Street Eats, NYC

The other weekend we had some time to kill before meeting friends in the West Village, so we decided to walk around the neighborhood and of course, have a snack... or two, or three.

We saw some Union Jack bags coming out of a store, and were drawn to Myers of Keswick British groceries.  Along with McVities, PGTips, Marmite, HP Brown Sauce all that good stuff, they also make their own Cumberland sausage (the best West of Allonby, according to their website), bangers, and meat pies of many varieties.  We got a Cumberland sausage roll and it was indeed magnificent.  We also got a pork pie with stilton, but decided to save it for later.  Unfortunately our friend's dog managed to scarf it up before we did, but she seemed to enjoy it!

Then under the High Line, we wandered among the food stalls, and couldn't resist getting a Throwdown from Wafel and Dinges.  This is the waffle they beat Bobby Flay with -- topped with speculoos, whipped cream, and powdered sugar.

Myers of Keswick
634 Hudson Street New York, NY 10014
(212) 691-4194

Wafels and Dinges
www.wafelsanddinges.com

Portland Food Carts: The Gaufre Gourmet & Koi Fusion

Portland had the most food carts I've seen in any city. They are everywhere in town, and they offer a wide diversity of foods. While I was in town, I managed to squeeze a few in during the days I was there.
In Old Town, I dropped by the Gaufre Gourmet, which made Belgian liége style waffles. The waffle uses brioche style dough not batter, and ends up denser and more rich than regular waffles.
I ordered their ABC Waffle, which is topped with fig jam, camembert cheese, bacon, and arugula. It was really good, particularly the fig jam with the waffle.




Kitty corner to the waffle cart, Korean taco truck, Koi Fusion was parked, so I popped across to give them a try as well.
I ordered their kalbi, short rib, taco and the spicy pork taco. Both were really delicious. The tacos reminded me of the ones from the Kogi trucks in LA, but they were cheaper, and the corn tortillas were more fresh, so they did not have to cook them like they do on the LA truck. Portland win.

Salt Tavern, Baltimore

I've been back in Baltimore for a few years now, and I am kicking myself in the head for not having visited Salt Tavern sooner.
I even went to a cooking demo with Chef Jason Ambrose, and was impressed by his flavors, but it was only last week that I finally ate dinner at Salt. While upscale, his restaurant still has a neighborhood bistro vibe to it, nestled near Patterson Park in the Butcher's Hill neighborhood of Baltimore.
We started with a cone of tasty duck fat fries accompanied by a trio of aioli sauces: chipotle, malt vinegar, & black truffle. Bigfatlar and I finished off the black truffle, while Kwan noted a preference for the chipotle.
I ordered the Boston Bibb lettuce salad, served with watermelon, goat cheese, and a thick syrupy balsamic vinegar. It was a great combination of sweet and savory seasonal flavors.

The best item I tasted was the foie gras & Kobe beef slider, topped with truffle aioli and onion marmalade. While a small bite, the rich combination of the ingredients were just do well combined that you would not want any more- it would be just too much.
Bigfatlar ordered the Cuban braised pork shank served on a bed of plantains, andouille, & poblano peppers. The pork slipped off the bone with minimal pressure.
I got an order of the lobster ceviche with passion fruit & mango. I was impressed with the size of the lobster tail- it was delicious.
I also ordered the chicken fried quail with an onion waffle stick & mustard gravy. The dish was an interesting take on chicken & waffles, and I loved the amusing, slightly pornographic presentation.


Our table ordered three different desserts. Bigfatlar got the strawberry shortcake.

I ordered the trio of ice creams. They came on mini sugar cones mounted in their own stand. The flavors were caramel with marshmallow, cherries jubilee, and milk chocolate. Hands down, the cherries jubilee was the best.
Kwan got the goat cheese doughnuts with vanilla sea salt.
After this meal, I am sure I will be back at Salt very soon.

2127 E. Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD
(410)276-5480

Immeasurable Chicken and Waffle, Baltimore

Local Baltimore gospel singing group Immeasurable opened their own restaurant on Baltimore's west side recently, Immeasurable Chicken & Waffle.
I went one morning and had their signature item, the Immeasurable Chicken Supreme. It was a large waffle topped with grilled chicken breast pieces and all of it smothered with a chicken gravy. While I think I would have like fried chicken even more, the waffle was really good. It went really well with the savory gravy.

1700 W Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21223