A Visit to Chicago

August 6, 2012 by 3 Comments

In for a surprise party, we stayed at the Marriott downtown so we could convieniently visit some of our old and new Chicago stops. Our lunch stop was F’s favorite Thai restaurant (he would order from them sometimes 2-3 times a week until his office moved out of their delivery area), Garlic and Chili Thai. Despite being gone to Portland for 3 years, the owner/chef still remembered us. We started out with the very light fried tofu served with sweet and sour sauce, topped with ground peanuts. We have not found a fried tofu that is less greasy and as lightly fried as these. Then, the other two standby plates of Massamun Curry with coconut milk, white onion, carrot and potato, and Pad Se-Ew, stir fried wide rice noodles with eggs, broccoli and carrot in sweet soy sauce. On the wall was a sign from Grubwithus celebrating their Pad Thai… which we realized we had never even tried. Next time.

We met up with some old friends at Beer Bistro, where we enjoyed their conveyer belt fans and beers (and $5 martinis) until the fact it was IPA day and the launch of Hopothesis brewery made the place so packed (although our waitress was very attentive, making sure to check on us even though the place was super slammed), we retreated from the West Loop to Randolph street and Haymarket Pub & Brewery. Our last stop for those of us with alcohol endurance was The Aviary, with their cocktail kitchen and showmanship presentations of said cocktails (as well as little bites) clearly inspired by Aliniea and El Bulli, with a stop at G Cue Billiards while we waited to get in at Aviary. If it hadn’t already been so late I might have allowed a few games of pool, and I wanted to get to Aviary.

The next day, I really needed something to calm my stomach… and as I was also craving Chicago style deep dish pizza, that meant Lou Malnati’s. Since the pizzas take 30-45 minutes to fire up, we started with an appetizer of Stuffed Spinach Bread: “A Malnati creation, this crusty handmade loaf is served fresh out of the oven, stuffed with a delicious blend of cheeses, fresh spinach, garlic, onion and chunks of tomato”. This sucker is filling, which is even though we ordered individual 6″ pizzas we only were able to finish half of it- well, more for later! We had the “Lou” with Fresh spinach, mushrooms and sliced tomatoes covered with a blend of mozzarella, romano and cheddar cheese, and also the “Malnati Chicago Classic” which uses its specialty of the house, Lou’s lean sausage, along with some extra cheese, and vine-ripened tomato sauce” with both pizzas of course on their famous Buttercrust.

Our hotel was next to the Purple Pig, so of course I had to visit. Most stomach capacity was filled up by Lou Malnati’s, so two glasses of wine and two appetizers were all I had. I started out with what I wanted so much that I was willing to brave the 1-2 hour wait (longer depending on size of your party, obviously, and it as a Fri night so this seemed fair as they take no reservations… and you could order drinks from the bar and wait outside, at least soaking in the Chicago River scented breeze) but lucked out with a place at the bar: Burrata Pugliese with Peas, Radish, Celery, Spring Micro Greens & Aceto Balsamico. Delicious! From the Smears section of the menu, Pork Neck Bone Gravy with Ricotta was complex in flavor but the fact it was a hot dish and the weather was so unbearably hot and humid made it less appreciated. I only wish I had more room at the time for more food.

Thanks Chicago!

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Country Cat Dinner

July 31, 2012 by Leave a Comment

At a birthday dinner at The Country Cat, we started with the soft doughy House Potato Bread and Butter. Country Cat is one of those restaurants that charges for bread service, so this was $2. The Animal of the Week during our visit was proclaimed by the menu as “LAMB”, and when we tried the Grilled peaches with Lamb Bacon as a shared appetizer, almost all was forgiven for the bread charge. Those Grilled Peaches were the best dish of the evening.
The Country Cat, Portland Oregon, soft doughy House Potato Bread and Butter The Country Cat, Portland Oregon, Grilled peaches with Lamb Bacon

My entree was the fried chicken this restaurant is supposedly known for, in dinner form of the Cast-Iron Skillet Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, though I switched out the standard side of Mashed Potatoes & Sausage Gravy for Creamy South Carolina Grits instead. The chicken is fried quite a bit which gives a lot of great crunch to the outside while keeping a moist inside, but I didn’t detect a lot of seasoning to go along with the crispy (but at some places slightly tough) skin. But, I give them credit in that it was not greasy chicken, and I loved that it was boneless. The grits were ok, but I was definitely missing the fact that there was no vegetable included- it seems there is room for it on the plate. Bizarrely, from the yelp photos it looks like their version for brunch is a better plating of the chicken than during dinner, including both greens and pecan bacon spoonbread. It seems at one point in the past this dinner dish used to come with collard greens and a biscuit, evidently they since have changed their minds (though you can add these yourselves by adding an additional appetizer of the $2 biscuit and specifying that other $6 side instead of mashed potatoes and gravy).

I fortunately was able to procure part of F’s side order of Creamed Corn with Toasted Pecans & Fried Sage Leaves, a nice assembled bit of texture in that side dish with the buttery bursts from the corn and the crunch of pecan bits. The other entree, Summer Vegetable Pie with Tomatoes & Goat Cheese, was more disappointment as it turned out less like a pot pie and instead to just mostly be a quiche, thus has a lot more egg than you might be expecting from that menu description.
The Country Cat, Portland Oregon, Cast-Iron Skillet Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, South Carolina Grits The Country Cat, Portland Oregon, Creamed Corn with Toasted Pecans and Fried Sage Leaves The Country Cat, Portland Oregon, Summer Vegetable Pie with Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

I’m not sure what it means that as we meandered over and enjoyed the many varied beer taps and pool table at Roscoe’s next door after dinner, that my eye would occasionally wander to look longingly at the fried chicken strips I saw also served there (although they also serve sushi rolls… what?), just across the street from Country Cat. I really wanted to like the place- I suppose maybe just like bbq, depending on your previous experience you have cultivated certain taste expectations for fried chicken- and this didn’t quite meet what I had hoped for. At the end of the day, it was those grilled peaches that are what stuck with me.

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Sandwiches and Sides at Picnic House

July 28, 2012 by 1 Comment

After a matinee showing of the Dark Knight during opening weekend, we visited Picnic House again, this time with sandwiches in mind for our late lunch.

We ordered three sides… and as the waiter pulled up another two-top to join the two-top table we were already occupying at, he explained that he does this all the time. The simple white plates Picnic House does use are rather large- even when the food occupying it is in the “small plate” section. From our previous visit, Picnic House has greatly increased their small plates options on their menu, giving us a lot of choices- we wanted more than the three we ordered, but we had to leave room for sandwiches I guess.

The three small plates: Warm Beets, tossed in gremolata compound butter, which I liked though I wish the pieces were a bit smaller so that they could have had more exposure to the roastiness; Roasted cauliflower with sherry vinegar macerated golden raisins and shallots which was definitely our favorite of the three dishes, there was nothing left on the plate for that one; and the Asparagus and new red potatoes, roasted and served with preserved lemon and caper aioli, of which I think a spinkle of salt and pepper was needed.
Sandwiches and Sides at Picnic House, Portland Warm Beets, tossed in gremolata compound butter, Sides at Picnic House, Portland Sandwiches and Sides at Picnic House, Portland, Roasted cauliflower with sherry vinegar macerated golden raisins and shallots Sandwiches and Sides at Picnic House, Portland, Asparagus and new red potatoes, roasted and served with preserved lemon and caper aioli

Sandwich-wise, we went with the Grilled Cheese sandwich, with aged white cheddar cheese and slices of apple and fig butter, gooey delicious between thick crusty bread with a contrast of fig to highlight against the oozy cheese; and the more tame in flavor Ratatouille sandwich (served grilled but can also be cold- I ate half hot there, and half cold the next day and both were fine) with marinated vegetables, sweet pesto & ricotta salata. The marinated vegetables had good flavor, but a more generous slathor of pesto would have been appreciated as some of it got absorbed into the bread.
Sandwiches and Sides at Picnic House, Portland, Grilled Cheese sandwich, with aged white cheddar cheese and slices of apple and fig butter Sandwiches and Sides at Picnic House, Portland ,Ratatouille sandwich with marinated vegetables, sweet pesto & ricotta salata

The highlight was dessert again. Already pretty full from the above, we wrapped some up for dinner later and thought we would try that chocolate cake again and just eat half and take the other half for a future dessert. It never happened- the next thing you know, that cake was completely gone.
Chocolate Cake, Picnic House

The cocktail during lunch I had was the Sauvie drink, composed of Rogue’s hazelnut rum, seltzer water, and hand-mixed Coca Cola made from original syrup recipe rather than bottles or cans. Similar to the Fleur De Lis drink I had my first visit (a mix of Indio Blood Orange vodka, hand mixed 7up with edible flower), this two was a light refreshing drink which was bubbly and clean without any syrupy sweetness from using a normal soda mixed drink, fulfilling its promise of effervescence.

This time I remembered to snap a photo of their cocktail offerings- as with all the photos click to view larger. They have also just updated their website, which now has much more information, with the main annoyance that their lunch specials are each individual thumbnails sized so small that you have to click to read each one, and also that they hide their hours of operation by not listing them at all. Props for having the main food and beverage menu at least on the website and not pdfs like so many other annoying eatery websites- it was bad enough that they did that before smartphones in the 2000s, but even worse now when looking up a place to eat on your phone is so ubiquitous. And, it looks like their jolly looking bar bear is becoming their icon.
 
Sandwiches and Sides at Picnic House, Portland Sandwiches and Sides at Picnic House, Portland

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Mac! Mac & Cheesery

July 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment

We went to support a struggling, starving artist… and he also a great musician with thoughtful lyrics and a sweet voice- at Mac! Mac & Cheesery. It was a beautiful summer afternoon, with sunshine but a nice cool breeze so it was perfect in the shade. Even though I had to spend the entire time working on my laptop on a document, hearing his sweet crooning made it easier to work through the 50 pages I had left to review.

The cheese certainly didn’t hurt either. When you enter, you can start your order there at there at the counter, including starting a tab. I started out with fried mac and cheese balls (which tempted me more than the other guilty pleasure options for appetizers of poutine), which are 4 to an order and served with marinara sauce. I ordered the original, but if I had known the vegetarian was going to not eat any I would have paid the extra 50 cents to get them with bacon jalapeno.
Mac! Mac & Cheesery, mac and cheese, macaroni and cheese

Meanwhile, F went with the Tabetha & Karssa’s Spinach and Artichoke mac and cheese, winner of the Make My Mac! contest in which fans submitted their own tasty recipe ideas for mac and cheese. This version has chopped spinach, artichoke, and garilc with swiss cheese. This was pretty rich, as you can imagine. I went with Mac! Mac & Cheesery’s Cheeseburger mac and cheese with natural local seasoned ground beef, crispy bacon, onions, cheddar, and topped with crushed bbq flavored chips. Based on the ingredients, it sounded quite savory, but the ground beef didn’t seem to have enough seasoning to make give the dish its burger-y tone that I was expecting, and I found myself trying to scoop carefuly to distribute the chips for some crunch since the bacon wasn’t really to be found. So the winner between the two was the Spinach and Artichoke mac, although with many places around PDX offering lots of great mac and cheese, it’s surprising that this place that specializes in them isn’t up to par: lots of combinations on the menu, but seemingly not a lot of complexity in the flavor, a gooey promise unfulfilled. It seems they need better cheese and additional seasoning.

At least as a consolation, these cheesy dishes are huge- so you getting two servings worth with each dish. And, it as a great clean open atmosphere, sitting outside listening to the musician, watching all sorts of interesting people walk by or listening in on other trendy people talking while they were also eating in the outdoor area at Uchu or Mee-Sen. It still made for a wonderful evening.

Mac! Mac & Cheesery, mac and cheese, macaroni and cheese Mac! Mac & Cheesery, mac and cheese, macaroni and cheese

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Delicious Highlights from a vacation in Sedona

July 20, 2012 by 1 Comment

At the top of the list were Aglio al Forno – Roasted head of garlic with chevre and grilled focaccia bread and also Porcini Polpette – homemade mushroom meatballs in a white truffle cream sauce, courtesy of dining at Dahl & DiLuca. The beautiful chandeliers and lighting and the white tablecloths here made this the nicest place we dined at during our vacation, though fair warning the food here is super rich and heavy.
Aglio al Forno – Roasted head of garlic with chevre, Dahl and Diluca, Sedona Arizona Porcini Polpette – homemade mushroom meatballs in a white truffle cream sauce, Dahl and Diluca, Sedona Arizona

Second Place: Oak Creek Brewery & Grill, which is located in the Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village aka “artsy mall” that is full of various art galleries built into the atmosphere of a really squeaky clean Mexican town.
Brewpub Pretzels with ale infused cheese, Oak Creek Brewery, Sedona, Arizona Citrus Salad- Arugula, mandarin oranges, grapefruit​, shallots, roasted almonds, fresh mint tossed with honey lime reduction, Oak Creek Brewery, Sedona, Arizona Steamboat Rock BLT- Thick sliced apple wood-smoke​d bacon layered with vine ripened tomatoes, mixed garden greens and basil aioli served on whole grain toast, Oak Creek Brewery, Sedona, Arizona
The Seven Dwarves at Oak Creek Brewery and Grill – sampler of, from the end by the coaster and then clockwise, the Microlight​, Forty-Nine​r Gold Lager, a seasonal Orange Blossom with orange and vanilla flavors that temporaril​y displaced their hefeweizen​, Doc’s Pale Ale, Oak Creek Amber Ale, Village Nut Brown Ale, and Pullman Porter.

Also, Brewpub Pretzels- Two large soft pretzels prepared in the Oak Creek Brewery & Grill wood fired oven and served with ale infused cheese fondue; Citrus Salad- Arugula, mandarin oranges, grapefruit​, shallots, roasted almonds, fresh mint tossed with honey lime reduction; and Steamboat Rock BLT- Thick sliced apple wood-smoke​d bacon layered with vine ripened tomatoes, mixed garden greens and basil aioli served on whole grain toast, here also with avocado and with their famous beer battered onion rings and southwest ranch dip.

elote appetizer, Elote Cafe, Sedona, Arizona homemade Dulce de Lech, Elote Cafe, Sedona, Arizona
The highlight of summer at Elote Cafe (which takes no reservations and is at least a 45 minute wait): sweet corn, here in elote appetizer (Fire roasted corn with spicy mayo, lime and Cotija cheese) and dessert form of Pastel de Elote = Veracruz style sweet corn cake served with homemade Dulce de Leche and homemade vanilla bean ice cream.

Two places F picked out made a healthy contribution too: Mago Cafe– Tofu and Kim-Chi, sauteed kim-chi on top of the pan grilled tofu with organic romain heart salad, and ChocolaTree‘s Kale Quinoa, quinoa grain, kale, thai sauce topped with shredded carrots, red onion, and red bell pepper
Tofu and Kim-Chi, sauteed kim-chi on top of the pan grilled tofu with organic romain heart salad. Mago Cafe, Sedona, Arizona ale Quinoa, quinoa grain, kale, thai sauce topped with shredded carrots, red onion, and red bell pepper, ChocolaTree, Sedona, Arizona

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