Tag Archives: duck confit

Chef Bill takes over the Strong Place Kitchen: Cobble Hill, BK

23 Dec

Chef Bill Seleno is nothing if not an alchemist.  The moment he touches an everyday ingredient, it becomes gold.  His last opening was creating the menu for King’s Clam Bar, and now he has taken on a new huge, multi-pronged project that is sure to further enhance Brooklyn as a food lovers destination (more on that will be posting in the New Year).  He has started by working with the team at Strong Place, a Cobble Hill staple.

DSCF3612

Strong Place is known in the neighborhood for their craft beer, live music, and great food.

DSCF3613

And Chef Bill has come in to up the ante even further, adding some Chef Bill touches to the menu. Working with the bar manager, a Cicerone (a beer sommelier), they created a menu that perfectly pairs with the 24 craft beers on tap.

DSCF3593

The restaurant looks solidly like Brooklyn, with a big metal barn door that slides open for the bathroom.DSCF3609

They have many great craft beers on tap.

DSCF3607

With beers from all across the country and lots of Allagash (one of my favorite beers from Maine) and Firestone (a favorite brought to my attention by good friends in Atlanta).

DSCF3608

Chef Bill had arranged to have us do a tasting of the menu with beer pairings from the knowledgeable and excited Cicerone (we hadn’t told Bill I was preggers yet… we told him when we arrived)

Between the beer and the extensive, check-off oyster list, I was very bummed to be limited by my pregnancy.

DSCF3565

But the moment these voluptuous beauties came out, I knew I was going to cheat.  Much to my protective husband’s chagrin.  I had one. ONE!  I shouldn’t have done it. But I just couldn’t resist.

DSCF3563

3 months of no alcohol, no soft cheeses, and no raw seafood was making me into a cranky pregnant lady. I also had a sip of each of the beer pairings throughout the meal. Just a sip.  Funny enough, my doctor was more upset about the oyster than the beer.  So… no more oysters.  But the moment that baby is out, somebody send over a few dozen, okay?

(PS- It was so good… no regrets)

These were paired with a Firestone Walker Pilsner and they went very well together.

DSCF3564

Next out was an awesome bar snack: Fried chick peas.  These were warm and had a little crisp with great flavor. I ate nearly the whole bowl and had to slow myself down to have room for the rest of the meal, and I’m not even a big chick pea fan.  I would go here just for these and a beer in the middle of the day (after June, that is!)  Delish.

DSCF3573

With this they also brought out tequila lime chicken wings (that I couldn’t eat due to a peppers allergy) but Mike very much enjoyed.

DSCF3569

These were paired with Two Roads Octoberfest (from Connecticut) and that went very nicely with the chick peas (and Mike enjoyed with the wings).

DSCF3570

Our next dish was a kale salad with cauliflower, tomato, carrots, brussels sprouts, chick peas, apples, walnuts, and burnt lemon caramelized vinaigrette. This was a FANTASTIC salad. I usually go for salads for all the goodies and view the lettuce/green as simply a conduit to get the other delicious things into my mouth.  This was a perfect salad with lots of goodies and great combinations.

The beer pairing with this was Two Roads Abby Blonde Style, and you wouldn’t normally think of beer with salad, but this totally worked.

DSCF3579

Our next dish was duck confit with horse radish and celery root with bacon.  I LOVE duck confit and this did not disappoint.  Crispy, tasty skin with flavor rich tender meat in the middle.  I don’t typically like horseradish, but the tiny bit I added to my bite did compliment it nicely. And the celery root puree with bacon in it was a great compliment of rich flavors.

DSCF3582

This was paired with Allagash Victor, which is a Belgian style golden strong ale. They extract sugar from barley (basically making oatmeal) and use a Cabernet Franc wine to ferment it.  It went perfectly to cut through the fattyness of the confit while toning down the horse radish a bit.

DSCF3583

Next up was the “Boo-ya-base” which was a twist on a classic bouillabaisse dish.  I couldn’t have this (back to the allergy) but Mike really enjoyed it (sorry for the flash picture… only way to see those delicious mollusks). This dish had some of the craft beers actually IN the recipe to help bring together the flavors and the beer pairings.  The sauce was made with Piperdown Scotch Ale and the potatoes are boiled in Stout.

It was paired with the Allagash Confluence Belgian Strong Ale which goes through 2 fermentations.

DSCF3587

Since I couldn’t have the boo-ya-base, I got to taste a freshly slow cooked pork butt which had all the delicious qualities of slow cooked pig.

DSCF3597

For dessert, we tried the caramel pudding with white chocolate whipped cream and a soft chocolate biscotti. Even this was paired with beer (Left Hand Milk Stout) and they were a great match.

DSCF3600

Our last dessert was an apple cobbler (with the apples slow cooked in, what else? beer).

DSCF3604

The whipped cream was made with bourbon bacon (and BOY was it bourbony). The bourbon is macerated with the bacon  and it certainly had strong flavors of both.  Very original.

This was also paired with beer: Almanac Golden Gate Gose (from Northern California).  My sips throughout the night proved to me that the Cicerone knows what he’s doing, even with the desserts.

DSCF3606

Our meal was fantastic from start to finish.  Every day, I miss being able to go around the corner to the old Albert Hall Tavern (where we first met Chef Bill) so I can have the food that Bill does oh so well… the food that makes you happy… reminds you of the food you grew up but with a modern, fun twist.  I wish I lived closer to Strong Place so I could be a regular, but if you happen to be one of the lucky ones in the area, you cannot miss with this menu at Strong Place and it’s worth the trip if you’re not local.  The beer pairings, attention to detail, and great, relaxed atmosphere just add to the draw.

They will be doing a pretty awesome sounding New Year’s Eve menu this year if you’re looking for a delicious way to spend the evening.

They also have live music and an outdoor patio (for when the weather is a bit nicer).

Highly recommended.

More on the journey of Chef Bill coming soon.

Liquid Art House: Boston, MA

2 Dec

A few weeks ago, I had a business trip to Boston.  Luckily, one of my longest friends lives in Cambridge (at least for a few more weeks) so we met up for dinner.  It was an incredibly rainy night, with wind so strong that I couldn’t pull my suitcase down the sidewalk because the wind kept turning it sideways.  Liquid Art House looked to be just a few short blocks from the Back Bay Train Station, but in that weather, it was no easy task.  We walked into the restaurant dripping and cold, but were immediately in awe of the space.

IMG_1164

IMG_1165

FullSizeRender

IMG_1145

 

IMG_1147

It has a gallery quality to it with art tucked away in every corner and huge personality in every area.  Very cool.

And the menu was museum quality as well…

FullSizeRender

FullSizeRender_1 FullSizeRender_2

We had a hard time choosing, but decided to start with Wild Mushroom Homemade Dumplings with porcini cream, shitake crisps, and sour cream.

Wow.

These things were awesome.  Not exactly what I would expect of a dumpling, but oh so flavorful, rich, and delicious.

FullSizeRender

We also split the duck confit “starter,” which could have easily been a main. This came with medjool dates, urfa aioli, micro arugula, and queso azul de valdeon.

The duck skin was so incredibly crispy with mouthwatering tenderness and it was perfectly cooked inside.  The dates were a great compliment and the whole dish was a great combination of rich and bitter and sweet and sour, so no bite got remotely boring.

IMG_1150

For our entrees, we split 2 dishes.

The first was the Australian Lamb Loin with potato puree, green olive & mint gremolata, roasted grapes, and parmigiano reggiano.  This was sauced table side.

IMG_1156

This was some of the most tender, most melt-in-your-mouth lamb I’ve ever had.  My brain couldn’t quite understand how olives and grapes would come together, but as soon as I tasted it, I knew it was a match made in food arty heaven.  Everything about this dish was incredible and we lapped up every last morsel.

IMG_1159

But I still can’t decide which was better… that lamb or these Local Scallops.   They came with cauliflower, snap peas, pickled carrot, pomegranate gastrique, and vadouven-labneh.

IMG_1161

First of all, this was one of the most beautiful plates of food I have ever seen.

But it wasn’t even as beautiful as it tasted.  The vegetables were perfectly cooked and sprang to life in my mouth. The scallops were slightly caramelized and some of the best tasting, most flavorful scallops I’ve ever had.  I could not get enough of this dish and kept going back and forth between this and the lamb and honestly couldn’t pick a favorite.  Each one alone could qualify as one of the best dishes I’ve had all year.

I wish I could have seen the desserts here, because I’m sure they would have impressed, but we were just stuffed to the gills and couldn’t even dream about one more bite.

This meal was sensational. Honestly one of the best all year. And I’m glad I got to share it with my Eh-er before she leaves us for the west coast.

Total Nom Points: 9 out of 10

 

 

nomscale- 09.0

 

 

General Assembly

24 Mar

We had spent the beautiful, 60 degree day walking all around NYC.  We walked down the High Line, across to Union Square, wandered our way up to a meeting with our mortgage broker, and then popped into Eater’s Heat Map to see if we could find a fun place to have dinner near Midtown East.  No less than 30 minutes, we were walking in to the very new General Assembly, which opened earlier this month.

It was ringing a bell in my brain, but I couldn’t place it until I saw the Quality Meats card on the host desk and realized that both restaurants are from the great restaurant group, Fourth Wall (also of Smith & Wollensky fame).

IMG_6534

The space has a great aesthetic, with a lot of light woods, white walls, and very well placed mirrors.

IMG_6564

IMG_6532 IMG_6533

IMG_6560

IMG_6562

A cute private room downstairs.

 

IMG_6561

And their logo stamped on their butcher paper table covers and all tableware.  (I like a good logo branding job… it’s the advertising part of my brain… what can I say).

IMG_6535

Right after we ordered, beautiful warm parker house rolls were served with a basil-like crunch and salt on top and nicely warm butter.  A great start to the meal.

IMG_6538

Our drinks arrived moments later, including a great cocktail called Hop Scotch On the Rocks — Blended Scotch Whisky & Homemade Citra Hop Infused Honey. (Loved it)

IMG_6540

And Mike got a Geary’s beer, from Maine, one of our favorite stops in Portland.

IMG_6541

We started with an appetizer of gnocchi & Viking Village Scallops with a bacon beurre blanc sauce.  Holy smokes! This was insanely good.  Crazy good. Certifiably ridiculous.  The scallops were sweet and perfectly cooked, cut to the same size as the pillowy gnocchi with bacony bits and (I think) fried potato skins for crunch and chives on top.  The sauce was just so damn good.  Buttery and a bit tart and bacony and just… damn…

It was also a good portion for an app (could make for an entree, really, if you wanted something a bit on the smaller side).

IMG_6556

For his entree, Mike got the steak frites, which came with either Colorado lamb or Creekstone beef.  Mike chose the lamb and it was a very good choice.  The fries were nicely crisped and flavorful, and the steak had a beautiful char and hotel butter on top, with a lamby goodness that was hard to beat.

IMG_6547

 

 

I went with the Hudson Valley duck confit with gingered kumquats & apricots.

IMG_6548

It had a very nice crispness to the skin and I really loved the gingered, candied apricots and kumquats with it. Mike wasn’t as big a fan, but I’m the duck confit person, and I thought it was great.

IMG_6549

For sides, the Quality Meats superstar was on the menu: Corn Creme Brulee.  It was as good as I remembered it from our last meal.  I really love this side!

IMG_6559

We also tried the crispy artichokes with malt vinegar aioli. I really enjoyed the fry on this, since it was light but added a great crispy. And the crisped basil on top with the aioli made for nice foils to the fry.

IMG_6554

Unfortunately, we were really full by the end, so we were not able to take part in the desserts, which included a tray of custom, fun sounding eclairs.

IMG_6558     

We strolled home and it was a perfect moment of dusk which made the city look even more beautiful than it usually does.

 

 

IMG_6566

A great way to end a great day. (I freakin’ love this city)

IMG_6570

Overall, our meal was really fantastic.  From start to finish, there were items that were really good and then a few that were absolutely great.  That scallops appetizer alone is worth the trip to midtown.  It’s pretty close to my office, and I’m thrilled to have a great place to go for nice lunches.  The service was also attentive and speedy, without feeling rushed.  Totally worth checking out.

Total Nom Points: 8 out of 10

nomscale- 08.0