BCD in NYC Holiday Special: Part I

by Erin and Xani

First off, my apologies for being MIA on the blog scene! In my defense, I was down in the bayou building homes through Habitat for Humanity (and yes, eating beignets and etouffee) for a week (just like last year) and only recently returned. The post about the fabulous NOLA eats is forthcoming, but first let us present the much-anticipated BCD in NYC Holiday Special posts!! Hooray!

We departed Baltimore on a rainy morning (about 36 hours after my last exam of the semester), and as we headed further and further north on the train (or the choo choo, as we call it) the rain turned to snow and it was like a winter wonderland!

Waiting for the choo choo in Baltimore

The view from our window on the Hogwarts Express!

It was nice to be inside the cozy train car (very Hogwartsian) while it was so cold and blustery outside. That is, until we arrived in NYC and had to go outside and try to catch a cab! After a few minutes in the blizzard, we caught a cab to Cousins Ann and Steven's house in the Flatiron district.

It was a special day since it was Ann's birthday, and we wanted to go somewhere cozy and delicious for her birthday lunch and to kick off the weekend. Ann mentioned she'd like to go to a French bistro, so I suggested the only French bistro I know in New York: Les Halles Brasserie. Yes, folks, THE Les Halles that is the subject of Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential" and other books/TV shows of his. I'm not sure if he's even affiliated with the restaurant anymore, but I have read "Kitchen Confidential" more times than I'd like to admit, and the BCD fam has cooked from the Les Halles Cookbook (dark chicken stock, anyone?), so I was STOKED to get to eat there for real. Lucky for us, the restaurant was only about 3 (snowy) blocks away. A Christmas miracle, indeed!

We were welcomed into the restaurant and seated right next to a large window overlooking the snowy and bustling street. It was so lovely to sip wine and be warmed by the heater and talk with Ann and Xani. And then there was the food.

The view from our table - so nice to be inside

Xani and birthday girl, Ann

We started with some escargots and some gratinee (french onion soup). The escargots were wonderfully garlicky and buttery (and so hot I did some damage to my mouth) and so full of flavor. The gratinee nearly made me fall out of my chair. The soup itself was thick with caramelized onions and so intense in flavor from the dark chicken stock, then topped with a crouton and lots of melted gruyere. I hesitated to pass it on to Xani but I knew she wasn't afraid to use her butter knife on me...

Snails + butter + garlic = heaven

Just kill me now...

Next course: steak frites, duck confit, and moules! The moules were classicly prepared with wine and garlic and some herbs, and were delicious and not gritty at all. The crusty bread played a wonderful role here.

The steak frites was also fantastic. We ordered the hanger steak (I think?), cooked rare, and it was so tender and flavorful. (Another neat fact about Les Halles: they do all their butchering on site.) The steak was served with a pan sauce likely made by deglazing the pan with some wine and shallots and letting it reduce (probably finishing with a glob of butter, of course). This sauce was extremely familiar (and thus comforting) to me since BCD Dad often makes a similar sauce when we have steak au poivre at home.

The duck confit was good but it was outshined by the steak and other dishes. I did like, however, the salad served along side the duck, which was a frisee salad with little fried cubes of potato on top - delish!

And speaking of fried potatoes, let's talk frites. I hate to say it, but they were not THAT good. They tasted a bit old. It goes without saying that Xani's fries are far superior (and note that her technique is in part from the Les Halles Cookbook!). But, perhaps I feel this way because I always eat Xani's fries RIGHT out of the oven, whereas in a restaurant, the chances of that happening are relatively slim, right?

Clearly I didn't get the black nailpolish memo

Moving on to our last course: dessert. The birthday girl wanted coffee and profiteroles, and that's what she got. The ice cream was creamy and delicious with the warm chocolate syrup we drizzled on top, plus the nice texture contrast of the cream puff itself.

Action shot

The coffee came with a wee brownie!

We left Les Halles almost three hours after we went in, trekked back to Ann's apartment, and relaxed until it was time for birthday dinner. Yes, another meal. We went to the Hudson Cafeteria and met up with Ann's cousin on the other side, Brian, who was also celebrating a birthday, and his super-fun friends. Plus, Lauren (of Brooklyn fame) came to dinner! It was a very cool space (also Hogwartsian with big long tables and super-high ceilings), with a REALLY cool bar where we had drinks beforehand, and the food was essentially upscale comfort food. No pics of that meal except these fun birthday pics!

Happy birthday!!

It was a lovely time with everyone but we were VERY glad to get to Brooklyn and get some shut-eye in preparation for the rest of the weekend. BCD Holiday Special Parts II and III coming soon! Don't touch that dial (er...URL address bar)!

Cheers,
EP & X

Christmas Eve: BCD travels to Mecca

by Xani

I know you are all waiting, at the edges of your seats, for the BCD takes NYC: Holiday Special posts... how could you not?? But, here's the thing. I know EP really wants to write about the very first place we went to in NYC, and she is currently down in the bayou doing a week of community service, without internet access and possibly without modern plumbing. So, I'm skipping over NYC (for now) and zooming all the way ahead to Christmas Eve. How is this night different from all other nights? For us (jews), it means Chinese food! But not just any Chinese food will do for the BCD family- oh no! We just had to go to the newest Chowhound darling, Grace Garden.

Grace Garden, in Odenton, is now widely believed to be some of the only decent Chinese food in the Baltimore Metropolitan area. While the place is off the beaten path, and has exactly ZERO atmosphere, the Chowhounders are right-- the food is out of this world! It's also gotten praise from the Citypaper, The Baltimore Sun and The Washington Post. Folks are talking about this place, and for good reason.

First of all, anyone visiting Grace Garden needs to know the inside scoop. They have an "American style" menu that I've never even seen-- forget all about that. You have to go for the real-deal Chinese menu, that's where the real goods are. Also, if you want the full experience, you need to do a little pre-planning; a few of the dishes need to be ordered in advance (the tea-smoked duck, which we ordered and loved, needs to be ordered 3 days ahead of time). But wait! I've gotten ahead of myself. Let's start at the beginning....

We arrived at Grace Garden on Christmas eve to find the place PACKED. Luckily they were holding one large table for us (because of our advance order). We had perused the menu ahead of time and were quickly ready to order. We sipped hot tea and soda (GG doesn't have a liquor license) while we waited for the following dishes to come out of the tiny kitchen:

• Chicken Dumplings
  
• Fish Noodles (Fresh Noodles Handmade with Ground Fish, Sautéed with Chinese Sausage, Mushroom, & Cilantro)
• Sichuan Chili Shrimp (Lightly Fried Head-On Shrimp Sautéed with Hot Sichuan Chili Paste)
• Smoke Tea Duck (Whole Duck Steamed in Smoky Tea Flavored Sauce)
• Braised Pork Belly with Mui-Choy (Thick Slices of Seasoned Pork Belly, Slow-Cooked with Preserved Mustard Cabbage)
• Cantonese Stir Fried E-Fu Noodles (E-Fu Noodles Sautéed with Shitake Mushroom)
• Snow Pea Leaves with Garlic (daily vegetable)

What a meal! The first thing to arrive was the fish noodles:

Omg, what a treat. "Fish noodles" might not sound delicious, but oh my, they were. Not fishy at all really, just thick, handmade noodles with a light sauce, thin strips of flavorful sausage, and some still-crunchy veggies. Excellent dish-- and you're not getting anything like this at your local take-out joint.

Next, the dumplings. While fairly standard in concept, they were perfectly executed, with a very tasty filling and homemade, soft (but not TOO soft) wrappings that seemed handmade. These barely made it around the lazy susan before we gobbled them up.

Onto what was arguably the star of the show, the duck. This bird goes through a multi-step process of drying, smoking, steaming, etc, which is why the kitchen needs three days notice to prepare it! But man, is it worth it. Like no other other duck you've had, it was super-rich, fatty and flavorful. It's also served in the traditional "chopped up into random pieces each of which had many bones in it" style-- very Hong Kong.

The snow-pea leaves are a favorite of the BCD family. They are usually served braised (with wilted leaves but still very crunchy stems) and in this case with loads of roasted garlic.

Then onto the pork belly. I hate to talk bad about pig in any form, but sadly this was our least favorite of the evening (although in all fairness, on a previous trip to Grace Garden, it was the best dish of the evening!). The pork belly was just waaay too fatty, and the sauce was kindof blah. GG has several other preparations of pork belly on the menu, and I would definitely try one of those, next time. I'd even try this again-- the first time I had it it was rich and meaty, and the mui-choy (preserved mustard cabbage) had a very unusual texture and flavor. So, let me rephrase: not only would I try some of their other pork belly preparations, I would try this one again, too!

The shrimp and e-fu noodles were up next, and even though we were slowing down, these dishes were irresistible. We've discussed head-on shrimp before... they made headless shrimp seem like a waste of time! So much more flavor. These were lightly fried (shell still on-- adds lots of crunch!) with a nice, spicy sauce. The E-Fu noodles were another repeat from our first visit to GG, and just as good this time. Nice and chewy, with a strong (but not overpowering) mushroom flavor. Just the thing to fill in the corners from all the rest of our dishes.

What a meal! And what a way to celebrate NOT celebrating Christmas. I also want to say that the staff are incredibly helpful and friendly, and the Chef even came out to all the tables to chat with regulars and ask us if everything was up to par. A true diamond in the rough, if you are in the area, and looking for good Chinese, Grace Garden is really one of your only options (unless you know of others, Dear Reader... suggestions welcome!). And with all the great press they're getting, it won't be long until a seat is impossible to come by. Stop by while you still can!

X

Oyster Riot 2008

by Erin




Last month, the BCD family attended the infamous Oyster Riot at the Old Ebbitt Grill in DC. Xani and BCD Dad had been a handful of times before, but since I just sort of started to like oysters, I hadn't had an interest until this year. We decided it would be fun for the whole family to go! You know what they say: the family that slurps oysters together...


Before we could go to the Riot, we had to of course get tickets. Tickets go on sale the Tuesday after Labor Day for this November event, and they sell out within minutes! Mom and I were separately calling and trying to get tickets online, and thankfully Mom got through and snagged us four tickets. By the time I got through on the phone, 8 minutes after the tickets went on sale, they were sold out!

We arrived in DC a few hours before the Riot and checked into a hotel - we figured it would not be wise to drive back to Baltimore (or Blackacre!) after hours of wine and oysters.

We got all gussied up and headed over to the restaurant. Actually, the event was not in the restaurant itself; instead it was held in an atrium next to the restaurant, which could hold the approximately 1,000 guests (per night). The Riot had 21 kinds of oysters, 10 kinds of wine (winners of the Old Ebbitt Grill International Wines for Oysters Competition), cheese and cracker tables, beer, and 4-5 passed hors d'oeuvres. Yum!

There were also the tables of accoutrements for the oysters: cocktail sauce, lemon, hot sauce, mignonette sauce, oyster crackers, etc., with the added bonus of ice sculptures!




It was so interesting to taste all the different oysters and be able to compare them to each other. Some were super salty, while others were milder. They varied in size and shape, but all were delicious. The wines were also wonderful - Xani and I obviously frequented the sparkling wine station the most.






It was pretty amazing watching the approximately 50 gentlemen shucking oysters ALL NIGHT. They were great sports; they even let me take a picture with them!











The passed hors d'oeuvres were very delicious and included devils on horseback (oysters wrapped in bacon), fried oysters, mini oyster po' boys, Oysters Rockefeller, and perhaps more but I've forgotten by now. I do recall that they had mini chocolate-covered ice cream bars for dessert. Aw yeah.

We mixed and mingled and hung out with the BCD parents and it was a great time. We'll be back next year for sure - if we can get tickets!





Happy oyster slurping,

EP

ps. You can see in the picture below that the logo of the Riot includes a beautiful, pinup-y mermaid, and a walrus.




This got us thinking about that weird scene in Alice in Wonderland where the walrus makes friends with all oysters, but then eats them? We looked it up (thanks Internet!) and found it is from a Lewis Carroll poem called "The Walrus and the Carpenter." A brief exerpt:

"O Oysters, come and walk with us!"
The Walrus did beseech.
"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each."

The eldest Oyster looked at him,
But never a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head--
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.

But four young Oysters hurried up,
All eager for the treat:
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were clean and neat--
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn't any feet.

Happy Chew Year!

by Erin and Xani

Happy New Year to all of our wonderful and loyal readers! We apologize for the heartbreaking two weeks of no blogging, and we've got a LOT comin' atcha very soon, so hopefully you'll forgive us. Consider it a new years resolution.

We hope everyone has a wonderful 2009, filled with love, laughter, wonderful food, and even better company. Cheers!

Love,
Erin and Xani

Chicago: Part Three: The Sweet Finale

by Xani

OK, we had a little interlude there with the Thanksgiving and Burger posts... but I absolutely can't go on blogging without telling you about my very last night in Chicago last month. And with another big, delicious trip to NYC rapidly approaching, I better do it now, before it's too late!

As you know, I had done lots of research about where to go, what to eat, the best burgers and cupcakes in Chi-town,etc., and during all this research, I stumbled across an interesting fact: the super-fancy and highly regarded TRU restaurant offers a very special dessert tasting menu, for which they have special late-night seatings, which require advance reservations and a credit card number to secure. I was intrigued... especially since the executive pastry chef at TRU is none other than Gale Gand, whose Food TV show Sweet Dreams was a favorite of mine back in the day.

So, a few weeks before the trip I showed up to work and told co-worker Mike I had good news and bad news: the bad news is, we were going to a restaurant with a dress code and he would have to pack a suit for Chicago; the good news was, it was for DESSERT!

After all that meat, on our final night in Chi-town, we followed the Chowhounders' advice and ate a light dinner at Friends Sushi (cute little joint with decent sushi and a sleek all-white and candlelight decor-- it felt like we were in a Sophia Coppola movie) before our 11pm dessert reservation at TRU. We walked around the Magnificent Mile in the FRIGID cold, one last time, before ducking into TRU and beginning out dessert "experience."

First of all, TRU is fancy. Like, really fancy. And quiet. At least when we arrived, it was really, really quiet. And with the high ceilings and austere decor, it was bordering on stuffy... and Mike and I were both feeling a little intimidated. I actually had to give myself a little pep-talk so I wouldn't be too freaked out to take pictures (and I really, REALLY wanted to take pictures). Eventually we relaxed a bit, a few more tables were seated and the noise level crept up from "library" to a more comfortable level, but here are some of the things that made this place a little fancy/scary:

Synchronized Water service: of course they offered sparkling or still (bottled), but we went for plain old tap (and I cringed a little as I said it). Two servers come to pour, in unison, with a flourish.

Napkin service(?!?): Another server approached with a small tray in his hands. "Ma'am would you like a white napkin or a black napkin?" Seriously, napkin service??

Tea service: Co-worker Mike asked to see their tea list, which our waiter brought out along with a tray with a dozen small boxes of loose teas. They were all beautiful, and our waiter told us a little bit about each one. Mike made his selection and they brought it out in a lovely clear glass teapot. You know me, I got coffee (which was delicious and come in a pretty silver service).

With our coffee and tea they started the "tasting" just the way any good meal starts-- with great bread. But of course, this being all-dessert, these little babies were sweet, as was the amuse bouche that followed. It was a key lime and honey concoction that the server topped off with some fizzy lime soda at the table. Garnished with a little cube of lime jelly, flecked with gold leaf (which would make many appearances throughout the tasting).

Then we began our three-course tasting! They brought us each different dishes for each course, so we switched half-way through each plate and were able to try six desserts each. We were very quickly on our way to sugar-overload...

***DISCLAIMER*** This meal was over a month ago and details are hazy. Who am I kidding, details were hazy moments after we left the place as I lapsed into diabetic shock. I'll do my best to describe what I remember of each dish, and you can enjoy the pretty pictures... or not-so-pretty-mostly-blurry pictures, as I was still pretty weirded out by the fanciness of the place and was trying to take pictures on the sly, without any of the other diners or waiters noticing!

First course: Greek Yogurt panna cotta type-thing, with honey center, dried fruits, and mint meringue and sorbet. Hate to peak this early but this was really one of my favorites-- so light, great flavors, and not TOO sweet. The honey was amazing; it tasted the way perfume smells (and I don't even LIKE honey)

This was a roasted plu-ot (plum and apricot hybrid) with... stuff. Ice cream? A cookie? I wish I remembered more.

Second course: The shell was white chocolate, filled with champagne-poached peaches, and creamy filling of some sort. The stuff on the side was peach-champage granita. Note gold leaf.

This was another favorite-- various chocolate and nut elements as well as a piece of manchego cheese and a manchego foam, and concord grape sorbet. Very delicious, interesting combination of flavors. Then again I like cheese with pretty much everything.

Third course: Chocolate and coffee-- I remember this one because Mike took one bite and said "would it be inappropriate to eat some of these sugar cubes to get this taste out of my mouth?" We suspect Mike is a super-taster as he cannot STAND the taste of coffee. He's a good sport, anyhow.

Deconstructed chocolate bar: each element was a different flavor found in a candy bar: chocolate, nougat, caramel, etc, etc. Gold leaf, again! At this point I was definitely in sugar shock.

Six gorgeous plates of sweets were followed by, what else?, more sweets! A rolling trolley of Mignardises (sweet little tidbits served after a meal and dessert-- or in this case after a meal OF desserts!) was brought to our table, and we were allowed to pick as many of the little bites as we wanted. Exercising some restraint (not too hard, as we were both soooo full of sweets by this time), we each picked three:

Passionfruit jelly, maple macaron, orange caramel

Mike's picks-- I only remember that the lollipop was chocolate with five-spice powder.

And that was it, right?? Nope, there were also handmade chocolate truffles, about five different kinds, that a server brought over and allowed us to choose whatever we liked. But, no pictures... I could barely lift my hand to bring the truffle to my mouth...

The truffles were the last thing before the bill (where we discovered Mike's pretty tea was $15!), and then it was time to leave. The super-gracious host had our coats waiting for us and we bundled up in the lobby-- then he gave us each a little bag with a jam-filled coffee cake to take home! As it was past midnight at this point it wasn't so much a midnight snack as a "breakfast treat" for the next morning. I ate mine the next day on the plane as I headed to Detroit... it was a sweet reminder of a very memorable experience at TRU, and a great first trip to Chicago!

X