08-08-01 |
| by Ghislaine Ball Apparently there is some big debate brewing (tee hee) about the origination of the distillation process. Was it the Chinese, the Egyptians, or the Arabs who first distilled (I’m probably going to spend an additional 100 years in hell for that) the art of turning fruits and grains into intoxicating adult beverages? Regardless of who the geniuses were, we boozehounds here in the 21st century are tickled burnt umber. The History The rest of the history goes that it was most likely the Moors who brought the distillation process to Europe while they were occupying southern Spain for a gazillion years until the 15th century. In brief, the process of distillation is a very simple one: water boils at 100 degrees Celsius, and alcohol boils at about 78 degrees Celsius. When you take a liquid that has already started to ferment (alcohol is the byproduct produced when yeast or some other fungus digests the sugars in carbohydrates such as fruit or grains—we drink yeast pee) the alcohol boils and can be collected—a distilled alcohol. So during the distillation process, the fermenting substance is heated-up and the alcohol boils first (turns into a vapor), and travels through a series of tubes and cooling apparati—I know this because my senior year college roommate had a still in our kitchen for about a month. Don’t ask, she was from Louisiana. You can’t even imagine the smell. The vapors are then captured, cooled and condensed into the substance we call liquor. Different kinds of liquor come from the different kinds of fermented fruit juices and grain mashes that are distilled. Our discussion today, kiddies, focuses on the rich, heady spirit we call Cognac. Cognac is a member of the brandy family. (Interesting bit of trivia—the word ‘brandy’ is descended from the Dutch word ‘brandywijn’ which refers to the wine that was ‘burnt’ in a still. Cool, huh?) Yet much like champagne, real cognac can only come from the Cognac region of France. Cognac is one of only three designated brandy regions in Europe—the others are Armagnac (also in France) and Jerez (in Spain.) All cognacs are made from white wine produced within the Cognac region. I thought for sure that Cognac was distilled from champagne but when I went to confirm that little rumor at the time of this writing I couldn’t, so, we know for sure that it’s white so we’ll leave it at that. The wine is fermented and produced according to whatever rules they’ve got going on. The wine is then distilled twice in small copper stills and placed into French oak casks for aging. Legally, they must age for at least two and a half years, but most cognacs are aged for much longer. An interesting side note here is that many of these casks, once they can no longer be used by the cognac producers, are sold to Mexican tequila producers for creating their añejo tequilas. I believe that they sell a super-premium extra-fancy Porfidio at Bar Abilene in Uptown that’s aged for five years in cognac barrels. So the cognac ages in the barrels for a minimum of two and a half years but some of the best X.O.s (extra old cognacs) mature for 20 or 30 years or more. Virtually all cognacs are a blend of several different batches and aging levels. This is done in order to insure more accurate flavor and quality from batch to batch. Appreciating cognac I lifted this next section from a Web site that I found. I’m leaving it as a straight quote, because it’s just very well said. “What are the connoisseurs tips to enjoy Cognac? The experience of a fine Cognac should be one satisfying all senses, sight, olfaction and naturally, taste. First, the sight: raise the transparent glass to eye level and observe the inimitable amber color and the mellow of the Cognac. Next, the smell: gently bring the nose over the top of the glass and discover the initial volatile aroma. Now swirl the glass gently in your hand: some call it the ‘humanization’ of Cognac, and discover, with the ‘second scent,’ the full bouquet. Finally, the taste. It should confirm the impressions experienced before. The tongue is split into distinct parts allowing to experience successively sweetness, saltiness, bitterness, acidity, all inherent to the flavor of Cognac. A good Cognac will leave an impression for a long time. “The glass should be filled to a fifth of its volume, in order to leave room for the vapours. It is recommended to warm the glass slightly in the palm of the hand, but never over a flame: this might destroy the delicate aroma of a Cognac.” While cognac is quite varied in subtlety and flavor according to its producer, an easy classification system to learn is this: a V.S. (which stands for very special) is at least two and a half years old, a V.S.O.P, also known as a reserve, is aged between four and a half to six and a half years and a Napoleon, or X.O., is at least six and a half years old. Cognacs do not come cheap. But if you’re just learning, or you’re looking to try some out, order it as a digestif the next time you’re out at a fancy restaurant. While the price tag may momentarily startle you, I guarantee that it’s a lot cheaper than buying a bottle at the store and having it go bad because you don’t like it. |
| by Ghislaine Ball What a delightful little restaurant! Ninety-nine times out of ten, I’m a pretty frugal person—I buy most everything in bulk, I buy socks and delicates en masse at Target and I’m physically incapable of paying full price for a movie. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a full-blown hedonist at heart, and I have been known, on rare occasion, to spend my rent money at a wine sale or a really fabulous restaurant. OK, I’m exaggerating, it was once and that was years ago and I just paid it a couple of days late. You gotta have your priorities, y’know. What’s the point here? The point is, that while I’m usually on a mission to find lovely little neighborhood restaurants that serve up the good grub for not a lot of ching, sometimes you just gotta throw down the chanterelles and break out the credit card. King and I is one of those places. Truthfully, we probably could have gotten out of King and I without leveraging our internal organs but it just wasn’t one of those days. Now that I think about it, for what you get, King and I is really not much pricier than most places these days. I think that where you really get some good traction going on that bill is when you just want to try everything. And then, of course, you simply must partake of the beverages. “Really officer, I’m a yammerer on a good day.” Speaking of beverages of the adult variety, the King and I has a decent wine list (yay!) a sizable list of Asian beers (yippee) and a lovely list of foofey, house specialty umbrella drinks. Oh yeah, and a few things for the tea totalers too. The space is gorgeous. Situated in the basement of an apartment building in the Loring Park area, the inside is simple and low-key and decorated with artifacts that I’m assuming are of Thai origin. The best part though is the multilevel deck outside. Simply lovely and completely private—unlike most sidewalk endeavors in the area. We started our meal with a few appetizers; King and I egg rolls ($5), curry puffs ($7.50) and hoi long hai ($8). The egg rolls were lovely; pork and shrimp mixed with rice noodles and possibly some light shreddings of cabbage? Fried and served with a delicate sweet and sour dipping sauce that was more Vietnamese than the Chinese red dye #6 glop that you’re thinking of. The hoi long hai—fresh green lip mussels steamed in either a spicy basil or a spicy ginger sauce—was marvelous. Having no shame, I was drinking the lovely basil sauce with a spoon. The curry puffs—chicken and potato in a pastry (a lot like an Indian samosa)—nice, but not very memorable and really not measuring up to the $7.50 price tag. For our next course we ordered the tom kha with shrimp ($15), a delicate soup that really exceeded our expectations. Truthfully, we were sold on it from the description; “An extraordinary, rich coconut-based soup with bamagoot leaves, lemon grass, galanga root, herbs and spices.” I had no idea what most of the ingredients were. It was delicious. At this point we were all pretty stuffed. Not to be deterred, we dove into our entrees—served family style. Historically, some of the best dishes in the place are the daily specials; we opted for the gaeng of the day, and then the pad thai with beef ($11) and a side dish of pad spinach ($10) (they were out of the spinach so we substituted green beans). The gaeng of the day was a lovely, light, coconut-based curry with generous slices of trimmed duck and served with a flavorful, nutty steamed rice (possibly basmati.) The pad ‘green beans’ was also lovely. A mound of fresh crispy green beans served with chunks of fried tofu in a flavorful black bean sauce it was tasty and light. My favorite though was the pad thai. When I was living in Texas, anyplace you went that served pad thai served it with a plate of fresh basil, fresh bean sprouts, cilantro and wedges of lime. I miss that. Right or wrong, I like my pad thai with a healthy flavoring of citrus—trust me, it’s a whole different experience out there. Now, while the pad thai at King and I doesn’t come with a do-it-yourself garnish plate, it is easily the best pad thai I’ve had in the Twin Cities. Light and loaded with flavor, it hits the peanut flavors without knocking them out and definitely has a predominant citrus thing going on. I’m telling you, you’ll revise your take on pad thai. We had to pass on dessert. Just couldn’t do it. Wanted to, the offerings were appealing, just couldn’t do it. So get down there for a cocktail and some yummies on the patio before it gets too chilly out. And I’ve saved the best for last, they have free valet parking!
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Ghislaine Ball Still driven by my cellular obsession for decent barbecue, my quest brought me to a small, chain-looking restaurant on the corner of 37th and Nicollet called, innocuously enough, Shorty & Wags. It was opened about 25 years ago by a couple of longtime friends, Shorty and Wag—the guys went separate ways a few years back. Wag assumed responsibility of their Shorty & Wags bar on Lake Street and Harold ‘Shorty’ Perbish took over the restaurant. A small, largely takeout joint, the place is so visually uninteresting and chainlike cookie-cutter in its exterior that it’s not very compelling or inviting to prospective customers driving by. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m the kind of person who’s drawn to shit-holes, in my experience, shit-holes are the places where you’re going to get the best surprises on your plate. But from the outside, this place doesn’t look like a shit-hole—it just looks like someplace that serves the distributor-bought processed food special. I’m harping on this point because this is by far the most fixable problem in the world. And it’s a damn shame because they’re serving up some pretty fabulous Southern-style cooking inside. Shorty—get thee to a daytime talk show, your place needs a serious makeover; it’s outdated and needs some character. OK, so that’s enough bitching, let’s get to the good stuff—the food. The menu here is pretty extensive and a little overwhelming, but the bulk of it is pretty damn good. I was especially fond of the side dishes. On both of my recent trips, I was unable to tear myself away from the ribs. Now I’m not saying that they’re the best I’ve ever had, and there are other places in town that do aspects of the rib better, but for my money they’re pretty damn good, and combined with the overall package, this is where I’ll be getting them in the future. The ribs (3 ribs/$4.35, half rack/$8.19, full rack/$15) (they are also sold as a dinner and as tips) as they are served are incredibly meaty, with a light interesting rub and smothered in a pretty decent sauce. The meat itself isn’t fatty at all but it is still quite tender and holds the flavors of the rub quite well. The sauce is quite thick, with a nice sweet/spice balance to it. For my personal tastes, it could hit the tastebuds a bit harder, but hey, this is Minnesota, you gotta keep your audiences tastes in mind. The best thing of all, though, are the side dishes. I don’t know who’s in that kitchen, but they were playing my inner Southern fat girl like Yo-Yo Ma. The hush puppies ($.95/six) are a little different from what I usually think of as hush puppies, but they are nice—very onion heavy. I must have some kind of vitamin C deficiency, ’cuz lately I’ve been woofing down the onions in bulk. The cooked cabbage with ham hocks ($2.55) are amazing. As with most really good Southern cooking, there’s definitely a fat-to-taste ratio working here. I really don’t ever want to know how much fat was in that cabbage—white cabbage stewed within an inch of its life, loaded with bits of ham in an incredibly rich peppery broth. Other Southern delicacies that you can get there are greens ($.1.25/4 oz., $4.15/pint), a cornbread muffin ($.55), fried okra ($1.50), black-eyed peas ($.95) and the standard coleslaw and potato salad. It’s a little hot right now, and ironically enough, Southern food can be a little rich so now might not be the most perfect time to be loading up with lots of rich, heavy, rib sticking food, but should you feel the need to experience some of the best Southern soul food in the Twin Cities area, get down to Shorty and Wags.
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07-18-01 |
| by Ghislaine Ball I’m gonna let you in on a little secret here—the best way to travel is to stay with friends. How you do this is up to you, but I’m telling you: you go, it’s cheaper than staying in a hotel or worse, you get to spend some time in good company, and you get the inside skinny on all the local goodies. (Am I going to hell for saying skinny in a food column? That would suck.) How this relates—and it does—is that a couple of years ago a couple of friends of mine up and moved to Santa Fe, NM. (Confession, I’m totally tripping on some end of the weekend manic panic right now, but bear with me. I just had a thought—so because our state abbreviation is MN and New Mexico’s is NM, does this mean that New Mexico is our balance in the universe? The yin to our yang, the proton to our neutron, the Donny to our Marie? For the benefit of those new to our studio audience, this segment is brought to you by Tangent Time—the habañero to our cucumber—I have been ah-say-ved.) So while visiting the great state of New Mexico I had the good fortune to gorge myself on some delicious traditional New Mexican cuisine—a couple of times at this lovely restaurant called Pasqual’s. No relation to the Pasqual’s here in Minneapolis, but they serve similar cuisine, and they both have some lovely traditional Southwestern dishes. The following is a section that I shamelessly stole from the Minneapolis Pasqual’s Web site. “In the Southwest, San Pasqual is honored as the patron saint of the kitchen. With this in mind, we chose ‘Pasqual’s’ as our name. Through our cooking we hope to recreate the unique atmosphere of the Southwest. “At Pasqual’s our style of cooking is mainly in the tradition of Northern New Mexico. Around Santa Fe, Taos and the surrounding area, there has evolved a distinct style of preparing foods from the unique ingredients available there. This style is the result of influences by the Native Americans, Mexicans, Spanish and Anglo peoples who have historically made this their home. The ingredients which separate this area from some other areas of the Southwest are typically the green and red New Mexican chile, postle and blue corn to name a few. We receive these ingredients along with others directly from New Mexico to bring this unique home-style cooking to the Midwest.” I lifted this because I feel that this not only gives a good idea of the history of New Mexican cooking, but an idea of what the owners of Pasqual’s were going for. The food at Pasqual’s is really pretty good. Fantastic if you consider that we’re deep in the heart of the anti-New Mexico. I wouldn’t classify Pasqual’s as straight-up New Mexican though, they’re more Tex-Mex with distinct New Mexico overtones and flavorings. Certainly one of the tastiest, most accessible, reasonable and filling option on the menu is one of the burritos ($4.75–$6.75). Quite sizable, the burrito is a 12-inch flour tortilla filled with beans (mostly), cheese (mostly), your choice of meat (or not), assorted variations of accessories and sauce and of course house-made salsa. A reasonable selection for both omnivores and herbivores, my personal vote lies with the fajita burrito (Chicken/$6.25 and Steak/$6.75)—strips of grilled chicken breast or fajita steak wrapped up with grilled peppers and onions, black beans, cheese and sour cream. Damn tasty, and definitely big enough to split. I’ve also enjoyed their enchiladas (a la carte/$3.25, single dinner/$5.25, full dinner/$7.95). Lots of mix and match options here, all served with beans and rice. What I get usually depends on what I’m in the mood for. The chicken enchiladas usually take a green sauce while the beef traditionally takes a red chile sauce. Green sauce is a mild, very citrusy sauce made from the tomatillo chile while the red sauce is an earthy, spicy, occasionally grainy sauce made from those lovely red New Mexico chiles. I think that our server got the two mixed-up, ’cuz he warned us that the green was hotter than the red, which is really the opposite. Oh yeah! And that brings us to the big change that’s happened down at Pasqual’s—they’re doing table service now. Huh? It completely threw me. But I definitely think that this is going to be a change for the better. If you haven’t been there in a while, no fear, the food hasn’t really changed that I can see. Go down and check it out. |
07-11-01 |
| by Ghislaine Ball What is it about pizza that makes it so damn good? Is it the carbohydrate laden dough, the nod to vitamins and vegetables in the sauce, the fat laden mounds of melted cheese or the Mmmmeaty toppings? Whatever it is about pizza that makes your taste buds hum, the bottom line is that even when it’s bad it’s still good. Regardless, it’s still nice to sink the ole gums into a big slice of ’za. Not long after I bid my original stomping grounds—the streets of NYC—so long, I discovered that one of the main reason New Yorkers rarely end up spending their lives in alternate climes, is the appalling scarcity of good pizza outside the city limits. I don’t know what it is, but even in the shadiest looking holes-in-the-wall lies a stockpile of good ’za. Of course Chicagoans will take umbrage with this arrogant statement, but lets face it, Chicago style pizza is all about quantity and less so about the delicate balance of dough, sauce, cheese and the potential topping. In the Twin Cities area, there are a few places that can boast having good New York style pizza and one of them is Soho Café on 25th and Hennepin. They’re competitively priced and they deliver! Actually, they deliver a lot more than just pizza, but we’ll get to that later. Certainly the standard by which all pizza is measured is the traditional Pepperoni Pizza—well, it’s my standard. I was thrilled, because Soho managed to achieve that delicate balance that comes so easily to pizzeria’s in New York but is so elusive to budding pizza chefs elsewhere in the country. A nice, proportionately thin crust that was light without being airy, had a good flavor without being overwhelming and not a bit yeasty (ick). The sauce was pizza-lovely as well. All too many places seem to think that what’s good on some spaghetti with a couple of meatballs thrown on top must be good for pizza. That’s simply not the case; an overspiced sauce has been the death of many an aspiring slice. The sauce on this pizza is somewhat sweet with a hint of Italian spices but not so much that it’s the focus. Good job. Balancing the pie is a generous covering of mozzarella cheese, just enough so that little pools of grease formed, but not so much that it overwhelmed the rest of the pie. The pepperoni was the generic standard variety, in average quantity. My one wish would be that they include a couple more slices. The cost of a cheese pie, 12"/$7.45, 16"/$9.95, 20"/$14.45. Topping offerings are extensive and varied and are priced according to the size of the pie ordered, 95 cents, $1.75 and $2.45 each. Specialty pizzas range from standard to, um, interesting. On the standard side we have the Margherita pizza ($13.95). An olive oil base (instead of tomato sauce) with sliced fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic and mozzarella cheese. A lovely vegetarian option. Actually, there are several additional vegetarian options such as a spinach laden Florentine ($13.95), an Artichoke ($13.95) and an Eggplant ($13.95). One of the interesting ones that I refer to is the Supreme ($15.95), which in addition to the standard sausage, pepperoni, onions, mushrooms and peppers they also include spinach and broccoli. Also on the interesting front is the Gyro Pizza ($13.95) which is gyro meat, red onions, peppers and that lovely creamy cucumber sauce. It sounds weird, but it’s actually quite good. Ok, so in addition to the pizza, which is definitely the best thing going in this place is a random combination of Greek, Italian and American favorites. Pitas ranging in price from $3.95 - $4.95, once again with quite a few vegetarian options. A couple of salads (nothing special here), a few different kinds of calzones and pastas and, of all things, chicken wings. Everything gets delivered. Also in fine New York tradition is the fact that they sell pizza-by-the-slice. The worst thing about this place is that if you don’t live in the Uptown area, you’re stuck with one of the mass-market delivery places. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather give my money to a local place than a big generic something-or-other.
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| by Ghislaine Ball “Don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash.” —Sir Winston Churchill There are several speculations as to where the name ‘Rum’ comes from; some believe that it is derived from the English word ‘Rumbullion’ ñ meaning an uproar, or possibly derived from the Latin name for sugar ñ ‘saccharum’ and still others believe that it may come from the French word ‘arome’ meaning ‘aroma.’ Regardless, the result is a super sweet adult beverage made from molasses and is frequently found in those lovely slushy refreshments that epitomize a lazy summer day. The history of rum is deeply intertwined with the history of the Americas. It’s growth as an industry developed in conjunction with the sugar cane plantations in the West Indies. Sugar cane is not native to the Caribbean, where most of it is now produced. Spanish explorers brought it with them on their journeys, as a matter of fact; Columbus himself is said to have planted it on his second voyage to the Americas. In the 1500’s, rum, and more specifically molasses, was an integral part of the Triangular Trade that was taking place between the Europeans, the Africans and the Americas. It was such a part of the British Navy, that until the 1970s, each sailor had a daily ration of ‘grog’ which is rum, water and a squeeze of lime to ward off scurvy. This is actually where the term ‘Limey’ comes from. Rum was also the beverage of choice in the New England colonies. As Boston was the big port-of-call, it also became a hubbub of rum distilleries. And on January 15, 1919 the site of a most bizarre accident. Shortly after noon on that day, a 90-foot-wide cast iron tank containing 2.5 million gallons of crude molasses slated for rum production, exploded. The bulk of the damage to the surrounding area was caused by the approximately eight foot high wall of molasses that careened through the streets at about 35-mph. Generally speaking there are three distinct types of rum; white or silver, dark and then flavored rums. The white or silver rums are traditionally un-aged and have a stronger (more harsh) flavor. Myers is certainly the most popular dark rum in the United State. Thick and rich it’s flavor and consistency are very similar to undistilled molasses. I’ve lumped all of those lovely aged rums into the flavored category simply because I’m not sure where else to put them as their range runs the gamut of flavors. Some are aged, some are blended with herbs and spices, still others are flavored with fruit juices and liqueurs. Although some of the finer rums are best when sipped and savored, the most common way to enjoy rum is mixed or blended with fruit and fruit juices. One of the oldest cocktails is the Flip. Reported to be one of Benjamin Franklin’s favorites, the Flip was a combination of rum, molasses and beer. Heated in a pitcher with a hot poker, servings were topped with a smidge of nutmeg or ground ginger. Towards the end of the Spanish-American war (late 1890s,) the Cuba Libre (Free Cuba) became very popular. Involving the new beverage on the scene, Coca-Cola; it became such a standard, that even today, most bartenders will automatically garnish a rum and coke with a wedge of lime. Also invented in Cuba in the late 1890’s and named after an iron mine is the Daiquiri. Reported to be Ernest Hemmingway’s drink of choice and a favorite of President John Kennedy, frozen fruit variations of this cocktail are still very popular. One of the loveliest sipping beverages that I know of is the Mojito. Created in Cuba, it bears a striking resemblance to the Mint Julip of Kentucky fame. Mojito 1 tbl. Sugar 1.5 tbl. Fresh mint leaves 2 oz. Aged Rum (like Appleton) ice water/club soda In the bottom of a mixed drink glass, mull the sugar and the mint leaves. This means that you grind them together with the back of a spoon to release the mint oils into the sugar. Pour the rum over the mint leaves; fill the glass with ice and top with water or club soda. Garnish with a sprig of mint and serve. |
| by Ghislaine Ball When I was growing up, there was this fantastic Greek restaurant about two blocks away from my house where my father used to take us, probably once or twice a week. He wasn’t much of a cook but he could pick a restaurant like nobody’s business. I can’t remember the name of the guy who owned the place but he knew ours. For all the money we spent there, it probably would have been easier to just buy him his boat outright. He was great though. On any given night, spring through late fall, you could find him sitting old-school outside his restaurant at a small café table sipping his wine out of a small juice glass. Honestly, looking back, the food wasn’t the end-all-be-all of Greek cuisine, but more than good food—it had charm. Gardens of Salonica is one of the worst kept secrets in Minneapolis. The space is tiny. Although I didn’t actually count the tables, I would put their seating at about 40 or so. What this means for you is that you had better make damn sure that you get there early if you don’t want a big wait. It’s light and airy, with those lovely high-ceilings that you find in old buildings around town. The main thing to remember about Greek food is that although it looks light and it tastes light, it really fills you up quickly, so keep this in mind so that you don’t over-order. But then again, if you over-order then you get leftovers! We were absolutely starving when we walked in the door. Starving and dying for a cocktail. Now, I respect the fact that the owners of this establishment are going for authenticity on their menus. This happens to extend to the wine list as well—lets face it, the Greeks are known for a lot of things in the last 2,000 years, but not so much for the wine. We had some anyway, it was fine, just a little on the sweet side for my tastes. For our appetizer we opted for the Combination Plate ($5.00) and a Leek Lemon Garlic Boughatsa ($1.50). The Combination Plate consisted of our choice of three of the salad selections. We chose the Melitzana (eggplant pureed with olive oil, green onions, parsley and garlic,) the Skordalia (pureed garlic with potato, olive oil and lemon juice and the Pipperies (roasted red bell peppers marinated in olive oil, vinegar and garlic.) Served with wedges of Pita bread (which could have been served hot but I’m not picky) each one was fantastic in its own way. The Boughatsa was like a (don’t shoot me, it’s the best analogy I can think of) small savory filled popover with a phyllo pastry. It was delicious. I was so loaded up with garlic that when I got home my cat was wrinkling his nose at me. Next came the salads which were delicious and is frankly where we should have stopped eating—but oh no—never say die, that’s what I say. The salads were lovely and you can get it in one of three sizes ($2.50/ half pt., $4.00/pt. $6.00/qt.) For our dinners we ordered the Mousakas ($8.95, $6.00/a la carte,) the Orzo Arni ($9.95, $7.00/a la carte.) The winner of the evening has to be the Mousakas, baked layers of roasted eggplant and seasoned ground beef, and topped with a browned béchamel; a cross between lasagna and shepherd’s pie. The meat was perfectly spiced with just a hint of cinnamon and the béchamel was creamy and light with a lovely crust on top. The Orzo Arni (braised lamb simmered with orzo pasta in a red sauce) was also lovely, but a bit too heavy for the hotter months. Small chunks of tender marinated lamb served casserole style with orzo pasta and a light coloring of a savory tomato based sauce with hints of cinnamon. For your edification, orzo largely describes the shape of the pasta. So while angel hair is long and very thin and fettuccine is long, flat and wide, orzo is shaped like a large kernel of rice. I know that it’s criminal, and that I have failed you as the resident foodie, but we left without trying the Baklava. I just couldn’t eat another bite. It would have turned into that “wafer-thin cracker” scene from The Meaning of Life. So if you haven’t been to Gardens of Salonica yet, you’re missing out, and if you have and you’re pissed at me for just making the line to get in longer; tonight, I’ll try really, really hard and squeeze out a tear just for you Mr. Davis. |
| by Ghislaine Ball Certainly one of the things that makes weekends special is Saturday and Sunday brunch. On the warmer days—this year the drier hours of those days—I like to get on my bike and tool around town a bit before breakfast. It’s all just an elaborate process so that I can justify my gravy addiction. Mmmmm, gravy. A couple of times now I’ve stopped by the Birchwood Café, but it’s not exactly your typical greasy spoon so well, y’know, some mornings you just gotta have grease. This Saturday, one of my most-foodiest of friends and I decided that enough was enough and we were going to bike on over to the Birchwood, hurl ourselves into their kitchen and eat our way out. Established in 1926 by the Burch family, the Birchwood began it’s life in the Seward neighborhood as a dairy. Then in the ‘40s, the space was converted by the Burch family into a neighborhood grocery. Fifty some odd years later, in 1995, the Burch family turned the space over to its current occupants and the Birchwood Café was born. The space itself is open and airy, with gorgeously high ceilings and a clean, healthy feel to it. I spied an eclectic range of both singles and families that were certainly representative of not only the Seward neighborhood (I’m completely falling in love with this neighborhood, it’s personality is very much like areas of Oregon and Washington State) but all the Twin Cities. Serving fresh, unique and organically grown food, they offer a staggering amount of vegetarian and vegan options along with the eclectic spins that they take on omnivore delights. The menu changes pretty much daily, which makes it kinda tough if you’ve got a specific craving, but the food there is all so good, you won’t have a problem finding a substitute. For our breakfasts, we ordered a Potato Strata ($6.95), the Asparagus Quiche ($6.50), a blueberry/strawberry muffin ($1.50) and some coffee. My Potato Strata was fantastic—layers of thinly sliced potatoes, fresh herbs and light, fluffy eggs layered and baked au gratin style served with a light hollandaise and two delicious pieces of peppered country bacon. My only criticism was that they went a little heavy on the dill for my tastes. When you’re using beautiful fresh herbs like that you’ve gotta keep in mind that a little goes a long way. My friend’s quiche, though, was the hands-down winner of the day. Loaded with asparagus, lighter than air eggs and flavored, but not overwhelmed, by four different kinds of cheeses. The crust was flaky but not dry, and the whole thing had a firm crusting of brown cheesy bits on top. Served with roasted new potatoes, I had to restrain myself from stealing it for myself. Birchwood is also lauded for its wonderful desserts, such as Chocolate Banana Cream Pie, Blackberry Cobbler and Key Lime Pie. Keep in mind that, like the rest of the menu, the desserts change daily. This is nice; at least you know they’re using fresh, seasonal ingredients in everything. Overall, I was delighted with everything from the space to the yummy food to the charming people who worked there. They’ve definitely succeeded in producing a high-quality product in a charming, healthy-feeling space. |
| by Ghislaine Ball I would like to take advantage of my position to extend my vote for humanitarians of the year to all the self-serving S.O.B.s parked under the overpasses on Monday night during the storm. All I saw was a turquoise sky, and to me, a turquoise sky followed by blackness and hail means only one thing—a tornado. I have never been so frightened in my life, and I don’t frighten easily. The defining moment of horrible was being trapped on 100 North because a few individuals were blocking all lanes of the freeway so they could be under the underpass. While trapped, I kept looking back, hoping to catch a glimpse of the funnel so that, maybe, if I was lucky and I timed it right, I could try and outrun it. A handful of individuals, blocking the safe passage of hundreds just so that they might, what, be spared? When the tornado came through, would the wall of corpses and crushed metal that was their friends and neighbors somehow act as a cushion for them from the tornado. If you were one of those people, God help you. May you spend all eternity listening to the screams of the mothers, fathers and frightened children whose unwitting little bodies you so banally cowered behind. Is this what we as a culture have come to? So I made it home, and after I medicinally sucked down a few dozen bottles of wine, I was looking to feed. On an aside, for situations involving extreme terror and imminent manglement, I find that a light refreshing Pinot Grigio really hits the spot. Being an Uptown girl and not wanting to get back into my car/coffin, I was looking at someplace within walking distance. Not much for atmosphere, but always a good bet for tasty grub is Uptown favorite, the Lotus Restaurant. Consistently voted “Best Restaurant in the Twin Cities” by the critiquing powers that be, I’m not sure I’m 100 percent behind that assessment, but the food is definitely interesting and really quite good. And plenty of options for you vegetarians out there. Eggrolls and springrolls are usually a good test of a Chinese or Vietnamese restaurant as they can so easily be dry. Lotus offers a rather large selection of both, ranging in price from $3.25 for the Mock Duck and Vegetarian to $5.25 for the Imperials. Our favorite appetizer was this lightly battered butterfly shrimp that our server recommended. Perfectly cooked in a light tempura-style batter, I could have drunk the sauce that it came with, straight. From the extensive entrée menu we ordered the Vietnamese Curry Style Chicken ($7.95) and the Vietnamese Barbecue Chicken, served on steamed rice ($6.55). I don’t think that I’ll order the Curry Chicken again. Wedge-cut mushrooms, onions and chunks of chicken in a well-spiced sauce, it had this weird grainy texture and an earthy taste that I couldn’t quite place. The Barbecue Chicken though, was fantastic. Nice chunks of marinated chicken, pineapple, onions and peppers served over rice with this sweet/tart sauce, it was definitely the winner of the evening. On previous trips I have enjoyed the Lo Mein ($6.95 - $7.55). Chunks of chicken stir-fried with those nice lo mein noodles, onions, sprouts and carrots. The sauce was perfectly tasty and delicate and not that oil bath that you so often come across. I would have to classify Lotus as not your standard-fare Vietnamese with Chinese accents restaurant. They definitely explore the eclectic range of flavors. So yeah, if ever you find yourself on the other side of a near death experience or if you’re just looking for an interesting place to drop in for a bite, I’d recommend Lotus. |
06-06-01 |
| by Ghislaine Ball Not too long ago, one of Uptown’s staples, “The Suburban,” got a makeover from the people over at Cinema Grill. The uproar that ensued! No less consideration was given to the restoration of the Sistine Chapel. “It’s a landmark,” they said, “They’re going to ruin it,” they said. A quick history—and this is cheating, ‘cuz I’m taking it word for word off the back of the menu. “On Sept. 26, 1928, the Granada Theatre, as it was originally called, opened its doors to the City of Minneapolis. The Granada was the first atmospheric theater in Minnesota and was designed to evoke the illusion that patrons were seated in an outdoor Spanish-Moorish courtyard. “In 1954 the theater became known as the Suburban World Theater and it was during this period that extensive remodeling was done to the theater. The current restoration has succeeded in restoring much of the original façade of the theater. “Over the years the theater has been the venue for vaudeville performances, major motion pictures, and even adult films during the 1970s. The Historic Suburban World Theater is one of the remaining few atmospheric theaters in the United States and is on the National Register of Historic Places. During its more than 70 years of history, the Suburban World Theater has evolved into a landmark in the diverse cultural environment of Uptown Minneapolis.” Just in case you haven’t been there since the renovations, I, for one, think they did a fantastic job. All the cool things that made the Suburban World eclectic and kitschy are still there. The only thing that’s really changed is the seating, which is now little café tables and eating ledges. A selling point for me—for any establishment—is booze, and they’ve got it. A very modest wine list with only one white and one red that I was really interested in—but not at all a shabby selection. They also had a pretty solid selection of beers, both draft and bottle—and nicely priced to boot. The food is not going to win any awards, but it is completely edible. It’s bar food. A nice selection of pizzas ranging from standard—like the Belushi ($7.95/personal pizza, $15.50/large 14”)—sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, onion and olives—to foo-foo like the Portabello Pizza ($7.50/personal pizza, $15/ large 14”)—grilled tomatoes, onions, green peppers, portabello mushrooms and mozzarella with a pesto base. Something to avoid unless you’re six or don’t have any taste buds is the One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest ($6.75). Dry, bland chicken tenders that were most likely dipped in Shake ’n’ Bake. Seven bucks for a couple of tenders and it didn’t even come with fries. Just say no. The burgers however were definitely edible. Large, not terribly dry, made of beef—nothing to write home about but perfectly edible. However, the waffle fries that the burgers came with were fantastic. Large, light and fluffy on the inside, savory and crispy on the outside. I not only cleaned my plate but the plates of anyone nearby. So you’re not going to be heading out for an evening at the Suburban World for the food, but it would be a terrible shame if you didn’t go. The overall experience is wonderfully civilized in that quintessential Uptown way. You know what, this a great place to take a first date. It’s fun, it shows you have character and it’s really inexpensive for what you get. Two people can conceivably share a pizza, a pitcher and enjoy a movie for about $30. If you have any better ideas, I would love to hear them. |
05-30-01 |
| by Ghislaine Ball Once again dear reader we travel to the happy and carefree land of the singleton. A land where dinner plans are not a given and shopping at the grocery store is a regular affair—not because it's a great place to scope the hotties (Lunds on Lake wins hands down for selection of hotties, but let’s just say, “ladies, they're categorically not interested”), but because it's simply impossible to bulk-buy for one. Bulk-buy for one translates into a lot of wasted food. So, if you're not blessed with either the energy to dine out every night or the resources to have a personal chef, step into the boat with the rest of us. Family owned Joe's Market and Deli on Como, near campus, is a great place to stop off for a quick bite or to grab something to go. Don't be fooled when you walk in the door”you are in a mini grocery market. For those of you who are too young to remember the days before Rainbow, Lunds and Cub, all markets used to look pretty much like this. But walk into the back of the store and you'll find the deli, and the thing that makes Joe's a little different from your run of the mill deli. In addition to your standard selection of meats and cheeses that they make huge, fresh, yummy sandwiches out of, Joe's Market and deli also carries a selection of Lebanese favorites. And for what you're getting, and the quantity, it's a really reasonable place to bring the family. For those of you unfamiliar with this Middle Eastern cuisine, Lebanese food can be characterized by fresh meats, lots of carbohydrates and a combination of spices that is more Turkish and Greek in flavor than say Indian. Now, while the menu changes pretty regularly, there are plenty of delicious dishes that you can rely on being there. I've already mentioned the wide range of sandwiches that range in price from $2.49 for a half and $3.89 for a whole with random things counting a little extra. The sandwiches are large, fresh and made-to-order. Pretty standard goings-on here, nothing not to like. But certainly the best things in the cupboard around this place are the Lebanese dishes. On the salad front we have your standard tabouleh ($2.99/1/2 lb.) and hummos (($2.69/1/2 lb.) and while the hummos is completely good, the tabouleh is some of the best I've ever had. Consistently it is fresh and zesty. A quarter pound of tabouleh and a couple of the hot pitas make an excellent light lunch. On the less common salad front we have the mjadrja ($1.99/1/12 lb.) which are lentils, rice and onions and the burgl ($1.99/1/2 lb.)—bulgar wheat, tomatoes, onion, oil, salt and pepper.) Both are lovely, but the burgl is even better with a healthy squeeze of lemon, actually, they're both better with a squeeze of lemon. And a little salt. Hands down though my favorites are the hot sandwiches. beef gyro ($3.99), chicken gyro ($4.49), baked kibbi ($3.99), (kibbi is a layered ground beef thing that most closely resembles a hamburger but tastes nothing like one), chicken ($4.79) and the mjadra ($3.49). I haven't had the chicken wrap or the mjadra but I'm speculating that they're all served the same way. Served on a hot, fresh, house-made pita with chopped onions, tomatoes and lettuce and smothered in that yummy, creamy yogurt sauce they are absolutely delicious, fabulous, freakin' good man. My favorite is the chicken gyro, nicely flavored marinated chicken, flavorful, tender-to-beat-the-band and a site less fat-laden than the regular gyro meat (which is also really damn tasty). Rumor has it they also make and deliver a wide selection of pizzas and some standard pasta-type dishes. I've seen the list and it looks pretty good, but as of this writing, I haven't tried it. The only real catch around here is that the cooks who make all this yummy food are only around at lunch and on weekdays. The cold deli is open, but you won't be able to get any of the hot dishes. So if you're playing hookey one afternoon this summer and you happen to find yourself over by the U of M, stop by and get a gyro, some tabouleh and some t.p. while you're at it, single-ply, not double—the double's not good for the pipes. Joe's Market and Delicatessen 1828 Como Ave. SE (612) 331 - 1272 |
05-23-01 |
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Ghislaine Ball Here is the million-dollar question of the week. What cosmic offense have I committed that the good lord has brought me to a land that is incapable of producing good barbecue? I quest, I pray, I hope and still, time and time again I am faced with under-smoked meat, bizarre condiments labeled BBQ sauce and sides that can only be classified as pitiful. Vocal in my ongoing disappointment with the BBQ scene in the Twin Cities area, I end up grilling random people (an event that is common but not exclusive to being sauced in a bar) for inside information on where you Minnesotans are hiding all the good barbecue. On a quick aside, when I refer to barbecue, I'm talking about Texas-style barbecue and not North Carolina style. If you're not already familiar with the difference, for the sake of this discussion, Texas-style barbecue is primarily beef while North Carolina-style barbecue is primarily pork and they use a lot of cole slaw. It's like some weird chunky condiment slash vegetable in their world. Man, Southerners will eat anything. I know full well that I'm going to have rotten tomatoes thrown at me in the street tomorrow for saying this, but I was not impressed with the offerings at Ted Cooks. I'm thinking that Ted Cooks is one of those places that has so much sentimental value to people around here that the taste of the food has really become irrelevant. Take out only, the inside is stark and mostly character-less with random chairs lined up against the walls. Like they hired the inmates at the nuthouse to decorate the waiting room at the free clinic. So what did we have; we ordered a half rack of the beef ribs ($10.00,) a half rack of the pork ribs ($10.00) and a half a chicken that was around eight dollars. For our sides we had an order of the greens and some red beans and rice, both at around two or three dollars. And for desert, peach cobbler. The beef ribs were surprisingly Napoleonic in stature. I think that in the interest of economy, the powers that be at Ted Cooks have cut the full ribs lengthwise. The flavor itself was perfectly good, nothing spectacular, just perfectly good. The one brief impressed moment that I had came when I the meat actually did fall off the bone. It still could have benefited from a couple more hours in the smoker, but considering the local competition, it was the closest thing to properly cooked that I've seen in awhile. My joy was fleeting though, as the rub that they used was bland and the BBQ sauce was unbalanced, but we'll get to that later. The pork ribs were pretty much what I've come to think of as the local standard perfectly acceptable, nothing special. Grossly undercooked, somewhat dry and covered in a rub that I would bet all comes out of a secret stash somewhere in Coon Rapids. The chicken was a definite high point. Surprisingly moist, it was just shy of perfectly cooked. I enjoyed it quite a bit—Carolina-style pulled meat on bread covered in cole slaw and dipped in BBQ sauce. The BBQ sauce, usually the cornerstone of a good BBQ joint. So far, the only place in town where I've had good sauce that didn't taste like it came out of a jar is at this tiny place on Lake called “Smoke in the Pit.” The sauce at Ted Cooks had the Ying of molasses and the yang of spice but there was nothing in there to balance the two out—which left the sauce overflavored. And the other thing was that in spite of the fact that we ordered a mild, medium and a spicy, they all tasted the same. Huh? The sides were a complete disappointment. The greens were most likely boiled in the family's laundry water and the red beans would have been bland and tasteless if it weren't for the gallons of molasses dumped into the mix. They did do a decent job with the peach cobbler, but I'm pretty sure that I've had it somewhere else. It bore a striking resemblance to the pan of peach cobbler that I bought at Sam's warehouse for a trash party one time. So I continue forward on my quest—I'll keep you posted. But here's my disclaimer: my dining companions were really happy with it. |
05-16-01 |
| by Ghislaine Ball As I’m sure you’re all well aware, the last couple of years have seen quite a bit of growth in the area just east of the river on Hennepin. But with all the gentrification and installation of chic little stomping grounds, one of the area’s long-time institutions remains a destination for people from all over the Twin Cities area. Opened in 1954, Kramarczuk’s East European Deli is owned and run by the mother/son team of Anna and Orest Kramarczuk. A retail deli with a cafeteria-style restaurant attached, Kramarczuk’s serves up over 60 house-made sausages, 10 house-made breads, a slew of imported east European delicacies and a selection of hot dishes with names like Holubets and Piroshok. I got turned on to this place years ago by this hot young chef who used to let me beat him at backgammon (it’s all about who’s winning at backgammon). They make this peppered pork sausage there called “Ukrainian Sausage” that I regularly used to lure the hottie chef back to my house. This sausage is so good; I would have no reservations selling my grandmother’s kidneys to get it. My favorite way to eat it is cut into slices which are browned on either side and then picked up with buttered pieces torn from a thick-crusted baguette. The adjoining restaurant is an experience. Occupying an absolutely gorgeous space—tiled floors, twelve-foot ceilings, lots of plants, Sinatra on the overhead and a hammered tin ceiling. At any moment I expected to see Laura and Dr. Zhivago walk in holding hands. It’s a toss-up as to what the best thing on the menu is. My German friend that I brought was speaking in tongues after only a couple of bites. On this trip, we ordered a combination plate ($8.39) that came with three Varenyky, a holubet, your choice of sausage and the best sauerkraut I’ve ever had. We also ordered the Ukrainian meatballs ($6.49) and a cup of the tomato soup ($2.45). Varenyky are essentially stuffed dumplings. Served with either meat, cheese or sauerkraut, I found them to be a touch too doughy but my dining companion loved them. My favorite was the holubet which is a meat and rice-stuffed cabbage roll that’s been doused in a sour creamy tomato sauce. Oh, everything here either has sour cream in it, on it or near it. The house-made grilled sausage link was perfectly spiced and amazing (especially dipped in sour cream) but the best part of the plate was the sauerkraut. A huge pile of sliced cabbage speckled with pork—it didn’t even need any sour cream. The tomato soup was a meal in itself and at $2.45 an absolute bargain. My only complaint was that there were so many dumplings in my soup it was hard to enjoy the broth. We also enjoyed the Ukrainian meatballs, one huge meatball (you can get as many as you want) served over egg noodles and smothered in a tomato and sour cream sauce. Topped off with a Sprecher’s Cream Soda, it was two days before I experienced anything resembling hunger. Obviously this is not the place you want to come if you’re looking for a light salad. But this place is a Twin Cities institution, so if you’re in the area, stop by for a pop or a snack or cruise through the deli and pick up some of that delicious hottie-chef-luring Ukrainian sausage. You won’t be disappointed. Kramarczuk’s Deli 215 East Hennepin (612) 379-3018 Open Mon 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tues.–Sat. 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
05-09-01 |
| by Ghislaine Ball OK, please forgive me, but I have to put this in “Did you hear they opened up a new Starbucks?” “Yeah, it’s located in the bathroom of the existing one.” Yeah, I know, seriously lame, but it definitely drives home that overkill theory. Some days it sure does seem like Minneapolis is taking some cues from Seattle. Coffee shops. There are coffee shops everywhere. So what makes a good coffee shop? Well, for starters, good coffee. But most places buy their coffee from big roasting houses. So what else? For my money, location and clientele. Pearly B’s coffee shop is strategically located inside the Amazon Bookstore on Chicago and 45th right next to the Chrysalis Center for women. The area also known as the estrogen epicenter of the greater Metro area. On my first trip there I brought one of my guy friends. I was looking to monitor any physiological effects that exposure to such palatable concentrations of estrogen might have on his presently male bio-system. Popular speculation held that at the very least his beard would fall out and he would suddenly understand why Stella needed to get her groove back. Alas, no such luck. No major physiological effects were documented, with the exception of a sudden craving for biscuits and gravy and a solitary bobble-head-doll move accompanied with the comment “Oooh! Good smelly stuff!” Aside from a pretty standard selection of coffee (a sign behind the register proudly proclaims that the coffee is brewed by Great River coffee roasters), Pearly B’s offers a fine selection of foo-foo coffee-styled beverages such as Chai, random sodas and a selection of Odwalla juices. Special additions of hormone-free milk, soy milk and flavored syrups are also available. On the bakery front, they were offering a selection of muffins, scones and random sweet treats. Certainly the thing most worthy of mention is the very reasonable pricing of their luncheon offerings. Sandwiches are priced at $2.75 for half and $5.25 for a full and you can choose from things like hummos, turkey, tuna or a veggie wrap. Daily soups and small salads are also available. One thing that did look very appetizing, but I have to admit that I didn’t try it, was the Quiche of the Day. For $3.75 you get a slice of quiche made with organic veggies and free range eggs and served with a side of greens. For that price and those ingredients it could taste like cardboard and you’re still getting a deal. The next time you’re in the neighborhood, whether you’re stopping by for yourself or to pick up something for a woman in your life, sit down and put your feet up for a moment. Relax, long-term exposure to concentrated womanhood is good for you. |
05-02-01 |
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Ghislaine Ball Cinco de Mayo (5th of May) is next weekend. I would be deeply remiss in my duties as resident gourmand if I didn't acknowledge this most festive and food friendly event. An event commemorating a day that may have been just as important to the U.S. as it was to Mexico. Contrary to popular opinion, Cinco de Mayo is not a Mexican independence day. On May 5, 1862, Mexico declared its independence from Spain. Some fifty years later, 4,000 Mexican soldiers defeated an invading French army of 8,000, which included many Mexican traitors. The French had landed in Mexico five months earlier under the pretext of collecting debts from the new, democratically elected President Benito Juarez. Remember that the civil war was going on here in the US, and that the French were pledged to help the Confederate Army. An argument could be made that Emperor Napoleon III (the nephew of the Napoleon of Waterloo fame) was not only looking to conquer Mexico, but to use her as a foothold in the Americas from which the French army would be able to assist the Confederate army in the U.S. (Who knows what the US-hating, megalomaniac was thinking?) Mexico must have seemed quite the tasty morsel to Napoleon III. The French army had not been defeated in over 50 years, so they were feeling pretty confident. The Mexican army, led by General Zaragosa, and the cavalry, led by Colonel Porfirio Diaz managed to defeat the impressive French army, thus saving their own behinds and keeping Napoleon III from supplying the Confederate army. So this weekend, eat, drink, and raise a Margarita toast to Mexico, for without them, we might all be speaking French. Cinco de Mayo festivities abound all over the Twin Cities area this weekend. The biggest celebration can be found in St. Paul. I’ll see you there. I’ll be the one with her mouth full. I thought about including a recipe for tamales which are common in Mexican celebrations, but they’re pretty hard to make and ridiculously high in fat. So try this recipe for empanadas. Empanadas are kind of like savory filled popovers. They’re delicious, easy, can be filled with most anything, and travel really well. Chicken Empanadas • 1 lb. shredded chicken breast (use canned, its easier) • 1 large onion, diced • 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce fresh cilantro • 1/2 tsp. ground cumin salt, pepper • 1/2 cup packed grated Monterey Jack cheese (about 2 ounces) • 3 7.5-ounce cans refrigerated biscuit dough (10 biscuits per can) • 1 egg, beaten to blend • Oil for deep frying Sauté chicken in heavy, large, nonstick skillet over medium heat until brown, breaking up meat with fork. Add cumin, salt and pepper at the beginning so the meat absorbs the flavor. Transfer turkey to small bowl. Add onion to drippings in skillet and sauté until light brown, about 7 minutes. Return turkey and any juices to skillet. Add tomato sauce and simmer until mixture is almost dry, stirring occasionally. Cool completely. Mix in cheese. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.) On lightly floured surface, roll out 1 biscuit dough piece to 4-inch diameter round. Place 1 tablespoon filling on round. Brush half of dough edge with beaten egg. You do this so the sides will stick together, kind of like scoring the edges of clay if you're making pottery. Fold dough over filling to create half—circle and seal edges by pressing with tines of fork. Set empanada on baking sheet and cover with damp cloth. Repeat with remaining biscuits and filling. Pour oil to depth of 1/2 inch into heavy large skillet. Heat oil over medium-high heat to 350°F. Fry empanadas in batches until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels. Serve warm or at room temperature. |
| by Ghislaine Ball Hi, my name is Ghislaine and I love Popeye’s fried chicken. (HI GHISLAINE) I remember when I moved here, somebody told me that Minneapolis was the epicenter of the twelve-step program. The joke was even made that there was even a support group for people who weren’t in a twelve-step program. One of the first steps to recovery is admitting that you have a problem so here’s my confession. I had my first piece of Popeye’s fried chicken in New Orleans when I was about nineteen. Although a tad long-in-the-tooth for my first experience with Popeye’s, the fact that I was indoctrinated in New Orleans is akin to having the Vikings douse you with the Gatorade cooler after winning the Super bowl. Surreal ain’t it. Thank God my mother was already in her grave, because my showing up at her door with a fried chicken leg in one hand and a vat of gravy in the other would surely have put her gourmet, organic vegetable-eatin’ arse there double-time. From the moment I sank my fangs through that spicy, crispy skin into the tender flesh I knew that I was in trouble. Twelve years and four hundred pounds later, I regularly find myself sneaking (well, as much as a five hundred pound woman can sneak) bags of Popeye’s up to my apartment. I got busted by the caretaker of my building one time, he took one look at me and at the bag I had half hid behind my back looked at me and said, “Hell of a hangover, huh.” “Oh yeah, absolutely beastial.” I replied, taking a swig off of my plastic tub of Dr. Pepper. Alcoholism is just so much more glamorous than what I was doing. When I moved to Minneapolis, one of the first things I did was to find out where the Popeye’s was. OK, so one thing that just completely cracks me up is that when you go to this Popeye’s, the drive-thru is this caravan of white people. Almost without exception, every single person on line at the drive-thru is white. But if you go inside, everybody is a shade of brown, almost without exception. I honestly have no idea why that is, but it never fails to crack me up. Inside, its not your average fast-food joint, the walls are lined with autographed pictures of the rich and famous; largely from the seventies and largely professional wrestlers and there’s good music blasting from the speakers. It’s a party in there. I usually order the spicy (mild is also available) two-piece combination plate ($4.69) an extra side ($1.49) and a Dr. Pepper (regular/$1.09, large/$1.39). All of the combination plates come with a regular-sized side, a biscuit and a beverage. Not to be confused with the chicken dinners (ranging in price from $3.69 - $6.19) which come with everything but the beverage. The chicken itself is always tender and moist and finger licken’ good (oops wrong place). For the side dishes I strongly recommend the red beans and rice or the mashed potatoes and gravy (regular/$1.49, large/$3.49). Sodium laden and chock-full of uber-fat they are so damn good I would sell my brother’s kidneys if it were necessary. I’ve been Popeye’s free for almost two full days now and although its been tough, I’m feeling really positive about things and I’m pretty sure that I’ll make it until my next scheduled visit. Oh, and a big salute to the smart-ass who’s been doing their sign for the past couple of years, your commentary has made my day more than once. Keep up the good work. Popeye’s Famous Fried Chicken & Biscuits 310 W Lake St. 612-825-5129. |
| 04-18-01 Sweetski’s: Too Good to Be a Secret |
| by Ghislaine Ball What is it about Saturday mornings that drives us to the nearest greasy spoon to load up on truck-loads of cheese-saturated eggs, bacon, and syrup-soaked flapjacks. The average breakfast plate served anywhere in the Twin Cities area on Saturday morning has enough carbohydrates and fat in it to fuel a city block for a month. And then if you're going for the fat-girl delight, you ask the server if they have any gravy to pour over the top. I have this vision of a picture of me sitting atop my tastefully closed casket, gravy on my upper lip and the caption reading, “Got Gout.” Well, this weekend I got turned on to a lovely little breakfast and bakery spot that serves up a fresh, delicious breakfast for less than what you’ll pay at most places, and it’s not going to put you into an early grave with all the grease. The best part about this place is that it’s like going over to a neighbor’s house and the neighbor is a really good cook. The space itself is charming with a feel to it that reminds me of this coffee shop in Oregon, but I couldn’t tell you why. High ceilings and big, east-facing picture windows combine to give the space a wonderful open and airy quality. Most noticeable about the food at Sweetski’s is the freshness of the ingredients. I cannot express enough the difference that fresh vegetables and fresh herbs make in a dish. For our breakfast, my friend and I both opted for omelets. She had one of the specials, roasted tomato and parmesan topped with fresh Italian parsley and served with American style home fries and a couple of biscuits for around $6. My Pavlovian reaction to the menu landed me with The Country Omelet ($6.25). Filled with ham and American style home fries, covered in, oh yes, gravy, and topped with fresh chopped scallions, it was so good, I wept - the scallions made the whole dish. Our omelets were light and fluffy and completely devoid of grease. The home fries were chunks of Yukon gold potatoes (all potatoes should be Yukon gold, try using Yukon gold potatoes the next time you make mashed potatoes - they’re so delicious that you can get away with using half the butter) pan fried with salt and pepper. Completely yummy, my only suggestion to the cook would be to run with the fresh herb thing and throw in a pinch of fresh chopped rosemary. Another thing I found to be refreshing, was that the portions weren’t of the gut blasting, built for two variety that you’ll find at most breakfast places. They were a perfect size - you could leave guilt-free, having cleaned your plate, but you didn’t need a nap afterwards. On the lighter side of the breakfast plate was a fine selection of baked goods. Biscuits, muffins, scones, coffeecake and three different éclair options that I’ve been assured are all made on-premises. We only got to sample a couple of cookies that they had by the register and the biscuits that came with the meal, but they were absolutely fantastic. I feel like a broken record going on about how good everything was, but unfortunately they really haven’t left me with much to feel luke-warm about, let alone find complaint with. Whoever’s in the kitchen over there is doing a kick-ass job. My only recommendation would be to get over there before the word gets out and the line to get in wraps around the block. Sweetski’s closed Mondays. Open Tue. - Fri. 6 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sat. & Sun. 8 a.m - 4 p.m. 612 - 521-7401. 35th and Grand Ave. S. next to Present Moments. |
| by Ghislaine Ball It’s booze baby, what’s not to like? Ok, well, aside from the fact that it’s booze, tequila has a lot going for it. And these days, with so many beautiful handmade and artisan tequilas being imported to all parts of the country, it’s high time that tequila gets its due. Long considered the exclusive privilege of college freshman, tequila has been experiencing a resurgence that has elevated it to its rightful place alongside other finely distilled delicacies. There are essentially four kinds of tequila; a blanco (aka silver or fresh’ tequila) a reposado, an anejo and tequila liquors. First came the blanco, a blanco is tequila that is bottled directly after distillation. It has no color and a very strong scent and flavor. In Mexico, blanco is generally the variety of preference and considered to be a ‘true’ tequila. Within the many varieties of blancos you will find an incredible array of flavors, from flowers and herbs to earthy and pungent. For hundreds of years, the blanco was the only kind of tequila made. How we get the other varieties is actually an interesting story. One year, one of the big tequila producers in Jalisco made too much. Not wanting to throw away a perfectly good batch of tequila, the tequila makers poured the over-stock into large oak barrels for keeping, put them in a corner of the cellar and forgot about them. Some time later (between one and two years) somebody was doing some cleaning and found them. On a whim they decided to taste it before they threw it out. It was delicious. The tequila, like an aging wine, had mellowed and absorbed the oaken earthy qualities of the wood. Anejo or ‘aged’ tequila was born. Aged in casks for at least a year, Anejo tequila is also traditionally embodied by a wide variety of scents and flavors. The main differences lie in the overall feel; Anejos are smooth and mellow like a nice cognac. And like a nice cognac, most anejos should not be mixed in a cocktail but savored in a snifter. At this point I should note that there are a decent selection of artisan tequilas being imported into the area that could only be classified as ‘super-anejos.’ Fine-crafted tequilas that I would pit against any chi-chi-la-la single malt or cognac for overall style. The reposado (or rested) tequila came next. Aged in casks for a minimum of six months, a reposado (in my opinion) takes with it the best of both the blancos and the reposados. Fiery and passionate like a blanco yet mature and smooth like an anejo, a reposado is the most versatile of the varieties. A reposado is not a ‘gold’ tequila, a ‘gold’ tequila is a blanco with caramel food coloring and flavoring added to make it look like a reposado. Lastly we have the tequila liquors. Generally blends of any number of varieties from blancos to anejos styled with a flavor like, say strawberries. Usually really sweet, they’re good in mixed drinks or for people who don’t like to taste their alcohol. Myth #1 There’s a worm in tequila. There is no worm in tequila. Well, not any kind of self-respecting tequila or mescal bottled in Mexico. I am sad to report that there are a couple of American mass produced mescals that do add a butterfly caterpillar or two to up the mystique of the bottle. Long ago, in a marketing war room far, far away somebody long since retired from the rat race blinked twice and said to themselves “I know, we’ll put a dead worm in the bottle and tell everyone that it has hallucinogenic qualities. The unwashed masses will think it’s dangerous and our tequila will fly off of the shelves.” Myth #2 Tequila is made from a cactus. Actually, tequila is made from the heart or ‘pina’ of the agave plant. The agave plant is in the succulent family, so it is more like an aloe than a cactus. The popular misconception comes from the fact that cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti. The harvester or ‘jimador’ waits until the agave plant is just about to flower. This allows for the most sugar to be in the pina (which can weigh anywhere from 80 to 500 lbs). at the time of harvesting. The pina is then processed according to the traditions of the individual ‘tequilleros’ or production houses. Myth #3 Tequila is the same as Mescal. This could get confusing, so bear with me. I like to use this analogy, you know how all poodles are dogs but not all dogs are poodles? Well, all tequilas are mescals, but not all mescals are tequilas. A mescal in its essence refers to any distilled liquor made from the Agave plant. A true tequila is a mescal that is made from the blue agave plant within the Mexican State of Jalisco. Something to keep in mind is that, legally, a bottle must only contain 51% Agave distillate in order to be labeled as a tequila or a mescal. The really good tequilas that contain 100% Agave will say so on the label. Myth #4 Tequila is stronger than other liquors. The production of tequila is tightly regulated by not only the Mexican government but also by a council of growers and producers. An ounce of tequila has pretty much the same alcohol content of every other hard alcohol you’re going to find in a bar. The World’s Best Margarita 1 1/2 oz. Reposado Tequila 3/4 oz. Cointreau the juice of two large fresh limes Mix ingredients together in a shaker glass and pour over ice into a salted rocks glass. That’s it. Some people find this to be too tart, so to sweeten it up you might want to add a couple of tablespoons of orange juice or maybe add some extra Cointreau or Grand Marnier. Some yummy variations for your blender might be to add some fresh strawberries or some mango slices. |
| I'm delighted to report that somebody has finally managed to perfect the art of the French café. They haven't even done this in France yet. Take your standard bistro-style café, give the place a good cleaning, make the food a lot better (and definitely more nouveau Americana in flavor) give it a decent wine list and teach the servers to speak English, and you have the newest project of Uptown merchant Kim Bartmann, also the proprietor of Bryant-Lake Bowl.The space itself is comfortable in an eclectic kind of way. Barbette has conversation centers instead of tables, colorful mosaics, a really cool bar, an austere undertone and high ceilings to boot. While the various menus are limited, they offer a lunch, a dinner, and a food all day. Everything is made from very fresh ingredients and they try to offer something for most moods.For starters we had a bowl of the Clam Chowder with fresh Manila clams (cup - $5.50/ bowl - $6.50). It was amazing, deliciously light and low on the fishy factor. I found it a tad pricey for my world because it’s not going to do it for a meal, but considering what went into it, it’s actually pretty inexpensive. For our lunch my friend and I shared the Nicoise Salad ($9.50) and the Ahi Tuna Sandwich ($9.50.) The salad was a fairly standard up scale Nicoise - seared rare tuna, green beans, olives, new potatoes, egg (in this case quail egg) and mixed greens served with a vinaigrette. My dining companion had mixed emotions about it, but I thought it was really yummy in spite of the undercooked potatoes and the sporadically tough tuna. The hands down winner of the day was the sandwich, a fennel and black pepper seared ahi tuna served with a nice aioli between two slices of a fresh sour dough. The sandwich was huge and a bargain at $9.50. The dinner menu is more extensive, but maintains the fashionable ladies who lunch style of offerings. Expansions include Roasted Chicken Garlic Jus ($16.50) served with roasted vegetables and French lentils. And a Peppered Steak ($19.50) served with a nice demi glace and green beans. And if you like fresh raw oysters, they're a steal here (3/$4, 6/$8, 9/$12 & 12/$16).Taking cues from big-brother-Bryant-Lake-Bowl, Café Barbette is offering an eclectic but very solid multi-national wine list that includes the summertime must, a refreshing Sancerre. Mmmm, Sancerre is made in Sancerre, France from the Sauvignon Blanc grape (if it’s white - I've never had a red Sancerre, but I'm told that they exist). This summer pick yourself up a bottle of Sancerre and some crottin de Chavignol (really delicious goat cheese) from their cheese shop, some nice crackers, garnish with some apple wedges, and for under twenty bucks you can feel like Jackie O for an afternoon. Oh yeah, Café Barbette has a good beer list with ciders and a huge selection of non-alcoholic options, from a cup of coffee ($1) to Lemongrass Spring Water ($5) and three kinds of hot chocolate ($2.25).As if the openings of Bar Abilene and Chino Latino weren't enough of a clue for you, Café Barbette is the flying monkeys in tights smack over the head that Uptown is for the fashionable crowd. Gentrification has its perks - if you can afford it.Café BarbetteCorner of Lake and Irving in Uptown7 am - 1 am ph 612-827-5710 |
| Bear with me on this one, my knowledge of Ethiopian food is rivaled only by
my ability to levitate. The Blue Nile is billed as a restaurant and a lounge and that is
really what you get. It also appears to be a cultural center for the east African
community in the area. But, first and foremost, this is no place to take a picky eater. If
Grandpa hasn't eaten anything that isn't white in the past decade, this is not the place
to expand his horizons. The place is huge. The lounge/nightclub that occupies most of the main area plays host to a wide variety of international and world music. On any given night (mainly weekends, music fans may find live bands offering anything from Middle Eastern Pop to South American Sambas. Definitely a lounge, the space is more like Nye's Polonaise than First Avenue. The restaurant area follows the same style and color palate as the lounge, but it is much more luxurious in a vintage, eclectic kind of way. Booths line the outer perimeter while dark, heavy, wood tables with huge, high-backed upholstered chairs occupy the floor. The beverage menu offered a perfectly acceptable but unimpressive wine list, a creative, eclectic and lengthy beer selection and your standard variety of non-alcoholic options. And the service was good; our server was knowledgeable, charming, and patient with us. But what you're here for is the food. One of the best ways that I've found to experience a new cuisine is to talk a couple of friends into going with me and ordering huge quantities of sampler platters. Fortunately, whoever wrote the menu at the Blue Nile understood that Ethiopian cuisine is not on every street corner and that they were going to have to sell not just themselves but the cuisine as well. This is just a roundabout way of saying that there are a couple of different sampler platters on the menu and I strongly recommend them. For our appetizers we ordered the Gosa-Gosa ($6.95) a sampler of Sambusa Fooni, Sambusa Missiraa, Baajiya and Shafut. I could tell that there were a ton of Indian influences in this cuisine, the Sambusas bore an unmistakable resemblance to Samosas, very similar spice combinations and even aspects of the presentation. The most interesting thing on our plate was the Shafut. The dense chewy bread (Biddeena), was soaked in spicy butter milk and chutney sauce. The only thing that I can compare it too is a kind of savory bread pudding. Our dinner option was the Gosa-Gosa C ($17.95). Hmm, does Gosa-Gosa mean sampler plate? Billed as a dinner for two, we could have easily fed four and it sure didn't look like it when it arrived. Picture if you will a plate the size of a café table layered on the bottom with this very large thing that looks an awful lot like a pancake and randomly covered with piles of thick stew-like substances. Definitely not anything resembling a Western presentation. But it sure did smell good. The Gosa-Gosa C was a sampler of the Maraka selections and all of the vegetarian entrees. Although the menu lists each of the Maraka dishes with different ingredients, they were almost indistinguishable to me. One chicken, one beef and one lamb (mmm, lamb) served in red sauces of varying degrees of spicy. My one big complaint is that they were billed as cubes of the respective meats, but what we were served was more like a sparse shredding. Don't get me wrong, they were all very tasty, I just know that I would have enjoyed them more if there had been larger chunks of meat in them. The vegetarian selections that came on the sampler platter were also very flavorful, and not as spicy as I thought that they would be. Honestly, I would have a hard time relaying any specifics about any of the dishes that we enjoyed, they all had similar flavors and consistencies, I will say though, that they were all quite good. And that's good news for all you vegetarians out there. So what's the verdict? The Blue Nile is definitely a must for anyone who hasn't yet experienced the savory delicacies of Eastern African cuisine, but keep in mind that you're not in Kansas any more. Blue Nile 2027 East Franklin Ave. Mpls, MN 55404 612-338-3000 |
| by Ghislaine Ball Once again we come back to the land of singledom, a phrase which generally means, in my world, that you do not have a dinner partner that is required to be there at least four nights a week. One of my favorite places to avoid the kitchen has, for some time, been the deli counter at The Wedge Co-op. I find it hard to believe there is a human being in Uptown that is unaware of all the different things the deli counter has to offer, so let’s just call this a moment of appreciation. Play along with me like this is all news to you. First of all, something good has been happening at The Wedge this past year. It could easily be my imagination, but it seems like the place has gotten an internal overhaul. I can't put my finger on any specifics, but the store seems cleaner, and the people more helpful. So, to whomever or whatever this change is due, it’s good, we notice and appreciate it. So down to the task at hand. In addition to a fine selection of seasonal fruits and vegetables (mostly organic, of course) and a comprehensive aisle of bulk goods (bring your own reusable container - not only is this a cheaper way to shop but you're putting less waste into the environment). Other sections of note are the bulk spice area, the selection of natural home and bath products and the butcher. These guys are putting out some really nice cuts (not cheap but worth it as a treat), plus they offer a selection of premarinated chicken breasts (a quick and healthy dinner option) and an array of funky chicken sausages (they work great on the grill but you have to spray them with cooking oil first). Also of mention is the smoothie bar. During the warmer weeks of the year there are few things finer than a freshly made smoothie. One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to tool around downtown on my bike and then hit the smoothie bar on my way home - in the winter, hot tea is glue for the soul, but in the summertime, it’s smoothies. OK, enough of this do-it-yourself business. The deli awaits. Soups are made daily - I strongly recommend the gazpacho, and I normally don't like gazpacho so this stuff is really good. Cold sandwiches are made to order and are pretty standard - it is virtually impossible to screw-up a sandwich. Truthfully though, I rarely get a sandwich here, the alternatives are much better - Big Mike's is down the street. On the cold side we have a great selection of salads, orbiting the $5 per pound price range - most of them are substantial enough to be considered a meal. On the hot side, well, that's where they keep the really good stuff. Sold by the pound, the mainly vegetarian hot dishes offered here once again stay in the $5 per pound range. The menu here changes daily, but you can always count on them having a couple of choices for roast chicken and a non-pepperoni pizza-by-the-slice. Hands down my favorite thing is the Tofu Saag Paneer. A vegetarian dish of Indian origin, it’s basically a really flavorful creamed spinach dappled with tofu and served over rice. Normally served with chunks of an Indian cheese, I'm not sure why The Wedge's version uses tofu. Other things I look forward to are the Chicken a la King (great hang-over food) and the Red Curry Mushrooms (quite spicy, and positively inspirational for the ol’ intestinal tract). Truthfully, I can't think of one thing off of the top of my head that I'd steer away from. So, on the off chance that you've been missing out on all the wonderful things that The Wedge has to offer, this is your wake-up call. And by the way, shame on you. The Wedge Co-op 2105 Lyndale Ave. South 612-874-7275 |
03-14-01 |
| by Ghislaine Ball If you ask me, Indian food is a lot like pizza, when it's good, it's just dreamy and when it's bad, well, even then, it's still good. But the truth is, I don't really know all that much about Indian food. Sure, I can list off some dishes that I like, and I can tell you a smidge about Tandoori oven cooking and those lovely breads (naan) that they make in them, among other things, but for the most part I feel lost when it comes to many of the subtleties in this genre of food. My old roommate's very good friend is from India and I've been privileged to enjoy some of his cooking (his wife is really lucky). Outside of his own kitchen, his favorite place to get Indian food in this town is Taste of India off 394 at Xenia Parkway. With this wordy, yet vague, little disclaimer in place, which essentially means that everyone's tastes are different, let me tell you a little about the new restaurant that's occupying the old Moghal's spot on the corner of Emerson and Lake (and Palmer - I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself). First off, they've done a lot of solid redecorating. Currently, the interior is bright and airy and has a simple, subtle cafe-style elegance to it. Adorning the walls are the traditional Indian deities, but let me tell you, the new management takes good care of them. A friend of mine and I arrived early one day for the lunch buffet, and got to witness the manager giving a quick prayer (complete with incense). I thought it was cool. My first trip to the newly appointed Natraj was (unfairly to them) about a week after they opened. The service and the atmosphere were lovely, but the food was pretty salty. Correction, I thought that it was salty, but my dinner companion thought that it was just fine. Later trips proved that this was only somewhat of an anomaly. I don't think that there's anything on the menu that I would advise against. From the appetizer menu we ordered the vegetarian treat sampler platter ($6.95), an assortment of deep fried vegetarian finger foods complete with dipping sauces. Among the assortment were little Samosas - not to be confused with Samoas which I'm now rationing because my Girl Scout dealer cut me off! Samosas are kind of like bite- sized Knishes, little pastries stuffed with potatoes and peas, that are really good and not even close to being on the diet. Hands down, my favorite things were the breads, especially the Garlic Kulcha ($2.25). Two large pieces (it kind of looks like pita bread) served steaming hot and slathered with fresh garlic, parsley and oil. It was so good, we were using the bread instead of our utensils. For our dinners, we ordered the Rogan Josh ($11.95) and the Chicken Palak ($9.95), both of which were quite good. The Rogan Josh was chunks of tender lamb in some kind of rich, spicy curry and served over that delicious jasmine rice that they use. They sell the pre-mixed spice combination at Penzy's Spice on Hennepin, but I've been too chicken to attempt it at home. The Chicken Palak was just as lovely - chunks of tender chicken (they must soak this chicken in vats of fat-girl happiness, aka butter, because it was so moist) - cooked with spinach and served with that lovely rice. It was a good choice. But keep in mind that I love spinach and have a soft spot for anything that has spinach in it. Another treat was on the dessert menu with the Gulab Jamun ($2.99), small balls of surprisingly light, yet very rich, dough served chilled in an orange blossom water infused honey. They were fantastic. We also stopped off for the lunch buffet one day, and it was very nice and an absolute bargain for an all you can eat $6.95. In case you haven't already guessed, Indian food provides a ton of really incredible vegetarian options. Beyond that, it seems that the vegetarian diner was a primary thought in the writing of the Natraj menu - judging from the extensive vegetarian selection. So what's the bottom line? The prices are very reasonable for what you're getting, the atmosphere and service are very good and the bread is worth donating a kidney for. Natraj 1123 West Lake St. 612-823-2866 |
| by Ghislaine Ball I have to tell you about this night I had a couple of weeks ago. I get home from work, screaming about the non-specific, generalized incompetence of Minnesota drivers. For your information kids, a lane merger is not an opportunity to jockey for position, the shoulder is not your personal lane and if you camp-out in my blind spot when my indicator is on, I will cut you off. So, I get home from work and the last thing I want to do is cook. A quick phone call to my buddy who lives downstairs and we're off. Oddly, the first restaurant we went to didn't want to serve us. We were seated at least ten minutes, the only customers in the place, and nothing. We saw plenty of people who “worked” there milling around in the service area, but apparently our business was not important. We left. The next place we went to was so smoky, words fail me. In a town with so much selection in the restaurant department, why would any restaurant behave in such a manner? That night, we ended up at a small neighborhood Italian restaurant called Casalenda's. Neither of us had ever heard of it before, but my friend liked the looks of it because it reminded him of a place back in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he grew up. The atmosphere was sweet, nothing fancy and very family oriented, and there were separate rooms for smoking and non-smoking - hurray. I tried to order some wine, being a big booze hound, but our waitress wouldn't serve me without an I.D. Bless her heart, she was so apologetic. She didn't have to be that apologetic, it’s not completely inconceivable that I'm under twenty-one. Well, when I look in the mirror, it’s not. So, I didn't get any wine, but the wine list was really solid, and really reasonable for what they were offering. For our appetizers we ordered the Fried Ravioli ($5.95) and the Garlic Toast with Mozzarella Cheese ($3.50.) Both were decent and perfectly fine, nothing to write home about. For our dinners we ordered the Lasagna ($7.75) and the Chicken Parmigiana ($8.50). Once again, perfectly fine, nothing to write home about. I kept feeling like I had had it somewhere before. Dessert held the same appeal, perfectly fine, nothing to write home about. Now, I should note that my dinner companion was deliriously excited about everything and kept proclaiming that he had just found his new favorite restaurant. Two things to note here: 1) He got to have booze and 2) I'm pretty sure that he has a crush on our server. The thing about Casalenda's is that it’s really reasonable, and the food is very family friendly. So we left happy. About a week later, I'm thinking about Casalenda's and I'm remembering that there were some serious pizza offerings on their menu. Where the regular food was just fine, the pizza is really, really... no I mean really good. Ranging in price from $5.75 to $19.75 and up, my only sadness came from the knowledge that they don't deliver to my area. ( So far, my favorite is one of their specialty pizzas, the Deluxe, a deep-dish Chicago style pizza loaded with pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms and onions and topped with about 400 lbs. of cheese-a medium is $13.25.) We both ate until we were dizzy and needed naps and there was still enough left over for two more meals. That in itself gets a frugal fat girl thumbs up. Apparently, all pizzas are made deep-dish, but they'll make it thin crust if you ask them. So what's the verdict? The regular food on the menu isn't going to be winning any awards, but the pizza is fantastic - and they do have limited delivery. So, the next time you're reaching for the phone to call one of those big pizza chains, think about dialing Casalenda's instead; the pizza is better and you'll be supporting a local small business, which is always a good idea. Casalenda's Ristorante 3748 23rd Ave South Mpls, MN 55407 They deliver 612-721-3355 |
| by Ghislaine Ball Once upon a time there was this beautiful boy named Murat who used to beat the snot out of me in backgammon. And unlike other beautiful boys, I wasn't letting him win. Murat was from Istanbul, the capital city of Turkey, and (at the turn of the century) arguably the most beautiful city in the world. I personally don't understand it, but living in this country, you might never know that Turkish cuisine is one of the major cornerstones in the world. Its right up there with the French and the Chinese. In Turkish cuisine, Eastern, Asian, Persian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean patterns bespeak the nomadic history that has enabled this culture to both inspire and be inspired by most of Eurasia. Turkish culture can be traced to nomadic tribes roaming Central Asia in the tenth century. It is likely that, like other nomadic tribes in the area, they subsisted largely on mutton and horse meat, unleaven bread and milk products such as yogurt. Fast forward to the mid fifteenth century, the Ottoman period. Long since settled on the Eastern shore of the Mediterranean, cooks in the palaces of the Sultan and in the homes of the nobles became highly specialized. It was during this era that Turkish cuisine experienced its renaissance. Not unlike the competition for elaborate fashions that characterized the French court of Louis XIV; there was extensive competition among the Turkish nobility to provide elaborate and exquisite feasts. So what is characteristic of Turkish cuisine? French cuisine has its sauces, Chinese cuisine has its ying and yang of flavors - in my opinion, Turkish cuisine can be characterized by complex spice and flavor combinations. For hundreds of years, Turkey was in complete control of the Spice Road; this, combined with the diversity of foodstuff that comes from the array of topography and climates to be found within its borders and the culinary and social stability brought by over 600 years of the Ottoman dynasty resulted in the grand cuisine of Turkey. On a practical note, the emphasis of Turkish cuisine on whole grains, vegetables, fruits and olive oil makes it naturally healthy and low fat yet immensely flavorful and satisfying. I think that more people would become vegetarians if they knew how densely flavorful Turkish influenced Mediterranean cooking could be. Most of the dishes of Turkish origin that I have enjoyed have been very similar to much of the Greek and Lebanese options that can be found in the Twin Cities area. Generally lighter than other 'haute' cuisines, Turkish dishes are wonderful, especially during the warm summer months. Under Ottoman rule, only the best of everything was brought into Istanbul, the sale of inferior goods was prevented by a strict system of control. Chick-pea Salad with Garlic-Cumin Vinaigrette This is a nice light summertime salad. I don't know about you guys, but I'm really needing to convince myself that summer is coming soon. 1 cup dried chick-peas soaked overnight, or 2 and a half cups drained canned chick-peas 1 and a half cups finely diced red onion. Drain chick-peas and cook in water to cover until tender, about 2 hours or a little longer. Plunge them into cold water, then rub them between fingers to remove the skins. Rinse and drain. Toss in a bowl with onions. Garlic-Cumin Vinaigrette 6 Tbls. good olive oil 4 fresh garlic cloves, crushed (don't ever use the store-bought jar stuff) one finely chopped jalapeno (optional) 3 tbl of cilantro, thyme, mint, tarragon, parsley 2 tbls. lemon juice 1 and a half tsp. coarsely crushed cumin seeds salt and freshly ground pepper. The vinaigrette is really quick; whisk olive oil with garlic, jalapeno, herbs, vinegar or lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and mix thoroughly. Adjust with salt and vinegar, let stand for a bit and then serve. Basil-Scented Tomato Dolmas Meat dolmas are very Turkish and reflect an ancestral desire to stuff things. 6 to 8 medium sized, firm tomatoes 2 tbls. butter 1 cup chopped onions 1 cup hot water 5 tbl. uncooked rice (I like Jasmine) 3/4 lb. ground lamb 1 cup loosely packed chopped basil 1 half tsp. ground allspice 1 half tsp. freshly ground cumin salt and pepper 4 tbl. unsalted butter 3/4 cup meat stock Basil leaves for garnish Cut off the stem ends of the tomatoes, wash and drain. Remove the pulp, leaving the intact shell. Reserve both the tomato shells and pulp. Heat the butter in a saucepan and cook the onions until soft. Add hot water and rice; cover and simmer until the rice is cooked, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool. Put the rice, meat, basil, spices and tomato pulp in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly by hand. Stuff the tomatoes with the mixture, Place the dolmas in a heavy shallow pan. Dot with butter, if desired, and add the meat stock or water, cover, and simmer 20 to 30 minutes until the meat filling is done. As the dolmas cook, add some water if necessary. Serve hot, garnished with basil leaves cut into ribbons and fresh, crusty bread. |
02-21-01 |
by The Pinball Wizard |
| By Ghislaine Ball A long, long time ago in a land that is too far away, I had the good fortune to spend the summer as a gluttonous fat-kid/line and prep cook in a barbecue restaurant in Texas. Those were the days my friend. Glorious days; for in Texas, barbecue is as revered a tradition as football. And Texans like their football every bit as much as Minnesotans. Actually, these days I would have to say that they like it a whole lot more. Now, I should mention that there are two essential kinds of barbecue; Texas style which is primarily beef and North Carolina style which is primarily pork. Those are certainly not the only differences, but in depth enough for the sake of this discussion. The barbecue that I've had in the Twin Cities is primarily Texas style. Let us pause for a moment and reflect on what defines good barbecue. Certainly one must begin with the right tools: a solid, seasoned smoker, a flavorful rub, the right combination of wood and of course, quality meat. These tools in the hands of a skillful and patient cook have the ability to yield a substance that is succulent and delicious enough to turn old George Jr. into a man of the people. Always on the quest for a nice piece of meat, it dawned on me one day that I had been driving by a possible treasure trove of smoky goodness for years. Just east of 35W on Lake St., Smoke in the Pit is a take-out only BBQ joint that looks like its been shut-down for a while. On my first trip there, my friends and I opted for the very large bucket of rib tips ($14.95), a combination dinner of ribs and chicken wings ($8.95), cole slaw, baked beans, potato wedges, a six piece order of hush puppies ($2.50), fried okra ($2.50) and for dessert, a slice each of sweet potato pie ($2.50). The biggest disappointment of the evening was that they were out of most everything that we asked for. Folks, running out of one thing happens, running out of over half your menu and not bothering to take a trip up the street to the grocery store is delinquent. The meal itself had its surprising high points while the low points were eminently fixable. Like I said, the basic tools for good barbecue are good meat, a good smoke and a good rub. The ribs and rib tips had all these things. The meat was lean with a flavorful spice rub while the smoke that they used was just the right combination. It missed, because they didn’t cold smoke it long enough. Barbecue should be falling off of the bone tender. So moist, a toothless baby could gum it. If you rush the process and don't smoke it long enough or don't keep the smoker humid enough, the meat comes out tough. A similar problem was found in the chicken wings, except that in addition to being rushed through the smoking process they were finished in the microwave (about a lifetime too long) and were so dry that the fibers of the meat itself appeared crystallized. Please listen to me, you already have the hard part down, you just need to finesse your timing. For the sides, the fried okra was tasty but unexceptional. The batter wasn’t strong enough to stand up to the bitterness of the vegetable. A common mistake. The cole slaw was decent, but over-sauced while the potato wedges had a really good flavor but were slightly over cooked. The BBQ sauce itself was right on; just the right combination of molasses and chilies. A pleasant surprise were the hush puppies (deep fried corn brea |
