Tag Archives: top chef sluts

Root & Bone: The Pop-up from Top Cheftestants Jeffrey McInnis and Janine Booth

27 Nov

If you have been reading this blog long enough, you know that we are unabashed Top Chef sluts. We love watching the show and love exploring the restaurants the “Cheftestants” open and being able to eat the food that looks so amazing on the screen.

Mike saw that Underground Eats was offering tickets to Root & Bone: The Pop-up. When Mike’s foodie coworker friend mentioned it to him as well, we went for it.

For just 2 weekends (November 15th, 16th, 22nd & 23rd), Chef Jeffrey McInnis (from Top Chef Season 5) and Chef Janine Booth (from the current Season 11), were taking over a new Brooklyn restaurant to test their menu and some food concepts as a pop-up.   The tickets were $65 per person and included 9 courses and beer pairings.  Seemed like a deal to us!

This pop-up was a sneak peak into a new restaurant from Chef McInnis (who was previously at Yardbird in Miami, Florida) and Chef Booth before they open Root & Bone in Alphabet City in 2014 (not my favorite neighborhood… but what can you do).

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We went to The Brew Inn in Greenpoint, Brooklyn (surprisingly easy to get to even though we had to take the subway to Queens to catch the G train to Greenpoint).  We really liked the aesthetic inside with a mix of wood, brick, and mirrors (though the bathroom had an awkwardly small sink).

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The menu for the evening sounded great, though there were some concerns with my peppers (capsaicin) allergy.  But Chef McInnis plopped himself next to me on the bench and went through it line by line and promised he would take care of me.

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We started with a really great hard cider from McKenzie’s. Usually I am not a hard cider fan.  I absolutely LOVE apple cider and I always find myself wanting hard cider to taste more like real cider with a kick.  McKenzie’s was perfect.  Every bit as delicious as regular cider but with a nice tang and faint booziness.  Best hard cider I’ve ever had. I’ll be seeking this out!

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Our first course was a sampling of bites (see photo below):

Top left: “Waldorf Salad” with sheets of crisp apple, NY grapes, buttermilk, blue cab, and celery.  It was like a tiny wrap with a bite of crab inside. It was good but a bit watery. Not overly memorable.

Just to the right of that was the hot fresh baked buttermilk biscuits with sea cured foie gras and tomato jam. I couldn’t have the tomato jam due to a bit of paprika, so chef brought me my own version with rhubarb jam (more on that in a moment).

The sandwiches below that on the board were grilled lamb ham n’ pimento cheese sandwiches with pickles.  Sadly, this was something they couldn’t edit to make it peppers-free.  I asked the table to tell me it was awful, but the truth was it was the one most picked as their favorite. (Damn)

Below that and to the left were grilled pierogi with pickled cabbage and dijonaise. I loved the grilled char on these. Very flavorful and the pickled cabbage underneath them was fantastic.

And then bottom right were deviled eggs with American sturgeon caviar.  Usually I don’t see the point in deviled eggs, but these were fantastic.  Packed with flavor (even the ones I had with the paprika removed).

We LOVED the board as a whole, and even though I’m pretty sure it was just a way of sampling a few different appetizer options, we loved it as a sampler and I hope they keep this concept on the menu for the restaurant.

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My biscuits with foie and rhubarb were superb.  The biscuits were perfectly crisp yet soft and the foie was cooked well and paired so nicely with the sweet of the rhubarb.  A teeny bit of saltiness made the entire bite pop in my mouth.

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We then had a House Made Chartcuterie Board with spicy goat “slim jim” (I couldn’t have it), smoked duck ham (flavorful but forgettable), wild boar head terrine (really enjoyed this on the bread), smoked tasso lamb ham (couldn’t have it), polish sausage (kielbasa… very, very tasty and one of the best versions of kielbasa I’ve tried), pickled vegetables (pickled unbelievably well with a touch of sweet and sour), mustards, and marinated cheddar jar with grilled bread.

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The jar of marinated cheddar cubes was great. I loved the flavor and the herbs that really complimented the cheese. Mike was a bit put off that this was in cubes since he thought it cheapened the food.  I had no issue with it.

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The chefs came out and spoke to us a few times. They were so excited to be there and to be sharing the food with us. It was a really fun experience to be there to try the food and talk with them as they get ready to take on Manhattan.

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The first main came out and it was shrimp ‘n’ grits. They were beer crusted red shrimp with tobasco spiced ham (I had a different version without the tobasco), and baby onion over tone ground grits.

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When the chefs came out, they told us that they were serving the deep fried heads of the shrimp as well.  Now I’ve sucked shrimp heads before, but eating the head whole was a new experience. Sure enough, it was delicious and crispy enough to eat without a problem.

The dish was a bit mixed.  The grits were some of the best grits I’ve ever had. If all grits tasted like that, I would understand why people love them so much. The shrimp had a delicate flavor and the sauce was very good, however, the ham (both my version and, according to my tablemates, everyone else’s) was VERY salty and it overpowered the dish. I love salt, but this was too much even for me.  Shame. The dish would have been excellent had not been for the saltiness.

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Our beer adventure continued (we wound up having 5 drinks in all) including an ale from Queen’s Brewery.

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Our final entree was “Root & Bone’s Signature Meatloaf” and it was described as “slow beer braised Australian lamb shanks, caramelized onion, minted celery root & parsnip puree, with carrot BBQ sauce.” (I had to have an alternate sauce)

At first, we were confused. Was this 2 dishes? A meatloaf and a lamb shank.

What wound up coming out was very surprising: a “loaf” made from lamb shank. It was as if they made the lamb, pulled it apart, and then assembled it into a loaf which was seared.  It was absolutely f*cking fantastic.  The sear on the outside gave it an ever so slight char and crisp with an incredibly flavorful lamb.  The puree combined with mint was so inspired, and when you ate it all together, it took each individual component to a new level.  One of my favorite dishes of all time. When the restaurant opens, I will get this again. I loved it.

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At this point I realized there was some activity outside. They were assembling dessert in the little side yard outside.

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Dessert was carrot cake with carrot cream cheese emulsion, walnut brittle, and cream cheese sorbet.  I absolutely loved the sauce, the sorbet, and the walnut brittle. (Especially the walnut brittle)  But the cake… it was ehhh…  A bit too dry, not enough flavor.  I tried to saturate it in the sorbet but I wound up eating the sorbet with the sauce and the brittle and leaving the cake behind.

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At the end of the night, we were asked to fill out comment cards, which we all did happily.  Everyone was buzzing about the food around us, and all 4 of us had a great meal.  As for favorite, the sandwich got a big vote from our table (damn x 2) but my favorite was the lamb meatloaf.  Sooooo good.

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At the end of the night, the chefs were saying goodnight to everyone and were kind enough to take photos.  I thanked them for a great meal and for taking such great care of me with my allergy (it really was above and beyond and I didn’t feel even slightly embarrassed for the menu edits, which is a common feeling for me since many places aren’t very kind nor considerate about allergies).

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We chatted with Chef Booth for a bit and she was so incredibly sweet.  (People that good looking and that talented are typically not nearly that nice).  She was so excited to send us home with our gift bag of tabasco and pepper jelly (womp wahhhh).  It was sweet to have something to take home, however.

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This was a truly wonderful experience.  Feeling like we had an “insiders” look and being able to try such great food made for a great night.  I cannot wait for the restaurant to open next year and I hope these chefs have great success.

Honeymoon: Seattle- Canlis

10 Jul

Anyone who has been reading this blog for a while knows that we are huge Top Chef Sluts.  So it should come as no surprise that one of the restaurants we first looked into upon planning our honeymoon that was starting in Seattle was Canlis, a restaurant prominently featured on Episode 4 of Top Chef Season 10 (Seattle).

We were intrigued by the fact that it had been around for 50 years and then as we read more, we knew it was a primary destination for dining.  Chef Jason Franey was a finalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef Northwest (stay tuned for our Portland Honeymoon write-up coming soon to read about who actually won) and the executive chef won Cochon 555 Seattle this year.

Upon arrival, we were immediately greeted by name (mind readers) and wished a very warm congratulations on our honeymoon.  They asked us about the details of our honeymoon trip (Mike didn’t even remember telling them about our road trip).  They informed us that our table was not quite ready but we were welcome to get a drink at the bar, next to the (very good) piano player. Our drinks were not only tasty, they were also absolutely beautiful.

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The flower petals really made it look that much prettier.

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We were sat the moment our drinks came out.  The dining room is timeless.

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With a nice view of the water (even in the fog and pouring rain).

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We sat down to a lovely note from the Canlis family and two glasses of champagne on the house.

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We hear the menu changed recently, ever so slightly. Here was the menu when we were there at the end of June, 2013:

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We decided on the 4 Course menu because we both had heard great things about the duck and wanted the opportunity to try that.

We started with 3 amuse bouche (bouches? is bouche a plural?)

From left to right, it was a morel mushroom tart (nice, rich flavor), black olive coronet with salmon mousse, pickled rutabaga, and wasabi tobiko (which was packed with flavor and textures that mixed together perfectly), and a fried egg yolk, which we were advised had a liquid center “So don’t try to take a bite. You have to commit.” And commit we did.  Great flavor and a nice middle ground between a hard boiled egg (which would be way too solid when fried) and a poached egg (which would be too runny).

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The holders were also lovely and showed off each bite as if it were artwork.

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The wine was a local Pinot Noir (from the Willamette Valley in Oregon, a place we were soon to visit) that the sommelier picked (and we really loved).

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Our first of 4 courses arrived:

Mike chose the smoked Copper River salmon which came with yellow and purple potatoes. (Salmon is very popular in this part of the country and was on nearly every menu. I believe it was also salmon season, though every day could be salmon season up there for all we know.  Funny thing… I usually don’t like salmon, but every time I had it up in the Pacific Northwest, I really loved it.  Totally different flavor and none of that gross salmony-fishiness I hate).

The salmon was smoky and light but filled with flavor.  Both Mike I said that we wished there were more (not because the portion was small, which it should be with a multi-course tasting menu) but because it was so good.

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I chose the foie gras with cherry beet puree, cocoa brioche, dehydrated milk with pistachio.

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The brioche had a great crunch and everything combined perfectly.  There was tarta and sweet to pair with the rich and dense foie and brioche.  One of the best preparations of foie gras I’ve had.

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As we were awaiting our next course, we noticed a manager-like looking man come to our side of the restaurant and look around as if observing his flock.  Mike went totally out of character and struck up a conversation with him, only to find out that he is one of the owners (and grandsons of the original owners), Brian Canlis.  Brian was warm and genuine and we instantly liked him.  We had a quick discussion about where we were from and Brian asked us our favorite restaurant, to which we answered in unison, Eleven Madison Park. He got very excited at this and asked us if we knew about the connection between Canlis and Eleven Madison Park.  We did not, so he told us he went to Cornell with William Guidara, business partner in Eleven Madison Park.  (And now the presence of a special Ithaca Beer on the EMP menu made much more sense!)  I told him I went to Ithaca College and we had a great moment reminiscing about the lovely town of Ithaca, NY.  Brian then excitedly asked if we ordered the duck and when we confirmed we had, he said he thought it beat EMP’s duck (sadly, we didn’t try the duck, we chose the beef when we were at EMP, but the friendly competition was quite adorable). He then kindly excused himself and we went back to our meal, but not before the waiter was kind enough to take a lovely picture.

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For course two, Mike chose the famous Canlis Salad (which is prepared table-side, but only for bigger parties from what we observed). This was one great salad.  The inclusion of mint was fantastic without being overpowering. It tasted like it was all picked fresh moments before hitting our plate.

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I went with the pork belly, which came with an almond vanilla sauce with huckleberry.  The pork belly could not have been cooked better. The creamy fat, the hammy pork, the crispy top.  A great balance of flavors and textures with a slightly sweet sauce to compliment the pork and bring it all together

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And then they showed us the duck.

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A few minutes later, it came out fully prepared and ready to be tasted. They had carved up the breast (which included seeds a black peppercorns) and made a duck leg confit croquet, which they plated separately for each of us.  There was also an orange marmalade, fennel puree, and bruleed onion.  The flowers were grown in their garden.

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The crispiness of the seeds on the duck were great, and I really loved the way the spicy black peppercorns mixed with the orange marmalade, which was tart yet sweet.  I was enamored by the marmalade, but, sadly, Mike is not a fan of orange/marmalade/tart sauces so it wasn’t his cup of tea. Luckily, since it was all separate, he could enjoy it just fine without while I lapped it up.

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Our eyes were much bigger than our bellies, and we ordered an additional twice baked potato when we first put the order in.  As we finished up the duck, we realized that the potato never came. We were commenting about how this was a very good thing because we were FAR too full and still had dessert to go, but just as we were concluding that, a huge dish of fries came out and our very concerned waitress. She informed us that she forgot to put the potato in and it takes a bit of time to prepare, so as soon as she realized her mistake she put it in and had them make us fries (which are much faster to prepare) to make sure we had something.  Service was impeccable until this moment, and I always say that mistakes happen, but it’s about how you fix them.  Talk about a fix! Not only immediate response but a solution of fries to boot.

We informed her that we were just too full so we didn’t need the potato and we requested she wrap up the fries. Though not before trying a couple, and WOW! What fries!  Sadly, we didn’t have a fridge in our room so the fries couldn’t be saved.  (I nearly cried as I set them in the trash the next morning.)

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But I couldn’t be too sad for very long since the dessert menu was in front of us.

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Mike chose the Mille-Feuille and I chose the Pistachio Génoise.

The Mille-Feuille was absolutely delicious with lots of textures and flavors.

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But I really loved my pistachio dessert. The cherries on it were just fantastic.

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The pieces of gelee were great.

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And the crisp of the pistachio was great with the flavorful ice cream.

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And we loved the extra touch of writing “Congratulations” on both our plates.

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We were also given macarons in two flavors: negroni and apple pie.

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They were both great but if I could spend the rest of my life eating those apple pie macarons, I would be a happy lady.

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And just when we thought they couldn’t make the meal any better, they gave us a chocolate breakfast brioche for the following morning (which wound up being absolutely sensational, even without a lick of butter to add… we just tore into it and it started our last morning in Seattle perfectly). I absolutely love this touch. It leaves such a great lasting impression on a diner to give them something to eat from the restaurant the next morning.  Classy.

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The entire meal was special. Absolutely special.

The service was some of the best we have ever seen, but not in a mechanical way like some fine restaurants seem to specialize in. This service was warm, personal, and made us feel like we were the only ones in the entire restaurant.  And just as we were wrapping up to leave, Brian came back over to see how our meal was (and of course we gushed) and then he offered us a tour of the kitchen. (BUT OF COURSE!)

He excitedly showed us pictures of his family and the restaurant. One was of opening night and had all the women of the day wearing hats, drinking whiskey, and smoking cigarettes.  Such a time-specific moment.  He was kind and warm and told us he just enjoyed having some drinks at the bar and being in the restaurant that evening.  You could tell he absolutely loves this place and what he does. We talked about how much we envied that he got to grow up and come to own such a place. His enthusiasm was infectious.  He was excited that we were so excited to be there. For half a moment, we felt like part of the family.

And boy what a family that would be to be part of!

I would say that if you’re in Seattle, be sure to go here… but the truth of it is that you should just be sure to go here. Make a special trip to Seattle.  Canlis is one of the best of the best of the best.

Total Nom Points: 9 out of 10

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