Varmint

Boy, I'm glad y'all did this last year. I'm fixin' to make two different gumbos tomorrow: the first a duck, chicken and andouille with the second a crab and shrimp. I'll post pictures when I'm done.

And here's a photo of the grillades and grits from Elizabeth's, my favorite breakfast spot (and they're open):

I think that Lisa D'Auvray said that it was going to be in the Progress Energy's Two Progress Tower, just as the Triangle Business Journal stated. And they will be serving lunch, too, so you downtown lawyers can have some mighty fine places to take the summer clerks!

Could someone just contact Eric Ripert and ask him?

Peter King is a writer for Sports Illustrated, focusing on American football. In today's column, he wrote that he went to Le Bernardin and noticed that the urinal in the men's room had ice cubes in it. He wants to know why would they do that. Any ideas? Click here for the article, then scroll down to the heading, "Factoid That May Interest Only Me."

The sad case of Ed Mitchell has come to an end (at least for now) when he pleaded guilty to felony tax charges and will actually have to serve some time in jail. As I've said before, Ed Mitchell is a visionary restaurateur who knew how to cook a pig as good as anyone. He saw that a restaurant could cook whole hogs without the infernal heat of the pit that made this task too laborious for all but a rew remaining barbecue joints across the state. Ed was also a great marketer, but in the end, I fear he tried to do too much too soon. I wish him well and hope he's able to get back on his feet -- cooking great barbecue, of course. Read about it in yesterday's News & Observer.

Bob, don't waste your time eating at the House of Blues -- not worth it. Plenty of far better options available. Should be a good show, though.

Ah, don't worry about it amylou, as detlefchef is pretty opinionated about his Mexican. That's the strange thing about this cuisine, is that many of us really don't understand it. We're used to places that have toned it down a bit -- call it gringo-fied cuisine -- so when we try the authentic stuff, it doesn't strike an immediate chord with us. Moreover, many people like the Cali-Mex offerings of places like Salsa Fresh. You shouldn't feel ashamed of what you like, but as you're doing, you should continue to explore. Let's focus on why certain places are great. What are the special dishes? What distinguishes this place from the run-of-the-mill "Mexican Restaurant from a Kit" joint that are so ubiquitous these days?

I had the pleasure of eating at Fins again on Saturday and really have no need to discuss the food, as everything coming out of that kitchen is as good as it ever was. The good news is that Fins is indeed going to open a larger downtown restaurant. The better news is that they'll be serving lunch, too. The best news is that the original Fins on Lead Mine Rd. isn't going anywhere -- there will be two Fins in Raleigh. Chef William D'Auvray feels comfortable enough with his staff that he can operate two restaurants simultaneously. The name of the new restaurant, according to co-owner and manager Lisa D'Auvray? Fins, of course. I guess we'll just have to refer to them as Fins North and Fins South. Or maybe y'all can offer suggestions here! One other note: Until this most recent meal, I had no idea that Fins had a separate, lower-priced bar menu. Sure, portions might be a bit smaller, but base on my quick glance of the menu, these dishes appear to be a great value.

The first thing Charlie told me about Bin 54 was that they got very lucky and found a great chef. He said that once the chef was found, there wasn't much he had to do.

Fish. There's been plenty of hearty red meat in this blog, but we need some seafood. If not just fish, how about a quick cioppino or linguine with clams?

A friend and I had the fortune of visiting Elaine's on Franklin last week, knowing that our arrival time of 9:00 on a Thursday may lead to less than stellar service. We were wrong and had a very strong meal. Elaine's is owned by Chef Brett Jennings, a native Virginian who ended up at NC State University in Raleigh. He worked at two iconic restaurants, Magnolia Grill in Durham, NC and Kinkead's in DC, and his cooking is a reflection of both restaurants: innovative American cuisine with a nod to Southern traditions. Most importantly, Jennings' commitment to local ingredients and products (in the style of Ben Barker at Magnolia Grill), demonstrates that Elaine's is working to make the local food scene better for us not only in the restaurants, but at the markets, too. The restaurant itself pulls off a difficult fete by being fun, warm, comfortable, hip, yet still maintaining a level of quiet sophistication. It won't win awards for creative design, but the oversized colorful paintings of food surrounded by cushioned walls makes you forget that this is really a small establishment that should be a lot louder than it is. We started with an amuse of squash and marscapone soup, and the clean flavors of the primary ingredients demonstrated how this simple dish is a perfect way to start the meal. Of course, had I known that we would have been served a soup as an amuse, I may have not ordered the appetizer I did. That would have been a big mistake, as the cauliflower soup exploded with the flavor of truffles (mostly in the form of truffle oil). To offer some textural elements, Jennings didn't merely add a few croutons to the soup, he added a grilled "ham and cheese sandwich." Of course, when the ham is proscuitto di Parma and the cheese is some white Italian variety that is laden with truffles. On this cold and rainy night, this soup was absolutely perfect. My companion had Kobe beef cheek tacos that were served with a homemade arbol chile salsa. I'd love to share with you how this dish tasted, but my friend wouldn't let me anywhere near her plate! I did get to try her main course, fortunately, which was slices of venison loin served with caramelized onion and chestnut cream and several savory and extremely flavorful "condiments" in timbale-shaped portions: spinach and leek, oven-dried tomato with fennel, and roasted eggplant with red pepper. This dish was solid, but the condiments almost overwhelmed the flavor of the venison. I had what might be the single best piece of salmon I've ever eaten. Jennings calls it "barely smoked organic salmon", but the crispy crust of this fish was redolent of wonderful smoke, whereas the inner flesh was soft and unctious. If I were from Jersey I might say, "Like buttah," but I'm not, so I won't. But it really was! This heavenly piece of fish sat on a bed of homemade spaetzle, lardons, cabbage and mustard. Jennings was a little heavy-handed with the mustard, but this accompaniment played well against the smokiness of the fish. I really don't know why I ordered salmon, something I never willingly ask for in a restaurant, but I'm damn glad I did. We shared a single dessert, a pineapple crisp with a macaroon topping served with macadamia-rum ice cream. This was the weakest dish of the evening, as the fruit was too watery, lacked a lot of flavor, and just didn't work all that well texturally. It was certainly a good idea, but the execution was lacking (as well as the ingredients, too). The meal was a pretty good value, costing me just under $140 with 4 glasses of wine, including tax and tip. Knowing that Jennings' strength is during the summer months, when he can show off the local produce, I'm happy to add Elaine's to my regular routine of top notch restaurants in the area.

Damn, I must find a way to get to Vancouver, and soon! By the way, the use of the White Stripes on the Rare website is brilliant!

Bin 54 is an idea that came from Chef Charlie Deal (detlefchef) and restaurateur Giorgios Bakatsias, one of three restaurants the team has opened in the last several months (click here for a thread regarding these restaurants). Once Bin 54 and Jujube opened, Charlie decided he wanted to focus his efforts on one restaurant, Jujube. So he exchanged his interests in Grasshopper and Bin 54 for a majority stake (no pun intended) in Jujube. As a result, we have three new and noteworthy restaurants in the area. Grasshopper is mostly about the vibe. The food is decent, but based on reports from others, it's up and down. However, it's probably THE place to go right now in Durham. Jujube, on the other hand, is all about the food according to my friends. Sure, it's a beautiful space and has a very cool bar, but Charlie Deal is there every night, focusing on the quality. Go to Chapel Hill soon and support a fellow eGulleteer! Bin 54 is doing well, which is not a surprise. Deal actually went to New York to look at what Laurent Tourondel was doing with his BLT Steak. That's the model Deal used, but it is no duplicate. I've heard nothing but great things about the place, and I look forward to a more detailed report from you, Bryan.

Did she just add whole eggs into the broth, essentially poaching them, or did she whip them up first -- sort of like an egg drop soup? I like the idea of adding eggs, particular intact ones. My only problem is that if I'm making "northern style" C&D (fluffy dumplings), the top of my broth is covered with dumplings leaving no room for eggs. If I make more of a noodle-like dumpling (chicken and pastry?), I'd have the room. The thought of having a poached egg, yolk still runny, in a dish of chicken and dumplings sounds absolutely exquisite to me. And no, I've never heard of this before.

I took my 12 year old son to Porters last evening after he finished up with soccer practice. He put on his adidas warm-ups, but he was still concerned that he wasn't dressed appropriately: "Dad, will they kick people out if they're not dressed right?" They didn't kick us out -- in fact, they made my son feel as if he was a most valued customer. The waitress took care of us perfectly, treating my son like the budding adult he is. All too often waitstaff treat kids like babies, ignore them, or just act goofy. This woman was extremely professional and explained the menu to him as if he were an adult. It was great. Anyhow, he ordered an appetizer of fried calamari tossed in an Asian barbecue sauce, which is hoisin, rice vinegar, ginger and chili pepper -- not very hot, but enough for him. We loved the dish, although Everett commented that they probably oversauced it a bit. He had a bacon cheeseburger (ordered medium) and I had the braised lamb shank. My son didn't turn his nose up at the onion roll, but his eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw the size of the burger. He managed to eat about two-thirds of it -- not a bad showing! He also loved the chips, with ranch dressing, of course. The lamb shank was pretty good, but the flavor of the meat was almost overpowered by the braising liquid/vegetable combination. Porters is not cheap family dinner, but it's a great place to take an adolescent who is looking to try things other than fast food. Yeah, he still got a burger, but he got a damn fine one at that.

The Federal's website can be found here: http://www.thefederal.net/.

There's little doubt that the Federal is a top-notch bar/restaurant. I sent Fat Guy there when he was interviewed by the News and Observer, and he agreed with what is becoming a consensus. Sometimes the place wreaks of ammonia from their institutional cleaners, but that's my only complaint.

I've had a Portuguese custard tart much like this, but it was drizzled with some sort of orange-flavored liqueur, such as Cointreau. Was that just this particular restaurant's twist, or is that a standard accompaniment or variation?

You obviously are a big Danny Meyer fan. Can you explain why most of his restaurants are on your list of favorites -- I see Gramercy Tavern , the MOMA places and Blue Smoke to be the omissions, and the Shake Shack, of course! Yes, I also love Danny Meyer establishments.

Thanks for spending some time with us, Sara. I'm not sure anyone has pointed this out to you yet, but there's an entire discussion on the eG Forums focusing on the Beastie Boys' apparent infatuation with food, and that you have been mentioned in one of their songs. Click here for the discussion. In that discussion we learned about your husband's connection with the music industry, but we really don't know all that much about why the band (and Ad-Rock in particular) have such an infatuation with food and you! Could you shed some light on this most important topic? While you're at it, do you have any favorite rhymes from the Beastie Boys? And what type of music do you listen to when you're cooking? Thanks!

If you're staying at the Siena, why not consider its restaurant, Il Palio? Top notch Italian, but it may be a bit beyond your price range. I'd rule out 411 West -- loud, loud, loud, and the food isn't anything all that special. I'm not sure Lanternwould work, although I love the restaurant. It's a bit dark, can be cramped, and also can be loud. Elaine's might be a good choice, but I don't think they have a private room -- I just can't remember, to be honest. The food is top notch. Will the docs be steak eaters? You could give Bin 54 a try. It's a new, high end steakhouse in Chapel Hill that is very good. This may crash your budget, however. I'd also consider Jujube, a new Asian joint that is owned and operated by eGullet Society member detlefchef. Acme in Carrboro has very good food, but again, I'm not sure about a private room. La Residence isn't the restaurant it once was, but it's still very good French. They certainly have private rooms and could accomodate you. I've focused almost exclusively on Chapel Hill, but if the docs are located in another town, you could consider Raleigh or Durham, too. Give us some more parameters, and we'll hook you up. And because I work with doctors every day, I've got a pretty decent idea of what they look for!

Every once in awhile, I get home from work a little later than usual and am in no mood to cook. In those instances, Mrs. Varmint and I have several "go-to" places fairly close to our home for take out food. It may not always be the best food in the world, but it's usually fresh and the quality is consistent. Our regular Mexican place has been a taqueria on Peace Street that has gone through several different owners over the years. I've always relied on this place, as they've been able to make a chicken burrito that has great flavor without trying too hard. How did they do that? By using dark meat chicken that has been slightly browned on their flattop. No tasteless breast meat here. The place came under new ownership yet again this past fall, and it's now named Brisas de Acapulco. The owners have made the restaurant far more attractive and warm. The menu has been expanded to add lots of soups and stews. But, unfortunately, the owners have caved into popular demands and now make relatively tasteless burritos and enchiladas -- well, at least their chicken is tasteless. I like their soups and stews and highly recommend them, but when I'm looking for take-out, I want a burrito. So I'm looking for a new go-to take-out Mexican joint inside the Beltline. And please, don't suggest Moe's or other Cali-Mex joints.

I'm picking up the discussion after merging several topics. I'll start with a very brief description of a gem of a restaurant, Los Cuates (4524 Old Wake Forest Rd, Raleigh 919-872-6012). Los Cuates is a non-descript, spartan restaurant in a strip mall a couple of doors down from the Kanki and Red Lobster. The menu is huge, and I must say, the food is incredibly good. I had read Greg Cox's reviews of the joint in the New & Observer, including his recent description of the $3.79 green chile pork burrito, and I had to try it. You order at the counter, but everything else is delivered to your table. I sampled an adobada (marinated pork) burrito, which appears to be an average-sized burrito until you start to eat it. It's completly filled with pork, and a lot of it -- no rice, no beans, no cheese -- just pork and the remnants of the marinade and salsa. Even better is the fish taco, an incredible bargain at $2.29 for a large piece of fried cod with the traditional cabbage salad. This is the first decent fish taco I've had at a restaurant in the Triangle. We also tried the rooled tacos with guacamole. For $2.39 you get three tortillas filled with a small amount of shredded beef, rolled, deep fried, and topped with a boat-load of guacamole and cheese. Again, it's a bargain and very tasty. The proprietors apparently came from Southern California, so they have both the traditional and Cali-Mex styles on hand. Everything that I saw coming out of that kitchen looked fantastic, including some deep-fried whole fish that was served to a table behind us. I don't know what it was, but I'll be sure to ask about it next time I'm there. This is exactly the type of restaurant we need to support. Give it a try, and enjoy!

I've actually had the pleasure of dining with Ya-Roo and two other charming ladies (yes, I AM a lucky guy ), and I can say that no dominatrix tendencies came out of that meal. Nor did I notice any aspects of her dining that sent me any signals of what she might be like. Of course, I'm blissfully married and was the "safest" man one could have at this table, so there was never any reason to look for those signs in the first place. Hell, my strongest memory of her was that she laughed at me because I couldn't find the damn bathroom! So, single male culinarians of the world, she has a great sense of humor, too! Great story.