Village Whiskey

It’s no secret: I’m a serious Food Network junkie. Bobby, Giada, Tyler, Ina, Paula, bring ‘em on. So when I get the chance to dine at a Food Network star’s restaurant, I jump. This time it was the newest Iron Chef, Jose Garces’s whiskey restaurant in Philadelphia. Me being a FN lover and my boyfriend a whiskey lover, we thought Village Whiskey was the perfect choice for dinner on our recent trip to Philly. The concierge, on the other hand, did his best to dissuade us from going there by citing looooong waits. We forged ahead anyway and ended up enjoying one cocktail at the bar before sitting at a table–no big deal (full disclosure, though: it was a Tuesday night).

The bar

But I’m going to skip the whiskey portion of the evening and go right to my area of expertise: the meal. An entire section of Village Whiskey’s menu is dedicated to pickled items, and we chose the cherry tomatoes. They came with black olive tapenade, whipped ricotta cheese and sourdough bread.

Perfect little concoction

We layered the airy, light ricotta onto the sour bread and topped that with the salty tapenade and seriously sweet tomatoes. Pickling the tomatoes made them unbelievably soft and sweet; biting into one was like an explosion of flavor in your mouth. It was the perfect combination of nearly all flavor points: sour, salty and sweet. What a great way to start the meal.

Next up was the signature Village burger served on a sesame roll with tomato, bibb lettuce and house-made Thousand Island dressing, and we added avocado and cheddar cheese. We were especially excited for the burger from the footnote on the bottom of the menu that read, “All burgers are made of sustainable farm-raised Angus from Maine,” and only became more excited when it arrived to to the table.

Can you believe how perfectly cooked this is?!

The burger, as you can see, was a perfect medium rare and soso juicy! The flavors melted together to make each bite better than the last.

Duck fat fries accompanied the burger, which I had been itching to try every since Food Network Magazine ran a feature on the growing popularity of frying potatoes in duck fat.

Is anything better than a plate of fries?

I have to say, though, I was slightly disappointed. I could only taste the faintest ducky flavor. I wish it had hit me in the face. Maybe if the fries were skinnier, there would be more duck flavor. They were still good fries, just pretty normal–oh well.

Village Whiskey is a fun, hip, delicious restaurant to stop by if you’re in Philly. Good luck walking in a straight line after, though!

Village Whiskey, www.villagewhiskey.com, 118 South 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 215-665-1088

Pat’s vs. Geno’s

The ultimate dilemma. Every publication, TV network and blogger have put in their two cents, so I suppose it’s my turn. I’m guessing half of you won’t like what you’re about to hear, but half of you will.

It’s about time to add a Philly cheesesteak to my culinary repertoire, and where else better to go than the source itself: Philadelphia (duh) for a Pat’s vs. Geno’s showdown.

Though it was a rainy, chilly day, both places were packed, a sure sign that they must be doing something right.

Brighter lights, better cheesesteak?

Older and wiser?

Geno’s obviously has the decor thing down, but we decided not to judge the steaks by their covers, so I headed to Geno’s while Will went to Pat’s, and then we sat down to compare the two side by side.

Both places require knowing the lingo to order, and we decided to get the exact same thing for a fair comparison: a “whiz wit,” or a cheesesteak sandwich with cheese whiz and onions. Both rang in at a fair $8.50.

But we all know what it really comes down to is the taste test.

Pat's cheesesteak

Pat’s cheesesteak was … nothing special. The bread had a nice chew, but the steak was rubbery, and there was so much fat that it was hard to swallow.

Geno's cheesesteak

Geno’s cheesesteak, on the other hand, was … nothing special, too. The bread tasted generically soft, but the steak was definitely a higher quality.

What it all boils down to is the cheese wiz. I can’t think of a more disgusting incarnation of such an flavorful and diverse food. Slathering the fake spread on top of steak and bread only ruins the entire experience.

If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Geno’s, but that’s not saying much. (Plus, Will picked Pat’s. Go figure.) Geno’s steak was better quality, and if I ever go back, I could order Provolone or American cheese in place of the neon goo. I don’t really think I’ll be going back, though…

Geno’s Steaks, www.genosteaks.com, 1219 South 9th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 215-389-0659

Pat’s King of Steaks, www.patskingofsteaks.com, 1237 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 215-468-1547

Super 88

kind of artsy for a cell phone pic!

Super 88 is Allston’s own Chinatown. It’s split into two sections, so you can head to the back and immerse yourself in Asian ingredients or stay in the food court and overwhelm yourself with meal options. It’s a buzzing mecca of varying Asian cuisine.

Korean, Indian, Vietnamese, Taiwanese, Chinese and Thai food are at your disposal, and the only way to eat at Super 88 is aggressively. You can wander around for a while, assaulted by competing smells, extensive menus and laminated pictures of most dishes, or you can dive right in. After eating there for three years, I’ve narrowed down my three favorite vendors:

Pho Viet's

1. Pho Viet’s is my pho go-to. They have several varieties to choose from, and all are flavorful, large and under $7–a hard combination to beat. My personal favorite (predictably) is the Pho Dac Biet or “Special Beef Noodle Soup.”

Pho Dac Biet

It comes with slices of rare steak, well done flank, brisket, tendon and tripe, scallions, onions and cilantro. All soups are accompanied by a plate on the side of bean sprouts, asian basil, green chiles, and lime to add as you like. I enjoy throwing them all in. My perfect bite has plenty of the sweet & salty broth, a piece of tender meat, some chewy noodles, scallions, onions and cilantro.

2. Smile Thai has amazing duck pad see you. Though it doesn’t offer duck as an option on the menu with see you, you can easily ask for it. It’s a sweet stir-fry of duck, wide noodles, chinese broccoli and egg. A perfect complement to the salty pho.

Lollicup

3. Lollicup Tea Zone is a smoothie, milk and bubble tea franchise–its defining characteristic is the chewy boba, or tapioca balls, it offers at the bottom of each drink to be slurped up through an extra-wide straw. A great flavor to try is the Taro Milk Tea, a sweet, purple, frothy drink that’s perfect for dessert.

The final positive to Super 88? Its low prices. Although, when you walk out, you tend to feel a little greasy. But it’s worth it.

Super 88, 1095 Commonwealth Avenue, Allston, MA

The Lobster Pool

The Lobster Pool

After a charming day in Rockport, a picturesque sea town in Massachusetts, I was naturally hungry for some good ol’ New England fare: a lobster roll. Taking the advice of my freshman year roommate, a Rockport native, Will and I headed to The Lobster Pool for some seafood. It was a quick, but pretty drive outside downtown, and when we pulled up, seemed like the right decision from the outside. But that’s always been a problem of mine: I tend to judge books by their covers, meaning I set my expectations high for this one.

The menu, hung above the cashier, was straightforward. Fried, fried and more fried seafood. Plenty of lobster, calamari, oysters, clams, shrimp, haddock, sole, scallops and more prepared any way you want, that is, if you want them fried. We chose to get our seafood fried, and settled on the “Mini Fisherman,” a plate full of assorted fried seafood, and a lobster roll. After ordering at the counter and paying, we waited patiently for our food to arrive.

A no frills supper

It looks great, doesn’t it? We thought so, too, so we eagerly dug in. And that’s when it all slowly went downhill. The seafood would have been great, had it had flavor. The fried food wasn’t even salted, making it as bland as could be. And though the seafood tasted as fresh as could be, the thick batter masked those fresh flavors. The lobster roll, while impressively made of mostly lobster meat and no fillers, lacked sweet, lobster flavor. The meal’s only saving grace rested in its tangy, sweet tartar sauce. After dousing the seafood in it, everything seemed to taste better. Except that’s not how it should be.

Maybe The Lobster Pool is better in high season. Or maybe we were there on an off night. Or maybe my expectations were too high, and I set myself up for disaster. Or maybe, as much as I don’t want it to be, The Lobster Pool just isn’t that good. I’d be willing to go back, because I want to love it. That is, if I’m ever in Rockport again.

The Lobster Pool, www.lobsterpoolrestaurant.com, 329 Granite St., Rockport, MA, 978-546-7808

Clear Flour Bread

Warning: you will read nothing even remotely negative in the following review.

when that neon sign is lit, it draws me in like a fly

I’m obsessed with Clear Flour Bread in Brookline. In fact, I think you can call it an addiction. While some parents tell their daughters to lay off the shoe shopping or bar hopping, mine tell me to stop charging Clear Flour onto the credit card. My solution? I pay cash.

I trek there morning, noon or night nearly every day. And by trek, I mean walk out my door to the building next door. Yes, I’m lucky enough to share the same street address as this pastry and bread mecca. You can’t really blame me when no matter what time it is, be it 12 noon or 12 midnight, the smell of baking bread wafts through my window.

Breakfast is always the hardest choice. Two pastries will fill me up, so should I pick the currant donut (my favorite breakfast treat) and the chocolate croissant? Or the morning bun with walnuts and cranberry currant scone? Or what about the pan aux raisins and the gibassier? Luckily I can always come back tomorrow…

For lunch I usually choose their divine olive sandwich roll, an airy, chewy roll with a satisfying crunchy exterior dotted with lush, juicy green olives. I enjoy toasting it and filling it with peppery tuna salad. Today for lunch, though, Will and I decided on a a picnic for the season’s first hot day. In a roast beef mood, I thought the traditional sandwich roll would pair best. I filled it with rare, thinly shaved roast beef, crunchy red onions, mild provolone cheese, mixed greens and, the kicker, beet horseradish mayonnaise. As Passover just came to an end, I have an excess of beet horseradish in my refrigerator (a classic pairing with Gefilte fish). Mixing it with mayonnaise created a spicy, deep purple spread.

A beautiful sandwich, if I do say so myself!

To complete the picnic, we brought juicy, sweet red grapes and my favorite potato chips, Cape Cod Robust Russet. For dessert, more Clear Flour. I chose a chocolate chunk cookie and my all-time favorite Clear Flour treat: the chocolate macaroon.

check out the strata

TO. DIE. FOR.

While this happens to be an exceptional chocolate chunk cookie, it pales in comparison to the chocolate macaroon. Divine is the only way to describe it. It’s absurdly fudgy and coconuty, and with those two traits, you just can’t go wrong. Thankfully The Boston Globe did a feature on how to bake the cookie, or I’m not sure I’d be able to move out of Boston…

No matter what you walk away with at Clear Flour, you walked away with the right thing. I didn’t even begin to touch on what they offer–there are just so many varieties of bread and pastries that change daily that a trip everyday (or two, or three) is truly necessary (seriously, Mom!).

a sampling of their stunning offerings

Clear Flour Bread, www.clearflourbread.com, 178 Thorndike Street, Brookline, MA, 617-729-0060

Giacomo’s Ristorante

On a recent (lost-filled) foray into Boston’s North End, my boyfriend and I were fortunate enough to snag two seats at Giacomo’s Ristorante as soon as we got there. All the reviews say be prepared to wait, as Giacomo’s does not accept reservations, but does entice a steady crowd. But as we are obviously VIP’s (or maybe it was the combination of 20 degree weather and no indoor area to wait that only crazy people would endure), we were immediately shuttered to the back corner and plopped down at a table positioned half an inch away from the next. Rose Marie, our delightful server immediately welcomed us and explained Giacomo’s endless choices.

Best chalkboard lesson ever!

Because I have (sigh, again) lost my camera, you can’t really see what’s written on their chalkboard menu in my phone picture, so I, your faithful foodie friend, will obligingly describe. Giacomo’s doesn’t hand out menus; rather it has everything written out on the wall–a method we really enjoyed and that added to the bustling, warm atmosphere. In addition to its hearty Italian appetizers, pasta and chicken & veal entrees, Giacomo’s specializes in seafood. For around $15, you can pick your choice of shellfish over linguine with either pesto, fra diavolo, red, scampi or giacomo sauce.

Neither of us took advantage of this, as we weren’t in a seafood mood, but I can’t wait to go back and try the giacomo sauce, a lobster-based red sauce. I chose the veal parmigiana and Will went with one of the day’s specials, a portobello mushroom and spinach ravioli in a pesto walnut sauce with grilled red peppers.

succulently saucy

the rav

My veal was perfect: juicy on the inside, with a crunch from the breading, tangy tomato flavor from the sauce and great texture from the divinely melted mozzarella cheese. Will’s pasta was equally great–how can you not like those perfect dumpling rounds stuffed with umami-filled portobello mushrooms oozing cheese and topped with salty, fresh pesto?

Our favorite part of Giacomo’s, aside from the food, was the unassuming atmosphere. You go there getting no-nonsense service and no-nonsense food. Hearty, Italian fare from friendly servers in a warm, tiny space filled with people wanting just the same thing as you–a delicious dinner. Don’t mess up Giacomo’s system, though. To be prepared, remember the following pointers:

1. Cash only!

2. No reservations.

3. Only open ONE DOOR AT A TIME!

Giacomo’s Ristorante,
http://giacomosblog-boston.blogspot.com/
, 355 Hanover Street (North End location), 431 Columbus Avenue (South End location), Boston, MA

Myers + Chang

I’m a huge Joanne Chang fan. So when after my meal at Myers + Chang, my hip server informed me he could introduce us, I had a mini flip-out, followed by immediate heartbreak when the server came back to say she had JUST left. At least the food was good…

With Diner’s Club at BU, a club for food and hospitality lovers that organizes affordable outings to taste quality restaurants around Boston, I had a 9 course tasting menu that allowed me to get a good feel of the food at Myers + Chang.

We started with three appetizer courses: tea-smoked pork spare ribs, crispy spring rolls and mama chang’s pork and chive dumplings. All delish! The spare ribs succulently fell off the bone, the crispy spring rolls were exactly that–crisp–and the dumplings were salty, moist and tender.

Next we moved on to sides: tiger’s tears, a thai basil salad with grilled skirt steak, lime and khao koor, thai ginger chicken salad, a cellophane noodle salad with chicken, lemongrass, napa cabbage and ginger, and dan dan noodle salad with peanut sauce and sambal.

Tiger's Tears

Chicken Salad

Let me just start off by saying that I’m obsessed with the Tiger’s Tears salad. The steak is beautifully tender and rare, the basil is so fresh and the dressing is sweet and citrusy. There are pockets of heat and the khao koor (powdered fried rice) added the perfect crunch that I love in a salad. I didn’t try the dan dan salad, because to be honest, I’m not a peanut sauce fan, but the chicken salad was satisfying. It also had khao koor which added a nice bite, but was a little bland compared to the Tiger’s Tears.

Finally, our entrees were wok charred chinese greens, which was exactly that with chicken, red pepper flakes and garlic, wok roasted mussels with black pepper and lemongrass butter and beef and broccoli chow fun with seared flank steak, wide rice noodles and onions.

Wok Charred Chinese Greens & Chicken

Lemongrass Butter Mussels

Beef & Broccoli Chow Fun

I want to end on a good note, because the meal was great overall, but the wok charred greens with chicken was truly painful to eat. Once it was placed on the table, I started to wonder if someone had just come in from a cigarette break when I realized it was the intensely smoky smell coming from this dish. Taking a bite made me feel like I was on a cigarette break, something I never do, so having it in food was disgusting. I’m not sure if they added a bit too much smoky flavor or if that’s how it normally tastes, but I certainly will never order that again. Otherwise, though, the beef and broccoli chow fun was good, just your normal sweet chow fun, but the steak was a nice quality, which really enhanced the dish. Then, the mussels. Truly the star of this meal. All that’s used to make them is lemongrass infused butter and some black pepper. I think everyone fought over the broth on the bottom–it was decadent soaked into bread, poured over rice  or simply spooned into your mouth. This is a must-order, just as Myers + Chang is a must-try.

Myers + Chang, myersandchang.com, 1145 Washington St., Boston, MA, 617-542-5200

Lateral

I can’t blog about Madrid restaurants without including my favorite one, which I’ve been saving for last. Lateral, a trendy tapas bar, has several locations throughout Madrid, but my favorite was the Chueca location.

Every time I went, there was a guaranteed wait (no reservations), but it’s so good–and so cheap–that I just came to accept it. They keep the lights dim with tightly packed, candlelit tables and fast, bustling service.

Their menu is a list of typical tapas: spanish tortilla, croquetas, pisto, veal meatballs, iberian cured ham, patatas bravas and blood sausage, as well as more comfortable American favorites, like salad, baked potato and garlic bread, all with a Spanish flair. And, they have English menus if you ask, which makes it a great place to bring visiting friends and family.

The last time I went, I ordered spanish tortilla (a potato omelette) and a baked potato … can anyone tell I like carbs? Their tortilla is prepared my favorite way: rare. The eggs are undercooked and creamy, and the potatoes are lathered in that eggy deliciousness, with onions mixed throughout to add flavor.

Oozing tortilla espanola...YUM!!!!

The baked potato was equally creamy and delicious. The preparation was unique–Lateral baked the potato, scooped out the insides and mashed it with cheese and ham (exactly like the inside of a croqueta, another popular Spanish tapa), then refilled the potato skin. They then topped it with a sunny-side up quail egg. Once you break open the potato, and the egg oozes out over everything, it’s perfectly salty and savory from the ham, cheese and egg yolk.

Before...

...After!

Lateral also has fabulous jarras de (pitchers of) sangria, adding to the trendy, young atmosphere. It’s by far my top recommendation for students abroad in Madrid!

Lateral, five locations (my favorite: C/ Fuencarral 43) in Madrid, Spain

La Barriga Llena

One late Saturday night, Ange, I and a few of her school friends headed out to silence our growling stomachs. Venturing to Chueca, one of my favorite neighborhoods to eat in in Madrid, we ended up at La Barriga Llena, a Mexican place whose name guaranteed an end to our hunger: “la barriga llena” translates to “a full belly,” something we were all desperate to have.

Since it was 11:30 p.m., standard supper time in Spain, we knew there would be a wait, but we happily shared a bottle of wine to make the time pass. Thirty somewhat foggy minutes later, we were led downstairs to the small room that seemed full of fellow Americans. I immediately gravitated to my Mexican go-to: fully-loaded nachos. Reed agreed to share them with me for an appetizer, and I was a happy camper. But, as my eyes are so often bigger than my stomach, I also ordered a tomato-based soup.

After torturously awaiting our food, watching savory looking dishes fly by to other tables, our food eventually arrived and we promptly dug in. Our nachos were beautifully traditional. Warm corn tortilla chips, sweet, smoky meat chile, guacamole, salsa, drippy, tangy cheese and hot chile peppers all piled up on a plate of messy deliciousness. It had been so long since I had had Mexican food and this definitely met my overdue expectations.

My one complaint, which isn’t only to this particular plate of nachos, but plates of nachos in general, is that the chile was on the bottom, making it nearly impossible to enjoy immediately. My perfect nacho has a little bit of all the flavors on one chip, and chile is a hugely important component. Depriving the chip of the chile is just sad.

After satisfying my nacho craving, I moved on to the soup. It was an oily tomato-based broth, accompanied by cheese, mushrooms, tortilla strips, avocado chunks and something else. I really have absoluuuutely no idea what it was, but I’ll do my best to describe it. All I can say is that it was black, crunchy and tasted like charcoal … needless to say, I didn’t add that to the soup. The broth was a little spicy for my palette, but once I added all the sides, it calmed the heat down to where it only accentuated the flavors. It was a good soup, but a little too greasy, as you can see from the fat floating on top.

La Barriga Llena was a fun atmostphere with straightforward Mexican food. Nothing too fancy, but still yummy.

La Barriga Llena,
http://www.lapanzaesprimero.com/
, C/ Libertad 31, Madrid, Spain

Los Galayos

Think Spanish food, and you think paella; it’s just inevitable. This risotto-like, saffron-infused rice mixed with meat, seafood and vegetables is a classic Castellano dish that has to be explored if in Spain. And since I was, I had my fair share of paella. But I waited until my family came to pay for the good stuff (is that so bad?), which is when we headed to Los Galayos, just off Plaza Mayor in the old section of Madrid.

They had an extensive menu, in more than five languages, of traditional Spanish food, but we stuck with the paella. As in most Spanish restaurants, the paella could be ordered for a minimum of two people, which was no problem as our table of eight all ordered it. We wanted it all, so we opted for the mixed version, which came with chicken, prawns, mussels, calamari and a white fish, as well as assorted vegetables like peas and green beans.

 

Seafood and fish paella

The flavor was spot-on. We squeezed lemon on top to add an acidic touch to the savory dish. The prawns and peas added a sweet flavor, while the saffron gave the lovely, deep yellow hue to the rice. We made sure to scrape from the bottom of the pan, where the flavor was caked onto the pan; eating those crunchy bits are by far the best part.

We also had the more adventurous black rice paella, which is flavored and colored black with squid ink. It really is delicious and has a buttery flavor. If you’re in the mood to try something new, I would give it a try.

Los Galayos delivered exactly what we were hoping for: simple, traditional, delicious paella.

 

Los Galayos, www.losgalayos.net, C/ Botoneras 5, Madrid, Spain