Café Orleans, Disneyland, Anaheim California

When in Disneyland it is hard to find food that is not out of a cart, or in hotdog form, not that I am apposed to either of these. When we went searching for dinner we found Café Orleans in the New Orleans Square section of the park. Our group of five had to wait about ten minutes for a table at which point we were squeezed into a table right next to the front door that was a little uncomfortable. The fare here is supposed to be authentic Cajun and Creole but I found it to fall a little flat. The hallmark of Cajun food is bold, spicy flavors that have deep and rich flavor. I ordered garlic frites with remoulade as an appetizer and a chicken gumbo crepe for my entrée.

The fries were actually very good and between the five of us at the table we managed to eat all of these. Fried golden brown and seasoned with Parmesan and garlic these fries really well done. They were served with a spiced remoulade sauce that took them over the edge.

The entrees were where the restaurant failed. The depth of flavor was simply not there on my selection. Chicken, Tasso ham, and andouille sausage were generous in the dish but not necessarily good. The chicken was over cooked, the Tasso was flat and the andouille seemed over processed. The whole thing was topped with an uninspired “gumbo sauce” that was closer to gravy than anything Cajun I’ve ever had. My dining companions had the other crepe offering which was a seafood crepe. This was filled with generic white fish, again overcooked, and no other seafood at all. Perhaps it should have been called fish crepe. This was topped with a Mornay sauce that I think was probably from a packet or a tin. Ian ordered the Mardi Gras chicken sandwich and it was met with mixed reviews and I would say the high point for this sandwich was the cornichons pickles it was served with.

Service here was all right but nothing to write home about. The whole staff seemed worn down by the fact that they served the thousands and thousands of visitors that Disneyland greets everyday. I suppose that I should have stuck to the hotdog cart, maybe the mouse would have fed me a better dinner. Four out of ten.

Havana Mania, Redondo Beach California

Cuban food is not something that one comes across in Dayton very often and when you do it is not often very good. One of the reasons I love to travel I that nine times out of ten they know a little bit more about food elsewhere and I get a chance to experience some nice cuisine. Enter Havana Mania in Redondo Beach.

On our way to Disneyland, day one of the great Los Angeles trip, Ian and I were accompanied by Aaron and Stephanie (Ian’s brother and sister-in-law) and Doug (a close friend of Aaron and Steph) to this little neighborhood Cuban restaurant for lunch. Stephanie who is Guatemalan ordered an appetizer for the table in Spanish an to be honest I had no idea what she ordered but was pleasantly surprised when pan-fried smashed plantains and traditional Cuban style black beans arrived. These little fritters were served with a creamy garlic sauce that was out of this world good. They were fried till just crispy and the plantains themselves had a hint of sweetness to them that made them irresistible. The black beans were a nice compliment to the plantains, rich and with a full depth of flavor that stood up to the creamy garlicky sauce.

When our entrees arrived I was treated to a huge Cuban pork sandwich. Slow roasted pork, ham, tart yellow mustard, sweet and sour dill pickles, and creamy Swiss cheese all packed into an eight-inch hunk of French bread and grilled panini-style to great effect. This was for sure the best Cuban I’ve ever had. This sandwich is about balance. The richness of the pork to the saltiness of the ham, the vinegary crunch of the pickles to the fatty richness of the pork, the tartness of the mustard to the creaminess of the cheese, all these things must be in harmony in order for a sandwich like this to work. When all these elements come together a Cuban sandwich can stand up to the best sandwich on the world…that’s right…the Rueben! This sandwich was just perfect. I wish Dayton had a Cuban restaurant that was as laid back as this and had such great food. The closest thing that we have is El Meson but I would say that they are a little too formal to enjoy things on this level. Sandwiches in my humble opinion are high art when done well and Havana Mania makes the Mona Lisa of Cuban sandwiches. Ten out of ten!

That mouse can make some coffee!

I visited Disneyland for the first time yesterday and I have to say that Mickey can brew a mean cup of java! Sure it cost three dollars but it was the best thing to take on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and if you keep your receipt that mouse will fill your cup all day long. Viva caffeine!

Airport Sushi in Atlanta? One Flew South!

Let’s face it airport food courts are not exactly the place to find haute cuisine. A meal at an airport usually involves a fruit cup with under-ripe cantaloupe, a soft pretzel with fluorescent orange cheese sauce, and a six-dollar bottle of water. On our way to Los Angeles Ian and I happened upon an Asian-American bistro called One Flew South in the Atlanta airport.

The first departure (pun intended) from your traditional airport food was an actual dining room with a hostess and servers. Not the usual carry your food on a tray and bus your own table type setup. Next surprisingly was our server, Sopee. She was pleasant, knowledgeable, and efficient. The menu, which I have included here, is very well put together and was a nice break in an otherwise long and bizarre travel situation. http://www.oneflewsouthatl.com/foodanddrink.html

So we ordered the braised pork belly sandwich and the Kobe beef burger. Kobe beef in an airport! The pork sandwich was excellent! Pork belly braised slowly in rice wine and seasoned with Asian spices was succulent, rich, and juicy. The pork was heaped on toasted foccacia bread and topped with in-house pickled jalapenos, and fresh avocado. The sandwich was served with a rich dark mole and an asparagus cheese sauce for dipping as well as a portion of Napa cabbage slaw. The two sauces were out of this world. I am a sucker for a good mole and this was it. Deep chocolate flavor, bitter, sweet, and then just enough spice at the end. I have never considered mole a sauce to use for a sandwich. Mole is something that usually is used as a means of braising tougher cuts of meat like pork shoulder or chicken thighs. It was used here masterfully. Ian ordered the Kobe beef burger, which has sautéed shiitake mushrooms and creamy goat cheese on it. The burger was cooked to a beautiful medium and accompanied by a heap of five-spice seasoned fries. Ian loved the burger and wolfed it down. He turned his nose up at the fries claiming, “a bad experience with seasoned fries in the past” so I was only too willing to help him out.

This meal was an oasis, everything from the service, to the gorgeous dining room, to the wonderful food was a complete surprise and not at all what you would expect from a food court. Well done One Flew South, ten out of ten!

Corndogs on the left coast!

Ian (my bf) and I are on vacation in LA! Look forward to many posts this week as we will be eating ourselves sick daily. Here is the first of many...THE SINGLE GREATEST CORNDOG I'VE EVER HAD (and I've had a lot!) from Disneyland, yes Stacie it cost $6 and it was worth every cent!

Lunch at Rue Dumaine

Rue Dumaine is my current favorite restaurant in the city of Dayton and they are open Fridays only for lunch. This last Friday I had the pleasure of eating there with my Mom and Grandma. Lunch is ordinarily a quick in and out affair as people usually have to get back to work but being as that I am a man of leisure on spring break and my mother has Fridays off we were able to linger and enjoy lunch in a more European way. Rue Dumaine is the perfect place to relax and enjoy a long three-course lunch with friends or family.

I started with the fresh spring pea soup and I have to say this was the highlight of the meal for me. This bright green soup was a perfect thing to have on the first day of spring! The soup was light, refreshing, clean, and crisp. The peas soup was finished with a little crème fraiche for a touch of richness. It was a perfect compliment to the gorgeous weather we are currently having in Ohio.

For an entrée I ordered the duck ragout with asparagus and wild mushrooms served over creamy polenta. I was really happy with the flavors again, a nice springtime lunch offering. My complaint was not with the depth of flavors or how they complimented each other it was with the texture of the meal. Everything in the dish was soft. Duck braised till falling off the bone and shredded, sautéed mushrooms, and asparagus (slightly overcooked) all soft. Then these items were all served over creamy polenta, again soft. What Chef Anne needed here was a textural contrast. This is a fundamental of plate presentation. I assume that the asparagus was there to add some crunch to the meal but as it was overcooked it could not do that. I would suggest some toasted pine nuts to accompany the Italian polenta. My Mom and Grandma both ordered the haricot vert salad with blue cheese and sherry vinaigrette. This salad was good and surprisingly filling. I think it was perhaps a little heavy on blue cheese, but overall a great salad


Lastly we ordered dessert, a luxury for this time of day. The lunch menu at Rue Dumaine is a brief affair, written once weekly and is essentially a short list of five or six specials showcasing Chef Kearney and her Sous Chef Brian Griffey’s talents. Because the lunch menu is so short they only had one dessert, a pear galette, which made our choice easy. This is not a dessert I would normally order but I was pleasantly surprised. A simply warm pear turnover topped with fresh, lightly, whipped, cream that was not too sweet or too rich for lunchtime. The pastry was light and crisp not doughy and rich like premade puff pastry has a tendency to be. The pears were just sweet enough to end the meal and the cream added some richness to balance the tartness of the fruit.

All right service, as always, is the sticking pint with me. I feel that lunch service at Rue Dumaine is better than the nighttime service. The feel here is more relaxed and not as stuffy. Also I felt that they servers aren’t as rushed because the volume is not as high for lunch so they have the time to dote on their tables a little bit more than usual. The Chef even had a moment to come to our table and say hello. This is a nice touch and I must admit I have a soft spot for Chef Anne and I love it when people in the restaurant make a fuss over my table.

A nice leisurely lunch with two of my favorite people in the world, in one of my favorite restaurants in the world! Eight out of ten.

The Dirty Thirty at Mesh Restaurant!

The Dirty Thirty at Mesh Restaurant

This past Saturday I celebrated my thirtieth birthday at Mesh Restaurant in West Chester, just north of Cincinnati. I have wanted to dine at Mesh for two years so my expectations were very high and my expectations were exceeded. Stacie, myself, Nick, Amy, Tommy, and Elizabeth were treated to a private dining room which at first threw me as I wanted to scope the beautifully appointed main room. As time passed I will say that the private room was really nice as the main dining area was very loud and busy. The private room allowed us to really enjoy the food and each other’s company.



The Chef, Paul Sturkey, sent out an amuse bouche of goat cheese mousse and a date compote on a crostini. This was a really elegant way to start our meal and set the tone for the meal to come. We ordered quite a few appetizers and shared them amongst the table. The appetizers included the daily foie gras plate of seared foie gras, red wine reduction, white wine gelee, and toasted brioche. The richness of the liver was in perfect balance with the dueling wine sauces and the crisp texture of the brioche was a way to keep my palate interested. Also we ordered “Sturkey’s Poppers” which are really deep fried potato croquettes infused with white truffle oil and a touch of spice. These were irresistible! I could have eaten twenty of these easily. Fried golden brown the richness of the potato hit you first, then the truffle oil washes over your palate lastly, a hint of Paul Sturkey’s signature spice hits the back of your throat which perfectly rounds out the taste of the croquettes. The last appetizer was something called crab trifecta. Crab served three different ways. Crab with drawn butter and a dijonaise sauce, crab cakes with remoulade, and crab risotto all served on the same plate. Both Tommy and Nick met this dish with favor. Stacie and Amy both opted for the Sturkey house salad, which come with his signature creamy balsamic dressing, the salads came in elegant cut bowls and were fresh and flavorful.

Next out of the kitchen were the entrees. I ordered the smoked beef tenderloin with blue cheese whipped potatoes, cognac demi glace, tasso and edamame succotash, and topped with fried onions. I will say that at a price tag of forty dollars I expected the presentation to be a little nicer. It essentially looked like something from Longhorn Steakhouse with all the onion straws heaped on top. The flavors were certainly bold and put together well. The smokiness of the filet was not too strong but it was certainly there. The potatoes were rich and creamy without being too blue cheesy. My favorite part of the dish was, not surprisingly, the pork component. Tasso is a spicy cured ham of Cajun origin. When rendered and mixed with the clean, crisp, snap of the edamame it was phenomenal. Finishing the dish was a deep, brown, rich, cognac demi glace. Stacie ordered the eggplant ratatouille pasta, which I felt, was a little undercooked. The mark of a good ratatouille is a richness and complexity that I felt this dish lacked. I think it would have benefited from a few more minutes in the pot slowly cooking down to create more depth of flavor. The pasta was expertly cooked and the dish was seasoned very well. So well in fact that I ate the leftovers the next day with no problem! Tommy ordered the crab crusted NY strip, which was served with Boursin dauphine potatoes and the same cognac demi that was on my steak. This thing was a monster! It had to weigh in at over a pound! Elizabeth got the pan-seared scallops with wild mushroom risotto. This dish was the best-presented dish of the evening. Four individual little scallops nicely seared and presented on beds of creamy risotto. The taste of this dish was really great! The earthiness of the mushrooms with the sweetness of the scallops and the richness of the risotto was in perfect balance and worked incredibly well together. Nick ordered the chicken saltimbocca. Saltimbocca is traditionally done with veal, Prosciutto, and sage but in this dish Chef Sturkey substitutes chicken to good effect. The star of this dish was the housemade gnocchi. Little potato dumplings, tender and light, boiled then pan fried in butter to crisp the outsides and give richness to the potato base. Lastly Amy received the chorizo and redskin potato ravioli. This dish while colorful was a little flat. I think the failing of this presentation was in the choice of service ware. Had the kitchen chose a different vessel for this dish instead of the long rectangle plate they chose they could have built up some height and made the dish more interesting visually.

Our final course of the evening was Chef Pam Sturkey’s famous desserts. In 1999 she won “best restaurant dessert” in the country I the USA Today poll with her Bailey’s chocolate cheesecake. The expectations on this course were high as well. Three desserts were ordered and shared among the table. They were apple and carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, crème brulee with chocolate ganache, and a raspberry hazelnut tart. The one I enjoyed the most was the apple carrot cake. The cake was light and soft not dense and chewy like some carrot cake has a tendency to be and the frosting was tangy and sweet but not too sweet. The Chef has a menu of old standards a far as desserts go, but she really knows how to get the most out of simple, classic, flavors. Remember classics are classics for a reason!

Service at Mesh was really quite nice. As I mentioned before the private dining room helped lend a feeling of importance to the evening and our server was really at the top of his game and tended to our every need. If I had a criticism of the service it was that our server seemed to be a little too serious. Our little group was pretty low key and our server I don’t feel really caught on to that and kept the feel of the night a little formal considering our relaxed attitude.

All in all I would say that Mesh met my high expectations and that the meal was most everything I thought it should be. I would certainly go back for another special occasion. Mesh is not a restaurant that you simply go to without a proper cause, at least not as ling as you are in my tax bracket! 9 out of 10.