Tastegasms

Boloco Burritos - Concord, NH

2012-02-01T22:21:00.000-08:00

10 Fort Eddy Road

Concord, NH 03301

(603) 410-3089

Boloco is essentially your designer wrap or burrito chain with a similar concept as Subway or Quizno's. A good menu selection of burrito combinations that work well, but the ability to custom design your own burrito from a list of ingredients.

The ingredients are good, quality, fresh ingredients that one could make a quite a healthy meal out of. The ability to design your own burrito from scratch is great for those people that are trying to keep the ingredients to meet specific standards for diet, food requirements, or otherwise, including skipping out on the wrap to make it a salad of sorts.

It's incredibly convenient and quick, and makes for a great excursion food - a fantastic to-go food for on the road, especially one I don't feel guilty for eating all the time.

Depending on how hungry I am, I may or may not stop by here on the way home so I at least have a protein shake for on the way home, and possibly part of a burrito, depending on how quick I drive...

Just kidding.

One of the secrets at Boloco, however, is the smoothies. They have a few smoothies on the menu that they make to order that are fantastic and fresh with no additional ingredients than what it would take to make it at home. The option to add healthy ingredients such as whey protein, and such is available as well, which makes Boloco definitely a great place to stop by after the gym.

Amusingly, the other day, obviously coated in dirt and sweat from the gym, a pair of people in the booth next to ours had to laugh at us - they, or we, were not the only ones with this most excellent idea.

If I may say. Boloco Burritos. Do it.

The Bridge Cafe - Manchester, NH

2012-01-31T20:57:00.000-08:00

The Bridge Cafe
1117 Elm St
Manchester, NH 03101
(603) 647-9991
thebridgecafe.net

The Bridge Cafe is a trendy coffee shop on Elm Street in Manchester. Pretty much on the corner of Bridge and Elm, it is a perfect brunch location for a lazy sunday morning coffee and meal. A delicate mix of caffeinated awakenness and lounged relaxation - perfect for some time reading the paper, or studying for a little bit, or better yet, conversations amongst good friends or new or old lovers.

It is the perfect example of what makes New Hampshire what it is - and is supposed to be. Even at it's fastest paced, there is time to sit down and chat and bring a little joy to a hungry belly. But enough of that, onto the FOOD!

I couldn't resist a smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel as soon as i saw it on the menu. Everything looked good, but I had been craving some salmon for quite a while, and I couldn't resist. It came out quite good, and fresh. Of course, something that I could have just as easily made at home, but there's something about the atmosphere and ambiance of a cafe and coffee shop that make it even better than just eating at home.

The Bridge Cafe serves everything from standard breakfasts, to salads, to paninis, to soups, and some good looking desserts. Their entire menu is on their website, and they do deliver, actually. Prices are not bad at all for what you get. And all I can say is... stack of pancakes. Hmmmm...

Food is good, prices are good, the Bridge Cafe. Go go!

China Pearl - Boston, MA

2012-01-29T19:03:00.000-08:00

China Pearl
9 Tyler St. (bet. Beach & Kneeland Sts.)

Large Fried Anchovies

Boston, MA 02111
www.chinapearlrestaurant.com
617-426-4338

In honor of Chinese New Year, for the beginning of the year of the dragon --

Happy Chinese New Year!
Xin Nian Kuai Le!
あけまして　おめでとう　ございます
Felix sit annus novus!
Selamat tahun baru!
Gelukkig nieuwjaar!
새해 복 많이 받으세요
Kung hé fat tsoi!
Sretna nova godina!

Pork Knuckles in Sweet Soy Sauce

I think that covers all the languages of people I know and talk to on at least on a semi regular basis....

What better but to eat dim sum to honor the practically ageless tradition of Chinese New Year? China Pearl is a traditional stainless-steel-cart-rolling-around-with-Asian-ladies-who-don't-speak-a-lick-of-English-and-stamp-your-bill-card-after-giving-you-your-delicious-treats restaurant. This restaurant is definitely traditionally a dim sum restaurant.

Outside of dim sum lunch hours, China Pearl does turn into an ordinary menu based Chinese restaurant, but I solely come here for the dim sum, so I cannot comment on how that food is. But if the dim sum is an indication, eating here should a fantastic experience either way.

The Fried Anchovies were FILLED with roe. DELISH!

What is dim sum, you ask? If you haven't had dim sum yet, you're missing out. Excellent dim sum is one of the most mind melting, spine shuddering, moanworthy tastegasms that one could have. Think Asian tapas. Think many-multi-course family style meals on the cheap. Think tastegasm. www.tastegasm.net Ha, couldn't resist a little self advertisement. Even though you're already here. Dim sum is essentially small servings of bite size or chopstick friendly foods served in steamer baskets or small plates.

Shaomai

Har Gao

China Pearl has a plethora of different dishes that seem to continually change and be added onto. I keep finding new dishes that I haven't seen float past me on a rickety stainless steel cloud of tastegasmic goodness before. The two most standard dim sum dishes--a requirement for my every visit to any dim sum restaurant--are shaomai (minced pork and shrimp in a wheat flour wrapper) and har gao (steamed shrimp dumpling). Very simple in taste, yet it is what I judge my dim sum restaurants by, similar to my miso soup in sushi restaurants.

Haam Sui Gaau

The pork knuckles were incredibly tender and fatty. If I didn't know any better, I would have said they were mixed in with some pork bellies. Sadly there was less tendon than I expected, but I think that's just because I'm a whore for texture, and such things as tendons and squid appeal to me. Speaking of squid, the fried squid here is fantastic. Simply flash fried in peanut oil and seasoned with a little sea salt and pepper, it's simply tastegasmic.

Jin Deui, also called Matuan

The very word 'tendon' in a dim sum restaurant brings up one dish that I will rarely pass up: ji jiao (chicken feet), otherwise known as feng zhao (phoenix claws), a much cooler name. Phoenix claws are, essentially chicken feet. Deep fried, boiled, and remarinated in a sweet soy sauce concoction, chicken feet, much like most mammal feet, are essentially lots of individual bones connected by tendons and all covered by a skin, almost no meat to consider.

Chicken feet, in my mind, are the equivalent to roasted sunflower seeds when it comes to dexterity. So much work for so little reward, yet it is so worth it. Like sunflower seeds, the dexterity is known either in the fingers or the mouth - those people who can put a number of seeds in their mouth and spit out only the shells moments later are much like the people that have the dexterity of tongue to pop in a good section of chicken foot, and spit out cleaned bones moments later, leaving their hands clean and tastegasm underway.

A cross section of Jin Deui - aka any excuse to take a bite

The chee cheong fun (rolled vermicelli sheets with shrimp or pigs liver inside, floating in sweet soy sauce) is a simple but delicious dish that might as well have a joke built into it - the soy sauce soaked vermicelli is very slippery to chopsticks, and failure to hold onto your piece is almost always rewarded in a far reaching fountain of soy sauce splashed up from the dish. The taste is worth every laugh, if it happens.

The lo mai gai (sticky rice mixed with shredded pork, chicken, and mushrooms wrapped in lotus leaves and steamed) is a delicious filler item. This is one I like grabbing near the end, easily rewrapped, and good warm or cold.

Jin deui (chewy dough filled with red bean paste, covered in sesame seeds, and deep fried) is a fantastic dessert piece. After breaking through a fresh, crispy outer crust, the inside is nice and warm and soft. A tastegasmic ball of joy.

Chee Cheung Fan in a diluted sweet soy sauce

Naturally, because of the fattiness of all the foods, you'll most probably run out of hot tea, so simply leave the pot lid ajar to signal for a refill. Exaggerated blackjack finger signals work quite well with the foods - whether to say no more, or to bring more.

I could keep going infinitesimally describing dishes at China Pearl, but like the clanging carts and their respective lady vendors, it would never end. To get more, one would just have to visit yourself, and feed the need.

I can easily say that China Pearl is one of the best Dim Sum restaurants in the New England area, and have on more than one occasion make the one way hour long drive with the visit to China Pearl being the primary reason.

Happy Tastegasming!

Candia Road Convenience Store - Manchester, NH

2012-01-29T10:00:00.000-08:00

Candia Road Convenience Store

836 Candia Road

Manchester, NH 03109

(603) 669-6565

Think of the Candia Road Convenience store as a gas station store. On crack. If you break it down, there are four sections to the store. The gas station store, sub shop, the beer shop, and the cigar shop. The Candia Road Convenience store is not a gas station. You will not be able to find any fuel to power your vehicle here. However, there are plenty of good eats to power yourself.

The store is essentially setup like a gas station. Refrigerated drinks in glass front coolers on the perimeter. Scratch and lottery tickets on the counter. Slow to perish snacks and such on the shelves. But this is where Candia Road stops being like a standard convenience store.

To the right when you walk in, is a whole section of cigars. Cigars like nobody's business. Local brands, imported brands, brands I've never heard before. This is probably where I'll go if I ever need a cigar.

Straight ahead from when you walk in is beer. Lots and lots of beer. Shelves loaded with beer. Wall fridges filled with beer. Different kinds of beer, imported beer, local beer, microbrew. The prices on the beer is a little higher than grocery store, but about equivalent to gas station prices. Naturally. A great place to stop and pick up a bottle or a case on the way home or to a party and have a brew worth talking about, or that no one has ever seen before.

Of course, since this is a food blog, the sub shop. A very simple shop with only a few kinds of breads and a few kind of fillings for the sub, it's good quality, it's fresh, it's cooked to order, and it's cheap. In fact, the only and entire menu is the size of a large post it note, as can be seen below.

Some combination of the parts and ingredients below will be your sandwich. Call or walk in, name off your ingredients, type and size of bread, toasted or not, and condiments - 10 minutes later, and voila, food's done. Don't fear wandering around aimlessly in the store - there is much to look at in terms of beer and cigars and such.

The subs from Candia Road that I favor the most are the steak tip, seafood salad, and chicken salad. Of course, toast the bread, and load on the hots, tomatoes, mayo, and pepper for me, and I'm happy as a clam.

For those watching carbs, the convenience store will also take the ingredients and create salads out of them, which are also quite good.

All in all, the Candia Road Convenience store is extremely convenient, cheap, and tasty. Being just down the road from my office, and conveniently right off of exit 6 of I-93, it has been the place that I go to when I forget my lunch. Which is more often than not, unfortunately, yet fortunately.

The Barley House - Concord, NH

2012-01-25T01:41:00.000-08:00

The Barley House
132 North Main St.
Concord, NH 03301
(603) 228-6363
www.thebarleyhouse.com

The Barley House is what I consider a reasonably cheap semi trendy burger joint in Concord. When I arrived, I didn't realize how many other things besides burgers they had. Because I had my mind set on burgers, we definitely ordered one--the hangover. Other reviews and reports tell me that the specials here are rather hit or miss, however, I will definitely have to come back without a preformed opinion and expectation for a burger to come try Barley House's specials.

We had the French Dip Panini, The Blackened Cajun Burger, and the Hangover Burger. All three were quite delicious, with the burgers being a slight novelty, at least for the north in terms of taste. The Cajun burger was seasoned with a sort of Cajun Mayonaise - Mayo mixed in with what appeared to be a little ketchup and mustard, and a cajun season, such as Tony Chachere's. It fit the burgers and fries quite well.

The Hangover burger was my choice, and naturally, being me I ordered it rare. Three bites in, and I realized that there was no pink center. The burger was about medium well done. Our waitress, Lisa, took it off my hands quite quickly and had it remade in about five minutes. While I waited, she brought a complementary dish of french fries with Cajun Mayo to keep me occupied. The Hangover burger consisted of a seasoned beef patty, a fried egg, your choice of cheese, two slices of bacon, and some wild salad. Upon the arrival of my burger, take two, it was definitely rare. However, being the food snob that I was, I noticed that the burger had been seasoned before being formed into patties, and that the beef was about a day older than I would have liked it for rare. I usually like rare burgers because they are not seasoned on the inside, giving one the raw beef taste that I so much like. Had I known this, I would have stuck with the burger that came out originally.

However, this isn't a black mark. The burger was incredibly good, and really activated my tastebuds, with all the different layers of flavors that were in the burger. The combination of the cheese, bacon (yes, everything is better with bacon, I do agree!), and seasoned beef accompanied with the occasional bittersweet taste of the wild salad was fantastic. I will definitely come back to Barley House for some more burgers. But only after I've had a chance to attack some of their specials and more of their beer selection.

All in all, for a semi trendy burger joint, the Barley House is a great place to go to. Part bar, the beer selection is above par, with some interesting selections to choose from. The service is fantastic, and if you're there, definitely try to grab Lisa as a waitress - she took care of all my food problems with no issues whatsoever, and kept right on top of our requests and needs.

Stay tuned for episode 2, so I can give an accurate look into the Barley House's nonburger selection!

Asian Breeze - Hooksett, NH

2012-01-21T00:38:00.000-08:00

Asian Breeze

1328 Hooksett Rd

Hooksett, NH 03106

(603) 621-9298

asianbreezenh.com

Asian Breeze is my local sushi place. It is nestled perfectly between my home and my office, which allows me to get delivery to either with their smallish delivery range of about 6 miles. Which is very dangerous. So far, I've managed to stay away for about 2-3 weeks at a time, which, I guess I will have to be satisfied with. Both my delivery addresses are on file, and when I give my phone number, they automatically ask me where they're going. Most of the time, based on time of day, they can figure it out all on their own. Something tells me I order way too much sushi from here. In fact, hold on one second while I call in an order that will arrive about the same time as I will at home.

Where was I? Oh yes, sushi. SUSHI. Asian Breeze at first appearance seems like a cheap Chinese restaurant, complete with row of cheap booths, gambling machines, karaoke platform and bar. However, what comes out of the kitchen, to most people's surprise is amazingly fresh and plentiful. With someone who cares about atmosphere and environment of the restaurant, Asian Breeze is not it. For someone who can focus only on the food, Asian Breeze is definitely it.

The fish here is incredibly fresh and tasteful. The fresh salmon is case in point. In the pictures here, the fatty tissue patterning is rich, and has been taken advantage of to produce the best look in the sushi.

Asian Breeze's special rolls are very excellent, and I wouldn't hesitate to order any of them. Each one is specifically distinct from the other, and all of them are fantastic.

One of the things of note is that even the regular rolls that are usually small and insignificant (and that I usually avoid in most sushi restaurants) are of decent size and contain a decent amount of fish. For those looking for regular type rolls, these are quite good and fulfilling. Amusingly, even vetted sushi eaters aren't immune to oops moments, such as dropping a roll into the soy sauce.

Price wise, Asian Breeze is approximately the same as most average sushi restaurants, however, the rolls across the board are significantly larger and contain more fish. It is definitely a sushi restaurant where one could arrive hungry and end up full without breaking the bank.

While I'm thinking about it, wasabi and soy sauce. Most people mix wasabi into their soy sauce and quite liberally apply the mixture to their sushi rolls by means of dipping. Personally, depending on the roll, of course, I apply a small amount of wasabi directly to the roll, and just enough soy sauce by dipping the chopstick into the soy sauce and transferring a drop or two to the roll before providing my mouth with the delectable concoction. I'm not one for hiding the taste of what I'm eating in salt, but I have no issue with a little heat.

All in all, Asian Breeze, fresh quality in quantity at a reasonable cost. And that's a tastegasm right there.

Artichoke Basille's Pizza & Brewery - Manhattan, New York

2012-01-20T17:44:00.000-08:00

Artichoke Basille's Pizza & Brewery

114 10th Ave. (17th St.)

Manhattan, NY 10011

www.artichokepizza.com

212-792-9200

Artichoke Basille is one of those hole in the wall places that looks more like a delivery only joint that anything at all. The waiting area is a grungy area only 6 ft by 10 ft, and although there is some counter space, I feel that it is not encouraged to stay and eat. No matter. The Crocodile Lounge is right across the street, and despite peddling their own pizza, had no issue with me bringing in Artichoke Basille's.

My review of Artichoke Basille's may be a little biased, and missing, but supposedly the thing to get here is the artichoke pie. $30 for the whole pie, it is a behemoth of a pie covered in cheese after cheese after cheese. The slices are easily an inch thick at the thinnest, and thoroughly mixed with artichoke pieces.

The crust is just crispy enough to keep from completely collapsing underneath the weight of the cheese, but as you lift your one slice (that is just about enough to feed the ordinary man, unless you're me), the gooey cheese starts melting and sliding off the edges, creating an oh-so-glorious mess only solved by the creative use of the fingers and tongue.

The artichoke pizza may be a little too much for those not used to the richness of hot, melting cheese--but growing up in the Netherlands, in the land of cheese, it was a foodgasm in my mouth.

Get a whole pie. Share it, love it. It's damn good for the soul.

Hoolihans - Weehawken, NJ

2012-01-20T17:24:00.000-08:00

Hoolihan's

1200 Harbor Blvd
Weehawken, NJ 07086
201-863-4000
www.houlihans.com

Hoolihan's is a pretty decent chain restaurant that has excellent service and surprisingly good food. Their menu is about a quarter tapas based, which allows for pretty good family style sharing of food, allowing everyone to try a large number of dishes. The rest of their menu is most typically American, but of decently high quality and with some flair.

The service--that we received, at least--was superb, and was that rivaling individual restaurants. At the time, I actually didn't know that Hoolihan's was a chain, I had not paid attention to the planning until afterwards. Chains usually get some a bad rap, for good reason, usually, but this one broke free of the stereotype and provided well above average service and food quality. I was happily surprised.

We ended up essentially getting a bunch of tapas for the four of us. From (in order of the pictures) seared salmon to pickle fries, ahi tuna salad to disco fries, eggrolls to mini burgers to Aztec shrimp--it was quite a feast. This particular chef had a liking to a mild horseradish mayonnaise sauce - it was on a number of the dishes, and on the side of another. It was good - a little too mild for my wild tongue, but just far enough away that I didn't dive into the bay craving for some raw oysters. All the dishes were fantastic, except for the burgers, I'd say. But restaurant burgers have a particularly strong handicap with me - I like my burgers rare, I can grill a pretty mean burger myself, and the burger is one of those foods that restaurants don't often focus on. Like chicken fingers. A cop out food for the non foodies.

Before I go any further, yes, I have stereotypes, can't you tell? But that's what makes me who I am, and what my tastes are looking for. Eccentricities of personality, if I may say, and some foods just have certain priorities and handicaps over others. However, I am always willing to try everything twice, and am liberal with second chances. Iterum eundem ad lapidem offendere. Which, unfortunately, sometimes has led me to stumble over the same stone twice, or thrice. But all's part of being a good foodie. Eat, or be eaten.

Where was I? Oh yes, the mini burgers. The burgers had promise, but were essentially ruined by the dryness of the meat. It was definitely well done, if not a bit past that, and had lost a good amount of the moisture and juiciness that a burger is supposed to have. The bread seemed a bit dry as well, but it seemed purposefully done. I almost wonder if it was missing a thin brown or white gravy dip. Now that would turn the entire thing around.

Of the entire meal, my most favorite was the ahi tuna. Seared ever so lightly, and seasoned with drops of the horseradish mayonnaise and a sort of light bbq honey cocktail sauce, it was simple, yet brought out that what makes ahi tuna what it is. The shrimp was similarly done and had the same affect on me.

Tastegasm achieved. I'll be back, Hoolihan's. To you or one of your sisters.

St. Charles Tavern - NOLA

2012-01-20T15:40:00.000-08:00

St. Charles Tavern
1433 St. Charles Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70130
www.stcharlestavern.com
504-523-9823

New Orleans is famous, or rather infamous, for being a city that is 24/7. Most locations that consider themselves restaurants first take a normal restaurant schedule, closing after dinner at around 11pm. Even bar and lounges close their kitchens close to midnight. For a city that is known to party around the clock, where does one--a foodie accustomed to delicious fare--get a bite to eat after a rowdy party night, then? St. Charles Tavern, of course!

Definitely several large steps above bar and diner food, St. Charles Tavern definitely puts out some delicious dishes available around the clock, 24/7. Blessed be. If you think IHOP is great at 4 in the morning after a night out, be ready to have a shuddering tastegasm when you have St. Charles Tavern at 4 in the morning!

Just about on the border of uptown and downtown on St. Charles, it is a most ideal pit stop for those making their way home on the trolley line. Living uptown on the trolley line myself - it was practically a required stop for going back home after a exciting evening and night. I've had practically everything worth getting on the menu, and it's all fantastically good. Definitely give their gumbo a try, as well as all other classically New Orleanian foods on the menu. I highly recommend the boudin balls. Deep fried Cajun flavored concoctions of boudin sausage, eggs, flour, and seasonings, all covered with remoulade sauce--boudin balls are definitely a fantastic party in your mouth.

It could just be me, but I typically skip "regular" foods from restaurants that are known to be good for specialty foods. So don't ask me how good the burger or chicken fingers are here, essentially, because like it or not, it's simply a waste of caloric intake. In my sincerest humble opinion, of course.

The prices are reasonable, but naturally a waste of calories and dollars if you're coming here with drunken taste buds. The food is incredibly tasteful and rich, but should definitely not come with a nutritional facts label. No calorie or fat percentage is spared, but not to excess, of course.

All in all, St. Charles Tavern may not be on the list of places to visit for lunch, but is definitely great for a late dinner, and the place to go to for a late night or early morning tastegasmic meal.

Marea - Manhattan, NY

2012-01-14T09:26:00.000-08:00

Marea
240 Central Park S.
Manhattan, NY 10019
www.marea-nyc.com
212-582-5100

Marea has all the makings of a trendy restaurant, and doesn't slaughter the portion size that drastically in becoming trendy. Yes, quantity is not necessary in experiencing proper taste, but sometimes, I want to experience that taste a few times, especially in what happens to the taste as my tongue gets accustomed to the flavor. One thing I've noticed, however, is that trendy has more and more doubled in definition to the word snobby. Like the wealth class division, the foodie trendy class division has been as nose turn uppish as it has ever been. If you don't understand the culture, you have to ask and be treated as a foodie child, hand held.

I consider Marea a blending of Italian and seafood, with a Japanese twist. Having a rather purist background, I wanted to separate the two and experience the flavors separately, making it two separate experiences, rather than blending the tastes in fusion.

For $185 worth of food, and approximately $100 for roughly 2 rounds of drinks, four people were reasonably filled for people who were expecting calories. For what I was expecting, not bad, but I also held back.The sashimi here is delicious, and I could definitely do some serious damage here. Each four pieces sashimi plate, priced at $12 to $20, was every bit delicious and tastegasmiccally savory. Given a chance, I would have grabbed each one of them. I grabbed the pappagallo (parrotfish) and Panna.

The meals consisted of the swordfish, cuttlefish, cheese pasta, clam risotto. Naturally, being me, I stole food from each dish to try it. Growing up in NOLA, my tongue is still used to a lot more flavor and zest in each layer than most other cuisine areas. However, I've noticed that mild flavors are only used because bold statements can quickly overwhelm more subtle flavors. Multilayer tastes and flavors should complement each other in their boldness - not complement each other in it's closeness in taste, in some of these cases, blandness.

I paired my cuttlefish with occhi 68, 2009. A rather more bland than expected, but it came with recommendation for the cuttlefish.

Now, mind you, the food was good. It was perfectly made, and tasteful, and for the menu item, it was fantastic. I just expect more zing, more pow, more bam, to quote Emeril, even though I don't like his ways. Trendy fusion is not about following the standard. It's about amazing your clientelle. It's about generating fans with your art that you can call your own, not providing the customer what he expects. It's about wow factor.

Side note to self, eat more caviar. Caviar has zing factor, all by itself.

The more and more I go out to eat, and boy, have I gone out to eat, I've noticed that the company you're with is incredibly relevant. The sights, the sounds, the smells, the atmosphere of the restaurant is incredibly valuable. I think I finally made a hard distinction this time around due to the different characters with me. As I was enjoying my meal, beyond the flavors shifting on my palate, I noticed that my heart felt and showed who I was talking to shifted my palate. Neither good nor bad. Just interesting observation.

The bill shock chocolates, as I call them, are fantastic, and the ladies left with chocolate gifts that they promptly gifted away again outside the restaurant. Must have been all those rich butter laden dishes creating tastegasmic guilt trips.

Moritomo - Concord, NH

2012-01-13T23:11:00.000-08:00

Moritomo

32 Fort Eddy Road

Concord, NH 03301-7404
(603) 224-8363

www.moritomonh.com

Moritomo is one of only a few Japanese sushi restaurants that grace the Concord area, but that does not mean that this isn't a gem in itself. The named rolls here are fantastic, and the sashimi is incredibly fresh and crisp.

They used uncolored ginger at Moritomo, which is a refreshing change from seeing the more well known pink color from regular pickled ginger. Practically no one that I know notices any difference between the two, but everytime, I seem to be able to taste that the pink one is a little more artificially sweet than white ginger. Splenda versus sugar.

I usually focus on the dishes in a restaurant that makes the restaurant unique. Signature dishes. Special rolls. Menu items that get recommended right next to the restaurant name upon suggestion. Every restaurant can come up with chicken tenders -- every restaurant does, in fact. If I want chicken tenders, I'll go to a restaurant that is known for their chicken tenders, where someone has gone to me and said "Dude! Go to the Puritan! They've got the best chicken tenders!"

The difference between Moritomo's special rolls and regular rolls are quite significant, in my opinion. The chefs definitely put a lot more focus and concentration in creating these delightful works of art, where they usually just slam the regular rolls together, as can be seen in the pictures. Mind you, the special rolls are easily twice the price of regular rolls, but who goes to eat sushi to watch their wallets? Not I, by far not. I'm the guilty party to order all the special rolls on the menu. I've tried about half of the 30 special rolls that are on the menu, and they're all good. Grab one of ingredients that you like, one to experiment with, and another to share. Five rolls are plenty.

They don't really take care to pack the leftovers well, usually just shoving everything into as few containers as possible, however, in my household, the leftovers are gone usually before the sun next rises, so not an issue.

All in all, Moritomo is quite a good sushi restaurant, focused on good service and traditional looks and feel. Their designer sushi is fantastic, and really brings out the creativeness of the chefs. I will definitely return back here again and again.

Cooter Brown's - New Orleans, LA

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

Cooter Brown's Tavern

509 S. Carrollton Ave. (St. Charles Ave.)

New Orleans, LA 70118

www.cooterbrowns.com

504-866-9104

Cooter Brown's is another one of those restaurants / sports bars that I lived three and a half blocks away from, and saw me, a lot. Thankfully I was addicted to their raw oysters, else I'd truly be in trouble if I partook in their fried food fare as well as often as I did their oysters and beer.

Cooter's is unique in a sports bar is that the amount of varieties of beer that they serve is staggering. Grocery store style full length glass window refrigerators line three whole walls full of different kinds of beers, as well as standard national chains in standard under the bar fridges. If you wanted beer, and a different type of beer every beer you drank for year, you came here. I tried, and failed to have every kind of beer available here, and I had time.

They serve fried foods, and fried seafood restaurant fare and sides, including some pretty damn good onion rings. Everything is fresh battered and fried to order, and comes out hot and crispy, and leaking oil. Delish.

I usually try to stay away from fried oysters in a place that serves raw oysters mainly because of the thought that they deep fry the oysters that are going to spoil, but the turnaround at Cooter's is fast enough that I don't think they have this problem. Either case, the fried oysters? Prima. Still a waste though, because I come here to drink and eat raw oysters.

The raw oysters. Cheap, large, fresh, deliciously tasty. Gulf coast raw oysters is the reason why I don't really eat raw oysters from other harvest sites. They're just that much more tasty. They've been filtering all the crap coming down the Mississippi for decades, and they are to die for. Get the cocktail sauce ready, get the horseradish mixed in. Get the tobacco sauce ready, and order them by the dozen. There's nothing like eating them with your friends over great laughs by the dozen. (or hell, without, for that matter, there are always new friends to be made at Cooter's).

Don't forget to make your first raw oyster an oyster shooter!

PS. What? You don't know what an oyster shooter is? Shame on you! Shot or two of chilled pepper vodka in a large shot glass or small tumbler, with enough room left over for an oyster and a bit. Prepare oyster like you would a regular raw oyster, but with almost double the amount of horseradish. Drop it in like a car bomb, give it a quick second swirl, and down the hatch! A start to a great night!

Moe Joe's Country Diner - Manchester, NH

2012-01-05T01:30:00.000-08:00

Moe Joe's Country Diner
649 E Industrial Park Dr Map.
Manchester, NH 03109
eatatmoejoe.com
(603) 641-2993

Moe Joe's Country Diner is a quick breakfast place one step up above a chain place. It's where you go when you're running late and need a little more than just a coffee and wrap of some sorts in the morning. They need about 10 minutes to get whatever you want done, so call it in and they'll have it waiting for you when you roll in. Or you can eat in, and they'll keep you company, but I've always associated the place as a take out place for me.

A few things that I find Moe Joe's is exceptionally good at - their Irish Eggs Benedict, with hollandaise sauce. Maybe because it brings memories of my childhood to me, or maybe Moe Joe's is just damn good at it, but 4 out of 5 times, that's my choice.

Moe Joe's has a home made baked beans that is a bit bland, but is delicious with just a touch more salt and pepper to bring out the flavors. Eat this one quickly - for some reason it gets cold quickly, and no one likes cold beans.

The price is just about average for an above average diner, especially since most of the menu items are relatively simple and can be managed in most kitchens with a quick visit to the grocery store.

The winning side from here is the cornbread. This cornbread must be homesick, because it definitely belongs in New Orleans. It is made just right, so sweet and fluffy and orgasmically tasty. Excuse me, tastegasmically tasty. Just because my tongue is used to it, I usually pinch a touch of salt into the side, and shake it through, and for those hardcore butter lovers, I'm sure you already know you can melt some butter on your cornbread for your ultimate heartstopping fantasy.

Stop by, it's conveniently a minute right on exit 6 off of I-93.

North Garden - Manchester, NH

2011-12-30T07:01:00.000-08:00

North Garden Restaurant and Lounge
715 Mast Rd
Manchester, NH 03102
(603) 668-1668

North Garden is diamond in the rough, or perhaps a diamond that's been roughened up. It serves a menu that consists of Americanized Chinese food, some more traditional Cantonese / Chinese dishes, and a limited order based Dim Sum lunch menu. There is a bar on one side of the restaurant, and butted next to the restaurant is the lounge.

The chef, Raymond Zeng, is extremely personable, and often eats with his family in the dining area with his patrons. To my amusement, however, he often whips up foods not on the menu, and that he will not serve to anyone else either as he says with a friendly smirk, so to leave us with mouth watering eye candy, but nothing more.

That's ok, there is plenty of the menu that appeals to my tastes, especially those dishes that haven't quite been Americanized yet. The Americanized dishes are quite good for Americanized dishes, not quite as bland, and soaked in oils and grease as one would expect from American Chinese. The rest of the dishes that still scream culture is why I come to North Garden.

The rice in all applications, whether steamed white or fried, is light and rightly textured. The vegetables are fresh and almost flash fried - no wilted, overcooked look or taste. The meats are tender, fall apart in your mouth, and full of flavor. The spices are just right, and bring out the natural flavors of each of the dishes without overpowering it.

The Dim Sum is top class, but reflects Boston prices, rather than Manchester. A limited order based lunch menu ensures that each tidbit is fresh and hot, and ever so tasty. And yes, they do have fantastic tripe and chicken feet! All the classic basics are there, enough to keep my Dim Sum cravings at bay, and only ten minutes from my home!

The bar and lounge are some of the plain as day indications that money is king. Everyone knows in order to make bank in the restaurant industry, booze has to be involved. It has a high mark up, it's sales are limited to locations that have liquor licenses, it doesn't require much talent to serve (but a lifetime of practice to serve with class and gusto, as shown by some career bartenders I've known and known of), has an easy to store and very forgivable shelf life, and practically everyone drinks it to excess (ahem!).

I don't care much what North Garden has to do in order to make profit in order for the dishes to remain as traditionally Cantonese as possible. In fact, I've been known to make a donation to the lounge every once in a while - the mixed drinks are cheap and strong, and get you where you need to go (or not need to go, for that matter) in short order.

All in all, North Garden gets a thumbs up from me. Perhaps they'll get one more visit from me before I attempt another new year's resolution.

Pots and Pans

2011-12-29T08:02:00.000-08:00

I wonder, can pots and pans come with a nutritional facts label as well?

"Your copper sauté pan gives you 4% of your weekly copper limit for every 60 minutes that you keep your food in it at 400 degrees Fahrenheit before copper toxicity sets in!"

With all the latest worries and "experts" writing articles and giving speeches about your pots and pans and BPA loaded plastics, I'm kind of surprised that cooking and food storage implements now don't come with a nutritional facts label.

"Your cast iron wok gives you 0.1% of your daily iron needs on a 2000 calorie diet for every 10 minutes that you keep your food on it at 300 degrees Fahrenheit!"

Today, there are so many different cooking surfaces available, all of them having its benefits and downfalls. If you're so interested, you can read about them on Wikipedia, here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookware_and_bakeware

The same goes with food storage. "BPA Free" is now on food grade plastics everywhere. Standing for Bisphenol A, this stuff supposedly causes genetic damage, especially in kids.

The question I ask is, how much does this stuff really affect a person, if at all? We've been using Teflon for years before the study came out that it could potentially cause harm. Today's new kid is anodized aluminum - but how reactive is it really? 5 years down the line, am I going to to find out I'm going to be all shiny or glow in the dark?

I personally cook on as much as possible on cast iron. I only have a two range top grill and press, and a wok, but that does the job quite well for most things, interestingly enough, and if I just went and got a cast iron skillet and pot, I should be able to retire everything else. Maybe if I get enough iron seepage into my food, I'll become Ironman.

Mikimoto - New Orleans, LA

2011-12-29T06:30:00.000-08:00

Mikimoto
3301 S. Carrollton Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70118
504-488-1881
www.mikimotosushi.com

Having lived on the same street as for several years, and only about 15 blocks away, it was definitely a regular haunt for me. Great sushi, cheap prices, good sake? It was within walking distance, it was on the way home from work, I had to pass it to go practically anywhere or come home from any place. And it has a drive through to call ahead and pick up from. I'm actually surprised that I didn't have mercury poisoning during this time, or, rather, that does explain a lot....

Although I have tendencies to stick to a pattern when it comes to ordering things off a menu, I have had everything on the menu, and several things off the menu that you can only get by asking the chefs for them. Or in my case, asking the chefs to make something that they would like to make.

I'm a huge sushi fan, and usually end up eating sushi at least once a week on average. Maybe twice. I think I've had sushi every single day for a week straight during some points in my life. Everything is good at Mikimoto. Well, almost everything. From the many sushi restaurants that I've visited with a few exceptions, the worse the miso soup is, the better the sushi will be. I've actually been able to predict how much I will like the sushi based upon my first bowl of miso. So, if that wasn't clear enough, the miso at Mikimoto isn't very good.

That reminds me. Sushi isn't sushi without fish. All you California Roll, or Cucumber Roll, or Vegetable whatever Rolls - that isn't sushi. That's rice and veggies. And that's disgusting. And no, I haven't had those items on Mikimoto's menu. Technicality, but I feel like I had to clarify.

Mikimoto's sushi rice is exactly how I like it, a bit on the drier side with a touch more vinegar in comparison to expectation to other sushi restaurants. I find that it really accentuates the flavor, moisture, and zestiness of the different fish that embraces the rice.

What sushi meal is complete without a bottle or three of sake shared amongst friends? Cold sake, unfiltered. Pick your brand for your ideal flavor. Warm sake? Never. There is a reason why there is only one type of warm sake. House. Leftover sake that needs to be served warm in order to hide the taste imperfections. So don't do it. Unless you like your warm sake that much.

All in all, Mikimoto is a great sushi restaurant that is relatively cheap and quick. They're focused on customer service, and great for grabbing a quick meal on the go, or sitting down and eating for a few hours. Did I mention it had a drive-through?

Honey Pig (Gooldaegee) - Ellicott City, MD

2011-12-28T20:24:00.000-08:00

Honey Pig Gooldaegee Korean Grill
Princess Shopping Center
10045 Baltimore National Pike (Centennial Ln.)
Ellicott City, MD 21042
410-696-2426
eathoneypig.com

Honey Pig is a fantastic Korean BBQ close to Baltimore, MD. It's apparently a small chain, even though it doesn't appear to be. It's setup as a classic Korean BBQ place, with gas heating elements built into the center of each table to cook the meat on right in front of you. Korean hibachi, of sorts, but with the rest of the table also a beaten stainless steel, giving it a sort of post modern look.

Each dish is a different cut of meat, usually from either beef or pork - ranging from boneless short ribs (Galbi) to pork bellies. Besides that, we had also ordered the classic bulgogi, translated as "fire meat." Two of some of mans' favorite words, if I may say. Glass noodles with soy sauce and vegetables, some soups, steamed poached eggs, and the classic sets of Korean picked appetizers were also included. More than enough food to keep this guy fed.

I'm not sure why Korean BBQ places always get it right, or whether I'm biased, but the fare coming off these rounded cast iron has never wronged me, other than keeping me from the long desired washboard stomach, but that's a topic for another day, and most likely for another blog for that matter.

The meat only dishes were a just a touch more dry than they could have been, but every chef that has to cook reaching over your shoulder can have an off day. The meat was, as expected, incredibly flavorful and tender. Each chopsticked piece of delicate meat practically fell apart on my plate - if it even made it there. As the food slowly cooled on the turned off cooking surface, we soon ate straight from there, skipping the plate entirely.

The glass noodles was one of the dishes that was prepared in the kitchen, a touch salty, but delicious nonetheless. My only complaint is that the serving plate became empty so quickly, after only making it one round around the table.

All in all, Honey Pig provides an awesomely filling meal on the cheap. We easily fed--overfed, actually--five people on $50 worth of food. Definitely worth visiting, and don't forget to grab a cup of the free coffee by the door on the way out, lest you food coma soon after!

Ping Pong Dim Sum - Washington, DC

2011-12-27T20:44:00.001-08:00

Ping Pong Dim Sum
900 Seventh St. NW (I St.)
Washington, DC 20001
www.pingpongdimsum.us
202-506-3740

If trendy means tiny portions, terrible service, and and non conforming atmosphere, then this place is definitely 5 star.

The whole dim sum experience is defined by crowded tables, bustling stainless steel carts, the clicking of chopsticks, the overwhelming varying smells coming from the multitude of dishes, the need of a periodic scalding hot tea bath of your mouth to cleanse the palate from the many zesty spices and oils.

To reiterate, roughly speaking, food falls into four different main categories for me: fusion, tradition, zing, and caloric intake. Ping Pong Dim Sum meets none of those.

Considering the location--in the heart of Washington DC, just blocks away from the capital--the need to be trendy and pricey is practically necessary and perfectly explainable. Aside from the the modern look, which detracted from the experience, in my opinion, nothing else explained the reason for that restaurant to be there. No gimmick to hold it together either.

The forced of what we ordered and how to eat it, the labels on the bamboo steamers - it almost seems that the restaurant expected its patrons to be the most sheltered and slow people on the face of the planet.

Back to the primary point - the food. It was incredibly tiny portions, extremely bland especially if you know what real dim sum is supposed to be like. There was no zing. As for caloric intake - I was convinced I was more hungry after sharing $75 worth of food with 5 people than before I ate.

The taste was bland. All the dishes tasted pretty close to nothing. We polished off all the side spices and sauces (which were weak as well) in order to attempt to recover the meal. The frozen premade dim sum you can get at asian grocery stores tastes better, I'm sorry to say. The only redeeming item was the teaspoonful of sticky black rice in coconut milk. Then, of course, it's rather hard to screw up considering it's a 3-4 ingredient dish...

The service was just terrible. I normally don't judge the restaurant too harshly based upon the possibility of the waiter having a bad day, but the service was poor in a way that shows that the waiter never has a good day. He actually emanated eau de permanent scowl and bad mood. The dishes were poorly presented, my water glass was never refilled, and when I pulled the waiter aside to refill our glasses, he actually expected me to reach across the rather large table and everyone's plates with my glass that had remained empty all meal long so he didn't have to move to refill.

In summary - this restaurant has a lot of promise, a great location, and... not much else. Convert it to a trendy sushi house, or an Asian fusion restaurant. Without it, it's going to look like it looked like when I visited. Empty.

One last thought, and most importantly of all, and I quote-- "Where's the chicken feet and cow tripe?"

Food?

2011-12-26T03:30:00.000-08:00

You are what you eat.

What is that saying, really? I am food? I am drink? I know what I enjoy, and here I will attempt to chronicle at least some of them in hopefully not too bad incessant ramblings. I am a jack of all trades, master of some. I do try to pride myself in being someone of a polymath, a modern renaissance man of sorts, though there is so much more to learn.

Roughly speaking, food falls into four different main categories for me: fusion, tradition, zing, and caloric intake:

Fusion, is, well, fusion. The unexpected melding of different existing tastes. The creation of new flavors, styles. Exciting the taste buds and secondary senses with things that they have never remotely tasted before.
Tradition are the foods and flavors that we know. Foods that have been around for a while, but persist because they're, well, that good. Subtle changes in flavor and recipes give new life to traditional foods, but they are essentially what you expect--order in a world of foodie chaos.
Zing explains itself. Things that just go WOW! It may be things that you already know, it may be something new. But it sticks out like a sore thumb, but a good sore thumb. It's like biting into a fresh, cold lime. It's like standing up into an open cabinet door. BAM!
Caloric intake is essentially efficiency food. There are essentially three types of efficiency - economic efficiency, time efficiency, and effective efficiency.

Economic efficiency is getting the most calories for the buck. It's that family pack of 10 pounds of ground beef that only costing you a dollar per 500 calories. Economic efficiency is often not the healthiest, but doesn't have to be.
Time efficiency is getting the most calories in the shortest amount of time. Whether it's a high amount of calories in a short amount of time, or prepared foods, or fast food even. It's that big mac that you got for lunch because you didn't have any time. It's that protein bar that you had instead of breakfast.
Effective efficiency is essentially health food. It's getting what your body needs when it needs it with the least amount of excess. It's getting your protein requirement with the least amount of cholesterol and fats.
Efficiency food is a moving target line between tasting pretty bad and being incredibly unhealthy. But there are some rare good treats that meet all the efficiency categories, and are oh so rewarding to find.

I'm a cruel judge, and my expectations are high, but when you feed me right, I'm the most loyal dog you can find.
The way to my heart is through my stomach--literally, figuratively, and metaphorically.