The Fledgling's Gourmet

Sandwich of the Week: Lobster Roll @ J's Oyster

2020-08-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

There are iconic sandwiches and then there are iconic sandwiches. Whether you've ever been close to New England or not, I'd wager that most adult Americans have heard about lobster rolls. In fact, given the plethora of deep cable food programs, I'd raise my stakes and assume that most of you out there have seen a version of this tasty Northeastern staple on your television at some point. You probably drooled a bit, too. I know that I did.

The beauty of the Lobster Roll, like some many other great things, lies in its simplicity. Toast a bun, usually a hot dog bun, and overfill it with cooked lobster. Couldn't be simpler, right? Well, there are many different variations of this simple sandwich out there. Some are served warm with melted butter. Most are serve will chilled lobster. but there are a lot of places that toss the lobster meat in mayonnaise and some, regrettably, add chopped celery to the mix. People tend to be pretty opinionated about which way is best, but in my experience if you're getting a Lobster Roll from a reputable place, then you're in for a treat!

Sandwich of the Week: Curried Goat Po Boy @ Killer Po Boys

2016-11-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

Well, first let me apologize. I've been meaning to write about these guys for quite a while. In fact, Killer PoBoys is one of the very first places that I ate on my first trip to New Orleans. But the original Killer Po Boys started out in the back of a dive bar in the French Quarter (it doesn't get any more NOLA than that!) and it's dark in the back room of Erin Rose Bar, really dark. Getting a decent photo of their handy work proved too difficult for an amateur like me. So, the only way you heard about Killer PoBoys from old Fledge was if you talked to me in person and I've recommended them a lot - they're that good! Fast forward a couple of years and this popular sandwich destination has a second location...with windows...natural light and I could, like, get a decent photo!

Okay, I know that I've written this before, but it bears repeating for those of you that haven't been to New Orleans: the term Po Boy are not a specific type of sandwich, but rather to a style of sandwich. Most non-natives associate them with being filled with fried seafood exclusively, and those are very good, but much like subs, hoagies and grinders they can be filled with just about anything. Most Po Boy shops will have a menu of over 20 sandwiches ranging from chicken parm to alligator sausage and just about everything in between. There are even hamburger Po Boys out there. What I appreciate about Killer PoBoys is that, while their menu is a lot smaller than many other shops around New Orleans, they still find a way to keep the it unique and interesting. It's always worth while to pop in and see what they're up to.

Point in fact, I went there last week fully intent on ordering a Glazed Pork Belly Po Boy, but found the Goat Curry special too interesting to pass up. I didn't regret that choice. The bread is light, crispy and very reminiscent of a Banh Mi roll. The goat meat was tender, fragrant and very flavorful with a nice amount of heat. A 'slaw' of slivered mango offered a bright, refreshing contrast to the deeper, more profound curry flavors and the occasional chickpea brought a nice textural counterpoint to the party. It was a great sandwich!

The new location on Dauphine Street is also opened earlier than the original and offers up some breakfast Po Boys. I see cheese, eggs, chorizo and even smoked salmon on the morning menu. So, file that away for future reference. I know that I will.

Killer PoBoys
219 Dauphine St
(between Iberville & Bienville)
New Orleans, LA 70112
540-462-2731
Open:
10AM - 5PM
Weds - Mon, closed Tues

The Company Burger

2016-02-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

New Orleans isn't exactly known as a Burger Town. I suppose it makes sense. It's a town with cheap, plentiful and damn tasty po' boys just about around every corner. Burgers are kind of an after thought there. In fact, ask for a burger at a lot of places and you're just as likely to get it on a French roll as you are to get it on a bun. That's what makes The Company Burger such a revelation for burger lovers. Hamburgers are what they do.

The Company Burger occupies the same massive, city block sized brick building that houses John Besh's newest restaurant Willa Jean. It's a long narrow place with a small bar on your right and the kitchen in the back. Naturally, I turned to my right. There's service at the bar. If libations aren't on your agenda then head back towards the kitchen and order there. The menu is blissfully small, but has some surprising additions to regular hamburgers; a lamb burger and a turkey burger. I was damn close to ordering the lamb burger. It was my first time at TCB, though and I thought that I should try their namesake burger.

The Company Burger is made up of two beef patties, American cheese, bread and butter pickles and thinly sliced onions. Bacon can be added for an additional charge, as can a fried egg. They also have a Mayo Bar where you can get additions of plain, basil, chipotle, garlic, creole honey mustard or fancy(?!) mayonnaise to slather on you hamburger bun. They also have house-pickled jalapenos, if you're into that sort of thing. I wasn't. I declined to adulterate my first burger here. But I loved the Mayo Bar. Mainly I love the fact that the word mayo isn't a pejorative term in New Orleans. Let's be honest. Back home in Seattle call something mayonnaise and people wrinkle their noses and feign disgust. Take the same stuff and call it aioli and the swoon over it! New Orleanians, when it comes to food, have a better grasp on what's good and what's not and don't get tangle up in a lot of trends names. My fellow Northwesterners should take a page out of their book.

But I digress. The burger was terrific. The patties had a nice crust development and were cooked through, but still nice and juicy on the inside. The were two layers of American cheese which were nicely melted on each patty. The bun was toasted, which loyal followers of this blog know is a must for me. The bacon, from Nueske's by the way, was crisp and delicious. The pickles and onions rounded things out. As I mention above, I ate it as it came to me from the kitchen with no embellishments form the Mayo Bar. It was a great burger! The beef is all natural; no hormones or antibiotics and is hand-formed in the kitchen. Pickles are cured in house. Even the mayonnaise in the Mayo Bar are produced on site.

They take hamburgers very seriously here and if you're in New Orleans and in the mood for a great burger, then I would definitely check these guys out!

The Company Burger
611 O'Keefe Ave
(On the corner with Rampart)
New Orleans, LA 70113
Mo - Su 11AM to 10 PM
(504) 309-9422

Sandwich of the Week: Il Mostro @ St James Cheese Co

2016-02-15T04:00:00.000-08:00

They had me at cheese. Love the stuff always have and always will. Unfortunately for New Orleans it hasn't had a long and abiding relationship with my favorite dairy products. A hot and humid climate does not make an ideal cheese making and cheese storing environment. How deflated Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville must have felt after having founded the city only to realize a short while later that one of the staples of the French diet just wouldn't do well there. Perhaps that explains France's willingness to cede the city to the Spanish in The Treaty of Paris and later, just after having regained it during the French Revolution, to sell it to the USA for a song. Cheese, or lack thereof , quite possibly changed the course of our history! Maybe, though, I just obsess about cheese a little too much. The dearth of cheese in The Cresent City is, as they say, very much in the past. Fortunately there are True believers like St James Cheese Company that are dedicated to supplying and showcasing all manner of cheese for New Orleanians.

A Happy Hour cheese plate? Raclette Night? Cheese Class?! These guys are my people! I visited their Warehouse District location. It is in a nice brick building with large plate glass windows facing Tchoupitoulas Street. The decor is an exercise in minimalism; bright, open and with not a lot of decor that doesn't have something to do with cheese or cheese accessories. The cheese case itself is well stocked with domestic and European cheeses and laden with all sorts of temptation. My hotel room didn't have a mini fridge, so I found it easier to resist than I otherwise would have. But by any measure it's a formidable cheese shop.

They also have a full line of sandwiches, salads and other delectable cheesy goodness to choose from. After scanning over the menu for what seemed like and eternity- so many options, I finally made my decision. Ironically, I ended up ordering the not very cheesy. but still very delicious Il Mostro. It's there version of an Italian sandwich with capicola, rosemary ham, salami and aged provolone. It's served on ciabatta with leaf lettuce, tomato, pickled onion and pepperoncini mayo. Il Mostro is a great sandwich. The toothsome, meaty goodness of the cured pork was complemented by the deeper, mellow tones from the aged provolone and contrasted by the bright, slightly piquant notes from the pepperoncini mayo. It was your basic Italian sub cranked up to 11 and wearing a tux. Well done!

I look forward to visiting St. James Cheese Company on my future visits to New Orleans and making my way through their menu and their display case!

St. James Cheese Co
641 Tchoupitoulas St
( down the corner from Girod)
Mon - Thu, 11 AM to 7 PM
Fri/Sat 11 AM to 9 PM
(504) 244-6118

Other Sandwiches in New Orleans

Buckboard Bacon Melt @ Cochon Butcher

Roast Beef Po' Boy with Debris @ Mothers

Muffuletta @ Central Grocery

All That Jazz @ Verti Mart

Brunch in New Orleans: Willa Jean

2016-02-14T08:55:00.000-08:00

Last year I made a concerted effort to see more of the United States. My first destination was New Orleans and I fell hard and fast for the Grand Dame of Southern Hospitality. There was never a question about my returning to the Big Easy and returning there often. A few weeks before Mardi Gras and armed with my list of places that I wanted to try, I went back this past January. That list, by the way, is always growing. For every place that I scratch off I find two or three new places to replace it. New Orleans is one of this nation's best foodie destinations!

My first two trips to New Orleans centered, naturally, in and around The French Quarter. This last trip I had grander designs of expanding my reach into other parts of the city. Finally, I made it to Midtown and the lovely Garden district. I had ventured out to the Warehouse District and the Central Business District on previous trips, but I spent more time in each of them this time out. In fact, The Central Business District where I found Willa Jean.

I had never been to a John Besh restaurant. That's not a commentary on one of New Orleans' most famous chefs, neither is it a lack of my trying. His restaurants are very, very popular and seats are hard to come by. My last trip I tried to get a seat into Domenica and Luke, - two of his more casual places and none were available, even at the bar. It felt silly for me to make a reservation for one, so I pushed them down the list a bit and resolved to visit them in the future. Turn the page, a new year and another trip. Domenica and Luke still didn't make the cut. I did, however, finally get to try out a couple of Besh restaurants; Shaya in The Garden District and Willa Jean in The CBD.

The wait, as they often say, was worth it. I'll write later about my experience at Shaya, but I enjoyed each restaurant and appreciated the professionalism exhibited at each location. If that sounds stuffy, I don't mean it to. Each restaurant was warm and inviting and, most importantly, had some very tasty food.

Willa Jean occupies one corner of a block-sized brick building located between O'Keefe and Rampart Streets. It's a fairly nondescript building. It's most prominent attribute is just how new it is. Willa Jean operates in a very large space. As you enter, you come in facing the bakery counter. That's not by accident. The bakery is the foundation of this restaurant - Besh's Executive Pastry Chef Kelly Fields and pastry chef Lisa White hold the reins here and it's quite a showcase for their talents. Back in my former life I was a baker, so I'm always appreciative of quality baked goods. The hardest part with their bakery counter is narrowing your choices. From the loaves of bread lined up on the shelves on the wall to the cookies, brownies, quick breads, sticky buns and various croissants that inhabit the counter top, they all looked fantastic!

As I was led to my table my mind was going back and forth on what to order and that was going on before I even had a chance to peruse the menu. As I sipped my coffee and cream, I came to my final decision; a chocolate/pistachio croissant and a fried chicken biscuit sandwich. My waitress offered to eat the croissant up, but I declined. Reheating pastries mushes those delicate layers together and while that's negotiable with lesser baked goods, it seems like a crime when you do it to fine pastries. And what a beautiful pastry it was! The layers were distinct, providing a tender and light interior and a flaky, crisp and golden brown exterior. It was a home run! The biscuit was also nicely done. It had a great texture and just the right texture, neither too dense nor to light and the slight tang of the buttermilk was welcome. The fried chicken, while cooked perfectly, was a bit under-seasoned. It was particularly under-salted, but I think that was just an oversight. Overall, I liked Willa Jean very much and see myself coming back on future trips and eating my way through their bakery counter!

Willa Jean
611 O'Keefe Ave
New Orleans, LA 70113
Sun - Thu, 7AM to 9PM
Fri/Sat 7 am to 10 PM
(504) 509-7334

Sandwich of the Week: Grinder @ Tails & Trotters

2016-01-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

Tails & Trotters is the gold standard of all things pork in the Great Pacific Northwest. Their meat is certified sustainable and raised in Ephrata, WA on non-GMO feed. That's all to the good, but what makes the pork at Tails & Trotters really special is that the pigs are fed a diet of hazelnuts before harvesting. Having pigs feed themselves on nuts is an Old World technique, most notably used with the Pata Negra in Southwest Spain and the Cinta Senese in Tuscany. The pigs are finished on acorns found in the oak forests in each region and that yields a distinctive flavor to the meat.

Those nutty and earthy tones are particularly pronounced in the hams that are produced in those regions. If you've had the good fortune to sample Jamon Iberico or a DOP-certified Proscuitto Toscano, then you already know what I'm talking about and you're most likely salivating right now. If you haven't had a chance to sample these heavenly porcine delights, then you you need to get on it! Life's too short!! If a trip to Europe isn't in the cards for you then I suggest that you head on over to Northeast Portland a visit Tails & Trotters for some Prosciutto Pacifico. It's something very special and very unique.

That's not to say that Tails & Trotters is all about ham. Oh no, far from it. It's a veritable candy store of meat with all manner of charcuterie, sausages, and fresh pork from shoulder to chops, ribs or just about any specialty cut of pork that you could ever desire. More importantly, for the purposes of this story, they make sandwiches. Really, really great sandwiches!

Tails & Trotters is in my pantheon of truly great sandwich makers - right up there with Rain Shadow Meats, Lardo, Bunk Sandwiches, Cochon Butcher and the former (but never forgotten) Dot's Deli. So, I'm more than a little embarrassed that it took me this long to write about them. What I appreciate about Tails & Trotters the most is their meticulous attention to detail. They leave nothing to chance. You'll even find yourself commenting on how great the bread is. And the protein in your sandwich? Well, just looking over their display case let's you know that they have you covered!

There's never a false note in any of their sandwiches. Each sandwich is a harmonious arrangement complimentary and contrasting flavors and textures. I chose the Grinder to talk about not only because it's one of my favorites and it travels really well, but because it really illustrates the skill set of the people that work there. They've taken the basic sandwich form of the Grinder/Hoagie/Sub and elevated to something quite special. Not by adding anything gimmicky or esoteric, but, rather, by staying true to the original form and preparing it flawlessly. The Ciabatta roll is light, airy and tender on the inside and crispy/flaky on its exterior. It's given a light application of garlic aioli on the bottom half and a more liberal smear of spicy fennel relish on the top half. Then comes the careful layering of ham, aged provolone cheese, coppa and lonza salami. The meat, of course, is cured in house. A bit of shredded iceberg lettuce for texture rounds out the sandwich. So simple, but so very good!

For those of you that want something more adventurous, there's a full menu of sandwich options including; banh mi, cubano and pulled pork among others. I really can't speak highly enough about this place. If you're a sandwich or meat lover, then you really need to check Tails & Trotters out!

Tails & Trotters
525 NE Sandy
Portland, OR 97232
(503) 477-8682

For similar butcher/sandwich shops in Portland check out earlier posts on:

Chop Butchery

Laurelhurst Market

Olympia Provisions

Sandwich of the Week: Pretzel Slider @Campfire BBQ

2015-10-03T15:45:00.000-07:00

A sale on power tools and smoked meat, could you hear the primal roar of all the old dudes that descended on Georgetown this past Saturday morning? Now, in all fairness, there were several women around, but it was an overwhelmingly male turnout. There was a much more feminine and youthful turnout for the beer and music at The Pumpkin Fest down the street. So, maybe the ladies just have a better sense of priorities? As for myself, it wasn't the discounted tools at Woodcraft nor was it the Autumnal beer selection at Elysian Brewery that got me excited. No, it was the little old, smoky food cart Campfire BBQ that got me to put on some pants on and head down the hill.

People give me suggestions, a lot of suggestions, and I listen and value those little pearls of experience and insight. I really do. The problem is that it takes me some time to act on all that information. If you're a regular reader of this blog, then you know how easily I get sidetracked. I seldom forget a restaurant, bar or food cart that people have recommended to me - they're always on the list. It just takes me a while to work down that list. This is just a long-winded way of saying thanks to Troy Davis who has been patiently prodding me to check out Campfire BBQ for quite some time now. Troy knows meat and he was right, Campfire BBQ is something special!

It took me a while Saturday morning before I had checked my Twitter feed* and there it was, a notice from Campfire BBQ that they were going to be in my neighborhood. It was past noon and they set up in the Woodcraft parking lot at 11 AM. Time was of the essence, so I headed right down. As I approached the cart I was gratified that the line wasn't too long, but as I rounded the corner and got a chance to read the menu board, I could see that I was a little late. The brisket, baby back ribs and sausage were sold out. Drat! I always like to see how people handle brisket. That would have to wait for another time. I went, instead, with two pulled pork pretzel sliders.

One slider probably would have done the trick. They're rather substantial and piled high with pulled pork and cole slaw. The pork itself was tender, delicious and not overly smoked. It was a good mix of the moist interior meat with bits of the exterior bark. The slaw provided a nice crunchy and contrasting texture to the meat. The sauce that topped everything off was very tasty. It was a good balance of flavor; not overly sweet and had a nice peppery finish with just the right amount of heat. As I said above, one slider probably would have been a sensible amount of food, but I greedily devoured two of them!

Campfire BBQ is a very solid barbecue option in a town that doesn't have very many competent purveyors of meat and smoke. In point of fact, our old buddies Pinky's BBQ have just (temporarily, we hope) hung up their aprons. So, the field of truly good BBQ joints remains as narrow as ever. I'm crossing my fingers that I'll see Campfire BBQ more often in Georgetown. There's something gratifying about just strolling down the hill and getting something really tasty to eat. But it doesn't matter too much, because now I need to try their brisket and will follow wherever I need to until I do!

*Campfire BBQ follows me on Twitter, so does Troy Davis and I follow both of them. Are you following me on Twitter? If you answered no, then why not? It's a good source of highlights from the blog and food-related stories from around the world that amuse me. Click here to access my feed. Thanks for the support!

Sandwich of the Week: Beef on Weck @ Griffons

2015-09-28T04:27:00.000-07:00

Buffalo was a real touristy experience for me. I had very little time in and around the city and had a list of things that I felt that I just had to do. Niagra Falls, check. Buffalo Wings, check. Beef on Weck, wait...what? While the whole country is familiar with Buffalo's famous wings far, far fewer are in the know about one of its favorite regional sandwiches. It's one of those food items that is identified with a specific area. If you enjoy Beef on Weck, then you're most likely from Western New York State or, as in my case, have visited there. I've known about this sandwich for quite a while and on my first visit to Buffalo I had to give it a go.

Basically, a Beef on Weck is a French Dip on a specialized roll. That roll, in fact, is the Weck. Weck is short for Kimmeweck, which is a German for caraway roll (why yes, I did get that info from Wikipedia!). The roll is topped with kosher salt and caraway seeds. Now, caraway is one of those things that some people like or many other people really don't like and it's the caraway seeds that have probably kept this sandwich from being more widely accepted nationally. Which is a shame, it's a great sandwich!

There are many, many places in and around Buffalo that serve Beef on Weck. My time was short in the city, so there's no way I can contribute to the 'who has the best Beef on Weck' conversation. In fact, when I discovered that my first choice of where I first wanted to try this sandwich, Charlie the Butcher was closed, I literally just punched just typed in Beef on Weck into my phone and used GPS to take me to the closest place. Oh, what an age we live in!

It's was a stroke of good luck that all that technology led me to Griffon's which has 150 beers on type and an expansive kitchen. They also put out a really good sandwich. It's a formidable sandwich with a baseball-sized mound of thinly sliced roast beef wedged in between to halves of the caraway roll. The best strategy was to cut it in half, so I could dip it into the beefy goodness of the au jus. But first, I gave it a healthy schmear of horseradish before giving it a dip. It all works. The tender beef, the jus, the tang of the horseradish and, yes, even the caraway.

Sandwich of the Week: Chicken Schwarma at Falaffel KIng

2015-09-26T20:45:00.000-07:00

People either love or hate Falaffel King. Most of the dissenters, I feel, are comparing it to the much more famous, and popular Bucharest Grill. Which is fair enough I guess, but I think that everybody should be judged on their own merits. Schwarma, though, is a thing in Detroit! Much like it is with sliders and Coneys, emotions can run hot when it comes to defending your favorite places. The sandwich that I received at Falaffel King* was terrific, chocked full of chicken and veggies and pretty cheap coming in at under $5. The staff is a little gruff, which is another criticism of this place, as I found out as the cashier was starting to argue with me about leaving a tip. He caught himself, though and realized just how lame his argument was and how it would hurt him in the end if I capitulated. Personally, I thought that it was more humorous than anything else. Just part of the charm of the place.

Schwarma is spit-roasted meat, it can be almost any type of meat, that is thinly sliced and is served on a platter with a mixed greens and veggie salad or wrapped in a flatbread with cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and a tahini sauce. It's a staple in most Middle eastern cuisines and is very similar to Gyros in Greece and Doner Kabobs in Turkey. Detroit has a substantial number of Middle Eastern immigrants and, lucky for its citizens, that means that this type of food is widely available throughout the city and its suburbs. In fact, the location I went to was in Royal Oak.

After an intense two days of 'researching' Detroit's slider culture I found eating something other than a hamburger to be very refreshing. But I'm not going to sell these guys short, they put out a great sandwich. Just don't hold your breath waiting for them to crack a smile...

*I have no idea what the story behind the flagrant misspelling of falafel is all about.

Sandwich of the Week: The Cossack @ Kramarczuk's

2015-09-07T08:39:00.000-07:00

There are restaurants that make their way deep into my psyche. Restaurants that I'll find myself daydreaming about or suddenly, without warning, get an intense craving for. That's fine if that restaurant is here at home in Seattle or even Portland which isn't too terribly far away. It sucks, however, if the place that you're pining for is half way across the country! For me the places that I crave the most aren't the fancy schmancy, cutting edge dining experiences that I've had, although I enjoy those very much, but it's the smaller places like Verti Mart in New Orleans with their over-sized Po' boys, Torchy's with their incredibly addictive queso in Austin and, now my newest culinary crush, Kramarczuk's Sausage Company in Minneapolis.

For the past several years there's been a sort of revival of old-time, real deal butchers. A lot of us were not satisfied with the hit or miss selection from the meat department at our local grocery store* and have yearned for something better. Fortunately, the true believers were out there and started opening their own butcher shops. Loyal readers of this blog know that I have been a champion of these places and have been beating the drum for their success. Places like Rain Shadow Meats, Hitchcock Deli and The Butcher and The Baker in Seattle, Olympia Provisions, Chop Butchery and Laurelhurst Market in Portland and Cochon Butcher in New Orleans are relative new additions to the food scene and have made life in each of those cities that much better. It's a revival near and dear to my heart! But there are some survivors out there that don't need reviving. They have stayed the course for decades and these places are regional treasures. Minneapolis has one of their own, a virtual meatopia just East of the Mississippi and it's called Kramarczuk's.

Kramarczuk's Sausage Company has been stuffing casings since the late 1940's. The facility is divided into two parts; a retail butcher shop/deli/bakery and a restaurant. As I entered the retail entrance, I was overwhelmed and felt like a kid in a candy store. Everything looked fantastic and I wanted it all! The enormous deli cases form a horseshoe pattern and as you enter the shop to your right are the baked goods which lead into fresh cuts of various steaks and chops, then you are faced with the enormous variety of sausages that they produce (lost count at 30!) and then there's an almost equally huge selection of deli and cured meats. I stood there gobsmacked and trying to do the mental math of how to take several pounds of this meaty goodness back home to Seattle with me. After a few moments I settled myself down as the impracticality of leaving my personal belongings at my hotel and filling myself suitcase full of meat became clear to me. So, with a ravenous appetite I turned and went through the archway and into the restaurant.

The restaurant is a cafeteria style of service. Generally, I'm not fan of of this type of setup, but then again I've never witnessed steam tables filled with such delectable delights. There's no filler on this line, just the good stuff! Once again, a primal voice deep within me wanted everything. I wanted the meatballs, the goulash, the varenky - the Ukrainian version of pierogi, and the cabbage rolls. It all looked and smelled so good that it was hard to summon up my more reasonable inner being, but some how I did. I intended my first post about Kramarczuk's to be a Sandwich of the Week article, but as you can tell by now it's morphed into a full restaurant review. Still, I soldiered on and ordered The Cossack.

The Cossack sandwich has a smoked grilled Ukrainian sausage on a roll with sauerkraut, melted Swiss cheese and sauteed onions. It's simple, direct and really highlights the flavor and texture of the sausage. Not surprisingly the sausage was truly excellent - you don't stay in business for 70 years putting out mediocre product! In the end, to round out my meal, I opted for borscht. It was between that and the cabbage rolls, but, even as hungry as I was, I thought that the cabbage rolls would do me in and I would be in a food coma for the rest of the afternoon. The borscht was excellent and very meaty. I have to also say that Kramarczuk's has one of the better condiment stations that I've seen; sour cream, 3 or 4 different types of pickles, 5 or 6 different types of mustard, onions and curry ketchup. All the necessities to round out your meal!

Now you ave an inkling of why this Minneapolis institution has made such a deep and abiding impression on me and why suddenly my mind wanders and I dream of sausages...

* I know that some of you are lucky and have some very good grocery store butchers and you should cherish them, because, as we all know, now days with the tight margins that supermarkets operate under, they are the exception rather than the rule.

Minneapolis: Initial Thoughts

2015-09-06T11:50:00.001-07:00

Well Fledglings, the next stop on my See America Tour is the dynamic civic duo that is Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. I knew that my first visit to the Midwest was going to be either the Twin Cities or Chicago and it almost came down to a coin flip, but I got a really cheap, non-stop ticket to Minneapolis... So, I'll catch you next time Chicago! The combined population of Minneapolis and St. Paul is pretty close to the population of Portland and Seattle, but somehow it seems much smaller and less crowded than either of those Northwest jewels. And cleaner. The downtown core of the city is , for the lack of a better word, tidy. My hotel was strategically located downtown near the Mill District and I did a lot of walking. I prefer to walk whenever I can because you get feeling for the town that you're visiting. While my first thoughts about New Orleans were that it was barely contained chaos (which I loved!), my initial thoughts on Minneapolis were those of order and politeness. That's pretty awesome, too!

Transportation: Minneapolis is pretty much a short three hour flight from just about anywhere in the contiguous 48 states. The airport is an easy 18 minute drive from the center of the city. I rented a car, but didn't use it all that much There is a shuttle service from the airport to downtown and it'll cost you around $16, which is about half the amount a taxi will charge you. Once you're in town there's a lot of transportation options to get around, including a bus and light rail system and, of course, taxis. Minneapolis also has all the newfangled, alternative mobility options such as, Lyft, Uber, Car2Go, Zip Car and even Nice Ride MN, a non-profit bike sharing system. In short, when it comes to moving around this town has you covered! And, of course, there's always walking. If you your hotel is downtown, then you'll be most likely within a mile radius of more restaurants and bars than you can keep track of and as I mentioned above the streets are safe and clean.

Eating: Like most other major American cities Minneapolis has many, many options when it comes to dining out. Be it Thai, Mexican, Ukrainian, Ethiopian, Greek, Italian, etc... there is a vast array of different types of restaurants to choose from. There seems to be a general perception that the population of Minneapolis/St Paul is almost exclusively white and of Scandinavian heritage, but throughout the city you'll see people of several different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. That's not to say that the majority of population isn't white, but to point out that it's far more diverse than a lot of people assume it is. And diversity is great. When it comes to restaurants it's excellent.

My stay in the Twin Cities was a short one and I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of restaurants I had to choose from just in the downtown area. They not only do they have volume, but they have quality, too. There's a lot of top-notch restaurants in this town! I was particularly impressed with just how well Minneapolis has struck a balance between the older classic places and the newer, upcoming ones. I, too, tried to strike a balance in my choices and visited Kramarczuk's Sausage Company which was established in the 40's, Nye's Polonaise and Matt's Bar each started in the 50's and I also sought newer places such as The Bachelor Farmer and Butcher and the Boar. I barely scratched the surface of what this town has to offer. Minneapolis is a great restaurant town!

Drinking: Minneapolis is most definitely a beer town. It's the potent potable of choice for the majority of its inhabitants and it comes close to rivaling my home town of Seattle and even Portland for that matter in the amount of microbreweries that are spread throughout the city. That's not to say that you can't find a smart cocktail to imbibe as well, because I did. There's a lot of great bars in this town. Which isn't all that shocking. If you have a thriving restaurant scene then it's almost automatic that a healthy bar culture will follow.

Summing Up: Overall, I found Minneapolis had all the amenities of a major city that I'm looking for while embodying a small town feel. It doesn't seem to have the traffic or parking woes that are so much a part of our existence here in my home of Seattle. Physically, it's a beautiful place. While it doesn't have the tall mountains and ocean shoreline of the Pacific Northwest, it's lush and green with a fair amount of waterfront from its many rivers, lakes and streams. The mighty Mississippi gets its start in Minnesota and is much bigger than I thought it would be. it's about the size of the Willamette River South of Portland. There are many, many parks throughout the city as well. Once again, there's a great sense of balance when it comes to this urban area.

Minneapolis had more in common with Seattle and Portland than either New Orleans or Austin. Not that I didn't enjoy those towns as well, but it was more like my home town. That's a compliment, by the way. And yet, she's definitely her own town! I don't know that most people will ever think of Minneapolis as a destination town, but I had a great time and would happily come back!

Sandwich of the Week: Sauteed Prawn @ Un Bien

2015-07-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel like I'm in a zombie or slasher movie. In spite of my best efforts to put certain issues behind me, those same issues pop right back up and confront me all over again. Well, one issue specifically and that, of course, is Paseo. The Caribbean Roast Pork Sandwich that they produced from their humble restaurant was considered by many to be the best sandwich in Seattle. The ever present long lines in North Fremont were a testament to that popularity, but then, suddenly and mysteriously, last Fall, they shuttered up both locations. I'll leave the speculations about the legal and financial problems that lead to those closures to professional reporters. It's no exaggeration to say that a lot of people were very upset about their beloved sandwich shop being taken from them. Sadly, I wasn't one of them. I say sadly because not loving Paseo is a hard position to maintain in Seattle. People assume that you're just taking that stance to be contrary. It's like saying that you don't like ice cream, people just stare at you in disbelief. No, to the vast majority of Seattleites, Paseo closing down was just the worst thing ever.

In January of this year Paseo came back. It had new ownership, but the new owners brought back many of the former employees of the original place. Most people were overjoyed. Some former patrons of the old place thought that the reopened place was substandard to the old Paseo. It can be terribly difficult to compete with a myth. Clear-eyed and impartial, I made the trek to the newly reopened place and found it to be very similar to the original. Trust me, I don't take any particular joy in telling people that what they think is great isn't all that fantastic. But I felt compelled to write about it, because the bulk of my writing on this blog has to do with sandwiches. How could I not write about it? Fortunately, I wasn't alone in my assertions about the new place. It was all well and good. I felt that I had done my journalistic duty and that I wouldn't need to write about Paseo again.

Well, as it turns out, the original Paseo owners, the Lorenzos, were down, but not out. Early this Summer they opened a new sandwich shop that bears more than a little resemblance to their original endeavor. It's not just the Pepto Bismol pink with green trim that adorns the outside of the little building that's familiar. A quick scan of the menu confirms to the most casual observer that Un Bien is more than a little similar to Paseos, just in a new location and with a different name. One small difference on the menu, the famous #2 Caribbean Pork Roast Sandwich has now been promoted to the #1 Caribbean Roast Sandwich. Which makes sense, it's always been their most popular item. Not for me, however. My major complaint against the Caribbean Roast Pork Sandwich is that the pork is almost inevitably dry. I've been very fortunate in my short existence on this planet to have been able to sample a fair amount of Caribbean cuisine and I know that it's very difficult to walk back your reputation back from having served dry pork. Those islands and those cuisines are indisputably some of the all time best at cooking pork. In fact, it's those islands that gave us barbecue. They have a deep and abiding history of producing tender, succulent pork. Getting dry pork from a Caribbean place is tragic.

So, I took a different tack on my visit to this newest incarnation of Paseo. It really doesn't bring me any great joy to write disparagingly about a place that so many people enjoy. So, I followed some advice given to me by a friend Nic. He maintained that the best sandwich at Paseo wasn't the roasted pork, which he found to be disappointingly dry as well, but the Sauteed Prawn Sandwich with lots and lots of jalapenos. As it turns out, that turns out to be Seattle Met food writer Allison Austin Scheff's favorite, too. With a new sense of optimism I made the trek to Un Bien hoping that I would have something positive to write about.

There are no signs that designate that the new location off of 15th and 73rd in Ballard is the restaurant that you're looking for. In fact, the most visible sign is of the previous business Burger Hero. But anybody that's been to Paseos will recognize the pink and green color scheme a mile away. That and the fairly substantial line outside the building are dead giveaways. In fact, the whole experience at Un Bien seems incredibly familiar. I got there after the lunch rush on a weekday and the line wasn't too bad. When it was my turn to order was greeted by a plastic monkey straddling a giant plastic banana. The Sauteed Prawn Sandwich comes with the option of including some jalapeno peppers and I, of course, happily exercised that option. I'm happy to report that the prawns were cooked prefectly. They were tender, plump and juicy. The shrimp were complemented by a luscious garlic 'tapenade' which was deep, mellow and gloriously garlicky. The best part of any of the Paseo sandwiches are the caramelized onions and they were well represented on my sandwich. There's also a healthy schmear of their famous aioli. Those headier and more profound favor profiles were contrasted by the acidity and heat provided from the pickled jalapeno slices and a sprig of cilantro rounded things out nicely. It was a very tasty sandwich! Some of the standard Paseo criticisms still apply; the bread was too hard and the sandwich is somewhat difficult and messy to eat. That's just part of the charm, I guess. They do, however, cut the sandwich in half for you without being prompted. Very helpful. They also take plastic. No more 'Cash Only'. Very convenient. So, there you have it, I had something positive to write about ~~Paseo~~ Un Bien. It took a couple of years, but I finally got there!

Sandwich of the Week: The Predator @ Mammoth

2015-07-15T16:37:00.000-07:00

Sorry Fledglings. I know it's been a while. I was having a little melt down and hating on the internet for a bit there. I won't bore you with the details, but let's just say congratulations Zomato you broke Urbanspoon! That's okay, though, there are still a lot of sandwiches out there and this week I have a beauty. The Predator from relative newcomer Mammoth. Mammoth is a sandwich shop/tavern/bottle shop that's located off of Eastlake Avenue. It's owned by the same team that brought us Bitterroot BBQ in Ballard, so you know that they have some serious skills when it comes to meat. Okay, okay for all you vegetarians and vegans out there they got you covered, too! They have a couple non-meat options on the menu, but I was in the mood for something my to soothe inner carnivore.

Fried chicken sandwiches are a thing! Doesn't that sentence bring joy to your heart? I'm not sure when this category of sandwiches started gaining momentum; I did cover Pinky's Fried Chicken Sandwich last year, but I've been seeing them a lot lately. Not that I'm complaining. When they're done right they're pretty damn tasty and The Predator is done right!

You order at the counter at Mammoth. There are coolers strategically located just to the left of you to tempt you with bottles of beer (or soft drinks, if you're not fun or have to go back to work) to enhance your sandwich eating experience. If nothing in the coolers strike your fancy, not to worry there are over 40 taps to choose from. You might not expect it, but they also have a full bar. The liquor bottles are out of view under the bar. The back of the bar is dominated by all those taps, naturally. I ordered a Pimm's cup because that was something that I wasn't expecting to be featured there and I like surprises. I knew before I walked into Mammoth which sandwich I was going to order. I had checked the menu out online and The Predator just sounded really, really good.

And it was. This is a great sandwich! The fried chicken has a tender and moist interior with a crispy, well seasoned coating on its exterior. The fried chicken rests on top of a bed of arugula which in turn sits on top of thin strips of rendered pork belly. The top of the chicken is slathered with caper aioli and what may or may not be Mama Lil's peppers - it just says roasted red peppers on the menu, but they seem like Mama's to me. Let me stop here to say just how much I loved the caper aioli! It's so friggin' awesome!! The roll is in a baguette shape, but has a texture that's more akin to a ciabatta. It's light and airy, but it's durable enough to hold in all of the ingredients of this rather formidable sandwich. Everything worked on this sandwich! It held together well with just the right amount of ooziness from the aioli. It was a well thought out and well executed sandwich. Mammoth may be new, but they should be on your short list of sandwich places that you must try. And, oh yeah, did I mention that they have beer? Lots of lots of beer!

Sandwich of the Week: Smoked Pork Shoulder @ People's Pig

2015-05-30T07:48:00.003-07:00

The People's Pig brick and mortar location is a tiny outpost on a sparsely developed section of North Williams Avenue. After finding parking and walking towards the building, more of a shack really, you can smell the wafting smoke from a block away. Then you start to get hungry. The interior focuses on the all the cooking going on behind a small 'L'-shaped bar. There's limited seating, but they do have a few more tables in front of the building. The decorating is minimal and is dominated by the chalkboard menus that hang from the ceiling or are attached to support columns. In spite of being relatively new, the People's Pig has a feel and patina to it that makes you feel like this place has always been there and has always been doing barbecue. It reminded me of the fictional BBQ joint Freddy's in House of Cards. With all the new development going on in Portland I don't know how these funky little places are going to survive, but I hope they do.

Of course, you can't eat a building, so all that really matters with a barbecue place is the meat. I'm happy to report that they're doing some fine, fine work in their tiny shack on Williams Avenue! Particularly, the smoked pork shoulder. They've made quite a stir recently with their smoked fried chicken and it good, but the pork shoulder, which was a item that they were doing back in the original food cart days, is dialed in and the best thing that they have on the menu. The rub is restrained and doesn't overpower the flavor of the meat. There's a nice level of smoke and a good bark development. The pork is tender and moist. The shoulder that I had the Friday night that I visited them was perfectly done. Serve a platter of that meat up to a Texan and even they wouldn't find fault. It's the way barbecue should be done.

But I had my smoked pork shoulder in sandwich form and this is where Texas leaves the room and Portland comes strolling into the discussion. Do you see the picture at the top of the page? It's a nice photo, if I do say so myself. After all, you can see the bark on a couple pieces of the pork and can see the smoke ring and moist interior of another piece. As I said, the meat's indisputably great, but that's not, ironically, what most Texans would zoom in on. It would been all that green stuff on top of the meat. The use of lettuce on a barbecue sandwich would send them into apoplectic spasms. Oh, they'd be fine with a big wad of mayonnaise-drenched coleslaw resting on top of the pork, but lightly dressed fresh green lettuce? Naw, that's heresy to them. That's Texas, though. It works well on the sandwich because it provides a nice textural contrast to the meat without any overpowering flavors that interfere with all that smoky, porky goodness. That's what I liked about this sandwich so much, nothing gets in the way of the smoked shoulder. They got a winner in that pork and know it!

The prices at People's Pig are fantastic. The enormous Smoked Pork Shoulder was a mere $10 and came with a side. My daughter, Miranda, had the Smoked Fried Chicken sandwich which was as equally huge, if not more so, and it was $10 and included a side as well. This is damn right cheap folks! The fried chicken sandwich was good and it, of course, reminded me of the Fried Chicken Sandwich that I covered closer to home at Pinky's BBQ. The sides were solid. A macaroni salad that was flavorful and light. The greens were well cook. The potato salad was the fanciest potato salad that I've ever had a barbecue joint, but it was delicious. There's also a full bar at People's Pig and the they have an interesting drink menu. The also have plenty of Shiners, which is nice.

People's Pig should be a mandatory stop for all barbecue afficianados for that Smoked Pork Shoulder alone. It's that good.

See last week's Sandwich of the Week here.

Sandwich of the Week: Red Eye Ham @ Grinders Hot Sands

2015-05-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

Lord knows the last time that I've been up to Shoreline. After driving up I-5 and over to Aurora Avenue to get to Grinders Hot Sands I knew why. It's a pain. The North/South transportation axis in the greater Seattle metropolitan area is woefully insufficient for those of you not from this region and that means people who live South of the city, like myself, seldom venture North of the city and vice versa for my neighbors to the North. I've lived over half of my life, a little over two decades now, in this area and I can't remember when Aurora/Highway 99 wasn't under construction. Okay, enough griping about traffic. That's not being constructive and doesn't bring me happiness like eating sandwiches does! I didn't happen upon Grinders Hot Sands on accident. I sought it out and after having eaten there I don't feel so bad about the commute anymore.

The fact that the menu at Grinders is reminiscent of East Coast Italian sandwich joints is belied by just how nicely decorated it is inside of the restaurant. Not a chip of Formica nor a shred of vinyl upholstery to be found. Instead there are nicely finished wooden tables and chairs and even some leather couches in a kind of tiny lounge area. There's some framed prints on the walls and some nice lighting fixtures. The decor is kind of generic, but it really does feel comfortable and somewhat homey. There's also table service. All these amenities at a sandwich joint off of Aurora Avenue! Will wonders ever cease?

As I mentioned above, the menu is heavily skewed toward Italian favorites. You got your meatball or sausage subs and your chicken parm You got your standard Italian sub only on ciabatta and with the addition of roasted pork and, as additions go, that's pretty nice! You also got your caprese that's called a Tricolore. You also have something called a stromboli, which is basically an Italian sub covered in marinara and melted cheese. You also have a sandwich called Goomba. Now, I've always regarded goomba as a pejorative term, but the menu points out that it's not negative and simply means good friend. It has grilled chicken, Greek olives, grilled onions and tomatoes topped with melted mozzarella and feta. The Goomba seems to be one of their most popular sandwiches. It certainly sounds tasty and I went into Grinders intending to order one, but another, non-Italian sandwich on the menu caught my eye - The Red Eye Ham Sandwich.

There are a couple of reasons that this sandwich intrigued me. The first being that I only have one other ham sandwich included in this series of posts and that seems pretty low for almost a year and a half of reviews about sandwiches. The other and far more driving factor was that it was one of the more unique ham sandwiches that I had ever seen. It's basically a ham dip rather than a French dip. A nice crusty Italian roll is split in half and receives a schmear of spicy/sweet mustard which in turn is topped with slices of oven-roasted ham, grilled onions, peppers and some melted jack cheese. There's a little bowl of ham or 'red eye' jus that comes served with the sandwich. The ham is roasted in house and the jus comes from deglazing the pan. No powdered mixes,it's the real stuff and you sure can tell the difference. The jus is really, really tasty! It's slightly sweet, slightly smokey and really captures the essence of a home-baked ham in liquid form. The ham itself is wonderful, too. It's a great concept for a sandwich and they're using quality ingredients, but I do have a few reservations. The first and foremost is there was far too much spicy/sweet mustard applied to the sandwich. Now, I love mustard, but it simply was too much and really overpowered the lovely flavor of the ham. A lighter touch would go a long ways. I also felt that there was too much cheese. That's an argument that I know that I'm going to lose. They know their clientele and I'd wager most of their patrons are looking for more melted cheese, not less. Still, even with those reservations, I gladly ate the entire sandwich. It's a good sandwich and with a few tweaks it would be an excellent sandwich.

If you're in the neighborhood and in the mood for a massive sandwich you should give them a try. They have beer and wine and the staff was very friendly. You definitely won't go away hungry.

PS If you're going Northbound on I-5, don't trust your GPS directions for getting to Grinders, go up to Exit 177 instead and then go South on Aurora Avenue to Grinders. DO Not take Exit 176! With the construction you can't get to Grinders without driving up to 244th Street and turning back around - not the most ideal of situations.

See last week's Sandwich of the Week, it's from Texas, here.

Kreuz Market

2015-05-23T08:35:00.000-07:00

Lockhart, Texas is about 30 miles due South of Austin and it's a pretty drive. The wooded hills that surround Austin give way to expansive, grassy fields. There's a deeply agricultural feel to it and it reminds me a little of the Willamette Valley in Oregon where I grew up. When it's overcast, all I have to do is imagine that there are some mountains hidden behind the cloud cover and it is really quite similar. That was a relief. This was my first trip to Texas and most of what I knew about it's topography came from viewing Dallas and Houston from their respective airports and jets that were either landing or taking off from those airports. Dallas' landscape especially depressed me. so flat, so utterly flat. When my plane descended for landing at the Austin-Bergstrom airport I was relieved to see the lakes, rivers, hills and trees. I would feel naked and exposed without them and, as I said before, it's pretty. Behind the scenic splendor that those features provide, though, is a far more practical concern; fields for for raising livestock and wood for cooking that livestock equals barbecue and Lockhart, Texas is ground zero for Texas Barbecue!

To say that Kreuz Market is an institution is an understatement. They've been Barbecuing at a commercial level for well over one hundred years. They claim that all the fires have been lit from the original one started early last century. I believe them. They're a serious bunch when it comes to barbecue. Just check out the sign above! The new building was opened in 1999 and is massive. It's like entering a cathedral. You enter through to large oak-framed doors. There are panes of glass in the doors which lets in a little light. There are also windows on the far side of the smaller dining room and screened windows on the opposing side of the building in the covered porch area. The building is so deep and so wide, though, that the sunlight has a difficult time of penetrating its interior. As you make your way down the impromptu hall on the far side of the main dining room, you start to detect the aroma of smoke in the air and then you start getting excited!

When you pass through the final archway before entering the barbecue pit you are hit by a wall of heat and smoke. This is the darkest chamber in the building and is awe-inspiring. There are 7 or 8, don't quote me on that - I kinda lost count, large barbecue pits that form a perimeter around the center of the room. They are brick-lined and are covered by huge metal tops that are attached to counterweights. They operate on indirect heat, naturally - this is Texas barbecue after all, and the fireboxes are metal as well and located on the bottom end of each of the pits. It takes a while to take it all in and has a quasi- nineteenth century, industrial revolution feel to it. The is a serious operation. With their set up they could barbecue some serious tonnage of meat! Much as I would like to heat that much barbecue, my actual order was somewhat more modest: 1/4 pound of fatty brisket, 1/4 pound of beef clod, 1/2 pound of pork ribs and a jalapeno/cheese sausage.

As famous as Lockhart is for its barbecue, it's not not well regarded for its brisket by the 'experts'. Well, while I'm no expert on Texas barbecue, I thought that the fatty brisket was pretty damn good. It had a nice amount of smoke to it and the fat rendered out nicely. It didn't come out in distinct slices, but it was tasty. Was it as good as the brisket at Franklin Barbecue? No. It was good, though. The clod, on the other hand, is just not a cut of meat that I'm into. It was nicely smoked with a good smoke ring and fairly good bark, but in the end it just reminds me of an over-cooked roast beef. Not for me, sorry. The pork ribs were solid. In fact, I thought that they were better than the ribs that I got on my inaugural visit to Franklin. The rub had a better and more nuanced flavor to it and the meat wasn't over-cooked and still had some resistance to it when it pulled away from the bone. Really good. The jalapeno/cheese sausage was my absolute favorite at Kreuz, though. I know that might sound strange to most of you. 'How hard is it to cook a sausage?', you might be asking yourself, 'My dad's been grilling brats in the backyard for decades.' With all due respect to all the backyard, grillin' warriors out there, the sausages at Kreuz are amazing. They make and they smoke 'em. There's a snap to the casing that I've never experienced before and just the perfect amount of smoke. The interior of the link is flavorful, with a little heat from the jalapenos and moist. I love sausage and this is one of the best that I've ever had!

They do so much many different types of meat at Kruez that it would be impossible for one or even two people to make a serious dent into the menu. They have pork chops, ham, turkey breast, whole turkeys, beef ribs and whole prime ribs. It's a veritable carnivore's wonderland! If you're ever in the Austin or San Antonio areas, it's well worth the drive to this historic barbecue palace. It's quite the experience. Not only do you get to bask in the aura of all that tradition and history, it's pretty damn tasty, too!

Franklin Barbecue

2015-05-17T07:48:00.001-07:00

You're going about this all wrong!

That seemed to be the tacit early morning consensus of the two or three dozen people that I was surrounded by. Not that they were judging me. Oh no, nothing like that. They were just...concerned There I was standing alone and reading a book. Didn't I realize that it was party time? Did it even occur to me that I wasn't just standing in line, but taking part in a rite of passage? I was offered chairs, drinks and even some food. I thanked everyone for their kindness, but politely declined and continued to read even though I thought that they had the right idea. Waiting 3 1/2 to 4 hours for food is kinda irrational and what better way to approach such absurdity than to just sit back drink? My time in Austin was short, though, and I didn't want to get tossed so early in the day. I was hoping to pivot from Franklin Barbecue and get a least one more spot in before the day was over. I should have just drank. There would be no pivoting, no ancillary visits to other restaurants. There would just be me, having overeaten, back at the hotel trying to digest a huge amount of the best BBQ that I've ever experienced.

So, yes, all those stories that you've heard about the insanely long lines at Franklin Barbecue are absolutely true. They open at 11:00 AM and I showed up at 7:30 on a Saturday morning. I ended up being 26th in line. Ten minutes later there were another two dozen people in line behind me and it kept growing and growing from there. It's not nearly as daunting as it sounds. There's a festive and celebratory spirit that permeates that line. The best that I can describe it is that it's a tailgating party for a BBQ joint. People bring their folding chairs*, coolers, and games. They're chillin' making mimosas or just knocking back some cold beers. The long wait is anything, but dreary. The anticipation and excitement were palpable.

I was expecting the long line, but what wasn't expecting was just how nice and attentive the crew at Franklin would be towards all the people in line. They checked on us four of five times. Instructing us on where the restrooms were, offering to sell us beverages and just generally seeing how we were all holding up. Hell, at one point they were tossing out free promotional Lone Star Beer tee shirts. It was reassuring that they weren't taking their massive popularity for granted. It wan't just that they had the best BBQ around, they wanted people to have a good time as well!

About ten minutes 'til eleven everybody starts breaking up camp. Folding chairs are folded back up. Coolers and other gear are taken back to parked automobiles. A lot of people stretch and get loose. We were, after all, just minutes, not hours from getting the good stuff and it was time to get our game faces on. The young kids that were behind me chatted me up. Was I from Austin? Was it my first time there? It was? It was one of their buddy's first time at Franklin's, too. I told them that, in spite of my calm exterior, that I was very excited. One young man smiled and told me, 'It's life-changing!'

When the doors open at 11:00 AM there is an even greater feeling of excitement tempered with a sense of relief. Yes, we were still in a line, but now the line was moving! And it moves at fairly good pace. The line hugs the wall directly beyond the entrance. There are some shelves with assorted merchandise; tee shirts, hats, beer koozies and even onesies for sale. Then the line turns perpendicular and hugs the next wall and heads directly towards the counter. There's a menu board above the counter. It's here that I'd like to pause and talk about line etiquette. The time to determine what you what to order is when you're back in line. Not when you're finally at the counter. That's why the have the menu board up there in the first place! It's not the place or time to chat up the crew and ask 'So, what's good here?'. If you have questions make sure they are direct and to the point. You're really doing a disservice to everyone behind you in line by being unprepared and indecisive. Don't be that guy, you're better than that! I already knew what I was going to order. In fact, I even knew what I was going to order before I got on the plane in Seattle to fly over to Austin. I was finally going to get to try out Franklin's world famous brisket!

Half a pound of brisket, mixed, both fatty and lean, half a pound of pork ribs, a sausage link and a shiner. That was my order. No sides. That first visit was all about the meat. The brisket was amazing. I'm not going to be coy here, all the hype is well deserved. In fact, I have a hard time imaging that brisket could get any better. It was tender, moist and very delicious. The bark, the crusty, smoky exterior of the brisket, was perfect. The beauty of Texas-style BBQ is its simplicity. There's basically just a salt and pepper rub and a long, slow cooking time over a low fire. The devil is in the details and, of course, there are so many ways to go wrong, but the brisket at Franklin's is a triumph! The pork ribs, however, were overcooked. The meat slid right off the bone. I know that sounds ideal to a lot of you and I guess there is a preference to all these cuts of meat, but I feel that there should be a little resistance to the meat on the bone. It should release gently, but not just slide off. They were delicious, however, just not at the level of perfection that the brisket was inhabiting. The sausage, too, was a simply seasoned. It was cooked perfectly and had a good snap to the casing. There are three different sauces available on the tables at Franklin (espresso, sweet vinegar and Texas style) which is quite a concession for a Central Texas BBQ joint. Texans are pretty opinionated about not needing sauce with their BBQ. I'm with them on the brisket. It would be a crime to cover up something cooked so perfectly with anything. Ribs, on the other hand... Well, what can I say? I feel that pork ribs work well with a bit of sauce.

So, do I feel that eating at Franklin Barbecue was worth the 3 1/2 hour wait in line? The answer is unequivocally, yes. The brisket at Franklin's is cooking at a incredibly high level and the type of experiences that I'm always seeking. A 3 1/2 hours seems like a small price to pay.

*There are chairs under the stairwell that are available for use, free of charge, to anyone waiting in line. Just in case you don't want to lug your own over there.

For really good Texas-style BBQ closer to home in Seattle check out Jack' BBQ. Jack's a great guy and, yes, he's originally from Texas!

Sandwich of the Week: Seared Beef Tongue @ Noble Sandwich Co

2015-05-13T15:15:00.002-07:00

Tongue is one of the most underappreciated cuts of beef in America. Quite simply, the idea of it makes people a little squeamish. That's a shame, though, because when it's prepared properly tongue is one of the most tender cuts of meat that you'll find. It's imbued by the essence of a clean and pure beefy flavor. The downside to tongue, though, is that it takes a long time to prepare and it also requires a lot of prep time to get down to all that meaty goodness (don't ask what exactly that prep entails, you don't want to know). With most cow tongues averaging just around three pounds*, the good news is that all that work will produce a rather large yield of meat, the bad news is that, even though I enjoy beef tongue immensely - that's a lot of tongue! So, it's best left to the professionals. Sadly, not a lot of places prepare and serve tongue. All the old-time delis have kinda of went away and it has lost it's place in the American diet. It's not all bad. You can always get a lengua taco from most, if not all, taco stands. They're fantastic, too. I have always feel ripped off that I never got to try out that tongue-as-a-coldcut experience. Lucky for me that there are still some delis and butcher shops that respect and honor the old traditions. I finally got to have my tongue sandwich on my recent trip to Austin at Noble Sandwich Co.

The word sandwich in their name is accurate, but a little misleading. Their menu extends far beyond just sandwiches. I went to their Burnett road location on a Sunday and got to witness a procession of their brunch items pass by me. The oxtail waffle on the brunch menu intrigued me and the grits and ham hock tempted me very much, but I was on a mission to finally get my tongue sandwich and kept my eye on the prize. I'm glad that I did. The Seared Beef Tongue Sandwich is a great sandwich. The tongue is prepared flawlessly. It's tender and delicious and was nice carmalization from being properly seared on the flattop. Rather than cut through the richness of the tongue with the traditional schmear of mustard, Noble Sandwich Co employed some smoked green onions and a red pepper relish. Which were delicious and worked out quite well. Now, the menu claims that they also use aioli on the sandwich, but that's not what I had on mine. Not that I'm complaining. It was more of a soft cheese spread of some sort. I'm not all together positive what it was. It was used sparingly, but it also worked very well with the sandwich. My only quibble is with the bread. It was sliced whole wheat and, while it was toasted, which was a nice touch, it didn't really work with the sandwich as a whole. It took the whole experience down a notch for me. Still, though, it's a very nice sandwich!

Noble Sandwich Co has two locations it's a nice, casual and very family friendly place to eat. In addition to the sandwich menu and the weekend brunch, they also have a dinner menu. There are some menu differences at each location. Check the link above for more info.

* Oddly enough, this accurate for Gene Simmons' Tongue as well.

Torchy's in Austin

2015-05-12T16:21:00.002-07:00

Well Fledglings, welcome to the second city on my See America Tour! Last week I traveled to Austin, Texas where the stars at night are big and bright and, more importantly, where there's a lot of awesome Tex-Mex and killer Barbecue! I can't adequately describe just how much Mexican food is available in Austin. Mexican joints are almost ubiquitous in Austin as espresso stands are in Seattle. That's a good thing and I have to say that I'm jealous. Sadly, my stay there was too brief and most of my time was spent in pursuit of barbecue. So, there's a lot to the Tex-Mex scene that I didn't get experience, but that's a good reason to return to Austin in the near future!

The one Tex-Mex place I did get to try out was Torchy's. Torchy's is a mega-popular taco place with humble beginnings that now has numerous locations strewn through the triangle formed by the vertices of Austin (West), Houston (East) and Dallas (North). I generally avoid chains, but Torchy's has a really good reputation and there was one located not too far from my hotel, so I gave them a shot.

Breakfast tacos are a big deal in Austin, a really big DEAL. I was prepared going down there for all the contentiousness concerning barbecue, that's pretty well documented. However, the fierce opinions about breakfast tacos took me off guard. This is a passionate subject to Austinites, many of whom regard cheap and awesomely tasty tacos as a birthright! Being a novice to this subset of Mexican cuisine I ordered the classic Austin breakfast taco, the Migas. You'll see Migas on practically every menu of every Mexican joint in town. It's not overly complicated and consists of scrambled eggs, pico de gallo, green chilies, avocado, cheese and strips deep-fried corn tortilla. As You can see from the photo above, somebody forgot the tortilla strips. That most likely would have deeply offended a local, but it didn't really bump me and, besides that taco really couldn't hold much more. You have your choice of either corn or flour tortillas. I went with corn. It also comes with a kick-ass green tomatillo salsa on the side. It's a very nice taco and not a bad way to start your day. I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure why Migas is such a big deal to Austinites. A chorizo, egg and potato taco, on the other hand, now that's something to get passionate over! Just sayin'.

Torchy's is not just famous for their tacos. Just the mention of their Queso will cause people to instantly salivate. Most of you know Queso dip as roughly equal portions of processed cheese and salsa nuked in the microwave until the cheese is melted. That's an ...okay... way to go. It's certainly easy, but it doesn't even come close to some of the great Quesos that you can get in Austin. Torchy's is regarded by many as have the very best Queso that there is and I'm not going to argue. Listen, I'm a master of cheese sauces. I've made potatoes au gratin that have made people swoon. I've always said that I could serve people dog turds in my gruyere mornay sauce and that they would love it and I was only half kidding. In short, I know cheese sauce and I'm here to tell you that I'm in awe of the Queso at Torchy's. People weren't kidding this stuff is really the best! The base sauce is a combo of processed cheese and green chilies, but I'm assuming that other non-processed dairy products were invited to the party since that tell-tale twang of processed cheese is mellowed and heavily subdued. It has a terrific flavor and smooth texture. It's a great sauce, but, wait, they don't stop there! The base sauce is adorned with the additions of guacamole sauce, red hot sauce, queso fresco and cilantro. So good! This is the stuff dreams are made of. Torchy's will always get a visit form me on future trips to Austin!

Sandwich of the Week: Torta Ahogada @ Taqueria El Rincosito

2015-05-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

Happy belated Cinco de Mayo, Fledglings! Last year I observed this holiday by highlighting some examples of Mexican sandwiches that were available right here in my home town of Seattle. I don't think that people here in the States realize just how vast and varied Mexican cuisine actually is. It's getting better, especially from where it was when I was growing up and a lot of people have experienced the joy of eating real, bona fide Mexican tacos. There's so much more to Mexican Food, though, and I think that those of you with a sense of adventure will be richly rewarded by going a little off the beaten path and seeking out some of these 'hidden' treasures. That's why I initially wrote the mini-series on Mexican sandwiches, to show just how readily available these menu items were. I also made a promise to highlight Mexican sandwiches in Portland for Cinco de Mayo this year. Well, that didn't happen. I'm a lazy, lazy and disorganized man. I didn't get down to Portland enough this past year and my attention got diverted towards other restaurants. I'm sorry Portland, I let you down. I did discover a really good Mexican joint behind your most famous strip club, though! So, it's not all bad. Right? Next year, I promise.

There's still more to be discovered here in Seattle and I wanted to cover a special sandwich that I neglected last year; the Torta Ahogada. It wasn't included last year because it's a lesser sandwich than the other three that I covered. It wasn't included, because, quite simply, I had never heard of it before. That's what I love about food and restaurants, there's always a new discovery just around the corner! Or should I say corners. I found this specialty sandwich at Taqueria El Rincosito which is a small chain of Mexican fast food restaurants located throughout Western Washington State. Let's stop there for a moment. I realize that combining the words fast food and Mexican will conjure up a lot of negative connotations for a lot of you a la Taco Bell and that would be highly unfair to Taqueria El Rincosito. There's nary a Crunch Wrap or Doritos Taco to be found there. It's real Mexican food, but it's served in a fast food fashion; you order at the counter and then they'll bring your order to the your table. The menu is surprisingly large and features many more items than just tacos and burritos. And it's good. It really is. These guys are solid.

I also surmise that the founders of Taqueria El Rincosito's family has ties to of originated from Jalsico. On their menu they have a Torta Jalisco option as well as the regular Torta. So, there's that clue, but the other major giveaway is the Torta Ahogado which is a Jalsico specialty. Torta Ahogada translates to 'drowned sandwich' and from the photo above, you can see where they're coming from. It's a simple sandwich, but it's so good! A baguette-like loaf of bread is split in half and toasted up a bit on a flat-top, filled with pork - usually carnitas and shredded cabbage, pressed on the flat-top to toast the exterior of the sandwich, then the entire sandwich is bathed in a nice red chili sauce and garnished with some pickled onion slices. You have some choices regarding the sauce; medium, hot or Fire!! As you can see form the knife that they plunged into the sandwich this isn't really a hand held affair, but I hear that this is pretty common street and stadium food fare in Jalisco. That's talent. I definitely need the assistance of a fork, knife and napkins. This has quickly become one of my favorite Mexican sandwiches. It's comfort food at its most basic and proof positive, once again, that adding gravy to anything and everything makes it exponentially better than it was without it!

Here's the Mexican Sandwiches that I covered last Cinco de Mayo:

The Torta Diabla at Barriga Llena

The Jamon Cemita at Cemitas Poblanas

The Pambazo Portales at El Quetzal

See last week's Sandwich of the Week here.

Sandwich of the Week: Fresh Chorizo @ Olympia Provisions

2015-05-02T12:44:00.001-07:00

What's in a name? That which we call fine salami by any other name would taste as good as can be; So Olympic Provisions would, were it to swap in the letter 'A' for the letter 'C'...*

My brain still trips over the name change. I imprinted with this fine Portland establishment when they were called Olympic Provisions and that's what I still think of them as. The name change isn't huge; now it's Olympia Provisions, but, in a sign that I'm getting old, the new moniker just hasn't gained any traction in the dark recesses of my brain. Or maybe, just maybe it's my inner self rebelling against the International Olympic Committee who earlier this year served this iconic Portland restaurant and charcuterie with a cease-and-desist notice earlier this year. Yes, that's right, some over-priced lawyers determined that a restaurant in Oregon that specialized in cured meats would get confused with a group of international amateur athletes because the both had the word 'Olympic' included within their titles. So much wasted time, so much wasted money. Lawyers be lawyering too much.

Okay, enough political/legal BS. ~~Olympic~~ Olympia Provisions is a class act. The plain fact of the matter is that I don't get over there enough. There are just so many great places in Portland and time is limited. When I do dine with them, I'm always impressed with just how good they are. So, on a leisurely Sunday I drove to the Northwest part of Portland with a hefty appetite and a book. Yes, a book. For those of you that aren't familiar with the Rose City just know this, all the popular places have a line; Voodoo Doughnut, Toro Bravo, Pok Pok and Screen Door, just to mention a few. All I'm saying is, make like a Boy Scout and be prepared. That morning , though, the brunch gods were smiling upon me and there was no line! There was one seat at the counter facing the window. I happily accepted it. I would have preferred the bar, but it's tiny and fills up fast. But I was grateful that I wouldn't have to wait terribly long. Keep in mind this was 10:20 AM and Olympia Provisions opens for brunch at 10 AM. By 10:40 AM there was a line. As I said above, just be ready - it's Portland after all.

The best part about the menu at Olympia Provisions is all the savory menu items that they have available on it and I'm most definitely a savory breakfast type of dude. It's a very diverse and well thought out menu and It was difficult for me to choose. I was tempted by the chilaquiles and by the kielbasa hash, both sounded amazing and I really have a thing for chilaquiles. In the end, though, I opted for a sandwich. As I stated above, they're well known for their expertise with cured meats at Olympia Provisions, in fact, it's pretty easy to find their salami for sale up in Seattle. So, I wanted to try out their fresh chorizo. The chorizo that they were doing wasn't the Mexican chorizo that some of you might be more familiar with, but the Spanish form of that sausage. Spanish and Portuguese chorizos are generally, raw-cured, heavily seasoned sausages that aren't too dissimilar to Italian salami. The 'fresh' chorizo that they were using on the sandwich I ate was cooked and not cured. It had all the wonderful seasonings of a traditional chorizo; paprika, pepper and garlic, but it ended up be somewhat milder, because the flavors didn't get concentrate through the curing process. Basically, it became a kick ass kielbasa loaded with flavor!

The sandwich came on a ciabatta roll with piquillo peppers, manchego cheese, arugula and aioli. It's a great sandwich. A ton of flavor with a lot of ingredients that I love. The peppers added a lot of flavor contrast and provided a bit of acidity from the brine that they were preserved in. The manchego brought some fermented, salty maturity to the party. The aioli was delightful, if for no other reason than it was actually aioli. People have been playing fast and loose with that term. Stirring other ingredients into pre-made mayo does not make it aioli! There's a big difference!! I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and as I was leaving I resolved, as I always do, to come back to Olympia Provisions soon. There's a rotisserie prime rib with my name on it one of these nights!

*My apologies to Billy the Bard, but to be honest Romeo and Juliet was never one of my favorite plays that he wrote.

See last week's Sandwich of the Week here.

Sandwich of the Week: Porchetta @ Meat & Bread

2015-04-26T08:41:00.002-07:00

The interior of Meat & Bread is as sparse and reductive as its name; a lot of wood, metal and concrete surfaces. The high ceiling is open beam with track light focusing down onto the wooden tables in metal frames. The only 'color' is the long wall opposite the kitchen which is completely white and unadorned except for the Lou Reed quote, 'one chord is fine, two is pushing it and three you're into jazz', seemingly laser-etched into it. There's an excellent sound system and the play it loud. There were more than a few hip hop and rap songs blaring during my short visit there. There's a very hip and urban vibe going on there or, at least, that's what they're trying very hard to convey. It felt more like somebody was constructing an American Apparel or an Ambercrombie and Fitch* and suddenly stopped midway through construction to open a sandwich shop instead. Maybe they were struck by their conscious as they were hanging up posters of all those emaciated and sullen looking models and thought, 'What these kids really need is a sandwich! Wait a minute,,,sandwiches, that's it!'

If I'm initially a little rough on this Canadian chain of sandwich shops, it's only because that everything screams BRANDING when you walk through their doors. There's, of course, nothing wrong with branding your business and every business, large and small, does this in some form or another. It's just that Meat & Bread's in house marketing is very obvious and very loud, much like their music. Okay, so much for what I didn't like. What was impressive there was the brand new, sleek kitchen with convection ovens stacked on top of each other. They could churn out a lot of roasted meats out of those puppies. Now, that's impressive!

It's was with more than a little sense of foreboding and self-consciousness that I went to try out Meat & Bread. It's hard not to see them as interlopers and not because they're Canadian. For starters, they're right down the hall from SLAB Sandwiches. This came up in a conversation I was having with owner John Sundstrom upstairs at his other restaurant Bitter/Raw and he wasn't too concerned about it. He was more of the, a high tide floats all boats, philosophy. Normally, I agree with that sentiment, but it's right down the hall! It bumped me. Then there were all the independent places that I've covered in the last year and a half on this series of posts. I love those guys, I really do. They're fighting the good fight and keeping the food scene in Seattle very fun and interesting. Visiting a chain restaurant felt like a betrayal to those guys. In the end, though, somebody has a blog with a series about sandwiches, so ....

The menu at Meat & Bread is very small offering only four sandwich, one soup, one salad and two sweet options. Of the sandwich options, three are consistently available; the porchetta, meatball and grilled cheese sandwiches, and one is a special that changes daily. Generally, I think that keeping the menu simple and focusing on fewer items is a smart way to go. Quality over quantity any day. I knew what I was going to order before I walked through the doors, so I didn't pay much mind to the special that day. The porchetta at Meat & Bread has caused a pretty big stir. Now, I don't know if that's because it was because it was the first porchetta that a lot of people had ever tried or if it was just that good. I was going to find out.

After receiving my sandwich, I made my way for a table with what I hoped would be some good light. I snapped a couple of photos, settled back and cracked open my can of Rainier. As I scanned the nearly empty restaurant; it was around 2 PM, well after lunch hour, I noticed somebody familiar several tables down from me. Holy crap, it was Mike Easton! Mike owns Il Corvo and Gabbiano in Pioneer Square. They're two fantastic Italian (one pasta the other pizza) lunch spots and he's one of those independent operators around town that I mentioned above.

'Hey, how ya doing?' I say warmly, but my guilt gets the better of me and I blurt out, 'I had to check these guys out...'

'Me, too', Mike replied.

That made me feel better. It was just research. No problem there. Besides, it wasn't like Mike owned a sandwich shop. I settled down and had a few bites of my sandwich which ,,,was pretty good. The pork was tender and flavorful with just enough salsa verde to add a contrast to the rich meaty flavor all that roasted pig. That was topped off with some perfectly rendered cracklins, deep fried pork skin, and, to be honest, I wish that there were more cracklins involved. It was a solid sandwich. In fact, it was a good sandwich. No doubt about it.

As I paused to think over the sandwich that I was about half way through eating, I gazed over to the entrance to see a tall guy walk through the entrance. A tall guy I knew. 'Holy $hit', I thought to myself, 'It's Russ!' So much for me being incognito. Russ Flint is a very talented butcher and sandwich maker. He owns Rain Shadow Meats and if you're a loyal follower of this blog, then you know I can't shut up about that place. Now my sense of guilt was really rising. I waved and greeted Russ, as did Mike. It seems that we all had the same idea about checking this place out and seeing what all the buzz was about.

After having the chance to talk a bit with both Mike and Russ, the consensus seemed to be that Meat & Bread was pretty solid. Now, for me, I'm not sure why there's so much hype about this place. The marketing has a lot to do with this, that's a cinch. But I think that what Meat & Bread is doing by attracting the so-called Millennials is pulling them away from Subway, Jimmy Johns and Quiznos. If you've eaten a ton of those poor excuses for sandwiches, then eating your first porchetta sandwich has to be pretty mind blowing. I mean, there's not a shred of iceberg lettuce to be found in this place! Can you imagine that?! And broadening peoples culinary horizons is to the good. I hope, though, that Meat & Bread is a gateway for a lot of these young diners and that they take their newly stimulated palates and seek out some of the many talented, local restaurant owners that reside in our fair city. They won't be disappointed.

* I'm bluffing about my knowledge of what goes on in the places; there's no way my fat a$$ is going to fit into anything that they have on their racks!

See last week's Sandwich of the Week, all the way from New Orleans, here.

Irene's Cuisine

2015-04-21T14:52:00.001-07:00

Close your eyes for a second and picture in your mind one of those old school, East Coast Italian restaurants. Maybe you haven't even been to the East Coast, but you know those type of restaurants from the movies and television. Do you have that picture in your head? Well. that's what Irene's looks like in New Orleans French Quarter. The high ceilings, the wainscoting on the walls, the plaster-casted replicas of baroque statues and impeccably dressed waiters, they have it all. Hell, they even have the wall of fame, signed photos of celebrities on the wall! I went to Irene's because a few years ago I overheard a polite argument between two Navy guys as to which Italian place was best in NOLA. I don't think that they ever came to an agreement, but I made a note of Irene's. I knew the guy who argued for it, Sam, and I trust his judgment a lot.

The other reason I wanted to visit a Italian restaurant on my most recent visit to New Orleans was to illustrate that there's a whole lot more to the cuisine in that town than just Cajun/Creole. As I'm now fond of saying; whatever food style you're into, New Orleans will have several places that make it and a few that probably do it better than anyone else. It's really one of this country's greatest food towns!

The was a tornado warning as I walked my way across the French Quarter towards Irene's. It was my very first one. Fortunately. it didn't happen. It was raining like all get out, though. I was thoroughly drenched by the time I made it to their door. Walking through that portal gave me a great sense of relief and not just because I finally got out of the rain. It was comforting. The whole place just oozed of hospitality. There's no real bar at Irene's, so I did something that's rare for me when dining solo - I was seated at a table.

The staff there are very professional and extremely courteous. After handing me the menus and reciting that nights special and there were several, my waiter asked if there was something that I wanted to drink. A quick scan of the wine list and I settles on a moderately priced Montepulciano d'Abruzzo.

'A glass?", he inquired.

'No, a bottle.', I replied, adding, 'I deserve it for walking through that storm!'

The menu's very extensive and it took me a while to whittle down my options. I was tempted by the soft-shelled crabs that were a special that evening, but soft-shelled crabs always sound better than the end up being when I eat them. So I went with the crab gratin. Then I went really old school and ordered the veal Marsala as an entree. The gratin came out all hot and bubbly. It had a perfect, golden brown top crust of caramelized cheese and cream. A small basket of bread came as backup. It's a substantial appetizer and could easily be share by two, but I persevered and finished it off all on my lonesome. It was a textbook example on how a gratin should be cooked. My only criticism is that there was too much fresh thyme. I would have cut down the about by half or omitted it all together.

Veal or chicken Marsala is kind of kitschy. I don't mean that in a pejorative way. It's one of those dishes that was developed by natives for tourists with less than adventurous palates. Most of what Americans view as 'Chinese' Food falls into this category. General Tso's Chicken, anyone? In the case of Veal Marsala, it was the Italians trying to placate British Pensioners in the late 1800's. So, most of these dishes are far from authentic, but, you know what? Sometimes General Tso's Chicken is just what I'm looking for and on that night at Irene's it was Veal Marsala! It was pretty damn tasty. A tender veal cutlet is topped with sauteed mushrooms and a sauce reduction of veal stock and Marsala. My only complaint on the plate was the inclusion of a sweet potato side dish. It wasn't that it wasn't tasty and well done, it's just that it was too sweet. The Marsala sauce is already sweet enough without bringing another layer of sweetness to the party! But I ate all of it, so it's not that much of a criticism.

I finished with one of the better cheesecakes that I've ever had and I've had more than a few. It was creamy and rich with just the right density. It was topped with fresh berries and a Grand Marnier/vanilla bean reduction. I liked Irene's quite a bit. It was friendly and cozy. A tonic for your soul and, on that particular night, an excellent refuge from the ominous clouds that had enveloped the city.

Brunch in New Orleans: Horns

2015-04-19T10:32:00.000-07:00

Marigny is a non-touristy, slightly funky neighborhood just beyond the French Quarter. It reminds me a lot of my Georgetown neighborhood back in Seattle and the Alberta Arts neighborhood in Portland. In fact, the laid back little cafe Horn's really reminds me of being back home. It's a relatively small restaurant located in a very residential part of the neighborhood. It has a covered porch of sorts with a few tables and chairs outside. The inside has the feel of a tavern with rough cut wooden planks making up the paneling. The are a lot of windows and it brightens the place up considerably. The decor is eclectic to say the least and is loaded with folk art, tchotchkes and a variety stuffed animal heads with antlers. I felt right at home.

On my most recent trip to New Orleans, there was always a threat of rain. Some storm or another was just lurking beyond the horizon in the Gulf of Mexico just waiting to swoop down into the city. So, I made my way over to Horn's very early before I would have to contend any adverse weather conditions. I got there at 7 AM and pretty much had the place to myself. Once I took my seat it very much has a diner feel to it and that's a good thing especially in regards to breakfast. I perused their fairly large menu with a lot of both savory and sweet breakfast options while I sipped on my coffee, but I already knew what I wanted. I had become fixated with the crawfish etouffee and grits ever since I had read about it on the good old interweb. That sounded like a really awesome idea for breakfast. I'm already a big fan of shrimp and grits, so I was pumped to try some grits with etouffee! I also ordered a single pancake just to try to get a feel for how Horn's cooks.

First off, the portions at Horn's are no joke, they're huge! This is NOLA, though, and that's pretty standard though out most of the Big Easy. Call it Southern Hospitality. The base of the etouffee sauce was solid with onions, celery, bell peppers aka 'The Holy Trinity' and tons of crawfish. The only thing that bumped me that it was underseasoned, particularly in regards to salt. It wasn't anything that a few splashes of Crystal hot sauce and a few shakes from the salt shaker couldn't remedy, but it was an odd lack of flavor coming from a town like New Orleans where they're not shy about spicing things up. It was good, though and I ate every last bite. The pancake was very nice as well. And the kicker is that Horn's is very reasonably price.

Horns opens for breakfast at 7 AM daily and closes at 3 PM Monday through Wednesday. They have dinner service Thursday through Sunday and are open until 10 PM. They're located on Dauphine and Touro. The easiest way to get there is from the French Quarter is to either walk down Dauphine until it angles off into Touro or walk down Royal street until it angles off into Touro and continue up Touro until it intersects with Dauphine.

Doris Metropolitan

2015-04-17T08:30:00.001-07:00

Doris Metropolitan first came to my attention as I was walking down Chartes Street to meet my friend Richard at Kingfish for some drinks. I had no idea what type of restaurant it was, but my maternal grandma's name was Doris and it made curious. I resolved to look it up when I got the chance and kept on walking. Well, some how Richard and I ended up spending a fair amount of time at the bar. Go figure. The upshot to that, other than the really tasty cocktails that they make at Kingfish, is that our bartender was a wealth of information about restaurants in New Orleans. Her favorite? None other than Doris Metropolitan!

Well, with such a strong testimonial, we knew that we'd have to check it out. We walked back down Chartes to peep into the windows to see what we could see. Doris Metropolitan is a steak house and they know how to get your attention. Right there in the street side window was their aging chamber. An aging chamber is sort of like a walk in cooler that has very specific temperature and humidity controls. There are several primal beef cuts that are arranged on racks at different stages of aging. It's very much like a trophy room of beef.

Even though they weren't open, the staff were very gracious and gave us a brief tour of the restaurant. They were justifiably proud of the place. They pointed out the three waygu primal cuts on a rack in the center of the chamber, Marbled in delicious and very expensive fat these cuts were the stars of the room; two New York Strips, one American and one Australian and a Japanese Ribeye. With such good treatment and remember, we weren't even customers at that point, Doris Metropolitan kept moving higher and higher on my list of restaurants that I had to visit in New Orleans.

Well, earlier this week I finally made it happened and bellied up to the bar at this famous steak house. I strategically located myself so that I would have a good view of the kitchen, because that's just how I roll. I perused the massive cocktail and wine list. I did something that I rarely do, I ordered a cocktail. I have to say that New Orleans is a fantastic town for cocktails. It's a point of civic pride and they make some of the very best! I opted for a Mahattan Los Abuela which is a Manhattan made with Tequila instead of Rye Whiskey. The combination intrigued me and it was very, very nice. The drink menu turned out to be far easier for me than the main menu. There were so many choices and I was like a kid in a candy store.

While I nibbled on their complimentary bread plate, I narrowed down my options and ended up settling on the Beef Carpaccio, a 31 day aged New York Strip and an asparagus gratin. The beef that formed the base of the carpaccio was excellent, but I felt that there was far too much balsamic vinaigrette and argula on top of it. It was more of a steak salad than a carpaccio. It was very very tasty, though. I like New York Strip. I've never been a fan of tenderloin, too lean and too little flavor or Ribeye, too fatty. In the right hands it's a great cut of beef. Well, when it has been aged for over a month and cooked on the grill at Doris Metropolitan, it's a flat out awesome steak! It was quite simply, perfection. It was well seasoned and cooked exactly to temp. It's definitely one of the best steaks that I have ever eaten. The Asparagus Gratin, which was a favorite of our bartender at Kingfish, was an excellent side. It was a layer of al dente asparagus napped with some mornay sauce and topped with some grated gruyere or comte cheese and then hit under a salamander broiler. It's very simple and very tasty and an idea that I'm going to steal for myself. I may or may not give them credit, sorry Doris.

They have a good dessert menu, too. I didn't partake of it and opted for a couple of Scotches instead. I don't know if that reveals anything about my personality, but that's the way I roll. They have a very impressive selection of Scotch - what's a poor boy to do? It was a spendy meal, but not out of line with most steak houses. In fact, I think that they're a better deal. The cooking is at a higher caliber than most steak house that I've been to. I'll definitely be back to Doris Metropolitan on future trips to New Orleans!