Chiu on This

Austin 2012 - the rapid run down

A quick list of things I did in Austin in December 2012 during my 12 waking hours in the city proper, after finishing a work-related meeting at the Travaasa Austin (FYI, had a nice quail appetizer there).

• Checked into the Hotel San Jose.
• Grabbed a Frito pie for lunch at Jo's next door.
  
  
• Enjoyed a tasty michelada in the hotel courtyard (thanks to my former colleague Erika for tipping me off to this).
• An hour later, enjoyed another tasty michelada in the company of my college classmate Grover, as we conferred about the night's plans.* We hit up the following places:**
• East Side Showroom
• Donn's Depot - I LOVE this place. Can I live here?
• Deep Eddy Cabaret
• Texas Chili Parlour
• The Continental Club
• Hmm. I didn't have dinner. I realize this when I wake up very hungry and woozy about 5 hours later. Thankfully, the South Congress Cafe is just a few blocks away. (H/t to another former colleague, Cristin, for this recommendation.) I get coffee, another michelada (just can't resist, need to try as many versions as possible), and a delectable smoked brisket hash with nice runny eggs.
  
  
  
  As I eat very, very slowly and carefully, I try not to stare at the guy in the booth in front of me. I think he looks like Elmore Leonard, but then I'm not sure I know what Elmore Leonard actually looks like.
• I walk back to the hotel very, very slowly and pack up reluctantly.

* I also have Grover to thank for this itinerary on my 2011 visit - Icenhauer's, Clive Bar, Deep Eddy Cabaret, Ginny's Little Longhorn Saloon, and the Gallery at the Continental Club. I see why people love Austin.

** Oops, I forgot to add this item - checking out the Christmas tree at Zilker Park. The backstory of Austin's moonlight towers made this extra interesting.

Best meal of 2012? Contender #3

Last week, my sister and I split the deep fried Spam musubi from Da Kitchen. It immediately became a contender for best meal of 2012, like a movie released at the end of the year in time to be considered for an Academy Award nomination. The deep fried Spam musubi packs some heft with twice the amount of rice than a normal musubi. The utter genius of deep frying the musubi imparts an impeccable crackling texture - great mouth feel and the perfect proportion of surface area crust to chewy interior contents. The umami wallop comes from the spam, nori, furikake, and soy sauce, with a bit of freshness and bite from the green onions.

This monstrously sized appetizer eats like a meal.

Those of you wrinkling your nose at the mention of Spam, I have to two things to say to you: 1) eat this first and then talk to me, and 2) that's fine, there's more for me to enjoy, and would you now please go away to let me enjoy my meal?

Bonus round:

A slice of chocolate haupia pie from Ted's bakery on the North Shore

Action shot: a picture of my sister taking a picture of our soon-to-be-demolished meal.

Best meal of 2012? Contender #2

I first tried Herbsaint in 2010. The food was terrific, but I was having a pretty intense conversation with a colleague, so I couldn't really luxuriate in the meal. On my last trip to NOLA, I went back to Herbsaint for lunch after finishing the first half of a difficult job. My relief at not completely bungling things, combined with the relaxed, unhurried setting of a late lunch crowd; friendly and attentive service; a well selected combination of appetizers and dessert that filled but didn't overstuff me; and the bright, robust flavors of each dish, made this one of my most memorable, comforting, and satisfying meals of the year. 

Slaw with tomatoes, corn, and bacon

Marinated Louisiana shrimp and fish with cucumbers and pepitas

Creme brulee + cookie

 

The birthplace of bourbon

When my friend Thaler suggested that we meet up for food and drink at Maysville,* she sold it to me as a bourbon bar, which meant I didn't need to be persuaded much to go (that, plus T's food and drink picks are, for me, always on target).

What surprised me after we left was how delicious the food was. I thought I was going to chuzzle down several types of American whiskey, but I uncharacteristically held back, being out on a "school night," and opted for a bourbon and a beer back. Good thing, as my alertness allowed me to enjoy the food more.

For starters, we split an order of roasted oysters with salsify and pickled shallots. I'm still not sure what salsify tastes like on its own, but the rich, briny, warm oysters were brightly balanced by the shallots. We also shared the Brussels sprouts with crispy pig ears, quail egg, and buttermilk dressing. This dish also showed a great balance, of tartness, bitterness, and umami flavors as well as textures. (The squeamish among you shouldn't worry - you can't tell the difference between the chopped pig ears and chewy bacon bits.)

For my entree, I got the crispy duck breast with white sweet potato, kale, and shaved foie gras. I had this dish 16 days ago, and I'm still turning over in my mind how incredible the duck breast tasted and felt. I'm pretty sure that it's the best duck breast I've ever had. The two generous slices are now in my mental dictionary as the pictures illustrating the definition of "plump." Dense, tender, flavor-duck-ful, with just the right amount of duck skin and fat, and just the right crispness to the skin - I hope they keep this on the menu for a good long time. As for the sides, I'm not sure if or how the shave foie gras added to the dish, as I honestly couldn't detect it; the kale I liked, as I've got no gripe with the kale hype; and I was glad to be introduced to white sweet potatoes, which seemed to be slightly less sweet than regular sweet potatoes.

Thaler got for her entree the grilled flatiron steak and marrow. She seemed pretty pleased with the marrow - the bone looked about a foot long! - but underwhelmed by the steak.

Given that Maysville had only been open since early November, you wouldn't know it from how well their staff and kitchen ran. We started off at the bar, where I quickly noticed the restaurant's unobtrusive uniform - slimcut button-down oxfords and jeans - worn by the predominantly trim male staff, making me think of the slimcut Timothy Olyphant in one of the coolest TV shows around, Justified, which just happens to be set in Kentucky. But I digress. You could easily eat at the bar and enjoy the view of the beautiful bottles of brown liquors, but if you're a little noise-averse, you may want to wait until the after work Flatiron crowds dissipate. There's really no separation between the dining and bar areas, so expect the noise levels to be pretty much the same throughout.

I think the next time I go to Maysville, which will be soon, I hope, I'll take more time with their bourbon list. So much to do...

* The Kentucky town where bourbon distilleries got their start.

Best meal of 2012? Contender #1

I hate waiting. I hate lines. I hate waiting in lines.* So why was I waiting in line at Paseo?

1) My late friend Rick, who enjoyed food like nobody's business, recommended this place highly. I never got a chance to eat here while he was alive so missed out on an opportunity to compare notes and bond over a shared eating experience.** 2) Karen, a former intern now living in Seattle, offered to meet me for lunch and to drive me up to Paseo's Fremont outpost. Having good company makes a wait so much easier.

The Caribbean Roast Plato

What didn't make the wait easy was an unusual heat wave and the need to stay vigilant to grab one of the few tables in the tiny establishment, but most excruciating were the terrific aromas that got me drooling from the get go.

Karen got the Caribbean roast sandwich (at the top of the photo) while I went for the big platter version - the roast pork shoulder with rice, half a seasoned corn on the cob, a house salad, and black beans. I'm not sure why I ordered this: I knew I wouldn't be able to eat the whole thing (I needed to keep space for a potentially large dinner - more on that in another post) and couldn't do anything with the leftovers, but I couldn't help myself. I also don't care for sandwiches all that much when there's a rice option available.

I'm glad I did get the platter because the flavors of all the items were intense and complemented one another so well. What seemed like a simple salad was bursting with flavor, and the supertangy, vinegary dressing worked well with the unctuous pork. I don't know what they did to make the beans taste so good, but I could have gone meatless and eaten only those and been pretty darned happy. And the corn brought a nice sweetness to the whole thing.

I expected that this would be a good meal, but I didn't quite expect this to be a really, really good meal, even with Rick's endorsement. I should have taken that more seriously. And now I've got one of my top contenders for my favorite meal of 2012. As for the leftovers, Karen took those with no reluctance, a sign of a good eater and a good character trait, I'll say. Thumbs up to that.

* A family story: when I was a kid, my family would come to NYC for summer vacations, as most of my mom's mom and family lived here. One night, we were waiting for what seemed like forever - FOREVER!!! - at a Spanish restaurant in Greenwich Village to have dinner. A normally grumpy child, I was even more sullen than usual (perhaps I was also hangry) and was making everyone else around me feel miserable. (I didn't understand back then that my moods could affect other people, and, even if I had, I probably wouldn't have cared. Hmm, maybe things haven't changed that much, but that's another story.)

One of my uncles came up with the brilliant idea of paying me off to make me feel better / behave more nicely. I don't remember the exact amount he gave me, but I recall it was exorbitant ($100?). My sister rightfully became indignant - why was I being rewarded for being a jerk, while she didn't get anything for having a good disposition? She was even more correct in thinking this, because I think I brightened up for about 30 seconds and then just went back to sulking.

Coda: I think the meal turned out to be pretty good.

** I only recently learned that I've been using the term "commiserate with" incorrectly. I thought it meant something like "to confer with" and would have used it here. I guess I just liked the sound of it.

Spontaneity versus research

 Way back in May of this year, I was in Denver for work. I hadn't done any advance work looking for restaurants, and my co-worker had expressed more interest trying to get tickets to the Colorado Rockies game than in any sort of food. So as he waited in the rental car line, I fired up ye olde electronic devices and searched for places to eat near our hotel.

Where are #1 and #2?

A listing in Urbanspoon for a Mexican, Thai, and Tex-Mex joint immediately caught my eye. Mexican and Thai? Was this like a Cuban Chinese restaurant, where the two cuisines sit next to each other on the menu but don't really blend, or would it be like Indian Chinese food, where the intersection of the great cooking traditions generates a walloping good unique flavor of its own?

Spot the decorative remnants of the Thai influence

Unfortunately, the Thai influence on the menu no longer existed. But remnants of it could be seen in the decor. (I can't figure out why Mexican-Thai places aren't more common. Seems like the two types of cooking would be great candidates for real fusion, more than the German Thai cooking that I've heard about. Maybe my next job should be making this happen.)

Shrimp in a luscious spicy sauce

But why long for something that doesn't exist when something fantastic is right in front of you? The grandmotherly woman who took our order recommended a spicy shrimp dish in a creamy tomato sauce. I got it even though I still have an irrational suspicion of eating seafood in landlocked areas and was rewarded with an immensely savory and lipsmacking meal. A Big Gulp sized order of horchata served as both drink and dessert.

Thank you, strip mall.

"Foodies" who are unwilling to eat at strip malls, thank you for getting out of the way of those of us who like a good meal in an unpretentious environment. El Coyotito's location next to a medical marijuana dispensary made for a good photo opp and a handy geographical reference when our law enforcement clients asked us the next day where we went for dinner. They all seemed to know what we were talking about, and grinned.

Trending (not)

It's hard to be a contrarian. Sometimes there are things you love that get appended to or associated with things you hate. Take pickles. I love pickles. Let me be clear: I looooove pickles. But I hate the artisanal pickle "movement" (cue up Portlandia), even though I have to admit that it creates some great products.

The pickle platter at Umamicatessen

Could I have had this pickle platter at Umamicatessen without the artisanal pickling craze? Probably not.

Could I have had an excellent assortment of pickled stuff (okra, beets, and deviled eggs) at The Brooklyneer without the artisanal pickling craze? Probably not. But this contrarian was nonetheless unhappy to be downing such fare 1) in the company of bearded urban "farmers" (when will this sartorial trend ever end?!?!) and 2) in a Brooklyn-themed establishment in Manhattan (are you kidding me? the boroughs are not as far apart as episodes of Sex in the City make it out to be - what decade am I in?).

Sigh. All I can say is that I wish I'd had a jar of pickled okra to go with my homemade michelada. Inner peace, dude, inner peace.

The big dig, part 3

I've found out two things while doing this blog: 1) I'm nowhere near as I organized as I thought I was, and 2) taking photos with a smartphone leaves a lot to be desired. The combination of these two items contributes to my procrastination in sharing info about meals and restaurants. To which I now say, eh. So, here we go.

Mondo, New Orleans

One big appetizer

• I was there in July 2011 and had a lovely meal with my friends Todd, Nancy, and Jon, but can't find my notes anwhere about this.
• Miserably shot photos depict a giant platter of pate; what looks like an entree sized pasta but that I recall being a shared appetizer, with an egg over easy and what appears to be slices of pork belly; a ceviche; a pizza for one; roast chicken with a corn maque choux; and what looks like a demolished dessert plate.

Tarpon House at the Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort, Sanibel Island, FL

 

Breakfast of champions

• Foursquare has been serving as a memory aide to me lately, and it tells me that I was here in August 2010. Purpose: conference. Time for fun / looking around a place I'd never been to: zilch.
• I had most of my non-conference meals at the hotel restaurant, which turned out to be rather good. I tend to order corned beef hash if I see it on a breakfast menu, even though it can turn out to be a big disappointment when done wrong; Tarpon's had good chunks of corned beef, nicely crisped potatoes, and perfectly cooked eggs (i prefer them runny with a hash).
• I believe I had a she-crab soup there, too, which was also good.

 Shikibu, Culver City

• I was just therein July, so how is that I can't find my notes on this place???
• After a visit to the mind-bending Museum of Jurassic Technology and subsequent decompression at nearby Father's Office, my friends Susan and David recommend dinner at Shikibu, a tiny spot in an out-of-the-way location (os is it? I don't know how things work in L.A.).
• The restaurant's concept is brown rice sushi. Yes, I was skeptical. But the dishes were fantastic!
• Try anything with the crispy rice and/or the truffle salt. Tasty, tasty, tasty, and unique, but, more importantly, tasty.

Ted's Bulletin, Washington, DC

• Was I here in April of this year? Sounds about right but I have no record of it. Odd.
• Met up with my former colleague Jenni. We lucked out and got parking nearby; I think we were there during peak brunching hours.
• Walked into the place and got hit with an amazing aroma of butter and beef. Must be horrifying for unsuspecting vegetarians or vegans, but it set our appetites going immediately.
• More luck, as we bypass the long wait for a booth and stake a claim to seats at the counter.
• Too many burgers to choose from. I can't recall what I had, but do recall liking it.
• Thumbs up also to the strawberry milk shake Jenni got to go. I never think of getting strawberry shakes, as most times they taste horrifyingly artificial, but I would certainly get one from here.

Well, this has been a bit depressing, seeing how, with all my social media use and dependence on electronic devices, I still can't recall a lot of things. Sigh.

The big dig, part 2

More puttering and cleaning of the apartment on this Labor Day weekend, and more items to add to the blog. Here we go.

Strip House, Manhattan

• Terrific steaks, excellent service; unnecessarily contrived theme.
• Might have been the last time more than 3 of my grad school classmates were able to get together.
• Might have also been the last meeting of the Beefeaters Club. (It's not hard to get NYers together; it's hard to get them to commit when a date is set!)

Mad for Chicken, Manhattan Koreatown

• Fantastic Korean fried chicken. Droool.
• Met my former co-worker Nick there for a long lunch. Loved the food, delayed blogging about it, and then forgot the name of the place. All I could remember was that it was on the second floor and was associated with a music venue / jazz club.
• Went back by chance several years later for one in a series of going away eating outings for my former co-worker Arnold. The original place people wanted to try turned out to be too snooty, so we went to MFC instead. Must go back soon. Now I've got the name written down!

 The PIg and the Lady, Honolulu

• Went to their stall at the KCC Farmer's Market; haven't been to their restaurant.
• Grilled skewers of ground pork wrapped in betel leaves. Why had this awesome deliciousness been denied me for so many years???

 Salumi, Seattle

• Mario Batali's dad's establishment. I'd been trying to go there for several years, but the timing never worked out. Finally made it last year with my college friend Russ.
• Worth the wait. Long line, but it moved fast. We also got there on the early side.
• I'm not a sandwich fan, but this really moved me. So much salumi, so little time.

Kenny and Zuke's Delicatessen, Portland, OR

• Big ol' breakfast. I think this was the pastrami hash. Yum. Gives you lotsa energy to wander the aisles of Powell's.

 More to follow!

The big dig, part 1

I've been cleaning my apartment, slowly. I sure have accumulated a lot of crap, including notes for blog posts that got buried deeper and deeper in piles of other crap. I've got a paper-clipped stack of sheets from an old Moleskine notebook - the annotations are few, the writing sometimes cryptic. But if I wrote down where I was and what I ate, that probably means that I liked the restaurant. Without further commentary, then, here goes.

Proof on Main, Louisville, KY

• Dinner sometime in 2010
• Roast chicken
• Corn and garlic soup
• Braised greens
• Stewed okra and tomatoes
• A Pimms cocktail (Wicker Park?)
• Associated notes: "The battle of what to count"; Finley's BBQ

Incanto, San Francisco

• How in the world did I neglect to write about this place? A paradise for people who prefer pork. Ate there with college classmate Sue and her husband, probably in 2010 as well.

Mystery location, cocktail made of:

• Laird's applejack
• Bols genever
• toasted lager
• lime
• ginger

Town, Honolulu

• Dinner on 2010 with my family. I don't think my parents liked what they had. I was pretty happy with my dish.
• Dinner in 2012 with high school classmates. Feeling jet lagged, I nearly nodded off between courses.

Herbsaint, NOLA

• With my colleague Jon, early 2010
• Smoked Spanish mackeral with apple griddle cakes with walnuts
• Pork tongue salad with local arugula and fried capers
• Our waiter / server discusses the process they used to develop the pork tongue salad; we were among the first customers to try it. Thumbs up!

Cochon, NOLA

• On the same trip as the Herbsaint meal, also dining with Jon; we ate at the counter to avoid a wait - great fun watching the kitchen staff
• Onion and grits casserole
• Cucumbers in vinegars (yeah, plural)
• Oysters and bacon sandwich (my head reels!)
• Spicy ribs w/ watermelon pickle (need more of the wmelon pickle)
• Pate amuse bouche
• Sazerac (a little obvious)
• Champagne, Creole 3 (? illegible), and grapefruit juice
• I have crappy, dim photos somewhere, but can't be bothered to post them now

Hukilau Lanai, Kauai

• New Year's Eve 2010 (i.e., 12/31/09) with my sister and her boyfriend
• Super ono! I was surprised at how tasty it was
• Ahi poke nachos
• Warabi (sp? fiddle head ferns), pickled and sausage
• Portugese bean soup
• Opah with shrimp risotto
• Opakapaka with brussel sprouts and purple potatoes
• Mixed grill: hebi (spear fish), butterfish, and shrimp
• Creme brulee
• Drinks: Lillet blanc; loco lemonade; Keoki dark
• A note that says "see also back," but I don't see anything relevant

Royal Garden @ Ala Moana, Honolulu

• This is the high end dim sum place my family goes to when other relatives or visitors are in town. Quite good stuff.
• On this trip in early 2010, I made special note of the "crispy pork with fermented bean sauce." Ooh.

Really? It's taken me 2 1/2 years to post these scribblings? Wow. I've really got to my act together. At least all these restaurants are still in business. Go. Eat.