Bloggers Gotta Eat

Brasserie by Niche: St. Louis CWE Gem from Gerard Craft

2012-03-05T10:59:00.006-08:00

Let’s face it. In my old age I’ve become a lazy diner when it comes to deciding where to eat out.

So it’s a good thing that my daughter—who has a great deal more energy—helps shake things up every once in a while. That was the case this last weekend when she selected Brasserie by Niche in St. Louis’s Central West End neighborhood for her 18th birthday dinner.

Brasserie by Niche is the third restaurant in the burgeoning local culinary empire of Gerard Craft, one of Food & Wine Magazine’s Best New Chefs in 2008 and a James Beard Award nominee in 2009. Craft’s flagship restaurant, Niche, sits in the Benton Park neighborhood and its first offshoot, Taste, resides next door. In 2010, Craft took over the CWE space formerly occupied by St. Louis French dining stalwart Chez Leon (which itself moved into new digs in Clayton). With me so far?

As its name implies, Brasserie is a more casual restaurant than its predecessor, but that doesn’t mean that it lacks in quality of both food and service. Neither the kitchen nor the front of the house batted 1.000, but they were close and the few slips were addressed beyond all reasonable expectations. All in all, I was quite impressed and will return to Brasserie by Niche and hope to sample the rest of its family.

Our party of five (my family plus daughter’s boyfriend) arrived right on time for a 7:15 p.m. reservation, but had to wait for 15 minutes or so until our table was ready. This is a fairly small space with only a few tables suitable for a party larger than four, so a party that lingers longer than anticipated—which is what happened to us—can have domino effect. (My daughter’s first choice for her birthday dinner, Farmhaus, doesn’t even accept reservations for more than four people.)

We were seated efficiently as soon as the prior occupants of the table left, however, so all was right with the world. And, not too long after being seated, we were presented with four different amuse bouches to share. I’m not sure if that is standard or if it was in recognition of our wait or the celebration, but it was an appreciated touch that would set the tone for the service we were provided. The warm pistachios, gougeres (cheese puffs) and goat cheese tart with shaved fennel were good, but the cervelle de canut, a fromage blanc spread topped with herbs and olive oil was the star of the show.

Undeterred by that bounty, we still ordered appetizers; three of them, in fact, plus two soups (one their standard French onion and the other cauliflower) and a frisee salad topped with bacon lardons, a poached egg and a bacon vinaigrette. I didn’t sample the soups or salad and therefore don’t have any report on them, but all received high praise—especially the onion soup. Escargot in garlic butter topped with a blanket of fresh minced herbs were surprisingly tasty (escargot not being a favorite of mine) and even received the top marks among the selection from my son, one of the pickiest eaters around (although he is improving). Country pate was hearty and delicious without being overpowering; although those used to a silkier, more spreadable version may not find it to their taste. The best of the appetizers for me was the steak tartare, which allowed the flavor of the beef to shine through to perfection.

One of the more interesting things about Brasserie is that—unlike many French-inspired restaurants—it pays almost as much attention to its beer selection as it does to its wine list. There aren’t a huge number of different beers available, but the mix of European brews and local craft brews is thoughtfully assembled by a St. Louis beer writer. I sampled two, Hommel (Belgian pale ale) from Perennial Artisan Ales and Winged Nut, a spiced brown ale from Urban Chestnut. Of the two, I much preferred the Hommel both in style and in execution. Other notable beers on tap included Saison Dupont Farm House Ale, a Belgian import that I now regret not ordering, and Corsendonk Abbey Brown Ale, another Belgian offering.

For the entrée portion of our meal, the five of us only wound up ordering three different selections. My wife ordered the croque madame, a ham and cheese “sandwich” topped with egg, which turned out to be the dud of the evening, as she found the ham almost too fatty to eat. I’m not sure if it’s just that French-style ham is not to her liking or if it was truly off, but when she noted in passing that she didn’t care for it the waiter returned moments later to tell us that it would be taken off of our bill. We didn’t request or expect that, so it was an unexpected touch that we truly appreciated.

The boys (my son and my daughter’s boyfriend) played it safe with steak and fries. The steaks were well prepared and served with a tasty shallot butter and the fries were the shoestring variety.

My daughter and I both ordered the cassoulet, which featured the triple threat combo of duck confit, pork belly and garlic sausage over a bed of white bean stew. The preparation was spot on and the flavors all were excellent—especially the beans—although this definitely is not the selection for anyone on a salt-restricted diet.

The menu also includes several other brasserie standards, including bouillabaisse, mussels, trout with almonds, a vegetable gnocchi, beef bourguignon and roasted chicken. There’s even a burger on the menu if you plan to visit with someone who strays not from the tried and true.

After dinner, we were treated to our third surprise with a pair of desserts delivered on the house. Sadly for those of you who love your desserts, I generally don’t eat dessert and was too stuffed to do so even if I normally would have.

All told, the bill (before tip) came in under $200, which is not at all bad for what you get at Brasserie by Niche. Granted, we did get one meal comped and also received a bunch of extras for reasons that never were offered, so that’s a little bit understated, and I did tip as if we had paid for most of the freebies.

Parking historically is a problem in the CWE and it’s as bad at Brasserie as it is anywhere in the neighborhood. The fact that the street and sidewalk in front of the restaurant are under construction (you have to walk a rickety wooden bridge from the street to the door) doesn’t help. Valet parking is available for $3 and I definitely recommend using the service, although when we left the restaurant the valets were turning new customers away to fend for themselves as their garage apparently was full.

Tips on Turkey Burgers and Fries

2012-02-17T10:19:00.000-08:00

I have yet to post on Bloggers Gotta Eat about my own cooking, even though I have been on a pretty steady cooking binge these last several weeks. When I cook, I tend to always want to try cooking something new or using different techniques. Usually that means that I may make a given dish only once or twice a year, and each time, I may change things slightly. Fortunately, I have been focusing on simple burgers and fries lately, and have found the best techniques to make some damn delicious food.

The first tip concerns fries. I have made all sorts of fries in my day, usually with the deep fryer wifey Kim and I received for our engagement (the most-used gift of the lot). My most recent batch of skin-on Russett potato fries were so damn good, though, that it may become the only way I fry regular potatoes. (Note: I still prefer frying sweet potatoes as chips, rather than fries).

The first key is to soak the fries overnight, preferably changing the water once or twice before you actually cook. After cutting the fries (I went with skin-on, finger width, long fries), soak the fries in cold water in the fridge to allow the excess starch to seep from the potato. Changing the water will aid the process.

When you are ready to fry, you obviously want to pat down those fries and dry them as much as possible. Truthfully, though, by the time I put them in the fryer, they are still a tad wet. I am toying with the idea of baking them at low heat to remove excess moisture next time, but for the results without baking were pretty on point, so I may just leave the routine as is.

I fry the fries at 360 degrees for 12 minutes, enough to get a good crunch on the outside, while the fry remains soft on the inside.

Since my fryer can only hold so many potatoes (one layer is best for frying), I always preheat the oven to Warm or 200 degrees to keep the first batch hot while I make subsequent batches. I also recommend first placing the fries on a paper towel to soak up extra oil before transferring it to the oven to be kept warm.

Finally, this one is a quick tip for turkey burgers that should work with any burgers. I stole the move from Whole Foods after having some of their turkey burger patties. Turkey burgers can often lack flavor, and this technique resolves that issue nicely.

After preparing your patties, pour some chili seasoning (or other seasoning of choice) onto a plate, and then roll the burger like a wheel through the seasoning. The seasoning will stick to the outer rim of the burger, so that the center is nice and normal, but the outside will be crusted with the seasoning of your choice. In my experience, this heavy seasoning works extremely well because it locks in some juices from pouring out the sides, and it creates a lot of flavor on an otherwise relatively bland meat.

Sorry folks, but I do not have pictures for you. Hopefully, some of these tips will prove helpful.

It's Good to be Queen

2012-02-05T10:32:00.000-08:00

About six months ago I decreed that there will be no more store bought bread in my house. I am the Queen and it shall be so.

The decree was born of outrage. I went to buy a decent loaf of bread at the grocery store and discovered that it cost $4.00. For flour, milk and yeast, you have got to be kidding me. I banned grocery store bread and started making my own. I bake two loaves every two weeks or so. I freeze one until we need it.

It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to stir up, 2 1/2 to 5 hours for the 1st rise, 10 minutes to form the loafs and 1 to 3 hours for the second rise.

This sounds intense but it doesn't have to be. You can control the rising time by controlling the temperature. The warmer the spot the faster it will rise, the cooler, the slower the process. You can mix a batch up before work put the bowl in the fridge and eight hours later finish it up.

One of my favorite breads for sandwiches is Oatmeal Bread. I have a Kitchen Aide mixer which makes bread a snap but I have certainly made this bread many times without one.

If this is too much for you, hang in there and in an upcoming post I will divulge the secret to having fresh bread with dinner whenever you want.

So here goes, let's wake those little yeasties up........

Put the yeast in the mixing bowl. 2 1/2 tablespoons = 1 package

Heat the milk, butter, sugar and in a glass measuring cup in the microwave. Don't let it get too hot or it will kill the yeast. The recipe says add the salt too. Direct contact with salt kills the yeast. If you murder the yeast the bread won't rise. I wait to put the salt in with the flour so I run less risk of causing murder and mayhem.

After it's warmed up.

Pour it into the yeast. Add the first part of the flour and the salt.

Stir.
Add the Oatmeal and the rest of the flour.
Let the machine knead it until it smooth and elastic. Or knead it by hand.

I lightly coat mine with olive oil and leave it in the mixing bowl. The olive helps keep the dough from drying out.

Cover with plastic wrap. This also helps keep it from drying out.

I throw a dish towel on top and leave it somewhere warm until it has filled up the bowl.

Grease your pans. The less resistance the dough has the higher it will rise.

When it has risen, turn it out on a board and kneed until smooth.

Divide into two pieces, shape like little french bread loaves, plunk it in the pans.

Cover with the plastic wrap and then the towel. Put in it a warm place to rise.

When it rises above the top of the pan, preheat the oven. When the oven is ready put in the bread.

Bake it for 35 minutes, covering with tin foil at about the 15 minute mark.
It comes out looking like this.

As soon as it comes out of the oven put a little bit of butter on the top and spread it around with a brush. This will make the crust soft, instead of crunchy, and makes it easier to make sandwiches. This it what it looks like right after I put the butter on. Put the tin foil over the top until it is cool.

This is what it looks like when it is cool.

I then freeze one loaf until we are ready to eat it. We don't eat sandwiches everyday so these loaves last us about 2 1/2 to 3 weeks.

Oatmeal Bread

1 package active dry yeast

¼ cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)

2 cups milk

¼ cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter at room temperature

2 ½ teaspoons salt

About 5 ½ cups flour

1 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats

Dissolve yeast in the warm water. Heat milk, sugar, shortening, and salt until just warm (105 to 115 degrees). Pour into large bowl, beat in 2 ½ cups flour. Stir in yeast mixture and 2 more cups flour. Stir in 1 ½ cups oats and enough flour to make a moderately stiff dough. Turn out on lightly floured surface; knead about 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in lightly greased bowl, turn dough to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm, draft free place about 1 ¼ hours or until doubled. Punch down divide in half. Roll out or pat each into an 8 inch circle. Roll up firmly; place seam sides down in greased 8 x4x3 inch loaf pans. Cover let rise in warm draft free place 45 to 60 minutes or until doubled. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven about 35 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when thumped on bottom. If tops brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil for last 15 minutes of baking. Cool in pans on rack about 5 minutes; turn out on rack to cool completely. Makes 2 loaves.

*For softer crust while loaves are hot, brush lightly with melted butter, cover with tin foil until cool.

David Burke at Bloomingdale's, New York, NY

2012-02-03T07:03:00.000-08:00

You would think that being a fan of food, I would immediately recognize that a celebrity chef's outpost in a god damn department store would be both overpriced and disappointing. Well, I didn't put two and two together until after the meal arrived, but suffice it to say, lesson learned.

Wifey Kim and I were wandering around looking for a place to eat when we walked past David Burke at Bloomingdale's, a restaurant set inside the famous department store. I had been wanting to try a David Burke restaurant, and figured that the Bloomingdale's outpost would be a cheaper opportunity to try Mr. Burke's fare. And so, off we went.

The atmosphere in the space is not bad. On one side is a section called "in the box" where you can order at a counter, like a fast food restaurant. We went in the other direction, "in the bar" with full table service and a bar.

The prices were naturally high, as can be expected for a NY restaurant or an eatery attached to an upscale store like Bloomingdale's, but a special called the Burkey Lucy caught my eye and wifey Kim settled on a simple pasta dish.

For those who don't know, a Juicy Lucy is a Minneapolis-style burger where the toppings (i.e., cheese) is inside the burger patty, stuffed. The Burkey version sported cheddar cheese and bacon in the interior, a classic combination. What could go wrong?

For $18, I got this. It actually looked great, with a deep char on the outside of my medium rare burger. And for what its worth, the meat was actually cooked fairly well for temperature. The stuffed cheese, however, was light on the bacon and HEAVY on the onions. As a result, it tasted more oniony than anything, to the point that I was picking out onions as the meal progressed. I like onions, but these were bland and limp. Meanwhile, the outside of the patty was grossly under-seasoned and tasted mostly of char. Char isn't a bad taste, but it needs some salt and pepper to add something more than the taste of burnt exterior.

Meanwhile, for about $16, wifey Kim got some penne in an okay sauce, with okay cheese. It was simply "okay" with nothing to earn it any real praise. Like the burger, it seemed under-seasoned, or at the very least was wanting for flavor.

Alas, I do not write off Mr. Burke for this failed attempt at an eatery. Let's just assume that this outpost is merely a Burke place in name, and not in spirit. It seems more Bloomingdale's than anything. Overpriced and nothing special.

Until next time, keep eating!

16 Years of Restaurants

2012-01-30T19:51:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across this fact on some random app a couple of weeks ago, but only remembered the screen capture yesterday (and can't remember the app name). The fact presented (enough restaurants in NYC to eat three meals for 16 years and never repeat) is the driving force behind my desire to try out the wide variety of the culinary offerings in New York City. I guess in some small way, its an effort to make use of an available resource. Or I just like eating.

Jordan's Culinary Perspective

2012-01-24T08:37:00.000-08:00

It occurs to me that while BGE gets its sea legs, it would help to take a moment to explain my culinary perspective, for lack of a better term. Perhaps this will also answer the question of why create a food blog, something that has been asked of me a couple of times this week when talking with friends.

I grew up in a nuclear family, where my mother often did not cook. I think the main reason was time. My mother worked evenings tutoring the SATs and other high school courses, and it was often just as easy to eat out or bring food into the house. When my mother did cook, we often joked that she was unskilled. The most common line was that the smoke detector doubled as the dinner bell. When the smoke detector went off, it was time for dinner! In reality, she was a good cook, and now that my palette is more mature, I can say that she is currently a fine chef. Of course, nowadays I only get to sample her culinary offerings during the holidays.

Being somewhat of a latch-key kid (Mom tutored from home, but was not to be disturbed), at a young age I learned how to cook some staples. I should add here that I was a picky eater as a child. If I had my druthers, my diet would've consisted of only PB&J, grilled cheese, mac and cheese, cheeseburgers, and mac and tuna (a combo some of you may not be familiar with, but was a staple growing up). After a while, my mother taught me how to prepare mac and cheese and mac and tuna, but that was the extent of my culinary experience. I always wanted to be independent and I loved cooking as both a sign of independence and a creative outlet; unfortunately, I did not have anyone to teach me the actual ins and outs of cooking, and I didn't really seek out this information on my own. After all, at the time, I was still very picky, so the idea of cooking more exotic dishes did not seem interesting to me.

More often than not, my family would eat out, usually at a bar. I didn't think of it at the time, but nowadays, I attribute this to the fact that I prefer pub fare. My family would always sit in the restaurant-portion of the bars (i.e., not at the bar itself, but at a table) and my father would only have a drink or two. In other words, we were not a family of alcoholics; we simply the atmosphere of bars. Even though my father was a professional in the publishing field (still is), we would have meals side by side with blue collar guys. We were not a white-shoe family; we were really working class in a white collared shirt. The top bar/restaurant picks were Shelly's, on the marina a few blocks from my home, and McClusky's, an old Irisih bar, but if I tried, I could probably come up with a handful of other bars we frequented as a family. Favorite dishes invariably included burgers. In fact, to this day, I can say with confidence that nothing beats a good cheeseburger in my mind (preferably cheddar, medium-rare).

At college, I attempted to cook here and there, but it was never a passion or a necessity. After college, I moved into New York City, where I attended grad school and now live and work. For my first few years in the City, I found great local restaurants. After a while, I knew what I knew of the City's culinary scene, and I found myself frequenting the same places. Then I had a revelation.

I was hanging out with wifey Kim, who was then just girlfriend Kim. One of her friends, Michelle, had a boyfriend (now husband) who always had these off-the-wall ideas about where to eat. He would find a place that had no sign outside or was known for a particular type of random dish...and more often than not, the places were great. They were small, intimate or just plain delicious. They had personality, and they offered dishes, menus or an atmosphere that was totally unique and exciting.

It was then that I realized that in a city with over 20,000 restaurants, I had limited myself to perhaps a dozen or twenty at most, with a handful of places that I frequented regularly. How could I live in the epicenter of food and not partake? It was then that I started my food map:

View NYC Restaurants I Want to Visit in a larger map

The food map is now my guiding force when trying new restaurants. When I read about a restaurant or dish on one of the many food blogs I frequent, I will add the place (and dish) to the map. If I see a dish or restaurant reviewed or mentioned on TV and it looks interesting, it gets added to the map. I will need another post to explain the map in detail, with a key, but that is the gist for now.

After a while, the map had too many entries and Google Maps underwent an update that made the map unruly. Therefore, I started my second map of places I have visited:

View Visited NYC Restaurants in a larger map

Now, when I am looking for a place to eat a meal, I will check my maps for new experiences waiting to be tried. When I find myself in an area that I usually do not frequent, I check the map to see if there are any places nearby worth trying. When someone else wants a recommendation, I can refer to the map for all sorts of information.

As you can see from the map of visited locations, I've already spent a lot of time visiting a slew of restaurants. Finally, I thought, how could I catalog my experiences. A blog seemed like the perfect idea...and here we are!

As the idea for Bloggers Gotta Eat formed, I realized that my interests are not just limited to restaurants. I have also taken to cooking. That was as much an outgrowth of my interest in the arts as anything. Cooking has become an additional outlet to be creative and to create. There is something personally satisfying about creating a meal that my wife enjoys. Not to mention, I like eating.

Thus, I began BGE in an effort to collect all of my foodie-light thoughts in one place. I do not profess to be a chef or even a particularly educated food critic. I just like new trying random places, and now I have somewhere to keep track of all of my food adventures.

Until next time, keep eating!

While the Cat's Away.......

2012-01-18T19:00:00.000-08:00

My husband will eat anything and lots of it, except for onions. He hates onions. Being a contrarian, I, of course, love onions. He got sent out of town for work so my daughter and I decided it was time to cook with that dreaded member of the lily family. The first thing we made was the quinessential onion dish, French Onion Soup. This one is made in the crock pot so it is super easy. It made a ton so I froze half of it to use to cook a pot roast later.

Cut up your onions, mince some garlic and toss them in the crock pot. Channeling Neil Diamond, dry your eyes. Add some brown sugar, a little butter, salt and a dash of Balsamic Vinegar.

Put the lid on the crock pot and cook on high for 60 minutes, stirring occassionaly, until the onions soft, and a bit brown. This is a very fragrant process, if you get my drift. I believe sticking your nose over this pot of brewing onions may be a cure for the common cold. After the onions are soft and a little brown you throw in a few tablespoons of flour, stir, and let cook for 5 for minutes.

I had the time to get this going all at the same time but there is no reason that you could not get to this point the night before, refrigerate, and move on to the rest of the recipe the next morning.

To all those lovely, soft onions, you add beef stock, fresh thyme, black pepper and beer. I used Leinenkugel Fireside Nut Brown Ale. I wasn't sure if the one glug for the pot, one glug for the cook rule applied at eight in the morning, but what the hey*, it must be noon somewhere right?

*This is a Minnesota term of art.

Put the lid back on and cook for 6 to 8 hours on high. The final product is a beautiful deep, rich, slightly sweet soup.

We didn't even bother with the bread, melted cheese thing on top we just ate big bowls of yummy hot soup. For our second bowl, we experimented with using Parmesan and garlic croutons instead of the traditional slice of baguette and they worked great. Perfect soup for a winter day.

French Onion Soup in the Crock Pot

4 Whole Medium Sweet Onions, thinly sliced
3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
4 Tablespoons Butter
1/2 teaspoons Salt
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
3 Tablespoons Flour
8 fluid ounces of Beer
64 fluid ounces of Beef Stock
2 Tablespoons Fresh Thyme
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

French Bread (optional)
8 Slices Gruyere Cheese (Swiss or Mozzarella work too) (optional)

Set your crock pot on high, then add onions, garlic, brown sugar, butter, salt, and balsamic and mix until combined. Cover and let cook on high for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are a bit caramely and a few are brown along the edges. Most important, make sure the onions are soft. Add in flour, then stir thoroughly and let cook 5 minutes more. Add in beer, beef stock, thyme, and pepper. Cook for 6-8 hours.

Slice French Bread. Fills bowls with soup, place a slice of French Bread on top, cover with a slice of cheese. Set under broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly golden brown.

I froze half the soup to use later.

The Farm on Adderley; Brooklyn, NY

2012-01-17T11:36:00.000-08:00

This weekend, wifey Kim and I found ourselves traveling to Coney Island on a Sunday afternoon. Obviously, that meant that we were going to visit a random restaurant for breakfast. My food map showed the perfect place: The Farm on Adderley.

Sadly, I did not take photographs of our food. Fortunately, the Internet is a magical place, filled with helpful people who have already photographed just about everything. In other words, I will be relying heavily on the photos of other sites, with credit given, naturally.

When we arrived at around 12:30pm, the place was fairly crowded, particularly for a freezing cold day. A small group waited outside smoking, while about 10 people waited inside, by the door, for a table to open up.

As we walked in, I noticed the bar on the left of the room. There were two seats open at the end of the bar, and a server was setting down place mats and utensils. I waited at the podium for the greeter to arrive, after which I immediately asked, "Are those two bar seats first come, first serve." She replied, "Sure, sir. If you like...," at which point, I was already running to the open seats, lest one of the people waiting for a table wise-up at the last minute.

Wifey Kim started with a coffee. I went with a black tea, which was brewed via loose leafs in a tea kettle that had a built-in strainer/filter. Wifey Kim opted for the Farmer's Breakfast, which consisted of scrambled eggs atop swiss chard, Parmesan, and homefries, served with brioche toast.

The Farmer's Breakfast, photo credit to The Plate Gazer

While I did not taste the dish, wifey Kim ate the entire thing, save for a small piece of toast which I happily finished. She was very satisfied with her meal.

I opted for something a bit uncommon for me, a dish called The Fisherman's Eggs. It consisted of two poached eggs over smoked trout, with mixed greens, potato latke, and hollandaise.

The Fisherman's Eggs, photo courtesy of Fun with Eating

As you can see from the photograph, the dish does not necessarily look like it is described. In fact, I saw the people to the left of us eating this dish and thought that it looked like a salad, and little more. Sure enough, under those greens was a healthy portion of smoked trout. I suppose that the latkes (a/k/a potato pancakes) were in there as well, but I couldn't discern them from the rest of the dish, especially after I broke the yokes on the perfectly-cooked poached eggs, and mixed up the egg, trout and lettuce mix.

The dish was very satisfying. The trout was fairly understated, in a good way. I was mildly concerned that the fishiness or smokiness would overwhelm the delicate lettuce and eggs, but instead, it acted as a light accent. I'm still wondering if the latkes were under there somewhere, and I will likely have to keep wondering. If it was, it barely registered on the palate, and the texture was too close to the other items to make it noticeable. Regardless, the yokey eggs, lettuce and trout mixture worked well together, and it made a dish I would normally avoid into something I would definitely order again (if not for my duty to try everything this planet, and the Farm on Adderley, has to offer).

Perhaps the highlight was the chocolate brioche.

Chocolate Brioche, photograph courtesy of Serious Eats

The photograph does not do the brioche justice. Ours had gooey sections of chocolate, particularly around the crust. The brioche is prepared with seasalt and butter, which provides an amazing salty contrast to the sweet, rich chocolate. The only shortcoming was the fact that one section of crust was so hard, it was inedible. I don't know what caused that (stale? overcooked?) but it was a minor disappointment. The rest of the brioche was perfect, and served as a sweet counterbalance to my trout dish.

The Farm on Adderly gets the Highly Recommended designation from yours truly. If you are looking for a farm-to-table dining experience with the freshest of ingredients and some unexpected dishes, this is your place. The wait, even for tables, did not seem too long. Most importantly though, the food lives up to the hype. Just try that chocolate brioche and tell me that I am wrong. Also, while you are there, pick me up a piece too. Thanks.

Until next time, keep eating!

The Farm on Adderley
1108 Cortelyou Road
Brooklyn, NY 11218
(718) 287-3101

What’s for Lunch? Black Beans and Rice.

2012-01-13T10:31:00.000-08:00

Lunch is one of the great dilemmas facing working people in America today.

Buying lunch can easily cost $8 or $10 (or even more in some places) a day; which over the course of a year can add up to the price of a decent vacation. Plus, actually eating out wastes valuable time that most of us don’t have to spare.

What’s more, while a lunch comprising two quarter pounders with cheese, two large fries and a large Coke was a viable option for me 30 years ago, my waistline and cholesterol levels make even half of that a good idea about once a month at most. Simply driving through a fast food parking lot seems to add about two pounds and healthy quick-service options are few and far between

Skipping lunch altogether always is an option, but not the healthiest choice and not really a consideration for us bloggers who gotta eat.

Which leaves bringing my lunch to work; something I’ve managed to be pretty good about for most of the last 15+ years. I’ve employed many work lunch strategies over that time, but have now evolved to a strange place where for reasons not entirely clear even to me I try to eat a Vegan diet for lunch. I have no religious or ethical basis for that choice. If nothing else, I figure a month or two of eating mostly vegetable products for lunch makes it possible for me to indulge in the occasional pizza, burger or 16 oz strip steak (medium rare).

I’ll give you one of the recipes I use for my lunches in this post. If it’s of interest to readers, I may do some others in the What’s For Lunch series from time to time. This isn’t fancy stuff. Just good, basic food that I like to eat.

Today, one of my staples for lunch during the cooler months of the year is a very simple, healthy preparation of Black Beans and Rice. I’ll usually make up a batch on Sunday morning and divide it up to take into work over the course of the following week. Two minutes in a microwave at the office and it’s ready to go.

I get about three good-sized servings out of this recipe, which winds up being about 300 calories per serving and plenty of fiber (13g) and protein (14 g), with only four grams of fat (see note for reducing fat content considerably). I’m guessing that some people could stretch a single batch out to four or five meals a week.

Black Beans and Rice

½ lb. dried black beans or two cans black beans (see notes below if you use canned beans)
½ cup chopped onion
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 cloves minced garlic (about 1 tsp)
¾ cup long-grain white rice
1 can vegetable or chicken broth
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp cayenne

If using dried black beans, sort to remove any broken beans or random items, then place in glass or plastic container and cover with water by two inches. Cover container and refrigerate overnight or 6-8 hours. Drain soaked beans and place in 3 qt sauce pan with enough cold water to cover by a few inches. Place over medium high heat until boiling, reduce heat and skim any accumulated foam. Simmer uncovered until beans are tender; about one hour. Drain and rinse cooked beans before adding to cooked rice mixture.

If using canned black beans, drain liquid and rinse before adding to rice mixture. The thing about canned black beans is that they can have a ton of salt added; some of which gets washed away when you drain and rinse the packing liquid. Check the labels on the cans, however, because there are some low-sodium options. The best I’ve found are a few organic brands that have virtually no added salt and correspondingly minimal sodium content.

While the beans are simmering, put a 2 qt sauce pan over medium heat and add 2 tsp vegetable oil. When oil is hot, add chopped onion and sauté until softened, about 3-4 minutes, then add garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds or so. (If you are really watching your fat intake, you can cook the onion and garlic in a non-stick pan and use cooking spray, but I just don’t like the way that they come out with that method.)

Once onion and garlic are done, add rice to pan and toss to coat with oil. Toast the rice in the pan until it starts to whiten up and rattle a bit, about 1-2 minutes, then pour in broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered until all liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked, stirring occasionally.

Combine cooked rice mixture, cooked/rinsed beans and spices in a large bowl.

Baby It's Cold Outside

2012-01-12T18:39:00.000-08:00

I love to eat out but when it's 8 degrees outside I am all about eating in. Luckily, I love to cook...and bake.

The other day, my daughter informed me that the apples in the fridge weren't very crisp and she wasn't going to eat them in their current form, or at least that's the translation of "Hey Mom, the apples are yucky, you should bake something". I found this recipe for Apple Sharlotka and decided to give it a try. It was great warm out of the oven and was even better for breakfast. I do love a multi-meal recipe.

It sounds scary and contains words that strike fear in the heart of non-bakers like spring form pan and parchment paper. Don't Panic. This is a spring form pan

If you don't have one you could bake it in any of these:

Parchment paper is not necessary (and is NOT the same thing as wax paper). Sans parchment paper, butter the bottom and sides of whatever pan you are using. If you bake it in a casserole, frying pan or whatever don't worry about taking it out of the pan, serve it right up in what you baked it in.

Basically, you cut up the apples and throw them in the pan. Whip up the batter (only four ingredients, eggs, sugar, flour and vanilla) and pour it over the top. Pop it in the oven for a hour.

And out it comes.

Sprinkle with a little cinnamon and powdered sugar.

Grab a cup of coffee, a book and snuggle up on the couch in front of the fire.

Samsara; New York, NY

2012-01-11T11:26:00.000-08:00

South Street Seaport is an area in the city most known as a tourist destination. As with most tourist destinations, the Seaport suffers from some terrible restaurants (I'm looking at you, Il Porto), since tourists mean a constant flow of new customers. Fortunately, over the last several years, the area has been undergoing a transformation, particularly in the Seaport's outskirts. The result are new restaurants, some of which qualify as hidden gems. Samsara is one such hidden gem.

On January 10, 2012, wifey Kim visited SamSara for a second time. The restaurant is located on a cobble-stone street, and if you do not know its there, you will probably accidentally find it, given that it is on a street without much action. Still, when we arrived and found the place to be utterly empty, I had my concerns. It is not the food that concerned me, but the fear that SamSara needs to build a customer base, and fast. Of course, for all I know, it was only slow because it was a Tuesday. Hopefully, they are more full on other nights.

SamSara upon our arrival

The meal started with complimentary popcorn from the chef, which featured cinnamon spices to give it an unexpected warmth. The popcorn itself was served almost room temperature, and popcorn is not one of my preferred snacks, so it mostly went uneaten, even if it was good (for popcorn). Minus points, though, for calling it an amuse bouche (for $0) on the check. I can appreciate freebies, but popcorn is not an amuse bouche.

Next up came the mac and cheese croquettes, pictured below. The croquettes were delicious. The outside was perfectly crisp, and almost crunchy, and the inside was soft, warm and gooey. The sauce accompanying the croquettes was a Proseco vinaigrette, which added some acidity and additional creaminess to the dish. It is likely wifey Kim's favorite item on the menu, and I can confirm that it is delicious and unique, while being accessible.

Mac and Cheese Croquettes, interior

Since the restaurant was so empty, it was clear that wifey Kim and I were getting, well, over-serviced. Our water glass was never empty, and the staff cleaned our entire table between courses.

Next up came our entrees. Its worth noting that SamSara has a lot of small plates, great for sharing a tapas-like dinner. The shaved, fried artichokes and duck confit quesadilla were particularly good dishes from our first trip. This time, though, we opted for two main courses.

I had the organic chicken, served with almond quinoa and mushrooms. Wifey Kim opted for a brie and cauliflower flatbread.

The chicken was phenomenal, as were its sides. The chicken consisted of a thigh and breast with wing, mostly deboned, except for the wing bone. Both the light and dark meat were incredibly juicy and flavorful. The skin was not entirely crispy, but the minor chewiness (it was mostly crispy) actually worked well with the soft, juicy flesh. The chicken was also well seasoned and salted.

The almond quinoa was surprisingly delicious, given that I am not a quinoa or almond guy. The texture was spot-on, such that all the ingredients melded together, but kept the semi-grittiness of the quinoa. The mushrooms were cooked down well and were flavorful, adding an umami overtone to the dish that mixed well with the milder quinoa and the juicy chicken.

I only took one bite of wifey Kim's flatbread, mostly because I am not a big fan of veggies, and cauliflower is a particular point of contention. I can confirm, though, that she loved the dish, which she described as (a) delicious, and (b) oddly sweet but not overly sweet. From my one bite, I can confirm her assessment, as the cauliflower and other veggies added a subtle sweetness to the flatbread.

I have a general policy about dessert. I like dessert, but usually I do not order it at the place where I have dinner. This is both practical and a bit of a habit. The practical element comes from the fact that I usually eat my main course until I am full, so I usually have little room for dessert. The habit may come from the fact that as a kid, I recall going out to dinner, but always having dessert at home.

Of course, if wifey Kim wants dessert, she gets dessert. This time, she decided on something we could share, a mixed cookie plate, featuring lemon bars, caramel bars, chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies (2 apiece). The photo (below) only shows half the order, since we had already sampled the platter before photo time.

1/2 of the Cookie Platter

Sadly, the dessert was the least tasty dish of the night. The lemon bar was probably the best, albeit very sweet. The caramel bar, pictured on the far right, had some texture issues, while the cookies were both dry, with insufficient chips.

Even with the less-than-stellar dessert, I am going to Highly Recommend SamSara. It's not quite a destination restaurant, but if you are anywhere near the place and hungry, it provides some unique dishes in a friendly environment. Plus, you'll likely not have to wait for a table.

Until next time, keep eating!

SamSara

277 Water St
New York, NY

(212) 444-9443

Cafe Olrin; New York, NY

2012-01-08T06:33:00.000-08:00

This Friday, I ended up at Cafe Orlin with wifey Kim for dinner. The result was surprisingly good.

Cafe Orlin is located in the East Village, in an area with an interesting mix of shops. The stores are a unique blend of hipster shops, bars, restaurants, tattoo parlors and headshops that makes for an interesting people-watching walk from the nearest subways. We were in the neighborhood for an experimental theater show, so we decided to consult the old food map and see what came up. Cafe Orlin was on my list for brunch, but it had seating available and we were in a time crunch so we settled in for dinner.

The restaurant design is pretty low key. The interior is mostly wood, and looks fairly aged. Some of the staff had an "alternative" vibe, like the greeter with bright pink hair. While aged, though, the place feels warm, and it does not appear rundown. It's more lived-in, but far from threadbare.

Now onto the food. The menu is varied, but had a definite Middle Eastern theme, with dishes like falafel and hummus, balanced with more American fare. In fact, it would be unfair to call it a Middle Eastern restaurant. It is more of an American restaurant with some Middle Eastern flare (reflected in the menu, but not the decor or vibe).

Blueberry Lemonade & the Mama Jama

Perhaps surprisingly (for us), the star of the dinner may have been the cocktail menu. It was unusual for wifey Kim to opt for a cocktail instead of wine, but once I saw the menu, I decided to follow suit. Wifey Kim opted for the Mama Jama, a mix of apple cider, cinnamon vodka, triple sec and lemon juice. I went with the Blueberry Lemonade, a mix of blueberry vodka and lemon juice. Both were surprisingly fresh and delicious. The Blueberry Lemonade tasted like its name; the Mama Jama tasted like an apple cider donut, melted into liquid form and then made cold.

I decided on the cheeseburger, my old standby, and wifey Kim went with a shortrib special. The burger (pictured above) came on a challah roll, with a heap of thin fries, and a small mixed green salad with a thin but delicious vinaigrette. Wifey Kim's shortrib special (below) came with parsnip puree and accompanying vegetables.

The food was pretty fantastic, all around. The burger itself had all of the good elements of a burger, with some minor unexpected, but welcome twists. The meet was flavorful and juicy, with some gamey flavors that may have really been the sharp cheddar asserting itself. The cheddar itself has a welcome tang, and worked well with the beefy meet and the challah roll. The roll itself was great, with a slightly eggy taste common in challah but light enough that it does not distract from the dish.

Sides were just as good. I already mentioned how the mixed green salad that accompanied the burger was dressed well with a flavorful vinaigrette. The fries were crisp and pliant, as well as appropriately salted.

Wifey Kim's meal was equally as good, from what I could tell from my (okay, 6) bites. The meat was flavorful, although it may have needed a tad more sauce (my thoughts, not wifey Kim's). I did not try her sides, but she seemed satisfied.

Overall, I give Cafe Orlin the official BGE Recommended designation. It is not a destination restaurant, but if you are in the East Village and want a reasonably priced, delicious meal in an uncrowded environment, you've found your place.

Until next time, keep eating!

Cafe Orlin
41 Saint Marks Place
New York, NY 10003
(212) 777-1447

About Bloggers Gotta Eat

2012-01-05T08:51:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Bloggers Gotta Eat, a blog by bloggers who eat.

The inspiration behind Bloggers Gotta Eat is simple. I like to eat...a lot. And I like to blog...a lot. From there, I decided that a foodie blog may be interesting. There was only one issue: I am not a food critic.

No, I am just a Blogger whose Gotta Eat. So, I decided to start a blog that provided restaurant reviews, recipes and other food-related material, without all of the trappings of professionalism. Surely, I expect that the posts will be informative and provide good tips for my fellow Eaters. But the information will be from that of a laymen. No high brow reviews here.

Of course, I am only speaking for myself. After I decided to start Bloggers Gotta Eat, I reached out to my fellow bloggers to see if any of them wanted to join the blog. After all, while I eat daily, I expect to only post weekly. Fortunately, a good group of friends and bloggers decided that they too Gotta Eat, so expect lots of posts from other bloggers from all around the country.

Want to get in on the fun? Great! Then send me an email and maybe you, too, can join the blog.

Until then, keep eating!