Barney Greengrass??

Barney Greengrass in NYC

On the Upper West Side of Manhattan resides a Jewish Deli that has literally stood the test of time.  Open since 1908, stepping into Barney Greengrass is like opening the pages of a history book.  The interior looks like it may not have been updated since at least the 70s, but that's okay.  The "Sturgeon King" still gets plenty of love from New Yorkers and people all over the world.  Their specialty is Atlantic fish, so I thought it to be a little odd that I got invited to eat there for breakfast, though it soon make sense.  I met Sharon from The Daily Meal at Barney Greengrass and she gave me a quick overview of the menu.  The salmon and sturgeon specialties were served fresh, smoked, and cured with eggs or to top on bagels.  Sharon ordered the fresh Nova Scotia Salmon and advised me to go with an order of scrambled eggs with lox.

Scrambled Eggs with Lox at Barney Greengrass

Lox is salty cured salmon that in this case has been chopped up and added to a batch of scrambled eggs.  While the Scandinavians introduced the dish to North America, the Jewish immigrants of NYC made it famous.  The salmon is brined in salt, sugar, and other spices in the same fashion that the famous Jewish corned beef and pastrami are.  It definitely added a delicious twist to a scrambled eggs dish.  The salty fish flaked apart and flavored the well seasoned eggs.  I could have eaten a second plate.  Fortunately for me, Sharon decided to share some of here salmon for me to eat on my bagel!

Nova Scotia Salmon with Cream Cheese on a Bagel

I guess it makes sense that I would eat a bagel in New York.  And I'll admit, I definitely enjoyed it.  The bagel with cream cheese and delicious salmon hit the spot along with the lox-packed eggs.  I can see why Barney Greengrass came so highly recommended.  It certainly isn't for the atmosphere or ambiance.  It is for the traditional, quality food that brings you back to the way things used to be.  Before modernist cuisine and molecular gastronomy hit NYC, this food belonged to people from centuries ago.  And I'm glad I've eaten some!

Join Me at Fete Rouge 2012!

6th Annual Grace “Mama” Marino Lifetime Achievement Award Honoring Tullio Saffiotti Presented by Baton Rouge Epicurean Society  Thursday, August 23, 2012 Crowne Plaza Hotel This award recognizes a person from the Baton Rouge area who has dedicated their life to service in the Baton Rouge community and is named in honor of its first recipient. The evening features a 7-course dinner served and specially prepared by local chefs honoring his Sicilian heritage. Paired with a selection of fine wines complementing each course. Entertainment by Ned Fasullo & his Fabulous Big Band Orchestra. Awards Dinner Tickets honoring Tullio Saffiotti are $200/person  AWARDS DINNER TICKETS CLICK HERE  Food & Wine Fête  Presented by Baton Rouge Epicurean Society  Friday, August 24th, 2012  6pm-9pm Crowne Plaza Hotel This event will host the Fête Rouge LA Chefs Competition where local chefs will prepare their best dishes for the chance at winning a Gold Medal or Best in Show. Over 150 wines to taste from around the globe as well as tasting all the delicacies prepared by local chefs participating in the Chefs Competition Purchase a raffle ticket to own an instant 150 bottle wine cellar! Live entertainment & Silent Auction Food & Wine Fête Tickets are $50 in advance/$65 at the door. FOOD & WINE FETE TICKETS HERE  Red, White & Roux Presented by Baton Rouge Epicurean Society, Sister Dulce Foundation & Crowne Plaza Hotel Baton Rouge Saturday, August 25, 2012 Crowne Plaza Hotel, Baton Rouge Time:  9:00 am – 3:15 pm  Registration at 9 (sparkling wine & light refreshments) Wine seminars: Napa Valley Vinicultural Districts and their Wine Production South American Vinicultural Areas and Top Tier Wine Producers with Tasting Food seminars: Wine &  Cheese Pairings Cooking with Game & Wine Ultimate Buffet featuring demonstrations by national chefs who will be featured at the Dining by Design event on Sunday evening capped by the Ultimate Chef Competition  featuring  Fr. Dominic Garramone,  “The Bread Monk”chef from St. Bede Abbey , Illinois and Fr. Leo Patalinghug, the “Grace Before Meals” chef from Mount St. Mary’s University,Maryland. The Dining by Design celebrity chefs will be assisting as sous chefs and judges. Full day ticket is $150; Brunch ticket is $75 RED, WHITE & ROUX TICKETS HERE  Baton Rouge Food & Wine Fȇte Package Information HERE Photography by Jenn Ocken Photography To learn more about the Baton Rouge Epicurean Society & the charitable programs Fȇte Rouge benefits CLICK HERE

Ancient Age: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by The Cove

Ancient Age

Last week, Whisk(e)y Wednesday advised you on where not to spend your hard-earned bourbon money.  This week, I present one of the best bourbons for the money out there.  Ancient Age is unassuming.  It typically comes in a plastic bottle and is dirt cheap. Yet, somehow, they make it taste pretty good.  Does it compare to an actual GOOD bourbon... well, no.  But if you need a whiskey to mix with coke or something, I challenge you to find a better bargain bourbon!  The nose is spicy with hints of cinnamon and candy corn.  Big Red chewing gum came to mind.  The taste had notes of oak smoked corn on the cob, cayenne, corn syrup.  Sweet and easy to drink with a burn on the finish.  No complexities lingered that were good or bad, just a simple note of an imminently drinkable bourbon, especially for the price.

Ancient Age

66.5 Average Score

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze presented by The Cove. Check out The Cove in Baton Rouge, LA to browse their selection of over 200 whiskeys (including bourbons) and 325+ Scotch whiskys. Whisk(e)y Wednesday is created and rated by the hosts of Raise a Glass. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own propriatary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y while anything below 15 is absolute horse piss and anything above 85 is rather extraordinary.

Bourbon Bottle Signing at The Cove

Tuesday, July 24th at The Cove in the Citiplace Shopping Center, Bourbon Hall of Fame member Eddie Russell will be doing a bottle signing.  Eddie is the Associate Distiller at Wild Turkey and is the fourth generation of the Russell Family to work for the distillery.  He previously held the position of Director of Barrel Maturation and Warehousing before being promoted to Associate Distiller in 2007 under his father, Jimmy Russell, who is Wild Turkey's Master Distiller.  Needless to say, the man has plenty of experience in the world of whiskey!  Jimmy has been with Wild Turkey since 1954 and Eddie has worked along side him for the past 33 years.  I still haven't been alive that along, let alone drinking bourbon that long.

The Wild Turkey family of bourbons also includes the Russell's Reserve line in addition to Rare Breed and Single Barrel whiskeys.  Anybody wanting to meet Eddie and get a bottle signed just needs to show up at The Cove between 7:30 and 9:30 PM on Tuesday, 7/24.  There will be some bottles on site for signing, but you're also free to bring your own bottles if you'd like to get one autographed.

Cheers!

Beer Cheese? Yes, Please!

Jay with beer... and cheese

If anybody can find something wrong with beer and cheese, please stop reading this post now.  For those continuing, which I assume is everybody, let me tell you about a little place in NYC that my friend Molly introduced me to called Earl's Beer & Cheese.  First, it literally is a little place.  Secondly, they have beer.  And cheese.  And finally, they have beer-cheese!  

Earl's Beer & Cheese is in Manhattan between Harlem and the Upper East Side.  Molly and I got started with the famous beer-cheese which contains New York State cheddar, Earl's house lager, and fresh garlic with toast.  The beer infused cheddar cheese could be easily spread on the toast with slivers of fresh garlic.  The bread itself had an amazing soft-yet-crispy texture with a supremely buttery flavor that could have been enjoyed completely on its own.  Add a little beer-cheese and garlic, and I could be happy eating this for a full meal.  

Earl's Beer-Cheese with Fresh Garlic and Toast

However, as good as the beer-cheese tasted, I couldn't stop there.  Not when I saw one of the menu's signature dishes.  The Earl’s Eggo called out to me like a flare gun firing in the moonlight by a stranded sailor on an island to signal a ship upon the sea.  The inconspicuous Eggo waffle came topped with seared foie gras, aged cabot cheddar, coffee-cured bacon, and "syzzurpy" goodness.  This gourmet breakfast item ran a hefty $17 price tag, but that barely phased me.  I had to try it.  And then I had to devour the entire thing.  The flavors clashed on my palate in a toil of tasty deliciousness.  The foie gras's rich and creamy texture met the sweet syrup with vibrant complexity, then the bacon and cheese followed with their classic salty and savory tones.  If you don't like foie gras, this dish isn't for you.  But if you ever find yourself wanting to try something new, then put this on your to-eat list.

Earl's Egg.

Charter 101: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by The Cove

Charter 101

101 proof is a little high for any whiskey, and it should be a warning sign of potency.  Some bourbons can pull it off, but Charter 101 unfortunately can't.  The high octane whiskey has a nose of pixiestix and boozy corn liquor.  The taste is relatively bad as if cough syrup had a corn flavor.  Bourbon must be at least 51% corn, but Charter 101 didn't get the memo that it isn't supposed to taste like high fructose corn syrup mixed with oak chips and grain alcohol.  Raise a Glass word to the wise: spend your money elsewhere.

Charter 101

41.0 Average Score

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze presented by The Cove. Check out The Cove in Baton Rouge, LA to browse their selection of over 200 whiskeys (including bourbons) and 325+ Scotch whiskys. Whisk(e)y Wednesday is created and rated by the hosts of Raise a Glass. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own propriatary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y while anything below 10 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.

Live Beer Blogging in Indianapolis #BeerBloggers

Jay and Mr. Schlafly

This went incredibly quickly and I tried to keep up with notes and pictures.  Rather than go back and edit my crude scribes during the Live Beer Blogging event at the North American Beer Blogger Conference in Indianapolis last weekend, I decided to just post exactly what I was able to type during the 5 minutes "speed blogging" intervals with different breweries.  Obviously my notes deteriorated as the hour-long session moved on!

These notes are in the order that the beers were poured at my table.  I'd have to say that my favorite beer was probably the Arctic Panzer Wolf from Three Floyds.  The Wreck Alley Imperial Stout from Karl Strauss and the Schlafly IPA were both also at the top.  Cheers!

Boulder's Hazed & Infused

Chicken Dan, Boulder Beer Company
Hazed and infused
33 years in business
Dry hopped amber ale that's unfiltered
5% ABV
GABF entrant for 13th time, but have never won a medal cause there's no category for it.
This year it goes in "session IPA" which is silly
No bells and whistles... a beer that pays the bills.
Breweries make their livings off beers that people buy more than once

Wreck Alley Imperial Stout

Ryan Ross from Karl Strauss in San Diego
Wreck Alley Imperial Stout
Cocoa Nibs and locally roasted Ethiopian coffee beans
9.5% ABV
Thin for a stout... delicious and smooth... could be dangerous, alcohol is hiding, easier drinking
44th largest craft brewer but only sold in SoCal

Schlafly's A IPA

Schlafly
St Louis area
American IPA seasonal
7.2%
Hoppy, fruity

Barley Island's Damien

Barley Island
Damien
Belgian Golden Strong Ale

Fountain Square Brewing

Fountain Square Brewing Co.
Downtown Indy
Pilsner
Working man's pilsner
Great packaging, nice flavor, easily drinkable

Flat 12's Pogue's Run Porter

Flat 12 Bierwerks
Indianapolis
Pogue's Run Porter
Automotive and german brewing tradition

Triton's Magnificent Amber

Triton Brewing Co
Magnificent Amber
5.4%
Nice and malty, subtle hops.  Good brew

Arctic Panzer Wolf

Three Floyd's Brewing Co
Arctic Panzer Wolf
Imperial IPA
Dry, strong, robust, flavorful
barnaby is the dude's name

Shift Pale Lager

New Belgium
colorado
Shift Pale Lager
Session Lager
American style pale lager

Ram's Endgame Russian Imperial Stout

Ram Restaurant and Brewery
Downtown Indy
Endgame Russian Imperial Stout
coffee, chocolate, dark roast, fresh hops,

Speaking at the North American #BeerBlogger Conference in Indy

Jay Ducote from Bite and Booze on a panel at the North American Beer Blogger Conference in Indianapolis

I just had the pleasure of speaking on a panel at the North American Beer Blogger Conference in Indianapolis.  Tiffany Adamowski from 99 Bottles and Randy Clemens from the Stone Brewing Company both joined me on the panel to speak about how bloggers can engage with brewers, distributors, and retailers.  Tin Roof Beer, Avenue Pub, and Calandro's Supermarket all got a pretty good shout out from me!  More to come from Indy later.

Cheers!

Jay

Connemara Irish Whiskey: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by The Cove

Connemara Irish Whiskey

Returning back to Irish Whiskey, this week's Whisk(e)y Wednesday comes with a twist.  Although Connemara is an Irish Whiskey in that it comes from Ireland, it is also a peated single malt, a style associated with Scotch.  The nose is like a wild grass fire and is heavily peated.  On first taste the smooth and sweet whiskey is akin to toasted marshmallows with the burn from fresh embers of a camp fire.  It delivers a light, continuous burn with lingering flavors and a nice smoky finish.  While far from traditional Irish Whiskey, Connemara is worth a try, particularly for a smoky Scotch drinker.  

Connemara Irish Whiskey

72.75 Average Score

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze presented by The Cove. Check out The Cove in Baton Rouge, LA to browse their selection of over 200 whiskeys (including bourbons) and 325+ Scotch whiskys. Whisk(e)y Wednesday is created and rated by the hosts of Raise a Glass. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own propriatary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y while anything below 10 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.

NYC's Momofuku Noodle Bar

Momofuku Ramen at NYC's Momofuku Noodle Bar

The East Village of Manhattan presents an astonishing array of worldly cuisines from which to choose.  Deciding where to eat a quick lunch in that part of Manhattan can be a chore in of itself.  Fortunately for me, I acted quickly in deciding where to dine on a recent trip to the Big Apple.  Momofuku Noodle Bar on 1st Avenue called out to me.  I'm not incredibly familiar with this type of Asian cuisine, though my curiosity certainly is.  I bellied up to the noodle bar itself to see what the James Beard award winning restaurant (and Chef David Chang) had to offer.  After looking over the daily-changing menu selections, I seconded guessed myself before deciding on the chilled asparagus soup and the Momofuku Ramen.  I narrowly missed out on the pork buns, which came highly recommended, but I really knew that I'd regret not getting noodles at the noodle bar.  If only I truly had a hollow leg.

Chilled Asparagus Soup with Jalapeno, Cucumber, and Sesame 

The chilled asparagus soup made me realize why I love cold soups.  The texture resonated on my tongue as the cool creaminess mildly transformed into a silky smoothness.  The fresh flavors intensified as the soup warmed up on my taste buds.  The jalapeno added a subtle spice that balanced well with the asparagus and cucumber.  I ate every drop, wondering if I could replicate this at home with any degree of accuracy.  Then I awaited my noodle bowl.

Momofuku Ramen, Pork Belly, Pork Shoulder, Poached Egg

I knew I needed to get my hands on the signature dish at the noodle bar.  The Momofuku Ramen carried the restaurant's name, so on my first and potentially only visit, I couldn't help but give it a try.  Plus, any dish that starts with pork belly usually gets my attention.  Momofuku Ramen contained noodles in a savory broth with braised pork belly, tender pork shoulder meat, and a poached egg.  Throw in some scallions and other fragrant goodies, and I had one heck of a meal in a bowl.  The rich egg yolk flowed from its surrounding whites upon a prick from my chopsticks.  It added even more depth to the artist's palate of flavors in the dish.  The pork belly melted effortlessly in my mouth as I shoveled noodles down the hatch as if they were a refreshing brew on a hot summer day.  Then I literally drank the broth.  I need more of this in my life.

Bite Club Pizza: Chicago vs New York

'Hey Hey' Jack Brickhouse Special at Pizano's in Chicago

A recent trek across the United States brought me to the home of our country's two most famous and notable pizza styles: Chicago's deep dish and New York City's large thin crust.  I've had both before.  I've enjoyed them in their hometown confines.  Eating these pizzas in their respective cities did not present a new experience for me in and of itself.  However, I had never been blessed with the chance to have each of them just a few days apart.  So when I had a few hours to kill in Chicago before catching a flight to New York, the only logical thought that crossed my mind was to jump on the "L" and grab some pie.  Brent and I took a train into the loop where we found a touristy and downtown business friendly joint called Pizano's.  Eating quickly commenced.   

Pizano's actually has several locations around Chicago.  The spot in the loop is not the original, but since I needed to hop right back on a train to Midway, it just made sense.  The famous deep dish pizza has a buttery crust and layers of flavor.  Packed with mozzarella and marinara, the pizzas can fill you up quickly as each "slice" contains enough food to sustain a drunk Cubs fan through the misery of another loss.  Brent and I split a 'Hey Hey' Jack Brickhouse Special which featured Italian sausage and mushrooms.  Every bite tasted like a little bit of heaven.  Okay, maybe that's a little strong.  This pizza did not top my list of best deep dishes I've had in Chicago.  But I'm still a sucker for it.  It is hard to go wrong with the combination of flavors presented in this deep dish.  The wedges of pie are most easily consumed with a fork, which is perhaps its one downfall in the eyes of New York City pizza purists.

 A Slice at Full Moon Pizza on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx

A different world over in the heart of the Bronx lies Arthur Avenue.  The traditional Italian neighborhood seems nostalgically out of place in the middle of the northern NYC borough.  That only gave it extra charm.  My friend Molly and I got a slice at the Full Moon Pizza on the corner of 187th and Arthur Ave.  Full moon serves up a multitude of large pies by the slice.  The thinly stretched and tossed dough is dusted with cornmeal to give it that authentically classic taste and texture.  The pies are topped with an assortment of combinations including the classics of cheese only, pepperoni, buffalo chicken, and more.  I went with a slice that had appropriate portions of peppers, mushrooms, and pepperoni.  Any more toppings than that and you're weighing down the pizza and sacrificing the integrity of the thin crust.  Many opt to fold their slice in half and eat it as a sandwich.  I took mine one bite at a time and finished each swallow with a smile.

So in the end, which pizza reign's supreme?  I haven't done many, but every now and then I make a special comparative post on Bite and Booze called "bite club."  In this battle of Chicago vs New York, I give the edge to Chicago.  The deep dish is a historic, cultural, and unique cuisine.  It is based off of the Italian pizzas, but transformed into something totally different.  The way the crust balances the ingredients is like having a lasagna with a buttery, crispy pizza crust instead of limp noodles.  While I do appreciate a large slice of New York pizza, I don't feel like I'm often blown away by them.  Perhaps the one exception to that was Lombardi's, but even then, the Bite Club crown goes to Chicago!  

Fourth of July Bonus: Barbecued Spare Ribs with Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce

St. Louis Style Pork Spare Ribs, Smoked, with Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce

One of my favorite meats: barbecued spare ribs.  Works pretty well with my sauce!  Happy Fourth of July, America!

Jefferson's Presidential Select 18: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by The Cove

Jefferson's Presidential Select 18 Year

The Fourth of July deserves a very American post.  So with that, the Jefferson's Presidential Select 18 year bourbon whiskey has taken the top spot on the Whisk(e)y Wednesday leader board away from the Talisker 10 year Scotch.  It should be no surprise.  The 17 year version won the Raise a Glass Whisk(e)ys of the World Tournament.  This is a fine bourbon.  The nose is sweet, as most bourbons are, and very well balanced.  It has a friendly and comforting aroma which leads right into its complex bouquet on the palate.  An oak twinge gives way to a dark honey sweetness on a bed of clovers.  Jeremy likens the whiskey to an elixir of the Gods and declares it to be "fanfuckingtastic."  I said it tasted like a bourbon supernova in the sky.  It finishes complex, yet amazingly balanced.  There are many moving parts that all work together.  Beauty in a bottle.  If you see it somewhere, BUY IT!       

Jefferson's Presidential Select 18 Year

91.25 Average Score

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze presented by The Cove. Check out The Cove in Baton Rouge, LA to browse their selection of over 200 whiskeys (including bourbons) and 325+ Scotch whiskys. Whisk(e)y Wednesday is created and rated by the hosts of Raise a Glass. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own propriatary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y while anything below 10 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.