Steam punk pig

 

Tucked into suburban Bloomfield CT, part of the Mill Restaurant Group, lies the two-leveled gastro pub, Republic. The sign of the restaurant is a cartoon pig, drawn with gears, valves, and screws. Traversing the limited parking lot, the quaint patio dining area, the dull roar of the first level, I met my party on the second floor. Unfortunately, the happy hour menu was only served in the bar area, which could not accommodate the six of us, but we ordered the truffle parmesan popcorn anyway. The saltiness of the cheese bypassed the need for extra salt. The aroma of black truffles permeated the table as we all munched away. The aromatic oil would have lost its perfume had it been used to cook the corn, so the popcorn got a little soggy from the cheese and oil.

I ordered the Mexican Kiss cocktail, a combination of tequila, lime, bitters, and pomegranate syrup. It had the perfect combination of sweet and sour, perky enough to entice, but sweet enough to make it easy to drink. They also featured a summer ale on tap whose taste was reminiscent of red grapefruit and ginger, both of which came on stronger on the palate than they did on the nose

We all ordered different entrees and shared amongst ourselves, the best way to dine out. The salmon succotash was creamier than expected. The fish had a crispy skin that played well with the bite of the vegetables. Beans, corn, and peppers played together in the sauce upon which the fish sat, ensuring it stayed crispy. The roast pork belly was fatty, as it should be. Sweet on the top, it fell apart in the mouth. It was topped with pickled mustard seed, providing a sour punch to prepare for the next bite. Served aside a pool of green pea puree, which was a beautiful emerald green and a little more bitter than I prefer, a fresh counterpoint to the heavy meat.

I ordered the barramundi el papallote (pictured). This is a fancy way of saying that it was cooked by being wrapped in a baking bag/parchment paper. Asparagus, sundried tomatoes, yellow squash, and baby purple potatoes joined the fish in the wrapping. The baking bag was part of the plating, which would have received admonishment from Tom Callichio or any other Food Network judge; you don’t plate what you can’t eat. Despite this, the dish was wonderful. The fish fell apart on the fork, soft and sumptuous. The vegetables were al dente, and the slightly rehydrated sundried tomatoes added a complex aged sweetness. The mixed green salad with a light, acidic dressing served as a welcome repose from the rest of the dish.

The table shared a few desserts. A trio of local sorbets that brought more flavor than the fruit from which they were derived. A banana bread pudding that was soft, moist, dark, but was more at home in the fall, it had me wishing that the trickle of brandy sauce that topped it was a stream. Earl Grey crème brulee was the not as thick as I had expected. With a perfectly crunchy top, the flavor of the tea was a little lost in the cream.

The true cap to the meal was the jokes and laughter with which we departed the restaurant. It’s always good to see friends from out of town, and I sincerely hope we catch up again when they return.

A Dip in the Mile High City

 

Last week, work brought me to Denver Colorado for training. As with many work-related events, participants often do not get to choose their dining, and this occasion was not different, save for Thursday night. After four full days of presentations, Powerpoints, and volunteering, many in the group were too exhausted to venture to the city. I and a motley crew consisting of my manager and three coworkers were undaunted, boarding the light rail to arrive, after a short walk, at Vesta Dipping Grill.

The unpretentious exterior could lead one to miss the entire establishment. The inside was all dark wood and metal, an interesting combination of old and new. Except for the tables closest to the front door, which were illuminated with natural light from the windows, the remainder of the restaurant was fairly dark, electric candles at every table.

We began our meal with a round of appetizers. The two-bite Chinese pork belly was by far my favorite. Crispy and sweet on each side, with a fatty center and a yuzu mayonnaise to double down on the unctuousness, topped with orange and micro cilantro to counter the heaviness. It’s a foodgasm at $3 a pop (literally, they were served like lollipops) that I will take any day.

Other appetizers included a duck sausage topped with crème fraise, served with a red lentil salad. The duck, well-spiced in a Moroccan style, was not gamy at all, though the red lentils, while delicious, didn’t match as an appetizer. The salmon tartar was served with yuzu candied apples and crispy shallots. Simple, fresh, crisp, not fishy at all.

The real reason people go to Vesta is the sauces. Each entrée comes with a suggested three sauces, but diners can order more at their pleasure. With 25 sauces in all, your pallet can quickly become confused. Sauces range from sweet like the plum demi glaze or the pineapple puny marmalade, to the savory, like the chimichurri or herbs de province aioli, to the hot like their house made sriracha or the thai chili vindaloo. Between us, we sampled 17.

I ordered the venison (pictured below), which was both the best and the worst entrée. The deer, cooked to a perfect medium rare was meaty and tender, but still lean. It had a darker red in the center than even raw beef. The sauce was phenomenal. The dried cherry butter reduction gave me the fat that the lean meat didn’t have. Only slightly sweet, a light pink color, and rich, it encircled both the venison…and a pile of fries, oh, sorry, “pommes frites,” which were nothing special.

The special of the night, the lamb, came bone-in with a kale side salad. The tzatziki and the tarragon mustard paired especially well. I liked the dried cherry chutney more on my venison than on the lamb. The grilled prawns were nicely charred, heads removed, and were served with an avocado-green harissa hummus and fried cauliflower. The red curry sauce was a bit hot for the milder prawns, but the miso beurre blanc added a nice Asian flare. The scallops were clean and mildly oceanic, and like the prawns, needed the milder sauces. The roasted corn and the sweet onion bbq complimented the slightly sweet shellfish.

After a fine meal, during which work was only discussed briefly (thank God!), we perused downtown Denver. 16^th street, an elegant mix of the more quant architecture of Philadelphia, with the pedestrian friendliness of Minneapolis, hosted a number of street video games, which were the topic of heated competition, and very silly cell phone pictures. After a nightcap at the Apaloosa grill, which featured an awesome live band playing everything from blues (to which we danced) to rock, we ventured back to the light rail station, regaling each other with stories of travels, adventures, and songs that only a night of fine comradery would bring out in each other. Dinner is truly always better with friends.

Sometimes I Cut my Food with Occam’s Razor

There is beauty in simplicity. With the heavy amount of travel in my schedule over the past few weeks, I have not had time to create culinary magnum opi in my own kitchen. However, that does not mean that I have not been eating well.

Two pork chops, seared in a cast iron pan with bacon grease, salt and pepper. In another pan, sautéed onion, garlic, then added sauerkraut. Put the pro chops in the second pan, covered with the onion/garlic/sauerkraut, lid on, and let the pork cook through. Served with an apple sauce I still had in the pantry from last fall. Total cook time: 20 min.

Defrosted chicken breasts in home made barbeque sauce. I prefer mine to be a little thinner and runnier than from the bottle. Bottled barbeque sauce is often full of high fructose corn syrup and is far sweeter than I like. The sauce balances the acidic kick of vinegar with the sweetness of honey or maple syrup, accented with spices, garlic and onion power, and painted across the rich canvas of tomato. Defrosted in the sauce, the thick breasts were grilled at 400˚, basted and flipped once. The char of the grill and the caramelized the sugar in the sauce add a pleasant crunch.

Corn on the cob, shucked and boiled, brushed with truffle oil and sprinkled with truffle salt, the earthiness of the mushroom countering the sweetness of the fresh corn.

Home made salsa. Thick cut tomatoes, corn, avocado, mango, purple onion, salt, pepper, garlic, and a hint of jalapeño. I didn’t made the dip, because if I did, it would have contained cilantro, but the chewy, rich, and sweet portions of the dip begged for the saltiness crunch of the tortilla chips.

2 cups ice, 2 shots whiskey, 3 scoops vanilla ice cream, 1.5 cups frozen peaches, ½ cup milk, blend. The result? Whiskey peach adult milkshake. Top with whipped cream (fresh if possible) and chopped pecans (toasted if possible). Southern summer dessert refreshment.

Why is it that something as simple as a sunny side up fried egg can be a part of a meal, as in an egg sandwich, a meal unto itself, and a condiment, as in topping a burger? I don’t favor the ingredient list in many protein bars, cereals, and ready-made foods, full of things I don’t know and cant pronounce. Even as a cook, baker and chef, I can fall victim to the “more is better” rules, making complicated dished that require careful measurement and care. Don’t get me wrong, I love a soufflé or a 20 ingredient long curry as much as the next person, but also enjoy falling back on the simple pleasure of coarse salt on a slice of watermelon, grilled asparagus, or even the childhood throwback of “ants on a log.” (celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins)

Summer is the season of fresh produce, so let’s enjoy it as much as we can, and can the rest.

Because when I think heroic women, I think sushi

Virago is defined as “a woman who demonstrates exemplary and heroic qualities.” How the M Street restaurant came by the name is beyond me. Back in Nashville, some workers and I stepped into the dimly lit, super-hip restaurant. The walls are lines with rocks, encased in a wire mesh and lit from below. Pseudo-techno music thumps through the restaurant, rebounding off the stark edges of furniture. The entire vibe is very nouveau, which also speaks to Virago’s food.

We started the meal with spicy tuna, mashed and shaped into a ball; it had the consistency of a mousse. The tuna topped crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside, rice balls that had been rolled in white and black sesame seeds. The real kicker of the dish was the watermelon poprocks that served as a condiment. Adding both a sweet and a…sparkle to the dish, it was as playful as it was delicious.

Mondays nights at Virago feature cocktails and rolls (over and above their regular happy hour) that are discounted. Many of the rolls have non-traditional flavor combinations. For example, the Ecuador roll features cilantro, jalapeno, mango, and chives. The sweet and hot play well against each other amidst a background of herb and ocean from the tuna and hamachi. The crazy monkey roll marries a number of fatty flavors, combining eel, avocado and cashews. Topped with mango vinaigrette and unagi sauce, the sweet and fat makes the roll almost feel like a dessert. In a similar vein of sweet and heavy, the Hawaii five-o roll has 12 different ingredients. Tropical flavors of mango, kiwi, coconut macadamia nut, and hearts of palm enwrap hamachi and escolar.

Not in the mood for fish, a coworker ordered the stone steak filet. Thin strips of raw beef are presented next to a black rock. Searing hot, it sits atop a mound of salt, flanked by dipping sauces of yuzu koshō vinaigrette and a bright orange, spicy peanut sauce. Diners cook their steak to the desired doneness, sizzling on the rock. It was served with a side of coconut rice, which was halfway between rice pudding and regular steamed rice in consistency. Lightly toasted coconut flakes adorned the top, and the long grained white rice was sticky not only with gluten, but also with coconut milk.

Once again, the M Street portfolio of restaurants does not disappoint. While I can’t speak to all of the food at all of the establishments, what I can guarantee is that you will feel hip to be cool when dining there, complimentary valet parking and all.