Day 2: Everything revolves around eating

On Day 2, my buddy and I executed a meticulous eating plan with absolute perfection.  We began the day by leaving my apartment a little after 10 AM and grabbing the express train downtown to the Brooklyn Bridge.  We then walked across said bridge on a beautiful September day, arriving in Brooklyn at 11AM.  Our first stop was Grimaldi's, perhaps one of the most famous pizza places in the five boroughs, and located right under the Brooklyn Bridge.  Grimaldi's opens at 11:30, so we had about 15 minutes to kill. We took a quick walk down to the water, where I found what looked like a great taco stand. Unfortunately, they weren't ready to serve, though I was ready to eat - this was the only mishap of the day.

We sauntered back to Grimaldi's where a small line was forming, and after waiting 5 minutes, we were let inside.  The atmosphere was perfect: red checkered table clothes, Sinatra paintings on one wall and the Chairman of the Board on the speakers, and the coal oven fired up.

We ordered a large regular pie: fresh mozzarella, san marzano tomatoes, basil. That's it. WOW. WOW. Just a tremendous pizza.  The smoky flavor of the crust from the coal, and absolutely some of the freshest ingredients you can have on a pizza. The crust also had these charred bubbles of dough that crumpled when you ate them, and the cheese just oozed with flavor.  We polished off the pie in less than 20 minutes . . .






. . .  which brought us to our next stop of the day:  The Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. The place opens at 12 and we were there by 12:05. Like I said, we executed this plan perfectly.  I went with a scoop of the chocolate chocolate chunk.  Here are some words that come to mind: whole milk, slow churned, thick, creamy, awesome.  It's the type of ice cream that when you scoop up too big a portion and you try to "cut" it against the side of the bowl with your spoon, it simply won't.  Not because its too frozen, but because its so thick.

With pizza and ice cream in our stomachs, and right on schedule, we grabbed a water taxi back to lower Manhattan and walked up to the lower east side to check out the Tenement Museum, which was cool and a great way to digest.  Then came lunch part 2 at The Breslin (the first Michelin star rated restaurant that I've been too) in the Ace Hotel. We had one thing on our minds: the lamb burger.[FN1]

Apologies for the darkness of the picture

The burger was absolutely outstanding.  Chargrilled and medium rare, it was juicy and seasoned with just salt and pepper on top, and some grilled red onions (I ordered mine without the feta).  The sourdough role was top notch, and tasted great with a little of the cumin mayo spread on.  The burger also comes with "thrice cooked chips" which, as Sam Sifton of the New York Times notes, tastes like mashed potatoes in the middle and the crunchy exterior "shatters under the teeth."[FN2] Great description for these great fries.

The inside: medium rare. You can see the juices!!

On a day where we ate like kings, and weren't hungry for the next 24 hours, we had some of the best pizza in the city, some of the best ice cream we'd tasted, and a truly remarkable lamb burger that I would gladly pick over any beef burger.

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FN1: The lamb burger is really what they are known for.  When the waiter came to take our drink order about 2 minutes after we sat down, we told him we already knew what we wanted. He knew right away, and said, "Let me guess, the lamb burger." 

FN2: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/dining/reviews/13rest.html

Burgers, Beers, Sushi (not all at once)

A good buddy from college came to visit for two days, and eating, or more accurately overeating, promptly ensued.  Now this buddy currently goes to grad school in Cali, so he has at his disposal In-n-Out Burger.[FN1]  I decided we needed to pit that west coast power against the beast of the east, Shake Shack.[FN2] We each had Shack Burgers, fries, and chocolate shakes.  The burgers are so fresh and the meat is so good.  If you let yourself, you could eat the burger in three quick and large bites.  It takes every ounce of self control not to.  The shakes are rich and thick, and the fries are clean tasting (not too greasy).  After dining and discussion (and a second trip to the Shack two days later), we concluded that the burgers are better at the Shack, but the sauce on the burgers is better at In-n-Out.  Plain fries go to Shack (but if we are dressing them up, then In-n-Out's animal style wins hands down). Finally, shakes are also better at the Shack.

After some sightseeing in the city, we met a former roommate for drinks at a nice rooftop bar in midtown.  A few Brooklyn lagers later and we found ourselves at Poke with the fiancee.  Poke is a sushi bar on the upper east side that happens to also be BYOB, which is a great idea.  Some sapporo, some edamame, some salad with the ginger dressing: the night was off to a good start.  Now, I am a sushi rookie and I am working very very slowly (practically crawling) to expand my comfort zone.  So I stuck with my usual: 2 pieces of ebi (shrimp) sushi and a ebi tempura roll.  Outstanding.  But, then again, I'm eating cooked "fish."  But my buddy loves sushi and he had some more adventurous stuff, and had nothing but good things to say.  The fiancee also had a crab tempura roll that had some spicy tuna in it. I gave it a taste - delicious.  Granted, I ate it in one bite and quickly washed it down with some beer, but hey, it's a start!

A final note about Day 1 of this eating trip: While heading to the subway, we saw Anthony Bourdain just having a bite to eat in the window of the Papaya King three blocks from apartment. My first NYC celebrity sighting, and a food-related one too!

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FN1: Whenever I am in California, which is rare, I do my best to eat multiple times at In-n-Out.  Its magical what they do with fast food.

FN2: My top 3 burger places goes likes this: Shake Shack, In-n-Out, Five Guys. Though they are third on the list, Five Guys has the best fries and I love what they do with the sauteed onions on the burger. In a weaker conference, they would run away with the title. But burger places have become like the AL East - you could have the 3rd best record in all of baseball and miss the playoffs.

Roast Beef Sandwich at Dickson's Farmstand

The fiancee wanted to see the Chelsea Market and I was happy to oblige.  Its a pretty cool place with a collection of restaurants and food stands.  Plenty of good options, but it was lunch time and I only wanted something quick, so I chose a sandwich at Dickson's Farmstand, a nice meat market that sells locally raised meat.  I was initially disappointed when I learned that the sandwiches are pre-made and already wrapped, which I assumed would mean that the food would not taste fresh.  I was wrong.  The roast beef sandwich was fresh and delicious, and the sesame bun wasn't soggy.  Rare pieces of meat, covered in a horseradish mayo, and some kind of pickled vegetables.   The place obviously prides itself on putting out high quality meat, and it was, but the mayo stole the show.  It did not overpower and it lingered long after the sandwich was gone.

Not Your Regular Bruschetta

Artu in the North End is a very solid restaurant, but one of the best things they do is run a take-out kitchen right next door.  It's reasonably priced for the area, and its quick - orders usually ready within 15 minutes.  Plus, the portions are a good size.  The other night I enjoyed this little feast:

The pasta, which I had ordered before, was very good (with broccoli rabe, grilled chicken, red pepper flakes, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil).  But I also had the Bruschetta (left dish in the picture).  Traditionally, Bruschetta is toasted bread topped with olive oil and garlic.  In many restaurants, the bread is topped with diced tomatoes, onions, and basil (and sometimes mozzarella).  But at Artu, they do it differently: broccoli rabe, cannellini beans, garlic, olive oil, and grana padano.  The beans and cheese mixed together produced this creamy spread for the bread, that was then accentuated by the bitterness of the broccoli rabe.  A great antipasti, and it held together on better than the tomato toppings, which usually soak through the bread.

Enchilada Food Coma!

The other night I had dinner at Cilantro on the Upper East Side and went with the chicken and blue corn tortilla enchiladas.  But before I get to that, a quick word on the chips basket.  A few years ago, I started trying to abstain from the chips basket at Mexican restaurants.  Now, there was no real reason for doing this, considering that I usually move through a bread basket like a hot knife through butter. But I quickly found that it wasn't really a problem to watch the chips disappear without partaking.  Until Cilantro.  This is no ordinary chips basket - fresh salsa, deliciously warm and salty chips, and the real winner of the bunch: sweet potato chips, shaped for easy scooping of the salsa.

After I had taken care of the basket, it was main course time.  I love soft corn tortillas, and these blue corn ones were fantastic.  The dish had three or four enchiladas - tough to tell under the thick blanket of cheese.  The green chile sauce was spicy and when it blended in with the cheese, or the nearby rice, it really hit the spot.  The enchiladas were overstuffed with chicken and cheese and each bite was dense and heavy, but that is exactly what I was looking for.[FN1] In the end, I had to leave some of the cheese blanket on the plate, but it was all that remained.  I don't think I made it 15 minutes on the couch that night before I fell into a deep, food-induced sleep.  Perfect.

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FN1: Does anyone really want light Mexican food?

Eating My Way Through the Hurricane

With Long Island right in the storm's path, my mother and fiancee apparently thought it best to make a lot of delicious and hearty food to weigh us down in the face of hurricane force winds. Here are some pics:

  My fiancee baked these banana nut muffins and muffin tops. They were moist and absolutely delicious!  The perfect start to a Sunday of downed trees, heavy rains, and whipping winds.

She also made this mammoth cake.  It was two layers of funfetti covered in icing and those little round sprinkles.  Funfetti has always had a special place in my heart because, as someone who doesnt really like cake, I consistently asked for funfetti birthday cake when I was growing up.  My godmother, who, to put it nicely, has many outstanding qualities other than cooking, used to make it for me each year.  It was one of the few things we were ok with her making because she always got it right!  Funfetti also reminds me of friends' birthday parties, the kind where you had funfetti cupcakes, laser tag, and pizza cut into 1/16th's instead of 1/8ths.[FN1]

These biscuits with sesame seeds, pepper, dill, grated cheese, and rosemary were spot on! They went along with a delicious shepherd's pie (devoured too quickly by all to photograph!).












Best way to weather the storm: stay full!

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FN1: If I was invited to a birthday party today that served these smaller slices, I would promptly take back the gift and leave.

Hurricane Irene Special Report: Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza

Before the winds started howling and the rain started falling, my dad and I decided to grab a pie from Anthony's new location in Woodbury. I was at first skeptical because Anthony's is a chain pizzeria, as opposed to the more local joints, and because it was started in Florida (a state not exactly known for it's pizza). We decided to go half mushroom and kalamata olive, and half plain (because the fiancee likes neither of those toppings).




Things I liked:
1. The crust: the coal oven gives a smoky flavor to the crust. The edges were well-done, and the crust overall was crispy.[FN1]

2. The kalamata olives: prepared more as a spread rather than slices of olives that you normally get when you order black olives. I found this very enjoyable because it blended nicely with the cheese and sauce.

Things I did not like:
1. Size: too small, plain and simple. Sometimes I don't mind going for a smaller pie with smaller slices. But with the impending hurricane I wanted big pizza and didn't get it.

2. The crust: yes, I am putting this in both the like and dislike category for one reason. The crust was a little too thin - I need doughy bubbles on my pizza!!

Overall good flavor that exceeded my expectations from a chain pizzeria. I'll probably go back, but next time, order a pie just for myself.

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FN1: I first became intrigued by coal oven pizza in the summer of 2009 when New York Magazine published an issue dedicated largely to the new trend of pizza in NYC. At least two places on the list of the 20 best places at the time used coal ovens. While I spent my summer in NYC eating my way through the list, I never made it to a coal place. But having had this pizza, I'm even more excited to see how others do it!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The Master at Work!

Nobody works a grill like my dad! Corns, steaks, sausages. Get some!



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Mom Makes My Birthday Cake, Food Comas Follow

A few days ago my mom asked me what kind of cake I wanted for my birthday. I said ice cream cake, maybe with some chocolate and peanut butter, and an oreo crust, if possible. Well it was possible as my mom, who is truly an outstanding cook, made the cake herself! Look at this magnificent tribute to the birth of her son:

Too bad my sister, who is away for med school, couldn't enjoy this cake. Hahaha!

The bottom was an oreo cookie crust, but not just the chocolate crumbs you get in the foodstore. Instead, mom crushes up whole oreos so that the crust contained the cream parts as well. The crust was a heavy duty base for peanut butter ice cream with, wait for it, pieces of peanut butter cups therein. The top layer was a duo of chocolate ice cream, and then a layer of fudge and drizzled peanut butter sauce. I'd be lying if I didnt admit that this was the kind of cake that could really incapacitate you.[FN1] But that's really a small price to pay for such an unbelievably delicious cake! Thanks, mom!

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FN1: One more bite and I probably would have ended up sleeping in the bath tub.

Awesome Birthday Meal: Cafe Buenos Aires

Tonight was a serious eating night, as I headed over to Cafe Buenos Aires(CBA)in Huntington, NY for a birthday dinner with the fiancee and the parents. CBA bills itself as an Argentinian restaurant(duh) and has a full menu and an extensive tapas (both hot and cold) selection. The meal starts off right with a duo of breads and a trio of, for lack of a better description, sauces: a pico de gallo and two chimichurris (parsley, garlic, onion, oil), the difference being that one has crushed red pepper.

The rest of my dining party approached the meal the same way, starting with a salad and then a few tapas for the entree.[FN1] I, however, had other plans, and they revolved around meat. I started with the tapas special, mostly because I was intrigued by one of it's ingredients: braised oxtail. The dish consisted of a patty-pan squash, stuffed with sautéed spinach, chorizo, and the aforementioned braised oxtail. Wow. The squash was roasted and sweet and on it's own a delight. But then you add the stuffing. The oxtail was great, tender and almost melted in your mouth, while the chorizo had a stronger presence that somehow didn't overpower the dish. Instead, at times, it gave the squash this smokey meaty flavor! To top it off, the dish was served over a saffron aoili which was sweet and had a thicker consistency that coated all it encountered, including the bread I wiped the plate clean with.

With appetizers behind us, we awaited our entrees. The first sign that my dish was going to be epic was it's presentation: it, an 18 oz. bone-in ribeye, was served on a cutting board!!! The steak was cooked absolutely perfectly.[FN2] You could cut it with almost no effort, flavor permeating from the fat into the more socially acceptable portions of the steak. At one point, as I tried to cut from the bone every last piece of delicious meat, my mom actually implored the waitress to take my plate away.[FN3] The steak was accompanied by truly bitter broccoli rabe, roasted peppers, and potatoes. At one point one of the roasted potatoes actually tasted like mashed potatoes in solid form - was the ribeye playing tricks on my mind?

Overall, a great meal to celebrate 26 years of being an eating machine!

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FN1: The fiancée had a small red pepper stuffed with rice and braised short rib. Terrific!

FN2: For the record, JLQ's steak was as good, if not slightly better!

FN3: Absurd!

Picture of the Day

On Sunday, I went to Butcher Boy in North Andover, MA to buy meat for a BBQ.  It was love at first sight (and this is maybe only a third of the entire display case!)

Dish Review: "The Regal Regis" at Parish Cafe

With my time in Boston winding down, I really need to make an effort to try as many new (for me) places as possible.  So with that in mind, I met a college buddy at Parish Cafe on Boylston Street for dinner on Saturday night (I know - i need to be more diligent with posting, and also with taking pictures of the food). The best way to describe Parish Cafe is cool, in the way that the Fonz was cool on Happy Days.  It just has that kind of vibe, which is complimented by the menu concept (and outdoor summer time seating).[FN1]  In addition to the regular menu, Parish has a rotating menu consisting of sandwiches, salads, apps, etc..., each one designed by a different big-name chef from the area.  Like I said, pretty cool!

I went with the Regal Regis, designed by Susan Regis, the chef at Upstairs on the Square in Cambridge.  Here is the menu's description:

• Sliced flank steak and portobello mushrooms in a soy, scallion and balsamic marinade. Served on Romano cheese crusted French bread with a side of homemade potato salad or coleslaw.

It was delicious, and they certainly do not skimp on the ingredients.  A generous portion of steak, cooked perfectly, and covered in that asian-style marinade, which is sweet and tangy all at once.  The mushrooms are grilled and piled onto the steak, with a few stragglers finding their way onto the plate for later consumption.  The interesting thing I found with this sandwich was that every bite wasn't the same, and that's primarily because the baked in Romano cheese is notably absent sometimes, and then reappears in full force.  When I tasted the cheese, it was wonderful.  But when I didn't, I never felt like the sandwich was incomplete because the other flavors were so strong and complimentary of each other. Finally, the potato salad was spot on.  Overall, a great summertime meal!

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FN1: Parish also has a GREAT beer selection, and because my college buddy drinks heavily is in biz school in California, he introduced me to some excellent CA craft beers.  The beer list also includes Butternuts Porkslap Pale Ale - I wasn't too into this beer, but was easily amused by the can:

Will This Post Ultimately Ruin My Blog?

Nick Varano's Famous Deli, on the front face of the North End, has mediocre reviews on Yelp.  So if I go ahead and say I like (not love) one of their sandwiches, will it undermine my food-blogging reputation?  But what if, at the same time, this becomes the first post where I'm somewhat critical of a meal?  Will it ruin the blog?  Only time will tell, so here we go!

That monster of a sandwich in the foreground is the Chicken Caprese and you can find it on the menu under "More Sandwiches," which means it doesn't get a fancy title or a matching celebrity description. Instead, you get two thick chicken cutlets, a few slices of prosciutto, tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil, all served on a ciabatta role that has olive oil and balsamic vinegar soaked into it.

I'm not saying its the best sandwich in the North End, but the overall flavor is good.  The balsamic vinegar is sweet and lingers in every bite, which gets no complaints from me.  The bread is fresh (as it should be - there really is no excuse for poor bread anywhere in the North End), but the tomato-mozzarella combination feels like its right off an antipasti plate at some of the run-of-the-mill neighboring restaurants. My main complaint is that the chicken cutlets, while tasty, were a bit overpowering at times (sometimes, the prosciutto seemed lost in the shuffle).  That could be an unfortunate side-effect of the deli's commitment to producing a very large product.  Did I just say that a too-large portion was a negative feature of food?  I . . . think . . . I . . . did.

Verdict: Good, but could be (and I really wish it was) better.

Quick Grilling Recipes for Corn and Shrimp

Last night I threw together a quick BBQ, and given the late hour, I was starving and forgot to take pictures to document the cooking.  Here is the aftermath:

The menu consisted of grilled chicken (pre-seasoned at whole foods - i cheated), shrimp, corn on the cob (a staple of summer), and grilled squash and zucchini.  The veggies were marinated in a bag of balsamic vinegar, with a little salt, pepper, and a drop of olive oil.  Very easy to do, and you just put the slices on the grill and let them cook for a while, making sure to flip them over and move them around the grill.[FN1]

The two recipes I want to share are for the corn and the shrimp, and both are simple, yet delicious.

Corn:
1. Remove the corn from the husks and brush each one with olive oil.
2. In a dish, mix salt, pepper, and grated cheese.
3. Roll the oiled-up corn over the mixture.
4. Wrap the corn in tin foil. Don't use too much foil or it will take even longer to cook.
5. Place the corn on the grill.  If your grill is two levels, place it on the higher shelf.
6. Turn the corn occasionally.
7. The corn takes the longest to cook, so place them on the grill about 20 minutes before adding the quicker cooking meat and veggies.
8. Unwrap (very hot!) and enjoy.

Shrimp:
1. In a glass baking dish, combine olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and oregano (or rosemary - either one works great).
2. Put the shrimp into the marinade.  Make sure you really coat the shrimp, both sides, with the marinade.  Then place the baking dish with the shrimp in the fridge for at least an hour.

IMPORTANT QUESTION: What Kind of Shrimp Should You Use?  I used medium size easy peel shrimp, which means the store has already removed most of the shell except for the thin layer on the underside of the shrimp.  You could also use larger shrimp that are still fully in the shell.  It really depends on how messy you want to get when eating.  Either way, you should keep the shells on while cooking because it prevents the shrimp from shriveling from the heat, and it keeps them moist.

3. An effective way to cook the shrimp is by placing them on skewers. If the skewers are wood, soak them in water first to prevent burning.
4. Place the skewers across the grill.  As the shrimp starts to get pink, turn them over.
5. Peel and enjoy!

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FN1: The remaining marinade that's in the bag can be poured over the veggies once they are on the grill, which will cause the fire to flare up over the veggies and give them a delicious flavor.  Just be careful!

JLQ Makes One Delicious Steak!

Last night, I trekked to my buddy JLQ's house in Dorchester for some "grilled steaks" (according to his email invite) and the US soccer friendly vs. Mexico.  I quickly learned, upon arrival, that I was in store for a perfect summer meal: enormous steaks (see below), grilled veggies, rice pilaf, and a few brews.

As the title of this post suggest, JLQ has perfected the recipe for the rib eye.  He begins by seasoning the steaks with vegetable oil and generous amounts of salt and pepper.  In a separate, large dish, he prepares what he refers to as  a "type of chimichurri" sauce - olive oil, parsley, lemon juice, shallots, and salt and pepper. 

The sauce just sits in the plate, all of the ingredients getting to know each other, sharing stories, and blending into the finished product.  I had never had anything like this, especially on a steak, which I like to keep about as simple as possible - salt, pepper, and olive oil. No steak sauce for me!  But I was intrigued by it, and he assured me it was going to be "awesome."

 While the steaks are on the grill - and JLQ and I are hovering over the grill, because that's what men do, they hover over the grill, mouths watering with anticipation - the whole wheat rice pilaf cooks on the stove.  And the skewers of red and green peppers and onions, marinated lightly in olive oil, sit idly by, waiting for their turn over the fire.  JLQ turns the steaks a few times, throws the veggie skewers on the fire, and you can see his eyes begin to light up.  He knows the steaks are nearly ready![FN1]

Once the steaks are done, he places them on a non-wood cutting board (because the juices can soak into wood - learned that from the fiancee), and lets them sit (to keep the juices from running out like pent up water behind a now-bursting dam).  Then, he places each steak on the plate with the sauce, flipping to cover each side, and then returns the steaks to the board and covers them with the rest of the sauce.  Now they are ready to cut and he slices them into huge slabs, which reveals a medium-rare center that takes your breath away.

The steak is beyond flavorful.  One thing about the rib eye, as you can see in the first pictures, is that there is a considerable amount of fat.  Don't be afraid of it!!! Fat adds flavor, and you are free to exercise some restraint and not eat the "unhealthy" pieces (a difficult task).[FN2]  The sauce is essentially 15 yards for excessive celebration - the steak was great without it and now you're just showing off.  You get all of the flavors - the shallots, the parsley, the lemon.  When the excess runs into the pilaf, well, it makes that instantly better as well. 

Well done, JLQ. Well done.[FN3]

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FN1: Everyone has their own technique for determining when a steak is perfectly cooked.  Some cut into it, some press it to see how much juice comes out.  JLQ just seems to know - it's a gift.

FN2: "Unhealthy" is in quotes because its hearsay.

FN3: Was not hungry when I woke up this morning.  Yes, it was that kind of meal.

Recipe: Baked Rigatoni...with a twist

I'm a huge fan of baked pasta dishes, and this one is a great dish with tons of flavor throughout.  Here's what you will need:[FN1]

2 lbs Rigatoni
1 Package Chicken Sausage
2 Broccoli Heads
1 Package of Cherry Tomatoes
1 Can Pitted Olives
Shredded Mozzarella
Fresh Mozzarella

1. Brown the sausage pinwheel in a skillet with a little olive oil, and then leave on the stove until the center goes from pink to white.  You don't want to cook the sausage completely because it will continue to cook when you bake the entire dish later.




2. Bring water to boil and cook the pasta.  Leave it a touch on the al dente side, because like the sausage, the pasta will cook some more in the oven.  While the water is boiling, cut up the broccoli, tomatoes, olives, sausage, and fresh mozzarella.



3. Once the rigatoni is cooked[FN2], place a layer in a glass baking dish that has been coated on the bottom and sides with a light layer of olive oil to prevent sticking.  Cover with a layer of shredded mozzarella, sausage, tomatoes, olives, and broccoli.

4. Cover that layer with another layer of rigatoni and repeat step 3.  This time, include the small cubes of fresh mozzarella.

5. Add one final layer of rigatoni, the remaining sausage and vegetables, and some more shredded mozzarella.  Then add the thicker slabs of fresh mozzarella.

6. Take a second to admire the beauty of the dish and then place the monstrosity into the oven.  Make sure to bend your knees when lifting into the oven - Safety first!

7.  Bake in the oven at 350 for about 15 minutes.  Then, change the oven to broil and leave in until the cheese begins to bubble and brown on the top.  There is no exact time for this, so make sure you keep an eye on it.

8. Mangia!!

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FN1: I have a huge appetite, so the ingredient proportions are probably higher than what most normal people would use.  So adjust accordingly.

FN2: By the way, how beautiful of a sight is a scolobast (also known as a strainer) that is overflowing with pasta!

Dish Review: Skillet Roasted Scallops and BBQ Duck

Last night, my fiancee and I dined at Masa in the South End.  The evenings winner was clearly my appetizer, the Skillet Roasted Sea Scallops and BBQ Duck.  Three sea scallops, seared perfectly on the outside and tender on the inside - with a nice kick from some pepper corns that dotted the tops of the scallops.  In the middle of the plate was the BBQ duck, shredded, and topped with thin onion straws. All of this was placed on top of a sweet corn cream.

The scallops, on their own, needed no additional flavor.  I ate them without mixing them with the rest of the dish.  But the flavor and texture combination in the middle, made possible by scooping some corn cream with the duck and onions, was sheer magic.  Just absolutely one of the best bites of food you can have.

Finally, the dish had this citrus-like jelly around the outside of the plate, which tasted great on the homemade cornbread that came in the bread basket.  Overall, a wonderful dish, and a good start to a night of overeating that included lamb kabobs with fried plantains (delicious!), a chile rubbed rib-eye steak (cooked very well, but outdone by the roasted tomato salsa on top), and some solid margaritas and mojitos!

Now That's A Sub!!

When it comes to subs at The Cheese Shop on Fleet Street in Boston, these guys don't mess around.[FN1]  And they don't measure the bread either.  Like those veteran cops on TV shows who can take apart and reassemble a gun blind-folded, the two and sometimes three man rotation behind the counter have perfected the art of making the prosciutto di parma sub, starting with the preparation of the bread.  Whole loaves instantly become perfect 14" (no, you are not dreaming) vessels for fresh cheese and salty prosciutto.  How, you might ask, can they cut the bread by just eye-balling it?  Easy - they just cut the loaf in half.  That's right - each sub is a full half a loaf of bread!

To fully appreciate the sub, I suggest ordering one "with everything."  The party starts as they drizzle the olive oil, evenly distribute the diced tomatoes, and break apart the fresh basil leaves.  Then the real fun begins.  Your sandwich-maker steps away from the prep station and reaches a ladle into a container of cloudy water in the counter's display case.  You ask yourself what lies beneath, and you are treated to the answer as he pulls out a ball of mozzarella, made fresh daily.  And the reason why it's an entire ball of cheese is because there are no remnants from earlier subs - your sub gets its very own full ball of fresh mozzarella, sliced into slabs, and spread along the sub. 

Then comes the prosciutto!![FN2]  Heaping portions of paper-thin slices of prosciutto.  You watch them make the sandwich, running the meat slicer over and over again.  Will that sub even close?  The answer, surprisingly, is yes.  But not before a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.  The sandwich is then wrapped and placed in a long paper bag, small hurdles to toss aside before devouring the goodness that awaits.  Only one obstacle remains: do I eat the entire sub now, or do I save some for later.  After a few bites, you realize that's not even a serious question.

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FN1: Five days after I moved into my North End apartment, I fired off this tweet: "Just grabbed a 14" prosciutto di parma sub at the cheese shop around the corner from my new apt. This is gonna be a great year."  And so began my love affair with this sub.

FN2:  If everything in life was accompanied by prosciutto, things would be so much better.  For example, if the dentist said "first, we are going to cut your gum and drill deep into the tooth," and followed that up with "then comes the prosciutto," I'd be willing to undergo that procedure.

Strong Start: What Can You Learn from a Bread Basket?

My grandma always says you can tell how good an Italian restraurant is by its bread basket, and I tend to agree.  The bread basket is many things to many diners.  For some, it fills you up before your meal actually arrives and ends up negatively impacting the rest of the eating experience.  Every bite of your entree is accompanied by that "why did I eat so much bread" feeling, and can ruin your ability to appreciate what you are eating.[FN1]  Some people have figured out how to thrive, even when stuck in this category.  My dad, for example, often laments at how much bread he ate before the food was actually served, though this rarely stops him from fully enjoying his meal and even assenting to a bread basket refill.  In that way, he is like a great quarterback who needs a short memory to forget that last interception he threw.  He is, without a doubt, a first-ballot food hall-of-famer.

For other diners, the bread basket is like a light jog before a longer run - it gets you in the mood for what lies ahead.  Somehow, eating a great piece of bread, dipped in a little olive oil, gets the mind racing as you peruse the menu.  It can inspire you to be creative in your selection, or maybe even dictate exactly what you order, as in "this bread would taste great dipped in the leftover sauce."  The bread basket can also start the food dialogue at the table, or in your head.  While first-time diners at a restaurant can only discuss the hypothetical merits of the dishes on the menu, the bread basket gives them an opportunity to comment on something they have actually eaten.  And any lingering questions in your head about whether the food is going to be good can often be settled by sampling the bread.  Because a restaurant that takes the time to arrange a proper bread basket probably gives the same attention to detail in how they prepare the rest of the meal. 

Limoncello in Boston's North End serves one example of a well-conceived bread basket.  The basket contains a sizeable loaf of good, crunchy, rustic bread.  Its the kind of bread with a crispy, flaky crust and a warm, soft inside.  The type that soaks up the olive oil with no leakage and leaves enough crumbs on the tablecloth to instantly betray the diner who has gone back to the well more than others.  Usually, that person is me - the area in front of me usually looks like a Jackson Pollock painting with bread crumbs.  Accompanying the bread is a small bowl filled with green olives and olive oil, perfect for dipping.  On my first visit to Limoncello, I was swallowed alive by the bread.  On my second trip, I learned to pace myself.  Both times, however, the basket was a sign of good things to come, and I thoroughly enjoyed my meal.[FN2]

For the more aggressive bread basket lovers, I strongly suggest Angelina's Too in Syosset, NY.  It's Limoncello's bread basket...on steroids.  There is bread and olives and olive oil. And then there is a complimentary plate of meats and cheeses.  The basket also contains Grissini breadsticks and a delicious olive spread.  OLIVE SPREAD!!! You can make an entire meal out of the bread basket here, so you have to proceed carefully or simply resign yourself to the fact that its going to be one of those nights where you unbutton your pants for the car ride home.[FN3]  And just to prove my point about great bread baskets = attention to detail, at Angelina's Too, they will make anything you want, on or off the menu.  And they always seem to get it right!

A bread basket is a glimpse into the soul of a restaurant.  So grab a piece, drizzle some olive oil, and let the overeating begin!


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FN1: On our trip to Italy last year, my fiance and I noticed that we were the only ones devouring the bread basket every night.  It was an easy giveaway that we were Americans.  It seems the locals had no use for the bread.  I'm not apologizing for my actions, however.  The bread was delicious, and it never ruined any of my meals.  FYI: best bread basket from the trip was at La Lanterna Due in Sorrento.

FN2: I recommend the tagliolini al limoncello.  Wiping the bowl clean with the bread was a great way to finish the meal.

FN3: Speaking of tight fitting pants, a few years ago my family took a vacation and my dad accidentally packed an old pair of slacks that he had outgrown.  It was a miracle they stayed buttoned for the night.  But did that stop the man? Nope - he enjoyed that meal like the true champion that he is.

In Defense of the One Good Pizza in Boston (and a tribute to Tony D's)

I'm from New York, so I'm a pizza snob.  On Long Island, you can drive ten minutes in any direction from my parents house and get some great pizza at small, local places.  Emotional detour: There used to be this place called Tony D's about 5 minutes from my house.  My buddy and I used to go there all the time during high school and eat as much as we could.  Eventually the workers started to notice, and we were treated like kings (i.e. free food at closing time). A few years ago, the deli next door had a huge fire and Tony D's was lost forever.[FN1]  They never rebuilt, and my eyes always mist up whenever I drive by.[FN2]

Ok, I'm done crying.  Now back to the issue at hand - Boston's major pizza problem.  For a city that has a pretty good culinary reputation, pizza is the one thing they haven't figured out.[FN3]  Maybe it's because the city is home to a ton of college students, and for the most part, college students want cheap and fast pizza.  I admit that when I was in college, faced with late night pizza cravings, I ordered from some really bad places.  Each time, I felt like I should have gone to confession afterwards. 

There are a few spots in Boston that are consistently touted as the best pizza places in the city, but for me, there is really only one place, and only one specific pie at said place.  It's Pizzeria Regina's in the North End, and it's their spinaci, brocoli, e pomodoro pie (#24 on the menu, number 1 in my heart).  I have never had a bad experience with this pie.  Not even a so-so experience.  Just absolute perfection, in 8 slices.  I order a large pie for myself, and usually eat 6 slices the first night and two the next day.  That says a lot to me, because even though I love pizza, I wont go crazy - just 2 slices for dinner.  But not with this one.  No, my friends, this one has cast a spell on me.

It all starts with the crust.  Fired up in the brick oven, with the perfect balance of doughiness and charred bottom.  In a city where crusts are often flaky (cringe!), Regina's gets it so right!  Next is their "red sauce" which has noticeable, yet not overwhelming hits of garlic.  Sometimes the sauce runs a little near the center of the pie, or the front end of each slice.  It oozes with the cheese onto your plate, leaving behind a flavorful bite to be enjoyed after you finish the slice.  The pie is then topped with pecorino romano cheese and fresh basil.  The cheese provides a nice contrasting flavor to the mozzarella, and the basil, oh the basil.  I love fresh basil - I'd brush my teeth with it if I could find 4 of 5 dentists to approve. 

A final word on Regina's. I often trade food stories with a coworker of mine who also happens to favor Regina's.  She has a go-to pie there as well.  I tried to explain the merits of the spinach and brocoli pie but she was having none of it.  That may be the thing that makes Regina's so good. They make pies unlike anywhere else in the city.  So when you find the right one, it becomes love at first bite.

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FN1: That deli happened to make one of the best egg sandwiches I've had.  But some things are just too important, and my loyalty to Tony D's was one of them.  Thus, I have never returned to that deli.


FN2: Later, we discovered that Tony D had a second location, so we drove almost an hour to eat there.  It wasn't the same, and quite frankly, it never stood a chance.  Food just becomes that much better when you have an emotional connection with it.  For us, Tony D's was a major part of growing up.  It defined who we were, in part because we used to leave school 6th period, grab a full pie, and then return in time to eat it during 8th period calculus.  The other location might as well have been owned by complete strangers.  So we ate our pizza, said goodbye, and drove home in silence.

FN3: Actually two things: pizza and bagels.

Stuffed Peppers

On Sunday night, I made stuffed peppers, and they turned out pretty good.  First what you need, how to prepare, then some post-eating thoughts.

Ingredients: [FN1]
-1.5 cups of white rice
-1 lime
-Black olives, chopped
-Cherry tomatoes, chopped
-2 orange peppers
-Shredded mexican cheese
-1 chicken breast
-Black beans
-Salsa
-Corn
-2 Serrano chiles

How to prep:
While the rice is cooking (I use a rice cooker and I cannot recommend it enough), start chopping the olives, tomatoes, and serrano peppers, and then saute them in a little olive oil.  Add the corn and the beans.  Grill the chicken separately, let it sit for a while to keep in the juices, and then chop into little cubes and add to the veggie mix in the sauce pan.  Squeeze a half a lime into the veggies.  Now, take the orange peppers, slice off the tops, and remove the insides.  Pre-heat the oven to 350.  Add the cooked rice to the sauce pan, pour in a coating of salsa, and stir continuously until it is all covered and has a nice creamy consistency.  Stuff the peppers with the mixture, and then top with cheese.  Bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, and then enjoy!

Post-eating thoughts:
1. The lime flavor seemed to disappear by the time it was all cooked.  I wonder if I should squeeze a little more lime in right before stuffing the peppers.
2. The more you saute the chiles, the more the spice dissipates.  I think I need to add these later as well.  And on the subject of chiles, dont touch your face after cutting up the peppers.  Because while the meal wasn't as spicy as I would have liked, my face was burning up for a few hours after cooking.  You live and you learn.

Pics of the before and after: [FN2]

FN1: When I cook, I hardly ever measure precise amounts. I just think about how hungry I am and then try to make the right amount. So listen to your stomachs - its a good guide! Also, as a lawyer, I have a thing for footnotes.  Nerdy, I know, but a good place to put in some fun facts.

FN2: Don't judge the use of paper plates.  All of my good plates are packed up for my move to NYC.

The Agony and The Ecstasy, or Waiting in Line at Modern Pastry

The cannolo [pl. cannoli].  That simple Sicilian pastry, perhaps the most recognizable of all the Italian desserts (more on that a little later).  Had The Godfather been set in the CSI era of modern crime-fighting, Clemenza would still have been justified in telling Rocco to "leave the gun," with its traceable serial number and incriminating set of fingerprints, and just "take the cannoli."

Enter Modern Pastry on Hanover Street in Boston's North End, creators of, in my humble opinion, the best cannolo in the city.  Here, empty shells wait, albeit not for long, in the display case, for that magic moment when they are paired with that oh-so-perfect ricotta filling.  Because at Modern, the cannoli are fresh - not just because they are made to order, but also because they are light and creamy, with a noticeable texture that makes your palate yearn for the next bite.

My love for a good cannolo is serious business, and for the past year, I have lived around the corner from Modern, frequenting the store several times a week to get my fix.  Each time, I am careful to leave my wallet at home and bring only exact change, knowing full well that I cannot rely on will power to govern my purchase.  At Modern, guests can find a small menu that summarizes the options, among them: regular shell or chocolate dipped, ricotta filling or something less tradition, and the possibility of toppings (chocolate chips, almonds).  I consider myself a purist - I like a regular shell with the traditional ricotta filling, a dash of powdered sugar, and some chocolate chips.  I know exactly what I want every time, how much it costs (a modest $3.00), and how to order it without any confusion.

I am, you could say, "in the know."  And lately, it seems I am all alone in this group.  If I wasn't alone, business would probably be bad at Modern.  But business is booming, and so I find myself consistently waiting in line behind people who, perhaps through no fault of their own, have no clue how to order cannoli and have come for a tutorial.  They ask questions like "What do you recommend?" and "What's ricotta filling?"  Sometimes, they actually invite the onset of Armageddon by asking "What's a cannoli?" Recent studies have shown that school children have trouble identifying U.S. states on a map, but I'd be willing to bet that those same children could identify a cannolo if they saw one.

So there I stand, jaw dropped, eyes boring holes in their heads, waiting to be saved from this nightmare by the friendly sound of "Who's next?"  "I am," I respond as calming waters wash over me, "and I know exactly what I want."

Welcome to The Hungry Swergs!

There is an old saying that the fastest way to a man's heart is through his stomach - for me, its more like a truism than a saying.  I've always loved to eat, but my passion for eating goes beyond merely stuffing myself.  It extends to cooking, to experimenting in the kitchen, to spending that extra time in the grocery store to find just the right ingredient, and of course, to finding some of the best places to eat out.  So with that in mind, I've created this blog to share my thoughts on my favorite four letter F word: food.

A quick point before getting started. Eating and cooking is an activity made infinitely more enjoyable when in the company of family, friends, and foodies.  So if you have a dining or recipe suggestion, or if you would like to contribute to the blog, let me know - I would love to hear about it!

Eat up!