cholesterolking

closet break!...the return of betty and umberto

2011-02-12T12:41:00.006-05:00

Lots has happened since Betty and I got trapped in the closet but I won't bear you with the details. As we head into the second month of the year Betty and I changed up our new years resolution game. No real year long resolutions except I would like to try and read a book a month and get this bearlog back up and quasi running. Ultimately the goal was to moderate with no OCD militant resolutions. Betty met me half way and started a monthly resolution strategy. In January Betty swore off milk and sugar -- the turbearnado variety of course. As we concluded the first month of resolutions I decided to sit down with the bearl of my dreamz for an interview and to learn what her febearary resolution was going to be:

U: So we got outta the closet.
B: We did. Not sure how you got us out but I'm happy to be back.
U: Fur realz. So I'm dying to know how was the first month with no sugar and milk?
B: No sugar and milk made my morning coffee less enjoyable. The taste was harsher and kinda made my stomach feel funny.
U: Will you stick with your coffee resolution?
B: No. Now that the month is over I'll return to milk & turbearnado unless I'm having something sweet. I'd rather cut back the sugar some place else.
U: What did you learn about yourself this month?
B: It was worth a try to see if I could develop a taste for black coffee but after a month I realize it's not my thing but it was worth expanding my flavor palette if even only temporbearily.
U: Do you have any advice for cubs struggling with their year long resolutions?
B: Good luck. Don't give up everything you enjoy. Take it in moderation.
U: What's your goal for this month?
B: To reduce my sweets consumption through simple less calorie options...ultimately just saying no to junkie sweets and hopefully avoiding eating anything after 8PM.
U: Bearendous. I wish you luck. Let's get outta here.

trapped in the closet...chapter 1

2011-02-05T16:27:00.004-05:00

he says "it might be saturday evening not sure what time it is these days..."
she says "not sure how long it's been we've been outta the game..."
he follows with "my crown is awol and can't remember when we last ate..."
she agrees "for sure...and the folks don't seem to get out much these days..."
he exclaims "and who's that little person who's taken over our place!!!"
she concurs "he yells and cries and stinks alot...and is chubby in the face..."
he warns "but we gotsa plan...it's just a matter of time...we gots this..."
she says "really umberto...you think you can get us outta this closet?"

Planning for the bean...

2009-12-10T22:00:00.005-05:00

In an effort to evaluate cost-saving measures, potentially avoid any BPA traces in canned foods and truly explore the nature of one our favorite foods I decided to try out homemade refried beans. I bought a huge bag of pinto beans from WholeFoods for ~$2.00. I soaked them in a bowl of water overnight, drained them, and then boiled them for 2 hours with some water, garlic, bay leaves and kosher salt. Once the beans were tender I drained them and kept the bean stock. In order to "re-fry" the beans I placed the beans in a pot and added some oil and heated them up while smashing them. I also added some bean stock back to the pot to smoothen them out. Concerning the preservation of bean stock -- I read recently about ways to multipurpose cooking elements like re-using cooking waters for various purposes -- including pasta water, water used for boiling veggies and the like -- and incorporating the water into recipes instead of plain water. The seasoned water is a natural thickener and flavor enhancer. So with no further ado I present my bean stock:

strained bean stock with hints of garlic and bay leaves in stock container from Penzey's

Betty was grossed out by the two unappealing jars of stock that were in the fridge but I was excited to use them in some future recipe.

The refried beans turned out pretty good. They were a little bland -- but i do have a bad habit of not adding too much salt to my food. What I noticed most was the texture of the beans. Definitely more substance and hence filling which was a good thing. So most our meals that week consisted of classic CK staples including...

bean burritos with trader joe's whole wheat wrappers, shredded ched, lazily chopped onions and the retun of the el yucateco paso doble

surprise remix. same burritos as before but with cilantro.

nachos. i know big surprise. diced jalapenos to boot.

So...Beans...and I used them for bean burritos and nachos which is a good portion of what we typically eat...but what about the yucky looking bean stock?

Well I decided to make jambalaya and utilized the remaining pinto beans and my bean stock along with the following:

ground turkey from Trader Joes
potatoes
zuccini
squash
onions
bay leaves
chili con carne powder from Penzey's
chipotle salsa from Trader Joes
andouille sausage from Trader Joes
corn

jambalaya. boom.

For plating I decided to cook up some grits that I purchased when Betty and I were down in Louisville earlier this year and added a fried egg on top for kicks.

CK's extreme jambalaya. boom.

The jambalaya was the jam. The grits absorbed and inherited the smoky flavor of the jambalaya and were surprisingly smooth and creamy. The sausage and veggies provided additional texture which made each bite very hearty. The tang of the egg yolk took each lucky bite to the moon. I've cooked jambalaya twice this year. That's twice more than I ever have before and am looking for ways to remix this dish.

So the bean has come full circle for CK. I am aware of the health concerns of purchasing canned foods as previously mentioned for BPA concerns and sodium concerns -- but I do have trouble resisting canned refried beans for the convenience factor since we eat them often. There are healthier brands that have less sodium and are organic but those also cost twice-to-three-times as much. This cooking experience has been fun and revealing. It definitely takes more time to make beans from scratch -- but you get more beans for your buck for sure and of course you get the bean stock as an added enhancer for other meals. In the end it's all about planning. Planning for the bean...and that is something this bear will just have to do...Plan for the bean. Be the Bean. Eat the bean.

There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics and the Great Pumpy.

2009-12-10T18:00:00.004-05:00

Betty and I decided to carve a pumpkin despite the fact that Halloween had come and gone. We wanted to name our pumpkin pumpy cause that's a cool name. Betty took the lead since I hadn't carved a pumpkin since I was in kin-bear-garten.

Betty drawing up potential faces for pumpy. Her fur sure looks strange.

Betty opening up pumpy's head. I didn't know she was gonna kill him!

Pumpy's seeds. We toasted these with oil, salt and pepper and they were delicious.

Pumpy has a face...

Pumpy all done.

Pumpy sleeping.

Making pumpy was a lot of fun and I got to learn more about pumpkins along the way. I sure hope pumpy rises out of the chateau again next year flying through the air bringing toys to all the bears of the world!

cholesterolking lives...

2009-12-09T18:00:00.001-05:00

Don't count Betty and me out just yet!

this is a scary picture of pumpy the pumpkin.

see he's not that scary with the lights on.

Charlotte, North Bear-alina...this one's for you...this one's for you...us us us...

2009-10-11T20:31:00.002-04:00

Betty and I took a last minute trip to Hilton Head last month and stopped in to visit some fam and friends in Charlotte, NC on the way. We had some good eats and the highlight of the trip was getting some quality time with our friends and family whom we don't get to visit with often. We kicked off opening night at a Mexican restaurant which of course I was eager to try. Our friend took us to Azteca. I must admit the location of the restaurant was slightly seedy as it was connected to a hotel but there was a warm vibe in the air which included a Mariachi band and folks who would stop by your table and make fresh guacamole.

chips & salsa w/ an interesting cabbage salad/salsa/slaw?

$8 guacamole made fresh in front of you

carnitas de puerca aka pork tacos.

sopapilla-esque dessert with fruit topping

Overall I was pleased with the meal, the vibe and the great conversation during dinner. There was perhaps slightly a bit of ADD in the air with all the music and action happening in the restaurant but it was fun none-the-less. The chips and salsa were standard. The cabbage dip was intriguing though not my favorite. I asked for hot sauce and hot salsa and was underwhelmed with both options that were brought out. The $8 guac tasted more like $5.75 guac but was still decent. The highlight of my meal was my carnitas taco dinner. The pork was extremely delicious and cooked tender topped with my favorite veggie red onions. Does it really get any better than this? I thoroughly enjoyed my tacos. Dessert was very delicious and a palette cleanser to change up everything we had been eating all evening.

The next morning I noted there was a Bojangles nearby our friend's place so I had to let Betty experience the guilty fried indulgence that is Bojangles.

biscuits & gravy to the left to the left & a spicy chicken biscuit with taters to the right to the right...

The biscuits and gravy were sinfully delicious. I really need to find a recipe for biscuits and gravy because I really love and crave them. I know Bojangles is fast food -- but their biscuit and gravy gives all the other dine-in joints up north a run for their money. The chicken biscuit was very good too. The potato wedges were a'ight but not anything too exciting. We also ordered a blue berry biscuit from them which was excessively rich and buttery but also delicious. It was fun to share this Southern fast food tradition with Betty though you really only need to eat Bojangles once every 2-3 years.

Betty and her bear-friend went to get their paws done at the bear-lon so I decided to stop by and visit my aunt and uncle. I was treated to some fantastic-ly fresh and tasty Indian food.

my aunt's Indian falafel

These were great. The meal was a take on Greek falafel but consisted of chick peas and lentils in the batter. The balls were rolled, deep fried and then served with a pita with some very tasty cilantro cream chutney. Talking to my aunt about how she made the Indian falafel made me want to revisit the process of deep frying foods. Betty got me a fry daddy when we still lived in the Short North but I was always scared to use it.

Up next was my aunt's golgappa a true Indian delicacy:

golgappa covered with seasoned yogurt, tamarind chutney, cilantro and chick peas

When I ate this yummy dish I couldn't help but reflect on how my tastebuds have evolved since I was a bitty bear. I never liked this dish as a cub -- i think mostly because the sweet and sourness confused me -- but now being somewhat older my taste buds have matured or something and this dish hit the spot. For those not familiar with golgappa -- it is essentially deep-fried mini crispy bread shells topped with chick peas, onions and usually a mix of yogurt and sweet-and-spicy chutneys.

In the evening Betty and I visited my cousin and her husband in the heart of downtown Charlotte. My cousin prepared for us an organic vegetarian Mexican dish of chili verde enchiladas. Not pictured were some tasty appetizers of guacamole and a cheesy bean dip.

chili verde vegetable enchilada stack

The enchiladas were fresh, simple and pretty tasty. A little light on the spice for my tastes but all in all a good meal. During dinner Betty and I had great discussion with my cousin and her hubs about the China Study, the challenges of maintaining an organic lifestyle and bear-ituality. Good times indeed.

The next day we caught up with more fam and hit up Big Daddy's Burger Bar which is a burger joint that prides itself on grass-fed hormone free burgers. Since I was down in the South I figured I should try their Classic Southern Burger:

Classic Southern Burger: burger topped with chili, American cheese, relish, mustard and slaw along & french fries fried in duck fat.

This burger was fresh and tasty but a bit of a mess. I suppose you get what you order right? The duck fat fries were good but I couldn't really distinguish the taste of the duck fat from the usual french fry preparation except for the fact they tasted firmer and were a little on the salty side. No worries because this place specialized in soft serve for dessert which was the perfect way to end the meal.

ultra sweet-soft serve with sprinkles

I forgot to take a picture of our last home cooked meal with my cousins and aunt but it was a delicious meal of cholay and dal. Betty and I had a lot of fun in Charlotte. I was impressed with all the yummy home cooked meals my family shared with us and really the best part was getting to visit with everyone and seeing our family and friends. I was happy to learn of similar cooking and diet interests with my cousins -- and hopefully next time we visit I'll get to share with them some of my ck freestylings in the kitchen. Word is bear-log!

the best taco-sense is a good b-fense...Mexican style tacos in the house

2009-10-07T23:00:00.002-04:00

During my 2 month hiatus of not blogging -- I was still busy in the kitchen with the thoughts of Mexican style tacos on my mind. My trip to Los Potosinos definitely impacted my taste palette and since then I can't get enough of corn tortillas, onions, cilantro and limes with any assortment of meats or legumes. The bear-fense aka b-fense wishes to present the following evidence of such obsession with all things Mexican style.

Exhibit 1: Mexican style tacos with ground turkey & homemade black bean salsa with the El Yucataco pasa doble bringing up the rear

This meal was delicious though unfortunately we were short of limes -- so I soaked the onions in vinegar to emulate the acidic clean taste of missing limes. Despite it's deliciousness I think I prefer non-ground meats in my tacos. There's more substance and diversity of texture. See Exhibit 2:

Exhibit 2: Mexican style tacos with grilled chicken with guacamole salad and Traders Joes Chimichurri rice with the El Yucataco pasa doble bringing up the rear again...

Holy bear-ito. These tacos were on-point. I grilled the chicken on the stove with this Buckeye Rub that I got from Hill's market -- and it gave the chicken a fantastical smokey sweet flavor that really enhanced the taco. Though not pictured we had fresh squeezed lime juice. This meal was replete -- the true gem was the improvisational guacamole salad that I free styled after noticing how Los Potosinos and most other taco reviews revealed that radishes were common with your taco truck experience. This was also my first time making guacamole since Betty makes one that will blow your paws off. The guacamole salad consisted of:

3 avocados
juice from 1.5 limes
salt & pepper to taste
2 jalapenos diced with membrane removed
defrosted frozen organic corn from WholeFoods
a bunch of radishes sliced chunky
some diced tomatoes
diced onions
splash of El Yucateco green sauce

For the guac -- I placed everything in a covered bowl and shaked it up like a polaroid picture to let the ingredients combine naturally at first -- then went through with a fork and did some slight smashing. The guac has become a mainstay at our cave these days and Betty finally realized the true unleashed flavor of Mexican style tacos.

Exhibit 3: Mexican style tacos with grilled mahi mahi + radishes and said Trader Joes Chimichurri sauce

You thought I was kiddin'...nope. I kept remixing these tacos I tell you. Exhibit 3 brought out the fish in all of us. I know humans stereotype bears to eat only salmon -- but this bear likes to get his fish on with mahi mahi. I grilled up some mahi mahi -- frozen from WholeFoods -- with seasoned salt, lemon and then splashed it with some vinegar. Then topped it with all the usual fixins but also added diced radishes. This was my first time EVER cooking with fish and it seemed too easy. Ultimately this meal was simply outstanding.

For our final exhibit -- Betty and I decided to hit up La Casita for only our second time as I was craving some authentic Mexican food. After having success at Cazuelas and Don Patron 3 I was amped to see how La Casita fared with their taco offerings. I ordered their taco platter that came with beans and rice.

Exhibit 4A: from La Casita: Mexican style taco trifecta featuring: carnitas, pastor and chorizo

Exibit 4B: refried beans and Mexican rice from La Casita

Well...go figure my taco bear-ble was busted at La Casita. I had a bite of the first taco which was a carnitas taco and it was very tasty though a bit fatty for my tastes. I then had the pastor taco which was greasy and showed no semblance of the sweet tasting pork I had learned to savor. The same greasiness also showed up again when I ate the chorizo sausage. No real smoky kick -just salty greasy strangeness. The highlight of this meal was the beans and rice and I suppose the first taco. This is the first time that I would say I did not like the food at a Mexican restaurant. I felt a little queazy in the post-meal discussion with Betty thinking about the fattiness and greasiness of the meats. Her meal was so so as well. She had a chicken dish with a tangy sour cream sauce. Perhaps this meal was a sign telling us that we are long overdue to hit up El Vaquero? Who knows.

What the b-fense has hoped to show and offer up today is that

I love Mexican style tacos which generally utilize corn tortillas sometimes 2 for the base then topped with some form of protein, diced onions, cilantro and a lime wedge.
They are pretty easy to make at home using a variety of different proteins.
Don't be afraid of radishes. They taste very good in guacamole and on top of fish tacos.
Similar to the Dew's Pizza post -- while restaurants & taco trucks can serve up tasty authentic tacos -- sometimes there's no taco like home-made...which is why I say the best taco-sense is a good b-fense...
Word is bear-log.

Spagio's = weaksauce...well sorta. - Spagios

2009-10-07T23:00:00.001-04:00

Betty and I were craving some yummy lobster bisque so we decided to stop off at Spagio's and this time order some real dinners instead of the pizzas that we had last time. For those who didn't read our first trip there -- Betty and I declared Spagios to have a truly wonderful lobster bisque soup that was pretty much bonkers. Their pizzas were very tasty as well but this visit we wanted to put their menu to the test and decided to order some entrees as well. I did not document our lobster bisque soups this time -- but rest assured...they were what we thought they were...certified yums-in-my-tums.

from their menu: Grilled Diver Scallops - Diver Scallops wrapped in Applewood smoked bacon and perched atop a flour tortilla with avocado-tomato salad, freshly squeezed lime juice and fresh herbs $28

from their menu: 8 oz Choice Beef Tenderloin served with Aged Gouda potato soufflé , haricots verts with shallots and bacon $25

After a great experience with the soup we were eager to try our dinner entrees...unfortunately...they did not deliver. The scallops were cooked well but had a somewhat bland taste not mention that I failed to grasp the concept of the flour tortilla. It was like I ate an expensive bland scallop tostada. The tastes did not jell together for me especially for as much as this meal cost. They say everything tastes better with bacon -- but it was work to finish the meal. Just say no to this entree. Betty had the beef tenderloin and it failed to deliver as well. The sides were slightly tastier then wedding food and the beef tenderloin -- though strong in taste was underwhelming. I had a bite to confirm the inevitable weaksauce edict. The kicker was the bill. The food was way to pricey for the lack of execution and taste-euphoria. Betty and I decided in the future we will stick to Spagio's lobster bisque, bread, appetizers and pizza and pass on their dinner entrees which just don't make the cut hence...Spagio's=weaksauce...well sorta -- because we'd still go back there -- this in contrast to Deepwood.

bear-eakfast of champions vs. 2.0 and 3.0: remix my mornings

2009-10-07T19:05:00.000-04:00

As you probably know by now Betty and I like to do up breakfast on the weekends. I've started a new breakfast series called the bear-eakfast of champions (BOC) for the excessively hearty and delicious concoctions that I whip up. It all started with version 1.0. With out further delay ladies, gentlemen and fellow bear-ethren BOC 2.0 and BOC 2.0:

BOC 2.0: two slices of toasted Brownberry Health Nut bread topped with 2 eggs over medium with a layer of shredded WholeFoods salsa jack in between, a tomato, red onion, jalapeno relish, 3 slices of crispy bacon and breakfast potatoes seasoned with cajun seasoning topped with previously mentioned salsa jack and onions

BOC 3.0: ck remix on huevos rancheros meets chilaquiles: seasoned black beans with corn topped with pan grilled zuccini, squash and red onions, topped with jalapeno jack cheese, 2 eggs over medium all then topped with a scoop of sour cream and said tomato relish from BOC 2.0, accompanied with fried tortillas for dipping and of course el yucateco pasa doble to boot.

Both meals were fantastically delicious -- and no I didn't eat them both in one day. The only question is what should the next breakfast of champions feature? Holla' at me with your favorite hearty breakfast recipes because you know I'm game. Word is bear-log.

there's no pizza like home-ade...Dew's Pizza

2009-10-07T18:56:00.000-04:00

2 months later... cholesterolking re-engages! it was like a ~~tor~~bear-nado picked me up and took me away from ~~Kansas~~ Columbus...but I've returned and I sure have a back-log of posting to do...and so we begin:
---
Now for my unreaders--formerly my readers -- you know that my favorite pizza joints include Adriaticos, Hound Dogs and Surly Girl's. I also used to make some homemade pizzas from a variety of ingredients that included bagels, pitas, flatbreads and the like -- but really I have moved on from making pizza at home -- and in all honesty -- the pies were not really homemade because the crusts were not made from scratch... (Pause.)

Enter columbusyogurt's culinary skills what I will refer to as Dew's Pizza not to be confused with Dewey's pizza...:

homemade dough, olive oil + herbs, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, red onions, perfectly crisped bacon and TLC from columbusyogurt

said pizza from above baked to perfection

said pizza from above plated...

baked homemade dough, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and TLC from columbusyogurt

said pizza from above plated.

Have you stopped salivating? I sure haven't. This pizza was some of the best tasting, freshest tasting pizza that I've ever had in my bear-life. You know it gets the CK-signature yums-in-my-tums approval. Posting this reminds me that I need to wrangle the ingredients of the crust from Mr. Columbusyogurt (CY)...but with that being said -- homemade crust an amazing pizza does not make...as CY prepared the pizza there was a TLC element that comes only with prior pizza construction experience. CY formerly of Figlio's at one point in his career has detailed pizza blueprint knowledge that was very apparent in this culinary masterpiece. Everything about this pizza was fresh. There was no bottled/canned sauces or veggies. CY used only olive oil and herbs as the sauce on the first pie and only fresh tomatoes and possibly olive oil on the second pie. The mozzarella was fresh instead of store bought pre-shredded blends -- though I still profess my love for the quattro-formaggio from Trader Joes. The careful preparation of ingredients and the personification of calmness and coolness in the kitchen all translated into the amazing taste of this pie. At this time -- I should give praise to Mrs. CY for prepping the crust as well while CY was at work.

I will definitely have to consider revisiting home-made pizza goodness at the Chateau because as we all know...there's truly no pizza like home-ade...there's no pizza like home-made...doubly true if you are a Dew.

Word-is-bear-log.

the great shrimp boil comes to the Chateau!

2009-08-19T22:30:00.001-04:00

For those that read this blog you may already know this -- but contrary to popular belief - bears do eat other things besides fish and that includes shrimp. As a matter of fact Betty and I have been on a big peel-and-eat-shrimp kick. I decided to try a shrimp boil in the fashion of classic New England and Southern Low Country dishes.

boiling water with sea salt, old bay seasoning, fresh squeezed lemon juice, whole lemons, potatoes, onions, and shrimp

I started the boil with the potatoes and onions for about 6 minutes, then added the corn for another 5 minutes and then added the shrimp -- which was frozen uncooked shrimp from Whole Foods -- for 3 minutes.

drained shrimp boil with half of lemon

Wasn't sure what to expect from this meal because it seemed too easy. Just heat some water, add some spices and then boil -- but it really was just that easy. Everything tasted delicious. The potatoes and onions were slightly overcooked as was the shrimp but no worries. I also whipped up a mayo-sriracha-old-bay-seasoning sauce to go with everything and Betty and I devoured our food. Can't wait to try this again with a slightly tweaked boiling time game plan.

bear-eakfast of champions vs. 1.0: prescription for pancakes

2009-08-19T21:15:00.001-04:00

I decided to try out a recipe for pancakes that did not seem too complicated from our folks at Allrecipes.com. This is a big thing for a bear who is all about culinary improvisation rather than prescription: :

Good Old Fashioned Pancakes
Ingredients

1 _1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 _1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 _1/4 cups milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted

unflattering picture of homemade blue berry pancakes, crispy bacon, one egg over medium and breakfast potatoes with cheese and onions

The pancakes were very easy to prep and bear oh bear did they taste soooo good. I suppose with as much butter in them as the recipe prescribed I could do no wrong -- but this was truly the breakfast of champions. Perhaps I could get used to this whole recipe thing...the link for the pancakes are below:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Good-Old-Fashioned-Pancakes/Detail.aspx

the return of the 2-flip: middle eastern 2-flip chicken

2009-08-19T21:10:00.000-04:00

Back to the kitchen for some 2-flip chicken. Recall 2-flip chicken got it's name cause you only need to flip it twice to cook it. This time i marinated the chicken in turmeric and lemon juice and then topped it with the heatwave seasoning. I also made some lemon rice with bhasmati rice, fresh lemon juice and rind and chicken stock. Grilled up some zuccini, squash and onions as a side. Also made season some greek yogurt with cucumbers, onions and spices. Smacked some Trader Joes hummus in the middle crowned with a pita chip. Very fresh and tasty meal. I flip you not.

turmeric lemon chicken with lemon rice, grilled zuccini and squash, yogurt and hummus

and then a gyro salad comes along...with the taste to carry on...Jimmy V's Grill & Pub

2009-08-19T21:05:00.001-04:00

Betty and I decided to stop in at Jimmy V's Grill & Pub to grab a bite to eat after spending the afternoon venturing out and looking at real estate. I ordered the gyro salad while Betty got the cheeseburger

gyro salad with gyro meat, pitas, olive, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions & feta

The salad was tasty, refreshing and gargantuan. I got to get my gyro fix with all the seeming lightness and nutrition of a salad. I would like to take a moment to note that thin cut gyro meat is a rarity in Columbus these days. If anyone knows of a place that slices and serves thin cut gyro meat holla atcha' bear.

cheeseburger with American cheese and fries

Betty reported that her cheeseburger was classically delicious. I had a bite and agreed.

This was probably our fourth time going to Jimmy V's and I must say that every visit has been consistently fresh and tasty. Definitely worth checking out if you're interested in bar food with Greek flare.

eating exhibition volume 1..The Ohio State Bear at the fair...

2009-08-19T21:00:00.002-04:00

Betty and I ventured out to the Ohio State fair to meet up with some dear friends. I was excited because this was my first time going to the fair and I was excited to see, smell and eat all the foods that I had heard about over the years. It's safe to say that I made up for all the years that I had not been to the fair and truly put on an eating exhibition.

fried cheese stick and fair fries...

When we entered the fair I was ready to eat and we started with whatever was in close proximity - in this case a fried cheese stick and french fries. The fried cheese stick was decent. Was more batter-y in the manner of a corn dog but can you really go wrong with fried cheese? The french fries were yummy as well.

cinnamon-sugar dusted fresh fried baby donuts

I had read about the above donuts from columbusfoodie's blog and decided we had to try them based on the glowing reviews. These were one of my favorite foods that we tried that day. Freshly fried donuts topped with cinnamon and sugar. The donuts were warm and soft and melted in your mouth when you ate them. Not like any donut I've ever eaten -- sinfully delicious.

fair pep pizza

Yep still going strong -- i just had to try fair pizza. The slice was lukewarm but still had a pretty standard taste that was better than your average pizza joint. Simple tomato sauce, simple cheese and plain pep not bad -- though perhaps not really necessary on the consumption list of everything I ate that day.

strawberry and mint chip ice cream from the dairy barn...

Up next was trying out the ice cream at the dairy barn where they have the famous butter cow. We ordered ice cream -- and I thought perhaps the ice cream was made fresh that day when we ordered but later saw a sign for Velvet ice cream -- so maybe it wasn't fresh. Either way I was underwhelmed with it. Part of the reason for my apathy towards it was that we decided to be frugal and have our scoops in one cup which saved us ~$2.50 rather than ordering separate cups. I had the mint chip and Betty had the strawberry which didn't really blend well together. The ice cream reminded me of ice cream from back in the day. Simple yet ultra creamy -- but beyond that- nothing remarkable. I suppose that works for most folks but I think Jeni's and Graeter's have me spoiled and have my taste palette expecting more with action packed flavors and unique ingredients.

chicken and noodles

thanksgiving dinner

Yep. Still going. The above picture looks like something you might get from a lunch cafeteria -- which having grown up on Indian food -- I admit I always had a curiosity for cafeteria food. That being said I really enjoyed my chicken and noodles and Betty's Thanksgiving dinner. The only complaint being the styrofoam plate and bowl -- and that they ran out of cranberry sauce.

caramel topped apple dumpling with scoop of vanilla and cinnamon ice cream

Last food purchase of the day I promise. Closed the food-filled day at the fair with an apple dumpling. Definitely saved the best for last. This originally just came with vanilla ice cream but I thought it'd be good to mix it up with a scoop of cinnamon. Very tasty. The apple betty was piping hot and the ice cream with it was tremendous. I loved it.

I had a great time at the Ohio State fair catching up with dear friends, learning more about Ohio's wonderful wildlife and livestock and eating way too much food. We hope that this year will start a tradition of us going every year with our friends.

the return of the nacho bowl...chili cheese edition

2009-08-07T20:30:00.000-04:00

Getting back to basics after our NYC trip. I cooked a mother crock pot of chili with black beans and kidney beans. I like cooking chili because you can remix it into a number of different meals depending on your mood throughout the week. I remixed the chili for the meal below by topping the chili with shredded extra sharp cheddar, diced onions, sliced jalapenos, and a dollop of sour cream topped with green onions. Playing the role of side kick was a mixed green salad with tomatoes, onions and salsa. Bowling was never tastier! ;)

bear in the city day 3: no dosa for you! - Amma

2009-08-07T20:00:00.000-04:00

For one of our final meals in NYC my cousin took us to one of his favorite Indian restaurants in the city called Amma. He described it as a place that has unique menu items that you wouldn't expect to see at your typical Indian restaurant. When we arrived at the restaurant it had a quaint, contemporary lounge feel. The place was empty as we were having a late 2PM lunch. After perusing the menu we ordered from their pre fixe lunch specials. I decided on the bhel puri for my first course, the shrimp balchao for the appetizer and the tandoori sea bass for my meal. Betty was bummed because the South Indian lunch special of idly and dosa was unavailable. How you gonna be an Indian restaurant that serves South Indian food and not have idly and dosa? Come on now.

bhel puri consisting of puffed rice, lentils and potatoes served with a tamarind chutney

This was pretty tasty. I've never had it before but it reminded me of what namkeen chaat -- if such a thing exists -- might taste like. My only complaint was that the puffed rice was soggy from the chutney by the time it arrived to our table.

minimalist shrimp balchao

I've had limited exposure to Indian seafood dishes so I was pleased when I saw the shrimp and sea bass on the menu. The shrimp was good but there were only two shrimps on the entire plate. They should've used a smaller dish for plating. The shrimp was tasty with a tangy tomato seasoning with mother curry and masala over-currents. I've never had shrimp like this but imagine if someone made a spicy shrimp bruschetta. Pretty good but over seasoned.

tandoori sea bass

My sea bass was cooked perfectly. The fish flaked off like butter and was enhanced by the seasoning and buttery tomato curry accompanying the fish. Again there was a bit of overkill with the seasoning but still very good.

palak besan ki kadhi

My cousin had the kadhi which is a yogurt based soup with fried vegetables and chick pea flour balls in it. The kadhi was pretty good.

chicken tikka

Betty had the chicken tikka and was not impressed with it finding it overseasoned. I tried a bite and found it tasty however.

Overall Amma was decent food at slightly high prices -- but such is the norm when you dine out in NYC. The meal delivered on my cousin's promise of unique selections and combinations. At the same time I found some of the classic dishes like the chicken tikka and kadhi to not be anything extraordinary. I would say Amma is gourmet Indian food and though tasty -- I felt like they were trying to hard with their flavors that often made simple dishes overly complicated e.g. too much masala and curry sauce with the sea bass, shrimp, and chicken tikka. If you do go I would recommend not ordering anything classic and instead venture out and try something new from their extensive eclectic menu.

bear in the city day 2 continued: Mexican Haven From the Rain - La Herradura Inc.

2009-08-03T01:01:00.015-04:00

so we got to see the Fleet Foxes, the National, Organized Konfusion and a bit of the Pharcyde before the rain got the best of us. Betty and I decided it'd be better to take our soaked furry selves back to my cousin's place to dry off and warm up. I'm glad we did because instead of eating festival food I had one of the best tasting Mexican meals of my bear existence. My cousin took us to La Herradura Inc. On the way there I was surprised that we passed at least 3 other Mexican restaurants. Betty and I were both hungry when we entered the restaurant and when I saw my green El Yucateco I couldn't help but feel we were going to be in for a treat. My cousin asked for their hot salsa -- and for the record -- this was the first time that I actually disliked a hot salsa. It had a good heat -- but had a strange creamy-spinachy texture that didn't sit well with my tastebuds...I did keep eating it though because it was unlike any hot salsa I'd ever tasted.

chips, salsa, strange hot sauce, El Yucateco de Magico

For my meal I ordered an a la carte pastor taco and the carnitas huarache. When the taco came out I knew I was going to be in for a treat.

very tasty pastor taco

This taco was large and in charge. Everything about this taco was twice as nice as anything I've had in Oh. The pork, pineapple, onions and cilantro were present in mass quantities and man oh man did it taste good. All this for only $2.50...what's messing with this? See what came out next:

incredible Mexican carnitas huarache

The huarache came out on a narrow fried masa bread that was very similar to pita bread. This was accompanied with a layer of refried beans, marinated pork, lettuce, cheese, avocados and sour cream. The flavors were so tasty together meat and bean with the freshness of the lettuce and avocados. I was ready to come back to this place for breakfast the next day. I even tried their horchata that was very tasty and my only my second time trying it ever.

I was slightly disappointed that we got rained out for All Points West but I think it was a blessing in disguise as Betty and I got to spend more time with my cousin and venture out and try this truly delicious restaurant located at 563 Main St in New Rochelle NY.

bear in the city day 2: I ♥ John's Pizzeria...

2009-08-03T01:00:00.014-04:00

Day 2 of our quick NYC trip found us focused on 2 major goals:

hit up John's Pizzeria our favorite NYC pizza joint.
hit up All Points West for a day full of music

Goal 1 was pretty easy since we've been there 3 times before. We go to the original John's Pizzeria on 278 Bleecker street. When we spotted John's -- Betty and I smiled a huge bear smile and realized we were only moments away from enjoying one of our favorite dining experiences of all time. John's is a dive but it feels like home to us. We ordered a simple plain cheese pizza and reminisced about our previous visits there while we waited in anticipation for the pie.

When my sister and I first went to NYC we researched the city's best pizza and John's seemed to be the place to try. We stumbled upon John's by accident without even knowing where it was. We had walked all over the city and were hungry and dehydrated and out of nowhere John's Pizzeria showed up on the horizon, a welcome Oasis to re-energize our stomachs and spirits.
After our fond memories of our previous venture to John's -- Betty and I trekked there for my second visit to NYC and we met up with a dear friend to catch up. The pizza again was the showcase for a memory filled visit.
My third trip was for my bachelor party with my boys and though my compatriots struggled with my marathon walking expedition of the city as the precursor to the evening -- they welcomed John and a number of pitchers of beer into their stomachs and heart.
...and now 2 years of marriage later -- Betty and I were ready to feast on our prized pie.

simple, plain, delicious cheese pie. John's Pizzeria.

No disappointment here -- as yums-in-my-tums as I remembered so fondly-- except that we didn't order a pie to go. Again reiterating my post from our Boston trip -- good pizza = thin crust, tangy simple sweet tomato sauce, greasy cheese all baked in a brick oven with coal -- baked until slightly blackened with carbon goodness. I ♥John's Pizzeria. I had a list of other pizza joints to check out but time did not allow us to explore. Next time we're there we'll have to try Grimaldi's, Arturos, and Artichokes. Any other NYC pizza joints you recommend?

bear in the city day 1: a mushage of flavors - Fusia

2009-08-03T01:00:00.012-04:00

Betty and I hit up the Big Apple for the All Points West music festival and to visit my dear cousin. We had a direct flight from Columbus to LaGuardia and took a bus into the city to meet him. We were starving when we arrived so we decided to check out a Thai spot called Fusia. The place was contemporary and nice on the inside but our attention was directed to reviewing all the wonderful menu items. We decided to split the chicken sate and I ordered the shrimp wanton soup and Volcano roll for my meal.

small but colorful picture of the chicken sate

bad picture of extremely tasty shrimp wanton soup

beautiful Volcano roll: shrimp tempura & cucumber topped with spicy tuna and red tobiko aka flying fish roe

The shrimp wanton soup was incredible. Great broth, plenty of free floating shrimp and 3 shrimp wantons at the bottom of the cup. This was a promising start to the meal.

The chicken sate was plated beautifully and got me geeked about my main course the Volcano roll. The chicken was seasoned enough to be tasty on its own and the peanut sauce took the taste to the next level.

When the Volcano roll arrived -- it's beautiful plating got me that even more amped to devour the whole plate. I quickly got my wasabi and soy sauce mixture together and took my first bite. I took my time chewing the roll and scrutinizing the taste. The mixture of textures was great - you have crunchy shrimp tempura, crispy cucumber, soft tuna, and juicy roe...but the flavors were underwhelming. The tuna had no character -- it tasted like it was mixed with something else that created a tuna pulp of sorts that really took away from the distinct taste I normally expect and love from tuna. Rather than a marriage of flavors from the shrimp tempura and tuna it was a mushage of blandness. It took some work to finish the rest of the meal but Betty and I still had a great time catching up with my cousin and enjoying the fact that we were in NYC. Fusia was fun to try and I really enjoyed the shrimp wanton soup. Their sushi unfortunately was weak sauce -- especially for an item that was the chef's special. The experience there made me appreciate my favorite Columbus sushi joint - Akai Hana even more. Fusia did have me wondering what NYC restaurant has the best sushi -- I'd settle for better sushi then Fusia. Any suggestions for when Betty and I are there next?

To buy or to brown bag? Pizza Day at the Rossi Junior High...The Rossi

2009-08-01T11:07:00.001-04:00

Betty and I met up with a friend at the Rossi for happy hour. I was curious to try their pizza after reading some good things about it in the Columbus blogosphere. I'm a big fan of NYC pizza and have a bad habit of comparing most thin pizzas to that genre of pizza. What I read about the Rossi was that it was pretty good and ultra thin so I was ready to investigate the claims. When we arrived at the Rossi I was all business and was ready to try their simple ultra thin cheese pizza. When it arrived it looked pretty promising:

I think of crucial NYC pizza as having 3 things:

ultra thin crust with carbon burn marks
simple and sweet tasting tomato sauce
and cheese that's greasy and blends the sauce into the crust for one yummy fusion of a taste.

I used these 3 guidelines to compare and rate the Rossi. As for the crust -- this is the thinnest crust I've ever seen on a pizza NYC included. It was pretty tasty but was simple and a bit undercooked for my tastes. The cheese was ample and pretty good. No excessive layers of grease deposits as most NYC pizzas possess -- but I'm a pizza blotter anyways. The sauce was the low point for me. I found the sauce to be more of a tart tomato pasty style sauce then I usually go for and so as I ate the pizza -- which don't get me wrong -- I still devoured -- I didn't quite have that fusion of crust, cheese and sauce that I drool about when I dream of say John's Pizzeria. Betty claimed that I really liked the pizza regardless of what I'm writing above. All in all the pizza was pretty good but not in the revered category that I cherish my favorites that include Adriaticos, Flying Pizza, Hound Dogs, Surly Girl and Grandads. I do think I owe the place one more try to pursue a toppings pizza since I failed to do so on this past trip -- so I think happily the verdict is still out on the Rossi's Pizza - until next time...

tacos unleashed...Don Patron 3

2009-08-01T11:06:00.002-04:00

A short week this week found Betty and I going out to eat lots and catching up with old friends. This time we were meeting up with a friend visiting from Oakland and dined at Don Patron 3 in Clintonville formerly Talitas. The interior of the place has changed from what I remember of Talitas as has the menu. I was surprised about the extensive number of items available on the menu. The chips were alright. Did not taste fresh or anything but they did the trick. The salsa tasted fresh but was over cilantro-y. Our friends commented that the salsa was especially fruity with a strong lime taste. No worries about the chips and salsa however because the El Yucateco pasodoble made an appearance. A quick way to this bear's tummy is to have El Yucateco on-demand, all day, every day.

chips, salsa and El Yucateco pasodoble

Continuing my trend of exploring Mexican style tacos peaked by the recent explosion of the topic on the Columbus blogosphere I ordered their taco trio platter but mixed up the meats with: pastor, chorizo and carnitas. Each was topped with cilantro and onion on 2 corn tortillas though you had the option for cheese, lettuce and tomato on flour tortillas as well. It took some time for the meal to come out -- 10-15 minutes -- which got me excited about the tacos because I couldn't help but fell they were making them fresh and putting a little extra TLC into our food. I was also eager to see how these tacos would compare to my adventures at Cazuelas and Los Potosinos.

pastor taco up top, chorizo taco to the right, carnitas taco below

I started with the chorizo taco. Squeezed some lime on it and put some of the spicier sauce that came out with it...very tasty. The meat was hot. The chorizo had a nice smoky flavor that was complemented well with the cilantro, onion and lime. I then moved on to the pastor taco. The pastor was sweet and was accompanied with pineapple chunks. A great blend of flavors especially when I added some El Yucateco to the mix. I saved the carnitas taco and apparently the best for last. This taco surprised me because I thought it would be the blandest of the 3 meats I tried but it had a simple grilled but still flavorful taste that had me wanting more. As previously mentioned I'm not much of a soft taco person but the Mexican style that features cilantro, onions, lime and corn tortillas has me hooked. I will say that the carnitas soft taco was the best soft taco I've had yet. The tacos came with beans and rice which are hard to mess up and were pretty standard. Betty had a pineapple chicken dish which was pretty tasty as well. Overall I was very impressed with Don Patron 3's tacos. Nothing too amazing about the chips, salsa, rice or beans but pretty good margaritas, very tasty tacos, El Yucateco pasodoble and the comfort of reasonable prices will make me a repeat customer in the near future. I have discovered these past months that there is crucial Mexican dining beyond El Vaquero and I'm excited to discover my next taco taste-ploration very soon.

a marriage of flavors...Amar India

2009-08-01T10:57:00.000-04:00

Betty and I were in Dayton from Wednesday night until Sunday for my sister's wedding. An exciting action packed and emotional weekend of memories with loved ones and of course as is typical with Indian weddings...a sampling of every delicious combination of veggies and meats under the Indian sun courtesy of our favorite Indian Restaurant and caterer in Dayton, OH Amar India. The legend goes that Amar India was one of the first Indian restaurants in Dayton, Ohio and also catered the first Indian wedding in the city so how fitting decades later that Amar India would cater not only our wedding but my sister's too.

Enough of that onto the food.

Up first food from the Lady's Sangeet

aloo tikki with channa, cilantro, onions and chili powder, namkeen on the side

This was the first time I've seen a specialty tikki stand at a catered event which made it double-so-sweet that it was on my parent's patio. The aloo tiki is essentially a spicy potato pancake. The tikki is then topped with seasoned garbanzo beans, onion, cilantro and then spiced up with chili powder and masala. I scooped up the namkeen -- aka deep fried seasoned nuts and flour mixture with other crunchy treats -- and ate them with each bite. The flavors tasted like a match made in heaven. The tikki's were delicious as a matter of fact I had 3 of them and was still salivating for more.

Up next dinner:

starting with the left going right counterclockwise: I'm thinking it was basant chicken (seasoned chicken), plain nan, rice pilaf with cholay (seasoned garbanzo beans), saag paneer (spinach and cheese), green chilis, mint chutney and spicy onion chutney

This meal was rich but delicious. Crucial to Indian food for me are side garnishes -- onions, green chili's and Amar India's special spicy onion chutney are must haves in excessive amounts in this case. Think of those as my Indian version of El Yucateco. Everything tasted delicious and even better being around all of our friends and family at the party. Truth be told, I was never a spinach eater growing up until I had Amar India's saag paneer. Ever since then I've been a champion of Indian spinach. Many times I've noticed that restaurants do not put enough paneer with the spinach but that night there was plenty of paneer to go around.

I had more food photos from the weekend festivities but the lighting was off on them so I was not able to post them. When we left Dayton we left with an arsenal of leftovers from Amar India to eat throughout the week. To give you an image of how well we ate:

starting with the rice at high noon, nan, saag paneer, saag with corn, cholay, lamb do piazza (lamb curry), chicken tikka makhani (tandoori chicken in a butter sauce)

Oh man I ate like a cholesterolking this week. This food was so delicious even 2 days later. My only complaint would be the richness of the food which has an excessive amount of cream and butter. This in contrast to the lighter but still tastier version of Indian food my mom or I usually make though my mom usually will fatten up her food with cream and butter when guests are coming into town. Eating this food day in and day out was a bit indulgent but it's not often I have an opportunity to devour such food. This weekend was a great homecoming to catch up with family and friends that I have not seen in a long time and to celebrate my sister's marriage through singing, dancing, gup-shupping (talking), and of course indulging in very tasty colorful foods and sweets.

the best burger in Columbus?...Northstar Cafe

2009-07-16T20:00:00.000-04:00

Betty and I met up with some friends at one of our favorite restaurants in Columbus good old Northstar Cafe the one located near Clintonville. Ever since the Rose and Thistle shut down about 5 years ago -- the Northstar Burger has become what I believe to be the best burger in Columbus.

the Northstar burger...aka the best burger in Columbus?

Okay...so best burger might be pushing it because of 2 caveats:

the Northstar burger is a veggie burger
it costs an arm and a leg at $11.50

Those aside -- nothing's messing with the flavor. Their menu describes the ingredients that go in the veggie burger: "...organic brown rice, black beans and beets topped with white cheddar, lettuce, tomato, pickle & onion + simple salad..." Who knew that such a simple burger with beets could pack such a delicious, fresh, hearty, yummy taste? Betty and I split the burger and decided to try their ever so hyped guacamole.

Northstar guacamole aka not the best guac in columbus

Now I've read some great reviews of the guac from Northstar -- it is the same guac they have at their sister shop called 3rd and Hollywood. Furthermore -- when I placed my order the lady who rung up my order said I would not be disappointed and that it was the best guacamole ever. I told her that was a bold claim and that I've had a fair share of amazing guacamoles and NONE of them have been served at restaurants. With that being said on to the guac. The plating looks nice but I think they forgot to give me a couple of scoops considering it costs $9.50 for their guac. Betty and I tried the guac and it tasted pretty good. A little light on the salt but very fresh and pretty tasty. Just pretty tasty but definitely not the best guac I've ever had and come on now...$9.50 for guac. You're prolly thinking I'm a crazy bear since I'm spending $11.50 for a veggie burger no complaints but then whining about the guac...oh well. Betty said that it's the best guac she's had out at a restaurant but not the best tasting guac ever and I concur. I love the Northstar burger. I seldomly get anything else from there. I grew up eating a number of veggie burger vendors and providers and this burger not only tastes yummy but perhaps makes me nostalgic of some great days as a kid -- but is it the best burger in Columbus? I think it is having tried a number of places including Thurman, Barleys, Club 185 and Old Bag of Nails to name a few -- but if you disagree or know a burger that you think competes with the Northstar Cafe burger -- tell me about it cause I'm game. As for the guac - save your $9.50 for a chocolate truffle cookie cause I can't rationalize the cost.

The truth about Troni's...Troni's Pizza

2009-07-16T19:00:00.000-04:00

The truth about Troni's, it's a local italian pizza restaurant shop.
Located in Kettering pretty close to my mom and pops...
They got some tender thin NYC style pizza that sure was a big surprise...
I think I'm gonna eat it for the rest of my life...

...so not quite Bobby Bear-own. A friend wanted to keep this place a secret so that I had to go with him to check out what he claimed was Dayton's Best pizza joint. But critical acclaim from a number of friends and family quickly alerted me to my friend's secret. We ordered 3 pies from Troni's: a cheese, a pepperoni and a supreme. The pizza is true thin crust NYC style pizza with a sweet tomato sauce. The cheese pizza was the best pie of the night --simple and plain yet oh so delicious. For a thin crust pizza it managed to hold the toppings on the supreme as well which was very tasty. The pepperoni was pretty good but the pep overpowererd the sauce, cheese and crust.

yummy cheese pizza

When all is eaten and consumed Troni's is a great pizza place. I believe it could be the best cheese pizza NYC style in Dayton but at the end of the day I still have to give the Best Pizza in Dayton title to Marion's. With that being said -- next time I'm in Dayton Betty and I are going to dine-in at Troni's and order up a nice plain cheese pizza pie.

surprisingly tasty seafood in c-town...Cap City Diner

2009-07-16T18:58:00.000-04:00

Betty and I stopped in for a quick bite at the bear err...bar at Cap City after a long day at work. We were perhaps nostalgic of our recent seafood expedition in Boston and were craving shrimp and what not. The whatnot ended up being mussels and their meatloaf sandwich.

peel and eat shrimp with old bay seasoning and cocktail sauce and mayo based crab louie sauce

steamed mussels in a Chardonnay broth with garlic, shallots and tomatoes

meatloaf melt with muenster cheese and lettuce, tomato, onion + fries

Who knew that a place so non-chalantly tucked back a bit on Olentangy River Road could have such tasty seafood. The shrimp was delicious. It's hard to mess up shrimp though isn't it? The seasoning was perfect and the 2 sauces were nice to have to balance each other out. The mussels were phenomenal. I'm still generating a taste for mussels but these had so much flavor between the Chardonnay broth, garlic and shallots. The weakest link was the meatloaf sandwich which was pretty wimpy and soggy. It tasted alright but there was no character to the meatloaf. We don't really go to Cap City much but after trying the mussels and shrimp and hanging out at the bar and discovering bands play certain nights at the bar-- I could see us being repeat customers.

license to grill at the Chateau...

2009-07-15T20:00:00.016-04:00

Betty and I had a busy 4th of July weekend grilling out. I tried my sister's marinade once again on some chicken tenders and thighs this time but changed it up a bit adding some other spices and even beer to the recipe.

chicken tenders and thighs on the grill...okay so not quite Los Potosinos...but still

The chicken tenders were good but even after a day of marination did not seem to be ultra-flavored as previously made. The chicken thighs on the other hand were simply delicious though not as healthy. I think the fat tissue on the thighs hold the marinade better.

We also stopped off at Whole Foods and picked up some 85/15 ground beef burgers.

covered burgers on challah buns with American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles

This was my first time grilling beef burgers and I struggled cooking them. I left them on the grill for 12 minutes but they were still bloody so I cooked them longer. In the end I got them to a medium cooking color and we served them with challah buns. The burgers were phenomenal. Why have i been spending my money on restaurant burgers when these are the jam?

plated above was the grilled chicken thighs with chipotle mac and cheese and tater salad all bear made

The chipotle mac and cheese was a freestyle from 2 different recipes and included 2 different types of cheddar and a pepper jack cheese, 3 adobo chilis and paste, and 2 chorizo sausage links. This was my first time making mac and cheese and it turned out pretty good but still not as good as my sister makes. The tater salad was the freestyle salad inspired by Columbus Yogurt that consisted of both sweet and dill pickles, pickle juice, red wine vinegar, curry and cumin. We used the grill 3 times over the weekend which brings my total grilling adventures to 7 or so. There is still a lot to learn about grilling and heating strategies on the grill but for now it's safe to say that I have a license to grill. Now the only question is...what to grill next?

Betty gets back to basics and bakes a quiche....

2009-07-15T20:00:00.014-04:00

Betty re-engaged with the kitchen and baked a bacon spinach quiche for breakfast. This was the first time a quiche had ever been baked in our kitchen even though we cook with eggs like its our job. I assisted with some usual freestyle CK breakfast potatoes with a rosemary seasoning. The meal turned out egg-cellent...no it was eggs-traordinary.

quiche to the left. potatoes to the right.

aerial close up of yummy bacon spinach quiche

plated quiche with onions + tomatoes topping the taters

Spinach & Bacon Quiche courtesy of Paula Deen
Ingredients:

6 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
salt & pepper
2 cups fresh baby spinich, packed
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss Cheese
1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crust, fitted to a 9 inch glass pie plate

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender. (Betty just used a bowl.)
Layer the spinach, bacon, and cheese in the bottom of the pie crust, then pour the egg mixture on top.
Bake for 35-45 minutes until the egg mixture is set.
Cut into 8 wedges

The official link to Paula's recipe is here:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/spinach-and-bacon-quiche-recipe/index.html

The quiche was so magnifique and easy to make that we will definitely be trying more of these out in the CK kitchen. Bear apetit!

at last the taco trucks...Los Potosinos

2009-07-14T20:30:00.000-04:00

Finally got a chance to try one of the taco trucks that foodies and bloggers have been giving critical acclaim to..it's name Los Potosinos. A local blog http://tacotruckscolumbus.com is pretty much all you need to get started with the Columbus Taco Truck taste wagon. After scouring the site Los Potosinos came up as one of http://tacotruckscolumbus.com's favorites because of their pollo al carbon. I went with some fellow colleagues from across the forest to check this place out. It was about a 25 minute trek out there but it was pretty easy to find. I ordered a spicy pork soft taco and the pollo al carbon. Technically i ordered 3 tacos but they goofed my order. No worries.

spicy pork taco with cilantro and radish, cucumber and lime to garnish

signature pollo al carbon with bottled hot sauce on the refried beans accompanied with a lettuce, tomato and avocado salad

The taco was tasty. Fresh and unlike any taco you'd find at a chain restaurant. The simplicity of the taco with the lime, cilantro, radish and cucumber was refreshing but you still got to appreciate the meatiness of the taco because it wasn't littered with lettuce allowing the seasoned pork to be featured.

The pollo al carbon was the real treat here. I've never had anything like it. The chicken was tender with a great grilled taste with a mix of spices that I could not distinguish. It reminded me of a Mexican spiced version of Tandoori chicken. Delicious.

A funny anecdote about trying to get hot sauce: I asked for hot sauce and the lady directed me to the bottle on the table. I asked for something stronger and she provided a bottled hot sauce. I asked if she had anything hotter to which she came up with the following:

hot sauce?

In this case sliced habanero peppers topped with fresh squeezed lime juice and a dash of salt. I was slightly apprehensive initially because though I love hot and spicy foods the habanero pepper is one i typically avoid raw. I made sure to have a full mouth of food as I snuck in a sliver of the pepper and the meal was perfect. This was my first time eating a habanero pepper in its entirety and since then I've already started incorporating them into my cooking.

pollo al carbon aka what's under the grill hood at Los Potosinos

The trek out to Los Potosinos was fun and exciting to do with a group of bears. I was a little turned off by the prices of the food not being readily listed on their menu and sure I missed my 2 tacos that I believe I was charged for -- but all in all the food was good, unique and a good time was had by all. The only question is where will our next taco truck adventure take us? Any suggestions?

if you like empanadas...and getting lost in the sun...El Arepazo is the one...

2009-07-14T20:15:00.001-04:00

As luck...or fate would have it Betty and I finally made it down to Pearl Market to check out Nellie's Samosas...as we got up to make our order -- the ladies running the stand told us they just sold out. Go figure. I was slightly irked because I've heard a lot about these samosas and I wanted to put their flavor to the test...but not today. The trials and tribulations of samosa searching in Columbus will have to be put on hold. As we trekked around the market we noticed a Venezuelan restaurant with a patio El Arepazo. We ventured into the spot and were excited to see empanadas on the menu reasonably priced at $4.75 Betty and I went back and forth as we waited in-line trying to figure out if we should order 1 or 2. We decided to go with one with the understanding we'd probably grab some more food later on our walk back to comfest. We ordered the combination empanada and a side of their spicy cilantro sauce. After we ordered -- we were advised to go outside to wait for our food as traffic back-up in the lines was causing a bottleneck for the wait staff. No problem -- we located an open covered picnic table to park our bear rumps until our order came up. It seemed to take about 10 minutes which was no biggie and we received our order in a paper bag. When I pawed into the bag i was shocked to see the magnitude of the empanada. This thing was hugonda. A huge deep-fried-crispy-corn-flour hot pocket was my initial reaction. We split the empanada in half and the cross section view of this empanada was a thing of beauty and mystery...and out of focus-ness...

surveilance aerial footage of empanada

out of focus cross section

The empanada was phenomenal. The cilantro sauce was tasty. I can't see many places who can top this taste with the right price. We were stuffed splitting just one. Now the empanada was tasty -- it was fried to perfection and the corn shell crust was mighty fine -- but after my carb-cheese buzz subsided slightly I did comment that there could be some more seasoning added to the ingredients in the empanada. Betty and I need to do some more tasting research at El Arepazo considering they have crab cakes and fish burritos. This massive empanada put a world of flavor in my tummy for not a lot of money. What's messing with this?

chicken tacos...tostadas...nachos...yums in my tums...whateva you want to call them...

2009-07-14T20:02:00.000-04:00

Betty and I hit up the kitchen for some lunch for my sister and future brother-in-law. We decided to mix it up and do crispy chicken tacos. I broke my shells and turned them into tostadas. Betty represented with her homemade guac. I heated up some refried beans and trader joes chimichurri rice on the side. Threw in some mixed green salad with tomatoes, onions & sour cream and we were set. You know the drill. You know the subject of this post. Yums in my tums.

broken chicken tacos with home-made guac, refried beans, and trader joes chimichurri rice

P.S. notice the missing El Yucateco...very very sad...

Banana Bean Cafe vs. 4.0...

2009-07-14T20:01:00.001-04:00

My sister and future brother-in-law were in town and they wanted to take Betty and me out for our birthdays. Betty and I decided to hit up Banana Bean Cafe which has very quietly become one of our local favorites. We opted for the Greenlawn Avenue location. We were seated promptly and chatted up a storm. In true CK fashion I started to get anxious when the wait staff took over 5 minutes to hook us up with a menu and take any sort of drink orders. One observation I've had about the Greenlawn location is that there always seem to be more wait staff than customers -- but even then -- service seems to be slow. When we finally got our menus I was further irked because they had an abbreviated menu with sandwiches but no dinner options. This was a bummer since we were really hoping to try out their dinner menu as opposed to their sandwich menu...oh well. As our slow service continued I looked around the restaurant which was pretty much deserted and got a little more irritated. No big deal because I suppose this blog is dedicated to my bear-itations about dining out in Columbus right? Eventually we got our drinks and food orders in and i could relax. I decided to try their black bean soup and their crab cake burger.

extremely delicious black bean soup

pretty good crab cake salad i mean burger...

The black bean soup was mighty tasty. I was surprised. I thought I was going to be underwhelmed. I really wanted to find some aspect of the soup to complain about and could fine none. Using black beans so often in my own cooking but never in a soup per se -- I was pretty oblivious that they could be so tasty in a soup. The soup was creamy and smooth almost like they blended black beans with broth to get the base going. Topping the soup off with cilantro, cheese, tomatoes & sour cream -- how could this taste anything but delicious. I'm getting this soup next time and it prolly wouldn't hurt to bust out the blender and freestyle some offering up at home as well.

The crab cake burger was pretty good. The crab cake was tasty and all but in the end I felt like i was eating a salad and left the bun behind.

All in all I continue to have a strong curiosity about Banana Bean Cafe. The first time we ate there version 1.0 was the best time -- perhaps because of our unsure expectations and surprise about their unique palette of flavors for sea food. Since then we find ourselves chasing that 1st time taste experience. We really want to have that experience again but I am not sure if it will be possible. At the end of the day I still like dining at Banana Bean Cafe and writing this makes me want to try something else off their menu.

P.S.

plaintains with ya ya sauce...yeah their good but I'm kinda over them.

I heartburn comfest...La Fogata Grill

2009-07-12T12:43:00.008-04:00

Late Friday night eats after Comfest found Betty and I devouring chicken nachos and cheese fries in the pitch dark at La Fogata Grill located in Betty's old hood in the Short North. This place has a very nice patio but at night their tables could use some candles:

chicken nachos and jalapeno covered cheese fries...

I almost fogata about this meal the next morning but after Betty reminded me -- and I consulted the camera evidence -- the flavor memories came back to me. This food was very tasty -- junky yes --but very tasty. I'm glad this place wasn't around when Betty lived at the Greystone or else we would've been in BIG trouble. The margaritas here are very tasty as well and apparently make you fogata about your meal. La Fogata is a great spot to grab Margaritas and some Mexican with a dash of heartburn if you're up in the Short North.

hope is in sight and it's name is comfest...

2009-06-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

RIP Michael...You will be missed.

2009-06-26T00:30:00.000-04:00

"...it's like we lost a part of our childhood today..."-cholesterolking

Deepwood=weaksauce

2009-06-17T21:00:00.011-04:00

A good friend was in town visiting for the week so we thought we'd take him out for a nice dinner for his birthday after grabbing some apps at Marcella's. Originally we had planned to go to Mitchells but on our walk through the Short North we encountered Deepwood which I had recently read good reviews about from our friends and columbus foodies so we thought we'd try it out. It didn't hurt that it's location was convenient and reduced our walking time had we elected to continue on to Mitchell's. We walked in and the mood of the place was nice and fresh. I noted the menu prices were steep but the food descriptions sounded tasty so our expectations were high for this place which in the end was probably our downfall -- or it's downfall depending. We asked to be seated at a booth and were excited to try a new place with our good friend. (Cue the Jaws music) The bread came out and looked interesting.

3 breads wanted for crimes against gustation...

There were 3 kinds of bread. One was a sweet bread that had nuts and raisins in it; another was a thin wafer pita almost; and the third was a plain bread. It's difficult to mess up bread -- i mean you really have to go out of your way to mess up bread -- but the bread was chilly to the touch -- almost like it had been refrigerated and beyond that was dry -- and on top of that -- I didn't like it. I've never really encountered this experience dining out before -- definitely a first...an unfortunate first that is. (Turn up the Jaws music) Then our meals came out and the plating looked spectacular. I had the filet and Betty had the pork tenderloin.

filet w/ natural jus + herb-roasted taters and bacon-tied haricots verts...

It sure looks good doesn't it? It was also cooked quasi-medium as I had requested but something was strange about it. I think it was the jus that was with it. It gave the meat a smoky taste that overrode the natural taste that one would appreciate in a good steak. I found that the natural jus was a big distractor from the taste and was bummed because I really wanted to enjoy it -- and the fact that it cost $32 didn't make the burn any better. Fortunately our good friend who ordered the same meal enjoyed his steak -- which was the most important aspect of the evening. As we were discussing the meal and my impressions of it -- he agreed with everything i noted above -- but in the end to him -- steak was steak and this steak was pretty good -- so take that into consideration for what it's worth.

Betty's meal on the other hand was pretty tasty.

pork tenderloin w/ white cheddar grits, wilted greens, and a plum sauce

Her meal had a great mesh of flavors. My only complaint was that it was too sweet for my tastes so I would have trouble eating it as a meal.

Overall I was pretty bummed about Deepwood. I even had to text my friends who recommended it to us with the following: "Deepwood=weaksauce". I am fortunate for now that I can afford to take friends and fam out to nice places but when you charge an arm and a leg -- you better deliver on the tastes, service and ambiance -- or at least some combination of the above. Though it's possible that I might attribute the above experience to a slight aberration in the force -- i have no wishes to go back there. I don't think I've ever been to a restaurant that got hit with a trifect whammy -- that is until we dined at Deepwood. Didn't like their cocktails which were too sweet...didn't like their bread which was unfresh and downright un-tasty...didn't like my meal with its confusing palette of tastes...and I'm sure not gonna like my credit card bill when it comes later on this month.

I think there's a lesson in all of this...don't take shortcuts. Mitchell's is worth the walk. And Deepwood=weaksauce.

Massachusetts Bear Colony Presents: Boston Blur

2009-06-15T21:00:00.031-04:00

Betty and I returned from Boston Monday night tired but happy from our weekend trip. We were in-town for a friend's wedding. In 3.5 days we pawed our way through a very beautiful, pedestrian friendly town with so much rich history consuming as much local seafood and local grub as we could. We did our scouting homework thanks to some tips from a Bostonian couple we met on our Princess Cruise Misadventures and were eager to check out the sites, sounds and eats of Bear town...err...Bean Town.

Up first Regina Pizzeria. This is supposed to be Boston's Best pizza.

volcanic looking cheese pizza

similarly volcanic looking sausage pizza

Betty and I had to wait in line about 30 minutes to try the pies but it was worth it. Regina Pizzeria is in the genre of thin crust brick oven pizza. Our favorite pizza John's Pizzeria in NYC is of the thin crust coal oven genre. Regina's reminded me of a distant cousin of John's -- which meant that I loved it. As is all too common one person's GPOAT is another's person's weaksauce. Though I appreciate pizza in its many forms -- the thin crust genre is prolly my favorite. That being said - Adriaticos thick crust is my GPOAT. Regina's pizza was perfectly cooked served scorching hot and slightly burnt on the edges and crust. Greasy cheese and sweet tomato sauce go perfect with carbon. That's a tip that most pizza joints just don't get. We ordered a topping pizza and a purist plain -- a habit Betty got me into many years ago. This way you get to appreciate the classic ingredients of a pizza while also getting an idea of how the pizza flavors enhance and build from the combination of extra toppings. I loved both pizzas. Regina's homemade sausage was very much on point but at the end of the day -- Betty and I had to fight for the last slice of cheese -- though you can do no wrong with any topping selection I would fathom. I can't say for certain that Pizzeria Regina is the best pizza in Boston. Those folks who don't like thin crust may not fancy this pie. I will say that the next time we're in Boston I'm going to Pizzeria Regina -- and that any other pizza joint would be hard-pressed to top it's taste. We were advised to go to the original location at 11 1/2 Thacher Street -- as there are chains across the city -- and the dining environment was charming. Our first Boston mission was accomplished -- the only problem was that I kept wanting to go back and get more instead of branching out...

Not too far from Regina's was Mike's Pastry which had been mentioned to us as having good cannolis. We heard rumors of an $8 cannoli there but Betty and I settled in on the $4 chocolate cannoli. I don't know too much about cannoli's but this was easily the best one I had.

chocolate cannoli with some Boston shower sprinkles -- that's right we ate this in the rain outside and it still knocked us on our paws.

The next morning found us touristing around market square and we had to try some of the fresh seafood at one of the shops. The name escapes me but it's the place in Quincy market that has the shrimp salad displayed right next to it.

peel and eat shrimp round 1. $9.95 for 6 shrimp? ouch.

The ginormous shrimp were expensive but extremely tasty. Regular readers know I am a price hound and if your food costs mad loot it better taste real good or you got one mad bear blog on your hands. The exception to this rule is normally vacation but Betty and I were having so much fun on our Boston-whirl-wind-tour that going broke never felt so good.

Continuing our walking tour on the Freedom trail south west to Beacon Hill...to Boston Common all the way back around to the Boston harbor worked up a tremendous appetite. We came across this strange trailer-esque building on the harbor marketing their lobster bisque called James Hook and Co. I was sold with the meer mention of lobster bisque and ventured in with Betty reluctantly following unsure of why I would want to enter this hole-in-the-wall.

When we walked into said strange trailer-esque building there were fresh lobsters and other sea creatures in the place with a small presentation/serving display. Though not ubear inviting I ordered a cup of the lobster bisque soup. Bear oh bear -- this soup was lobster-bliss. Sweet, creamy and lobstered out beyond tastes could describe. James Hook should have a TV show called Lobster My Soup cause this bisque is all about flavor.

sucky picture of lobster bisque -- we were sitting under a red umbrella...ella ella eh eh eh...

Between the shrimp in the morning and the lobster bisque for a snack Betty and I needed more sustenance so decided to check out the convenient Tia's Bar that was located not to far from our hotel. Surprise surprise...more sea food in the mix.

clam chowder bowl...they shouldn't even offer cups...

peel and eat shrimp vol. 2

This was some good straight up clam chowder creamy but with no suggestion or real hint of spice enhancement et al. The shrimp was fresh and delicious. I had no qualms ripping off the legs of the skrimp as Columbus Yogurt's girl calls them -- even for a domesticated bear like me.

Our last morning in Boston found Betty and I up early trekking out to Harvard and MIT -- hoping to take in the experience and aura of these prestigious universities and perhaps feeling enlightened in the process? No enlightenment was achieved in this case though it was fun to walk around both campuses. Nothing really caught our eye from a food perspective though most places were closed because we were on campus early -- plus I had failed to do my homework on what places to check out. As our hunger evolved we eventually decided to eat at Mass Avenue Restaurant somewhere in Cambridge on Massachusetts Avenue. Seemed like a hole in the wall diner but since their sign read Mexican food I was hoping for some good eats. I was already dreaming of devouring my refried beans and egg dish concoction only to discover that refried beans were not available until lunch. Weak Sauce. I disappointingly ordered the Mexican omlette -- which aside from salsa and sour cream had nothing that really made it Mexican per se...no chorizo...no spices...oh well.

"mexican" omlette

The food was decent and you sure got a lot of food for $7.00 but my stomach wasn't that into it.

After concluding our AM walking/subway trek to Harvard and MIT it was time to check out of the hotel -- but I was not quite done with Boston just yet. Betty and I decided we'd do a quick pub crawl before heading to the airport. Our next stop was The Black Rose. If you open your Tourist Reader to page 1 you'll most likely read how this pub is one of the best pubs in Boston if not the whole country. That's a pretty bold statement considering Boston might as well be called Pubston with all the small bars we saw on our walking tour. This place was charming in the typical-pub-brick-interior-irish-flag-sorta-way that many Ohio pubs emulate -- but this place was the real deal. In addition we were excited to learn that the Black Rose had the limited edition Brick Red Sam Adams beer on draft. I had to roll with the clam chowder again which was very tasty. Where as Tia's chowder was straight up cream based -- the Black Rose's chowder had a more flavorful spice undercurrent that was predominantly dill as in dillicious.

dillicious clam chowder

I also had to roll with the house burger.

Black Rose Burger - topped with Irish bacon, caramelized onions, sauteed crimini shrooms

The burger was a'ight. It wasn't cooked to my preferred temperature of medium so it was difficult for me to appreciate it. In the end I just ate the burger and left the bun for better or for worse. I was surprised that there was nothing particularly magical about the Irish bacon, crimini shrooms and onions combo. Oh well -- the ambiance and beer were good and Betty and I were off to hit up a couple of more pubs.

Boston is a great city with a rich history. I think i said that already. More importantly for us on this trip -- we had a blast at the wedding and meeting up with our dear friends. The city was very easy to walk about to see all the sites and sounds. As for the eats however -- Betty and I barely scraped the surface of the cuisine and food that we smelled in the streets and drooled as we walked all over town. We look forward to visiting again and getting more time to eat and perhaps less time touristing.

now I've...had...the tacos of my life...and I owe it all to...

2009-06-10T11:10:00.005-04:00

Cazuelas...Met up with some colleagues at Cazuelas for lunch which is a rare thing since I'm a notorious lunch packer. Hearing so much about all the wonderful taco trucks around Columbus -- i thought I would try some of the meats that have been mentioned in other foodie blogs. I ordered a trio of tacos with birria, al pastor and I'm pretty sure it was fish -- though my memory is failing me now. All of the meats except for the fish were mystery meats to me but a quick wikipedia search revealed birria to be a combo of lamb and goat -- and al pastor a pork delicacy.

These tacos were the best tacos I've ever had in my adult bear life. The flavor of each taco was not watered down by excessive lettuce or cheese -- and each meat was allowed to have it's unique tastes and textures showcase itself. I'm definitely a hard shell taco bear that prefers to make them at home rather then purchasing them out...but this meal might have me changing my mind. Bring on the taco trucks!

the more you know...the more you potato...

2009-06-09T21:27:00.005-04:00

Columbus Yogurt made the best potato salad I've ever had in my life. Unfortunately he freestyled his recipe and doesn't quite remember what was in it. No worries -- I recalled he used 3 different kinds of pickles and that was good enough for me to finally venture out on my own. Pictured below is my homemade potato salad, grilled chicken croissant sandwich, and left over black bean dip.

Crucial to my potato salad were:

1) diced pickles + pickle juice
2) heavy cream
3) real mayo
4) yellow mustard
5) smathering of seasonings.

Taste: off the charts.

tater salad, chicken croissant, black bean dip

big surprise...chicken nachos again...

2009-06-08T20:34:00.006-04:00

In true boring fashion -- I decided to make some chicken nachos. Still remixed as far I'm concerned. In this case -- I used chicken breast seasoned with a buckeye grill seasoning that I purchased from Hills market. The nachos were covered with a layer of pinto beans and corn, habanero cheddar cheese, and topped with sliced jalapeno peppers and diced green onions. El Yucateco duplex in the back with Cholula. Don Pablo's hot salsa in the middle. Muy sabrosa you know it ain't no joke-a.

chicken nachos.

John Hughes and Cholesterol King present Breakfast Club Brunch

2009-06-07T20:33:00.002-04:00

Betty and I finally decided to implement our Breakfast Club Brunch get together. The idea -- we make brunch and watch the movie Breakfast Club. Nothing too original but it's one of my favorite movies coupled with my favorite meal. On the menu for the day:

scrambled eggs, home fries, bacon topped with green onions, tomatoes, served with a croissant and a fruit salad; El Yucateco duplex in the back; Stauf's house blend in the mug

butter braid bread purchased from Betty's co-worker: a chocolate eclair-esque bread with a Boston cream

A meal that Claire, John, Brian, Andrew, Allison, Betty and I all found nutritious and delicious.

resistance is cost efficient...

2009-06-06T20:33:00.005-04:00

While at the Columbus Arts Festival I really wanted to purchase a Schmidt's bahama mama with sauerkraut -- but having settled for the chili cheese fries and corn dog we ended up showing some restraint -- that is until we hit the grocery store and purchase some hot Italian sausages from Giant Eagle. Much cheaper and yummity in my tummity.

spicy Italian sausages topped with shredded extra sharp cheddar, diced onions, yellow mustard, dijon mustard with kettle chips and dill pickles

columbus eats festival...

2009-06-06T20:33:00.004-04:00

While Betty was volunteering at the Arts Festival we got our fair grub grind on with a corn dog and chili cheese fries. Simple. Junky. Delicious.

...the bears at banana bean brunch before baseball..

2009-05-31T20:30:00.005-04:00

I got a funny feeling that i been here before. Except this time we were meeting up with a friend at the Banana Bean located on Greenlawn before our first Clippers game. A much different vibe than the Whittier location. I liked the interior better -- now if they could transplant this place over to German village. I have acquired an anticipation and excitement for dining at Banana Bean because of its eclectic menu which always introduces some new taste to my palette. This would be my 3rd time there and all previous times I'd tried something new. Betty and I also observed from our last brunch visit the coupled strategy of ordering a sweet item and a savory item for brunch. We were all set to order and I was hankering for one of their special bloody mary's only to learn that Banana Bean does not have a liquor license on Sundays. No worries - I just saved myself $8.00.

Our friend started off with the sweet potato fries. I acted like I was not interested in them when he ordered but when they came out I was the official sweet potato fry groupie. Very yums in tums.

sweet potato fries with mysterious "spicy island" sauce

Betty opted for the Banana Fosters French toast with Berries topped with a Captain Morgan Rum sauce. This was pretty tasty...but there was room for it to be amazing.

bananas foster french toast w/ strawberries topped with rum sauce

I opted for the seafood fare as always that BBC specializes in and ordered the Eggs Del Mar described from their menu as "...2 Poached Eggs atop House–made Creole Cornmeal-Dusted Crab Cakes, Seared Spinach & Roasted Tomato Hollandaise..."

eggs del mar no flash out of focus

eggs del mar w/ flash overexposed...

I wanted to love this meal but it ended up just being pretty good. I'm a true believer that most foods would benefit from a fried egg over it -- so crab cakes with poached eggs were tasty -- but the hollandaise had to be the blandest most uneventful I've ever tried. Imagine my delight thought when I inquired about hot sauce and they had the red El Yucateco. Secretly i was hoping they'd bring out the ya ya sauce that normally accompanies their fried plantains but no complaints here.

At the end of the meal we were all pretty content and looked forward to the promise that the day would bring. Betty and I need to get back to basics at Banana Bean and try their fish tacos which were amazing last time we had them. Word is bean!

It's more than a feeling...more than a feeling...

2009-05-31T20:30:00.004-04:00

Fresh off our first Clippers game we decide to hit up Bostons after a rather tasty first introduction to it at the Yeah Yeah Yeah's show at the LC the week before. Our goal was simple -- try their nachos and their pizza. We ordered a half pep/half pineapple ham pizza picture below:

half pep & half pineapple ham pizza.

The pizza was pretty underwhelming and tasted like a slightly better version of Pizza Hut pizza. I was surprised since their pizza at the LC tasted so promising. I wonder if Pepsi owns the franchise.

Up next - nachos. I had scouted these out back when NKOTB was here as we had plans to originally stop here before that concert. These nachos were tasty. I give them props on what appeared to be refried black beans and a well topped-tasting nacho. Though their care and attention to each nacho was appreciated their salsa was weak sauce.

nachos with weak-sauce salsa...

This place is ideal if you're on your way to an event downtown. Not a bad place to stop in and grab a drink and an appetizer...but beyond that i might be weary.

I can't believe that I'm sharin a kebab with the most beautiful bear in the room...

2009-05-29T20:29:00.001-04:00

Grilling season is here and I figured it was time to try my sister's marinade for the 2nd time ever. Her marinade recipe is below -- but I tweaked it slightly.

3 1/4 salad oil/vegetable oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 Tbs vinegar
2 Tbs honey
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
3 tsp ground ginger

- blend all the above and marinade with chicken, fish, or veggies

I marinated the chicken and veggies for 1 hour. I cooked the kebabs for about 15 minutes on the grill and then plated them. The kebabs were delicious. I served them up with El Yucateco's Caribean hot sauce and was set. I will definitely be making these in the future and will be pondering marinade remixes as well.

post-marination skewered up kebabs

almost grilled kebabs

plated outside.

plated outside extreme close-up

Dedicated to Tip Top Columbus...CK presents Ohio Nachos...

2009-05-28T20:23:00.003-04:00

Back in Columbus stocked with fresh tomatoes and jalapenos I decided to try another attempt at Ohio Nachos. We love Ohio Nachos from Tip Top with my only complaint being that the kettle chips are usually luke warm if even that. I gots to have my food at least warm but preferably hot and fresh. I originally tried to make a cheese sauce using shredded cheese and 1% milk but i couldn't get the cheese to a creamy consistency -- instead i used Trader Joes shredded quattro formaggio with green onions, tomatoes, fresh jalapenos and reduced fat sour cream.

hot out of the oven Ohio nachos: kettle chips covered with shredded quattro formaggio, diced tomatoes, green onions & jalapenos topped with sour cream.

These were very hot and tasty...Tip Top...if you're out there...you know you want to heat them up. ;)

pistacia bear-as...

2009-05-27T22:00:00.002-04:00

I finally found time to stop by Pistachia Veras to try some of their well-reputed baked goods. I stopped by their store and was greeted by the friendly women from behind the counter. She let me try their specialty which is macaroons. I was given their signature pistachio one and was blown away. Typically when I picture a macaroon i think of a whipped egg white styrofoamy cookie with shredded coconuts. No such item was present at their store. I decided to splurge and purchase 2 sets of their 12 set macaroons for $16 each. We shared one set with Columbus Yogurt and his wife during the Cavs playoff game and had a second set to explore and taste on our own. Betty was eager to get her paws on the cookies.

The macaroons were tasty but slightly expensive. My favorites were the pistachio and the honey lavender. The cookies were puffy but chewy and the cream filling was delightful. These desserts would make a great gift or treat for a dinner party. When we get a chance Betty and I would like to go back and sample their other baked goods.

Jon Spencer's Taste Explosion presents...Now I Got Quesadillas...

2009-05-27T19:55:00.010-04:00

Remixed -- but i ask again how you gonna mess with this. Whole wheat tortillas with shredded extra sharp cheddar, diced chicken and black beans with homemade guac and salsa to boot. John Spencer's Taste Explosion...word

preppin' in the kitchen with diced chicken, shredded cheddar, diced red onions & black beans

extreme close-up before grillage

quesadillas proper plated with salsa, guac, sour cream and the el yucateco trifecta.

Now I got tasty is more like it.

ladies and gentilemen...put your hands together for columbus's very own eat junkies!

2009-05-25T20:01:00.009-04:00

There is a group of DJ's known as the Beatjunkies that take turns on the 1's and 2's aka turntables doing some pretty amazing DJ feats. Well Betty and I were the eat junkies in our kitchen the other night. Betty cutting up some jalapenos and garlic to remix into her amazing guac and your's truly following some new guidelines from Cook's magazine on marinade magic -- sauteing chicken on the stove with a lime marinade -- all to be mastered in to extremely delicious chicken nachos topped with a homemade corn cilantro salsa. I ask as always how you gonna mess with chicken nachos with homemade guacamole? You can't. I'm drooling just looking at the pictures...and of course El Yucateco trifecta got in the mix:

certified classic chicken nachos with guac and corn salsa

certified classic chicken nachos with guac and corn salsa close-up

pastafari...pastafari...pastafari preserve all taste...

2009-05-25T19:57:00.007-04:00

Hibernating in the kitchen i freestyled some pasta salad for a cookout over at some friends -- using a vegetable radiatore pasta from Trader joes mixed with tomatoes, onions, orange peppers, black beans, bacon, red wine vinegar, cumin, brianna's santa fe dressing, and some shredded habanero cheddar cheese. Equal bites...just tasty.

pasta salad

itb remix f. big salad and bold hummus

2009-05-18T21:09:00.007-04:00

With many leftovers from the weekend's festivities I had fun remixing them for numerous new meals this week.

indian turkey burger, hummus, pita chips & tomato cucumber salad with sriracha.

surly uncertainty about crab cakes...

2009-05-18T21:08:00.013-04:00

Betty and I decided to meet up with Columbus Yogurt and his wife at Surly Girl Saloon one of our favorite bars in Columbus. At SGS I decided to expand my ordering horizon. The reason for the expansion was most likely due to a series of conversations with CY about pizzas and an on-going pizza feud between his preference for Figlio's pizza over mine for SGS. But this is not a story about pizza -- it's about a bear expanding his taste palette at one his favorite joints and the tragic tastes that would follow. Betty and I both ventured beyond our favorite italian sausage pizza and turkey sandwich with poblano mayo to try their BLT avocado and their special for the day which was crab cakes with poblano mashed potatoes and corn. Looking at the pictures below it's strange to think that food that looks so delicious would be so underwhelming.

B. L. T.& A

crab cake special

To make a long story short - the crab cakes were bland and had a rather slimy consistency accompanied with even more bland uninspired mashed potatoes. Betty's sandwich was lacking in quantity the tasty ingredients promised by the menu - namely the A - avocados. CY suffered the same fate. In general the lack of taste in the food could be made up in SGS's fine selection of beers but today would not be that day as we waited with empty cups for over 3o mints and no one offered to take our order for drinks. This was most likely due to our waiter needing to cash out but we really wanted to stay and have some more drinks...but felt uninspired to have to work to order them. The disappointment at SGS and El Vaquero recently have taken me by surprise -- and again bring to the paw-front the notion of taste bud evolution and or critical mass consumption. For me in the immediate future I will most likely take a break from dining out in Columbus hibernating to the kitchen until my taste buds make rhyme or reason of the recent misadventures.

let the indigestion begin...

2009-05-18T21:07:00.017-04:00

This weekend Betty and I headed home to Dayton to celebrate my sister's engagement. The menu would feature a diversity of foods from your typical cook out to traditional Indian fare. I was up early assisting my sisters and my moms with the cooking and trying to pick up some new recipes and cooking tips.

Up first my middle sis was cooking up some of her delicious macaroni and cheese. She has remixed her recipe a number of times. Today we would be treated to a gruyere and white cheddar mac and cheese with chicken sausage and red onions. How you gonna hate on that?

Click on the thumbnail below to see me guide you through the mac and cheese creation process:

My moms and my older sis prepped turkey burgers Indian style. What makes it Indian you ask? Turmeric, garam masala, hot peppers, garlic and cilantro -- yeah that's what's up.

Click on the thumbnail below to see Betty tell you all about the secrets of the ITB...Indian Turkey burgers that is...:

We also had the usual black bean dip.

I was excited to learn that I would be responsible for making a special run to Shri G Grocers to pick up what I believe to be the best samosas hands down.

Now they don't make them there -- Shri G works with a mysterious someone who works out of his/her home and brings them to the store in a minivan. That was all the info I had. Oh yeah-- samosas are $.75 each.

The day was a blur between running around town, eating yummy food, meeting future fam and catching up with old friends that I fell behind in the picture taking department. There were a number of other items that I did not get a chance to snap photos of including: cholay, ras malai, gulab jamun, a tasty yellow cake from ELE bakery and who knows what else I'm forgetting -- but in the end -- a good time was had by all and bear oh bear...I really shouldn't have eaten those last 3 samosas and 4 pieces of cake...

pizza my mind...

2009-05-15T07:48:00.004-04:00

Betty and I made it out to campus after a spontaneous decision to check out the King Khan and the Shrines show at the Wex. We decided to hit up Flying Pizza or the pizza shop formerly known as. I can't recall the new name of the place -- perhaps it's Slice of New York? This was our first time there after discovering it had changed owners over a year ago and officially ceased to be Flying Pizza. Betty and I have gone back and forth about what our favorite pizza place is depending on the specific context but I always had a warm spot in my heart for Flying Pizza as my first pizza venture when I first came to OSU. They claim to be NYC style pizza -- which is a difficult thing to do since we're in the midwest -- and since they do pizza by the slice -- you really don't get a chance to get a fresh slide per se -- but all things considered I dig it. I had the usual 1 slice of cheese and 1 slice of pep-mush with some fresh parmesan on it. The pizza was pretty good. The new owner has kept the same formula with the pizza. Betty noted the sauce did not taste as sweet as previous and I commented how the pizza was actually more cooked through than I've ever experienced previously. For pizza by the slice -- the price is right --but Betty and I have found that we really enjoy the pizza when you order a fresh pie for carry out. It's times like this where I feel fortunate to live in a city with such a diversity of pizza joints that I each equally cherish for their unique tastes and dining environments.

2 slices of chee & 1 pep-mush

Paul Bunyan couldn't down these lumbre jack burritos...

2009-05-14T18:17:00.012-04:00

You know i might as well be the burrito king for as much as I post about them. This time around I was making use of leftovers and also using some ingredients given to me by a faculty member. I made blue corn soft tacos with peppers, onions & steak. The tacos had a layer of refried beans and chipotle cheddar underneath them. The accompanying salsa was a homemade concoction of lumbre, corn, tomatoes, red wine vinegar and lime juice. I am not sure what exactly lumbre is but if I had to guess -- I would say it was roasted green new mexican chili puree. It's heat was pretty potent that I really did not need the El Yucateco trifecta...but I like to sweat with my food. These burritos were very tasty with a heat that would've taken out the best lumber jack Mr. Bunyan included.

blue corn soft tacos with beef, green peppers, onions, refried beans, chipotle cheddar and lumbre salsa

for those wanting a closer look:

the truth about jekyll and hyde park grill...

2009-05-14T18:15:00.004-04:00

Betty and I have been eating out way too much but there always seems to be something to celebrate or some new restaurant to try. This was the case Tuesday when Betty and I celebrated our 2nd Bearniversary. We were debating Thoms on Grandview or Hyde Park Grille and ended up deciding to try Hyde Park up in the Short North. We got there early -- i guess the restaurant does not open until 5PM -- and had a happy hour martini. Good blue cheese olives but something was off with my gin martini. Betty's was very tasty. Their happy hour menu is quasi-interesting in that everything on the left hand side of their menu is half off. We decided to try their scallops. As we waited at the bar -- our seats became available and were were taken to our patio seats which line High Street. I had some usual dining anxiety at first about downtown patio dining and it's proximity to the street and car exhaust along with potential heavy drafts that blow your napkin or menu across the street -- as had happened at Barrio Tapas -- but we were on the inner row of patio seats so all was good. I wanted to try a number of menu items to take in everything Hyde Park had to offer since we had recently been hitting up a number of fine dining steak joints including Eddie Merlots and Fleming's. We also ordered their sashimi tuna and lobster bisque as appetizers. Betty and I both decided to get petite filets and split a side of Gruyere gratin.

bread and butter

Bread was good. You get 2 different kind of bread rolls and a number of "everything" covered crackers.

scallops

Betty and I were so hungry when these came out I forgot to take a picture of the plating. These were very tasty cooked perfectly like butter served with a blue cheese walnut sauce. The serving was small however and I was glad we got the happy hour price on them for $5 rather than $12.95.

lobster bisque

I had to try this lobster bisque after loving Spagios. This soup was pretty good but seemed to have a strong cheese base that overpowered the rest of the flavors. I think pre-Spagios lobster bisque -- I would've enjoyed this more but Spagios has set the bar perhaps too high.

sashimi tuna app with wasabi oil and sriracha

When this came out i wondered where the other half went. I was perhaps a little disappointed with the tuna though nothing was noticeably wrong with it. Again I couldn't help but notice the small portions. This in contrast to other places where servings seemed larger and packed more taste punch. The sauces were boring to me but I love tuna so let's say I quasi-enjoyed this.

petite filet medium

Steak was tasty but was a little over cooked for me. I still enjoyed it though. As Betty and I were discussing the meal I wondered if perhaps I should start ordering my steaks medium rare because I also thought Fleming's also overcooked my steak.

potatoes gruyère gratin

Betty and I split this side and it was very rich and tasty. Complemented our steak perfectly. Again...I have a tendency to compare dining experiences and restaurants with one another...and I was hoping that Hyde Park might have some bold side comparable to say Flemings Chipotle Mac and Cheese. Betty and I really enjoyed our meal and it was fun to hang out in our old stomping ground to celebrate our Anniversary but at the end of the day with a pretty sizable bill we weren't so sure if we'd come back to Hyde Park Grille unless it was for drinks and apps or unless you're buying. ;)

sometimes cowboys need a day off...but come on now El Vaquero...

2009-05-12T20:47:00.024-04:00

It's a pretty common fact that bears who know me know I love El Vaquero. It wasn't always this way -- but after I experienced the 141 Pollo Ranchero -- Betty and I began a love affair with El Vaquero that's run over almost a decade. One of the few places I can always eat at no matter what my mood I decided some time last year to stop the 141 cold turkey and expand out and try their other menu items. On Sunday Betty fresh back from her Chicago trip and I decided to catch up at our favorite spot -- we go to the one on Riverside since it's so close by. We decided since the weather was nice to dine at the patio. Something must have been in the air or perhaps my credit card was trying to remind me of how much damage I had put on it this past month -- but the service was off and slow; the chips tasted gritty and stale; margaritas were watered down; -- and it took 10 minutes to flag down someone to order the hot salsa and take our dinner order. Was this the same place we loved so dearly? Where have all the cowboys gone? I tried to stay cool and Betty and I decided we'd split the fajitas vallarta. The fajitas vallarta consist of steak, shrimp, and chicken, with grilled onions, tomatoes, shrooms, and green peppers.

fajitas vallarta

accompanying side of beans, pico de gallo, mexican rice

After I sunk my teeth into my first fajita -- all my worries went away and I was good. Betty and I enjoyed the rest of our meal and attributed our experience to be the exception rather than the norm for a place that we frequent so often.

arise legumbre king arise!

2009-05-12T20:46:00.014-04:00

I like to eat meat as much as the next bear does but I grew up eating veggies and the Indian bear staple was dal which is a lentil soup. I purchased a bag of Hurst's Hambeens 15 bean soup when we were at Jungle Jim's and I finally decided now was the time to get back into the soup business. The soup comes with a seasoning packet for what they describe as a cajun soup with sausage.

15 bean soup package

I wanted more specifics on what was in the seasoning package but couldn't figure it out so I decided to freestyle in true CK manner using the yellow dal my moms and grandma used to always make as inspiration. I began by throwing away the seasoning packet and soaking the beans for 8 hours.

beans hanging out in the water

I then threw them in a pot with 4 cups of water and 4 cups of trader joes chicken stock and let them come up to a boil. Time to prep the seasoning: I juiced 1.5 lemons. Diced up 1 onion and some cooked chicken breast. Smashed and chopped up 3 cloves of garlic and it was off to the frying pan.

As the beans were boiling for about 30 minutes I cooked down the onions, garlic, and chicken and then added the seasoning to the soup and let it continue to boil. I added various other seasonings including turmeric, some bay leaves, a little bit of kosher salt, some red pepper, a dash of garam masala and let it all simmer. I then let the soup cool down and refrigerated it over night so all the spices could blend.

Betty and I have been eating the soup all week and both of us have been really enjoying it. I cooked the soup Sunday and have lunch for the week. That's 10 meals between Betty and me -- come on now you can't beat that! It might be time to declare myself lentil king or better yet legumbre king! :)

jolly huevos rancheros...

2009-05-12T20:44:00.007-04:00

I love eggs. I love refried beans.
Put them together. Jolly I will be.

I fried up a blue corn tortilla until it was crispy and brown. Layered it with the leftover refried black beans. Used the remaining chicken from the previous day. Threw on some shredded chipotle cheddar cheese. Added some chili spiked tomatoes. Then covered it all with a fried egg over medium garnished with mother amounts of onions and cilantro and yeah you guessed it. El Yucateco trifecta.

plated huevos rancheros CK style

closer look at the huevos rancheros...

aurora burrito-alis...

2009-05-12T20:39:00.006-04:00

In case it wasn't apparent I have a tendency to remix leftovers into new culinary creations. Saturday night driven by a strange polar light from the skies in the north -- I took the leftover chicken and pepper tomato salad and flipped them into a mexican meal. I made 1 bean burrito with refried black beans, onions, and cilantro and another with diced chicken from the other night with refried black beans, onion, cilantro, and a pepper, tomato, onion, corn salsa. El Yucateco trifecto??? Of course. Muy Sabrosa! :)

refried black bean burrito and chicken burrito with tomato, corn, pepper salsa

the goat cheese of breakfast morning...

2009-05-09T12:23:00.006-04:00

Being sick for the week limited my cooking game and one of my biggest bear peeves is letting food go to waste. I squandered a yummy bag of fresh green beans this week and felt really bad. I was destined not to have the same thing happen to my precious goat cheese. This morning I was visited by the goat cheese of breakfast morning and I did something I normally don't do in Columbus as mentioned in previous posts -- I made an omelette. I did a 2 egg omelette with goat cheese, onions, and bacon. I plated them with a pepper tomato salad and rosemary seasoned potatoes. Hit them with my El Yucateco-trifecta and was in heaven. I love cooking breakfast! Betty missed out on this but I'm sure she's having good eats in Chicago.

B&W focus filter from picnik: goat cheese, onions, and bacon omelette, pepper tomato salad, rosemary seasoned potatoes; El Yucateco trifecta in the background; Seven Hills creme brulee blend in the mug.

kickin' it in the kitchen with 2 flip chicken...

2009-05-09T12:12:00.005-04:00

I made some 2 flip chicken last night. For those not familiar with what I'm talking about -- I'm talking about grilling chicken on the stove but only using 1 flip to cook each side. 1 + 1 =2 flips -- not too complicated right. I usually do 5-6 minutes per side and the marinade and seasoning varies. Last night I needed to get rid of some lemons so I marinated the chicken in lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, and dijon mustard, and a little bit of this and that seasoning. For the sides I tried the Aunt Nellies Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage from Jungle Jims, a homemade goat cheese, tomato, pepper salad, and some browned potatoes with grilled onions.

2 flip chicken, sweet and sour cabbage, tomato, goatcheese, and pepper salad, and browned potatoes

The dijon mustard gave the chicken a mellow-winey-taste that complemented the cabbage and everything really tasted yummy together.

The only low part of the meal was the void of cooking for one since Betty was off to Chicago -- but all in all a good meal.

put 3Ts remix on repeat...hello hello hello...echo echo echo...

2009-05-08T07:22:00.006-04:00

With my nose and eyes watering for the past 48 hours this bear was running out of energon in true transformer's fashion. Betty saved the day by remixing our 3Ts in true DJ on repeat fashion.

3Ts. Tator tots, tomato basil soup, tomato melt

You know the drill. Ore-Ida tator tots. This time Betty flipped a Tomato melt with American cheese on oatnut bread. No sandwich maker this time which made for an easier post dinner dish washing. And of course our new found favorite tomato soup Sierra Rica Tomato & Basil purchased from the Dublin Whole Foods. Got the taste on lock. I should be sick more often...not.

cholesterolking down for the count...

2009-05-08T07:18:00.003-04:00

Trying to get back in the swing of things. Not sure if it's the fact that we're actually having an Ohio Spring this year. What I originally thought was a cold could have been tree pollen allergies in full effect. Take a bear out of the forest and the next thing you know he's allergic to it. I just hope that I don't get allergic to the kitchen because it's sure been awhile. Betty's been taking good care of me though.

cholesterolking gets a year older.

2009-05-04T10:10:00.006-04:00

If you want to roll with Betty and Umberto look for us at Marcellas from 4:30-6PM and then Surly Girl Saloon from 6:00ish and beyond.

UFC presents the El Yucateco breakfast throwdown

2009-05-03T11:51:00.008-04:00

Finally got back to basics with breakfast Sunday morning. 2 eggs over medium on toasted white bread. One slice of toast had jarlsberg cheese the other had black diamond cheddar. 2 strips of crispy bacon along with a homemade tomato relish with onions to have on the side. This morning i was on a mission though to sample and try all the El Yucatecos. I recently added to my arsenal of El Yucateco hot sauces the Salsa Kutbil-ik de aka XXXTRA Hot Picante Sauce and the Caribbean Salsa Picante de Chile Habanero purchased from Jungle Jims.

Breakfast was delicious. At the end of the battle I still declare winner and still champion the El Yucateco green hot sauce.

BBC presents Banana Bean Craving 2.

2009-05-03T11:49:00.008-04:00

You think i was kidding when I said Banana Bean was one of our best dining experiences eva eva eva eva in Columbus. We snagged some good friends and persuaded them that they should join us for lunch at Banana Bean on Saturday. That's right twice in less than 2 weeks...technically three times if you count when they were closed on Monday.

shrimp and grits

Described from the menu as "...Cedar Key Shrimp & Grits - Smoked Bacon Etouffe and Creamy Goat Cheese Grits"

Betty ordered the grits. The shrimp was tasty but the grits were pretty underwhelming and bland. They could have used more flavor in the form of bacon, more goat cheese, or even more tomatoes and green onions. I was a little disappointed that this meal did not quite pack the punch that our previous days dining had provided. At the same time I finished Betty's grits for her after eating the below.

Islamadora Fish Taco

The fish on this taco was the Red Stripe Beer Battered Cod. I could not taste much if any of the mango habanero ketchup this time around. In all honesty I really wanted to enjoy this and it was pretty good but I definitely enjoyed the shrimp version of the fish taco more. The battered fish overpowered the other elements in the taco.

Our friend ordered the fried oyster po'boy pictured above.

It was my first time trying fried oysters and I thought the flavor was strong but pretty tasty.

All in all Banana Bean cafe came down to earth in terms of flavor the 2nd time around. I am not sure if this was because we had not let enough time pass between our last visit or if perhaps the flavors/chefs that day were off. At the same time I did not regret trying the food we had. It was still tasty and better than your typical fare. I still want to try their crab cake burger along with some of their other brunch items and have no reservation about going back there.

you and me and a bottle makes 3Ts tonight: Turkey melt, Tomato basil soup & Tator tots...

2009-05-03T11:44:00.007-04:00

Betty wanted to rep in the kitchen on Friday. We decided to use our sandwich maker for the 2nd time ever. The menu was: turkey melt, tomato soup, and tater tots.

3Ts ingredients: ore-ida tater tots, boar's head bacon & oven roasted turkey from Huffman's market, kraft american cheese, roma tomato, & a jar of Sierra Rica Tomato & Basil soup purchased from Jungle Jim's.

3Ts Plated.

Everything tasted really good and went well together. It was our first time trying the Sierra Rica product line and Betty and I found ourselves loving the tomato basil soup. We were happy to see this product available at the Dublin Whole Foods as well.

3Ts will definitely be a repeat for future meals.

nothing beats kfc... khurmagiana freestyle chicken...

2009-04-30T06:51:00.023-04:00

Betty and I do not normally eat a lot of Italian food out. Not sure why. I am not normally even a big fan of chicken parmigiana but i decided I would freestyle something together using some recent purchases from the Hills Market. I used Trader Joe's tenderloin chicken.

defrosted Trader Joe's chicken tenderloin patted dry.

seasoned-salt-flour; boring plain bread crumbs with Trader Joe's pasta seasoning; 1 beaten egg

I dredged the chicken in an egg wash with yolk - why waist it you know? Then dusted the chicken in a flour-seasoned-salt blend -- back in the egg wash again -- and then one final dusting in a breadcrumbs-Italian-pasta-seasoning blend.

boring prep shot. chicken browning on iron skillet

The linguine was delicious and cooked in 3 minutes. I used the Rossi Pasta Classic linguine from Hills Market. Marietta Ohio represent.

The pasta sauce was pretty good with everything as well. I used "Cleveland's Own Little Italy Pasta" sauce available at the Hills Market as well.

I also steamed some broccoli and cauliflower to accompany the meal along with a small mixed greens salad with goat cheese and tomatoes.

Oh. And I forgot that we also had garlic bread from Weilands bakery.

Betty and I really enjoyed this meal. There was an authentic restaurant style taste to the pasta sauce that made everything taste good together. Even nicer was that we had mother amounts of leftovers for lunch for the remainder of the week.

divide and conquer. kfc lunch for the week

banana bean at last...bean at last...hail food almighty...banana bean at last...

2009-04-30T06:51:00.022-04:00

Betty and I finally made it to Banana Bean Cafe. We tried going on Monday but the German Village location was closed. Betty and I have been craving this place ever since we heard about it during Restaurant Week. Florribean cuisine is what they promise.

awkard angle of chips and salsa.

The first basket is free. $2.00 for refills. I think i like that they charge you so you aren't tempted to eat/waste more. The salsa was a nice smoky chipotle base with fresh tomatoes? Yummy.

fried plantains with ya ya sauce.

They look like wings in the pic above don't they? The plantains were sweet and crispy with a great caramelized taste. The accompanying ya ya sauce was a great spicy tangy sauce for the plantains -- in the spirit of a pepper relish.

#21 off the menu called the Soft Shell B.L.A.T.

Described as: "...Creole dusted Soft Shell Crab, Corn Cob Bacon. Lettuce, Ripe Tomatoes, and Avacado Mash..."

I've never had soft-shell crab before but this was the best crab experience my tastebuds have ever experienced.

Islamadora Fish Taco -- with Shrimp

Described from the menu as: "...Grilled Orange Cilantro Shrimp or Red Stripe Beer Battered Cod, Avocado Mash, Mango-habanero Ketchup, Mexican Crema, Shaved Lettuce, Red Onion, Scallions, and Cilantro Wrapped in a Grilled Soft Tortilla"

Maybe it was the high that my taste buds were already on but this Shrimp Taco packed a flavor punch.

We were having so much fun that we also ordered their chocolate cake for dessert that was a delicious way to close our dining extravaganza.

All in all this place was everything i had hoped it would be with a cherry-tree-on-top. Definitely one of my favorite dining experiences in Columbuse eva. Eva...eva...eva...eva.

P.S. Finally a place that makes a true dirty martini! Extra olive juice in the house!

her name is Bar-rio and she dances on the sand...

2009-04-30T06:50:00.018-04:00

Not sure if it was work or something else in the air but I had the get-out-and-eat-bug this week. We decided to finally try Barrio Tapas after striking out at Banana Bean Cafe off of Whittier which we learned was closed on Mondays. We ordered a number of items from their seemingly delicious eclectic menu.

We started off with a pitcher of sangria which was half off for happy hour for $12. The idea that someone might drop $24 for a pitcher was shocking to me. Sangria was so so -- not even in the same ballpark as Barcelona's. The bread with the butter and spiced oil was nice but we only got 3 slices of bread. Come on now.

Started off with the tuna ceviche and both versions of their empanadas.

tuna ceviche with base of lime, basil, siracha

The plating of the meal was the best thing about the ceviche. The lime was too overpowering and I failed to understand what they were trying to do with the taste. The popcorn I could care less for. The radish salad and plantain were tasty but it's not a good sign when radishes are trumping tuna.

crab, almond, goat cheese empanada with corn, pico, avocado puree

I really wanted to enjoy this but it tasted bland to me.

beef and bean empanada

I enjoyed this empanada a bit better but I couldn't really make out the bean that was with it. Beef was alright. Both empanadas had tasty puff pastry but in the end I would've been happier eating a Chili's southwestern eggroll.

At this point I found myself uninspired by the food but wanted to try more of the menu -- good for Barrio Tapas -- but bad for this month's credit card bill. We ordered the watercress & goat cheese salad along with the scallops wrapped in serrano ham. I'm glad we explored the menu. The salad was tremendous and the scallops were delicious as funk. Definitely some of the best scallops i've ever tried -- not no parkay -- not no margarine -- strictly butter -- strictly butter.

watercress & goat cheese with sour orange mojo, pistachio & goat cheese tostada

scallop and serrano ham with mango sherry vinaigrette, cilantro puree

When all is said and done Barrio Tapas is an alright place: a pricey menu with some tasty gems, a great dining environment and a prime downtown location. If we go back it'd be more of a stop off for a drink sort of place while out on the town.

we're betty and bettys...

2009-04-30T06:49:00.007-04:00

Betty and I decided to hit up Betty's Sunday night for a throwback evening. As I've mentioned before Betty's always reminds us of the 5 years or so that we had easy access to the Short North when Betty lived at the Greystone. We ordered the crab cakes that were decent for the price and the distant relative of Surly Girl's Ohio nachos named Steve’s Afternoon Delight described as a "big bowl of our house made potato chips covered with cheese sauce, diced romas, green onions, and sour cream".

crab cakes with jalapeno mayo

Steve’s Afternoon Delight

Food was good and thinking about all the wonderful memories we had at Betty's made it twice as nice.

who eats chocolate pudding this day in age?

2009-04-28T12:46:00.007-04:00

I do.

My sister known across Cincy, Dayton, and Athens as the frequent master-maker of chocolate mousse switched up her dessert arsenal with something from the old school...kinda...chocolate pudding.

You're probably asking yourself why is this post worthy? 1 word...okay 1 long hyphenated word..okay technically 9 words with hyphens between them...: it's-Peanut-Butter-whipped-cream-and-Reese-pieces-time!

Game. Match. Pudding.

chocolate pudding with homemade peanut butter whipped cream and Reese pieces

taco taco man...

2009-04-26T09:37:00.006-04:00

After an exciting day at Ikea and Jungle Jims -- Betty and I returned to my sister's house for some tasty ground turkey tacos.

Betty made yummy guacamole to accompany the tacos with fresh tomatoes, guacamole, jalapenos, and limes from Jungle Jims.

ground turkey tacos, guac, mixed greens, sour cream, monterrey jack, don pablos hot salsa, and el yucateco

paper plates and pomodori's pizza...

2009-04-26T09:31:00.008-04:00

I like to eat pizza no matter what the name...
finding me with hot sauce the taste will never be the same...
if you come to pomodoris it won't really be lame...
bonafide taste kinda like nyc style but tame...

okay. not quite MIA's paper planes...

Down in Cincy we ordered Pomodori's pizza as advised by the fam. This was my second time trying their pizza. My previous encounter was with their deep-dish or sicilian -- not sure which one -- but i did not care for it.

We ordered 2 pies traditional style one was tomato basil and the other was sausage onions. Pomodori's pizza wasn't bad. I would describe it as a simple Ohioan version of NYC pizza. It tastes good for delivery pizza. Good tasting crust. Decent cheese and sauce. The tomato basil was surprisingly tasty with a very enhanced basil flavor. Adriaticos please...

vanilla nice nice baby!

2009-04-26T09:29:00.007-04:00

Betty and I finally found official vanilla chips at Hills Market. I am still not convinced there is much of a difference between white chocolate chips and vanilla chips ingredients wise -- but the vanilla chips were slightly smoother and creamier in taste.

vanilla chips and other crucial ingredients. (No we didn't put la croix sparkling water in our cookies.)

Betty was in full effect in the kitchen. She switched up the recipe for orange white chocolate chip cookies this time adding extra orange zest and vanilla extract.

This was my favorite version of these cookies so far.

orange vanilla chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven

hakuna frittata...or maybe more like unhakuna frittata...

2009-04-23T20:31:00.016-04:00

I been cooking omelettes since the fourth grade thanks to my mom. Ever since then I've gone through many genres and style of omelettes through the years. For all the years of egg-cellent cooking i've never explored frittatas and quiches which are all close cousins of the omelette. I've done egg scrambles and a couple of months back i tried a corned beef hash and eggs and even 1 burnt stove top cooked frittata. I reviewed some recipes on-line and then did the usual cholesterolking improvisation:

pan fried and blackened yukon gold potatoes with diced onions seasoned with season salt and rosemary
chopped up chicken breakfast sausage
more diced onions
1 diced jalapeno
3 cloves of garlic

pre-stove-top

extreme close up pre-egg on the stove top.

all that cooked in a pan while i stirred up:

6 eggs
some heavy cream
some nutmeg
various seasonings
a dash of flour
some habanero tabasco ...i just remember i forgot to put dijon mustard in it! :(
a dash of worscestshire sauce

multitasking

Poured the egg mix on top of the hash that was cooking in the pan. Cooked it 5 minutes then threw in some diced tomatoes, habanero cheddar, and green onions and let it cook for 3 more minutes -- then flipped it into another skillet so i could cook down the top of the frittata which has historically been burdensome to cook on the stove top. I wasn't trying to broil this guy this time. Cooked that for another 2 minutes and then took it off the stove to let it firm up.

frittata off the skillet and not runny!

sausage potato frittata with toasted garlic bread from Weilands and grapefruit la croix

I thought it was pretty good. Wasn't as tender as I would've liked but not as overcooked as my previous attempt. Betty loved it. We had 2 servings and i somehow persuaded Betty into baking another batch of orange vanilla chocolate cookies.

bean burritos boring? most certainly not!

2009-04-22T19:13:00.010-04:00

The last 2 nights we've been eating bean burritos -- by choice of course. I love them. I could probably eat them every day. I confess it. Is that a bad thing? People may associate bean burritos with Taco Bell -- and ask why would i make bean burritos at home when I can buy them for $.89. The answer -- because I can make them better. You can use vegetarian beans, mix it up with different cheeses, add exorbitant amounts of onions which are especially crucial to me, and of course top it off with El Yucateco. Normally we have 2 burritos -- and I do one with El Yucateco red and the other with El Yucateco green. I had left over cilantro in the fridge from last week so took this opportunity to add some to my bean burritos. Delicious and f-r-e-s-h. When all is said and done at the end of the day -- bean burritos are what i crave!

bean burritos with cilantro, habanero cheddar, onions, el yucateco red and green, bowl of don pablos hot salsa, larger bowl snyder of hanover yellow corn tortilla chips

don't lavash home without trying the kibbeh...

2009-04-20T21:24:00.012-04:00

We caught up with some friends at Lavash Cafe in Clintonville. This was our first time going but I had read some good things about it. I decided it'd be nice to be thorough in our assessment of the menu so i ordered a number of appetizers and sides so we could get the big picture.

kibbeh described from their menu as: "...cracked wheat and meat shells filled with seasoned ground beef, onions and pine nuts..." + side order of falafel

This was my second time trying kibbeh. The first time was at a Greek Festival in the Short North. Their kibbeh was mystifying to me. How'd they bake around the meat? It was like eating a bread shell filled with tasty beef. This was delicious. Would have been exceptional if it was warmer.

Their falafel was pretty good. Pretty mild taste and softer than I would like but the price was right. 6 for $2.50? Who's messing with that?

mojadara described from their menu as: "...rice and lentils cooked with special herbs and spices, topped with carmelized onions..."

For my meal I tried the mojadara and a beef kebab as recommended by a Columbus foodie. The beef kebab was a real treat -- tender with peppers and onions that all had a great grill taste . The lentils were pretty good. I like lentils having grown up with them as a kid. The Indian diet is all about dal and the various forms of lentils. Their mojadara could have used some more seasoning or something with a kick. The side salad which was a veggie infused form of tabouleh was a little bland too. Lavash's food reminds me of my own cooking because I cook with a lot of beans, cous cous and vegetables -- just could have used more seasoning.

lamb shish-kebab, saffron rice, pita, beef shish-kabob, salad

Lamb tasted good, saffron rice was flavorful, and the pita bread was yummy.

For dessert I split the rice pudding with Betty. Again growing up in an Indian household -- I had way too much exposure to ultra-sweet-sweets. Gulab jaman, lassi, chum chum, jalebi, you name it i ate it and we also had lots of baklava. For some reason though the sweets taste good i don't crave them -- and prefer American desserts over them. They do have a tremendous selection of baklava for those who can't get enough of it. We tried some of our friends and it was very delicious. The rice pudding was wonderful though.

All in all a good trip out. I definitely prefer this place over Aladdins -- and though I prefer to cook this genre of food at home -- i definitely see us coming back here with friends in the future and putting down some more kibbeh.

naw man...I assure you there are not dogs on this pizza...I swear...

2009-04-18T13:44:00.006-04:00

Made it back to Columbus to catch the 2nd half of the Cavs-Celtics game at one of our favorite dine-in pizza joints in Columbus - Hound Dogs Pizza. We had the usual half pep-half sausage with smoking joes crust, hot sauce, and side of ranch. The pizza was tasty though the smoking joes crust was slightly off. Smoking joes crust means that they increase the calorie count of the pizza a hundred-fold -- covering the pizza crust with garlic butter. The garlic butter was not as salty-season-y as it normally is. Regardless the pizza was tasty as funk. Funny thing is the leftovers tasted even better cold.

unflattering shot of smoking joes crust, hot sauce, half pep-half-sausage pizza delight

look it's the Easter Brunchy...

2009-04-13T20:27:00.010-04:00

This was my first time celebrating Easter. Had a great weekend visiting friends and fam and this was the perfect way to end the weekend with a family brunch of tomato basil quiche, shrimp cocktail, fruit salad, apple pierogies, cheesy broccoli, and ham. This with all the great candy in our easter basket got me thinking i could get used to this holiday.

pineapple, boiled eggs, fruit salad, shrimp cocktail, empty cup of coffee

mimosa, ham, apple pierogies, basil tomato quiche

all the previously mentioned + broccoli cheese and newspaper

Ian Fleming presents Steakhouse Royale...

2009-04-13T20:26:00.012-04:00

On Saturday the fam went out to Fleming's steakhouse after a great day of sight seeing at the Akron Art Museum and Stan Hywet Mansion. I guess this place is a chain but the food was tremendous.

They had two options for butter with the bread -- one plain and the other was a garlic sun-dried tomato option with other veggies in it. Good stuff.

I started off with the New England Clam Chowder.

New England Chowder

It was pretty good but more potato-y than i would want from a clam chowder. Now if it was billed as a potato soup with clams...then i would have truly enjoyed it. I prefer my chowder clammy and creamy.

I also tried their wedge salad. Who knew iceburg lettuce could taste so fantastic? I credit it to the blue cheese dressing obviously but still very delicious.

I also split the seared tuna appetizer with betty.

seared tuna

Great tuna. Way too wasabi-ful sauce set my nose and eyes on fire but man this was shaping up to be one of the best meals ever!

I ordered a straight up filet over medium.

filet, chipotle mac and cheese, sauteed mushrooms

Mine was cooked a little too much but still tasted great. Had sides of sauteed mushrooms and chipotle macaroni and cheese. The mac and cheese was very tasty and original! Sauteed mushrooms weren't bad but nothing's touching Top's Steakhouse. Everyone really enjoyed their food. I would go back for special occasions because the food and dining atmosphere are on point -- but the menu is a bit pricey for my wallet comfort.

what exactly is a Surf and Turf Burger?

2009-04-13T20:23:00.014-04:00

Betty and I were in Cleveland this weekend and hit up the Moosehead Hook and Ladder pub with some friends. Imagine if a pub was put into an old Firestation and there you go. This place has a unique warm dining atmosphere. When it came time to order drinks I was underwhelmed with the beer selection but their menu was eclectic though difficult to read. Because I'm a nacho hound we started off with the seafood nachos that had shrimp, crab, and provolone on it topped with a lobster cream sauce and jalapenos on the side. They were simple and sweet but very delicious.

seafood nachos

After some contemplation I had to go with the Surf and Turf burger. What exactly is a surf and turf burger ??? --

surf and turf burger

a beef patty with a crab cake on top and grilled crispy onions. I got mine medium. Everyone was waiting for me to try this beast of a sandwich. When I took the first bite I was very surprised with how well the crab and beef actually went together. The burger itself was a little bland probably to allow it to go with the crab cake seasoning. All in all the flavor was decent but not mind altering -- the burger could have benefited from some form of bold condiment -- there was a tabasco-tartar sauce that was okay...but I could have gone for a more spicy mustard or even bacon -- but all in all a pretty unique burger. The rest of the table was a little underwhelmed with their food but I enjoyed what I tried including the fried grouper fingers. Overall the Hook and Ladder was a great place to catch up with friends for the mood and decent food. I would definitely go back there to try some of the other eclectic items on their menu.

mucho nacho bowl about sumpin'...

2009-04-09T21:44:00.009-04:00

A classic cholesterolking meal is the nacho bowl. You can customize it depending on what you got in the house. Tonight we had the following:

Hidden below the toppings is seasoned ground turkey topped with shredded monterey jack cheese, chopped onion, then topped with seasoned black beans. I used coriander, cumin, and bay leaves with the black beans. All of the previously mentioned is then topped with sour cream, salsa, jalapenos, and then striped with the red and green el yucateco hot sauces. How you gonna hate on this meal?

i've died and gone to adriaticos...

2009-04-09T21:08:00.005-04:00

This is Adriaticos pizza -- my favorite pizza in Columbus, OH. This is Adriaticos pizza with half pep-shroom half ham-pineapple and an order of their breadsticks with all 3 sauces. Any questions?

mom's mattar paneer + Sri-g samosas...

2009-04-07T22:19:00.008-04:00

Was fortunate enough to go back to Dayton this weekend and stock up on my mom's home cooking. Call me a momma's boy but my mom's got mad skills in the cooking department. She also hipped us to her new favorite samosa joint. Sri-G Grocer's in Dayton, Oh makes samosas on the weekend. These samosas were to die for. I credit it to 2 things: 1) their potato-pea filling which is very spicy and tasty that you don't even need hot sauce or chutney and 2) the mastered art of reheating aka nuking a food item in the microwave just enough so that the insides are warm and then broiling the outside of said item so that it crisps up. This meal was crucial.

heated up whole wheat pita, home made roti, 2 samosas, 3 dollar tomato-onion salad, and mattar paneer.

signature black bean dip + white chocolate chip orange cookies

2009-04-07T22:18:00.014-04:00

For a cookout with friends we decided to make some signature cholesterol king bean dip and orange white chocolate chip cookies inspired from the 52 weeks of baking blog that I've been following.

bean dip prep

finalized bean dip. looks like christmas

signature bean dip consists of a layer of black beans and salsa; a layer of sour cream with spices; shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese; shredded ice burg lettuce; green onions; and dice tomatoes

betty agreed to be in charge of the cookies which called for orange zest.

betty did a good job with the cookies

fresh outta the oven.

The cookies were delicious. They were a big hit at the cookout as the citrus flavor took our friends by surprise. Betty and I thought about adapting this recipe in the future including trying them with lemon zest and regular chocolate morsels. Folks loved the bean dip as always.

why i say no to mcdonalds and bk breakfasts...

2009-04-07T22:15:00.008-04:00

because i can make the best parts of their menus at home my way.

egg mcmuffin cholesterol king style with eggs over medium + american cheese ore-ida crispy crowns browned to perfection.

heinz ketchup + el yucateco red sauce + green sauce.

certifiably yum.

Marcellas Reconsidered...

2009-04-07T22:11:00.012-04:00

The evening of the New Kids on the Block (NKOTB) show found us being frugal with our parking so we parked in the Short North and bar hopped our way down to Nationwide. We decided to check out Marcellas. I had been to Marcellas one time before and thought they had pretty tasty pizzas with overpriced sweet cocktails.

We were pleasantly surprised to learn about the happy hour specials that were half off pretty much everything on the menu except for the 'L" on the right of the menu. Betty had the grapefruit Negroni with Bombay Gin, Campari, Sweet Vermouth, Fresh Grapefruit juice and tonic and the Milan Manhattan with Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Amaretto Di Saronno, Vanilla infused syrup, and Di Saronno soaked cherries. Both were pretty good but again too sweet for me. I tried the extra dirty gin martini with tanqueray and blue cheese stuffed olives. These were divine and gave the Refectory a run for their money in terms of best martini in Columbus. We ordered the pesto shrimp pizza with goat cheese and the margherita cheese pizza. Both were tasty and at the right price.

shrimp pesto pizza with goat cheese and roasted tomato

The above picture is a bit out of focus but i was pleased since it was from my new cell phone. Regardless it was nice to rediscover Marcellas and their happy hour prices. We will definitely be back there for happy hour with friends in the future.

salads and salads...

2009-04-05T19:37:00.012-04:00

I wasn't kidding when I was talking about salads.

1) mixed greens
2) grilled chicken tenderloin marinated in a rosemary spice blend
3) sliced boiled eggs
4) shredded mozzarella cheese
5) green onions
6) all topped with a blend of cous cous, tomatoes, corn, onions, cucumbers tossed with balsamic vinegar

El Vaquero please forgive us for our indiscretion...

2009-04-05T19:30:00.024-04:00

Instead of resuming a healthy diet of cooking at home -- Monday (April 1st) found us spontaneously trying Rancho Alegre. The relatively new restaurant that opened up down 33 from our favorite restaurant El Vaquero. It is located in the building that used to be Tee Jays. It seemed sacrilegious at first to go there considering El Vaquero is the truth -- but we got over it. The place is a more family friendly version of El Vaquero like if Bob Evans opened up a Mexican restaurant. There is plenty of natural light and booths by the windows and spacious tables and chairs in the middle. The bar area has a flat panel tv for those who want to hang there. When we pulled into the parking lot the place was empty which was slightly alarming but it was right after work. They had a pretty extensive menu and we were surprised to see that they had a meal with the same name as our all time favorite from El Vaquero -- The Pollo Ranchero. Betty ordered the Pollo Ranchero and I ordered the Nachos. Betty and I then began our food commentary. It was hard not to compare this restaurant to El Vaquero but here goes:

The chips and salsa were delicious. A smooth and sweeter salsa with cilantro...Can't complain. The chips were warm and tasted freshly made w/o too much grease on them. A good start.

Margaritas were lime on the rocks with salt of course. These were very tasty. I rated them higher then El Vaqueros. I asked for a hot salsa and it wasn't bad. Similar to El Vaquero's with a vinegary taste but not as many green chilis or cilantro in it.

The food.

Well my chicken nachos were okay except that i ordered the Super Nachos which were supposed to come with beef, chicken, and beans. I think they mistakenly gave me the grilled chicken nachos which had only chicken and onions and peppers. It was difficult to tell whether i had the right order until i had eaten quite a bit of nachos and at that point I didn't want to fuss. The nachos were not bad -- just not what i ordered.

Betty's Pollo Ranchero was a tangier version of our favorite El Vaquero Pollo Ranchero aka the 141. The usual description for such an offering is "chicken with our special red sauce". The sauce was not so special for me. The Ranchero sauce was lighter but almost tasted like chef boyardee. I didn't care for the rice and was disappointed that beans did not accompany the meal especially for $10.50. Refried beans are essential for me when we eat mexican. I was tempted to order them on the side but Betty and i were already getting stuffed.

Overall Betty and I thought Rancho Alegre was an "a'ight" place with average food. Though we might go back there for margaritas and chips we found our palettes craving the bold flavors of our timeless favorite El Vaquero just a jaunt down the road.

2 Flipped-Finger Chicken Good Y'all...

2009-04-05T19:29:00.006-04:00

It's been a while since we've purchased chicken. Normally I prefer to get the frozen chicken tenderloin from Trader Joe's trusting their label that the animal was living a good free range life without steroid injections. The past week or so saw me pulling the chicken out of the fridge and grilling it with various seasonings.

The meal below:

Mixed Green Salad with Radishes and Cucumbers; Grilled Brussel Sprouts with Yukon Potatoes + sauteed onions and garlic; Grilled Chicken rubbed in rosemary seasoning mix splashed with Balsamic Vinegar + Worcestershire.

I was very pleased with the meal. I tried a new approach for cooking the chicken which involved only turning it twice. Historically I'm guilty of flipping the chicken a number of times while it cooks. For this I cooked it on medium for 5 minutes on each side and presto. Good tasting chicken seared on the outside tender on the inside. Boom!

home Surly home...

2009-03-28T18:32:00.017-04:00

Betty and I have been on a kick of eating at home during the week and then trying new restaurants on the weekend to get outside of our comfort zone and to explore new places and tastes. This goal lasted about 3 months so Thursday's date night with Betty at Surly Girl Saloon was a homecoming of sorts for us. Surly Girl is one of our favorite restaurants in Columbus for a number of reasons including their excellent beer selection, their sausage pizza and their roasted turkey sandwich. Sure I could go on about how Betty and I fell in love in the shortnorth and really made the bars and restaurants there our stomping yards but I won't. It had been some time since we had been back to Surly Girl and as we placed our drink orders Betty and I wondered if our favorites could still hold their own after all the complex and new tastes we had experienced over the past 2-3 months.

roasted turkey sandwich with bacon and poblano mayo on wheat with fritos

traditional italian sausage pizza

Not sure what we were worried about. The food was as delicious as we remembered it. The turkey sandwich has gone through some changes in the past year and a half including less turkey actually on the sandwich and a vendor change that we were pretty bummed about last year. I am not sure if SGS switched vendors again but the sandwich tasted better than the last time we ordered it. The sandwich is served on toasted wheat with bacon and a delicious poblano mayonaise. I am not a sandwich person but I truly love this sandwich. As for the pizza - I think it's strange how much I love their traditional Italian sausage pizza especially considering all my other favorite pizza joints across Columbus but simply put I love it and that's all i have to say about it. It's comforting to know that no matter what new places and tastes cross my palette that at the end of the day I can still count on our timeless favorites and reminisce about Columbus and why we call it our home.

the salad days...

2009-03-28T18:28:00.006-04:00

For the last 3 years my new years resolutions have included eating more veggies. With that goal i have had many great experiences making various kinds of salads. The one below was extremely delicious. Let's see if I can remember what was in it:

1) mixed greens
2) shredded brussel sprouts
3) carrots
4) 3 pepper blend
5) black beans
6) grilled chicken tenderloin marinated in a rosemary spice blend
7) tomatoes
8) onions
9) sliced boiled eggs
10) shredded cheddar cheese

With all the different flavors in the salad I did not really need a dressing but I did put a splash of balsamic vinegar on it.

home cooking...

2009-03-26T16:49:00.008-04:00

Still trying to get caught up with all of my posts. Betty has agreed to let me live and we've cut back on the lean cuisine completely for the past 2 weeks which I've been pretty happy about so I'm back to cooking. I've been doing a lot of the same stuff I normally cook including mexican and santa fe. The pic below is my tony bourdain inspired dish of moroccan flavored beef with rice biryani accompanied with a pepper salad topped with goat cheese and hummus. Not the most pleasant looking of all meals -- but the taste was bold and I loved it.

Moroccan Beef with Rice Biryani + Pepper Salad with Goat Cheese/Hummus Dressing + Sriracha

nacho bowl with pepper salad

Hmm. What else am I missing. I made ground turkey enchiladas this week that were good. I included refried beans with bacon in the enchiladas. They were delicious. We also had Mom's mattar paneer with Trader Joes Nan that was bonkers. Then my mother-in-law came over for a visit and she made pasta which was mighty tasty. Reading this now makes me realize that I need to hit the gym twelve-fold this weekend.

St. Toppy's Day at Tip Top...okay not quite...

2009-03-26T16:42:00.010-04:00

so I was starting to finally feel better after a week and a half of this cruise vertigo bug and my vision for the perfect St. Patty's day was friends, Ohio Nachos from Tip Top Columbus and Irish Car bombs. The plan was perfect but there were some challenges including parking. I dropped Betty off at Tip Top and 25 minutes later I joined her and our friends. As it turned out Tip Top had no Irish beers on draft so I elected not to trouble the bartender with car bombs. This year would be a tame St. Patty's day. My disappointment last 3.6 seconds as we ordered some appetizers. Ohio Nachos hands down are my favorite appetizer in Columbus, OH. They are essentially kettle chips covered in a white cheese sauce with olives, tomatoes, jalapenos and green onions. I brought a bottle of green el yucateco (my favorite hot sauce) to commemorate st. patty's day and to add some extra heat. As much as I love this appetizer I think it would taste that much better if they would heat the kettle chips. Most of the time the chips are luke warm. Our friend hipped us to the salmon fritters the last time we met up with him and we ordered them again and they were divine. Don't sleep on the Ohio Nachos or Salmon Fritters at Tip Top. We met up with some other friends there and had some good conversation and catch-up. Then we were off for cabbage and kraut at another friends place.

Ohio Nachos South. Salmon Fritters North.

steaming boiling cabbage.

corned beef with previously mentioned cabbage

So St. Patty's Day was a treat. I was pleasantly surprised to be invited over for a traditional St. Patty's day dinner. I had never had this meal of corned beef and cabbage and man oh man was it good. The meal was straight-up unadulterated cabbage, potatos, carrots, celery, and corned beef with some vinegar on top. I thouroughly enjoyed the homemade meal with some Bell's 2-hearted. I know not an irish beer. This St. Patty's Day was different than many of yesteryear. It was tamer and toner but tastier all for the better!

ain't no Topping this Steakhouse...

2009-03-26T16:39:00.011-04:00

Betty and I decided to end Retaurant week at Top's Steakhouse. This would be our 3rd time dining there and we have enjoyed it thoroughly the previous 2 times. Part of the charm of Top is the historic building and vibe of the place. I always tell our friends "...it's like a place the rat pack would hang out at for happy hour." We started our meal with martinis which have become our drinks of choice since the cruise. I was pleased with my extra dirty gin martini with what appeared to be hand stuffed bleu cheese olives. Still not as good as the Refectory but I still loved it. Betty had the Manhattan up. Can't complain about the drinks.

The restaurant week special was tremendous and we both of course opted in for the specials. I had the French onion soup. Great cheese and crouton at the top but the soup could have been hotter. Good french onion soup ALWAYS burns the roof of your mouth. It was tasty nonetheless.

out of focus french onion soup

escargot

Betty opted for the escargot which was cooked with plenty of butter, pesto, garlic and cheese. This was our first time trying traditional escargot. Ironically the butter was roof-of-your-mouth-burning-hot but so much you couldn't taste the snail. Maybe that's a good thing? Betty really liked the escargot. I thought it was okay. Still really in love with the snail terrine from the Refectory but it was good to try the traditional prepation of escargot.

surf and turf filet wrapped in back with lobster tail and sauteed mushrooms

We both ordered the above dish and the steak was excellent. The lobster was tasty especially with the side of butter sauce they gave us. It was nice our waiter removed the lobster from the tail because I would've had no clue how to eat it. The onion ring did not taste as fresh however. The mushrooms were amazing as always. Not trying to take anything away from the steaks but Top's mushrooms are off the charts. I'm not even a mushroom fan but I salivate over just thinking about them. You must order them if you go. It was great that you could have them as a side for Restaurant week as they are normally considered a specialty side. Dinner was good and there was still dessert to go.

Betty had the chocolate cake which was simply heaven.

I had the out of focus filter adjusted creme brulee which was really delicious. This was served crispity-crunchity-warm compared to G. Michael's and I really enjoyed this dessert.

Overall Top's was our favorite place during restaurant week but we did not get to try as many places as I had hoped for since I was still suffering my cruise vertigo.

Barcelona...asi asi...

2009-03-26T15:53:00.008-04:00

Still feeling hit by the cruise vertigo/virus but not wanting to act like anything was abnormal we made reservations for Saturday night at Barcelona. I was excited because we had a friend coming into town and I remember liking Barcelona last time I was there probably over a decade ago. We were excited by the Restaurant Week special that consisted of 9 tapas + a glass of sangria all for $30. That's a deal considering the last time I was there our bill for 10 people came to about $700. That's probably why it's been so long since I've been back there.
I tried unsuccessfully to capture the menu on my camera yet again but what you see below was the best part of the meal which was the sangria to the right and the first 3 appetizers.

hummus and flatbread, almond gazpacho, and tomato & mozarella

The sangria was tremendous. I've historically not been much of a sangria person but this sangria was tasty not overly sweet and had some bite. I like it lots and would definitely try it again in larger quantities. The hummus to me was standard. The flatbread tasted a little stale to me. Betty and our friend thoroughly enjoyed it. The almond gazpacho was something i've never tasted before and though pasty was very tasty. The tomato and mozarella was simple and very delicious.

At that point i got tired of taking photos on my camera as i was bumped a couple of times by folks because we were packed tightly in and also because the very act of taking photos was disruptive to our table conversation.

The rest of our meal was pretty so so consisting of: a mushroom-sausage dish that was bland and greasy, a chicken and manchego croquette that tasted like a generic wedding appetizer, an overcooked rubbery scallop, another generic salmon salad, lukewarm pathetic meatballs with a bland creamy side sauce, and then pretty tasty asparagus with overcooked shrimp. If I seem lackadaisical it's cause I honestly could care less for the remainder of our meal.

Part of the appeal with Barcelona is the dining atmosphere and feel of the place. You don't feel like you're in the midwest. We had a lot of fun chatting it up and talking about the food that we didn't really care that it wasn't great. Typing up all these posts is making me fret my credit card bill for this month which has yet to come

Next stop Katzingers...

2009-03-26T15:49:00.013-04:00

Still suffering from cruise vertigo/virus but not wanting to miss an ounce of restaurant week I hit up Katzingers with a friend to catch up. This was my second time going to Katzingers and I remember thinking it was pretty good but expensive. We both decided on the Flight of the Corned Beefs. You got three different half sandwiches, a brownie and a side of potato salad for $7.50 + all the dill and garlic pickles you could eat. That's a deal this day in age.

Garlic and Dill Pickles, Carbonated H20, Flight of Corned Beef, Brownie, Potato Salad

As I was eating the sandwiches I became engrossed in conversation with my friend because we hadn't seen each other for awhile. Before I knew it I was threw my food without really tasting my meal. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I don't really know much about corned beef but the sandwiches were good and traditional. The potato salad and brownie were standard. I wasn't overly impressed with the pickles. They were crisp yet pretty bland. The dill pickle did seem to taste better the longer it sat. All in all the verdict is still out on Katzingers. The meal was good enough to enjoy through a conversation but I don't recall being blown away. I was psyched that they had carbonated water at their drink station thought. The restaurant does have a nice store that intrigued me and I would be curious to come back to try out their eclectic selection of breads, cheeses, meats, and appetizers. I was really hoping to take Betty later on in the week to try the Flight of Turkeys and discuss her reviews of the pickles because she is big on sandwiches and pickles but time got away from us.