Archive for the ‘restaurants’ Category

MUGARITZ, SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN

Posted: April 22, 2016 in Food, restaurants, travel
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Mugaritz, San Sebastian, Spain

Mugaritz, San Sebastian, Spain

In the yearly listing: The World’s Top 50 Restaurants, Mugaritz consistently gets into the top 10…this year it’s at #6. A few years ago, on a trip to San Sebastian, Spain, my family and I had a chance to dine there.

The main kitchen from outside.

The main kitchen from outside.

The dishes that acclaimed chef Andoni Luis Aduriz created were some of the most original we’ve ever enjoyed. There was a flow to our experience…a reason why one dish followed another. It was like a concert, with Aduriz at the helm as director and composer.

Mugaritz has about twenty tables. And one seating. You are there for the night. Well over twenty courses, small bites to be sure, but all intense and rich with flavors and textures that complimented each other.

The kitchen at Mugaritz.

The main kitchen at Mugaritz.

Every table got a private tour of the kitchen. And though we didn’t meet chef Aduriz, we did get to talk with his second in command: chef Ramon Perise.

Mugaritz, as Perise explained it, has three kitchens: a lower level for preparation…a middle kitchen on the main floor for cooking all the food, plating it and making it look beautiful…and then an upstairs kitchen, the laboratory, where they come up with their newest creations.

Hangin' with Ramon Perise.

Hangin’ with Ramon Perise.

With our kitchen tour, we saw the chefs setting up rows of small iron bowls on wooden stands: individual mortar and pestles for each person in the dining room. It was going to be a dish that was served to everyone at the same time, no matter where they were in the course of their meal. So when we finished our kitchen tour, we sat down, and the mortar and pestles were brought out.

Inside the iron bowl were some wet and dry ingredients: what looked like corn nuggets, a colorful cube of gelatin and other ingredients. We were instructed to grind up what was in our bowls with our personal pestle. The entire restaurant was filled with a ringing sound, like church bells going off somewhere in the distance. For a few precious minutes, every patron shared this special perfectly choreographed event as we ground up the contents of our bowls. They called it the “linking dish.”

Then, one by one, the grinding stopped. The iron bowls continued to ring for a few seconds until the sounds faded away into silence, replaced by the low murmur of conversation. And we all went back to our meals.

The linking dish.

The linking dish.

Our sommelier, Guillermo Cruz, was a bright, knowledgeable and enthusiastic young man that offered us thrill rides in a glass, including a much-needed digestivo half-way through the meal so that we could continue our dining experience!

A grappa-like Fillaboa digestif from Gallicia that was made from the local Albarino grapes. Helpful in making room for more food!

A grappa-like Fillaboa digestif from Gallicia that was made from the local Albarino grapes. Helpful in making room for more food!

As Chef Perise said to us (paraphrasing): “When you leave this place…and weeks afterwards…you’re not going to remember the food. But you’re going to remember the emotions you had and the feelings you had when you were here. And that’s what we’re working for.”

Shaved ice cream with cheese: one of many desserts.

Shaved frozen apple with cheese: one of many desserts.

Could there have been too many dishes? Is there such a thing as too much of a good thing? Is less really more?

These burning questions can only be answered with another visit to Mugaritz. I hope it’s sometime soon!

 

 

 

THE BEST FOOD TOWN IN THE NORTHEAST: PORTLAND, MAINE

Posted: January 17, 2016 in beef, breakfast, burgers, buttermilk, Carnivore!, chicken, Cocktails, Coppa, Drinks, Food, lobster, Maine, MARTINI, mixology, pancakes, pickling, pork, Portland, restaurants, salt, scallops, seafood, travel, Uncategorized, wine
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It’s mind-blowing how many new and exciting restaurants keep popping up in Portland, Maine, and even more interestingly, how they’re all thriving! With a great arts scene, historic New England waterfront, and a young crowd eager to spend their money, Portland is just exploding.

I work in Providence, Rhode Island, a city whose food scene has had a lot of attention in the last few years in a variety of national magazines. But really creative restaurants here are hard to find, perhaps five in the entire city. In Portland, you’ll find five on one block!

Portland is big enough to be a destination, and small enough that you can park your car once and walk everywhere you want to go all day and into the night.

Oysters at Eventide.

Oysters at Eventide.

Three of the best restaurants in town just happen to be owned by the same three guys: Andrew Taylor, Arlin Smith and Mike Wiley. They called their company AMA LLC, though now I think they go by the name Big Tree Hospitality. All three restaurants are located right next door to each other on Middle Street: Hugo’s, Eventide, and The Honey Paw. If you go nowhere else in Portland, hit this one block. If you’re just passing through for lunch, it’s right off 295. Just take the Franklin Street exit.

The block. From left to right: The Honey Paw, Eventide, and Hugo's. And if you stay at the Hampton Inn, like we did, you walk less than a block!

The block. From left to right: The Honey Paw, Eventide, and Hugo’s. And if you stay at the Hampton Inn, like we did, you walk less than a block!

 

The bar at Eventide.

The bar at Eventide.

Our love of Portland started years ago with Eventide, an oyster bar serving the freshest and most creative small seafood plates in the city: a killer brown butter lobster roll, tuna crudo that rivals the best sushi anywhere, blackboard special plates like char tartare, and a dozen oyster choices served with inventive accouterments, our favorite being the pickled red onion ice. Our non-seafood-eating daughter loved the buttermilk fried chicken bun and Eventide burger. And probably the most ignored-but-shouldn’t-be entry on the menu is the fish sandwich: best you ever had or I’ll eat it for you. They use pieces of fresh-caught hake, a fish that’s somewhat unknown unless you’re a local. A full bar and a surprisingly friendly staff, despite the fact they’re jamming all day long.

The amazing fish sandwich at Eventide.

The amazing fish sandwich at Eventide.

Hugo’s made Portland a food destination thanks to its previous chef/owner, Rob Evans, who sold it in 2012 to concentrate on his newer joint: Duckfat. The three guys: Taylor, Smith, and Wiley, worked there before it closed down and they grabbed the opportunity to take over, bringing a cutting-edge American menu served over a series of exciting tasting courses. Whether you’re a carnivore, vegetarian or seafood lover, you’ll find some wonderful choices here. Our night featured raw and cooked beef selections, lamb bolognese, ankimo (monkfish liver) and unusual veggie plates like sunchokes and smoked parsnips.

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Paul, the bartender, is a mixologist of the finest kind. My wife sipped on a Jasmine Fizz before we plunged into the eclectic and inspired wine list chosen by Big Tree Hospitality’s wine director, Brian Flewelling, who happened to be our server that night.

My wife enjoyed a sip of my Pappy's as well.

My wife enjoyed a sip of my Pappy’s as well.

 

And it didn’t hurt that they had three kinds of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon on their shelves…something I haven’t seen anywhere else. (These are the bottles that go for over $1500 on line.) Needless to say, Paul the bartender and I bonded over a taste of the 20-year-old Pappy.

A bourbon conversation between my newest best friend, Paul and myself.

A bourbon conversation between my newest best friend, Paul, and myself.

The third and newest restaurant in the group is The Honey Paw, featuring an eclectic Asian menu. The intense flavors come from all over Asia, and we wondered how these young chefs could be so knowledgeable. We found out that the company flies its employees to countries like Singapore and Malaysia on a regular basis to give them the experience they need to create and serve this amazing food. I swear, I wanna work for these guys! I haven’t seen any company anywhere treat its employees with such respect, and all of that trickles down to how they treat the food, the community, and their customers.

The Honey Paw's mind-blowing albacore tuna sashimi.

Beautiful plates at The Honey Paw.

Like their other two restaurants, The Honey Paw sources most of its ingredients from local farms. So when we ordered a plate of coppa, it was housemade from rare mulefoot hogs raised in Maine, topped with pickled husk cherries.

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I’m a huge fan of whole-fried fish, but very few restaurants take on that challenge. Even many of my favorite New York Chinese restaurants no longer feature that on the menu. The whole fried black bass I had at The Honey Paw is something I will have every time I return.

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We did leave the block, eventually! Though not big on atmosphere, Sur Lie was another restaurant in the long list of new establishments in the city featuring small plates full of exciting flavors.

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We enjoyed tapas like a plate of “Surryano” ham, the West Virginia version of Spanish Serrano…fried milk-braised cauliflower…Hiramasa (Yellowtail Amberjack) crudo…carrot agnolotti (pasta)…and a nicely cooked hanger steak. Good food, good service, and a nice selection of Greek wine.

We walked a lot in Portland. Loads of small shops, art galleries, and stores with collectibles. We hit a couple of comic book stores with our daughter, who’s in that phase…art galleries that enticed my wife, the artist…and an unusual shop with rare, collectible barware in the storefront and an actual bar in the back to do some serious sipping: a place called Vena’s Fizz House.

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One of the more interesting products they sell at Vena’s was a variety of infusion kits: dried fruits and spices just waiting for vodka or tequila to bring their flavors to life…

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Sometimes we did jump in the car to get to the other side of town. Portland boasts one of the largest–and coolest–Whole Foods stores ever. The selection is fantastic, and they sell wine and local spirits in a special section that comes with its own wine expert to help you make the right choices!

A short hop down the road from Whole Foods is a line of distilleries and breweries on Fox Street just waiting for thirsty customers. We stopped in to Maine Craft Distilling for a tasting of their creations.

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Here’s the thing that tells you you’re in Maine: we arrived at Maine Craft Distilling, and they told us they were sold out of just about every spirit because of the holidays. But they still poured us free tastings of all their booze! That would not happen anywhere else. Their logic was: if you like it, you won’t forget it and you’ll buy it the next time around. Friendly and informative, and their blueberry spirit called Blueshine, is worth a trip back.

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Back along the waterfront, on Commercial Street, we tucked into the Flatbread Company, a wildly popular pizza joint that now has 15 locations in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and even Hawaii. Great pizza (with gluten-free options), salads, and an awesome view of the water.

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Watching these talented chefs work the oven is better than television. I could watch all night!

Watching these talented chefs work the oven is better than television. I could watch all night!

A must-stop at least once on any Portland trip is the classic Porthole. Featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” they open for breakfast and rock all through the night. I dropped in for some breakfast to go on New Year’s morning, watching those at the bar chug down their Bloody Marys: a little hair of the dog after a long partying night.

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Perhaps my biggest disappointment of the trip (and mainly because it has received so much hype from magazines and friends) was The Portland Hunt and Alpine Club. I was told not to go here for the food, so we passed on that. But while my wife and daughter spent some time in the shops nearby, I decided to go in and check the place out for a cocktail.

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The bartender was friendly enough, and when I asked for a Manhattan with his choice of bourbon (he used Baker’s), he made it with flair and it tasted good. But it was also something I could make at home just as easily. I don’t know…maybe I needed to order something else. Maybe I should give the place a try in the light of a summer day and not a cold winter’s night. It just seemed kind of dumpy and not at all what I was expecting: uncomfortable metal benches at the bar, a stuffiness in the air like the vents in the kitchen weren’t working. I need to come back and give these guys another chance.

 

For more on Portland, Maine, check out my blog from July of 2013. A lot has changed in a year and a half, but there’s still some good info there. http://wp.me/p1c1Nl-g3

 

 

AWESOME MUSSEL FRITTERS

Posted: January 10, 2016 in Food, frying, restaurants, seafood, Southern New England, Uncategorized
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Clam fritters, conch fritters, lobster fritters…I suppose you could fritter anything. But the first time I had them with mussels, I knew that I would never fritter my life away with any other!

It was a fall afternoon in Newport, Rhode Island, at the Newport Yachting Center’s annual Oyster Festival. We’re gorging on freshly shucked oysters and clams, boiled shrimp, and…what have we here? I had never heard of a mussel fritter before, but once I took a bite, there was no turning back.

They couldn’t be easier to make, but it is crucial to have the right fritter batter. And that starts with a Rhode Island product called Drum Rock fritter mix. If you live in New England, you can find it in just about any seafood department at Whole Foods. If you live further away, you can check out their website (www.drumrockproducts.com) or try your luck with a local brand of fritter mix.

fritter ingredients

 

If you’re using fresh mussels, be sure to clean them well and remove the beards. Steam them in a pot over a small amount of water. As they open, they will release their flavorful juices and you want to save every drop of that broth for the fritters. Here in New England, frozen mussel meats are available in some seafood stores. All you need to do is thaw them, steam them saving the broth, and you’re ready to go.

For the fritters:
1 lb. fritter mix
2 cups cooked mussel meats
1/2 cup mussel broth (saved from steaming mussels)
1/4 to 1/2 cup good quality beer (I use Sam Adams Boston Lager)
Avocado oil for frying (I don’t use canola or vegetable oils)

 

Steam the mussel meats until they’re just cooked. Remove the mussel meats, and reserve 1/2 cup of the broth. Pulse the mussel meats in a food processor, but leave ’em chunky…or chop by hand.

Put the fritter mix in a large bowl. Add the mussel meats, mussel broth, and beer. Stir gently until just mixed. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes and do not stir again. (If you’ve got guests coming, you can prepare up to this part ahead of time, covering the bowl with a wet towel, and leaving at room temperature.)

Using a thermometer, heat the oil to 350 degrees, and using a small spoon or scoop, drop fritters in the hot oil, turning gently, cooking 3 to 4 minutes until golden.

Drain on absorbent paper, and season with salt and pepper immediately. Serve right away!

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For the dipping sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Ponzu sauce

The perfect dipping sauce for these mussel fritters is made from two ingredients: mayo and Ponzu sauce, a citrus-based soy sauce. Combine both ingredients in a bowl. Keep in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

24 HOURS IN KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE

Posted: August 3, 2015 in Cocktails, Drinks, Food, lobster, Maine, margarita, MARTINI, mixology, restaurants, travel, wine, wine bar
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My friend, Lee, recently bought a second home in Kennebunk, and it was all the excuse I needed to head up there and check out the town I visited with my parents during my childhood. My trip was less about the Lithuanian Franciscan monastery my parents would make a point to visit, and more about hitting every bar and restaurant we could in a 24-hour period.

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I arrived at lunch time and we went straight to David’s KPT, one of three restaurants owned by chef David Turin, who owns two others in nearby Portland. I ate at the original David’s in Portland a few years ago and was not impressed, so it took a little coaxing to get me to come here. David’s KPT menu is simple, basic seafood, and for a restaurant on the water with great views, that’s about all you need. Nothing particularly creative here, just the basics, like fresh oysters and a rather bland lobster salad. Its key location also makes it a tourist trap and so they jack the prices up, so some oysters go for $3.50 each! I don’t even pay that in New York City.

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After lunch, we took a ride along the beautiful rugged Maine coast, passing the Bush family compound and the line of cars parked on the road with people taking snaps of the house for their scrapbooks. We stopped In Cape Porpoise, still a part of Kennebunkport, at a funky joint called The Ramp.

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On the water, The Ramp is crowded and noisy, with all kinds of old posters and souvenirs on the walls and ceiling, ranging from a NYC World Trade Center subway station sign to a “Vote for Marcos” campaign poster from the Philippines. We had to put our names on a list just to sit at the bar. But that was OK…we had a cocktail while waiting. By the time we finished our drinks and were ready to leave, our turn came up at the bar, so we handed our space off to the next person in line and moved on.

Our lovely server at The Ramp. Notice photos of former Presidents behind her.

Our lovely server at The Ramp. Notice photos of former Presidents behind her.

Back on the road, we drove into town, found a rare parking space on the street, and walked over to Tia’s Topside,with their signature giant lobster claws in the front yard.

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The menu was no great shakes, and it was clear the dude working the bar already had his fill of tourists for the season. No eye contact, just a “What do you guys want to drink?” That was a thumbs down in our book.

Walking back to the car, we popped into Ports of Italy for a pop. Looking at the plates of the people next to me at the bar, it seemed like we stumbled into a local version of the Olive Garden. The website makes everything we saw look much better. But we passed on the food. Generic drinks.

Clearly, the amount of drinks we had, and were still going to have, was going to be an issue, and Lee, being the driver, was behaving to avoid any trouble with the law. Police are everywhere in Kennebunk, and they are notorious for pulling you over for even the slightest infraction. So we headed back to the condo to park the car and wait for the taxi we hired for the night to take us to dinner and beyond.

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The culinary focus of the trip (I made reservations two months earlier) was Earth at Hidden Pond, a Ken Oringer restaurant in the center of a luxury resort just a short drive out of the center of town, hidden in the woods, surrounded by ridiculously expensive cabins.

Outdoor seating, great atmosphere at night when they light the torches and the fires.

Outdoor seating, great atmosphere at night when they light the torches and the fires.

Oringer is a crazy-talented chef, a Food Network “Iron Chef America” winner with a half-dozen respected restaurants to his name: Toro in Boston (personal favorite) and NYC, Clio in Boston, Coppa (excellent!) in Boston, and Uni in Boston. I was very glad to see that Earth lived up to my expectations.

The well-stocked bar at Earth.

The well-stocked bar at Earth.

Our evening got off to a slow start. It was a Saturday night, yet the main bartenders were nowhere to be found. (We heard that one was out due to a leg injury.) The woman that served us was great to talk to, but she clearly did not have a grasp on the crafting of the more complicated cocktails that Earth was known for. Our first drinks were good, but she literally had to read the recipes off a card to make them. And when I asked for Antica Formula in my Manhattan, she didn’t know what that was.

Enter Josh, a young, energetic bar assistant, who saw this as an opportunity to show off his mixology skills. He jumped right in and offered us a cocktails he created, and we welcomed his refreshing enthusiasm. I can’t even remember the ingredients list he had for each cocktail, but we thoroughly enjoyed them, and he custom-crafted them if we didn’t like a particular ingredient.

Small plates: meatballs, chicken wings with sesame and squid ink, shishito peppers.

Snacks: meatballs, chicken wings with sesame and squid ink, shishito peppers.

We started with a few apps, or snacks as they called them. The meatballs were good, average meatballs. The shishito peppers, roasted and salted, are a Ken Oringer signature dish, also served at his Toro restaurants. Usually 1 out of 10 are hot, but we had more than a few spicy bites on our plate. The chicken wings with squid ink were incredible: sweet, salty, briny. Probably the best wings I’ve ever had, and I’m dying to figure out how I can make them at home. I had a chance to talk to executive chef Justin Walker, and after he explained the process in detail, it was obvious it wouldn’t be easy!

A luxurious plate of seared foie gras followed. Couldn’t have been more perfect.

But after the foie, we had a dilemma: We made plans to have the taxi pick us up from the restaurant at 8:30, giving us 2 1/2 hours to eat dinner. It was after 8 already, and we had to focus on leaving, despite the fact that we didn’t have an entree yet. Our bartender suggested perhaps a dessert, and we decided to order a second plate of chicken wings to end our meal!

I was bummed that we didn’t give ourselves enough time to have a complete dinner. I suppose that meant we were having a good time and not just shoving food down our pie holes. It’s also my excuse to come back to Earth to “do things right” the next time!

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Our last stop was back in town at Old Vines, a wine bar that also serves great food. Though we were seated quickly at the bar and got our first drinks, it seemed like forever before we could get the attention of our female bartender who was far more interested in the other females at the bar than us two old guys. Hey, I understand that, but we wanted to order some food. It was only when the owner showed up that we were asked what we’d like to eat and by then we were told the kitchen may be closed. Fortunately, we ordered two cold dishes, so they were easy to prepare: beef carpaccio and a burata salad. Both were excellent.

A cab ride home, and it was time to pass out.

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The next morning, breakfast was back in Cape Porpoise at The Wayfarer, a local favorite for years. Always crowded, we managed to find a couple of seats at the bar. Crowded because the menu offers breakfast favorites with their own twist: a scramble of the day, housemade sausage, and interesting takes on standards, like lobster and pork belly eggs Benedict.

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The creativity of this dish was excellent, the execution not so much. Hey, I love pork fat, but the pork belly wasn’t cooked enough so it was rubbery and the lobster meat was cold–should’ve been warmed through before putting it on top of the eggs.

That’s OK…lots of good coffee and smiling faces were a welcome sight the morning after a big night of drinking!

The ride back to Rhode Island was a bit rough with a hangover. Next time, it’ll be 48 hours in Kennebunkport and I’ll make sure I get some rest!

 

GREEK-STYLE SHRIMP

Posted: June 27, 2015 in Food, restaurants, Santorini, seafood, shrimp, travel, Uncategorized
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Though it may sound Japanese, the word “saganaki” refers to a small frying pan used in Greek cooking. The most famous of these dishes, simply called saganaki, is a fried cheese, often flamed at the end with a little ouzo.

Shrimp saganaki is one of my favorite Greek dishes, and it usually involves cooking shrimp in a tomato-based sauce with plenty of feta cheese sprinkled in. It’s a simple yet fantastic dish if the ingredients are fresh. Doesn’t hurt to be sitting in a taverna on the beautiful island of Santorini while eating it, either!

Graviera cheese

Graviera cheese

I had a slab of Graviera cheese from my most recent trip to Santorini, and decided to recreate shrimp saganaki using that instead of feta. It was pretty damn amazing…

Melty, gooey, delicious!

Melty, gooey, delicious!

 

300 g grated Graviera cheese
1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes
1 lb (about 24) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 medium onion, chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, through a press
pinch red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons Ouzo
salt and pepper

 

Peel and de-vein the shrimp. Squeeze the juice of  1/2 of a lemon on to the shrimp and toss. Set aside.

In a large pan, saute the onions in the olive oil until translucent. Add garlic and cook for a few seconds more.

Crush or puree tomatoes and add to the pan. Add red pepper flakes, dill and oregano, and salt and pepper. Add Ouzo.

Let this sauce cook down for a bit until all the flavors have blended together.

Pour a layer of the sauce on the bottom of a metal broiler-proof pan. Lay the shrimp in a single layer into the sauce. Cover the shrimp with the rest of the sauce and sprinkle the grated Graviera on top.

Place the pan in the broiler and cook until the cheese is brown and bubbly.

shrimp saganaki

 

 

ST JOHN, USVI

Posted: March 12, 2015 in Caribbean, restaurants, scallops, seafood, shrimp, travel, tuna
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You could say I’ve done it all in St. John. My first visit 25 years ago was a week-long stay in a tent at Cinnamon Bay campground. I returned in later years to rent villas in the Chocolate Hole area as well as Coral Bay. I rented apartments and condos in Cruz Bay. And, I’ve stayed at the Westin Resort St. John several times.

St. John has rapidly become the island of the Jeep Wrangler. You'll find this as a rental more than any other kind of vehicle. Always reserve your car while you're still at home, before your trip. They go fast.

St. John has rapidly become the island of the Jeep Wrangler. You’ll find this as a rental more than any other kind of vehicle. Always reserve your car while you’re still at home, before your trip. They go fast.

 

St. John is a small, mountainous, tropical island, one of the three US Virgin Islands. (The other two are St. Thomas and St. Croix.) The Rockefellers fell in love with this island many years ago, and established what is now the Caneel Bay Resort. More significantly, they secured about two-thirds of this island (and much of its surrounding waters) as a National Park, which means limited construction on land and no annoying jerks in loud motor boats and jet skis off shore. Those areas where construction is allowed, outside of the National Park, like the town of Cruz Bay, have seen significant growth in the last two decades, and it’s not always for the best.

Local markets have kept up with the times, and you can now find gluten-free and organic foods easily on St. John.

Local markets have kept up with the times, and you can now find gluten-free and organic foods easily on St. John.

There’s no airport in St. John…just a helipad at the top of the island where the hospital is located. So that means everyone arrives here by boat. Vacationers land in St. Thomas and take a series of taxis and a ferry to get to St. John. Easy to do. The lack of affordable living space for locals that work here means many of them have to commute every day from St. Thomas, where the rent is cheaper.

Talk to most store or restaurant owners and they’ll tell you that they came to St. John on vacation and decided this was where they wanted to stay. I can’t say that I blame them. And if they had a radio station here, I’d be really tempted to do the same!

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Photo by Kelly Milukas.

 

 

Westin Resort St. John

Some of the flowers at the Westin.

Some of the flowers at the Westin.

 

We stayed at the Westin and a lot has changed since our last visit five years ago, especially the attitude of the staff in general. Where before they seemed bored, this time they went out of their way to be friendly and helpful. And it rubbed off on the guests, too. (At least the ones that weren’t total a-holes.)

We were here once again on Starwood points and got a poolside room with King-size bed and a roll away for our 8-yr-old daughter. The room was clean and comfortable, and housekeeping was there every day to make sure we had plenty of clean towels.

The push is definitely on to get you to see their time share properties, and so the sales pitch was annoying at times. But it didn’t take away from our enjoyment of the property.

My daughter loved the Kids’ Club (gives parents some private time.) My wife loved the spa. The staff of the dive shop was helpful in guiding us where to go snorkeling on the island, depending on water conditions.

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Nothing, I mean nothing, beats the private Westin ferry service that takes you from the airport to the resort and back again without any stress or hassle. After two-and-half decades, I can tell you: the public ferries and taxis can get tiresome. The Westin ferry makes you feel like a rock star. It’s $120 per adult roundtrip. That may sound steep until you realize that it takes the place of a bumpy 45-minute taxi ride in a crowded van from Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas to Red Hook, on the eastern side of the island….and dragging your stuff out of the van to the ferry at Red Hook that takes you to Cruz Bay in St. John…and fighting the crowds to unload your luggage and put it on a taxi that takes you from Cruz Bay to the Westin Hotel.

With the Westin ferry, you don’t lift a finger. When you land at the airport, you check in at the Westin desk, where they immediately give you your room keys and plan your return home (not that you want to think about it then, but you get peace of mind.) Then you get your luggage off the carousel and the Westin people put it on a taxi for you. The taxi takes 10 minutes to get to Charlotte Amalie, where the private Westin ferry is waiting for you. You board, and they load your luggage. You enjoy a beautiful 45-minute ferry ride and you arrive at the Westin resort’s private dock. You are greeted with a rum drink while they unload your luggage and bring it to your room. You already have your room key, so you get to your room when you feel like it. That’s the way it’s done! Of course, you do have to stay at the Westin to use the ferry service. But you also get unlimited free rides to and from St. Thomas on the ferry when you want to go there to shop, dine or explore. (We never do. We love this island too much.)

Poolside room view at the Westin.

Poolside room view at the Westin.

The food at the Westin poolside cafe/bar called Snorkels was great, with many healthy options. Room service was good, not great. Their only other real restaurant, Lemongrass, had a Thai theme which wasn’t very family friendly. And the previous fancy steak restaurant, in the main building, was now a big empty space. This meant that you had to leave the property and get a taxi to Cruz Bay (at $5 per person one-way) if you wanted a decent dinner. This was, in our opinion, the biggest fail on the part of what could be a great resort. (Like I said, we were there on points, and we’re foodies, so we were heading into town every night anyway. But if I was paying $700+ a night, and hoping to eat there with my kids, I’d be pissed. I guess there’s always room service.)
We arrived just before winter break. It was really peaceful and serene. Then the screaming parents and their brats arrived, and it became a whole different place. (We nicknamed our next-door neighbors the Awful-Awful family.) That’s when we rented a car and explored the island for a few days, returning only to shower and sleep. If you’re a couple looking for romance, beware of holidays!

 

The taxis on St. John, pick-up trucks with benches in the back, will take you just about anywhere on the island. Great when you don’t want to drink and drive…

 

 

Eating and drinking in Cruz Bay…

 

The Beach Bar

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I’ve listed the Beach Bar first, because it’s the first and last—and in between—place you need to be when you come to St. John. You have not officially arrived until you’ve had a drink here.

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Nothing fancy. Just a bar along the beach with good bar food. But at night, the Beach Bar jams with live music of every kind, and it’s the most fun you can have in Cruz Bay with your pants on! I have walked back–okay, stumbled back–to my condo many times from the Beach Bar in the last 3 decades. Like I said, it’s the first place I go to when I get to the island, and where you’ll always find me on my last night before I head home! Everyone comes here: singles, couples, families. No worries.

Bar games powered by Shirley Temples at the Beach Bar.

Bar games powered by Shirley Temples at the Beach Bar.

 

La Tapa

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Our choice for #1 restaurant on the island. We go to La Tapa every time we’re in St. John, and the food and service is always outstanding. This is where you go for a romantic dinner or a nice quiet time with the family. This is where you go when you’re tired of fritters and Caribbean tastes and you’re craving a high-end dining experience. Wonderful wines, well-made cocktails. Deliciously fresh gazpacho. An intriguing cheese plate. Foie gras and pork belly (what’s not to like?) House-aged steaks. Tasty desserts. Located right next to Woody’s, you could say that these two places are the opposite extremes of the St. John experience. Both great in their own, very different ways!

 

 

The Terrace

A bean martini at the Terrace, featuring house pickled haricot vert.

A bean martini at the Terrace, featuring house pickled haricot vert.

This wasn’t just excellent for St John. It was truly excellent. Inventive cocktails, like a martini with house-pickled haricot vert…foie gras…fresh monk fish…beautiful aged ribeyes…and more. Sophisticated flavors and combinations found in big city restaurants back home. No kids’ menu, but that’s OK. They made a wonderful dish of pasta with tomato sauce for our daughter. Knowledgeable and friendly service, quiet atmosphere despite their location across the street from the Beach Bar. Family friendly as well as a great spot for a romantic dinner. Reservations a must. #2 of our favorite restaurants on St John.

 

Morgan’s Mango

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Morgan’s Mango is a lively place where you can get a great cocktail and feast on wonderful Caribbean flavors. When you’ve just arrived in St. John, this is exactly what you want! I’m glad we came here first, because after several days of similar food, we started looking for a change of pace. But what they served us, they did well: tuna tartare, Caribbean ceviche, grilled mahi and more. Look for the sign outside…it means they’ve got fresh lobster that day! If you’re looking for a quiet night out, this is not the place. People are here to party and enjoy some great food. Morgan’s Mango delivers. Our #3 choice overall and best choice for local flavor.

The first sip. At Morgan's Mango.

The first sip. At Morgan’s Mango.

 

 

Waterfront Bistro

Not a bad place. What the server lacked in skills, she made up for in genuine friendliness. What makes this place special is that you’re on the water in Cruz Bay, and any restaurant that has that going for it is going to do well. Basic salads, okay apps, familiar entrees.

 

 

Uncle Joe’s Barbecue

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Located right in the center of Cruz Bay, in the large parking area across from the Post Office, there’s a small covered seating area with an equally small cooking space known as Uncle Joe’s Barbecue. The wait can be excruciatingly long, and in the old days, it was worth it. But we haven’t been here in 5 years, and it seems to me that the recipe, maybe the ownership, maybe the staff, has changed. Believe me, it’s not bad. But it just didn’t match the memory I had of it. And you better be OK with “island time” to eat here. Place your order, and go shopping. Come back in an hour, and maybe it’ll be ready. If not, go back out and shop some more. That’s the way it goes at Uncle Joe’s. Good ribs and chicken, just not what it used to be.

 

 

Rhumb Lines

The strange entrance to Rhumb Lines: through a convenience store.

The strange entrance to Rhumb Lines: through a convenience store.

Probably the most disappointing dinner on our entire trip to St. John. This place was recommended by several friends and we found the food to be just plain bad. When the best thing at the table is your kid’s chicken tenders and french fries, you know you’ve got a problem.
The atmosphere is fun and energetic, but all of our dishes were a real disappointment: summer rolls (flavorless), pot stickers (burnt), pad Thai (like out of a can), Cuban pork (mystery meat.) All served very quickly, to get you in and out as soon as possible. Thank goodness for cocktails and a decent bottle of wine.
In all honesty, St. John is not a foodie mecca anyway. So it wasn’t surprising to find this place packed nonetheless, especially during winter vacation week. But there are better places to eat in Cruz Bay. I would suggest sitting at the bar, and having a drink just to soak in the fun atmosphere. Then go eat somewhere else.

 

Woody’s Seafood Saloon

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You’re not going to get fine cuisine at Woody’s, but you’ll realize that the minute you see it. Crowded, loud, and absolutely insane, it is all about Happy Hour. And it’s a landmark you’ve got to visit, even if it’s just once. Besides, where else can you get a couple of Painkillers to go at their outdoor service window? And they make theirs with Cruzan rum, not Pusser’s. I prefer their recipe. Cheers!

 

Donkeys, cows, iguanas, even mongooses roam the island. And the roosters pose for photos.

Donkeys, cows, iguanas, even mongooses roam the island. And the roosters pose for photos.

 

Eating and Drinking In Coral Bay…

 

Ekaete Pink Corner

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This is what you do when you go to Coral Bay. You support the locals that are working hard to feed their families by feeding you a taste of their culture. Over the years, we’ve seen this little place grown from a trailer to a quaint outdoor restaurant, and the food has always been wonderful and served with a smile. On our last visit, we did the Sunday brunch, which consisted of a buffet with pork ribs, curried goat, mahi, jerk pork, and more. Everything other than the mahi, which dried out on a buffet table, was excellent. We washed it all down with a beer and their homemade sorrel drink.

Sunday brunch: ribs, mahi, chicken, curried goat, and veggies.

Sunday brunch: ribs, mahi, chicken, curried goat, and veggies.

And for dessert, the homemade soursop ice cream was a special treat. If you’re in Coral Bay, you can’t miss this place. Stop by, and if you can’t dine in, get some take-out for the beach.

Soursop ice cream.

Soursop ice cream.

 

 

Shipwreck Landing

There’s nothing horribly wrong with Shipwreck Landing. It’s just not great. In an area like Coral Bay, where the food choices are limited, you could do worse. We chose it as our dinner spot for Valentine’s evening and the food was mediocre at best. As I’ve said before, you don’t come to St. John for the food…and if you do, you stay in Cruz Bay. We take our dinner more seriously than our lunches, where Shipwreck has been fine with salads and burgers. But none of the dinner entrees we had (fish, steak) really impressed us. Coconut shrimp was overcooked and tasted like it came out of a box. Who cares, I suppose. It was snowing back home and we were in St. John!

 

You can even find deer on St. John. Maybe this means venison on someone's menu soon?

You can even find deer on St. John. Maybe this means venison on someone’s menu soon?

 

Eating and Drinking In the East End…

 

Vie’s Snack Shack

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My first visit to Vie’s Snack Shack was 25 years ago, when Vie herself ran the shack. Back then, the shack was open when Vie felt like it, and I was lucky enough to catch it almost every time I was on the island. Now, years later, the shack is run by her daughter, and she keeps regular hours…something the average tourist can appreciate! (They’re open Tuesday thru Saturday from 10 to 5.) The garlic chicken is still fantastic, especially when you drizzle honey on top. Same with the Johnny cakes. But nobody, and I mean nobody in St. John makes conch fritters like Vie’s! Worth the car rental and drive out to the boonies just for that! Plus, for a mere $2.50 per person, you can swim at Vie’s private beach, which is on a beautiful cove with decent snorkeling. The definition of the good life.

Fun to see how many customized "Dip" signs you can spot while driving around the island.

Fun to see how many customized “Dip” signs you can spot while driving around the island.

 

Where We Didn’t Go This Time But Have in the Past…

 

Skinny Legs: Where the Coral Bay locals go. It can get pretty rowdy in here, but families are always welcome. Great burgers, cheap drinks. You can smell the grill a mile away!

Miss Lucy’s: Famous for their full-moon parties, it’s just past “the main drag” in Coral Bay. On the water, and lots of fun, with a Caribbean flavor.

Asolare: At the top of the hill as you leave Cruz Bay to head to the north shore, and a favorite for dinner at sunset. Good food, not great, but the views are spectacular.

 

The Beaches…

Used to be that none of the beaches on St John had services like snack bars, showers and bathrooms. Now some do. The ones that do are always the most crowded and that’s why I avoid them. But you certainly can’t go wrong with any beach on St John! Taxis will take you just about anywhere if you don’t have a car.

Money shot: a view of Trunk Bay from the cliffs above.

Money shot: a view of Trunk Bay from the cliffs above.

Trunk Bay: If it’s your first trip to St John, especially if you have kids, you’ll want to go to Trunk Bay to see the underwater snorkeling trail. Unfortunately, that’s what the cruise ships do as well, so talk to your hotel and find out when the crowds are less likely to be there.

Hawksnest Bay: The first public beach you see on the north shore. Small beach, good waves.

A great place for kids to learn how to snorkel!

A great place for kids to learn how to snorkel!

Cinnamon Bay: It’s a campground, with a restaurant and a convenience store…and a beach. Where I first stayed on St. John, 25 years ago, and discovered that Cruzan rum was much cheaper than a crappy can of Coors Light! I never looked back!

Francis Bay.

Francis Bay.

Francis Bay: This used to be our favorite beach until they opened up a large parking lot next to it. Not only do cars fill the lot, they spill out for a half-mile onto the narrow road that takes you to the lot. Still, it’s a beautiful beach and a personal favorite. Lots of pelicans flying around. Decent snorkeling. Years ago, I had a great barbecue party on the beach here…something you just can’t do at Francis Bay anymore.

 

What the parking is like…

 

What the beach is like…

 

 

 

 

 

Salt Pond Bay: You have to drive all the way around the island, past Coral Bay and south to get here. Then you have a hike down to the bay. But it’s worth it. Nice snorkeling, calm waters. No services.

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Great Lamshur and Little Lamshur Bay: If you’ve driven all the way to Salt Pond, drive a little further to the end of the road and you’ll get to the Lamshurs. About as out-of-the-way as you can get on this island, and the snorkeling can be great here. No taxis here. You need a Jeep.

A sign at Honeymoon Beach. Hiking trails in this area have many wild donkeys, which were brought here in the 1600's from Spain to help in sugar cane harvesting.

A sign at Honeymoon Beach. Hiking trails in this area have many wild donkeys, which were brought here in the 1600’s from Spain to help in sugar cane harvesting.

Honeymoon Bay: Why we didn’t know about this sooner is beyond me. This is a beach just off the Caneel Bay resort property. You basically take a taxi to Caneel Bay and then walk…a lot. But you end up on this beautiful beach that has a snack bar and offers some beach rentals, too. Kind of a secret beach.

 

Tips for a great St. John vacation…

 

  • No matter what you need: a taxi, some information, whatever…the first thing you always say to a local, in person or on the phone,  is “Hello, how are you today?” You’ll be surprised at the smile you’ll get.
  • If you’re a U.S. citizen, you don’t need a passport to come here. But if you decide that you want to go to the BVI at the last-minute, you will need one. So bring it anyway. Snorkeling trips to Jost Van Dyke are awesome, and they’ll take you to the greatest beach bar on planet Earth: The Soggy Dollar, home of the original Painkiller. Also the famous Foxy’s. Just remember: it’ll cost you extra cash and time to go through customs in the BVI as well as customs back in St. John when you return.
  • You really need a full week to appreciate St. John, but two is even better. Plan to rent a car for at least a few days if you stay in Cruz Bay. You may need it the entire trip if you rent in Coral Bay or if you’re staying in a villa that’s away from it all. Always reserve your rental car from home, way before you make your trip, or you’ll be out of luck.
  • Explore all the beaches, especially those on the south shore, beyond Coral Bay. They’re quieter and they’ve got great snorkeling.
  • There’s nothing on St. Thomas that you can’t get on St. John, except, crowds, traffic and obnoxious cruise ship tourists. You came to get away from it all. Stay here.
  • Bring some of those special things you need every day from home. You won’t always find herbal teas or special coffees, Truvia, certain cereals, etc. But you will find what you need for the most part.
  • Duty free booze on St. John is a great deal. And if you buy local Cruzan rum, you’ll save a ton. But beware: wine is twice as expensive as it is at home! If you’re staying for a long time and you love fine wine, it may be worth it for you to bring a case from home.
  • Embrace “island time.” If you’re impatient, this is not the place for you.

 

 

A WEEKEND IN NEW YORK CITY

Posted: February 7, 2015 in Cocktails, Drinks, Food, Italian, MARTINI, mixology, New York City, restaurants, travel, wine
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GUILTLESS FRIED FISH

Posted: January 18, 2015 in Food, frying, New York City, pasta, Recipes, restaurants, seafood, travel, Uncategorized
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It’s always a challenge when you’re on a diet. I’m going no alcohol and low-carb to lose some weight. (Down 6 lbs. in 5 days so far.) My wife needs to include gluten-free food in her diet, though she can have a few carbs. Fish is a great source of protein, and we love it sauteed in a little butter and olive oil with Paul Prudhomme’s Seafood Magic seasoning on it. But let’s face it, that gets old after a while, and we all know there’s nothing tastier than fried fish.

Rather than using a heavy beer batter like I used to do (damn good and easy to do:http://wp.me/p1c1Nl-en), I came up with a very light gluten-free-flour-based seasoning that gave the fresh-caught local fish we bought incredible flavor and crunch without a carb overload and without gluten. Damn good, and I have to say, you’d never know the difference.

There are many gluten-free flours out there now, and all you need to do is substitute them cup-for-cup in any recipe you have. I’ve tried Bob’s Red Mill (OK), King Arthur (better), and Pamela’s (very good–what I used for this recipe.) I’ve just ordered the latest: Cup 4 Cup, created by chefs that include the famous Thomas Keller, which we tasted at Mario Batali’s Del Posto restaurant in New York City recently. They have about 12 different pasta dishes on their menu, and each one has a gluten-free option using the Cup 4 Cup flour. They were fantastic!

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1 cup flour (all-purpose or gluten-free)

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon granulated onion

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon paprika

2 eggs

fresh locally caught fish fillets of your choice (I used fluke and ocean perch)

Organic GMO-free canola oil or avocado oil for frying

 

In a flat bowl you will use to dredge the fish fillets, combine the flour, salt and pepper, parsley, oregano, granulated onion and garlic, and paprika.

In a separate flat bowl, scramble the 2 eggs.

Pour about 1/2″ of the oil in a pan and heat to medium-high heat.

Dip the fish fillets first in the eggs, coating well. Then dredge in the flour mixture, pressing down on both sides, so the flour mixture really sticks to the fish. Then shake the fillet lightly to remove the excess flour and gently lay the fillet in the hot oil. Fry until golden.

We made a quick and delicious tartare sauce using mayonnaise, dill pickle relish and Maille sauterne mustard.

 

PIZZA MONTANARA

Posted: January 8, 2015 in Food, frying, Italian, New York City, pizza, restaurants, Rhode Island, Uncategorized
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Despite the large Italian community we have here in southern New England, there’s no exceptional pizza to speak of. I suppose you could say “them’s fightin’ words!” but if it’s here, I haven’t found it yet. (Fellini Pizza is about the best in Providence…and New Bedford’s Brick makes a good pie.)

 

So where is the excellent pizza? New York City, of course. OK…maybe I’m prejudiced because I’m a Brooklyn boy, and worked in a variety of pizzerias in my younger days, but there’s no doubt in my mind that if you want the best pizza–or bagel, for that matter–you’ve got to go to the Big Apple. (Even “Frank Pepe’s” in New Haven, CT is a mere stop on the way to the real deal.)

 

Pizza in NYC can be confusing as there are many different varieties to choose from. Brick oven pizzas abound, but there are pizza lovers who won’t settle for anything less than a pizza baked in a coal-fired oven. The extremely high heat of a coal-fired oven cooks the pizza in just a minute, and imparts a crusty, charred flavor you can’t get any other way. There are only about a dozen coal-fired pizzerias in New York City, and many of them have been around for 100 years or more, so it’s definitely a matter of making a special trip to enjoy this style of pizza.

 

Plenty of good, basic pizza, too: the traditional thin, round Neopolitan pie, and the thicker, square Sicilian pie, baked in that Blodgett pizza oven we all knew in our early pizza-making days.

 

So several years ago, when I heard through the pizza lovers’ grapevine that a “new” pizza was out there, one that was gaining a cult following, I needed to know about it. And more importantly, I needed to taste it!

 

It’s called Pizza Montanara, and there’s only a few pizzerias in New York City that serve it. The one I go to without fail is PizzArte, on West 55th, and I have to say it’s the ultimate pizza.

 

What makes Pizza Montanara so spectacular, quite simply, is that the dough is fried in oil before they put the sauce and cheese on it, and then they cook it in a wood burning oven. It is not greasy. The frying process, which lasts only a minute, puffs the dough up and creates a beautiful pillow-like softness that I’ve never experienced in a pizza before. Imagine a pizza cloud and you’ve got Pizza Montanara.

My signature pizza: marinated beef tenderloin with chive blossoms. Not Pizza Montanara, but not bad!

My signature pizza: marinated beef tenderloin with chive blossoms. Not Pizza Montanara, but not bad!

 

I’ve made Pizza Montanara at home, with some success. I poured a few inches of olive oil in a large skillet, stretched my dough into a small pie, and gently floated it into the pan. Using a spatula and tongs, I was able to flip the fried dough over after about 30 seconds, then removed it from the pan after another 30 seconds. It was golden and puffy. I quickly sauced and cheesed it and in the oven it went. But it’s a messy process I’d rather leave to the pros.

 

I’ll be “living the live” in New York City this weekend. PizzArte already on the list for Friday night. Looks for the photos. I can’t think of anything better than an amazing Pizza Montanara before I go on my no-carb diet next week!

FOOD MARKETS OF MADRID

Posted: January 2, 2015 in Drinks, Food, pork, restaurants, Spain, travel, wine
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No trip to Madrid is complete without visiting a couple of food markets. The quality and selection of foods, ready-to-eat on location or packaged to go, is mind-boggling!

Mercado de San Miguel

Mercado de San Miguel

On our recent trip to Madrid, we sampled foods from two food markets: Mercado de San Miguel and Mercado San Anton.

Mercado de San Miguel

Mercado de San Miguel

Praised by many as the best market in the city, Mercado de San Miguel is near the tourist center of Madrid, by the Plaza Mayor, a plaza featuring open-air restaurants, outdoor concerts and loads of street performers looking to make a few bucks. The choice of foods at Mercado de San Miguel is incredible, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find an empty seat.

My not-so-adventurous daughter found happiness in a personal pizza.

My not-so-adventurous daughter found happiness in a personal pizza.

It’s worth the extra effort to elbow your way over to your own private corner of the market to enjoy everything from olives to oysters.

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House-made sangria and little salamis served up like french fries.

House-made sangria and little salamis served up like french fries.

Grilled sardines.

Grilled sardines.

Sweet as well as savory bites.

Sweet as well as savory bites.

If you’re lucky enough to have a place to cook, you can take home some fantastic seafood…

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…including swordfish and squid!

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Though the Mercado de San Miguel clearly has it all, its large size and huge crowds can be a challenge to those not wanting to stand in long lines. The Mercado San Anton across town, meanwhile, is funky, smaller and a more manageable market.

Pork heaven at Mercado San Anton.

Pork heaven at Mercado San Anton.

 

Mercado San Anton has five floors. Three feature food shops and tapas bars. Grab a bite and a drink right there or take it with you.

Our favorite tapas when in Spain: a skewer of olives, peppers and anchovies.

Our favorite tapas when in Spain: Gilda de Boqueron y Anchoa (a skewer of olives, peppers and anchovies.)

And on the top floor: a great restaurant that you shouldn’t miss: La Cocina de San Anton. If for no other reason, you need to dine here to experience the magnificent plate of Iberico ham and other meats they offer, sliced to order. This is truly a situation where more is more.

Acorn-fed Iberico ham: there's nothing like it!

Acorn-fed Iberico ham: there’s nothing like it!

 

The window at Cocina de San Anton.

The window at Cocina de San Anton: it’s all about the pig!

We’d go back to the Mercado San Anton in a heartbeat. Located in the colorful Chueca neighborhood full of art galleries, it’s a place where you can easily spend hours and hours over lunch.

Madrid has many fine restaurants. But tapas are a great way for any self-respecting foodie to explore the markets for a real taste of this beautiful city.

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