NOLA DISPATCH: Work Travel Dining and More

Stranded at the airport after some airflow mechanical error has grounded my plane and any chance I had of making it back to St. Paul tonight, I thought a review of my work travel dining experience in the French Quarter of New Orleans might provide a frustration-reducing distraction. I've spent three nights eating dinners in French Quarter restaurants able to cater to a group of 50, and here's how they stacked up:


Gumbo: I had gumbo twice in three nights, and in general it was all good. Remoulade was a more traditional gumbo containing chicken, andouille sausage, and shrimp thickened with roux. Chartres House offered a slightly thicker (again by roux) chicken and sausage gumbo. By far, I would recommend Remoulade's over Chartres House Cafe for the amount of sausage and overall smoky flavor. I can't tell you if one was creole (lighter color and can contain tomatoes) or not. I was looking forward to comparing three gumbos, but a last minute change in menu at the Bombay Club had a less than great chicken and corn chowder fill in for the gumbo option.


Jambalaya: Again, Remoulade and Chartres House square off, and I think again I'd give it to Remoulade. This could simply be because Remoulade offered spicier seasoning, but they also had more noticeable shrimp in the rice. I did like the pepperoncino added at Chartres, but doubt that is a traditional addition to jambalaya.

Redfish with Crawfish Remoulade: The closest to classic cajun/creole on the Bombay Club prix fixe offering I found this dish to be pleasant, but not a home run by any means. Redfish is basically a type of bass and was served blackened with cajun spices and a sweet, chilled crawfish remoulade. I found the remoulade very reminiscent of thousand island dressing and had to douse it in tabasco to make the flavor work with the fish for me. The crawfish were very small and lost in the remoulade. I'm remiss I didn't get crawfish elsewhere since it's in season now in Louisiana. If you get crawfish, locals encourage you to "Just Ask" the server if the crawfish is local, Louisiana wild-caught crawfish.

Check the places I had dinner at out for yourself:

Bombay Club: http://www.thebombayclub.com/

Chartres House Cafe: http://www.chartreshousecafe.com/

Remoulade: http://www.remoulade.com/

Of course, I took advantage of my free time to try some of the other samplings offered in the French Quarter:

Muffaletta: Two trips to Central Grocery, the home of the original muffaletta, in three days pays homage to the sandwich. In those two trips, I didn't consume a whole muffaletta (they're huge), but loved the ambiance of Central Grocery and the olive salad made the sandwich for me. The sandwich is rich with mortadella, salami, provolone, mozzarella, olive oil, and the ever important olive salad served to you on a 10-inch diameter sesame seed seasoned round loaf. The olive salad at Central Grocery has capers, celery, pimento olives, pickled cauliflower, garlic, kalmata olives, and carrots along with great seasoning. It hurts a little that I just offered a hungry stranded fellow passenger the half a muffaletta I was bringing home after being assured at the counter the sandwich would be fine for 2-3 days in the "cool" New Orleans weather.


Coffee and Chicory: Seemingly all the rage from Cafe Du Monde's popularity, I was curious as to why chicory was added to some coffee in New Orleans. The history seems to point to coffee shortages and a creative filler that ended up having perks beyond extending the beans. Chicory is the root of the endive plant, and grows like a weed in some places. When ground, roasted, and added to coffee the chicory's slightly sweet, chocolatey flavor cuts the bitterness of coffee. I liked this about Cafe Du Monde's cafe au lait and did not find the usual queasiness that follows drinking straight coffee (even when I mix it with milk.) Hardcore coffee fans will likely find the chicory dilutes the depth of coffee's flavor.

Beignets: Again, a staple of Cafe Du Monde which became my morning ritual when my decision to bypass the neon drinks at night had me waking up at 7:30am and eager to get out and walk in the agreeable Louisiana clime. Beignets are a yeasted dough pastry fried in vegetable oil and topped with confectioner sugar (loads of it at this cafe.) The pastries were mostly rectangular in shape and came in orders of three. I personally dusted most of the sugar back on the plate or into my cafe au lait and enjoyed the slightly crisp outside and fluffy interior. For you fair enthusiasts, think funnel cake.

Po' Boy: I don't think you're allowed to leave New Orleans without eating a po'boy. I had wanted to find the recommendation of a colleague where the shrimp po'boy is a garlicky, non-fried shrimp haven tucked inside a french roll; alas, I couldn't remember the name and took the hotel staff's recommendation to check out Johnny's. I got the fried shrimp po'boy dressed which means with mayo, lettuce, tomato, and pickle. I doused it again in tobasco and found it pretty tasty. The place had some 50 different po'boys to offer. My sense is you can do better, but the place was packed so what do I know?

Raw and Smoked Oysters on the half shell: Oysters are growing on me (not literally.) After the delicious Meritage experience, I gained courage to join a small group of colleagues in an oyster outing to Acme Oysters on my last legitimate night in New Orleans (not counting this layover at the airport.) I am so glad I went! The raw oysters were tasty and I dressed them less than usual because I had to share with so many people and enjoyed the oyster itself. However, the big winner...the one I might occassionally dream about is that smoked oyster. Cooked over a grill fire on the half shell the oyster is encrusted in a garlic, parmesan, butter topping cooked to perfection. After you eat these wonderful little treasures, the plate has the leftover buttery, garlicky, oyster juice for you to sop up with bread. So good even if the raw oyster scares you, give this a try!

Check out these places for yourself as well:

Acme Oyster House: http://www.acmeoyster.com/
Cafe Du Monde: http://www.cafedumonde.com/
Central Grocery: not online
Johnny's: http://www.johnnyspoboys.com/

Well, I'll be boarding that flight to Atlanta soon. Who knows, maybe I'll write next about what a $10 meal voucher from Air Tran can get you at midnight at the ATL airport or airport hotels.

Salut Bar American 1/11/09

A friend made reservations before I could counter-offer, so I experienced Salut Bar American tonight. Convenient to my apartment, I have been avoiding this and the full chain of the Parasole group restaurants which offer fair to middling food with exceptional marketing at relatively high prices. One thing the parasole group seems to get right is cocktails, so the night wasn't a total bust.

What I ate:

• Black currant shortbread with a heavy creme fraiche and chives?
• Rare Ahi tuna nicoise salad

The review:

Ambiance: Large open room with a raw bar dividing the dining from the kitchen. The wall art reminded me of chino latino and the table tops were circa Macaroni Grill. The baguettes are stacked in baggies at the waiter stand with the butters stacked ready for the rush and lacking in any attempt at freshness. The seafood we were reminded came off the same plane as the stock at Oceannaire stealing yet another chance for Salut to have an identity of its own. Nothing special about this one.

Amuse bouche: A little greasy and the creme fraiche was not freshly applied. Overall, it was okay, but could have been better if the restaurant focused on quality more.

Entree: The salad was huge, but dressed lettuce doesn't stand up well as a leftover. I am used to tuna nicoise having freshly seared tuna, warm potatoes; however, this dish was cold all around. The tomatoes were cherry and tasted fresh and good after a bit too indulgent of a weekend of rich foods. The tuna had potential, but was underseasoned and cold. Overall, the plate needed to be seasoned, but overall was not bad.

RECOMMENDATION: For the money, go to Meritage. For the burgers and fries, save yourself half the price and hit up the Nook.

Meritage 1/10/09

This Saturday (1/10/09) was my second visit to Meritage where Jeff and I celebrated our 1-year anniversary (no offense to Coffee News Cafe where we first met, but after a year a more classy establishment.) Chef Klein has had an uphill battle to uncover an appreciation for french food in me after some bad "french" experiences, but he consistently wins me over with high quality and rich flavors.

What I ate:

• Amusements: Citrus-cured mahi mahi; housemade lamb bacon; confit pig tongue with white beans
• Maine oysters on the half shell
• Roasted rack of Iowa lamb, lamb shoulder en crepinette, cranberry knodle, chestnuts and brussel sprouts

The Review:

Ambiance: In downtown St.Paul on St. Peter, Meritage is in a historic building with great architecture and stone carvings. The restaurant itself transports you to a french brasserie (cafe that serves food) with lots of windows looking out onto the street, intimate seating area with a romantic tone. Dress up a bit and enjoy a night out.

Amusements: The citrus-cured mahi mahi was my favorite with its light, refreshing, slightly buttery taste. I sampled a small bit of the lamb bacon and found the cure impressive since they do it all in house, but I'm not a huge bacon fan. It was with some reluctancy I got the pig tongue, but the primary recommendation by the waiter pushed me over the edge. It was rich, slightly earthy, but a little too salty for me.

Oysters: I don't usually like oysters because the brine and slippery texture can send me over the edge of comfort. However, these oysters were so clean and fresh and the accompaniments were too good to pass up, so I stole two from Jeff with his blessing. Very, very good.

Entree: The little guy was the big star on this plate. The brussel sprouts were a haven of juicy, complex flavor on a plate I might have sent back otherwise. The lamb must have sat too long before reaching the table as the meat and fat had cooled considerably which was odd as the rest of the elements on the plate seemed overcooked or dried out (perhaps again from sitting.) The chestnuts were rich, very dry, and too numerous. The knodle seemed burnt on the outside, but when the outer layer was disposed of the cranberry/bread dumpling was adequate. The lamb shoulder en crepinette looked like a portabella mushroom and was tasty shredded meat and seasoning, but needed to be cut by the brussel sprouts for moisture.

RECOMMENDATION: If you want to impress your date, take them to Meritage with its romantic setting and plan on leisurely walking through the menu's offerings. If you make it to dessert, you've accomplished more than me (the desserts include full portions and bite size tastings and involve izzy ice cream.) Last time I visited, I had the Vegetable Trio and found it superb. They offer a three course $24 meal on Sundays for dinner which seems like a real deal.

Definitions:

confit: a preservation method which involves immersing the item in a substance (usually a herb-enhanced, rendered fat from the animal)

en crepinette: small, flattened sausage made from a meat wrapped in caul fat (caul can be the filmy membrane that surrounds either a pork liver or a newborn mammal)

knodel: a poached or boiled dumpling of potato or bread

Heartland 1/7/09

I have been wanting to check out Heartland restaurant since returning to Minnesota in January 2008. Then, on Monday (1/5/09) I found myself at a fundraiser for the Senate Majority Caucus where Chef Lenny Russo sold me on their commitment to local, whole foods. Or perhaps it was the local cheese, homemade crackers, and Malbec wine that impressed me to action. Either way, I checked the dinner menu (which changes almost daily) and made reservations.

What I ate:

• Roasted seckel pear-golden beet soup with garlic creme fraiche, red beet coulis and toasted black walnuts
• Grilled Hidden Stream Farm pork chop with wild rice-preserved cranberry compote, roasted sweet potatoes and high bush cranberry catsup
• Cumin-spiced marbled pumpkin-tart cherry pound cake with Grand Marnier sabayon, red currant coulis, dark chocolate sauce and pumpkin butter
• Wine: Malbec, Maipe (2007; Mendoza, Argentina)

I've gotten over the embarrassment of having to wikipedia/google a third of the words on menus at restaurants like Heartland and like to think of it as a learning experience, so to help those equally as unlearned I've offered some definitions at the bottom of this post.

The review:

Ambiance: Simply elegant. Wood and a high counter view of the kitchen dominate the room. If there is artwork on the walls, I missed it both nights. The dining room is on the smaller side, but on a Wednesday at 7pm there was only 4-5 other tables occupied.

Amuse bouche: The taste lingers, but the ingredients description does not. It was a white fish served with what tasted like apple cider vinegar reduction? The fish was simple, but its flavors built. First, the taste of the lake itself washed over my mouth followed by the buttery taste of the fish melting on my tongue. Finally, slightly salty, subtly cured(?) The reduction was intensely tart and played well with the fish.

1st course (soup): I loved the soup! It was a luxurious dark goldenrod color with the red of beet coulis and fresh white of the creme fraiche and made my mouth water. Each bite was velvety and perfectly balanced between the sweet and savory. To me, the black walnuts were unnecessary and overwhelmed the subtle, yet rich flavors of the beet, pear, and garlic.

Entree: Overall, the dish was good. The porkchop was succulent and huge. Well-seasoned, it was by far my favorite thing on the plate. I avoided the highbush cranberry catsup after tasting it because it seemed to compete rather than enhance. The wild rice/cranberry compote was a little undercooked for me and the flavor strong, but a little one-dimensional. The sweet potatoes were good, but didn't live up to the expectations created by the pork and soup. The serving was huge, and I ended up taking home most of the wild rice and potatoes.

Dessert: It's not fair to review this because it was my dining companion's and we were too full to even taste it in its presented form. The dish has a lot of components that didn't do well as leftovers. I will say that I consider myself to be ecclectic in my tastes, and pretty willing to try unconventional combinations; however, this dessert was a bit beyond me. The cumin seemed out of place. The texture of the dessert (as a leftover) was more bar-like than poundcake. I give them credit for thinking outside of the box, but this didn't work for me.

RECOMMENDATION:

In the middle of a cold winter in Minnesota, Chef Russo was able to make a memorable meal based on local foods. I'll go again. I'd recommend checking the menu the day you're considering going to maximize your likelihood of getting something that will wow you. I'm also thinking that because they rely on local foods that late spring, summer, and fall may be the best times to enjoy the contemporary midwestern mastery of Chef Russo. Find out more, www.heartlandrestaurant.com.

As promised, some definitions:

creme fraiche: a less sour, more creamy version of sour cream

coulis: thick sauce made from pureed/strained vegetables or fruits

highbush cranberry: not a cranberry, but the fruit from a shrub that has similar taste (slightly more smoky)

sabayon: foamy mixture of egg yolks and liquid (water, wine, or champagne) created over simmering water; may be served sweet or savory and warm or cold.