June 2, 2008
I'm angry at myself. Years ago I ate at Il Forno and really enjoyed the pizza and then it, well, kind of fell off my radar. My mistake.
My wife, kids, and I met some friends at Il Forno for a rare weekday meal out last night. We split a margherita pizza (tomato sauce, whole milk mozzarella, and fresh basil) and an alla salsiccia (tomato sauce, whole milk mozzarella, homemade ground Italian sausage, and fresh garlic). The toppings are simple, fresh, high-quality ingredients that elevate Il Forno over most pizza joints (though they could've been distributed a bit more evenly - a pizza pet peeve of mine). But the excellent crisp, wood-fired crust stood out the most to me.
Ledo Pizza still has it's place for it's flakier, somewhat pastry-like crust, and dense provolone topping (though their sauce is unnecessarily sweet). And an occasional Uno Chicago deep-dish is good for that couple-thousand calorie guilty pleasure. But next time my family wants pizza, I'll first suggest Il Forno. And curse myself under my breath for forgetting about it.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Michel Richard Citronelle - Washington, D.C.
December 8, 2007
Number #1 in The Washingtonian. The higher of the only two DC-area restaurants in the October 2006 Gourmet magazine's America's Top 50 Restaurants at #12 (the area's only other restaurant was The Inn at Little Washington at #23). And the one with "Washington's most awe-inspiring chef" of the four four-star restaurants in The Washington Post Magazine's Dining Guide 2007.
We had to take the plunge. My wife and I, along with my brother and sister-in-law, chose the extravagance of Citronelle instead of Christmas gifts for each other. What followed was the most expensive meal I've had and certainly one of the best, though not necessarily my favorite.
We chose the nine-course Promenade Gourmande (instead of the three-course meal or the approximately 15-course Grand Degustation). The next three and a half hours was a tour de force of great ideas, stunning preparation, outstanding ingredients, with a sense of playfulness in both concept and plating. Among the many triumphs was the buttery and crunchy (from pistachios) "escargot crumble" of the amuse bouche followed by the "portobello truffle cappuccino" - a portobello soup with a whipped potato topping consumed via straw, which looked like, well...
Probably the table's overall favorite throughout the meal was the broiled sake-miso marinated sablefish. The fish was meltingly tender and flavorful yet not overpowered by the marinade. The centerpiece for me, however, was the black angus veal steak with sweetbreads and morel sauce. While the fish course showed Richard's expertise with Asian flavors, the veal dish had the classic flavors and ingredients of his native France. It was superb.
Most of the parts of the dessert courses were excellent, which is what one might expect from Richard, who was a pastry chef before he tackled savory fare. The jolie pomme, essentially an apple sorbet dessert, was delicious as well as visually beautiful with its thin, crunchy candy apple slices and vanilla bean serving as the apple stem. The chocolate course was a stunner with Richard's take on the Kit-Kat bar as well as the hard, dark chocolate-covered ice cream on a stick. The petit fours included large, perfect raspberries but also chocolate-covered grapes, an odd pairing that I don't think works particularly well.
There were a few other disappointments in the meal. Though the Truffle-foie gras Napoleon pairs two legendary delicacies and the layers of black truffle and brown foie gras looked amazing, the gelatinized texture wasn't terribly appealing and the flavors weren't as enjoyable as I hoped. The lobster burger was also a letdown; I didn't taste the ginger mayo and the lobster was surprisingly flat-tasting. That said, I'm going to take two positive aspects away from this course. First, when I eventually make it to Richard's other DC restaurant, Central, I won't choose the lobster burger entree. Second, the burger was served with potato chips fried in clarified butter. Though my chips at Citronelle were oversalted, I have since fried chips at home with clarified butter with success and I thank Richard for the wonderfully decadent idea.
I walked away from the meal happy (and extremely full) but not thrilled. At such a price, which was $20 more than the Citronelle website said at the time, the Promenade Gourmande certainly featured some amazing food but wasn't perfect. At least for such a price, Citronelle did offer some high-dollar ingredients, such as truffles, foie gras, abalone, and veal sweetbreads. But as the most expensive meal I've had to date, perfection is what I expected. For less money, my wife and I were proportionately happier with our meal at Minibar. And as far as four-star DC restaurants go, my brother preferred his meal at CityZen to Citronelle.
Number #1 in The Washingtonian. The higher of the only two DC-area restaurants in the October 2006 Gourmet magazine's America's Top 50 Restaurants at #12 (the area's only other restaurant was The Inn at Little Washington at #23). And the one with "Washington's most awe-inspiring chef" of the four four-star restaurants in The Washington Post Magazine's Dining Guide 2007.
We had to take the plunge. My wife and I, along with my brother and sister-in-law, chose the extravagance of Citronelle instead of Christmas gifts for each other. What followed was the most expensive meal I've had and certainly one of the best, though not necessarily my favorite.
We chose the nine-course Promenade Gourmande (instead of the three-course meal or the approximately 15-course Grand Degustation). The next three and a half hours was a tour de force of great ideas, stunning preparation, outstanding ingredients, with a sense of playfulness in both concept and plating. Among the many triumphs was the buttery and crunchy (from pistachios) "escargot crumble" of the amuse bouche followed by the "portobello truffle cappuccino" - a portobello soup with a whipped potato topping consumed via straw, which looked like, well...
Probably the table's overall favorite throughout the meal was the broiled sake-miso marinated sablefish. The fish was meltingly tender and flavorful yet not overpowered by the marinade. The centerpiece for me, however, was the black angus veal steak with sweetbreads and morel sauce. While the fish course showed Richard's expertise with Asian flavors, the veal dish had the classic flavors and ingredients of his native France. It was superb.
Most of the parts of the dessert courses were excellent, which is what one might expect from Richard, who was a pastry chef before he tackled savory fare. The jolie pomme, essentially an apple sorbet dessert, was delicious as well as visually beautiful with its thin, crunchy candy apple slices and vanilla bean serving as the apple stem. The chocolate course was a stunner with Richard's take on the Kit-Kat bar as well as the hard, dark chocolate-covered ice cream on a stick. The petit fours included large, perfect raspberries but also chocolate-covered grapes, an odd pairing that I don't think works particularly well.
There were a few other disappointments in the meal. Though the Truffle-foie gras Napoleon pairs two legendary delicacies and the layers of black truffle and brown foie gras looked amazing, the gelatinized texture wasn't terribly appealing and the flavors weren't as enjoyable as I hoped. The lobster burger was also a letdown; I didn't taste the ginger mayo and the lobster was surprisingly flat-tasting. That said, I'm going to take two positive aspects away from this course. First, when I eventually make it to Richard's other DC restaurant, Central, I won't choose the lobster burger entree. Second, the burger was served with potato chips fried in clarified butter. Though my chips at Citronelle were oversalted, I have since fried chips at home with clarified butter with success and I thank Richard for the wonderfully decadent idea.
I walked away from the meal happy (and extremely full) but not thrilled. At such a price, which was $20 more than the Citronelle website said at the time, the Promenade Gourmande certainly featured some amazing food but wasn't perfect. At least for such a price, Citronelle did offer some high-dollar ingredients, such as truffles, foie gras, abalone, and veal sweetbreads. But as the most expensive meal I've had to date, perfection is what I expected. For less money, my wife and I were proportionately happier with our meal at Minibar. And as far as four-star DC restaurants go, my brother preferred his meal at CityZen to Citronelle.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
I'M BACK
I've been finishing my Master's thesis. I should've posted here about my absence but I couldn't stand to look at how long I've been gone.
It appears that it's over.
Right now I'm excited about the summer 2008 opening of VOLT restaurant in downtown Frederick: http://www.voltrestaurant.com/
Presentation looks nice - for content about the restaurant, check out the blog link, accessible on the above page or here: http://blog.voltrestaurant.com/
I'm also excited about the numerous farmers' markets that are opening in May and June.
For Maryland, organized by county: http://www.mda.state.md.us/md_products/farmers_market_dir.php
For the Frederick County Virtual Farmers' Market site, which includes info on the new Tuesday market: http://www.discoverfrederickmd.com/farmersmarket/html/detail.htm?cat=115&store=1078
It appears that it's over.
Right now I'm excited about the summer 2008 opening of VOLT restaurant in downtown Frederick: http://www.voltrestaurant.com/
Presentation looks nice - for content about the restaurant, check out the blog link, accessible on the above page or here: http://blog.voltrestaurant.com/
I'm also excited about the numerous farmers' markets that are opening in May and June.
For Maryland, organized by county: http://www.mda.state.md.us/md_products/farmers_market_dir.php
For the Frederick County Virtual Farmers' Market site, which includes info on the new Tuesday market: http://www.discoverfrederickmd.com/farmersmarket/html/detail.htm?cat=115&store=1078
Monday, January 21, 2008
Using the Demiglace - Pan Sauce for Steaks
I came up with the following because I wanted to taste the demiglace in a relatively simple sauce.
Pan Sauce for Two Steaks
2 cooked steaks (grilled, pan-fried, or broiled)
3 tablespoons (shot glass) cognac
1/2 cup no or low salt veal or chicken stock (see previous post for veal stock recipe)
1 tablespoon homemade veal demiglace (see previous post for recipe)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt and black pepper to taste
Add cognac to pan on medium-high heat and reduce by about half. Add stock and reduce by about half. Add demiglace. Whisk in butter, one tablespoon at a time until incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with steaks.
Pan Sauce for Two Steaks
2 cooked steaks (grilled, pan-fried, or broiled)
3 tablespoons (shot glass) cognac
1/2 cup no or low salt veal or chicken stock (see previous post for veal stock recipe)
1 tablespoon homemade veal demiglace (see previous post for recipe)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt and black pepper to taste
Add cognac to pan on medium-high heat and reduce by about half. Add stock and reduce by about half. Add demiglace. Whisk in butter, one tablespoon at a time until incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with steaks.
Taking Bourdain's advice - Making Demiglace
I've made white chicken stock numerous times, using Julia Child's old-school classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking, but had never roasted bones and/or tried another main ingredient. I used the following recipe for veal stock from Gourmet magazine, adapted from Bourdain's buddy, Michael Ruhlman (also check out the Las Vegas episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations):
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/105520
I bought the veal bones at Wagner's Meats, aka the Mt. Airy Meat Locker.
http://www.wagnersmeats.com/
Roasted bones and vegetables make the house smell great and the stock is rich, flavorful, and salt-free, making it perfect for reducing into a demiglace. The high amount of gelatin in the veal knuckle bones makes the stock gelatinize when refrigerated.
For the demiglace recipe, I used Bourdain's list of ingredients and combined several recipes I'd found. I used the following:
Veal Demiglace
4 1/2 cups veal stock (from the above recipe)
1 cup dry red wine (I used a cabernet)
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
I reduced it until it coated the back of a spoon, which yielded a 1/2 cup. Tasted straight, I felt it was a bit heavy on the shallots and black peppercorns but I've been very pleased with it in sauce for steak.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/105520
I bought the veal bones at Wagner's Meats, aka the Mt. Airy Meat Locker.
http://www.wagnersmeats.com/
Roasted bones and vegetables make the house smell great and the stock is rich, flavorful, and salt-free, making it perfect for reducing into a demiglace. The high amount of gelatin in the veal knuckle bones makes the stock gelatinize when refrigerated.
For the demiglace recipe, I used Bourdain's list of ingredients and combined several recipes I'd found. I used the following:
Veal Demiglace
4 1/2 cups veal stock (from the above recipe)
1 cup dry red wine (I used a cabernet)
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
I reduced it until it coated the back of a spoon, which yielded a 1/2 cup. Tasted straight, I felt it was a bit heavy on the shallots and black peppercorns but I've been very pleased with it in sauce for steak.
Cooking like a professional chef
from Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
Important ingredients that professional chefs use:
shallots - Use in sauces, sauté items, and dressings.
butter - It's the first and last thing in the sauté pan. Sauté in oil and butter and then finish sauces with it.
roasted garlic - Sliver thinly for pasta (like in Goodfellas), use a mix of fresh and roasted garlic in Caesar dressing. Avoid burnt, old, and jarred garlic, as well as garlic that was cut too long ago. Don't use a garlic press.
chiffonaded parsley - Thinly sliced washed, dried parsley (flat leaf, I assume).
stock - "the backbone of good cooking"
Roasted bones, roasted vegetables, and water, then reduce, strain, and freeze.
demiglace - Combine stock, red wine, shallots, fresh thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Slowly simmer and reduce until it coats a spoon. Strain and freeze in ice cube trays. Make sauces with demiglace and finish with butter.
fresh herbs - Throw out your dried herbs. Use fresh herbs to cook and garnish. Garnish suggestions:
* chervil - chicken breast
* basil - pasta
* chives (uncut) - fish
* mint (with whipped cream and raspberries) - desserts
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Lucky Corner Vietnamese - Frederick, MD
November 16 and 30, 2007
In my nearly ten years in the Frederick area, I've seen Vietnamese restaurants come and go (my wife and I still miss Old Town Saigon on Rt. 40). Lucky Corner, on the corner of N. Market and 7th Street, has been our go-to Vietnamese place for a few years now. On both November visits we started with the grilled lemongrass beef appetizer. The small stuffed beef rolls come topped with fried scallions and chopped peanuts both of which are more than just a garnish. The rolls, topping, and dipping sauce nicely bring together the classic Southeast Asian flavor combination of sweet, sour, spicy, and salty. One inconsistency we saw in both visits was that some rolls were moist and some were a bit dry on the outside.
One of my favorite things about Vietnamese cuisine is the combination of Asian and French elements. Sometimes when I order, I seek out such dishes. On the 16th I ordered the Saigon beef stew, which brought together East and West. I chose rice noodles to accompany the dish (egg noodles were an option) and the stew was what I hoped for: chunks of beef and carrots in a sauce but with Vietnamese flavors, including the usual accompanying condiments to pho, such as bean sprouts, lime, cilantro, chile pepper, and srichacha. This dish would be perfect for one who had never had Vietnamese food and was skeptical.
On the 30th, I ordered another special, the fried tilapia. This dish was perfect for someone who was dragged unwillingly to a Vietnamese restaurant - this, however, does not describe me. It was a plate of fried, golden-brown food: fried fish with potato croquettes. Rounding out this highly conservative, very Western dish was a salad with a decidedly non-Asian vinaigrette. The croquettes and salad were fine and uneventful but the fish was another story. It was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, executed well and simply. The fish was accompanied by the only real nod to Vietnamese food, a piquant dipping sauce. The problem with the fish was that the tilapia was unlike any tilapia I've ever had. If it was indeed tilapia, the fish must have been raised in a horribly crowded "farm." I would've been justified in sending it back, but hungry and admiring the crispy crust and moist white meat, I told myself it was fried catfish and ate most of it. After a review of two entree specials in two weeks, I might return with a review of regular menu items. Check back later.
Rarely daring, my wife got the caramel pork in hot pot, which is what she gets every time. One time it was better than the other, owing that to less salt. The dish is fine but it was better at Old Town Saigon, which is what my wife ordered. Always.
Perhaps Lucky Corner's finest attribute is the service. The restaurant is small yet they are always extremely accommodating to our two small children. The service is exceptionally friendly and polite; they seem to honestly care how your dining experience was. They'll gladly steam some plain broccoli (off the menu) for my picky daughter and are there in time to offer me another Singha (Thai lager).
Lucky Corner Vietnamese Finest Restaurant
700 N Market St
Frederick, MD 21701
301-624-1005
In my nearly ten years in the Frederick area, I've seen Vietnamese restaurants come and go (my wife and I still miss Old Town Saigon on Rt. 40). Lucky Corner, on the corner of N. Market and 7th Street, has been our go-to Vietnamese place for a few years now. On both November visits we started with the grilled lemongrass beef appetizer. The small stuffed beef rolls come topped with fried scallions and chopped peanuts both of which are more than just a garnish. The rolls, topping, and dipping sauce nicely bring together the classic Southeast Asian flavor combination of sweet, sour, spicy, and salty. One inconsistency we saw in both visits was that some rolls were moist and some were a bit dry on the outside.
One of my favorite things about Vietnamese cuisine is the combination of Asian and French elements. Sometimes when I order, I seek out such dishes. On the 16th I ordered the Saigon beef stew, which brought together East and West. I chose rice noodles to accompany the dish (egg noodles were an option) and the stew was what I hoped for: chunks of beef and carrots in a sauce but with Vietnamese flavors, including the usual accompanying condiments to pho, such as bean sprouts, lime, cilantro, chile pepper, and srichacha. This dish would be perfect for one who had never had Vietnamese food and was skeptical.
On the 30th, I ordered another special, the fried tilapia. This dish was perfect for someone who was dragged unwillingly to a Vietnamese restaurant - this, however, does not describe me. It was a plate of fried, golden-brown food: fried fish with potato croquettes. Rounding out this highly conservative, very Western dish was a salad with a decidedly non-Asian vinaigrette. The croquettes and salad were fine and uneventful but the fish was another story. It was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, executed well and simply. The fish was accompanied by the only real nod to Vietnamese food, a piquant dipping sauce. The problem with the fish was that the tilapia was unlike any tilapia I've ever had. If it was indeed tilapia, the fish must have been raised in a horribly crowded "farm." I would've been justified in sending it back, but hungry and admiring the crispy crust and moist white meat, I told myself it was fried catfish and ate most of it. After a review of two entree specials in two weeks, I might return with a review of regular menu items. Check back later.
Rarely daring, my wife got the caramel pork in hot pot, which is what she gets every time. One time it was better than the other, owing that to less salt. The dish is fine but it was better at Old Town Saigon, which is what my wife ordered. Always.
Perhaps Lucky Corner's finest attribute is the service. The restaurant is small yet they are always extremely accommodating to our two small children. The service is exceptionally friendly and polite; they seem to honestly care how your dining experience was. They'll gladly steam some plain broccoli (off the menu) for my picky daughter and are there in time to offer me another Singha (Thai lager).
Lucky Corner Vietnamese Finest Restaurant
700 N Market St
Frederick, MD 21701
301-624-1005
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