Alma's Soul

Just realized I have never created a post for Restaurant Alma.  A jewel just a few blocks from home and one of my favorite restaurants in the Twin Cities.  Alma has a menu that changes four times a year and never, never disappoints.  The short menu includes five each of appetizers, first course and second course and offers a special to get one of each for $48.  Always a difficult selection.

Last night we headed to Alma, a last minute decision, and enjoyed these delicacies:

• Crispy Soft Cooked Egg with watercress, snap peas, oyster mushrooms & xo sauce
• Parmesan Flan with crispy artichokes, black olives & maple syrup
• Mussel & Squid "Fideos" with tomato, saffron & aioli 
• Crispy Bean Pancake with prawns, sesame & scallion sauce 
• Sauteed Halibut with herb sauce, wine braised artichokes & carrots 

My favorites were the parmesan flan (salty in a very good way and a great combination of flavors), the crispy bean pancake (very inventive and great texture) and the herb sauce that came with the halibut (the fish itself had beautiful color, but could have used a minute less in the oven, as it was a tad dry).

If you've never tried Alma, it is time to go.  

Dinner at the Craftsman

We found The Craftsman quite by accident several years ago and try to go there with some frequency.  The decor is warm with mission-style furniture and Frank Lloyd-Write touches throughout.  The menu is heavy on local, in-season and organic ingredients.  It always reminds me of Heartland, recent winner of the coveted James Beard Award and a subject of this blog.  Although The Craftsman has similar quality and ingredients but a lower price endless populous atmosphere.

Last night it was dinner with our friends and neighbors Warren and Chelle.  What a great time.  We started with a long conversation that seemed it could have gone for days, but our of hunger, I diverted my attention to the menu to get some nourishment.  We started sharing the charcuterie plate and a large cheese plate with some tempranillo.  The star was definitely the     charcuterie plate with great cured meats and pate/terrine like meats including pork, duck and rabbit.

For the main entree Chelle and I opted for the rabbit confit with polenta croutons and honey.  Although my rabbit was slightly dry (I like my birds just cooked), the flavor was spot-on and the croutons were delicious.   Warren's duck looked terrific and as he pointed out later, he cleaned the bone.  That good it was.  Sharon had a carbonara of which I got a taste and enjoyed the delicious, salty taste of pancetta.

We didn't try the desserts (probably because of all the bread we had with the apps), but I have in the past and they are in keeping with the rest of the menu.  Really a terrific place worth to continue to patronize.

Italian Adventure

Probably our favorite place in the world to eat... Italy.  Pasta, pizza, lots of seafood and the best coffee in the world.  What's not to like?  This year we visited Milan and Florence, with short stops at places like Siena, San Gimignano and other little towns.  We did not have a bad meal.  The rainy and cold-ish weather could not put a damper (as much as it tried) to such a wonderful vacation.  Below are pics of the best things we ate...

Spinach and sausage pizza on our way to the center of Milan

Fritto Misto - Including what was by far the most tender calamari we ever ate

Fresh pasta with vegetables at a little bistro downtown Milan

An appetizer at Il Gnoccho Fritto, one of the most fun places we ate at

A great antipasto in Florence.  At the top (below the cheese) is bread with
Lardo.  Yep, that's basically lard (unrendered pork fat).  Delicious!

A little snack at Florence's Mercato Centrale.  Sausage, chicken, onion,
red peppers and bread.  All skewered and cooked in the oven.  

Our last dinner in Milan at a Michelin rated Sicilian restaurant specialized
in seafood.  Pictured is their Crudo plate (raw fish drizzled with olive oil
salt and pepper).  The shrimp was so fresh it reminded us of the raw sweet
shrimp we had in Japan.  The olive oil didn't hurt at all :-)

Doppio macchiato (our beverage of choice, a double shot of espresso with
a touch of milk).  The croisant had just come out of the oven.  This was the
last one we had before heading to the airport. 

Naviglio Grande in Milan.  A great, great area to live, eat and relax.  Our
apartment was just a few blocks on the left side.  Would move there
in a heart beat.   Maybe one day...

European Trip 2012 - Geneva

Not our first stop on our European spring tour, but I have not posted anything for a while and I am afraid to lose my two readers :-)

....


We did not think much of Geneva.  Sharon and I are far more in tune with the latin cultures of southern Europe and find little charm on the efficient and professional feel of places like Switzerland.  We took a walk and got lost taking a few wrong turns and ended up at a nice cafe close to the river.  The best part of this part of the trip was Cafe du Paris on Rue de Mont Blanc a recommendation from Bob that really saved the trip.

The place is right by the train station and has a single item on the menu entrecôte et frites.  As you are seated, the waitress asked for the temperature (medium rare for us) and what wine we wanted.  She then asked how many glasses we wanted to select the size of carafe to bring.

The salad that comes first thing is terrific.  It is just lettuce, fresh and nicely dressed with a little but of mustard.  The steak is served on a metal tray that sits on top of a table top burner/warmer.  It is served with herbed butter.  LOTS of herbed butter. As I see the serving platter I wonder how the couple in the neighboring table is managing to soak up all the butter with bread.  Seems too much.  Turns out it wasn't so.  The steak is tender and delicious.  The frites are great and we end up getting a second serving.  Soaked in the herbed butter are even better.  A second serving of bread also helps.  By the time they take the tray away, I don't think it will need much cleaning.

Dessert for Sharon was a mocha ice cream with cognac flambé. Not sure if it had a lot of cognac or if they didn't burn it long enough (probably a combination of the two), but it was like having a couple of shots with the ice cream.  I had a white chocolate mousse with a raspberry sauce that was pretty good too.

The next morning we get up early, have breakfast at the hotel and head back to Lyon.  We miss France and Italy. A day in Geneva was any for us, but will be forever grateful to Bob for his restaurant recommendation. Definitely the highlight of Geneva.

Entrecôte at Cafe du Paris

As a side note, we bought it fun to track the cost of Big Macs in Europe (no, we didn't even enter any McDonalds, it was just an interesting factoid to check on the European economy and inflation).  Here is what we saw (all prices in $USD):

• Geneva, Switzerland    $14.86
• Lyon, France                $10.98
• Florence, Italy                 $8.39
• USA                               $3.50 

Raw Food Diet - Day 4 - A Night at the Ecopolitan

For a Midwest city, Minneapolis has its fare share of good restaurants (making it a cool place in yet another way ;-)  What we did not expect is a place like the Ecopolitan right on Lyndale two blocks passed The Wedge.  This is a restaurant dedicated to organic, vegan, gluten free and raw food.  That applies to every item on their menu.

I have to say I had low expectations.  Sharon and I went there out of necessity.  We were on day four of a Raw Food Diet shenanigan and decided to go there as soon as we heard about the place.  We are used to going out to dinner with some regularity and this raw for diet was making it rather difficult.

For appetizers we started with an easy guacamole and salsa.  Perhaps not much of a stretch, since this is a dish that is never cooked.  The challenge was perhaps on the crackers.  Made in their kitchen, these tostadas are made out of sunflower seeds and a variety of other seeds.  They had the perfect crunch and did not add too much flavor to the guacamole (in my opinion, an issue with the raw flax seed crackers, or at least the ones sold at Whole Foods.)

We ordered a second appetizer that had more of a challenge: humus.  Traditional humus is made with cooked chickpeas that are usually cooked.  Anyway, this particular humus was made with zucchini and garlic (we are leading that zucchini is a staple in raw food, (whuddathonk?) This was DELICIOUS.  In some ways better than the original, with a more vibrant flavor.  This raised the expectations considerably for the entrees.

The Lentil Faux Taco Meat Salad was made with cashew sour cream.  Served with mixed greens, this salad was flavorful and very fresh.  I might have added chopped black olives for an extra flavor kick that would have been well suited to the dish, but overall it was a very successful dish.  So much so, that we made our way to The Wedge afterwards trying to find some of the lentil faux taco meat.  BTW, we couldn't.

Last, we ordered a zucchini Pesto Pasta over spinach.  There is really no pasta on this dish, but rather the zucchinis are cut in long strips like spaghetti.  The pesto was terrific and very creamy (I have a feeling it was not made with pine nuts, but can't say for sure.)  We shared and devoured all the courses and ended up so full that could not go for dessert, although there was a coconut cream pie (vegan, organic, raw and gluten free) that looked pretty good.

The place is most definitely worth a visit (I know we will be there again even after our Raw Food Diet is a funny memory.)  If you go there, know that they have a small parking lot in the back that you access through the alley.

Another Night at the Butcher Block

Last Tuesday we visited the Butcher Block with our good friends Debbie and Steve.  This Minneapolis Rome inspired trattoria is just a few blocks from home, so we make our way to this terrific establishment every few weeks and never regret it.  

The place is welcoming and cozy, very fitting to the Northeast scene.  Chef Filippo Caffari (formerly at I Nonni) is a skilled master butcher that really knows his way around the kitchen.  His tomato sauces have a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity (my bet is on San Marzano tomatoes as the key ingredient).  You cannot go wrong with anything that has them.  

Sharon had Gnocchi with Wild Boar Ragu that was heavenly.  The gnocchi were light and tender and the ragu was hearty enough to stand on its own as a dish.  A very balanced dish.  Debbie's Spaghetti and Meatballs (made with pork and ricotta) were plentiful and a testament to the mastery of chef Filippo's tomato sauces.

Steve and I ordered the Veal Liver Marsala (I have to confess that is what I usually order.  In fact this dish made its way into this blog on an earlier although rather brief post.)  This is the only place I have visited where you are asked for temperature on the liver (medium-rare for me).  The tender veal liver is served over mashed potatoes and accompanied with the most delicious Marsala wine sauce.  Topping the liver with sautéed crimini mushrooms really highlights the earthy profile of the dish.  I can't recommend this dish enough.  

Last Tuesday we didn't have appetizers, but from previous visits I can really recommend the Grilled Octopus (a favorite of Sharon's) and the Eggplant Saporite, served with artichoke, fennel and gorgonzola.  The Butcher Block is nothing if not consistent (one of the best compliments I think you can give to a good restaurant).  It really never disappoints.  I know we will make our way back there before too long.

Chef Filippo Caffari and his kitchen crew

I ❤ Heartland

We finally made our way to Heartland at it's new location.  We frequented Heartland when we were living in St Paul, but had yet to see the new place by the Farmer's Market.  A reminder came last year when they won the prestigious James Beard award for Best Chef for a Midwest restaurant.

If you are unfamiliar with the place it is a must visit.  They specialize in indigenous and cultivated ingredients from the Canadian and American Midwest that are artfully combined on a menu that changes daily.  The new locale is warm and welcoming in a renovated building that we once looked at when we were considering moving to a loft.  In fact it is large enough to accommodate a not-so-small Farm Direct Market (or deli) with fresh produce and home-made canned delicacies.  Brick walls and large wooden beams running through the ceiling give the place the right ambience.

The food did not disappoint.  The menu maintains the Flora and Fauna options from the old location (two tasting menu options offered at a good price; one vegetarian and one with animal protein).  The lamb ordered by our friend Mike was so beautifully cooked that drove me to write this post.  Sharon had a trout over bok choy that was crispy, light and delicate.

I ordered a traditional cassoutlet, a rich, slow-cooked casserole originating in the south of France, containing white haricot beans, pork sausage, pork, and topped with a duck leg confit.  The picture did not turn our very clear, but I would highly recommend it if you are into beans and stews.

Lamb, beautifully cooked

Trout and bok choy

Unexpected Travail

Last night our Robbinsdale boys gave us a tour down memory lane.  We rented a car service to drive around Robbinsdale, the oldest suburb in Minneapolis and saw their old houses and hangouts.  We followed that with dinner at Travail Kitchen & Amusements, a new American gastropub.  We had a reservation at the "hot tub" table, a round booth sitting on an elevated platform that was just perfect for eight.  Mike, our waiter, indicated that as part of our tasting menu, the food would come in dishes to be shared for each couple with a number of amuse bouche in between.  

In total we had 17 courses and they were all surprising, terrific and in many ways unexpected.  Most definitely a place worth visiting again.  Below are pictures of our courses (except one of the desserts that somehow I missed, a Cheesecake lemon shots streusel).

Olive Bomb

Chinese deep fried beans with miso emulsion

Beet salad w prosciutto and walnut purée

Reuben cheese fondue corned beef thousand island dressing
with sauerkraut and pumpernickel cracker

Shrimp banh mi with ponzu sauce

Brisket with pickled radish and conish pickels horseradish
yogurt sauce and sous vide egg yolk

Sunchoke soup with popovers and chive mouse

Tortellini with ham and cheddar foam

Scallops with fried cream grits, micro sunflower sprouts and powder chorizo

Sea bass with carrot orange purée, navy beans and fish fume
foam, black béarnaise and chive powder

Potato gnocchi with egg yolk creme fraiche and bacon

Rabbit leg stuffed with sausage and wrapped in pancetta
with balsamic reduction and butternut squash purée

Black  currant dipping dots

Pork tenderloin with asian daikon radish pork belly sous vide egg yolk

Fudge browny with peanut butter powder and lemon macaroon

Liquid nitrogen frozen dipping dots with chocolate
ganache and jalapeño marshmallow

Two of our Robbinsdale boys with Kelly

A Milwaukee Gem: Christie's Bar & Grill

Christie's Bar & Grill, Milwaukee, WI

The night before the Icebreaker Marathon, I find myself alone in Milwaukee and frankly, I don't feel like a plate of pasta at the diner that is next to my very inexpensive hotel.  I do a few online searches and find something interesting.  Just a few miles from my hotel, there is a place called Christie's Bar & Grill that has a 5 star rating on Yelp.com with 33 reviews.  With that many reviews, it is rare to get that high a score.  So after reading a few of them, I decide to give it a try.

The place is in a residential neighborhood and looks like just one other house that had an awning added along with a few neon lights.  I am advised by somebody in Yelp to go early, otherwise the wait will be long.  I arrive at 5:15, just a few minutes after they open.  Behind the bar is Jason, very hard working and MC extraordinaire who keeps the conversation going and even gets the customers talking to each other.  The other only member of the staff is Jason's mother, who is back in the kitchen.  At 64 years of age, she doesn't move fast (Jason informs several times), but the food is very much worth it.

Calamari

I start with a glass of cabernet and some calamari with an Asian sauce.  I find the calamari a tad overcooked, but not bad.  The sauce is terrific.  Gingery and sweet with a touch of acidity to cut the grease of the calamari.  Not a bad start, but nothing to write a blog article about.

As I have my appetizer, dishes keep coming from the kitchen.  For each order, Jason walks to the kitchen, peeks inside and places the order, which invariably starts with "Mom!"  Every dish is great looking and very large, easy to share.  I am alone, so opt for a Shrimp Po'boy.  I also get a second glass of wine.  Not wise the night before a marathon, so I compensate drinking a few glasses of water.

As Jason places the sandwich in front of me he also brings a stack of no less than 8 or 10 napkins.  I initially find it unnecessary, but later find out they turn out to be barely enough.  Looking at the Sandwich I suddenly understand the ratings on Yelp.  It looks great!  My neighbor at the bar looks at it and says: "Damn, I was going to order that!  I will have to come back to get one."

Shrimp Po'boy, truly delicious

The shrimp is crispy on the outside and perfectly cooked (flash fried) on the inside... juicy and with a nice crunch.  The sauce is spicy and plentiful (hence the need for napkins).  Probably not a good idea for a pre-marathon dinner, so I order a third glass of wine to compensate :-)

I enjoy my entree while I listen and participate in the conversation.  I soon realize I was wise to come early and order soon.  A trickle of customers come in during the time I am there and they are at some point met with a proposed 90 minute wait, to which most of them respond leaving to find another place for dinner.  Even those at the bar are in for a long wait.  I end up staying 2-1/2 hours, but I am in no hurry.  At one point, a single entree comes for the couple sitting next to me.  Jason says: "Food is going to come out like a Chinese restaurant so if it comes out start eating 'cause there is only one mom back there."  Everybody seems to be fun with it.

Really a must-visit establishment if you happen to be in Milwaukee.  The food is great the atmosphere is warm and friendly (in the time I was there I must have shaken his hand 4 times) and Jason is truly the star making the place what it is.  OK... the food was also incredible.  As I leave, I ask Jason if I can take his picture for my blog.  While I do it I mentioned to him that it is rare to have such a high rating on Yelp with 33 reviews.  His response is simply: "All I have is a bar with food and two bathrooms".  I think he has much more than that.

Jason, bartender, food runner and MC extraordinaire

New York Food: Morimoto

Window shopping in New York took us to the south west side of Manhattan were we walked by Morimoto, at the heart of Chelsea right by the Highline.  At the time we have reservations somewhere else, so we simply take notice and keep walking, but the thought linger with us and before we leave (the morning before our flight), we make a reservation for lunch.

The place has a very Japanese (understated) entrance.  We are nearly the first table at the restaurant, since we have no more than an hour before we have to head to the airport.  Our table is all the way at the back, which pleases us since we have a chance to take a small tour of the entire place and sit with a good view of the sushi bar.

One of the many reviews I check online raves about the Toro Tartar (that is raw tuna), not that it took much arm twisting for me to order it.  The presentation is beautiful with the tuna standing on a plank with a little bit of caviar on top and several sauces and accompaniments to add to the fish as it is scrapped off the wood with a small flat spatula we use as a spoon.  Definitely good, but you can't really see a Chef's skill level with raw dishes.

One of the best courses was our second appetizer: Crispy Rock Shrimp Tempura.  If you have never tries rock shrimp and you like shrimp, this is a must.  Small, round and very juicy, it is one of my favorites.  Tempura is a good chance to test our chef.  Fried food can be greasy and tempura can often be bland.  This is neither.

The batter is crispy and fluffy, the shrimp cooked to perfection and the sauces over the shrimp perfect to add flavor to the dish without taking away from the delicate flavors.  Really a terrific dish.




For the main courses I order Buri Bop: Eel over rice (one of my favorite dishes during our trip in Japan).  This time it comes raw, over rice server on a incredibly for bowl.  Table side, the waiter places the fish against the bowl walls, were it cooks as the rice is expertly mixed with the sauce and other ingredients by the waiter.  Then the eel is placed on top of the rice.  Delicious...

Sharon orders Negitoro, basically sashimi with lots of tuna over cold white rice.  This is a very large amount of raw, very fresh fish.  We pick at it until we can no longer eat (and have to run to the airport).  In fact we leave so late that end up taking a cab instead of using the bus tickets we have already purchased.  Still, definitely worth it.  We love japanese food.

New York Food: Carnegie Deli

So being a foodie and a pastrami lover, I had to make a stop at the famous Carnegie Deli during our visit to New York.  This was a much for me, since my very first memory of food in New York (this dates probably just about 20 years ago now) was a hot pastrami sandwich on rye with mustard.  I took it to go from a deli in south Manhattan and ate it as a walked my way through the glorious streets of Manhattan.

Anyway, the place was great.  A big line to get in, but luckily we got there a few minutes before the big lunch rush.  We get a table in the middle room by the wall.  Pictures of the rich and famous signed to the owners cover the walls.  Waiters pass around with plates loaded with large amounts of food, and I mean LARGE.  We are hungry and feel are in the right place so we order and pretty much share everything at the table.

Here is a sample of what came to the table:

Hot pastrami on rye (I had to)

Turkey Club with crispy salty bacon
and one of the the juiciest turkey I have ever tried

Open-face corned beef ruben - Was much better than the picture looks