I had a nostalgic Thanksgiving at Huber's for lunch.
I started with a pretty decent clam chowder, and the beer bread wasn't bad: I've had better at home with the assistance of the bread machine, and with a better beer or maybe a touch more sugar it would have been a better loaf- or maybe served with a good flavored butter instead of the classic as seen in the pictures. But if you like a yeasty bread that is a softer version of cornbread in texture and parallel in doughy moistness but not as buttery as a southern biscuit, the beer bread here hits the mark. I also appreciated the homey-ness of the entire experience here, as the owner came by to ask us how our meal was and sits among the patrons keeping an eye out on everyone. To soak in the atmosphere sit in the back- though sitting by the window in the front room if you want to people-watch is also an option as many people do go by.
Their Roast Young Tom Turkey dish is and veggies and stuffing. The turkey was moist but even swimming in the gravy was a bit bland, the stuffing not robust, the mashed potatoes thin. It made me realize how much better turkey prep and the increased complexity in mashed potatoes (adding horseradish, chives, expanding to new kinds of potatoes, etc) that has occurred since the 80s. It was a trip down memory lane, but also made me appreciate how much tastier the turkey meal has become since the advent of Food Network and food blogs and the overall emergence of foodie-dem.
I mean, I love cranberry sauce in the new forms this century which varies from a more acidic tart cranberry relish to cranberry-orange combos (again balancing the cranberry sweetness) and how about a chilled cranberry mousse to even add a contrast of a lil bit of almost gelato like texture and cool temperature to the turkey breast? With those new experiences, the classic cranberry sauce just doesn't compare equally. It was a realization how far society's tastebutds have become in the past 20 years. I remember how great I used to think this was- even that mashed potato texture with a pool of butter to try to add flavor. How innocent we were then!
The highlight lunch of the week actually was at Thai Derm, one of the Thai places I happen to frequent more often because it's a fave of one of my co-workers and I get chauffeured there, which is much more convenient then having to take public transit or walk, my usual modes of transport. This time I tried the Dungeness Crab fried rice with crabmeat, crab claws, egg, cashew nuts and a touch of curry powder.
Except for the large size of the dish (seriously all their portions are huge) it was something I might have expected to taste at any place in Thailand- I almost would expect to be in some open air restaurant right off the street at a plastic or linoleum table. Well, ok in Thailand it also would have been 30 baht, but I did save on airfare. And as usual it seemed 5 minutes after we ordered it was in front of us (I barely finished my complimentary tofu soup). Not all their dishes are great- some of the noodle ones have been watered down and the curries have an extra serving of coconut milk- but this dish also took me back to being in Chiang Mai a little over a year ago and having fried rice outside by a river. In addition, having the crunch of the cashews with the softness of the crab and egg and rice was just right. Fried rice in general is a dish that should have a light flavor (I am a fan of sweeter Thai fried rices or the oiler Chinese style with Chinese sausage and lots of garlic), and often can fall into being lightened too much for American tastes, but can also be a safe bet because the original authentic recipes doesn't have the intesity found in curries or fresh noodle dishes that are harder to recreate here in the US either.
And, I have always loved cashews- I've actually forgotten about them since walnuts and hazelnuts are so much more commonly used here. It reminded me way back when I was a kid and the Sears used to have a candy/nut section how I was always so drawn and excited about those salted cashews, and they came in a white wax paper bag. Even as a kid I focused on the salty buttery nuts, not the sugary candy. Yet another lunch that was a lil trip down memory lane.
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