New Orleans Night Duck

I was just inspired. The Westword, a lovely little paper in Denver, posted an article on their CafeSociety blog about the best leftovers. There is absolutely nothing I love in this world more (sorry, Mom) than LEFTOVERS. In fact my mom even brought me some leftovers today so I think she knows where my loyalties lie.

I wanted to not so covertly expand upon (steal) this idea but how? Then I remembered a glorious moment, in New Orleans (Yes, Sara and I went to New Orleans but were much too busy and important to blog about it.) We went to Galatoire's for an early bird dinner. Much has been said about Galatoire's (I'm sure) and I agree with all of it (the good stuff). I ate some food, in fact I think I ate a lot of food thus I didn't have the stomach room left to eat all of my entree of delectable duck.

I guess it's officially called "Roasted Duck." Which reminds me of my absolute favorite thing about Galatoire's, no fru fru fancy named bologna. Well, no bologna, actually. You want duck? Order Duck. You don't have to order the "apricot infused glaze of hashish with pumpernickel garnishment toast mixed with an awe-inspiring lumped potato and Count Chocula approved 7-day duck roast." Call me old fashioned but duck is duck, no matter what cereal character endorses it.

Back to the story. So since I couldn't finish my duck. The waiter tried to convince me that I needed to take it with me. I protested, I was in a hotel, I had no fridge, it would become yuck duck. He said no, you're wrong it will be good for hours! Who am I to argue with a seasoned Galatoire's waiter? If anyone knows his stuff, it would be this guy. So I took it and deposited it in the hotel room.

We went out drinking, as one does in New Orleans. This particular night may or may not have involved Absinthe drinking at a Pirate Bar, the details are understandably fuzzy. Upon return to hotel room I was greeted with the best thing that could ever happen! Leftovers! Sitting in their shiny material, just waiting to be eaten! And so I give you Night Duck. That's a look of elation not demonic possession, I assure you.


Working on the Night Duck! Similar but better than the Night Cheese.

This is where a pun on the word TAG would go.

This blog is allegedly about food, and not relationships. If you're looking for a relationship blog, check out Kristen's newest addition to her writing portfolio, Kristen's Fishing Trip. (I don't know if that's supposed to be a secret blog or not. Either way, it's a riot and required reading in my house. [And cubicle. And on the couches of anyone with a sense of humor.])

Therefore, I will only briefly mention that Sara and I went to TAG on Saturday night, and that it was sort of a big deal, because one of us met my mother. And seeing as how I lived under the same roof as my mom for 18 years, it probably wasn't me who was meeting her for the first time. Although we were strangers for the better part of my teens.

When you're deciding on a restaurant in a situation like this, you can go one of two ways: Slum it, pick Village Inn, and hope the food makes everyone decide to call it an early night - or you can pick a fancy restaurant and hope the strong drinks (fingers crossed) make it bearable.

So, very serious things aside. TAG is famous 'round these parts for making their own tonic water. I don't drink many gin and tonics these days, because they get me into the Villegas version of "trouble." Needless to say, I've had my fair share of gin and tonics. And the gin and tonic at TAG is really good stuff. Even though quinine can be nasty stuff, it's magical when included in homemade tonic made with Cinchona bark. By the way, I just earned my two-wikipedia-links-in-one-sentence award.

So we started with a salad (come on, Mom. Live a little.) and two appetizers - the Hiramasa and the Duck confit sope cakes. The sope cakes were very good. They sat on a bed of guacamole and were savory, warm and flavorful. The winner of round one, though, was the Hiramasa - which was pan-seared, had a small amount of truffle oil drizzled on top with and a little myoga.

And, oh yeah, a slice of jalapeno and pop rocks on top. What started as a "What's sizzling?" thought in my head led eventually to, "What's pink on my plate, and doesn't smell like roe?" And eventually ended in my saying out loud, "Holy God, those are pop rocks." Very creative, Troy Guard. Cheeky monky. It was a great way to start this experience.

Main course time. My mother had the safe choice, which was cooked extremely well and still delectable: Caramelized sea scallops. She reported them to be "perfect."

Tamarind mustard braised short ribs was the entree du jour for Sara. Pear, yuzu (or some citrusy fruit) the rib...a great plate, full of balanced flavor. The citrus did it well, I thought. And I never met mustard that I didn't like. Tamarind mustard should be required on all hot dogs. Hear that, Montforts?

No fork needed, although for the sake of appearances, she kept her butter knife on the plate. Polite company apparently uses a knife to cut ALL meat, even when it's not necessary.

And I had Szechuan Colorado Lamb, with couscous and Dragon Sauce...a touch spicy, but in a good way. Lamb is one of those meats that needs another flavor to contrast with when prepared correctly. (And it's uneatable when cooked wrong.) The Szechuan influence is a standard choice, but executed correctly here. The couscous is a welcome addition of an entirely different texture.

I have my problems with Lodo eateries, and especially Larimer Square restaurants. We were seated right next to the door, which wasn't fun. But someone has to sit there, so oh well.

But TAG is a nice place to go, even if it is a little pricey, and can sometimes come off more about appearances than food. Which is not a problem, because, let's face it, I'm can be sort of about appearances. All of this coming from a guy who uses the word "classy" more than Donald Trump.

You shuffle with your head down

I've always found DC restaurants to be a lot like their transient population - always a little bit in a hurry, a little bit like the congressional staffer at 5 p.m., and like the politicians and their aides that infest it, they talk a big game with little substance. You shuffle with your head down, slowly talking into your phone and you end up eating what's in front of you.

It's pretty much the same every place you go. My last trip to DC was 2 1/2 months ago for my brother's wedding. There's a lot to like (but not love) at some places, and in other places, not so much. DC has a burgeoning young population - but again, if you ask me, they don't have really good taste. (With the obvious exceptions of my brother and my sister-in-law, who are great hosts, and even better people to put up with my constant complaining and pretentious way of analyzing food.)

Anywho, it doesn't take much to impress someone who is a starry-eyed aide for a congressperson - they're already impressed by the egomaniacal rantings of political sociopaths.

Anyway, this was a quick trip, and we hit two restaurants during our time. We hit a third in Fado, which I don't consider a restaurant as much as a chain bar, in the style of Baker Street or Cheers. If you've eaten at one Fado, you've eaten at them all. I assume readers of this blog like food or drink, and will have been to one in their lifetime. My experience at Fado is: Dark, chainy, and Smithwick's. That experience has been had a million times by a million people around the country.

Friday night, we went to a place called Matchbox. People seem to like this place, and I guess for DC fare, it stands out amongst the places that don't have to try so hard. One gripe I have is the cover of the menu is made out of wood. Carved into it, the Matchbox logo.

I guess when I see stuff like that, I expect a more business casual atmosphere, which this place (in the middle of Eastern Market, yuppie central) did not have. It kind of seemed like it wanted to go that way, but just can't quite pull itself up like an Italian restaurant that, as its owner, is trying to escape its immigrant past.

Beer: My server seemed to think "I don't know" was a good option when I asked her to recommend a beer on tap. Alright. Either way, she (eventually) suggested Allagash White, an unfiltered witbeer. Allagash is a Maine brewery, and we don't get a lot of that in Denver. I liked it, kind of pale, kind of fruity, very spicy for a wit. Good head, good lace. Not strong, very drinkable and actually went really well for the meal I ordered.

Everything about this place screams "For God's sake, don't order a steak! Please, order the sliders! THEY'VE GOT ONION STRAWS!"

So the clientele, the menu, the server - I really wanted their sliders to be bad so I could write a bad review all thew way around. But I'm sad to report - they were actually very good. It could do with less onion straws, but they were cooked exactly how I ordered them, the buns were lightly buttered underneath the hood, and the gorgonzola on top was just enough.

Damn you, Matchbox. Your sliders got me. Now I have to suggest you.

(Aside: Eastern Market has a wide assortment of restaurants. I've been to 3 now, and my favorite is still Las Placitas, owned and operated by Salvadorians. Any place that bills its weekly flea market as having vendors "from 5 continents" might be a little bit pretentious. I mean, obviously they have people coming from Africa EVERY WEEK to sell their wares to DC residents. That's not that far to go to sell a few prints or handwoven caps.)

On the day I left, we had brunch at a place called Hawk and Dove on Capitol Hill.

Now this is my speed - divey, but not quite dangerous. I had a sausage and cheddar cheese omelet. Aside from being an 8-egg omelet as opposed to the more standard 3-egg, their coffee was decent, their homefries greasy enough. But I didn't like the Bloody Mary (WAY too much pepper) and that's a dealbreaker for me.

Allegedly, Hawk and Dove's food is not its strong point, and I have to agree. Seems like it might be an okay place to drink. I've been to worse places here in Denver.

Starting to look like I'm going to be coming to DC a bit more in the next year or two. I better start finding better places to eat, or this town is going to get real old, real fast.

This is only the food I admit to

So I just got back from a 12 day trip to the east coast - York PA, Baltimore, DC, Richmond VA. Below is what I came up with. You have to click on the facebook link, cause there's no way I'm redoing all that.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2442146&id=10209802&ref=mf

Anyway, amidst all the wedding stuff in there are some really good restaurants. Coomb's was okay, but Las Placitas in Eastern Market in DC was really good. Full Kee in Chinatown was also good, if a little lacking in the ambiance and feel. Check it out.

Cerveza Costa Rica

hello readers. (we have readers right?)

I'm planning to be your local beer and booze insider while traveling the globe. I like beer. no. i love beer. It is an art form and should be appreciated as so. Not as fizzy yellow crap you drank in undergrad. In fact, I'm breaking an agreement i made with my girlfriend to not talk about beer for 4 days to write this post.

That being said... La cerveza Costa Rica!

Upon my recent trip to Costa Rica, I was excited to find they have a rather impressive beer selection to offer. And it's cheap!

Don't think since we're in central america this is a kin to the beers of mexico that go great on a beach with a lime. These are serious beers, albeit all lagers.

The stand out champion and price of Costa Rican beer is definitely Imperial. It probably is even more accessible and visible in costa rica then any of the major breweries in america, and there fore i admittedly was turned off at first. Once I had one tho, i realized this was a large lager worth being proud of. Lucky for you, they recently sealed a deal to export to most of north america and australia. If you find yourself in a heavily latin area soon, definitely check it out. Plus, it looks cool.

From here Costa Rican beer gets a little.. less exciting. Pilsen (not pictured) is a lager that does seem to lend a little bit of spirit to the mexican beers mentioned above, and it kind of boring. The Bavarian brand has both a "premium" light lager, and a dark lager. However, if you were blindfolded folded, you'd have no idea which you were drinking, because they taste like nothing.

You'd think that beer that tastes like nothing would be pretty bad. Unfortunately it gets worse. The Rock Ice franchise goes above and beyond anything you ever thought beer should do. unfortunately, they shouldn't have. The Rock Ice flagship is a extremely bland and skunky lager that only seems good due to being the least of all evils. Rock Ice makes an "energy beer", however you have to be able to read japanesse to know this, because the label on the "energy beer" is in japanesse? This isn't sparks, this isn't malt liquor. It is really bad redbull, with a warm Old Style for a chaser. This will only give you energy because you were so grossed out you experienced an adrenaline rush. As bad as this sounds, it gets worse. Rock Ice makes a "lime beer". Again, this isn't what it seems. It's not a beer with lime, like miller chill. This is a beer that is supposed to taste like lime. An important side note right now, is to mention Costa rica has several different types of limes, and even their lime we consider standard here, is orange on the inside. That being said... this beer doesn't taste like any of them. This beer actually tastes like you swallowed a mouth full of sea water... The worst sea water you've ever had. STAY AWAY AT ALL COSTS!!

Another great canned beverage option for adult in Costa Rica, is a competitive market for pre mixed Rum and Cola. However, curiously enough, the two biggest brands are made by the same company. These would be Bamboo, and Cuba Libre. Based on packaging alone, one would suggest bamboo is for the kids (above 18 of course) and cuba libre is for old men (but this writer suggests not old men who went to vietnam, reasons to follow).

Bamboo is definitely the less impressive of the lot. sweet, syrupy, definitely much more soda, but with an after tastes that isn't quite rum, but you know burns a little. Suitable when in a pinch, but, definitely not my go to.

Cuba Libre on the other hand, is not fucking around. You can smell the rum from the first crack of the can. The mix is a little strong, but this actually tastes like a Rum and Cola... or as much as a canned pre mixed rum and cola can. But reader beware, I'm pretty sure they are using the original coke formula in this drink, if ya know what i mean. One night specifically, after a pretty lazy day around La Fortuna, we decided to grab dinner across the street. i ordered a single cuba libra with dinner, and by the end of dinner, I swore the room was spinning around me, and my perception of color was overly saturated. I guess for roughly $2 US, I shouldn't complain.

In all, i hope you find this useful, and are lucky enough to find one of these fine products in a store near you, or better yet take a trip to costa rica yourself. if you choose the later, you will be fortunate enough to discover the ever elusive (and gov't made) GUARO!

A Side of Meat, Bitte

For a perfectly traditional Swabian dinner go to Stuttgarter Staeffele, in Stuttgart Germany, that's an order.

They had an amazing appetizer garden salad that came with potatoes hiding under the other vegtables, jackpot! The only thing that kept me from eating all of the salad was the knowledge of what was to come (this was my second glorious visit). Feel free to order the potato cakes with homemade applesauce for an appetizer, the Germans may laugh at you and tell you it's a dessert but if you don't eat it first there is no way you'll be able to at the end of the meal. That's thinking ahead, meine Fruenden.

Do yourself a favor and order the a bit of it all platter (loosely translated). It's gigantic and completely worth it. It's delicious pork, beef, sausage, spaetzle, potatoes and probably more that I can't remember because my mouth is watering and stealing liquid from the area around my brain.

The traditional red wine is served in a short glass mug and is very potent as the people in the car who had to listen to my Enrique Iglesias renditions for thirty minutes would testify to, weeee!


This place is great because the food is face-stuffing good, the place is tiny and feels like an old wine cellar and best of all I walked by the kitchen and who was cooking? A round, old, German lady! That's authenticity!

English Food isn't bad...

just expensive and not exactly English.

Exhibit A:
Cote Bistro, French









Grilled Artichoke

Roast Duck Breast with Gratin Potatoes



We found this place just wandering around starving and such. What a happy surprise. The artichoke was on the specials menu and the duck is on the regular menu. Both were exceptional, as were the two bottles of wine, don't worry we still found our way back to the hotel. This method of wandering while hungry only worked out this well once, I suggest other methods of finding food. We went the to location in Kensington but luckily it is a London chain and has many locations throughout and outside of the city.

Exhibit B:
Ping Pong, Dim Sum

I have never had dim sum before, at all, so I don't have a point of comparison but I thought it was really delicious. I have, however, had a few cocktails before and can say quite confidently that their drinks were like nothing I've ever had before. The first was the Lemongrass and Lime made with Finlandia vodka, fresh lemongrass, lime and lychee juice, really tasty. The other drink that we attempted is called a Tennessee Tea Tingle the description for this reads "Jack Daniels, Cointreau and lemon juice topped up with Pepsi. Enjoy the electric feeling from the Sechuan buds!!!" Let me tell you, while the Whiskey may come from Tennessee I'm not sure the Sechuan buds would be legal there. After chomping one down and having my mouth tingle, burn then go numb we asked the waitress about these "Sechuan buds." The only information she had was that they come from Amsterdam, enough said. That's my younger brother up there, double fisting like a champ.

We ordered a lot of Dim Sum the list is: chicken puff, spinach and mushroom dumpling, spinach and prawn wrap, chicken and cashew nut dumpling, vegetable bun, chicken and black pepper spring roll, lemon chicken, honey glazed ribs, and crispy asparagus. I must say, I did crinkle my nose at the steamed vegetable bun but I take it back it was great, I recommend it, that's right, I just recommended something with vegetables.

Ping Pong, like Cote, has numerous locations, making these eateries easy to fit into your sightseeing schedule.