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Seattle Day 1 – The Crab Pot

Saturday, June 20th, 2009 by virginia

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After watching the fishes being tossed around at Pike Place Market and seeing all the beautiful seafood on display, we knew that we had to have some before we left Seattle. Even though we would be going to Alaska where seafood is notoriously abundant, we figured that any seafood served on the cruise ship would have to be frozen since they load up on supplies at the beginning of the cruise. My sister suggested going to The Crab Pot, a loud and boisterous touristy restaurant on a pier next to Puget Sound. Instead of plates, you receive a wooden cutting board and a wooden mallet. Patrons wear lobster bibs around their necks and whack away happily at crabs, smashing the shells to extract the meat inside. It’s kitschy but also a lot of fun.

We had a large group with us so the wait was long, about an hour, but luckily we were able to score a bar table in the back while we waited. I guess the purpose of these tables are for people who just want to have drinks and a few snacks but don’t want to get any of the famous crab pots. The only food available in the bar room are appetizers for sharing. We ordered a few pitchers of local beers and some steamed mussels and fried calamari to nibble on while we waited for our table in the dining room. Unfortunately, the food took forever to come out and we actually were seated in the main room before we got our appetizers. We had to notify our waitress that we had already ordered and paid for appetizers in the bar room, and by the time they brought them out, everything was cold. The fried calamari were rubbery and not crispy – these were pretty bad.

Cold, soggy, and rubbery fried calamari

The mussels were also cold but still tasty. We sopped up the juices with slices of sourdough bread.

Steamed mussels

While the appetizers were a disappointment, we were here for the seafood pots. Pots have to be ordered for a minimum of two people, so we decided to share a Westport pot for two, an Alaskan pot for two, as well a Captain’s Combo of fried seafood. I also had to add an order of spicy seasoned fries, because I can’t resist seasoned fries. We figured that would be plenty of food for seven people, and we were right.

Spicy fries seasoned with Old Bay

The Westport comes with Dungeness crab, snow crab, shrimp, clams, mussels, andouille sausage, corn on the cob and red potatoes. Everything is steamed together and seasoned with Old Bay. The Alaskan comes with the same items as the Westport, with the addition of king crab. Basically the waitress comes with two huge metal mixing bowls full of the seafood (the two servings are in one bowl) and just dumps it out in the middle of the table. There are no serving platters or niceties here, just seafood, the mallets, a cutting board, and your fingers.

Crazy amount of seafood dumped in the middle of the table

There really was a lot of Old Bay seasoning on everything, and after a while your tongue and lips got kind of numb and tingling from all the salt, but everything was good. The king crab was excellent, and the claw we got was bigger than my fist. It’s incredible how large king crabs are, and they’re so tasty and sweet. The potatoes and corn were surprisingly good too, as they had soaked up all the flavors of the seafood.

Corn on the cob, potato, and sausage were dispersed throughout the seafood

The Captain’s Combo was just ok. It was a standard plate of fried seafood, including shrimp, calamari, clams and fish. This was mostly for my dad, who isn’t the biggest seafood eater (unlike my mom, who at buffets can mow down plate after plate of snow crab legs). He seemed to really enjoy the fried fish.

Captain's Combo of fried seafood

We really did a good job on the seafood pots. I think all we left behind were a few stray potatoes and slices of sausage. Everyone was full, satisfied, and happy after this meal.

The aftermath

To top it off, my sister told the waitress it was my birthday so she brought over a huge slice of mud pie with a candle in it. The mud pie had an Oreo cookie crust, mocha ice cream, toasted almonds, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. I passed it around the table to share and it was a huge gut bomb after all the food we just ate, but a nice cold and refreshing end to the feast.

Huge slice of mud pie

Overall the seafood at The Crab Pot probably isn’t Seattle’s finest but the restaurant is tons of fun and great for large groups. The atmosphere is casual, you eat mostly with your fingers, and everyone can just let loose and hammer away at their food – it’s a great way to get any aggression out of your system! Again, if you’re looking for a fine dining spot with carefully prepared entrees, this isn’t the place for you. But if you just want some fresh seafood that’s simply prepared and served in a relaxed environment, I definitely recommend going to this restaurant.

The Crab Pot
1301 Alaskan Way, Pier 57
Seattle, WA

Tags: Crab, Seafood, Seattle
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Seattle Day 1 – Pike Place Market (Pike Place Chowder, Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, Emmett Watson’s Oyster Bar, and Piroshky, Piroshky)

Saturday, June 20th, 2009 by virginia

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No trip to Seattle is complete without a visit to Pike Place Market, which has stalls upon stalls of fresh seafood, produce, flower, food and knickknack vendors. After we dropped our bags off at our hotel, we headed straight to the market, which was already bustling with activity. Our first stop was the famous fish market where they throw the fish around. Luckily, there was a tv crew filming them for some reason, and they ended up tossing a lot of fish. I managed to get a few shots of the flying fish.

Can you see the flying fish?

We were starving but couldn’t decide what we wanted to eat, so we decided to just walk through the market and stop at various places, picking up a few bites from each. But first, the beauty of the market:

Flower stall

Really beautiful fresh cut flowers

Fresh produce stall

Dried pepper display

Fresh fish on display

The original Starbucks

And now, back to the food…

Pike Place Chowder

We started our day of eating at Pike Place Chowder, which is located in Post Alley. There were lots of different soups to choose from so we ended up ordering chowder samplers to share. We decided to try the classic New England clam chowder, the seafood bisque, and the market chowder, which is made from the fresh seafood of the day from the market.

New England clam chowder, seafood bisque, market chowder

I found the New England clam chowder to be a bit bland, even though they put bacon in it. This is one of my favorite kinds of soup but this version didn’t live up to my expectations. My brother-in-law, who is a proud Bostonian, was also not so impressed with this version. It wasn’t bad, but it definitely needed more seasoning and more briney flavor from the clams.

Clam chowder close up

The seafood bisque, which is made with pacific cod, wild salmon, and shrimp in a creamy tomato-basil broth, was my favorite soup of the bunch. It was creamy and rich, and when they blended it they left little chunks of seafood that added a nice texture to the otherwise smooth soup. I thought the seasoning of this bisque was spot on, but it was Josh’s least favorite one.

Seafood bisque close up

The market chowder was my least favorite soup, and Josh’s favorite, so that just goes to show that we don’t always have similar tastes. I guess I liked it less because it wasn’t a creamy soup, and I prefer my seafood soups to be creamy. The soup had lots of little shrimp in it, and shreds of crab meat, but I’m not sure what else. There was also corn and other vegetables mixed in, but I had a hard time placing the flavors. There wasn’t anything to bind it together, but I guess Josh liked it because it was a lighter soup.

Market chowder close up

Overall I thought Pike Place Chowder was a bit of a disappointment. When you advertise that your clam chowder was voted the “Nation’s Best” though, I think you’re just setting yourself up for criticism. I’ve definitely had better versions elsewhere, and none of the other soups really blew my mind, but I’m definitely not a soup connoisseur. I admit, I like Progresso’s New England clam chowder and keep cans of it in my desk at work for the days I just can’t get out to find lunch. Pike Place Chowder does have a lot of other options we didn’t try, so maybe we just picked the wrong soups. Either way, I do think it’s worth a taste if you’re at the market.

Beecher’s Handmade Cheese

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I’ve never heard of Beecher’s before but someone in our group said that they had the best macaroni and cheese so how could we pass this up? But again, that just raises your expectations. We got in line and as we were waiting, someone behind the counter passed us a sample of cheese curds, which I’ve never tasted before. They were hard and had an almost rubbery texture, but nicely salty and not too milky tasting. I could easily snack on these while having a beer. I’ve only had cheese curds on poutine in Montreal before, but it’s usually melted so that it has a stringy consistency. Now I just need to go to Wisconsin and try some deep fried cheese curds.

We got a large container of the famous macaroni and cheese to share. The macaroni and cheese is made with penne pasta, which is a departure from the standard elbow-shaped macaroni. I suppose that it helps the pasta retain a bit more bite, but it was kind of awkward to eat while we were strolling along in the market because it wouldn’t stay on the fork.

Beecher's famous macaroni and cheese

As for the taste, it was pretty rich and delicious, with a nice cheddar cheese flavor and a sprinkling of chili powder on top to boost up the seasoning. The texture, however, was a bit too floury for me. I know that helps the cheese sauce to cling to the pasta but it left an unpleasant pasty film in my mouth. There was also no cheesy crust to the mac and cheese, which is usually my favorite part, and I missed the stringy gooey bits of cheese that is found in other varieties.

Creamy but not gooey

While this is a really good stovetop version of mac and cheese, those of you who prefer the baked kind (like me) might find it a bit disappointing. It’s still worth a taste though – it never hurts to try things at least once!

Emmett Watson’s Oyster Bar

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Josh was craving raw oysters and figured that the seafood in Seattle would be pretty fresh. We saw a sign pointing in the direction of Emmett Watson’s Oyster Bar so of course we followed it. It’s a casual sit down restaurant and bar serving all different kinds of seafood. We got a few pints of local beer and ordered a round of raw oysters, as well as a fried seafood combination plate.

Maritime Pacific Old Seattle Lager and Pyramid Hefeweizen

The variety of raw oysters they had on hand that day were otter creek, hunts point, and miyagi. The miyagis were our favorite, as they were the briniest and tasted of the sea. We don’t like to drown our oysters in sauce; a little squeeze of lemon is all I need.

Fresh and briney raw oysters

The fried seafood combination plate, called the Captain’s Basket, included fish, clams, shrimp, and oysters. The fried shrimp were the best, as they were fresh, meaty, and perfectly fried to a crisp.

Fried shrimp, clams, scallops, and oysters

Fried fish, shrimp, clams, and oysters

I thought the seafood at Emmet Watson’s was pretty fresh, and the oysters were really tasty. Service was a bit slow though, as we waited a long time for our food to come out. Still, it was a nice place to sit down and have a drink and just relax after all the walking we did in the market.

Piroshky, Piroshky

I had never heard about Piroshky, Piroshky, even though it was apparently featured on an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations”, a show that we watch occasionally. I guess we missed that episode. What drew us into this tiny shop was the long line. Seriously, every time we walked past, the line was out the door and about 15 people deep. We didn’t know what a piroshky was, and we couldn’t understand what the fuss was all about so we had to see for ourselves.

Watching the piroshkies being made

When we finally got inside I could finally see what a piroshky was, which is a Russian pastry that is stuffed with different things. We tried out the potato, onion and cheese piroshky, the beef and cheese, the apple cinnamon roll, and the marzipan roll.

A variety of piroshkies on display

The potato and onion piroshky had a soft filling of mashed potatoes.

Potato and onion piroshky

The pastry isn’t flaky, but more light and chewy. It was kind of like eating a soft, warm knish, and I enjoyed this one a lot.

Piroshky innards

The beef and cheese piroshky tasted exactly like a roast pork bun to me.

Beef and cheese piroshky

The beef was ground very finely so it was more mushy than crumbly, and there was a sweet sauce mixed in that made it similar to char siu. The pastry is also a bit sweet, like a lot of Asian breads that I’ve eaten, and I was seriously transported to Chinatown for a second. The baked cheesy bits on top helped to provide a more savory contrast, but overall I found this piroshky to be a bit too sweet for my liking.

Piroshky innards

The apple cinnamon roll had such potential, except that the one we got was a bit cold and stale on the outside. The inner parts of the roll were soft and delicious, with large pieces of apple rolled in with the cinnamon sugar, so I only wish that the whole thing was like that.

Apple cinnamon roll

The marzipan roll was the surprise hit. I don’t have fond memories of marzipan candy, but in this roll it was a soft paste with a subtly sweet almond flavor.

Marzipan roll

The pastry on this roll was a bit flakier, so it was kind of like a stuffed croissant. It was soft and warm and completely addictive. This was the only roll that we went back for more the next day before our cruise set sail.

Marzipan innards

Overall I did enjoy Piroshky, Piroshky, but if it were in NYC I’m not sure if I’d go there often. It’s a bit pricey for what you get, but it’s definitely a nice novelty place to stop by at if you happen to be in Seattle.

Pike Place Chowder
1530 Post Alley
Seattle, WA

Beecher’s Handmade Cheese
1600 Pike Place
Seattle, WA

Emmett Watson’s Oyster Bar
1916 Pike Place
Seattle, WA

Piroshky, Piroshky
1908 Pike Place
Seattle, WA

Tags: Chowder, Macaroni and Cheese, Oysters, Pike Place, Seattle
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Two Fat Bellies Hit the Road – Gluttonous in Seattle

Saturday, June 20th, 2009 by virginia

Our family trip this year was a cruise to Alaska, which began and ended in Seattle so that’s where everyone met up. There were a lot of us on this trip and we were all coming in from different places. Josh, his parents, my parents, and I flew in from NJ, my sister and brother-in-law from San Diego, and my brother-in-law’s family came in from Boston. To make sure that we didn’t miss our boat, we arrived in Seattle a day early and used the extra time to see the sights. Luckily the weather was beautiful (no rain!) so we could walk around downtown, and we even took a fun Duck land and water tour of the city. There’s not a whole lot to see, but there is plenty to eat in Seattle!

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Tags: Duck Tour, Seattle
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Telepan

Friday, June 19th, 2009 by virginia

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My birthday celebration continued with dinner at Telepan with Josh’s family. Telepan has been on my radar since it was reviewed by the New York Times, but I never got around to trying it out. For my birthday, I was looking for a reasonably priced prix fixe menu and Telepan’s four-course tasting menu was a bargain at $59 compared to some other restaurants, so off we went.

The restaurant is divided into two long rooms and decorated with sort of a garden motif. I found it to be a bit flowery, but pleasant. We had some cocktails while we waited for the rest of our party to arrive.

A cosmo to kick the night off

I always do a menu reconnaissance before I go somewhere new, and I already had a few dishes in mind that I wanted to try so I waited until everyone else made their selections before settling on my own choices. Luckily there was a wide variety on the table, so I was able to taste a lot of the dishes that I was interested in. After we gave our orders, the bread man came by with a huge basket full of carby goodness. There was olive bread, ciabatta, and whole grain, and of course I had to try all three. They were warm but chewy, with no discernable crust. Still they had a lot of good flavor, and I’m never one to turn down bread.

Olive bread, ciabatta, and whole grain

Our meal started off with the amuse, which was actually three little servings set on a long wooden plank. First was a wedge of focaccia, like a slice of thick pan pizza topped with salami and pepperoncino. It had a nice kick to it. Next was a chickpea tuna salad on a round of toast. It was light and delicious, and not too fishy. Even Josh ate it, and he absolutely hates tuna salad. Last was a small cup of chilled cucumber soup, which had a slightly sour tang to it like it was mixed with yogurt. It was frothy and refreshing.

Three separate amuse bouches

For the first course, I started with the house smoked brook trout, served on a blini with sweet onion sour cream. It was really good but tasted very similar to other smoked whitefish salads I’ve had on bagels during Jewish holidays. I love smoked fish so I enjoyed every bit of it, but there wasn’t anything special about it to set it apart from other versions.

House smoked brook trout on a blini

Josh had the sunnyside duck egg, which was like the best breakfast food ever. The perfectly cooked egg sat on top of a thick slice of buttery toast. A bean salad underneath helped cut through the richness of the dish and lightened everything up.

Sunnyside duck egg

For the mid course, I had soft shell crab linguini with ramps and chilies. I considered this to be my “birthday noodle dish” for long life (it’s a Chinese thing), since I hadn’t eaten any noodles all day. While the flavors were spot on, with the ramps providing a nice garlicky base, I think the soft shell crab was past its molting stage, and was tough and chewy. The texture was really unpleasant and I had a hard time swallowing it. I eventually gave up and just ate the noodles, which was really too bad because I was looking forward to having this dish.

Soft shell crab linguini

Josh’s mid course of pea pancakes fared much better, and tasted like spring. The sweet peas were complemented by earthy mushrooms and fresh vegetables. I stole more than a few bites from his plate.

Pea pancakes

For his entree, Josh had pork three ways, which included pork belly, pork sausage, pork tenderloin. All the meats were perfectly cooked and tender. There was also frisee and white beans mixed in the dish.

Pork belly, pork sausage, and pork tenderloin

For my main course, I debated several options before choosing the halibut with crispy gnocchi, spinach, and chanterelles. Unfortunately, my fish was horribly overseasoned. I like salt and usually have a high tolerance but this was way too salty, even for me. I flagged down our waitress and told her about the saltiness, and she whisked my plate away with an apology. My replacement dish arrived quickly, which was great because I didn’t have to sit and watch everyone else eat for too long, and it was seasoned perfectly the second time. The halibut was deliciously meaty, and the accompanying gnocchi, spinach, and mushrooms were also cooked well and tasty.

Halibut with crispy gnocchi, spinach, and chanterelles

I ended up enjoying the dish a lot, and when the waitress came by to clear our plates, she apologized again and thanked me for letting her know the situation, so that they could rectify it. I guess a lot of people are usually too scared to send things back, myself included, but then they leave with an unfavorable impression of a restaurant. It’s easy to make a seasoning mistake, and it’s just as easy for them to fix it. If I hadn’t asked for a replacement, I would have left hating that dish and not enjoying the overall experience as much. But because the waitress was so nice about the situation, and I ended up with a fantastic plate of food, I left the restaurant happier than I would have been had I just let the incident slide. So in the end, I learned a great lesson – if you’re really unhappy with your dish, send it back! You don’t have to be obnoxious about it, just give the restaurant the opportunity to fix the situation. If they handle it poorly, well, you gave them a chance and now you know not to go back.

Ok enough of my rambling! For dessert, I ordered the lemon cake with lemon ice cream and blueberry sauce. The lemon cake was just ok, kind of like a dense lemony pound cake, but the lemon ice cream was fantastic. I’ve never had lemon ice cream before, only sorbet and sherbet, which is why I ordered this dish. The ice cream was rich and smooth and creamy, and just the right amount of lemon – not too sweet and not too tart. The “happy birthday” written on the plate was a nice gesture.

Lemon cake and lemon ice cream

Josh had chocolate hazelnut crème brulee with hazelnut cream crepes. This is a must order for nutella lovers. Although he found the crème brulee a little bit too runny on its own, it was perfect for dipping the crepe into. It was a very rich dessert and the portion size was just perfect.

Chocolate hazelnut creme brulee and hazelnut cream crepes

I really wanted to like Telepan, and there were so many glimpses of greatness that I think I’ll come back, just to give it another shot. But there were definitely also a lot of missteps, like the not-so-soft shell crab and the overly salty halibut. Still, the waitstaff was friendly and patient, and I left with a favorable overall impression of the restaurant. Even though they warn that the tasting menu portions are smaller than the a la carte portions, these were still fairly substantial serving sizes and I left the restaurant totally full. The four-course menu is more than enough food, and the three-course $39 prix fixe menu before 6:30 pm would probably satisfy as well. This restaurant has such potential, and hopefully the kitchen will be more consistent during my next visit.

Telepan
72 West 69th St. between Columbus Ave. and Central Park West
New York, NY

Tags: Prix Fixe, Upper West Side
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Terrace at Jean Georges (Nougatine)

Friday, June 19th, 2009 by virginia

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As a special treat for me, Josh flew home from Vegas on the redeye Thursday night to wake me up on my birthday with a kiss. Unfortunately his plan failed, simply because I forgot to unlock the security chain to our apartment before I went to sleep. Instead, he had to call me and wake me up so that I could open the door for him. Oops!

Nevertheless, he planned a lovely lunch for me at the Terrace at Jean Georges, which is an outdoor café attached to Jean Georges but serves the same menu as Nougatine, the more casual offshoot. We could only confirm the reservation on the day of, since the Terrace is closed during inclement weather, and even though it was cloudy all day, the rain held off to keep our lunch plans intact.

The $24 three course lunches available at many Jean Georges restaurants are truly a bargain. Not only is the food fantastic, but you also get the same impeccable service and fine dining experience at much cheaper prices than ordering off the a la carte menu. What makes the Nougatine menu an even better deal is that you order your first two courses from a long list of offerings that comprise both appetizers and entrees, meaning that you could order two entrees if you preferred, and you would get a substantial amount of food.

On the terrace

Since it was such a cloudy day, the Terrace was mostly empty but we enjoyed sitting outside and watching little birds flying around. While we perused the long list of options, a server brought by slices of bread and nice fruity olive oil for dipping. We munched on these as Josh and I debated over several choices, and finally we asked our waiter for his opinion. He named a bunch of dishes that we hadn’t even considered, so it was back to the drawing board! Eventually we settled on our order, and it just means we’ll have to come back again to try some of the other dishes.

Good bread and even better olive oil

To start, we had the tuna tartare with avocado, spicy radish and ginger marinade. Wow this dish had a lot of kick to it! I was impressed that a restaurant would be so bold with the spice, especially since tuna tartare is usually a lighter, more mellow dish.

Tuna tartare with avocado, spicy radish and ginger marinade

The spicy radishes were offset nicely by the creamy avocado, and even though the tuna was a bit more finely chopped than I prefer, it allowed the ginger marinade to permeate throughout, binding the dish with a sweet and tangy finish.

Finely chopped tuna and big chunks of avocado

Our second “appetizer” was the salmon with potato puree, julienned vegetables and basil vinaigrette. This is actually more of an entrée dish, but was recommended by the waiter. The salmon was cooked perfectly and the fresh vegetables and basil vinaigrette made the dish feel light and spring-y.

Salmon with potato puree, julienned vegetables and basil vinaigrette

For our main courses, we selected the roasted chicken and the grilled beef tenderloin.

Roasted chicken with ricotta gnocchi

The chicken was served with ricotta gnocchi, spring mushrooms and asparagus. This was comfort food at its best. The chicken was tender on the inside and the ricotta gnocchi melted in our mouths.

Beef tenderloin

The beef was cooked perfectly rare to order, pink in the middle with a nice crust on the exterior. There was a chili sauce on the plate that looked like sriracha, but it was much more mild. I wish that it had more of a kick, as the overall dish was a bit boring compared to the flavors and spices of the other dishes we had.

Perfectly cooked beef tenderloin

For dessert, we selected both of the options available – warm chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream and vanilla cake with fresh strawberry salad and red wine sorbet.

Molten chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream

The molten chocolate cake, a Jean Georges signature, was as good as it gets. The warm chocolate gushed out from the light and springy cake, and the vanilla ice cream just capped the whole thing off.

Molten chocolate center oozing out

The vanilla cake, however, was a complete disappointment. The piece of cake was about the size of a silver dollar and completely dried out. I think it was supposed to be like a strawberry shortcake but it fell short. The strawberries were no better than the frozen kind you can buy at the supermarket, and the red wine sorbet had no discernable red wine flavor. The whole thing kind of tasted like bad strawberry daiquiri mix that you buy pre-made in a bottle from the supermarket. It was just a sad, sad dessert, and not worth the calories.

Vanilla cake with strawberry salad and red wine sorbet

Aside from the bad vanilla cake dessert, overall this meal was top notch. Our appetizers and entrees were all skillfully prepared and properly seasoned. The freshness of the ingredients really stood out, making simple dishes seem like such a luxurious treat. The food is familiar and comforting, yet refined. The $24 prix fixe lunch ($35 at dinner) is really a great way to try out lots of different items from a first-class restaurant. I will definitely be back for more!

Terrace at Jean Georges
1 Central Park West at 60^th St.
New York, NY

Tags: Columbus Circle, Jean Georges, Lunch, Prix Fixe
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Queen of Sheba

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 by virginia

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I’ve always been intrigued by Ethiopian food but never got around to trying it out, so when Shiraz suggested we try something “different” for our get-together, I quickly suggested a place near my apartment, Queen of Sheba. I’ve read a lot about injera, the spongy sour bread used in place of utensils to eat the food, and since I love to eat Indian food with my hands using naan, I was excited to compare the two cuisines, as they seemed to have a lot of similarities.

The restaurant was packed by the time I showed up at 7:30 on a Tuesday night, which I took to be a good sign. It’s a pretty small space, and the line was almost out the door. Luckily Shiraz had gotten there earlier so we were seated immediately. Going through the menu was easy for us, as we quickly spotted two combination platters, one meat and one vegetarian, that seemed to cover a wide range of the menu. Being newbies, we figured this would be a good way to test out the different stews and taste the various spices used in Ethiopian cuisine. We also ordered a bottle of red South African wine, a pinotage, which was deliciously fruity and well priced. Most of the wines on the list are around the $25 range – very reasonable.

A delicious South African pinotage

We started off with an appetizer of sambosas, which are similar to Indian samosas or middle eastern sambusas. Basically they’re triangular packets of dough that contain some sort of filling, and are deep fried. Queen of Sheba offers a choice of lentil or meat filling, and we being the carnivores that we are, chose meat. A short while later the sambosas arrived, but unfortunately they weren’t very hot and the dough was a bit tough and chewy rather than crispy.

Sambosas with meat filling

The filling inside was good though, ground beef seasoned nicely with a lot of spices. There was a dark red dipping sauce that came with the sambosas, but I couldn’t identify the flavors. It was a bit smoky, but not spicy. Overall, the sambosas reminded me more of beef empanadas than samosas, but still good, even with the soggy crust.

Sambosa innards

After a semi-long wait (the restaurant really was busy), the server came by and started moving all of our wine/water glasses and napkins to the edge of the table. We looked up and saw the enormous platter she was carrying and quickly understood why. When we had first ordered, she asked if we would be sharing and we said yes, so I guess they combined both entrees onto one platter to make things easier. They also gave us a platter full of folded pieces of injera, and we quickly dug in.

Fluffy and sour pieces of injera

The problem with ordering the combinations though was that we had no idea what was what. Each dish was its own individual mound on the platter, but the waitress didn’t tell us each mound was. I, being the nerd that I am, had printed out a copy of the menu from menupages so while I was eating, I tried to identify the items based on the menu descriptions. I failed, miserably. Everything was really delicious though (although some of the meats were a bit tough and dry), and the injera was everything I hoped it would be – soft, fluffy, not too sour, and easy to use to scoop up the food. I barely got my fingers dirty, which is a huge accomplishment for me. And even though each mound was pretty small, the amount of food overall was insane.

A crazy amount of food

We barely got through half of each pile (and I was starving when I arrived), so we had to ask for the rest to be boxed up. The resulting box weighed a ton and was filled to the brim (and made an excellent lunch at work for the next few days!).

I would definitely come back to this restaurant, though I’m not sure if I would order the combinations again. It was great to be able to try a lot of different things; I just wish I knew which dishes I liked best so that I can order them again. If I keep going with this route, I might never know what I’m eating. Next time I’ll just order a few different things from the menu and hopefully I’ll end up with a better knowledge of what may eventually become my go-to dish at other Ethiopian restaurants.

Queen of Sheba
650 10^th Ave. between 45^th and 46^th St.
New York, NY

Tags: Ethiopian, Midtown West
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Amadeus Pizza

Monday, June 15th, 2009 by virginia

After all the Chicago pizza we had over the weekend, I was craving good old NY style pizza, so I decided to try out a different pizzeria on my quest for the perfect go-to place to order in from. A quick look on seamlessweb showed Amadeus Pizza on 8^th Ave. between 51^st and 52^nd. I guess it was formerly a Ray’s pizza (whatever that means these days), but the menu had all my standard favorites, plus they were offering a 20% discount on all orders – sweet! So even though I’m on my own this week, as Josh is still in Vegas, I ordered all the things we would normally order, and figure that I can just pop any leftovers into the freezer for a quick reheat later on.

After the discount, my chicken parm hero, an order of garlic knots, and a large cheese pizza came out to just around $22 total, including tax and tip. Not too shabby. But how did it taste? It was by far the best pizza that I’ve had in a while. Please note though that we’re talking basic NY pizzeria style pizza, not the fancier kind, a la Grimaldi’s or Lombardi’s or even John’s. Those are a separate category, and are not included in my quest for the best ordering-in place.

Large plain cheese pizza

The chicken parm hero was seriously huge, though not as hot as I would have liked.

The chicken parm sub is almost as large as a bottle of wine

The chicken parm sub is almost as long as a bottle of wine

The chicken was meaty though, the breading wasn’t too soggy, and the sauce was well seasoned and nicely tangy. The cheese could have been melted a bit longer (I like when it turns a little brown and bubbly), but the bread was great. It’s a softer Italian roll without a crispy crust, but it was supple and chewy in a good way that complemented the sandwich. It kept everything together nicely and didn’t fall apart from the ample filling.

Chicken parm innards

The garlic knots were also a bit cold, but tasted great. Lots of real garlic, herbs, and just enough oil to keep it soft and moist, but not too much so that it drips on your hand and makes you feel gross.

Garlic knots topped with lots of fresh chopped garlic

The pizza was a bit floppy in the middle (I couldn’t get a good upskirt shot because it sagged too much), but the outer rim of the crust was super crispy and snapped audibly when I folded a slice in half. It wasn’t hard or brittle though, just crackly on the outside and chewy on the inside. The cheese was a bit salty, but otherwise, it was a pretty darn good pie.

Underside shot

I’m almost tempted to stop my quest right here but it’s not much of a quest if I quit after two places, right? So I’m moving on for now, and who knows, I might find a place that’s even better!

Amadeus Pizza
856 8th Ave. between 51^st and 52^nd St.
New York, NY

Tags: Delivery, Midtown, Pizza
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Chicago Day 3 – Portillo’s

Sunday, June 14th, 2009 by virginia

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We had some time to kill before our early evening flight back to NY so we decided to drop our bags off at the airport and take the train into downtown Chicago. My original plan was to find Hot Doug’s but unfortunately they’re closed on Sundays. No duck fat fries for me, sadly, but I still wanted to try a Chicago style hot dog. The train ride from the airport into the city takes a while, so we had time to do some internet research on Josh’s iphone (seriously, what did people do before iphones?). We found Portillo’s, which is a chain restaurant but had good reviews and a branch that was conveniently located near a stop on the airport train.

We’ve been to Chicago once before and luckily the area where we got off the train was near the hotel we stayed in the last time; we were able to find the restaurant without any trouble. This particular branch of Portillo’s was an homage to Maxwell Street. There were fake building facades and mannequins hanging about. There was also lively jazz music playing over the speakers, giving the place a festive atmosphere. It was kind of like dining at Disney World.

Festive and jazzy atmosphere

The restaurant is set up cafeteria-style, with different stations for hot dogs and sandwiches, pasta and pizza, and alcoholic drinks. We were after the hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches so we only had to go through one line. After you order, you can watch the workers assembling your sandwiches through glass partitions.

Watching the hot dogs being assembled

Josh and I each got a Chicago style hot dog with everything, which includes mustard, relish, chopped onions, tomato slices, sport peppers, and a pickle spear, all served together on a poppy seed bun. The bun got a little soggy from all the toppings, but everything tasted really good together. Usually I like ketchup, mustard, and a little bit of sauerkraut on my hot dogs, but I liked the fresh ingredients on the Chicago style, and the pickled vegetables added a nice zing. We couldn’t taste the difference between a vienna sausage (which Chicago style hot dogs are made of) and a regular hot dog though.

Chicago hot dog jam packed with toppings

We also shared an Italian beef sandwich with hot peppers. It’s like a Philly cheesesteak, minus the cheese. The thin slices of beef were topped with a mix of pickled vegetables, and the hot peppers were really quite spicy. I didn’t enjoy this as much as the hot dog because it was really heavy and greasy. I’m glad that we had decided to split a sandwich, as I could never have finished one by myself. It was really a gut bomb!

Italian beef sandwich with hot peppers and tons of grease

We also got an order of large fries, which were the frozen crinkle cut variety but freshly fried and tasty. They were so hot that I actually burned my tongue on the first one I tried.

Crispy crinkle cut fries

Overall I really liked the Chicago style hot dog, despite the soggy bun. It’s definitely something that I would put together here. I might still add ketchup though. I’m not sure if Chicagoans would find that blasphemous but I missed the sweetness of the ketchup. I wasn’t a fan of the Italian beef, however, as it was just way too greasy and the meat was too bland. The pickled vegetables helped a bit but not enough. I don’t know how Portillo’s version rates against other places but it seems to me that most Chicago style dogs would be similar, as it’s just the ingredients that make it what it is. I’ll have to try the Shake Shack’s version and see how it compares.

Portillo’s (multiple locations)
100 W Ontario St.
Chicago, IL

After our lunch, we took a walk around the city. We only had about two hours before we had to head back to the airport but I think we covered a lot of ground in such a short time!

Kayakers on the canal and the Sears Tower in the background

Navy Pier

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Tags: Chicago, Hot Dogs, Italian Beef
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Chicago Day 2 – Lou Malnati’s

Saturday, June 13th, 2009 by virginia

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We actually went to Lou Malnati’s two days in a row, but the first time was after we landed and we just wanted a snack so as not to fill up before our dinner at Alinea. Smart move. We ended up sharing two individual pan pizzas, one cheese and one deluxe, between three of us. The individual pies are only 6 inches in diameter and served out of the pan, which I think made them a bit colder and drier. They didn’t really satisfy my Chicago pizza craving so I was happy when we returned the next day for lunch.

Individual deluxe pizza

We had time to kill after attending our friends’ wedding ceremony and before the reception, so a bunch of us headed to Lou’s to grab a late lunch. We ordered a few pitchers of Goose Island summer ale and some appetizers to start.

Lou’s bruschetta was surprisingly really tasty. Usually chain restaurant bruschettas are super oily and served on too-stale bread, but this version was made with fresh tomatoes and basil, lightly dressed with olive oil and well seasoned. The garlic toast was just the right consistency, crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle. It was really a delicious starter.

Fresh and garlicky bruschetta

We also ordered a combination platter, which came with mozzarella sticks, cheddar cubes, breaded zucchini and mushrooms. How can you go wrong with a giant plate of fried food with ranch dressing and marinara sauce on the side? Everything was nicely crispy, and the cheddar cubes were a big surprise hit. They just exploded in your mouth with molten cheesy goodness.

Crispy fried combination platter

We ordered three pizzas to share – one cheese, one Lou, and one deluxe.

Deep dish Chicago pizza served hot out of the pan

The cheese pizza was exactly what one would expect from deep dish Chicago style pie. It had a nice cheese to sauce to crust ratio, and I liked the buttery brittleness of the crust.

Plain cheese pizza

The deluxe came with cheese, sausage, mushrooms, onions and green peppers – a classic combination. While I’m not the hugest fan of sausage, I thought it worked well with the overall pie. All the flavors played off each other, and it was a nice combination of salty and sweet.

Deluxe pizza with cheese, sausage, mushrooms, onions, and green peppers

The Lou had fresh spinach, mushrooms, sliced tomatoes, and a mix of mozzarella, romano, and cheddar cheese. It was a bit too “gardeny” for my taste, and lacked enough seasoning. I also prefer tomato sauce on my pizza rather than actual tomatoes. Tomato sauce provides a much needed sweet tang and helps hold everything together.

The Lou - fresh spinach, mushrooms, sliced tomatoes, and a mix of mozzarella, romano, and cheddar cheese

While I do like Chicago style pizza once in a while, I still prefer NYC’s thinner and chewier crust. It can’t hold as much toppings, but you don’t feel so heavy and gross after eating a few slices. I don’t know if Lou’s is the best of the Chicago styles, as I’ve only been to Giordano’s once, and to a few Pizzeria Unos that weren’t in Chicago. They all seem pretty similar to me but I guess if you’re from Chicago, you have pizza debates just like we have here in NYC. If I’m in Chicago again and someone suggests going to Lou’s, I wouldn’t shoot them down but I’d also like to try a few other places (Gino’s, for example), just for more comparison.

Lou Malnati’s (multiple locations)
1050 East Higgins Rd.
Elk Grove Village, IL

Tags: Bruschetta, Chicago, Pizza
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Chicago Day 1 – Alinea

Friday, June 12th, 2009 by virginia

What exactly can one say about Alinea? It was simply the best meal of my life. Most of the time I had no idea what I was eating exactly, but the flavors were like a harmonious symphony in my mouth. I don’t mean to sound cheesy or poetic, but the dishes were indescribable. Sure, you can read the descriptions from the menu, but most of it doesn’t sound appetizing (tobacco and maple syrup? Lilac pillows?). Believe me, they absolutely worked together, each component playing off one another.

When we decided that we would make the trip to Chicago for Josh’s coworker’s wedding, I had Josh call up Alinea first to try and get a reservation. That dictated which day we would head to Chicago, and I ended up taking a day off from work just to have this meal. We asked some of our other friends who were also attending the wedding if they wanted to join in, and one by one we added to the reservation until we hit six, the maximum table size. I was very happy with our dinner company, as they were all people who appreciated good food and good wine, and they helped make the whole experience such a wonderful time.

We took a cab into the city for dinner and hit a lot of traffic on the way. We called Alinea to make sure they knew, and they held our table without any issue. When the cab pulled up in front of a of nondescript building with no markings, I thought to myself, this is it?

Entering Alinea

Someone asked if we were going to Alinea, we said yes, and were then led into the building, down a groovy-looking hallway with bright pink lights, and finally into the main part of the restaurant.

Strange hallway leading into the restaurant

The restaurant was not what I was expecting, with multiple rooms on different levels and classically decorated. I guess I was expecting something a bit more modern, with more glass and steel and weird decorations, but nevertheless, the room that we were seated in was beautiful and comfortable.

Beautifully decorated dining room

We had opted for the shorter tasting menu (you have to let them know if you’re doing the tasting or the tour when you make the reservation), and one of our servers described a wine pairing that we couldn’t pass up. Basically, we were in their hands the whole evening, and it was a smart choice. They didn’t give us a menu before the meal, so every course was basically a surprise. There were courses that I had read about beforehand, but like I said earlier, the descriptions don’t even begin to give you an inkling of what is to come.

For most courses, there was a bread pairing and wine pairing, both of which complemented whatever dish we were having. The sommelier would explain each wine and tell us something about its origins or its history.

Aquavit and champagne cocktails to start off our evening

It was truly an experience, taking a bite of food, then taking a bite of food with the bread, and taking a bite of food with the wine. With every bite you discovered something new and a flavor you hadn’t identified before. We talked a lot in between courses, but while the food was in front of us, all I heard were noises of appreciation and all I saw were people with silly satisfied grins on their faces.

But enough of my blathering, here are pictures of all the courses.

Roes with "traditional" garnishes (i.e., bread and butter foam and caper jelly)

Pork belly with iceberg and cucumber, thai distillation (shot glass)

Pork belly with iceberg and cucumber, thai distillation (in the shot glass)

Part 1 - White asparagus soup with arugula, white pepper, and honey flakes

Part 2 - the glass containing the white asparagus soup is lifted, spilling the contents in the bowl

Lilac pillows with scallop, shellfish, and honeydew

Hot soft shell crab with carrot, five spice, and duck

Part 1 - Cold blue crab with carrot, five spice, and duck

Part 2 - digging through the layers of the cold blue crab course

Black truffle explosion with romaine and parmesan

In preparation for the next course, they poured water into a vase that contained dry ice, which released steam that smelled like rosemary and grill smoke

The aroma of the grill accompanied this dish, wagyu beef with powdered A-1, potato, and chips

Close up of the powdered A-1, potato, and beef

Bacon on a swing with butterscotch, apple, and thyme

Yogurt ball with pomegranate and cassia

Bubble gum in a tube with long pepper, hibiscus, and creme fraiche

Lavender air pillows for the next dessert

Rhubarb with goat milk and onion on top of the lavender air pillows (so that the scent released while you ate the dish)

Frozen chocolate mousse with blueberry, tobacco, and maple

Sweet potato with bourbon and brown sugar on a smoldering cinnamon stick

Overall the meal was absolutely incredible. I did like some courses more than others, but it was a complete experience. The service was extremely attentive, but not overbearing. It was kind of amusing at times though. For example, they obviously clean up the bathroom every time someone goes in, as every time I went the toilet paper was folded into a triangle point, and there was no trash or used cloth hand towels in the waste baskets. Everything was clean and precise, just like the food.

Our main waiter was fabulous and very informative. One member of our party, Kevin, who has a blog about his experiments with sous vide, asked many technical questions, such as the temperature of the water for some meat components, and the waiter was able to answer easily, or would go to the kitchen and find out the answer for us. He could see that we were truly interested in the process behind the food that we were eating, and I think it was because of our appreciation that they gave us an extra course, the truffle explosion, which is not normally on the tasting menu. He also recommended that if we were to come back, we should go during the fall as the menu is seasonal, and the fall always has the best ingredients, in his opinion.

At the end of the meal, they presented us each with a copy of our menu for the evening, including the wine pairings. On the menu, the size and shade of the bubbles, as well as their orientation left and right, mean different things. The size of the bubble refers to the size of the portion (small bubble = small tasting portion, etc.). The shade of the bubble refers to the intensity of flavor for the dish (darker bubble = more intense flavor, etc.). The orientation of the bubble refers to how sweet or savory the dish is (bubble closer to the right side = sweeter dish, etc.).

Our menu

As an extra special treat to cap off the wonderful evening, we were allowed to make a trip into the kitchen to watch the chefs hard at work. The kitchen was a bright, wide open space, and everything was done quietly and with precision. Chef Grant Achatz was there, presiding over it all. He not only plated a lot of the dishes himself, but he also checked every plate that left the kitchen. However, he still made time to come over to us gawking in the corner and greeted everyone with a handshake. We couldn’t do anything but gush at him in awe of the experience we just had.

Everyone hard at work plating in the kitchen

Everyone hard at work in the pristine kitchen

Chef Grant Achatz concentrating on plating

Chef Achatz inspecting a plate before it goes out

This really was the meal of a lifetime, and I would happily come back, despite the expense. The wine pairing cost almost as much as the tasting menu, but was absolutely worth it. The wines each varied greatly, as did the dishes, and ordering just one or two bottles to cover all courses would not have done the meal justice. I sincerely hope that I will have the opportunity to eat at Alinea a few more times during my lifetime.

Alinea
1723 North Halsted
Chicago, IL

Tags: Alinea, Chicago, Molecular Gastronomy
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Archive for June, 2009

Seattle Day 1 – The Crab Pot

Seattle Day 1 – Pike Place Market (Pike Place Chowder, Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, Emmett Watson’s Oyster Bar, and Piroshky, Piroshky)

Two Fat Bellies Hit the Road – Gluttonous in Seattle

Telepan

Terrace at Jean Georges (Nougatine)

Queen of Sheba

Amadeus Pizza

Chicago Day 3 – Portillo’s

Chicago Day 2 – Lou Malnati’s

Chicago Day 1 – Alinea

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