Archive for the ‘food’ Tag
The Clement Street Bar & Grill in San Francisco’s Richmond District creates an inauspicious initial impression. It’s dark, older and, at first glance, the menu, in a plastic sleeve, features a scattered array of offerings. Thankfully, first impressions aren’t always right.
We dined at CSB&G to commemorate my oldest son’s graduation for his master’s from the University of San Francisco. The bar made it possible for us to raise our glasses in celebration, and the grill provided entrees to make it special. Our guest of honor selected Salmon glazed in an orange vinaigrette. The grilled-to-perfection fish was showcased by the tanginess of the glaze. I had the Black Truffle Porcine Mushroom Ravioli. The earthy blend in the light pasta pillows was rich and satisfying. Other dishes included the Pasta with Scallops and Shrimp in a rich wine base; a well-grilled New York Steak; Fettucine with Chicken; and Pork Tenderloin with a cranberry chutney. Everyone one at our table was pleased.
Nonetheless, we wanted dessert — in large part because we couldn’t ignore the tantalizing offerings: Key Lime Pie, Creme Brulee, Banana Cream Pie with Black Bottom Crust and Fresh Blackberry Pie. Unfortunately, the temptations fared better on the menu than they did in reality. The caramel shell over the Creme Brulee was too thick; it overpowered the otherwise well-executed vanilla custard underneath. The pies were fine, but not exceptional.
Our eyes adjusted to the comfortable setting, we enjoyed our meal, and things weren’t as dark or old as they first appeared. I can only hope the same can be said of me.
Clement Street Bar & Grill
Four Plates
708 Clement St.
San Francisco, Calif
A wholesome, but fiercely independent, young woman in rural Minnesota isn’t exactly who comes to mind when a murder needs to be solved. Yet, author Joanne Fluke has developed quite the following with her Hannah Swensen mysteries. The only explanation I can surmise lies in the fact that Hannah, who fits the above depiction, is also a baker extraordinaire and it’s worth the easy reading to get some new recipes.
Fluke’s most recent addition to the Hannah Swensen oeuvre is Red Velvet Cupcake Murder, which had been on The New York Times Best Seller’s List for several weeks. That, along with my own penchant for cupcakes, is what drew me to the book. Nonetheless, my expectations, fortunately, were not high, so I was not disappointed.
Hannah lives in Lake Eden, a small town, where she owns the Cookie Jar, a bakery and coffee shop. The story begins with her catering the opening of a renovated hotel. The cupcakes are a featured attraction, along with several delicious-sounding baked goods. Readers are immediately introduced (or for those Hannah followers re-introduced) to Hannah’s mother, sister, love interests (yes, plural) and friends. Hannah’s nemesis from an earlier book reappears on the scene.
It doesn’t take long for an accident to occur, which requires a lot of cooking on Hannah’s part to help make people feel better. Soon thereafter someone is murdered, and instead of being part of the unofficial investigation, Hannah becomes a suspect. Somehow, thanks to friends and family, the bakery continues to serve the delicious sweets it is known for, and readers can continue to drool over their descriptions.
All of the delectables include clever names to fit the situation. Among them are Razzle Dazzle Brownies, Tickled Pink Lemonade Cookies, Snappy Turtle Pie and the Red Velvet Cupcakes with a Surprise Filling — the storyline is so predictable it’s nice there is at least one revelation that truly unfolds.
Red Velvet Cupcake Murder
Three Bookmarks
Kenninsgton Books, 2013
323 pages, including recipes
Under the right circumstances, even a restaurant in a strip mall can feel like home. It may have nothing to do with the food, but everything to do with the friendliness of the staff. In the case of Uchenna, an Ethiopian restaurant, very little on the menu was familiar. Yet, the owner made my companion and me feel as if we were long lost family members. Actually, she did this to everyone who walked in.
We were treated to small cups of tea with rose water and lemonade. Neither one appealed to me, although my friend particularly enjoyed the tea.
Having no real clue what to order, the combination plate seemed like a great way to sample several different tastes. It featured red lentils in a mild spice mix, and green lentils in a traditional berbere sauce, which is a blend of garlic, red pepper, cardamom, coriander and other spices. Also on the plate were green beans and carrots in a spicy tomato sauce along with cabbage in a briny garlic and onion sauce. Everything was served over injera, the traditional Ethiopian thin, sponge-like bread. Rolls of injera lined the plate.
The owner instructed me to push up my sleeves, tear off a piece of bread to use as a scoop. She suggested trying each item separately to get a sense of each flavor.
Eating without silverware slows down the process resulting in an experience more than a meal. It was far from what I knew, but surprisingly close to my heart.
Uchenna
Four Plates
2501 W. Colorado Ave.
Colorado Springs, Colo.
A cellar may conjure something dark and musty; fortunately, neither describes the Mona Lisa Wine Cellar. This offspring of The Mona Lisa Fondue Restaurant in the space above features an extensive wine list along with cheese and chocolate fondue.
The super-friendly one-person staff oversees the 10 or 12 tables. Even though the menu is limited, diners still have decisions to make. For example, it’s not just cheese fondue. It’s possibly Old World, New World, South of the Border, Creamy Fontina, Greek Isle, or Brie. We opted for two fondue pots: Old World and Brie. These not only complemented one another, but also were the right amount for our group of four. The Old World is a blend of Emmental and Gruyere cheeses in a white wine base; the Brie, too, was in a white wine base and accented with almonds slivers. Both were gooey with nutty undertones; the Brie was slightly creamier. Bite-size pieces of bread, fresh fruit and raw vegies are served for dipping.
Even if one of my friends was not celebrating a birthday, we were primed for chocolate fondue. Again, a number of choices are available including dark, milk and white. Further flavor profiles are created with the addition of liqueurs. We chose dark chocolate and chocolate with raspberry. Fresh fruit, cookies, marshmallows, pound cake, Angel food cake and brownies are served for dipping.
The beauty of fondue is that it’s communal and requires a slow pace. Add a bottle of wine and the meal is rich in taste and camaraderie.
Mona Lisa Wine Cellar
Four Plates
733 Manitou Ave.
Manitou Springs, CO
Luigi’s Homemade Italian Food is practically a cliché when it comes to Italian restaurants. Red-checkered covered tables and hundreds – yes hundreds – of straw-cupped Chianti bottles adorn the walls. Fortunately, the food overshadows the décor.
Luigi’s has been part of Colorado Springs’ dining scene for 55 years. Although that’s much longer than I’ve been eating there, my guess is little has changed. On every visit a line of people wait for tables. This wouldn’t be the case if the food wasn’t worth it.
Only open for dinner, the menu features pasta and pizza, with several other options. It would be silly to miss the pasta, especially the homemade manicotti, which is the special Fridays and Saturdays – that just means it’s $13 instead of the regular $16.25. The manicotti are filled with seasoned ricotta, topped with a pungent tomato sauce and rich, creamy béchamel with a suggestion of nutmeg. The dish comes with a choice of meatball or sausage, which are made in-house. I’ve tried them both, but because it’s easier to make meatballs at home, I usually opt for the sausage. Just the right amount of fennel complements the pork. This is a flavorful and abundant plate of food. It comes with a choice of salad or minestrone, and bread.
My husband loves Spumoni and ordered a dish of the multi-flavored ice cream. His serving had only pistachio and cherry; it usually includes chocolate or vanilla.
I, like most of the patrons, usually walk out with a container of my leftovers.
Luigi’s
Three- and three-quarters Plates
947 S. Tejon St.
Colorado Springs, CO
Normally, ants don’t garner much attention, but one dashing across a table where I’ve just finished eating is disconcerting. Ants are for picnics, not restaurants, except, apparently, at the Stagecoach Inn.
The Stagecoach in Manitou Springs is one of those places I walk or drive past more times than I can count. It has a steady stream of diners coming and going; in the summer, the patio, which faces Manitou Avenue, is always filled. There must be some explanation for its longevity. Yet, it’d been years, many years, since I last ate there; I decided it was time to give it another try.
The unwieldy, Western-themed menu, with photos of the food and brief descriptions, features steaks, chicken and fish. We started with Caesar Salads, full of more withered pieces of Romaine than I like.
I opted for the Black and Bleu Steak, sirloin with a blackened crust, comprised mostly of pepper, sea salt and thyme, then topped with bleu cheese crumbles. I always order medium rare. The dead center of the cut was perfectly cooked, but the rest of the steak was overdone. My husband’s New York Strip was fine and he enjoyed the onion rings as much as I liked the baked potato: more than the meat.
We ordered dessert: bland cherry cobbler topped with mushy oat topping. Then came the ant.
My husband and I jokingly argued whether it was 20 or 25 years since our last visit; we agreed we can wait that long again before returning again – if ever.
Stagecoach Inn
Two Plates
702 Manitou Ave.
Manitou Springs, CO
Upside Down Pizza doesn’t sound nearly as appetizing as Chicago Stuffed Pizza, although it actually is topsy turvy. Except for the crust, everything is out of place: cheese is first covered by the generous toppings, which are underneath the rich tomato sauce – and it’s all a couple inches thick. The place for stuffed pizza in Chicago is Giordano’s. More than a dozen Giordanos grace the city, and numerous others are in the suburbs, but this does not have the feel of a pizza chain.
A recent trip passing through the Windy City’s downtown included just enough time to dine at Giordano’s – keep in mind it’s not a place to grab a quick bite; plan on 35 minutes from the time the order is placed to when the heavyset pizza arrives at your table. The waiters were consistent in their time estimate. And, they were pretty accurate. It’s worth the wait.
Deep dish is a more apt description of the pizza at Giordano’s. Toppings, or fillings if you want to be more accurate, include the standards – pepperoni, sausage, pineapple – but also offer some creative options – broccoli, artichokes, pesto chicken. Our visit was on a Friday, during Lent, so we ordered a pie with green peppers and mushrooms.
Besides its very bulk, one of the most impressive features of the pizza is the buttery crust: it’s flakey! And, given the weight it carries, it doesn’t lose its texture. Although thin crust is a menu option, it only raises the question: why?
Giordano’s
Four Plates
815 W. Van Buren
Chicago, Ill.
The food at The Curry Leaf Restaurant, says a friend, is the ugliest she’s ever seen. That is no exaggeration. However, she quickly adds that it’s delicious; she’s right on both counts.
Also, the restaurant smells great, although the owner said she can no longer detect it. In fact, the pungent aroma of curry, the blend of multiple spices, welcomes diners; those same flavors of cumin, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and at least a dozen others, along with coconut milk, provide the distinct dishes, typical of Sri Lanka served at The Curry Leaf.
Two in our group ordered the Chicken Curry, identified on the menu as the House Special. This prompted our server to ask if anyone was going to try the Dahl, cooked lentils in a coconut milk and curry sauce. We did – along with the Eggplant Curry, which I think is the real house specialty. I’ve never had anything like it: tender pieces of eggplant that taste as if they’ve been stewed in the creamy coconut milk sauce, but in fact were fried first. It was a combination of savory and slightly sweet flavors. We also tried the Coconut Sambol, a salad, which must be an acquired taste. The texture of freshly grated coconut, chile and curry spices was interesting, but not something I’d have again.
The Curry Leaf has been part of the dining scene in Colorado Springs for several years in a small, out of the way location. Since moving in January, its new digs are much larger and easier to find: downtown.
Four Plates
The Curry Leaf Restaurant
321 N. Tejon St.
Colorado Springs, Colo.
The occasion can just as easily make a dining establishment enjoyable as the food and service can detract. A friend’s recent birthday celebration drew us to 2 South Wine Bar, a fun place to dine but not without some shortcomings. Interestingly, the evening was also our server’s birthday, which he didn’t seem to mind spending serving others, although he wasn’t necessarily exemplary.
One of the most impressive things about 2 South is its wine menu. Once we selected a bottle, it took a while before it arrived at our table. Another long period of time passed before our food order was taken, and in keeping with the delay theme, our entrees were a long time coming. Fortunately, the wait was overshadowed by good conversation.
I must say though, I was completely happy with my order of pasta with Oxtail Bolognese served with pomodoro, basil and baked parmesan chips. The menu identified the pasta as vermicelli, but it was actually a thicker variety. It was beautifully plated, perfectly seasoned but small in quantity. Two friends ordered the Macaroni and Cheese, which has become the comfort food of choice on many menus. While it was tasty, it didn’t stand out and I tried not to be too smug about my not-filling plate of upscale spaghetti.
Since this was a birthday celebration we had to order dessert. We shared S’mores: toasted vanilla bean marshmallow, chocolate, and crushed graham cracker; and the Cardinal, a chocolate raspberry confection. Neither stood out, and we forgot to even sing.
We enjoyed ourselves, but may not be so forgiving next time.
2 South Wine Bar
Three Plates
2 S. 25th Street
Colorado Springs, CO
Last year we attended a fundraiser dinner at the Magic Meadows Yurt in Crested Butte. It was a magical experience. We couldn’t return for the annual event, but did attend one of the Moonlight Dinners held each month.
Several similarities surfaced between the two experiences. Both times a winter storm covered the snow-packed terrain with fresh powder. It may have been slightly more exercise than simply cross-country skiing on a groomed trail, but the weather enhanced the evening’s adventure. Live music and good food were in good supply both occasions.
The Crested Butte Nordic Center contracts with Creative Catering for the monthly events. Reservations are made online. Cost is $70 per person (I’ll come back to this), including trail pass and ski rental.
We pre-ordered the Steak au Poirve and Encrusted Salmon. The five-course meal included appetizer, avocado and grapefruit salad with a ginger-based dressing, roasted red pepper soup, entrée and tiramisu. Although the food was transported via snowmobile from town (a little over a mile) with final touches added at the yurt, it was hot, fresh and impressive. The beef was tender and absorbed the creamy peppercorn sauce. Mashed potatoes and rosemary carrots rounded out my main course.
When it came time to tally our wine bill we wanted to include a gratuity for our servers. We were surprised when 20 percent was automatically added to the $70 (per person, which was pre-paid) total. This not only made for an expensive outing, but diminished the good taste left by the food. Next year we’ll plan for the fundraiser again.
Magic Meadows Yurt
Three-and-a-half Plates
Crested Butte, Colo
The Blue Page Special 