 |
| RER 6.22.13 |
 |
| RER 6.22.13 |
 |
| JAR 6.22.13 |
 |
| JAR 6.22.13 |
RER
6.26.13
6.27.2013
second YELPing...
6.25.2013
drink2that: gin MOJITOS
 |
| RER 6.22.13 |
Summer is officially here and we are swimming in the middle
of a heat wave. It is totally hot hot hot outside, and there is nothing better
to help cool off than a refreshing drink. This weekend, we opted for gin
mojitos— minty, sweet, tart and tangy, smooth, and we mustn’t forget, cold.
 |
| RER 6.22.13 |
 |
| RER 6.22.13 |
Earlier that day or the day before, my mother had plucked a
few sprigs of mint, and placed them in a jelly jar with just a little water at
its base to preserve her crop. Once picked, the race is on to use the herb
before it gets too wilty and sad. So of course, we think of drinks. Mint adds
freshness to most everything. Just think of that cool feeling you have just
after you brush your teeth. And when it is super hot, all you want is that
feeling.
 |
| RER 6.22.13 |
My mom decided on gin mojitos combining more than one summer
staple. Another indicator of summer at our house, other than plentiful
lemonade, homemade iced tea, heaping potato salad and super strawberry
shortcake, is the giant bottle of Tanqueray frosty in the freezer. And on
Saturday we pulled out the green bottle and put it to use. We used a
combination of recipes and improvisation to create our refreshing drinks, but
essentially it was:
 |
| RER 6.22.13 |
1/2 lime (quartered)
1 to 2 tablespoons of simple syrup
2 to 4 ounces of Tanqueray Gin (depending on desired
strength)
8 to 10 mint leaves
Ice
Seltzer or club soda to cover and fill glass
 |
| RER 6.22.13 |
 |
| RER 6.22.13 |
First place 2 wedges of lime in preferred glass along with half
of your mint leaves. Muddle to release lime juice and mint oil.
Add in simple syrup, the rest of your lime and mint leaves,
and muddle again.
Put ice in your glass and then pour your desired amount of
gin over the ice.
Fill with plain seltzer and garnish with mint.
 |
| RER 6.22.13 |
These were delicious, refreshing, light and cold. I really
love the mixture of the tart and tangy lime and the smooth and cool mint, and
the bold gin becomes milder with the other strong flavors. Unfortunately, our
deck is currently under construction, but once that bad boy is finished, I see
many summer afternoons out there accompanied by these gin mojitos.
RER
6.24.13
 |
| RER 6.22.13 |
6.21.2013
double or NOTHING: McCormick & Schmick's
 |
| RER 6.12.13 |
You know when you sit down at the table, you close your eyes,
whisper for good luck, and you see what you want? That's what happened the
second time we went to McCormick & Schmick’s at the Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic
City. We found dishes we wanted to try right off the bat, so our hopes were
high.
While I was in college, a group of friends headed down the
hill to McCormick & Schmick’s for a fun happy hour, producing fond memories
of appetizers and juicy burgers. It was that experience, which guided us there.
 |
| RER 5.2012 |
Our first visit to the restaurant, over a year ago on
another excursion to the casino, resulted in major failure. We had no
beginner’s luck. I can hardly
remember what we got; maybe a New England style clam chowder, which was decent; a
pretty little cylinder of avocado, mango and crab meat, which was stunning and
mildly delicious. But after those appetizers my mind goes blank, probably as a
defense mechanism. I do remember being severely disappointed, an entree being
sent back, and overwhelming blandness.
There was nothing good about what we had that time, but I am
a firm believer in second chances, so on our most recent trip we tried again,
hoping for more success. It was a little better. We ordered less food to try to
increase our odds, and limit possibilities for unsavory results.
 |
| RER 6.12.13 |
The buttermilk fried oysters with a horse radish slaw and
what was described as a lemon Tabasco aioli, was our only appetizer. The fried
oysters were sweet and crunchy, a little greasy, but the tangy and oniony slaw
underneath cut it. Each texture was pronounced and independent, creating a fun
play of varied chews and crunches. The flavors, however, were all taken captive
by the strong onion taste of the many many green onions floating throughout the
slaw. Even the aioli did not help to abet the intensity, as it was dull and
almost ruined the texture and flavor of the oysters. Somehow the different
elements were fighting too hard against each other and there was some dissonance
of flavor, which diminished the potential of the appetizer.
 |
| RER 6.12.13 |
The entrees were far less interesting. I suppose we were
trying to play it safe, keeping up our poker face. I had parmesan crusted
flounder, drenched in lemon caper butter, with wax beans and a healthy side of
butternut squash risotto. The first couple of bites were like relief; the orzo
was cheesy and textured, the fish was crusty and crunchy, the beans were
buttery and luxurious. But after a few more bites, I began to feel the weight.
All flavors, textures, and delight, were lost to salt and butter. Those two
ingredients cloaked everything else and made my stomach turn with the richness.
It was difficult to finish, but addictive and damaging.
 |
| JAR 6.12.13 |
The salmon rigatoni with a creamy pesto sauce was no better.
It had the same lingering richness of the flounder dish, heavy with cream and
lack of flavor variation. Despite the salmon pieces, the bits of asparagus,
chunks of artichokes, the only addition, which changed up the texture and
taste, was the meaty mushrooms. All other life was drowned out by the too
creamy pesto and superfluous cheese. The large rigatoni pasta was cooked well,
and the whole dish would have benefitted from a lighter sauce, reminiscent of
summer.
We skipped dessert, which is difficult and amazing, but we
had learned our lesson with McCormick & Schmick’s, our stakes were too high.
I do not think we would eat there again for a full meal. Perhaps in future we
can indulge in the fun happy hour specials and deals, but our expectations for
that would be lower. I guess you can’t always win!
RER
6.19.13
6.18.2013
LUCK of the draw italian: Luke Palladino
 |
| RER 6.11.13 |
Being in Atlantic City, home
of hotel resorts and casinos, we decided to try our luck at Luke Palladino at
Harrah’s Resort, and indulged in the tasting menu. There were no specifications other
than it entailed five courses and there must be at least two people at the
table participating, as at this Italian restaurant, the tasting meal was served
family style. We were warned that there was no shortage of food, but for us it
was a gamble, and we were hoping Lady Luck was on our side…
 |
| RER 6.11.13 |
Antipasti
Arancini
Arancini
These aborrio rice balls
were crunchy on the outside, golden, crispy, crusty, and soft, hot and cheesy
on the inside. The texture of the Italian rice, most well known for its use in
risotto, vanished in the soft and rich sottocenere cheese, melting into
smoothness. The flavor was not overwhelmingly earthy from the truffle, but the
cheese assuaged and complemented nicely. The playful mix of textures along with
the soft essence of truffle oil resulted in comfort and delicious memories.
 |
| RER 6.11.13 |
Mushroom & Tallegio Crespelle
This was the restaurant’s
interpretation of the french delicacy of crepes. The thin and crispy pancake
was filled with sautéed mushrooms and salty tallegio cheese. Below the cut
crepe was a small pool of creamy melted cheese and a heavy drizzle of reduced
balsamic vinegar. The sauces added sweetness to the salty and meaty filling of
the appetizer. It was a savory play on crepes that bring to memory lemon,
butter and sugar on the beach in Cannes, or after the dive club in Bologna with
mascarpone and sweets.
 |
| RER 6.11.13 |
Cressini
The crunchy, glorified
breadsticks are made in house we were told, brushed with indulgent truffle
butter, rolled in grated parmesean and then wrapped in chewy prosciutto. The
cressini were stiff and difficult, almost too much at one time; a sensible pair
of prosciutto and parmesean ended up being to forceful especially with the
intense texture of the dry bread stick. There was nothing particularly
enchanting about one of the patrons’ favorites, just the loud crunch momentarily
silencing the white noise of the restaurant.
 |
| RER 6.11.13 |
Octopus salad
This tasting dish was
beautiful and lively with the riotous green colors of the fresh peas, pea
sprouts, and lightly dressed spring greens. The dark purple and creamy pink of
the perfectly cooked tender octopus pieces, contrasted with the vibrant greens,
emanating a spring palette. Even
the bright flavor of the fresh foliage matched the color scheme, but it was
dragged down by the drab tonnato, tuna sauce. Somehow the earthiness of the
greens did not line up with the heavy tuna almost hollandaise, and made the
octopus lost and obsolete.
 |
| RER 6.11.13 |
Pasta
Lobster ravioli
The four plump lobster
ravioli were served with a dark seafood red sauce, spotted with the same bright
green peas of the octopus salad. The paper-thin pasta was filled with a hearty
amount of chunky lobster, speaking volumes of freshness. Even the pasta on the
outside was not too overcooked, but just enough to hold its innards together.
Each pea was a green distraction, almost detracting from the flavorful sauce
and surprisingly succulent ravioli. The dish on a whole had nice kick, though
it was difficult to distinguish if the heat came from the sauce or the lobster
filling. These pouches were the things of cravings and long seafood desires.
 |
| RER 6.11.13 |
Gnocchi with Asparagus Cream Sauce
The pillow-like tiny potato
dumplings, were overcooked and near extinction; they were soggy, limp, and
lost. The sauce had no life or flavor, just a bland sea of creams sauce, dotted
with miniscule slices of crisp asparagus. There was hardly any variation of
flavor, just a kind of pulsing monotony of mush and congealed cold cream.
 |
| RER 6.11.13 |
Pesce
Cobia Special
The meaty white fish, cobia,
was paired with a sunchoke puree and a green diablo sauce, which lacked the
spice that its name implies. Plated beautifully, with a delicate array of muted
colors, from the crusty cobia, to the course dark green sauce, the pale
sunchoke, and the thin rounds of radish. All the elements combined were delicious,
textured with an amusingly varied flavor profile, indulging in the range of
sweet and salty. The fish was crisp and salty on the inside but white and
substantial, while the sunchoke puree was super sweet and alarmingly smooth,
and the diablo sauce, a tickle of pesto was bright and tangy, uniting each
part.
 |
| RER 6.11.13 |
Carne
Standing Rib
This giant meat dish
involved a chestnut basted standing rib enclosing a sausage stuffing, resting
on a shallow pool of creamy polenta and sautéed escarole. There were a ton of
different flavors; sweet pork meat, spicy fennel from the sausage, the cooling
polenta and the mildly bitter escarole, but in the end everything tasted the
same. It was nearly impossible to internalize each component without overload
and a mute. Each element on its own was sufficient, but the raucous combination
stretched the limit of comfort food and refinement.
 |
| RER 6.11.13 |
Dolci
Vanilla gelato and Valrhona chocolate cake
The two desserts seemed to
come as a pair, one balancing out the other; the cold creamy vanilla gelato evening
out the intensely moist and chocolaty cake. The gelato was nothing special,
cold and sweet, topped with a heavy shell of less than sweet whipped cream. The
cake however, was not the typical chocolate cake. It was small and in the shape
of the ever popular and hackneyed chocolate molten cake, but the inside was
dense, moist but almost crumbly dark chocolate cake. On the outside was a slick
layer of chocolate, that was like a cooled and set sauce, creating a texture
play and a fortified chocolate on chocolate experience. The tiny round of cake
was accompanied by a few Gran Marnier soaked blueberries and strawberries,
which intensified the decadence of the chocolate, while cutting the bitterness
with some tart and sweet accents.
 |
| RER 6.11.13 |
Alla fine…
They were right about it being a ton of food, but the
variety was truly stellar, ranging from the fried to the basted, cold and
sauced, to the sweet sweet and decadent. It was fun not knowing what was going
to come next, and listening to each description as the food came out, removing
the mystery. Themes transpired, like truffle and mushroom flavors in the first few antipasti and the bright green peas that appeared and reappeared. But the dishes spoke to the season, putting spring and summer favorites on our plates. Many of the tastes were delicious, predictable, but steady and
reliable, while others fell short of expectations, and lacked true quality. Despite it all, it was a nice experience at Luke Palladino, but I can't say we broke even.
RER
6.17.13
 |
| RER 6.11.13 |
6.14.2013
photo op: ATLANTIC city
 |
| RER 6.11.13 |
 |
| RER 6.10.13 |
 |
| RER 6.10.13 |
 |
| RER 6.11.13 |
 |
| RER 6.11.13 |
 |
| RER 6.11.13 |
 |
| RER 6.10.13 |
 |
| RER 6.11.13 |
RER
6.14.13
 |
| RER 6.11.13 |
6.07.2013
second YELPing...
 |
| RER 6.1.13 |
 |
| RER 6.1.13 |
 |
| RER 6.1.13 |
 |
| RER 6.1.13 |
RER
6.7.13
 |
| RER 6.1.13 |
6.05.2013
lusty LATIN: La Isla
 |
| RER 5.16.13 |
It was my first time, strange, because the hole in the wall,
the tiny restaurant, rather, is a fixture of my hometown, Hoboken. I had walked
passed the small storefront, many times, entertaining the possibility of diving
into something new and mildly foreign; speculating sitting in the small outdoor
dining area, soaking up the sun and the sounds. But for some reason, I was
intimidated. Perhaps it was the local fame of the Cuban eatery, or the
unfamiliar territory of the luncheon, or maybe even, it was just across town.
 |
| RER 5.16.13 |
But, that day was my first time. It was sunny and warm;
people dressed for heat though slightly deceived by the weather. We held hands,
hungry, and meandering with a kind of purpose. I did not know what to expect. I
was hesitant, but oddly intrigued.
 |
| RER 5.16.13 |
His suggestion of La Isla sparked interest, but also concern. I had never been. I was anxious.
Sometimes, as much as we want to try something new, it’s not easy. I had heard
so many good things, like quality byob brunches dancing until late afternoon,
and sweet milky jolts of caffeine energizing commuters, or even the daily
specials, coveted and tracked. Nonetheless, I was not in the mood to
experiment, not wanting to take a chance because my mouth was watering for something
simple, something comfortable. But the warmth swayed me, seducing me to
adventure and mystery, like warm weather often does.
 |
| RER 5.16.13 |
So we went. And it was a brilliant decision. Our meal there
would be classified as one of our best meals in a long long time. We had
resorted to Chinese take away and easy ways out for a while now, stuck in that
rut that only grows deeper.
La Isla is small, but it is endearing. Somehow it does not
feel like Hoboken at all. There is not the same stuffiness or yuppie shadow that
other eateries have succumbed to. It feels genuine and neighborly, like the
spot you can stay for hours without getting kicked out, as long as you get more
café con leche, or another round of tostones. The colorful fresh flowers on
every table, the long lunch counter, or even the Cuban memorabilia, all speak
to home, someone’s home.
 |
| RER 5.16.13 |
We could not tell if it was lunchtime, because it was in
betweentimes, like twilight. But of course, my eyes and stomach landed on one
of the Thursday lunch items, and luckily they had not run out. Others were not
so lucky, as we heard a man on a phone being gently let down.
The menu is straightforward, Spanish and English,
traditional with a twist. Appetizers, salads, sandwiches, lunch specials,
entrees, sides and so forth.
 |
| RER 5.16.13 |
We shared the platano asado and a solo croqueta
de jamon. The platano was a
raucous riot of flavors; sweet, savory, spicy, meaty. The roasted yellow
plantain was split lengthwise, filled with meaty pico de gallo, and topped with queso
blanco. It was hot and sweet on the outside, salty and textured on the
inside, and the cheese melded the different elements. The croqueta came from a glass case with a heating lamp; we saw its
move from behind the lunch counter to our side and our table. The croqueta was filled with ham, soft and
mushy, and then breaded and fried crisp on the outside. It did not have the
creamy texture of croquetas past, but
it was more meaty and concrete.
 |
| RER 5.16.13 |
My masitas de puerco came stark on the
plate, shared with my side of dark maduros,
and black beans floating in a tiny bowl. It did not look like a lot— not a lot
of food or presentation— but once I bit into that first fried pork morsel, all
was forgiven. I squeezed the lime hard onto the tender pork pieces, brightening
the fatty meat, and opening up the brilliant and traditional mélange of citrus
and pork. There were only five or six pork pieces on my plate, but it felt like
a happy eternity, each piece different and delicious. The maduros were super sweet and blackened from cooking, creating a
crunchy crust around the outside of the soft plantain. And the black beans sans
rice were soupy, wet, and soft, with moments of salty pork.
 |
| RER 5.16.13 |
He had one of the set meals, tasajo con boniato. It
was a beautiful display of yellow rice speckled with pigeon peas at the bottom,
next a layer of dark gray green Cuban sweet potatoes, smothered with brightly
colored sauced shredded meat, topped with golden strings of fried onions. It
sounds weird, but it tasted amazing. The spiciness of the braised dry-cured meat
went perfectly with the sweet creaminess of the dark potatoes. The crunch of
the fried onions added variety, while the yellow rice was a strong foundation
for the eclectic meal.
 |
| RER 5.16.13 |
Dessert. Was. Mind-blowing. We had the unfortunate
experience of eating tres leches cake elsewhere, and we
were marred enough from the experience to initially cast off the option. But
the server insisted that it was a top seller, along with the always-popular
flan. The cake came in its own little ramekin, topped with a beautiful swirl of
toasted meringue, and delicately decorated with a single blueberry and a sliced
strawberry on top . Underneath the sweet cloud of soft meringue was the vanilla
sponge cake, soaked in three different kinds of milk and rum. The dessert gave
off the scent of almond, rum and grainy sweetened condensed milk. The removal
of every bite in the small, tight dish resulted in a pool of the sweetness— a
marriage of desert and desire, sweetness and silent epiphany. As the meringue would melt on our
tongues, the sponge cake would vanish lost in the sappy liquid it was saturated
with. This cake was pure magic.
All I can say is… I can’t wait to go back!
RER
5.20.13
 |
| JAR 5.16.13 |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)