Tomato Soup

Shallot Tarragon Shrimp

You can't go to Anthony's Seafood in Middletown and not grab some fish to go. After Andy, his mom and I had lunch there then toured The Breakers, we headed back home with some fresh fish from Anthony's so I could cook up some dinner.

Andy's mom lives in St. Louis, so fresh seafood is a little more rare than it is here in the Ocean State, so I wanted to make a flavorful dish that celebrated the large succulent shrimp I picked up at Anthony's. I searched one of my favorite recipe databases, epicurious.com, and found this recipe for Shrimp with Shallot-Tarragon Sauce:

I made a few adjustments- I couldn't find fresh tarragon at my grocer, so I used dried, and instead of serving the dish over wilted spinach, I served it over a Trader Joe's pasta mix that Andy and I really love with Israeli cous cous, spinach orzo, dried garbanzo beans, and red quinoa. I also doubled the amount of sauce recommended in the recipe, because each serving deserves more than a tablespoon of its greatness. I served it with a tomato and edamame salad with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette.

The shrimp were phenomenal- and not just the fresh shrimp themselves, but the sauce as well! It was rich, but not too over-indulgent because the parsley and tarragon helped to brighten the flavors, and I really think using dried tarragon did not sacrifice too much. I will absolutely make this dish again!

Anthony's Seafood

Last time I was in Newport, my parents were in town and we made the mistake of eating lunch at The Candy Store  because The Black Pearl was closed. This weekend, Andy's mom was in town so we made another trip to Newport and vowed to have a better meal. At first, we were geared up to go to The Black Pearl. But after Andy and his mom did a little more research, they decided they were in the mood for something a little more hole-in-the-wall, a little more authentic- so Anthony's Seafood in Middletown it was! It is a step above a hole, certainly, but it maintains a no-frills approach to seafood plates which I think appealed to all of us. Yes, we were missing out on the view of The Black Pearl, but we were getting some pretty great seafood at some pretty great prices. You order at the counter, and the food comes out fast. Andy's mom had the flounder and chips:

She was wowed by the large portion, the light batter, and the fresh flounder.

Andy had the salmon burger:

Which consisted of freshly ground salmon and lots of spices. I didn't try it, because I was much too involved in my dish, but he thinks it was "very good". If that was all he had to say, he should have followed my lead and ordered the lobster roll because I was thrilled with this:

Strangely, this picture makes the lobster roll look very drenched in mayonnaise and lacking in chunks of lobster. In reality, it was very light on the dressing and almost every single bite was a huge piece of lobster (including almost an entire claw!). It was one of the best lobster rolls I've had in awhile- and for only $16.95, certainly the best priced.

Even better, as we left, we were able to pick up some great fresh fish to go. I got some large shrimp to cook that night (that post tomorrow!), and Andy's mom got some scallops and cod to bring back to St. Louis (they will pack it up in ice and a cooler for you). Unfortunately for Andy's mom, she forgot the fish in our fridge! Fortunately for Andy and I, we now get to enjoy it this week! At least it won't go to waste...!

Soy Latte's

I really love the soy latte. I don't drink very much coffee, and when I do grab a quick cup, I usually drink it black. I don't like sweetening my drinks (tea or coffee) and find that the soy in a latte adds a nice natural sweetness and creamy texture, without the heaviness and calories of whole milk or cream.

Recently, I had a very beautiful soy latte at Seven Stars Bakery on Hope Street:

I personally don't find the coffee at Seven Stars to be strong enough to my liking, but I did enjoy sitting in the bustling bakery on a cold Saturday morning. The place really comes alive on the weekends, and it feels like a cozy neighborhood spot. I've also been really tempted to try the breakfast pastries. The raisin walnut bread is outstanding and I can imagine that most of the other baked goods hit this high bar!

Gracie's, Part 2

Recently, I posted about my experience at Gracie's. This particular post took me an extremely long time to compose, and I paid careful detail to all aspects of the meal- from the service, to the timing, to the food.

Before dining at Gracie's, I had met the Executive chef, Joe Hafner, at the annual Food for Thought event. He knew that I was a food blogger, and we had a brief conversation which included my eagerness to try his restaurant. While at Gracie's, he popped over to our table to say 'hello', and it was a very nice gesture considering how busy the restaurant was with all of the multiple course meals.

He told me he is a regular visitor to my blog, and thus read my Gracie's post. He then reached out to me and gave me a call to discuss my experience. He was apologetic about the timing, and not at all brash or defensive. In fact, he was wonderfully honest and appreciative of my comments. I was very happy to have the chance to speak with him, and thought it showed great class that he took the time (out of what I know must be a very busy chef's schedule) to call. It was a tribute to both his dedication to his profession, as well as to Gracie's. Joe also told me that Gracie's prides itself on satisfying its customers, and they often reach out to diners whenever possible to speak about their experiences. While my first experience at Gracie's wasn't 'ideal' I wholeheartedly look forward to trying the restaurant again.

I thought this was an important addition to my post about dining at Gracie's, and hope that everyone can appreciate this gesture as much I did.

Top of the Hub

I really love clam chowder, and usually try it whenever it is on the menu. When I was younger, I loved clam chowder, minus the clams, and would pick out all of the clams just to get to the potatoes and the creamy broth. Now I eat both broth and clam, but some bowls are better than others.

A couple weeks ago I went into Boston to celebrate a friends 21st birthday at Top of the Hub. I have been to Top of the Hub once before with my dad and was pleasantly surprised. I think we both expected that the Hub was another gimmick restaurant that lacked greatly in the food department, but made up for it in the astounding view. Thankfully, Top of the Hub does not fit this description and instead their food has great New England flavor and a beautiful view. My experience at Top of the Hub the second time around was as great as the first, and I knew that my meal wouldn't be complete without a bowl of clam chowder:

This is an amazing bowl of chowder. It's creamy, but not too thick- you can see the wonderful bits of clam floating all around the bowl- it's peppery, and garlicky and just perfectly represents the perfect chowder. I even love the peppery crackers that come in place of oyster crackers.

For my main course I had the Spaghettini with braised baby clams, pancetta, and roasted garlic and tomatoes. It was absolutely fantastic and I loved it so much that I tried to recreate it at home during the week. Unfortunately, there is no photo because we were all caught up in celebrating! There's no photo of the beautiful view either, but rest assured that both the view and the Spaghettini are worth a trip to Top of the Hub.

Moroccan Chicken

I recently started subscribing to Cooking Light, and this is one of the first dishes I made from the magazine:

Moroccan Chicken Thighs with dried apricots. I served the braised chicken thighs over a wonderful new discovery- whole wheat cous cous. I had never seen whole wheat cous cous before, and was thrilled to see a box of it at my grocery store. What thrills me even more about cous cous is its extremely quick cooking time- you boil water, dump the cous cous in, then take it off the heat- it takes only about five minutes to soak up the water and cook, and then you just fluff it with a fork!

It was the perfect accompaniment to this Moroccan dish which really benefited from the salty, meaty chickpeas and the handful of fresh cilantro I placed on top. I followed the spice amounts exactly, but next time I would add a pinch more of each, except the cinnamon. For all of the spices in the recipe, they didn't stand out as much as I had hoped. I also could only find Turkish apricots, but the recipe recommends California apricots because they are brighter in color and more sour. After biting into one of the Turkish apricots, I am positive that the California's would make a big difference.

Gracie's

Finally, the Gracie's post! After almost two weeks, and two phone calls to the restaurant, I finally received the course details from the meal Andy and I had there with my parents.

I wish I had received the details while everything was fresh in my mind, but I think I still have a good grasp of my opinion of the meal.

I was really looking forward to dining at Gracie's. It was the last meal of my parents' trip, and we were all ready to enjoy it. After looking at the menu (and after a little convincing on my part) we decided to do the 7-course meal with wine pairings. All of the multiple-course meals (5, 7, or 9 courses) are tailor-made for each table. You tell the waiter what things your table doesn't like (in our case- our mixed dislikes consisted of sweetbreads, veal, and goat cheese) and he relays this information to the Executive Chef, Joe Hafner, who then decides upon the meal. After the courses are decided, the waiter (not a sommelier) picks out the wine pairings.

Now, while this all sounds fantastic- it requires quite a bit of time. We arrived at 8 pm for our reservation, were seated around 8:10, and received nothing to eat besides a wedge of bread and a half-glass of champagne until 9, and the amuse-bouche arrived first:

This was a teaspoon full of beet salad- which, while delicious, did nothing to cure the hunger (which was mounting) or the slight champagne buzz we were all experiencing.

Another twenty or so minutes passed, and we received our first pour of wine, a Joseph Drouhin Saint-Véran, Bourgogne ’06 and the first course, an Avocado & Blue Crab Salad with shaved avocado, Meyer lemon, pickled onion & tarragon lemon vinaigrette:

This picture is a testament to our starvation. I had forgotten even to take a picture before I had to put a bite of this in my mouth. Luckily, the bite was delicious- and I'll say beforehand, that this was my favorite dish of all of the courses. The crab was fresh and briny, and the Meyer lemon wedge on top was a nice sweet and sour sensation in the mouth. I could have eaten a lot more of this.

After another twenty minutes, we received our second pour of wine, Louis Latour Valmoissine Pinot Noir, Burgundy ‘05, but no food yet. My dad commented to the waiter,  who said that four other tables had ordered the 7-course meal at the same time as us, so things were a little crazy. Now, here is where I started to become critical. The first thing that our waiter said to us when we ordered the 7-course meal, was, this is the best way to do Gracie's, and I tell that to everyone. So, I believed we all assumed that most people take his advice, and order either the 5, 7, or 9, with our without wine pairings. Therefore, when our waiter explained the reason why everything was taking so incredibly long, it seemed a very poor excuse for a restaurant that advertises these course menus and claims that it is the best way to enjoy the restaurant- the staff and the chef should be prepared. And, five tables is less than half of the restaurant's capacity, so it made even less sense to me. We were all pretty displeased by this point.

Ten minutes after the second wine pour, we received the second course of House-made Gnocchi with
braised oxtail, black trumpet mushrooms, celery root puree, fontina:

The gnocchi was different- hand rolled and extremely fluffy. I also loved the tender oxtail and creamy fontina. It was a lovely savory dish perfect for the winter weather.

In between the second and third courses, they came around with more bread- and Andy and I had to dive into another large slice because our hunger mixed with the ever-present glasses of wine were not a great combination. At the risk of sounding dramatic, I think we were all fading a little. For the third course (which arrived a little after 10 by this time) we had Pan Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras with brioche tart au pommes “tarte tatin”, quince jam, hazelnut crispies, paired with a Chateau de Malle Sauternes:

Even though I was feeling a little skeptical about Gracie's by this point, I can't deny that this foie gras was phenomenal. Luckily for both my dad and I, Andy and my mom don't like foie gras, so we had a double portion (and left our poor meal-mates in hungry agony). The foie gras was done to perfection- salty and beautifully seared. The apple tarte tatin was the perfect compliment to the saltiness of the liver and I thought it was the most innovative of all the dishes.

For the fourth course, we had Crisp Striped Bass with French lentils, smoky bacon lardons, quail egg paired with a David Bruce Petit Syrah, Central Coast, CA ’05:

My dad, the wine guru of the bunch, really did not like this pairing. And, two weeks later, this dish isn't too memorable. The fish was nicely done and flaky, but the components of the dish fell flat.

For the fifth course, we first received duck breast:

Which none of us enjoyed. I am generally a true fan of duck, but we had to comment to our waiter that we couldn't take more than a bite. He quickly took it away, and promised another dish in its place, but asked for more details on what we thought were the faults of the dish. In an effort to be honest and really explain what my first reaction was after a bite- I told the waiter that, usually, the attraction of duck is its deep, fatty, almost smoky flavor and this dish tasted like bland, undercooked chicken.

Luckily, the dish that came in its place was a dish we had all been eying from the regular menu, Buffalo Tenderloin with gorgonzola polenta, braised escarole & poblano pepper, charred tomato jus paired with a
Mitolo “The Jester” Shiraz, McLaren Vale, Australia ’05:

Buffalo is the "in" meat now, and that is fine with me. It is tender and flavorful and I loved the creamy polenta.  I appreciated the course-switch, but I think we were all a little unhappy that it meant an extra wait.

By the time the sixth course arrived, it was around 11:15. We were all a little tired, a little tipsy, and too hungry. The problem was not only the poor timing of the whole meal, but also the portion size. Of course, you expect smaller portions in a 7-course meal because you don't want to be stuffed by the end of it, but these were too small- just a little more than a bite. So, after over two hours of eating, to still be very hungry after five courses, did not seem right. Maybe if the pacing had been quicker, we would have felt full- but we certainly had a lot of time to digest in between courses.

The sixth course was the cheese course, a paltry slice of Monteray extra mature cheddar with onion marmalade, paired with a  Ferreira ’85 vintage port:

The cheese was tasty, but it was a little overpowered by the large quantity of onion marmalade. My favorite thing about this course was actually the port, which I really enjoyed and thought was the most memorable of the wine pairings.

Then, a little before 12, the desserts arrived served with a La Spinetta Moscato di Asti. They brought out two different desserts (we each got our own), a Banana & Chocolate Terrine: banana cake, chocolate ganache, brittle crunch, banana gelee, espresso chocolate mousse:

And a, I think, type of apple cake (which was miswritten in the email as a chocolate tartlet):

I loved the Banana and Chocolate Terrine, but I had a serious problem with this course, which is hard to tell from the pictures...the desserts were huge! They were way more than enough for one person- and none of us could understand why the rest of the courses were so small and then, at midnight, we were served a large piece of cake. The savory courses were what I wanted more of- more gnocchi, more crab, a bigger piece of buffalo tenderloin. By midnight, I wasn't as interested in eating too much of a sweet thing, even if I did still feel a little hungry.

For the amount of money this meal cost (about a $100 per person with wine pairings), the pacing should have been better, the waiter more knowledgeable about wine pairings, and the servings slightly larger. I really hate to feel disappointed about a meal that I had such high hopes for -but we all left feeling that way. I think the way to go may be to order a la carte off the menu, because the 7-course menu seemed too much of a gamble- both in terms of timing, and wine pairings.

Kafe Lila

I love my neighborhood, the cozy East Side. I love it even more because of its proximity to Pawtucket. And why that may seem weird- Pawtucket owns a lot of credibility in the food industry, in my mind. Officially, Garden Grille, Rasoi, the Modern Diner, and East Ave Cafe all reside over the Providence line. And I consider those aformentioned places some of the greats of this area- reasonably priced, delicious eats.

Now there is another place to add to this list- Kafé Lila.  When rumors of the construction of this place started to swirl over the summer, I was thrilled. Not only because I heard they were going to be serving ice cream, but also it seemed that Pawtucket was lacking an independent coffee shop- something that Providence actually has a great reputation for. More indie coffee shops than Starbucks, I believe.

However, sometimes my excitement over an opening isn't enough to actually drag me there. I truly wish that eating out and food blogging were my full time job so I could put in the time that the Providence dining scene deserves- instead, it seems I make it to many places many months after the initial inkling hits. Finally, my friend, L, set a date and told me we are going to Kafé Lila!

When I walked into the coffee shop I knew I would love it- the place is filled with funky antiques, art, and collectibles- all for sale! Any place you can go, where if you like the chair, you can buy it, is the place for me. What sealed the deal even more was this absolutely beautiful soy latte:

And then, to add more points, my lunch arrived:

Roasted garlic and potato soup with crispy onions and sourdough bread. The soup was perfect. It had so much garlic flavor, but the pungency was eased by the potato and the small bit of cream that was added to the soup. The onions were a perfect textural compliment- they were crispy, but not fried (more deeply caramelized) and I loved getting a big bite of the soup with an onion floating on top. This was an excellent lunch. I didn't have a chance to try the ice cream (orange saffron was the special of the day), but I'm not worried, because I will definitely be going back to this charming Pawtucket spot!

Dining with the Parents

Although my parents love eating out (and so do Andy and I), there really is nothing like a home cooked meal- it's nice to be able to relax at home, be comfortable, and chat the night away at the dinner table or the couch, without feeling rushed.

Whenever my parents tell me they are coming to visit, I generally plan the menu weeks in advance. It's an opportunity for me to cook something new and exciting, or make something that has wowed me in the past, and would be a great experience for my parents. Because we were going out to eat so much while they were in town, I also wanted to cook something different- a cuisine that we weren't going to be feasting on at the various restaurants I had reservations. I decided on a Latin American theme and so started with an appetizer favorite that I love to make, Black Bean and Banana Empanadas (made previously for supper club):

My parents loved them, and they were as good as I remember. There is something about the sweetness of the banana and the saltiness of the beans that really elevates this empanada.

For the main, I made the chili verde from Simply Recipes again (which I made last time with chicken). This time, I followed the recipe closely with no changes or additions- except I used pork loin instead of pork shoulder, and cooked the whole thing in my crockpot:

I served this slow cooked pork with corn tortillas and Simply Recipes' fantastic recipe for Spanish rice. The recipe calls for long-grain white rice, but I substituted brown rice, which I think adds even more wonderful nutty flavor (and its healthier!).

My parents loved the meal, and I was happy to make it again! This is the perfect meal to serve to a lot of dinner guests because you won't be stuck in the kitchen all night, and you can make everything easily in large portions.

Cure for the Cold

I am holding off on the Gracie's post because I am waiting for the email with the details of the 7-course tasting I participated in with Andy and my parents. I remember most of the courses, but I want to do the whole meal justice by providing what I think are the crucial small details of each small plate!

With that said, this is a post about the pre-Gracie's cocktail I enjoyed at Local 121 with my visiting parents. It was very hard to be at Local 121 and not order any food. We were surrounded by all the fantastic smells and presentations of the great menu- none of which I've had the opportunity to try yet! The place inside is beautiful and warm and I can't wait to go back for a meal. It was also very hard to decide what cocktail I wanted because the cocktail menu is as interesting as the food. With options like the Coriander Blood-Orange Martini and a St. Germain (with champagne and elderflower liquer) your pre-dinner drink can be as exciting as your entree. However, I was feeling quite under the weather due to the cold and allergies, so I decided to go for the classic hot toddy:

The Local 121 Hot Toddy was a mixture of bourbon, hot water, honey, and a lemon wedge studded with cloves. I don't usually like sweet cocktails- but this hit the spot. It really wasn't too sweet, but the honey soothed my throat and the bourbon helped open up my sinuses. I highly suggest this forgotten-about cocktail, especially the Local 121 version. I also suggest following your cocktail with dinner at Local 121- because everything look really good!~