Tag Archives: Waldorf Salad

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.

A Restaurant is Born: “True Food”

18 Mar

If you haven’t caught up on the first parts of this story, I am chronicling the opening of the restaurant, The Keys, by Chef Bill Seleno. You can start at this introduction post, then read about the concept and the menu. In the last few weeks, Chef Bill took an adventure out to California to learn more about food sustainability, real farm-to-table cooking, and brewing beer.

Bill believes that clean food is very important and that no place lives this ideal more than California.  He calls the concept “True Food” and it’s all about being honest and transparent about where food comes from.  He is looking to bring this into every facet of The Keys.

And come on… if you’re going to do some R&D for a restaurant, there are few better places to do it than Southern California:

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Chef Bill was kind enough to send me his pictures from his trip. So all images included in this post are courtesy of Chef Bill.  (I especially love his picture of sandpipers above… I love birds almost as much as I love food.)

Bill took the nomadic approach and hiked his way through the (beautiful) area.

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He stopped by the Malibu Family Vineyards where he met up with owners/sommeliers, Tammy and Ron Semmler.

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In his own words, Bill tells me about his adventure:

“After hiking miles from Pacific Coast Highway to Mulhalland Highway through brushfires, police blockades and closed highways I made it to Malibu Wines.

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They are nestled on five acres in the Saddle Rock-Malibu AVA [American Viticultural Area] about 6 miles from the Pacific Coast Highway on what used to be an avocado plantation. The Semmler’s have owned the property since 1978 and converted it from an avocado farm to a vineyard after a severe freeze wiped out the plantation. After doing some research they found that the soil was perfect for wine production. The high altitude with separation from the coast, perfect Cali weather, and rocky soil allow them to produce wines very reminiscent of the Rhone Valley.

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So, the Semmler’s are growing in Malibu and production takes place in San Luis Obisbo. Currently they have applied to begin production there at the vineyard making them one of only 3 other vineyards in the area to be doing so (Aquadulce and San Antonio are the others). 2000 brought on their first vintage. They currently are producing two labels, Saddle Rock and Semmler. Six labels under the Semmler line and six under the Saddle Rock. The Saddle Rock line includes a Rose and a Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine.

Of the two I tasted, four were from the Saddle Rock line and here is what I got…

2009 Saddle Rock Pinot Noir: Tea Leaves and Strawberries on the nose, sweet not overly ripened red cherry and spice on the tongue adding a fresh bit of tartness on the pallet. It is aged six months in french oak and finishes with a hint of vanilla and earthiness. Light by Pinot standards with but a nice back of the tongue fullness.

2010 Saddle Rock Merlot: My favorite of the line. It holds a dark ruby red color with an assertive fruit nose of Blackberry and Plum. It’s medium body was accented with ripe Raspberry and Tahitian Vanilla leads into a smooth and supple finish with touches of tobacco, wet rock and caramel.

2009 Saddle Rock Syrah: This is their inaugural vintage of Syrah. Deep purple color with a nose of Blackberry, Blueberry, and a hint of Vanilla. It’s a medium to full bodied wine with dried Cherries being most predominant. the finish had some light tanins with what is best described as Chocolate covered Espresso beans and a hint of Star Anise.

2009 Saddle Rock Petite Sirah: This one had the same deep purple color with Blackberry and and Violet on the nose. It was jammy on the palate with smooth tanins that left notes of Blueberry, Black Licorice, and Plum on the palate. Balancing it all out were the accents of moss and a touch of the attic.

Overall a smooth selection of young fruity wines that were well balanced. There are now over 70 privately owned vineyards in the region and growing as more land becomes available. The one thing that stood out was their devotion to the preservation of the area. They limit growing area to individual producers ensuring that the region is not decimated.”

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As Bill hiked back down from the vineyard (which, apparently, is something that most people do NOT do according to the cops that drove up to him to inquire what the heck he was doing), he stopped by a farm he had passed earlier in the day, which was advertising balsamic lemonade. He determined that he had to try this and found himself at Vital Zuman Sustainable Farm. It is a Certified Naturally Grown Farm owned by Alan Cunningham. It sits on 6 acres of land that his family has owned since the 50’s. He produces over 21 types of fruit and a full array of winter and summer vegetables. In addition to the fruit and vegetables that he grows, he also produces his own raw honey by the beehives he keeps there. He pickles his own vegetables as well.

Chef Bill found his way to Santa Monica which he found very touristy, other than a dive bar called Gas Lite Karaoke Bar where he found out that Jim Morrison is actually still alive according to a haggard regular (there’s hope Doors fans!)  After this adventure with the locals, he discovered the real attraction in Santa Monica: The Farmers’ Market.  The market operates on Saturdays from 8am until 1pm and is located on Main Street. There are over 102 restaurants in the area that shop and support the farmers markets regularly for their produce.

I personally visited this Farmer’s Market a number of years ago and still remember how impressed I was with it.  Gorgeous produce and flowers… strawberries have never smelled that good since.

With a focus on the 1920’s as the theme of the restaurant, tying into “True Foods” is a no-brainer.  In the 1920s, everything was local and sustainable by default. It was before chemicals and hormones became part of food production (now… manufacturing). When all farms were “free range” because no one had determined it was more cost effective to put chickens in tiny pens and pump them full of chemicals to make their breasts so large that they can’t even walk.  The products came right to your door, every day, from a local farm. Honest farm-to-table food.

Bill wants to focus on this real, true type of farm-to-table. Any Farmer’s Market can call their food “right from the farm” but just because it’s a farm, it does not mean it is necessarily organic, sustainable, or chemical/hormone free. Many Farmer’s Markets we see in NY have food that is more marketing than it is the “local” good food they want to say it is.  Sure their hogs may be free range, but is their feed chemical free? (To learn more about this, check out this link  and this link  posted by Chef Bill on The Keys Facebook page.)  At the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market, they are very particular about being completely transparent about growing practices, including chemicals and sustainability.

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In his own words, here is how Bill described it:

“While I was there I ran into a couple farmers that I had called prior to my leaving and a couple more stands that stood out. Lindner Bison being one of them where I met with Kathy Lindner. They sell in five of the local markets. I recently found out that there is a Bison farm in Long Island. I think this is the cut I will be using for the slider. Lindner is 100% grassfed, sustainable, no hormones, no chemicals, no feedlots or mobile feeding tubs, and no pesticides. Bison meat as a whole has less cholesterol, calories, and fat. Yet, at the same time has more Omega 3’s and more protein, nearly twice that of Beef. In addition to that there is less shrinkage in cooking. This will allow me to keep the cost down as I will be cutting it with Marrow… On a funny note, while we were speaking a woman shopping for some top-round told me that her Bison converted her vegan husband. A lot of info can be found at www.eatwild.com on the practices of grassfed foods.”

Bill wants to bring this “True Food” mentality to The Keys.  His goal is to have a website that breaks down his ingredients, their source, and facilitates conversations with their producers.  He wants to put together a co-op style partnership between small, local farms and restaurants.  For example, he would organize a truck to stop by multiple farms and then sync that up with multiple restaurants to buy their ingredients.

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It will take a lot of homework and organization, but that is part of what he is working on now.  By the time the restaurant opens, he wants to have established this network.

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After exploring the LA area, Bill made his way to San Diego where he became fully immersed in the culture of Craft Brewing. He was enthralled that there is a group of craft beer enthusiasts who will send out a mass text message to insiders who are “in the know” to come to a certain bar at a certain time to enjoy the one remaining keg of a very specific beer.  It is like a flash mob where they all come, enjoy the beer, and then disperse.  They “live, drink, breathe” craft beer and it is part of their culture.  It is a movement and a way of life for this group in San Diego.  According to Bill, comparatively the craft beer movement in NY is years behind.  He was especially excited about his meeting with Pizza Port, an award winning craft brewery.  Bill plans set up his own small microbrewery at the restaurant so that he can brew his own batches with the help of some of the people he met.

I am excited to see all these ideas come together, and especially excited to be along for the ride on this great project.

A Restaurant is Born: Menu Sneak Peak

14 Feb

As Chef Bill and I sat at a table chatting about his concept and menu, I couldn’t help but look down with a hint of sadness at the tater tots we ordered.  I love tater tots, but they just seemed to get more and more boring as Bill described his menu.  Each dish sounded more delicious than the previous one. He’s using molecular gastronomy to elevate the food and to make it downright fun.  Here are some highlights that got me especially excited:

Appetizers/Salads:

Bone Marrow Sliders with Tomato Dust on Brioche: Chef Bill is looking forward to hand selecting the fats and the meats that go into his slider and burger dishes.  Usually, you choose a well marbled cut of meat and you go with the ratio of fat that is organically within that cut.  Chef Bill plans to combine a lean cut of meat and grind it up with the right amount of a delicious fat: bone marrow.  He set about solving the burger “leaking” problem with this dish: No matter how fast you get from kitchen to table, some fat and blood leaks onto the bun or onto the plate.  His solution: he will be making an acetate sheet from mustard and using the broiler to shrink the sheet around the burger to seal in all the juices (he affectionately called this method “Shrinky Dinking”). He plans on making his own ketchup and turning it into a dust, and making his own pickles, liquefying them, and then spherifying (making a liquid into a sphere that resembles caviar) them so they will be an intense punch of pickle flavor as you bite in.

Seared Duck, Butternut Squash Soup with Pear Parisian in Glass:  He plans to serve the squash soup in a shallow bowl with soft slices of duck breast fanned out on the side of the plate.  He will then make pear balls and dip them in a gelee that includes star anise and Asian 5 spice.  The soup will be dotted with these balls so that they glisten like marbles in the bowl.  (Since the restaurant will be opening in May, it may not be butternut squash due to seasonality, but this is TBD)

Chipotle Pork Belly with Pickled Parsnips and Smoked Paprika Fondant Over Parmesan Polenta: The plan is to cure the pork belly and finish it with a chipotle glaze that resemebles a mole. It will add a smokey, spicy heat to cut through the richness of the pork belly.  He will use fondant (that is somewhat sweet) made with smoked paprika (so it’s red) that will wrap an über rich and simple polenta in a bundle.  It will be topped with short rib and finished with pickled parsnips to cut through the richness.  (To say that I am sad that this will be something I can never eat is an understatement.  To all you pepper eaters, I can’t wait for a full review).

Seared Foie Gras Over Pear Panna Cotta with Port Gelatin and Bitter Chocolate Biscotti: Foie gras will be seared and served with a pear panna cotta that retains the “grittyness” of the pear so it tastes like, well… a pear. He will wrap the pear panna cotta in a port reduction gelee so that it has a red outside and white inside, like a poached pear.  It will be finished with a bitter chocolate biscotti with pistachios.  This will be a great combination of sweet, bitter, and buttery flavors.

Waldorf Salad: Because what says 1920’s better than Waldorf Salad?  Dressing pearls, spherified apples macerated in brandy, frozen grapes, and black toasted walnuts will bring it into this decade (if not the future).

Entrées:

Seared Skate, Caper Powder, Celeryroot Mousseline and Crisp Lemon Cured Sweetbreads: I have known for a while that Bill has a “thing” for skate. It’s not a popular fish, but one thing that we agree on is that it should be.  It will be seared so it’s crispy and melts in your mouth. It will be served with dehydrated caper dust, celery root mousseline, and sweet breads cured with lemon and fennel pollen and then fried. A microgreen will be included to add a fresh and “living aspect” to the plate to balance the rich, gamy flavors.

Lamb Loin with Pistachio Crusted Chevre and Red Wine Braised Cabbage: Farm raised lamb loin (from the Berkshires) will be seared with salt and pepper to bring out its natural flavors. It will be served with a lamb demi-glace, braised red wine cabbage (to add some tartness), clove and bay leaf. It will be served with goat cheese that will be freeze dried in pistachio dust so when you break into it it will emulsify the cabbage demi-glace to create a vichyssoise sauce once you cut into it.

Roasted Monkfish Loin, Hazelnut/Prosciutto Brittle, Double Stout/Coconut Cream: The monkfish will be crusted with fennel pollen and roasted. It will be served with a hazelnut, prociutto brittle so it is crispy with a toasted hazelnut flavor.  The stout cream is made with creme fraiche, Belhaven stout reduction, and Malibu Rum (to avoid coconut allergies).

Braised Beef Shortrib with Spiced Tomato Bourbon Jam and Potato Puree: The short rib will be cooked with the sous-vide technique and served with a potato puree (because, in the words of Chef Bill, “You just don’t fuck with that!”)  It will be served with a spiced tomato bourbon jam and then a shot of bourbon will be added at the end to give it that slight burn.

Duck Confit, Brie and Avocado Brick, Cucumber/Mango flute, and Apricot/Curry Sauce: The duck confit will be cooked in a classic way, but everything served with it will be anything but classic.  Brie and avocado will be freeze dried and compressed into a layered brick to give a textured  bite (like a tough marshmallow).  It will be served with a cone of sliced mango and cucumber on the side which will be filled with an apricot curry sauce.  The sauce is cooked by “burning the shit” out of onions until they become like charcoal, then roasting the apricots on top of them.  It will be colorful and fun, but based on fundamental ingredients.

Steamed Mussels with Grilled Rosemary and Black Garlic Over Pappardelle: Of all the items on the menu, THIS has me the most excited.  The menu item that originally made me fall in love with Bill’s cooking was the mussels he served at Albert Hall Tavern that came with grilled rosemary and black garlic.  I wanted to bathe in that sauce… it was so good.  We would always ask for extra bread to sop up that amazing sauce.  So the idea of serving this over pappardelle (my favorite pasta) sounds like a dream come true.  As Bill said, “it’s sex in a bowl.”  He commented that there are a few dishes that you look back on and think to yourself “yeah… that one worked” and give yourself a good pat on the back.  He says he has probably created thousands of dishes but this one really stands out.  (I CANNOT WAIT!)

He plans on adding more vegetarian dishes and he recognized that all restaurants had some type of fruit cocktail on their menu in the 1920’s.  He plans to do his own spin on this with some unique flavors like avocado and tropical fruits.

Chef Bill is not a dessert person, so he will be bringing in a pastry chef. It’s extra cost, but he wants to throw everything he can into this restaurant so it’s the best it can be.  He plans on having foods that came into fashion in the 1920’s be especially prevalent on the dessert menu.

I absolutely cannot wait to try every last bite.