What I Ate This Week

So this post might not much resemble the 29 before them, but this is just the way it is.  I had the most amazing and chaotic weekend in Paris, with my friend Damon.  This isn’t a diary so I won’t go into much of the details, but a few months ago we decided we wanted to take a trip together… and why not!  We made the somewhat hasty decision to do so on Memorial Day weekend (the extra day off makes all the difference) and we were able to find some (relatively) cheap fares to Paris.  So… that’s where I’ve been since Thursday!  (Got back late last night and still recovering!)

I can see so many restaurants from here...

So… I know this won’t be helpful for anyone trying to get a read on Cincinnati cuisine, this post is for me.  You’re welcome to come along on the trip and discover (or re-discover!) the kind of style and substance we lost with Pigall’s, if you like.  Say what you will… but I ate amazingly this weekend.  Rather than do my standard 3-pages-to-a-meal discourse (not a good thing if I want to sleep tonight), I’ll just run the highlights, meal by meal.  With photos, of course!  And I will note all of the strange animal parts I’ve eaten, whether on purpose or by accident.

#1:  Friday Lunch at A La Place St. Georges

A calm beginning

Scenario:  Just arrived at the hotel.  Exhausted.  Hungry.  Willing to walk 2 blocks.

The Meal:  Sandwich de saucisson (salami), with butter.

And we're off...

How Was It?  Super.  Nice baguette, really tasty meat, fresh butter.  When will we learn that a sandwich needn’t be complicated?!  With a nice big beer, I felt welcomed indeed!

#2:  Friday Snack– Crepes Beneath the Eiffel Tower

Sucree! Sucree!

Scenario:  Conquered the Eiffel Tower on foot, proud, and snacky.  I remembered a little crepe place across the street…

The Meal:  One crepe chocolate noisette

Objet d'art

How Was It?  Excellent!  Crepe of the trip, for sure.  The crepe was super light and thin, and the chocolate was rich and interesting.  A great reward for scaling the tower!

#3:  Dinner at Chez Denise

Just enough knowledge to be dangereux...

Scenario:  Late (11pm) dinner after a long day of flying and sightseeing.  I had heard about this place where many other cooks and others in the service industry go after taking care of all of the tourists.  So we found a cab that knew where he was going and joined in the boisterous fun!

The Appetizers:  Escargot (in garlic butter) and the house duck foie gras

Hello France!

Main Courses:  Haddock in Beurre Blanc, Rognons (kidneys) of Veal, Frites

butter shock

So THAT's what rognons are!

How Was It?  These guys DEFINITELY know what they are doing, and this is clearly not a health food restaurant.  The food was stunning– the fish caused Damon and I to go into a state of suspended animation, where we would silently stare at the plate, and stare at each other.  The butter… my god.  No restraint shown, none needed.  God DAMN.  It was delicate, powerful and lovely.  The veal was also quite good, though unexpected.  We wanted veal and I had only a vague notion of rognons… not exactly sure what it was to be, but we went for it anyway.  They were a little tough– kind of like an undercooked mushroom, but had a really wonderful earthy flavor.  And they filled you up!  The fries were solid, pillowy, almost creamy.  Nice balance.

Dessert:  Baba au Rhum

With creme chantilly!

How Was It?  Strong, but good.  Damon loved it, I thought it was decent, but rum cake isn’t always my thing.  Wonderful whipped cream, almost certainly handmade.  And the rum didn’t hurt! 

#4:  Lunch at Fauchon

Foodie festival

Scenario:  No breakfast this morning… let’s just say we were out late.  On the way to some sightseeing at the Louvre/Tuileries, we stopped at Place Madeleine, a food-lovers Disney World, with key shops by Hediard, Fauchon (both upscale groceries), Maille (mustard), and Laduree (sweets) among other.  Rather than sit at an overpriced cafe, we stopped in Fauchon and headed to their lunch counter to get something fresh!

The Meal:  Cured Ham Sandwich with Pesto, Cheese Platter

Grocery stores never tasted so good...

How Was It?  Delicious and very economical!  For a fraction of a cost of a cafe, we got really, really fresh baguettes, high quality ingredients, and service on the outdoor patio on Place Madeleine.  The pesto was especially flavorful and obviously fresh.  The cheeses reaffirmed my faith in the soft cheese, something I haven’t found a love for in the US.  Inspiration!

Dessert:  Macarons (assortment) from Laduree, up the block

Sweet tooth corner

The most colorful thing you've ever eaten...

How Were They:  Bright and bold.  For my money, Laduree has always made France’s best macarons.  They are a sweet cake sandwich, filled with bold bold flavors.  My favorite was the dark chocolate, followed by the raspberry.  A close third was an impressive and dynamic mango ginger– WOW!

#5:  Another Late Dinner at Chez L’Ami Jean

Cutest neighborhood bistro... EVER

Scenario:  Out later than expected walking from the Louvre, through the Tuileries, down the Champs-Elysees, to the Arc de Triomphe, and around the neighborhood.  I remembered this recommendation from folks who remembered it was open on weekends (it was Saturday) and open late (it was again 11pm).  So we went… and thank GOD we did.  It was open and still humming.  We put ourselves in the hands of our server, who was happy to please!

The Appetizer:  Fresh Asparagus Salad

Color is nice... flavor is better...

How Was It?  Incredible… so clearly the best asparagus I’ve ever had.  Not sure how they prepared it, but it was sliced thin on the bias, lightly sauteed, with aged Parmesan on top.  Stunning and balanced.

The Meal:  Veal “Casserole”

I want a Crock Pot... and a French culinary education...

How Was It:  The server wholeheartedly recommeded it, and thank god for him and this meal, easily one of the best in my recent memory. It came out in a Le Creuset pot, and out came these huge delicious steaks of veal (bigger, meatier, and tastier than I had ever enjoyed), root vegetables, boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes (from a separate pot) and a shank bone with marrow.  I just don’t know what to say… it was perfect.  The meat was delicate without being recessive, the veal stock brightened things considerably, and both kinds of potatoes were transcendent.  The mashed potatoes were so good we asked for more even though we were full.  I’m also pleased to say I’ve got good things to say about the marrow, which had a very nice mouthcoat… I enjoyed it on the bread most of all.  Bravo!

The Dessert:  Cherry Tarte

Oh, quenelles...

How Was It:  Phenomenal.  I felt really guilty ordering it, but I’ll be damned, it was warm, bright, and lovely.  The creme fraiche (perfectly quenelled, even in an informal bistro!) and the carmelized sugar added depth and texture.  Spirits at an all time high.  Never need to eat again.  But oh, we did…

#6:  The Two-Star Lunch at Le Cinq

Yes, it's time for the big meal

Scenario:  Last full day in Paris!  Got up the nerve to call a fancy (two-star Michelin fancy) restaurant that was open for Sunday lunch, a rarity.  We put on our finest, most stylin’ duds and headed down to Le Cinq.  We were happy to find an 85 Euro prix fixe lunch (especially happy to note the cheapest a la carte appetizers from same menu were 90, and the meals only went up from there…).  This place is REFINED! 

Use your inside voice...

The menu was breathtaking in its own:

Good thing I've got 3 hours to spare...

First Course:  Shrimp and Octopus Fritters

But we're not in the Caribbean...

How Was It:  Really nice and light.  I’ll admit that this first amuse isn’t what I expected from a fine French kitchen, but this is a modern restaurant and it showed.  Playful use of frying, fritters nicely seasoned, and thankfully not too greasy.  An appetizing start, exactly as intended!

Second Course:  Three Bites– Octopus, Chard, and Gazpacho

Three most surprising bites

How Was It?  Three bites that were interesting and tempting in their own way.  The octopus was cooked very nicely and surprised me with its depth of flavor– but the bite was there and gone, like a long look from someone at the bar.  When I turned around to study further, it was gone!  The chard was in a little puff-pastry kind of contraption and it sealed in pungent flavor and natural juices.  Tart, surprising, and wakening.  The gazpacho was my least favorite, but for a very good reason– the tomatoes were REALLY fresh.  An inferior gazpacho will have uninteresting tomatoes that recede… but not here.  Wow!  The avocado mousse was nicely done and I needed it to counteract the appropriately strong tomato flavor.

Course Three:  Oysters “Gillardeau” (“cream and tip of green asparagus, sea-scented froth with sesame”)

No Shell Games

How Was It?  One of the more interesting and amazing oyster dishes I can remember.  They were served whole, off the shell, and cooked in asparagus cream broth.  Earthy meets earthy!  This had a soul-satisfying background flavor to it, and the asparagus tips provided appropriate texture. The sea foam was cute, and as I don’t have foams with my meals usually it was nice to see it done (though it didn’t add much flavor).  As the first dish I had actually ordered (the first two were amuses), I was very pleased with my selection!

Course Four:  Crisp Sweetbreads with Dubin Bay Prawns (“saffron pistil risotto”)

Life of the party

How Was It?  Dish of the trip.  The risotto was packed with saffron punch and was (I gleefully noted) not overcooked to the point of mush.  It was harmonious without totally bending under the pressure.  The sweetbreads were the star of the show, easily outpacing the (already very good) ones I had in February in Miami.  These were the bomb, tender, nicely seared, and giving to the palate.  Yum.  Even the artichokes (which I hate) on the plate were exceptional.  Let’s just say I ate this plate very, very slowly…

Course Five:  An Intermezzo with Yogurt and Tropical Fruit

A little goes a long way

How Was It?  Lovely.  Simple.  Setting up the sweet.

Course Six:  Maracuja Souffle (“crunchy and fondate gianduja chocolate, passion-Malibu sorbet”)

A spring break hallucination?

How Was It?  Incredible, and WAY better than I thought it would be.  The souffle was just perfectly cooked, with some melted dark chocolate inside, artfully positioned and stunning to the mouth after tasting the custard.  It was hot (of course) and sweet and pleasing.  Alongside it was a lovely fresh passionfruit sorbet– with a pleasant bite– topped with, yes, a granita made from Malibu coconut rum.  Eh?  Guess what, folks… it worked.  Surprising to taste, a lovely complement to the passionfruit.  One of those courses where you agonize about what bite you were going to eat next!

Finally, Course Seven:  Mixed Desserts from the Cart

Petit Fin

How Was It?  Well, it was just about time to go, when they wheeled over the monster cart of desserts.  I immediately picked the eclair and the “opera” (Opera cream cake).  The eclair, which I chose because of my baking class, I will admit was a little bit better than mine.  Maybe a lot better.  But the star was the Opera, which melted away like the most pleasant memory you ever had.  That it was topped with gold leaf allowed me to check that decadent “must eat” thing off of my list, but the flavor was all chocolate cream. Amazing.

Thanks, Cinq, for making haute cuisine accessible to the rest of us.  WHAT. A. MEAL.

#7:  Dinner at Au Pied De Cochon

Hard to find piggy place

Scenario:  Last night in Paris!  After another long day of sightseeing (Notre Dame, Ile de la Cite, Latin Quarter, Montmartre) we found ourselves running really late for dinner… like almost midnight, late. No better time than one of Paris’ own 24 hour legends… Au Pied de Cochon (“At the Foot of the Pig”) in Les Halles.  It was a leisurely service, but we had plenty of time.  And consistent with the theme of the place, I started with some pig…

The Appetizer:  The “Pig Platter”

"Right, Lisa..."

How Was It?  Symbolically perfect, culinarily excellent.  This ode to pigdom included:  black-pepper salami (perhaps the best I’ve had, certainly the best in a long time, with a smoky-peppery flavor), a milder-cured version of serrano ham (flavorful without being too bold), a pork terrine (a first for me, and in my opinion far superior in flavor to the foie I’ve had here), and a fresh pork sausage (almost German in nature).  It went phenomenally well with the baby dill pickles and grilled French bread.  So many piggy items, and so so good.

The Main:  Steak Tartare with Frites

Close your eyes...

How Was It?  I’ll admit, this last course in Paris was a way to make up for lost time.  My first time in this city, some 10 years ago, I saw a Frenchman order it and I was intimidated and scared.  I was the kid that ordered everything medium-well, because that’s what you do!  In the intervening decade, I and my palate have done some growing up and this time I wanted to go for it, and I’m glad I did.  It was delicious!  The texture was a little funny, as I was imagining what I was eating, but the flavor was unyielding and bold.  Horseradish sat alongside garlic, black pepper, and perhaps a little worcestershire to make a jump-up statement.  This wasn’t just raw beef… this was a dish onto itself.  The fries were a welcome texture and heat balance, but overall I was quite happy.  Less so Damon who (with my “help”) inadvertantly ordered a very fatty pig’s leg.  Oops.

#8:  One last one for the road… and this one a Breakfast at the neighborhood bakery

The last stop

Scenario:  Headed home, via 3 trains and two planes.  Just enough time to sneak down to a corner bakery I’ve eyed three times after waking up just in time for a late lunch.  But today, I get breakfast.

The Meal:  Croissant, Chocolatine (aka Pain au Chocolat), Tarte Tatin

Now that's a meal service

How Was It?  It was the way to go.  I have fond memories of all of these things, and they all delivered.  The tarte was probably a winner among winners here.  It made the half-hour train ride to the airport almost seem short.  Thanks, pastries.  You’ve added a few pounds to my frame… but oh how it is worth it.

Honorable Mention #9 goes to Air France who served the most amazing airline dish I’ve ever had.  It was a lamb tajine, with zucchini, chick peas, carrots, and a spicy lamb sauce.  WOW!

That’s it.  I know… probably not much fun to read, sorry.  It was fun to live, though, I’ll tell you that.  We did LOTS more than eat, and I’m eternally grateful for the weekend and the time together.  But at least a little corner of the trip will be remembered through these notes.  Thanks for the indulgences.  Next week, I’ll eating in the Midwest again… fear not!

Best Happy Hour:  McCormick’s & Schmicks?

Sure, you know it.  The national seafood chain, known for above average (though not exceptional) seafood.  Did you know they have a kickass happy hour?  This is a stimulus package worth getting excited about.  The drinks aren’t that deeply discounted (although they do have $4 wines and some discounted beers)– it’s the food that’s worth talking about.  They’ve got apps from 2 dollars and pretty much everything’s under five.  This week after work, I enjoyed a $2.95 half-pound burger with fries and a $4 Dos Equis amber.

$7 of "Not Bad!"

The burger was out quickly, served alongside a reasonable size side of fries.  (Say that 5 times fast.)  I expected the burger to be filling but not very good.  I ordered it medium-rare with a little bit of trepidation, given that I was at a seafood restaurant.  I needn’t have worried, it came out a complete medium– more done than I like but not bad.  What’s interesting about this burger is that it’s maybe the beefiest-tasting I’ve had in town.  It’s hard to describe– the meat was of fine quality, cooked well, but for some reason it just had a really nice bold beefy flavor to the meat.  Quite pleasant!  Certainly not the burger experience to top all, but for $3 and a chance to sit outside on a nice day, it was more than adequate.  I tried some of the calamari at the table, and as you’d expect, it was also really good (and a steal at $3.95).  Overall, this is an EXCELLENT happy hour.  Is it the best?

Best Spring Festival:  Maifest?

Welcome back to pork, beer, and the realization that people DO wear this stuff out in public...

So this weekend is Maifest, Covington KY’s salute to spring (spring wines, specifically).  It’s the first big outdoor spring festival in the tri-state, and it’s got all the hallmarks of a Cincinnati festival:  beer of all types (thankfully to include Christian Moerlein!), pork sausages with sauerkraut, unfortunately not-very-good live music, and a whole lot of “WHAT are they wearing?!”  Maifest, being (even if just nominally) in Kentucky brings a special type of trashy apparel.  Thankfully, even at Maifest, it gets dark eventually.

Maifest has thankfully far fewer chain restaurants than it’s overgrown brother Taste of Cincinnati, which is next weekend.  It allows you to really have a taste of some local places, although admittedly, there are still a lot of places at this festival that I think are concessionaires that only exist at festivals like this.  But they’re easy enough to avoid.  I had a few interesting things, but BY FAR my favorite and delightful surprise was that Eckerlin Meats was there!

Sorry, guy... you were in my shot.

Eckerlin, for those that haven’t experienced them, is an amazing meat purveyor down at Findlay Market.  As with at the market, they’ve got nice sirloin burgers alongside other delicacies.  I enjoyed two specific and delectable items:  the Who Dey sausage and a cup of Hungarian goulash:

Good and gooder

The goulash was nice… a little thin (not surprising at a festival) but the flavor was bold, and the beef and broth were both excellent.  A hearty portion and delicious.  The Who Dey sausage was a pork sausage that (I think) had onions and peppers in it.  A little overgrilled and I think they were using jarred sauerkraut, but the flavor was nice.

Other indulgences included some delicious mettwursts and bratwursts from Wertheim’s (as close as there is to a “hosting” restaurant for Maifest):

Maifest's grand dame...

And they were delicious:

I know, I'll never be an arm model

While the “Cincinnati-style brat” isn’t my favorite, it’s a nice change-up.  I far prefer the zestier, fresher mett.  (Now a Michigan- or Wisconsin-style fresh brat, that’s a different story.)  These were very nice.  Not pictured were nice standbys:  a potato pancake from Izzy’s, and some goetta (also from Wertheim’s).

Overall, a delightful and delicious festival.  If that alone wasn’t reason enough to hit the gym, there was a nightcap…

Best Ice Cream:  Aglemesis Brothers?

Cincinnati's greatest food debate?

I know.  I’m not getting into it.  The Cincinnati Ice Cream Debate has raged for years.  Greater’s is the bigger, brasher, attention-craving older sibling, while Aglamesis is the less-discussed, happy-to-be-what-they-are younger one.  I’ll say it:  I love both.  I happen to think Graeter’s makes a richer ice cream (neither good nor bad) but that Aglamesis is actually a touch more creative with the flavors you actually want to try.  Blasphemy, I know.  Both excellent.  On this night, we topped it off with a Dutch Chocolate Sundae.

Classy classic

This sundae is made with the basic, but very nice, vanilla ice cream and topped with a chocolate whipped cream that is made (well, combined) before your eyes.  Topped with nuts and a perfectly nice sweet treat.  I think most of you have, but if you love Cincinnati eating and haven’t been to Aglamesis Brothers, you’ve still got a stop left on your tour.  Love Greaters more if you want, but you don’t have credibility until you’ve tried both!

Best Breakfast:  Sugar & Spice?

...is everything nice (about breakfast)

Cincinnati is an interesting study in contrasts.  It’s northern and southern, eastern and western.  It’s city and country, sophisticated and embarrassing.  And it’s both black and white (among many other things).  But these dichotemies don’t always mix very well, very neatly, or very often.  In fact, these differences (most notably race) exist in pockets.  Right next to each other, yes– my neighborhood is very diverse, but it’s street by street, not house by house.

Comfortable

But Sugar and Spice is different.  It’s, well, everybody’s place.  Situated on Reading Road near Bond Hill, it’s a working class neighborhood and for decades Sugar and Spice has stood providing breakfast and lunch to all who would enter.  And though this week’s post is about debates, this one’s a hands-down no-brainer:  Sugar and Spice is the best overall breakfast experience in Cincinnati.  It’s comfortable from the moment you come inside, the food is deservedly the top draw, and the servers are a close second.  Everyone at Sugar and Spice is in a good mood, seemingly all the time.  I’m always happy here, even when I’m waiting for my food.  Oh, and the wait is almost always worth it…

Now that's breakfast!

And as for this morning’s food, the star was a very nice corned beed hash– pressed and browned very nicely.  It’s the first time I’ve had it here, and I’m glad I did– the eggs were perfectly poached and the hash was just crunchy on the edges for the browning.  It wasn’t as rustic as I like– I even worry this one might have come in frozen though it’s certainly not like them!– but the flavor was just fine.  The ragged English muffin was a nice contrast (came in handy for that poached egg!), and the goetta was perfectly browned.  Between last night’s dinner and this morning’s breakfast, though, I’ve eaten far too much “browned” food.  I need to find some green!

So folks, that’s this week’s study in contrasts.  So what do you think?  Do Sugar and Spice, McCormick’s & Schmicks, Aglamesis Brothers, and Maifest deserve the nod?  Who gets YOUR awards?

Next week will be a little helter skelter, by the way… so if you’re one of the zero people that counts on a Sunday update of the site, don’t count on it.  I’m actually planning a fun trip this weekend (only just decided on Thursday!) and I probably won’t be back ’till Monday.  So hang tight!  And have a great week…

Is there anything better than a spring day at home?  I think not!  I hope everyone is enjoying a Sunday as beautiful as the one here.  SO NICE.

Home and happy to be so.  Immediately after getting home back on Monday, I was on a plane to Chicago for 48 hours.  Intent on finding something healthy to eat (after 4 days of gluttony), I only partially succeeded.  But by last night, I was ready for something just a touch more refined.  So we went to NuVo in Newport.

Simpler is Better:  Dinner at NuVo (Newport, KY)

KY's Hot Spot

NuVo is all the rage these days, thanks to a “Best New Restaurant” nod from Cincinnati magazine, just about the only “respected” dining reviewing here in town.  (Interesting how uncontested they are, eh?)  Previous accolades for places like Hugo and Nada went a long way to ensuring success for those places, and NuVo should be about the same!  This place used to be in Florence and set about quietly making a reputation for themselves as an avant-garde home of the unexpected.  Going for “deceptively inventive” while still short of molecular gastronemetry, the place built a quiet legion of fans and saw an opportunity to move into a cute little storefront on York Street, just a couple of blocks from the chaos that is Newport on the Levee.

As I understand it, one of the founders– perhaps the more eccentric one?– has moved on to greener pastures and NuVo carries on in his stead in the heart of the action.  My first impression was:  “this place is tiny!”  Very comfortable, an easy and direct view of the small kitchen from every table in the main room, but yet not cramped at all.  They’ve done a nice job with a small space– almost like innumerable places in Manhattan that are small, know it, and don’t let it define them by cramming in too many tables.  (Sometimes a place gets way too fixated on the number of diners you can fit in a place– lowering the happiness level of everyone!  NuVo is safe from this risk.)

Similarly, the menu does not get carried away.  The length and breadth of the menu clearly say:  we know what we are doing.  Let us make the choices for you.  7 starters, 6 entrees.  Know what?  I’d have chosen any of these delectable 13… they all looked amazing!

Simple. Is. Good.

I will admit this freely– I knew what I was going to order before I sat down.  Literally.  (The menu was so easy to read, that while the other diners in our party were seated, I glanced down, saw the nouns, and just knew.)

My starter choice was chosen because of the description.  How could I not order the “Chorizo and hedge hog mushroom cupcakes, red pepper goat cheese mousse”?  One of those things that one MUST order, an imperative of the highest order.  Why?  Because it’s something you’re never likely to hear again.  This was the “more than meets the eye” approach the restaurant was initially (and still largely) known for.  And the visual appeal delivered when a pair of these babies hit my plate:

More than meets the eye, but a little less for the tastebuds...

It’s a cupcake, no?  Extremely inventive, to be sure.  The flavor… not quite so much.  It was served cool, and was extremely dense.  The sad part is, the cupcake itself had very little flavor– it tasted of… dense.  It was almost breadlike, and both the chorizo and the hedgehog (assuming they were in there!) were lost in the fray.  The saving grace of this dish was the cheese mousse, which had all the appearance and texture of frosting but had the bold bright flavors of both the goat cheese and the concentrated hit of red pepper.  Really nice.  But I think the chefs might have outsmarted themselves a bit overall on this.

While we were waiting for our apps, Jayson and I decided that there was another appetizer that looked great.  We both secretly hoped the other would order it, but we both went a different way– me with the cupcake, and Jayson with some amazing rare-seared ahi tuna with the most fennelistic slaw I’ve ever had.  Instead, we decided to get this one more app for us to split:  tamarind barbecued glazed shrimp with mango lime spiced risotto cake.

Simpler is better: sweet heat on that shrimp!

This was bang-on delicious.  The shrimp were tender and perfectly cooked, and the tamarind “barbecue sauce” was sticky sweet but with just enough heat to arch your eyebrows.  The kind of dish that makes you want to slice this shrimp as small as possible to maximize the number of times you get to take a bite!  The risotto cake was a nice touch, with a bit of crunch on the outside– I like when a chef is patient enough to develop some crunch!  This was a beautiful, yet simple, appetizer.

As for the main course, the men ordered the manliest dish on the menu:  “bison au poivre, zucchini, asaparagus and strawberry beurre rouge.”  I ordered mine medium rare, and the dish was, for me, the clearest highlight of the evening.

FLAVOR!

Bison, such a lean red meat, is tough to cook just right.  I found mine to be texured a touch closer to a medium steak than medium-rare, but that’s partially because the meat wasn’t very marbled, which naturally toughens the steak just a bit.  But at medium-rare, the balance was about right.  The flavor was awesome… it’s about time someplace in Cincinnati learned that “Au poivre” means you should not go lightly with the pepper.  This tasted boldly of black peppercorn and created a perfect– yes, perfect– balance with the bison.  RIGHT ON.  Another “cut it into small pieces” kind of dish.  It was accompanied by a couple slender stalks of white asparagus (nicely done) and some stuffed zucchini.  Yes, they cut a zucchini lengthwise in half, hollowed it out, and filled it with a strawbery butter reduction.  The flavors did not come off quite as subtly as you might expect, but it fused together to be a nice textural and flavor complement to the steak.  The portion sizes were perfect and left me quite satisified.

In case you are wondering, elsewhere at the table there were very strong reviews of the trout with carrot couscous, the scallops with green tea noodles, and the roasted chicken.  (I had a bit of the trout and concur– it was very delicate and nice.)

The service was amazing and friendly, the wine list was short on bottles but long on flavor, and the ambiance was simply lovely.  If the newfound popularity is going to the heads of the folks at NuVo, it REALLY doesn’t show.  This was an amazing experience, and for the quality, it was a steal!  We each walked out of there with two or three courses, and half a bottle of wine, and the total was only about $50 per person.  A steal!  I am thankful that NuVo has discovered balance between dishes that are cute and surprising (but sacrifice on flavor) and on simple, bold dishes with local sourcing.  (Apparently the farmer that raised the bison was a couple tables away from us… to them, I say THANK YOU.)  Sometimes, simple ingredients prepared simply (but boldly) is the only combination you need!

I’ll be going back soon for their all you can eat (!) tapas on Wednesdays for $20 (with $4 glasses of wine).  Everyone should go to this place as soon as you can… just leave me a table free, ok?

P.S., Chicago can be a hard place to eat healthy when you’re addicted

For what it’s worth, my trip to Chicago wasn’t the healthy reprieve I needed.  This is because we had limited time, I was there with co-workers, and I am a weak weak person.  I had several very healthy dishes (including a Thai chicken salad at Harry Caray’s that was awesome) but also did end up with a deep dish pizza (from Gino’s), an italian beef (from Giordano’s), and a jumbo char-dog, Chicago style (from Gold Coast).  Oops!  That italian beef will ruin me.  I post a photo here in testimony to my embarassment for my weakness.  But damn if that isn’t good.

Damn you...

As I do my repentence, I wish you all a delicious week…

Well, I’m home.  On a Monday night that feels like a Sunday.  But it’s nice to be here, finally full from all the food.  Let’s get to it, because if I’m not careful, this thing is going to turn into a diary!

Sunday Lunch @ Corky’s (Memphis)

One last meal in rainy Memphis, and it’s Chris’ favorite– Corky’s. 

Suburban barbeque haven

Corky’s is bigtime Memphis– they’ve spread the gospel of Memphis-style barbeque around the south (and as close to us in the Midwest as Louisville).  Don’t hate them because they are a chain… they became a chain because they are good at what they do.  What they do… is barbeque.  (Could that be a jingle?)

Because I seem to inadvertantly found myself sampling both ribs and pulled/chopped pork everywhere this year, I ordered the “ribs and pork killer combo.”  Chris and I have been coming to Memphis for 5 years and we’ve come to Corky’s every time– Chris is extremely partial to their ribs, which are served dry or wet, with their not-spicy rub.  Here’s how they look (alongside some fixin’s, and my blue jeans):

Corky's: The best barbeque outside of Memphis

The bones are big and meaty.  They are cooked to a much higher point of tenderness than most other Memphis places, meaning the meat nearly (though not exactly) falls off of the bone.  The sauce is sweet, the meat and rub are mild, and the sides are pretty traditional– fries, slaw, beans.  The flavor is just fine, good even.  But after so many meals this weekend, nothing really stands out.  In fact, this place reminds me of, and is very similar to, Famous Dave’s BBQ (sorry, Chris!), another place that deservedly earned its reputation and chain-hood based on strong food and flavor.  But both Famous Dave’s and Corky’s, in my opinion, might have fallen a little prey to “serve the masses.”  Nothing is bold or exceptionally flavorful, but it is fair to note that it’s all prepared well.  If I weren’t in Memphis, to be honest, I’d be SO happy with this place.  But I could have been eating at the BBQ Shop!  Maybe next year.   Anyway, it was a perfectly fine way to end our Memphis dining, and got us on the road to Nashville.  Speaking of…

Real Soul Food at Swett’s (Nashville)

One last stop before turning for Cincinnati.  Sunday night is not exactly prime dining time in Nashville.  Sure, the tourists are out, and if you cruised down Broadway or Second, you’d find plenty of places serving.  But out in the outlying neighborhoods, things close early.  Chris and I had designs on trying some “hot chicken,” a true local classic cuisine.  (Hot chicken is fried chicken infused with spices, very moist and juicy.  Some fanatics at http://www.nashvillehotchicken.com might tell you more!)  Alas, all of the big purveyors of this style– especially Prince’s and Bolton’s, generally regarded to be the best in town– were shut on Sunday altogether.  But we wanted soul food anyway.  We lucked out in that it appears one stalwart of the Nashville soul food scene was open on Sundays (until 8pm, anyway)– Swett’s.

Good for the soul

Swett’s is a variation on Nashville’s famous “meat-and-three” restaurants (known largely for lunches where you order, yes, a meat and three southern side dishes), done cafeteria-style.  So we grabbed our trays, and talked with the servers.  Amazing, awesome, sweet people there.  Chris got the fried chicken, and I contemplated doing the same, but the server enthusiastically told me I should get the country fried steak if I wasn’t sure.  I almost always go with the excited server showing the “new guy” the ropes.  So I ordered a heavily-sauced country fried steak with some fried okra, turnip greens, and sweet tea.  And it looked about like you might expect– delicious:

Southern comfort

The meat was a little bland (it is salisbury steak-style, after all) although the gravy was nice and rich.  The greens were nice and naturally a bit spicy with little bits of pig fat interspersed to keep things lively (most assuredly NOT vegetarian!).  But the star of the show was the okra, fried crisp and delicious.  Really excellent.  Also, the fried cornbread was a nice touch.

But I’ll be honest, by the time I was 2 bites into the (excellent and appropriately recommended) strawberry shortcake, my body finally snapped.  It had had enough of an assault over the past few days.  I could eat no more.  I was full.  Done.  Kaput.  Nearly unable to walk– just trying to contain the rebellion my body was throwing.  So I put my fork down and headed downtown, to NOT eat.

Post-script:  An uneven experience at Terry’s

By today, my body wasn’t having any of it.  Hotel continental breakfast led to a lunch stop at Cracker Barrel, where I ordered– yes– a garden salad.  And only a garden salad.  12 bites of vegetables and that was all I needed.  However… Chris (who is from Michigan) had never been to Terry’s before, and we had made plans to try the place– for him, of course– so we kept them.  It was Monday at 6pm, and the place was slammed.  I guess a little good press (thanks, Food Network…) is having an effect of totally overloading the place. 

I’ve read a lot of reviews of Terry’s, and anyone here who hasn’t read my previous reviews can do so– I won’t reprise them here.  About 70% of the press is totally positive and usually food-driven.  The other 30% are negative– about half of them vehmently so, the other half a bit more ambivalent.  The most common critiques are “burger is average” and “not worth the ridiculous waits or terrible service” (neither which I had I experienced).  After tonight, I kind of understand where these folks are coming from.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s still top of the pops in my book, but if this were my first visit (as it was Chris’), I’m not sure I’d be hurrying back.

Service was indeed slow.  Two servers for the whole place, and one of them was also playing the role of hostess.  We put in our order at the same time as the table next to us.  And waited.  For 40 minutes.  In the intervening time, the table next to us (who also ordered two burgers, just like us) got their order and drinks, finished it, paid, and left.  New patrons showed up and ordered.  We waited.  No update at all from our server, and when she asked, we were simply told that we weren’t on the “next grill run” but on the one after that.  As with many small places, they go in batches, and just as when boarding a ride at the amusement park, at some point some people will get on the first car and the others wait until the next.  But let’s be honest… we were off by far more than one run.  I do really suspect that our ticket got waylaid somewhere until we asked about it.  But our server was not knowledgeable, and didn’t seem to want to check.  Once she did, and she delivered the reason noted above, she responded very defensively about my line of inquiry.  She frankly stormed off– I’ll admit that I wasn’t happy, but I was far from rude.  Too bad, as it soured quite an experience.  Just before the burgers finally made their way to us, a beer landed in front of me with a terse, “on the house.”  I would rather have had an apology than a beer, but ultimately (a few minutes later), I had both.

I understand busy– this place was not ready for a Monday afternoon crush like they had.  I totally get it.  I also understand that folks who come to a place like this need to be prepared to wait for the food and for the experience.  But there really isn’t an excuse for being surly to your customers (even if I was ruder than I was!).  But I’ve seen both sides of the experience, and it was excellent, and I’ll be back.

For what it’s worth, I ordered my burger with the mango curry sauce, and it was amazing and lovely.  A delicate sauce that really did transport me to another place.  Perfectly cooked, nicely sauced, and excellent.  Enough to almost get me to forget the hour previous.

Anyway, I say all this to simply note that I understand what the naysayers are saying.  My tip is to come for the first time on off hours (later is better and see the place in its homespun glory!

That wraps my book report from a very busy weekend.  I don’t know if I’ll have anything to review from this week because I don’t think I need to eat between now and next week.  At a minimum, I should just be eating vegetables.  Anyone know any AMAZING and healthy vegetable-based mains in Cincinnati?  THAT’s what I need!

See ya soon…

When lunchtime arrived, we made our way down the street to another institution of Memphis BBQ—“Central.”

A Comfortable Lunch at Central BBQ

Worth waiting in the rain for!

We first visited Central last year—that year, we tried two new places, the other being Neely’s Interstate BBQ.  Folks, don’t believe the hype—Interstate, in my opinion, does NOT deserve the title of Memphis BBQ Restaurant.  The service was bad, the wait time was near to forever, the staff was pretentious, and the food was unremarkable.  But Central is a different story!

Stained glass signifies a near-religious experience...

This is the kind of place that just feels COMFORTABLE,  From the moment you step inside, you know you’re eating real food prepared right.  Lots of internal debate for me as I waited in line to order, but I ultimately went against a third straight ribs experience, going instead for a jumbo pork sandwich with greens, potato salad, and BBQ chips.  Chris, of course, went for his third straight “full slab.”

Too many? Just serve your best one!

Ultimately, this is what arrived on my plate:

Salivate now...

Being my third “pulled pork” of the trip, I will say that I’m getting picky!  This stuff was quite nice, but was a little drier than I remember.  We’re splitting hairs here, since all three were WAY beyond what I’m used to in Cincinnati, or anywhere else (outside of North Carolina).  The bun was unremarkable but sturdy, and it held up to a mountain of meat. 

For me, Central sets itself apart by the small things—Memphis’ best cole slaw atop the sandwich (crunchy, colorful, and vibrant-tasting), incredible greens on the side, and some really nice sweet tea, which they express as a life philosophy:

Sweet = Smiles

Chris’ pile of ribs was so high, I was able to weasel him into giving me one, and it was definitely different than last year’s.  They were certainly cooked well—had a bite on the bone.  There really wasn’t much “dry rub” to speak of on the top—the flavor was all about the rib.  These were really interesting in that they had the most AMAZING smoke flavor—really concentrated and strong.  I’ve never had such a strong smoke flavor on the rib before—really nice!

As a result, I’ve created the perfect Memphis rib:

• Cooked PERFECTLY like at Cozy Corner,
• A nice smoky flavor like at Central,
• Spicy dry rub like at Rendezvous,
• And with a little zesty sauce on the side—either Cozy’s or Rendezvous’ would do fine.

On the side?  Cozy Corner beans, Central’s greens, and (yes, I hate to admit it) Famous Dave’s fries.  Some Cozy Corner sweet tea on the side.  Yes, folks… that is my death row meal.

Dinner at Huey’s

The afternoon was filled with rain and amazing music by the likes of Susan Tedeschi (blues), Los Lobos, and Elvis Costello.  Want proof?

Elvis was in the building... well, it was more like a tent

After it all, we were game to dry out and take a short respite from BBQ—so the natural stop (within walking distance, no less!) was Huey’s.

Respite, beef-style

Huey’s is a bar & grill mini-chain institution in Memphis.  And to be honest, it’s EXACTLY the kind of place I would be at all the time if I lived here.  Good for my soul, but bad for my heart—oh, the cholesterol!  Huey’s is ALWAYS full and always serving excellent foods.  Beyond the food, they’re also known as the “toothpick place.”

A "many frills" dinner spot

They have an annual competition to count the toothpicks—pay a dollar, put in a guess.  If you’re the closest of the year, you win half—a lot of money from the sounds of it.  (The other half goes to charity.)

But for the food, it’s all about the burger—several different hefty 1/3 pound ones on the menu.  After a surprisingly good red beans & rice appetizer and a pint of Ghost River (a local brew that was quite enjoyable), the burger arrived.

Blessed beef...

This was the Madison Ave. burger—swiss cheese, bacon, grilled mushrooms and onions, and mayo.  It was simply excellent.  A perfect medium-rare, REALLY nice bun—sturdy and chewy without being hard to eat—and very flavorful.  You can taste the Worcestershire sauce they use with the meat, which is a touch unusual but not the slightest bit unpleasant.  Overall, really satisfying.  I wish their fries were better—they tasted like bagged & frozen steak fries.  I’ve had their onion rings before, and they were excellent, so I’m kicking myself.  I just can’t ever eat them all!

In any case, thus ends an amazing day of dining in Memphis.  Two days down, one-half to go!  Today’s lunch brings us to Chris’ favorite spot, Corky’s!  Then it’s to Nashville for one more concert and a dinner.  More soon!