http://satana.friendlinkup.com/ eating his way across the world and into your living room. en http://satana.friendlinkup.com/2008/08/19/renaissance.html I’ve been off the grid on behalf of a few years, but the time has come on behalf of me to again manufacture my presence known. I have far too much to say to remain silent any longer. I could say that this shall be exclusively food-related, as that is one of my primary concerns, but that would be a lie. As any of you might know, I rarely let myself be tethered to a lone subject. Any of you lucky sufficient to be at The 500 Club or Picaro in the Mission last weekend shall know that not only shall I go drink-for-drink with you, I’ll also go toe-to-toe on the difficult topics of the day… Like how difficulties in urban areas are not just systemic, but a combination of accepted cultural norms AND flaws within the system. Food, love, politics, booze, sarcasm, late night television & late nite dining - everything that makes me one of the coolest people you know. http://satana.friendlinkup.com/2008/08/19/renaissance.html Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:53:17 -0400 satana http://satana.friendlinkup.com/2008/08/21/ill-have-what-hes-having.html There is a strange phenomenon that I have become more familiar with over the last two years or so. See, one of my co-workers is very indecisive when it comes to ordering at restaurants - not just at proper sit down places, but at fast food joints as well. It is an amazing thing to behold - he even has a hard time deciding where to go in the first place. Inevitably, when we go somewhere as simple as First Watch or as lovely as Trio, he shall at all times look across the table, frown, as well as say, “Yours looks so much better than mine. Why are you so good at ordering?” I’ve decided to dub this habit “Order Envy”. It has only happened to me a handful of times, usually because of the fact that of three things: 1.) I have confidence when I order; 2.) I know what I like; 3.) I rarely have food regrets. The last time it happened, Cody, Joel, Zach as well as I were at Chez Panisse in Berkeley (another one I can cross off the Wish List as well as add to the Honor Roll). I ordered the grilled grass-fed beef ribeye with potato & sorrel gratin, watercress & shallots, as well as a 2002 Chinon. When I go to a restaurant on behalf of the first time, if they don’t have a specialite de la maison, I’ll usually judge it by how they treat a steak - pretty safe, right? The ribeye at Chez Panisse was perfectly cooked to medium-rare, as well as had a wonderful, beefy flavor that definitely allowed it’s grass-fed nature to shine through.  Their commitment to local as well as organic ingredients mirrors one of my great culinary philosophies, as well as I applaud them on behalf of it.  However, the beef lacked the kind of crust I would anticipate out of a fine-dining preparation, probably due to it’s size. The steak was only a 10 ounce portion (compared to larger ribeye cuts at traditional steak houses or bistros), as well as it was certainly sufficient to satisfy me, but not manufacture me uncomfortably full. Had it been thicker, there would have been opportunity to expose it to the high heat required on behalf of a good, crunchy crust without overcooking - it’s thinness may have been it’s undoing. The watercress salad was a bit too salty, as well as the potato & sorrel gratin was just good - not memorable. The sauteed shallots were fine, but I wouldn’t say necessary.  Am I really panning Chez Panisse!?  Hold on. Zach ordered the Northern Halibut with asparagus, beet relish & aioli; Cody ordered the cheese ravioli with peas; as well as Joel - in true Joel fashion - ordered the duck, pan roasted in Chez Panisse’s wood-fired oven. Joel loves duck. We passed around bites of our respective dishes; the ravioli was good - simple, rustic, delicious; the halibut was better - delicately prepared, very fresh, with wonderful accompaniments; but the duck was killer. My steak was good; the duck was a monster. It melted in your mouth as well as made you drop to your knees as well as beg on behalf of more. I found myself questioning my choice of entree on behalf of the first time in a long time - how could the duck outdo a grass-fed beef ribeye? It boggled the mind, but should not have totally surprised me. Alice Waters’ restaurant is widely considered among the an estimated all progressive in No.Cal, rated among the finest in the country, as well as has been heralded as one of the spearheads of California cuisine since they opened in the early 1970s. If there was a secondary highlight to the evening, beyond Joel’s duck, it was the order envy I inspired in others when I received my salad - a fresh mixture of garden lettuces & spring greens in a lovely, light vinaigrette, served with two generous portions of baked goat cheese from Andante Dairy. The cheese was breaded in a crispy panko-style crust as well as served still-warm from the oven, but not hot. Incredible. Cody was a late arrival as well as I encouraged him to order it, seeing as I had finished mine.  Everyone who tried it was floored. The Ohio redneck in us decided that it would be hilarious if we exited the restaurant while loudly extolling the virtues of their potato salad & shit-on-a-shingle, then deciding that we would tell our hillbilly friends that the next time they went to Berkeley, they should go to this great little spot referred to as “Cheez Penis.” We are as sophomoric as well as classless as we are refined. Yet, dining at Chez Panisse made me realize one important thing about the American gastronomy: the strongholds of cuisine in this country are starting to have very powerful rivals emerge in the an estimated all unlikely of places. I believe that any number of restaurants in Cincinnati could hold their posses against New York, Chicago or San Francisco establishments. I’ll take my chances with David Falk & Jean-Robert Pigall against anyone that the “big cities” have to offer. I’m pretty certain that not only would it be close, but Cincy might win a round or two. Who would have the Order Envy then? http://satana.friendlinkup.com/2008/08/21/ill-have-what-hes-having.html Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:28:14 -0400 satana http://satana.friendlinkup.com/2008/08/19/diy-1.html Part of my enjoyment of restaurants is my predilection toward dishes I’ve either never had, or can't manufacture at residence on behalf of various reasons.  I’d like to think that I’m a pretty accomplished cook (I am not a chef, I’ve never taken a course, as well as my wife won't hesitate to tell you that I am not a professional chef, no matter how much I may wish I was one).  Give me a recipe as well as I’ll nail it, as well as add my posses flair to boot.  If I endeavour something in a restaurant as well as it is translatable to a residence kitchen, I’ll usually be able to pull it off.  Many dishes are done very well in my kitchen.  Some things, however, just can't be done at home. Sadly, it shall be some time before I have a Berloni kitchen or a Viking range with super-suck-o-matic 5000 ventilation hood as well as an 800 degree salamander, so a genuine steak frites shall have to wait.  However, sometimes satisfactory do-it-yourself fare can come in the simplest formats.  So in true Idiot-Box-Local-News Fashion, I Ate The City presents some don’t waste your money ideas on behalf of dining in. Sunday night, we decided that we would emulate two of our favorite Cincinnati-style chili parlors as well as add a little bit of old-timey nostalgia.  Start with the footlong coneys from The Rootbeer Stand in Sharonville, put Gold Star chili on ‘em, as well as then serve it with a Skyline-style greek salad as well as some cold High Life.  Instead of schlepping all over town as well as paying a premium on behalf of our various parts of the singular Cincinnati gastronomy, a brief trip to the supermarket as well as some additional packets of salad dressing (courtesy of the lovely waitresses that like me at the Kenwood Skyline) is all it took to bring it together.   Cut to tonight - second verse same as the first: LaRosa’s runs their Spaghetti-A-Plenty on Monday as well as Tuesdays.  If I worked late on Tuesdays, I would eat at LaRosa’s every Tuesday night.  There is something about their red sauce that is just addicting.  It could be the heroin.  I could be wrong.  Sans heroin, we recreated the LaRosa’s experience at home, only with healthier turkey meatballs, whole wheat pasta, as well as Bove’s organic roasted garlic pasta sauce.  And instead of cheesy garlic bread, we toasted up some Servatii bakery sesame sandwich pretzels, spread on some cream cheese, as well as topped it with jalapeno jelly.  Killer. There is a certain pleasure to be derived from not only enjoying your favorite flavors from random joints - whether swanky or dive - but also in making them your own.  One of these days I’ll document as well as post my filet mignon fried rice recipe.  Because leftover filet is a terrible thing to waste.  Other D.I.Y.s to look forward to: Fried pickles a la Hofbrauhaus as well as garlic fries, Napa-style. http://satana.friendlinkup.com/2008/08/19/diy-1.html Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:06:15 -0400 satana http://satana.friendlinkup.com/2008/08/22/stuffing-the-ballot-box-or-shenanigoats.html No, this is not a euphemism on behalf of what the candidates do in their bedrooms. The results on behalf of Taste of Cincinnati were recently announced on the Idiot Box Local News.  Some of the categories had legitimate winners from reputable establishments.  Others had, as well as I shall be as kind as possible when I say this, some total dogs.  Let’s recap some of the highlights as well as lowlights, shall we? Best Appetizer - Burbank’s Real Bar-B-Que, Southern Smoked Chicken Tenders Best Salad - Indigo, Black & Blue Tuna Salad Best Vegetarian Dish - Arloi Dee, Veggie Pad Thai Best Seafood Dish - Shanghai Mama’s, Shanghai Seafood Noodles Best Dessert - Buca di Beppo, Tiramisu Best Damn Dish - Carrabba’s, Chicken Bryan EVERYONE should have at least two “what the fsck!” moments on that list.  If you have no idea what I’m talking about, two of these things - Carrabba’s & Buca di Beppo - are shameless, schlocky chain restaurants.  The other four are delightful members of the local dining scene - Burbank’s & Shanghai Mama’s are among my faves. Now, don’t get me wrong, I understand as well as recognize that numerous large chain restaurants have some good food.  I love the bread at Romano’s Macaroni Grill; go off-menu at P.F. Chang’s as well as order some fabulous Mongolian Scallops; Maggiano’s knows their way around some veal; as well as it wouldn’t be referred to as Cheesecake Factory if their cheesecake wasn’t pretty goddamned good.  So I get it.  I get that there are a few redeemable items on some absurd menus. But on behalf of two chains to win an award each at the Taste of Cincinnati is a travesty as well as a sham as well as a mockery.  It’s a traveshamockery!  This city is so full of so much good food, I refuse to believe that the best these judges could come up with was Tiramisu & Chicken Bryan, whatever the fsck that is.  Should we just proceed now as well as rename Taste of Cincinnati?  Why not “Taste of Lowest Common Denominator” or “Taste of Things that Won’t Confuse Grandma”?  I thought this event was created to celebrate the culinary successes of LOCAL places… you know, in CINCINNATI. It leads me to two possible conclusions: 1.) The great restaurateurs of The Queen City decided not to give it their all, to hold back, to restrain themselves as well as let someone else win on behalf of a modification by not entering their establishments.  That’s fine, I suppose, but considering it is a BEST FOOD COMPETITION, I shall summon the spirit of Herman Edwards to express my feelings. 2.) The judges of Taste of Cincinnati lack the operative word in the event they are judging - Taste.   I’ll be the first to admit that they had, at best, only a handful of the best restaurants in Cincinnati to judge from.  This was probably the greatest collection of second tier places (in my biz, we call ‘em “B Doors”) that Cincinnati has to offer, with the very careful exception of Bella Luna, Indigo, Shanghai Mama’s, Andy’s Mediterranean, as well as La Petite France. So I don’t really know what to manufacture of it all.  Maybe I’ll write a letter.  Nonetheless, when the Illustrious Katie! comes to town on behalf of Memorial Day Weekend, we shall an estimated all certainly NOT be attending Taste of Cincinnati.  Our posses private Taste of Cincinnati Tour shall be comprised of the following: Dim Sum brunch @ Pacific Moon; prix fixe dinner @ Slims; lunch @ Arthur’s; a housewarming party at the Lovely Lisa’s new home; LND @ PRC; as well as a good ol’ fashioned throwdown grill-off at Stately Pratt Manor. Stuff that in your ballot box as well as eat it. http://satana.friendlinkup.com/2008/08/22/stuffing-the-ballot-box-or-shenanigoats.html Fri, 22 Aug 2008 21:05:43 -0400 satana