Dinner at Alinea

In the home stretch before giving birth, we like to do something really special, a babymoon of sorts, something we won't have time to do in the haze of newborn care. I had dreamed of going to Alinea long before we moved to Chicago. When you live in in New York, it's easy to think that you're in the midst of the most exciting dining scene in the US, but I'd been reading about Grant Achatz for years, ever since Gourmet named Alinea the best restaurant in America, and was dying to experience his vision first hand.

Our dinner at Alinea was almost as expensive as a weekend away but was definitely the perfect way to celebrate, an experience we'll remember forever. 

If you were to walk by Alinea on the street, you would never know it. There is no signage, no bay windows to let you peak inside. Only the shiny address numbers confirm that you are indeed in the right location.

You'll know you're walking into another world, as soon as you pull open the nondescript metal doors and step into a crooked, narrow hallway lit with a futuristic red glow. It doesn't seem to lead anywhere until part of the left wall opens, letting you walk into the sleek atmosphere of Alinea.

Alinea only seats 64 diners at a time, in a handful of small rooms. We were greeted immediately and escorted to our table upstairs in one of the larger rooms. The decor was elegant but simple, everything, from the silverware laid out on the table after we sat, to the placement of the tables, felt calculated and precise. No menus were brought, instead the waiter just confirmed that our only dietary restriction was my husband's allergy to almonds, something I had been asked when I made the reservation three months earlier.

Then the feast began. And with the first course, Steelhead Roe in a rich sauce with watermelon, kaffir limes, and oxalls, we knew that we were in for more than just food chemistry spectacle. The food at Alinea is as exquisite as the fish at Le Bernardin, our favorite NYC restaurant. Each dish is a masterpiece, so delicious that it is sorely tempting to lick the plate.

In one of the temples of molecular gastronomy, things tend to come in unexpected forms. The foie gras was encased in jelly, just a tiny bite of flavors that still manage to capture the rich essence the ingredient.

The oyster course was not an oyster at all, just a rare leaf that tasted exactly briny and sweet like an oyster on the half shell.

My least favorite dish was the one I was entrusted to assemble myself. A rich stew of oxtail that I had to scoop and fold into a thin tomato pasta along with a myriad of toppings. In this era of social media, I appreciate the idea of letting the diner customize a dish, but it still felt a little messy.

I loved the dramatic instructions that came with the Truffle Explosion. "Whatever you do," the waitress said with a deadpan face, "do not open your lips once you've put this in your mouth. You would regret the consequences." I was almost tempted to defy her, but as soon as I popped the warm ball of truffle juice, I understood and in no way wanted to risk losing even a drop of the delicious storm filling my mouth.

The Yuzu Snow palate cleanser marked a clean break between the main part of the meal and the fun of dessert. It too was delivered with strict instructions, this time to not lick the ceramic cone it was served in to avoid possible injuries. Once we tasted the delicate floral ice shavings, we had to physically restrain that little kid urge in each of us to lick a metal fence on a freezing winter day. The temptation was intense, but the child-like memory put us in the mood for dessert.

The next dessert course was whimsical as well, featuring cotton candy, caramelized squash and globules of brandy.

But the grand finale was the true masterpiece of the meal. The chef (normally Grant Achatz who is now busy wtih Next and Aviary) came to our table and crafted a Jackson Pollock style painting with cold hot chocolate, blueberry, frozen chocolate mousse, and a riot of other ingredients. He scooped and flicked for a good five minutes before declaring the work complete. It was so beautiful that we were reluctant to eat it, but once we started digging in, we couldn't stop.

Happy Wordful, Five Minutes Wordless, and Way-back wednesday.

the Best Place to Dine in Grand Cayman: Blue by Eric Ripert

This is our third family trip to Grand Cayman in five years. We're drawn back year after year to this island with its friendly people, its easy access, and its beautiful Seven Mile beach with silky smooth white sand and turquoise water. There's one other experience that we look forward to every time we return: dinner at Blue, the Eric Ripert Restaurant in the Ritz Carlton hotel.

If you've ever had the chance to eat at Le Bernardin in New York, you'll understand why having the chance to eat at Blue is such a draw. Serena from Fresh Local and Best posted a beautiful review of her meal at Le Bernardin. Eric Ripert is more than a chef, he's a magician. He creates sauces for fish that you'll remember for the rest of your life, no doubt completely redefining your expectations for fish dishes. I first ate there over 10 years ago and its been my favorite restaurant ever since.

Ripert is not one of those chefs who spreads himself thin with restaurants in cities across the globe. He's been running Le Bernardin in New York City since 1991 and his focus has earned him the recognition as one of the top NY restaurants by the New York Times, Zagat, and the Michelin Guide to name a few. QG even went so far as to call the restaurant one of the "Seven Food Temples of the World."

Having the chance to sample many of the dishes from the menu of Le Bernardin menu made with locally caught Caribbean fish while sitting out under the Caribbean stars is pretty much like paradise on earth. It's the highlight of every trip we make to Grand Cayman, and one of the reasons we keep coming back.

Just like at Le Bernardin, the menu at Blue is a choice of three different levels of prix fixe. We chose the smallest menu, with just three courses, because we were dining with the kids. I would never dream of taking my children to Le Bernardin, but at Blue the children were welcome, and thanks to the impeccable service, they immediately sensed that they were in a special place and behaved accordingly. Having three waiters approach our table with big fluffy pillows to make them comfortable clued them in to the fact that they were in for a special treat. They were handed children's menu and were soon dipping their steaks, rice, and vegetables in their own decadent sauce with as much gusto as the adults.

Steve and I both ordered the tuna carpaccio with foie gras as our appetizers. This is a dish I dream about, and wake up salivating. The tuna is wafer thin and covers the entire plate, drizzled in an olive oil and Cayman Island sea salt. And under the tuna lies a sliver of baguette covered with foie gras. The result is unforgettable.

For my main course, I opted for Cobia, a local fish. It was served atop a coconut avocado cream with a vibrant and fresh citrus sauce with lime and grapefruit. And even my dessert was perfect: a warm toffee bread pudding and a dollop of vanilla ice cream over which a waiter poured a rich caramel sauce. Even with just the three course menu, my mouth experienced a full range of spices and tastes representative of the Caribbean.

Such perfection does not come cheap. The three course menu is $80 CI, currently about $95. The two six course menus are $110 CI and $120 respectively. But as most restaurants in the Caymans are fairly expensive, this is not as much as it could/should be in comparison.  And I guarantee that it's a meal you'll remember forever.

Dinner at Moto

Welcome to Moto. Your menu will be out in a minute. The chef just put it in the oven.

And so began our anniversary dinner at Moto, a marathon meal on the frontier of the culinary scene. Twenty courses. Four hours. It was epic. It was unforgettable. It was the perfect way to celebrate our first anniversary in our new hometown.

Beginning with the edible menu, every course was filled with unexpected surprises made with futuristic cooking techniques. Nothing was as it seemed. it was fun, it was whimsical. It was mindblowing.

A snowman made of foam melted under a zesty margarita to make a fruity sauce for tuna ceviche.  A watermelon bubble tea sipped through a large straw had bubbles of sonified scallops instead of tapioca. Tiny funnel cakes were made from dark pheasant meat. A cuban cigar was recreated from pork and collard greens. And a sushi roll served with red lacquer chopsticks was really rabbit bacon and risotto.

The dishes kept on coming. Tiny mesmerizing little bites, each a work of art. A few, like the reconstituted crepes assembled to look like cheese slices, pushed the envelope a little too far, but on the whole, the food tasted as amazing as it looked.

The meal finished with a bang when a dehydrated marshmallow fuse attached to a tiny chocolate truffle was lit on fire. I popped it into my mouth and was amazed to taste the essence of a S'more: chocolate, smoke, graham crumbs, and marshmallow. A lot of tastes in a tiny chocolate bite. A surprise, right up until the end.

Wednesdays are a time to use pictures as a writing prompt. Check out the Wordful, Five Minutes Wordless, not so Wordless and Way-back wednesday posts to see how others were inspired today.

Moto Restaurant
945 W Fulton Market
Chicago, Illinois 60607
(312) 491-0058

Columbus Taco Trucks for Cinco de Mayo

The Columbus food scene never ceases to surprise me with its diversity. When we moved here last summer, I braced myself for date nights at Applebees and TGI Fridays. Instead I was delighted to discover a rich food scene with markets filled with artisan foods, authentic Japanese restaurants, and locally-made ice cream in a bevvy of creative flavors. (And you can now get any of the incredible Jeni's ice cream flavors shipped to your home anywhere in the US - Salty Caramel, Goat Cheese with Roasted Red Cherries, Pear Riesling, Wildberry Lavender are just a few...) I've been eating like a queen ever since I got here.

Last night, Columbus took me by surprise again when I finally tried first hand its elaborate network of taco trucks.

You might be surprised to learn, as I certainly was, that Columbus is home to over 30 taco trucks. They seem to be sprinkled throughout the outskirts of the city. Although they initially catered mostly to the hispanic population in Columbus, a group of enthusiastic foodies formed the Columbus Taco Truck website and have dedicated themselves to spreading the word to the general population.

For Cinco de Mayo, Jim, Bethia, and Andy, the masterminds of the Columbus Taco Truck movement, organized a meet up at Taco Nazo. Groups of people filed in throughout the night, greeting each other before stepping up to the truck to order their dinner. Many of the attendees had biked in from Columbus in full spandex attire to enjoy a dinner of authentic Mexican food. As the sun set, they jumped back on their bikes and sped away home.

I've been a faithful reader of Jim's blog since I first moved here, and he graciously responded to one of my comments by offering to give me the rundown of the Columbus taco trucks. I'm not sure I would have had the chutzpah to explore these unfamiliar parts of town on my own, not knowing about the safety of the neighborhoods or the quality of the food.


I was blown away by the food. When there is no decor, no tables, no music, the food has to stand on its own. And it did. I expected to be overwhelmed by the spices, but instead my mouth was zinging with flavors and freshness. We began with the Cinco de Mayo special: a green posole stew served with some crunchy tortillas and your choice of onions, lime and radishes as garnish. It packed just a little heat and was filled with generous chunks of dark chicken meat. Usually stew satisfy, coating the mouth with rich sauces, but this one woke my senses up, and made me eager for more.

Then we continued our tasting with a chicken burrito and some steak tacos. The tacos were my favorite. The meat was charred with spices but tender and flavorful. The tortilla was soft and tasty, unusual for something that usually goes unnoticed. And the taco was topped with a generous amount of vibrant green cilantro and lettuce and ruby red radishes. I topped it with some hot sauce and every bite. This morning I woke up craving more.

After just one visit, my taste buds are hooked on what the taco trucks are selling. I spent the night talking to other converts like Bear of Slow Food Columbus and Mandy of Wild Goose Creative, hearing about the taco truck with amazing roast chicken and the one that serves ice cream. Those trucks are apparently located on the West Side of Columbus and that's where I'll be headed next.

Bistro de Paris at Epcot: Fine French Dining at Disney

Last night I went to France, without leaving Disney.

I'm in Orlando for the weekend for a media weekend event entitled: from Five Stars to Mickey Bars at Walt Disney World Resort. We kicked off the weekend with a cocktail party with Mickey and Minnie, and then split off into small groups to three different restaurant.

My destination was France, and I was thrilled to finally be able to fully experience the French food of Epcot beyond the crepes. During our family trip a few weeks ago, I stood on line for a good twenty minutes to order some crepes for the kids that I was sure would be bland and thick. On a whim I ordered a third one for myself, and was amazed to discover that it was delicious, better than many I've had on the streets of France. My loyal daughter declared, "These crepes are so good! Almost as good as yours Mom." Compliments are rarer and rarer nowadays out of my 8 year old's mouth, so this was high praise.

I was surprised to learn that Bistro de Paris was actually more formal than Les Chefs de France, the other French restaurant at Epcot. Both menus were designed by Paul Bocuse, Roger Verger and Gaston Lenotre. Bistro de France is above Les Chefs de France, and with each step up the gilded wrap around staircase, the hussle and bussle of Epcot faded. When we reached the top landing, we truly felt as though we were in a temple to French gastronomy, with white tablecloths, attentive waiters, and a wine list filled with a nice selection of French wines. When the waiter offered me a Kir Royal cocktail to begin our meal, I knew I was home.

The presentation was simply gorgeous; sauces were painted on the plate like a work of art, and ornamental garnishes flourished. We snapped away, as food bloggers will, reluctant to disrupt such beauty with our forks. Prices were surprisingly reasonable for such elaborate dishes, especially considering we were within a Disney park. The three-course prix fixe menu was $54 without wine or $89 with a different wine for each course.

As I was a guest of the Disney PR department for this lovely meal, I opted to go a la carte on the menu, just to have more choice. I started my meal with the duck pate a la croute, a warm duck pate encased in a buttery puff pastry. I then had the venison with the grand veneur sauce, a complex blend of stock and berries that complimented the tender but flavorful morsels of meat very well. For dessert, I enjoyed a new twist on the ever popular molten chocolate cake: an almond chocolate molten cake topped with a praline creme anglaise. The two nuts really brought the dessert to a whole new level, almost giving it a Nutella dimension. I can't wait to replicate it at home.

I didn't taste what the other members of my party ate, but the tuna tartare appetizer, the cheese plate appetizer both looked wonderful. And when the waiter came to carve the lamb chops tableside, they looked so tender and perfectly cooked that I almost reached over to steal them.

The food was so good that I forgot, for a few minutes, that I was in a theme park. I was brought back to reality when I tore my eyes away from my plate and peeked out the window to see people in shorts and tank tops. I would hesitate before bringing children under the age of 7 to the restaurant, but I did see some older kids enjoying meals with their parents. Although the restaurant had many tall windows looking out onto the lake, the view is definitely not the main attraction. This is a place to come and eat, and celebrate French gastronomy. Only at Disney could you step off of a ride like Soaring and then have a meal that will stimulate your senses as thrillingly.

I'm a tough critic when it comes to French food, but I can't wait to come back to Bistro de France. It seems like so many other things

Casual, Cozy and French? La Chatelaine Challenges a Stereotype

I, of all people, should know that French food doesn't have to be fancy. After all, I make French food for my family most nights, and there certainly is nothing fancy about roast chicken or pork roasts. But for some reason, French restaurants became synonymous with expensive elaborate dinners, the types of meals where I need to wear a skirt, and even maybe put on some hose.

When we moved to the Columbus area, I kept driving past this French restaurant called La Chatelaine, and I kept saying to myself, "we'll have to go there for a special occasion." And of course, as special occasions are few and far between, I never step foot beyond its doors beneath the jaunty flying French and American flags.

Until one night when Steve and I were out on a date, which meant that we were somewhat more dressed up than usual (eg. I was out of my workout clothes, and he was wearing a stain-free sweater on top of his t-shirt) and we decided on a whim to take a peek inside La Chatelaine.

It was 9:30 and the kitchen had already stopped serving (such is the life in the suburbs of Columbus) so we didn't get to eat, but we took a few minutes to look around and discard our preconceived notions about the place. Because La Chatelaine was the furthest thing from snobby and pretentious. It was homey, casual, and the dishes on the menu seemed exactly like those I grew up with.

La Chatelaine is a concept nothing short of brilliant: a casual French restaurant, a place you can bring the entire family for lunch, brunch or dinner. The ambiance is that of a French country manor and the smells of fresh bread and French sauces waft enticingly to your nose as soon as you walk through the doors. They have checkers and board games, fireplaces in various nooks and crannies, and the type of bar you want to linger at for drinks.

There is a delicious bakery which has the flakiest croissants I've had in America. I don't say this lightly. I take my croissants seriously. These are buttery without being greasy and flaky without being stale. They are perfection this side of the Atlantic, as are their other patisseries like their pains au chocolat, pains aux raisins, and chocolate eclairs.

Lunch is served cafeteria style, with trays that slide along in front of their delicious soups (they feature a different cream soup every day, as well as vegetable soup and onion soup), quiches, and sandwiches. If you order other dishes from their menu that are not in the lunch buffet, they will be brought to your table.

Dinner is served tableside by ordering off the full menu which is filled with traditional dishes I grew up with like cassoulet, steak frites with bearnaise, and boeuf bourguignon. The portions are reasonable and the food is honest, cooking that you would find in a home kitchen in France. For those with a lighter appetite, La Chatelaine offers a good selection of salads and Alsacian flatbreads.

In addition to the Dublin location (627 High Street), there are two others in Upper Arlington (1550 West Lane Avenue) and in Worthington (627 N. High Street).

Donato's: Trying to Fulfill my Pizza Craving

Other than bagels, good pizza is what I miss most in our new lives in Ohio. Of course, I miss those heavenly, melt in your mouth, thin slices of New York City pizza with just the right amount of tomato and cheese ratio. But I even miss the charred crust of the Brooklyn Pizza produced in our little New Jersey suburban town.

When I was invited to a Tastecasting event at Donato's Pizza, I was skeptical.

Donato's is a popular pizza chain in Ohio. I thought that it was owned by McDonald's, but I learned that they spun them off in 2003, along with Chipotle in 2006. Still, knowing that Donato's had once been part of the Golden Arches family did not bode well for my good pizza craving.

I arrived to the event an hour late, as a result of getting hopelessly lost in the maze of luxury that is Easton. It turns out that my lateness was fortuitous because I was rushed to the kitchen to have my very own hand tossed pizza created.

The chef ran through a ridiculously long list of toppings and told me to pick anything, anything at all to put on my pizza. They had an impressive assortment of fresh toppings to choose from.
I went with fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, green peppers, pepperoni, and the ingredient that made the pizza: bacon. Then I watched her hand toss the pizza, lovingly ladle some of Donato's sweet sauce, and artistically spread the toppings before carefully guiding it into the oven.

Eight minutes later, my pizza was ready.

It looked gorgeous. The crust was well done, the cheese was bubbly, and the green of the peppers was a nice contrast to the pepperoni and bacon. And when I bit into it, I finally put my Donato's prejudices to rest. The crust was crispy. The sauce was on the sweeter side without being overpowering. And that bacon.... well, you just have to try it for yourself. 'Cause I'm not sharing.

My Love Affair with Bob Evans Biscuits and a Giveaway

GIVEAWAY SATURDAY

**** Congrats to Comment #114 - Fionen the winner of the Bob Evans gift cards. ***
When we moved to Columbus, I thought we would only be eating at chain restaurants. I've blogged a lot about how pleasantly surprised I've been to discover a wealth of independent restaurants here. But in my three months here, I've also become a frequent customer of Bob Evans, a regional restaurant chain.

I became addicted to the fluffy Bob Evans biscuits from my first visit. And I've found myself heading to Bob Evans for my favorite breakfast (biscuits with honey, fruit cup, and coffee) about once a week. After preschool drop-off, I get a booth and linger there for over an hour, with free coffee refills and free Wi-Fi. It's become one of my favorite places to write!

I recently attended a Bob Evans PR event to showcase their new more modern store design, complete with an open kitchen and more modern uniforms. I got to hang out with some of my new Ohio blog friends: Marcie from Stretching a Buck, Erin from Five Dollar Dinners, Tricia from Once a Month Mom, and Amy in Ohio. These ladies are so resourceful about saving money and cooking well - they are truly an inspiration. Although the restaurant design was open and clean, my favorite feature was the presence of more outlets. We also sampled their new pasta menu items, their popular BobBurritos and some incredible apple pie fries.

Although Bob Evans restaurants are prolific in Ohio, they also have locations in 19 other states, including my former home of NJ. I wish I'd known I could have been enjoying my biscuits prior to moving here! Even if there is no Bob Evans restaurant near you, chances are good that Bob Evans products are available at your local supermarket. I received a bottle of their barbecue sauce at the PR event and it was really good. And I learned that signing up for their BE-Mail emails will get you some great coupons, including a birthday treat, and free pie on mother's day.

I also received some goodies to share with you. Today for giveaway, I have a $25 gift card for Bob Evans Restaurants, 2 coupons for a free Bob Evans supermarket product of your choice, and another $25 gift card for Mimi's Cafe, another Bob Evans family restaurant. I'll be choosing one lucky winner on Friday, October 16. To enter to win, just leave a comment here by Friday, October 16. I'll select the winner at random that night.

As usual, you can get extra chances to win by:

• linking to this contest on your blog,
  
• subscribing to my Chefdruck Musings feed
• subscribing to my Chefdruck Reviews feed.
• tweeting this contest.
  

Just remember to leave me a different comment to get credit for each extra entry.

Diving into the Columbus Social Marketing Scene at M by Cameron Mitchell

A few days ago, I had an unforgettable meal at M, a gorgeous Cameron Mitchell Restaurant in downtown Columbus. I wasn't with my husband, having a second anniversary celebration at Columbus' most romantic table. I wasn't even with out of town visitors, spreading the gospel of Columbus' impressive dining scene. Instead, I was in a sleek enclosed-glass private dining room with nine other social media influencers, all members of Taste Casting.

Taste Casting is an ingenious new company that harnesses the influence of socially networked individuals to spread the word about restaurants. The TasteCasting team enjoys a complimentary tasting, and then gets to work, armed with an assortment of digital cameras, Flip camcorders, Blackberries and laptops. The TasteCasting team broadcasts about their experience to their friends and acquaintances via blogs, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Whrrl, Flickr, and countless other of the latest social media tools. And before you get all jealous, you should know that Taste Casting is not limited to Columbus. They also have teams in 22 cities all over the US.

It was pretty much as close to a perfect night as you could get. Not only was the food stellar, but getting to sit with a bunch of foodies who are equally passionate about social media was such a treat. I took copious notes getting recommendations on restaurants, blogs, and food markets, only taking breaks to tweet and eat.

And boy, did we ever eat.

There were seven courses when all was said and done, thankfully, each one was just a tasting size. Erin Chittum, M's executive chef, came out towards the middle of the meal to talk to us about how she strives to incorporate fresh local ingredients. Even their cocktails are all made from fresh squeezed juices in house. They were not only fun, but delicious. Lisa (@xmainer1) and I both had the pineapple mojito but neither one of us was bold enough to finish off the vodka marinated pineapple chunks. The grape crush, made with fresh red grapes, looked even more fun.

The menu at M can best be described as nouveau American with hints of Asian flavors. There were many comfort dishes which were brought to a new level by luxury ingredients. The mashed potatoes were topped with lobster. The mac and cheese was topped with black truffle shavings. And the chophouse corn was flavored with bacon drippings.

Although the steak and eggs were incredible, a worthwhile cholesterol inducing treat composed of a filet mignon topped with a goat cheese hashbrown, a dippy quail egg, bearnaise, and caviar, the seafood is what I'll be craving. I thoroughly enjoyed the Maryland crabcake served over a fragrant tomato gazpacho and the porcini crusted white tuna with wild mushrooms. There were also some Asian dishes such as the tuna tartare infused with a bracingly fresh yuzu vinaigrette and the interesting wasabi pea encrusted tuna salmon avocado sushi roll.

We finished with a light dessert that really showed off M's attention to fresh ingredients. It was a simple peach soup with fresh berries and organic yogurt sorbet. The dish was simple, letting the sweet peach shine through. A perfect way to end the meal.

M is definitely a special occasion type of place. The main dishes ranged between $23 and $34. But they do have a couple of fun specials going on this fall so you can at least check out the dazzling decor, even if you don't want to spring for the full meal. Thursday evenings are wine enthusiast night, featuring 50% off all bottles of wine priced at $100 or less. Beginning October 1, there is happy hour every weekday with $5 glasses of wine and $5 martinis. On Fridays, sushi at the bar is half price.

Omakase at Kihachi - a Trip to the Depths of Japan in the heart of Columbus

To find a special place to have our 11th anniversary dinner celebration, we turned to the recommendations of the Restaurant Widow, one of the many fantastic Columbus food blogs. We turned to her Best Of list, and opted for Kihachi, a Japanese restaurant that she labeled, "the best restaurant in the city. A very traditional Japanese restaurant, catering to the Japanese palate."

I called ahead, made a reservation, and put our fate in the hands of the chef by ordering their Omakase dinner. (Omakase is a Japanese phrase literally meaning "it's up to you." In the restaurant world, it's a meal that is at the chef's discretion.)

We expected a hip joint in downtown Columbus. (We are still very much at the mercy of our GPS as we have no idea where anything is.) Imagine our surprise (and delight) when we found ourselves in a strip mall just minutes from our house.

We walked in and were shown to a private Tatami house. We took off our shoes and climbed in to our secluded little den and waited for the feast to begin.

Calling it a feast is not doing the meal justice. For the next few hours, we had a once in a lifetime experience, a culinary voyage to the depths of Japan. We ate a total of nine courses over the next three hours, many had tastes that we had never encountered before. When we left New York, our last meal was at Nobu57, one of our favorite restaurants. This meal at Kihachi made me realize that Nobu has made a lot of concessions to the Western palate. Here at Kihachi, I truly felt as if I were eating in Japan. What an adventure!

Before I begin describing the meal, let me apologize for my neophyte descriptions of the ingredients. While I love visiting Japanese supermarkets, I am just an enthusiastic know-nothing.

We started with a trio of colorful small plates with distinctive textures. The octopus had been lightly boiled with pickled plum. A beautiful purple herb lay on top of sushi rice mounds on the second plate. And a bracingly briny geoduck clam topped with a creamy miso vinaigrette was sliced in a third bowl.

The next course was more of a composition piece, an assorted plate with foods of vastly different shapes, colors, tastes and textures. The two main characters were a dark baby octopus that had been marinated in miso and a flash fried baby pink whole sweet shrimp. Root vegetables and sea weed surrounded them, providing a variety of sweet and salty tastes that made our palates alive with the changes. I have to admit that I approached both the octopus and the shrimp with some trepidation, but both were excellent, although in very different ways. The octopus was rich and savory from the right amount of soy and miso, and the shrimp, which we ate whole, was sweet and lightly crunchy.

After that came the most elaborate tempura I've ever had: shrimp pate wrapped in lotus root. Soup was the following course - an intoxicating mix of eel and spongy mushroom.

Sashimi came next: unbelievably fresh fish. There was sea bream, velvety fatty tuna, Japanese Jack fish, and mackerel sandwiched between lime slices. The fresh seafood was followed by sweet caramelized pig cheeks and a soft shell crab served in a broth with tofu.

We were about to explode, struggling to finish the crab (probably the least interesting dish we had all night), when our waitress poked her head in to announce, "dinner is coming soon." We turned to each other, certain that we had misunderstood and that dessert was soon to come, but instead she brought in a beautiful platter of sushi including a toro scallion roll.

When she next knocked on our paper door, I was scared. I just didn't think I could eat another bite. Mercifully, she was carrying dessert. A small plate of thinly sliced poached pears with one lone dark blackberry. What an ideal way to end this incredible feast!

As we waited for the check, we replayed the meal, amazed by all we had experienced. Little by little, we both grew nervous, wondering this meal would go down in the books as not only our most exotic anniversary dinner, but also our most expensive.

Once the check arrived, we were relieved to see that the Omakase dinner was $85 per person - an incredible value for a feast of a lifetime.

Landing in Foodie Heaven at the North Market

I had many preconceived notions about the culinary scene in Columbus. None of them were good. I imagined that I would be becoming an expert on the fast food options in the Midwest.

When we visited Columbus to scope out neighborhoods, we had a wonderful meal at Lindey's. I got a sense that I was underestimating the dining opportunities.

A few weeks after our real move, we discovered the North Market, and I fell in love. It's a large indoor market in downtown Columbus with a wide variety of stalls. We walked around with huge smiles just gawking at all the delicious food.

It was just so hard to choose! I ran from stall to stall, admiring the organic poultry, the gleaming vegetables, the fiery salsas, the colorful pastas, and the caramelized waffles before finally settling on a feast of crepes.

We went back last weekend on Saturday morning to take advantage of the outdoor farmer's market. They must keep the fees low because there were some really small producers which was so nice because they were really happy to chat with the kids. I love for them to get a sense of how food is produced, that it doesn't just magically materialize in the supermarket display.


Our most fascinating encounter was with the beekeeper of Honeyrun Farm. We spent some time with him, hearing about his 80 hives and marveling at the different tastes of spring and summer honey. He invited us down to check out the farm and I plan to take him up on it. I'm hoping that seeing all those bees in action might cure us of our irrational fear. At the very least, it will make a good blog post!

Now that I've been disabused of my notion of Columbus as a culinary wasteland, I've decided to make it my mission in life to spread the word about what a great city this is for foodies. But if I don't watch out, I won't even have to open my mouth to tell people about the foodie scene, the Columbus ten that I'm busy putting on my butt and thighs will speak for itself.

Discovering City Barbeque

Chefdruck's Tasty Tuesday
Our last week in Columbus was mostly a blur. Hanging out with three small children in a new city threw our carefully scheduled lives out the window. I would pull out of our hotel parking lot, planning on squeezing in an errand before a twelve o'clock lunch and suddenly it would be 1:30 and all the kids would be crying from hunger as I drove desperately down an impossibly large highway, searching for anyplace to eat.

As a result, our meals filled our bellies but were low on originality. When we weren't hitting a McDonald's, we were eating at nationwide chains like TGI Friday's or Ruby Tuesday's.

Don't get me wrong, I've had plenty of great meals at chain restaurants, but I was hoping to get a sense of the local restaurant scene, a preview of what we would be discovering in Ohio.

The last place I expected to have a good meal was at a baseball stadium, but that's just where I experienced my most memorable meal of the trip: a sweet and tangy pulled pork sandwich with some smoky baked beans and creamy cole slaw with just a hint of pepper. I washed it all down with an ice cold root beer and finally felt not only full, but thoroughly satiated.

City Barbeque is a chain, but it's an Ohio chain, with 13 locations throughout the state. I can't wait to see what else they offer at one of their full restaurants. I wonder what other surprises the Columbus restaurant scene has in store for us.

This Tasty Tuesday doesn't have a recipe because we've been pretty much living out of our suitcases these last few weeks. I'm craving my own cooking more that anything right now... and really looking forward to breaking in our new kitchen in Ohio.

Outback Steakhouse Giveaway

GIVEAWAY SATURDAY

*** I just realized that I never picked a winner for this giveaway! So sorry. Random.org just chose comment #134 - Deirdre. Bon Appetit Deirdre! ***

As a blogger in the New York City area, I've been incredibly lucky to be invited to some fantastic events. This week I joined a small group of food bloggers to have dinner at Outback Steakhouse in New York City with Outback's head chef and co-founder, Tim Gannon. The occasion was the launch of Outback's new menu featuring 15 meals under $15.

Tim Gannon and his team began working on this new menu over a year ago when they realized that Outback had become a special occasion dining destination as their price points had gotten more expensive over time. They reinvented their menu to make Outback an "any night" restaurant again. They didn't skimp on quality or freshness to make Outback more affordable. They just changed the way some expensive ingredients are served. For instance, the pork chops have been replaced by a fantastic sweet glazed pork tenderloin, and the filet mignon steak is now served as a sliced tenderloin.

The new Outback menu features 15 meals under 15 dollars. I was relieved that the Bloomin' Onion is still on the menu in a position of honor. I tasted many of these new dishes, and they are incredible. I love that the sirloin is now served with a blue cheese iceberg wedge. Now I can have my steak and feel like I'm being healthy. I also really enjoyed the new roasted filet sandwich, served on a flavorful foccaccia with an exciting au jus for dipping. The crab stuffed shrimp were delicious and can be ordered as an appetizer or paired with the beef tenderloin.

Outback has donated a $25 gift card for one of my readers to enjoy some of these new menu items. To enter to win, just leave a comment here with your Outback dish by Friday, March 6. I'll select the winner at random that night. As usual, you can get extra chances to win by linking to this contest on your blog, and subscribing to my feeds for Chefdruck Musings and Chefdruck Reviews. You can also Tweet about it for an extra entry.