EatVangelist

Welcoming foodies & food-curious to my world of eating, one meal at a time

[eatvangelist]

Breadwinner - What to Do With Your Dough

Who doesn't love bread? Especially warm, fresh bread, straight from the oven? I have a big bread making machine that I rarely use - it is bulky and the results weren't particularly delicious. Recently, I got a baguette tray and a Lékué bowl as gifts, and I gave bread making another try. Now I'm pretty addicted. Low effort, high return. The fundamentals are the same - flour, yeast, water, and salt. Let the dough ferment, shape the dough, and wait for second rise. I did have to study the recipes a bit and figure out what works best with each tool, and here's what I found worked best.

The Lékué bread maker is meant to be easy and convenient because everything can be done in one bowl and design takes care of the steaming for you. You can even pop the whole thing in a microwave, but I haven't tried that, as I doubt it will turn out as good as the oven-baked method. I tried following a couple recipes in in the booklet that came with the bowl, and they didn't turn out great. Then I just applied other bread recipes here, and they came out great. Once I figured out what works best with this tool, bread making became a breeze. I'll add a couple of what I found worked best at the end of the post.

The Lékué bread maker can also be used to bake baguettes, but they can't maintain the shape well and come out rather short. The baguette tray is definitely better, and with the little holes on the tray make it easier to work with steam. Is a baguette tray needed to make a good baguette? No - professional bakeries certainly don't use them, and I found my olive breadsticks were fine, too, without perforated trays, but there is a convenience to knowing my baguettes will turn our perfectly using the tray.

Baguette Recipe:

Ingredients:

Bread flour - 3 cups or 420g

Warm water - 1.5 cups or 360g

Active dry yeast - 1 tsp or 3g

Salt - 1.5 tsp or 9g

Instructions:

Day 1: Mix & Rest

Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. In a separate bowl (or measuring cup, which is what I use), whisk the warm water and yeast until the yeast dissolves and the mixture is a little foamy (about 5-10 minutes).

Mix Dough: Pour the yeast mixture into the flour and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until all the flour is hydrated and you have a sticky, shaggy ball of dough. There's no need to knead.

Bulk Ferment: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Let it rest at room temperature for at least 8 hours, or up to 18 hours (overnight works great). The dough should roughly double in size and be covered in bubbles.

Day 2: Shape & Bake

Pre-Shape & Rest: Generously flour your countertop or work surface. Gently scrape the dough out of the bowl in one piece. Divide the dough into 2 or 3 equal pieces. Gently shape each piece into a loose log, cover them, and let them rest for 15-20 minutes.

Final Shape: Take one log of dough. Gently flatten it into a rough rectangle. Fold the top edge down about two-thirds of the way. Fold the bottom edge up to meet the top, and gently pinch the seam closed. Roll the dough slightly to make it into a smooth, long cylinder (a baguette shape) that fits in one of the pan slots.

Proof in Pan: Place the shaped baguettes seam-side down in the troughs of your baguette pan.

Final Rise: Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or a clean towel. Let the baguettes rise for about 45-60 minutes, or until puffy. While they proof, preheat your oven to 450⁰F. Place an empty, sturdy pan (like a cast iron skillet or broiler pan) on the lowest oven rack while the oven preheats. This will be used for steam.

Score & Bake: Just before placing the pan in the oven, use a very sharp paring knife, razor blade, or bread lame to make 3-5 diagonal slashes across the top of each baguette. For beginners, scissors work fine, too.

Create Steam: Place the baguette pan on the center oven rack. Carefully pour about 1 cup of boiling water or a handful of ice cubes into the empty pan on the bottom rack. Quickly shut the oven door to trap the steam. I tried both methods - the ice cubes gave a slower steam throughout the bake and while I had a crisp crust, the boiling water method seemed to yield a thicker crust, which I preferred just a bit more.

Bake: Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the baguettes are a deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.

Cool: Transfer the finished baguettes immediately to a wire rack to cool completely. This is critical for keeping the crust crispy, but I usually can't resist and wait just until it's lukewarm.

Lekue Recipe:

Ingredients:

Bread flour - 3 cups or 420g

Warm water - 1.5 cups or 360g

Active dry yeast - 1 tsp or 3g

Salt - 1.5 tsp or 9g

(Optional) Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 2 tbsp

Instructions:

Day 1: Mix & Rest

Combine Ingredients: In the Lékué bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. In a separate bowl (or measuring cup), whisk the warm water and yeast until the yeast dissolves and the mixture is a little foamy (about 5-10 minutes).

Mix Dough: Pour the yeast mixture into the flour and add olive oil if using. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until all the flour is hydrated and you have a sticky, shaggy ball of dough. There's no need to knead.

Bulk Ferment: Close the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Let it rest at room temperature for at least 8 hours, or up to 18 hours (overnight works great). The dough should roughly double in size and be covered in bubbles.

Day 2: Shape & Bake

Shape & Rest: Open the Lékué bowl and scrape down the dough from the sides. Gently shape into a loose ball (sphere or football) cover them, and let them rest for 15-20 minutes.

Final Shape: Gently flatten it. Fold the top edge down about two-thirds of the way. Fold the bottom edge up to meet the top, and gently pinch the seam closed. Repeat with the left and right edges.

Final Rise: Close the Lékué bowl again and let the dough rise for about 45-60 minutes, or until puffy. While they proof, preheat your oven to 400⁰F.

Score & Bake: Just before placing the Lékué bowl in the oven, use a very sharp paring knife, razor blade, or bread lame to make 3 slashes across the diameter of the dough. For beginners, scissors work fine, too. Close the bowl again and place in the oven.

Bake: Bake for 35-40 minutes and open the flap. If the top looks very pale still, turn the bread over (with the top on the bottom of the bowl now). Bake for another 5-10 minutes.

Cool: Transfer the finished bread immediately to a wire rack to cool completely. This is critical for keeping the crust crispy.

The two recipes are pretty similar, but the addition of the olive oil to the bread loaf slows down the gluten forming process, making the loaf softer than the baguette. If you want a firmer bread, leave out the olive oil.

[eatvangelist]

Taste Testing 1-2-3

Last week, I decided to go to LA Mutual Trading Company's Japanese Food and Restaurant Expo (JFRE), which I was a bit on the fence about after last year's experience. I'm so glad I went back. This year, it felt a bit more like the expo I know, where all stakeholders in the food industry were sharing best practices and appreciation of Japanese food and culture.

There were certainly samples I tasted that made me go "wow," such as Nuta garlic leaf paste that tasted more potent than garlic without the stinky breath afterward and Kochi Dohsui Company's previously frozen sea bream that tasted very fresh to me. What was more fun for me this time was the homework I had to do after leaving the show. For instance, Kuki Sangyo Co gave me a couple packets of their black sesame latte powder and a couple sheets of recipes to experiment with. I wanted to try just the latte first before trying anything else - I love black sesame flavors, but the powders I buy are usually still too abrasive to be used as a latte. Kuki's black sesame latte powder, however, is so fine that it went down my throat smoothly without scratching it even the slightest. So which recipe am I going to try with this powder? Either mixing this with Bailey's Irish Cream or making the black sesame pancakes.

The other intriguing product I tried was Treha by Negase Foods. It's basically a type of sugar, trehalose, that has been branded. Negase Foods had an interesting demonstration - they gave me a handroll with day-old Calrose rice that was cooked with Treha. Calrose rice is one of the types that hardens faster once cooled because of its moderate starchiness, but the rice in the hand roll stayed pretty soft and fresh, as Treha helped the rice retain its moisture. The representative I spoke with also told me about how she adds it to her tea lattes for a richer taste and that adding it to eggs reduces browning in making tamagoyaki. I did my own test with a packet of Treha that she gave me - my rice was firm after it cooled, but it wasn't hard. I also cooked scrambled eggs with it, and intentionally cooked them longer than I usually would, but they didn't brown. In general, I think Treha is a good ingredient restaurants and chefs should be experimenting. Now the downside for this - I did a bit more research, trehalose has about half the amount of sweetness of sugar (which is why it works so well in rice, because it doesn't ruin the taste) but it has just as much calories. The Nagase Foods website has some recipes (that I'll definitely be trying,) but I noticed for the sweets, they do still have you adding sugar on top of Treha, so watch out for the extra calories.

I spent some time at the sake pavilion as well. I visited my favorite, Born's Dreams Come True. There is no sake I have had that is more crisp and refreshing than this. Hakkaisan was also proud to show off their Dodger Blue with their time-limited collaboration sake. It's very light and drinkable and will be sold at Dodgers Stadium. The more interesting one to me was Senkin's sake selections - Classic, Retro, and Modern Muku. The Mutual Trading Company staff member explained to me that Senkin has reinterpreted the Edo Period traditional techniques in their sake brewing process, starting with wild yeast. The body was fuller, especially right after having the Hakkaisan Dodgers sake, and the viscosity was more velvety, not an adjective I would typically associate with sake. Senkin's Modern Muku was closer to the sakes I'm more familiar with, as it's more refined, but the Classic was definitely more robust.

For me, this year's visit to JFRE was a return to why I enjoyed going to this annual event. This is also one time where getting homework to taste test is a lot more fun. Definitely appreciate LAMTC for connecting everyone at this event and I hope to attend next year's now, too.

[eatvangelist]

Modest Magdalena

While going through my social feed, I got served another baking reel, and given how well this went for me last time, I thought I might get lucky again. This time, the video was of a magdalena, a really cute Spanish lemon muffin. Photo below is from the video.

Recipe

Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:

1 egg (medium)

80 g sugar (about ⅓ cup) + extra for sprinkling

1 pinch of salt

1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest

40 ml milk (about 2½ tbsp)

60 ml mild olive oil or sunflower oil (about ¼ cup) - I did 30ml olive oil with 30ml of vegetable oil

90 g all-purpose flour (about ¾ cup)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bourbon vanilla powder - this was not part of the recipe in the video, I just threw this in.

Instructions:

1. Beat the egg, sugar, and salt with a hand mixer for about 3–4 minutes until pale, thick, and airy. 2. Add the lemon zest, milk, and oil. Mix briefly to combine. 3. Sift in the flour and baking powder (and vanilla powder). Mix just until a smooth batter forms. 4. Divide the batter into 6 muffin liners placed in a muffin tray (fill each about ¾ full). For better domes, chill the filled tray in the fridge for 15–30 minutes. (I was impatient and only let it sit for about ten minutes.) 5. Just before baking, sprinkle a little sugar over each muffin for the classic crunchy top. 6. Bake in a preheated oven at 220 °C (430 °F) for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180 °C (350 °F) and bake for another 10–12 minutes until the muffins are golden and risen. 7. Remove from the oven and let cool.

I was disappointed when this first came out because they looked nothing like what the original poster showed in the video. (I'd rather eat the muffin from the first photo than from the batch from my photo above.) I then looked up magdalenas and most of the photos had the peaked dome that I got. While my magdalenas weren't necessarily cute, they were pretty delicious, which was the most important thing. It tasted like its French cousin, the madeleine, except since no butter was used, so it was less rich and a little denser. Considering this whole process took me about forty minutes to make and how the muffins tasted, I would recommend the recipe. Just don't be alarmed if the magdalenas aren't ready for a close up - it's the inner beauty that counts here.

[eatvangelist]

Forget Olive Garden, Make Your Own Olive Breadsticks

I'm not a fan of being pushed content by social media algorithms, as most of the time they show me something I have no interest in, but every once in a while, there is one that is kind of interesting. There was a short reel of a guy making olive bread, and he made it look so easy. I decided to give it a shot, though I had to figure some things out myself.

Recipe

Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:

450g all-purpose flour

50g whole wheat flour

375ml water (room temperature or lukewarm)

35ml olive oil

4g dry active yeast

9g salt

170g roughly chopped kalamata olives

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary (optional)

Directions - so his directions were to make the dough, rest for 15 minutes at room temperature, then do one set of stretch fold, rest for another 15 minutes, mix in the olives, then leave in the fridge overnight and roll out to bake the next day at 250⁰C for 15-20 minutes. Here's how I updated the directions:

Sift all purpose and wheat flour into a large bowl. Make a well at the center and add yeast.

Add water to dissolve the yeast and mix. Note: don't use hot water, as that could kill the yeast.

Add oil, salt, and rosemary if desired. Once well combined, cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Knead the dough to form gluten. The texture was stiff when I started, and after some pulling, I folded the dough in half twice and then left it the bowl and covered it for 15 minutes.

Add chopped olives and mix into dough. Then cover and leave in refrigerator over night. (It was about 15 hours for me).

Preheat oven to 480⁰F and leave in the baking sheet.

Here's where some magic happens. Separate the dough into 6 pieces. It won't look like much dough, but as you shape and roll it out, the dough can stretch into a foot-long breadstick. Try making some twists as you shape the dough.

The dough will be quite sticky, so as you complete the shape, place on parchment paper and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

Take the baking sheet out of the oven. Carefully place the parchment paper with the dough onto the baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

The guy in the video also said you can add steam in the first 8-10 minutes of baking, but the recipe works without this step. I can confirm adding steam was not necessary. My breadsticks came out crispy on the outside and stayed soft and chewy on the inside. The final verdict came from my mother, who gave me the highest compliment of all - she said they were better than Olive Garden's breadsticks!

[eatvangelist]

Kloof Street House - Cape Town

My travels have led me to Africa for the first time in my life. After 29 hours of planes and trains, I arrived in Cape Town completely exhausted. I wanted nothing more than a hot shower and sleep. A colleague had recommended Kloof Street House to me. I didn't really have much of an appetite, but after that much needed shower, I rallied and I am so glad I did because this was the most delicious meal I have had in some time!

Before I go into the food, I have to say this is just the most charming restaurant. Sure we walked up and down Kloof Street in the rain looking for it, but it was so worth it! Without a sign we needed to pay attention to the 30 in front of the gated entrance, which we didn't. But once we realized we were there and walked in, we were whisked away to a beautiful courtyard and outdoor seating. Even though it was covered, we opted to dine inside given the rain. The interior added to the Bohemian charm of the restaurant, with eclectic artwork all around - including the ceiling and light fixtures.

The first dish we had to order was the brasserie style fish of the day, which was kingklip, a common fish you find in Namibia and South Africa only. Our server compared it to a hake and a grouper. This was certainly an interesting fish as it was firmer than those two, but it was still fairly flaky. It was served with mussels and curry sauce on top of a potato fondant. The sweetness of the curry sauce complemented the kingklip and mussels beautifully. This was my first time having a kingklip, and I hope it will not be my last.

When I met up with my friend in Cape Town, she said she had been on a tour the previous day and saw some ostriches and became curious about what they taste like. I teased her about seeing an ostrich and thinking, "Gee, I want to eat you," but I went along with this plan as I also had never had ostrich meat before. So we had to order grilled ostrich. This was like having a delicious steak - each medallion was seared to perfection with a precise medium rare center. It came with a brandy peppercorn cream sauce that was good, but the ostrich meat didn't need it and could stand on its own. While usually paired with sweet potato mash, we substituted for truffle potato, and standing upright in that was a crisp slice of parma ham.

For better or for worse, I knew I was going to be done for after the entrees, but I couldn't resist dessert. We got another South African dish, sticky malva pudding. Each bite of this was surprisingly light and refreshing with bits of tartness in each bite (not sure if that was from the vinegar or apricot inside) and balanced nicely with the creme anglaise and vanilla ice cream. Also on the plate were some crushed pistachios and grilled pineapple pieces.

What a way to kick off my first meal here! I don't know what else will be in store for me, but I'm now hoping all the clothes I brought with me will still fit after this trip!

Kloof Street House

30 Kloof Street, Gardens,

Cape Town, 8005, South Africa

Phone: [phone]

[eatvangelist]

Food Economics: Is pre-made food better?

Yesterday I attended the annual Japanese Food and Restaurant Expo (JFRE), which I was excited about attending, but I left with a lot of mixed feelings. Before I dive into the specifics of the event, I should provide some context. LA Mutual Trading Company (LAMTC) imports, manufactures, and distributes Japanese food and beverage goods, equipment, and supplies that help restaurants and retailers connect with food service customers. They host the expo every year and invite members of press to join, which I always loved, as it was great to see restaurants supported and get a sneak peek at upcoming trends expected to hit local Japanese restaurants. I attended every year, even covered one of them, until the pandemic, which was when they paused. LAMTC resumed the expo last year, though I ended up very sick and did not attend to keep my germs to myself, so I was especially looking forward to finally returning to the expo and seeing what is the current hype at Japanese restaurants.

Separately, last week on my way to a meeting with a restaurant to discuss an upcoming promotional partnership, my boss and I passed by the recently-closed Otium. He was shocked when I told him about their staff was protesting to get their missing final wages. We thought Otium was one of the more stable restaurants in Downtown LA, and for them to close down, we worried about the outlook for other restaurants in the area and beyond. This was still on my mind when I walked through the JFRE.

I was there for less than 10 minutes when I encountered a vendor who was trying to get people to line up for free samples, which is common at the expo. What turned me off though was what he was saying. To attract people, he was calling out the wholesale price of their frozen pre-cooked food and how much to charge them as appetizers to customers. He suggested restaurants put them on the menu as appetizers and mark up the price: "This costs you $2 to make. Sell it for $12 per order. That's $10 profit for you! I like being greedy! Let's be greedy!" Restaurants absolutely need to make a good profit - they have staff to pay, rent and utilities bills, food and equipment to purchase, etc. As a restaurant customer though, I couldn't help but feel annoyed because his pitch sounded like villainously taking advantage of diners. Times are financially difficult - this is why people probably eat out less. When I do dine out, I am fully aware there is a mark-up in price, so I expect the restaurant to actually make me something, not heat up something that is pre-packaged that they didn't make themselves. I usually frequent the same smaller restaurants that I did since before the pandemic, as I want to support them and help keep their business going. I know they don't serve me heated up pre-packaged food , and I don't mind the mark-up because they are making me something fresh that I usually don't know how to cook myself. By the way, I did try this vendor's food - it was okay, not something I would enjoy at a restaurant and certainly not worth $12. The reason why I don't go into details about who this vendor was (or what the samples were) is I just don't want to expose them - specifically, getting that one employee in trouble with what he was calling out.

It was not only appetizers that were frozen. One vendor who attended JFRE in the past and was onsite again yesterday was Goyo Foods. Their yuzu cheesecake was tart and delicious. It would be a lovely way to end a meal, but here's where I start thinking and comparing again. They sell 1 cheesecake for $13 at wholesale price to restaurants, which comes in 12 slices, so approximately $1.08 per slice. These days, most restaurants charge $8-12 for dessert. While the yuzu cheesecake was good, it can't compare to any cake I've had from Patisserie Bluejay, and with their sliced cakes costing $7.50, it's cheaper, fresher, and more unique than what I might get in a restaurant. I don't usually get dessert at restaurants any more unless I know they made it themselves. While Goyo Foods' frozen cakes were good, I simply can't see myself enjoying this in a restaurant at this point.

On my way inside JFRE, I ran into a couple restaurant employees who were exiting. I had asked them how the expo was. They said it was a lot smaller than last year. After walking through the expo, I understood what they meant. There were less vendors selling/promoting ingredients. It seems the trend this year was to SURVIVE - have as much pre-made as possible as a short cut and cost saving. Is this the only way to help restaurants be sustainable now? Are the days of restaurants like Otium, who used high quality products and cooked their own foods, behind us? I left JFRE feeling rather pessimistic and disappointed in the outlook of the restaurant and food services industry. I am still glad LAMTC is there to support the industry, and I can only hope the in the future there will be a return to the restaurant operations I long for from the past.

[eatvangelist]

Patisserie Bluejay

I haven't been writing much lately - mostly because life events happened and kept me from food blogging. A smaller factor is that while I had lots of good food, I didn't come across anything impressive on repeat, and I rarely blog about anything based upon a one-time good experience. Well, I realized when looking at my (too expensive) credit card bill that I had actually gone back over and over again to one place that I have not blogged about.

Early last year, an Asian/French fusion bakery opened in an unassuming strip mall in Arcadia. Patisserie Bluejay popped up on my food alerts, but while some people raved about it, others were put off by the long wait to enter the store (lines out the door and then some) and how the bakery sold out repeatedly. I waited for about six months before going to check it out for myself, only to find they were closed. Not only that, they were going to stay closed for some time as they were attending a baking convention of some sort. While I was disappointed I missed out, I also liked that they were working hard to continue to improve upon their skills. I definitely wanted to return, but that would take me nearly a year to do so again.

When I went back few months ago, I had a few objectives: 1) buy a birthday cake for my cute nephew; 2) get their giant cream puffs to cheer up my mother; 3) get their legendary caneles for my sister and me. When my family and I arrived, I wasn't sure how successful I would be, as there were only 2 cakes in the display case and a selection of cookies. It turned out we arrived right as they opened, so not everything was put out yet, but I was able to get both their vanilla and coffee caneles and the cream puffs. The birthday cake, I had been warned on social media, needed to be ordered in advance. I thought 3 days were enough, but at the store, there was a sign that clearly said 5 days. I was worried that we wouldn't get the most important part of this mission, but the staff member told us to wait and immediately ran to the back. She came back a few seconds later and said 3 days were fine, but we were limited to 5 flavor options. My sister was secretly hoping my nephew would pick the chocolate one, while I sent him telepathic messages to get the peach oolong, but he picked the fall berries cake. We went back 3 days later to pick up the cake, and I ended up buying more treats, too.

Let's start with the caneles. These were the most authentic caneles I had since I was in Paris a decade ago. They might be even better than the ones I had there. They were crispy on the outside, moist and soft on the inside without the feeling of being dense. This is really hard to get right. So many caneles absorb moisture so they lose the crispy shell, but Patisserie Bluejay's were able to retain that texture. The problem I encountered with other caneles once I got past the shell was the gumminess and heaviness of the pastry, and there was little flavor, too, as it burned out during the bake. Somehow Patisserie Blue managed to keep the inside light and flavorful. I have gone back and bought the caneles often - for myself and as gifts for friends. At $4.50 for each little pastry, it is extravagant but worthwhile.

The cream puffs, which they call punch puffs, also seem pricy at $4.50, are actually the size of two puffs at other bakeries. On top of that, they are filled with delicious vanilla cream. Back in the early aughts, I was addicted to Beard Papa. Patisserie Bluejay's punch puffs completely KO theirs both inside and out. The pastry shell is flakier than Beard Papa's, and the cream is lighter and packed more to the brim. The punch puffs only come in vanilla, and while I would like chocolate or matcha - maybe even black sesame - as an option, I am perfectly happy with only the vanilla. The cream puffs and caneles are not their primary products afterall - that would be their cakes.

The whole cake I purchased was $70. (I mentioned I love my nephew a lot, right?) It was the most expensive birthday cake I ever bought in my life. Was it worth it? Well, based on my nephew's huge smile, yes. It was a special occasion, and while I could have lived without the gold foil if it meant they would knock $10 off the price, I couldn't deny that the presentation, taste, and quality of the cake were better than what you would get at other bakeries. As with everything else I described from Patisserie Bluejay, the cake was light - the sponge, the mousse, the cream. Even if there had not been fruit compote blanketed inside, this cake would have surpassed other berry cakes with the amount of strawberries on top and the flavorful mousse. That compote though brought a berry explosion that was countered by the not-too-sweet cream. I haven't splurged on a whole cake since my nephew's birthday, but I have gone back and bought several other sliced and mini cakes, $7.50 and $8.50, respectively. Sliced cakes are usually the same flavors as the whole cakes they make - the ones I have bought include black sesame cheesecake, mango yuzu, chamomile and pear, and peach and oolong. The flavor profiles are quite unique and all winners. The mini cakes - so far I only bought one, which was their tiramisu, decadent and better than most others I've had.

Patisserie Bluejay has signs all over their store explaining they are a small team and can only produce so much. I've also heard them give this explanation to customers verbally when asked why they don't have more of something. In a move to streamline their operations, they are trying to move as much of their business to pre-orders online. They no longer sell caneles, cream puffs, and sliced or mini cakes on weekdays unless you pre-order them. This bit is tricky, too, as their website (link in second paragraph) only has whole cakes mentioned. I asked them once how do I pre-order if I want something other than a whole cake? They said Instagram, which I've linked to in their info below. They are actually very fast to respond on social media - I bought a sliced cake as a gift for a friend and then recalled she is allergic to pork. I DMed Patisserie Bluejay asking if they used gelatin in the cake I bought, and they quickly confirmed that. It may seem like a lot of trouble to go through to buy something at Patisserie Bluejay with all their rules and restrictions, but I do think they are looking to find the balance between what they can manage without sacrificing on quality for their customers. They are worth visiting - just maybe check out their Instagram page first before heading over.

Patisserie Bluejay

160 E Duarte Road

Arcadia, California 91006

[eatvangelist]

Magic at Three Broomsticks

I haven't been to any major theme parks in over a decade, mainly because of how much they cost, from tickets alone to parking, there are so many add-on costs. The one cost that I used to hate the most is the food. Mediocre and bland food that costs as much as a fine dining experience is what I experienced as a teenager. I'm not sure when this changed, but I do recall being very impressed dining at Disney's Carthay Circle several years ago. The other major theme park, Universal Studios, has really grown over the years, and they have also stepped up their dining options.

We recently visited Universal Studios Hollywood because of their newly launched Super Nintendo World. We wanted to make a certain die-hard Super Mario fan happy and took him to experience this newest expansion, which also has a cute cafe. Unfortunately for us, we were unsuccessful in snagging a reservation, which got scooped up very quickly for the day. We opted instead to try Three Broomsticks in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and this turned out to be such a wise decision. First of all, no reservations. We simply walked up to the line (which was surprisingly short - perhaps a 10-minute wait) and grabbed an open table. The food was British-themed, which I typically enjoy.

The food portion was unexpectedly generous. We got Bangers and Mash and the Shepherd's Pie, split among two adults and a child. The sausages were good and savory, but I was surprised to find my favorite item on the plate was the roasted tomato. It was tart and sweet, and the acidity just cut through some of the heaviness of the rest of the plate. The Shepherd's Pie had a similar flavor profile - the cooks (or house elves?) probably used the same gravy in both dishes. Nevertheless, the slight difference in texture of the mashed potatoes in the Shepherd's Pie was good.

For dessert, we got the sticky toffee pudding, which came topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. So in all honesty, we actually started with eating dessert first, as the ice cream would have surely melted completely if we had not done so. Some diners went back in line to order dessert after their lunch, but we also didn't want to bother with that, which was why we ordered everything at once. The sticky toffee pudding was denser than how I make it. Theirs could have passed for a bread pudding even. The pudding was good, but not especially memorable. This was probably because we also had hot butterbeer, the signature drink from the Wizarding World/Harry Potter universe. It was quite good, but incredibly sweet. It probably stole the spotlight from the sticky toffee pudding for us. The sweet upon sweet also gave one grown up (not me) a stomach ache. My recommendation is get either the hot butterbeer or the sticky toffee pudding, but not both. Given that hot butterbeer is available exclusively at Three Broomsticks, I would lean towards the hot butterbeer. (Cold and frozen butterbeer can be found throughout the area.)

I'm not sure Three Broomsticks would do well as a standalone outside the Wizarding World, but at least within the confines of Universal Studios, this should a must-dine location even if you aren't a Potterhead. The cost was reasonable, the food was good, and the staff (at least on the day I visited) were cheerfully in character. I found this to be a charming experience and if I make it back to Universal Studios again, I would go back for some hot butterbeer.

Three Broomsticks 100 Universal City Plaza Universal City, CA 91608 Telephone: [phone]

[eatvangelist]

XL Appetite for XLB!

I am a dumpling snob. From perogies to gyozas, I love them all, but everyone has a favorite child no matter how much they protest otherwise, and mine is Xiao Long Bao (XLB) or steamed soup dumplings. For those who haven’t had one, how this differs from other dumplings is the juiciness inside the meat, usually pork.  The proper way to make this requires multiple steps, but here’s the simplified gist of it: start with making your own pork bone broth - the collagen and gelatin from the bones solidify the broth once it cools. Next slice the gelatinous broth into cubes.  These soup cubes get stuffed in the pork filling that goes into making XLB. Gently put them into dumpling wrappers and twist until securely closed and then steam.  Might not be the most ladylike thing to do, but I usually eat one XLB dumpling in a whole bite because I love that soup explosion in my mouth. It also keeps me from making a mess - I’ve seen others take half a bite and the juices spurt all over the place. For me, the gold standard for XLB is Din Tai Fung, which seals up their dumplings with 18 folds. Some argue the restaurant chain is overrated, and I have to agree that is the case on some of their items, but no one does XLB dumplings better than they do.  It doesn’t keep me from trying other places in the hopes there will be other comparable (and cheaper) options though.  Over the weekend, I did just that and tried XLB Dumpling Bar.

I knew XLB Dumpling Bar was not going to be up to par to Din Tai Fung, but how could I not order their specialty? The flavor was not as rich as the ones at Din Tai Fung, but I did get the nice explosion of broth in my mouth with my bite of of the dumpling, which is my number one criterion for XLB. Their dumpling wrapper was also thicker than many other Chinese restaurants.  This made me wonder if XLB Dumpling Bar uses the same wrapper for all their dumplings, just different folding styles.  

Speaking of their other dumplings - one of the reasons I wanted to try XLB Dumpling Bar was because of their more novel dumpling flavors: pizza, al pastor, and curry chicken and corn. I definitely wanted to try one of them, and I was leaning towards pizza, but after checking with the staff, who hinted that was more popular with kids than adults, my friend and I chose the al pastor.  This tasted a bit like a Mexican ravioli to me, which was not a bad thing. I doubt the pork was cooked on a spit-grill, but we did get thick pieces. The peppers and achiote paste added a smoky, earthy taste - which when combined with the pork, really did make me feel like I was eating al pastor. 

What was surprisingly good at XLB Dumpling Bar was their dan dan noodles. Originally, this dish was from Sichuan, which was known for their pepper that left a pleasantly numbing effect. XLB Dumpling Bar made theirs non-spicy, but they did not skimp on the peanut butter and sesame sauce. The wheat noodles had a lovely chewy consistency. The dan dan noodles were an unexpected delight to the meal.

Overall, I enjoyed the visit to XLB Dumpling Bar. The XLB and dumplings in general were not as good as Din Tai Fung, but few restaurants can come close to matching them. XLB Dumpling Bar, however, was far more affordable than the exorbitant prices at Din Tai Fung - almost 50% less in cost! With inflation and costs of everything being so high, I hadn’t returned to Din Tai Fung recently. XLB Dumpling Bar helped satisfy my xiao long bao cravings.

XLB Dumpling Bar 437 S Associated Road Brea, California 92821 Telephone: [phone]

[eatvangelist]

Ad Hoc & Napa Wine Tasting

As I mentioned, last week I visited a couple friends in the Bay Area, and our primary goal was heading to Napa. My friends reserved tastings for us at a couple places where they are members, and I tried (and failed) to get us reservation at The French Laundry but got us a table at Thomas Keller’s more casual restaurant, Ad Hoc. This all seemed simple enough, but it turned into an over-indulgence.

Our first stop was Darioush, which was quite the experience. As soon as we pulled onto the estate, my friends told me to look out the window - I felt like we had driven into a different country! A lit torch in front of the palatial homage to Persepolis signaled the proprietors were home. I really did have that moment of “Where am I?” as I looked around. Inside, we saw the shop that sold not only wines but also olive oil pressed by Darioush, the distillery with steel stills, and a couple salons where guests were comfortably sampling offerings, which made me more excited for our tastings.

Despite the ominous clouds, it was a very pleasant day so we had outdoor seating. When it did start to feel chilly, the staff handed us blankets to stay warm. We had the Signature Mezze, which included a plate of small bites and 5 wine tastings. At first glance, the plate looked quite simple, but with the first bite, you would realize how thoughtful the food was. The bread was baked in their own oven, and it was just the right thickness and size for dipping into the homemade baba ganoush. It had a stronger eggplant flavor than the average baba ganoush and still retained the smooth texture one would expect. The star of the plate was the pomegranate walnut stew with chicken meatball. So this alone was a nice touch, but the clever part was how well the baba ganoush and especially the stew paired with the wines we sampled. In particular, the Shiraz while pleasant was unremarkable, but after tasting the stew and returning to the Shiraz, I was able to taste more fruitiness and richness from the wine. My two favorites at Darioush were their Viognier and dessert wine, named after Darioush’s wife, Shahpar. The Viognier had a lovely aroma that had some floral accents but was not overpowering and the taste was much the same. I usually dislike dessert wines, but Shahpar was phenomenal. It was not syrupy sickening sweet, but just refreshing and left me wanting a sip more. I was also moved by the story about how Darioush created this wine for his wife for their 31st wedding anniversary. From taking in the ambiance and history, learning more about proprietors and their craft, and tasting the wines, Darioush is worth a visit whether or not you are a wine connoisseur.

After Darioush, we headed to lunch at Ad Hoc, which offered a different 3 or 4-course prix fixe menu daily and a couple optional add-ons if so desired. The day we went, there were 3 courses - salad, chilaquiles, and carrot cupcake - and the add-ons were caviar and their buttermilk fried chicken. The plating was served family style for every course. The salad was made of basic mixed greens, but everything else in the plate elevated this first course. The goat cheese was mild but flavorful, the pickled onions were subtly tart, the pistachios added contrasting texture, and the firm blueberries added natural sweetness. This was a great course to whet our appetite.

Chilaquiles, usually low maintenance, but in our dish, hidden under the fried eggs were delicious blocks of pulled pork and crumbled cotija. The pork looked a bit dried out but that was deceptive, as the meat was quite succulent. The egg was a bit more underdone than my preference, but overall everything was good with this entree. The pork though was more filling than I anticipated. I mentioned to my friends that when we were looking over the menu I debated bringing up adding on the fried chicken and was glad we skipped on that since I was starting to feel quite full. As we looked around the restaurant and saw many other tables had ordered the fried chicken, we did have a bit of FOMO but agreed we didn’t need it and weren’t really in the mood for it anyway. Almost as if insulted by our private discussion, out of nowhere, a piece of fried chicken leapt off a plate to slap one of my friends in the face! As mentioned previously, at Ad Hoc, the plating is family style. One server was carrying a plate of fried chicken and as she turned right by our table, the inertia must have toppled an unbalanced piece of chicken, which incredulously smacked my poor friend. Fortunately the chicken was not too hot and she was unharmed. We were all shocked by what had happened, and after confirming multiple times that she was fine, we had a good laugh about it, joking that the fried chicken at Ad Hoc must have felt really indignant about our comments. The server felt horrible about the accident and came over with a plate of fried chicken (not the one she dropped) on the house. We took our revenge on the fried chicken for attacking my friend and were glad that we hadn’t ordered it ourselves - it was definitely good, but there was nothing especially outstanding about it.

Earlier this year, I found myself craving carrot cake and decided to make my own for the first time. It turned out quite successful, and ever since then, I had become very critical of carrot cake. Given my affinity towards Thomas Keller’s baked goods, I was cautiously optimistic about the carrot cupcake. I really wanted this to be good but how satisfying could a cupcake be? Well, very much so because it was the perfect way to end our meal. The carrot cupcake wasn’t too sweet, which was great because the cream cheese frosting on top was very much so, creating a good balance. I even remarked to my friends that with my own carrot cake, I used vegetable oil instead of butter to get the light texture, and while I was happy with my result, it lacked the flavor that using butter would have given. Ad Hoc’s carrot cupcakes had both the right flavor and texture, which led me to hypothesize they used some combination of the two, as butter alone would have made the cupcake dense but what we got was light and fluffy. All in all, Ad Hoc was worth a stop for us - just watch out for the fighting, flying fried chicken.

After our lunch, I was struggling a bit with food coma, but we had one more tasting to get to - Domaine Chandon (of the famed Moët & Chandon champagnes). Since this was Napa/Yountville, only sparkling wine was produced here. The campus was undergoing some construction, but it was clear to see that under normal operations, it would be a beautiful place to relax while enjoying some wine. We were early for our appointment so after checking in, we lounged comfortably under a tree and enjoyed the view there until our table was ready.  Once we were seated, we were asked if we wanted to order any food. We were too full to give the food menu more than a cursory glance out of curiosity though the striped bass crudo and dry aged duck breast with figs popped out to me. None of us were up for more food though so we stayed on course with the wine tastings only. Most notable of all that we tried for me were the Mt. Veeder Brut, Sparkling Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Garden Spritz. The Mt. Veeder had just some subtle sweetness and tickled my palate pleasantly - it was either the first or second wine I tried and made for a good introduction to Chandon. The cab was the one I was most curious about and unfortunately the most disappointing of all the wines I tried that day. I had never had a sparkling red wine before, and Chandon boasted they were the first to make a sparkling cab. The carbonation in the cab really distracted from the taste of the grapes or any other flavors of the wine itself.  The Garden Spritz was the last wine we sampled and I wasn’t very optimistic about it. One of my friends said she had it before and it was actually good, which gave me some hope. It was sweeter than most sparkling wines I liked, but it was refreshing and a delightful way to end our tasting.

We had dinner plans in the area, too, but after Chandon, we were pretty done. I recalled when we started out at Darioush, they asked us our schedule for the day and even commented how our plan was well-paced as many first-time Napa visitors tend to overdo it with trying to visit too many wineries in a day. I thought that was odd at the time, but unbelievably, I felt like we were right on the cusp of “overdoing it” ourselves while there was still so much left to explore. As my friends said, we were leaving things for future visits. I took this as their invitation to host me again. 

Darioush -  4240 Silverado Trail, Napa, California 94558

Ad Hoc -  6476 Washington Street, Yountville, California 94599

Chandon - 1 California Drive, Yountville, California 94599

[eatvangelist]

I left my stomach in San Francisco

I just got home after spending a few days in the Bay Area.  I was looking for a mini-vacation to celebrate my birthday and didn’t want to venture out too far given all the traveling I did earlier this year.  A couple of friends had invited me up to visit and go drinking in Napa since I had never been. I took them up on their offer over the weekend, and while the goal was Napa, we did spend a day out in San Francisco. I used to go there regularly for work, but I realized it’s been maybe 7 years since my last visit and needed to go back. One of the best parts about my past visits was all the wonderful food, and I definitely wanted to taste some of that again - though this time with a slight twist. On my previous visits, partners took me to trendy (and often overpriced) restaurants. This time, my friends and I focused on more of the casual eats, but it all still turned out quite extravagant!

We started Saturday morning off with a visit to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, which offered so much fresh temptations. Our first stop was getting some Oaxacan coffee from Proyecto Diaz Coffee because nothing happens without caffeine. Then we had to figure out food. There was so much diversity from various cultures. We ultimately narrowed it down to loco moco with bulgogi from Namu Stonepot and smoked salmon latkes from Mark ‘n Mike’s. While not a factor in our decision, the fact the two stands were right next to each other was certainly convenient for us to easily divide and conquer our purchases and save time waiting in the long lines that only grew longer after us.

Both turned out to be great choices. My favorite part of the loco moco was cutting into the egg yolk and watching it ooze over everything underneath. The bulgogi wasn’t too sweet and it contrasted the gravy and egg yolk nicely. The star of our breakfast, however, was the latkes. I was initially concerned that they would be dried out, as the latkes came out more dark brown than golden contrary to the photo advertised at their booth. While they looked darker than I expected, they tasted perfect - very crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Also given how soft the texture was for the loco moco, the crunch we got from the latkes was all the more satisfying.

We wandered around the Ferry Building and checked out the rest of the market before making our way to the Presidio Tunnel Tops, which I strongly recommend visiting. The park just opened a few months ago, but it will surely become an attraction destination for locals and visitors alike. We planned our visit to the Presidio Tunnel Tops for one of the events scheduled -  World Arts Dances, which showcased dancers from cultures all over the world. I’m a bit ashamed to confess when I suggested this to my friends, my expectations were fairly low since this was a free local event, but this turned out to be a fantastic program! Granted not all the dancers were great but most were pretty amazing. When we were making our way to the performance area, we did walk through the food trucks present. Just like at the Farmers Market, there was so much diversity in options! My friends were drawn to a few items, but there was only one thing I wanted - bone marrow beef broth. 

A long story short - the night before, my friends got me craving bone marrow. Seeing an Indonesian pop-up stand with a chalkboard promoting bone marrow beef broth was like fate. From when my friend handed me this bowl to the last spoonful, I lost count of the number of times I said “wow.” Visually, my photo failed to capture just how giant the rib bone was. It was so well braised - a bit of char that added a smoky flavor yet succulent and ready to fall of the bone with the gentlest bite. The broth was incredibly rich and had so much depth, and once I spritzed in the lime, the flavor changed again! In addition, I was surprised to find beyond the broth how much was in this dish! We had 6 bakso or beef balls (I later found out it was supposed to be 5 so lucky us for getting an extra), thin noodles AND vermicelli bean thread noodles, some vegetables, and two fried wonton chips. We did have food from some of the other vendors, but the bakso bowl was hands-down the best thing we had at the Presidio Tunnel Tops and even counting our morning at the Farmers Market! After some sleuthing on my part, I found that this Indonesian pop-up is called D’Grobak. They will be at the Presidio Tunnel Tops every Wednesday and Saturday until December, and their bakso can also be ordered online for pick up or delivery.

While none of my San Francisco dining this trip were in an actual restaurant, everything I had was definitely of restaurant quality. I also preferred the places we visited over sitting for an hour or two in a restaurant. Especially after the past couple years dealing with the pandemic, it was so refreshing and rewarding to be out at these outdoor venues and supporting the community.

[eatvangelist]

Southern Comfort in Charleston - Husk

While we were in Savannah, we saw that one of the most popular restaurants there was Husk, but we just didn’t have the time to go.  I did read up that the original location was in Charleston, so we made a point to make Husk Charleston one of the places we check out. We did have a minor incident upon arrival - they could not locate our reservation so they would not seat us in the restaurant but rather moved us to the dining area above the bar located in the adjacent building. This actually turned out quite nicely, as we liked the booth we got at the bar and it was actually quieter there than in the restaurant.

We had been eating quite heavy foods on our trip - I mean, it’s Southern Comfort for a reason! We were looking for something light, at least for an appetizer. What caught our eyes immediately were the cornmeal fried oysters salad, served with sliced radish, feta cheese, some boiled egg yolk, and dill buttermilk dressing.  I had unnecessarily worried that the fried oysters would be too greasy or even worse dried out and tasteless. The fried oysters were incredibly delicious - perfectly crusted on the outside, sealing in the natural flavors and creating a wonderful contrast in texture between the crunch exterior and the soft interior.  We also ordered the slow smoked pork ribs with Bourbon BBQ sauce and served with spiced pork rinds. This was quite good - and while I would recommend it, it didn’t impress me nearly as much as the fried oysters. 

For our main we went with the confit duck leg. The meat was quite succulent and the plating was beautiful. If I had to be picky and find fault with anything at all, it was that a couple pieces of the roasted sweet potato were still on the raw side - better that happens with vegetables than with meat! 

For dessert, we started off with a winter citrus tart, which was a new addition to their menu. It was certainly tart - a couple bites would make one pucker up. The olive oil ice cream and toasted meringue weren’t really able to help with that, but we still found this dessert overall refreshing. Our server mentioned that the staff had tried it, too, and also felt it was too tart and gave that feedback to the pastry chef. He then brought us a replacement dessert, their turtle cake, which was made of their chocolate pretzel mousse. It was okay, but we definitely preferred the citrus tart over this, as the turtle cake was just a bit too bland and heavy for our taste. Hopefully the Husk pastry chef has adjusted the citrus tart’s sourness and it’s perfected now, because that is the dessert to order.

All in all we had a good meal at Husk, though it just wasn’t the mind-blowing experience we were expecting. While some things were a bit more expensive, it was really surprising how the menu was overall reasonably priced especially compared to other high-end restaurants in the area. The most expensive item I ordered (and well worth it) was their Bourbon. I don’t recall now how many days it aged in the barrel, but it had a wonderful aroma and tasted very smooth. It is a must have for any whiskey drinker.

Husk Charleston 76 Queen Street Charleston, South Carolina  29401 Phone: [phone] Hours: Saturday & Sunday 10am-2pm, Sunday-Thursday 5pm-10pm, Friday-Saturday 5pm-11pm

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Southern Comfort in Charleston - Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit

The most memorable experience I had in Charleston was going to Fort Sumter - where the first shots of the American Civil War happened. I was on the first ferry there, which meant I got to see the raising of the flag there. The ranger who spoke gave a vivid retelling of the history of the fort and South Carolina’s secession from the United States, followed by a very inspirational reminder of the liberties for which our flag stand. I was truly moved.  

The ferry to Fort Sumter was at a visitor center a bit out of the way for us, but our hotel shuttle driver was kind enough to go off his route to drop us off there as well as wait for us while we made one little pit stop on our way there. While in the South, we had to get authentic southern biscuits, and we had heard about Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit. We asked our shuttle driver about it, and he said, “Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit ain’t so little!” He heard they were good from other passengers and kindly waited for us to get our biscuits at the City Market. before taking us to the visitor center.

Callie’s had a get 3 “mini” biscuits for $6 deal, but they were not small at all. Nevertheless, we got 6 so we can get the general flavor.  We did 3 savory and 3 sweet: black pepper bacon, country ham, cheese and chives, shortcake, cinnamon, and blackberry. The cinnamon and blackberry were our favorites - the savory ones tasted more or less the same, but they were all good.

What were more interesting were the biscuit sandwiches... made with a full size biscuit. I got the special of the day, which was goat cheese with peach jam and some watercress. This was my favorite of all the biscuits. Callie’s biscuits were made with cream cheese, which kept the texture more moist than most biscuits I have had elsewhere, but they still got heavy and filling after a few bites. The goat cheese added to the richness, but the peach jam and its sweetness just made each bite not only go down easier but kept me craving another bite. I also bought a fried chicken biscuit sandwich for our shuttle driver, as despite hearing how good Callie’s was, he had never tried them himself. His assessment was similar to ours - the biscuit was really too much, but he enjoyed it (though ate only half a biscuit) and the fried chicken.

One more thing worth mentioning while I was picking up the biscuits at Callie’s: there was a police officer in line and the older lady who either owns or manages that location told the cashier, “Don’t you dare charge the officer. His biscuit is on me. He puts his life on the line every day to look out for us. This is the least we can do to thank him.” I ended up chatting briefly with her at one point and told her what she did was thoughtful and admirable. She smiled and said it was nothing, what he did was everyday for the community mattered and how that officer had helped them out so much. 

I enjoyed Callie’s biscuits, though if I were a local, I would probably not buy so much at one go though I would be a frequent customer. Great food, great people - what more could you ask for?

Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit - City Market Location 188 Meeting Street Charleston, South Carolina 29401 Phone: [phone] Hours: Thursday-Tuesday, 8am-2pm (Closed on Wednesdays)

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Southern Comfort in Charleston - Oyster House

As much as we loved Savannah, we had to move on to the next leg of our trip, which landed us not too far away in Charleston. We explored a bit of downtown Charleston and found the overall feel similar to Savannah. A staff member at the hotel we were staying at had recommended some restaurants near the City Market area. Just our luck, however, every single place he had recommended to us was packed - one place estimated 45 minutes to an hour, and it was too cold outside for us to wait. I had just about given up hope when we tried the last restaurant he had pointed out to us - Oyster House. They took us at the bar immediately, and we were fortunate enough to snag a corner booth, which was also the last table available.

At a place called Oyster House, it seemed wrong to not order oysters. We weren’t quite in the mood for oysters though, but we ordered two of the house special that night as they were from South Carolina.  Like the Georgia ones we had at The Grey, these were shaped more narrow and had a similar texture. The E.L. McIntosh we had at The Grey were more delicate and less briny though, which I preferred just marginally more than Oyster House. Nevertheless they were quite good and I was tempted to order more, but we wisely switched to cooked foods instead.

We found more foods similar to what we had in Savannah, but Charleston definitely won these rounds. One thing we discovered while in Savannah was she crab soup. As the name hinted, the soup was made with female crabs, specifically pregnant crabs, for the sweetness of the roe. We first had the she crab soup at The Olde Pink House, which was quite good - creamy with some sweet crabmeat at the bottom of the bowl. Once we got to Charleston, however, we learned that recipe originated here. It was no wonder though, as the Oyster House’s she crab soup was outstanding. While there was succulent crabmeat at the bottom of the bowl here, too, the flavor of the sweet crab flavor permeated throughout the bowl, even in shallow spoons that didn’t have crabmeat. It really made The Olde Pink House’s she crab soup pale in comparison.

The deliciousness didn’t stop with the she crab soup. While we got to enjoy grits at The Olde Pink House, we didn’t get shrimp and grits, so this might not be a fair comparison, but Oyster’s House’s shrimp and grits were really great.  Per their menu, the shrimp and grits were covered in ham gravy, which blended with both the shrimp and the grits well - never overpowering them. We had also ordered the seafood casserole, which was shrimp, scallops, crabmeat, and lobster covered in cheese sauce, baked in a cast iron pan. I wasn’t especially optimistic for this one, but I was glad to be wrong. I was initially skeptical because I worried the cheese sauce was going to be covering up the seafood taste, but each seafood ingredient was flavorful and stood out just fine.

Our first day in Charleston seemed like an extension of our experience in Savannah - great comfort food. While we didn’t try she crab soup at all the Charleston restaurants (and it certainly seemed like every restaurant near City Market had it on their menu), it was certainly a winner at Oyster House. They might be better known for their oysters, but definitely try their other seafood specialties.

Oyster House 35 S Market Street Charleston, South Carolina 29401 Phone: [phone] Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11am-8pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-9:30pm

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Southern Comfort in Savannah - Collins Quarter

From our first day in Savannah, the locals kept recommending Collins Quarter to us, so we knew it would be great. We really couldn’t miss it, as we passed by it every day on our way to Forsyth Park.  The staff there always greeted us warmly. They also had a second location actually in Forsyth Park. We attempted to go to the second location and arrived just as they were closing.  The second location had some of the same pastries, but otherwise was mostly paninis and salads. We decided at some point we would actually return to the original location instead and on our last day in Savannah, we finally made it there for brunch.

I ordered a simple chai tea latte ($5) while my friend got the spiced lavender mocha ($6.50). The chai really hit the spot for me, but it wasn’t anything particularly notable. The spiced lavender mocha, however, was unique. The mocha was not overly chocolatey, but I still would not have thought to pair it with lavender.  The two aromas surprisingly complemented each other.

The star of the show, however, was the Swine Time Beni ($17). Our server had recommended it, but we weren’t completely sold on it... until we saw it arrive two tables down from us. It looked so good that we wanted our own!  Two perfectly poached eggs served on a bed of pulled pork and brioche french toast, slathered in Hollandaise sauce, topped with bacon and jalapeno. I loved piercing the egg and having the yolk run all over the pork and mixing with the Hollandaise.  We soon noticed that pretty much every table had the Swine Time Beni.  One bite and it was easy to understand why this was a brunch favorite.

The Swine Time Beni was really enough for us, but prior to ordering I had heard from one of the locals that the bananas foster french toast ($15) was a must have. We already knew Swine Time Beni was going to be big, so we weren’t sure about ordering this. Our server said we could do a half order, which meant just one slice of french toast instead of two. The bananas weren’t as caramelized as I would have liked, but the candied pecans were just right. Having the bananas foster french toast was a nice contrast to have following the Swine Time Beni.

After {finally) dining at Collins Quarter, we totally understood why this was a local favorite spot and why everyone kept recommending it. We only wish we had enough time (and stomach space) to try them for dinner, too!

Collins Quarter 151 Bull Street Savannah, GA 31401 Phone: [phone] Hours: Monday - Tuesday 8am-3pm,  Wednesday-Sunday 8am-3pm, 5pm-10pm

[eatvangelist]

Southern Comfort in Savannah - The Olde Pink House

While we were on the hunt for the best fried chicken in Savannah, we heard of Mrs. Wilke’s Dining Room, but alas when we got there, they were closed for vacation (apparently they close every January). We were so dismayed and looked for the next top recommendation in Savannah, which was The Olde Pink House. This was a place hard to get reservations for because it was so popular, but luck was finally on our side, and we scored a reservation for lunch 15 minutes before our arrival. 

Upon entering, it was hard not to take in the beauty of The Olde Pink House. Each dining room had so much character. When our server came, we were given a sheet on the history about the house, including how it got its name. (Spoiler alert: the brick bled through the walls and changed the house from white to pink!) Not only did we have the sheet to read up on the history of the house, but our server was able to answer specific questions. For instance, she pointed out how the private room within our view had been used as one of the rooms for the military to strategize during the Civil War.

While all the history is fascinating, we came for the food. Specifically, I heard great things about fried green tomatoes, and The Olde Pink House was apparently famous for it. It really felt like every restaurant we went to boasted about being featured on some Food Network show. The Olde Pink House was no different, calling out their BLT Salad ($14.95), which was specifically praised on “Best thing I Ever Ate.” So typically the BLT Salad did come with two fried green tomatoes, but since my friend and I were sharing everything, our server had all of our food split on two plates in advance, hence only one in the photo below. While I had been tempted to order only the fried green tomato ($3.25) as a side by itself, having it as part of this salad was the way to go. The sweet bacon contrasted against the slight tartness of the tomato,and the thyme buttermilk dressing tied all the different tastes together.

Additional things we ordered but less remarkable than the BLT Salad were the She Crab soup ($12.95) and Chef Max’s Fried Chicken ($25.95).  They were both good, but I think they were a bit anti-climactic after the BLT Salad. The She Crab soup had some actual pieces of crab in the soup and with it being so chilly outside, it was a pleasant appetizer.  (More on what a She Crab soup is in Charleston - stay tuned!)  The fried chicken had great crunch, but where I was a bit dissatisfied was that I got a wing and a thigh, and my friend got a huge breast and drumstick. The wing and thigh really did not have much meat on them. My friend was kind enough to cut some meat from the breast to share with me, and even after that she still had more left that she had to ask to get boxed up. I felt that plating wasn’t quite proportionally split. On top of that, we both felt we got more meat on our chicken at The Grey (with the exception of that giant breast). The chicken was served with mac and cheese, which was also good but not outstanding.

What was outstanding, however, was something not listed on the menu. Our server had told us one of their specials was a deep fried flounder ($39.95) in apricot sauce. This was delicious, and I enjoyed it more than the BLT Salad. The crispy skin on the surface, the tender flaky fish meat hidden underneath, and the sweetness of the apricot sauce - all made this an incredibly memorable entree. On top of that it was served with white grits and collard greens. The grits were lathered in buttery flavor and creaminess. The collard greens were tender and flavorful, definitely cooked with ham.

We didn’t get a chance to stick around for dessert as I had a work meeting to run off to, but I could not resist the temptation to look all around the house before leaving. There was a bar in the basement that opens nightly - but what I loved was a little enclave filled with wines. The stories those walls must hold! Every room from bottom to top were beautifully decorated and had so much character. I wished I could have stayed longer to explore and ask the staff more questions. I did learn later that night during a walking ghost tour that The Olde Pink House had a number of paranormal stories - including a ghost in the basement bar and even sightings of Mr. Habersham himself.  It was a good thing I learned about the stories after I visited The Olde Pink House and not before, but truth be told, I might still find the courage to return one day for another chance at that BLT Salad and fried flounder!

The Olde Pink House 23 Abercorn Street Reynolds Square Savannah, Georgia Phone: [phone] Hours: Tuesday- Saturday 11am lunch (does not specify closing time); Sunday-Thursday 5pm-10:30pm, Friday-Saturday 5pm-11pm

[eatvangelist]

Southern Comfort in Savannah - The Grey

The Grey is located at a former Greyhound Bus Terminal and pays homage to the location by transporting diners back in time in its decor. One snide comment I have to make is that the hostess (when I visited) is a bit on the bougie side. Since we didn’t have reservations, she promptly directed us to the Diner Bar where we could grab any free seat. That worked out perfectly for us as that’s where we wanted to sit anyway, though given what I had heard about the “painstaking” efforts to restore the restaurant, I would have loved to have walked around a bit to see the layout of the other rooms, all of which are supposed to give the same timeless vibe.

The Diner Bar was full service and beautiful. We grabbed a booth by the window, and it did feel a bit like we were looking out a bus window at times. We were very comfortable and our server was knowledgeable about the drinks and food, guiding us to his and guests’ favorites. We ordered from the bar menu, though we could have ordered from the prix fixe menu, too. 

We opted for the oyster special - half dozen of locally-sourced in Georgia from E.L. McIntosh ($19.50).  Most of the oysters I have had in my life are from either west or east coast - I was curious about what the southern oysters would be like. They are skinnier than what I was used to, but delicious.  These didn’t have much brine to them and were delicate in texture.  While a splash of lemon is typical with oysters, The Grey also served them with eye drops of some clear liquid - I want to say it was some vinegar mixture, but I honestly can’t recall.

We also ordered the fried chicken ($16) and fish croquette ($8). The fried chicken was really good and totally hit the spot.  We knew fried chicken was a must in the South, and we were going to be eating a lot of it over our trip, but having The Grey as our first stop for fried chicken really set the bar high.  What I really loved was after the initial crunch into the chicken, I found the meat to still be very hot and juicy. Steam literally came out from every bite. We ordered the fish croquette out of curiosity, and it turned out really good, too. My expectations were low for it, as I couldn’t really imagine fish and potatoes mashed together and then deep fried would be that interesting...  Yet it was. The Grey used catfish and it was quite flavorful but not overwhelming. The potatoes were really just there to soften the texture. It was a surprisingly good dish - probably better if ordered as an appetizer given how small (but filling) it is.

We mainly went to The Grey for the ambiance and historical aspect, but we were quite pleased with the quality of food we got. We had a lot of great fried chicken on our trip, but I think the one at The Grey was the my favorite of all the ones I got to try.  While a visit here won’t physically transport you anywhere, the dining experience here is certainly a trip.

The Grey 109 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. Savannah, Georgia  Phone: [phone] Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 5pm-10pm, Sunday 11am-3pm