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Morgan_Weber

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Everything posted by Morgan_Weber

  1. yeah, I saw that too earlier this week. I don't know the scoop on it, but it is really close to my office. Gotta say, I'm looking forward to it.
  2. Went to The Reggae Hut on Almeda for lunch today. The same guy that owns the Breakfast Klub, owns this joint. I had the jerk chicken and loved it. It has a lot of heat, but was really tasty. Will definitely be going back.
  3. As a participating member, am I able to post pictures? If not, I can definitely send them to you to post for me. They mostly look like regular lemons, except for a knot on the opposite end of the stem. Let me know about the pictures thing. Thanks!
  4. So for what it is worth. Feminello St. Theresa Lemons are now ripe. These are on of the famed varieties from the Amalfi Coast used for Lemoncello. California Citrus Specialties is the only purveyor of this variety of lemons in the U.S that I know of. I ordered a bushel last week for $18. With shipping, my total was $44.67. I received about 50 lemons. They will promptly begin their masceration this evening to begin the lemoncello-making process. The juice will go into granitas and sorbet, or pie...haven't decided yet. They smell amazing and are very oily--quite different from the regular California lemons from Whole Foods that I have in the fridge. If you would like to order some for yourself, here is California Citrus Specialties's contact information. http://www.califcitrusspecialties.com/ilemons.html
  5. So for what it is worth. Feminello St. Theresa Lemons are now ripe. These are the famed variety of the Amalfi Coast. California Citrus Specialties is the only purveyor of this variety of lemons in the U.S. I ordered a bushel last week for $18. With shipping, my total was $44.67. I received about 50 lemons. They will promptly begin their masceration this evening to begin the lemoncello-making process. The juice will serve itself well in granitas and sorbet, or pie...haven't decided yet. They smell amazing and are very oily--quite different from the regular lemons from Whole Foods that I have in the fridge. If you would like to order some for yourself, California Citrus Specialties's contact information is in my above posts.
  6. ← Wow. I guess I'll have to give them another shot. Maybe they were having an off-day when I was there. Hope your holidays were well. ← I meant they could be an icon because of the great building IF they served good food. ← AAAH...ok. The building IS awesome.
  7. ← Wow. I guess I'll have to give them another shot. Maybe they were having an off-day when I was there. Hope your holidays were well.
  8. Ha. Actually Kent, after our discussion about Beaver's a couple of weeks ago (which I must say, I apologize for my rudeness in a couple of the replies...I just get really fired up sometimes), I decided to embark on a Houston BBQ Journey of my own, in order to form some better informed personal opinions. Here was the schedule. Sunday-noon-Goode Co. Monday-noon-Lenox BBQ & Catering Tuesday-noon-Thelma's BBQ Wednesday-noon-Burn's BBQ Thursday-noon-Luling City Meat Market Thursday-evening-Beaver's Icehouse ...A lot of BBQ, in extremely varying styles of which I'll report on later--maybe in a more specific Houston BBQ thread. All that to say, my visit on Thursday to Luling City Meat Market on Richmond, was one of the best that I've had at that particular location. Of all the BBQ places in Houston, I've probably eaten at this one the most. I would suggest not going for dinner, just in case they've had a slow day and you wind up being served some brisket or ribs that have been in a warming tray for way too long. When Luling is having a good day, it is some of the best BBQ that I've ever had. Having been somewhat confused as to their affiliation (if there is any) to the original City Meat Market in Luling, I finally was able to talk to the owner on Thursday. When I asked him what the connection was, he got kind of snippy, saying, "There is no Luling City Meat Market, in Luling." Puzzled, I responded, "But, I've eaten there." He says, "No you didn't." Starting to put two and two together, I realized that the Luling establishment is just officially called, the City Meat Market...in Luling, TX. He said "Right". I then asked why there were so many similarities, because the sausage is almost identical, as is the sauce, ribs, the brisket, etc. He said when they opened 25 years ago, one of the first people they hired, came from the City Meat Market in Luling, TX. That explains a lot! He went on to tell me of the numerous awards that they've won from Texas Monthly, Esquire, etc. Some people here in Houston swear that the City Meat Market in Luling is better. I've eaten at both, although it has been a couple of years since I've been to the Luling establishment. I must say after my visit on Thursday, I don't know what more I could ask for. Everything was absolutely amazing. I'm going to be in the vicinity of Luling within the next month or two and will hopefully stop in and refresh my mind on the original. I'll let you know when the Houston BBQ report is up. As a side note, I was planning on going to Williams Smokehouse on Tuesday at lunch when I got to work and jscarbor had emailed me the news of it burning down. Many people have said they had the best ribs in Houston.
  9. It looks like Williams Smokehouse is gone for good... http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=...ocal&id=5842167
  10. Well, this is sad. jscarbor sent me an email this morning http://www.khou.com/video/news-index.html?nvid=202041 Williams Smokehouse...literally...
  11. So is this one bad then? ← wow...no words...i have no words... ← ← How about for this one? ← ...ha! Vermouth is sweetened with what? "Bonnicles"...thats right, herbs and "bonnicles"... and take two...
  12. So is this one bad then? ← wow...no words...i have no words... ←
  13. So is this one bad then? ← wow...
  14. ...I feel like such a tool. I had Bouchon's fries and loved them. Obvioulsy, I was blinded by the apparent "Kelleritus" that I contracted while eating there. I thought they were great. I guess Tony Bourdain like them too (see No Reservations: Las Vegas). That makes me feel a little less insecure...a little. On that note though, I've made Les Halles's fries from Tony's cookbook and they were unbelievably great. What'dya do?
  15. Mine: Cocktail: Galapagos-Pisco, Black Pepper Simple Syrup, Grapefruit Juice, Lime Juice and Kaffir Lime Leaf. From the Absinthe Bar & Brasserie in San Francisco, CA Amuse Bouche: Bleu Cheese with Texas Honeycomb and Cracker. From T'afia, Houston, TX Course One: Hickory-smoked swordfish sashimi with sweet corn blintz, herbed cream and Louisiana paddlefish roe. From Restaurant August, New Orleans, Louisiana Course Two: Yellow fin tuna sashimi, with Fuji apples, fresh Texas Chevre, pumpkinseed oil, and greens. From Uchi, Austin, TX Course Three: Thai marinated lobster with avocado, mango, and hearts of palm. From Cyrus, Healdsburg, CA Course Four: Salt-cured torchon of foie gras, with shortbread biscuits, and blood orange compote. From Cyrus, Healdsburg, CA Course Five: Louisiana Cochon with turnips, cabbage, and cracklins. Cochon, New Orleans, Louisiana Course Six: Venison. From Craft, Dallas, TX Course Seven: Slow-braised kobe beef short rib with candied cipolini, cauliflower and purple plum reduction. From Restaurant August, New Orleans, Louisiana Course Eight: Freshly-popped kettle corn, with kettle corn sorbet, chocolate, and caramel sauce. From Cyrus, Healdsburg, CA Course Nine: Passionfruit tart. From Bouchon, Yountville, California
  16. As December speeds out of control to the New Year, I found myself fondly thinking back to the fine meals I had throughout 2007. If you were going to create a best of the best, 5 or 9-course tasting menu comprised of specific dishes that shined during your meals in 2007, what would it look like?
  17. Morgan_Weber

    Mark's

    Oh man. My wife and I ate there last Saturday night and I had that dish as well. Wanted seconds on that risotto. It was awesome. Great job Mark's. It was a wonderful dish. Also to note, was the butternut squash flan. It was one of the best meals we've had in Houston in a long time.
  18. Dangit. I wish I knew how to do that fancy quote thing. Alas, I'll have to stick to the ghetto way. Sorry. A lot of your points are well taken. I might not agree, but they are good arguments. Concerning brisket and its leanness and fatness. There are two sections to every brisket, the flat and the point. One is fattier, and one is leaner. I think I forgot to address that in my previous response. Every brisket has both sections. It could be that you prefer the fattier section to the one that you may have been gotten at Beaver's. I'm not 100% sure that they serve both the flat and the point. I'm only guessing. My preference in the moisture content of brisket is for it not to be dry as was elluded to in your disdain for moisture in your first review. Fat, moisture, meat juices, or whatever you want to refer to it as; your pictures, look like they have quite moist brisket in them. If your intention wasn't to compare Beaver's to other Central Texas BBQ places that you enjoy, I think I and others that I have spoken too missed that, even though you stated it several times in your first review. It came across like, "I'm not comparing this to Central Texas BBQ, but now I'm going to compare it to Central Texas BBQ". It seemed contradictory. "Frankly, I just don't think their barbecue tastes great, Central Texas or not. One thing they could do is make a pork rib that is very tender, which would be overcooked by Central Texas standards, but would still be delicious. The ideal Central Texas ribs, in my opinion, are too dry. Their ribs are approaching that non-Central Texas ideal but are too mealy and overcooked." -I have had their ribs on three different occassions now and haven't had the dry, overcooked rib experience that you and Kerr had. There might be some inconsistencies in the product, but I must say, the ribs that I have had, have been among the better ones I've ever tasted--Central Texas or not. "Smoke ring is actually an unreliable indication of smokiness." -I was not aware of this, but I understand your point. Duely noted. "Luling was exactly what I had in mind, actually. Last time I was there I bit into one and had a rivulet of fat spray three feet across the table -- luckily no one was hit. But that's the big difference: when you bite into it there is a lot of fat that flows out. I don't think Luling's fat percentage is much different from what Beaver's uses; it's the way that it's cooked that makes all the difference." -So obviously, there is some inconsistence in this product as well, because I don't remember this happening during the times I've eaten there. Also regarding sausage, call me crazy, but I think of all the usual suspects in the smoker, it might be the one that requires the least attention during the cooking process. In my opinion the craft of fine sausage comes in the initial making of it (grinding, seasoning, curing, etc.), not in cooking it. I suppose this could be debated, but it might be where we differ in opinions. I think you might also be confusing rendered fat for meat juices. "Why is it that all the top joints use the same style horizontal pit? I don't care how long he's been building pits, I don't trust Mr. Klose to know more about cooking barbecue than Luling City Market, Mueller's, etc. who have been using their pits longer than he's been alive. Also, maybe Mr. Klose does know that the big horizontal pits are the best, but how is he going to be able to sell a fixed pit like that? He has to come over to your place and actually build it." -Tons of champion BBQ teams use Klose Pits. If we can't establish trust based on what Klose does, then I have no stance for debate. I would also bet that he wouldn't put out a product that he feels is inferior...I mean his name is on it. "How about I start sticking "in my opinion" onto every statement I make? No thanks." -Its pretty common for people on message boards to say something like "IMHO"--"In my humble opinion". It just removes some of the elitism... "You read too much into this. I mention Veritas in the context that if you like the cocktails at Beaver's, you should check out Veritas, too. That's like saying that I can't compare PDT in a thread on Death & Co. That just stifles discussion." -I felt that this might have been a useless comparison since the restaurants are completely different in style and concept. I haven't had a chance to eat at Veritas as I don't make it to College Station very often. If it is that good, which I hear from others that it is as well, then give them their own thread. "This just sounds like a cop out. Turning off your critical mind and saying "it is what it is" is just giving them a pass. My criticism of the food in no way altered my enjoyment of it. My meal was very satisfying, and frankly even bad barbecue is still pretty tasty." -I'm not sure you understood what I was trying to convey. I'm not saying you should give them a pass if your ribs, etc., were overcooked, which might have been the case. I'm saying that your words came across as if you had a hard time getting past the fact that it wasn't Central Texas BBQ. Whether or not that is what you meant, it was how it was perceived...at least on my end. "Finally, I'd like to add that the reason I have written so much about this restaurant is because I care deeply about barbecue and I think they have the potential to be great." -I appreciate that you love barbecue. Both of us wouldn't be taking the time to write these ridiculously long responses if we weren't passionate about it. I think when the water boils out of the pot (not to use a crappy food cliche), its healthy to have these sorts of debates, but there were some pretty powerful statements made in your original review that were backed up more by what seemed to be your preferences--these preferences which are obviously influenced by your love for Central Texas BBQ. I think Beaver's is doing a great job honing their concept. It is like no other restaurant that I know of (of the restaurants that I'm aware of, Cochon in New Orleans comes the closest, IMO, but they are still miles apart). Just wait till they start making their OWN sausage. Those days will eventually be here. As much as I hate this statement, we might just have to agree to disagree about their BBQ. edited for grammatical clarity
  19. So obviously one can't please everybody... But to give Kent’s opinions honest consideration, I went back again last night to taste the brisket and a couple of other things. Just a few things to point out or question from Kent's review of Beavers: "This is not a Central Texas-style joint, and has no pretensions to be." -Then why is your whole review so focused on how it doesn't live up to your "Central Texas BBQ" expectations? "Major differences are apparent as soon as you enter the place: it is not counter service and you do not order meat by the pound." -I think we already established this in previous posts. "I don't pretend to know how to actually cook barbecue -- only how to taste it -- " -You don't? One might never assume this by reading the review. "Everything was also too moist -- as in actual moisture, not fat. The insides of the meat was especially moist, while the outside was not as crisp and dry as it should be. The meat, particularly the brisket, was also very lean. "Moistness" should come from the fat, not actual moisture. The goal of barbecue is to remove that moisture while retaining the fat." -I must have accidentally skipped this chapter in the BBQ Bible--first time I've ever heard about this rule on barbecue ‘moist-ness’...Let’s take a look at what kind of cut of meat that brisket is and where it comes from on the cow. It is located on the very front of the cow, just below the chuck. This means that while the cow is alive, this muscle moves every time the cow does, making it an extremely tough piece of meat. On one side of the brisket is a big fat layer, but in the flesh itself, there is not much more than finely marbled fat and a small amount of connective tissue. To make the brisket chewable, it HAS to be cooked slowly, for a long period of time over low heat. Beaver’s cooks their’s for 12-14 hours, at 200-225 degrees (at this point I would like to correct one of my previous posts regarding the wood used--it is a mixture of red oak and maple...not mesquite. my bad). With these long cooking times and low temperatures, any sort of marbling and connective tissue found in the flesh, renders out or breaks down. Your idea of removing moisture, but retaining fat (other than that found on the outside of the brisket) is impossible. For a better scientific explanation on this, see "On Food and Cooking", by Harold McGee. "All the barbecue lacked smoke flavor." -Wha, wha, wha, what?!?!? Of all the things I don't agree with in this review, this one is at the top of the list. Given the long smoking times that are previously stated, how a piece of meet can sit on a rack attached to a firebox for that long and not have a smoky flavor?...well...I just don't know what to say Kent... “If you leave a half pound of brisket from one of the top Central Texas joints in your car, it will thoroughly permeate the cabin and make it smell like that for hours after you take the meat out.” -Um...ew... When my wife read this, she actually shreaked saying, “WHAT?!?! Our house apartment STILL smells like BBQ from Tuesday. Concerning the "smokiness" of the ribs. When you bite into their ribs, there is a pink ring under the outer smoke layer. Commonly, that is referred to as the 'smoke ring'. It runs almost completely through Beaver’s ribs. If anything, I could see one arguing that they might be too smoky. Personally, I've never encountered what "too smoky" might taste like... "The sausage was made well, with a coarse grind and boldly flavored with fennel, but seemed too lean." -As of last week, the sausage was at 75% meet and 25% fat. Dax informed me that he has been talking with Jolie Vue Farms about changing it to a 70/30 ratio. I'm not sure if this has happened yet. "A good Central Texas sausage, when cooked properly -- which is only possible at the top joints -- will spray rivulets of fat into your mouth (and possibly all over the place!) when you bite into it." -What? I must've missed this chapter about 'fat spraying' in quality Central Texas charcuterie as well. And this incessant referral to “top joints”…geeeeze. One of my favorite Central Texas BBQ places, Luling City Meat Market (in Luling…not the one in Houston), also happens to have one of my favorite sausages. Kent, I'm sure you've eaten here and have tasted it. It is far from the fat spraying sausage that you speak of (of course, you might not like their sausage as well). Now, on the opposite end of the spectrum, Burns BBQ here in Houston has a completely different style of link, but it is equally as tasty...apples & oranges man, apples & oranges. “John served his sauce out of a crock pot with intact rings of onions in it, and is perhaps the best sauce I've ever tasted. Perhaps Beaver's can try to emulate that.” -Why? "After I finished my food, Dax, one of the cooks..." -Laughs (he’s the chef…) "It is not the typical large horizontal pit but upright, about the size of a large refrigerator, with multiple racks for the meat. This is much more space-efficient, but the top joints all use the same horizontal style pit for a reason. I understand the compromises that have to be made for a restaurant in the city, and so do not fault them for that. It might also be possible to turn out very good barbecue out of this kind of oven when they get more experience with it." -[shakes head...shrugs...] http://www.bbqpits.com Umm...top joints...Horizontal, vertical, whatever...if Mr. Klose was making me a bbq pit, he can make it in the shape of rocket ship and I would trust him that it smokes meat properly. “It might also be possible to turn out very good barbecue out of this kind of oven when they get more experience with it.” -“Oven”…[rolls eyes]. Because my grandpa could throw away NOTHING, when their refrigerator went out at the house, he took it out back by the barn and tore out the insides and put a bunch of racks in it. Then he took an old clothes dryer and set it up next to the fridge. Next he cut a hole in each and attached them together. The dryer was the firebox and the fridge was the smoker. This was 40 years ago. Crude as it might be, he made some fine, fine BBQ in the contraption. Sounds awfully similar to the style of smoker that I’ve seen at Beavers…(of course, their's isn't an old refrigerator...I'm talking concept people, only concept) "Although I am certainly biased by Central Texas-style standards, I by no means attempted to judge Beaver's by those criteria" -Really? "I should also add that Beaver's has only been open two weeks and mastering barbecue takes a long time, arguably longer than any other kind of cuisine." -This statement might be a bit strong...All of the dead sushi masters and pioneers of French cuisine just rolled over in their graves. It is hard to BBQ for a restaurant, I’m not disputing that. You are getting so wrapped up in the minutia of what you think ‘perfect’ barbecue is. I think we all understand that you are partial to what you think is Central Texas-style BBQ, but there are extreme variations even within that genre. "They carry Ayinger Celebrator, the best dopplebock in the world" -People that claim something is the BEST with such authority...How about this, "They carry Ayinger Celebrator, which is in my humble opinion, is the best dopplebock in the world". "As far as I know, Veritas in College Station is the only one that can compare. Veritas, I do feel is better than Beaver's, as they have a much higher budget for their cocktail program and, as knowledgeable as Bobby is, judging from his posts in the cocktail forum, Andy at Veritas is even more so. " -Yeah Bobby, you suck! You should probably quit bartending (can I have your awesome muddler?). You know, cause this was obviously a contest… "Fellow eG regular Morgan Weber also showed up at the bar and we both had an Aviation -- very nice meeting you, Morgan." -Nice to meet you too. "The idea of great cocktails in a barbecue restaurant is a little strange, but I'm not going to complain. It would actually be rather quaint to meet people for cocktails at this place." -Quaint…yeeeah, that’s what I’d call it. [shrugs] I would say this happened more by accident than anything. Bobby and Dave love cocktails and work at a place that has management that supports creativity. Quality drinks are birthed out of that. It's only natural. "Overall, I think this is a superb restaurant and will certainly be back next time I'm in town." -I'm glad you enjoyed it. ******* In conclusion, I believe that people who are really passionate about food, as Kent obviously is (myself included), are constantly walking a line between knowing food, knowing a lot about food, knowing how to cook food, and ENJOYING food. It is easy to be critical of everything we eat, especially in comparison with paradigm-altering meals that we’ve had in the past. At what point though are we so critical that we can’t enjoy a meal or even approach it with an open mind? When I’m in the South, and I’m eating a pulled pork sandwich, I’m not thinking with every bite, “Wow, this compares not to what I had growing up in Central Texas…that’s a shame.” It is what it is, just like Beaver’s is what it is. To make such broad generalizations does us injustices as food lovers.
  20. On a place I went to a couple of weeks ago. It was sooo memorable that I forgot to post about it. The joint looked like it had a lot of potential. Lucky Burger on Richmond near Maria Selma's. Possibly one of the worst burgers I have ever had. Tiny, thin, dry patty. Crappy frozen fries. Just awful.
  21. A friend of mine made a batch of the aged eggnog a couple of weeks ago. As of today, he said its still looking fine. Our plan is to break it out over New Years. He said it was very boozey when he first made and tasted it. He used the above-mentioned recipe from chow.com.
  22. On Saturday my wife and I were planning on going to Cafe Pita. Since this was the last time we'll be able to go out till after the new year, she talked me into going to Mark's. We haven't been there in almost two years--the last time was semi memorable, but some friends had gone there a couple of weeks ago and raved about the food. We didn't have a reservation and ended up sitting at the bar tables. We started with some butternut squash flan, which was one of the better single dishes that I've ever had at a fine dining restaurant in Houston. For entrees, she ordered duck breast & duck confit with a raspberry glaze, and I had veal medallions (I hate that name...medallions...is it supposed to make me feel fancy?) and also a braised veal shortrib. More or less, the entrees were good. If I were to be picky, I'd say that my wife's duck could have been better. I love duck confit and really enjoy it with a sweet-ish sauce, but the raspberry glaze that accompanied it, was mostly just a raspberry reduction--sweet and syrupy. I felt that the dish needed some more savory and acidic compenents to balance it out. Desserts were forgetable. I had eggnog creme brulee, which was what one would expect from such a dessert--nothing to complain about. My wife had some lemon pound cake with cranberry compote and cranberry ice cream. It sounded good, but ended up being something that one would order at say, Houston's...not Mark's. All in all, it was one of the best fine-dining experiences that I have had in Houston. It probably wouldn't be a destination place for someone vacationing in our city, but it sadly might be among the best fine-dining we have available. Also to note, although the house drinks are mostly vodka based (a lot of Charbay infusions) they have a nice selection of spirits & liqueurs (also fresh juices) and if you know what you like, chances are that you can order a well made drink. YMMV.
  23. Went to the Tacambero Taco Truck for lunch today with a friend of mine. We had the sweetbread tacos which were delicious. Also thought the market itself was awesome. I like that its only 10 minutes from my office. Thanks for the suggestion! M
  24. I've done some searching through old threads in order to find this topic, to no avail. If I'm being redundant, admins I apologize. I just received a bottle of Wray & Nephew's Pimento Liqueur and was wondering if anyone has some favorite recipes that show it off? Thanks.
  25. I'm in Austin and our CM Westgate has the same thing. I did the black smoked salt on a dry aged rib-eye from Whole Foods Market on the grill and it was absolutely the best steak I've ever eaten in my life. ← Sounds great. CM in Houston has been doing it as well. I'm cooking some Kobe Rib-eyes tonight and the idea is awesome. Will be going by there after work today for some smoked black salt.
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