New York: Schillers Liquor Bar
31-May-2007
After our good start at Thor, M and I made our way to Schillers Liquor Bar. This post will be short and sweet as our stop at Schillers was short and not-so-sweet!
We had high hopes for this new entry to the Lower East Side. Schillers is owned by the same folks who have Pastis (Meatpacking District) and Balthazar (Soho), two places in New York that we both love. Schillers is smaller than either Pastis or Balthazar but there is a familiar feel to the place in the use of tile, the way the bar is set up and the look of the menus.
It was crowded when we arrived but we managed to find a place to squeeze in near the bar. We planned to order a couple of cocktails and then a little bite to eat – our goal this night was to get a feel for a few places. M ordered a Tequila and Grapefruit – one of her favorites as long as the grapefruit juice is fresh-squeezed. I wanted to try something from their menu and ordered a Raspberry Bramble.
While waiting for our drinks we noticed an odd interaction going on with some of the staff. One of the servers seemed to be bullying and really trying to aggravate one of the bus boys. The bus boy attempted to ignore it and just go on with his work. But the server kept at it. And what was odd was no manager (or anyone) stepped in.
Our drinks arrived, M’s was good but mine was too sweet – the bartender had too heavy a hand with the Chambord. The server continued to pick at the bus boy and at one point actually caused the bus boy to drop and break a glass into the bar ice. Which then meant he had to totally empty the ice bin, clean it out and fill it again. And still nothing was done.
This was truly the oddest interaction I have ever seen in any restaurant. It was all completely visible to the patrons and other staff members. It did not seem to be in fun or jest, it seemed very mean-spirited.
We didn’t even finish our drinks. The whole thing was just too uncomfortable. We paid the bill and made our way to a place we hoped would be much more convivial. We might be the only people who didn’t like this place but we won’t be back again. There are way too many great places in New York to waste time in one that does not feel good.
Schillers Liquor Bar
131 Rivington St (between Norfulk and Suffulk)
Lower East Side
New York
212.460.4555
F train to Delancy and Essex or V train to 2nd
New York: Thor
30-May-2007
No I haven’t been back to New York -I’m still trying to get caught up on all the things I did while there way back in late October!
In earlier posts I may have mentioned that M and I were staying in an apartment on the Lower East Side – living like locals! We happened to be staying just a few blocks from one of the latest neighborhoods starting to become "the" place to go. Sort of like the Meatpacking district was, maybe ten years ago. Rivington Street is the heart of this resurgence and you’ll find all kinds of interesting restaurants and bars either already firmly established or opening their doors.
On my first night in town (M arrived in town before me) we decided to take a little tour of the local scene.
Our first stop was Thor, located in the Hotel on Rivington. The name is actually the acronym for The Hotel on Rivington but brings to mind Nordic times and the clean lines of the room and decor support this idea. Although the entry way is rather odd and makes you feel a little like you are entering some Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole.
We arrived early – at least by New York standards – and joined just a few others in the bar/lounge area of the restaurant. While sitting at the bar we chatted with the friendly bartender about other up and coming places in the neighborhood.
Since we had plans to try a few places that night we kept our order fairly simple – a bowl of delicious house-made potato chips; a charcuterie plate and a couple of cocktails. I ordered a "Gin and Juice", which was basically a twist on an Orange Blossom. Fresh-squeezed orange and lemon juices blended with gin and topped with a little black pepper. That little spice on the top was really nice. The charcuterie platter was a nice selection of six meats, pieces of Parmesan cheese, cornichons and caper berries.
It was a fun, quiet start to our evening. I have a feeling that later in the evening the place would be much more lively and can imagine groups of friends draped along the low couches in the lounge area. At that point it might not be the place for quiet conversation but would certainly be an entertaining place to be!
There are so many great places in New York that I can’t say if I’ll ever make it back here again, but I do know if I was in the area I’d certainly be interested in stopping in, checking out a few more things on the menu and chatting with both locals and hotel guests who frequent the bar.
Thor
Hotel on Rivington
107 Rivington St (Between Essex and Ludlow)
Lower East Side
New York
F train to Delancy and Essex
It Must be Summer…
29-May-2007
I know it’s summer – or at least very close to it – when I make the first batch of Orzo and Wild Rice Salad. This salad is a staple of my summer dining for a couple of reasons. First, it’s tasty! It’s also easy to customize or vary each time you make it and it’s a great way to use up odds and ends of leftover things. And, it’s a nice light, healthy alternative.
Start with equal amounts of cooked orzo and wild rice (sometimes I even vary this and use Forbidden Rice or black beans instead). Then add some savory things – in this version I used the leftover asparagus and corn from my previous salmon dinner and chopped green onions but use whatever you have on hand. Next add something a little sweet. In this version I used dried blueberries (soak in boiling water for 10 minutes or so to plump them up, drain thoroughly, then toss them in) but any dried fruit or even fresh fruit pieces will work.
Finally, either make or purchase a light dressing. I really like the line of Paula’s No-Oil dressings. There are several really flavorful options. I used the Lemon & Dill on this salad but other favorites include the Tangerine & Mint and the Orange & Basil. Toss the salad with just enough dressing to moisten it all but it should not be swimming in dressing.
This salad will easily keep a few days – especially if you use only dried fruit.
“Personal” Watermelons
29-May-2007
I have to say that one of the best "inventions" in recent years has been the personal size watermelon! I love watermelon but used to rarely buy it as, even with two people in the house, eating an entire regular-size version can be a bit daunting. And more than eating it, storing it was sort of an issue – those guys take up a lot of room in the fridge!
So I was very happy when the first little ones starting showing up in the markets and I’m now a diehard fan! I can easily eat one of these on my own in just a couple days. I’ve never had a bad one, they’ve been bred to be super sweet, and even if they have seeds they are small and barely cause a crunch, if you choose not to spit ’em out!
If you haven’t seen these little guys yet take a look around the next time you are shopping. While a higher cost per pound than a normal size, they often are on sale for just a couple bucks. And the prices have come down each year as they become more widely grown. For me the convenience is well worth the extra cost.
More Copper River King!
28-May-2007
Another weekend, another piece of beautiful Copper River King. In case you haven’t noticed from previous posts, I don’t like to "do" a lot to fish. I mainly try to subtly enhance it more than top it with something that will overwhelm it. This week was no different.
Originally I had planned to do a dry rub for this piece of salmon but was feeling a bit lazy to even do that much work – okay that must have been a lot lazy since making a dry rub is not all that time-consuming! Instead I decided to use a cedar plank – to add just a hint of smoke, and instead of the rub a prepared marinade. I used a Tom Douglas’ Chili Teriyaki Sauce which it looks like he no longer makes. Dang it! The thing I like about this marinade is that it’s super light and even though it is called Teriyaki, the taste seems to lean more toward the chili in my opinion.
So after soaking my cedar board for a couple hours (very important!), I placed the salmon on it, lightly brushed the salmon with a bit of the marinade and placed it on the grill for about 20 minutes. I also added a couple ears of fresh corn I’d picked up at Central Market to the grill. Now, the sign said it was Northwest grown but they didn’t say Northwest of where! I don’t ever remember seeing corn this early even from Yakima or other points in Eastern Washington. Hmmm. Finally, a few spears of asparagus joined the party on the grill. When all was said and done it was a great dinner!
Pissaladiere
28-May-2007
Last week I got together with a bunch of friends to start planning our upcoming trip to France. This fall almost twenty of us will descend upon Bordeaux for a week of touring, wine tasting, eating and hanging out around our Château. This party was to share information, introduce those who didn’t know each other and basically just to start the eating and drinking now. :-)
To get us in the proper mood everyone brought a bottle of Bordeaux and an appetizer – preferably something French. I had planned to make Pissaladiere, which is kind of a French version of pizza. I planned to make it from the ground up – dough and all. When I started to make it last week I suddenly realized I must have lost my mind at some point during the day as there was no way I had enough time to make the dough – what was I thinking? So I decided to defrost a sheet of puff pastry and use it as the base instead. Well, once it was defrosted I realized that I didn’t even have time to cook the onions down properly! So I scrapped the whole idea and went with something I could get out in the time I had left.
In the meantime, I now had a defrosted sheet of puff pastry and all the ingredients for the Pissaladiere. So this weekend – on a day I had lots of time – I decided to make it. This was really great with the puff pastry base! A little goes a long way as the richness of that buttery crust and the pure sweetness of the cooked down onions is so satisfying!
It’s perfect with a glass of wine (and would go well with a beer or any cocktail) and holds well overnight so it would be a nice addition to a party menu. This is very similar to the onion tart that I’ve made in the past. The main differences are in how the onions are cooked, there’s no cheese and this version includes the nice salty taste of anchovies and olives.
Pissaladiere
adapted from Saveur Cooks Authentic French
- 1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted but still chilled
- Olive oil
- 2 1/2 – 3 pounds yellow onions (I used the sweet onions that are currently available)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 sprigs of fresh Marjoram (about 6" long)
- 1 sprig of fresh Rosemary (about 6" long)
- Anchovy paste
- 1/3 cup niçoise olives
- Optional: 12 Anchovy filets (I used 4 and cut them into small pieces)
Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of oil to a large frying pan and place over medium-low heat. Slice the onions very thinly and add to the pan. Season with salt and pepper, then add the springs of marjoram and rosemary. Cover the pan with a lid and let the onions slowly simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the lid from the pan and continue cooking until the moisture has evaporated and the onions have cooked down to a marmalade-like consistency, an additional 30 minutes or so. The onions will become a golden color. Remove the pan from the heat. Remove the stems from the herb sprigs.
Preheat the oven to 450°.
On a floured board roll out the puff pastry to a very thin sheet – you should have about a 10"x14" rectangle. Place the pastry on a baking sheet.
Spread a thin layer of anchovy paste over the dough. Spread onion mixture over the anchovy paste. Arrange the olives* and anchovies (if using) over the onions.
Bake for about 20 minutes until crust is golden-brown. Remove from the oven, cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.
* Niçoise olives are rather small and a bit difficult to pit. I chose not to as I was the only one eating this over the weekend. And, oddly enough the recipe did not specify to pit them and the photo looked like they were whole. Once cooked they pits come out easily but you will need to warn your guests! Or, if you’d like to pit them before, I find that dipping olives in boiling water for just 30 seconds or so soften them enough that the pits are easier to remove.
Smash Wine Bar & Bistro
27-May-2007
Well, this was a very busy week. It seems I was out and about nearly every night and often with two different events planned, one right after the other. I am now happily recovering by spending the holiday weekend mostly around the house. I love getting out but it’s also fun to hang out and enjoy the house for a change. :-)
Thursday night found me out with the "SAFECO Girls" or, actually, women. I’ve mentioned the group before. We’ve known each other for 20+ years when we all met through our common workplace. We generally get together as a group about once a month, although this was our first gathering this year. Everyone’s lives seem to just get busier and busier.
This month we met at Smash Wine Bar and Bistro in Wallingford. Every time I have passed this place it has looked crowded, but Thursday we were pretty much the only group there. It was a beautiful day so we sat outside to take advantage of the weather while we could. Although this was prime Happy Hour time, what immediately caught my eye on the menu was the well-priced wine flights. Since the day was so summery I tried a flight of rosé. My flight consisted of the Syncline 2006 (Washington State); Cune 2005 (Spain); and Melipal 2006 (Argentina). The Melipal didn’t really grab me but the others were great. Syncline is really starting to get their rosé down.
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There were specials on food which the others had ordered before I arrived. There was a plate of Hummus and Muhummura with Pita; a flatbread covered with sun-dried tomatoes, olives and feta (I think); and an order of crabcakes. The reaction to the food was mixed and some of this was based on people’s past experiences there. I liked the bites I had but there was some discussion whether the crabcakes were actually crab or not. However, when this was brought to the server’s attention, he immediately removed the charge from the bill.
Anyway, this is another great little neighborhood spot – seems I’ve been in everyone’s neighborhood but my own this week! And I think their wine selections look very interesting.
Smash Wine Bar and Bistro
1401 N. 45th Street
Wallingford
Seattle
206.547.3232
Book: Educating Peter, by Lettie Teague
26-May-2007
This post is way overdue! I’ve been enjoying this book so much that I almost forgot that I should let you know about it. First, to make sure we are above board here, I need to let you know that I was contacted by someone from the publishing company, Simon and Schuster, Inc who asked if I’d like to receive a copy of the book, Educating Peter: How I Taught a Famous Movie Critic the Difference Between Cabernet and Merlot or How Anybody Can Become an (Almost) Instant Wine Expert
, written by Lettie Teague. I’ve mentioned this to you all before but I do accept these "gifts" as long as it’s understood that if I choose to write anything about them it will be my true opinion.
, written by Lettie Teague. I’ve mentioned this to you all before but I do accept these "gifts" as long as it’s understood that if I choose to write anything about them it will be my true opinion. So the book arrived quite some time ago and I soon started reading it. If you are not familiar with Lettie she is the wine writer for Food and Wine magazine, and you’ll often see her presenting at different food and wine events around the country.
I’ve always enjoyed her style as she is not pretentious at all and many of her columns are based on finding good value wines that might be otherwise overlooked. Having said that, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book.
Well, I can tell you now that I absolutely love it! I’m actually not done with it as I’m savoring each page much as you would a wine that you really enjoy. I read just a chapter or section of a chapter each night. Within the first few pages I’d picked up several bits of information that were new to me. But, more than just wine information, the book is very entertaining as Lettie recounts her conversations and experiences in providing a personal wine course for Peter Travers, Rolling Stone’s film critic and self-proclaimed wine novice.
The book is written in a very easy to read style, with each section providing good detailed information but not so much as to overwhelm. In addition, both Lettie’s way of presenting the information and Peter’s way of relating to it (often through move references) provide a good frame of reference that helps you relate it to something.
I actually plan to finish this book and then read it again. This first round through is helping me become aware of all the various topics and I’m focusing a lot on the amusing stories. Next time through I will really focus on the wine information and I expect a lot of it to stick with me and become useful bits as I’m buying and tasting wine. After that I will share with as many friends as possible!
No matter if you are a complete wine novice or consider yourself fairly knowledgeable on the subject this book holds a little something (or more!) for everyone. Plus, it just such a fun read that even if you know it all, I think you should read it just for the stories!
First Look: Betty
26-May-2007
Wednesday evening M2 and I checked out Betty, Crow’s little sister and the latest new restaurant on Queen Anne Hill. Although Betty has only been open about 2 weeks it seems to already be quite popular with local neighborhood residents. Our friendly bartender greeted several "regulars" as we tried a couple of cocktails and shared a few plates.
My cocktail for the evening was the "Counterbalance", a nice blend of mostly Ruby Red Absolut and lime juice. If you are not aware the use of a counterbalance was the way the city’s first trolley cars to traverse Queen Anne were kept under control, ensuring that they didn’t plummet down the steep hill. The counterbalance would be put in motion to counteract the force of gravity on the weight of the cars. (Side note: Although for those of us from Seattle, Queen Anne is just a very steep hill, if you lived in Cincinnati you might think of it as "Mt Queen Anne". The first time I visited Cincinnati everyone there told me I must see Mt. Adams and so I did. It’s just over 800 feet above sea level; Cincinnati is at nearly 700 feet so the total increase in elevation is about 150 feet. Queen Anne sits at 450+ feet above sea level and Seattle is considered to be "at sea level". That all means that one of our hills is about three times as tall as Cincinnati’s mountain!) But back to Betty…
Betty has a fairly small menu – which may be partially due to the age of the place – but what is on the menu sounds great. M2 and I decided to try a few things to get a good sense of what they could do. We started with a basic meat platter (charcuterie) and a side of frites – how can you go to a place that offers them and not try them?
The charcuterie was very nice, nothing super special but the sort of thing you’d want if you were looking for a lighter bit to go with a nice glass of wine. The frites were wonderful! Thin cut, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside – perfect! They asked if we wanted ketchup and we accepted but I will tell you the fries were so good on their own that I didn’t want anything mucking them up!
The third thing we ordered, Chicken Ballotine, was completely new to me but M2 was very excited to see it on the menu as she was planning on making it for a party this weekend but had never actually seen it. I am so glad that we tried it! Basically it’s a chicken leg with thigh attached that has been de-boned but skin left on and then it’s stuffed – in this case with lovely mushrooms. And Betty’s version was served on a bed of white beans and chunks of spring asparagus in a light broth. It was very good!
Compared to Crow the vibe here is much more laid back and neighborhood-y. Crow is such a large, almost industrial space while Betty is much more intimate. Betty maintains the great open kitchen and eating bar that Crow has but the bar bar at Betty is much more pleasant than the one at Crow. If I lived on Queen Anne I’d stop in again soon. And even though I don’t, I’m sure I will be back again in the near future. I think Crow’s little sister will give her a run for the money.
Betty
1507 Queen Anne Aveune N
Queen Anne
Seattle
206.352.2773
First Look: Copper Gate
24-May-2007
When M2 and I attended the Vagabond dinner at Portalis, we sat at a table of ten but were really only able to talk to the people closest to us on our end of the table. At the end of dinner, as we were preparing to leave one of the other guests and I suddenly realized that we "knew" each other. Virtually at least – through Flickr and the blogging world. Since everyone was leaving we didn’t really have much chance to talk but through email agreed to get together again for a proper conversation.
On Monday Jess T (hogwash), and I met at a newly renovated tavern in the Scandinavian neighborhood (moving from it’s fishing roots to upscale urban area on a daily basis), Ballard. The Copper Gate retains it’s rough-around-the-edges exterior and inside is very lean and clean – well except for all the depictions of topless women. There are booths and tables around the perimeter and the bar divides the space in two. They had an interesting idea for bar seating, although it needs a little work. The bar actually has two sets of barstools (which are bolted to the floor) – one row behind and offset behind the other. This is actually a clever idea if you have a group of friends gathered there as it allows for a grouping instead of a line of people. The only problem is that the first line of stools – those closest to the bar -are too far away from it. And when just two people are trying to have a conversation, as Jess and I were, you sort of have too much space between you – certainly so if you were trying to have any sort of private conversation. Of course the bar is not really a place to have a private conversation.
I like the idea but as we discussed with the (very Scandinavian) bartender the place is still a work in progress. They have a decent list of Aquavits as any self-respecting Scandinavian bar should. I tried one that is distilled in Portland but they had plenty of traditional offerings, too. Jess had a cucumber inspired cocktail that seemed very refreshing. We split a plate of Swedish meatballs – made as they should be and served with mashed potatoes and the traditional lingonberries.
I like this little place and will be back again. If I lived just a little closer I could see it being a neighborhood hangout – and I’m sure it will become that for the lucky Ballardites who live nearby. Especially since they have a nice little Happy Hour with discounts on drinks, Aquavits and the food.
It was nice to spend a little time getting to know Jess in real life – it’s always amazing to me when virtual and real worlds collide! I have to say it’s led to some really wonderful experiences for me!
Copper Gate
6301 24th Ave NW
Ballard
Seattle
206.706.3292
Culinary Fool 