The Perfect Bite

Ringing in 2010

We’ve never been big on going out for New Year’s Eve.  We usually spend it one of three ways: 

1. enjoy an early dinner out with friends and ring in the new year in the comfort and safety of our own home;

2. go to a party at a friend’s house; or

3. invite friends over for a delicious home-cooked meal and splurge on great champagne. 

With the current state of the economy, the majority of our friends opted for choice # 3 – buying great quality foods and vintages and eating at home figuring they’d spend, at most, half what they would at a restaurant. 

We chose to go the dinner out with friends route.  We brought our college daughters, got dressed up and descended on the new kid in town – Venegas Prime Filet.  The name says it all…a steakhouse serving prime cuts of meat and more.

The space previously was also a steakhouse with a big tree in the middle of the room – needless to say, the décor back then left a lot to be desired.  Now, it’s glossy and romantic, reminiscent of Old World décor combined with New World luxuries. 

We are mesmerized by the ambience, addicted to the meats, crazy for the wine and swooning over the chocolates.

 

We consumed so much food during a 3-hour dining soirée that we couldn’t possibly tell you about every dish.  Suffice it to say that the appetizers were delicious: a lovely crabcake, crispy calamari, full-flavored tacos de pescado, and a well-rounded global cheese plate.

 

 

The salads are truly tasty with crisp, fresh ingredients and true foodie accompaniments like applewood smoked lardons, fire roasted tomatoes, dried figs, candied walnut dust, parmigiano crisp.

The Chef’s Compositions are well varied with several selections of fish and poultry.  The court bouillion-poached lobster with tarragon drawn butter is a standout.  As is the Colorado lamb with the chef’s special sauce.

 

 

But the steaks steal the show!  They are true prime cuts with great marbling cooked to perfection.  Our table boasted a selection of Filet Mignon, NY Strip, and the Big Boy – 30 oz. Australian Wagyu steak for 2.  Though the steaks were ambrosial we each chose different sauces and butters to complement them (there are 12 choices). 

  

 We topped the meal off with delicious artisan chocolates by Norman Love.  We enjoyed the single cocoa bean varieties from the 5 cocoa regions of the world:  Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela & Madagascar.  The flavor profiles were rich and indulgent pairing wonderfully with our wine selection – Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (velvety with dense flavors of black fruits and a long finish).

 

It wasn’t our first time at Venegas.  From past experience we knew this novel powerhouse would fit our foodie cravings on a special night…and they delivered!  It was a great way to start off our new year…one with many more Venegas reservations.

We wish all our dear readers a happy, healthy, successful and safe 2010 filled with lots of fun, belly laughing, love & endless Perfect Bites!

 

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Gluten Free Milestone UPDATED

December 22nd was a milestone in our home:  1 year since Darlene was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, hence 1 year since living gluten free.  Happy Anniversary to us!  Here’s what we’ve learned in a year:

 

1 out of every 133 Americans has Celiac Disease but 97% don’t yet know it.  If you experience chronic stomach problems ask your doctor to give you the genetic marker test.  A positive result means continue testing. (The antibody test can yield false negatives which was the case with Darlene.)  The gold standard for diagnosis is a deep endoscopy that goes into the duodenum.  

 

Celiac is an autoimmune disease.  Basically your body becomes malnourished because it's not able to get the vitamins it needs.  So, you would expect most Celiac sufferers to be rail thin...yeah, right!  According to Scott Adams at www.Celiac.com, 39% of Celiacs are overweight and 30% are obese.  Do the math - that leaves only 31% to be "normal" weight or underweight.  Not what one would expect.

When we made the announcement at home that we would begin eating GF our kids were quite unhappy.  What they didn't know is that most foods are inherently gluten free.  Meat, poultry, fish, dairy, fruits & vegetables are all foods we eat on a daily basis and they are all gluten free.  Good starches for Celiacs are potatoes, rice, corn & quinoa (well, we don't do quinoa in our house - we equate it with being vegetarian and Eric and is a staunch "meat & potatoes" guy!).  

So imagine our surprise when our son began stealing Darlene's food out of the fridge. He didn't know it was GF he just knew that he loved it, especially the P. F. Chang's Spicy Chicken off their GF menu.  Our 2 go-to takeout places are Chang's & Outback.  They both have great GF menus and are close by.  But Darlene doesn't trust most of the franchise restaurants because they only have line cooks who haven't been to culinary school and usually don't know what gluten is.  This works in our favor as we both love foodie restaurants anyway!

 

Living gluten free forces us to make more homemade whole foods.  A good example is BBQ sauce.  We had never bothered to make one from scratch before; now we find we can control all the ingredients for health, fat and caloric content.  Yes, your pantry will go  through a few changes but we’ve found those changes are for the better.  You'll get rid of the processed foods and use good quality foods that you can control.

 

Substituting gluten in savory recipes is simple.   If you are flouring meats or sauces just substitute rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, nut flour or one of the specialty gluten free all-purpose flour mixtures on the market today.  We take plain GF crackers and pulse them in the food processor to make panko - it's a cinch!

 

The texture and mouth feel/chew quality are different without the gluten. We personally have found that the best desserts are those containing the least amount of flour.  A GFcupcake often seems to have the texture of stale carrot cake – that doesn’t seem to be worth the calories!  But to be fair, we haven’t spent much time perfecting the technique of GF baking; we do, however, have every confidence that our daughter will perfect it for us as a culinary student.  So we tend to make desserts that require little flour like Darlene’s No Gluten Zone Brownies, which she created for Super Bowl 2009 (recipe below).  Now, brownies are not difficult to make gluten free - it's similar to a flourless chocolate cake which any chocoholic will tell you is rich in chocolate and increases your serotonin level by leap and bounds!

 
 No Gluten Zone Brownies

 

The same goes for pizza.  The crust will not have that same chewy mouth feel so we don’t try to emulate a typical pizza (tomato sauce, pepperoni, etc.)  Instead we opt for rich, savory ingredients.  Our fave so far is fig jam, caramelized onions, prosciutto & blue cheese. 

 

 

We never eat fried foods out.  The 2 times Darlene tried (even though she was assured everything was gluten free and fried in clean vats of oil) she was violently ill.  Taking the chance is just not worth it.

 

Become friendly with your neighborhood restaurants.  They are always willing to accommodate.  Our sushi restaurant, Katana, special orders jumbo lump crab to make special rolls for Darlene.  We bring in our own wheat free soy sauce (wheat free tamari) and mayonnaise and they add the appropriate spices so she can enjoy the special spicy mayo for sushi.  At Iron Bridge Wine Company Darlene pretty much makes her own meal by choosing the items on the menu she can have and they are always happy to accommodate.  And, at the revered Top Chef restaurant Volt, Bryan Voltaggio has substituted several items on his Tasting Menu to accommodate Darlene.

 
Specialty appetizer at Volt – only 1 item was substituted to make the dish gluten free.  Clockwise from bottom left: Beef Tartare, Tuna Tartare, Beet Macaroon filled with foie gras mousse, Sweet & Sour Macaroon filled with guacamole, Romaine Lettuce Macaroon filled with Caesar dressing.

 

When traveling be sure to bring snacks to keep you going until you can get real food: craisins, apples, bananas & nuts are all standard snacks that Darlene can easily slip in her handbag on the way to the airport or train station.  We also keep a box of GF crackers in the car so if we're at a restaurant that serves a "mean" cheese plate, Darlene has some crackers to complement it (life can sometimes be boring when "the cheese stands alone").

 

And, finally, we learned how to read food labels for hidden gluten, preventing cross-contamination of GF foods, and many more tidbits at www.celiac.com and www.celiac.org.

 

 

No Gluten Zone Brownies

6 oz. 70% cocoa chocolate bar

1 tbl vanilla

1 cup butter, softened

4 eggs

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup + 1 tbl gluten free flour blend (use your own favorite - I used Pamela's)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

 

Preheat oven to 300°.  Grease an 8"x 8" baking pan.

 

Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Do not overcook chocolate - if you are down to a few small chunks remove from heat immediately and stir until all chunks are melted and mixture is smooth.  Add vanilla and stir to incorporate.

 

In a large bowl, beat eggs until light yellow - 3-5 minutes with an electric mixer.  Add sugar and beat on low until thoroughly combined.

 

Add chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat on low until smooth.  Add ½ cup GF flour and mix thoroughly.

 

Mix chocolate chips with 1 tbl GF flour and fold into batter.

 

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool to room temperature before cutting into 2-inch squares.

 

Servings: 16

 

One Branzino, Two Branzini, Three Branzini, Yum!

This post may be a little long today as we have much to tell you!

Branzino (a European sea bass) is one of Darlene’s most favorite fish.  We first had it in Italy back in ’88.  After that we were on a quest to find it in the States.  We searched high and low and finally found it at a Greek fish restaurant in the Fell’s Point section of Baltimore at a little place called The Black Olive.  It’s small, warm, inviting and the owners are just adorable!  Actually, they come from a long line of Greek restaurateurs.  One cousin is the brains behind the famed Estiatorio Milos  in NY, Montréal & Athens.  (If you go, be sure to get the Milos special appetizer, the tomato salad, and any fish you desire – you won’t be disappointed!).

 

Fast forward to our purchase of Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc At Home. 

 

 

For those of you who don’t know who Thomas Keller is – he is considered to be the true Top American Chef.  His restaurant The French Laundry in Napa Valley is widely thought to be the #1 restaurant in the country.  The kitchen sounds in the movie Ratatouille are authentic sounds made in the kitchen of The French Laundry.  We have eaten there once and, yes, it was an incredibly decadent meal in addition to being the most expensive meal we have ever had – but worth every cent!

 

 

Ad Hoc is Keller’s family-style restaurant, also in Napa Valley.  The corresponding cookbook features meals prepared at the restaurant and meals Keller prepares at home and boasts a section on How to Become a Better Cook.  It’s a great read, the pictures make you want to grab the food right off the book and eat, and the recipes are straightforward, though some can be time-consuming.  After our first perusal of the book, we immediately decided we’d be making the salt-crusted striped bass. This method of cooking fish is common in Italy and produces a really moist fish that’s perfectly seasoned (and it doesn’t stink up the house!).

 

So we headed over to Whole Foods where they only had small Branzini that day.  We bought 3 one-pounders, had the fishmonger clean them up for us and headed home to become Keller’s Mini-me’s. 

 

 

Aren’t they beautiful?  Don’t they look succulent and tasty?  Don’t you wish you could have some right now?  The fish was every bit as delicious as in any restaurant and the recipe was straightforward and simple even if we did have to adjust it a bit since we had 3 one-pound fish rather than 1 four-pound fish.

 

 

In any event, we hope you garner enough courage to try this recipe.  We served it alongside his broccolini salad with burrata cheese.  Add a crisp white wine like Santa Maria La Palma’s Aragosta Vermentino di Sardegna - light-bodied white, aromas of lemon and lime, goes perfectly with seafood; or Chahalem’s Inox Chardonnay (stainless steel tank fermented) – rich & full of light fruits, with a crisp, zesty finish.  We enjoy this wine all year long. Cheers!

 

 

 

Salt-Crusted Striped Bass

Adapted from Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller

 3 one-pound branzini – gutted, scaled, fins cut off

4 cups kosher salt

8 large egg whites

½ bunch flat-least parsley

fronds from 1 fennel bulb

1 lemon, sliced thin

1 small orange, sliced thin

evoo

 

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Stir together the salt & egg whites in a large bowl.  Make a layer of the salt mixture just over ¼ inch thick on a baking sheet.

 

Stuff the fish cavity with parsley, fennel fronds, and fruit slices.  Lay the fish on top of the salt mixture on the baking sheet.  Take the remaining salt mixture and cover the top of the fish entirely, making sure the fish are completely covered in salt.  Use a paper towel to pat the crust to remove excess moisture.

 

Roast fish for 30-40 minutes (turn the pan 180° halfway through cooking).  Insert instant read thermometer into thickest part of middle fish – when it reads 125°F remove the fish from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes.

 

To serve:  Using either 2 large spoons or a fish fork and large spoon crack the crust breaking it into large pieces and remove from the top and sides of the fish.  Remove the skin by gently rolling it off the meat.  The top fillet is now exposed and can be lifted right off the bone.  Next, lift the tail of the fish pulling toward the head to remove the skeleton. Lift the bottom fillet off the baking sheet.  A pastry brush can be used to gently brush away any salt that remains.  Drizzle with some evoo and enjoy.

 

Broccolini Salad with Burrata cheese

Adapted from Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller

 2 lb. broccolini, thick part of stalks removed

2 large Portobello mushroom caps, sliced thin

1 small red onion, sliced into thin rings

1 cup black Cerignola olives (or other cured olives) sliced

½ cup vinaigrette (your own choice, Keller used Sherry vinegar)

salt & pepper to taste

2 large rounds of burrata cheese (like fresh mozzarella, but loose & creamy inside)

evoo

sea salt (we used Sicilian)

 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Prepare an ice bath (large bowl of water and ice).

 

Blanch the broccolini in the bling water until crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes.  Transfer to the ice bath to stop the cooking.  Drain on paper towels.

 

Gently toss the broccolini with 2/3 of the vinaigrette then place on a platter all lined up.  Gently toss the mushrooms with the remaining vinaigrette and sprinkle over the broccolini.  Sprinkle the onion and olives on top.

 

Place the burrata in a shallow bowl.  Cut away the top nub of the burrata and using a pair scissors cut an X into the top until you reach the creamy center.  Open the top slightly and drizzle evoo inside.  Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and serve alongside the broccolini.

 

McLaren Vale South Australia “Where the vines meet the Sea”

By Sharon Kneebone

 

In 1999 we returned to South Australia to visit my husband’s family and ring in the new Millennium.   For those fans of big, bold Australian red wines you most likely know that South Australia is home to the Barossa Valley and the McLaren Vale.  My in-laws live about 20 minutes from the beautiful Barossa and about 40 minutes north of the McLaren Vale.   We had been to the Barossa a couple of times and wanted to visit a different wine region.  We left the kids with Nana and Papa and headed south for a couple days away. 

  Sharon & Scott Kneebone

 

We stayed at the Inn at the McLarens, just down the street from the McLaren Vale Visitor Center. The Inn was the quintessential Aussie motel complete with inexpensive spacious rooms and a tin roof.  It was a great staging area to visit the vale’s cellar doors.  We spent the day sampling wines of the vale with a stop at Chapel Hill Cellar Door, a lovely sampling room set in a converted Australian chapel.

 

The Inn at the McLarens

 

One of our favorite wineries is Tintara, part of the Hardys family.  We purchased the Hardys world class Whiskers Blake Port there and have shared it judiciously with our close friends.  One of our favorite Shiraz wines is Tintara.  It is a full-bodied bold Aussie wine that is characteristic of the McLaren Vale region.  By far, our favorite wine maker from the McLaren Vale is Molly Dooker.  It is now widely available in the States and we’ve introduced it to all of our friends.

 

After a full day of touring the vale we had a wonderful dinner at the Barn Bistro.  One of the specials that evening was Kangaroo Steak cooked to perfection.  The Barn is a historic building housing a fine Australian Restaurant in the McLaren Vale. Far and away, my favorite site was cresting a hill with sloping vines to my left, a kangaroo bounding between the rows, and the sight of the ocean in the distance.

 

My favorite view – the ocean is off to the right.

 

The trek to the McLaren Vale is well worth the time, expense and effort.  Some of the world’s greatest Shiraz wines come from the area with an abundance of fresh Australian food.

 

"It is an ideal spot, and the ideal liquid inspiration, to try to figure out a way to live near this tiny piece of paradise between the voluptuous hills of wine
and the aquamarine sea."                                --The Wine Roads of Australia by Susan Gough Henly

Sharon and Scott Kneebone live in Baltimore, Maryland with their 2 children.  Besides Shiraz, they like lacrosse, musical theatre, and entertaining friends.

December 24th Tradition

Every Christmas Eve Day for the past 10+ years our family gets together with a large group of friends whom we consider to be family.  There’s the Aussie group, the Lacrosse group, the Spy, the Pittsburgh Transplants, the Hockey group and the Firemen.  We’re a rowdy crowd and we join a bunch of other unknown rowdy crowds as we all converge on one of our fave Baltimore spots:  Cross St. Market.  It’s your basic open-air market under roof where neighborhood residents go to buy their produce, meat, seafood, flowers, & candy. 

  

But on December 24th we go straight to the South Charles Street end of the market to Nick’s Oyster Bar and Samurai Sushi Bar, stake our claim at a few picnic tables, and begin the feast.  We munch on sushi, oysters, clams, steamed shrimp, crab cakes and Bruce Lee wings (a sweet & spicy concoction that makes these wings not only irresistible, but also very addicting).   It’s urban, it’s loud, it’s delicious, it’s quintessential Baltimore, it’s filled with holiday cheer, and it’s a tradition all of our kids want to continue with their children in the future.

 

  

Viva La Señora

  

We entered Miami’s trendy Design District with oohs and aahs, glimpsing the high-end stores and high design window fronts.  We pulled up to a small building with umbrella-covered tables out front.  As we exited the car the aroma hit us full in the nose!  It was an aroma filled with promise that made us salivate.

 

Welcome to Sra. Martinez, the tapas restaurant owned by Chef Michelle Bernstein and her husband David Martinez.  Walking inside the 1920’s building (it was originally a post office) we felt like we had left Miami and had entered a small neighborhood restaurant in Spain.   Original wood floors, gigantic black plantation shutters, funky tile walls, marble bartops, cozy booths – all designed by Michelle’s sister.

We were seated at the charcuterie bar where Michelle was busily doing her thing.  As we sat down she hit us with a smile that lit up the entire room.  Let us just say that in person Michelle Bernstein is a stunningly gorgeous woman – TV and photos don’t do her true justice.

 

Okay…onto the food.  Like the ambiance, the food is hip and unpretentious.  Spanish wines comprise 95% of the wine list so we enlisted the Sommelier to help us choose.  She recommended Luna Beberide 2007 Finca La Cuestra (ruby red color, spice & tons of fruit) and we weren’t disappointed.  It was a great recommendation for the dishes we would try.

 

Quesos, Embutidos y Bocas (clockwise from top left) Cana de Cabre – semi-soft goat cheese; Valdeon Blue – combo cow, sheep & goat; Chorizo Cantimpalo; Marcona Almonds; Manchego – Spain’s version of Reggiano Parmigiano.

Of course we had to begin with a charcuterie and cheese platter.  We moved on to mussels and seared scallops.  As our culinary student daughter was eating the scallops she said, “I like how my knife just glides through the scallops.  It makes me so happy.”  From there we moved on to Korean-style short ribs and Butifarra – gigante white beans with foie gras duck sausage.  Darlene said, “I could eat Michelle’s version of franks and beans everyday.”  Dessert was a plate of homemade churros with chocolate sauce.  What’s not to like?

 
Mussels Al Ajillo  

Seared Scallops

Galbi Pinchos (Korean-style short ribs)

Butifarra (gigante beans with foie gras duck sausage)

 
Churros 

  

We cannot begin to tell you have much we enjoyed our meal.  We recommend you put Sra. Martinez on your foodie dance card.  We’ll be back!

 

Get Your Volt On

If you’re a real Foodie you probably watch all the cooking shows…even the reality shows like Hell’s Kitchen and Top Chef.  A real Foodie can recognize a cheftestant from Top Chef as easily as recognizing one’s own first born.  A real Foodie, when traveling, will choose a food show contestant’s restaurant to dine in.  Why not?  We’ve done it on several occasions…it only stands to reason that if you’re visiting the area and aren’t familiar with the restaurants you should check out those where the contestants work…if the restaurants and chefs weren’t good they wouldn’t make it onto the show.

 

So, being from the Baltimore/Washington, DC area, we finally got around to trying Volt in Frederick, MD (50 miles from both downtown Baltimore and downtown Washington).  The juxtaposition of the late 1800’s brick mansion with the contemporary all white dining room actually works well.  The white dining room actually helps make the food the star…and isn’t that why we eat out? 

 

We had the three course tasting menu for $20.09…well, that’s a deal.  The wine pairings recommended by the sommelier added to the cost, but what’s fine food without wine?  And the food was fine!  But it was very exciting going into the kitchen to talk to the cheftestant himself – Chef/Owner Bryan Voltaggio.

 

We each had a starter:

    Rocket & arugula salad with figs, pine nuts, blue cheese & iberico ham drizzled with a banyuls vinaigrette accompanied by Kung Fu Girl Riesling from Columbia Valley, Washington.  The combined flavors were an explosion in our mouths.  A very tasty, light salad, perfectly seasoned…we ate every last morsel.

 

      Yellowfin tuna tartare with sesame lavash (a $7 upcharge that was well worth it) accompanied by Botani Moscatel Secco from Malaga, Spain.  Every bite was a Perfect Bite with roe popping on your tongue.  It was a winner.

   

Our main courses:

    Chicken with braised Swiss chard, Russian fingerling potatoes, rutabaga, & hen of the woods. Now this was no ordinary chicken…it was a portion of perfectly seared chicken breast with a chicken pavé (dark meat pressed, vacuum-sealed in a plastic pouch and cooked sous vide – in warm water).  Neil the sommelier recommended Four Vines Zinfandel Old Vine Cuvee from Napa, California.  Darlene hardly ever orders chicken out because we eat it often at home, but this is one of only two fabulous chicken dishes she has ever eaten – the other being at Michael Mina at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.  It was so perfect and so rich tasting we could eat this every day!

   

  Hangar steak with a butternut squash puree, sautéed Brussels sprouts & golden beets.  The wine of choice was Hall’s Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, California.  Eric has stopped ordering hangar steak out because he usually finds it tough, but this steak was as succulent and tender as a prime filet mignon.

   

If we thought lunch was good, the pièce de résistance was dessert.

  The Taste of Chocolate featured a ribbon of white chocolate mousse which was very light, with milk chocolate ice cream, dark chocolate tuilles, with a chocolate caramel sauce and a dusting of organic cocoa powder.  This was accompanied by Robertson Special late Harvest Gewürztraminer from South Africa.

   

  The pear cobbler was equally delicious and unique – with concord grape sorbet, crème anglaise and basil oil.  This was paired with a real find – Kanu Late Harvest Chenin Blanc also from South Africa.

   

We enjoyed lunch so much that we decided to try their Table 21 – a special Chef’s Table in the kitchen that features a 21-course tasting menu.  They book this table 6 times a week.  It’s booked for a very long time.  We were able to reserve it for April 15^th.  When we told Bryan we thought that was a good present to ourselves after paying Uncle Sam he replied, “Good, then I can pay my taxes.”

 

Aside from Volt’s business booming, Bryan says there have been other benefits to his being on national TV.  “I’ve always focused on getting local, sustainable products for the restaurant, but many purveyors didn’t want to leave the metropolitan area (Baltimore or Washington, DC) to come to me.  Being on Top Chef has dramatically changed that.  Now they’re coming out to Frederick,” says Bryan.  “Also, we have many wine companies calling to ask for a presence on our wine list.”

 

As he filleted a gorgeous Alaskan Halibut in his bustling kitchen, Bryan also told us a few tidbits of information.  (No, not about the finale…we all know he’s contracted to keep that under wraps.  Let’s face it, those of us who are Top Chef groupies know in our guts that the final 4 will be Kevin, Jennifer & the Voltaggio brothers.)  He told us that after the Pigs & Pinot challenge, Chef Charlie Palmer, his old boss and partner, called to invite him to be a featured chef at the 2010 Pigs & Pinot in Healdsburg, California.  According to Bryan, he and his brother Michael have always had a healthy sibling rivalry, but he feels the show has brought them even closer.  They talk on the phone everyday and are currently planning a joint project.  He also told us that Bravo will have a new series next year – Top Chef: Just Desserts – basically a Top Pastry Chef.  That’s good news…it means our daughter can apply to be a cheftestant in a few years.

 

We paid our bill and said our goodbyes; as we were walking out the door we heard the hostess on the phone telling someone that Table 21 was now booking for May. Better call soon!

In The Hood

People often ask us which restaurant we frequent the most.  We have several in our area that we really like, but our fave is Iron Bridge Wine Company.  It’s our own Cheers - a neighborhood wine bar where everybody knows your name.  It’s only a few miles from our home which we frequent anywhere from 3-6 times a month for either lunch or dinner.  We met friends there for dinner last night.

 

   

They don’t have Sam or Norm, Cliff or Carla, but they do have Rob and Steve the brother-owners who know the restaurant business, Vince the manager who is very knowledgeable about wines, Katie the bartender/server who was a chem major and is inspired by the actual wine making process (and engaged to a chef), Marcie the hostess/wine aficionado who often makes great recommendations, Holly the server who has worked for the prestigious Charleston Group - owned by arguably the best chef and best sommelier in Maryland (Cindy Wolf & Tony Foreman), and Ali, Ed, Valerie, Janine, etc., etc., etc.

 

  Wild Boar Ragu over pasta

 

Iron Bridge is small, but has a cozy atmosphere.  They serve about 25 wines by the glass and the list changes weekly. 

 

  Last night we drank Nicolis Ambrosan Amarone and Rochioli Pinot Noir (the wine picked by Top Chef contestant Bryan Voltaggio during the Pigs & Pinot Challenge)

 

They have a varied menu which changes regularly - about 15 small plates, 5 small entrees and 1-2 full size daily specials.  The food is original and exciting. 

 

  Salmon (cooked to perfection) with lemon, white wine and capers with haricot verts

 

  Last night’s NY Strip special with mashed potatoes, haricot verts, and herbed butter

 

 

About 6 months ago Iron Bridge was the center of an animal rights controversy.  One of their small plates is foie gras pate made with goose liver.  There are farms that raise the geese and fatten them up with corn - sometimes force feeding them. Instead of protesting, the animal rights activists were destructive - they broke several of the restaurant’s windows and graffiti-ed the stone exterior with red spray paint.  Did Rob & Steve back down?  No way!  Instead they instituted Foie Gras Friday featuring 3 special foie gras appetizers paired with wines every Friday night.

 

  Last night’s Foie Gras Friday menu

 

The Iron Bridge was named one of the “Best New Restaurants in the United States for 2004” by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.  Only 21 restaurants made this prestigious list.  They’ve certainly made believers out of us!

When in Rho Dyland…

It’s The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (aka: Rhode Island, Little Rhody, the Ocean State), but it’s not Long Island.  Long Island is in New York.  Rhode Island is a state (the smallest state in the US) located on the Atlantic Ocean right between Connecticut and Massachusetts.

 

Rhode Island has its own language (sometimes) and its own culture – part New England, part New York, part Italian, part Portuguese, part everything else.  And, in all honesty, a vast portion of southeastern Massachusetts is very Rhode Island-ish – this area includes Fall River, New Bedford and Dartmouth – yeah, Emeril’s from this area and talks just like the native he is.

 

Food is very much a part of RI culture.  Did you know that RI is the biggest selling state of Pampered Chef products?  How can that be?  It’s the smallest state in the country, but has the most cooks per capita because the Italian and Portuguese cultures are big on homemade meals.  And when they’re not eating at home, they’re eating at one of the many family restaurants in the state. 

 

We’ve listed some perfect bites that we feel you cannot leave RI without trying:

 

One stop that’s a must is Twin Oaks Restaurant – a RI institution since 1933.  They are known for their baked stuffed shrimp.

 Surf & Turf - filet mignon with 2 famous baked stuffed shrimp 

 

They are also known for their cold lobster plate – 3-4 lobster tails steamed and served chilled on a bed lettuce for only $30!

 

Their antipasto is always 1^st rate, but their snail salad is top notch!  What is snail salad?  Sliced snails, shaved celery, and shaved onion, marinated in an herb vinaigrette.  It’s delicious!

 

 Another stop that should be at the top of your list is Del’s Lemonade.  It’s a slushy lemon drink made with real lemon juice and they even chop the lemons and add them to the mix too!  There are Del’s retail stores, but they have a fleet of trucks that roam the state like the Good Humor Man.  We’d pick Del’s over the Good Humor Man any day!

 

Chourico [shoo-reese’] and Linguica [lin-gwee’-suh] are Portuguese sausages (hot and mild, respectively) that are used in virtually any meal – very popular at breakfast with eggs.  They are basically the Portuguese version of Spanish chorizo.

 

 

Kids in RI grow up addicted to caffeine because they drink coffee milk all day long.  It’s just like chocolate milk, except you substitute coffee syrup for the chocolate syrup.   Coffee (caw’ – fee) milk is the perfect accompaniment to a Fluffernutter (pronounced fluff - ah - nut - tah) sandwich.

  Clam shacks are found all along the RI coast.  They have their own unique foods: 

 

Clam chowder…in RI it’s a clear broth.  Natives eat all 3 versions, cream, tomato & clear, but we think you can find clear and tomato in almost every part of the country, so we recommend you try the clear for an authentic treat.

 

Clamcakes…nothing at all like a crabcake, but instead a ball of dough with minced clams and deep fried.

 

Stuffies or stuffed quahogs (pronounced co’- hawgs) are a great treat.  The quahog meat is chopped up and mixed with ground chourico, breadcrumbs, onions, and spices.  This concoction is stuffed into ½ the quahog shell and baked.  A quahog is a clam, but in Rhody they are named by their size from small to large: little necks, cherrystones, chowder clams/quahogs.

Quahogs

Stuffies

 

Dough boys – these are the best!  They are small squares of dough deep fried then rolled in sugar and cinnamon. 

 

Let’s talk about a grinder (grin’ – dah).  No, it doesn’t actually grind anything…it’s what Rhode Islanders call a sub, hoagie, hero, etc.  A grinder is definitely better than the previously mentioned sandwiches because it’s served hot.  In other words, no matter what your filling (eggplant parm, meatball, steak & cheese, Italian cold cuts) the entire grinder is put into the pizza oven so the cheese melts and bread gets slightly crispy. 

 

Hot wieners are another famous Rhody specialty dating back to the 1930’s (NY System Hot Wieners).  They are wieners in a natural casing that come in a rope form which are put into a steamed hotdog roll with mustard, celery salt, and onion, then topped with the famous sauce made with finely ground beef and spices. If you’re a fan of Showtime’s Brotherhood, Tommy Caffee had many meetings at this Olneyville haunt. 

 

Jonnycakes are pancakes made with cornmeal.  They are served in many RI diners.

 

A cabinet is not a piece of furniture.  It’s actually an ice cream drink also known as a frappe in Massachusetts, but the rest of the world calls it a milkshake.  The vast majority of the time a cabinet is coffee flavored.

 

Cowlick Cone – a specialty at Newport Creamery.  It’s an ice cream cone dipped in chocolate, then rolled in nuts.  The chocolate hardens and the ice cream melts, and it’s an ooey gooey, but most delicious mess. 

And finally, we must talk about pizza strips.  They are a true RI staple.  Many bakeries carry them but our ultimate favorite are made by D. Palmieri’s.  They’re great for parties, the beach, or just plain old snacking.

 

An FYI – grilled pizza has been the rage for a good while, but you should know it originated with George Germon and Johanne Killeen the husband and wife team at Al Forno.  When in RI, trying their original grilled pizza is a must!

Ta-Da to the Ta-Tas

Yesterday marked the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  2 of our dear friends, Debbie & Stacia, are survivors who decided to put a new spin on breast cancer fundraising efforts.  Most survivors participate in one of the many runs or walks for the cause, but not our girls.  They decided to forego the sweat this year and raise money in true Foodie style – a celebration of life and survival featuring none other than food and champagne.  What else would you expect from our friends?

 

 

So last night they had a big party at Debbie’s home.  The house was adorned with many, many vases filled with every type of pink flower imaginable.  The kitchen featured food donated by a couple of area restaurants – succulent lamb chops by Ranazul in Fulton, and the beautiful pink sushi roll named Victoria’s Secret Roll by Katana in Clarksville. 

 

 

Notice the pink shrimp and pink rice paper wrapper.

 

The kitchen island was set up as a bar covered with glasses of champagne…mmm!

  

The dining room featured a gorgeous array of taste bud tantalizing goodies…

  

But the pièce de résistance – the strawberries covered with white chocolate turned “pink”.  Not only were they beautiful, but also when paired with the champagne they were The Perfect Bite.

  

They raised $2500 for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation with the 40 women who attended this “girls’ night out” and they are expecting more checks to come in from those who couldn’t attend (another 20 or so women).  Of those 40 women, 8 are survivors.  That’s 20%...a staggering percentage above the 12.08% national average (according to the National Cancer Institute)!

  

Stay tuned…next year Debbie and Stacia are taking their “Girls’ Night Out” city wide.  They’ll be inviting all women from the Baltimore area to help celebrate life and survival. We’ll be sure to keep you posted!