Durham Farmer's Market

Final part in a three-part series on eating in The Triangle of North Carolina

I am finally concluding my series on a long weekend spent eating around the North Carolina Triangle (Durham, Chapel Hill and Raleigh). In town for the wedding of friends, I enjoyed some traditional (and some unexpected) North Carolina cuisine.

After a day that included my first coffee cupping, bbq and paletas, the wedding was upon us. With just a few free hours available in the morning, it was a perfect opportunity to visit one of the many farmer's markets in the area.

Farmer's markets comprise an important part of life in the Triangle. As good farmer's markets should, they function as places for selling/buying locally grown and produced food, and also community gathering. The two larger ones are those in Durham and Carrboro. With only one morning available, a choice needed to be made, and Sarah and I opted to visit the one in Durham.

Beneath an open-air roof, many of the standard farmer's market stalls were present, selling baked goods, vegetables, plants, meat, arts and crafts, etc. A highlight? The 7 layer cookies from one local baker, packed with butterscotch chips, chocolate chips and coconut.

An unexpected surprise was the Only Burger hamburger truck. True to its name, it sells primarily burgers, along with fries and a basic drink selection. The burger was just what I needed that morning, a bit more well-done than I like, but topped with gooey melted cheddar and fresh onions, lettuce and tomato within a toasted bun. Sarah, the vegetarian, opted for a potato and mock ham pasty-type thing from one of the other vendors.

Then it was off to the wedding, where beef brisket and mac and cheese helped make up the Southern themed dinner menu. Not surprisingly, I was pleased!

Our trip ended the next day after a lovely family brunch. One place I didn't make it to is Crooks Corner. Nicknamed the Chez Panisse of the South, it is credited with taking traditional southern cooking and elevating it to a finer type of cuisine. With quite a few friends either from the Triangle or having studied there for grad school, I bet I'll be making a return trip.

The Barbeque Joint & Locopops

Part 2 in a series on food in the Triangle of North Carolina

I roused myself from a post-coffee cupping nap to join a group of our friends for BBQ and popsicles. Few would disagree: a trip to North Carolina isn't complete without a healthy dose of BBQ, but paletas, aka Mexican popsicles? Apparently, a trip to the Triangle isn't complete without a couple of those either, thanks to a local chain, Locopops.

But first, we stopped for lunch at the Barbeque Joint, a favorite in Chapel Hill. While on the BBQ border, we were still technically in East North Carolina BBQ territory, meaning a vinegar dressing as opposed to a thick tomato-based sauce. And with BBQ, the sides are just as important as the meat. Sydnor recommended the Brussels sprouts, cooked with garlic and bacon. Being the huge Brussels sprouts fan that I am, I ordered them. And a side of mac & cheese. And a pulled pork sandwich.


Can pickles be described as "fresh?" Because if so, these were the freshest pickle slices I've eaten, washed in brine rather than soaked. The BBQ itself was good, though not the best I've ever had. The meat wasn't as tender as I like and while I love vinegar, I'm just more of a West North Carolina BBQ gal. Give me a tangy, sweet red sauce with a bit of kick any day. The sprouts were delicious, as most things with bacon and garlic are, but needed a good mixing to give the vegetables a nice coating of their topping. The mac & cheese was a winner, with a nicely seasoned crust. I didn't sample them, but the fried green tomatoes looked awesome too.



From The Barbeque Joint it was off to Locopops, a local Triangle chain. I visited the first storefront years ago with Samara, just after it opened. The barebones decor, standard for paleterias it seems, didn't trumpet their tasty wares, in flavors like chili chocolate, all homemade with good ingredients. And I'll be honest, it's location, slightly off the beaten path in downtown Durham, neighboring a gun shop, didn't augur great success down the road.

Fast forward four years and Locopops is a foodie destination in the Triangle with four locations, even garnering national attention in a recent Bon Appetit article on the area. Fresh flavors, both juice and cream based, like Plum Black Currant, Tamarind Lemonade, and Thai Rice Pudding, comprise the menu. I sunk my teeth into a Grasshopper: white chocolate with fresh spearmint. It was like eating a refreshing white chocolate bar, cool and invigorating with each fleck of spearmint. If I hadn't just gorged myself on a three-course BBQ feast, I would have gone in for another one. Maybe Cookies and Cream... or Cherry Bergomot Truffle... or Berry Hazelnut... or...or... or...

Next up: a pre-wedding jaunt to the Durham Farmer's Market.

Counter Culture Coffee Cuppings

Part 1 in my series on The Triangle, NC

Two weeks ago, a pair of my close college friends wed in Durham, North Carolina. The Triangle (Durham/Raleigh/Chapel Hill) is also home to Counter Culture Coffee, where Ultimo Coffee at Brew gets their beans. When I told friends I was planning on hitting a coffee cupping at Counter Culture on Friday at 10am, I was met with a couple different reactions, all some variation on the theme of surprise. Most people didn't believe I would make it up that early after a bachelorette party the night before. This response was typically followed by, "What the hell's a cupping, anyway?"

In my ignorant pre-cupping days, the easiest comparison to make was that it's like a wine tasting, but with coffee. I now think that a better description might be, it's like a first-year college seminar, but on coffee.

After a night of mechanical bull riding and many glasses of a new cocktail named in honor of the bride and groom, I managed to get myself out of bed for the cupping. Shockingly, I was even able to wrangle a coffee cupping partner-in-crime, Melanie.

I can't speak for Melanie, but I was overwhelmed by the coffee cupping process. About 20 people, mostly good-looking, hipster, twenty and thirty-somethings, were sniffing and slurping coffee with acumen, tasting for brightness, body and aftertaste. The crowd also included a three-week old baby and a 9-year old boy.

We were greeted by Lydia, who gave us a sheet for taking notes, a pencil and a spoon. She briefly broke down the different coffee qualities for which we would be tasting: fragrance, aroma, break, brightness, flavor, body and aftertaste.

Fragrance: Each glass, or cup, contains a couple tablespoons of dry ground beans. Stick your nose in the cup and smell the beans.

Aroma: Hot water is poured over the beans. Again, smell the beans in their wet, brewed state.

The Break: Using a spoon, "break" the top layer of foam, releasing steam and fragrance. Dive in with your nose to capture the smell.

The Slurp: capture a bit of coffee on your spoon and literally slurp it, quickly and cleanly, into your mouth, tasting for brightness (acidity), flavor (sweet, salty), body (mouth-feel), and aftertaste.

Once we had experienced the coffee in its various forms, we gathered around a white board and the group discussion began. Three coffees were cupped that day and we discussed each of the aforementioned qualities for each coffee, finally guessing the specific coffee type at the end.

Baked beans, cinnamon sugar, citrus splash, rooty/medicinal, peaches, bright summery were some of the words used to describe the first coffee, which turned out to be Counter Culture's Bwayi coffee from Burundi.

I can't say that a novice such as myself tasted with such specificity, but everything that the other tasters said made sense to me. The first coffee was brighter, sharper, citrus-y; the second coffee did have mellow tones of chocolate and toffee (it turned out to be La Golondrina, my standby at Ultimo Coffee, which maybe explains why it was my favorite of the three). I feel like I'll be a bit braver at my next cupping and trust my instincts enough to taste with confidence. The cupping was followed by a tour of the roastery, but the previous night's fun was catching up to me and I needed to go home and take a little nap, so we skipped out on the tour.

Counter Culture's emphasis on coffee education is not limited to their Chapel Hill headquarters. They have opened up training centers along the east coast, including DC and NYC. Melanie sent me a Washington Post article on Counter Culture's educational mission that came out just a few days after our first cupping. Aaron Ultimo has mentioned that he hopes to bring cuppings to Brew in the near future. I'll keep you posted.

6 Degrees of Separation and Angelo's BBQ

It's a small world. I can say this because one of my colleagues at Fort Worth Opera, Andrew, is the future brother-in-law of a non-opera friend of mine in Philadelphia, a friend who lives a mere three blocks from me in Newbold with his fiancee. Yes, it is a small world indeed.

Upon hearing of this new connection, our mutual friend told Andrew both about kitchenplay and Angelo's, a spot for some good old fashioned BBQ. Andrew made it there first and could attest that it was indeed a good place for some 'que. I rounded up some of our opera cohorts and we ate there last night. Overall, the place gets a big thumbs up for decor. Is there such a thing as "too much" taxidermy? I don't think so.

Much of the food came out on Styrofoam trays, the environmental consequences of which were perhaps cancelled out by the fact that the sandwiches came wrapped only in wax paper. The hit across the table was the ribs. They were fall off the bone tender and deliciously smoked. The BBQ sauce wasn't too sweet and heavy on the tomato flavor. I like a thicker sauce in general, but it still did the trick. The baked chicken looked delicious, with a golden brown skin.

I was disappointed by my chopped beef sandwich. The meat tasted good but it was dry, an aspect that could have been easily remedied with more BBQ sauce. I sampled all the sides, which included cole slaw, potato salad and baked beans. The beans were really nice with a strong chili pepper flavor. The potato salad was old-fashioned and eggy, while the cole slaw was remarkably fresh tasting despite how much mayo was in it.

In short, come for the ribs, stay for the taxidermy.

kitchenplay Event Tonight!

kitchenplay is hosting a night out at Angelo's BBQ in Fort Worth tonight. Angelo's is said to have some of the best BBQ in town, with a menu and decor that hasn't changed much since it's opening in 1958. And it looks like we'll have a good sized group, which means many tasting opportunities!

Fuzzy's Taco Shop and CJ Donut Palace

It's a place called Fuzzy's! Naturally I had to go there. Their Shredded Garlic Beef Burrito and Tempura Fish Burrito were super tasty, but the highlight had to be the hot sauce... more vinegary than spicy and a nice complement to the garlicky mayo sauce on the the fish burrito.

The ladies in the costume shop know a thing or two about eating. On multiple occasions someone brought in pastries from CJ Donut Palace, including a variation on pigs in a blanket (think bigger pig, bigger blanket, plus cheese). The donuts were of both the cake and yeast varieties and included a couple different delicious cinnamon roll-type things. The ladies also pointed me in the direction of Chef Point Cafe, a restaurant inside an old Texaco station. I don't know if I'll have the chance to eat there, but the combination of good food plus novel locale is very tempting.

My other favorite place for doughnuts around here is Shipley's. Their melt-in-your-mouth glazed doughnuts put Krispy Kremes to shame. I haven't had them this year, but they were a highlight of my birthday celebration last year.

Pancakes and Texas-Shaped Waffles

It's been a busy couple weeks down here in Ft. Worth, but I have made some time for eating out, like at the Ol' South Pancake House. There's a lot to like about Ol' South: the 24 hour service, the old men in trucker hats congregating over coffee and the sassy waitresses.

Sadly, the pancakes aren't one of those things, at least not the Spiced Apple German Pancake (pictured at right). What looked like an omelet was in fact a thick, eggy pancake, filled with average cinnamon spiced apples and overflowing with butter. At least they claimed it was real butter, but it tasted a lot like margarine. One of my friends ordered a short stack with fresh fruit (below, center) which looked much more appealing.















It also seems silly to stray far from my hotel's breakfast bar for my morning carb fix, especially when it offers something as fun as a Texas-shaped waffle.

Central Market Finds

Central Market is a Texas grocery chain, specializing in high quality products, diverse selection and awesome customer service. It's a bit like Whole Foods (another Texas native), but I actually prefer Central Market. Maybe it's the bulk spice bar, perfect for a nomadic chef such as myself. Or maybe it's the homemade tortillas, still warm in their bags... or the gelato bar... or the dip bar (with the ever present and delicious CM Love Dip)... or the awesome homemade beef jerky...

Prices are on the higher end as compared to other local supermarkets, but you can find some great deals. Last year I picked up a jar of excellent mixed berry jam for $2. And they do carry some products from the HEB supermarket chain, so you don't have to pay $6 for a jar of spaghetti sauce. They also have "Foodie Finds," specialized food products on sale, which is how I've gotten exposed to some great stuff...

Pixie Tangerines: sweet, seedless, so tasty. They have a wrinkled skin, so they aren't the prettiest pixies around, but they are delicious.

Sweet Limes: It looks like a Meyer lemon, but it's a lime and a sweet one at that. I haven't sliced into it yet, but I'm wondering if this could be a subtle variation in a meringue pie.

Astica Torrontes: It's one of the most flavorful white wines I've ever had, made from Torrontes, a grape grown in Argentina. And it's been on sale at CM for the past couple weeks, going for $7.

Mandarin Orange and 5 Spice Beef Jerky: I love love love good beef jerky. It isn't the sexiest food to eat, but I don't let that stop me from diving in. (I just tend to do so in private.) So when I saw the selection of bulk beef jerky this week, I had to try some. They had pork and beef jerky, in a few different flavors. I opted for the Mandarin Orange and 5 Spice beef variety and it was worth every unsexy moment.

I could actually keep listing the awesome features of Central Market. Instead I'll just wait to see what things I find on my next visit.

Texas Musings

Life is starting to get busy busy down here in Texas. Rehearsals for La Cenerentola with Fort Worth Opera have been going well and Dead Man Walking rehearsals start on Friday, meaning this little ol' assistant director will soon be pulling double duty. That said, I still have some lofty eating goals.

Texas Monthly is a treasure trove of good food information. I learned of the publication when its journalists were nominated last month for a James Beard Award for its thorough research on the best barbecue in Texas.

The number one spot for BBQ in Texas? Snow's BBQ in Lexington. It's one of those places that's only open one day a week, Saturday, and is only open till the meat runs out, typically around 12:30. These are some of my favorite places to eat, where the point of cooking isn't about turning around a fast dollar; it's about the food. And Snow's is a two 1/2 hour drive from Ft. Worth, just past Waco.

Roadtrip, anyone?

More locally, Texas Monthly also pointed me in the direction of some good eats in Fort Worth, specific dishes that are delicious and under $10. It's a good representation of the diversity of food you'll find around here:

• Thai Tina's Chicken in Peanut Sauce
• Esperanza's Cafe's Caldo de Pollo
• The Fried Pork Chop Plate at Drew's Place
  

Since arriving last week, I've done a bit of good eating: beef brisket enchiladas with a side of queso at La Playa Maya, a delicious Italian meal at La Piazza during a FWO donor dinner and multiple margaritas at Blue Mesa.

Now when most people think of hard liquor in Texas, the first thought is typically tequila. But apparently this state has a lot of good vodka flowing. I am more of a gin drinker, but the 20+ times that Dripping Springs distills its vodka intrigues me. Apparently, the distillery (outside of Austin) burned down recently, meaning its been even harder to find in liquor stores than usual. I'll see what I can make happen...

The other big name in Texas vodka is Tito's Handmade Vodka, also from Austin. It's distilled six times and comes in big plastic jugs for next to nothing.

Texas just might make a vodka tonic woman out of me.

Texas Redux

I leave for another gig with Ft. Worth Opera this coming weekend. That means six weeks of hotel living and cowboys while working as an assistant director for FWO. Surprisingly, for all my northeast jadedness, I really liked Texas when I worked there last year. Not surprisingly, I'm really psyched for the food... bbq, awesome onion rings, paletas, these crazy good doughnuts I got on my birthday, queso, Central Market...

As I gear up to leave on Sunday, I figured I would pull out my Texas posts from the kitchenplay archives. I never did get around to sharing my food love for Austin, but it is plentiful and strong, so I promise to get to it soon.

My quest to understand the taste behind the man at the Dr. Pepper Museum in Waco.

A lazy blogger's run-down of some of the good food I had in Ft. Worth.

I'm a Pepper!

As a kid, I loved Dr Pepper. I don't drink soda much these days, but one sip of Dr Pepper takes me back to the soda machine at the Community Arts Center in Wallingford, PA, on break from a rehearsal or a making-fresh-bread-and-turning-it-into-art class.

But childhood adoration aside, I recently realized how little I know about Dr Pepper. For instance, what IS Dr Pepper? Who was Dr Pepper? And I also didn't know that the home of Dr Pepper is none other than Waco, TX, on the way to Austin from Ft. Worth.

So I decided to make a stop at the Dr Pepper Museum, determined to finally learn the secret behind the taste.

I learned nothing.

I did learn that it is definitely not prune flavor, as some have proposed. It is a combination of 23 flavors concocted in the late 19th century to reproduce the smell of the soda fountain, as told to me by the animatronic founder of Dr Pepper, Charles Alderton.


The name is also something of a mystery. Legend is that Charles Alderton was in love with a girl and wanted to impress her father, so Alderton named the drink after the man. Originally, it was known as a Waco.


Before getting back on the road, I had a really good Frosty Pepper: a vanilla ice cream float with Dr Pepper. At the museum's soda fountain, they make the drink with carbonated water and Dr Pepper syrup, with a couple puffs of compressed air. It was delish.


http://www.drpeppermuseum.com/

Cowtown

While I have spent the past month blogging about New Orleans, in reality I have been living and working in Ft. Worth, TX. And I have been eating, of course. Here are some highlights...

The Love Shack

The Love Shack is a casual burger place in the heart of the Ft. Worth Stockyards. The menu is simple: burgers, fries, onion rings, shakes, Abita root beer on tap.

In the name of research for kitchenplay, I ordered the Dirty Love Burger, topped with crispy bacon, cheese, Love Sauce and a fried quail egg. Love Sauce is a Texan twist on McD's special sauce: mayo and ketchup with rib seasoning and chopped pickles. The burger was good, with tasty, peppery beef. They grind their beef daily, a 50/50 combo of prime tenderloin and prime brisket. It was cooked medium, though, and I'm more of a medium rare kinda gal. The egg is a fun addition, but it didn't contribute much to the overall flavor.

The best thing about the meal was stealing my friend's onion rings: shoestring onion rounds in a light, crispy batter. The best onion rings I have ever had.

And the atmosphere is great... seating is outdoors spread out amongst three levels. Live music was on the stage and misting fans made the heat more bearable.

Paleteria La Flor de Michoacan

Paletas, Mexican popsicles, are great- fresh tasting and always offered up in fun flavors. I've been to two paleterias in my life, here and in Durham, NC. Both were no-frills settings with large stand alone freezers. I chose rice while my friend got strawberry crema. The rice paleta was totally awesome, with soft grains of rice and tons of cinnamon. The paleteria didn't close for another 20 minutes, so we went back for more. For round two, I got coconut and Cynthia got pecan. The pecan was disappointing, too sweet and without enough nutty flavor (though the layer of fresh pecans at the bottom of the popsicle was a nice touch). But the coconut was really good, creamy and rich, just like a coconut popsicle should be. But the rice paleta was definitely the winner.

La Playa Maya

La Playa Maya is where Cynthia, a Ft. Worth native, said I could find real Tex-Mex. And with the exception of a seafood cocktail appetizer, everything was delicious. The cocktail was ceviche and octopus in a ketchup sauce. Asise from being a ketchup sauce, it was also an overly sweet and thick ketchup sauce. I also ordered Cowboy Enchiladas, marinated beef enchiladas with queso. Those were great.

By the way, queso is awesome, and nothing back east quite compares to the real thing. Yes, the consistency is eerily similar to Veleveta, but the taste is closer to real cheese- a great combination.

Top that with deliciously seasoned rice & beans and $2 frozen margaritas, and you have my new favorite spot in Ft. Worth.

Up Next: Bats, Barton Springs and BBQ in Austin, TX

Epilogue

I don't think it's possible to rhapsodize about New Orleans without mentioning the effects of Katrina. The Ninth Ward is still recovering; we passed by tent cities on our way to Jazz Fest; FEMA trailers are still called home by many.

But I also don't think you can bring up Katrina without pointing to the resilience of New Orleans. The city finds solace and strength in its traditions. It's doing what it does best: celebrating the present by connecting to the past, whether its with the food they eat or the music they dance to. And New Orleanians love to share.

I really can't wait to go back.

And if you are planning on heading to New Orleans, here are some things you should check out. And you should go. Tourism is the foundation of New Orleans' economy. It certainly isn't dead post-Katrina, but it is not as strong as it once was. Go to New Orleans. And definitely eat in New Orleans.


Eat Me
www.cafedumonde.com/
www.lavitapizza.com/
www.cochonrestaurant.com/
www.lukeneworleans.com/
www.frankyandjohnnys.com/

Play With Me
www.cripplecreekplayers.org/ (Andy Vaught's theater company)
www.nojazzfest.com/

Chapter 5: Odds & Ends

A trip to New Orleans is not complete without a trip to Cafe du Monde, the 24 hour cafe specializing in beignets and cafe au lait. It's an institution, a place praised by locals and tourists alike. So naturally Daniel and I went there. Twice.

Beignet is French for bump. It's a square piece of fried dough doused in powdered sugar, hence it's nickname, the French doughnut. They come out of the kitchen in a set of three and still hot, very hot. Unlike a doughnut, beignets are surprisingly light... airy on the inside and crispy crunchy golden on the outside.

And the coffee was delish. Cafe du Monde is also known for its chicory coffee. The addition of chicory to coffee was used by the French during the civil war to bolster their meek coffee resources. I drank it black on our first trip and then had a cafe au lait the next day.

I love pizza; it doesn't matter what style... thin crust, deep dish, fancypants gourmet style, greasy NY style. It just needs a red sauce. And I wasn't expecting to find amazingly good pizza in New Orleans. The restaurant is La Vita, by the Jazz Fest fairgrounds. We got the La Vita pizza: tomato, salami, pepperoni, green peppers, black olives, mushrooms, light mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce. The veggies were super fresh, the olives were whole kalamatas, the sauce wasn't too sweet, and there was lots of gooey cheese.

In New Orleans, you can come across a cooler full of crawfish, potatoes, and lemon halves just by walking down the street.

One thing we didn't get to try over our three day trip was a muffuletta. But we did peek inside the Central Grocery, known as the home of this New Orleans variation on the Italian hoagie. The smell of the place was a delicious meal in and of itself.

Chapter 4: New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival

Music festivals are rarely known for the quality of their food... not the case with the New Orleans Jazz Fest. In a city that takes it's food as seriously as its music, it shouldn't have come as such a surprise.

Much like the festival roster, the food showcases the diversity of New Orleans. We saw dixieland, zydeco, hip-hop, country/rock, jazz vocals... we ate shrimp mache choux, alligator pie, cochon de lait po-boys, crawfish beignets, snowballs...

Stalls staffed by local caterers and restaurants offered up classic Louisiana cuisine. The mache choux was delicious, a corn and shrimp chowder, with a nice kick. The alligator pie was awesome. I can't say what was in it, but it was damn good. The crawfish beignets were actually disappointing, too much breading, too little actual crawfish.

The cochon de lait po-boy deserves its own spotlight. Recommended to me by an old friend I happened to run into at the festival, cochon de lait is shredded suckling pig that has been seasoned and slow-roasted in a BBQ pit for up to 12 hours. The po-boy is the specialty of Wanda Walker, a New Orleans caterer. Like most po-boys, it's a french bread sandwich, but this one is dressed with fresh cabbage and a homemade horseradish sauce. The warm, tender meat and cool, crunchy cabbage was perfection.

The whole day was great. Daniel and I saw excellent music, the weather was close to perfect, and obviously, we ate very well. The Zydepunks were as cool as their name, Leah Chase is a dynamo, and Allison Krauss makes some beautiful music with Robert Plant. A complete list of the musicians we saw is below.

The Original Dixieland Jazz Band
The Zydepunks

Leah Chase

Allison Krauss & Robert Plant featuring T. Bone Burnett

Ozomatli featuring Chali 2na of Jurassic 5

MOOV of Martinique

Buckwheat Zydeco

And please forgive the lack of photos... it was rather hard to take pictures while walking with a po-boy in my hands.

Chapter 3: Making SPEC Proud

As some of you may recall, I belong to a cocktail club back home, SPEC. At one of our "meetings," we had Sazeracs, a New Orleans classic. Honestly, I wasn't a big fan, but was set on having one in its native home.

As luck would have it, Andy Vaught has a friend who bartends at Luke. Luke was a runner-up in the NYT article on important new U.S. restaurants. And our new friend Blake promised us a Sazerac worth remembering.

An absinthe coated glass. Sazerac rye whiskey. Peychaud bitters. A spritz from lemon zest. A curled lemon rind. I drank it fast, not because I wanted to finish it, but because it was one of the smoothest, tastiest cocktails I've ever had.

Then I revealed to Blake my favorite cocktail in the world. The French 75. Instead of gin, he mixes champagne with brandy, adding a brandied cherry that beautifully sinks to the bottom of the glass. It was a bit heavier than the gin-based version, though very good.

And of course, Daniel and I had to have mint juleps while we were down south. And the place to do it was Columns, a beautiful old hotel with a grand front porch, known as the setting for the Brooke Shields film, Pretty Baby.

The setting was lovely, as we watched the streetcar travel up and down St. Charles. And maybe we were just spoiled after our cocktail extravaganza at Luke, but the mint juleps were a bit light, almost watered down. I drank this one quickly as well... only because I wanted to move on to our final meal in town... crawfish mountain at Frankie and Johnny's.

P.S.

SPEC was profiled in Philadelphia Weekly's Lush Life column a few weeks ago. The author, Mara Zapeda, learned about the club from kitchenplay.

http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/articles/16839/food--lush-life

Chapter 2: Cochon, A Restaurant That Matters

The Menu

Crawfish Pie
Fried Alligator with Chili Garlic Aioli
Fried Rabbit Livers with Pepper Jelly Toast
Louisiana Cochon with Turnips, Cabbage and Cracklins
Rabbit and Dumplings
Strawberry Cobbler with Sweet Ginger Biscuits
Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

It was a New York Times article on some of the best new restaurants in America that led me to Cochon. The article came out on February 27th. On February 28th I made reservations.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/dining/27count.html?ex=1361941200&en=aff7d4864094356b&ei=5124&partner=newsvine&exprod=newsvine

I'm just going to let the above speak for itself.

Chapter 1: Frankie and Johnny's

Thank God for Andy Vaught. Besides being an all-around great person, Andy Vaught is the reason Daniel and I actually had a place to stay in New Orleans (hotels during Jazz Fest are few and far between...). Andy Vaught is also the reason for our first and last meals in NOLA, at Frankie and Johnny's.

About a mile from Andy Vaught's house in the Garden District, Frankie and Johnny's is a neighborhood place, with a down-home menu, bar and video games (Ms. Pac-man!).

For our first meal, almost immediately upon arriving in town, Daniel chose the red beans and rice with hot sausage; I was craving my first po-boy, with shrimp. A po-boy is a french bread sandwich; get it with dressing, and that includes lettuce, tomato and pickle. The tiny shrimp were delicately fried (though not deveined, which I tried to overlook). Daniel was happy with his meal, though beans and rice is rarely something I get excited about.

What I did get excited about were the mountains of crimson crawfish coming out of the kitchen every few minutes. We were going to have to make a return visit to Frankie and Johnny's.

And we did, three days later. For our final meal in NOLA, I had to had to had to get some boiled crawfish. Daniel wanted crawfish too, but of the fried and in a po-boy variety. We also had our first taste of Boudin balls, a mixture of rice and boudin sausage that is then fried.

The Boudin balls were tasty, slightly spicy, mushy on the inside, crisp and golden brown on the outside. They were served with some kind of creamy dressing; I think it was a horseradish sauce.

The crawfish were amazing. Spilling out of their red basket, and topped with empty paper baskets for the shells, they were intimidating, to say the least. Neither Daniel nor I knew exactly what to do with them, but the waitress gladly gave us a demonstration: separate the head from the tail, suck out the juice from the head (if desired), pinch out the meat from the tail, eat.

The crawfish were spicy, and the juice was so good. Like any good seafood, it was of the sea, but not too fishy. By the end of my 2 1/2 pounds, I was something of a pro, pinching the tail and sucking out the meat simultaneously (and while I think that food can be really sexy, boiled crawfish does not fall under that particular category of food.)

Daniel was fine with his po-boy, but we both decided that po-boys don't really do it for us. Too much bread, not enough meaty goodness.

Up Next... Chapter 2: Cochon, A Restaurant That Matters

New Orleans: Prologue

It's been a while since my last post... work in Texas has been great, though a hotel room with only a microwave and mini-fridge doesn't lend itself to great cooking. And I've been eating some good food, though nothing beats what I ate over three days in New Orleans.

New Orleans... a city of extremes... raucous nights, sleepy days... fatty food, salty food, delicious food.

Strong drinks too...

I'm going to spend the next few days finally posting about New Orleans... dinner at Cochon (one of the 10 new restaurants in America that matters, according to the New York Times); po-boys and alligator pie at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival; 2 1/2 pounds of crimson crawfish; the perfect Sazerac at a burnished wood bar.

So stay tuned, enjoy the posts, and please, try not to be jealous...