Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to that season unofficially known as the late spring / early summer. These are good times, times where the earth is growing fuller, lusher, and more alive. After another weekend in Michigan, I returned to Cincinnati and made my first “summer” grocery trip. While the first really fun one will probably involve Findlay Market next weekend, this was a good one, stocking up on all kinds of fresh vegetables (my, the onions have gotten big) and lots of meats for grilling. This is the year I really want to get a return on my grill investment. I’ve got a nice one, and I intend to use it a LOT. Tonight, I think I’ll grill up some snapper. Yum.
Anyway, a most interesting week of eating. I’ll focus on two specific things I ate this week– both variations on that delicious meat, the short rib. The short rib is the (historically) less-respected beef rib brother to pork spare ribs. They are bigger (of course) and require some care and time to get right. But they can really be lovely when done right… think ribs, but beefy. I don’t get short rib all the time (they still aren’t on the menu in a lot of places) but I had what I could only assume would be “the pleasure” of enjoying them twice this week. The first time at a surprising place (for me)…
Another Chance: Bootsy’s for Lunch
I'm baaaaaaaack...
I have a couple of life philosophies that either make me a good guy or get me in trouble. One is that I’m very open-minded. Another is that I generally do not make a scene when co-workers suggest going to places that aren’t my favorite. So, when some co-workers I was headed to lunch with excitedly informed me that they were able to get reservations at Bootsy’s which was now apparently serving lunch, I just smiled.
(I have had a couple of less-than-stellar experiences there, one of which involved eating. If I were less lazy, I’d hyperlink them here. But I am just this lazy and would implore you to use the search thingy if you’re interested.)
So why not? Everyone deserves a second chance in life… lord knows I have gotten my share of second chances. So we ambled down to Bootsy’s and got a plum table on the outdoor rooftop terrace, a lovely space indeed. The sun beat down with that late spring goodness, and things felt good. Things were looking up.
They brought the menu, and it really was a scaled down version of their dinner menu, about as faithful a representation as one could muster. The main sections were Soup, Salads, Flatbreads (easily the best thing on the menu at the dinner I had there), Sandwiches, Pasta, Meat, Paella, Seafood, and Sushi. That same eclectic combination continues.
I learn from my mistakes, let it be said. So, when I thought about what I ordered last time (mostly “Latin” specialties), I decided to go into a different area. (But Lord knows, not to sushi… I don’t get sushi from places that focus on Latin food. Call me crazy.) So, I ordered the “Earth, Wind, and Fire” slider platter, described as: “Trio of sliders: pork belly with orange marmelade, pulled Cuban short rib with queso fresco, Kobe beef burger with calabrese. (served with Spanish kettle chips).” I was optimistic– after all, I was ordering three very different things!
It arrived, next to my co-workers’ various salads and bento boxes:
Four chances of success...
I took these left-to-right: pork belly, short rib, and beef burger. The chips were interspersed between, as some kind of ghastly palette cleanser.
I’m sorry, folks, but I couldn’t have been more disappointed. I REALLY, REALLY went into this meal optimistic, but I sure didn’t leave that way. In turn:
Pork Belly: The best of the three meats by miles. And how could it not be– pork belly is pretty much the epitome of what humans are made to eat. The fat fell apart beautifully– and the meat had decent flavor. It was a touch overcooked to my liking but not mercilessly. I was disappointed to not have any flavor of the marmelade (and I looked for it– unless it’s somehow baked IN to the belly, mine was without). Overall, good meat quality but the execution didn’t hit the mark for me.
Short Rib: Again, the meat itself had a nice flavor, but seemed to me to be just a touch overcooked. It also didn’t seem particularly seasoned– and keep in mind, good meat (to me) needn’t be. But I had assumed the “Cuban” was some kind of meat seasoning, but it wasn’t. There was no queso fresco (too bad, as it was a flavor combination I was eager to try) and in its place were a surprising and pungent array of pickled vegetables. Imagine my surprise! The vegetables actually tasted a little bit like ban chan (Korean pickled appetizers), but were extremely powerful and easily overwhelmed the delicate flavor of the (unseasoned) meat. Too bad!
Kobe beef: I’ll admit, I’ve never ordered a Kobe burger before. From everything I have read, it kind of kills all of the marbling the meat is known for and is kind of a “waste” of a lovely cut of meat. But as a part of a sampler, I was excited to see what I’d get. I asked how it was prepared and the server (who was just plain lovely, by the way) explained it was to be prepared medium-rare unless I felt otherwise. That worked for me. I didn’t know what “calabrese” was but I was ready to be surprised. (Later, I looked it up on Wikipedia and it may refer to a type of broccoli, or a kind of grape– either would make interesting combinations.) What I was served was a little burger cooked medium (at best) with what appeared and tasted for all the world to me like iceburg lettuce. That’s it– no other seasonings and condiments. It ended up being dry and unremarkable. Not the way I expected my first kobe slider to go!
Overall, I found myself wondering if maybe my meal was done early and sat on the hot plate for a few minutes. The potato chips were easily the worst part of the meal– these “Spanish kettle chips” had the rigidity of a Lay’s chip (that’s to say, not much, and certainly well, well short of kettle-fried– I mean, look at them!), and the flavor of SALT. LOTS of salt and a little paprika for color. I ended up eating half of them, thinking they would get better but ultimately I gave up.
As we were preparing to leave, I was surprised to see Mr. Jeff Ruby himself come out onto the patio and ask our table how our food was. I respect this man immensely, and I hate lying, so I let my co-workers lie about things were “really good” (as it happens, no one really loved their meal at our table of 8), while I smiled and nodded. He came over to me, and to his credit, said, “I’m not convinced about you.” I really appreciate that he wasn’t just asking to be nice– he actually wanted to know. So, ever the diplomat, I didn’t unleash a full review on him– instead I asked why my short rib had picked vegetables on it, and why they were so strong? He said he’d check and remarked that he knew that combination was “not to everyone’s taste.” After this, I assume he became understandably busy as I didn’t see him again after he left the table.
I admit, the man has a point. The beauty of food is the subjectivity of taste. And I certainly learned after my last “review” of Ruby’s there was a wide range of opinions on the authenticity of the recipes and quality of the food. (On that point, I was pleased as punch this weekend to see the arroz con pollo moved from the paella section to the “Meat” section– huzzah.) And I’ll be the first to admit that it may be the case that others would find the food more palatable than me. But I’ll also say that I’ve got a pretty far-ranging and adventurous palette, so I’m not a pushover. And I’ve now had greater than a dozen different meals or sides in my couple of visits. And I can say that I’ve “consistently” found the food to be salty and not very interesting. And it’s a shame because there are a LOT of things on that menu I’d happily order (if I didn’t know better). It’s actually the same dilemma I have for Nada. So I’m thinking I might need to take the same approach– go for happy hour where it’s more about the eating and the drinking.
So, FYI, Bootsy’s is open for lunch. Their patio is amazing. And for what it’s worth, the dish of the 8 that got the best review was the flounder a la planxa. (It was uneven, apparently, but the fish was nice.) If you do go, I hope you have a better experience than I did. And if you do, let me know about it– my politeness will certainly bring me in again inadvertantly in the future, and your advice will be most welcome!
Dinner @ Pacific Rim (Ann Arbor, MI)
Saturday night brought us to Ann Arbor for a show by one of our favorite artists, Over the Rhine. Do you know them? You REALLY should. Around the corner from the great listening room (The Ark) was a place I had heard about called Pacific Rim. We made early reservations and showed up a little late. But they were very accomodating!
Under my nose all along!
I’ve been to Ann Arbor a LOT– in fact, I lived there four years. 
But I have no idea how long this place has been there, but I surely was glad to find it! Seeking to clean the taste from my mouth, I ordered the Korean short rib dish, and I was VERY glad I did. It arrived in most beautiful fashion:
Now THAT's the thing
The preparation was simple, in a way. The short ribs were cut from the bone and grilled– they had a steak-like texture to them. While they were cooked just a touch longer than I’d like, they were expertly seasoned with Korean spices. Super nice. The short ribs were served on some cooked until crusty-on-the-outside delightful sesame rice (not pictured, because it’s under all of that!) and served with what was called “jicama kimchi.” I’m used to cabbage (traditional) kimchi, but the jicama gave the dish a bite of texture and an interesting, bright flavor. This particular “kimchi” wasn’t fermented (thus ensuring it isn’t actually kimchi) but was seasoned and marinated in the same spieces. Thus, if you ignored the comparison altogether (and thought of it as “Korean jicama salad”) it was a bright and well-rounded accompaniment to the dish. The whole thing was topped with a delicate quail’s egg that rounded out the flavors nicely for the couple of bites you were able to enjoy with the egg. The sauce was a little thick, cloying, and not necessary. But the dish worked– it featured the meat, properly seasoned, with appropriate (and not overbearing) sides. WELL DONE. I will be back, I guarantee it, as the menu was filled with stuff I wanted to try, and the cocktails were excellent!
So how’s that for “compare and contrast”? This week I guarantee some more Cincinnati eatin’. Until then, ENJOY THOSE FRESH VEGETABLES!
