The Big Easy!

Highlights in New Orleans:

Fantastic dinner at Cochon restaurant:

• Salad: sliced mushroom, mint, fried cured beef, sliced onion and fried lemon.
  
• Sausage: pork/rice boudin with buttery gravy and pickled peppers.
  
• Casseroles: Eggplant and shrimp; crawfish with bernaise.
  
• Dumplings: rabbit with winey stew broth.
  
• Dessert: rich, corn-mealy pineapple upside down cake.
  
• Post-prandial: Catdaddy Carolina Moonshine (sweet with strong vanilla and cinnamon flavors).
  

Consider the following:

• Beignets at Cafe du Monde are the same as Zeppoles at San Gennaro Feast on Mulberry St in NYC?
  
• Beignets at Cafe du Monde could be improved if they were dipped in honey and sprinkled with cinnamon and relabeled "loukemades"?
  
• "Po' Boys" are the same as "Hoagies," which is fine, though it takes away some of the mystery, at least for us Northeasterners?
  

We were also suckers for the Community and Cafe du Monde coffee. It's a really dark brew and a bit richer (almost chocolaty?) with the chicory.

Memphis: 1 day, 3 meals, 3 RACKS OF RIBS!!!

Here's the report from Memphis: This barbecue capital hosts an eternal "dry" versus "wet" barbecue controversy. In the post from Nashville we indicated our appreciation that "dry" preparation requires more skill. But once cooked dry, a good rack or brisket can be enhanced by a carefully chosen sauce as a condiment. That's the approach we took here, trying three "wet" racks over three meals in one day around the city. Included in the slide show above are racks from Central BBQ, Payne's BBQ, and Blues City Cafe.

All three came recommended from various sources, but the standout winner was... PAYNE'S!!! Just take a look at the photos of that rack. That is what is intended by the phrase "falling off the bone": it should just become a big mess. The meat was smoked with a dry rub and served fresh off the pit. The bare bones restaurant is filled with hickory smoke, as it should be. You are asked whether you wanted your sauce "spicy" or "mild." Flora Payne takes that little bit of instruction to work up a magical plate of pork ribs complemented by a mustard cole slaw. Perfection.

Funny: we were hanging out with the folks at Sun Studio later in the day and told them we went to Payne's on Lamar Ave. "You went WHERE??!!" Apparently Lamar is not a typical tourist destination, and not somewhere to be lost after dark. But it's worth it, we're telling you.

The others---Central, Blues City---not so impressive. Central was way over-priced, had the "sauce bar", the ribs were cold and rather dry (i.e. they had been sitting around), yada yada. Not sure if this was an off day for this newcomer on the Memphis scene, which many around the internet claim as their favorite. Blues City's rack tasted like "fast cook" barbecue (boiled then cooked quickly over grill), which means little smokiness and a contrived "fall off the bone" quality. (Don't get us wrong, "fast cook," which involves parboiling prior and then grilling for an hour or less is perfectly legitimate at home. But it's not the same as real barbecue, and it's definitely inexcusable in a place like Memphis.)

Door County WI

Andrew and I went to Door County WI last week to enjoy a little free time before the hectic month of July. (For those of you referring to your right hand as a map of WI, Door County is located on your thumb). We started off the trip with the Shipwreck Bar and Grill in Egg Harbor. Their motto is I got wrecked at Shipwreck, which was not quite accurate for us but we had fun. Andrew wanted to go here because it is the only micro-brewery in Door County and they boasted about their seven in store brewed beers. Naturally we both opted for the seven beer flight and tried them all. Andrew preferred the Captain Copper Ale while I chose for the Bayside Blond Ale, which was slightly less hoppy. They also poured a Porter, a Door County Cherry ale (too sweet) and their seasonal wheat beer. Overall a good beer experience and set off the trip on a good tone.


Later that night we went to Coyote Road House for bbq ribs. These ribs are one of my favorites and they did not disappoint this time either. Other notable food include the onion loaf (half loaf shown below). What I like about these ribs is that they serve it with their "special sauce" right on top, so they come out covered. However I was a little disappointed when I asked for more sauce and they only brought me a very small container. Either way, the outdoor eating and the view of the lake all while eating ribs is a must.



Our last stop was on Washington Island, which is at the tip of the peninsula. We had dinner at the Washington Island Hotel and Culinary School. Notable things about this place, their 6-course meals and 3$ Wisconsin beers. We had the Sconnie Pizza, which included sausage, sauerkraut and a mustard sauce on top paired with a Point White Beer and a New Galarus Uff-Da, it was delicious. The desserts were also very good, my favorite was the blueberry tort with vodka soaked strawberries. Hmmmm.


And finally, if you are ever on Washington Island you need to go to Bitters End Pub. The sign is easy to miss but it is a must. This pub has been opened continuously since 1899. It stayed opened during the depression by serving bitters as a stomach remedy. At 90% proof I could only image what more than a shot would do to someone. So, you get a shot of bitters, then they sign your new bitters member card and you get to sign a guest book. Its Fun.

madison's magnus

Last night Kaitlin and I attended a most lovely wedding for our dear friends Caeli and Rick. They rented out the restaurant Magnus in Madison for the reception and it was really really delicious. Magnus uses locally grown organic produce, local meats and flies in its seafood. I was really happy that there was a buffet so I could try literally everything. From the sashimi sea scallops and ahi tuna to the beef tenderloin and mushroom struedel, gnocchi, roasted potatoes, green beans ... it was just a fantastic meal. I highly recommend dinner at Magnus if you are ever in Madison.

Oh, P.S. dessert was to die for and the drinks were divine.
Magnus has many specialty cocktails, my favorite was probably the Batida but here are a few others my friends and I enjoyed:
Batida (Cachca rum w/ passion fruit, lemon sugar & tamarind served straight up)
Mojito (Cachaca rum w/fresh mint, lime and sugar on the rocks)
Chilcano de Pisco (Pisco, Gingerale, lime juice)
Caipirinha (Cachca rum w/ lime, lemon & sugar on the rocks)
Latte Maria (Van Gogh Double Espresso Vodka, Rompope, fresh nutmeg)
Madre Jaguar (Amarula, Creole Schrubb Rum, cream and orange zest)
S. African Raspberry (Amarula & Chambord on ice)

A Brief Interruption

Okay, so Nicole & Cyrus are on a whirlwind tour of BBQ locales. And, we interrupt your regular programming with this brief interruption.

As many of you know, Nicole and Cryus like food. They especially like cheese. Not in the way a little mouse loves to nibble on a piece of cheap cheddar. Not in the way some foodies appreciate cheese, in the same way they appreciate wine. This is not simple appreciation. It is a long love affair full of passion, painful ups and downs, the joy of new discovery and the crushing disappointment when a particular cheese falls short of expectation. It is a way of life for these two.

And this kind of passion cannot be contained. It must be shared and passed on to all those within reach.

And so began my own unwavering love affair with cheese. My most recent and most lovely discovery has been The Cowgirl Creamery cheeses. My personal favorite is the Red Hawk cheese. It is pretty stinky and FULL of flavor! I found it at Whole Foods and I believe you can also order it online. Happy eating!

Nashville rocks, Oh yeah, you can find barbecue too

It seems like it's easy to have a great time in Nashville. We were only there for 24 hours. But in that time we caught a half-dozen bands of which the most notable were the Sunday night acts at Roberts Western World (Chris Casello & The Starlight Drifters and The Don Kelley Band).

But that's just some background to why you are really here. How hard do you have to look for barbecue in Nashville? Well, not so hard. There are a few joints on the main Broadway strip. We tried Jack's:



































The brisket is shown on left and pork shoulder on right. Both were smokey, tender, and served fresh off the pit. The prices are nice too. It's nice to know that this is available right in the heart of it all.

One thing that we are becoming weary of, though, is the "sauce bar." We have noticed that something may be awry when a bbq joint is unwilling to commit to a sauce and rather offers an array of "Kansas City", "Carolina", "Texas", "Memphis", etc. sauces. Here's why:

• First, we are doubtful about whether any single location is really making all these sauces. And then, if these are being bought from an external supplier, what should we infer generally about the other products?
• Second, shouldn't a bbq maker know what's best with their meat? We noticed that at Old Hickory in Owensboro, there was one sauce and one sauce only. And you know what? It was perfect.
• Third, to offer a sauce buffet seems to mistake what really matters in barbecue: it's about the meat and the way it is cooked. The sauce should complement the flavor. It shouldn't be the flavor.

All this being said, Jack's did a nice job with their meat. We only wish that they could commit confidently to their own sauce to highlight what they think needs to be highlighted.

mmmmmm-Mutton

Owensboro, KY - On our way from St. Louis to Nashville we stopped in Owensboro, KY - home of the International Bar-B-Q Festival held in May. Well, we may have missed the festival, but we did get to sample of the local favorite at Old Hickory Bar-B-Q - mutton.

We started with a serving of burgoo, a hearty stew made from mutton and chicken. Interestingly, Cyrus said that that the tangy flavors of the burgoo reminded him of abgoosht, a popular Iranian dish. I suppose Cyrus and the burgoo were destined to be to together.

Next, we moved on to the main course, a combo platter that included mutton, pork ribs (they were out of mutton ribs), and sliced pork. The sauce offered was a vinegar/tomato-based sauce with a mixture of spice and sweet. The sauce was no used in the cooking process, but offered for dipping on the side.

The star of the combo platter was definitely the mutton. It just grabbed onto that hickory flavor and tasted mmmmmm good. To say that the ribs just fell off the bone would be an understatement. There was barely any bone; they were all meat! I mention the sliced pork because it was there, but it was a little dry and needed a extra sauce, which I was happy to add.

The "must have even though I'm about explode" dish: At Old Hickory they also serve outstanding pecan pie. If you are a person who prefers the higher ratio of sugary goo:pecan, then this is the pie for you. The goo was not too heavy and solidified. Instead, it was wonderfully light and soft. The perfect note to leave Owensboro on