ink., LA

 When I went to Los Angeles, my friends and I had a memorable dinner at Top Chef winner Michael Voltaggio's restaurant ink. We all decided to get the tasting menu, but we ordered some additional appetizers.
First was roasted shisito peppers topped with almond-bonito sand with a side of tofu mustard. The peppers were nice and spicy.
We also got an order of Malpeque oysters topped with an oyster leaf and mignonette ice. We were instructed to eat everything in a single bite. They were delicious.

 Our first course of the tasting menu was a beautifully composed plate of scallops, tofu, and rice crackers sprinkled with a black vinaigrette and cocoa. It was nested on a small bed of green tapioca.

The second course, our table agreed, was our favorite. In a take on chicken and waffles, Voltaggio had a beautiful portion of foie gras nestled in between waffle crackers served with a line of smoked maple syrup that had a consistency of marshmallow. If that weren't enough, he added small dollops of sriracha sauce. The combination of flavors were incredible.

The third course was a wonderful portion of sturgeon served on a bed of mushroom oatmeal and topped with mushroom "hay". The "hay" were dehydrated mushrooms. To say this dish was an umami bomb is an understatement.

Our fourth course was "steak frites". The beef was a beef rib cap which was very tender and tasty, and it was accompanied by "flavors of béarnaise", a kind of deconstructed version of the sauce.

As my dessert course, I selected a line of grapefruit curd with cilantro sorbet, lime meringue and avocado. It had more of a savory taste to it.
My friends ordered the apple with caramel and burnt wood ice cream.
I would dare say, I enjoyed my meal at ink. more than my experiences at Volt.


8360 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90069
(323( 651-5866

Beacon Restaurant, NYC

My aunt and uncle had a 40th birthday dinner for my cousin at the Beacon Restaurant in midtown Manhattan, known for cuisine cooked over its wood-fired grill.  My cousin, apparently, is a regular, and we were very well-treated by all the staff.  The waiter held his own, trading jokes with my aunt;  and we were paid visits by the manager and chef.

My aunt could not stop raving about the wood roasted bone marrow appetizer, from the second we arrived, so I ordered it.  It was indeed as large as she said - too much in fact!  I've had marrow before with parsley vinaigrette salad, and I really think having a little bit of acid and greens help cut the richness.  This bone was served with horseradish toast (which had been brushed with olive oil), so it just added to the richness. You might not think you can have too much bone marrow, but I did, passing on my 2nd half to the birthday boy. 

For my main dish, I ordered the roasted leg of rabbit with tomato coulis, bacon, and polenta.  I loved it - the lean rabbit was not dry in the slightest. 

Pictured left and right are my aunt and uncle's entrees -- the Delmonico ribeye with onion herb relish (left), and the Venison paillard with red currant and black pepper vinaigrette.

For dessert a number of people at the table ordered souffles.  Above is the chocolate-chocolate chip.  They also had a pecan bourbon souffle that night.

Because the souffles took 15 minutes to be baked fresh, we were offered the chance to go into the kitchen and see the restaurant's very own cotton candy machine.  They even let us make our own balls of cotton candy.  Yep, mine is the one that's bigger than my own head.

Bern's Steakhouse, Tampa, FL

Bern's Steakhouse apparently is THE place to go in Tampa.  Founded in 1956 by Bern Laxer, it has become world renowned for its extensive wine cellar.  They're also known for their aged steaks and dessert room - basically it's a dining experience, and it did not disappoint.  Starting with the wine, Bern was an avid world traveler and amassed quite a collection -- if I'm remembering correctly, Bern's cellar is the largest in the Americas and 2nd largest in the world.  According to their website, " more than 6,800 unique wine labels, 5,500 red wines, 1,000 white wines and more than 200 sparkling wines. In addition, we feature about 300 Madeiras, Ports and Sherries by the glass, as well as 200 table wines served by the glass with vintages to 1973." 

Redneckhunter was a like a kid in a candy shop looking through the wine list, aka Bible, which was about as thick as a telephone book.  He was even texting his wine stores friends who were green with envy. We started out with a 1979 Chateau Tour Saint Jean Bordeaux, bottle covered in dust, and sediment decanted out.  Redneckhunter thought it was a bit past its prime, and the waiter was very accommodating offering to get us something else, but we let it breathe a bit and drank it anyway.  I think he was much happier with our second bottle - sticking with 1979, this was a Chateau Neuf de Pape.  Both bottles were unbelievably reasonable price-wise.

Now onto the food: 

While not as thick as the wine list, the Bern's menu is quite encyclopedic in its own right at 19 pages long.  In addition to pages on the history and ethos of the restaurant, and the usual sections devoted to starters, seafood, etc. there's also a 2-page caviar list, and a 4-page explanation of cuts and doneness of steak, including a full-page chart of cuts and thicknesses from which to order.  Then there are sauces or toppings that can be added.

It was all a little overwhelming for me (not being a regular steak eater), so I opted to just get 6 ounce Chateaubriand tips, medium rare.  I was however intrigued by the idea of "flan" as a topping, so I tried a blue cheese flan on mine.

At Bern's (unlike the venerable Northeast steakhouses we're used to where everything is a la carte), steaks come with soup (French onion), salad (I tried the house dressing vanilla macadamia), baked potato with all the fixings, onion rings, and vegetables.  So with all that food in our future, we opted to just share 2 foie gras appetizers among our party of 6 people.

We ordered one of the daily specials -- foie gras torchon, encrusted with pistachios, cranberry compote and caramelized onions, and one of the foie gras dishes off the menu -- foie gras a la plancha with truffle roasted wild mushrooms, on a toasted brioche, and Napa Valley Merlot reduction. 

The torchon was smooth and the flavors of the fruit and onions really blended nicely.  The grilled foie was also delicious and on this dish it was the reduction that really hit the spot.  I was sopping it up with bits of toast.  I could have been happy drizzling it on ice cream.

My steak (pictured above) was perfectly cooked, with that nice aged flavor, and the flan was delicious.  Redneckhunter's rare was sufficiently bloody for him.  I have to say I had little room left in my stomach to really eat the baked potato, carrots sauteed in Grand Marnier, and veggies.

Plus, I knew I had to leave room for dessert in their separate dessert room.  Luckily we had a little kitchen and wine cellar tour to give us some time to digest.  Pictures can't do justice to how big the cellar was - room after cavernous room.  And apparently what we walked through was only about 1/10th of the full collection.

Finally we were escorted on to the Harry Waugh dessert room, named so after a friend of the Laxers. Harry was a British gourmand and wine connoisseur, director of Chateau LaTour.  After a memorable evening where the Laxers were invited to enjoy aperitifs and desserts in Waughs drawing room, Bern Laxer, thought, why don't we do that in the US?  And thus was born the Bern's dessert room.  Each table is seated in a private booth made from old wine casks, with its own music selection, in which to intimately enjoy dessert, coffee, and drinks.

I ordered Bern's version of "Cafe Con Leche" (you know, when in Florida...).  I'd say it wasn't authentically Cuban, but that was probably good thing as it was not too sweet for me.

Above is the Macadamia Nut Sundae -- of course it was yummy, but I have to say I was hoping for more macadamia flavor in the ice cream. 

Far more nut flavor was delivered in the crust of the Framboise Macadamia Decadence, with raspberry sorbet.

Then there was the Chocolate Cheese Pie - not exactly a cheesecake, this pie was like a dense mousse, and very pretty.

I realize I never got a picture of the King Midas - carrot cake with Macadamia Nut Ice Cream and dark chocolate sauce, but it was probably the least favorite one of mine.  The most favorite (how can you go wrong really) was the Dulce de Leche Liquid Center Cake.

Four hours later, we were pretty fat and happy.  Bern's is definitely an all around dining experience, and shouldn't be missed if you find yourself in Tampa.

Bern's Steakhouse
1208 South Howard Avenue
Tampa, FL
813-251-2421

X20 Xaviars on the Hudson, Yonkers, NY

The TIGBG gang popped up to Yonkers, NY to X20 Xaviars on the Hudson for Hudson Valley Restaurant week last month.
The restaurant is located on a dock that juts out onto the Hudson River with an amazing view of the George Washington Bridge.

We started several appetizers that we shared. Fougoo got the wild mushroom custard with crabmeat & chives. It was really light, nice and delicious.
We also got an order of short rib and foie gras dumplings served on a bed of broccoli rabe.





We had three different entrees. Because we were in the Hudson Valley, I ordered the Hoisin glazed breast of duckling. It came with a steamed bud with bbq duck & cucumber as well. The duck breast was just perfectly cooked, and delicious. Redneckhunter ordered the whole roasted New York Sirloin. It came out sliced like prime rib with sides of Yukon mashed potatoes and haricots vert.
Fougoo got the nicely prepared basil glazed Chatham cod.




For dessert, we shared banana & walnut bread pudding with rum glazed bananas & vanilla ice cream and and order of their Old Bushmill’s butterscotch pudding.
All in all, it was a great meal at a restaurant with a wonderful view that really took advantage of the region's ingredients for it's menu items.

71 Water Grant Street
Yonkers, NY
(914)965-1111

Ray's the Steaks, Arlington, VA

I finally had dinner at Ray's the Steaks in Arlington a few weeks ago. They are opening a new branch in Ward 7 of DC in the next week.
I was with a friend so we ordered the Chateaubriand to share. It was delicious and cooked perfectly. I got a side of the brandied mushroom sauce, and we shared sides of broccoli and mashed potatoes.
I got to try a nice bottle of Bell's Hop Slam, and we had dessert. Total bill for the two of us was $80. Great meal and great price.

2300 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 841-7297

(new branch)
905 Dix St NE
Washington, DC 20019

Ray's The Classics, Silver Spring, MD

I've been the Ray's Hell Burger, and I love their burgers. Needless to say, I was very excited to finally get the another of Chef Michael Landrum's restaurants this past weekend. We went to Ray's The Classics in Silver Spring, MD for dinner, and wow, what another great experience.
Things started with the housemade spice cashews that were at the table as soon as we arrived. They were still warm, and were so good, we finished off the dish before we got to our orders.


For an appetizer, I ordered the Devilish Eggs. They were deviled eggs stuffed with steak tartare and topped with Hollandaise sauce. It was served on a lovely presentation with toast, cornichons, capers, onions and egg yolk.

My tablemates ordered other appetizers. Mike got the wedge salad with bleu cheese dressing. However, the best part was the sprinkling of house-made bacon chunks.

Gubeen ordered the macaroni & cheese which we all shared.











My steak was a Brazillian Picanha cut, or rump cover. Because, Landrum sources his own beef and has it butchered himself, he is able to do a cut like this which is not traditional for US Butchers. It was cooked a perfect medium rare, and it was served with his spicy Piranha sauce.
For dessert, I had a root beer float with homemade ice cream, but I also tried the delicious, tart key lime pie.
For all this food, the price blew me away- probably the same you would pay for Outback Steakhouse, but leaps and bounds better.

8606 Colesville Rd
Silver Spring, MD‎
(301) 588-7297‎

Brother Sebastian's, Omaha, Nebraska

Being in the land of corn-fed beef, we had to go to a steakhouse while we were in Omaha. Opting between cheesy vs. traditional ambience, we made a choice that was somewhere in the middle. At Brother Sebastian's you are greeted by Gregorian chants playing on loudspeakers in the parking lot. The decor inside is Epcot Center medieval monastery, and the wait staff are dressed in Franciscan robes.

Redneckhunter's brother opted for the Sirloin Sebastian (above), cooked a perfect medium rare (as evidenced by the blood on the plate), and smothered in mushrooms and Hollandaise sauce. Redneckhunter and I shared a sirloin for two - that's only my half below, along with all the sides and trimmings.

Brother Sebastian's Restaurant
1350 South 119th Street
Omaha, NE 68144

Phone: 1.402.330.0300

Fryday!- All Kinds of Wrong

With a deepfryer at their house, Fougoo and Redneckhunter hosted "Fryday" this Independence Day weekend. We were all prepared for all kinds of wrong, cholesterol raising goodness with the fryer. After starting with some healthier dishes like salad and fruit, the gluttony started.
It was simple at first- beer battered onion rings. These were pretty great fresh out of the the fryer.
We followed it with a nice fish fry using tilapia. The filets were thin and cooked well.

Fougoo's friend from Brooklyn was nice enough to bring a large slab of duck foie gras as well as some black truffles. Inspired by Au Pied Du Cochon, the group prepared a foie gras poutine, using foie gras in the gravy as well. In place of cheese curds, they added mozzarella. All in all, the flavor was pretty amazing- especially with the rich delicious gravy.

With some shaved black truffle in the batter, we then had delicious deep fried mushrooms.

We made some country fried steak. This came out pretty amazing since unlike places that use cheap pieces of beef, we used some of the good stuff. It really packed in serious juiciness and flavor, and somehow, Redneckhunter-oops- Fougoo cooked it a perfect medium rare.

Redneckhunter had the idea to deep fry some bacon. This was the epitome of the wrong and right of Fryday. It tasted great.

Inspired by New Jersey's "rippers", we then proceeded to deep fry hot dogs. When the skin "ripped", they were pulled out and ready to eat. The flavor is much richer when prepared this way, and they were incredibly juicy.

With some of the leftover foie gras, we seared a few pieces for an cleansing of the palate, if you will, before dessert.

For dessert, Fougoo, inspired by her trip to Hawaii this year, made some malasadas, the Portuguese style of doughnut. Her first batch were a bit large so they didn't cook in the center, but when she made them smaller, they were amazing. After the frying, she coated it with a little sugar, and that was all.