#slacker

16 May

So sorry I have been lagging behind in my blogs. Turns out, getting married is a lot of work!

The countdown is officially less than 1 month.

I hope to have much more time to blog once we are hitched and return from our honeymoon. We are doing an ultimate food getaway and road tripping from Seattle, through Portland, to Wine Country (specifically the Russian River Valley, since so many of our favorite wines are from there and we have never been) and then ending our trip at French Laundry.

Can’t wait to blog about all of that!

Thanks for sticking with me Nommers!

Prune for Dinner

2 May

Mike and I have been to Prune before, but only for (a marvelous) brunch. Prune was so marvelous, in fact, that it ranked in at number 10 of the Top 10 Noms of 2012. We vowed to come back for dinner, and nearly a year later, we finally did.

I thought they didn’t accept reservations, but as it turns out, that applies to brunch only. So we walked in around 6pm on a Saturday and they were pretty full, but the hostess said it would be about 30 minutes as long as we didn’t mind eating at the bar and she took my cell phone number. 20 minutes later, she called and to the bar we went.

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We started with Duck Liver Garbure with Toasted Chestnut. She told us it came with brussels sprout leaves and in a duck broth. It was served with a spoon.  There was no mistaking this liver for an organ. Liver, for some reason, is usually disguised. Either made into pate or in a darkened mass that is remiss of it’s organy folds. Not this one. And it tasted as organy as it looked. Though for us, that is a good thing. Though we had a very tough time not comparing it to the amazing liver we had just a few weeks ago at Local 188 in Portland, ME.

But I just loved the chestnuts in here. Chestnuts are one of my favorite foods and here they were used perfectly. They added a really nice flavor to it and paired well with the liver taste.

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For entrees we split the lamb chop and the crispy duck.

The lamb was a Grilled Lamb Blade Chop with Turkish Piyaz. I had no idea what piyaz was, but it was served with parsley and onions.  I looked up piyaz and it appears to be a bean salad… which I didn’t see. But that didn’t make it any less awesome. The lamb was super lamby without being too overpowering and the parsley and onion were a nice compliment to the lamb.

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The crispy duck was something we had seen with other diners and when it looks THIS crispy, how can you not order it?

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This was just pure, unadulterated ducky goodness. That crispy skin was very good. (There are few things in this world I like more, or crave more, than the extra crispy skin of various fowl).

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For a side, we ordered the sweet potatoes with brown butter sauce with brown sugar vinaigrette. It was served as baked sweet potato pieces (baked up perfectly so they were soft without being mushy) and they put crisped potato skins on top of a lovely mound of (not too sweet) brown butter. This was actually our favorite dish of the night.  An incredibly side… and next to such incredibly entrees, it is impressive that it was THAT impressive to us!

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By the end of the meal, I had duck and lamb on every corner of my face and hands. Because it seemed just wrong to leave a single piece of meat on these bones. I unabashedly picked each and every one up and sucked every morsel off I could get. No shame.

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For dessert, Mike went with the espresso gelato “affogato” in cold maple syrup.  A quick google search tells me that “affogato” translates to “drowned” in Italian. And that this was.  The maple syrup was a great foil of sweetness for the rich espresso gelato.

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I chose the Breton Butter Cake which our waitress/bartender (who kept us well fed, lubricated, and entertained throughout the night) informed us was the chef’s special famous dessert. Well okay then! It is served with moscato (though I opted for the full 2 oz. pour) and is a flakey, gooey, delicious butter cake sprinkled with powdered sugar. How a butter cake can taste that good and not be the slightest bit greasy, I do not know, but it was incredibly tasty and went incredibly well with the moscato.  I can see why it’s so famous.

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There is not much more to say. This was simply an incredibly meal. I just love this restaurant.  I am sure I am slightly swayed by my love for the owner’s (Gabrielle Hamilton) book, Blood, Bones, and Butter, which is one of the best food books I’ve ever read. But Mike has never read it and he has the same fondness I do. We both left there saying that we had enjoyed our meal very, very much.  There is just an absolute love for food at Prune which comes out without flash or opulence, but is just plain delicious. Hard to beat.

Total Nom Points: 8.5 out of 10

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Bouchon – Time Warner Center (And our adventure in getting a French Laundry reservation!)

30 Apr

We were on a shopping adventure this past weekend and it took us to The Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle. (For you non-natives, The Time Warner Center is right on the Southwest corner of Central Park, on 59th Street at the convergence of 8th Ave/Central Park West and Broadway. It is filled with mostly higher end stores and the entire basement is occupied by a Whole Foods).  There are a number of amazing restaurants there, including A Voce, Landmarc, and one of the top 3 on our Bucket List, Per Se.  (The other two on top are The French Laundry in Napa Valley and Alinea in Chicago… funny enough, both The French Laundry and Per Se are from Chef Thomas Keller, and Alinea is from Chef Grant Achatz, who worked for Thomas Keller at The French Laundry… and who also wrote the amazing book, Life, On The Line about his struggle with tongue cancer, but somehow as intriguing, his desire to push the food world into the future).

Now a funny sequence of events… we had spent the previous 2 days dialing and redialing The French Laundry with the hope of securing a reservation for our honeymoon. Yes, our honeymoon 2 months from now. But the rule of The French Laundry is that you can only get a reservation by calling 2 months prior to the date you want, on the date (so on the 28th of April for the 28th of June).  We will be in the area for three days on our honeymoon (June 26-28) and we had spent our lunches for the past 2 days dialing in vain.   On the 26th they told us that they have a private party on June 26th so no reservations were available, on the 27th we got in after an hour of dialing, but all the reservations were gone (so we went on the wait list). With the 28th being our last shot, we pulled out all the stops. We booked a hotel in the area and then called to speak with the hotel concierge… of which there was none but there was a man there who offered to help us… by Googling The French Laundry for us (um… no).  We called our credit card concierges and I convinced my Chase Sapphire Preferred to call on our behalf the following day. I even contacted a few well connected friends to see if they happened to have Thomas Keller in their rolodex.  (Alas, no).

So on this day that we set off on our shopping adventure, I suggested we grab a bite to eat and a coffee at Bouchon, which is right in the Time Warner Center.  We realized that we would have to make it a quick one so we could start calling The French Laundry at 12:45 (15 minutes before they officially open their lines at 1pm EST/10am PST… we were hopeful that our starting early would earn us some points in the… um… phone universe?)

Bouchon has a to-go window, but we decided to sit in their cafe and hoped to have a quick pastry and coffee. We sat down and realized that they actually served a full breakfast menu (yet no pastries… hmmm), so rather than croissants and coffee, we wound up with breakfast cocktails and full meals, plus the coffee.

And just a few minutes after sitting down it dawned on me… Bouchon is part of the Thomas Keller empire. On the day revolving around getting a reservation at the very restaurant that made this chef famous, we sat down at his casual cafe.  Hopefully that would be a good omen.

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Mike got a cobb salad, which was filled with incredibly fresh ingredients.  It was a very good cobb salad and the bacon was especially delectable.

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I got the Quiche of the Day, which was a Florentine (spinach and gruyere) and a side salad. The salad greens were very nicely dressed. The quiche was very good and was pretty soft (which I happen to like) with a nice crust. Best quiche I’ve ever had? No… but certainly very tasty and a nice, satiating meal to start our full day of walking all over the Upper West Side. (And to get us fueled up for aggressive phone dialing!)

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As our meal wrapped up and we got the bill, my alarm went off alerting us that it was 12:45. Time to start calling.

We browsed through the Time Warner Center for the next 15 minutes before getting “serious” and finding a bench in Central Park to focus on dialing and redialing.

When it was around 20 after one, I noticed I had received a voice message in between all my dialing.  I switched over (concerned about losing precious redialing seconds) and found it was my Visa concierge… calling to tell me that they hadn’t gotten the reservation but they could put me on the wait list if I wanted.

I was defeated. If Visa had called me, surely they had gotten through and found all the reservations gone. (Though why they wouldn’t automatically put me on the wait list I didn’t understand… just add my name to the list and call back to remove it later if I don’t want it… come on now).  I continued to dial and redial, deciding that I would eventually get through and put my name on that wait list.  Mike continued to furiously call as well… but we were disheartened.

Then 5 minutes later, I got the recording… the magic recording that is only slightly better than a busy signal… It says something about the reservations being open 2 months to the day prior and blah blah blah… Press 3 for a reservationist. So you press 3 and you wait… and wait… and wait… hearing a lovely recording telling you that all reservationists are busy but they will be with you soon… and you wait… and you pray. And you hope that when they pick up that they will not tell you that all reservations are totally gone (like the day before) or that they were closed for a private event (like 2 days before).

After a solid 5 minutes, the reservationist picked up and asks how she could help me. I refrained from screaming that we had been hearing busy signals for 45 minutes (plus all the busy signals and disappointment of the prior 2 days) and we now just needed to know ARE THERE ANY RESERVATIONS LEFT?!?!  So she goes through the whole dog and pony…

“What date are you interested in?”

“June 28th” (why else would I be calling with such fury on April 28th?)

“How many in your party?”

“Two” (but I will beg and/or pay and/or force people to join us if all you have left is a 4-top!)

“Well…”

(You’re killing me lady!!!)

“We don’t have anything left for dinner…”

(She said dinner… but she didn’t say lunch… tell me about lunch dammit… TELL ME ABOUT LUNCH!)

“But…”

(SHE SAID BUT!)

“We only have 11am for lunch that day. Is that okay?”

(WELL OF COURSE THAT’S OKAY! I’d take 3am if you had it!)

“Yes. That would be great.”

So there you have it… after the most epic reservation system (well… maybe Momofuku Ko was close, but that didn’t feel so dire since we live in NYC, so we weren’t under a time crunch of having to secure the reservation during the only three days we would be in town), we GOT IN!  I actually screamed and jumped up and down in Central Park after we hung up the phone.

Though I must say, Visa Concierge… your lack of tenacity has been NOTED. (But pretty awesome they would devote someone to dialing and redialing for us!)

We’ll have to tell you more about it when we return from 2 weeks of eating and drinking our faces off as we road trip from Seattle through Portland and California Wine Country (specifically Russian River Valley since we love their wines so much) at the end of June…

 

Oh right… I was writing about Bouchon!

So Bouchon is a great place to stop for a bite if you’re in the area or finding yourself famished in Columbus Circle. I think it’s a really lovely place for tourists to stop during a day of shopping and Central Park hopping.  We were in and out within 45 minutes and our meal was very satisfying.

Total Nom Points: 7 out of 10

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Tenpenny- A surprisingly great meal near Broadway

23 Apr

We live near Broadway, so we go out in the area more than most.  The Broadway/Times Square area is not known for having great food. There are some gems, but almost the entire area is over priced, over crowded, and underwhelming.

We were looking for another hidden gem so I pulled open my Immaculate Infatuation app and found their recommendation for Tenpenny. They had a reservation at the right time (and wound up being pretty empty at the early, pre-theater hour we visited) so we went for it.  It is also within walking distance of Grand Central station, so it’s located near a lot of places where I am frequently asked to find restaurants.

Tenpenny is located in the Gotham Hotel on 46th Street. The restaurant has a great feel and you certainly wouldn’t believe you’re right in the middle of all the city action here.

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There is a skylight in the back that offers a lovely NY high rise view and lots of sun light on a nice day like when we went.

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Immaculate Infatuation also had mentioned crispy artichokes (which are one of my favorite foods ever), however, they were not on the menu this time. ::sad face::

The bread was a really nice crispy crust and fluffy inside. And I really enjoyed the garlic and rosemary sliced into the olive oil. (The other was red pepper flakes, so I had to stay away).

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We tried the OPP or “Other People’s Pinot.” It was a Pinot Noir and we really enjoyed it.

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It was from a winery called Mouton Noir and I really enjoyed the cap.

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We decided to start with the crostini and we tried the smoked salmon & dill creme fraiche crostini and the crispy pork belly, spiced yogurt & fuji apple crostini.  The smoked salmon and dill one was okay (though I’m not a huge fan of salmon) but I really enjoyed the crispy pork belly.

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The bread on both was fantastic and I really enjoyed the pork and apple combination on the second one.

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Mike went with the Lamb Porterhouse which was cast iron seared Colorado lamb with house butter. It had a great lamby flavor that we both really enjoyed.

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I chose the Heritage Pork Rach which was house brined, pan seared, and served with bourbon pork jus.

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There was a really nice sear on the chop and it was surprisingly juicy and tender all throughout. The bourbon jus was also a really great compliment.

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It also came with a small onion tartlet that I really enjoyed. The onions were perfectly caramelized and the pastry itself had great flavor.

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Tenpenny serves their entrees as mostly just the meat, so you do need to get a side on its own (which definitely puts the meal further into the pricey category). We chose the brussels sprouts. They were delicious and the way we like them (with pork) but weren’t as crispy as we like. We are quite particular about our brussels, however!

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We then decided to try some dessert, and we started with 2 glasses of after dinner drinks. I chose a dessert wine and Mike got a port.

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Mike chose the pecan pie with cinnamon gelato and caramel sauce. This was quite good.  The pecans were nicely cooked without being over sweet, and the  pastry was a nice compliment to the sweetness.

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I went with the chocolate caramel mousse with espresso anglaise and toasted hazelnuts.

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The mousse was the perfect texture with the crisp chocolate on top and cookie-like crust on the bottom.  Really nice dessert and looked beautiful.

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Overall, Tenpenny was a great find. A bit expensive (especially since the entrees don’t really come with any sides), but the quality is there to make it a worthwhile place to eat and worth the midtown price tag. It’s hard to get away from a costly meal in that area of town, but with the others being much lower quality, I think Tenpenny is a great place to go.  All our food had great flavor and was cooked and presented with obvious care. It’s also just a nice place to spend an evening. We sat and leisurely enjoyed our meal and drinks.

Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10

Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10

 

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Portland, ME: David’s Opus 10

11 Apr

High on the list of places to try in Portland, Maine was David’s Opus 10. I have been hearing about it more and more since it opened this past November, and it made a few appearances on the Soup to Nuts: Maine food experts dish about their restaurant favorites article.

The menu is a 9-course Tasting Menu and Mike and I split a wine pairing between us (I drank more since Mike had to drive home).

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The Opus Ten part of the restaurant is actually behind the main restaurant, David’s. They do a small seating in an intimate space with beautiful draping along the ceiling. They also put a cart of goodies in the middle of all the tables.

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While we weren’t right at the window, our table afforded us a peak into the kitchen.

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And the table was beautifully set with a dark purple calla lilly (one of my faves!)

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Even the butter was beautifully styles (and very tasty with smoked salt on top).

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With a lovely variation of rolls and some very nice olive and balsamic to dip.

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Our first dish was not on the menu, but was certainly more substantial than your usual amuse bouche. Unfortunately, since it wasn’t written on the menu, I cannot recall the specifics beyond the fact that the meat was shaved off of a beautiful piece of hock on that middle table and tasted delicious with the cheese, olives, and bread.

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It was beautifully marbled and had a great tenderness to it.

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My first cocktail necessitated a quick froth (and tasted great).

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The first official menu item came out, and this was the dish that everyone in that article was raving about. Morel and exotic mushroom gratin with Mushroom and Madeira cream shooter.

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This had a very lovely mushroom flavor and was incredibly enjoyable, but I think I would have loved it a whole lot more if we hadn’t just had the mushroom of a lifetime at Local 188.

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Next came a butter poached lobster, risotto cake, citrus truffle miero greens.  This was very tasty, but I feel a bit like I might be struck by lightening for saying this… I don’t really “get” butter poaching lobster. It’s so much more flavorful when you just boil it in its shell and then dip it in butter. Somehow the poaching seems to take away some of the great lobster flavor.  (Sorry food gods)

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Our next dish was seared scallops with bowfin caviar and smoked salmon.  I really liked the addition of the matchstick potatoes in this. It created a really awesome contrast of textures and flavor without distracting from the delicious fish.

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I really enjoyed our next bite, quail egg ravioli with kale, hedgehog mushrooms, and foie gras butter nage [sic].

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I didn’t really taste the foie gras, but this was rich and creamy and very, very nice.

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Our next dish was a nice intermezzo with strawberry-basil sorbet with frozen vanilla and basil infused vodka.

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The vodka was actually poured overtop from a bottle that was frozen into a block.

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Even though I don’t love vodka, I really enjoyed this light palate cleanser. Very refreshing and a nice way to head into the rest of the meal.

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Grilled quail, foie gras medallion and “buttered” toast with cranberry-pear gastrique. Usually I find quail hardly worth the effort. A teeny bite without much flavor.

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This was a more substantial portion and it all went together well, and this time the foie had a really nice flavor that was prominent without being overpowering.

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Our last savory course was my favorite: Lamb saddle, lamb presse, sweet potato hash, and kale braise.

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There was an amazing crispy top on the one piece of lamb, and everything was cooked, flavored, and spiced perfectly.  Really great dish.

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Our dessert was Feuilletage “beignets” with peppered strawberry and Grand Marnier creme chantilly.  These were quite tasty. Not too dense and nice flavor.  I enjoyed the strawberry balanced with the pepper.

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Our final bites were chocolate, caramel nut bark, chambord and chocolate truffles, and pecan, orange and cranberry sandy.  I thought these were all pretty good, but nothing too outstanding.

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The truffles were my favorite of the trio.

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They also offered us some after dinner drinks, and Mike chose to have some Twenty Year Old Sandeman (which he really enjoyed).

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Overall, our meal was really great but I wouldn’t say it was outstanding.  Solid, great flavor, nice pacing, and great service. But there was no dish that really stuck out as a huge WOW.  It felt like a really nice, celebration of a meal, however, and is a fun way to spend an evening. I actually wonder if I would have enjoyed it more had we not had such a great experience at Local 188 the night right before. But as far as tasting menus go, I would say it was worth every penny (though they didn’t tell you how much any of the extras cost, which was mildly annoying). It’s a really nice treat right in Portland.

Total Nom Points: 8 out of 10

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Portland, ME: Local 188

9 Apr

We have really enjoyed the food scene in Portland, Maine, and I feel incredibly lucky that we have been able to spend 4 separate visits in Maine this past year (all these wedding trips have been awesome!)

When inquiring about any “must eats” we haven’t tried yet, Local 188 came up from a few different foodie friends.  They specialize in local ingredients, so their menu is printed anew each day.

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The space has a great feel to it. Very high ceilings, big windows, and room between tables.

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And I enjoyed the pretty sprigs of pussy willows on the tables.

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We started with some cocktails, and I very much enjoyed my Bergeron Sidecar with house infused fig & vanilla bean bourbon, cointreau, fresh lemon juice.

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The bread came out warm and it was like a mix between challah and a great crispy roll. A bit of salt and good olive oil on it. Very nice.

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We began with “the livers” which came in a shallot cream. This was rich and decadent. We asked for more bread to be able to soak up the awesome shallot cream, which had a faintly liver taste (in the best way).

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Next we tried the salad with winter squash and bourbon candied pecans, pickled onion, roasted apple, and blue cheese dressing. This tasted great but was a bit lacking in the squash department.

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And then we split the dry-aged rib eye filet, which came with smoked oyster mushrooms, russet potato hash, red-eye gravy, and maple and black garlic creme anglaise.

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The meat was cooked to perfect, and all the accoutrements were fantastic, but the smoked oyster mushrooms were other worldly. They had an intense smoky flavor, the richness of mushrooms, and were the perfect texture. The meal was very good, but these mushrooms were unbelievable. I love mushrooms and this beat them all.  If this isn’t on the menu regularly, they should make a dish entirely based around it. It is just that good. Thinking back on this taste at this moment leaves me with a feeling of great longing. If you don’t see this on the menu, ask for it. I’m telling you. It’s that good.

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Since we split everything, we still had some room for dessert.

So Mike chose the honey ricotta cheesecake, which came with a beautiful sugar decoration and had great flavor. The ricotta really made it light and the crust was really flavorful.

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I got the flourless chocolate torte with semi-sweet chocolate ganache. This was rich but not overwhelming. The caramel around it paired very nicely and I enjoyed every bite.

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Overall, we really enjoyed our meal at Local 188 and we were very happy that we were so strongly recommended to try it. All the food was very tasty and, by our NYC standards, very affordable for the quality and artisanship that went into it. You can tell the people that run this restaurant really care about the food they put out.

And those smoked mushrooms.

Glory be those smoked mushrooms.

The mushrooms alone got this review categorized in the Best of the Best list.

Total Nom Points: 8 out of 10

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Alder: The new restaurant from WD-50′s Wylie Dufresne

5 Apr

Mike and I are huge fans of the restaurant WD-50 and really appreciate the amazing ingenuity of chef Wylie Dufresne. We have done the incredible tasting menu at WD-50 twice now, and it currently ranks as the #2 restaurant of all time on our list.  So when Chef Wylie announced he was opening up a more casual (and more attainable) restaurant, Alder, we got excited. It was supposed to open earlier in March, and we made early plans to try to attend opening night, but a few delays had it opening the one weekend we were out of town (in Maine for pre-wedding errands). So we went today, a week and a day after opening night.

We heard there were long waits and long lines to get in, and no reservations. They are open Wednesday-Sunday starting at 6pm. While I am not a fan of lines, nor waiting, I got there around 5:30 and was already 4th on line.  Within the next 20 minutes, the line was a few dozen long.

At 6pm, the doors flung open and in we went.

Unfortunately, Mike’s cab was stuck in traffic so while I was in early enough, they kindly informed me that they don’t sit incomplete tables (which I totally understand, especially with that line!) but that I could wait at the bar. I explored the cocktail list and quickly decided on the Dr. Dave’s ‘Scrip Pad, especially because of the smoked maple.

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I really liked the uplight on the white wall throughout the restaurant, and it made an especially lovely ambiance at the bar with glass shelves.

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They served some of New York City’s finest tap water (FYI: NYC has some of the best water in the country. True story.)

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My drink had a rich, balanced flavor with just a hint of smoke. Very nice.

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Mike wasn’t too far behind, but by that time the wait was 30 minutes. There we tables, but they didn’t want to overwhelm the kitchen, so they were staggering the tables. We were more than happy to have a cocktail and relax a bit before our meal. So Mike got himself an Applethy that had vodka,‌ horseradish, and green apple. I hate both vodka and horseradish and I tasted this and instantly felt some burn… but then suddenly I got it. The sweet and the spicy. It was all somehow right. And what a beautiful cocktail.

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We sat just as we finished our cocktails. The inside is small but somehow not packed. And it wasn’t at all noisy. The ceiling is made of some nice, rustic wood beams.

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The waiter recommended 3 dishes per person, and informed us that the dishes go from lighter to heavier as you go down the menu.  I also told them about my allergy to peppers, and our waiter helped us go through the menu and find things I could order. He asked Mike if he would like to try the homemade cauliflower/peppers mix that they put on the table. Mike opted to try it and said it was quite good. (I was impressed that they asked our preference!)

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It was time for our second round of cocktails:

Zereshk Is History: gin, zereshk berry, grape-must, tonic
A nice balance of sweet with an adorable white birch straw
Shamrock Amigo: Irish whiskey, Mexican Fernet, Guinness Head
Creamy and really tasty

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We started with the Fried Cauliflower with lemon-almond puree, lardo, and cocoa. This was really, really good. I always enjoy cauliflower, but this was different and really well paired. The additions didn’t take away from the cauliflower and it had so many layers of flavor.

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We also tried the pub cheese (which seems to be getting a lot of press due to its purple hue) which had pistachio-fig brittle and Martin’s “potato chips.”

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The cheese was nice (though we both agreed it was reminiscent of Laughing Cow cheese… which is never a bad thing) but it was out of this world when paired with the pistachio-fig brittle. A little bit of salty, a little bit of sweet.

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We then tried the soft poached egg with sherry‌ consommé, mushroom, celery, and tarragon oil. This was the most disappointing point of the meal, unfortunately. I love eggs, and we have been impressed by the egg dishes at WD-50 in the past, but this was just lackluster.

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The egg was perfectly cooked though.

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Then again, perhaps we didn’t enjoy the egg so much because it was on the table at the same time as the masterpiece that was the Chicken Liver Toast (with cornbread,‌ grapefruit marmalade, and chicken skin). Holy whackamoley. This was insanely good. One of the best dishes I’ve ever had.  The grapefruit marmalade on the bottom was with shallots, and the sweet with citrus with corn bread with delicious liver with the crispy chicken skin. Wow. Just WOW.

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As we moved to our last two dishes, we tried the pork rib with saffron spaetzle, and green apple-celery root hash. The dish wasn’t what we were expecting. When I hear pork rib, I think a big slab o’ pig. This was more like a risotto of spaetzle with pieces of pork (which tasted like really good chunks of ham).  It was tasty.

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Our final dish was the Rye Pasta with shaved pastrami. This was like a pastrami and rye deli sandwich but made as a pasta. It was a really nice version of a classic dish we love, with great flavor and a classic mixture of ingredients.

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We decided to go for dessert and I immediately decided on the Banoffee Tart which was listed with carmelized‌ milk, sour cream,  and banana nougatine.  For me, this was a no-brainer. There were two other desserts, and one had peppers in it and the other was root beer (I hate root beer).  This dessert was certainly a great combo of banana and toffee flavors. It also had a sliver of dark chocolate in it. The crust was a bit hard to cut through, but besides that, a very nice dessert.

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But Mike ordered the Root Beer Pudding (which came with crunchy macadamia nuts on top). I instantly wrinkled my nose and my inner child said words like “ewww” and “yuck.”

Boy did I eat my words. This was a sensational dessert. Great creamy flavor with just a touch of root beer flavor (but not too root beer-y). The crispy, sweet, salty macadamia nuts on top were a fantastic flavor and texture contrast to the pudding. I was so impressed and so surprised by how much I enjoyed this dessert.

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And not to be without a little extra quirk, our check came out in a cut mini mug that reminded me of drinking hot cocoa while camping.

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At the end of our meal, Chef Wylie Dufresne was actually standing right behind us. He had popped in a few times during the meal and looked out at the house like he was kindly tending his flock. As we stood to leave, he immediately wished us well and said that he hoped we enjoyed our meal. We had a lovely exchange about with him about how much we loved that chicken liver and how we’re big fans of WD-50. He was humble and very appreciative of our compliments. I was kind of tickled (okay… full disclosure… totally excited) that we got to chat for a bit with Chef Wylie Dufresne!

While our meal at Alder was certainly a bit more reasonable than WD-50 (since that tasting menu is $225 each, so truly a special occasion type place). We got out of there spending about that amount but for both of us (including 2 rounds of good cocktails, 6 dishes, and 2 desserts). It’s not exactly a cheap meal, but it certainly is more casual and more within reach as compared to WD-50.

The food was really great, with that chicken liver being the stand-out. I would also have the cauliflower and rye pasta again in a heart beat, as well as that root beer dessert. I wouldn’t rush back to try the pork nor cheese dish a second time, and I certainly wouldn’t bother with the egg dish if I went back (when I go back!) But I would go back over and over and over and over for that liver. Mmmmm.

Total Nom Points: 8 out of 10

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Portland, Maine: In’finiti Fermentation and Distillation

2 Apr

We arrived in the main center of Portland, Maine less than 20 minutes after we deplaned at the airport, which included renting a car (flying to Maine actually takes less time than my commute to Connecticut. Sad but true.)

We parked on Commercial Street in the first spot we could find, and then turned around to see distillation equipment in the window of an unmarked building. It was new, and definitely not there when we had last visited in the fall.

Curiosity got the better of us and we crossed the street and peered in the windows. Imagine our surprise when we saw people staring back.  We walked in to find a fully operational restaurant. One that didn’t seem to have a name. We saw an “8″ on the floor and assumed it was called just, simply, “8.” We were not correct. We got the menu and realized that we were sitting in the brand new (less than 2 weeks after opening) In’finiti Fermentation and Distillation.

We later found out that it’s run by the same people that do Novare Res, which is probably one of the best beer bars (and beer gardens) I’ve ever been to. Just for the sheer options of awesome beers they have if nothing else.

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We got a couple beers (their own brews, which we found very drinkable but no stand outs) and chatted with the bartender who said that their food was like “elevated bar food.”

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I asked him what his favorite thing on the menu was, and he proceeded to list off about 15 things. I told him he was not making my choice any easier. We decided that we would come back that night for a proper meal.

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By the time we came back for dinner, it was packed and there was about a 45 minute wait (it wound up being nearly an hour, which the host apologized for many times, though we were having a fine time just drinking good beer at the bar).

I wound up drinking a Marshall Wharf Dopplebock, which I loved. It was creamy and chocolatey and was easy to sip while standing up to food. Great beer. (And local!)

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The aesthetic of the place was described by a Beer Advocate review as being “somewhat industrial with a touch of steampunk.” I can’t think of a better way to put it. And it is an aesthetic I really like. I was a big fan of the tables and stools being made from tree trunk slabs and the pipes holding up all the tables.

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They have a large collection of brewing and distilling equipment, all of which is visible behind big glass windows.

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And these gorgeous copper beauties up front that first caught our eye.

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Even the bathroom sinks were kind of awesome.

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Ok… so I was pretty enamored. But how would the food stand up?

We started with the lobster marscapone arancini (rice balls) with blood orange “paint”.

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They were quite tasty but we both wished for more lobster flavor. I liked the orange flavor which was mild, but Mike didn’t think it added to the dish. So we were a bit ehh on this.  Then again, you really can’t go wrong with crispy rice.

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The burger was getting a lot of buzz on various social media outlets we were looking at while awaiting our table, so Mike went for it. Luckily, they put the spicy stuff on the side so I could try the burger. It was, in fact, very good. The meat tasted like meat. A nice char, a bit of salt, and a great meaty flavor that was well complimented by the toppings. And the burger wasn’t too tightly packed. It was packed just enough to stay together. Great texture. The fries were good but not exactly the bliss others were raving about. But still good.

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I went with the Turf and Turf which came with braised short ribs and crispy pork belly, seared polenta, and fried cippolini onions.

This was an ode to meat cooked without fluff. Just meat. Pure and simple. I think that short ribs should be tender enough that you don’t need a knife, however, so these were a bit lacking and could have used some more slow cook time. But the meat just tasted good. Good like meat should taste.

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We really enjoyed the atmosphere of this place and the beer selection. The food was solid. Very good but I can’t say it was amazing. The burger was really good and I enjoyed everything we ate. I look forward to trying it again and trying their own beers, liquor, and bitters they are making in house. It’s a nice addition to (the already food saturated) Portland. I’m sure this will be a really great place to get a really great beer right on the main street by the water. And as the weather warms up, that deck they have will be lovely.

Total Nom Points: 7 out 10

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Chez Sardine

20 Mar 3photo 1

I’ve been reading about Chez Sardine for a bit, and it’s one of the “hot” restaurants that everyone keeps talking about. I heard it’s very hard to get a seat there, so when we stopped in one Sunday evening, I was shocked when they had 2 seats for us right at the bar. Shocked and excited! 1photo 1a

We started with some lovely cocktails that were perfectly mixed.

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And then looked up to notice that we had some company.

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I really loved sitting at the bar.

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Watching them prepare these works of art was a highlight of my (fantastic) meal.

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We began with an amuse bouche which had a bonito flake.

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We started with the east coast oyster with apple and chive oil. It was a very nice combination, but the more I have raw oysters with something, the more I realize that I just love a good ol’ raw oyster with nothing else.

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We next tried a special which was like a bumped up eggs benedict, made with a pork (pork belly or bacon… not sure) and a slow cooked egg on an English muffin with foie gras. This was rich and delicious.

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We were watching them make some things in the kitchen and one really caught our eye. So much so, that we added it to the order: Sushi rice balls. They were supposed to be with avocado, spicy mayo, and tobiko.  We asked if they would replace the spicy mayo, and they wound up giving us a yogurt sauce that was to die for.  It went so well with everything! And the rice balls come with pieces of crudo (sashimi?) with many different types of fish. All were great. And the rice balls themselves were heavenly. What could possibly be bad about fried balls of rice?

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We tried the brussels sprouts with apple and brown butter. I loved the apple flavor with the crisp of the brussels. These were perfectly cooked so they were soft but crispy.

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We next tried the roasted pork belly with slow cooked egg and cabbage (I can’t believe we had 2 pork and egg dishes… but it was great!). This had a brilliant smokey and sweet flavor, with a perfectly cooked egg. And the little onion crispies added perfect texture.

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Our meal ended with a lovely pana cotta (maybe?) with Rice Krispies on the house. I don’t remember the exact details, but I do remember commenting that it was a great way to end the meal with a perfect combination of textures.

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I absolutely loved our meal here. From start to finish, each dish was great and each had a unique quality about it that was really lovely. I would come back in a heartbeat and would love to try their brunch. Hopefully soon!

Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10

Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10

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Prestige Diner: New Providence, NJ

7 Mar

I grew up going to the Prestige Diner in New Providence, NJ after every important life event.  At that point in my life, “important life events” consisted mainly of dance recitals, play performances, group dates, and teen dances.

But I’ve stumbled back in a few times over the years, and while it has had a face lift a few times over, it is still almost exactly the same as it was 20 years ago. I’m pretty sure the hostesses and waitresses haven’t changed. And the menu certainly has not shrunk.

A classic Jersey diner can mean many things to many people, but there is one consistency across them all: hundreds of menu options. Just check out the menu for the Prestige. That’s 30 SECTIONS of food!

So it shouldn’t be at all surprising that the family ordered from many different sections.

Including this waffle with ice cream (I think it was actually the Oreo waffle!)

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A burger

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Some French Toast

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A side of bacon and eggs

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An open-faced chicken parm

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Some crispy Jersey fries (all you need is cheese and gravy to make some Disco Fries!)

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And a club sandwich

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As far as diners go, Prestige has got it all and it’s all pretty good quality. It’s everything a diner should be. No more. And no less. It’s not a gourmet meal by any regard, but it sure is a solid diner. With great memories.

Total Nom Points: 6.5 out of 10

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