What is up lovers of all things culinary!
It is I, the Big one, the Sexy one, The Big Sexy! Back with some tidbits of food experiences and sharing things along the way. But first I must humbly apologize for the large gap, a combination of work, and a lack of seeing trying new things lately in my kitchen and out and about. But that is done. Seen a few things recently and enjoyed some other things as well, and revisited an old haunt which is now "Back in Rotation".
To kick things off with the search for some truly exceptional Meatloaf. Last year I experienced the truly magnificent meatloaf from the gang over at Selland's Market and Cafe, (http://www.sellands.com/ ) (Hi Pippi! No I haven't forgotten you...) and I later obtained the recipe and attempted to duplicate the genius in my kitchen. While I got close, it wasn't quite the same. So, I thought "Who else out there can produce a seriously satisfying meatloaf?". Only one way to find out: let's take it outside. I came up with a seriously un-scientific formula to see who out there can deliver the goods when it comes to meatloaf. So after much debate and research, I've narrowed it down to a list of 5 very lucky finalists. But who will it be? Which of the 5 will be the lucky 1? (Yes, I stole that from a movie...)
First up: Dad's Kitchen (http://www.ilovedadskitchen.com/ )
A couple of weeks ago I got a call from Jessica and she mentioned that she had seen something called the "Hot Blonde" sandwich at Dad's Kitchen and since they serve meatloaf, why not start there with the showdown. So we made our merry way over there and once we entered the facility several of the servers and wait staff said hello to me, nothing unusual about that, people just being polite. Jessica pointed out they were a little familiar with me like they had knew me, she asked if I had been there before and I said that I hadn't. One of the managers came by the table and mentioned that he had me before when he was working at The Kitchen Restaurant, (http://www.thekitchenrestaurant.com/) so that was why they were so familiar. That was cool, and so I told him of my search for some exceptional meatloaf, and that the search was starting at Dad's. Perusing the menu there was the meatloaf entree' or there was the meatloaf sandwich. Since I was feeling a little tired from a long workout I opted for the sandwich. Jessica decided on the Hot Blonde sandwich, but wanted Cheddar instead of Swiss on it. They flubbed it. It came out with Swiss. She was not pleased. Also not a good start... However when my sandwich arrived it was flawless! The meatloaf was a combination of beef, pork and veal with a ketchup glaze and severed on foccacia bread, with crispy onions and jack cheese, served open-faced style. The meatloaf was moist and tender, the combination of the veal and pork brought something new to the flavor, something familiar yet new at the same time. But the ketchup glaze was tad...blah. Not bad by any means, just boring and ....blah. That could be because I went for the sandwich and not the entree', but I'm not certain. But the sandwich was very tasty! A good start...
Next up: Evan's Kitchen (http://www.chefevan.com/)
This week I heard from Jessica again and she wanted to try out Evan's kitchen, so we met up over in the Antiques District and took a seat in Evan's Kitchen. We were greeted by our server for the evening, and his name coincidentally enough was Evan as well, but we avoided the easy jokes at his expense. I'm sure he's heard them all, and is probably no longer amused by them. I started off with an appetizer of the Parmesan Prawns. And according tor the menu they are "Prawns breaded with seasoned bread crumbs, fresh garlic and Parmesan cheese baked and served over Parmesan cream sauce." And I have got to give it up! They were magnificent! The prawns were delicate and nicely breaded and the sauce was perfection. Not too thick or thin, just right for coating the shrimp, it was great! When I next visit Evan's I will be seeking the recipe for this, it was that good. Next up was the meatloaf, and this time I went for the entree' and not any sandwich. This one came with Mushroom gravy and Sour Cream Mashed potatoes. This was what I was talkin about! Now I must confess that I am a sucker for Mushroom Gravy, and this one was outstanding! Nice and rich and creamy, and just all over the meatloaf and around the potatoes, it was incredible! As for the taste, because we all know the presentation is nothing without the taste to back it up, and I am happy say that Evan backed it up with a rich and tender meatloaf. This was great, and dare I say, in the class where the Selland's meatloaf is running around. It's that good. And I paired it with some wine from the Coppola vineyards, their Director's Cut Zinfandel. I'm not a big red wine fan, regardless of the meal, but this one? I might have to pay a visit to the winery for a case, it was excellent! And I'm not claiming to be any kind of wine expert at all. Once several years ago my buddy Erich and I were out having a guy's night out over some dinner, and when the choice for wine was presented to me I said "Ripple?" I of course got the look from Erich and the Wine Steward that said "Peasant..", and Erich selected a 1997 Silver Oak Cabernet. That was the best wine I ever tasted. Expensive too.. But now I know the differences in good wines and not-so-good wines, and this offering from Coppola is definitely one of the better wines I've had lately. But the meatloaf was clearly the star of the night. It was a generous slice, expertly prepared, moist and rich and probably would have been great on a sandwich the next day, but none of it made it to the next day...it was truly delicious. I have say that Evan's Kitchen is in the rotation of favorite places to dine out. If you're in the are, and you haven't already done so, give them a look, you will not be disappointed.
And as for places "back in the rotation", last Thursday Nicole and I met up after work and went over to Kru (http://www.krurestaurant.com/index.html) for the first time in several months..For those unfamiliar with them, Kru is one of the preeminent sushi places in the area. Chef-Owner Billy Ngo has always been creative in his presentation as well as his selection of fish that he serves. Anyone who thinks fish is fish is sorely mistaken. And Billy has one of the best suppliers in the region judging solely by the taste, because each bite simply melted in our mouths. We started with a couple pieces of Unagi (Eel), and Hamachi (Yellowtail Tuna). I always say that you can judge a sushi restaurant by their Unagi, if they get the Unagi right then everything will usually fall into place. And they got the Unagi right. Nicole and I looked at each other after that first bite, both of us just stunned at good it was. This was going to be a fun night! Nicole then order us the Tesla Roll, it was something neither of us had tried previously so she wanted to take a chance on something new. The roll featured soft-shelled crab, topped with avocado, Albacore tuna and Salmon, it also had a Garlic cream sauce and chives sprinkled over it. Then we went for the Panko-crusted Salmon served with Crab Remoulade, again something neither of us had tried previously, and again another winner! For the life of me I can't recall enjoying sushi this much, it was great! And before we left I pooped in to tell Billy how much we enjoyed dinner, we ate outside, and the first thing I hear was "Where you been man?" I had that coming, I hadn't been there in several months, but after this effort? Back in the rotation! In fact Billy also owns Red Lotus, but I haven't tried it yet, but if it's anything like what we experienced at Kru...Billy will have another winner on his hands.
One last thing, on facebook i recently mentioned that I was learning to grill. Well tomorrow morning I'm taking a cooking class at Waterboy Restaurant (thttp://www.waterboyrestaurant.com/ ) where the subject matter is all about cooking fish! Can't wait! I've always wanted to try and prepare lobster, but was afraid that if I goof then I'm out a nice chunk of money. Lobster is not cheap, thus I need training before I take it on. The class sounds like fun, so I'll try get some photos and post them with the results in the next installment. Plus my thoughts on what I learned about grilling as well.
Until then troops...
Big Sexy
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