Be warned in advance; I took almost no food photos on this trip because I was having such a good time. I do have a photo of the delicious jumbo shrimp I ate on the last night, but you've all seen shrimp on a bed of ice before, so I don't think I really need to post it. I'll let you know where to imagine the shrimp, OK?
So: now that we've dispensed with the formalities and everyone who only reads foodblogs with lots of photos has sloped off to check Smitten Kitchen or the Pioneer Woman, I will tell you all about the delicious food we ate in Vermont this past weekend and where you can get some of said food.
We were in Burlington from Thursday night until Sunday afternoon with our friends from Boston - it's an excellent meet-halfway point and a cute college town to boot. We stayed at the Lang House on Main Street, which is an excellent B&B Inn that we loved the last time we went. I'd venture to say we loved it even more this time because we managed to score the two rooms situated in their renovated Carriage House at the back of the property, so we had the place to ourselves and could make a bit more noise than we otherwise might have. We also had our own dedicated tea-making station, and a staffer brought a thermal carafe of coffee out to us at 7 a.m. the first morning. We let them know that no one really drank coffee so they wouldn't waste it on us, but it was thoughtful.
The breakfasts at the Lang House are a huge deal. You begin with a tiny baked good of some kind - we had three breakfasts there, and on two days it was a wonderful mini-scone; on the middle day, a warm zucchini-walnut muffin. This is followed by your choice of three mains: one is always housemade granola with yoguert and fruit; one is a savoury egg option; the third is a sweet option like waffles, pancakes, or french toast. I had the savoury option the first two days: Friday, a potato-squash hash topped with fried eggs, ham on the side; and Saturday, a huge and utterly delicious breakfast burrito with eggs, black beans and cheese, alongside guac and salsa. Sunday I had the challah french toast with bacon, and it too was mouthwatering. Other items included cornmeal waffles, berry pancakes, and an onion-dill popover filled with cheesy scrambled eggs.
Obviously, we didn't need to eat huge lunches, so we stuck with burritos and salads on two of the days and saved our appetites for dinner. The first night we arrived past 9 p.m. so we simply went for cocktails and snacks at the Daily Planet, a restaurant we've loved in the past. I had a very nice tuna tostada that comprised small cubes of raw tuna and a cabbage slaw atop crispy corm shells with guac on the side.
On Friday night we tried a new place, the Farmhouse Tap and Grill. It was buzzing all evening, and they don't take reservations, so we waited, but fortunately it's just off Church Street, which is filled with shops that stay open late, so we wandered and occasionally checked in with the restaurant until a table was available for us. It was worth the wait - the food was yummy and the service impeccable and friendly. I had a turkey burger that could have used a bit more seasoning and maybe a little more dark meat (the patty was dry) but was topped with good gouda, yummy cramberry chutney and perfectly caramelized onions alongside divine french fries, dark golden brown and crispy.
Chris had his mind blown by the house meatloaf with mushroom gravy and mashed potatoes. He also had some very good ice cream for dessert, while I tried the maple bread pudding with pumpkin caramel sauce. It was good, but a bit finely-textured (almost custardy) and not served hot, which I prefer. The resto specializes in beers but had a nice draught cider from upstate New York called Original Sin that I enjoyed immensely.
One of the best things about the Farmhouse, though, was the low noise levels despite a full and busy room. They have taken a number of sound-dampening measures including fabric-covered walls and acoustic ceiling panels, and apparently they even have sound-absorbing stuff stapled to the bottom of all the chairs!
On Saturday night we splurged on a really lovely meal at another new-ish resto, Church and Main. This was much more upscale bistro-style food, in a pretty (and only sliiiiiightly pretentious) atmosphere. I found our waiter a bit cool and distant, but the rest of the staff were wonderful, and the bartender knows her stuff.
I started with five delicious and perfectly cooked chilled jumbo shrimp on ice from the raw bar (here's where you imagine the photo!) while Chris had the cauliflower cream soup, which was perfectly balanced - not too sweet, salty, creamy, grainy or bitter. Yum.
His main was lobster and mascarpone risotto - again, not too heavy or creamy, very nice restraint - while I enjoyed the ale-braised beef short rib with cheddar grits and broccoli rabe. The meat was cooked perfectly and gorgeously flavoured, but the entire dish needed to be much hotter - it was served nearly room temperature, which was unkind to the grits in particular.
My friend D and I splashed out on a really, really good bottle of Chateuneuf-du-Pape (his latest obsession) and while it's not something I would do often, it was wonderful with the meat.
Desserts were a standout as well - my pumpkin-date cake with brown butter frosting was a generous-but-not-huge portion of moist, flavourful cake, with a tiny scoop of cinnamon ice cream and a fresh cherry coulis. Chris's coconut cream tartlet was pronounced a huge hit, as was D's pear-cranberry cobbler. J had some of that cinnamon ice cream and called it the best example of it she'd ever eaten.
Our farewell Sunday lunch was at the Burlington branch of American Flatbread - excellent wood-oven pizza I've written about many times on this blog. It lived up to the usual standards. I should also mention the apple cider doughnuts at Cold Hollow Cider Mill in Waterbury, which were some of the best doughnuts I have ever tried.
Bottom line: Vermont is a great place to eat, and I think everyone should try it. I know we'll be back again and again, because it's also a great place to hang out, shop, drive around and look at pretty things.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
A few good meals (and a mediocre one)
Look at that, I'm behind on my posts again! Let's do some catching up. Since we last spoke, it turned from summer to fall and back to summer here in Ottawa, so I moved into fall cooking and then the weather changed so everything I'm craving feels wrong again.
Once we came back from London I realized I had missed cooking every day, so I threw myself back into it with a vengeance. A pork dish was inspired by a half-dozen peaches given to me by my father-in-law and which were ripening rapidly. So I pickled them lightly in some apple cider vinegar, with red onions, and served them atop a roasted pork tenderloin that nestled in a puddle of balsamic and red wine reduction. On the side, some sauteed kale and some foil-wrapped and grilled carrots and red onions. A lovely autumnal feast.
Another meal was inspired by a magazine I read on the plane home: a chorizo and potato tortilla (Spanish baked omelette) with red peppers and garlic. I've tried tortilla in the past, but the instructions to cook it in the pan, then slide it out onto a plate, put the frying pan over the plate and flip the whole thing back into the pan have always backfired. This recipe refreshingly suggested simply finishing the damn thing in the oven, which moved me to actually try it, with perfect results. Fresh salad greens from the CSA and a ripe garden tomato rounded out the plate.
Finally, I tried to recreate the delicious patatas bravas we had at two tapas restaurants in London. I began with my tried and true roasted potatoes, which are first parboiled, then drained and shaken to bash them about a bit, then placed on a hot cookie sheet with preheated oil, tossed to coat, and roasted at high heat until crispy. While they were roasting I made a paprika-laced sundried tomato sauce and a homemade mayonnaise. That's right, homemade mayo. I have three words for that particular process: Not. Worth. It. Go to the store and buy the Hellmann's with olive oil, it is delicious and easier than standing over a running food processor with an egg yolk in it, dripping 3/4 of a cup of oil into it ONE DROP AT A TIME.
After all that work, the patatas bravas tasted nothing like what we had at the restaurant, which I can only assume means that mine were lacking two things: 1)way more oil and 2) way more salt. As I could not in good conscience deep fry potatoes on a Wednesday night, I won't be trying this again. Also, my sauce was dry (needed to use oil packed tomatoes, I think) and the mayo, as mentioned, was lackluster. The chickpea and spinach dish we had along with the patatas was very good though - to be expected, as it was a Smitten Kitchen recipe. I'll make that again for sure.
Note to self: if you want tapas, go out and order them in a restaurant. Sigh.
Once we came back from London I realized I had missed cooking every day, so I threw myself back into it with a vengeance. A pork dish was inspired by a half-dozen peaches given to me by my father-in-law and which were ripening rapidly. So I pickled them lightly in some apple cider vinegar, with red onions, and served them atop a roasted pork tenderloin that nestled in a puddle of balsamic and red wine reduction. On the side, some sauteed kale and some foil-wrapped and grilled carrots and red onions. A lovely autumnal feast.
Another meal was inspired by a magazine I read on the plane home: a chorizo and potato tortilla (Spanish baked omelette) with red peppers and garlic. I've tried tortilla in the past, but the instructions to cook it in the pan, then slide it out onto a plate, put the frying pan over the plate and flip the whole thing back into the pan have always backfired. This recipe refreshingly suggested simply finishing the damn thing in the oven, which moved me to actually try it, with perfect results. Fresh salad greens from the CSA and a ripe garden tomato rounded out the plate.
Finally, I tried to recreate the delicious patatas bravas we had at two tapas restaurants in London. I began with my tried and true roasted potatoes, which are first parboiled, then drained and shaken to bash them about a bit, then placed on a hot cookie sheet with preheated oil, tossed to coat, and roasted at high heat until crispy. While they were roasting I made a paprika-laced sundried tomato sauce and a homemade mayonnaise. That's right, homemade mayo. I have three words for that particular process: Not. Worth. It. Go to the store and buy the Hellmann's with olive oil, it is delicious and easier than standing over a running food processor with an egg yolk in it, dripping 3/4 of a cup of oil into it ONE DROP AT A TIME.
After all that work, the patatas bravas tasted nothing like what we had at the restaurant, which I can only assume means that mine were lacking two things: 1)way more oil and 2) way more salt. As I could not in good conscience deep fry potatoes on a Wednesday night, I won't be trying this again. Also, my sauce was dry (needed to use oil packed tomatoes, I think) and the mayo, as mentioned, was lackluster. The chickpea and spinach dish we had along with the patatas was very good though - to be expected, as it was a Smitten Kitchen recipe. I'll make that again for sure.
Note to self: if you want tapas, go out and order them in a restaurant. Sigh.
London wrap-up
Sorry for going AWOL on you after that delicious Indian meal. That was the first night of our vacation and suffice it to say, the week simply flew by after that, filled with wonderful things like museums, shopping, pubs, shows and simply enjoying the daily life in a vibrant cosmopolitan city. We ate many wonderful meals and snacks, and although I don't have photos of them all I do want to offer some tidbits for anyone who might be heading to London in the near future.
Afternoon tea at Harrods: naturally, we had to get our scone fix somewhere, and while the fancy hotels apparently do afternoon teas that are legendary, they are also ridiculously priced. Harrods was not exactly a budget option, but it was more reasonably priced, and we were going there anyway to check it out. The store is seven floors of colossally expensive items from purses to perfume to toys and furniture, but the fourth floor Georgian restaurant is the only bit that's looking a little shabby-chic these days. We opted to sit in the Terrace Bar, a long, narrow glassed-in space perfect for watching planes and raindrops and wondering who lived in the old brick townhouses next door. The photo does the food only a little justice: there was a lot of it, and all of it was tasty. The best part was the utterly decadent scones, served with the obligatory clotted cream and strawberry jam. These were perfect in every way. We got to choose our tea from a lovely list; my tropical mango tisane was delicious, and Chris loved his roiboos.
Yalla Yalla, Winsley Street: this homey, warm room proffers delicious Lebanese food, from small plates to mains, and a creative list of housemade lemonades and cocktails as well. We had fantastic baba ganoush, muhammara that was lighter on the red pepper and heavier on the nuts than we were used to (still tasty), fluffy falafel, and a small mountain of fried calamari, whitebait and shrimp with yogurt dipping sauce. We shared a selection of Lebanese pastries for dessert - always a treat. Everything was tasty and well-executed. We wanted to go back but ran out of time.
Scandinavian Kitchen: a fire engine red storefront on Great Titchfield Street opens up to a bustling counter filled with open-faced Scandinavian-style sandwiches and salads. You can pick three or five selections for a lighter or heavier meal, plus they have coffee and pastries. We had tiny Swedish meatballs and beetroot salad on dark rye, shrimp and egg mayo on caraway bread, plus other tasty treats like smoked salmon, seafood salad, and blue cheese. We felt like we were in the writing bits of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, only without the drama. Everyone was cheerful and wore shirts with sayings like "May the Norse Be With You". Loved it.
Koba, Charlotte Street: this Korean place in Fitzrovia, near our flat, is very highly rated, but we went in because we were starving and everywhere was full. On a Wednesday. Note to self: make reservations for every dinner next time we go to London. We ended up sitting at the counter and having a very nice meal - they have the grills set into the counter, so we ordered some galbi (boneless short ribs) and sweet/spicy chicken, as well as a bowl of dolsot bibimbap to share. The waitress behind the bar grilled our meat for us, sliced it up, and even showed us how to use lettuce and spring onions and sauce to make little wraps out of it. The bibimbap came with raw slivered beef, something I've never seen here, but the heat of the bowl cooks it quickly. This was the best bowl of bibimbap I've ever eaten.
Salt Yard, Goodge Street: to be fair to this upscale, yuppie tapas joint on Goodge Street, I was tired and not having the best evening when we turned up for some dinner. All of the food we had was very good, including the fresh grilled chorizo with peperonata, the duck breast with broad bean puree and mint, and the roasted pumpkin with figs, pistachio, chili and mint (one of the most interesting tapas I've ever had). The red wine we ordered was also good, right up until I spilled half my glass all over myself and my side of the table about 30 minutes into our stay. I was horribly embarrassed as I mopped myself up and tried to regain my composure, but that put paid to any thought I had of staying for dessert. Food was good, but the service was a bit cold, and the vibe was too snobby for my liking.
The Green Man, Riding House Street: this pub saved that evening from ending very dismally. We'd already been there once before, on Sunday night, when all was quiet and we had the affable French barman mostly to ourselves. We'd found the place on Time Out London's website, where it touted its extensive cider selection. I'm a cider lover, so I was in my element when the barman offered me tastes of everything they had on tap, so I could choose my favourite. We had a couple of rounds that night, and enjoyed ourselves immensely in the cozy pub, so after the red wine disaster we walked back to our flat so I could change clothes, then headed to the Green Man for another small bite and some cider. Not five minutes after we arrived they started playing the new Foster the People album in its entirety, so I was in heaven drinking my Aspall's Suffolk and snacking on hummus, baked camembert with onion jam, sweet potato frites, caprese salad and crudites. They do a wonderful house blend cider as well - sweet and lethal.
Barrica, Goodge Street: this authentic Spanish tapas place is about three doors over from Salt Yard, and just as popular, but for our anniversary dinner on Thursday I wised up and made a reservation. We were headed to the theatre for 7:30 p.m. so we were the first people in the place, but treated kindly by the waiter nonetheless. We had a quiet table in the back and thoroughly enjoyed thinly sliced cured chorizo, fantastic patatas bravas with aioli, cold marinated grilled vegetables, tiny clams in white wine with sea beans and garlic, and slices of housemade sausage topped with roast pigeon breast and elderberries, washed down with Malvasia Bianca. We ended the meal with cheese and Pedro Ximenez sherry, seen above - manchego and monte enebro (sheep and goat, respectively) with guava jam and Marcona almonds. Perfection. Highly recommended.
Golden Hind, in Marylebone Lane: fish and chips, mushy peas, perfect. This place is very old and highly touted, and we were not disappointed. A "small haddock" each was enough to keep us full until dinner, six hours later. Crisp light batter, moist fresh fish, yummy peas. I'm not a big fan of English chips (too pale) but these were indeed fluffy inside and nicely done for what they were.
Pret a Manger, everywhere: OK, Pret is basically the new Starbucks, so ubiquitous is it in London, but you can't knock the product. Pret's stock in trade is prepared sandwiches, but holy cow, these are way above average. They make everything fresh in the morning and don't keep anything overnight. Combinations are interesting and delicious, like chicken breast with avocado, salad leaves and basil yogurt mayo, or "posh cheddar" and pickles. If I lived in London I would eat lunch there every day.
Writing about all of this has made me desperately homesick for London and our fantastic tiny flat in Fitzrovia. I'm already trying to figure out how long I have to wait before I can go back.
New cooking posts coming soon; also please note the new domain name! I ponied up and bought http://www.thisdessertlife.com/. Enjoy.
Afternoon tea at Harrods: naturally, we had to get our scone fix somewhere, and while the fancy hotels apparently do afternoon teas that are legendary, they are also ridiculously priced. Harrods was not exactly a budget option, but it was more reasonably priced, and we were going there anyway to check it out. The store is seven floors of colossally expensive items from purses to perfume to toys and furniture, but the fourth floor Georgian restaurant is the only bit that's looking a little shabby-chic these days. We opted to sit in the Terrace Bar, a long, narrow glassed-in space perfect for watching planes and raindrops and wondering who lived in the old brick townhouses next door. The photo does the food only a little justice: there was a lot of it, and all of it was tasty. The best part was the utterly decadent scones, served with the obligatory clotted cream and strawberry jam. These were perfect in every way. We got to choose our tea from a lovely list; my tropical mango tisane was delicious, and Chris loved his roiboos.
Yalla Yalla, Winsley Street: this homey, warm room proffers delicious Lebanese food, from small plates to mains, and a creative list of housemade lemonades and cocktails as well. We had fantastic baba ganoush, muhammara that was lighter on the red pepper and heavier on the nuts than we were used to (still tasty), fluffy falafel, and a small mountain of fried calamari, whitebait and shrimp with yogurt dipping sauce. We shared a selection of Lebanese pastries for dessert - always a treat. Everything was tasty and well-executed. We wanted to go back but ran out of time.
Scandinavian Kitchen: a fire engine red storefront on Great Titchfield Street opens up to a bustling counter filled with open-faced Scandinavian-style sandwiches and salads. You can pick three or five selections for a lighter or heavier meal, plus they have coffee and pastries. We had tiny Swedish meatballs and beetroot salad on dark rye, shrimp and egg mayo on caraway bread, plus other tasty treats like smoked salmon, seafood salad, and blue cheese. We felt like we were in the writing bits of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, only without the drama. Everyone was cheerful and wore shirts with sayings like "May the Norse Be With You". Loved it.
Koba, Charlotte Street: this Korean place in Fitzrovia, near our flat, is very highly rated, but we went in because we were starving and everywhere was full. On a Wednesday. Note to self: make reservations for every dinner next time we go to London. We ended up sitting at the counter and having a very nice meal - they have the grills set into the counter, so we ordered some galbi (boneless short ribs) and sweet/spicy chicken, as well as a bowl of dolsot bibimbap to share. The waitress behind the bar grilled our meat for us, sliced it up, and even showed us how to use lettuce and spring onions and sauce to make little wraps out of it. The bibimbap came with raw slivered beef, something I've never seen here, but the heat of the bowl cooks it quickly. This was the best bowl of bibimbap I've ever eaten.
Salt Yard, Goodge Street: to be fair to this upscale, yuppie tapas joint on Goodge Street, I was tired and not having the best evening when we turned up for some dinner. All of the food we had was very good, including the fresh grilled chorizo with peperonata, the duck breast with broad bean puree and mint, and the roasted pumpkin with figs, pistachio, chili and mint (one of the most interesting tapas I've ever had). The red wine we ordered was also good, right up until I spilled half my glass all over myself and my side of the table about 30 minutes into our stay. I was horribly embarrassed as I mopped myself up and tried to regain my composure, but that put paid to any thought I had of staying for dessert. Food was good, but the service was a bit cold, and the vibe was too snobby for my liking.
The Green Man, Riding House Street: this pub saved that evening from ending very dismally. We'd already been there once before, on Sunday night, when all was quiet and we had the affable French barman mostly to ourselves. We'd found the place on Time Out London's website, where it touted its extensive cider selection. I'm a cider lover, so I was in my element when the barman offered me tastes of everything they had on tap, so I could choose my favourite. We had a couple of rounds that night, and enjoyed ourselves immensely in the cozy pub, so after the red wine disaster we walked back to our flat so I could change clothes, then headed to the Green Man for another small bite and some cider. Not five minutes after we arrived they started playing the new Foster the People album in its entirety, so I was in heaven drinking my Aspall's Suffolk and snacking on hummus, baked camembert with onion jam, sweet potato frites, caprese salad and crudites. They do a wonderful house blend cider as well - sweet and lethal.
Barrica, Goodge Street: this authentic Spanish tapas place is about three doors over from Salt Yard, and just as popular, but for our anniversary dinner on Thursday I wised up and made a reservation. We were headed to the theatre for 7:30 p.m. so we were the first people in the place, but treated kindly by the waiter nonetheless. We had a quiet table in the back and thoroughly enjoyed thinly sliced cured chorizo, fantastic patatas bravas with aioli, cold marinated grilled vegetables, tiny clams in white wine with sea beans and garlic, and slices of housemade sausage topped with roast pigeon breast and elderberries, washed down with Malvasia Bianca. We ended the meal with cheese and Pedro Ximenez sherry, seen above - manchego and monte enebro (sheep and goat, respectively) with guava jam and Marcona almonds. Perfection. Highly recommended.
Golden Hind, in Marylebone Lane: fish and chips, mushy peas, perfect. This place is very old and highly touted, and we were not disappointed. A "small haddock" each was enough to keep us full until dinner, six hours later. Crisp light batter, moist fresh fish, yummy peas. I'm not a big fan of English chips (too pale) but these were indeed fluffy inside and nicely done for what they were.
Pret a Manger, everywhere: OK, Pret is basically the new Starbucks, so ubiquitous is it in London, but you can't knock the product. Pret's stock in trade is prepared sandwiches, but holy cow, these are way above average. They make everything fresh in the morning and don't keep anything overnight. Combinations are interesting and delicious, like chicken breast with avocado, salad leaves and basil yogurt mayo, or "posh cheddar" and pickles. If I lived in London I would eat lunch there every day.
Writing about all of this has made me desperately homesick for London and our fantastic tiny flat in Fitzrovia. I'm already trying to figure out how long I have to wait before I can go back.
New cooking posts coming soon; also please note the new domain name! I ponied up and bought http://www.thisdessertlife.com/. Enjoy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
