Snack Sandwiches, Brussels Belgium

One of the things I love about vacations is finding spots that are not on your radar. Tommy stumbled upon this little sandwich shop and we fell in love with it. In two days I managed three meals from this humble little shop.

There are three things that make a great sandwich in my opinion:
1) Someone else makes it
2) The quality of the toppings
3) The bread (probably the most important!)
Snack Sandwiches has all three of these in spades! They are assembled by a husband and wife duo that dance around each other and prepare your lunch with love and respect. The meat and cheeses here shine but the real stars are the vegetables. Cucumber, mixed greens, roasted peppers, carrot julienne, and tomato all made an appearance on one or all of our sandwiches. All the baguettes are fresh baked in house (in fact, with our first order the bread was still hot!!!) These things are the type of sandwich I dream of. I once drove four hours to Pittsburgh to get a sandwich. I envision a day when I will have to buy a plane ticket and fly eight hours to get a salami sandwich from Therese and Dominique!

Lobsterlicious!

Founeau, Brussels Belgium
For our second to last night in beautiful Brussels we decided to do it up right at a nice restaurant, one last hoorah before the journey home. Enter Fourneau, an excellent, upscale, bistro near the Magritte museum in Brussels. Upon arrival we had a little trouble deciphering the menu but were soon helped and guided towards a five-course prix fixe menu of homard (lobster).

The first four courses were all different preparations of lobster and the meal was finished with a crème brulee for dessert. An amuse bouche arrived before our meal and it was a play on the meal we were about to have. One piece of sushi, a shot of lobster bisque, and potato chips with lobster salt were presented, as the meal was to be lobster maki roll, lobster tempura, and lobster bisque. The amuse bouche mirrored the meal, a playful move from the kitchen that I found to be genius.

The first actual course was lobster maki and sushi rolls. Well made rolls with high quality lobster that was cooked to perfection. A whole claw and part of tail were plated in an eye appealing way that aided in our pleasant reception of this dish.

The next course was the tempura, and easily the star of this meal. The batter here was just enough to change the texture to crispy. The vegetables were done just right, they still crispy, not soggy or oily as is often the case with tempura vegetables. The lobster, again, was cooked masterfully: crispy, warm, butter, soft, and most importantly NOT tough.

Next out of the kitchen was my least favorite course. Lobster ravioli served in a pool of lobster bisque. The filling was good, lobster mixed with diced potato and shallots, but perhaps a bit heavy on the white pepper. The real failing here was the pasta was a little chewy. This was either a result of not being cooked in enough water or simply not having enough time in the water.

The main course was a mystery to us, as we did not know what “lumpia” was from the menu. We soon found out that it means spring roll. The simple roll was filled with that same, well cooked, buttery, lobster meat as well as French green beans. The deep fried roll was crisp and hot. All of this was served with lobster infused butter sauce and a light green salad to help balance the plate.

Dessert was crème brulee, a dessert that is often offered and seldom done well. This one was quite good. As Elizabeth noted the inside was cool and the caramelized top was perfect, not too thick or over bruleed.

Fourneau was a job well done and a good way to wind down our European eating extravaganza!

All this great food and you STILL cooked?

Yes, I made homemade Mac n Cheese in Brussels last night. Bacon, garlic, green onion, Boursin, and Gruyere Mac n Cheese to be exact. After blowing a huge sum of cash in Paris T & E and I decided to low-key it. I managed all this with nothing but a hot plate and a microwave. Dinner Impossible ain't got nuthin' on me! Needless to say it was fantastic!

La Campanella, Paris France

La Campanella, Paris France
Brasseries are the way to eat in Paris and much of Europe. What I love about them is allow you to slow down and look at where your feet are and enjoy the moment. A leisurely lunch with friends where you enjoy several courses and coffee in the middle of the day is my idea of a break mid-day.

La Campanella is one such brasserie. Located at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, they serve typical French lunch fare: omelets, steak with frites, salads, and sandwiches. Tommy, Elizabeth, Myself and Elizabeth’s co-worker, Yan Ping sat down to lunch and were treated to a wonderful meal at this quaint little restaurant.

Tommy and I both ordered the Croque Madame. This classic French sandwich is essentially a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with more cheese bruleed on the top and crowned with a fried egg. This monster was served with frites and a simple salad. This was a filling lunch, but we were famished after a morning of taking in the Parisian sites so we were quick to eat it all.

The girls opted for paninis. Elizabeth had the ham and cheese panini and Yan Ping ordered the curried chicken version. These too were served salad and frites. All the sandwiches met approval and gave us the much needed energy to tackle a busy Louvre on a free admission Sunday!

Le Rech, Paris France

Le Rech: A Classic French Bistro
When I visit Paris it is a humbling experience. I have studied the cuisine of this city and country my entire adult life in order to hone my craft and better my skills. When one is in Paris, arguably the greatest food city in the entire world, for one weekend, you must make wise choices in regards to where you dine. When you have only three days in Paris, it is a double-edged sword to make your first meal in the city at a restaurant owned and ran by Michelin three star Chef and restaurateur, Alain Ducasse. It is a wonderful experience but at the same time you know that nothing else you eat while on your trip will compare. With twenty-one restaurants and counting, Chef Ducasse is a force to be reckoned with in the world of fine dining.
Tommy, Elizabeth, and I got off the train from Brussels, dropped our bags, stopped in at Printemps, for some light shopping, and headed for a lunch that I have no equal for in my memory. Le Rech is a classic French bistro opened in the style of 1920’s Paris. The Art Deco atmosphere is complimented by the delicate approach to the cuisine that Chef Ducasse and his staff employ. The offerings here are almost all seafood, save a few beef and veal offerings. We opted for the three course pre-fixe lunch and were not disappointed.
The menu was as follows:
Soupe glacee de concombre au rouget
Ou
Fillet de haddock marine au citron, salade d’herbes

Julienne de linge pochee, asperges blanches et sabayon citron
Ou
Joues de lotted snackees aux mousserons et cresson de fontaine

Soupe et sorbet de fraises gariguettes
Ou
Pain perdu Pastis d’Amelie, glace caramel au buerre sale

For the first course we all ordered the marinated haddock in citrus with the herb salad. While cold cucumber soup would have fit the 80 degree the delicate flavor of the marinade and the citrus cream accompanying the salad sounded too good to pass up. This fish was sublime. The citrus was just enough, not so much that it over powered, as is often the case in something like ceviche. The flavor of the haddock still shined in this dish. What I found most interesting about the first course was the plating. The fish was served in a bowl that was no doubt specifically designed for this dish as nothing else but the battonet of haddock would fit in the dish. The accompaniments were served on another plate, which allowed you to mix and match until you found that perfect bite. Balance between the fish, the greens, and the citrus cream was easy. The perfect piece of toasted bread was there to provide some crunch and texture that was much needed.
For the main course we were more diverse. I ordered the monkfish with mushrooms in a butter sauce while Tommy and Elizabeth ordered the poached mullett with a citrus sabayon and white asparagus. Both of the entrees were exceptional and given the hot day very delicate while still being filling. There is nothing worse on a hot day to sit down to a meal that stuffs you and leaves you lethargic. My dish was all about the seasoning. With only three ingredients on the plate it showed how the kitchen staff could transform such simple food into something extraordinary. When you start with the best ingredients available and apply classic technique with absolute precision it is hard for it not to turn out wonderfully. The other entrée was also superbly done. The fish poached till just done, left it flaky but not dry and the sabayon, which is a sauce usually, reserved for dessert was the star here. An emulsion sauce similar to hollandaise, this sauce had the perfect amount of citrus to butter to egg. The sauce was in complete balance with the fish and asparagus. It is of note that neither of the entrees was served with a starch of any kind, which I attribute, again, to the warm weather.
The last out of the kitchen was our dessert course. Elizabeth ordered the strawberry soup with fresh strawberries and strawberry sorbet. This was like the best fresh strawberry you’ve ever had but amplified by ten. Tommy and I both ordered the French toast with caramel ice cream. This was amazing; there are no other words for it. The toast was encased in a glaze, which had a slight crunch to it but made the texture otherworldly, while the inside was soft and rich. The ice cream was perhaps the greatest ice cream I’ve ever tasted. It was rich velvety in texture and had the most intense caramel flavor you can imagine.
This lunch was one for the record books, the setting, the company, the service, and of course the food made it a highlight of the trip for me so far and one of my favorite meals of all time. Here’s the Alain Ducasse, cheers Le Rech!

Bistro G-EA, Brussels as hell, French as fuck!

The best thing about Europe is the pace. Jet-lagged and wanting to low-key it Tommy, Elizabeth, and I went to a little French bistro around the corner from our hotel/apartment. We were there for over three hours watching people, eating, and talking and it was the perfect way to start our vacation. There was no, "I gotta grab a quick bite so I can get me to the Wal-Mart." We enjoyed three courses along with coffee and after dinner drinks for T & E (which were on the house, of course) and every bite was sublime. I managed foie gras in two courses as well as a Greek salad that was enough to make me full, but the way things were paced we had time to digest and enjoy every course that was offered. As we shared around the table we decided that this type of meal is certainly not possible in Dayton, probably in the U.S. all together. There is simply no emphasis put on actually enjoying the meal, the time spent, the service, and the company in America. I would rather spend three hours with my best friends than sit in front of a T.V. watching spirit-crushing, mind-numbing trash any night. Here's to the European way of life and our first epic meal in Europe, courtesy of Bistro G-EA

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.

Sushi Cafe

I am happy to announce that my great friends Tommy and Elizabeth made the prestigious cut this weekend as we ate a meal together worthy of blog-ittude. The three of us enjoyed a dinner at Sushi Café.

For me one of the main attractions is always their house salad. Crisp lettuces, diced tomato, cucumber, and a ginger soy dressing make this salad fantastic. First course arrived and we made some wise choices. The requisite edamame steamed and served with plenty of sea salt to flavor. E ordered chicken yakitori, tender breast meat marinated in soy and garlic then grilled on a hibachi. The chicken was moist tender and really well seasoned. Lastly ordered steamed gyoza dumplings. These were not as tasty as I remembered them being on previous visits but they were passable. The filling was a little on the bland side.

Entrée time, we ordered a variety of different sushi and sashimi. I was really happy with the selection and the presentation of the sushi. One of the interesting things about Japanese cuisine is that the presentation is very effected by the serving pieces. In traditional French/Western cooking the majority of eye appeal comes from the ability to coax color and shape out of whatever food product you happen to be working with. In Eastern cuisine, Japanese in particular, a large amount of care is paid to the dishes food is served on. The Japanese realize that the serving ware must be utilitarian but also that it can be a thing of beauty. To this end Sushi Café does not disappoint. The food was artfully displayed and laid out. Which adds to the overall enjoyment of the meal.

I ordered toro sashimi, fatty tuna belly, and a “Japanese Bagel Roll” which contains salmon and cream cheese. Both were well prepared and very tasty. T and E ordered an assortment of other rolls including the crispy shrimp roll, spicy tuna, and spicy California rolls pictured above. The sushi arrived in a timely manner and we were all pleased with the taste.

The service at Sushi Café is always a little uneven. Our server seemed preoccupied with her other tables. Servers tend to get flustered when they get sat multiple tables at once and then can’t keep up. One table always gets neglected. On Friday it was our table. I don’t want to give the impression that the service was bad it was just not great. Overall a good meal and I always have a good time with Tommy and Elizabeth, 8 out of 10.