We set sail for Alaska from Seattle on the Norwegian Pearl, one of the newer ships from the Norwegian Cruise Line. It was my first time cruising on open water (I’ve only been on river cruises in the Nile and in the Yangtze) so it was quite a different experience for me. While I ended up not being thrilled with cruising, it’s pretty much the only way to see Alaska and therefore totally worth the journey. The scenery in Alaska is more breathtaking than you can imagine, and none of my photos will do it any justice. Although there was less snow than I thought there would be, the pristine environment just makes you feel so close to nature. We saw countless whales, lots of seals, a few dolphins, and even bears in the wild. It really just doesn’t get any better than that.
Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category
Two Fat Bellies Hit the Road – Alaska
Sunday, June 21st, 2009 by virginiaSeattle Day 2 – Chukar Cherries
Sunday, June 21st, 2009 by virginia
There are lots of vendors and stalls at Pike Place Market but one that really stands out is Chukar Cherries. How can you walk by a giant display of chocolate covered cherries and not stop for a free sample? They usually have several varieties available for tasting, from milk chocolate to dark chocolate coatings and different kinds of dried cherries. They also offer other goodies such as nuts and trail mixes, available in different sized packages.
Cabernet cherries and black forest cherries
We picked up a few bags of cabernet cherries covered in dark chocolate, and some black forest cherries, which are covered in semisweet chocolate and cocoa powder. They were pretty pricey though, so it’s definitely not a snack that you can gorge on. But that’s ok, because they’re so rich and decadent that I found it hard to eat too many at once. They made a great little treat for us on our cruise, and they also make great gifts for your friends. Just make sure you don’t put them in a hot place because they melt easily!
Chukar Cherries
1529 Pike Place
Seattle, WA
Seattle Day 2 – Daily Dozen Doughnut Company
Sunday, June 21st, 2009 by virginia
We had some time to kill in the morning before we could get on our cruise ship, so we headed back to Pike Place Market to pick up breakfast and a few snacks for the trip. Our first stop was the Daily Dozen Doughnut Company, which makes piles of mini doughnuts right in front of you.
Doughnuts on display
We picked up a dozen plain and a dozen assorted, which included powdered sugar, cinnamon, and chocolate frosted with sprinkles. We also got cups of hot Seattle coffee because you simply can’t have doughnuts without coffee. These doughnuts are about half the size of regular cake doughnuts, and you can eat a lot of them without even thinking about it.
The size of the doughnuts compared to a cup of coffee
Unfortunately, the plain ones were sitting out for longer than the other assorted doughnuts, so they were cold and a bit stiff. We tossed them in the same bag as the warmer sugar and cinnamon doughnuts, and that helped a lot. They also got a light dusting of the cinnamon and sugar, which was not a bad thing.
The chocolate frosted doughnuts were my favorite. They have a thick layer of chocolate frosting on top and are covered in sprinkles. What’s not to like?
Chocolate frosted doughnut with sprinkles
I liked these doughnuts a lot, except for the plain ones. I’m just not a plain doughnut kind of girl but if you like old fashioned doughnuts, these are definitely for you. The assorted doughnuts are good to get because you can try all of them. They really aren’t that little, and I don’t eat doughnuts often, but we were able to easily finish off two dozen between five of us.
Daily Dozen Doughnut Company
93 Pike St.
Seattle, WA
Seattle Day 1 – The Crab Pot
Saturday, June 20th, 2009 by virginia
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
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
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
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
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 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
Two Fat Bellies Hit the Road – Gluttonous in Seattle
Saturday, June 20th, 2009 by virginiaOur 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!
Chicago Day 3 – Portillo’s
Sunday, June 14th, 2009 by virginia
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!
Chicago Day 2 – Lou Malnati’s
Saturday, June 13th, 2009 by virginia
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
Chicago Day 1 – Alinea
Friday, June 12th, 2009 by virginiaWhat 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 (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 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
Garden State Diner
Friday, June 12th, 2009 by virginia
Unfortunately for Josh, his Vegas business trip was scheduled after we had already booked our flights to Chicago. Rather than trying to change his flights to go directly from Vegas and having to deal with the red tape and all the rebooking fees, he opted to take a redeye into Newark from Vegas and meet me at the airport for our flight out to Chicago. Because his flight arrived at 5:30 am, and our flight out was at 10:15 am, it didn’t make sense for him to try and get home in between. I had him call me as soon as he landed and I headed to the airport immediately in an effort to cut down on the time he would have to wait by himself. We obviously had a lot of time until our flight so after we checked in and deposited our bag, we headed off to the Garden State Diner for a super early breakfast.
I’ve already waxed nostalgic about my love for Jersey diners, and the one in the airport was obviously a kitschy version – stainless steel chairs, red vinyl booths, neon lights, the whole bit. Still, it was more comfortable sitting in a booth than on those hard chairs by the gate, plus there was food involved.
Kitschy diner decor
We took our time deciding, and finally settled on Jersey eggs benedict for me (with Taylor ham instead of Canadian bacon), a bacon/egg/cheese sandwich for Josh, and a side order of fries to share. I asked the waitress if I could have the hollandaise on the side, and she seemed really confused, like she didn’t know eggs benedict comes with hollandaise. Regardless, my order showed up with the sauce on the side as requested but unfortunately, the eggs were way overcooked. One still had a tiny bit of runny yolk, while the other was almost completely hard-boiled. I generally hate sending things back, but a hard-boiled poached egg for eggs benedict is inexcusable.
Overcooked eggs on my Jersey eggs benedict
I flagged the waitress down, apologized first, and asked if I could new eggs since mine were overcooked. Again, she seemed really confused. I was trying to explain to her that the poached eggs should be runny, and she asked if I wanted them done “medium.” I don’t even know what that means! I’ve never been asked how I wanted my eggs done to a temperature, just whether I wanted them scrambled, or over easy, etc. So now I was also confused, because if I wanted runny eggs, do I order them rare? I didn’t want the whites to be runny though, because that’s not right either. So after some confused looks back and forth, I just restated that I would like the yolks to be still runny, not hard-boiled, handed my plate back, and hoped for the best. She returned with eggs that were better, but not perfect. I think the temperature of the water they were poaching the eggs in was too high because the yolk still had a layer of hard-boiling on the outside, but it was much runnier on the inside. The cheese on Josh’s sandwich was quickly congealing so I just sucked it up and went with it.
Better eggs, but not great
I’ve never really had Taylor ham before, even though it’s a NJ staple, but it tasted ok, kind of like a mix between mild bologna and mild salami, if that makes sense. Josh’s sandwich was fine and exactly what he expected it to be.
Bacon, egg, and cheese on a roll
The fries were standard as well.
The usual
To kill some more time, Josh ordered a vanilla milkshake, which was served in a classic tall glass with whipped cream and a cherry on top. This was the best thing we had – creamy, sweet, and just the right consistency.
Classic vanilla milkshake
To be fair, I wasn’t expecting much from this breakfast. We’re at an airport, after all. And just to warn you, Josh got a cup of coffee and said yes when asked if he wanted a refill. She took the mug away, filled it up, and brought back the same mug. In the end, we were charged for both coffees. I guess we should never assume that coffee refills are free, but usually at a diner they are. Our mistake. But the whole egg situation really threw me for a loop. Am I just crazy? Has anyone else been asked if they wanted their eggs cooked “medium” before?
Garden State Diner
At Newark Airport
Newark, NJ