Rare & Well-Done

Rare & Well Done is getting a face lift!

2011-07-25T12:14:00.002-04:00

Hi all! Rare & Well Done has gotten a facelift and it's own website! I'm still putting the finishing touches on it but I couldn't wait to share it with you all.

Please visit the new site and let me know what you think! I posted a new review of Coal's Artisan Pizza, and in about a week I will be automatically forwarding this blog to the new one.

The new site is:

www.rnwdblog.com

Enjoy!

Garden fresh produce...minus all the work

2011-07-07T09:08:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure if you've noticed but I've been slacking off a bit on my posting this summer and there are two main reasons....

One...I'm working on rolling out an updated Rare & Well Done site...complete with my own domain name and everything! Stay posted. It should be up and running soon and I would love your help with it. Do you want more of anything specific...happenings in Louisville...weekend getaway ideas for food centric folks...recipes...national food trends (p.s. I'm probably going to use all of these so any other ideas would be great!).

AND

Two...All those damn fresh vegetables!!! I want to venture out and blog about new restaurants so badly, but when my garden is filled with fresh vegetables literally falling of the vine with ripeness I simply can't help but rush them into the kitchen and have them for dinner. If you didn't plant a garden this summer and aren't drowning in collard greens and cucumbers (p.s. if anyone has recipes for collard greens and cucumbers together I'd love to hear it...otherwise I'm going to be selling them on a highway off ramp) you might want to check out all of the local farmers markets to and experience the bounty for yourself.

Check out this link: http://www.courier-journal.com/article/9999305190003

Did you have any idea we had so many farmers markets in the area???? Enjoy the bounty of the season Louisville.

Oh, and one more thing. If you ARE drowning in cucumbers like me why not make some benedictine or a refreshing cocktail!?

Here's a link to a cucumber cocktail recipe I posted some time back: http://rareandwelldone.blogspot.com/2009/08/dog-days-of-summer.html

And here's a benedictine recipe I got off an index card in the Churchill Downs museum(don't judge until you try it). I made it this past weekend and it was a huge hit. Just be sure to drain the cucumber/onion mixture thoroughly before mixing with the cream cheese and let it set in the fridge for at least 6 hours before serving. I made tea sandwiches out of it...I dipped veggies in it...one guest wanted to spread it on a bagel for breakfast:

Peel one large cucumber and a medium/small onion. Grate them into a pulp. Strain the pulp to remove all liquid. Discard liquid. Add drained cucumbers and onions to one package of cream cheese. Enjoy. The recipe actually calls for green food coloring but please, this isn't St. Patrick's day. If you want to go crazy I would recommend a hint of cayenne and a touch of lemon juice.

Road Trip - Destination...Nashville!

2011-06-27T09:11:00.020-04:00

A few weeks ago the hubby and I were in Knoxville, Tennessee...for about an hour...in the airport...after it closed for the night.

Our plane was diverted because of bad weather in Louisville and although I was pissed off about our delay I looked out the windows of the cute little airport and thought, "Hmmm. I don't think I've ever been to Knoxville before. I bet it's nice. I'd like to come back".

Summer, to me, is about taking lots of weekend trips. Living in another region of the US allows Nick and I the opportunity to take a lot of small road trips to destinations that until now would have been out of the question for a weekend trip. After our little stop in Knoxville Tennessee I realized I hadn't written about our fun little road trip to Nashville Tenessee. It's about as close to a New Orleans atmosphere as you can get on a tank of gas.

First tip for a fun and relatively inexpensive Nashville getaway...Priceline your hotel. I know I talk about Priceline like it's the best thing to happen to travel since the invention of the airplane, but it kinda is. Nick and I have stayed in some very classy digs in some very expensive cities for as low as $45 a night. Here's a link to my old tutorial for those of you who haven't read it....

We priceline'd a lovely hotel on the Broadway strip in Nashville. All of the bars and honky tonks line Broadway, so if you want to bar hop, staying near the Broadway strip is your best bet. We got a got a wonderful deal on a room at the Union Station hotel (it's a Wyndham Grand but the hotel used to be Nashville's main train station back in the day). I highly recommend it(picture above). The location was perfect. The staff was wonderful. The ambiance and old school charm was delightful.

Now that you've got a place to stay it's time to plan your itinerary. Here are my hits and misses for Nashville:

Hit: Gaylord Opryland Hotel
Located on the north end of Nashville this isn't your typical hotel, and although I don't recommend staying there due to it's location, I feel it's worth a visit just to look around. The behemoth is filled with botanical gardens, cascading waterfalls and even offers a boat ride through the hotel. When's the last time you took a boat ride through your hotel?

I'm not sure that you're technically "allowed" to wander around the hotel without being a guest, but Nick and I parked in a far away lot (don't park in a pay lot) and just happened to wander through a random unlocked door near the convention center section of the property. Whether it's frowned upon or not to take an unescorted tour of the property I'm not sure. I am sure, however, that this hotel is breathtaking and worth a look.

Miss: The Country Music Hall of Fame
I love me some old country music. I'm not the biggest fan of the new stuff, but play me some old Merle Haggard and I'm a happy girl. Needless to say, I was really excited about visiting this museum. My disappointment set in when we realized that the bare bones basic admission was a a whopping $20, and if you wanted to see some of the old studios where folks like Elvis first recorded their music you had to pay upwards of $30.

We decided that we couldn't visit Nashville without going to this museum so we sucked it up and bought tickets around 3:45pm, only to be told that we had better hurry because the place closes at 5pm...on a Saturday...in the tourist section of Nashville. This isn't some government owned Smithsonian. This is a privately owned museum that's charging $30 per person to show you a bunch of gold records glued to the wall. They might want to re-think their hours.

The museum itself was alright I suppose. There was some nice info about the very early history of country music and a few neat bits of memorabilia, but when all was said and done I almost wished I had saved my $20 and used it to tip the hard working musicians at the honky tonks later that evening.

Hit: Any bar on Broadway with live music and no cover charge...and there are a lot of them
All you have to do is google "no cover charge Nashville" and lists of bars with live music and without a cover charge pop up. We spent ALL night bar hopping and I'm still not sure we hit all of them. I suppose it's the competition amongst all the bars on Broadway that breeds good music with cheap booze. Beer was inexpensive. Mixed drinks were affordable. The musicians were amazing (although I could have done with more country music and less Tom Petty...I mean, when in Rome right?). This bar hopping, live music, rowdy all night long atmosphere is the reason we went to Nashville and I loved every minute of it.

Miss: The Parthenon
I don't know who's bright idea it was to recreate the ancient Parthenon in the middle of Nashville, but it seems like a waste of money to me. It's on the list of must-see tourist spots in Nashville, but I'm telling you now, it's alright if you miss it...I promise.

Hit: The Food!

I emailed the bloggers at Nashvillerestaurants.blogspot before we left to get their take on what the Nashville food scene is all about. If you're heading to Nashville I highly recommend perusing their blog first.

I was most intrigued by a type of fried chicken called "hot chicken". Basically it's a spicy fried chicken that's sauced with a blend of spices, heavy on the cayenne. We tried to hit up Prince's, a local favorite, but they were closed(when they were supposed to be open), and so we tried out another shack called Pepperfire. Although the preparation took what seemed like forever, and the seating at Pepperfire was less than comfortable(3 plastic tables next to a very busy road) the end result was pretty amazing. The chicken was moist and delicious. It was spicy...very, very spicy. And the texture of the breading and subsequent saucing was unlike anything I've ever eaten before.

Give it a shot if you're in town. The name certainly doesn't lie.

I searched and searched for an amazing (but not amazingly expensive) restaurant within walking distance of Broadway for a pre-bar hopping meal, but kept finding bad reviews, or worse, tourist trap restaurants. Finally I broke down and we tried this place called Merchants that was given a "pretty good considering it's in tourist central" review. I have to say, regardless of Merchants' address, it was fantastic.

We ate at the bar because the place was packed. We ordered some signature cocktails from a very knowledgeable and pleasant bartender. I told him I liked gin (liked is an understatement), and that Nick liked bourbon (a gross understatement), and he hooked us up with some great drinks. I wrote down the name of both on a napkin but after dinner we went bar hopping so you can imagine that I have no idea where that cocktail napkin is now. I wish I could remember the names because you simply must try my gin cocktail if you go(just ask for the gin cocktail with Chartreuse in it).

We skipped appetizers and went straight for the main course. I ordered a pork pot roast over a sweet potato puree and Nick had braised lamb over a smashed potato. Both seemed somewhat boring on the menu, but hearty enough to keep us going throughout the night. We could not have been more wrong about the boring part. My pork pot roast was sublime. I have no idea what cut they used but it stood up to the braising without falling apart, and it stayed moist at the same time. Pork magic. The sweet potato puree must have had something else in it because it layered with flavor. I licked my bowl clean.

Nick's lamb was no slouch either, and I wish I could have gone around the restaurant telling people to put down their burgers (it seemed like everyone there ordered a burger that night) and try one of these amazing entrees instead. Our meal was inexpensive and delicious. How could anyone not like this place.

The rest........

Nashville locals seem to love their "meat and three" , and although we didn't get a chance to dine ant one, you might give it a shot. They're basically cafeteria type places that serve, you guessed it, a meat and three sides (although I'm sure you can have more or less than three if you desire). Next time we visit we'll be sure to hit one up.

We missed out on touring Yazoo, a local brewery, because I didn't do my homework to see when their tours were offered. But we made sure we didn't miss out on their beer. We grabbed a six pack for some hotel drinking and were very happy with the quality. I highly recommend it.

While we were touring (or trespassing) the Gaylord Opryland, we stopped by Cooter's Place, yes, Cooter's, to get our pictures taken in front of the General Lee. This place was a tourist trap if there ever was one, but it's also a good laugh, so stop in if you're near the Opryland hotel.

The Nashville Farmers Market is one of the best I've seen in recent years and is a must see if you're in town. We picked up some local artisan cheese, a few blueberry bushes, some ham hocks and a boat load of collard greens.

The Grand Ole Opry is one place we didn't check out. My parents caught a show last time they were in Nashville and loved it, but Nick and I were only in town for one night and you can only do so much.

Nick and I don't often visit the same place twice, but of course, there are some exceptions, and Nashville might just be one. Sometimes you just get a hankering for good live music, and lots of it...for cheap booze, and lots of it...and a good 'ol fashioned night of dancing, bar hopping and good times...Nashville certainly has lots of all of it.

Food Truckus Ruckus

2011-06-16T08:22:00.004-04:00

An anonymous birdie told me that all of the Louisville food trucks (and boy are there a lot all of the sudden) will be gathering for the first ever Food Truckus Ruckus this Saturday. That means for the first time since this whole Louisville food truck scene has started, you'll be able to find them all together in one place!

It looks like the trucks in attendance will be:

"Lil Cheezers Gourmet Grilled Cheesemobile, Morels Vegan Cuisine, Mozzapi, San Diego Sandwich Works, and more."

They'll be meeting this Saturday, June 18th, from 11am to 3pm at Fresh Start Growers' Supply in the back lot.

There will be plenty of mobile food to choose from (duh) as well as live music and door prizes. I like live music. I like door prizes. And you all know I like food...mobile or otherwise.

So head on out this Saturday and see what all the fuss is about. And if you go, please shoot me an email with your thoughts on the budding food truck movement here in Louisville. It has a lot of people talking, and I'd love to hear YOUR take on it!

Image courtesy: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=192948724085994

Harvest - Meet your dinner

2011-06-07T09:40:00.009-04:00

I recently finished reading a book called In Defense Of Food, by Michael Pollan. Among many other messages in the book the one that stood out in my mind was that of eating "food". I know you're all thinking, "Uhhh, Jessica. We don't eat anything other than food. What kind of epiphany is this?". What Michael was really saying by things like "eat food" or even basing his book on defending food is that we've recently been eating things that may not really qualify as, well, food.

I'm not on a soapbox here. I don't spend boatloads of money on certified organic things. I won't even walk into places like Whole Foods (more like hole in your wallet). I try to buy local if it's affordable, though I admit I typically choose cheap over local. But when all is said and done, I really do like being able to recognize my food.

In Pollan's book he says something like, if your great grandmother wouldn't recognize it as food, maybe you shouldn't either (I guess if you're 15 and reading this you should add another "great" to the equation...but you get his drift). I like cooking. I like following food traditions. My grandmom's pierogies are made with potato, egg, sour cream, butter, flour, salt and pepper. I would chose them over a bag of Cheetos any day of the week.

I'm not sure if Ivor Chodkowski and Peter Kuhl, the owners of Harvest, know what their great grandmothers used to cook. I'm not sure if they know Michael Pollan. But I am sure that they know their ingredients, and even know the farmers that grew them. Pictures of those farmers are displayed on Harvest's walls. A map of those farms hangs prominently in the middle of the restaurant. And aside from giving you their cell phone numbers, all the farmers' info is right there for you to see.

Sometimes I'm wary of places that boast "farm to table" eats. Often I find the price tags to be outrageous. I know they're saying, "Shouldn't you pay more to support local farms?". Maybe I should, but sometimes I don't. Harvest didn't make me choose. All of the entrees, with the exception of their steak, were under $20.

We started with some cocktails. I had the Kentucky Champagne ($7). Nick had a glass of Pappy Van Winkle 15 year ($12). My Kentucky Champagne was, and I don't use this word often, whimsical. It was Old Forrester, Tuaca, Ale 8 and lemon peel, mixed together and served in a champagne glass...but of course. I thought it was delicious. Nick thought it was, and I quote, "dreadful". I would, and will, try and make it for my next party. Nick can drink the Old Forrester on the rocks...as he often does anyway.

We shared the daily bread board to start($6). Five hog jowl scones shared the bread board with some sorghum butter. The scones were amazing. The hog jowl added some texture and just enough meaty flavor. The scone batter itself was near perfection. The scones melted in your mouth like a true southern biscuit should. The butter was good enough. Slightly sweet and creamy. I thought it should have been served a bit cooler (it was a little oozy) but all in all a good accompaniment.

For our mains the hubby ordered the fried chicken ($19) and I ordered the pulled pork ($17). Nick's fried chicken was delicious. It was served atop a hoecake with a mound of greens. The chicken was smothered in a white gravy. His only complaint was that $19 seemed a bit steep for fried chicken. "The seasoning is wonderful. I still can't put my finger on that one spice that makes it different. The chicken is moist. The dish is a success, but they aren't exactly reinventing the wheel." said Nick.

My pulled pork was to die for. It was served with a side of savory bread pudding (forgive me for this but OMG was that bread pudding good) and topped with strands of dark greens in a slaw of sorts. The dish was also drizzled with a very yummy and light herb oil. The pork wasn't doused in sauce as too often is the case and the smokey, sweet flavor that pork naturally has shone through. The slaw added a crisp respite from the rich pork and pudding. I was a happy girl.

We almost caved in and ordered dessert. There were 3 or 4 options along with some desert cocktails that all looked delicious, but our full bellies got the best of us and we called it a night.

The wait staff and service in general was top notch. Everyone was attentive and extremely nice. It was very full at 7pm on a Saturday so I recommend reservations.

The decor was a bit sparse. I liked the portraits of the local farmers. I like the idea of the map but honestly it was a bit of an eyesore. The rustic wooden tables were nice and the layout was fine. I never really give much thought to decor but even I noticed the place could use a splash of color.

I think that Harvest will enjoy many years of success. In my opinion the cuisine was honest, delicious, fresh, and best of all, it was, as Michael Pollan might put it, real food.

I have to add one more thing before I go. The cuisine at Harvest seemed VERY reminiscent of the cuisine at Hillbilly Tea. If you're reading this post because you're thinking of going to Harvest but still haven't tried Hillbilly Tea I highly recommend it as well. Their service isn't as fantastic as Harvest's, but the cuisine is amazing and the prices are almost ridiculously low for the high quality.

Swiss Chard & White Beans

2011-05-25T11:21:00.009-04:00

It's been one heck of a wet spring here in Louisville. I'm not a big fan. Nick's not a big fan. And even the dog looks outside on the 5th rainy day in a row and seems to be thinking, "really?". Our garden, however, seems to be shouting, "Thank you!".

I have to rephrase that. It's not really "our" garden. Nick has done the majority of work in it this spring and we're already reaping the benefits of his backbreaking labor.

So far we've dined on things like sweet, sweet spring peas, delicious broccoli, crisp boston lettuce and just about the most beautiful vegetable I've ever seen...rainbow swiss chard.

Look at this vegetable! Just look at it! It's beautiful isn't it? Some people take pictures of their rose bushes. Some folks snap photos of their tulips. I, personally, can't stop photographing this damn chard.

I haven't posted a recipe in a while but I couldn't resist sharing this with you. It's not even a recipe. It's 4 ingredients, a little salt, a little pepper, a whole lot of flavor, and a great way to cook any leafy green you've got.

Swiss Chard & White Beans

-1/2 cup dried white beans
-1 bunch fresh swiss chard
-2 cups stock(chicken, pork, veg., whatever)
-2 or 3 strips bacon

You have to start this recipe the night before, unless you want to use canned beans(which I do often as well). I, however, prefer dried beans if possible.

The night before, soak a handful or two of beans in water. The beans will soak up a lot of water during the night so be sure you cover them with plenty of it. Just stick the soaking beans in the fridge and forget about them until the next day.

About an hour before dinner drain the beans and throw them in a pot of simmering stock. Simmer slowly for about 45 mins. If the stock level gets low just add some water. Meanwhile, render a few strips of bacon, low and slow in a pan. When the bacon is done remove from the pan but don't drain the fat from the pan. When the beans are tender throw them in the bacon fat along with some roughly chopped swiss chard. Toss quickly, add a smidge of the stock into the pan to loosen the pieces of bacon stuck to the bottom of the pan, salt and pepper to taste, and you're done!

You can crumble the bacon on top at the end or save it for breakfast the next morning. You can wilt the chard slightly or completely. You can use a ratio of more beans to chard or more chard to beans. You can tweak it to your liking. It's good in the summer, winter, spring and fall. It's my go-to dish when I need to use up any greens. It's delicious.

My vegan brother can even omit the bacon and boil the beans in vegetable stock. It won't have that smokey finish but it will still be yummy.

Bourbon Guilt - The new Bulleit Rye is delicious

2011-05-17T11:19:00.005-04:00

My husband often experiences what I call "bourbon guilt". He'll see a bottle of, let's say, Dickel in the liquor store, begin to reach for it and inevitably stop short. Since moving to Kentucky he finds it hard to buy brown liquor that isn't bourbon. This is a bitter sweet dilemma. Bourbon IS good, bourbon IS great, but there are still a heck of a lot of yummy non-bourbon spirits out there.

Recently, Nick worked through his bourbon guilt and purchased a bottle of the new Bulleit Rye.

Nick is a loyal Bulleit bourbon drinker and he wasn't disappointed in their new rye. It's made with a 95% rye mash, aged between 4 and 7 years and weighs in at 90 proof.

I find it to be sweet and smooth. A nice departure from some of the more woody bourbons.

Nick says, " A tasty and worthwhile departure from even the most fine bourbons made. Bulliet uses its proven ability to make spirits to craft a one off that is very enjoyable."

I think I need to quote him more often, because honestly, I couldn't have said it better myself.

In true Bulleit form it's a reasonably priced, middle of the road spirit. A 750ml bottle is going for a little over $20.

http://www.bulleitbourbon.com/gateway.aspx

There's Mutton Better Than Some Good BBQ

2011-05-10T15:33:00.003-04:00

My husband asked what was on the agenda for this weekend and I immediately screamed, "BBQ!!!!!".

Owensboro, KY is hosting the International Barbecue Festival this weekend and I hear mutton is the meat of choice. Taking this into consideration I told the hubby, "There's mutton better to do this weekend". I stood there giggling at myself...he rolled his eyes and walked away. Personally, I thought it was hilarious.

That's right folks...we've got a barbecue festival on our hands (and probably our faces) this weekend. So dig up those handi-wipes you swiped last time you were at KFC and I'll see you there. I'll be the one with mutton on. Ha!

http://www.bbqfest.com/

Food Trucks - Is Louisville Ready?

2011-05-04T10:36:00.010-04:00

Dear Louisville,

Word on the street is that your foodies are interested in food trucks. I've read comments ranging from "If NYC can do it why can't we?" to "They can't be hygienic", and everything in between.

The food truck issue weaves a tangled web if you ask me. Wanna chat about it?

Love and mobile food,
Jessica

To anyone that reads the Louisville food related message boards the topic of food trucks should be old news by now.

Food trucks seem to be taking the nation by storm. There are tv shows about them and contests involving them. Everyone seems to be talking about them, and with good reason.

If you have a few bucks and limited time for lunch, walking outside of your office building and grabbing a quick bit to eat is more than convenient, it's often necessary. They've long been a daily staple for people in big cities like New York, but have recently been embraced by cities both large and small across the country.

This widespread national embrace confuses me a bit. When I lived in Philadelphia and walked everywhere, everyday, grabbing a tasty bite as I passed by a food cart made sense. And the hubby simply couldn't live without them. If he was booked all day in back to back meetings his only option for sustenance came in the form of one of many food carts within a block of his building. Lucky for both of us, there was a lot of good food being sold off carts all over the city (Halal King...Nick misses you!).

So why are people in Louisville so desperate for food trucks? The Louisville metro area is pretty spread out. It's an entirely drive-able city. It doesn't seem like a necessity. The more I read, the more I realize that Louisville foodies don't really need them. Louisville foodies want them.

With the media frenzy surrounding these meal on wheel mobiles I can understand people's curiosity. I can also understand why Louisville doesn't want to be left out. What I can't understand is the method. The few food trucks that exist in town are seemingly always on the move. Some use twitter or facebook or google maps to tell people where they will be what day and at what time, but to me, that's an awful lot of work to go through for some grub.

I've been looking for the El Rumbon food truck in the Oxmoor area car dealerships on and off for some time now. Morels, the all vegan food truck in town has a line of question marks on their restaurant hours page. And as I write this post Li'l Cheezers, Louisville's "gourmet grilled cheesemobile" posted on it's site that it's serving it's grilled cheese sandwiches at "Jeff Exit 1 from 11-2". I know I didn't grow up here in Louisville, but what does that mean? I would like to check it out without having to ask a bunch of people or showing up in an empty parking lot.

To be fair I haven't tried any of their food yet, and I would really like to. I have the utmost respect for anyone with the gusto to follow their dreams and open a restaurant or food truck. And they seem to have a good following. If the price is right and the food is good I'll be more apt to seek them out, but there has to be a better way.

I hear through the grapevine (and have actually done some research myself) that the food truck laws in Louisville are hazy at best. Apparently the trucks have to move every so often and there are some unorthodox food safety rules that may or may not apply to these trucks. It sounds like a mess. So I DO understand why these trucks have to move around. I'm just not sold on the whole package at the moment.

I'm anxious to see where this whole food truck wave will take the Louisville food scene. I'm always looking for quality food at reasonable prices, and I adore supporting local businesses. I guess I just feel like eating good food shouldn't be hard.

La Tapatia - "Real Mexican Food"

2011-05-03T10:57:00.007-04:00

The sign outside says "Real Mexican Food". The atmosphere inside says "the sign is probably right".

I have driven by this sign countless times, and every time I pass it I lick my lips. I love "real" Mexican food. Alright, I'll admit that the "real" part can be a hard distinction to make. There is indigenous pre-Spanish Mexican food. There is regional Mexican food. There are a lot of different types of Mexican food. I suppose the best way I can describe what I mean by "real" is a complete and utter lack of neon yellow cheese whiz. That, I promise you, is not even real food...Mexican or not.

The interior was bright and cheery. Modelo banners hung overhead and a soccer game was on the tube. The place was packed at lunch on Sunday, and although I didn't take a poll, I can pretty safely assume that Nick and I were the only people there that weren't fluent in Spanish.

As I perused my menu, which was entirely in Spanish, I patted myself on the back for recognizing beef tongue, and then glanced at my hubby expecting to see him with a furrowed brow, deciphering the menu along with me. But there was no furrowed brow. Instead he had made his decision and was sipping he beer and watching the soccer game on the tv above my head. His menu was in English. I swiftly switched menus and made my decision.

The hubby ordered a beef tongue taco, a pork taco and a tamale. I also ordered a tamale and a roast pork tostada.

I adore tamales, and I adored these tamales. They were topped with crema and oaxaca cheese. They were rich in flavor yet light in texture. It's tough to make a tamale that isn't overly dense, so when I sink my teeth into a tender, moist tamale that isn't gummy, I'm happy.

Nick's tacos were fantastic as well. His beef tongue taco (a favorite of his) was melt in your mouth tender. It was topped simply with chopped onion, cilantro and perhaps a bit of lime and was served atop two warm corn tortillas. The rich tongue contrasted with the bright cilantro wonderfully...I guess that's why it's such a tried and true preparation.

The pork on my tostada stole the whole show. It was amazing. There were flecks of crispy skin amidst hunks of just fatty enough roast pork. The pork was roll your eyes back in your head good...serious porky goodness.

The price was right. The bill totaled $15 with the addition of a few Modelos. The service was punctual and friendly.

This is the type of place I love finding. The building itself isn't flashy...honestly, it's anything but. The prices aren't high. The food is amazing. And there is even a small grocery store attached that sells things like dried corn husks for tamales.

I think that all too often people overlook little gems like La Tapatia. I'm glad we didn't.

P.S. Next time I go (and there WILL be a next time) I'm going to try one of their tortas and perhaps a bowl of whatever sopa they have that day. Mexican soup and sandwich lunch!

Mint Juleps or Morels? This weekend...Morels

2011-04-29T12:00:00.003-04:00

Dear Louisville, This will be my first Derby and Derby Fest...and I'm excited about it...but my heart lies with another festival this weekend. I hope we can still be friends. Love and mint juleps, Jessica

Yes. This will be my first Derby. Nick and I moved into town mid summer of last year, and although we've enjoyed a few fun filled races at Churchill Downs, we have yet to experience the magic and mayhem that I hear comes hand in hand with that famous weekend.

Although there are plenty of local derby related events around town that I should be excited about this weekend, for some reason, the only thing I can think of is an event clear across the state of KY. It's the Irvine Mountain Mushroom Festival, and I can almost taste the umami from here. http://www.mountainmushroomfestival.org/

Typically I wouldn't be quite so excited about a fungus festival, but morels.com (yes, there is a morels.com) is featuring the event on it's site and there will be morel mushroom hunting at the festival, so morels should be in abundance.

If you're asking yourself, "what's the big deal about morels", then you probably have never eaten one.

Wild morels are only available fresh once a year. In Kentucky, they happen to show themselves in spring.

Morels are, in my opinion, the king of all mushrooms. The flavor, the texture, the earthy and musty aroma of a morel makes it an amazing natural wonder. They're bursting with umami flavor. They can compliment any spring dish with ease. They are...mouthwatering. They are also...expensive.

Since they're only available fresh once a year I tend to splurge. While I don't recommend heading off to the woods and scavenging for them yourself, I do recommend scavenging the local farmers' markets and produce stands in search of them.

I'll keep y'all posted on my morel sightings and please keep me posted if you find any as well.

P.S. In related news I just got off the phone with Creation Gardens (searching for those yummy shrooms) and was told that their old retail warehouse in the NuLu area is closing down and they're moving to a much larger warehouse that, sadly, won't be open to non-restaurant owning customers.

I was told that they will be implementing an online shopping site for regular joes like you and me who still want amazing produce that you can't find anywhere else, but there will be no strolling the aisles yourself. You will have to place an order online and pick it up.

Good news though...prices will be listed on the site! No more filling your basket with amazing produce, price unseen, and sweating at the register hoping it won't break the bank.
www.whatchefswant.com

Lee's Korean

2011-04-26T13:40:00.005-04:00

I was recently planning a trip for someone interested in visiting L.A.

While discussing the details of the trip, my client stated that they wanted to stay in the part of Los Angeles that is "near everything". I closed my eyes for a moment and pictured the city and all of it's parts, then I opened my eyes and said, "Maybe we can narrow that down a bit".

For those of you who have never been to LA it can be hard to picture it's size, but it's sprawling.

Being an enormous city has it's ups and it's downs. Obviously, nobody walks in LA(a catchy lyric but also true), and the public transportation system is lacking. But if you don't mind driving clear across the city for dinner every night, your dining options are unbelievably varied and almost endless. And if you're looking for Korean food, boy are you in luck.

Los Angeles is home to Koreatown, which, in turn, is home to the largest population of Koreans in the US (and I've read outside of Korea but don't quote me on that). You can't swing a dead cat without finding some amazing Korean food in that town.

Of course we don't all live in LA. So when Nick and I were reminiscing about Los Angeles and it's amazing Korean fare, but were here in good 'ol Louisville, we headed to Lee's Korean hoping to feed our craving. I read that Lee's has been in operation for almost 30 years, so Nick and I were excited to try such a longstanding "ethnic" Louisville restaurant.

Lee's location is quite unexpected. The first floor of a large office building might be the last place you would expect to find this restaurant. But the minute you spot it, you feel like you're in on a secret.

The atmosphere inside was nice. It was clean and sparse with soft lighting. We were seated in a booth near a very cute faux paper wall.

We perused the menu and ordered some excellently priced Korean beer.

The menu offered many greatest hits. And as Nick and I perused the varieties of Bim Bop we ultimately decided to share a dish....a big dish.

We chose to share the Hae Mul Chon Gol...a seafood stew. It was presented table side, bubbling atop a hot plate, overflowing with octopus, shrimp, tofu, crab and fish. Also in the mix were deliciously plump noodles and a variety of veggies, all swimming in a spicy(ish) broth. Just before digging in our waitress kindly cut the long octopus tentacles into more manageable bites, and then we dug in.

The broth was rich and flavorful. When asked how spicy we wanted it, we basically told the waitress to "bring it on". We could have done with a bit more spice for our liking but the flavors were just delicate enough and the seafood sung.

The balance between soft seafood, crisp veggies and chewy noodles was wonderful and the ingredients were cooked well.

Between rich, seafood bites we munched on an array of banchan that was brought to the table. Probably the most commonly known type of banchan is kimchi, but there are dozens if not hundreds of varieties of banchan that can accompany a meal. Lee's banchan certainly weren't the best I've ever had but they were very good, nicely varied and offered a palate cleansing respite from the rich main course.

Service, unfortunately, seemed like it should be part of some horrible politically incorrect joke like, "How many Koreans does it take to run a restaurant". Table after table of people could wait no longer for their checks and had to hunt an employee down at the cash register. We had so much of our main course leftover that we asked for take away containers and almost didn't have the patience to wait the 20 mins to receive them.

Lee's prices were good. $30 for a two person bowl of seafood stew that could feed 4 is one heck of a deal if you ask me. The cuisine was yummy...not mind blowing but very yummy. And the atmosphere was nice. But the quickest way to have a meal leave a bad taste in your mouth is to end your dining experience with poor service and a long wait for the check.

As always I'm going to give Lee's the benefit of the doubt and suggest that they might have been understaffed that evening. And although I'm going to seek out a different Korean restaurant in town next time I've got a craving, I would recommend giving Lee's a try. If you've got some time to kill you and your date can take a yummy trip to Korea for under $50 and under the time it would take to fly there (maybe just).

Long time no post

2011-04-22T14:05:00.002-04:00

A big HI to all my loyal readers who probably thought I've fallen off the side of a cliff. The good news is...I haven't!

I'm sorry for the lack of post lately but starting next week all shall be back on track. I've got a file full of things to post about and have been receiving plenty of "Hey, if you're not dead, you should check -blank- out" emails from many of my readers.

So enjoy your Easter weekend...gorge on some ham...stuff enough hard boiled eggs into your mouth to raise your cholesterol a point or two...and I'll see you next week.

P.S. I always get a little food sentimental around Easter. My Polish Grandmom always made a big picnic type spread for the holiday. Locally made Kielbasa and her famous potato salad are on my mind today.

What dishes were/are a staple at your family's Easter celebration?

Smarty Pants

2011-03-23T13:54:00.010-04:00

I'll admit it...sometimes I think I'm a culinary smarty pants.

I can identify exotic fruits and vegetables, cuts of meat(though that's more Nick's forte) and rattle off cooking techniques until you can stand it no more.

Unfortunately, as good as I think I am, I'm constantly reminded that I'm a mere rookie in the vast land that is the world of food. Truthfully, I've got a lot to learn.

Of course half the fun of, well, pretty much everything in life is learning as you go, and so my brain(and my stomach) is always ready to be filled with new things.

Want to test your knowledge about knives(cooking knives...we're not going to play the Crocodile Dundee knife game today)? Give this quiz a shot:

http://www.mentalfloss.com/quiz/quiz.php?q=1063&p=1

Want to test your knowledge about American wine? Give this quiz a shot: (I just realized I'm more of a fan than a connoisseur)

http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/april-2008-american-wine-quiz

Want to see just how exotic your food knowledge is? Give this quiz a shot:

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/international-food-quiz/

There might be a new kid on the block. It looks like Trader Joe's is coming to town!

2011-03-17T10:57:00.001-04:00

I have never lived in a city with a Trader Joe's that actually had a liquor license, so stocking up on Two Buck Chuck has been tough.

Luckily, it looks like those days are behind me, because word on the street is that Trader Joe's has applied for a liquor license in town. I still may stockpile some cheap wine, but at least now I can replenish my supply whenever I like:::::::::::::::

http://www.louisville.com/content/it-looks-joe-coming-town-louisville-might-be-getting-trader-joesfood-and-dining

Sweet, sweet, sweetbreads

2011-03-16T14:06:00.002-04:00

I've never really been a "regular" anywhere. I suppose there's been a watering hole or two that I've frequented weekly(ok, maybe more), but when it comes to restaurants I have a wandering eye.

Although Louisville isn't necessarily a big city, it's residents are lucky to have so many dining options. From highfalutin to down home cooking, this town has a lot of independently owned restaurants, and the hubby and I try to visit a new one every week. That being said, we don't subject out of town guests to our hit and miss dining adventures, and tend to return to our favorites when they're visiting.

Friday before last we returned to the Germantown eatery, Eiderdown(previous post), and were happy we did.

I typically don't double up on reviews but I simply had to tell y'all about the sweetbreads we had at Eiderdown. Their menu changes often so I'm not sure how long they'll be available, but in my opinion they should give them a regular place next to Homer's Daydream.

These were the best sweetbreads I've had in a long time. They were mild and completely void of the organ meat flavor they can sometimes have. They were sauteed perfectly resulting in a great external texture and internal tenderness. They were sitting on some sort of amazing meat juice reduction. And they were accompanied by their signature cauliflower biscuits.

If you don't think you're a sweetbreads fan these might just convert you. And if you have some unadventurous eaters in your group order them anyway and tell them they're chicken. By the time they realize it's not chicken and you tell them it's the thymus gland of a calf, they'll be too far gone into flavor heaven to be mad at you.

New Louisville.com posts

2011-03-04T10:22:00.002-05:00

http://www.louisville.com/content/bourbon-infused-brunch-cause-marriott-oaks-bourbon-brunch-food-and-dining

http://www.louisville.com/content/finally-all-you-can-eat-deal-worth-sinking-your-teeth-all-you-can-eat-lobster-eddie-merlotsf

I've never been to Eddie Merlot's, but this could really be a good deal. If Nick and I drink water, and just pick at our salad and potatoes, we could really get our $39.95 worth out of some lobsters.

Why should peas and carrots have all the fun? Fried green tomatoes and bacon deserve some respect.

2011-03-03T12:37:00.015-05:00

Peas and carrots are a good pair. I'll admit they go together well. Toss them in some butter...sprinkle with salt and pepper...you've got a great flavor combination. But who decided that they were going to be the poster children for "they go together like..."? I know I wasn't consulted.

Personally, I think there are many far superior flavor mixtures out there. Perhaps roasted beets and goat cheese doesn't have the right ring to it. And smoked salmon and egg salad might sound just plain gross(but soooo yummy). Did you know that honey, ricotta cheese and pine nuts create a veritable symphony in your mouth? They do. Slap that mixture on a toast point and you've got a dish worthy of oohs and aahs. I think these, along with hundreds of other food pairings deserve some much needed recognition.

Recently I've added a new pairing to my list and I just can't seem to get enough of it. Fried green tomato and bacon anyone?

Yes, tomato and bacon have long been friends, but fried green tomatoes don't resemble the juicy red globes they'll eventually become at all. Green tomatoes are tart and acidic. They're firm enough to hold up to frying and I, personally, think they have notes of lemon. Fried up and stuck on a biscuit or toast with some thick cut bacon and you're in food combination heaven.

So far in Louisville I've found this pair at:

Our Best Restaurant(they do it up simply...fried green tomato, bacon, biscuit and a spicy mayo...at $2.99 this one is certainly the best deal in town).

Goose Creek Diner(they put a spin on a breakfast blt and add a cheese topped egg to a stack of fried green tomatoes, bacon and lettuce)(pic...tell me that is not sexy...looks soooo tasty)(p.s. they also offer one heck of a breakfast/brunch buffet on weekends)

Lynn's Paradise Cafe(theirs is a fried green tomato blt on buttermilk bread with a Parmesan garlic mayo)

Browning's Cafe(they serve a fried green tomato blt on foccacia...I haven't had this one yet but I'm sure I will)

I'm still on the lookout for more, more, more! Do you know of any other places in Louisville that serve up fried green tomatoes and bacon...in any form or fashion??? I'd LOVE to hear about it!

This just in from my field correspondent - Mr. Pollo doesn't disappoint

2011-02-24T12:53:00.003-05:00

This just in from my field correspondent...aka, The Hubby.

"Just had an awesome chicken lunch at this Peruvian place". "The chicken was perfectly spiced and super flavorful".

Apparently Mr. Pollo knows his chicken. Nick had a quarter chicken, fries, salad and a drink for $6.99. The chicken had a semi-spicy rub on it and was roasted to perfection.

Need a break from the daily burger lunch? Perhaps looking for a quick trip to Peru? Nick recommends Mr. Pollo.

Louisville.com

2011-02-24T11:33:00.001-05:00

As if they're not busy enough on a typical weekend...........

http://www.louisville.com/content/bang-your-buck-papalinos-ny-pizzeria-offering-1-slices-saturdayfood-and-dining

But if you're patient and only have a buck it might be worth waiting in line!

Wild Ginger - You might come for the sushi but you'll stay for the spicy squid

2011-02-18T12:25:00.006-05:00

A quick Google Map search for "sushi" along Bardstown Rd. in the Highlands reveals a line of red markers dotting what seems like every block from E Broadway to Trevillian. Who would have guessed that another sushi joint was needed?

I guess you can never have too many sushi joints because when Nick and I walked into the (somewhat) recently opened Wild Ginger a few weeks back, it was packed.

The interior was warm and inviting mixed with some modern touches especially around the bar and sushi bar.

The menu runs the Asian gamut from Japanese to Thai...from Korean to Chinese...there's A LOT to choose from.

When trying to order off a menu of that magnitude we decided to stick to the basics...sashimi, tempura, a "special" roll or two and something off the pan part of the pan Asian menu.

We ordered a literal boatload of sashimi and it arrived in a quirky and cute presentation. All of the usual players were accounted for in the mix and the fish was cut well. The problem we ran into was the temperature. The sashimi was partially frozen when it arrived. All of it, in fact, suffered from being too cold. I'm not sure if it was pre-frozen and not thawed properly or if they simply chilled it too much, but the tiny ice granules that dotted the fish were unfortunate.

Another sushi "special" that we had(uggg...I should have written it down because I forget what it was) was fine, and didn't suffer from the temperature issue. It wasn't all that noteworthy but it was tasty.

After the too cold sashimi we decided to order something deep fried. The tempura was of the shrimp and vegetable variety and was executed well. No problems there.

We decided on one more dish to share...something hearty to help soak up the Sapporos and Kirins we were knocking back. We decided to venture away from Japan and head over to Korea for some Korean Spicy Squid.

This dish was awesome. It was spicy, but not so much that it overpowered the squid. It was cooked well, packed with flavor and best of all, boasted a wonderful mix of textures. It made me wish we had ordered all our dishes that evening off the "Asian Entrees" section of the menu.

As for the rest of it.........service was friendly and plentiful. Empty dishes practically flew off our table the second they were completed. I really enjoyed the atmosphere as well. It was bustling enough to feel inviting but not so much that people were bumping into you all night.

In the end I guess my opinion would be that Bardstown Rd doesn't really need another sushi joint...or perhaps one isn't needed when it serves semi-frozen fish. What might be needed and welcome, however, is a joint that serves up Pan Asian food like that Korean Spicy Squid. If the rest of the hot dishes are as good as that squid, Wild Ginger will be a welcome addition to the Bardstown Rd Asian restaurant scene.

P.S. They seem to have some decent weekly specials that might be worth checking out.

Facebook - Bringing the chalkboard menu into the 21st century

2011-02-18T12:10:00.004-05:00

My latest Louisville.com post::::::::

http://www.louisville.com/content/facebook-bringing-chalkboard-menu-21st-century-and-many-louisville-restaurants-are-boardfood

P.S. About the Charcutepalooza mentioned in the post...I read this term everywhere...it seems to be the year of the hare AND the cured meat...Nick and I will be trying our hand at making homemade charcuterie...Stay tuned...It's sure to be entertaining!!

Louisville.com

2011-02-15T10:13:00.002-05:00

Hi folks!

Starting today I'm going to be contributing a bit to the food&dining section of Louisville.com

I'm doing my best to seek out noteworthy happenings in the Louisville dining scene but I can always use more help from some die hard Louisville foodies.

If you've got anything cool going on at your local watering hole or hear something through the grape vine I'd love to share it with the town. Found a cool locally made product or just excited about something? Same goes!

So please feel free to e-mail, comment, whatever.

I always love hearing from y'all!!!

http://www.louisville.com/content/snag-front-row-seat-thunder-over-louisville-bristol-bar-grille-its-dinner-and-show

P.S. I'll be linking my Louisville.com posts to this blog

V-Day

2011-02-14T08:13:00.005-05:00

The hubby and I don't really "do" Valentine's Day.

I mean sure, sometimes we'll cook a nice meal together and open a decent bottle of wine, but truth be told, that happens a few times a week anyway.

Sure, we could go out to dinner, but we do that once a week as well.

Jewelry? I have one birthday a year, a wedding anniversary and Christmas.

Flowers? Ok...I kind of like them...but I'm happy with the ones from the grocery store.

Basically my theory is that you should tell the one you love that you love them more than once a year...no overpriced card necessary.

But that doesn't mean that a nice gesture won't be appreciated on a day as over-hyped as this. My recommendation? Make your loved one something homemade...something sweet(literally)...and something easy enough that it allows you to spend a little quality time together. Make them these molten chocolate cakes(the way to ANYONE'S heart is through their stomach).

I've kept this recipe a secret for some time now. Ok, it's not exactly "mine" to keep. I ripped it out of a very well known cooking magazine, but I'm the only one I know who makes it, and if I found it first then "finder's keepers" right?

It is, honestly, the best dessert I've ever made...and quite possibly the easiest. I've served it at many a dinner party to rave reviews...I guarantee success.

Molten Spiced Chocolate Cabernet Cakes

Ingredients

4 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 tablespoon Cabernet Sauvignon or other red wine

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

6 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter 4 (6-ounce) custard cups or soufflé dishes(I've made these in coffee mugs when I didn't have custard cups). Place on baking sheet.

2. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwavable bowl on HIGH 1 minute or until butter is melted. Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in wine, vanilla and confectioners' sugar until well blended. Stir in eggs and yolk. Stir in flour, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Pour batter evenly into prepared custard cups.

3. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until sides are firm but centers are soft. Let stand 1 minute. Carefully loosen edges with small knife. Invert cakes onto serving plates. Sprinkle with additional confectioners' sugar. Serve immediately.

Holy Grale - The beer was heavenly...the food wasn't

2011-02-11T08:15:00.044-05:00

It was our last Friday night at our house off Bardstown Rd. We would be moving the next Wednesday(aka the day before yesterday) to a place where stepping out your back door and into the front door of a bar wasn't going to be feasible. We decided to find a walkable place to dine that evening, and finish off our Highlands stay with some good 'ol fashioned bar hopping.

I was looking for a fun place to eat. I was looking for quirky and interesting food. Having just bought a house, the hubby was looking for cheap. Holy Grale looked to be a good choice. The website boasted a good beer selection and unique(and inexpensive) bar bites.

We arrived at an extremely nondescript location. It was a building like many on Bardstown, and I would not have known it was a dining/bar establishment had I not street-viewed it on Google-maps earlier that day.

Inside, the place was bustling. Every bar stool was filled. Every two top was taken. We ordered two beers from the "order here" section of the bar and although we feared we might have to start bar hopping on empty stomachs, we were able to swoop in and grab some seats. Note: there are no reservations and tables are first come first serve

The beer selection was, as I stated in the title, quite heavenly. The variety was wonderful. The prices were fair. Each beer was served in it's appropriate glass.

We perused the menu while we enjoyed our beer.

I shouldn't go any further without mentioning that there really isn't wait service "proper" here. If you want to order anything(beer, food) you have to do so at that "order here" section of the bar. So every time you want a new beer or snack you have to get up and wait in line. Then you sit down and wait for them to bring it to you. Perhaps in theory this was a good idea, but in practice all you get is a group of people standing in the middle of the restaurant waiting in "line" to order. From what I could tell, many others shared my dislike for this process.

For the food....First things first...we had to order the poutine. Nick and I have had some damn good poutine in our day. In Montreal poutine is a celebrated dish, and let me tell you, good poutine is certainly something worth celebrating. Perfectly crispy fries topped with a mound of cheese curd and bathed in brown gravy. The texture/flavor combo is amazing........if done right that is.

At Holy Grale the poutine($6) was simply not done right. The fries were disappointingly un-crispy. The "gravy" was alright, certainly not traditional, but alright, if not a bit overpowering. The thing that really killed the dish was the cheese. Shredded Mozzarella? Really Holy Grale? It made the dish feel like something that was created out of leftovers. Poutine is made with cheese curd for a reason. I mean, I typically have no problem with artistic license if it works, but taking the cheese curd out of this dish and replacing it with flavorless shredded cheese(that didn't even melt properly) did not work.

Next we tried the Fiedler Farm Beer Brat($5). It was served with sauerkraut and mustard on a pretzel bun. The brat itself was tasty. Putting it on an over-salted pretzel bun is where they went wrong. The salt just killed the dish. And this time it's not just my opinion. While waiting in line to pay I saw two other people at separate tables scraping the salt off their pretzel bun. Over-salting something sounds minor, but it can ruin a dish.

Last AND certainly least we ordered a daily special. Chorizo, beef and goat cheese meatballs($4) in a spicy sauce. In my experience you can almost never go wrong by ordering the special...almost.

The meatballs were over-seasoned to the point of almost being inedible. Nick and I went back and forth trying to figure out where it all went wrong. We came to the conclusion that they were 1.) Too greasy from the chorizo, and so, unable to stay together without crumbling 2.) Over-seasoned with clashing flavors 3.) Spicy for the sake of being spicy...basically the spice didn't add flavor, it just burned your mouth.

At this point we threw in the towel. Though we would have loved to keep eating we weren't about to do it there.

The beer was a different story.

I have to say that each and every beer we had was amazing. I even took notes on them because they were, well, literally noteworthy.

I had a Bells Lager of the Lake($5.50) and a Chateau Rogue Dirtoir black lager($6). Both were excellent...the Bells lager was light and refreshing...the black lager was my favorite...rich, nutty, almost chocolate like.

Nick had the Monks Cafe Flemish red($6.75) and the Blaugies Moneuse($6.75). Both were excellent as well...the red was sour, as many Flemish reds are, with a refreshing bite...the Blaugies was a strong Belgian ale and was packed with flavor

To me, Holy Grale looks good on paper but fails to execute. The idea of a great beer-centric bar with inventive and affordable bar snacks is a great one. But when the place is packed and the only chef is also the waiter, you're going to have some issues. When the bartenders(2 of them) are also working the "order here" station, pouring beer, delivering beer, trying to answer questions about beer, ringing up tabs, hopping on one foot, patting their heads and rubbing their bellies...you're going to have some issues.

I'd like to believe that the chef could deliver better food if he had some help. The menu looked interesting and beer friendly.

I'd also like to believe that they can iron out the front of house issues and start running like a well oiled machine. The decor was inviting and the staff was as friendly as could be expected considering they were in the weeds for what seemed like the entire night.

I'm not, however, going to return to see if either of these things can be fixed. Dining out shouldn't be exhausting. Standing in a packed line every time you want a bite to eat or a beer isn't my idea of a good time.

Louisville diners might disagree with me. I can see how the place could be charming to some. It's new and different. But for me, personally, that just doesn't cut it.

Super bowl...of matzo ball soup - Stevens & Stevens Deli - The sandwiches are amazing too

2011-02-04T07:58:00.019-05:00

"I could go for a sandwich", I say to my husband, when he asks what I'm in the mood for.

"You can always go for a sandwich", Nick says, eyes rolling, as he realizes how ridiculous it was for him to even ask.

The answer for me, is almost always, "a sandwich".

It doesn't really matter what the question is either.

"What's the best cure for a hangover?".......A sandwich(turkey)
"What do you want for Christmas?".............A sandwich(roast beef with horseradish)
"What should I do when I'm in Philly?".......(eat)A sandwich(roast pork with broccoli rabe)

I'm no Nobel Peace prize winner but I'm pretty sure strategic distribution of the right kind of sandwiches between waring nations could do some real good.

That being said I'm sure it goes without saying that I like me a good sandwich. Are you looking for a good sandwich? How about a really good bowl of matzo ball soup on the side? My recommendation would be to head to Stevens & Stevens. Good sandwiches? Yup. They got 'em.

Sandwiches are engineering marvels of the culinary world. They're built level by level from the ground up, combining texture and flavor in a fantastic hand held package. And as any good architect will tell you...a good foundation is key. Enter...the bread.

Stevens & Stevens makes their own rye bread in-house. I really don't need to say more.

Now for the guts of sandwich.......

If you're typically an indecisive person you may want to just close your eyes and point to something on the menu because the choices here are staggering. They run the gamut from traditional NY style deli sandwiches to French inspired creations.

And if you can't decide whether you want a sandwich, soup or a salad do what I did and order half of two. At $6.25 you really can't go wrong.

On this particular day I chose a bowl of matzo ball soup(a favorite of mine for sure) and The French Connection sandwich. The sandwich was hot roast beef with melted brie, dijon, greens and onions...all on a foccacia roll.

The sandwich was good, but the star of the show for me was the matzo ball soup. A bowl of rich, flavorful chicken broth caressing a fist-size matzo ball. The matzo ball was fantastic. It was moist and tender yet firm enough to stand up to being submerged in broth. Great flavor and texture rounded out this ball. Sometimes on a cold day I think of making a big 'ol batch of matzo ball soup...but why go through the hassle if you can get a really good quality soup here?

The winning sandwich that day has to go to Nick's. He ordered the Phantom of the Opera and I was jealous. This puppy had hot corned beef and pastrami WITH chopped liver, Russian slaw and some Jarlsburg cheese to add a layer of gooey goodness. He got it on the house made rye(but of course), and it was delicious.

When in a NY deli I can never decide between pastrami and chopped liver. Here they don't make you decide. You can have your pastrami and liver too.

I didn't try any of the salads, although I've heard good things about the Isabella Tortellini.

I would have loved to see a smoked white fish option on the menu but was happy to see a bagel and lox option.

The service was prompt and friendly. The prices were reasonable for what they were offering. I mean, pastrami, corned beef AND chopped liver? $7.95 seems about right.

The best part for me was that Stevens & Stevens offers a little taste of the Tri-State area, here in Louisville. I have yet to find a truly good bagel in town, and I'm still searching for that perfect piece of pizza...but at least I know where I can get some damn good pastrami on rye with a side of matzo ball soup.

Happy (chinese) New Year!

2011-01-31T13:09:00.022-05:00

Just when you thought you were done celebrating the arrival of a new year, February 3rd rolls around and out walks the lion, in hops the hare...and the festivities begin once more.

That's right. The Chinese New Years begins on February 3rd this year. Just a few days away!

If you're lucky enough to live in a big city with a Chinatown during the Chinese New Year you're in for a treat. There is plenty of food, festivities, firecrackers and dancing dragons.

People hang food outside of their doors as an offering to a mythical beast called Nien, who legend says would destroy livestock and crops, in hopes that he would enjoy the food offered and leave the crops and such be. Colorful red lanterns and firecrackers are also hung and lit in doorways to scare off the new year beast.

The "dragon" dances up and down the Chinatown streets, all the while firecrackers are set off and dancers fight against the dragon. It's a wonderful sight to behold.

And each new year brings influence of a different animal. Last year was the tiger...this year it's the hare (what is your Chinese zodiac sign?).

There is so, so, so much more to the history and tradition of the Chinese New year that I'm not familiar with. There is, however, one part of the celebration and tradition that I'm all about...that's right...the food!!!

Cakes filled with lotus bean paste. Long noodles. Spring rolls. Whole fish. Tangerines. All are considered good luck or are symbolic of wealth, long life and good fortune for the coming new year.

Long noodles represent long life. Spring rolls resemble gold bouillon. The word for fish sounds like the words for wish and abundance. And if served whole, head and tail attached, a fish for dinner symbolizes a good beginning and end of the coming year.

Even if you're firecrackers and red lanterns are in storage. Even if your dragon costume is at the dry cleaners. Even if you don't participate in any other festivities to ring in the Chinese New Year...you can always eat your way into the year of the hare...and here's how to do it............

Visit Viet Hoa Food Market right here in Louisville. This place has everything you need for your Chinese New Year feast...and much, much more.

If you're not confident in your cooking skills they have aisle after aisle of traditional Chinese pre-made frozen goods...many of which you would find on a dim sum menu. Be adventurous! Grab a cart and fill it up! All you'll have to do is re-heat it all when you get home.

Try a new noodle...they have dozens of varieties. Be brave and roast a whole fish for dinner...they have plenty.

And don't forget dessert! If you can't find anything with lotus paste, red bean paste filled treats are always yummy.

Nick and I visited Viet Hoa a few weeks ago and filled our cart with dozens of our favorite things...Chinese sausage, fish balls, our favorite type of red chili paste, dried mushrooms of every variety, noodles, sauces...the list goes on.

And don't worry about the language barrier. Viet Hoa marks just about every item with an English description. If it isn't in English on the package simply look at the shelf tag for an idea of what it is.

So ring in the Chinese New Year with traditional Chinese fare. Leave the General Tso Chicken for another time and partake in some truly delicious (and perhaps lucky) food.

Viet Hoa Food Market
7100 Preston Hwy #107
Louisville, KY 40219

P.S. They don't JUST have Chinese goods. They carry food from all across Asia...if not all across the globe.

The Fish House and Cafe Beignet - New Orleans Just Got A Little Bit Closer

2011-01-27T08:43:00.019-05:00

A few years ago the hubby and I visited New Orleans with some friends. We stayed in an amazing hotel. We ventured off the beaten path and listened to some unbelievably good local musicians play their hearts out. We partied until we could party no more. We ate until we burst. We were there for 3 nights and were so exhausted when our trip was over that the flight attendant actually had to shake us awake in our seats when the plane touched down. Who knew having the time of your life could be so much work?

I always arm myself with a list of things to do, places to see, and stuff to eat...A LOT of stuff to eat. And finding time to fit in all that food isn't always easy. I mean, as much as I say things like "I'm always hungry", it's not really true. Stuffing down a po boy when you're not hungry for the sake of having a po boy while in NOLA isn't always as pleasurable as you think...and the same goes for those ever famous beignets at Cafe Du Monde.

I remember thinking to myself while eating the admittedly, just not mind blowing-ly, yummy beignets at Cafe Du Mond, that they would be so much enjoyable at another time and place.

I have found that time...and I have found that place. Dear Louisville, the time is this weekend, and the place is Cafe Beignet(also known as the Fish House).

Who would have guessed that you could get an amazing breakfast in a restaurant that cranks out fried fish all week? Seeing happens to be believing...or more appropriately...eating happens to be believing in this case.

Cafe Beignet serves up some truly delicious deep fried delights. Their beignets were light and fluffy...melt in your mouth without being greasy...balls of powdered sugar covered goodness. I'm not typically a donut loving girl but there's something different about beignets. And these, especially, were quite a treat.

Of course beignets(1 for $1.25 or 3 for $2.95) weren't the only thing offered for breakfast that morning. The hubby and I also ordered some eggs-in-a-hole, with sides of potato pancakes and andouille sausage.

The egg-in-a-hole was good enough. It's basic breakfast comfort food. It was cooked well...the yolk was perfectly runny. I enjoyed it as well as it's price (I think it was around $2).

The andouille link was big, delicious, and a perfectly savory meat accompaniment. You can get bacon anywhere, but a smokey, spicy link of sausage for breakfast is something to swoon over.

The potato pancakes were some of the best I've ever had...honest-to-goodness. I've been to LatkePalooza at the Gershman Y in Philly and let me tell you, Cafe Beignet's potato pancakes were top notch. They were crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, as most potato pancakes should be. But the thing that set them apart was the seasoning...delicious. I would love a plate of them right now(and just look at that portion!).

The rest of the breakfast menu wasn't terribly long but included a few types of omelets(which I spotted on other people's plates and which looked very good), a few more side dishes, and of course the beignet of the day, which happened to be of the "turtle" variety. Chocolate chips were mixed into the classic batter and the finished product was drizzled with caramel. We decided to be purists and try them au natural instead, but I have no doubt that combination was delicious.

The price for everything on the menu was right...very right. They offer a value meal of sorts where you can get an order of 3 beignets and then pick two other items from a white board for around $6(like a plate of beignets, an egg in a hole and a side of potato pancakes). That's a lot of food, let me tell you.

They also offer chicory coffee which is an unexpected treat for those who like it but don't typically see it listed on menus.

The atmosphere was relaxed and cozy-ish. I mean, it is a fried fish joint most of the time so don't expect it to look like Starbucks. But it was filled with a lot of regulars sipping their chicory coffee and reading the paper. And unlike MANY breakfast joints in Louisville, there was no wait for a table and practically no wait for food(I mean...you have to wait to eat at almost EVERY breakfast joint in town from the Waffle House to Wild Eggs...no wait was a big bonus).

The servers were very pleasant, and when they realized we were first-timers were nice enough to point out things like the chicory coffee and how the ordering process worked. Table service didn't really exist. It was more of a, refill your own coffee, and, order at the front counter and we'll bring it out to you sort of operation. But that was just fine by us.

The only thing I would change was the silverware...or lack thereof. My food was really, really yummy, and it sort of felt a disservice to those fantastic potato pancakes to eat them with plastic cutlery. I mean, it's really a non-issue, but just something that I thought of while I was dining.

The hubby wished they offered an egg cooked to order. He said he would have loved two eggs over easy to go with his andouille sausage. Personally, I liked my egg-in-a-hole, but I understood his point.

I don't review breakfast joints all that often. I mean, there are a few places out there that are doing crazy-good things(and I really should review them more often...I think I even have a few in the hopper that I haven't posted about). But the other places...the more basic joints...are serving up good grub, sure, but I doubt anyone wants to read about my fried egg and side of bacon.

Cafe Beignet is a horse of a different color. It breaks all the breakfast joint rules and does it's own thing...and I love it. They offer up cheap and delicious breakfast food with out of the ordinary options...from their coffee to their donuts...their meat to their potatoes.

They're another one of those diamond-in-the-rough establishments I love finding...and I'm happy to have found it right here in Louisville.

P.S. I will return for dinner to give the fish a try and let you know how it goes!

Havana Rumba - The highs were high...But the lows were low

2011-01-21T12:16:00.027-05:00

The setting: A beach front bar in Aruba

The cast: Nick, me of course, and an extremely friendly Canadian woman

The plot: A conversation about Cuba...and why it's a truly amazing place to visit

There's something about beach front bars that bring out the best in people. In any other bar, in any other place, no one would sit down next to you and start up a conversation out of the blue. But when you're barefoot and somewhat tipsy, all bets are off and you find yourself making friends left and right

This particular evening in Aruba, Nick and I befriended a nice, and extremely gregarious woman from Canada. We got to talking about the resort and other warm weather destinations we had visited. Then, very quickly, the conversation turns from "that sounds nice" to "that's nothing...let me tell you about THIS place".

Perhaps it's me(actually, Nick will tell you it most certainly IS me) but when we start talking to people about travel over a round(or 5) of drinks, I start to brag and try to one-up our new friends' stories. I'm unaware it's happening until I glance at my husband and see him begin to sink into his chair and perhaps glance at the ocean as to say "I'd be more comfortable half drowning in that angry sea right now than listening to you say, "oh...we travel A LOT" one more time". At this point I try to repair the damage done and become uncharacteristically quiet in an attempt to let the other parties squeeze a word in edgewise.

When I finally quiet down I'm always happy I did, because I learn some of the most amazing things from strangers at ocean front bars. Like about Cuba and it's overall awesomeness when it comes to being a tourist destination.

Apparently Cuba is an awesome place to visit. And this isn't the first time I've heard this. People say there's amazing music, food and parties everywhere. They say that the architecture is charming. The beaches are beautiful. The people are warm and friendly.

I sure would love to go one day(and god help the first group of people I brag to about it...Nick...I'm giving you a heads up...you may want to have an escape route that evening).

Since it doesn't look like I'll be heading to Cuba anytime soon I suppose I can supplement my wanderlust with food lust. Yes. That will do nicely.

Nick and I visited Havana Rumba one evening after being told that the food was amazing. Always in the mood for a good mojito and some bitchin' pork, we made a b-line for the restaurant.

We arrived early-ish on a Friday evening(6:45 or so) and walked into a waiting area which was already jam packed. We spotted two open seats at the bar and decided to make our wait a bit more enjoyable with the aid of a few mojitos.

We ordered two mojitos and, unfortunately, instead of seeing the bartender reach for some fresh mint leaves, or some fresh lime, or a muddle stick(I'm sure that's not it's real name), we saw her reach for a bottle of slime green liquid. She poured this pre-made mixture into our glasses and garnished it with a slice of lime(a bit too late if you ask me) and a sugar cane stick.

I held out hopes that it just looked gross but would taste delicious. I was wrong. All of that lovely fresh, bright flavor that makes a mojito such a dreamy drink was gone. It was vaguely reminiscent of a mojito but I wouldn't be ordering another that evening.

We were seated quickly after receiving our drinks and ordered our appetizer, a special for the evening, fried seafood cakes.

The seafood cakes were delicious. They were chock-full of seafood flavor, fried perfectly and came with a delicious spicy dipping sauce and creamy avocado mayo. Perhaps, we thought, the mojito was a fluke, as we were very happy with our appetizer.

For entrees I ordered the special, a braised short rib, and Nick ordered one of the "house favorites" the Lechon Asado...slow roasted pork.

Between the appetizer and the entrees a basket of bread was brought to our table and after taking a bite, went back to thinking that perhaps the mojito wasn't a fluke after all and was a sign of things to come. The bread was very obviously day old. Nick tried to play devil's advocate and said, "maybe they just left it in the oven to heat up too long". But one more bite and he changed his mind and decided that it was in fact stale.

Our entrees arrived and we were back to thinking that the bread and mojito were small oversights because the meats were cooked perfectly.

Nick's pork was flavorful, tender, delicious and ample. It came with a side of rice and beans and a dinosaur egg size hunk of boiled yuca. The rice and beans were good but the yuca was bland(I mean, I know yuca itself is pretty bland but they could have done something, anything to elevate it), and comically huge. But overall, Nick's dish was tasty and well received.

My short ribs were also well cooked, bursting with deep, rich flavor and fall off the bone tender...but they were cold. I'm not talking warm-ish...they were a few degrees below room temperature. And it's such a shame because they were cooked really, really well. They were seasoned really, really well. And they came with some super yummy fried sweet plantains. The dish was really a success...but a cold success, unfortunately.

So what do I say or do now? Whoever prepared that meat was certainly a gifted cook. There's no doubt about it. Whoever prepared the seafood cakes did a bang up job and delivered well on flavor and texture. There's no doubt about that either.

The failures were in the simplest things, really. If you spend all that time and energy braising short ribs why on earth would you serve them cold? If you own a popular(it seemed very popular that evening) Cuban restaurant why would you serve a truly sub-par mojito? And stale bread, although not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, is easily avoidable.

Perhaps they were very busy that evening and didn't put my short ribs under a heat lamp. The place was packed. Perhaps they find it necessary to cut corners on things like mojitos by pre-mixing them to keep up with demand. But one of the reasons I went there at all was for a good mojito!

I'm honestly not sure why there were so many failures that evening.

Perhaps it really was a fluke.

And perhaps I'll give Havana Rumba another shot. It's hard to deny the tastiness of the meat dishes...but it's also hard to overlook everything else.

Food for thought

2011-01-19T10:32:00.016-05:00

I'm currently reading two books. One is historical fiction, and the other is Anthony Bourdain's new book, Medium Raw. Guess which one I'm going to talk about in this post.

Whether you like Anthony Bourdain or not. Whether you think he's a washed up used-to-be-chef or a great personality with a vast knowledge of cuisine. One thing is for sure. He spent the early part of his life in restaurant kitchens, and as of late he's been brought into the inner sanctum of celebrity chefs, high end restaurants and food-in-general the world round. It's safe to say he knows some things.

This book, unlike Kitchen Confidential which focuses on the down and dirty behind the scenes goings on in restaurant kitchens, seems to focus(so far anyway...I'm only a few chapters in) on the greater scheme of all things culinary. He's talking about profit margins and markup on wine. He's talking about how, prior to this nation's recent economic decline, so many big shots were willing to pay wayyyyy too much for mediocre food, but now trends seem to be shifting to more affordable cuisine . I's eye opening.

I've heard it said that the rule of thumb for markup on restaurant wine is 3 to 1. And Anthony Bourdain says, and it's not hard to believe, that liquor is basically the only place that restaurants make any substantial profit. But with people not willing to shell out 3 times as much for a bottle of vino, what are restaurants to do? How will they stay afloat? It seems, from what I've been reading in books and online, that good, honest food, sometimes prepared imaginatively, but always prepared well, seems to be making it's way to the forefront of what's-important-in-a-restaurant. It may mean putting the Kobe beef on the back burner and moving the hanger steak to the front, but hey, hanger steak is friggin' delicious.

The idea of overpaying for food is something I think about constantly, and so must everyone else, because in the past few weeks I've read countless articles about an affordable new shift in food trends. CNN's Eatocracy is featuring an article called Vegas takes off its fancy pants, and explains how the high end restaurants in the city of excess are failing and visitors are looking for reasonably priced food (the last time Nick and I were in Vegas we found high prices everywhere we looked and really had to dig deep to find those diamonds in the rough).

Food & Wine listed "foodie courts", which would basically be high quality food stands in a food court type atmosphere, as one of their "Food trends for 2011". Countries all across the globe have massive "foodie courts"...they're lining the sidewalks...they're street food vendors, and they certainly aren't just serving hot dogs. They've been doing this for ages and they're beloved by the upper class, lower class and everyone in between. Street food vendors are experiencing a renaissance in the states as well. What more sign do you need that Americans are growing weary of overpaying for hackneyed food?

And closer to home...the thing that makes me smile from ear to ear, is the feedback I've been getting about lots of modest looking and inexpensive(yet completely delicious) restaurants in Louisville, like Pho Binh Minh. I've had comments and emails saying how much they loved the food, the "dining at someone's home" atmosphere and of course the price.

It seems that whether dining in Manhattan, London, Las Vegas or Louisville, people want the same thing.

Now, I'm not saying there's not a place for extremely high end restaurants, or even moderately high-end places. I have eaten at some pretty pricey establishments and have had some mind blowing meals. I'm talking food that years later I still bring up at dinner parties. But for the average American diner (like ME) these places are only accessible as treats and not as the norm.

If you eat dinner out just once a week that's 52 times a year. If you're paying $30 or more a plate and buying a bottle of wine for the same price...add in a $12 starter, tax, tip, and a cocktail...and dinner for two once a week could end up costing almost $8,000.00 a year(and this isn't even in the same ballpark price wise as the type of high-end restaurant Anthony Bourdain is talking about).

Cut the price per plate down to around $18 with a $6 starter and $5 drinks and you're only spending around $4,000.00 a year. (note...I didn't just make these figures up...I took average prices from two price tiers of restaurants I've visited in the past year or so).

And when I look closer and compare meal by meal at the higher priced restaurant versus the lower priced place one thing seems to stand out. The lower priced places are taking more seasonal and less high-end cuts of meat and ingredients and transforming them into things that, often, are much more flavorful and restaurant worthy than that piece of filet mignon. I can cook a filet...and I do...I would never think, however, of braising pork ribs in sauerkraut(Eiderdown $16) or deconstructing a peasant dish like cassoulet to transform it into something out of the box amazing(Wiltshire on Market $18). That's why I go out to eat.

So it looks like Nick and I aren't out-of-style after all. Our love of un-stuffy, cozy and casual places that serve inventive and even amazing food at reasonable prices isn't uncommon, or for that matter, impossible to find. I can think of about a half dozen places I've blogged about here in Louisville right off the bat that fit the bill, and I look for more every single day.

So lets hope Louisville keeps up with this budding worldwide food trend of high quality food that people can actually afford. I think this town would love a "foodie court" where the ever so popular food-truck-type-food can come together in a comfortable indoor market(and you don't have to sit on a curb to enjoy it). Or how about more gastro-pub type places? There's room for them both!

I know I'll support this trend whole heartily...and bite by bite...heck...I already do.

Burgoo for you? - Ole Hickory Pit has it, and it only comes once a year

2011-01-17T12:25:00.007-05:00

Gosh we live in a cool country. Don't we?

You can travel from state to state, town to town, and discover new food after new food...all while still being in the U.S.ofA. That's pretty darn neat if you ask me.

One of the great joys of living in different parts of the country is discovering and embracing regional cuisine. I'm always amazed at how diverse our food culture is. America isn't just hot dogs and hamburgers. America is smoked white fish on bagels. America is gumbo. America is lobster rolls. America is creamy grits. America is a big 'ol bowl of chili. America is different and delicious.

America right now, for me, is Burgoo.

I've experienced so many new things since moving to Louisville. I'm borderline addicted to liver cheese. One of my favorite new sandwiches is a Goetta BLT (or a GLT I suppose). And just today I had my first bowl of Burgoo.

Nick took me to the Ole Hickory Pit for lunch because, since driving by there a few days ago, and spotting their sign that says they had Burgoo and it's only there once a year, I would pretty much not shut up about it.

I had never heard of Burgoo prior to living in Kentucky. It caught my interest because I heard it was traditionally made with mutton, a meat that isn't all that popular across the rest of the country, however, since it had been such a hot summer, I wasn't really in the mood for a steaming bowl of mutton soup until recently when the weather turned cold.

I'm happy to report that my first taste of Burgoo did not disappoint. It was basically a rich(very rich) broth based soup with veggies and strips of pulled meat. But it's the flavor of the broth, really, that made the dish for me. It was so intense...so jam packed with hearty meaty flavor. I almost could have done without the meat itself and just sipped the broth.

For $4.99 I got a steaming bowl of rich, delicious comfort on a cold, rainy day...here, in this corner of America.

Are there any regional dishes or food items you think I should try? Please let me in on the secret. I love discovering this part of the country...one bite at a time.

P.S. The bbq at Ole Hickory Pit is darn tasty as well. Nick often goes there for lunch and has yet to find something he doesn't like. Today I had a bite of his fried corn bread and I MUST have that again. He's a fan of all of the sandwiches...the mutton especially. Also, the ribs are smokey, fall off the bone yummy(I had a bite of his today). Try the white beans as a side dish. They're a great flavor contrast to the sweet, rich ribs.

Eiderdown - Food & Drink

2011-01-11T09:57:00.038-05:00

Isn't thinking up names for things fun? When Nick and I named our first flock of chickens it was a hoot. And naming the dog was by far one of the most enjoyable activities of my life (her name is Lindy...named after the Triple Lindy dive in the Rodney Dangerfield classic Back To School...genius, I know). So I can only imagine how awesome it would be to name my own restaurant. Truth be told, I already have a few imaginary restaurants in my mind that I've named...a girl can dream can't she?

Although it's probably the easiest part of opening a restaurant, and sure to be fun, naming it must also be a bit scary. I mean, I've been known to put off visiting a new eatery for no reason other than the fact that I wasn't too fond of their name. Silly I know, but true.

A restaurant name can set expectations about the type of food, atmosphere, price. It's literally the first impression.

Let's take the new Germantown eatery Eiderdown for example. The name sounds German. When you Google it you find out that it's actually the down from an eider duck that you would probably use to stuff pillows or quilts(also, it's in a Gordon Lightfoot song for all you old hippies out there). And when you look it up on Urbanspoon or Yelp, because Eiderdown's website isn't currently up and running and an online menu is hard to find, you see it described as "German", "American", "European" and "Gastropub".

At this point there's only one option...visit and find out what it's all about for yourself...so we did.

I made a reservation for Eiderdown last Friday afternoon, for that evening. Once again, I'm glad I took the time to make a quick call and stake our claim on a table because this place was absolutely, positively hopping.

Eiderdown's ambiance can easily be described as warm, rustic and inviting. There was a long, lovely bar on one side of the room, perfect for enjoying one of their many beers on tap or interesting wines. Our table was made of worn wood and the walls were a mix of exposed brick and old, white tile. I immediately gave them an A+ for ambiance.

For drinks we decided on a few beers that they had on tap(and they had quite a nice draught selection), although the wine list offered some interesting wine options we would have loved to try as well.

I chose the Ayinger Celebrator, a delicious dark German beer that I would order again in a heartbeat. It was mild yet flavorful and offered that mix of coffee, malty, nutty goodness that I love in dark brews. Seriously...I highly recommend it.

Nick ordered the Duchesse De Bourgogne. It was a Flemmish Red that I didn't particularly care for but he seemed to enjoy. I found it to be a bit tart and acidic for my liking, but it's certainly worth a try as it was definitely an interesting brew.

Now onto the food!

Eiderdown's menu seemed perfect for drinking and munching. It was filled with inexpensive yet inventive bites, sandwiches with the flavor volume turned up a bit and it also offered some more fine dining options.

Though we were immediately drawn to the duck fat popcorn we decided on the chicken livers as our starter.

5 little(actually, pretty sizable) balls of batter dipped and fried chicken liver mousse with a side of mincemeat jam arrived at our table and we dug right in.

The chicken liver was, as we had hoped, full of rich livery goodness. Chicken livers have such wonderful flavor and I was happy to see them embrace it in this dish. The texture of the mousse was very good in my opinion (I read a review where someone said it wasn't silky enough, but in order to deep fry something there needs to be a certain level of firmness and I think they pulled it off), and the batter was light and crisp(although if it was a bit more beer-batter-y it would have been mind blowing), but the winner...the star of this plate...was that mincemeat jam. Holy moly was that stuff good. The sweet and savory mix of chicken liver and mincemeat jam was a home run. Both Nick and I took turns dipping our forks in the remainder of the jam long after the liver balls were gone. Yummy.

Nick and I always try to order one nightly special and one plate that, to us, seems to represent a restaurant's "signature" dish. This evening Nick chose the "signature" dish...Homer's Daydream. It was pork ribs braised in sauerkraut with apples and potatoes. It was really delicious.

We typically eat pork ribs slathered in bbq sauce right? Not anymore. Braising them in sauerkraut and mixing in some sweet apples and hearty potatoes created a flavor combination that might change the way you eat pork ribs forever. Honestly...I think this dish was amazing and I'm jealous that I didn't think of it first.

I chose one of the specials...duck confit...in honor of the namesake duck down(and because I love duck confit). It was served over a pool of veal stock with a cauliflower biscuit and brussel sprouts.

My dish was good. The duck was moist and flavorful. The veal stock was the perfect accompaniment to the duck, and the cauliflower biscuit soaked up that stock to almost make a chicken and dumpling type marriage. But then I ran into a bit of a problem.

Although I hate to say it I had one major issue with the duck... the skin. The skin wasn't crispy...at all.

The duck meat itself really was cooked well, and I was willing to push the droopy, frankly unappetizing skin to the side of the plate and truthfully enjoy the rest of my meal, but when you get right down to it, no one ever wants limp or un-rendered skin on any piece of protein, be it fish, chicken, etc. They really did create an amazing symphony of flavors...but that skin was a mistake that I feel shouldn't have been overlooked and sent to the table. That's just my two cents.

Aside from that one slip-up, Nick and I had a lovely evening at Eiderdown. The service was helpful, friendly and even apologetic when our server thought that our appetizer took a smidgen too long to come out(although I didn't think it took too long at all). The menu(which can be found in very small writing at urbanspoon.com or here: EiderdownMenu) was filled with enough diverse, flavorful options to bring me back for seconds, and the beer and wine list might even bring me back for thirds.

When all is said and done I'm still not sure how to label the food at Eiderdown. It wasn't all American...nor was it all that German. It wasn't very southern...nor was it all that European.

I suppose when it comes down to it good flavors make good food, and restaurants don't necessarily need to follow a set of rules in order to successfully get that food to their customers. They don't have to be "New American" or "Fusion". They can even offer higher end food on the same menu as sandwiches and popcorn(I don't want to say gastropub because I'm trying to avoid a label but perhaps they took a page from that book).

They really did try to make delicious food for any palate with a unique and inventive twist. That should certainly be applauded. Also, they've succeeded(almost...I still can't let them forget about my unctuous duck skin) in offering fine-dining-type food to their customers at a very reasonable price. I think both of our entrees were priced at $16 and the starter was around $6. The beers were around $5 a pop and you could get individual glasses of wine for around that price as well.

So call Eiderdown's style of cuisine whatever you like...just be sure to also call ahead...because it seems that Louisville diners are calling it a hot new restaurant.

Slide show!

2011-01-07T08:48:00.006-05:00

Hi all! I finally got around to putting together a slide show of our trip to Belgium and the Netherlands and here it is!(left) If you click on the photo it will open in Picasa and you can read the captions and see the pictures full screen..........or you can just click this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/jkwetherbee/BelgiumAndTheNetherlands?feat=directlink

Hope you enjoy it!

Lotsa Pasta - Dinner is in the bag

2011-01-06T09:07:00.011-05:00

I made pasta for dinner last night.

When I say I made pasta I mean I actually mixed eggs and flour, kneaded them together, let the dough ball rest, ran it through my imported hand crank pasta roller(which I LOVE...thank you Nick!!!) and cut the sheets into fettuccine sized strips. Then I sauteed up some pancetta and made a carbonara. It was time consuming but oh so delicious.

I do this often, make pasta from scratch. Although it takes a bit of time and patience I find it so very enjoyable. It's like Playdough for adults...with the added bonus of eating your results.

Some pastas are a bit more arduous to make than others of course. My fettuccine took about an hour total to make. My raviolis take all afternoon. And don't get me started on tortellini.

So when I heard good things(from lots of people) about Lotsa Pasta's homemade fresh pasta and bread I decided to check it out. We don't always have an entire afternoon free to make stuffed dough now do we?

When Nick and I walked into the store a few weeks ago we simply couldn't believe it had taken us 5 months to go there. It was the type of specialty food store we love to visit. It had a very nice cheese and cured meat selection. A wall of lovely, freshly baked bread. Plenty of specialty dry goods and last but certainly not least, a cooler full of fresh pastas.

We chose a package of their house made porcini tortellini, a package of their house made hot Italian sausage and a loaf of their mini ciabatta. We also grabbed a small triangle of Pecorino Romano cheese and a big 'ol can of their Lotsa Pasta brand tomato sauce to finish off our "meal in a bag".

When we got home we could hardly wait for the pot of water to boil so we could dive into our dinner.

I'm pleased to announce that everything was delicious. The porcini tortellini had porcini mushrooms actually incorporated into the dough as well as the filling giving them quite a mushroom kick. They cooked up wonderfully and had great texture as well.

The hot Italian sausage was pretty much a home run in my eyes. I have eaten some good Italian sausage in my day...believe you me...so I'm a tough sell when it comes to that particular brand of meaty goodness. This one had a great balance of spice and fat, so important in any sausage.

The house made tomato sauce was good enough. I'm a purist when it comes to a tomato sauce. I like simplicity and this one certainly fit the bill as far as that was concerned, but I'm not sure I would make a separate trip just for the sauce.

I was also happy with their bread. Have you ever played "what would your last meal be" at a dinner party? I'm always so very torn when it's my turn because I've got a list a mile long of my favorite foods, but something that always rises to the top of my list is a great piece of crusty bread and good quality butter(maybe even a goat milk butter...SO good!). Needless to say...I like me some bread.

Their ciabatta was very good. Crusty on the outside and tender inside. But the thing I liked most was that they offer a variety of loaf sizes. Nick and I can never go through a whole loaf of bread(and still fit into our pants the next day) in one evening and day old Italian bread isn't good for much other than toast points, bread crumbs or the occasional bread pudding. So having the option to buy a loaf built for two was nice.

I have to say that I don't recommend putting this particular mixture of flavors together in one meal. We realized that we were thinking about each piece and it's individual yummy-ness when we purchased them and not their ability to play well together. I would still buy the same things but use them differently. The porcini tortellini would be paired with a very mild sauce...perhaps a really light cream sauce to let the mushrooms shine. Also, the sausage would go great with a more hearty and plain short cut pasta, or you could even slice it and serve it over a bed of cheesy polenta(great idea for my next batch of sausage!). But that's not to say that we didn't still lick our plates clean with our original combination.

When all was said and done our bag of goodies lasted us almost two whole meals and I just finished the block of Pecorino Romano yesterday so that provided a good bang for our buck.

Some things were a bit pricier than I would have liked but it is a specialty food store after all and that's to be expected. And they're really doing all the work for you in many cases so paying an extra buck for a package of great quality home made pasta is, in my very frugal opinion, worth it.

So the next time I'm in the mood for some great quality homemade pasta without having to deal with the effort, time and flour filled mess of doing it myself, I'll have no problem returning to Lotsa Pasta. I wonder what I'll pick next time.

Lotsa Pasta 3717 Lexington Rd.
http://www.lotsapastalouisville.com/

A Horse Of Course - Why are people so opposed to eating horse?

2011-01-05T10:12:00.007-05:00

I was reading an article on NPR.com this morning about whether or not the United States should re-legalize slaughtering horses for human consumption after it became illegal in 2007. My first question of course was, "Really? It was legal in 2007? How come I never saw it on a menu at my local gastro-pub???".

Apparently it was, in fact, legal and practiced as recently as 2007, and is currently legal and practiced...quite a bit actually...in Canada. If people all over the world have been eating horse for centuries and our very similar neighbors to the north of us are doing it, then why are we, as Americans, so put off by the idea of eating horseys?

Lets put aside some of the debate for the moment about pharmaceuticals in the meat, or how much money could be made exporting it overseas where it's in demand, or even the debate on whether we should eat animals at all. Lets focus on the part of this that confuses me the most. Why people think eating a pig is ok but eating a horse or a dog isn't.

Nick and I were sitting in a little restaurant in Brussels a few months back perusing the menu when what to our wondrous eyes should appear...but a horse steak...the house specialty in fact. Nick and I eat meat. We eat pig and cow and goat and chicken. We eat their feet and their ears. We even eat their heads boiled and set in aspic. Why wouldn't we eat horse? The answer is...we would. And we did.

Nick ordered it with a smile on his face and that excitement that comes with trying something new(picture above). And it WAS new. And it was exciting to try something that people in that area have been eating for centuries, but that is also taboo in our own area of the world. It wasn't particularly mind blowing in flavor or texture. If you were to blindfold me and ask me to taste it without knowing what it was I might almost guess that it WAS in fact horse because it tasted unlike any other meat I've ever eaten. It wasn't all that tender and it had a bit of gamy flavor to it but it was very good in it's own way and I'm very glad we tried it.

When we returned to the hotel that evening Nick was sure to post about our horse eating experience on his facebook page...and boy 'o boy did our friends and family think it was gross.

I will never understand why people think it's gross to eat one animal but not another. People get angry when they hear about people eating dogs in Asia, yet studies have shown that pigs are almost as smart as dogs in their own way(I mean...there's no dog/pig IQ test out there but you get the picture). They're social and curious. Loyal and intelligent. They're pets too for goodness sake. But we eat one and not the other.

And why do people think it's crazy when I tell them how much I love chicken feet or head cheese(boiled parts of a pig's head set in animal gelatin). Why is eating the pig's butt(ham) better than it's ear? Personally I find using and eating all parts of an animal to be a noble, and also lucky for me, delicious thing to do. What a waste it would be to slaughter a pig and only eat it's "ham", loin, belly(bacon) and ribs.

So I suppose the point of this post was to make you think about the food you eat and why you eat it, or for that matter, don't. I think about this whenever I travel to a new continent, country or even region of the good 'ol USofA.

So if the powers that be in the US do decide to re-legalize the use of horse for human consumption will you be willing to give it a try? If you're worried that you won't like the way it tastes I can tell you right off the bat...it doesn't taste like chicken...but neither does lamb, or beef, or pork, or duck or.................you get the idea.

The Irish Rover - You get what you pay for - well...maybe not quite

2011-01-04T13:18:00.013-05:00

The holidays are officially over and more likely than not, your pocket books are a little lighter than they were 4 weeks ago.

Between paying for airfare, gifts, wining and dining, the holiday season can cause a hurting on your budget.

So when I'm spending money hand over fist on fruit cake and egg nog, I don't know about you, but I like to seek out more "affordable" places to dine out around town. But I'm not looking for cheap and crappy. I'm looking for reasonably priced, well prepared food. Though there are certainly places that fit the bill, they can be hard to come by. The good news is, however, if you fail and fail and fail again when seeking them out...at least you didn't spend too much on it.

A few weeks ago during one of those days that barely broke 20 degrees, the hubby and I set out to find an affordable and soul warming meal. We perused dozens of menus online and decided on The Irish Rover...apparently so did half of Louisville because the place was absolutely packed.

After ice skating to the front door we walked into a warm, bustling restaurant and were lucky enough to grab a booth. Without even having to look at the menu we knew we wanted to start off with some Irish whiskeys...Powers Irish whiskey to be more precise. Nick and I became huge Powers fans a few years back and were very happy to see they offered it here. We took this as a sign that we might be in for some authentic Irish grub.

After warming ourselves from the inside out with a few whiskeys it was time for dinner. Nick has never had a scotch egg but after hearing some time back that it was a hard boiled egg wrapped in sausage and deep fried, he's been dying to try one.

The scotch egg was awesome(pictured at top). Fried perfectly. Yummy pub food. Perfect for a cold day. We were a bit surprised that they only gave one per order, but at $3.95 a pop, it was a pretty inexpensive and yummy treat.

Now onto entrees.

This place had a menu of bar-type food that could choke a horse. The food, representing bar-type-food from a number of different cultures ranged from a grilled chicken sandwich to bangers and mash, and most everything on the menu was priced around $10. Wanting to try out some "traditional" Irish pub grub we ordered the Cottage Pie and the Dublin Smokies.

The hubby ordered the Cottage Pie because it was, in essence, a mix between a Guinness beef stew and a shepherds pie. It seemed like a two-fer. It was a bread bowl filled with stew and topped with mashed potatoes. When it arrived it seemed massive. This huge hunk of potato topped bread was placed in front of the hubby and his eyes lit up. Unfortunately, the joy was short lived.

When he actually dug into the bowl he found a very small amount of stew...a very large amount of bread...and a pile of potatoes. He said it was yummy enough but bread and potatoes with a hint of stew wasn't exactly what he had in mind.

I ordered the Dublin Smokies which was described as "a famous dish from the old-time Dublin street markets". It was supposed to be a casserole of smoked haddock and salmon, shrimp, garlic, onions and tomatoes, all baked in a cream sauce and topped with cheese. Personally, I pictures a chunky fish stew type thing baked off in a casserole dish. What I got wasn't quite that.

Have you ever opened a tin of cat food? Picture the texture of cat food and then mix in some whole shrimp. Now throw this mixture, as is, into a gratin dish, top it with some cheese and a few diced tomatoes. This was my dinner.

Now, I have to say...the taste wasn't all bad. It wasn't all good either, but it was the consistency that threw me for a loop...and trust me...I'll eat anything.

I pretty much never send back food. It holds up dinner for the rest of the party and unless the mistake is egregious, I can typically live with it. I didn't send this back and instead decided to put the warm, let's call it "seafood spread" on some dinner bread that was on the table. This helped the texture problem and made me feel as though I was eating a completed dish instead of warm cat food. I hate to give reviews where I call things cat food, but honestly, there's no better way to describe this texture.

Now, I've never had this dish in Ireland. It could quite possibly be exactly the way they make it there and it might also be a hometown favorite so I don't want to poo-poo on the dish as a whole. But I'm shocked that this dish is still on the menu at The Irish Rover. I can't imagine that many people come back for seconds of it.

As an added note before I come to my conclusion I should mention that the service was very good. The host and hostesses at the front were warm and helpful, and our server was attentive and pleasant.

Here's where the "you get what you pay for" part comes into play. Nick's meal cost $10.95 and mine was a mere $9.95. I suppose I shouldn't have expected a chunky Irish seafood stew with real pieces of fish for under $10, but I did. Nick's dish, however, if done right and served with a proper amount of stew in the bowl should really HAVE been priced at $10, and so his felt like a true rip-off.

So sometimes you hit and sometimes you miss when you're searching for affordable (and delicious) food around town. This to me, unfortunately, was a miss. But the silver lining was that we got a few glasses of our favorite Irish whiskey. Nick tried a scotch egg for the first time. And even though the entrees were a disappointment, we didn't really spend too much for the experience, so we had enough left in our pockets to try again somewhere else.

Dear Louisville....Did you know you have a restaurant that serves up traditional Dim Sum??? It's Jade Palace and it's fantastic.

2010-12-21T11:14:00.010-05:00

Dear Louisville,

You are one lucky city. For a town of your size you've got some big city perks. You have a wonderful park system. You're chock full of culture. You have bourbon. You have baseball bats. And yes...oh yes...you have a restaurant that serves traditional Dim Sum.

You never cease to amaze me,
Love and Sui Mai,
Jessica

I'm serious when I say that Louisville keeps pleasantly surprising me. And my latest surprise is something that felt I MUST share with all of you...Dim Sum at Jade Palace.

The hubby and I simply adore Dim Sum. For a time while living in Philly we were borderline obsessed with it. I don't have the exact figures but I would be willing to bet that my husband ate at our favorite Dim Sum restaurant dozens and dozens of times in two years.

Dim Sum, for those unfamiliar with it, is a traditional Cantonese breakfast/lunch consisting of many small plates of food and accompanied by the all important tea.

The dishes served are not your typical "Americanized Chinese" but more traditional dishes...things like turnip cake, chicken feet, sweet rice wrapped in lotus leaf, etc. And since they're practically all savory and very unlike a good 'ol southern fry up, I think that some people are hesitant to partake in the meal before lunch. Perhaps that's why Jade Palace doesn't start serving until 11:30am. But let it be known that it is often eaten very early in the morning as well.

The hubby and I showed up at Jade Palace a bit earlier than 11:30(10am), as we used to eat Dim Sum at a typical breakfast hour, but killed some time doing last minute Christmas shopping and returned at 11:31 with ravenous appetites.

We were seated immediately in a large dining room with a few other full tables and were happy to see that other people were as ready as we were to get their Dim Sum on. We were asked what we would like to drink and ordered hot tea, as it is the traditional beverage, and actually, how Dim Sum came about at all.

We then asked the waitress if they offered cart service or if we had to order from the menu. Most Dim Sum restaurants use a cart or conveyor belt method to display and distribute the food. She told us that we could either order from her or ask the cart waitress to bring around a variety of dishes. Since the cart server was not in the room at the time we ordered some dishes from her and then grabbed some more off the cart when she came around.

I was glad to see cart service, however, they only had one cart while we were there. I was happy that we didn't have to wait long or fight with other tables for the cart to come to us. Also, the waitress that was running the cart service spoke perfect English(I've had issues with not knowing what I was getting in the past and simply had to point and smile) and wasn't so busy that she didn't have time to bring out different carts so we could peruse them(she was very, very helpful). But it was missing that wonderful bustle that I love when eating Dim Sum. Half the fun, after all, is looking around the room as the carts dance around the tables and picking out what delightful dish you'll share next. That being said...beggars can't be choosers...and I was very, very, very happy to see cart service at all and loved every minute of it.

Now for what really matters...taste.

The food was, honestly, some of the best Dim Sum Nick and I have ever had. Some things we ordered were far an away the best of that particular dish that's ever crossed our lips. And forgive me Louisville, but I never expected to say that about a Chinese Restaurant that wasn't in New York or San Francisco. I'm still in shock that I found it nestled in Westport Village. Kudos Jade Palace. Well done.

We ordered..........

- Sui Mai (a pork and shrimp dumpling that is open at the top). This is a Dim Sum staple for many people. It's delicious and the perfect thing to start with.

- Yeong Pek Koo (minced shrimp in a black mushroom). This was a new one for us and we loved it. The minced shrimp was sweet...the mushroom was full of umami...put them together and you've got a great flavor combination.

- Steamed Pork Bun (pork steamed in a soft, almost sponge-like bun). This steamed bun won me over. The bun was moist and fluffy. The pork inside was rich and delicious. I've had some so-so steamed pork buns in the past...this one was the best I've ever had.

- Beef Tendon (melt in your mouth bits of delicious beef tendon in a spicy sauce). Do me a favor...try this. It's fatty and beefy. It's rich and delicious. The texture may throw you at first but you'll find yourself immediately going back for more..

- Seen Chuck Kn (pork and shrimp wrapped in tofu skins). This was another mind blowing dish for me. The tofu skins packed so much flavor in a thin little package, and there was an explosion of tastes inside. Delicious.

- Nor Mai Gai (pork, chicken, shrimp and other things mixed with sweet rice and wrapped and steamed in a lotus leaf). This dish is high on my top 5 Dim Sum list. You open this little lotus leaf packet to find a mound of sweet rice cooked with all sorts of yummy bits of meat. You know how maple syrup goes so well with sausage? The same sweet and savory thing is happening here. It's one of the best Dim Sum dishes ever created.

- Red Bean Paste Bun (a sweet red bean paste in a steamed bun). You must try at least one dessert before you leave Jade Palace. This red bean paste bun may not sound like your typical dessert but it's got all the makings of a sweet treat. The paste inside is rich and satisfying and if I didn't tell you there were beans in it you would never know.

If you're a Dim Sum newbie I would recommend trying any of these dishes. They're all relatively approachable if you're not used to traditional Chinese fare and they offer a mix of many different flavors as well as cooking techniques. I would also try Cheung Fun if you're new. It's shrimp (or pork or chicken) wrapped in a very thin rice paper roll. Very traditional Dim Sum and very good for a not so adventurous palate.

Looking for an adventure??? You must try the chicken feet at least once. Get them in a sauce. Also, tripe is amazing if you've never had it. I personally love the turnip cakes. They're like Cantonese comfort food to me. And I know some people who are addicted to the fried tofu, although I'm not the biggest fan. Honestly...of all the Dim Sum dishes I've ever tried(and we're talking over 50) I think I've only disliked one or two. So the odds are good that you'll love almost anything you try.

Interested in giving Dim Sum a try? Here's how to do it...

It's meant to be shared. Most dishes have 3 or 4 pieces on them and each plate also has a corresponding size and price.

The waitress will mark the price on a card that is kept in the center of your table. When you're done with your meal she'll tally it up.

Don't be scared to order A LOT. Nick and I ate and ate and ate for $20 last Sunday.

And be sure to give yourself plenty of time. Go ahead and use the cart service the whole time if it's your first time. There are so many things to try so go slow and let your eyes and your stomach do the deciding for you.

Don't listen to the names...I know tendon doesn't sound great...but it's delicious. And chicken feet taste just like chicken wings...just with a bit less meat.

So be daring. Be bold. Be Cantonese for the day. Go to Dim Sum and try a few new dishes at Jade Palace next weekend. I promise you'll love it.

Erika's German Restaurant - What You Crave On A 20 Degree Day

2010-12-14T08:23:00.015-05:00

The weather channel said it was 8 degrees when I woke up this morning. All of the sudden it felt like fall passed right by Louisville this year and the dead of winter filled it's place.

When cold weather rolls in to stay I find myself craving completely different types of food. I could eat fish and raw veggies every day during the warm months but come winter I turn into a bear preparing for hibernation. I'm looking for rich, satisfying dishes. Give me some meat...then braise it, stew it, roast it. Add some root veggies to the plate...au gratin pretty much anything...and throw a small arugula salad on the plate to make it look a teeny bit healthy and you've got a winter weather dish to satisfy.

So needless to say, I'm not looking for sushi on an 8 degree day...I'm looking for comfort food.

Are you looking for comfort food? Why not give Erika's German Restaurant a try. It's inexpensive. They serve hearty home made fare. And nothing says winter like gulasch, spaetzle and pretty much anything prepared a la schnitzel.

The hubby and I love us some German cuisine. When we were in Munich I think my husband ate his weight in schweinshaxe ("pig knuckle") and I ate enough kaesespaetzle (German noodles (spaetzle) in cheese) to put me into a mid-day-coma. We also enjoyed an amazing variety of head cheeses (I know...not everyone's cup of tea but Nick and I love the stuff) as well as some other offal-type dishes.

Unfortunately Erika's doesn't have schweinshaxe on it's menu...nor does it have some of our other, what some would consider "crazier" favorites. It does, however, succeed in offering a small variety of well made German dishes that I'm sure even the pickiest of eaters would enjoy.

After perusing the menu and preparing ourselves for a gut busting experience Nick and I passed on starters (although they had two amazing sounding soups and a potato pancake platter that was hard to pass up) and headed straight for the mains.

I'm eternally indecisive so I told myself if they made their bratwursts in-house I would choose that...otherwise I was going for the sauerbraten. I ended up with the bratwurst platter and was happy about it. For the low, low price of around $10 I was treated to two wonderfully crafted brats, a side of warm German potato salad (chock full of flavor and bacon) and a heaping helping of sauerkraut.

As much as I enjoyed my bratwursts dipped in German mustard and my warm bacon-y potatoes, I have to say that my favorite item on the plate was actually the sauerkraut. Sometimes the simplest things turn out to be the best. Typically something that gets overlooked, this side dish was really amazing. It was more reminiscent of a braised cabbage than a pickled one. It was sweet and savory with just the right amount of acid. Even after the meal, sitting there with a stuffed belly, I found myself picking at it over and over again.

Nick had the jagerschnitzel...two thinly pounded, breaded and fried pork chops smothered in a rich mushroom gravy. His pork was tender and flavorful. He commented that it was slightly over salted but he enjoyed it all the same.

Both he and I wanted to order the kartoffelknoedel, however the menu said to allow 20 minutes for preparation, and although 20 minutes really isn't all that long to wait, neither of us were interested in doing so. I somewhat regret passing the kartoffelknoedel by as it's one of our favorite side dishes. Essentially a potato dumpling, the kartoffelknoedel is a large, almost gelatinous ball of potato that is boiled and served as a very traditional side dish (see stock photo). I think it would have gone wonderfully with Nick's dish as the dumplings typically beg to be dipped in gravy. I'll be sure to order some next time I go.

As for the rest of the experience.....

The wait staff...which consisted only of one very pleasant woman(whom I suspect is Erika) and someone who bussed plates to and from tables...were courteous and warm, even though they had their hands more than full with a jam packed dining room.

I was somewhat disappointed with the salad that they served as a starter and might have rather been given the option to just add a second side dish to the plates as they all looked delicious and it was hard to choose! I have to say, I didn't actually ask if that was possible or not. It's entirely possible that all you have to do is ask...perhaps I should have.

I would have also liked to see a larger German beer selection, but weiss and dunkels were represented, and to be honest, most restaurants we went to IN Germany only served one or two brands of beer at the most. So I suppose as far as authentic goes, it's not far off.

As far as reservations go...I highly recommend them. We ate VERY early on Friday night...like 6:15...and I'm happy we did because not 10 minutes later there was a wait for those without reservations.

I'm back!

2010-12-14T08:12:00.002-05:00

Hi all!

I'm back! Sorry for being gone so long, but between the holidays and buying a new house (new...AWESOME...house) my mind has been elsewhere. Fortunately, my appetite hasn't been and I've got a few new places to write about!

I'll be sure to put up a new post...post haste, but in the meantime, I've got a question. What's shakin' around town as far as New Years Eve celebrations go??

The hubby and I typically visit a new city each year for New Years Eve, however, this year it looks like we'll be smack dab in the middle of moving, so all trips are off. But the more I thought about it the mores I realized that we still will be spending New Years Eve in a new city...because this will be our first New Years in Louisville! So if anyone has good tips I'm all ears!

Food Flight

2010-11-22T08:51:00.010-05:00

Holiday travel for Nick and I these days isn't exactly just over the river and through the woods. Both of our families live up and down the east coast, so unless we want to drive for 12 hours over many rivers and through plenty of woods, we choose to fly.

No one really WANTS to spend hours and hours in airports or on planes. There are lines...delays... full body scanners...pat-downs(Nick and I were lucky enough to go through a full body scanner AND get a pat down in Amsterdam...they were very thorough), and more. And when you finally get on the plane the cuisine is notoriously bad if not nonexistent and the cost of a can of lukewarm beer can empty your wallet.

But it's not ALL bad is it??? Lets try to turn that holiday-travel-frown upside down shall we? I found a link on Food & Wine Magazine's web site that might do the trick.

http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/best-airport-dining-spots

They've complied a list of the best places to eat in airports across the country, and honestly, the food they're describing might be enough to convince me to add a few connections to my itinerary.

I even found a few favorites of mine on the list::

The Anchor Steam pub in San Francisco International put a smile on my face one trip.

Denver airport's micro-brew filled bars offered Nick and I a fun and delicious way to spend a few hours. I fondly recall a delicious baked goat cheese dish and a pint of hoppy beer.

Chickie and Pete's in Philadelphia International is totally worth a try as well. Their Crab Fries (fries tossed in Old Bay) are a Philly favorite and a great alternative to a cheese steak.

The Prime Tavern in La Guardia struck me as a strange choice, however. Have you ever tried to eat a steak in an airport? I have. Long story short...the only utensils allowed inside the terminals are plastic. Unless they want you to go caveman on your ribeye, I would pass.

Unfortunately they left the Louisville airport off the list, but the next time you're waiting for your flight or picking someone up be sure to grab a bourbon at the Woodford Reserve bar. I did!

Banh Mi - Try Something New This Weekend!

2010-11-19T15:22:00.009-05:00

Ravioli in Italy. Pierogi in Poland. Dumpling in China. The list goes on. Isn't it funny how one good culinary idea can be found all across the world?

When you think about it food is something we ALL have in common, and it's something that can bring us all together. I remind people of this when they're hesitant to try new foods and I am reminded myself of this when I travel abroad.

In the spirit of adventure I urge you to try something new this weekend. Just as the dumpling is found in different ways across the globe, so is the sandwich! This one is easily one of my favorites. It's cheap. It's local. And like I said, it's certainly one of my favorite foods of all time. It's the Banh Mi...a Vietnamese delight!

Now, there are many different types of Banh Mi just as there are many different types of deli sandwiches, but they all have a few things in common...they're served on crusty baguette-type bread...they're filled with lots of fresh flavorful veggies like carrots and cilantro...and they're ALL delicious! If you can't decide then give anything with pork a try...I promise you won't be disappointed.

A few weeks ago I had a great Banh Mi at Pho Binh Minh here in Louisville and you can too! So if you don't have plans for lunch this Saturday or Sunday give it a shot. Step aside turkey club...there's a new sandwich in town.

P.S. They also have Pho and a number of other yummy Vietnamese delights. Go crazy and try 2 new things!

My Kind Of Garden - Creation Gardens...food wonderland

2010-11-16T14:52:00.014-05:00

Dear Louisville,

Why, oh why has no one told me about this place!?!? Seriously...I want answers ;)

Nick and I just got back from a week in Europe(blog about that coming VERY soon!!!!) and our cupboard was bare enough to be in a nursery rhyme. Instead of hitting up my usual grocery spots I decided to check out a place Nick and I stumbled across after dinner one evening...it's called Creation Gardens.

Their website is www.whatchefswant.com and I'm sure that's an understatement.

This is a food warehouse...literally. The vast majority of their customers are restaurants so it's not going to look like your typical grocery store. Instead it's filled with cases and cases of produce, dry goods, dairy, oils, sauces, etc. It's amazing.

The minute I walked in and asked if it was, in fact, open to the public it became clear that I was new and I was kindly offered a tour. I was led through the warehouse and told that although it looks like most things need to be bought in bulk that wasn't the case at all. She told me that I was welcome to take small amounts of things like herbs and such, which was a relief to me as I can't remember the last time I needed a pound of sage.

Once I began to explore on my own I became lost in a sea of amazing quality food. The produce was impeccable and so, SO diverse. Cases of beautiful squash lined the aisle. A rainbow of beets cascaded down the display case. Fresh mushrooms peeked their heads out of their boxes and packages of mixed micro-greens begged me to take them home.

I had to pass by A LOT of food as I couldn't possibly eat all of it in a week, and instead decided to stick with some cured meats, grains and produce classics so I could do a bit of a price comparison.

You see, because this place caters to restaurants not many people come in and buy 3 bags with 6 mushrooms in each. That means that prices aren't marked on many of the items. I was told to simply ask someone and they'd be more then happy to fill me in (and judging from the pleasant people I met there I have no doubt that's the case) however I feared I would end up walking a poor employee around like my own personal shopper, and decided to go at it alone and see what the damage was once I got to the register.

I'm happy to report that the prices were great. I purposely bought some staples...potatoes(purple, red AND gold!)...onions...cabbage...mushrooms...herbs...leafy greens...etc. so I could accurately compare the price with that of my usual store and it came out about the same...but with one major difference...the quality. I have to admit...the quality of the produce at Creation Gardens was top notch...second to none I've seen in Louisville to date. And don't even get me started on the variety. Looking for something and can't find it in any grocery store? Chances are they have it here

After I filled my basket with produce I moseyed on over to the dairy section (bypassing the mixed micro-greens however badly I wanted them...next time my pretties). In the dairy section I perused some lovely quail eggs(I'm getting them next time too!), farm fresh brown eggs, enough beautiful, beautiful cheese to stop someone's digestive track up for life(and I'm pleased to announce that the cheese WAS price marked and it was very reasonable), and a some cured meats(bacon, Tasso ham, chorizo, etc.). As hard as it was to pull myself away from the cheese section(p.s. the cheese was packaged in small-ish blocks so you don't have to buy a wheel of it) I still had the dry goods locker to explore.

It's worth a trip to Creation Gardens for the dry goods section alone. I'm rather versed on exotic grains as my parents were granola munching hippies when I was younger so I grew up on the stuff, but if you aren't, this is the place to start.

Just about every grain, bean, rice, lentil, legume, etc. was represented here. I quickly grabbed a $0.67 container of Bulghur because I haven't had it since I was a kid and was so happy to see it there. Looking for a rainbow of lentils or rice? They have your color, shape, variety there...I promise. Want to try a new type of mushroom but they don't carry it fresh? Grab a bag of it dried! Need a good olive oil that won't break the bank? I was told that I simply MUST come back for the $25 gallon of really good quality olive oil. I WILL be back for it. Stock bases of every variety. Baking supplies that could get you well on your way to becoming a professional baker. I'm leaving so much out! Looks like you'll need to go there and experience it for yourself!

Long story short...non-restaurant owning Louisville residents are so very lucky to have access to this place. I've always dreamed of shopping like a chef and Creation Gardens makes it possible.

Want to shop like a chef too!?!? They're nice enough to open their store to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10-4...and I thank them for it.

Finding this place is no small feat...but it's worth driving past the turn for the street 2 or 3 times (I can tell you from experience). Turn right at the Kentucky Bison Company at 603 East Main and Creation Gardens will be the next building on your right...609 East Main.

If you decide to try this place out for yourself I'd love to hear what you thought of it or what amazing gems you found there(I'm sure I missed A LOT) so please feel free to drop me a line!

Chocolate and Herring and Beer - Oh My!

2010-11-05T08:47:00.003-04:00

Hi to all my Rare & Well-Done readers!

I'm going to be taking a few days off eating and drinking here in Louisville...because I'll be eating and drinking in Belgium and the Netherlands.

I can't wait to blog about all the chocolate and herring and beer that I find, as well as my travel trials and tribulations (there are bound to be a few). And I'll fill you all in when I return.

As much as I'm excited about going to Europe for a little vacation I'm sad that I'll be missing a few good events here in town. But if you're not going to Europe you can enjoy them!

1.) The Breeders' Cup Nov 5th and 6th
Nick and I actually won enough last weekend at the opening day races to pay for beer and
parking...good luck!

2.) Iron Chef Dinner at 610 Magnolia Nov 11th
Edward Lee of 610 Magnolia (where I haven't been yet but will certainly get to eventually)
will be competing against Jose Garces in the Iron Chef competition! He is hosting an Iron
Chef theme dinner on November 11th and it sounds great! I'm a bit torn on who to root for
because Jose Garces owns and operates some of my favorite restaurants in the whole wide
world and they're all in Philly...but you've got to root, root, root for the home team right!?

Well. I've got quite a bit of last minute packing to do so I best be off. Have a wonderful week folks...I'm sure I will!

Cheers!
Jessica

The REAL Issue This Election Day

2010-11-02T16:31:00.004-04:00

Dear Louisville,

Uhhhhhh...what's the deal with not being able to buy booze until after 6 today...election day!?!?

I'm out!

Ok. I'm not completely out of booze but I was planning on buying a nice bottle of bourbon this evening. Way to throw a wrench in my plans and make me wait until 6pm. I mean...that's a whole hour after the "it's 5:00 somewhere" slogan!

If anyone has anymore info on this...I mean...other than this:

http://www.louisville.com/content/why-can%E2%80%99t-you-buy-alcohol-election-day-kentucky-highlands

I'd love to hear it.

The letter writing campaign can't wait!

Cheers...well...after 6pm that is,
Jessica

A Food Blogger's Perk...Food!

2010-11-02T07:38:00.019-04:00

Blogging about food has some perks. First of all...you have to consume food in order to blog about it...perk! You also have to have an open mind(and mouth), which inevitably leads to fantastic discoveries and delicious experiences. But the thing that no one tells you about food blogging is sometimes.........you get free food!

Now, let me explain: I've never been given a free meal at a restaurant, sandwich shop, diner, or basically any restaurant-like establishment. I try to be incognito. I try to blend in. I even try to hide my picture taking(tough I tells ya!). I've been recognized as a blogger at some dining establishments...but not one free meal was had.

The free food I'm talking about comes to me in the mail and greets me at my doorstep like a wonderfully unexpected guest.

I work with Foodbuzz, a food blogging community to promote my site and advertise theirs. Foodbuzz also gives some of it's more established bloggers the opportunity to receive all sorts of food from participating manufacturers to cook, experiment with or just plain blog about. It's a great program...a great perk...and a fun way to try brands or goods that I typically wouldn't try.

Recently I was at a party discussing my latest influx of doorstep food and people seemed to be more interested I though they'd be. I'm not going to bore y'all with a long list of grub but I would like to recommend two items that I really was pleasantly surprised with.

Item #1: Buitoni Shrimp & Lobster Ravioli

I LOVE making my own pasta, but it's time consuming and let's face it...we don't always have the time. So I've been buying Buitoni's fresh pastas for years(honestly...like, forever). You can usually find them near the cheese case and they're delicious. They cook in no time and were always my go-to meal if I got home late from work.

I never, ever buy pre-made frozen meals, but Foodbuzz and Buitoni sent me a coupon for these puppies and after eating them I'm starting to believe that perhaps you CAN find a good pre-made frozen meal out there. Nick loved it. I loved it. I would keep a box of these babies in the freezer for a busy day's dinner anytime.

It came with a sauce packet and everything! You boil one pot...yes...1. You cook the pasta and the sauce packet in the water together...throw it on a plate and enjoy. The quality was fantastic. There was real lobster and shrimp(and plenty of it) in the ravioli. And there was enough in the package for two heaping servings.

Item #2: Pace Picante
Take a moment to think about the staples in your fridge and pantry. I have a few things I'm never without...and for good reason. Some versatile basics can a life saver when you've got unexpected guests, get home late from work or foolishly invite all your friends back to your place for "one last drink" and realize they're as hungry as a pack of wolves.

My #1 go-to meal of all time would be a tie between Mexican Pizzas and Quesadillas. That being said I ALWAYS have salsa in my pantry. Foodbuzz sent me a few jars of Pace Picante sauce recently and although I've pretty much always purchased the generic, store brand of salsa(I'm cheap) I found the Pace to be much more flavorful and I might just be a convert. Plus, because of smooth texture of the Picante I find it works better than traditional salsas on my Mexican Pizzas. Give it a shot!

>Salsa
>Cheese(cheddar and jack)
>Flour tortillas
>Sour cream

These four simple ingredients can feed an army. Here's how to make the best Mexican Pizzas of all time. I know it's not the most complex recipe you've ever seen, but if you've never thought to make one of these puppies you'll be hooked the first time you try it. I've converted many a Mexican-Pizza-Virgin and get calls and emails all the time about how it's a last minute life saver of a meal.

Mexican Pizza:

Take 2 large(burrito size) flour tortillas and place on a baking sheet. Put a thin layer of shredded cheese(cheddar...jack...whatever) on one tortilla then stack the other tortilla on top(this two layer system ensures a crispy and sturdy crust). Next spoon a thin layer of salsa onto the top tortilla, sprinkle more cheese over the salsa and pop into a pre-heated 375degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly on top and the tortilla is golden brown on the outside. Let it rest for 2 minutes before serving then cut it with a pizza cutter and serve on a tray with sour cream and extra salsa for dipping. How bad could that be???

P.S. Top with fresh chives or pickled jalapenos if you have them...or anything else you find hiding in your fridge!

Wiltshire On Market - Where You Will Be Eating Dinner This Thurday, Friday or Saturday Night

2010-11-01T10:26:00.017-04:00

I've thought about opening my own restaurant. Haven't we all?

Restaurants are a lot of work, or so I'm told. It's said that around 9 out of 10, or 90% of new restaurants fail within their first year. That means you've got to be one hell of a worker or one spectacular cook to beat those odds. I can put in a hard day's work...and I can cook some darn good grub...but I don't think I'll ever be crazy enough to open a restaurant.

But traditional restaurants aren't the only option when it comes to making your living through food. You can cater. You can own a food truck. Food is so "in" right now that a unique concept and some great grub might be the only ingredients you need in a recipe for success.

I was searching for our Friday night restaurant last week and stumbled upon this place called Wiltshire On Market. To be honest, the only reason I checked it out was because it was yet another restaurant named _blank_ "on market" or _blank> "on main". It had minimal internet presence and not a whole heck of a lot of reviews, but the more I looked into it, the more intrigued I became.

The website focuses around their catering business called Wiltshire Pantry. But if you look closer you'll find that they also run a restaurant...albeit a somewhat unconventional one.

Their restaurant, Wiltshire on Market, is only open Thursday through Saturday evening. What an awesome idea! I mean, I can't tell you the last time Nick and I went to dinner on a Monday or Tuesday evening. We eat out every single Friday night, and sometimes on Saturday. I have a feeling that most folks do as well. So if you own a catering business but aren't catering 24/7, why not open a storefront and share your amazing(seriously...AMAZING) food with the town 3 nights a week?!? Genius!

I called for a reservation at noon on Friday, for Friday at 7 and got a 6:30 spot. I'm so happy they had an opening because Nick and I had a great time and an even greater meal.

Wiltshire on Market is decorated the way I would decorate "my" restaurant and open three days a week like I would like my work week to be. I said this when Nick and I sat down and he laughed...because I talk about my fake restaurant all the time. It was rustic and minimal with a very inviting bar, lovely wood tables and romantic (read: just dark enough) lighting.

We perused the menu, which changes weekly, and were happy to find it to be short and very sweet. We couldn't resist starting with the Opah ceviche. I love a good ceviche but hate making them as I can never get the acid to heat ratio correct. This one was perfect. Just enough citrus...just enough heat...not too watery...fantastic. It was the perfect dish to share because it was served with a heaping side of fried veggie chips which invited you to scoop, munch and share.

For his main course Nick chose the bison hanger steak and I chose the cassoulet. I believe they were both $18, and goodness gracious, what a deal.

The minute Nick saw the hanger steak cut of meat on the menu his eyes lit up. Hanger is his favorite cut of meat and one that you don't see often enough(see my post on meats to learn more) . His bison was cooked to a perfect medium rare. It was served with a lovely bourbon sauce and alongside a purple potato and sweet potato hash as well as some smokey braised greens. It was a quintessential fall meal.

My cassoulet(pictured at top of page) was, I thought, the star of the evening. It was more of a deconstructed cassoulet as opposed to a soupy stew. There were a few delicious components on the plate, that eaten all together connected the flavor building blocks of a traditional cassoulet. There was a white, weisswurst type sausage, a smoked, kielbasa type sausage, and the piece de resistance...the shredded duck confit mixed with white beans. To round out the plate there were lovely caramelized brussel sprouts and two yummy little cippolini onions. It was one of the best cassoulets I've ever had...honestly...and after plowing through that mountain of food I couldn't have been happier.

Ok. Strike that "couldn't have been happier" line...because we ended the meal with a cheese course and THAT made me even happier.

The waitress brought us one heck of a cheese board for $9. The cheese was lovely (the usual blend of a soft brie type, a nice blue and a hard cheese...exactly the combo I would choose when making my own), but the accompaniments were the stars. There was a fantastic green tomato jam, a cherry compote, some sort of apple something or another(I'm sure it has a better name) and some cornichons and pickled peppers. The waitress even swooped in to get us more bread without needing to be asked. I know that sounds like a silly thing to be happy about, but it's a BIG pet peeve of mine and I've run out of toast/bread/crackers more times than not.

The only thing that I would change...and I mean ONLY...is their method of posting the nightly menu. They use facebook, and I am probably the last person on earth that doesn't. Sorry...I just don't like it, and would rather they post the menu some(any) other way.

I would and will, however, return to Wiltshire on Market even if I have NO idea what they're cooking that evening. I have complete faith in the fact that whatever it is...it will be amazing.

P.S. Sorry about the dark pictures...had some technical difficulties with my camera that evening...the pictures don't do the dishes justice

http://wiltshirepantry.com/wiltshire-on-market/

Trick AND Treat

2010-10-25T10:24:00.006-04:00

Vogue and Cosmopolitan don't seem to speak to me. Food & Wine however, bellows out my name.

I'm a proud subscriber to and follower of just about every food magazine and web site out there. Half of the time I'm looking for ideas...the other half I just like looking at the pretty pictures of food.

Now, I don't always end up finding something new and interesting, or for that matter even appealing. But when I do, I get excited about it. And when Nick will no longer listen to my incessant ramblings about it I blog.

This latest find was so intriguing that I took it to a recent Halloween party and it was as big a hit as I hoped...even bigger in fact.

Still looking for something to take to YOUR Halloween party? Give these fake-out sushi treats a try. They're made of candy...they look like sushi...and they're as much of a trick as they are a treat.
Candy Sushi::

3 tbs. butter
40 regular size marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

1 package Swedish Fish (2 packages if you like to snack while you work)
1 package Gummy Worms (2 packages if you like to snack while you don't work)
2 boxes Fruit By The Foot (should only need one and a half...munch on the rest when you get
sick of Swedish Fish and Gummy Worms)

This is easy as pie. First make a regular old batch of Rice Krispies Treats by melting the butter and marshmallows together in a large pot over medium heat. When they're completely melted remove from the heat and stir in the Rice Krispies.

1.) For the "sushi" rolls...

Take half of the Rice Krispies mix and spread it out in a thin layer on a greased baking sheet. You may need two sheets depending on their size. Be sure to push the layer evenly all over and try to get it as thin as possible.

Next, starting at the end of the sheet tray closest to you, lay bundles of 2-3 worms head to tail the entire width of the pan. Take the edge of the Krispies and roll them over until they completely encase the worms. Squeeze the roll tightly with your hands and cut the roll away from the rest of the sheet of treats. Continue rolling the worms in the treats until the sheet pan is used up. **I should have taken pictures of this process but didn't...here is my artist's rendering of how the sheet pan and worms should be placed...I'm talented aren't I!?!**

Once you've finished rolling your logs and cutting them out of the pan, measure the width of your fruit strips and cut each long into rolls the same width. Then wrap the fruit strips around each roll and cut to size. The fruit strips will stick to each other so simply press firmly where they ends of the strips meet to seal.

Place the rolls on their back and you've got "sushi" rolls that even the pickiest eater will love!

2.) For the nigiri type "sushi"...

Take half of the Krispies mix and while still warm shape small bits into ovals. To keep it from sticking to your hands grease them (I rubbed mine with butter...yummy!). Once all of the ovals are formed simply press a Swedish Fish on top of each one. Then to secure the fish wrap a fruit strip (cut lengthwise down the center) around each piece and secure the strip at the bottom.

If the nigiri tend to fall over simply push them down rather firmly onto their serving tray and they should get a bit of a flat bottom.

Sweet - The Bakery at Sullivan University

2010-10-21T11:34:00.020-04:00

The hubby has a sweet tooth.

If it were up to me dessert would be cheese and a glass of bourbon. Actually...DINNER would be cheese and a glass of bourbon. But Nick is a sucker for a little something sweet after our meal so I try my best to accommodate.

Now, not only is it tough to make single serving desserts by yourself, but it's even tougher to make them when you're just about the worst baker known to man...like me. My repertoire is limited to things made with store bought frozen puff pastry, chocolate chip cookies and the occasional fruit tart. Cakes, pies, brownies or basically anything that could fail to rise and/or stick to the inside of the baking container and come out looking like the dog's dinner is wayyyyyy out of my league.

All that being said, Nick eats a lot of the same thing for dessert. Or, at least he USED to!

Now that I've discovered the Bakery at Sullivan University's pastry school while on my way home from the gym one day (seems counter productive huh?) he's living high on the hog. This place is great. Basically the pastry school students bake things for their courses, then they sell the finished product in the shop. The website says that it's the "last stop" for the students so I believe working there is like their senior thesis. Also, the "last stop" thing assures you that you're buying from an experienced baker and not someone like me(where "last stop" would mean the last stop before the trash). Everything is reasonably priced and there's a variety of sweet treats that you can buy a la carte so it's perfect for a single serving dessert any night of the week!

You can eat-in (they've got a cute little cafe) or take-out. But either way, you get to sneak a peek at the students in action through some glass viewing windows in the shop.

So far I've purchased a cannoli, a mini pumpkin cheesecake, jalapeno cheddar bread and a really cool cherry filled monkey-bread-like-thing.

All the treats were, well, a treat! Nick was pleased with all but the bread which he thought was on the dry side (I agree).

So next time you feel like treating yourself head over to the bakery at Sullivan University. For around two bucks you can satisfy your sweet tooth and your wallet to boot.

The Bakery at Sullivan University
3100 Bardstown Rd. Louisville, KY 40205
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday:
7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday:
7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Dish On Market - Belly pleasing breakfast that won't break the bank

2010-10-18T11:45:00.016-04:00

Ahhhh breakfast...the most important meal of my day...two days a week.

I'm not a big breakfast person on weekdays. Perhaps I'll grab an apple or grab a spoon full of cottage cheese straight out of the container, but that's about it. Weekends, however?? Now that's a whole other story.

When I plan our weekend activities they always start with breakfast. After a good breakfast the rest of the day falls effortlessly into place.

So where to eat, where to eat? In my opinion there are two types of breakfast joints...Greasy spoons where you order the fry up breakfast (2 eggs, grits or hash browns, meat of your choice and toast) and pay a low price for back to basics grub...Or the "brunch" joints where you order creative concoctions that bridge the gap between breakfast and, well, everything else, and pay the typically high price for their inventive eats.

This weekend Nick and I might have just found the missing link in the battle for breakfast. A brunch-type menu with a greasy-spoon price tag. Behold, Dish On Market.

Now, this place is a bit of an anomaly. It's open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and happy hour (which I don't think I've ever encountered before). The interior is inviting with lots of wood and tall ceilings, and it honestly makes you expect higher prices than you'll actually find.

We were the only folks in there last weekend when we arrived at 9:30 on a Saturday(it must be noted that 9:30 is early, early, early for us on weekends...this may or may not have been our oh-so-happy-and-want-to-play-right-now dog's fault). However, after 20 mins or so the place slowly began to fill up.

We perused the menu the day before and had pretty much picked out our favorites already. Nick ordered the Steak and Eggs. I ordered the Smoked Salmon Hash.

Nick's steak(pic at top of page) was actually a braised short rib over home fries, topped with an egg and served with a side of horseradish cream. The short ribs were fall off the bone tender and there was even a bit of rich and flavorful red wine reduction drizzled around the bottom of the plate. This is exactly the kind of breakfast fare I love...rich flavors...savory ingredients...yummy, yummy, yummy.

My Smoked Salmon Hash was a traditional potato hash with peppers, onions and tomatoes, topped with some lovely smoked salmon and two eggs (I ordered them over medium as always). I've been known to eat my weight in smoked salmon so I was happy to see this on the menu. It too was a savory and rich dish. The egg yolks broke over the hash and coated it in a creamy sauce...the smoked salmon added a salty, smokey element and the potatoes were there to hold it all together.

Our waiter (I think his name was AJ) was fantastic. I don't usually remember waiters names but every once in a while they're so polite and attentive that I do...case in point.

We did encounter a few little hiccups.

Both of us found small pockets of over salted potatoes every once in a while but it wasn't enough to really make any fuss over.

Also, it must be noted that the price for both of our dishes was listed at $5.75 online, however the menus we were given in the restaurant had them listed at around $2 more, making them around $7.25 instead. I'm not sure if this is a weekend price or if they just needed to raise the cost because of the ingredients, but I'm not a big fan of a surprise price change. It also must be noted, however, that $7.25 is still one hell of a deal for braised short ribs, potatoes, an egg and horseradish cream. I mean, truly a great deal, so it didn't really bother us all that much.

A few years ago Nick and I spent a small fortune on brunch at the famed Commander's Palace in New Orleans. It was the best brunch of my life and one of the top 10 meals of my life as well. I mention this because there is a time and a place to spend a boat load of money on breakfast.

Sometimes I feel as though restaurants(like Lynn's Paradise Cafe...I mean...there's a reason they don't list their prices on their web site) try to overcharge you for a meal that should be fun, enjoyable and affordable.

It seems to me that Dish On Market is giving Louisville bang for their breakfast buck, and that should be applauded.

When next weekend comes and you can't decide between that cheap breakfast fry-up or the pricey brunch, relax and remember there's a third option...Dish On Market will be happy they could help.

Vietnam Kitchen - Noodle Soup...Just Like Your Grandmother Never Made...In A Good Way

2010-10-13T09:42:00.006-04:00

Me: "Ahh, Pho for lunch again?"

Nick: "How did you know?"

Me: "Elementary my dear husband...plus you've still got half of it on your shirt."

Pho is, without a doubt, one of Nick's favorite meals of all time. He would eat bowl after bowl of it for lunch when we lived in Philly...and then would come home wearing half of it on his shirt. I always knew when he had Pho for lunch.

In case you aren't a Pho Junkie or haven't run across it in your travels, Pho is a Vietnamese noodle bowl.

It's the most complex simple dish I've ever run across. At it's most basic it's just noodles in broth with your choice of protein...raw beef, cooked beef, tendon, etc. But it's really so much more than that.

The broth must be rich in flavor but light in regard to everything else. The proteins should add substance and some flavor but most importantly I think they add texture. Then you spice it up with some Sriraccha sauce and perhaps some chili paste. Throw in some fresh bean sprouts, jalapenos and thai basil for freshness and you've got a one-bowl-wonder of a meal.

Apparently Vietnam Kitchen is no secret here in Louisville because it was packed when we arrive. Much like every other restaurant I've visited that served Pho, Vietnam Kitchen was simple yet homey. Three cramped rows of tables, each piled with spicy condiments, chopsticks and spoons just begging to be dipped in a delicious bowl of Pho.

We seated ourselves and ordered two very inexpensive beers (cheap beer is always a good thing), as well as an order of pork and shrimp dumplings to start.

The dumplings were very flavorful, steamed to perfection and served on a pool of somewhat spicy and very rich sauce. I was expecting an enclosed dumpling but was surprised and pleased to see that it more closely resembled a shu mai type dumpling. They were substantial in size and for $3 were a welcome appetizer. We're off to a fantastic start!

For our mains we ordered Pho and Bun (pronounce "fuh" and "boon" respectively). Nick ordered the Pho with beef and tendon (he loves him some tendon) and I ordered the Bun.

Nick's Pho (pictured at top of page) was just as he'd hoped. A rich broth, flavorful beef and that delicious bite you get from the tendon. The noodles were of good quality as well.

Bun comes in many varieties and I ordered the Bun Thit Nuong, which is Vermicelli noodles mixed with an array of fresh vegetables (cucumber, cilantro, mint, etc.) and topped with char grilled pork and cut up spring rolls.

The pork on my Bun was smokey and delicious (the char really makes all the difference when ordering this dish). The vegetables and fish sauce added wonderful freshness and the portion was ample. The only thing I was somewhat disappointed with were my spring rolls. They were lacking in flavor and substance, but at least they were crispy.

After filling our bellies with cold beer and hot noodles we paid our very reasonable bill and left satisfied. We found comfort in the fact that we could find THIS comfort food in our new town. **P.S. Next stop is Pho Binh Minh for Banh Mi!! (Vietnamese sandwiches...I'll let you know if they're as good as the ones I've had in the past)**

Wherever I go I recommend that people broaden their culinary horizons by trying new cuisines. This is your chance folks. Head over to Vietnam Kitchen for a taste of something wonderful. I guarantee you'll be back for seconds.

Go for the pumpkins...stay for the brandy

2010-10-12T11:08:00.015-04:00

Fall is my favorite time of the year. The air is becoming crisp and cool (or at least should be), the leaves on the trees are bursting with color and apples (I eat an apple a day in the fall...with a side of cheese of course!) are a dime a dozen. Mums are everywhere and every time I see one I think of our backyard wedding in Virginia (mums were cheap and in season, and so were our flower of choice). And last but not least, pumpkin patches are bursting with bright orange gourds just waiting to be carved!

I'd have to say that carving a pumpkin (and then subsequently gorging myself on roasted pumpkin seeds) is my favorite part of the Halloween season. I can take or leave the costume part, but there's something enchanting about carving and then illuminating a pumpkin. I simply love it.

Now, it should be mentioned that I probably shouldn't be allowed to carve my own pumpkin anymore. I've had some unfortunate run-ins with knives over the years, and one in particular that sticks out in my mind involves a pumpkin, a carving knife and a puncture wound through the top of my hand. But I recovered and obviously didn't learn a damn thing from that experience because I can't wait to start carving the pumpkin we picked out last weekend!

Looking for a great spot to pick your own pumpkin (with a side of fall fun...and a lot of it)? You've got to check this place out... Joe Huber's

Just over the river in Indiana is a fall wonderland. Want to go on a hayride? How about a corn maze? Perhaps you're looking to pick some apples? Or maybe you're looking to do some wine tasting? All these things and more can be had at Joe Huber's...that is, if you're willing to share the place with about all of Kentuckiana (it was PACKED!).

Honestly? This place has it all. It's a one stop shop fall day trip for the whole family. And even if you don't have kids you can still enjoy the hell out of this place...because they have a winery.

We returned from Joe Huber's with a perfectly round pumpkin, a bag of apples, a slab of fat-back (they had a cured meat and cheese case...I just had to!) and a bottle of Apple Jack brandy.

We haven't carved the pumpkin yet or broken into the fat-back, but I can tell you honestly, the brandy is mighty nice.

They had a large selection of wines, apple spiced wines, brandies and such but we chose the Apple Jack because it was apple brandy that was aged in charred oak barrels...think apple bourbon.

Nick tried mixing it into a few concoctions last night but I think the winner was the apple jack with Ale-8-1 soda (which we just recently discovered I might add). The apple and the ginger married perfectly and made a lovely cocktail. We haven't come up with a name yet (I leave that to the hubby) but when we do I'll be sure to post it. I mean, if it turns out to be the next cosmopolitan or seven and seven, it's going to need a catchy name!

What a deal. I mean what-a-deal!

2010-10-08T13:02:00.006-04:00

I know I haven't done a travel post in a while. Honestly, most of the traveling we've been doing lately has been of the moving variety. But all that's about to change.

Fall through spring tend to be our big travel months. We take a week trip in the fall, a 4 day trip for New Year's, and another week in the dead of winter (to warm up of course). Then there's always the odd long weekend peppered in here and there.

Our fall trip this year is to Belgium and The Netherlands and it's rapidly approaching. I just booked our hotel for Brussels and I simply had to share it with you. I got some kind of deal on our room, and you can too! So here's another refresher course on how to travel cheap...courtesy of the most frugal traveler around...me!

I've posted these tips in the past but it's never a bad idea to get a refresher course on bidding for travel, so here we go!

Airfare::

Airfare is the only thing you can never really get a great deal on. It IS possible to bid for it but the rules state that they can put you on just about any flight in a 24 hour period with layover times as long as 5 hours. No thank you. I'm willing to give up some control over my hotel room but keep your hands off my flight plans.

I always use Kayak to search for flights. It searches the search engines. It's the best. It's a one stop shop for flights and will always find you the best deal.

Hotels::

Now here is where you can save a boatload of money, and trust me, I do. Bidding for your hotel room on PriceLine is the only way to go if you ask me. Not 10 minutes ago I won a bid for a 4 star hotel room in the center of Brussels for, get this, $45 a night!!! 45 dollars, not euros...a night!!! Why wouldn't you do this!?!?

Now I've got my sights on a hotel in Amsterdam for $65 a night. It's a bit pricier but it is a more well known city and that makes a difference. Here's how I do it.....

Step 1.) Go to www.biddingfortravel.com

Bidding for travel is a huge bulletin board where people post their winning bids, failed bids and hotel specifics. When you bid on Priceline all you get do do is choose the area and the star rating...the rest is up to chance. But if you read posts on bidding for travel you can narrow down which hotels you might get. I knew it would be one of two and I was right.

Step 2.) Bid on Priceline.com

Priceline only allows you to bid one time per star rating in a 24 hour period. Yesterday I tried to get a room for $40 in Brussels and lost, so today I raised my bid by $5 and won. Sometimes you can even get lucky by just re-bidding the same thing the next day. The closer it gets to your travel date the better your chances are because hotels want to sell unsold rooms for whatever they can get. It's better than nothing at all right!

Now, all sales are final. They charge your card the minute a bid is accepted and you have no idea what hotel you're getting until after they charge your card, but a 4 star hotel is a 4 star hotel wherever you go so you really can't go wrong.

Think you can't afford to go away for New Year's eve? Or maybe you're just looking for a weekend away (Nick and I are thinking of doing a weekend in Nashville soon). Please, pretty please give Priceline a try. If you're a little scared about the whole not-knowing-which-hotel thing then start small. Just bid for a weekend getaway somewhere close. I promise you'll be hooked. I am!

I know I sound like a walking advertisement (unpaid of course) for Priceline but that's because I've never, ever had a problem with them and they've allowed Nick and I to spend the money we save on more important things...drinks are on us!

Weekend activities..."Thank You Louisville, Love, Jessica"

2010-10-07T14:54:00.010-04:00

Dear Louisville, Thank you. Thank you for all of the festivals, gatherings, concerts and such. Thank you for all of the recreational opportunities. Thank you for making so many of them free, and all of them cheap. Lots of love, Jessica

If the weekend comes and the hubby gets bored, god help us all. Practical jokes get pulled. Exorbitantly expensive computer games get bought. The dog gets so much attention that she passes out for the day around noon.

Since we've moved to Louisville and been busy every weekend, life has been good.

Have someone with ants in his/her pants in your household? Here are a few things happening this weekend that caught my interest::::

The Louisville Cardinals' Homecoming
http://www.louisville.com/content/louisville-cardinals-vs-memphis-tigers

I've never really gotten into college football, mainly because the university I went to didn't even have a football team, but "when in Rome!". So we're fixin' to go to the Cardinals' homecoming game this weekend. They serve beer there right????

The Garvin Gate Blues Fest
http://www.louisville.com/content/2010-garvin-gate-festival-weekend

I'm no stranger to music festivals. I've been going to them since I was a youngin'. Here's some photographic evidence (yes...I was that darn cute).

Even if you don't like blues (and I mean come on...who doesn't like blues!) it's free, so why not make an appearance.

Maker's Mark Six Year Anniversary
http://www.louisville.com/content/makers-mark-six-year-anniversary-party-bourbon-ball-w-komen-cure

My mama is the queen of coupons and good deals. When I was a kid she used to use coupons and radio contest winnings to treat the family to some amazing times.

When Nick and I moved to Philadelphia she found this web-site that offers fantastic discount coupons for fine dining restaurants and sent us a welcome package of them. She did the same thing when we moved to Louisville and it was thanks to her that we found (and LOVED) Lilly's. In that same package was a coupon for the Maker's Mark Lounge downtown.

Nick and I haven't ventured there yet as the prices seem a bit high, and sometimes we can be a bit frugal. Today, however, I read that they're having their six year anniversary and using it to raise money for the Susan G Komen foundation...an organization that's working to find a cure for breast cancer.

My mama had breast cancer years ago, and is happy and healthy today. As much of a cheapskate as I can be at times I think there are some things worth spending money on. This happens to be one of them.

So consider heading over to the Maker's Mark Lounge this weekend. Not only can you enjoy some damn good bourbon...but you can also contribute to a damn fine cause. I can certainly drink to that.

Hillbilly Cafe - The food here is anything but backwoods

2010-10-05T08:14:00.019-04:00

The term "hillbilly" conjurers images of toothless rednecks in overalls...think Cletus from The Simpsons (by the way...the hubby does and excellent Cletus...cute and disturbing all at the same time). But for me it also conjures images of fun times and excellent food.

I've personally been to many a hillbilly party in my day. I've been to pig pickin's so far in the middle of nowhere that the damn radio doesn't work. And Nick and I have even shared a bowl of beer with some fine locals while camping in the woods of West Virginia (they forgot to bring cups but kindly offered us bowls of beer...who were we to refuse!?).

As much as I love haute cuisine, I appreciate rustic cooking much, much more. Making delicious meals out of simple ingredients is a tale as old as time and I really believe it's the mark of a truly talented chef...case in point...Chef Apri of Hillbilly Cafe.

Nick and I put off dining at the Hillbilly Cafe for a few weeks because a place that serves tea instead of booze didn't quite sound like our idea of a Friday night out. Boy were we wrong.

We arrived at Hillbilly Tea around 6:15 last Friday night. Located in a cute and unassuming storefront downtown, with a downright charming decor inside, the restaurant immediately makes you feel welcomed and comfortable. Once you open the menu, peruse the dishes, then glance at the amazing prices, you feel more than comfortable...you feel downright at home.

We perused the tea menu and decided on one of their many flavors of iced tea (which are delightfully displayed along the wall), Big Earl's. We shared a quart of it and at $2.75 it was a refreshing (and high quality to boot) beverage for a fraction of the cost of my typical martini. The waitress brought us our tea and some deliciously flaky biscuits and we were off and running.

We perused the menu and I realized that during lunch they offer things a la carte, but in the evening they put together "Tea Dinners". For the low, low price of $15 we each chose a salad or soup, an entree, two sides and they threw in some corn pone because what's a hillbilly meal without it!

Now, I know what you're probably thinking...offering a soup or salad and letting you choose your sides is more Blue Plate Special and less highfalutin cuisine. Nothing could be further from the truth here.

The salad that evening was sorghum roasted squash(who knew sorghum was so good!) with arugula, walnuts, some amazing (really really good) goat cheese and the most lovely sweet vinaigrette. I would order that salad a la carte any day of the week. The fact that it came with the meal made it even tastier.

The soup was parsnip. Nick ordered it because he always orders the soup. He thought it would be pureed but was pleasantly surprised when it arrived at the table as more of a chunky vegetable soup. It was rich and satisfying with a depth of flavor that you don't typically find in a veggie soup. Nick concurred...he too would order that soup a la carte any day.

For his protein, Nick chose the cider glazed cornish hen. I chose the stuffed trout with cornbread dressing. For our sides we both chose the roasted sweet potatoes and I picked the braised greens while Nick decided on the chow-chow.

Nick's cornish hen was honestly what I would expect to see at a high-end restaurant. It was glazed beautifully with a slightly sweet sauce and cooked to perfection. I know this should be reserved for KFC, but it really was finger lickin' good. As for his chow-chow...I was jealous, and will certainly order it next time I go. It was crisp and refreshing, a far cry from some soggy chow-chow I've had in my day, and packed with flavor. Honestly...yummy.

My trout was a pleasant surprise. I expected the cornbread dressing to overpower the trout both in quantity and flavor but neither was true. The trout was moist and flaky, and to my surprise, it's delicate flavor was only amplified by the perfectly seasoned cornbread dressing that sat atop it. It came with a teeny, tiny little shot glass of sauce. I have no idea what it was but if we weren't in public I would have drank the remaining sauce directly out of the container. My guess was creme fraiche with a touch of lemon juice and secret, but delicious third ingredient. I overlooked it at the beginning of the meal and towards the end was literally pouring it on everything I had left on my plate.

Both of our sweet potatoes were cooked to crispy sweet perfection and my greens were prepared almost exactly as I do them at home so you know I'm going to say they're good!

When the waitress (whom was extremely pleasant and helpful I must add) came around for our dessert order the hubby hardly let her finish her sentence before he ordered the bourbon bread pudding. It was a pretty traditional pudding with some pretty nontraditional accompaniments...a marshmallow-like topping and a sweet bourbon sauce that I would bathe in. A fantastic end to an even more fantastic meal.

We forgot to order the crispy fried liver bites to start and I really want to try their frogs' legs so it looks like I'll have to go back for seconds (did I forget to order them for that very reason?? perhaps).

I would be happy, no, delighted to return to Hillbilly Tea for seconds for so many reasons. The prices were more than reasonable. The technique was wonderful. The quality of the ingredients were second to none. And perhaps the thing that kept us away this long...the lack of liquor...was actually a blessing in disguise...because honestly...amidst the charming decor, the delightful cuisine, the refreshing tea and the wallet friendly price tag...I didn't miss it one bit.

Whale Sized Portions At This Fish Joint - Mike Linnig's

2010-09-30T10:27:00.009-04:00

You say there's good grub?...I'm there.

Honestly. I'm a sucker for a recommendation. I read restaurant reviews like most people read the daily news. I start thinking about our Friday night dinner plans the Saturday before. And entire vacations have been planned around an Anthony Bourdain show.

Some places turn out to be good, some bad, but all are an experience. Mike Linnig's restaurant here in Louisville certainly falls into the experience category...the good experience category to be more exact.

I read in my Garden and Gun magazine (yes, that's really the name...and yes, it's as awesome as it sounds) that Mike Linnig's is a Louisville institution and makes some damn fine fried catfish. Since Nick and I are always interested in getting to know our town a bit better...and since a girl's gotta eat...we decided to check it out.

First of all...location. Off the beaten path for me, Linnig's is located on the far west end of the city. It is, however, right on the river and boasts a super duper cute (pardon the super duper but it really is) courtyard with tons of outdoor seating and a Key-West-Inspired bar. If I didn't have to drive straight across the city to get there I'm sure I would spend many an evening enjoying a beer there.

Next... the "experience factor". The place was jam packed with people and it seemed to me to be the type of restaurant where you'd meet your friends or family. It was inexpensive and fun with casual, crowd-pleasing type fare. Add to the the fact that it's been around since the 20's and this is the type of hometown institution that can get passed down through the ages.

Now most important...the food. Certainly not a fine dining restaurant, the menu consisted mainly of fried seafood. But sometimes that's just what the doctor ordered. Often I find myself jonsin' for a big 'ol plate of fried fish and a tub of tarter sauce. To me it's warm weather comfort food.

I can't even imagine the team of people they must have working the fry station. They must have a small army back there. Practically everyone I saw eating (and like I said...there were TONS of people there) was enjoying fried food of some type.

Nick ordered the mixed seafood plate (fried...and seen here) and I ordered the fried catfish plate (because Garden and Gun told me to...and I always listen...seen at top of page). Since we had never been there before we had absolutely no way of knowing that we were about to be served enough food to feed that army they have working the fry station. The portions are almost ridiculous.

The food was actually really good. I mean, it was fried seafood so there isn't much more to say about it, but I certainly can't complain. The price was great...about $13 for the "plate" with included a fried food (shrimp, catfish, etc.), cole slaw, fries and hushpuppies (actually REALLY good hushpuppies). And like I said...the portions are enormous.

I really wish the waiter (who it must be said was swamped with orders, yet pleasant and attentive) would have asked if it were our first time there and informed us that we were ordering an aquarium's worth of seafood, but like I said, I really do think this place is a "regular's" type of joint so they probably don't have many first-timers. If we had known about the portion size we would have split a "plate" and probably would still have had some left over (honestly...we can put away some food but they serve A LOT of it). Not one to usually complain about taking a doggy bag home I have to say, when it comes to breaded and fried food...it's not really something that works well as a leftover.

So if you're a Louisville resident and haven't given it try I recommend it. If you're an out-of-towner and looking for a fun experience I also recommend it. Give yourself some time to lounge in the courtyard, enjoy a few beers and perhaps even take a big 'ol group of friends to share the fun...and of course...share the grub.

When I head back...which I will certainly do...I plan on doing just that.

So Much Louisville...So Little Time!

2010-09-28T16:10:00.017-04:00

Whew! What a whirlwind weekend. I had my folks in from Jersey for a long, albeit fun weekend and am just now getting the chance to sit down and recap.

My newest secret weapon in the war to find great things to do in Louisville, a loyal reader named Scott, has been helping keep me updated on what's happenin' around town. I was lax in my duties last weekend due to my guests (I blame my wonderful hostess skills) and didn't have time to give you a heads up about last weekends activities (not even my own neighborhood's Highland Fest!) so here are a few upcoming events I don't want you to miss::

1.) Oktoberfest

I know that Covington Kentucky hosts the mother of all Oktoberfests but driving an hour and a half there, drinking beers the size of your head, and driving an hour and a half back doesn't really jive with me. So I'm happy to see Louisville is hosting a few Oktoberfest activities of it's own. The hubby and I were in Munich in late September about three years ago so when this time of the year rolls around all I can think of is sausage and beer. We'll be attending this one next weekend: http://beeradvocate.com/events/info/37591

2.) Pigskins and Ponies

This one is courtesy of Scott. It's a bit in the future but you'll probably have to act sooner rather than later on it. The neighboring Cardinals Stadium and Churchill Downs have put together a pretty nice package for the low, low price of $25. Unfortunately, the hubby and I won't be able to make it as we will be in Europe (oh shucks...what a shame), but if we were in town I would certainly be there: http://www.uoflsports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/092210aaa.html

This last one isn't quite an event, more of a great idea...and it has to do with pizza. Last Thursday, the Highlands hosted their "Slice of the Highlands" pizza competition. Papalino's won both the critics and people's choice.

Now, I have to say, of all the pizza I've had in the Highlands to date, Papalino's WAS the best quality in terms of getting even close to NY Style pizza (although that being said, please note, it's nothing like NY style pizza...just closer than anything I've had yet...remember, I was born and raised less than an hour from NY so I'm a tough sell). The crust was pretty good and the topping were of excellent quality. But I have to mention one thing...the wait. The hubby and I went there one Saturday evening and although it looked busy, we never in our wildest dreams thought we'd have to wait over an hour for our pie. Once it arrived we couldn't deny it's yummy-ness, but the wait left a bad taste in our mouth.

So aside from this little mini-review of Papalino's, I've decided to continue my search for the best pizza Louisville has to offer before I post reviews of places I've been so far. But I'm going to break it down into categories. I'm thinking "Best Bang For Your Buck", "Best Thin Crust", "Best Quality Ingredients". I'm going to have to throw "Best NY Style" out the window until I find something that more closely resembles what I used to have when I lived there.

First stop on "Best Bang For Your Buck" will be Wick's Pizza in the Highlands. Scott mentioned that it's a great place for fill-you-up-cheesy-goodness (not verbatim obviously) and when I popped in there for a beer during the Highlands Festival (cheap, cheap beer by the way...always a good sign!) I noticed they have all you can eat pizza and draft special for the low, low price of $10 every Wednesday! $10!!!! You will certainly see me there one Wednesday in October.

So get out there and enjoy your city Louisville! I know I have!

Welcome To The Jungle

2010-09-20T08:29:00.023-04:00

One of the best perks about making this move to Louisville is being closer to some very good friends of ours that live near Dayton Ohio. Now, of course we would love to take the drive up there for the shear joy of spending time with them...HOWEVER...if we just happen to pass THE most wonderful food market I've ever seen, aka, Jungle Jim's, on the way...well, that's just icing on the cake.

Jungle Jim's International Food Market looks like a zoo from the outside, and looks like my version of heaven on the inside. It's located just north of Cincinnati and although it's a bit of a drive from Louisville, I honestly believe it's worth the drive at least a few times a year to stock up on things you really can't find anywhere else.

When we left Philly we also left behind a plethora of ethnic food options. We used to stock up on our Chinese groceries in an underground market...literally (it was in a pretty funky looking basement but there wasn't anything they didn't have). We would head over to the Italian Market for some amazing cured meats and cheese. Philly even had a Little Vietnam.

Jungle Jim's takes the idea of International Grocery Shopping to a whole new level.......

Nick and I were trying to recreate a meal we had in Munich's Englischer Garten so we picked up some kartoffelknoedel mix (potato dumplings), some good German mustard, some amazing looking wursts and just for fun, some pork belly (schweinebauch) stuffed with pork, beef, veal and diced pickles...of course!.

Now we're getting warmed up!

Let's head to China! Some of our favorite things to buy in our old underground market were fish balls. A pretty typical Chinese street food, but try to find them in your local takeout place and you might be disappointed. Have no fear...they have them here! Throw in a few packets of prawn flavored noodles (the hubby's favorite) and some dried mushrooms and you've got yourself the makings of a noodle bowl.

What's for breakfast you ask? Well, for the past few months it hasn't been scrapple since we've been unable to find it anywhere. Fortunately that's no longer the case! Nick will be eating high on the hog this weekend because we not only picked up a few bricks of scrapple, we also grabbed a package of Irish White Pudding. We've never had it before but like we always say, "You never know unless you try"!

And no trip would be complete without grabbing a few hunks of foie gras on the way out. Oh, what's that? Wild Boar medallions? Ok, throw 'em in the cart as well.

Now, this was just the tip of our shopping cart shaped iceberg. There is so much more to be discovered. The produce section is pretty amazing and Nick literally had to pry me away from the cheese department.

So if the economy has cut your vacation budget in half and an intercontinental trip is out of your budget, just scrape up enough dough for gas money and groceries and head up to Cincinnati. Welcome to the jungle.

If you don't already have plans for this weekend...by which I mean, if you aren't going to the Bourbon Festival...

2010-09-17T13:21:00.012-04:00

If you don't already have plans for this weekend...by which I mean, if you aren't going to the Bourbon Festival...try this::::

A few weekends ago the hubby and I (and the dog of course) rented a pontoon boat on Patoka Lake in Hoosier National Forest, just over the river in Indiana. For around $80 (including gas!) we puttered around the lake all day. We fished, we drank, we swam, I drank more because Nick was driving, I swam more because I was drinking so much. You get the picture. It was an amazing time.

It's just about an hour drive(much closer than the oh-so-famous Lake Cumberland) and the lake is lovely.

So pack up the cooler and give it a shot. There might not be many more warm weekends in our future so take advantage of them while they're here!

Patoka Lake: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Patoka+Lake,+IN&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.671324,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Patoka+Lake&z=13

We rented our boat from here (dog friendly!): http://74.143.26.3/joomla16/index.php

This Just In From My Field Correspondent - "Mutton BBQ is Yummy"

2010-09-14T16:07:00.004-04:00

This just in from my field correspondent...aka, the hubby...

"had a mutton bbq sandwich for lunch...looked like a pork bbq sandwich but had the gamy flavor of mutton...yummy!".

He was reporting from Ole Hickory Pit on Shepherdsville Rd.

I'll have more to report when he takes me back there for dinner (hint hint Nick).

732 Social - Code for Delicious in Louisville

2010-09-13T14:14:00.026-04:00

Friday night on East Market Street......

The only time since moving to Louisville that we've have trouble finding a parking spot. Well, not really trouble, we just have to park one block away. Woe is me.

UrbanSpoon says this neighborhood is called NULU or East Market. I'm going with NULU because it's just so darn cute.

That's where we found ourselves last Friday. Or more specifically at 732 Social. Quirky name. Modern interior. Delicious food.

I called ahead on Friday for a reservation and I was glad I did. They have three seatings...I think they were 6pm, 8pm and 10pm, but call to confirm. We chose 8pm.

When we arrived the place was packed. We were seated next to the window and beside the bar. It certainly wasn't the best seat in the house as the bar was packed but I've been more cramped in a restaurant, and honestly, as long as the food is good I'd sit on someone's lap.

The interior was modern and hip. I hate using the term hip but it really did make me feel as though I was sitting in an up-and-coming restaurant in a much larger city. It had clean lines and a simplistic design. It was a bit loud (ok, really loud), but that never seems to bother me much. A quiet restaurant can be much more unsettling than one that's hoppin'.

Our server was hurried yet pleasant as we placed our cocktail orders. If a place offers specialized cocktails I'm hard pressed to pass them by without a try. 732 Social calls them pre-prohibition cocktails and I'm very familiar with the idea having drank my fair share of them while in Philly. They tend to be more like "tonics" or "elixirs" and less like mixed drinks. We passed on the ones with egg-whites. It's not that I don't like them...I've just had more than a few too many in the past...and decided on Negroni and the Honky Tonk. Both were prepared excellently and the Negroni actually came in a rocks glass with a HUGE ball of ice in it. Now, I'm not normally a sucker for cutesy presentation but I fell for this one. Honestly, pretty cool...no pun intended.

We decided to opt out of the appetizers (a few good cocktails took their place) and opted instead for a cheese course for dessert.

For our entrees the hubby chose the duck. And I chose the scallops.

Nick's duck was lovely. It featured a trio...breast, liver and leg. He hoped it would feature a whole leg, perhaps confit, and was slightly disappointed that it only featured some shredded leg meat, but was very happy with the breast, liver and especially the lentils they sat on. It was a rich and satisfying dish. Some may be a tad disappointed by the size, however I find more and more that I hate waddling out of a restaurant and much prefer leaving perfectly satisfied. I'll take a perfectly portioned and delicious meal any day over a "generous portion" of crap.

Oh...and the price...$20! That's almost $10 less than I would have expected to pay (don't get any ideas though 732 Social...I like you just the way you are).

I ordered the scallops and let me say...WOW. This dish was amazing. The perfectly (and I mean it) cooked scallops sat on a bed of roasted, no, more like caramelized cauliflower, with split peas as well as a creamy pea puree. I'm not sure if they slightly smoked the scallops as they cooked them or if all of that lovely smokey-ness came from the cauliflower but it was a hit. The only thing I would change were the raw split-peas. They were a tad on the tooth-breaky side but still, I gobbled them right up. I would go back and order that very same dish over and over again.

What was the price you ask for such an exquisite dish??? $20!!!

Now for the cheese course (which, by the way, is my idea of a perfect dessert...I'll take a stinky blue cheese over chocolate cake any day of the week)...

The waitress was very knowledgeable and helped us choose the Cypress Grove/California "Humbolt Fog". It was a "blue" goat cheese. It had a vegetable ash line running through it and a very mild taste with a creamy texture.

We also chose the Castello, Denmark Blue. It was a cow's milk cheese with rich and strong blue cheese characteristics. Nick and I tend to prefer a good strong blue and a mild, creamy chevre in our cheese course and these two hit the spot.

The were priced at 2 for $10 and were accompanied by raw honey (SOOO good), black walnuts (SOOO good) and some sort of tart cubed fruit. She may have said beet marinated apples, but whatever it was, it hit the spot. The duo of cheese with the trio of sides was truly fantastic, and about the best possible way to top of a great meal for $10.

So let's recap shall we?

Unique and intriguing cocktails? Check
Skillfully prepared entrees at reasonable prices? Check
Good cheese and charcuterie platters starting at $10? Check

What's not to love??? Well, judging from the crowd at 732 Social that evening, Louisville agrees with me, or, at least is dying for this type of restaurant. The food is above average and the restaurant in general offers a departure from the every-day at a reasonable price.

I'm still a newbie here in Louisville but if this is what I can look forward to I'll be a very happy girl.

"Corn! We don't need no stinkin' corn!" - Bernheim Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey

2010-09-10T10:45:00.009-04:00

By now I'm very familiar with the rules and regulations that govern the bourbon world (I know. It seem silly to think that a concoction that makes you WANT to break rules must actually follow rules of it's own, but that's the way it is). That being said, it still surprises me how many different variations of bourbon can be made from what is essentially a distilled and aged corn liquor. Some taste peaty and remind me of Irish Whiskey. Some are sweet and smooth. Some are smokey, tasting of the charred barrel they lived in for so long.

The other day the hubby brought home what I thought was yet another bottle of bourbon to add to our at-home-collection. Boy was I wrong. This smooth, sweet liquor was clearly different. And now I know it's because it wasn't bourbon at all. It's Kentucky Straight Whiskey made from winter wheat, and it's delicious.

The name is Bernheim. The whiskey is delicious.

The other night at dinner I asked Nick to critique it for me and he simply said, "Honestly, I can't find a damn thing wrong with it. Is that critique enough?".

The reason for it's taste is the wheat, which is also the reason why it can't be called bourbon. If it's not at least 51% corn based, it must be called something else, and Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey sounds good to me!

Now if you taste it you may find it vaguely reminiscent of the ever popular Maker's Mark. That's because Maker's Mark uses 51% corn and then instead of adding rye as so many other distillers do, they add a small amount of wheat to complete the mash. The wheat adds that sweet, smooth taste that makes Maker's Mark such an easy-to-drink, and popular bourbon.

Bernheim took this idea one step further and simply decided to use wheat as their primary grain. And as much as a bourbon lover as I am...I have to say...I absolutely love this whiskey.

Bernheim Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey
http://www.bernheimwheatwhiskey.com/

The Mayan Cafe' - More spice would be more than nice...it's badly needed

2010-09-09T11:00:00.008-04:00

One of the greatest meals of my life was in Mexico. It was at an eco-park called Xcaret. And it was a buffet...yes...a buffet. I couldn't see behind the scenes but from what I tasted I imagined a dozen or so old ladies cooking the way they have for years.

This eco-park seemed to be like 6 Flags for locals, except for the fact that it didn't have one ride, or for that matter, even one attraction. It was an oasis of sorts. You could swim through an underground river, visit sea turtles in a hatchery, swim in one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen and eat some truly authentic Mexican food. It was so rich and so flavorful that the adjective delicious doesn't even begin to describe it.

Another very memorable and downright amazing "Mexican" meal was at a restaurant in Philly called Xochitl. They featured a special "indigenous" night and served things like grasshoppers, calf brains and frogs legs. It was flavorful, daring and nothing short of amazing.

Needless to say, I love food from the Mayan region...a lot. So when Nick suggested dinner at a place called the Mayan Cafe I was jazzed.

The website boasted fresh, local ingredients, which would be true to Mayan cuisine (not to mention something I love to see on menus). Looking good so far! We had to wait a week for a weekend reservation...must be good! The interior was quaint and inviting...reminded me of Mexico! Then came the Chile Relleno... cue sound effects:::: waa, waaa, waaaa

I could see right off the bat that the chef was using the freshest ingredients. The chile was filled with fresh corn, eggplant and squash. But there was one major problem...it didn't taste good! There was no breading on the chile and barely there cheese. The lack of breading resulted in a slimy, mushy texture. Ok, he still could save it if he stuffed it with cheese and seasoned the vegetables liberally. Yikes. It seems he didn't do either of those things. A true let down and unfortunately, a preview of what was to come.

Onto the next dish......

The hubby ordered the roast pork, Cochinita Pibil. It was roasted pork served in a achiote sauce with lima beans and a corn cake. Of all our dishes this one was probably the most flavorful, however, that's really not saying much.

The pork was alright, but certainly on the dry side. Perhaps he was trying to keep things healthy(which would fall right in line with the non-fried Relleno and lack of cheese) so he skimped on the pork fat during roasting. But why would anyone do that? Just serve a different cut of pork if you're not going to do it justice. The corn cake served as a nice bed for the pork and the lima beans were fine, but then again, how can you ruin lima beans. The hubby wasn't angry about his meal (he was almost angry about the relleno), but he mentioned that he had certainly eaten much better roast pork in his day.

I ordered the "mole of the day". I adore mole sauce. It can be made a million different ways, but one thing should always remain the same...rich and complex flavors. This mole, a "white mole", tasted of black pepper, and that's about all. It was bland, un-complex and runny.

The mole WAS, however, served on a lovely piece of local beef filet from a farm I've also purchased delicious meat from. It was cooked to perfection (honestly...really well cooked) and the portion was generous. I suppose I can see why he used so much black pepper in the white mole, as pepper and filet pair wonderfully, but I can't for the life of me see why he called it a mole. Perhaps next time he should just say "peppercorn sauce" and throw the whole idea of "Mayan" cooking out the window.

The most unusual thing about dinner was my side dish...an eggplant flan. Yup. You heard it here first folks...eggplant flan. I'm a very adventurous eater. I typically don't have problems with textures that most would find off-putting. That being said, even I thought this eggplant flan was a crazy invention. Not quite a custard, not quite a puree. It had the consistency of runny, then broken scrambled eggs. It had the flavor of eggplant, which was fine, but it pretty much only had the flavor of eggplant. If I had to guess I would say he got a good deal on some fresh eggplant and tried a dish he never tried before. Because honestly, had he tried this dish before, I would be shocked that he decided to serve it at his restaurant.

So to recap...I hate being harsh, but I refuse to be dishonest. I almost always end my reviews with "will I or won't I return?". This time I can honestly say I won't return(and that is rare). One weird dish or daring presentation can be chalked up to an adventurous chef. One technical mistake can be overlooked. Unfortunately, slimy peppers, broken eggplant flan and confusing dishes can't. The meat was cooked wonderfully and the ingredients were fresh, but it seems those two things aren't enough to carry the entire meal.

End of Summer Produce Extravaganza - What to do with all that squash...and more

2010-09-07T10:59:00.009-04:00

Ahhhh the end of summer is upon us, although you might not think so considering mother nature's gift of unrelenting heat here in Louisville (quick side note...if you thought this summer in Louisville was hot, hot, hot...you're not wrong http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/this-summers-hottest-cities.html).

The beginning of September means a few things...kids returning to school...108 more shopping days 'till Christmas...Nick and my wedding anniversary...and of course, end of summer produce.

By the first week in September I'm just about sick of squash, peaches and green beans. Don't get me started on tomatoes or cucumbers. I've about overdosed on them all by now.

But how can you resist eating them when produce markets are practically giving them away? If you're a cheapskate like me, the answer is, you can't.

So once a week I clean out the fridge of all my surplus produce and get creative. This week two overripe peaches, some corn and the ever present squash were my muse.

Peach BBQ sauce:::

Why didn't I think of this before???!!! You peel a few overripe peaches, throw them into a Cuisinart/blender, give 'em a whirl and mix the puree with your favorite store bought BBQ sauce (mine is Sweet Baby Ray's...ahhhh Baby Ray...he must have been a good man).

I slathered this on some pork chops and Nick threw them on the grill. I can't even begin to tell you how delicious this sauce was. Set some aside for dipping...you will be dipping.

Crisper Drawer Succotash:::

Much like my peach bbq sauce, this succotash was a child of necessity. Also like the sauce, there's really no "recipe" for it. It's just an idea...something to get you thinking about different ways to eat your veggies and to get you out of your end of summer "if I eat another ear of corn on the cob I'll explode" rut.

Towards the end of the week I always find I have one lonely ear of corn, a few halved pieces of zucchini and yellow squash, and some cherry tomatoes that have seen better days hanging around my kitchen.

Perhaps you don't think these things make the best bedfellows, but let me tell you, they do. Just throw some onions in a pan with oil, then start adding veggies. Begin with the corn as it takes the longest to cook (cut it off the cob first of course), then add some garlic, some small cubes of zucchini and squash and finally some cherry tomatoes. Toss it all around until cooked to your liking, add some s&p (I like fresh marjoram too but perhaps that's just because I grow it in my garden and have A LOT of it lying around).

This is such a great side dish. It started as an answer to my plethora of produce and became a beloved veggie dish.

For dessert...a use for those strawberries that have seen better days...
Strawberry Marscapone Tarts:::

Ok. This one does require some measurements but only for the crust. And don't worry...this isn't my crust recipe...I stole it, so you can be sure it's good (me no bakey). Oh, and if you're not big on baking either you can always just skip to the bottom of the page for my cheat sheet.

To make the tart crust:::

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornmeal
3/4 cup pine nuts(I use walnuts sometimes and it's great) plus 3/4 cup, toasted (about 8 ounces in total)
1/4 cup sugar, plus 3/4 cup
Pinch salt
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Directions

Blend the flour, cornmeal, 3/4 cup pine nuts, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt in a food processor until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse, just until the dough forms. Press the dough over the bottom and about 2 inches up the sides of an 11-inch-diameter tart pan with a removable bottom. Refrigerate until the dough is firm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line the tart dough with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the tart shell in the lower third of the oven until just set, about 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and pie weights. Bake the shell until golden, about 10 minutes longer. Cool completely.

For the filling::::

Marscapone cheese
Powdered sugar
Vanilla extract
Touch of milk

Take some marscapone cheese (which you can find just about everywhere these days) and add powdered sugar until it's as sweet as you like. Then add some vanilla extract until it's got the depth of flavor you like. Then add some milk until it's the consistency you like. Seriously...there's no right or wrong. You just want it to be sweet and creamy, with a consistency of cheese cake filling.

Then just fill the tarts with the marscapone mixture and top with sliced strawberries. My husband ate a good 2 or 3 mini tarts himself the other night.

If the whole baking part is too much to handle you can always buy a pre-made shell OR just put the filling and berries on a store bought sugar cookie. Honestly...I would eat the filling and berries right out of a bowl.

So there you have it. Some inspiration from some very uninspiring sources...old produce. Next time you think of throwing those old veggies away think twice...waste not want not...these recipes are yummy.

Suffering from a meat deficiency? Palermo Viejo has a cure

2010-09-01T08:07:00.021-04:00

September is here and we're still getting settled in our new home, our new city and our new life. You would think I'd have my mind on something other than a fall vacation...but you'd be wrong.

Nick and I have a vacation system (as I've probably mentioned before). Since we love to travel so much (and there's SO much to see in this great world of ours) we split our vacation time into two, one week vacations and about 4 or 5 (or maybe more if I'm lucky!) long weekends. He picks one destination for us (always warm, always sunny, always relaxing and always around March or April), and I pick one destination (always action packed, always to a new part of the world and always around our wedding anniversary in September or October).

This system works wonderfully. We get to see so many different places each year, and quite honestly, everyone gets what they want. I know, I know...genius right!

This year I feared we may have to skip our "my choice" fall vacation since just a few weeks ago we uprooted and moved 12 hours away.

But have no fear...the hubby is here! He swooped in and insisted we take our fall vacation regardless of our recent move. He said it was because he didn't want me intruding on "his" vacation idea come spring (and trust me...I can intrude something fierce)...but I think it's just because he loves traveling as much as I do...and secretly loves the places I choose.

So the plan was Peru. Ahhhhh Peru. What an adventure! Lima, Machu Picchu...what fun! I love South American cuisine. So rustic. So flavorful. Sooooo, yummy!

Unfortunately it looks like most South American destinations, Machu Picchu especially, would involve A LOT of flying for a 6 day vacation. So in the end we decided on The Netherlands (more on this to come...but the good news is the flight is booked and we're well on our way to eating herring while wearing wooden shoes).

So what to do when you have to postpone your trip to South America (ok...don't cry for me Argentina...I mean...we're still going on a bitchin' trip)?? You get as close to the destination as possible...by way of my stomach.

We walked to dinner at Palermo Viejo last Friday night. They specialize in Argentinian cuisine...which is to say...on meat.

The decor at Palermo Viejo was quaint. Simple yet inviting. We sat down without a reservation (luckily we ate early that evening because the place filled to capacity by the time our meal was finished) and perused the menu. Lately we've been pairing beer with our dinners instead of wine. I have a feeling it has something to do with the temperature outside (freakin' hot) and we'll go back to wine in the fall, but until then, I have to say, beer is the new wine for us.

We chose South American beers...both Brazilian...a Xingu and a Palma Louca, and skipped the appetizers once we spotted the house specialty, La Parrillada(pronounced lah-par-ee-shah-dah). P.S. I love it when they put the pronunciations on the menu. Nothing worse than ordering the luh-parilla-da. And trust me, I would have.

La Parrillada was a mixed grill (very true to Argentina) that consisted of house-made chorizo, short ribs, flank steak and sweetbreads. Yes. That's a lot of meat. No started needed (but a defibrillator might come in handy). They serve it with an oh so good chimichurri and a traditional salad of lettuce, tomato and hearts of palm, which added some much needed refreshment after the mountain of meat. At $18 a person this meal was a steal.

They brought it to the table on a cute little portable grill and we dug in.

I have to say, the reason I ordered La Parrillada was the sweetbreads. I love 'em and was happy to see them on the menu. I've had them MANY times, cooked MANY different ways, but these were by far the most rustic I've encountered. They were, quite simply, grilled. They were cooked well, tender inside and smokey outside. I have to say, however, that if someone's first experience with sweetbreads was this one, they may not come back for seconds.

I enjoyed them. Honestly. They gave us extra for some reason (like 5 portions) and I ate almost all of them. But even the hubby, who will eat just about any organ off of any animal said they were pretty hardcore. Typically they're swimming in butter or deep fried. Chefs tend to celebrate their texture but play down their taste(which is that of the thymus gland). But I think this time they had a plan, albeit a simple one. Serve the meat...whatever the cut...as it is. Grill it, maybe season it with salt, and present it. I respected that and would order the sweetbread again.

Nick thought that the chorizo stole the show, and in fact, he made me throw our leftover chorizo in an omelet the next morning (super duper good by the way). The chorizo WAS delicious. Just greasy enough to keep it moist, but not so greasy that it leaves an oil slick on your plate. Seasoned just right and delicious. Sometimes I wish restaurants would sell their homemade sausages to-go so you can take some home for later. I would have bought a few from Palermo Viejo for sure.

Now for the sad part. The beef was overcooked for my liking, but a few dunks in the delicious chimichurri helped. It was flavorful enough and of good quality, but cooked medium well. I'm not sure if this was intentional or not. Perhaps it's true to Argentinian meat cooking methods, but I wished it was more on the medium rare side. We weren't asked how we wanted our beef cooked so that might have been the culprit as well(you know...when I'm reviewing a place I try to let them make things "as the chef would", but sometimes I leave wishing I had spoken up).

Ok, so long story not so short, would I go back? Yes. I think I would go back and try some of the other menu items. I was intrigued by many things I saw listed and would like to taste them (they had one dish that sounded like a breaded piece of meat topped with cheese and vegetables then broiled...how bad could that be!?). The prices were fair and the wait staff was fine. I have a hard time forgiving over-done beef but like I said, we didn't specifically order it a certain way so I can't really complain too much (just a little though...I mean come on).

So if you're looking for an international dining experience that mixes familiar tastes with some more exotic ones (I urge everyone to try sweetbreads at least once in their lives) I would give this place a try. Perhaps request your meat done to your liking or order one of the fish dishes that looked yummy. And please, if you do visit let me know how your Argentinian culinary trip went. No matter how the meal turns out, exploring the world through food is certainly one of my favorite ways to travel.

Kickin' up our heels

2010-08-31T13:17:00.020-04:00

Hi folks! I know I haven't posted in a few days (ok, 13, but who's counting). Sorry about that. Nick and I have been kicking up our heels and jumping into Louisville with both feet. Unfortunately, that doesn't leave a lot of time for sleeping and writing.

We've been hosting out of town friends...Hi James & Jess...Adam and Deidre!

We've been eating and drinking...Ahhh Friday nights at the Back Door bar! (I mean, $3 mixed drinks all night every night...PLUS $2.50 specials and a half dozen pool tables...I would pitch a tent in their parking lot if we didn't live 100 yards away)

And we've been taking every chance we get to explore our new town.

Here are just a few fun things we've done in the past 3 weeks......

Sunday, August 29th - The Zombie Walk
Ok. I still have no idea what this was all about. We were buying a bottle of wine at our local liquor store and the owner asked if we were going to the Zombie Walk that evening. Never one to turn down an opportunity to try something new I said yes...and as always...asked questions later.

Around nightfall (and after an AMAZING piece of halibut...damn I'm good) we walked out our back door, beer in hand, across the alley and into a scene straight out of a horror movie.

There were hundreds of people dressed (and acting) like zombies. The street was shut down, there was live music, dancing, drinking and fun. As I'm writing this I still have no idea why this happened or what it was all about, but I can say this...it's not every day you can walk out your back door and into the night...of the living dead.

Weird...but fun.

Mammoth Caves National Park

Our friends James and Jess flew in from Philly to spend a few days with us. We wanted to show them something they wouldn't normally see at home so we went to the state fair and went camping at Mammoth Caves National Park.

The state fair was fun, and, seeing as I'm a Jersey girl, I had no idea things like this were such a big deal. My favorite part was the livestock (sooooo cute!!!!), however let's not forget about the corn dogs. Let's never forget about the corn dogs.

Oh, and speaking of food...here's a quick fact...last year the prize winning Country Ham was sold for a whopping $200,000.oo!! That's some expensive bacon.

Then came Mammoth Caves.

Just under 2 hours south of Louisville you will find the world's longest cave system. Actually, they say if you placed the world's second and third longest cave systems head to tail they still wouldn't be as long as Mammoth Caves.

It rained, unfortunately, but Camp Master Jones (my hubby's alter-ego when we're in the woods) was smart and packed a tarp shelter to put over the picnic table, so we had a good time eating, drinking and playing cards despite the rain. Rain...HA...Camp Master Jones laughs in your general direction.

The star of the show...the caves of course! At a lovely constant temperature of 54 degrees year round (that's right...it never changes), they were a welcome respite from the heat and humidity (according to Camp Master Jones a lovely 94 percent relative humidity).

If you have a chance to visit I highly recommend it. It's not often you get the chance to explore enormous cave systems. **P.S. If you're in the Shenandoah area of Virginia you can also check out Luray Caverns...not quite as sprawling as Mammoth Caves, and a bit more touristy, however lovely all the same**

The Zoo!

Ok. I know the zoo isn't the most exciting thing for most folks to do. But at $12 bucks a head it's a great weekend activity. The other reason I'm posting about it is because I simply HAD to show y'all this picture of a bird licking sweat off Nick's head. Gross, cute, funny...you be the judge!

Fishing, Fishing and Fishing...oh, and finding a swimming hole!!!!

Ok. I know no one really cares about this part of the post. I'm not really giving you any info on Louisville or Kentucky in general. I am, however, bragging because on one of our weekly fishing outings (by the way...I think the score is Nick a bazillion fish...me...2) I finally found a swimmin' hole!

For some reason I thought that Kentucky would be chock-full-o swimmin' holes (perhaps I watched a little too much Dukes of Hazards in my youth). When I found it hard to locate one I became discouraged. Sometimes the pool at the Y just doesn't cut it. Well, for those of you who knew about my ongoing search I'm happy to report that I did in fact find one...a GREAT one! Ahhhh Kentucky. re-enforcing stereotypes one swimmin' hole at a time!

So that's the Cliff's Notes of the past 2 1/2 weeks. We also ate, ate and ate some more. I'm working on those posts as we speak, so stay tuned.

Oh, and I'll try not to leave y'all without new posts for that long again. How did you live without me!!??

A Steak By Any Other Name

2010-08-17T11:07:00.021-04:00

Nick and I are looking to buy a house. It's been a few years since we've owned a home and one of the things we've missed most was a game room. I can't tell you how many evenings we spent in our house in Virginia playing pool and listening to music in our little billiards room.

With any luck we'll have an even larger game room in this house. Perhaps we'll have a big 'ol wet bar and a kegerator! Oh and we'll get to decorate it and....gosh, I seem to be getting ahead of myself here. What does this have to do with a post about steak? Well. I always thought that when we got the game room of our dreams we would decorate it with meat-cut-charts from all sorts of animals. That being said, you may not want to ask my advice next time you decide to redecorate.

I know it sounds crazy. But I've always liked them. I've always found them to be unique, interesting and honestly...educational!

I mean, how much do you really know about the meat you eat? I'm not going to get deep into the source and the farm and the feed today. I'm just talking about the pretty packaged meat you find in the meat department.

Cow's are big...really big. Some cuts and steaks can and do go by many different names depending on where you live, how your butcher was taught and so many other things. However there are also plenty of delicious cuts that don't always make it to the mainstream supermarket, name confusion or no. Honestly, there are many cuts that some butchers simply aren't familiar with.

When Nick and I moved to Philadelphia we had never heard of a Hanger Steak. One night at dinner Nick ordered it and so began our love affair with it. It's situated under the belly of the cow, right near the flank and skirt steaks we eat so much of...whether you know it or not. Ever had a fajita? It was probably a skirt steak. So why don't more people know about it? And why, oh why, does it seem that no butcher in all of Louisville carries it.

Not being content to live without hanger steak I decided to find out more about it and hopefully educate the local butchers...and in turn get them to cut me a big 'ol hanger steak for dinner. So sticking with my know-thine-meat motto, I did a little research, and in doing so, found a wealth of beefy information that I'd love to share with you.

Now, there are many, many beef cut charts out there but I felt this one was super duper thorough. Unfortunately it's so thorough that I couldn't fit it's screenshot in the post. But here's the link: http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Articles/Cooking-Tips--Techniques-642/beef-cuts.aspx

It starts with the primal cuts (great name right?), and then breaks those cuts of meat down so thoroughly and so precisely that after reading you may feel as though you yourself could break down a cow. I mean, if you wanted to that is ;)

So read up...and then eat up. Isn't learning fun?!?

Goetta - A Porkie/Oatie/Yummy Regional Discovery

2010-08-12T10:37:00.012-04:00

My husband's all-time favorite breakfast meat isn't crispy bacon, pork sausage or even country ham (though country ham does run a close second). He prefers something a bit more daring. Perhaps something made by grinding pork "scraps" and cornmeal together, slicing it thin and frying it until golden, golden brown. I'm talking about scrapple folks!

Scrapple was originally created by the Pennsylvania Dutch (some say it's the first "pork food" invented in America. It's very popular in the Philadelphia area, but also popular in the South East. I mean, Nick was eating scrapple for YEARS before we moved to Philly. I think our first breakfast together in Richmond featured a few slices of scrapple. Now, not everyone likes it, but those who do seem to not just like it...they love it.

So when we moved to Louisville the first thing Nick looked for was his beloved scrapple. Head held low he approached me in the grocery store and informed me that he couldn't find scrapple anywhere. I looked at his puppy dog expression and revisited the breakfast meat department in search of a substitute. Amazingly enough I found one...Goetta.

Now, before I continue I want to explain that I'm a huge fan of regional delights. Discovering regional foods is a true passion of mine. From my hometown's Taylor Pork Roll - to Montreal's claim to fame, Poutine. From the Weisswurste sausages in Munich - to the German influenced Goetta of my new home .... if it's part of the culture, and safe for human consumption, I'll WILL eat it.

Goetta, it seems, is much like scrapple. It's base is ground pork "bits". It is cooked in a similar fashion and it's texture, before cooking (and after) is crumbly and delicate. It was created by German immigrants and is popular (or at least sold) in the Cincinnati metro area (including the fine states of Kentucky and Indiana).

The thing that sets Goetta apart from it's cousin scrapple is the filler. Scrapple uses meal, while Goetta uses chopped or steel-cut oats. The oats (and seasoning too I imagine) impart a much sweeter flavor to the meat, making me think it would be awesome with some maple syrup. I wouldn't try that with scrapple as it has a more savory, almost livery flavor.

Texture is key as well. Scrapple has an almost pudding consistency when cooked. A nice crust on the outside breaks through to a very soft center. Goetta doesn't have that pudding-like-consistency. The large cut oats and coarse grind of the meat makes it more crumbly, and almost hash like.

The last obvious difference is the color. Scrapple is, unfortunately, gray. I mean, really, really gray (I'm sure Nick would say that gray is the color of flavor). Goetta on the other hand is a much more appealing tan (most likely due to those delightful oats again.

Now, Nick doesn't like Goetta as much as scrapple. And he'll be the first to tell you. But I like it just fine and I'm happy to have a new regional food to play around with. Case in point...my lunch...a GLT.

Yup. That's right. A GLT. It's a BLT with Goetta instead of bacon. I thought I was blazing new trails but it looks like the Glier's Goetta web site beat me to the recipe. No worries though. It doesn't change the fact that it's delicious...any way you slice it.

Kitchen Gadget of The Month - The Soda Stream

2010-08-10T07:54:00.013-04:00

I was reading a food blog this morning and today's topic was must-have items for the true southern chef...or something like that. Of course they listed things like cast iron pans, buttermilk, etc. (how they left out a fry-daddy I have no idea). And it got me thinking about MY must-have items in the kitchen.

Now, I'm not a gadget junkie. I love multi-taskers...but have trouble buying gadgets that do one, often truly useless thing. Can't handle holding a tomato while you slice it??? Buy a tomato holder (seriously...the have this...and seriously?...they HAVE this?!?).

But some gadgets are downright useful, and unlike a tomato holder, perform a job that other run-of-the-mill kitchen tools can't. THESE types of gadgets I like.

This month's gadget is courtesy of the one, the only...the hubby. He is a fantastic gift giver. For birthday, Christmas, Groundhog Day, etc., I can always expect a "practical" gift that I've been asking for, and a completely unique surprise that I didn't even know existed.

This year for my birthday I received a new pair of Gizeh Birkenstocks (which I LOVE...thanks Nick!) and a SodaStream. What's a SodaStream you ask??? Only one of the coolest gadgets out there.

I'm a seltzer water junkie. It's better for you than soft-drinks, calorie free and refreshing. Plus (and this is a big plus) you can use it to make just about any mixed drink better. Nick adds berry flavored simple syrup and seltzer to a highball glass of ice and bourbon for an oh-so-delicious cocktail.

The SodaStream is my key to practically free seltzer at the touch of a button (literally!). Just fill the special bottles with water, push the button three times and voila...seltzer (word to the wise and my not-so-wise-sometimes husband...only use water...Nick found out the hard way that it won't carbonate pureed pineapple...it will explode it).

Then all you have to do is add flavoring. Fresh squeezed lime juice for a calorie free beverage. Flavored simple syrup for a sweet treat (so far we've run the berry gamut). Whatever floats your boat. You can even make ginger ale without all that high fructose-corn-syrup by just making a simple syrup of regular sugar, candied ginger and water. I could list flavors all day.

The starter kit can be yours for the low, low price of $72. Then the sky is the limit as far as your soda creations are concerned.

Cheers to that!

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words....Whoops

2010-08-06T17:55:00.010-04:00

If a picture is truly worth a thousand words...then whoops. I almost never leave the house without my trusty sidekick...my camera. But even this food blogging, picture taking, restaurant loving girl makes a mistake sometimes.

I couldn't simply leave these two places off my list just because I was forgetful and left the house without my camera (pre-dinner cocktail hour may or may not have been the true culprit here).

So here's a quick shout out to two Louisville restaurants that deserve a little recognition...even without photographic proof.

1.) The Blind Pig: http://theblindpiglouisville.com/

Any establishment that is committed to making their own Chorizo, Boudin and more, is worth visiting. Their food is rustic but prepared with love, and it shows.

The hubby had the Cassoulet and I ordered the Cod with Chorizo. Both dishes were flavorful and featured their house-made sausage creations. Their wine/beer selection and knowledge was another plus in my book.

I will certainly be back to The Blind Pig for the food, however I'll also be sure to return for the hospitality. Both our server and the manager were more than attentive and friendly, they were downright awesome. We actually ate at The Blind Pig a few months back while scouting out Louisville as a potential hometown. The manager gave us his card and his email address, then offered up his assistance in our daunting search for a rental house. I'm sure had we taken him up on his offer he would have happily driven us around town for our own private tour.

A restaurant can't succeed on good food alone. The Blind Pig not only has good, rustic fare...they also have good, solid hospitality. If you ask me, that's a recipe for success.

2.) FABD Smokehouse: 1202 Bardstown Rd

I work with urbanspoon.com to both promote my blog AND restaurants I enjoy. If you read my blog often you'll recognize the UrbanSpoon link at the bottom of all my review posts. Every restaurant has a diner's rating...a certain percentage of likes and dislikes. While preparing this post I realized that only 52% of voters liked this BBQ joint. They're friggin' crazy. This place is amazing.

We ate here our first night in town. After a long day of driving and unpacking we wanted some cold beer and hot BBQ. This place hit the spot.

They have two locations, one of which is on Bardstown Rd, practically in our back yard, and I hope they'll continue to open more.

The beer was good and cheap. The BBQ was smoked to perfection, flavorful and authentic. The sides were awesome (their potato salad is my new fav...sorry Grandmom!). But best of all...they offer smoked brisket.

Now, I'm not a BBQ snob. I recognize that different regions have different styles, sauces, etc. The hubby is North Carolina born and raised so he's a fan of pulled pork with a vinegar based sauce, but he's also a fan of good 'ol fashioned smoked meat. He (and I agree 100%) believes that if you're going to have pulled pork on the menu, you don't need to have pulled beef as well. You DO, however, need some type of smoked, Texas style brisket...and FABD had it.

I've found that many chain BBQ joints cut corners and just make big batches of pulled beef...smother it in sauce...and slap it on a bun. It really is the easier way to do things, so if you've got dozens of restaurants, easier is, well, a no-brainer.

FABD offered a good variety of BBQ...simple and not-so-simple to make. And for that, I salute them. Add reasonable prices to the mix they really should have at least a 90% rating on UrbanSpoon.

I know I'll be back!

Farmers' Market Find Of The Week.......Local Goat Cheese from Capriole

2010-08-06T12:44:00.013-04:00

I know I've told you all about my love of cheese. I also know I've written about my ups and downs, my trials and tribulations, my laughter and tears, all in the name of trying to make cheese. If it sounds a bit theatrical, trust me, nothing was more entertaining than watching me fail and burn and curse over a steaming hot cauldron of milk.

But you know, I'm not sure I've told you of my love for goats. Yes, way-back-when, on our 5 acre plot in Virginia we came very close to expanding our little chicken farm and welcoming twin pygmy goats into our family.

Now, of course I didn't want these goats for milk. I was ALL talk and big ideas back then. I really just wanted to own these cute little buggers because I hated mowing our big ass lawn...I thought the dog could use a friend or two that didn't have feathers and tasted like chicken...and they were adorable!!! Well, we never did get them and I'm happy about it. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have liked living in Philadelphia as much as we did.

But I still think from time to time about how great it would be to own some goats. They're very self-reliant animals. They mow the lawn better than a Cub Cadet. And if you're up for the challenge, you can make some damn fine cheese from their milk.

Last weekend at the farmers' market I ran across a few stands selling artisan cheese, but the one that really sucked me in was the all-goat cheese-stand. Make way...Jessica is here and she wants some cheese.

The stand I'm talking about was the Capriole cheese farm stand. They had quite a selection of lovely hand made goat cheese and I found myself in heaven. After tasting a few I decided on a surface ripened cheese ball. Unlike your typical log of fresh goat cheese this one actually has a firm rind. The minute I saw it I was transported back to a cheese shop on the Rue Cler in Paris. I just had to have it.

I am in love with this cheese. It's got a very, very smooth texture (sometimes cheap fresh goat cheese can be mealy). It's just moist enough to be spreadable so it would go perfectly on a cheese plate. And best of all, the rind imparts the most wonderful, earthy flavor to the cheese. It takes it to a whole other level.

Now, of course you could simply put this on a cheese plate and it would be lovely. It would let the cheese speak for itself. But how often do we put together a cheese plate? Honestly? Even I, a veritable cheese junkie only put one together once or twice a month max. So what do you do the rest of the time? I'll tell you what you don't do. You don't stop buying good cheese. You just find ways to include it in your every day meals.

I think that the absolute best accompaniments to goat cheese are the following: Baby Arugula and/or Fresh Roasted Beets and/or Walnuts (or another fatty nut like a pine nut). Now, you can mix goat cheese with one, or preferably ALL of these things and you will have a flavor combination that is second to none. The arugula is peppery. The beets are sweet. The goat cheese is creamy and salty. The nuts are meaty with the perfect amount of fat.

As I type these words I'm munching on that very salad. I roasted some beets in the oven (wrap in foil and roast at 350 for an hour or more depending on the size). I opened a package of baby arugula. I grabbed some toasted walnuts from the pantry and threw them all on a plate with some goat cheese. Then I made the easiest dressing of all time. I drizzled it with a tiny bit of olive oil and a few drops of fresh lemon juice. Let some kosher salt snow down on the plate (no pepper...the arugula will do that work for you) and you've got a lunch, dinner or snack to die for.

So get out there and buy yourself some cheese. Make it goat...make it sheep...make it cow. But whatever you choose, make it something new.

Capriole Goat Cheese
http://www.capriolegoatcheese.com/
Greenville, IN 47124
Phone: 812.923.9408
email: caprioleinc@aol.com

It looks like they have a store on the farm and you can also find them (and probably me!) Saturdays at the Highlands Farmers' Market on Bardstown Rd.

More Rouille For Me! How Lilly's opened my mind and mouth with an old French classic

2010-08-02T14:51:00.020-04:00

People often ask me how I choose which restaurants to visit and review. I assume they're looking for a tip about some fantastic website that lists all the best restaurants around and never steers you wrong. Well, aside from MY website, I have yet to find this magical place.

The truth of the matter is that the majority of the time I use Google Maps and yes, it can be a tedious process. I usually start with my address and then Google-walk my way around the city, clicking on restaurant links in the process.

Of course I read some reviews during my culinary search. I'll usually plan to hit up one "hot new" place a month and perhaps one "tried and true" one as well. But the rest of the time I rely on Google Maps...oh, and sometimes my Mother.

Now, my Mother doesn't live in Louisville, or Philadelphia, or Richmond. As a matter of fact, I haven't lived in the same town as my parents in a loooooong time. But my Mom is the queen of coupons (honestly...don't even try to tell me your Mom is the queen of coupons...my Mom has the crown and everything). Once in a while the hubby and I will get a care package of coupons from my mother that she so skillfully acquired when restaurants.com was having a sale, and are lucky enough to find a real gem within that package.

One of these recent gems goes by the name Lilly's. It's located in our lovely Highlands neighborhood. I honestly didn't do a lick of research on it before we went, but had I, I might have realized how well respected this place is in the Louisville restaurant scene. A week after our wonderful dining experience I read that in 1994 Lilly's head chef was invited to cook at the famed James Beard House. I also read that it was a forerunner for Louisville's then blossoming restaurant scene. After doing some research it's no wonder Nick and I had such a fabulous meal.

We started our meal with some cocktails. Although I've recently been in quite a serious relationship with bourbon, I decided to be a tad unfaithful and ordered The Right Way. It was a martini or sorts with Right Gin, St. Germain and Stirring Ginger syrup. Since gin WAS my first love it really hit the spot, especially on such a hot and humid evening. After the hubby stopped drooling over the extensive (really, really extensive) bourbon list he decided on something in the Van Winkle family (honestly I can't remember...I took notes but somehow I left this piece of info off).

For an appetizer we chose to share the fried oysters (picture above) with Weisenberger grits, spinach and a chipotle butter. At first bite we realized this would be a good meal. The oysters were fried perfectly. They were crispy on the outside but still retained so much of their delicious, juicy integrity inside. Though I'd never heard of Weisenberger brand grits I did some research and found that they're a local Kentucky product...and if I may say so a delicious one at that. They were creamy to the point of almost being a sauce underneath of those lovely oysters. A delicious first dish.

The hubby then ordered the duck breast with a port reduction. It was perfectly cooked and sat atop a potato salad and arugula. He enjoyed his dish as did I. He did mention that the port reduction was a tad overpowering, but overall it was a successful dish.

I ordered the special (as almost always!). It was a Corvina with spinach, mussels and new potatoes, all over a pool of lobster fumet. Who could pass that up!? The fish was one of the best cooked pieces of seafood I've had in ages. For those of you who don't know, Corvina is similar to Sea Bass. When scooped up with a nice ladle of lobster fumet it's a party on a fork.

As amazing as this dish was, one thing blew my mind......the rouille. I consider myself to be pretty well versed in French food and technique (ok, I'm no expert but I love it). I've eaten my way across Paris. I've tried my darnest to make the perfect duck confit. I even named one of our pet chickens "co-co" after Coq au Vin! But I had never heard of a rouille. It's sort of like a roux, but it's made made by thickening a saffron broth with bread. Then it's typically served with a bouillabaisse or any other type of fish and broth combo. They served me quite a nice dollop of the stuff and as ashamed as I am to admit I didn't know what it was, I'm even more ashamed to say that I ate most of it like mashed potatoes...because it was just that damn good. Ok, I did eat it with the fumet and Corvina like I was supposed to, but the texture, the flavor, the silky smooth sauce was too good to leave behind. And so, I pretty much licked the ramekin clean.

We skipped dessert and instead finished the glasses of wine we ordered with our meal, although, I do wonder what delights might have been awaiting us.

You know folks...I hate to say that I arrived in Louisville from Philly expecting to be disappointed with the food scene. Honestly, I did set my expectations low. After that meal at Lilly's I find that I'm disappointed with myself for doing so. Louisville seems to have a true love of food...good food...and I can't wait for this town to continue to wow me with it.

Oh, and I almost forgot. I will try my hand at a rouille...oh yes...and I will let you know how it goes.

My new happy place - Bourbon distilleries

2010-07-28T15:26:00.014-04:00

Nick and I haven't been in Louisville long, but so far we love it. We're trying to jump right in with both feet and experience all this fine town has to offer. We're planning on heading over to Churchill Downs to watch the ponies run this weekend. We'll probably take advantage of the multitude of free music and festivals Louisville is offering this summer. And we've already begun to eat our way across the city (review to come).

But first things first right? I mean, the first thing you do when you visit a new place is to experience something that the town is known for...WELL known for. So for us, the first thing to do was hit the bourbon trail (naturally!). We hit it pretty hard and realized we didn't even put a dent in it yet. So here's the best and worst of our first run at the distillery tours. To all of you distillers out there get ready...the Bantas are in town and they're thirsty.

My favorite distillery tour - Buffalo Trace

We got to the distillery early and hopped right into the second tour of the day. The location of this distillery is nothing short of lovely so right off the bat we were happy with the place. It's right on the river in a beautiful valley surrounded by limestone rock walls.

The tour was extremely informative. Our guide explained what it takes to actually call your liquor bourbon (at least 51% corn, no added colors or flavors, aged in a charred oak barrel, etc.). Then she started to explain the differences in mash and flavor. Basically she covered what adding things like rye and barley can do to the flavor of a bourbon.

Fun fact...did you know that the Buffalo Trace distillery is the oldest continually operated bourbon distillery in the states because they were allowed to stay open during prohibition to produce bourbon for "medicinal" purposes? You can be sure that I would have had my doctor on speed dial during prohibition.
Next she took us into the warehouse where the bourbon ages. When Nick and I buy a home I'm thinking of decorating it "bourbon chic". This place was awesome. Floor after floor, row after row of bourbon. Beautiful. The guide explained how a key part in aging bourbon is letting it be affected by the changing temperatures of the 4 seasons. The only time they do any climate control is if it gets really, really cold, like during a blizzard. Cool huh? (no pun intended)

Fun fact...did you know that the hole in the barrel that holds the cork is called the "bung"? I laughed for a good 20 minutes over that one.
Finally she took us over the cute little railroad tracks (that are used to transport bourbon...my kind of transportation) and into the packaging room. That is where I saw the greatest curio cabinet of all time. It was jam packed full of bourbon. So, so, so many types of bourbon, and they make them all.....Blanton's, Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Elmer T. Lee (of which Nick is enjoying presently) and the list goes on.

Fun fact...did you know that every one of Blanton's caps is marked with a letter in the Blanton's name? If you collect one of each you can spell out BLANTONS in caps. You can also buy the caps individually, without the bottle of booze attached to it, but where's the fun in that!??!

P.S. You may want to pass on tasting their "White Dog" liquor at the end. White Dog is what bourbon is before it's aged...right out of the still. It smells like caramel corn and tastes like Drain-o...stick with the bourbons.

My second favorite distillery tour - Maker's Mark

Maker's Mark distillery is located in the middle of nowhere. I'm not exaggerating. It really is out there. But it's worth the trip. I promise.

The tour begins in just about the cutest country home you've ever seen. There is complimentary lemonade in the kitchen, cute household relics from back in the day to stare at and nice bathrooms to relieve yourself in. It may sound trivial, but these distilleries take some driving to get to, so a nice bathroom is a plus.

The Maker's Mark grounds are lovely. They're manicured to perfection and everything is trimmed in the signature Maker's Mark red.

Fun fact...Did you know that Maker's Mark really owes most of it's success to the packaging? The brewer's wife knew their bourbon was good, but also knew it needed that little something extra, so she designed the "mark" and the idea to dip all the bottles in wax. What do they say..."behind every good man...".

My favorite part of this tour was the fermentation room. Check this out...they actually let you stick your grubby little hands in the mash to taste it. Don't worry though folks. Whether or not Nick washed his hands before dipping them in this tub is debatable, but one thing is for sure, nothing can survive the distilling process. So please continue to enjoy your Maker's Mark without fear.

Fun fact...This cute little building is called the "Quart House". Back in the day folks were bring their own quart size jars to be filled with bourbon and this is where it happened.

The thing that impressed me most about the Maker's Mark distillery is that it's a household name in the bourbon world, and they got there by making only ONE bourbon. That's right, they only produce Maker's Mark. I guess if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

My least favorite "tour" (I'll explain the quotes in a minute) - Jim Bean

After a long day of driving we ended up at the Jim Beam facility. I was pretty excited about this one. Jim Beam is an "ok" bourbon, but they also make Knob Creek, Booker's Basil Hayden and Baker's. That's quite a lineup of good bourbon if you ask me.

We arrived just in time for the last "tour" and they hurried us into an old farm house to watch a film. We grabbed our "I tasted Jim Beam" stickers and hurried on our way. When the film was over they escorted us back to the gift shop, gave us a sample or two and told us to have a nice day. That was the "tour". Really? Jim Beam is THE best selling bourbon worldwide and THAT is their tour? Pissed of were we!

On our way home I read some of the literature I picked up on the Bourbon Trail and realized that we had only scratched the surface. We simply MUST visit the Bulleit distillery (I love, love, love this bourbon) and so many more.

So I suppose this is just act 1 of the distillery show. We won't rest until we've visited every single bourbon distillery in Kentucky...and I'll be happy to bring y'all along for the ride.

We're Here!!!!

2010-07-21T11:00:00.003-04:00

Hi folks! I'm sorry it's been so long since my last post. We've been packing, loading, unloading, driving...driving...driving, unpacking. You get the picture. Also, we're waiting for the cable company to hook up our Internet connection. You would think that they would WANT to take $150 from us a month but judging from their slowness it looks like they could take it or leave it.

So please stay tuned. I'm working on a few final Philly posts which I'll put up around the end of this week or the weekend. Then I'll turn my attention to our new town, Louisville!!

Thanks for your patience and as always, thanks for reading! I promise there will be a boat-load of posts to come.

Green Eggs Cafe (Philadelphia) - Great food and an even better mission statement

2010-07-10T14:31:00.011-04:00

If I had a restaurant and for some reason thought I needed to come up with a mission statement it would probably go something like this.....
You want food, we've got food. We want money, you've got money. Let's make a deal.
That's what restaurants are all about right? I'm pretty sure I don't see anyone out there saying that their mission is to give away delicious food for free. If they are please let me know and I'll go there for breakfast tomorrow. So usually when a restaurant has a mission statement I immediately become suspicious.

In the past I've found that a mission statement like, "we're committed to supporting our local farmers" really translates to "we're going to rip you off and act like we're doing it all for the farmers". Now don't get me wrong. I'm all about supporting local farmers. I'm even somewhat passionate about the idea of it. The problem is that sometimes using that particular mission statement allows the restaurant owners to believe that they can charge more and give you less, all in the name of "their mission". I've had it happen to me in the past and I don't like it one bit.

When Nick and I were seated at the Green Eggs Cafe this morning I spotted a laminated piece of paper on the table. Oh no I thought, a mission statement. However, unlike all of the other ones I've encountered like this one that stated they were supporting local food, this particular one added something that reeled me in, hook, line and sinker......quality food at inexpensive prices. WHAT!!! REALLY??? Local food, quality food, AND good prices. I have to say,they certainly didn't lie. Thank you Green Eggs Cafe for changing my mind about mission statements...and doing it all for around $10.

The hubby ordered The Kitchen Sink. It was a big 'ol cast iron skillet filled with, well, almost everything but the kitchen sink. Good name. It had eggs, cheese, potatoes, meat, a jumbo (and they aren't kidding) biscuit, and then they topped it all off with sausage gravy. Nick was born and raised in North Carolina and has eaten his share of sausage gravy so you can trust him when he says this gravy was delicious. The picture doesn't do it justice, but then again, how beautiful can a dish called the kitchen sink look? It tastes good and that's all that matters.

I ordered the special, steak and eggs. But this wasn't your typical steak and eggs, it was much, much more. They braised some skirt steak, creamed some spinach and cooked some eggs to sunny-side-up-perfection. Then they served it all on top of a lovely biscuit. It was freakin' amazing. Armed with my knife and fork I pierced the yolk and let it cascade down over the tender, braised steak, over the creamy spinach and into the biscuit. Amazing. It was creamy and rich, yet buttery and light. They should take it off the specials menu and plop it right down next to the kitchen sink on their regular menu. Perfection.

Now, the wait was pretty long and the dining room was unbelievably noisy, but after I was served my delicious breakfast I almost forgot about those two things. Their signature potatoes were too greasy for my liking, but I did almost all of them so they couldn't have been THAT bad. Oh, and I read a chalkboard sign that offered a carafe of orange juice with a "complimentary" bottle of Prosseco. I'm not sure how legal that is but it was a nice touch.

If Nick and I weren't leaving for Kentucky in 6 days I would go back again...and again. My dish was a steal at $10 and the hubby's was only $8.50. Their coffee was good and inexpensive, and the wait staff was very friendly. Two thumbs up for the Green Eggs Cafe...mission statement and all.

Farewell Philly - Hello Louisville - Stay Tuned for a variety of new posts!

2010-07-07T08:16:00.005-04:00

Hi all! I'm sorry it's been so long since my last post, but the hubby and I have been planning for a bit of transition. It looks like we'll be leaving the lovely city of Philadelphia and moving to the still lovely, albeit completely different city of Louisville Kentucky. Wish us luck!

We're very excited about the move. Although we'll miss the hustle and bustle of city life, the abundance of culinary delights and all of the other amazing things Philly has to offer, we're looking forward to experiencing a completely different way of life in Louisville.

So good and bad news. After next week I'll no longer be reviewing any restaurants or events in Philly. I'll post shorter reviews of some restaurants I've got in my file folders and just haven't gotten around to writing before I leave. GOOD news is that I plan on continuing my blog in Louisville!

I think I'm going to expand the blog once I get there and really delve into not only their restaurant and bourbon scene, but also the "country" scene. I'll look at farms and talk about what they're doing to raise local meat and produce. I'll look into regional differences in food since Louisville is often called the gateway to the south and is smack dab in the middle of many different regions of the country (southern, mid-western, eastern). I think this will be good news for my readers outside of Philly as my posts won't JUST be about Philly food, but instead include a lot of cultural information.

The last thing I plan to do is go back to trying to make some of my own food. We tried and failed in VA, but when we buy a house in the country the hubby plans on curing his own meat. I plan on making my own cheese. The dog plans on sleeping a lot on the porch (but that's neither here nor there). Our successes and failures will be a MUST READ, I promise.

So Philly, it looks like we'll be saying farewell. My Philly readers, I'll miss you, and my Philly restaurants, I'll certainly miss you. But we're embarking on an adventure, and I promise you, most every adventure Nick and I embark on will be filled with good stories, good food, good times, and we hope it will still be rare and well done.

I'll keep y'all updated every hilarious misstep of the way (and trust me...there will be some...and they will be hilarious). Thanks for reading and please stay tuned!!

Percy Street BBQ - Some Good, Some Bad, But Luckily...Nothing Ugly

2010-06-18T08:12:00.010-04:00

Ahhhhhh barbecue. There are few things on this earth better than slow and low cooked meat. It's a method of cooking that requires not only tender, loving care, but also a lot of smoke! I mean, I can saute, roast and boil my heart out in my own kitchen, but I'm pretty sure operating a smoker out of my 5th floor loft apartment is a fire hazard and one heck of a no-no. So when you're in the city you HAVE to go out to a restaurant for barbecue. Unfortunately Philly seems to be lacking in that department. I believe that's why Percy Street Barbecue has gained such popularity.

I realize now, unfortunately, that when Nick and I lived in Richmond we took good barbecue for granted. I guess you don't know what you have until it's gone. I know for a fact that Nick wishes he had eaten more fried chicken and drowned himself in sides from one of his favorite VA restaurants, Nanny's. I mean, this place was in the middle of nowhere but people came from far and wide for some sweet tea out of a mason jar, some fried chicken and all of the southern sides you can handle. I, on the other hand, wish that I had eaten more barbecue. So next time I visit my relatives in North Carolina, my friends in Richmond, or travel to any barbecue centric part of this great nation, I'm going to make a point to do so.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm no barbecue expert. I realize that the cooking methods, rubs, marinades and sauces vary greatly across the country. I also know what tastes good and I have a fine appreciation for lovely pink smoke ring on a piece of beef brisket, so I suppose I know enough to tell you what's what.

Percy Street's interior was cute, plain and simple. I appreciated that. All you need when eating barbecue is paper towels (check) and cold beer (check...and it was served in a little mason jar so they tried to give you that Nanny's-type-feel). The beer selection was alright, though not nearly as large as I would have expected. And the menu was rather straight forward and authentic with very few unauthentic items.

Nick ordered the beef brisket. Percy Street is Texas style bbq so it was dry rubbed and cooked. They leave you to add whatever sauce you deem fitting. He also ordered the green been casserole and the collard greens. I ordered the PST which was a smoked pork belly sandwich with coleslaw and pickled green tomato. For sides I also ordered the collards and a white bean salad.

I wish I had ordered something else. Nick's beef was pretty close to perfect. Even in my crappy picture you can make out the all important pink smoke ring on the meat, which is a sure fire way to tell it was cooked properly. It was smokey, flavorful and tender as can be. My order, on the other hand, was a catastrophe.

I love pork belly. I love bbq pork sandwiches with coleslaw. I love pickled green tomatoes. I don't, however, love ruining a perfectly cooked piece of pork belly by putting all three together on a roll with lettuce. This sandwich just didn't work. I can't imagine that the executive chef actually tasted this concoction before he put it on the menu.

The pork was amazing on it's own!!! So tender. So smokey. So, so, so delicious! And paired with the coleslaw it was good as well. But that pickled green tomato ruined everything. They should have served it on the side like they so rightly did with the pickle and onion on their meat platters. The tomato was so acidic, so tart, so powerful, that it masked every other flavor in the sandwich. After my first or second bite I quickly removed it and enjoyed it on the side, where it should have been all along. But some of that flavor remained on the bun and it's ghost still haunted the sandwich. It was a crying shame. Oh, and nix the lettuce too while you're at it chef. I get that you were going for a blt-ish thing but it just didn't work.

As for the sides....I think they were decent. The collards could have used a bit more "fat". Nick and I both agreed that what we love most about collard greens is the silky way the fat from the ham hock (or pig knuckle, foot or whatever) coats your tongue. These collards were good but missing that extra bit of delightful tongue-coating-grease.

Nick's green bean casserole was good. He said they tried to take it up a step from the traditional mushroom soup based casserole of everyone's childhood and he appreciated that.

And my white bean salad was actually really, really refreshing. It was a cold salad with well cooked beans, apples and cabbage. I would order it again.

As I finish writing this post I'm torn. Nick and I will go back because in all honesty, both of our meats were cooked to absolute perfection. Creating that lovely pink smoke ring or cooking that oh-so-sexy piece of pork belly with care is no small feat. If they can just resist the urge to add too much to something that should be a simple type of cuisine, perhaps their popularity could bring a new wave of bbq to a city that sorely needs it.

P.S. I didn't mention a lot about the sauces because I feel they're a small part of bbq. The meat, in my opinion, should be good enough to stand alone. However, the sauces were quite good. Two thumbs up in that department