Mammoth Eats

Sushi in the mountains tends to sound like an odd combo, but if you find the right spot, it can be a welcome treat. In Mammoth, you'll find Sushi Rei. This very hiptser cool restaurant located in The Village, is filled with locals, beautiful art, and colorful rolls. Exhausted from days of backpacking and still quite full from the restorative burgers we had once off the trail, our stomachs led us to Sushi Rei.

Octopus sunomono. The octopus wasn't too chewy and their sauce was quite good, though I like mine on a more acidic side.

Over the years, I've become more sushi-snobby and moved away from the cream cheese in a roll concept, but for some reason I wanted to try it again. This New York roll (more often known as a Philadelphia roll) was quite tasty and the fried capers were an interesting twist!

These dumplings were delicious. If I lived there, I would crave these and need to eat them that day. Filled with pork and veggies and cooked perfectly, I'll be ordering these during my next visit.

My boyfriend ordered the soup which was filled with pork, mushrooms, noodles, a poached egg, and jalapenos. He ate the entire thing except for a few bites of the noodles I stole. I bet this one is a big seller during the winter months.
Overall, we were both quite pleased with our experience. Though the service was a bit odd, it wasn't bad (if you don't count the young lady that picked up every water glass by the rim with her fingers to refill the glass - ohhhhhh boy...) we found this to be a warm and welcoming locals spot with good food and an awesome atmosphere. Dial 760.934.0774 for reservations.

Jumping on the coffee shop craze that has hit the US, Mammoth has joined in with a new coffee spot called Black Velvet. They must have spent a fortune getting the space the way they wanted it and the machines they have in there and the equipment must have cost a mint. All this creates a very clean, hip, industrial ambiance. White washed floors, off set the darker touches and wooden tables. They do cold-brews (literally cold water poured over ground coffee for hours and hours) and pour overs and fancy drinks with artsy foam designs. It's definitely got all the touches of the cool coffee shop trend including chandeliers, the clear wine bottle water bottles, and sparse shelves. They, of course, roast their own beans!

 The cold brew set up.

 Fancy machines and pour-over station.

I unfortunately forgot to write down which brew I ordered, but I believe it was the Peru...the darkest roast, as I love an intense cup of coffee. It was prepared pour-over style and I wish he hadn't put so much water in it, but perhaps I just don't know enough about coffee and this is the way it is supposed to be... Either way, it was quite delicious.
We'll go back for sure, but I hope they get more speedy because there sure are going to be a lot of cold skier and snowboarders standing in line waiting for their hot coffee this winter.

Black Velvet - 3343 Main Street, Suite F
Mammoth Lakes, CA
www.blackvelvetcoffee.com

Avec in Chicago

James Beard Foundation Award winner Paul Kahan has many restaurants in Chicago and they are all respected for creative, fresh, delicious dishes. We went to Avec, whose Chef is Koren Grieveson, and had an exceptional dinner.

The space is all wood and modern. The back wall is green glass and it's either bar seating or along the right wall banquette seating. As many restaurants in Chicago, they do not take reservations so be prepared to wait a bit.

Charred monterey sardines with meyer lemon, red endive, nichols fingerlings, dandelion greens and smashed peas. Beautiful combination of flavors and textures. The sardines tasted like the ocean, without the fishiness.

Marinated white anchovies on charred flatbread with cucumber, cilantro and mustard oil. Zesty and vibrant this is a dish I would love to recreate at home.

Wood-fired squid with san marzano tomatoes, guanciale, fideo and fennel aiol. This was my favorite dish of the night (yes, even more than the pork shoulder). The squid was ultra fresh and flavorful and married with those rich tomatoes and all those wonderful Italian flavors, it was fantastically delicious. It smelled so good the people next to us asked what we were eating and ordered it too!

Wood-oven roasted pork shoulder with watercress, wild rice and green tomato chow chow. Mmmmm...pork shoulder. Super moist and tender. Once again, tons of flavor. Fresh, real ingredients treated with respect are truly the most important thing a restaurant should focus on.

615 W Randolph
Chicago, IL 60661
312.377.2002

kitchen
sun-thu 3:30p-12:00a
fri, sat 3:30p-1:00a
bar
sun-thu 3:30p-1:00a
fri, sat 3:30p-2:00a

The Purple Pig - Cheese, Swine, & Wine

Here piggy piggy...

The fact is that this Chicago restaurant has become quite the tourist destination, BUT you should go anyhow. They have amazing piggy dishes, an impressive wine list, and a great atmosphere.

First of all, get a load of that bowl. Definitely going on the Christmas wish list! Inside said dish are fried pig ears, pickled cherry peppers, fried kale, and a fried egg on top. Deeelish!

 Mortadella smear on toast with arugula and crumbled pistachios with a balsamic glaze.

And for some real piggy pig, the pork jowl served on toast with asparagus, oyster mushrooms, and a duck egg sunny side up! Holy rich dish! Wow.

500 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
312-464-1-PIG (744)
Sunday - Thursday 11:30 a.m to Midnight (Kitchen open 'til midnight)
Friday & Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. (Kitchen open 'til 1 a.m.)

Sable in Chicago

Under falling rain drops, we hurried into Sable located in a Kimpton Hotel in Chicago. I was surprised (and delighted) to find my friends inside, who were 'supposed' to be out of town. They had begged the kitchen to stay open late and we were able to order lots of delicious eats. It seems like every restaurant we went to in Chicago has now adopted the concept of dining around shared plates - no more 3 course meals, it's all family style...

Wisconsin Fried Cheese Curds with spicy ketchup glaze. Does this really need a description? YUM.

Sweet corn creme brulee. It's as delicious as it sounds. Your mind gets very confused thinking creme brulee and then the little bits of corn and salt blend with the custard in your mouth and it is a beautiful thing indeed. Fantastic idea!

Sable has an extensive cocktail menu and mixologists behind the bar concocting inventive libations. This one is War of the Roses - Pimm’s, Bombay Sapphire, Chase Elderflower, mint, fresh lime. Oh so delightful and served in those fun cocktail glasses from yesteryear.

Seen above are mini wild mushroom veggie burgers with red onion jam and goat cheese and in the black pot, veal meatballs with gorgonzola-walnut cream sauce. I never knew a veggie burger could be so amazing. The amount of mushroom flavor packed in there was fantastic and with the tangy goat cheese and sweet onion jam - wow. And oh those little veal meatballs...sigh. I wish they could appear in front of me right now...

Duck confit with blue cheese, roasted garlic, bourbon cherries, arugula. Very creative flavor combinations which all paired beautifully with the rich duck.

I do believe this cocktail was called Lord of Dreams - Banks Rum, yellow Chartreuse, Luxardo Maraschino, fresh lemon.

This is a very gooey dark chocolate souffle cake which seemed to need a bit more time in the oven, but who cares as chocolate is awesome.

One of my friend's favorite beers - fresh and hoppy goodness.

The Chef at Sable is Chef Heather Terhune and was a contestant on Bravo's Top Chef Texas show. But no matter that she was on a TV show because her food is delicious and you should get over there and eat it.

505 North State Street, Chicago, IL
Tel. 312-755-9704

Animal Style in Los Angeles

Clearly, heading down to Los Angeles proves to have become something to love! As part of my birthday celebration, Jeff and I went to Animal in West Hollywood. It has been on my list for a while now, after having heard so many amazing things about it. Animal was awesome!

Hamachi tostada, herbs, fish sauce vinaigrette, peanut. Beautiful combination of fresh flavors. The fried shallots were a nice touch!

Foie gras terrine, blackberry jam, black pepper gastrique. To think July 1st brings the end of foie gras in California. A new law will fall into place outlawing foie gras, much to my dismay. This terrine was divine, melt in your mouth goodness. The blackberry jam was sweet and tangy and the pepper gastrique a perfect amount of spice for the perfect bite, seen below.

Duck breast, charred cabbage, liptauer, mustard. Most ducky duck I have enjoyed in California. The charred cabbage was wonderful in its smokiness and perfect bite.

Balsamic pork ribs, watercress, favas, beets, panzanella. Rich, fall off the bone goodness. Balsamic on pork ribs is a fantastic idea. The vibrant salad of greens complemented the giant flavors of the ribs perfectly.

Berries, vanilla custard, lavender crumble, opal basil. A lovely, light dessert to complete a very satisfying meal.

Can't wait to eat there again!

435 N. Fairfax Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90036
Reservations: (323) 782 9225

Brother's Restaurant in Santa Barbara Wine Country

On a gorgeous 73 degree day, my friends and I ventured over into the valley and Santa Barbara Wine Country for a day of local libations, new discoveries, and good times with friends. The Brother's Restaurant, Sides Hardware & Shoes, was our destination for lunch as it recently opened in a new location where Patrick's Side Street Cafe was in Los Olivos. We arrived right as lunch service began at 11:30am and were lucky enough to have been seated at a table in the shaded front patio. The interior was beautiful with wood touches everywhere and neat lighting fixtures, but the day was too amazing to not sit outside. Everything is quite casual yet nice silverware and cloth napkins add a touch of elegance. The menu was exciting (as seen above) and left us all having a hard time deciding what to eat. I love their logo!

The beef carpaccio. Lovely in its simple presentation. Lovely bread toasts with olive oil, arugula lightly dressed in olive oil and lemon with paremsan bits, and whole grain mustard.

The hammered pig. Fried pork tenderloin with red cabbage, apple, and mustard seed slaw. The pork was somehow still moist and full of flavor. All a great combination with their slaw etc.

 The seasonal soup. Pea soup extraordinaire! Compact pea flavors with a minty creamy dollop.

The white cheddar and caramelized onion tart. Rich cheesy goodness. The side salad, which accompanied many of the dishes, had fresh vegetables mixed in and a light vinaigrette...a bit too light according to the group, lacking in flavor. We drank the Brander Sauvignon Blanc with our lunch. A perfect match for the food and the weather!

Next visit, I will be ordering their grilled cheese - herbed goat cheese, cheddar, and parmesan on brioche.

Sides Hardware & Shoes - 2375 Alamo Pintado Avenue, Los Olivos
Tuesday - Sunday 7:00am to 2:30pm, 5:00pm to 9:00pm
805-688-4820

Sacramento Eats, Part Deux

Eating out in Sacramento is something I look forward to more and more the more I discover what wonderful establishments this city has to offer. The restaurants that are popping up are proud of and respect their ingredients. They are creative without forgetting the integrity of a dish. To top it off, prices are so very reasonable! This trip, we discovered a few gems...

The Press - 1809 Capitol Avenue - Mediterranean cuisine

 Clean, simple wooden tables and airy ambiance.

 Great variety on the wine list. This Corbieres was quite lovely and affordable!

Crispy prosciutto, asparagus, and arugula with a poached egg. This dish is done often, but it really comes down to the quality of the ingredients and these did not disappoint.

Grilled calamari over white beans, roasted peppers, and arugula. No chewy calamari here. Tender calamari in a bite with the brightly dressed white bean salad and arugula = yum.

Chicken piccata, fingerling potatoes, arugula, lemon caper butter sauce. Perfectly cooked chicken and balanced flavors between salt and acidity.

Linguine with clams, garlic, white wine sauce. Super fresh pasta with that lovely al dente-ness only truly achieved through fresh pasta. Loads of garlic yet the subtle clams still came through.

The Press serves what I consider elegant home cooking...well, a Mediterranean home. The ambiance is warm, the staff very friendly, they have a great happy hour, and the food is fresh and delicious and the prices are extremely reasonable for the quality coming out of the kitchen.

Magpie Cafe - 1409 R Street - New American cuisine

I LOVE this place. Magpie serves seasonal and local fare full of color and flavor! Check out this beet salad with swiss chard!!! Holy color fest! The flavor was insane too. Super fresh golden beets, high quality olive oil, fresh ground black pepper, and vibrant chard. Seems simple, yet I consider this a masterpiece in showing off ingredients.

I ordered 'The Special' - grilled cheese and soup. How beautiful is this grilled cheese served with housemade sweet pickled zucchini and pickles. The soup of the day was vegetable. I cannot even express to you how delicious this all was. Incredibly fresh ingredients. The bread on the grilled cheese came from Acme bread which is local - in Roseville.

The vegetables in the soup maintained their freshness even when in a soup and the broth tasted like those vegetables had been in there for days as the flavors were vibrant and amazing. Talk about antioxidant rich food! They say you should eat colorful foods to help fight carcinogens...well, go to Magpie to get your fix. SO MUCH FLAVOR!

Jeff thoroughly enjoyed the beef stew. Boy was it a hardy dish, filled with fresh herbs and perfectly seasoned.

To polish off all this goodness, a cup of coffee and a ginger molasses cookie. Also delicious. I already can't wait to eat there again...and again...and again...

Did I mention all dishes were under $10!!!!
I wish something like Magpie existed in Santa Barbara. We have wonderful ingredients and restaurants that claim the same mission as Magpie, but who fail to maintain high quality, freshness, flavor, reasonable prices, and a smile all at once.