A Gastronomic Tour of New Orleans

     Last week, I began my first post culinary school eating tour in New Orleans.  I have been to New Orleans many times, but they were before I had any culinary knowledge and never during Mardi Gras.  Staying a block off Bourbon Street immerses you in the midst of the madness; however, I was there for some of the best fine dining in the country, and not for the booze fest.  Although Michelin Stars are reserved for East and West coast cities, there are many notable James Beard Awardees in New Orleans.  I had the good fortune of working with an excellent cook during my externship who worked in New Orleans.  He gave me tips on where and what to eat while in the Big Easy.  All of his recommendations proved to be superb.
     New Orleans is home to everything from low country cooking to elevated creole cuisine to formal southern dining.  Some of the standout New Orleans fare I experienced for the first time include the iconic Muffuletta sandwich from Central Grocery.  This Italian grocery store dates back to 1906.  The Muffuletta was invented by the owner to feed local merchants selling their ware in the French Quarter.  The store is an authentic relic of earlier times.  The smallish space is filled with a plethora of Italian imports in jars and cans.  The staff were already stacking up the Muffuletta sandwiches at 9 in the morning for the lunch rush later. What makes this sandwich so outstanding?  It's gotta be the bread and olive salad spread.  A lustrous, 10 inch round, seed dusted loaf hugs thinly sliced layers of Italian cold cuts and cheeses topped with the family's secret olive salad spread.  Grab a cold one and a seat at the counter and enjoy every toothsome bite of this truly memorable gift. 
     Switching gears to the opposite extreme finds me at Commander's Palace in the Garden District.  A short street car ride will relieve you from the debauchery of the French Quarter and deposit you to the stately mansions of the old south.  Sitting impressively across from Lafayette Cemetery, Commander's Palace is all turquoise and white opulence.  This is no place for slouches.  Men must wear closed toed shoes and collared shirts, and don a jacket for dinner.  We dined at lunch, and true to legend, martinis (in four varieties) are 25 cents each with a cap at three per person.  Having given up alcohol for Lent, no I am not Catholic, I watched enviously while Don polished off one then another.  The service was very formal and top notch.  The stand out fare for me was the trio of soups.  I could not decide between the famed turtle soup and the soup of the day, oyster chowder.  Fortunately, my dilemma was resolved by the trio of demi cup soup offering.  I was able to sample both of the soups as well as the chicken and andouille gumbo.  All were quite delicious and unique.  Alligator snap turtle  is cooked for three days which explains why the meat is so tender; it is reminiscent of stewed beef.  A splash of sherry rounds the soup.  The oyster chowder was swimming with whole oysters.  It was thick and creamy and a nice contrast to the other two soups which had more heat.  The gumbo was cooked equally lovingly with well developed brown roux and generous bites of meat.
     Our hands down favorite dish has to be the spaghetti with guanciale (cured pork cheek/or what we lovingly referred to as face bacon in school) and poached/fried egg at Herbsaint in the warehouse district.  Herbsaint is the first restaurant amongst the empire of James Beard winner, chef Donald Link.  My mind was consumed by the Muscovy duck confit, and was not expecting to be blown away by a pasta dish.   Having made fresh pasta for 10 weeks, I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur.  The foremost common mistake with pasta is over cooking.  Not here.  The noodles were perfectly al diente and lacquered with a delicate ivory cream sauce dotted with chunks of chewy guanciale.  The piece de resistance  was the poached/fried egg.  This conundrum intrigued me as a culinarian.  I was eager to witness this marvel and was not disappointed.  A perfect sphere of battered and deep fried egg sat atop the noodles, and upon slicing, the yolk oozed out in all its glory to tango with the spaghetti.  My fellow foodies, this is as sensual as you will get to food.  
     Below are photos of our New Orleans fare:

The Muffuletta at Central Grocery

Trio of Soups at Commander's Palace

Spaghetti with Poached/Fried Egg and Guanciale

Commander's Palace

Local Oysters at Peche Seafood Grill

Key Lime Pie at Peche

Duck Confit with Citrus Gastrique at Herbsaint

Shrimp and Grits at Commander's Palace

Restaurant Review: Riffs, Boulder, CO

     Restauranteur and chef John Platte, formally of Q's at the Boulderado, opened a restaurant on Pearl Street next to the Boulder Book Store.  This is the eatery where we were mistaken for food critics some five years ago, probably due to the astonishing quantity of food we ordered.  Little did I know at the time that I would be reviewing restaurants today.  So, it's fitting that I find myself back at Riffs.
     Riffs is so named because, similar to improvised jazz riffs, the chef's cooking style takes on variations of classical cooking.  Chef John has a special place in my heart.  It was his chef's tasting menu at Q's that sparked my love for fine dining.  Eating became an experience to be savored with that meal.   I detailed everything we ate so I could relive the experience.  
     The restaurant is warm and lively with exposed brick and plentiful lighting.   Floor to ceiling windows entertain with great views of Pearl Street and all of its shenanigans.   The bar is high and long.  The kitchen is teeny tiny.  Anymore than three people on the line and it will be too many cooks in the kitchen.  On this night, I am delighted to see Chef John busy working on the line.
     The theme of the restaurant is a gathering place for folks to imbibe on great food and tasty libations.  They have a cocktail program, draft as well as bottled beers, and a wine list comprising of old and new world varieties stateside and around the globe.  Only two were not available by the glass.  Don chooses his old standby, the Riff's Fashioned.  The Sidecar on the specials menu appeals to me. We are dining with a friend this evening who loves gin martinis, and at our urging, tries a Hendricks gin martini with cucumber slices.  All are well crafted and generous portions.
      We order the Flash Cooked Brussel Sprouts to share as an appetizer.  Fluffy, green leaves arrive in a warm bowl with a garnish of crispy and aromatic shallots.  Toasted hazelnuts add  sweetness to this savory dish and provide additional texture.  The brussels sprout leaves are flash fried just the right length of time in brown butter.  I could eat the whole bowl by myself.
     Several specials pique my interest, in particular, the tuna poke with soba noodles, but alas, I am not to be swayed from the duck confit on the static/fixed menu.  Did I make the right choice!  True to its moniker, the duck thigh and leg arrive on a warm plate, golden, brown, and inviting with crispy skin.  The meat falls easily off the bone when I cut into the duck with my fork.  Confit means to cook in fat, usually one's own fat.  In culinary school, we slow braised duck thighs in duck fat for three hours.  It's powerful enough to cure most vegetarians.  To round off this dish are peppery arugula, roasted cauliflower which still retained some crunch, and a beautifully hued orange and date coulis (a puree of fruit/vegetable) for some citrus to cut the richness of the duck.  
     To my surprise, Don orders the Gold Potato Gnocchi with Hazel Dell mushrooms.  Even though there is no meat in this dish, it is still fulfilling for a carnivore.  Large, pillowy, and golden gnocchi swim in a sea of butternut squash, abundant mushrooms, herbal sage, and sundried tomato.  A garnish of parmesan foam, a nod to molecular gastronomy, rounds out the dish.  
     Our friend, a health conscious eater, chooses the Ahi Tuna special.   It is a minute or two over cooked.  High grade tuna should be quickly seared in a very hot pan with the inside mostly red.   We almost sent the dish back because the tuna was presented with the cooked side up hiding the red interior.  The dish is an Italian riff on tuna.  It is garnished with a puttanesca-like tomato sauce which my friend did not care for.  I also found the accompanying gnocchi to be a bit heavy for the tuna.  Well cooked, bright green haricots vert (green string beans) provide a nice crunch.
     We choose two desserts from a list which has several tempting options.  Although bland in appearance, the desserts we chose are a satisfying last note.  The Warm Apple Turnover is a flaky puff pastry halved to expose a filling of caramelized apple goodness.  Good old vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of calvados (liquor from France) caramel is all that is needed for this dessert.  My favorite, however, is the Lemon Song.  Like a heartfelt ballad, it makes me weep.  The creamiest lemon pudding cake is topped with whipped cream so dense I thought it was ice cream.  A bite with the candied lemon zest, and I am in heaven.
     I am ecstatic that Riffs is still thriving.  The service from the hostess to the waitstaff is caring and friendly.  My server actually called me "darlin".  We were allowed to linger well after the meal without feeling unwelcome.  In fact, several staff came to refill our water glasses.  The best part of Riffs is the price.  Nothing is over $20.  This is one establishment worth more than what you pay for.

Sidecar

Riff's Fashioned

Flash Cooked Brussels Sprouts

Hendrick's Gin Martini

Duck Confit

Ahi Tuna Special

Gold Potato Gnocchi with Parmesan Foam

Warm Apple Turnovers

The Lemon Song

Restaurant Review: Charcoal

     Whenever we take in a play at the Curious Theater, which is not often enough, we welcome Charcoal restaurant as part of the evening.  It is a consistently superb fine dining experience.  Opened about three years ago to rave reviews, chef Patrik, who is Swedish, runs a tight ship with great attention to detail.  The menu is static yet always tweaked to perfection.  This is one restaurant that seems to improve each time we dine here.  
     The interior of the restaurant is spacious with a Japanese esthetic in that lines are clean, materials are elegant, and colors are calming.  This is true from the bar to the see through "wine cellar" (which divides the bar from the dining area), to the open kitchen, to the bathrooms. 
     The wine list is extensive and worldly with a variety of new and old world wines and many by the glass options. 
The menu helpfully offer suggested wine pairings.  The cocktails are also high end and well executed.   
     Prices are high here, but you get what you paid for.   The beet salad may be a shock at $14 but it is one of the most well thought out plates I have ever encountered.  There are multiple elements which are delightful to taste individually and balanced when eaten together.  Golden beets are lovingly peeled and halved with the "tail" on.  They are surrounded by a symphony of herbal green salad with parsley and pea shoots.  Translucent slivers of shaved turnips and carrots add color and texture to the greens.  Delving further, you will find crisp flash fried parsnip chips and candied walnut pieces to provide a hint of sweetness to this dish.  Blood orange supremes and a candied orange slice impart elegance and add another depth of flavor.  I find the requisite goat cheese with most beet salads superfluous, but in this case, the dollops of Broken Shovel goat cheese enhance the lightness and brightness of this dish.  It is a wonderful start to the meal and not so filling that you can't imagine eating the entrees.
     I must make note of the house made foccaccia.  It is served warm, perfectly cooked, and airy.  What stands out is the accompanying olive oil.  It is clean and grassy without any bitterness; the exact opposite of my first experience with olive oil which tasted like melted candle wax.
     On the recommendation of our knowledgeable and enthusiastic waiter I ordered the sustainably sourced Branzini (sea bass) from Turkey as my entree. The skin is left on both sides of the fish along with the tail but the head and bones removed.  This makes for a impressive presentation.  The skin is crisp until the last bite, even after a spritz of the thoughtfully grilled lemon half.  It does not need more than the lemony, herbal gremolata garnish.  The tempura zucchini fries are crunchy and sweet.  The fennel, orange, and peashoot salad  balances the unctuousness of the fish with some acidity and mild bitterness.  The suggested wine pairing of Albarino with this dish was exceptional.  It is acidic, medium bodied, with a long finish and pairs perfectly with the Branzini.  
     Don, torn between the quail special and the pork dish could not resist pork three ways.  The dish is sure to please any carnivore.  It comes with a perfectly caramelized cube of confit pork belly, four slices of grilled tenderloin, and a halved pork sausage (knackwurst).  The meats are well cooked but all taste uniformly sweet.  This is perhaps attributable to the reduction drizzled over the dish.  Caramelized apple wedges, cubed carrots and parsley, and a very sweet root vegetable puree extend the sweet flavor profile.  I find myself craving pickled vegetables for balance.  A wine high in acidity would pair well with this cloying dish  
     We should have ordered cheese for dessert after all this sugar, but at the mention of a house pastry chef, we opted for the chocolate caramel creme instead. It is a  three layer concoction served in an old fashioned glass with a base of pecan brownie, a caramel cremeux (soft pudding), topped with milk chocolate mousse.  The only glitch of the meal happened at the finale when our dessert came before the freshly brewed coffee.
     Happily, our meal did not leave me so bloated and sleepy that I couldn't enjoy the play.   We will happily return to Charcoal knowing we'll receive top notch service and consistency in quality of the food.

open kitchen

Beet Salad

Candied orange section

Branzini

Duroc Pork three ways

Chocolate caramel creme