will be endlessly better than this junk.
14. Tocabe: The frybread was just awful. We had a couple of bite each and threw it away. Flavorless. Just bread with cinnamon on it. Not even cinnamon sugar. Blech.
15. Saltwater Cowboy: This was our dinner. And a WONDERFUL dinner it was! We had an elk brat and a wild boar brat. These were delicious. The boar brat was nicely spicey, and the elk brat tasted like the hot dog of your dreams. It had big, bold flavor all the way through. I wonder if I can have these shipped to me, because this would take tailgating to the next level....?
16. Gigi's Cupcakes: The final item of what was a truly delicious day. Cupcakes! They had cupcakes in this perfect mini size. They were each four bites of delicious fattiness. The buttercream frosting was wonderful. My favorite combination the chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting. What a perfect ending to this epic eating day!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Restaurant Review - Appalachian Brewing Company
The scene: Located in a former warehouse just outside of Downtown Harrisburg, the Appalachian Brewing Company (ABC) is a large restaurant, small brewery, and overall fun place to visit. Fun fact: ABC bought the building from the city for $1, because it had serious water/fire damage. They've done a wonderful job fixing it up. Downstairs they've got the restaurant and bar, where you can see the brewing tanks. Upstairs they've got a bunch of pool tables.
The food: Well, this place is more about the beer than the food, but the food wasn't bad. I had the wild hog sandwich, which was pulled bbq pork. There were lots of other things on the menu, and I probably should have picked something else, because there was no way this sandwich could compete with the deliciousness that was Ridgeway BBQ. So, the food was just all right.
But the beer! The beer was pretty fantastic. They had about 16 beers on tap. The sampler was eight "small" beers, probably 4 to 5 oz each, and a sample of their root beer! I liked most of the beers, with the exception of the IPA. But that's because I don't love hops. So if you do, then the Hoppy Trials IPA might be for you. My favorite was probably the Scottish Ale I started with, although the Mountain Lager, and the stout were also very good. And for $9? Awesome deal!
The service: The bar tenderess was very good. She asked me what I wanted, I said "Nothing too hoppy" and she brought me the beer that I ended up liking the best. Well played, Ma'am, well played. The waiter was not as fabulous. He was a little slow, but they seemed understaffed, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
The price: The food seemed a little overpriced, but the beers were reasonable. And the sampler was a great deal.
The highlights: They've got a 1pm tour every Saturday,and its free! Show up at 12:45, get yourself a beer, and sip it while you learn about the history of ABC, and how they make their beers. Free samples await you at the end of the tour, too!
Final thoughts: I love a good local business, and this place was pretty great. I'll definitely be going back, if only to get my growler filled with something they've got on tap. It beats going to my local bar to get a six pack!
The food: Well, this place is more about the beer than the food, but the food wasn't bad. I had the wild hog sandwich, which was pulled bbq pork. There were lots of other things on the menu, and I probably should have picked something else, because there was no way this sandwich could compete with the deliciousness that was Ridgeway BBQ. So, the food was just all right.
But the beer! The beer was pretty fantastic. They had about 16 beers on tap. The sampler was eight "small" beers, probably 4 to 5 oz each, and a sample of their root beer! I liked most of the beers, with the exception of the IPA. But that's because I don't love hops. So if you do, then the Hoppy Trials IPA might be for you. My favorite was probably the Scottish Ale I started with, although the Mountain Lager, and the stout were also very good. And for $9? Awesome deal!
The service: The bar tenderess was very good. She asked me what I wanted, I said "Nothing too hoppy" and she brought me the beer that I ended up liking the best. Well played, Ma'am, well played. The waiter was not as fabulous. He was a little slow, but they seemed understaffed, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
The price: The food seemed a little overpriced, but the beers were reasonable. And the sampler was a great deal.
The highlights: They've got a 1pm tour every Saturday,and its free! Show up at 12:45, get yourself a beer, and sip it while you learn about the history of ABC, and how they make their beers. Free samples await you at the end of the tour, too!
Final thoughts: I love a good local business, and this place was pretty great. I'll definitely be going back, if only to get my growler filled with something they've got on tap. It beats going to my local bar to get a six pack!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Restaurant Review - Alvaro's Bakery
The scene: Harrisburg, in the residential neighborhood a little more than a mile from downtown. Also, and conveniently, a four block walk from my apartment! Hence, you may see other posts in the future, to update on different menu items as I try them out. This is really just a corner shop, with a few tables outdoors and a few tables indoors.
The food: We ordered the eggplant Parmesan special for lunch. This was simply delicious, even if it was served on a styrofoam plate. I want to start with the pasta first. It was clearly homemade, so it was thick, and a little chewy in a very pleasant way, with a flavorful tomato sauce. The pasta actually reminded me a little of spaetzle, which was a good thing, because I love spaetzle.
The eggplant parm was superb. It was very lightly breaded and fried, and then the large piece of eggplant was folded and "stuffed" with ricotta cheese that had some herbs blended into it. It was served smoking hot, which posed a bit of a problem because it was so delicious I wanted to eat it all and very quickly.
After we finished our surprisingly good pasta, we decided to finish the meal off with gelato. These guys make the gelato in the shop and serve it up fresh, which is pretty fantastic. The vanilla had just been put out, so it was at its peak. It was creamy and and not overly sweet. I decided to go with the lemon. It was much more like granita than gelato, which on a hot day was just fine with me. I'll definitely go back and try different flavors in the future. Although, speaking of, I do wish they had labels telling you what the flavors are!
The price: Good value. The eggplant parm special was $7.99, and the gelato was about $2.50. Worth it for the quality of the food we had. I'll have to try some of their other things, to see if the price:quality ratio holds true.
The service: You shouldn't have high expectations of fancy service here, since its really more like a deli/bakery than a restaurant. But the people who worked in the shop were friendly, and efficient. And that's really all that matters.
Final thoughts: I'll probably be a regular at this place. Convenient location for me, and the food was worth it. I'll certainly be back to try some of the very pretty pastries they had in the display case!
The food: We ordered the eggplant Parmesan special for lunch. This was simply delicious, even if it was served on a styrofoam plate. I want to start with the pasta first. It was clearly homemade, so it was thick, and a little chewy in a very pleasant way, with a flavorful tomato sauce. The pasta actually reminded me a little of spaetzle, which was a good thing, because I love spaetzle.
The eggplant parm was superb. It was very lightly breaded and fried, and then the large piece of eggplant was folded and "stuffed" with ricotta cheese that had some herbs blended into it. It was served smoking hot, which posed a bit of a problem because it was so delicious I wanted to eat it all and very quickly.
After we finished our surprisingly good pasta, we decided to finish the meal off with gelato. These guys make the gelato in the shop and serve it up fresh, which is pretty fantastic. The vanilla had just been put out, so it was at its peak. It was creamy and and not overly sweet. I decided to go with the lemon. It was much more like granita than gelato, which on a hot day was just fine with me. I'll definitely go back and try different flavors in the future. Although, speaking of, I do wish they had labels telling you what the flavors are!
The price: Good value. The eggplant parm special was $7.99, and the gelato was about $2.50. Worth it for the quality of the food we had. I'll have to try some of their other things, to see if the price:quality ratio holds true.
The service: You shouldn't have high expectations of fancy service here, since its really more like a deli/bakery than a restaurant. But the people who worked in the shop were friendly, and efficient. And that's really all that matters.
Final thoughts: I'll probably be a regular at this place. Convenient location for me, and the food was worth it. I'll certainly be back to try some of the very pretty pastries they had in the display case!
Friday, August 13, 2010
The Best BBQ You'll Probably Never Have
The scene: Ridgewood BBQ, in Bluff City, TN. Kids, this is seriously off the beaten path. Originally just a single room diner hidden not far past the border of TN/VA, it is now a multi room diner hidden just past the border of TN/VA. They've got limited operating hours, so don't show up at 7:30 hoping for dinner, because they'll be closed. And do show up expecting to wait. We got there around 6:30 and had to wait about 15 to 20 minutes to get a table. But, I promise, it is absolutely worth it!
The meal: This place serves up heaping helpings of mouth watering BBQ. We ordered the BBQ pork sandwich, which was thin sliced pork in homemade BBQ sauce on a giant bun topped with some slaw, and with a side order of fries. The portions are huge. I'm a big eater, and splitting the sandwich was plenty for me. They leave a bottle of the BBQ sauce on the table, which should be used on everything! The fries. The sandwich. It's so delicious, I'd worry that people might drink it, or put it on a spoon.
I also heard the Blue Cheese and crackers are fabulous, but we didn't try those.
The service: Just what you would expect from a roadside BBQ diner. Friendly, efficient, and bustling because they've got tons of people to serve!
The price: Everything seemed reasonable. You're definitely not going to break the bank at this place, although you might have to spend a few bucks on gas to get there!
The highlights: The baked beans. Seriously out of this world. Homemade, delicious, and served in an adorable little bean pot. I could have eaten two servings, they were that good.
Final thoughts: If you're ever out this way, particularly if you're going to Asheville, this place is definitely worth the detour. Heck, even if you aren't out this way, it would be an amusing weekend adventure. And if you're hitting the NASCAR race at Bristol, then you should definitely stop in. Or place an order to pick up!
Here's the link to the yelp review with the address (ignore the 1 star reviewer who was clearly high on hater-ade): http://www.yelp.com/biz/ridgewood-barbecue-bluff-city
The meal: This place serves up heaping helpings of mouth watering BBQ. We ordered the BBQ pork sandwich, which was thin sliced pork in homemade BBQ sauce on a giant bun topped with some slaw, and with a side order of fries. The portions are huge. I'm a big eater, and splitting the sandwich was plenty for me. They leave a bottle of the BBQ sauce on the table, which should be used on everything! The fries. The sandwich. It's so delicious, I'd worry that people might drink it, or put it on a spoon.
I also heard the Blue Cheese and crackers are fabulous, but we didn't try those.
The service: Just what you would expect from a roadside BBQ diner. Friendly, efficient, and bustling because they've got tons of people to serve!
The price: Everything seemed reasonable. You're definitely not going to break the bank at this place, although you might have to spend a few bucks on gas to get there!
The highlights: The baked beans. Seriously out of this world. Homemade, delicious, and served in an adorable little bean pot. I could have eaten two servings, they were that good.
Final thoughts: If you're ever out this way, particularly if you're going to Asheville, this place is definitely worth the detour. Heck, even if you aren't out this way, it would be an amusing weekend adventure. And if you're hitting the NASCAR race at Bristol, then you should definitely stop in. Or place an order to pick up!
Here's the link to the yelp review with the address (ignore the 1 star reviewer who was clearly high on hater-ade): http://www.yelp.com/biz/ridgewood-barbecue-bluff-city
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Restaurant Review - Alexis Baking Company
The scene: Napa proper, hidden on a quiet semi-residential street. This is kind of a hole in the wall. Nothing fancy about the setting. Just a store front with about 15 tables. But I knew I’d made the right choice when almost everything else in Napa was asleep on Sunday morning at 8:45am, and this place had a waiting list.
The meal: I’m not even sure I need to describe the food I had the pleasure of eating. The names will do it. Stuffed pancakes with sweetened cream cheese and fresh nectarines. Cinnamon French toast with fresh nectarines and powdered sugar. Omelet with wild mushrooms and sweet onions, cinnamon toast, and breakfast potatoes. But, in case you can’t guess what these taste like, I’ll give you a little description.
The omelet had fabulous flavor. I might have made a few adjustments (cheese! Hello?!), but when you got a bite with the onion and the mushrooms together it was earthy and sweet and wonderful. The breakfast potatoes didn’t wow me, but the fresh, homemade cinnamon bread did. The portion size was also substantial.
The French toast was made with that same delicious homemade cinnamon bread. And it was just awesome. Plain and simple.
Oh, you thought the highlight of the meal was the French toast? Sure, it was awesome. But it was not nearly as freaking fantastic as the pancakes! The sweetened cream cheese between two fluffy and light pancakes was a little reminiscent of a crepe. But with better filling. The filling had the flavor of cheesecake (because, duh, it’s the same stuff!), but was creamy and smooth. With all that fresh fruit, it all came together for my favorite pairing. Sweet and tart. And wowow delicious.
You cannot go wrong with this place. I oogled everyone’s food until I got mine, and then I was so happy!
The service: Awesome! Our server, let’s call him T-Rex, was a big guy. The table was long, and it was hard to get to the farthest coffee cup, so he joked that he couldn’t reach it because of his little T-Rex arms. They were not little, but he was funny. When we asked what was better between the pancakes or french toast, he said, “Why don’t I give you half an order of each, then you can try them both.” Um, SOLD! He was attentive, and stopped by frequently to top off our coffee.
The price: For the portion size and quality it was worth it.
The highlights: The purple house across the street. Seriously, it was adorable. The ambiance wasn’t fabulous, but who the heck cares when the food is that delicious?
Final thoughts: Go. Enjoy. And then don’t eat anything else the rest of Sunday!
The meal: I’m not even sure I need to describe the food I had the pleasure of eating. The names will do it. Stuffed pancakes with sweetened cream cheese and fresh nectarines. Cinnamon French toast with fresh nectarines and powdered sugar. Omelet with wild mushrooms and sweet onions, cinnamon toast, and breakfast potatoes. But, in case you can’t guess what these taste like, I’ll give you a little description.
The omelet had fabulous flavor. I might have made a few adjustments (cheese! Hello?!), but when you got a bite with the onion and the mushrooms together it was earthy and sweet and wonderful. The breakfast potatoes didn’t wow me, but the fresh, homemade cinnamon bread did. The portion size was also substantial.
The French toast was made with that same delicious homemade cinnamon bread. And it was just awesome. Plain and simple.
Oh, you thought the highlight of the meal was the French toast? Sure, it was awesome. But it was not nearly as freaking fantastic as the pancakes! The sweetened cream cheese between two fluffy and light pancakes was a little reminiscent of a crepe. But with better filling. The filling had the flavor of cheesecake (because, duh, it’s the same stuff!), but was creamy and smooth. With all that fresh fruit, it all came together for my favorite pairing. Sweet and tart. And wowow delicious.
You cannot go wrong with this place. I oogled everyone’s food until I got mine, and then I was so happy!
The service: Awesome! Our server, let’s call him T-Rex, was a big guy. The table was long, and it was hard to get to the farthest coffee cup, so he joked that he couldn’t reach it because of his little T-Rex arms. They were not little, but he was funny. When we asked what was better between the pancakes or french toast, he said, “Why don’t I give you half an order of each, then you can try them both.” Um, SOLD! He was attentive, and stopped by frequently to top off our coffee.
The price: For the portion size and quality it was worth it.
The highlights: The purple house across the street. Seriously, it was adorable. The ambiance wasn’t fabulous, but who the heck cares when the food is that delicious?
Final thoughts: Go. Enjoy. And then don’t eat anything else the rest of Sunday!
Restaurant Review - Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen
The scene: St Helena, California. This is a back alley diner, as only St Helena can do it. Because by “back alley” I mean adorable ranch house style diner with enough tables and booths to accommodate a lot of folks. On a beautiful day, the little outdoor patio is just splendid, but the interior is quaint and comfortable, with large booths for bigger groups. Warning: the bathroom is the only thing about this place that is small. Only two stalls, so be prepared to wait.
The meal: This place had a menu that mixed comfort with cutting edge. I did some entrée splitting with a friend, so I got to sample a number of things. I started with a grape and fennel gazpacho, then had half of the duck burger with shitake mushroom “ketchup”, and an adult grilled cheese that had bacon and apricot jam on it, with polenta fries. So, let’s get to the details!
The gazpacho was just fantastic. It was green, which made it a bit different from your normal gazpacho. The initial taste wasn’t all that different from a tomato based gazpacho, but was followed by the taste of the fennel, and finished with a serious spicy bite courtesy of some jalapeno. Fabulous! I loved the layers of flavors. It was the special, so you’re not likely to see it again, but apparently they do gazpacho on a regular basis.
On to the duck burger! This was a fun twist. I generally love a good quacker, so I decided to go for it, even though I had no idea what a duck burger would be like. And, really, what the heck is shitake mushroom “ketchup”?! Well, turns out that shitake mushroom ketchup results in a caramelized glaze that tastes a bit like teriyaki. It has a certain sweetness to it. The duck burger was pretty delicious, but it was a little dry. I don’t know if this was because they overcooked it, or if it was just the natural differences in duck versus beef. But I still enjoyed the duck burger.
Finally, the adult grilled cheese. It had some fancy shmancy cheese on it, that was in the gruyere family. So, white and full of flavor. The bacon was a nice touch, although I should have ordered it extra crispy. And that apricot jam was just superb, tart and sweet. It paired with the savory sandwich so nicely.
The service: Meeeh so-so. They brought me a shrimp BLT, rather than my grilled cheese, and then it took a while to get the grilled cheese. The restaurant was busy because it was a Saturday at noon, so I’ll cut them a little slack. But it was hard to get the waitress’ attention. So, really, it was just so-so.
The price: A little pricey for a simple lunch. But you’re in Napa! So live a little. The sandwiches were anywhere between $11 and $15, and that delicious little cup of gazpacho was a mere $4.50. And worth every penny, I’ll tell you!
The highlights: That gazpacho. Delicious!
Final thoughts: Worth a lunch time visit.
The meal: This place had a menu that mixed comfort with cutting edge. I did some entrée splitting with a friend, so I got to sample a number of things. I started with a grape and fennel gazpacho, then had half of the duck burger with shitake mushroom “ketchup”, and an adult grilled cheese that had bacon and apricot jam on it, with polenta fries. So, let’s get to the details!
The gazpacho was just fantastic. It was green, which made it a bit different from your normal gazpacho. The initial taste wasn’t all that different from a tomato based gazpacho, but was followed by the taste of the fennel, and finished with a serious spicy bite courtesy of some jalapeno. Fabulous! I loved the layers of flavors. It was the special, so you’re not likely to see it again, but apparently they do gazpacho on a regular basis.
On to the duck burger! This was a fun twist. I generally love a good quacker, so I decided to go for it, even though I had no idea what a duck burger would be like. And, really, what the heck is shitake mushroom “ketchup”?! Well, turns out that shitake mushroom ketchup results in a caramelized glaze that tastes a bit like teriyaki. It has a certain sweetness to it. The duck burger was pretty delicious, but it was a little dry. I don’t know if this was because they overcooked it, or if it was just the natural differences in duck versus beef. But I still enjoyed the duck burger.
Finally, the adult grilled cheese. It had some fancy shmancy cheese on it, that was in the gruyere family. So, white and full of flavor. The bacon was a nice touch, although I should have ordered it extra crispy. And that apricot jam was just superb, tart and sweet. It paired with the savory sandwich so nicely.
The service: Meeeh so-so. They brought me a shrimp BLT, rather than my grilled cheese, and then it took a while to get the grilled cheese. The restaurant was busy because it was a Saturday at noon, so I’ll cut them a little slack. But it was hard to get the waitress’ attention. So, really, it was just so-so.
The price: A little pricey for a simple lunch. But you’re in Napa! So live a little. The sandwiches were anywhere between $11 and $15, and that delicious little cup of gazpacho was a mere $4.50. And worth every penny, I’ll tell you!
The highlights: That gazpacho. Delicious!
Final thoughts: Worth a lunch time visit.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Restaurant Review - Robert Mondavi Winery Garden to Table Dinner
The scene: Robert Mondavi Winery, Oakville, California. The winery offered, for the first time, a four hour dinner experience to embrace Robert Mondavi’s belief that wine is best enjoyed with food. This experience requires a detailed description. There were 10 other people who had the opportunity to enjoy this amazing, intimate, adventure with me.
Our adventure began on the back patio of the winery, next to the garden. We started with a glass of Fume Blanc, a crisp, tart, and refreshing wine for a gorgeous, sunny, 78 degree afternoon in Oakville. We were greeted by our guide, Peter. More about Peter later. Head Chef Jeff Mosher joined us on the patio, and described what we would be making for dinner. He described the garden he had planted, and the different herbs and vegetables in it. Then it was time for some work. People snipped basil and picked beans. I had the personal pleasure of cutting eight beautiful little purple eggplants for us to use. The garden also featured other glorious items like tomatoes, rosemary, watermelon, peppers and fruit trees.
Once we were done collecting our ingredients, it was off to the kitchen. Every guest was given a black Robert Mondavi apron, which I wore the rest of the day. Chef Jeff doled out a few tasks, such as washing the ingredients and doing prep work. I eagerly volunteered for the task of mincing garlic and dicing shallots, because I wanted a knife lesson from an expert chef. And I got one! Chef Jeff showed me how to properly cut the shallot to avoid eye irritation (I’m a big crier when I cut shallots and onions). While my knife skills were not as quick as his, I made it all the way through my shallots without crying! And all of my prep work looked like his. I was very appreciative, and thrilled! Chef Jeff showed us how to prepare stuffed tomatoes, how to get the right consistency in a béarnaise (you want your base to have ribbons, where it doesn’t come back together quickly, before adding butter), and he let us taste test some of the items. While he worked, he answered all sorts of questions about his personal experience, how he chooses menus, and how to make your food compliment your wine (if your wine tastes flat, the secret is to add a little lemon or salt to your food).
Eventually we had to leave the kitchen so that the real kitchen staff could finish the preparations. While dinner was being finished, our wonderful guide Peter took us on a private tour of the winery. By this point the winery was closed to the public. We went into the vineyards and tasted the different varietals of grape that would later become exquisite Robert Mondavi wines. The roses in the vineyards were in full bloom, and smelled lovely. From the vineyards we then went into the wine making facility, to see the big barrels that were being prepared for this fall’s harvest. Two stories tall! We visited the cellar, to appreciate Mrs. Mondavi’s commitment to keeping everything aesthetically pleasing. She has the center panel of all the oak barrels painted red, so that if some wine spills out, the stains won’t be noticeable. During the tour Peter showed the amazing depth of his knowledge. He gave us the history of the winery, the science of wine making, and he answered the glut of questions that we had. Nothing stumped him!
Finally we made our way to our table in the rose garden.
The meal: We sat down at our gorgeous dinner table, with beautiful flower centerpieces, in the rose garden. We started with a Chardonnay, to compliment the hors d’vours. The Chef had made a few small bites to start out our experience. First came a smoked salmon on a vegetable slaw with dill mayonnaise. I’m not a huge lover of smoked salmon, but I enjoyed this small bite. The vegetables were crisp, and it brought out the notes in the wine. We had a small bite of the Chef’s take on the BLT. Mind-blowingly thick crispy bacon, thicker than I’d ever had before, paired with a bit of fried green tomato, avocado, and even a little bit of cherry tomato. Delicious. As a special treat, we also had an amuse bouche of melon gazpacho, served in an adorable little espresso cup with a tiny spoon. I loved the plating. The gazpacho was crisp, sweet, and made me look forward to what was coming next.
The second wine was poured. It was the 2008 Fume Blanc Reserve. Another light and refreshing wine, but with deeper tones than the first Fume Blanc we’d had. And then the food arrived. Seared wild salmon served over a caponata with garden basil, eggplant (I picked those!), and tomatoes. I’ll be honest. This salmon was absolutely the best salmon I have ever had, and it may have been the single greatest dish I have ever had. It was that good. Chef Jeff had used some white pepper and salt. It was seared in grape seed oil so that the salmon developed a delicious, almost decadent, crust. The caponata was great, too. The eggplant has been rolled in Wondra (a super fine flour), and lightly fried in grape seed oil, so it maintained its crisp texture rather than getting soggy. The caponata was full of big flavors, because everything was so fresh. Chef Jeff scored huge with this dish, and it brought the wine to life, too. My taste buds have never been so happy!
Our plates were cleared, and the third wine was poured. This wine was a real treat. The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. The most expensive bottle of wine I’ve ever had (aside from the corked Opus One I tried **shakes fist!**). I sipped it while waiting for the next round of food, and it had a deep rich flavor. I could see the difference between this wine and the cheap $15 bottles I often buy. There was no bitter aftertaste. It was smooth, and the taste that lingered after I’d taken a sip was warm, pleasant, and comforting. This was a very good wine. And it was made better by the next round of food. Pan Roasted Niman Ranch Ribeye, served over a potato puree with mushrooms and summer beans, and a garden tomato a la Provencale in a béarnaise sauce (stuffed with my minced garlic and diced shallots!). Makes your mouth water, right? Starting backwards, I loved the tomato. It had the rich taste of something that had taken a very short trip from the vine to the kitchen to my plate. I love a fresh, ripe, tomato. And the béarnaise sauce complimented it nicely, with notes of fresh herbs. The beans were crisp, and eaten in combination with the mushrooms and potato puree made a lovely pairing with the meat. The ribeye! The ribeye probably got less love from me than it should have, because it was following that absolutely unforgettable salmon. But the ribeye had crispy, flavorful edges, and was cooked to perfection. It was tender and juicy in the middle. This course, above the others, really captured Robert Mondavi’s dream. I appreciated the wine even more because of the food. I savored a sip of wine after every bite, and was sad to see when both my wine (okay, my third glass of the amazing wine) and my food were gone.
The final pour of the night was a 2009 Moscato d’Oro. It was paired with a peach and blackberry crostada, whipped crème fraiche, and a blackberry sauce. I wish I could have watched the pastry chef at work, because the crostada was perfect. It had a delicate and moist crust. The pairing of fruits made a dessert with some edge. Sometimes fruit based desserts are sickeningly sweet, and then paired with the dessert wine, it just overwhelms my sugar sensors. But this dessert had a bite to it. And the crème fraiche was a fantastic touch. It, too, was both sweet and tart with hints of vanilla floating through it. I had never thought of using whipped crème fraiche, but this dessert has inspired me to move away from plain old whipped cream or ice cream, and strike out in new directions. I thought this dessert really paired nicely with the wine. Chef Jeff had carefully picked a dessert that wouldn’t compete with the sweetness of the dessert wine. Instead the sweet flavors of the peach in the crostada worked with the flavors of the wine, making both taste better.
The service: Our main server, Ken, was just wonderful. All of the waitstaff were efficient and pleasant. Ken went out of his way to make sure we had everything we needed. He poured the wine frequently and generously, was friendly, and made an effort to treat each of us as individuals. First class service.
The price: We paid $150 per person, and I’m going to tell you that this program is WAY WAY WAY underpriced. I think a more appropriate price would have been $250 or $300. The amount of wine and the quality of the food, alone, easily justified paying the price we paid. But to include private access to the winery, the ambiance, and the uniqueness of this experience, they should definitely be charging more.
The highlights: Honestly, everything about this experience was amazing. We also got to keep our aprons, and we received an autobiography of Mr. Mondavi’s life, as well as a small cookbook from Chef Jeff Mosher.
Final thoughts: This was a unique and memorable experience, and I am so very grateful to all the people at Robert Mondavi winery whose contributions resulted in such an amazing adventure. This has given me a new and profound appreciation for the power of pairing a good wine with a delicious meal.
Our adventure began on the back patio of the winery, next to the garden. We started with a glass of Fume Blanc, a crisp, tart, and refreshing wine for a gorgeous, sunny, 78 degree afternoon in Oakville. We were greeted by our guide, Peter. More about Peter later. Head Chef Jeff Mosher joined us on the patio, and described what we would be making for dinner. He described the garden he had planted, and the different herbs and vegetables in it. Then it was time for some work. People snipped basil and picked beans. I had the personal pleasure of cutting eight beautiful little purple eggplants for us to use. The garden also featured other glorious items like tomatoes, rosemary, watermelon, peppers and fruit trees.
Once we were done collecting our ingredients, it was off to the kitchen. Every guest was given a black Robert Mondavi apron, which I wore the rest of the day. Chef Jeff doled out a few tasks, such as washing the ingredients and doing prep work. I eagerly volunteered for the task of mincing garlic and dicing shallots, because I wanted a knife lesson from an expert chef. And I got one! Chef Jeff showed me how to properly cut the shallot to avoid eye irritation (I’m a big crier when I cut shallots and onions). While my knife skills were not as quick as his, I made it all the way through my shallots without crying! And all of my prep work looked like his. I was very appreciative, and thrilled! Chef Jeff showed us how to prepare stuffed tomatoes, how to get the right consistency in a béarnaise (you want your base to have ribbons, where it doesn’t come back together quickly, before adding butter), and he let us taste test some of the items. While he worked, he answered all sorts of questions about his personal experience, how he chooses menus, and how to make your food compliment your wine (if your wine tastes flat, the secret is to add a little lemon or salt to your food).
Eventually we had to leave the kitchen so that the real kitchen staff could finish the preparations. While dinner was being finished, our wonderful guide Peter took us on a private tour of the winery. By this point the winery was closed to the public. We went into the vineyards and tasted the different varietals of grape that would later become exquisite Robert Mondavi wines. The roses in the vineyards were in full bloom, and smelled lovely. From the vineyards we then went into the wine making facility, to see the big barrels that were being prepared for this fall’s harvest. Two stories tall! We visited the cellar, to appreciate Mrs. Mondavi’s commitment to keeping everything aesthetically pleasing. She has the center panel of all the oak barrels painted red, so that if some wine spills out, the stains won’t be noticeable. During the tour Peter showed the amazing depth of his knowledge. He gave us the history of the winery, the science of wine making, and he answered the glut of questions that we had. Nothing stumped him!
Finally we made our way to our table in the rose garden.
The meal: We sat down at our gorgeous dinner table, with beautiful flower centerpieces, in the rose garden. We started with a Chardonnay, to compliment the hors d’vours. The Chef had made a few small bites to start out our experience. First came a smoked salmon on a vegetable slaw with dill mayonnaise. I’m not a huge lover of smoked salmon, but I enjoyed this small bite. The vegetables were crisp, and it brought out the notes in the wine. We had a small bite of the Chef’s take on the BLT. Mind-blowingly thick crispy bacon, thicker than I’d ever had before, paired with a bit of fried green tomato, avocado, and even a little bit of cherry tomato. Delicious. As a special treat, we also had an amuse bouche of melon gazpacho, served in an adorable little espresso cup with a tiny spoon. I loved the plating. The gazpacho was crisp, sweet, and made me look forward to what was coming next.
The second wine was poured. It was the 2008 Fume Blanc Reserve. Another light and refreshing wine, but with deeper tones than the first Fume Blanc we’d had. And then the food arrived. Seared wild salmon served over a caponata with garden basil, eggplant (I picked those!), and tomatoes. I’ll be honest. This salmon was absolutely the best salmon I have ever had, and it may have been the single greatest dish I have ever had. It was that good. Chef Jeff had used some white pepper and salt. It was seared in grape seed oil so that the salmon developed a delicious, almost decadent, crust. The caponata was great, too. The eggplant has been rolled in Wondra (a super fine flour), and lightly fried in grape seed oil, so it maintained its crisp texture rather than getting soggy. The caponata was full of big flavors, because everything was so fresh. Chef Jeff scored huge with this dish, and it brought the wine to life, too. My taste buds have never been so happy!
Our plates were cleared, and the third wine was poured. This wine was a real treat. The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. The most expensive bottle of wine I’ve ever had (aside from the corked Opus One I tried **shakes fist!**). I sipped it while waiting for the next round of food, and it had a deep rich flavor. I could see the difference between this wine and the cheap $15 bottles I often buy. There was no bitter aftertaste. It was smooth, and the taste that lingered after I’d taken a sip was warm, pleasant, and comforting. This was a very good wine. And it was made better by the next round of food. Pan Roasted Niman Ranch Ribeye, served over a potato puree with mushrooms and summer beans, and a garden tomato a la Provencale in a béarnaise sauce (stuffed with my minced garlic and diced shallots!). Makes your mouth water, right? Starting backwards, I loved the tomato. It had the rich taste of something that had taken a very short trip from the vine to the kitchen to my plate. I love a fresh, ripe, tomato. And the béarnaise sauce complimented it nicely, with notes of fresh herbs. The beans were crisp, and eaten in combination with the mushrooms and potato puree made a lovely pairing with the meat. The ribeye! The ribeye probably got less love from me than it should have, because it was following that absolutely unforgettable salmon. But the ribeye had crispy, flavorful edges, and was cooked to perfection. It was tender and juicy in the middle. This course, above the others, really captured Robert Mondavi’s dream. I appreciated the wine even more because of the food. I savored a sip of wine after every bite, and was sad to see when both my wine (okay, my third glass of the amazing wine) and my food were gone.
The final pour of the night was a 2009 Moscato d’Oro. It was paired with a peach and blackberry crostada, whipped crème fraiche, and a blackberry sauce. I wish I could have watched the pastry chef at work, because the crostada was perfect. It had a delicate and moist crust. The pairing of fruits made a dessert with some edge. Sometimes fruit based desserts are sickeningly sweet, and then paired with the dessert wine, it just overwhelms my sugar sensors. But this dessert had a bite to it. And the crème fraiche was a fantastic touch. It, too, was both sweet and tart with hints of vanilla floating through it. I had never thought of using whipped crème fraiche, but this dessert has inspired me to move away from plain old whipped cream or ice cream, and strike out in new directions. I thought this dessert really paired nicely with the wine. Chef Jeff had carefully picked a dessert that wouldn’t compete with the sweetness of the dessert wine. Instead the sweet flavors of the peach in the crostada worked with the flavors of the wine, making both taste better.
The service: Our main server, Ken, was just wonderful. All of the waitstaff were efficient and pleasant. Ken went out of his way to make sure we had everything we needed. He poured the wine frequently and generously, was friendly, and made an effort to treat each of us as individuals. First class service.
The price: We paid $150 per person, and I’m going to tell you that this program is WAY WAY WAY underpriced. I think a more appropriate price would have been $250 or $300. The amount of wine and the quality of the food, alone, easily justified paying the price we paid. But to include private access to the winery, the ambiance, and the uniqueness of this experience, they should definitely be charging more.
The highlights: Honestly, everything about this experience was amazing. We also got to keep our aprons, and we received an autobiography of Mr. Mondavi’s life, as well as a small cookbook from Chef Jeff Mosher.
Final thoughts: This was a unique and memorable experience, and I am so very grateful to all the people at Robert Mondavi winery whose contributions resulted in such an amazing adventure. This has given me a new and profound appreciation for the power of pairing a good wine with a delicious meal.
Restaurant Review - Perbacco
The scene: Financial District of San Francisco, a few blocks from Union Square. This place was packed on a Friday night, so if you want to go make sure you have a reservation. There is a bar at the front where you can have a drink while waiting for your table. The tables were comfortably spaced, the décor was both cozy and modern. There were exposed brick walls, which gave the place a lot of character.
The meal: Perbacco does Italian the way it should be done. Fresh ingredients, thick sauces, colorful combinations, and big, big flavors. We did a bit of family style ordering, so everyone at the table shared the starters. The restaurant actually offers family style pasta servings, which they will plate for you.
We started with a tomato salad, and a fritto misto. The tomato salad had a wonderful variety of colorful tomatoes. Red, yellow, green. Small, medium, large. It was drizzled with basalmic and olive oil, and lightly seasoned. The tomatoes were delicious. Flavorful and juicy. While I can’t be sure they were locally sourced, they had the taste of locally sourced and recently picked. (I’ve become a tomato snob. I can taste the difference between a homegrown tomato and a store bought one.) The fritto misto involved a number of “fried” items, the feature being “fried” rock shrimp. Why “fried” and not just fried, you ask? Because these were more tempura style than the type of frying you imagine when you think of fried seafood starters. The batter was thin and light, and really highlighted the flavor of the food. The plate also featured “fried” green beans and green olives. The olives were unbelievable. It was served with a lemon aioli, which was nice, but could have used just a touch more lemon, I thought.
So. That was the starters. Ready for dinner?
We did a trio of pastas. We went with the gnocchi, a tagliatelli, and a ravioli. It was a nice spectrum, and the plate was extremely colorful. The gnocchi was in a cream sauce with wild mushrooms. Delicious. I thought the gnocchi was a little softer than I usually prefer, but the flavors were right on. The tagliatelli was in a pesto suace, and had sautéed summer squash and haricot vert mixed in. It was much heartier than gnocchi, with deeper flavors. Finally, the ravioli was in a light cream sauce that had summer peas, which give it just a hint of green. Great color palate. The ravioli was delicate and delicious, stuffed with a lemon flavored ricotta. Not the clunky stuff you may be used to. We also ordered two sides. The roasted fingerling potatoes, which I would describe as unremarkable. And the brussel sprouts. Oh the brussel sprouts! Hands down my favorite part of this meal. They were roasted in brown butter and seasoned with a honey mustard of some sort. Absolutely delicious. I can’t possibly rave about these enough. Wowowow.
For dessert we had the doughnuts with the salted caramel sauce. The doughnuts had a great flavor, although I thought they were either a little heavy or baked slightly too long. The sauce was heavy on the salt. Don’t dunk your entire doughnut deep into it, or you will not enjoy that bite. But just a little sauce on the doughnut was nice. It was a bachelorette party, and so they brought out an interesting dessert. Mascarpone semifreddo. It was round, and looked a bit like cheesecake. But it was not. And it was not panna cotta. It was creamy. Not exactly ice cream, but served chilled. It was freaking delicious, with its diced nectarines and blueberries. They also served hazelnut cookies that were really light (main ingredient was air). It was a great way to end a dense and filling meal.
The service: Five stars. Impeccable. Our waitress was attentive, knowledgeable, friendly, and concerned about our experience. Umberto, the manager, stopped by our table to welcome us to his restaurant. The excellent service really made this a great experience.
The price: Reasonable. Don’t remember seeing anything over $30 on the menu. The Pasta tris was $18 per person, with fair portion sizes. They had heartier entrees which looked really delicious, too. Quail. I love quail.
The highlights: The brussel sprouts. Get them. Love them. Oh, and a comprehensive wine list, featuring lots of different prices and options. The sommelier made a wonderful recommendation for us, that was at a reasonable price.
Final thoughts: Best Italian food I’ve ever had. Trust me, you’ll never want to go to Olive Garden again.
The meal: Perbacco does Italian the way it should be done. Fresh ingredients, thick sauces, colorful combinations, and big, big flavors. We did a bit of family style ordering, so everyone at the table shared the starters. The restaurant actually offers family style pasta servings, which they will plate for you.
We started with a tomato salad, and a fritto misto. The tomato salad had a wonderful variety of colorful tomatoes. Red, yellow, green. Small, medium, large. It was drizzled with basalmic and olive oil, and lightly seasoned. The tomatoes were delicious. Flavorful and juicy. While I can’t be sure they were locally sourced, they had the taste of locally sourced and recently picked. (I’ve become a tomato snob. I can taste the difference between a homegrown tomato and a store bought one.) The fritto misto involved a number of “fried” items, the feature being “fried” rock shrimp. Why “fried” and not just fried, you ask? Because these were more tempura style than the type of frying you imagine when you think of fried seafood starters. The batter was thin and light, and really highlighted the flavor of the food. The plate also featured “fried” green beans and green olives. The olives were unbelievable. It was served with a lemon aioli, which was nice, but could have used just a touch more lemon, I thought.
So. That was the starters. Ready for dinner?
We did a trio of pastas. We went with the gnocchi, a tagliatelli, and a ravioli. It was a nice spectrum, and the plate was extremely colorful. The gnocchi was in a cream sauce with wild mushrooms. Delicious. I thought the gnocchi was a little softer than I usually prefer, but the flavors were right on. The tagliatelli was in a pesto suace, and had sautéed summer squash and haricot vert mixed in. It was much heartier than gnocchi, with deeper flavors. Finally, the ravioli was in a light cream sauce that had summer peas, which give it just a hint of green. Great color palate. The ravioli was delicate and delicious, stuffed with a lemon flavored ricotta. Not the clunky stuff you may be used to. We also ordered two sides. The roasted fingerling potatoes, which I would describe as unremarkable. And the brussel sprouts. Oh the brussel sprouts! Hands down my favorite part of this meal. They were roasted in brown butter and seasoned with a honey mustard of some sort. Absolutely delicious. I can’t possibly rave about these enough. Wowowow.
For dessert we had the doughnuts with the salted caramel sauce. The doughnuts had a great flavor, although I thought they were either a little heavy or baked slightly too long. The sauce was heavy on the salt. Don’t dunk your entire doughnut deep into it, or you will not enjoy that bite. But just a little sauce on the doughnut was nice. It was a bachelorette party, and so they brought out an interesting dessert. Mascarpone semifreddo. It was round, and looked a bit like cheesecake. But it was not. And it was not panna cotta. It was creamy. Not exactly ice cream, but served chilled. It was freaking delicious, with its diced nectarines and blueberries. They also served hazelnut cookies that were really light (main ingredient was air). It was a great way to end a dense and filling meal.
The service: Five stars. Impeccable. Our waitress was attentive, knowledgeable, friendly, and concerned about our experience. Umberto, the manager, stopped by our table to welcome us to his restaurant. The excellent service really made this a great experience.
The price: Reasonable. Don’t remember seeing anything over $30 on the menu. The Pasta tris was $18 per person, with fair portion sizes. They had heartier entrees which looked really delicious, too. Quail. I love quail.
The highlights: The brussel sprouts. Get them. Love them. Oh, and a comprehensive wine list, featuring lots of different prices and options. The sommelier made a wonderful recommendation for us, that was at a reasonable price.
Final thoughts: Best Italian food I’ve ever had. Trust me, you’ll never want to go to Olive Garden again.
Monday, December 21, 2009
L'Etoile
I was recently treated to a very nice dinner at L'Etoile. I enjoy French food. It plays up all my favorite flavors, and everything is usually rich and decadent. To feel the part, Chris and I dressed to the nines. He wore a suit and tie, and I wore a floor length yellow chiffon dress with a heart shaped bodice and a single shoulder strap. But this isn't a fashion blog, so on to the food!
We started with the foie gras and the sweetbreads. The foie gras was delicious, and the crostini that came with it was perfectly toasted. Not too thick, not too dry, not to hard. It had a wonderful flavor and texture. I thought the sweetbreads were good, although not the best I've ever had. What I liked was that they were not in a heavy sauce, so all the flavor was coming from the meat itself. It gave me a new appreciation for sweetbreads. I feel like a good sauce enhances the natural flavor of the meat, which is why these sweetbreads are not my all time favorite. But they were very good, nonetheless.
For our second course we ordered the pear bisque and a salad. The salad had goat cheese, ham, pine nuts, and a citrus vinaigrette. The salad was very good, but how much can really be said about a salad? The soup, however, was interesting and unique. I was a bit worried that it would be a sweet soup, because of the pear. It was a freezing night outside, and sweet was not what I was in the mood for. But it was a savory blend. It reminded me a little of a butternut squash bisque, where the sweet and savory work together. It had the same creamy consistency as butternut squash bisque, with a beautiful champagne color.
For entrees we decided to go with a meat and a pasta. For our meat we ordered the duck with cranberry, mashed potatoes, and mushrooms. The duck was perfectly cooked, and the sides came together to enhance the rich flavor of the meat. It was some of the best duck I've had, because it was so moist and flavorful. Why do people order chicken?! For our pasta we ordered a delicious goat cheese gnocchi with sweet potato and other fall root vegetables. I thought some of the root vegetables were unnecessary and even distracting, but the sugary flavor of the sweet potatoes really brought out the goat cheese. Both of the entrees were delicious, and I was glad Chris was willing to share with me, so I could try them both.
Chris had been eyeing the bread pudding on the dessert menu from the moment we sat down. There was no denying him the southern style bread pudding with chocolate chips. I opted for the pot de creme. Chris' dessert was the easy winner. The pot de creme wasn't as creamy, rich or flavorful as I expected. But the bread pudding was amazing. Rich and moist, and the chocolate chips were a great addition.
If you want to go on a really sophisticated date, L'Etoile is a great choice. The wait staff was friendly, professional, and attentive. The drinks (he had scotch and I had a Kir Royale) were well made. The atmosphere was quiet, private, and romantic. And the food was...superb.
Overall, if you want to impress a girl, this is the place to go. Thanks for taking me, Chris! :)
So, the breakdown, on a scale from 1 to 5:
Ambiance: 4
Service: 5
Entrees: 5
Desserts: 4
Overall: 5
We started with the foie gras and the sweetbreads. The foie gras was delicious, and the crostini that came with it was perfectly toasted. Not too thick, not too dry, not to hard. It had a wonderful flavor and texture. I thought the sweetbreads were good, although not the best I've ever had. What I liked was that they were not in a heavy sauce, so all the flavor was coming from the meat itself. It gave me a new appreciation for sweetbreads. I feel like a good sauce enhances the natural flavor of the meat, which is why these sweetbreads are not my all time favorite. But they were very good, nonetheless.
For our second course we ordered the pear bisque and a salad. The salad had goat cheese, ham, pine nuts, and a citrus vinaigrette. The salad was very good, but how much can really be said about a salad? The soup, however, was interesting and unique. I was a bit worried that it would be a sweet soup, because of the pear. It was a freezing night outside, and sweet was not what I was in the mood for. But it was a savory blend. It reminded me a little of a butternut squash bisque, where the sweet and savory work together. It had the same creamy consistency as butternut squash bisque, with a beautiful champagne color.
For entrees we decided to go with a meat and a pasta. For our meat we ordered the duck with cranberry, mashed potatoes, and mushrooms. The duck was perfectly cooked, and the sides came together to enhance the rich flavor of the meat. It was some of the best duck I've had, because it was so moist and flavorful. Why do people order chicken?! For our pasta we ordered a delicious goat cheese gnocchi with sweet potato and other fall root vegetables. I thought some of the root vegetables were unnecessary and even distracting, but the sugary flavor of the sweet potatoes really brought out the goat cheese. Both of the entrees were delicious, and I was glad Chris was willing to share with me, so I could try them both.
Chris had been eyeing the bread pudding on the dessert menu from the moment we sat down. There was no denying him the southern style bread pudding with chocolate chips. I opted for the pot de creme. Chris' dessert was the easy winner. The pot de creme wasn't as creamy, rich or flavorful as I expected. But the bread pudding was amazing. Rich and moist, and the chocolate chips were a great addition.
If you want to go on a really sophisticated date, L'Etoile is a great choice. The wait staff was friendly, professional, and attentive. The drinks (he had scotch and I had a Kir Royale) were well made. The atmosphere was quiet, private, and romantic. And the food was...superb.
Overall, if you want to impress a girl, this is the place to go. Thanks for taking me, Chris! :)
So, the breakdown, on a scale from 1 to 5:
Ambiance: 4
Service: 5
Entrees: 5
Desserts: 4
Overall: 5
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Can Can Brasserie
I had to spend a night in Richmond, or really a sketchy motel just outside of Richmond, before the MPRE. Three of my other friends were taking the MPRE in Richmond as well, so we made reservations at the Can Can Brasserie. Here's their website: http://www.cancanbrasserie.com/cc_content.htm. The brasserie is a French bistro style restaurant, which certainly has the look of a traditional Parisian location...if it were only 1/4th of its current size. Its an extremely large restaurant, and was crowded and a little loud. So, maybe this isn't where you go for a romantic pre-MPRE dinner. But it was a fun place to go for a group of friends playing catch up.
I started with escargot. I thought the portion was huge, and was well prepared. Plenty of bang for your buck. I prefer my escargot to be extremely garlicky, so a bit more garlic would have been fine with me. But the dish was buttery, and the meat was prepared properly (read: not chewy). And once I finished dipping the meat in the butter and garlic sauce, I used it on a couple of pieces of bread, because it was just too delicious to waste!
For my entree I ordered the sweetbreads. First off, I lovelovelove sweetbreads. Probably one of my all time favorite dishes. And the sweetbreads at the Brasserie were perfection. Some of the best I've had. The portion, again, was very large. I'd almost say it was overwhelming, because sweetbreads are so rich. But if you are a fan of sweetbreads, this place does them extremely well. The chef here is a fan of purees, so one of my sides was pureed sweet potatoes. Good, not amazing. But the sweetbreads were wonderful, so it didn't really matter what else was on my plate.
Finally, for dessert I split the goat cheese cake with black, white, and pink peppercorn ice cream, topped with a pear compote and pear caramel sauce. I was extremely underwhelmed by the goat cheese cake. Probably because I made the mistake of thinking it was a cheesecake made with some goat cheese. And instead it had a dry crumbly cake texture. But the ice cream was a wonderful surprise! It was spicy, and had both the savory and sweet sensation. I was also pleased to find that I really enjoyed the pear compote. It was just the right balance of spices, and was not overly sweet, which is often my problem with fruit compotes.
Overall, this is great restaurant if you're looking for a fun adventurous night out! And you're in Richmond...
So, the breakdown, on a scale from 1 to 5:
Ambiance: 4
Service: 3
Entrees: 4
Desserts: 3
Overall: 4
I started with escargot. I thought the portion was huge, and was well prepared. Plenty of bang for your buck. I prefer my escargot to be extremely garlicky, so a bit more garlic would have been fine with me. But the dish was buttery, and the meat was prepared properly (read: not chewy). And once I finished dipping the meat in the butter and garlic sauce, I used it on a couple of pieces of bread, because it was just too delicious to waste!
For my entree I ordered the sweetbreads. First off, I lovelovelove sweetbreads. Probably one of my all time favorite dishes. And the sweetbreads at the Brasserie were perfection. Some of the best I've had. The portion, again, was very large. I'd almost say it was overwhelming, because sweetbreads are so rich. But if you are a fan of sweetbreads, this place does them extremely well. The chef here is a fan of purees, so one of my sides was pureed sweet potatoes. Good, not amazing. But the sweetbreads were wonderful, so it didn't really matter what else was on my plate.
Finally, for dessert I split the goat cheese cake with black, white, and pink peppercorn ice cream, topped with a pear compote and pear caramel sauce. I was extremely underwhelmed by the goat cheese cake. Probably because I made the mistake of thinking it was a cheesecake made with some goat cheese. And instead it had a dry crumbly cake texture. But the ice cream was a wonderful surprise! It was spicy, and had both the savory and sweet sensation. I was also pleased to find that I really enjoyed the pear compote. It was just the right balance of spices, and was not overly sweet, which is often my problem with fruit compotes.
Overall, this is great restaurant if you're looking for a fun adventurous night out! And you're in Richmond...
So, the breakdown, on a scale from 1 to 5:
Ambiance: 4
Service: 3
Entrees: 4
Desserts: 3
Overall: 4
Friday, November 13, 2009
Continental Divide
I've tried to go to Continental Divide three times. First two, the wait was ridiculous. Third time's a charm, right?! Well, sort of. We got there on a Wednesday night at 6:30, and we still had to wait at the bar for a bit.
But, while at the bar, I decided to try one of their highly touted margaritas. And, I'll be honest, it was pretty good. Nothing fancy. Tequila and lime juice. No flavors. No foam. No froufrou. Just a nice, clean, margarita. I think Ventana has the better margarita. But Continental Divide's was very satisfying.
Once we eventually got seated, we started with the Texas hummus. Meeeeeh. I was not wowed by this. I thought the hummus could have used more lemon juice. And I really wished that they had used homemade tortilla chips, like the ones that Mono Loco makes. Overall, the appetizer did not wow me, and none of the other things on the menu looked all that appealing either.
The entree was a different story. I had the mushroom and spinach enchilada. And it was amazing. Cheesy deliciousness! And the price was extremely reasonable, especially given that Charlottesville tends to be not so reasonable in its pricing.
Sadly, I went a little more than a week ago. And I honestly can't remember what I had for dessert! On the plus side, neither can my dining partner. But we both remember it being good.
Honestly, I just can't recommend this place. The wait is always way too long, its always too crowded, and there is no place to stand while you are waiting. AND they don't take reservations. It's one of those places where I recommend you stop by and see if there is availability, and if there isn't, then walk over to one of the other restaurants nearby.
So, the breakdown, on a scale from 1 to 5:
Ambiance: 2
Service: 4
Entrees: 4
Cocktails: 4
Desserts: 3
Overall: 2
But, while at the bar, I decided to try one of their highly touted margaritas. And, I'll be honest, it was pretty good. Nothing fancy. Tequila and lime juice. No flavors. No foam. No froufrou. Just a nice, clean, margarita. I think Ventana has the better margarita. But Continental Divide's was very satisfying.
Once we eventually got seated, we started with the Texas hummus. Meeeeeh. I was not wowed by this. I thought the hummus could have used more lemon juice. And I really wished that they had used homemade tortilla chips, like the ones that Mono Loco makes. Overall, the appetizer did not wow me, and none of the other things on the menu looked all that appealing either.
The entree was a different story. I had the mushroom and spinach enchilada. And it was amazing. Cheesy deliciousness! And the price was extremely reasonable, especially given that Charlottesville tends to be not so reasonable in its pricing.
Sadly, I went a little more than a week ago. And I honestly can't remember what I had for dessert! On the plus side, neither can my dining partner. But we both remember it being good.
Honestly, I just can't recommend this place. The wait is always way too long, its always too crowded, and there is no place to stand while you are waiting. AND they don't take reservations. It's one of those places where I recommend you stop by and see if there is availability, and if there isn't, then walk over to one of the other restaurants nearby.
So, the breakdown, on a scale from 1 to 5:
Ambiance: 2
Service: 4
Entrees: 4
Cocktails: 4
Desserts: 3
Overall: 2
Tavola
I'm generally a skeptic about Italian food. I hardly ever go to Italian restaurants, because most of the time I end up disappointed.
Enter Tavola. It definitely broke the mold. Its a cute little joint next to The Local in Belmont. Be careful, because the inside is small and seating is limited, so on a really cold night you might want to make sure you have a reservation, because they do not have a waiting area.
The restaurant has an open kitchen. It was a nice feature, not because I paid any attention to what they were doing, but because the smell of butter was wafting through the restaurant. So delicious!
We started with a bottle of chianti. I thought the range of wine options was good, mostly on the pricey side. And the menu had excellent variety in all categories. I'd like to pause here to comment on our waitress. She spilled some of the wine down my glass, and didn't offer to clean it up. And she told us we could read the specials off the board ourselves. We were as far away from the board as you could get. And, oh, no glasses on! Couldn't see. My dinner partner had to read the board for me. I thought that, overall, the service was not the best. Especially given that the restaurant was small.
So, back to the food. We had the bruschette special. It was three different rounds of toast, one with goat cheese and roasted tomato, one with pork, and one with tuna that was garnished with light lemon juice and capers. Out of the three the tuna was my favorite, although it was made better by adding some fresh ground pepper. I thought that the goat cheese could have been improved with diced roasted tomato, rather than a single roasted tomato. I thought the pork was a little dry.
For my entree I ordered the costoletta alla milanese. Bone in veal, breaded, with lemon and capers. It was delicious. I thought the breading could have been a little lighter. But it was really cooked well, and the portion was substantial. Price to portion and quality, I thought it was very reasonable. One of the best pieces of the meal was the side order of pan roasted brussel sprouts. Oh how I love brussel sprouts! And these were beautifully browned and buttery.
For dessert we split the cookies. One was almond biscotti, nicely soft. Not break your teeth hard, which is often my objection to biscotti. And then dark chocolate and sea salt cookies, which I thought were fantastic. The salt really set off the chocolate flavor.
Overall, I really enjoyed the experience, and I'd go back again. But only with one or two people at a time, otherwise you might not get a seat!
So, the breakdown, on a scale from 1 to 5:
Ambiance: 4
Service: 3
Entrees: 4
Desserts: 3
Overall: 4
Enter Tavola. It definitely broke the mold. Its a cute little joint next to The Local in Belmont. Be careful, because the inside is small and seating is limited, so on a really cold night you might want to make sure you have a reservation, because they do not have a waiting area.
The restaurant has an open kitchen. It was a nice feature, not because I paid any attention to what they were doing, but because the smell of butter was wafting through the restaurant. So delicious!
We started with a bottle of chianti. I thought the range of wine options was good, mostly on the pricey side. And the menu had excellent variety in all categories. I'd like to pause here to comment on our waitress. She spilled some of the wine down my glass, and didn't offer to clean it up. And she told us we could read the specials off the board ourselves. We were as far away from the board as you could get. And, oh, no glasses on! Couldn't see. My dinner partner had to read the board for me. I thought that, overall, the service was not the best. Especially given that the restaurant was small.
So, back to the food. We had the bruschette special. It was three different rounds of toast, one with goat cheese and roasted tomato, one with pork, and one with tuna that was garnished with light lemon juice and capers. Out of the three the tuna was my favorite, although it was made better by adding some fresh ground pepper. I thought that the goat cheese could have been improved with diced roasted tomato, rather than a single roasted tomato. I thought the pork was a little dry.
For my entree I ordered the costoletta alla milanese. Bone in veal, breaded, with lemon and capers. It was delicious. I thought the breading could have been a little lighter. But it was really cooked well, and the portion was substantial. Price to portion and quality, I thought it was very reasonable. One of the best pieces of the meal was the side order of pan roasted brussel sprouts. Oh how I love brussel sprouts! And these were beautifully browned and buttery.
For dessert we split the cookies. One was almond biscotti, nicely soft. Not break your teeth hard, which is often my objection to biscotti. And then dark chocolate and sea salt cookies, which I thought were fantastic. The salt really set off the chocolate flavor.
Overall, I really enjoyed the experience, and I'd go back again. But only with one or two people at a time, otherwise you might not get a seat!
So, the breakdown, on a scale from 1 to 5:
Ambiance: 4
Service: 3
Entrees: 4
Desserts: 3
Overall: 4
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Calvino - Cville's Best Coffee Shop
I will probably review Calvino repeatedly, because I love it that much. I'm going to keep this super simple.
Fantastic coffee.
Great breakfast paninis.
Delicious wraps.
Friendly and efficient staff.
Awesomely cool owner!
Become a facebook fan, because the specials are posted daily, and often there are free treats available for fans.
This is my favorite coffee shop in Cville, and I've spent a lot of time exploring the different options. Soon, however, everyone will realize how awesome it is, what with its free parking, free wifi, and great eats. And then it will be hard to get a table. But for now.... THE BEST.
Fantastic coffee.
Great breakfast paninis.
Delicious wraps.
Friendly and efficient staff.
Awesomely cool owner!
Become a facebook fan, because the specials are posted daily, and often there are free treats available for fans.
This is my favorite coffee shop in Cville, and I've spent a lot of time exploring the different options. Soon, however, everyone will realize how awesome it is, what with its free parking, free wifi, and great eats. And then it will be hard to get a table. But for now.... THE BEST.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Ventana
Ventana has the best margarita in Charlottesville. Period.
Okay, now that I've said that, I admit that I may have to take this back once I FINALLY get in to Continental Divide. But seeing as that place is always exceedingly crowded, and I'm actually very confident that Ventana has one of the best margaritas I've ever had, I'll put that bold best statement out there. And since Ventana has renovated their space from a bar that was slightly larger than my not so large closet to a full and very swanky and comfortable restaurant, its certainly got the space advantage over Continental Divide. The ambiance at the new Ventana is very nice. Very upscale. Now, on to the fare!
Let's be honest. Foam is SO last year. Not even last year. Foam is like 1999. And I hate it when its on food. But Ventana successfully uses foam. I think they could maybe use a little less foam on their margaritas, because I always end up with a small mountain of foam in the bottom of my glass, but the slightly salty foam adds a nice bite to the margaritas, without the overwhelmingly salty/"omg the salt" is gone problem of salting the rim. Huge fan of the seafoam. Excellent touch, sir. I approve.
Another major positive about this place is the charcuterie. Fabulous starter at an extremely reasonable price. Ventana margaritas come in a range of flavors that can be sweet, savory, or even spicy. I had the cucumber margarita, Dean had sage, and Floren had tangerine. The prices of the margaritas and charcuterie make this a do-able swanky hang out even if you're on a college budget.
But, if you're on a college budget, or are generally opposed to things that are overpriced, which I certainly am, then I would not plan on having dinner at Ventana unless you have the appetite of a 90 pound junior high school girl. My real struggle with this place was that the flavors were fantastic and well combined, and the plating was some of the best I've seen in Charlottesville. But the portions were tiny, and the prices were unreasonably high. So, they either need to drop their prices by about $3 to $5 on almost every item except the charcuterie and drinks, or they need to dramatically increase the portions. I mean, are you really going to pay $8 for regular tortilla chips and admittedly tasty salsa, when the salsa comes in tiny portions? I'm not.
I had the flank steak and frites. It was $17, but I was still hungry afterward. And that was after splitting the chipotle and duck terrine charcuterie. Which, the charcuterie was actually the perfect portion to share as a starter. We also split the churros and hot chocolate for dessert. It was delicious, but, again, overpriced for the portion. I spent more than $40 on this meal after tip, and I left the table hungry.
So, my recommendation is to hit Ventana for happy hour, or even as a classy and sophisticated starting spot on a date, and then head down the downtown mall to a place that has good food with decent portions at reasonable prices. You are not going to find that at Ventana.
Don't know where it is and want to try it? Go here: http://maps.google.com/maps?rls=com.microsoft:*:IE-SearchBox&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7TSHB&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=ventana,+22903&fb=1&gl=us&hq=ventana,&hnear=22903&view=text&latlng=979443177442959577
So, the breakdown, on a scale from 1 to 5:
Ambiance: 5
Service: 4 (very attentive and responsive, but the waitress was actually too fast, and didn't let us finish starters before serving our entrees)
Entrees: 3
Cocktails: 5
Desserts: 3
Overall: 4
Okay, now that I've said that, I admit that I may have to take this back once I FINALLY get in to Continental Divide. But seeing as that place is always exceedingly crowded, and I'm actually very confident that Ventana has one of the best margaritas I've ever had, I'll put that bold best statement out there. And since Ventana has renovated their space from a bar that was slightly larger than my not so large closet to a full and very swanky and comfortable restaurant, its certainly got the space advantage over Continental Divide. The ambiance at the new Ventana is very nice. Very upscale. Now, on to the fare!
Let's be honest. Foam is SO last year. Not even last year. Foam is like 1999. And I hate it when its on food. But Ventana successfully uses foam. I think they could maybe use a little less foam on their margaritas, because I always end up with a small mountain of foam in the bottom of my glass, but the slightly salty foam adds a nice bite to the margaritas, without the overwhelmingly salty/"omg the salt" is gone problem of salting the rim. Huge fan of the seafoam. Excellent touch, sir. I approve.
Another major positive about this place is the charcuterie. Fabulous starter at an extremely reasonable price. Ventana margaritas come in a range of flavors that can be sweet, savory, or even spicy. I had the cucumber margarita, Dean had sage, and Floren had tangerine. The prices of the margaritas and charcuterie make this a do-able swanky hang out even if you're on a college budget.
But, if you're on a college budget, or are generally opposed to things that are overpriced, which I certainly am, then I would not plan on having dinner at Ventana unless you have the appetite of a 90 pound junior high school girl. My real struggle with this place was that the flavors were fantastic and well combined, and the plating was some of the best I've seen in Charlottesville. But the portions were tiny, and the prices were unreasonably high. So, they either need to drop their prices by about $3 to $5 on almost every item except the charcuterie and drinks, or they need to dramatically increase the portions. I mean, are you really going to pay $8 for regular tortilla chips and admittedly tasty salsa, when the salsa comes in tiny portions? I'm not.
I had the flank steak and frites. It was $17, but I was still hungry afterward. And that was after splitting the chipotle and duck terrine charcuterie. Which, the charcuterie was actually the perfect portion to share as a starter. We also split the churros and hot chocolate for dessert. It was delicious, but, again, overpriced for the portion. I spent more than $40 on this meal after tip, and I left the table hungry.
So, my recommendation is to hit Ventana for happy hour, or even as a classy and sophisticated starting spot on a date, and then head down the downtown mall to a place that has good food with decent portions at reasonable prices. You are not going to find that at Ventana.
Don't know where it is and want to try it? Go here: http://maps.google.com/maps?rls=com.microsoft:*:IE-SearchBox&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7TSHB&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=ventana,+22903&fb=1&gl=us&hq=ventana,&hnear=22903&view=text&latlng=979443177442959577
So, the breakdown, on a scale from 1 to 5:
Ambiance: 5
Service: 4 (very attentive and responsive, but the waitress was actually too fast, and didn't let us finish starters before serving our entrees)
Entrees: 3
Cocktails: 5
Desserts: 3
Overall: 4
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