ulterior epicure

I thought it might be worth noting that the following chefs have made it to the finalist list for the 2008 James Beard Award for Best Chef New York, particularly, the third chef on the list: BEST CHEF: NEW YORK CITY (FIVE BOROUGHS) Michael Anthony Gramercy Tavern Terrance Brennan Picholine David Chang Momofuku Ssäm Bar Wylie Dufresne WD-50 Gabriel Kreuther The Modern Also of note: Jean Georges and the Batali/Bastianich team are the only New York-based restaurateurs nominated for Best Restaurateur. Anthos is the only New York restaurant nominated for Best New Restaurant. Two New York restaurants have been nominated for Outstanding Restaurant: Jean Georges and Gramercy Tavern. Good luck to all the nominees.

Congratulations to the following chefs for their nominations for Best Chef Midwest and Great Lakes: BEST CHEF: MIDWEST (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI) Isaac Becker 112 Eatery Minneapolis Colby Garrelts Bluestem Kansas City, MO Tim McKee La Belle Vie Minneapolis Alex Roberts Restaurant Alma Minneapolis Adam Siegel Bartolotta's Lake Park Bistro Milwaukee BEST CHEF: GREAT LAKES (IL, IN, MI, OH) Graham Elliot Bowles Avenues Chicago Carrie Nahabedian Naha Chicago Bruce Sherman North Pond Chicago Michael Symon Lola Cleveland Alex Young Zingerman's Roadhouse Ann Arbor, MI Best of luck to all of them!!

I must say, those buns look pretty good: whole wheat? Do they butter them before griddling/toasting them? Are there other type of buns (e.g. sesame)? Spiked shakes: that could be very dangerous on a hot summer day over-run by the Sprint Arena crowd.

My guess is that the pimento dram, the brandy, and the citrus are meant to evoke a spicy potpourri on a cold winter's eve. Well, I know brandy. And, I know citrus. But, I don't know pimento dram. I guess it was lost on me.

Following is an excerpt from my blog post at the ulterior epicure (you can see photos on my flickr account.): Despite, and at the close of, my epic birthday dinner at Avenues, my friends and I decided that the night was still young, and that a visit to The Violet Hour would not be unreasonable. In fact, it was required. Our cab dropped us off at the Six Corners around about midnight. Scurrying in the cold (one in heels), we proceeded to pass The Violet Hour - three times - back and forth (seeking shelter in between at a nearby 7-11 to regroup and warm up). Clearly, The Violet Hour isn’t competing for foot traffic with the dozens of other bars and clubs in its neighborhood. For the unfamiliar, it successfully replicates the speakeasy era; it’s cleverly hidden. There’s no door number. Heck, if it hadn’t been for a stranger who pointed out the *magic* yellow light, I’d dare say that there was no door at all. The interior is what I would describe as Wedgewood meets The Delano (for those of you who have been to South Beach, you’ll know what I’m talking about). Except, it’s about five shades dimmer, and with an appropriately loud beat (good music, but loud). There are over-sized chairs (think tall and gothic), austere banquettes and plush Ottomans big enough for six. There’s a fireplace, two bars, and telephone booth-like water closets. The place definitely has character. The cocktail menu is generally divided by the base alcohol. There’s also a food menu that looked interesting (unfortunately, food was the farthest thing from our minds at this point). The cocktails (all $11) here are very good. It’s funny how even the most untrained palate (me) can tell good from not-so-good. I can’t say that I liked everything I tasted, but I could tell that all of these cocktails were all very balanced and well-made. My experience at The Violet Hour further confirmed my earlier discovered aversion to sugary and citrusy drinks. The “Hush & Wonder,” for example, was too sticky and sweet for me. It’s a rum-based drink with Methusalem, creme de violette (Rothman & Winter, in case anyone is curious), fresh lime, and grapefruit bitters. It had a significant amount of lime with a chasing hint of bitter-citrus from the grapefruit bitters. The latter end of the taste spectrum suited me better. Same with my friend’s “Winter Sidecar.” We both failed to understand what was so “wintry” about it. I don’t know enough about liquor. The drink involved Landy Cognac, lemon, orange flower water, and Pimento Dram. This refreshing and orange-y drink had well-rounded flavor, but was still a tad sweet for me. The “Winter Sazerac,” however, was revelatory. It was drier than any cocktail I had tasted thus far. It was stoic and hauntingly good. It had (what I call) a smooth purple bitterness to the end that I liked (maybe, better described as a sweet licorice-y end). The ingredient list read like a witches brew to me: Old Overholt Rye, Herbsainte, brown sugar, coffee syrup, Peychaud’s bitters. Interestingly, the coffee element was discernible, but I wouldn’t have been able to pick that out on my own. The “Chi-Town Flip” was novel, only because of its silky, egg white-induced texture (Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Dow’s Tawny Port, whole egg, Fee’s Old Fashioned bitters). I was expecting a figgy-cherry flavor from the port, but instead, it tasted more like a malty eggnog. I preferred sipping off the rim which allowed the aroma from the freshly grated nutmeg on top of the foam to enhance the experience. The flavor through the straw fell flat by comparison. The “Aviation,” was was very clean-tasting, almost breezy and airy. It had a hit of tartness from the lemon, but it is overall a rather dry drink (just a hint of sweetness). The gin was subtle and soft. The best cocktail, of the evening for me was an “Old Fashioned” made with Jim Bean rye. The afterglow of oaky butteriness was nothing short of phenomenal. And, this, perhaps was the most rewarding discovery of my short cocktailing life, thus far: I like rye whiskey. Service at The Violet Hour was friendly, and surprisingly efficient. We had tried to grab a seat at one of the two bars, but it was quite crowded and we settled for a lounge spot (I don’t believe that reservation requests are accepted). I had planned to return to The Violet Hour the following night to conduct more rye whiskey reconnaissance, and hopefully get a little more one-on-one with a bartender. Alas, despite best intentions, I did not. I look forward to returning on my next visit to Chicago later this year.

!!!!

No doubt - like a family, we have fight (intensely) about it, and some of us (finally) realize that there's no use, we just learn to deal with it as best we can. FYI, I'll be relying on these last minute reservation opening alerts when I plan my trip to NY later this spring.

This is great - I love the comraderie that Ko is bringing out in eGulleters!

That's EXACTLY what I thought! maftoul. Excellent photo report! Thanks. I will have to try one of those shakes come warmer weather. Did you see what/how many flavors they are offering?

doc, I'm beginning to feel as if I'm the only one who's actually spoken with a live person at schwa since it re-opened. I would echo lenski and advise calling early afternoon (CST). When I called to cancel my reservation, I left a message. Thankfully I called a little more than a week in advance to cancel - they called a couple of days before my reservation to confirm the cancellation. Patience, I suppose, is the key. I know that doesn't make it easier for an incoming out-of-towner who likes to have his dining ducks in order.

Right. As Fat Guy put it upthread, their website tells vegetarians to "get lost."

Quick and random: Does anyone recall what kind(s) of wine Jean Georges has paired with his sea scallops with caper-raisin emulsion dish? The more specificity, the better. TIA!

Yeah, who knew fresh lemon juice and sea salt could be so good (with scallops)?

Thanks, Ndy, for the kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed the write-up.

Yes, thanks. I stand corrected.

Well, santo_grace, I can't disagree with you on those chicken sausages. It was the best one I had on a recent visit to the tiny sausage emporium. You can see pictures of and read more about my lunch at Hot Doug's on my Flickr set. My friends and I were expecting a large meal at The Avenues later that evening, so between the three of us (one being pregnant), we ordered 5 dogs (yet we still managed to hit a tacqueria on our way back): I ordered the "Celebrity of the Week," the "Treffly Coyne" (extra credit for those who actually know who she is). ($7) This featured mint garlic lamb sausage with anchovy aioli and Doux de Montagne cheese melted over the top. The sausage was gamey and lamby, which I liked. The anchovy aioli wasn't as pungent as I had hoped - I think the lamb really outpaced the rest of the flavors. The cheese was a great addition - slightly buttery and somewhat sharp. I also ordered the "Spinach and Feta Chicken Sausage" with skordalia and sheep's milk haloumi cheese. ($7.50) This was a daily special and, as stated, was my favorite hot dog of the five we ordered. The chicken sausage was extremely moist and flavorful. It got a nice garlicky kick from the skordalia, which functioned as an adhesive for the chunks of cheese on top. I didn't get any feta from the sausage itself. Maybe it was all that yummy sheep's haloumi that covered it up. Loved this hot dog. Loved it. My friend ordered the "Atomic Bomb" Daily Special: Spicy pork sausage with chipotle Dijonnaise and applewood-smoked Cheddar cheese. ($7) Two bites and it's pretty apparent why this is called the "Atomic Bomb." The heat is of the slow, gradual, then rapidly engulfing-mouth-in-flame type of heat. You think you're okay for the first bite - it's good, the pork sausage is wonderfully seasoned, and the cheese is nice and sharp - so you greedily take another big bite. Then it hits you. Despite the good kick of heat, I could have used more. Regardless, this should have been the last dog I tried. Unfortunately, it was my first. The heat lingered through the rest of my meal - not a bad thing, but I would have liked to taste the other dogs without that warm, spicy feeling in my mouth and throat. He also ordered the "Game of the Week," a "Goji Berry Pheasant Sausage with Jerk Dijonnaise, Pappadew Peppers and Butterkäse cheese. ($7.50) You couldn't taste the pheasant by itself (I have no idea wha the goji berry was supposed to do for the sausage - there was only trace amounts). This was a sweet-ish dog, due largely to the peppadew, which also imparted some level of heat. The jerk dijonnaise, which looked not unlike dirty mayo, also contributed to the heat. The cheese was good, but the dices kept falling off, despite the dijonnaise glue. This was probably the least memorable of the dogs we had. Lastly, my other friend got "The Dog," the original Chicago-Style Hot Dog with all the trimmings. ($1.75) When you order "The Dog," you're given a choice of weiner cooking methods: steamed, grilled, fried, or fried-and-grilled. My friend (wisely) choose grilled. This dog (served on a poppyseed bun) ended up taking second to the chicken sausage. The key to its success was the many different flavors (salty, sweet, tart, fresh) and textures (juicy, crispy, crunchy, meaty, etc...). Actually, I think the real key was the relish. It's a lot sweeter than I'm used to. It's also a lot more green. It's *neon* green. I thought it might be because it happened to be St. Patrick's weekend, but it's not - it's always that *neon* green. It almost looks toxic. It being a weekend, we also splurged for duck fat fries (yes, we were being *VERY* irresponsible). And, of course, how can you eat sloppy food and NOT have a can of Cel-Ray on hand? A good time was had by all (once we got inside the restaurant - the 40-ish minute wait on the freezing sidewalk was not fun). I don't remember having to ever wait this long for Hot Doug's, but then again, the last time I visited I was a lot younger (in college), and the meal was more of an event (try convincing a college student that a $5+ hot dog is good value).

Whew. For a second there, I was really worried.

It's not a true Widowmaker if it doesn't also have bacon and a fried egg on top. Why do you think the Croque Madame has the egg? 'Cause it killed Monsieur.

Don't worry, Blue Gallery is still alive and well - just a block to the West and on the north side of the street.

To read an extended version of this posting with handy hyperlinks to photos, read "eating off the marble pass" at the ulterior epicure blog. Recently, I crossed that border from being young and irresponsible, to being older and irresponsible: I turned 30. In anticipation of this momentous occasion, I assembled a core group of food devotees who were generous enough to travel great distances to join me for a weekend of celebratory eating in Chicago. (I've encouraged them to chime in on this thread.) For the “main event,” I enlisted the help of my friend, Graham Elliot Bowles, the soon-to-be ex-Executive Chef of Avenues, at the Peninsula Hotel. Under his stewardship, Avenues has, over the past three years, become my favorite restaurant in Chicago, and indeed, one of my favorites in the nation. It is no secret that Chef Bowles is leaving Avenues at the end of this month (March, 2008) to open his own restaurant (more on that later.). He will be succeeded by Curtis Duffy, currently the chef de cuisine at alinea. Given Bowles' timely departure, I could think of no better place than at his famous “Chef’s Bar” to celebrate my milestone. Eating at his marble pass is truly a unique dining experience that I have not seen replicated anywhere else at this level of fine dining. Diners perch atop specially designed swivel chairs at a marble counter overlooking the (cooking) line (think sushi bar without the glass case). From this vantage, one enjoys a quick survey of the entire kitchen, which is no larger than the size of my walk-in closet. Not only do industrial hoods suck up smoke and heat quite effectively, leaving us cool and smoke-free, but one also gains the benefit of interaction with the kitchen staff. Over the course of my three previous visits, I had come to know Alex, the sous chef, whom I had the pleasure of having cook for me on this last visit under Chef Bowles. With four cooks, a sous chef, and Chef Bowles personally expediting at the pass, it’s amazing how much finessed food this crew can produce in one night. Despite being at near-full capacity, with a private party, and another celebrity chef dining in the house, Chef Bowles and his team managed to outdo themselves for my birthday dinner. They assembled a 19-course tasting menu of epic proportions. It ran the length of the restaurant’s 15-course “Repertoire” menu with the addition of a few “works in progress” - previews of what Chef Bowles will be offering at his new venture (more on that later). In addition to pouring a fine flute of bubbly, compliments of the chef, Michael Muser, the restaurant’s affable (and HILARIOUS) wine director, even-handedly selected 6 wines to pair with our extended meal. I won’t go into detail of all of the courses we had; you can see and read more about them on my flickr set.. Instead, I’ll list the dishes, divided by wine pairings, and touch on a few highlights: “Chips & Dip” Gougeres Amuse Bouche: Parsnip Panna Cotta with Carrot Gelee 1st Wine Pairing: Domaine Zind Humbrecht, Pinot d'Alsace, 2005 1st Course: “Hamachi” (yuzu, soy, cucumber) 2nd Course: “Caviar” (potato, gravlax, dill) 3rd Course: “Caesar” (romaine, parmesan, brioche) 4th Course: “Cauliflower” (cauliflower, cauliflower, cauliflower) 2nd Wine Pairing: Albarino do Ferreiro, Rias Baixas 5th Course: “Lobster” (kumquat, grapefruit, lemon) 6th Course: “Pea” (yogurt, eucalyptus, shoots) 7th Course: “Foie” (rice krispy, pop rocks) 8th Course: “Sturgeon” (cabbage, sauerkraut, rutabaga) 3rd Wine Pairing: Burlenberg, Mercel Deiss, 2001 9th Course: “Risotto” (apple, bacon, cheddar) 10th Course: “Cod” (chorizo, saffron, paprika) 11th Course: “Quail” (roquefort, celery, budweiser) 4th Wine Pairing: Pagos Viejos, Rioja, Artadi, 2002 12th Course: “Duck” (cardamom, date, pistachio) 13th Course: “Lamb” (lentils mirepoix altoids) 14th Course: “Pork” (collards, grits, barbecue) 5th Wine Pairing: Yalumba Hand Picked Tricenteniary Grenache, Barossa Valley 15th Course: “Stroganoff” (beef, mushroom, crème) 16th Course: “Chevre” (hibiscus, blackberry, mint) 6th Wine Pairing: Yalumba Botrytis Vionier, Wrattonbully, 2006 17th Course: “Apricot” (honey, citrus yogurt) 18th Course: “Chocolate” (chocolate, chocolate, chocolate) 19th Course: “Surprise” (crème, chocolate, raspberry) Mignardises: Pistachio Nougat, Peanut Praline Truffle, Lavendar Caramel, Pate de Fruit. Without a doubt, my favorite dish of this evening was “Pork;” more specifically, pork belly. The cube of bacon was fried until crispy – the outside somewhat like crackling, the interior soft and supple with hot layers of collagen, fat, and meat. I’ve had a lot of creative treatments of pork belly in my time (and my guests have as well), but this one, which was painted Southern with molasses-braised collards, grits, and a bourbon-maple barbecue sauce and black truffles (Southern France), was truly extraordinary. The barbecue sauce was fantastic. It beat the best of what my hometown of Kansas City has to offer in the way of sweet sauces. Running a close second was “Pea,” an off-menu creation that featured a warm velouté of peas poured, table-side, over a tuft of pea shoots sided by greek yogurt and a eucalyptus marshmallow. The eucalyptus marshmallow didn’t do much - the eucalyptus element was completely lost and obscured. However, the soup was extraordinary: velvety, rich, and warm. The intensity of the pea, sweet and verdant, was unimaginably great, and the tangy, creamy yogurt was the perfect foil. I only wished that we had (1) gotten more of the soup, and (2) that it had been served in a deeper rounded bowl instead of a flat square bowl, to conserve heat and minimize waste (it’s difficult trying to greedily spoon soup out of corners with much dignity). Other highlights for me included “Cauliflower,” which presented a delightfully refreshing contrast of creamed cauliflower (think gratin) against pickled florets of the same. With naturally neon-bright colours, this was also the prettiest dish of the evening. And, "Snapper" poached in butter and chestnut honey. This dish was an accommodation for a crustacean-allergic friend. In my opinion, it struck a better a balance of sweetness than my lobster version, which I found overwhelmed by the candied kumquats. The chestnut honey was more discernible in the snapper as well, permeating the flesh between the flakes. That being said, I think the chestnut honey, though less detectable in taste, did enhance the natural sweetness of the lobster meat; it was just difficult to tell where the sweetness of the lobster ended and the honey began. Both were delicate dishes featuring perfectly butter-poached seafood. The snapper was a little more nuanced, in my opinion. The tartare portion of the “Stroganoff” course was fantastic. The tidy cylinder of finely chopped beef sat atop a bright béarnaise panna cotta whose vinegary brightness helped cut through the creamy and heady smoked ice cream (try to figure that one out) it was paired with. Of course, there were witticisms aplenty, beginning with the first volley: a pre-amuse bouche of gougeres filled with sour cream and onion “dip” and crusted with potato “chips.” "Quail" took its place in the annals of bar food in a fancy take on “Buffalo wings.” (This was slightly over-salted for me, but my other three guests really liked it). Curiously strong Altoids were tamed considerably to give just the right bitter, menthol bite to the end of a rich demi-glace sauce paired with lamb. And, Hamburger Helper got a face lift in a beef stroganoff featuring braised beef short ribs with spaetzle, black trumpet mushroom puree, and wonderfully aggressive cracked black pepper sour cream. Some of the less successful dishes included “Risotto” with apples, 9-year aged Cheddar (9 years!!), and bacon. What seemed like a promising dish of comfort, with morsels of tart, meaty apples and pockets of sharp melting cheese, fell flat for me. The ingredients had been cooked together so much that the cheese and apples had disintegrated into the warm, creamy porridge – and so too, surprisingly, did the flavors. Instead, the dish relied on dices of bacon, which had become soft in the risotto, for flavor. I wished the bacon had been a crispy element. I spoke with Bowles about this dish after our dinner. He empathized with my observations and reassured me that the presentation is intended to be different at his new restaurant. I look forward to seeing how this one develops; I think it has great potential. “Cod” was also a little disappointing. The cooking was very well executed – the fish was perfectly pan-fried – but the accompanying flavors leaned more heavily toward the (red bell) pepper end of the spectrum. I would have enjoyed much more chorizo. I didn’t get a sense of the sausage on the plate at all. The desserts were probably the weakest part of the dinner. Unfortunately, the pastries are not produced by Avenues; they are overseen by a separate department that caters to the hotel, at large. (However, the bread is made in-house at Avenues, and it's spectacular - especially the sweet dough pretzel bread. It's what Midwesterners might describe as "stand-up." The accompanying butter (three different kinds), is also a knock-out in and of itself.) The “Chevre” cheese course is when things began to come undone. It was a stick of fried cheese custard (looked like a stick of fried mozzarella but acted like a Cuban croquette) that was runny on the inside and lacked any sort of flavor (think blintz filling, but runny). The whipped chevre and a nice blackberry were the only redeeming parts. The following three desserts were rather unmemorable, except for a wonderful almond ice cream (“Chocolate”), toasty and nutty, and a white chocolate truffle that came out on the (last) surprise birthday course. It was filled with a ganache heavily spiked with cognac. All the same, there were plenty of winners, many of which, I have to admit, are sentimental favorites. Chef Bowles thoughtfully wove in a number of dishes from my first meal at Avenues, completing a wonderful circle in my (regrettably, too infrequent) history with him and this restaurant. “Pea,” in a slightly soupier form, was served at my first meal. So was our “Hamachi” with soy caramel. “Cod” harkened back to a chorizo-crusted “Halibut.” And, he even revived my all-time favorite hot foie gras course: Seared Foie Gras on Spiced Rice Krispy Treats (the only presentation of hot foie gras that I have ever really liked) with its famous sidekick, the “Foielipop.” Given the ban on the substance, it was a wonderful birthday gift. Mr. Muser deftly guided us through the drinking portion of the menu. The most interesting of his six selections was the Albarino do Ferreiro, Rias Baixas. It was smoky, and, almost savory with a light body. I also enjoyed the Pagos Viejos, Rioja, Artadi, 2002, a rich, jammy, and dark-fruit forward Spanish wine that paired especially well with “Duck,” accentuating the spices in the date puree. I could not think of a better way to end my twenties and celebrate Chef Bowles’ tenure at Avenues than with this meal. For me, there was meaning on many levels, both in the food, the place, and in the company I was lucky to have. Many thanks to Chef Bowles, his Sous Chef, Alex, and the rest of the kitchen and staff for a fantastic experience; best of luck to you all as you strike out onto new paths, soon. I also wish incoming Chef Duffy the best as he, no doubt, transforms and takes The Avenues in a new and exciting direction. It will be interesting to see how he balances his recent experiences at the forefront of molecular gastronomy with running a AAA five-diamond award winning hotel restaurant. I look forward to experiencing The Avenues under his guidance. I also thank my friends, Larry, Curly, and Moe, for taking time out of their insane New York City schedules to fly to Chicago to join me. Thank you all! Though our meal lasted nearly four hours, my friends and I bucked up and headed over to the Violet Hour to push past midnight with some finely-tuned cocktails. I'll be posting separately about that experience, and my sneak peek into Chef Bowles' new restaurant space and location and menu concept.

Next door to Michael Smith's, in downtown Kansas City. It will occupy the former Blue Gallery space.

Yes, yes, can I join your table? ← Did anyone go? I would love to hear about this dinner!

This just in:

When you sit down you are handed a moleskine with a beverage list. Sake and wine by the bottle or glass, dessert wines, sparkling, pretty much everything. It is not as comprehensive as many other restaurants, but there is certainly a larger set than what is being used for pairings that evening. You can even get an espresso.

Why would you object to being limited to choosing a wine from the pairing list? (The same limitation applied to those getting pairings.) I wouldn't. But, I was just curious. It seems to be a pretty streamlined setup, so it wouldn't surprise me if the wine list IS the pairing list. Yes, I suppose this now becomes the more important question (for one-glass diners like me).