My Cooking: Fall Chicken

Ok, so I am posting my first in what I hope will be a long series of ever evolving entries designed around my own personal cooking. I hope to look back on this one day and realize that I actually have learned something from dish to dish and more importantly, applied what I have learned to future dishes. Further, the secondary point of this is to show people just how easy cooking is. I mentioned in my Ponti entry that I get annoyed when people say they can't cook. Don't get me wrong, I am sure there are plenty of people out there who should not cook. However, I think everyone has the ability to follow a recipe and to come out with something edible. This blog is meant to teach anyone who may want to learn as well.

So, it was a little chilly in our apartment tonight so I decided to go with deep, rich fall flavors. This is likely not something to be made in the late spring or summer. I personally look at this as comfort food (at least for me) -- something that when you eat it, you are transported to the place you want to be, the way you want to feel, etc.

So, my first dish was a Chicken dish as I am sure you gathered from the title. Since I am not a true chef, forgive what I will call this...Rosemary Fall Chicken with a chunky tomato and cucumber vinaigrette and baked vegetables. The center piece of this entire dish is the Rosemary. I look at rosemary and sage as just truly fall/wintry flavors, similar to cinnamon and nutmeg. These flavors can be enjoyed in the summer but they shout fall to me. I paired this dish with a Bogle vineyards Petite Syrah. Petite Syrahs are really full, almost thick wines. They are the type of wine you would want to have if you came in from the cold. They have deep berry flavors and should have a decent amount of tanins (but not overwhelming). They differ very much from a regular Syrah or Shiraz (same grape but a Shiraz comes from Australia).

So, the steps:

1. Cut up one small to medium, seeded and skinned cucumber. Place in bowl.


2. Cut up 1 beefsteak tomato (or whatever tomato you prefer. Place in the Cucumber bowl. These can be roughly 1/2 inch cubes. Of note: when I cook with tomatoes, I will scoop out the innards (the middle seeds, etc and then I will be left with the actual fleshy part of the tomato).


3. You can add a pinch of kosher salt, a grind of pepper and a splash of extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. Toss this mixture and let sit for around 15+ minutes. The salt will drain out some of the water from the cucumber and the tomato. The longer you let them sit, the more water will come out.


4. Trim up your chicken breast for excess fat.


5. But up as much asparagus as you would like and mushrooms (I used baby portabella mushrooms).


6. Place the asparagus and the mushrooms in a sautée pan with some olive oil, salt and pepper.


7. Now our flavor agents: Mince up two cloves of garlic, half a red onion and your rosemary. I separate these out so I can utilize each in different amounts with the three different things I am cooking (the chicken is 1, the asparagus and mushrooms are 2 and the cucumber/tomato vinaigrette is the 3rd.


8. Add as much of each of the three flavoring agents to each portion of the dish. I find that when I cook, I like to focus on my flavoring agents. You can mix flavors but I feel if you use one agent as your "focus" it will create a dish that is bound by 1-2 ingredients. So, you can cook your veggies separate from your protein but still when they are added to the same plate, they flow.


9. Now, this is the technique I have really been working on perfecting (and I am far from it right now), take another sautée pan and put it on as high of heat as you can for about 3-5 minutes. This will be to sear the outside of the chicken. Searing is what I am really trying to perfect. It is not just throwing a piece of meat or fish on a hot stove. There are different fats you can cook with (butter, oil (and many types of oils), bacon fat, etc) and they each have a different smoke point (the temperature at which they will begin to smoke because they are at their personal heat threshold). I am not good with the different fats and I am trying to learn.


10. Now the pan is hot, throw in some butter to melt just a bit. Then add in the chicken breast. Let this sizzle for about 2 minutes and then flip. In the meantime, while your breast(s) are sizzling (hopefully just your chicken breasts) turn the oven on to 400.


11. So, another 2 minutes for the other side of the chicken and then turn the heat off and let it sit. After about 3 minutes, the juices will settle somewhat and you can add this pan to the oven. This is the second thing I am trying to focus my culinary education on, how long does it take to cook something in the oven? All ovens are different despite the fact they all have temperature dials. Not to mention, all pieces of protein are a different thickness.


12. I left my chicken in for about 12 minutes and it was cooked all the way through. It was still juicy in the middle and I will not lie, it did taste good. However, I think the next time I use this technique with a different focus flavor, I would leave the chicken in the oven for only 9-10 minutes.


13. The searing was a success though, the outside was more of a firm, crisp texture which I wanted.


14. Meanwhile, once you throw the chicken in, wait about 2 minutes and then add the asparagus/mushroom pan into the oven. You will be able to pull this out right about the same time as the chicken. If they don't look done, leave them a minute or so longer.


15. Finally, added a pan to a medium high heat stove top and then added butter (my fat of choice tonight) and let that sizzle for a moment then added my chopped onion and left over garlic. This sautées til translucent which will be roughly 2-3 minutes. Then, add the entire vinaigrette bowl and some more rosemary and sizzle away.

When you are done cooking, plate however you'd like. Personally, looking at the pictures now, I should have added a stem of rosemary to the plate somewhere (probably on top of the chicken) since this was a my focus flavor. But do what you think looks nice. Personally, I take the time to plate because it is the only slightly artistic thing I am interested in. I know it will all end up in the same place, but there is a moment when you are about to eat, you look at what you are about to eat (especially if you made it) and you grab a sip of wine and give yourself a pat on the back (even if it is not bad, it was fun, hopefully) and then you dig in (or start to write a blog while you eat). Personally, I love to cook with music in the background. I find it therapeutic and it helps me to clear my mind. Tonight I was listening to Damien Rice and Joshua Radin. Sometimes I like Norah Jones or Frank Sinatra. Most of the time it is Dave. But the point is, find what you like...even if it is just the Jerry Spring show on in the background and COOK. You will be amazed at how quickly you learn and how much of a difference you will see in your cooking if you pay attention to what you are doing and really enjoy the process. If I ever cook for someone now, they will always tell me, "you didn't have to do that.....You shouldn't have....I hope it was not to much trouble." What they truly do not get is that the cooking process is not a burden to me. I get consumed with it once I realize I am going to cook for someone. I start to think about different things that I would like to cook and making lists of things I need to get. I truly, honestly love the process from beginning to finish. There is not one point while I cook during which I am annoyed or wish I was doing something else. Some people do yoga, some people play the harp, some people paint...I work out or cook. I hope you try it sometime soon. :)



Finally, just because I am finding all these cool new things on this blogger thing, I wanted to add one last picture of a shrimp dish I made a few months ago. Yes, I know I do take pictures of my food. I know it is gay, so be it. As you should be able to tell on this dish, the focus flavor was basil.

Ponti Seafood Cafe -- Seattle, WA

On Monday, October 29th, I arrive din Seattle, WA for the firs time. I got in around 8 PM and I was excited because I had always heard such great things about Seattle. I had already found Ponti on opentable and I chose it because they have a "happy hour" menu served after 9. So, I had made a reservation for 9:15, just in case my flight from Oregon was late. Amazingly, I got in on time and I drove into downtown Seattle to check into my hotel. I was just staying at a Hampton Inn but it was cool to get to go through downtown and I was staying just a few blocks from the Space Needle. So, I headed over to Ponti with actually low expectations. I had saved my more "extravagant" restaurant for the next night since I would be able to get there earlier in the evening. I was already 2 hours behind central time so I was essentially eating dinner at 11:15.

Ponti was located right on a river that flowed between Lake Union and Salmon Bay. Unfortunately it was not light out but it was still a nice view from my corner table next to several large windows. Oddly enough, my server was once again named Sarah (but this time with an H). She informed me that the salmon was the house specialty because it was caught just about an hour away and brought in daily by the fishermen (whose docks were right outside the restaurant). I told her I would peruse the menu and ordered a glass of their house Cabernet to start with. I was brought some bread and olive oil/balsamic vinegar.

The bread was obviously standard at most restaurants but it made me realize just how good simple items can be. People always talk about how they cannot cook. I hate this. They have just never tried or they have failed in the past with dishes they were not ready to prepare. I think everyone can cook. Maybe some people have to follow a recipe but if they just taught themselves a few key techniques (these can be found on Food Network, not just through cooking classes) then they wold be able to succeed. The bread with the dipping oil and vinegar is a perfect example. It would take about 2 minutes to make this in your own kitchen (and most of that 2 minutes would be taken up by the cutting of the bread). It just reminded me of how good different kitchen items are great when they are mixed together to make a hybrid menu item but also fantastic all alone as well.

Ok, so back to the restaurant...I ended up going wtih the an appetizer of 3 Kushi Oysters on the half shell and the Grilled King Salmon for my main dish. The manager added a nice touch when he brought me a small crape cake on micro greens and a very generous sample of the Alsache Riesling. The crab cake was very smooth in texture and was fantastic. Obviously they felt the wine paired well with it and I have to agree with them. The creaminess of the crab cake paired very nicely with the dry, floral, earthy Riesling. Further, I did not have to pay for it, fantastic start to my meal.

The oysters came quickly after that. Kushi are a type of oyster that are smaller but they were very buttery and less briny then larger oysters I have had in the past. Something I had never seen before was they served the raw oysters with a Mango Habenero Granite and fresh lemon. This may sound gross but it was amazing how the granite melted in your mouth and then there was an explosion of the fruit and the heat mixed with the buttery oyster. I really like this concept and I hope more restaurants try something different like this other then the typcial mignonette sauce (red wine vinegar, shallot and some herbs or garlic). Further, the heat of the granite did not overwhelm the oysters. I do not know if this was due to the type of oyster I was eating or simply the granite itself.

On to the main dish, my grilled salmon. First, it was a huge filet of salmon. HUGE. It was served a yellow and white chantrelle risotto and Sauteed (ever so lightly) cherry tomatoes and zucchini with extra virgin olive oil (just the right amount to coat the veggies) and fresh basil. The fish was amazing. I was immediately smacked in the nose with a truly smoky/woodsy aroma. Mixing the smoky salmon with the creamy risotto was just amazing. I felt like my mouth developed ADD and I could not figure out what to focus on. Then I tried mixing the salmon with the veggies. I really enjoyed the this because the chef did not over cook the veggies. So, the veggies brought this simple freshness to the already fantastically fresh (and large) fish.

Overall, this was a fantastic surprise to me. I truly was expecting your standard fish joint with good fish simply because it was so fresh and readily available in the northwest. However, I was treated to a great experience. I think more restaurants should take a page from Ponti. They were more focused on exposing me to their menu with their free offerings rather then simply letting me choose my dishes and then paying the tab. That is what brings people back. Word travels when people get a free crab cake and everyone obviously would swoon over the paired sample of wine.

I would love to go to Ponti again when the sun is setting and I could have an added aesthetic benefit from the surroudings. All in all, two thumbs up.

Devon Seafood Grill -- Milwaukee, WI

What do you know, it is a Friday night, I am 26 years old and it is 9:38 PM...What am I doing you might ask, I am doing work and now taking a break from work to enter a new restaurant. This past week I was in Milwaukee from Monday through Wednesday. On Monday, October 22, 2007, I went to Devon Seafood Grill. This trip for me was different because I was with a co-worker, Melissa. She took over a few of my sites in Milwaukee so we planned the visit together.

The restaurant is owned by the Houlihan's company (whatever they are called). We arrived after some brief shopping (all women's stores) at around 8:10. The restaurant was very nice looking, more zen like and contemporary. We were quickly seated which was nice since we were cold from the newly/truly fall weather. The menu was large and we listened to our waitress explain the style of the menu and the specials. After she was finished explaining things, she mentioned the Prix Fixe menu which ran for $28.95. Melissa and I both opted for this so we could enjoy a nice bottle of wine as well. We had $100 to spend from work so we had a nice little bill planned. We ordered a bottle of Trinchero Cabernet Sauvignon. Melissa allowed me to decide but I forced her to express her favorite grape, er go Cab.

The Prix Fixe menu came with an appetizer (salad or soup), a main dish and a dessert. Melissa and I both chose the chef's salad which was very large and honestly very good too. There was feta on the salad and they created their own dressing. For the main dish, Melissa chose the halibut with vegetables and a lobster risotto. She stated the halibut was very good but she absolutely loved the risotto. It was interesting to see her Halibut. In my last entry, I had Halibut at Butler's. This halibut must have been baked for the entire time it was cooked. It still looked good but I prefer the intense sear which creates this unbelievable crust on the outside of the fish, prior to finishing it off in the oven. Nonetheless, Melissa liked it so all was fantastic.

I ordered the Talapia which was was served with a crust, rice and some veggies. The fish was very good, though slightly oily. I have to admit, it anywhere I would have gone after Butler's will not receive the same review I may have given had I not gone to Butler's prior. The Talapia was good though and the meal with filling which was nice. We worked out before the shopping/dinner and I was famished.

For dessert, Melissa was limited in her options...she has celiac disease so she must eat gluten free food. Ironically enough, Devon's creates a gluten free creme brulee which Melissa had never tried. I got the Key Lime pie which was huge, tart and fresh. It was actually a good choice for me because it was so cold outside so for a moment, I heard Bob Marley in the background while I sipped on a fruity drink. I tried Melissa's and her creme brulee was very good.

All in all, I would go back to Devon's. It was a good restaurant and the menu was absolutely huge so I know there is more I could try later on. Once again though, I am somewhat reserved on my review because I am instantly comparing this restaurant to Butler's. In a way I wish I would have never gone there because now I want that sort of dining experience every time I go out. I know this is unrealistic though.

The one thing that my trip to Devon's brought was company. I am so used to eating on my own and my company consists of my waiter/waitress (maybe), my USA Today (always), my computer (when the battery is not dead) and my people watching (always). This meal lasted far longer then my normal meals because I was engaged in good conversation. Melissa and I were literally the last one's out of there and for about an hour we were the only one's present in the restaurant as consumers.

This made me begin to think about the dinning experience in general. To date I view the dinning as the food that comes out, the wine I consume and the attentiveness of the waiter/staff. The fact is, a meal can be completely enhanced simply by the company you are with. Melissa made this meal far more enjoyable and I thank her for that. The same could be said about Sara, my waitress at Butler's. She was fantastic and really provided me with that "other personality" which was physically lacking when I was sitting by myself.

The fact is, food is fantastic. I love food. But the point of food, to me, is to bring people together. This can be a family during Thanksgiving or a co-worker in the middle of a soggy/cold Milwaukee. This can always be experienced with the staff "waiting" on you in the restaurant as well (which so many people overlook or ignore).

One of my favorite things to do, which I have not done enough of, are dinner parties. I decided I am going to start sharing some of my own food on this blog as well. I hope they are through dinner parties I throw but honestly, I doubt that will occur because the individuals close to me that would enjoy those types of parties, are physically NOT close to me. The point is, enjoy your food, be happy and enjoy the people around you. I mentioned that couple last week that was just sitting (the lady with the large mammories). Melissa and I barely knew each other and we were far more engrossed in conversation. It was fun to learn about someone, have funny conversations and laugh. The thing that brought us together though was food. That is why we were able to share those times. So, make those most of your experiences with food whether you make it yourself or you head out. Just be happy, smile and be thankful you are living. So many people get caught up in the crap out there that is negative, sad and honestly, depressing. There are far worse places you could be then enjoying a meal with someone who may be very important to you....

Butler's -- Essex Junction, VT

Ok, I may pass out in the middle of this post because I am literally so incredibly full right now. I was planning on writing this over the weekend; however, this meal was literally that good so I had to begin right when I got back to my hotel room.

So, a little background, Butler's is located within The Essex Inn in Essex Junction, VT (just outside of Burlington). I looked up restaurants in Burlington the other night on Opentable.com and there were literally 4 restaurants that came up. Two of these were located over 30 miles from Burlington so they were automatically out. I went to the website for Butler's and found that it was operated by the New England Culinary Institute. This automatically intrigued me. I came to find out, after speaking with one of the staff members delivering dishes, Blair (who is a second year culinary student as well) that there was actually a class that was going on in the kitchen just steps away from me. The students cooked all the meals but there was always a member of the NECI staff watching over them to make sure the product that went to the consumer was perfect. So, with that preface I will begin to describe my night....

I showed up slightly late (9 minutes) to my reservation because I was caught in Burlington "rush hour." Mind you this is nothing like Chicago. This was 1, 4 lane road which ran through the main city of Burlington and also out southeast to my hotel. The hostess was very nice and gave me no trouble.

The Essex Inn was a beautiful set of buildings, all older and to be honest, I wish I could have gotten there a bit earlier to walk around the grounds since Vermont has such a beautiful fall season. It was truly amazing. I am talking about seeing 5 trees in a row all of which were different colors (Reds, Greens, Oranges, Yellows, Golds, and even trees which were a combination of the above). It was really gorgeous. Butler's has a main, more intimate dining room and then a pub. It was actually nice to know that you could find whatever you would like there. However, I was feeling "intimate" and I opted for the more homey main dining room. There were roughly 20 tables and I had a nice booth for two (or , ahem, one since I was alone). I was given a menu and I instantly knew that I wanted to go with the Chef's tasting menu. All their dishes were three course meals ranging from $44 to $49 which allowed the diner to choose their main dish and then add an appetizer from the menu and a dessert at the end. Since the tasting course was 5 courses (or so I thought) and it was priced at $57 I went with that. Moreover, there were some really intriguing things on this tasting course which I had never tried and I was really excited to sample.

So onto the Chef's Tasting Menu which consisted of:

1. Mussel and Panzonella salad with Saffron, caper vinagrette
2. Cream of Onion and Pear Cider Soup with Chive and Tomato Oil
3. Seared Sweetbread and Duck Foie Gras
4. Campari Graefruit Granite
5. Seared Halibut, Cured Tomato Fondue, Creamy Stonground Grits and Sauteed Spinach
6. Artisan Fine Cheese Plate
7. (My choice of dessert from the menu) Pumpkin Creme Carmel, Fall Spice Cake, Whiskey Chantilly and Pepita Brittle

So I need to head to bed for now since I took a Tylenol PM right when I got home...I will continue tomorrow.

Ok, now, I am back after a long, delayed flight from Burlington into Chicago and I am ready to paint a mental image of each dish and my dinning experience.

So, I started with a glass of Mark West Pinot Noir which was soothing and warming. I didn't really need warming since it was very warm out for this time of year but with the calm, subdued setting, it just sort of seemed natural.

Shortly after my wine came, I received my Mussel and Panzonella salad. Panzonella is a typical tuscan bread salad. Butler's version was a bit more "whimsical." It was served in an over sized spoon and made to be eaten in one bite. It was amazing because for such a small "plate" there was so much going on. It was fantastic and refreshing. I wanted more, but then I remembered this was just the beginning.

I sipped my wine, enjoyed the scenery, did a little people watching and a couple (probably in their 50's) sat next to me. I brought out my Wall Street Journal and began to read while I patiently waited for my next course. Relatively quickly, I was served my soup. This was a generous portion of the obviously fall inspired soup. It was thick and creamy and once again fantastic. I tried to find out if I could taste a difference in the soup if I integrated the chive/tomato oil and I could honestly could. It was subtle but it the flavors actually did add a different dimension to the soup. I scarffed this soup down and now that I am writing this 24 hours later, I wish I could have savored it a little more. Live and learn.

I sipped the last bit of my wine and glanced over at the obviously medically enhanced woman with the skinny man next to me. They were barely talking. Please, all of you, spread the word, if I ever am a couple that is not enjoying a fine conversation (no matter how idiotic or refined) with the woman I am married to, just shoot me. Really, poison my third course during a fabulous dinner or the wine I am terribly enjoying and off with Jim Watson. Though this woman did not like to talk, she clearly was not shy about showing off her twin investment. Touche, good for her, just bring a little convo about your day to the table, literally.

So, I got back to my paper, so many things going on in the world, yet, here comes my seared sweet bread and duck foie gras, which was served over a stewed cabbage salad. This is literally the reason I ordered this tasting course. I had never tried sweet breads or foie gras. For those who don't know, Foie Gras is duck liver. There has been controversy in Chicago because of the style in which the liver is obtained. Typically, it is stated that the ducks are force fed to enlarge their livers and then killed and jerks like me get to eat it. So, it may be outlawed in Chicago now, I don't know what legislation occurred. I know you are all looking to run out and eat some right now. Sweetbreads on the other hand, sound lovely, don't they? They actually are not sweet, nor bread. My server, Sara, informed me that sweetbreads are typically calf thymus gland. However, they can also sometimes be Calf pancreas or calf.......TESTICLE!!!!! After I was done enjoying my calf/duck parts, I asked Sara which of the three types of Sweetbreads I just consumed. She informed me it was the Thymus gland. If you cannot tell yet, sweetbreads, especially is a very English/Irish dish.

So to describe this experience for those who have never walked down this road....I will start with the more common Foie Gras. It was a darker brown/purple color and it was seared on the outiside. Once I attempted to cut into it I could tell it had literally only been seared for seconds as it felt like a sack that was going to burst. Alas, it did not burst. It cut and stayed in one peice. It was very rich. That is the best way for me to describe it (and I don't mean that just literally since it is very expensive). It just sort of melted in my mouth. It was honestly lovely. I paired the second bite with some of the dried raspberries that were accompanying my plate and wow, the berries just sort of added a tart shock to the smooth, rich flavor of the foie gras. The sweetbreads were a lighter tan color and were seared on the outside as well. They were more compact and more solid then the foie gras but equally as tasty. Who knew?!?!? They had to have been sauteed in butter because the experience reminded me of eating Skate wing. Skate is a quasi fish in the stingray family. From the butter, both literally melt in your mouth. I guess I will end that there since most of you are probably grabbing your garbage bag and profusely vomitting in it (God, I know my family well).

So, time to cleanse the palate with some Campari Grapefruit Granite. This did just the job. I actually received an overflowing dish of the Granite and was afraid the lady with the twin towers was going to look down on me if I spilled. I very daintily (can you imagine that) ate my granite and I was looking at the wine menu shortly there after to decide what I would pair with my halibut.

Sara, suggested either an un-oaked Chardonnay from Oregon or a Riesling. She brought me two samples and they were both great but I think of Riesling as either a dessert wine or a warm summer day wine since it is more sweet. So, I went with the O'Reily Chardonnay from Oregon.

The Halibut came and WOW. This thing was so crispy on the outside you would have thought it was fried yet it was so delicate on the inside. The grits were a fantastic accompaniment and the spinach made me feel somewhat healthy. This dish was marvelous. I really can't say anymore about it. I literally struggled to finish it but I had to, I could not imagine leaving any of it. The Chardonnay was perfect with it because it was full and soft. The tomato fondue was great as well and got me thinking. I only had thought of a fondue as the 70s thing you dip bread into Cheese or strawberries into chocolate. In fact, a fondue is a preparation of vegetables cooked over low heat until very soft and reduced to a pulp. It is commonly used as garnish with meat or in my case, fish.

After my main dish I spoke with looked over and the lovely couple to my right was still not speaking, though I wanted to ask them for a bite of their food since mine was so good. Then Blair, the 2nd year culinary student came to talk to me again. He was a super nice guy and we literally talked for about 20 minutes. I had requested my Cheese plate come prior to my dessert and shortly after I finished speaking with Blair that arrived. I requested Sara bring me a glass of that great Riesling. I honestly do not know how to spell the vineyards name but it was something along the lines of Dr. Lucen. Once I find the vineyard I will update this blog.

This lead to a brief pause before my cheese course. I surveyed the room to see if there was anyone to "stare" at. There were two younger women who had come in about 30 minutes prior. They had just gotten their main dishes. They were both enjoying their dinner but I could not help but stare at them while they scarffed. They were attractive but that was not what I was staring at. They were both holding their forks in their right hands but they held their forks in their hands like Jack Nicholson holding a butcher knife ready to strike. Do you know what I am speaking about? I have always found this to be one of my pet peeves. HOLD YOUR FORK LIKE A CIVILIZED HUMAN BEING!!!!!! I am sorry if you are reading this and you hold your fork like you are about to stab someone but this has always bothered me. I do not know why but if I were on a date with a girl, say she is beautiful and smart and fantastic...yet she holds her fork like that...that is a deal breaker.

Ok, back to the food, I had four cheeses (1) a Cows milk cheese -- very creamy and soft, (2) a Chevre -- your standard goat cheese, ripe and pungent yet subtle and not overbearing, (3) the Graft Cheddar -- very intense and sharp, this was by far my favorite and then (4) a blue cheese -- I am still adjusting to blue cheeses, this was my least favorite but it was interesting to taste the cheese plain and then try it mixed with the honey provided, very different tastes. To add to this, my server Sara was very friendly and we exchanged emails. Here a far more detailed description of the cheeses (I hope she does not mind me using this):

"Constant Bliss": an evening milk, cow's milk cheese from Jasper Hill Farm. The evening milk part is key because for the evening milking the cows have been out grazing all day (instead of hanging out in the barn all night) and the milk reflects a brighter, more herbaceous character than morning milk. Next: "Valence": an ash rubbed chevre from Lazy Lady Farms (they only produce goat's milk cheeses). The 4-star Grafton Cheddar: an award winning cheddar, the 4 star has been aged in cloth for 4 years. Finally, the Bayley Hazen Blue from Jasper Hill Farm, a raw milk blue cheese named after a Revolutionary War soldier who was killed on a road near the farm. Yes, I'm a geek. And I love cheese. So, for a fellow cheese head...have you ever tried the Humboldt Fog from Cypress Grove in CA? It's an ash layered chevre, one half is made from morning milk and the other half is made from evening milk, so you really can sample and discern the difference in character of the milks.

I finished my took a drink of my Riesling and I looked up to my right. There were two women, probably in their 50's there and they were getting ready to pay the bill. They caught my eye because the woman facing me was in a wheel chair. I went back to my Wall Street Journal and my wine for a few minutes and then looked up again. Just at that moment the handy capable lady reached out with her left arm and grabbed the wine glass from the table and put it under her coat. I thought she was just joking but, no way sir, she was not....she did her best speed racer impression and wheeled on out. I had to have another drink of wine. Was I drunk, no, did I really just see that? I woman in her 50's, maybe 60's stole a wine glass from a fine establishment?!?!?! Do I tell on her, do I make a citizens arrest? I almost hit her on the way by with my newspaper but she was far to quick for me.

About five minutes later Sara came back and I told her, not that she could do anything now but at least I could feel better about myself. I felt like I had just seen a legitimate robbery. Sara told me the women asked if they could have the glass and she felt awkward so she said, if you are tricky about it, I did not see anything. WOW. Mind you, these were just regular wine glasses, not the Ridel kind or something cool like that. That is all I have to say about that.

So my coffee came and so did my dessert. It was great, as is the theme at this restaurant. The pumpkin creme caramel was like eating a more light and far better pumpkin pie filling. I did not know what a Chantilly was so I asked Sara and she informed it was Whipped Cream with powdered sugar and vanilla. This lovely concoction also had whiskey implemented, which never hurt anything. A bite of the spice bread and I almost passed out. Literally, had I been in Chicago where they have cabs, I would have called one.

So, in conclusion, my trip to Butler's was fantastic. I hope I get to go back one day because the menu changes daily based on ingredients, seasons and the class that is making your dinner. I could only wonder if my dinner was being prepared by the next Bobby Flay or Alton Brown?!?!?! So, if you are ever in Burlington, VT, go to Butler's. Moreover, stay at the Essex Inn so you only have a short walk back to your room (which I heard all have fireplaces) so you don't have to drive back. The drive was successful but I felt like I might need to pull over and lay down on the side of the road (not from the wine but from the food). The only downside of Butler's comes in my coming dinning experiences...will they measure up? Probably not, but I still think I will be able to enjoy them. :)

New entries this weekend

Hello,

Thank you for the comments. I have to admit, I have not had time lately for a new entry. The past three weekends I have been in LA, Wisconsin at a wedding and Atlanta for a wedding. Couple that with trips to Iowa City, Minneapolis, Detroit, Arkansas yesterday and now Vermont on Thursday and you understand my lack of entries lately.

I am home this weekend though and taking care of the dogs for my parents on Saturday so I will have plenty of time to get a few new posts on new restaurants out there. Thanks again for the comments.

Much love,
JAW

Kil@wat -- Milwaukee, WI

So, this is the first entry. I printed out my OpenTable reservation history and I am going to try to critique as many restaurants as I can remember. I am going to start from the most recent so I can ensure that I actually remember what I ate.

Kilw@at sticks out because it was honestly one of the best meals I have ever had. So, my meal:

Food:

1. Bacon wrapped medjool dates -- These were absolutely amazing. My waitress suggested them so I ordered them. This is not something I would usually order. I am not a huge bacon person. However, 6 little presents came out and I figured I would eat 3-4 at most...I ate all of them. They were addicting. I have since tried to replicate these in my own kitchen and I came quasi close, but not the same.
   
2. Olive oil and rosemary marinated mozzarella fresca -- This was simple and fresh. I loved it. I loved it because it was so simple and I could easily do this at home. This was a nice accompaniment to the figs because they were both so simple yet so fantastic. It really made me realize how great simple foods can be. I do not give credit to the chef but rather to the ingredients.
   
3. Soup of the day -- This happened to be an and fennel based soup with a lobster salad. I questioned this with my server and she aptly provided me with a sample. This, once again, was amazing. It was like a portal into Fall. I loved this soup. I literally turned the bowl to the side to scrap out the remnants. The Lobster sald was added the perfect contrast to the soup. The most obvious ingredient besides the smooth lobster was the celery. I loved the texture of the celery with the rest of the soup. If you can order this, feel privileged.
   
4. Hamachi samishi ceviche, jalepeno, lemon grass mint: I have never had hamichi. It was an elegant fish. It was firm and actually perfect for this ceviche. This was unlike any ceviche I have ever had. I am used to citrusy ceviches. This was more elegant and more filling. Strips of celery (once again) provided a nice contrasting texture and the thai flavors were magnificent. I really do not need to say anything else besides I advise you to order this.
5. Sea Scallops, gingered shitakes, sesame, miso glaze: This was my final dish and once again was suggested by the waitress. On a side note if you have Heather as you server, please DO take advantage of her knowledge and experience of the menu. The scallops were done perfectly and with the shitakes and the temperature of this dish I essentially manipulated it to move into fall. I feel slightly bad for taking advantage of this dish. This was the perfect end to my meal. I opted for a more "tapas" like dinner and this dish was by far the most filling. I am sure Kil@wat has lovely main dishes but their appetizers were perfect for me.
   

Drinks:

1. I started off with a Sauvignon Blanc. It was mid September and unusually cool. I honestly felt that I was about to rediscover my inner red wine but I opted for a last ditch effort to enjoy summer
2. I supported my meal with 3 glasses of Albarino. I cannot remeber what the name of the wine was (and this is not because I did enjoy a few glasses of wine but rather because when I drank the wine, I did not have this blog started). I had first heard about Albarino a few weeks ago in a USA Today article stating that Albarino would be the "it' wine of 2008. So naturally being a snobby, snoody, yuppy suburban guy, I wanted to try it. It was actually quite good (could you not tell from the 3 glasses I had?) and it was nice to try something different. I felt it was more crisp yet velvety then Chardonnay. It went well with my meal and I was very pleased.
3. Ended my night not with a creme brulee but a 12 yr. Mclellan Scotch neat. It was perfect and I need not say more.

All in all, fantastic meal. I had great service, fantastic food and amazing drinks. I highly advise anyone staying in Milwaukee enjoy this restaurant. I feel like I need to write more but I really don't want to. The food will explain itself if you try it.

Preface

I would like everyone to know that I am not a picky eater. I definitely have certain foods that I love more then others but I like to consider myself an equal opportunity foodie. I the website www.opentable.com to book most of my restaurants when I am traveling. This is a great way to find nice restaurants, review their menu prior to visiting and then potentially earn free gift certificates down the road. Check out their site if you have more questions.

I admit that by using OpenTable, I am limiting my options. I think they have a nice database of restaurants but I am missing out on many fantastic eateries by primarily booking on OpenTable. The fact is, I look forward to my free $50 or $100 gift certificates so I can comfortably go to yet another restaurant and hopefully create another lasting food memory.

This does not always happen which is the point of this blog. I wish that I would have started this one year ago and then I could look at my archive and bathe in the quantity of restaurant reviews I have logged. Moreover, I would be interested to see those entries which I did not stand up to the expectations that I conjured prior to my dining experience.

I love drinks. I am NOT an equal opportunity employer of drinks, I have to admit. I drink beer, wine and whiskey (preferably scotch). However, my point is that I subscribe to the liquid can make any consumption experience better. I do not just mean drinking wine with your meal (though this is typically a necessity). I believe I live a relatively healthy lifestyle. However, one of my largest vices lies in coffee and pastries. Honestly does it get any better then a hot, dark and smoky black coffee and a cinnamon scone? About the only thing would be a fantastic meal with a smooth glass of wine and a 12+ yr old scotch (neat) to wash it all down with.

Finally, one of the things that I began to truly appreciate over this past year of travel was scenery. Why should I enjoy a seared ahi tuna steak with a crisp glass of sauvignon blanc more on warm day in Park City, UT more then when I am sitting in my own apartment and can actually take credit for the dish in front of me? Honestly, those moments when you can just sit outside (or inside) and just revel in all that is around you are the best. They truly add so much thought to the culinary experience (for me). I begin to sit and think (all be it queerly)...this wine is better and this salmon more appealing because I am sitting on a balcony overlooking the Pacific ocean in Monterey, CA. Or, this Petite Syrah does pair lovely with this Filet Mignon, but it warms me while I am looking out at mountains covered in snow.

Like I said, maybe I am queer or just like to get lost in the moment but I find that these are the moments when I begin to contemplate life. My mom (and probably most of my friends) would say, "You're gay." (***Disclaimer: My mom, family, friends and I all know that your choice of scenery, beverage or dinner plate plays no role in your sexual orientation, it is simply a figure of speech and it is not meant to offend anyone. I have gay friends and they are fantastic). Back on point, for me, scenery adds to my dining experience. Does it add to your's? Moreover, scenery is not limited to the lovely seagulls flocking above near the ocean (which I hope do not crap on my brand new dress shirt or cuff links). Scenery can extend to the couple sitting kiddy corner to me that appear to be having a lovely meal but after further examination, THEY DO NOT TALK!!!!!! Please kill me if I ever am in that relationshiT. Hopefully I will already have taken care of the damage.

I guess I lied earlier, the last and final preface is that I tend to be a tangent creator. I often find myself in conversations, emails, blog postings running off into the sunset on the largest tangent that was ever created. I apologize for that in advance. However, it is my blog and as a result, if you do not like tangents yet you are still reading this self professed tangent, then pity on you.

Mazel,

James A.

Welcome

Hello, my name is Jim Watson. I am a clinical research associate and I travel a lot. I visit doctors in different areas of the country who are partaking in a clinical trial and I make sure they are testing the non-FDA approved drug appropriately.

So, now that is out of the way, my job is nuts. I travel all the time and sometimes rarely sleep in my own bed. As a result, I needed to find a way to stay sane. I found working out and my per diem. Essentially, I sought to make my road work more like my home work. I often workout at home, why can't I workout on the road? Secondly, I didn't want to be in a new city, eating dinner in my hotel room every night. I needed to take some time away from the hotel and my suitcase and feel like a normal person. So, I took advantage of my per diem and sought out different restaurants from which I would gain a city specific perspective on food. So I decided to implement my love of food into my job.

Let me take a step back....From 2003-2005, I lived in Boston, MA for grad school. It was the first time I had ever truly been on my own and alone in a big city. The entire process was so self gratifying and wonderful. In my spare time, I taught myself to cook, visit the farmer's market, learn more about wine and simply begin to shape my culinary IQ into a number at least higher then zero. Trust me, there was nowhere to go but up.

The point of this blog is multidisciplinary:

1. I wanted to have a place where I could review the restaurants I dine at in the different cities I am traveling to.
   
2. I wanted this quasi food journal to be legible, er go the blog.
   
3. I wanted a place that I could openly comment on some of the things I see as a young business traveler. You would not believe some of the things that I see. I personally think that a lot of young people do not stop to assess their surroundings and as a result, they miss out on a lot.
   
4. Finally, I wanted a place where I could write what I wanted to write. If people want to read, great, if not that is fine as well.

So, if you are actually reading this, I hope you find my blog interesting, educational and more importantly entertaining. I think that we all can learn so much from other's experiences. I am not saying my experiences are more profound or groundbreaking then your's. Rather, they are my experiences so they are different then your day to day happenings.

I preface this blog with only one disclaimer: I am sarcastic. That has been my sense of humor for a long time. I hope I offend no one but realistically, I know this is not a goal I will ever achieve.

Enjoy....