While driving through New York state last night, we stopped in Binghamton’s South Bridge Business District for a delightful dinner at The Whole In The Wall Restaurant. We found it using my favorite roadtrip tool Eat Well Guide and were intrigued by the online reviews, especially about the garlic ball.

According to this cozy, down to earth restaurant’s menu, they strive to “serve the highest quality all natural food in a unique and offbeat way.” We could tell right away that the establishment has been pretty sucessful living up to this mission as evidenced by the memorbilia left behind by various pleased customers like Bob Dylan, Phish and REM and the mail order business they now have selling their eclectic pestos (like sundried tomato and ramp flavors), and the fact that the restaurant has been going strong in the same quaint location for 30 years now.

The decor made me smile, earthy and funky but very clean and spacious at the same time. Our waitresses were attentive and friendly. Opening the menu, I kept smiling, with so many vegetables and locally sourced ingredients, organic free range grass fed beef and even brown rice at no surcharge!

We started out with the sundried pesto cheese spread with crackers, Jamacian ginger lemonade and a side salad with the homemade sesame-yogurt dressing.

Old-timey music eminated from an upright piano played by an old man with a calm soothing voice, hitting our ears at just the right volume. We shared a bowl of the famous creamy mushroom soup. After one bite, we knew why this soup is so popular. It is so thick, gravy-like and full of umami. I usually try to figure out what is in awesome flavors are when I find something so delicious as this, but we just decided to enjoy it and not bother thinking about it so much.

Next came the garlic ball. This is no wimpy garlic bread. It is essentially a dense homemade whole wheat roll drenched in garlic butter with parsley. It is chewy, salty, garlicy, gooey, hot and needs to be eaten with a fork and knife. I could understand how someone could not like it – but for garlic lovers like us it was an excellent choice.

Our main dishes – rigatoni with red pepper pesto and lasagna with sauteed bell peppers, zuccini, eggplant, cheddar and creamy butternut squash sauce – were both cooked just right and tasted like they were made with fresh ingredients.

The Whole in the Wall is a golden arrow in the road trip food quiver. I will drool in my sleep looking forward to the next chance I have to stop in Binghamton to enjoy another bowl of their mushroom soup.

While driving through Cleveland on a road trip last weekend, we stopped for dinner in the historic Ohio City neighborhood. We decided to try the first brew pub in Ohio, Great Lakes Brewing Company.We checked out the whole operation – an elegant upstairs bar, dining rooms indoors that had the brew tanks encased in glass, outdoor patios decorated with kegs and flowers, a gift shop, and a basement area reminiscent of European cellar pubs.

We were seated in the dining room near the brew tanks and were presented with a delicious menu with a full selection of beer from light lagers to dark stouts including an organic German ale. We were especially interested in the Cellar Dweller Organic Ale because of our interest in maintaining the viability of agriculture into the future (and to avoid supporting use of petrochemicals because of carbon footprint and effects on our health). They ran out of Cellar Dwellar so we tried the Commodore Perry IPA and the Edmund Fitzgerald Porter. Both were well crafted, satisfying, flavorful beers.

The best part about this restaurant is their commitment to sustainability. We were impressed wiht the variety of regional and locally sourced ingredients and sustainable seafood selections on the menu. This is the kind of business that I seek out and want to support, as where the food comes from is equally important to me as the taste. The food did taste pretty good by the way. We started out with the mussels steamed in Great Lakes’ own Dortmunder Gold Lager, garlic with butter, bell peppers and lemon. It was served with fresh hearty warm whole wheat bread for dipping in the broth. Next we ate the chopped Greek salad that was standard, but refreshing and hit the spot. We also tried the Lake Erie Perch with sauteed pea pods in lemon basil sauce. It had a light, tender buttery texture with more flavor than a typical white fish.

Next time I’m in Cleveland I am definitely going to make time to stop in for another scrumptious meal at Great Lakes Brewing Company!

Had the opportunity to visit the great city of New York this past weekend and make it a point to hit up Momofuku for lunch on the Sunday we were there.  I’ll start by admitting that I’ve been really into the Momofuku cookbook.  I haven’t yet made many recipes from it just yet besides the Momofuku chicken wings, but that will change, especially after making my first trip to Noodle Bar.  If you haven’t heard of Momofuku, it’s the restaurant group started by David Chang in New York and has been wildly successful since its inception.  If you want to read more, see here and here.

What everyone usually talk about is the pork buns, which have been replicated here in Boston by chef Phillip Tang at East by Northeast in Cambridge (yes, they’re delicious here too).  Also, Momofuku Noodle Bar especially is famous for its Ramen noodles, and no, we’re not talking about some garbage 50 cent Top Ramen package with the foil flavor packet.  I made another point of ordering the Momofuku ramen too – which was truly delicious – served with shredded pork shoulder, two slices of slow cooked pork belly, bamboo shoots, slow poached egg and minced scallions and I haven’t even started talking about the noodles.  A decadent, insanely comforting and delicious dish.

We started out with a pork bun each, which actually surprised me a little due to how much pork is actually in these things.  I was expecting them to be a little bit smaller, but I’m not complaining.  The other thing that’s nice about these is the buns themselves.  For some reason when I was thinking about ‘steamed bread’, I wasn’t really that excited about this – I mean c’mon, steamed bread?  Sounds sort of damp and soggy, but trust me it isn’t.  The buns are a really good consistency, topped with Hoisin sauce, a few cucumbers and then folded over around a major league slice of tender pork belly.  Everything perfect besides the fact that I wanted my pork belly crisped up a bit.  No complaints though, these things killed it.  We also sampled the chicken wings, which were smoky and good – the XO vinaigrette was much better than the one I made in the recipe above.

There were 7 f us eating and 4 ordered the Momofuku Ramen – me included.  Others in our party ordered the ginger-scallion noodles, which were my second favorite dish here – topped with the famous ginger-scallion sauce that coats the noodles perfectly.  The best part about both of these dishes though was the noodles themselves.  They are a recipe that I really want to not only make but master and make often.  We also ordered a small pot of kimchi which paired with all of the noodle dishes really well.

Another element that I thought was really interesting about the cookbook was the slow poached egg, which was also included right in the middle of the ramen bowl.  The yolk of the egg was perfectly runny and when mixed into the broth added an awesome richness.  Our other 2 friends went out on a limb and ordered a special of the daily menu – a spicy lamb ramen with wide rice noodles, which was good, but didn’t hold a chance against the signature ramen dish.

Though the restaurant was damn busy (we made a point of getting there right at opening) – it’s not big and filled up in literally 15 minutes after opening at 12 noon on a Sunday, Momofuku did live up to the hype that we’d heard about: excellent food, just really comforting Asian cuisine and attentive service.  I will do my best to make it to Ssam Bar and Ko before too long, as I’m interested in what else Chef Chang has to offer.

As people who claim to know anything about Italian cooking, it is not hard to imagine how we ended up in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy on our trip after loving the food and culture in the Amalfi Coast and the Tuscan wineries and restaurants. The Emila-Romagna is an area many famous Italian chefs, including Mario Batali, herald as one of the food capitals of the world.  The Emilia-Romagna, a rather wealthy area of Italy, is home to Bologna, a city that is responsible for both Bolognese sauce, which Italians call ragu, and to the cold cut that shares its name, which Italians call mortadella.  West of Bologna you will find Parma, home to the famous Parmigiana Reggiano cheese and to Prosciutto de Parma.  Between these two cities lies Modena, the birthplace of Balsamic vinegar.  With all of these culinary highlights, it is a wonder we didn’t spend our whole trip here!

Of all of the wonderful offerings of this region, I intend to dedicate the remainder of this post to just one room, in a tiny osteria in the city of Modena, hidden in the back of a little market, containing only four beautifully set tables, in which Adrian and I were served what must be the best meal we have ever eaten.  We would have never in a million years found this jewel of a restaurant had we not been led there by Mario Batali’s online guide to traveling in Italy.  His praise for the restaurant claims that if you are to travel to any one place in Italy, “it must be here.”  High marks from an iron chef who has made his career studying and preparing authentic Italian cuisine.  So we heeded his advice, and we went there.  And “there” was the highlight of our whole trip.

The market that sits in front of this hidden restaurant is called Macelleria de Guisseppe Guisti.  It is a small little market with an amazing selection of cured meats, cheeses, and jarred goods, as well as a nice variety of balsamicos. There is also a cafe next door, but don’t mistake this for the real jewel, which we only found when Adrian questioned the man servicing the meat counter about “l’hosteria?”.  The man replied, “si, si” and shuffled us behind the counter, through swinging doors and a dim hallway into a room that couldn’t have been more than ten meters in width and length.  It contained only four tables, two of which were occupied.  He seated us, and we smiled at each other victoriously, glad we hadn’t had much of a breakfast.

Our waitress, who we soon learned was the great, if not the great-great granddaughter of Guisseppe himself, spoke enough English to give us some insight into the menu and to recommend a local Lambrusco, a sparkling red wine, served chilled, that locals drink with everything.

Our plan of attack, since it was around one in the afternoon, was to just go for a big lunch and not have to eat for the rest of the day, if ever!  So we decided on sharing an antipasti, each ordering a primi piatti, and splitting a secondi.   For the first course we decided on a seasonal dish, a zucchini blossom, stuffed with simple risotto, dipped in a batter, fried to perfection, and drizzled (of course) with an aged balsamic vinegar.  It was absolutely divine.    The risotto stuffing was perfectly al dente and undoubtedly seasoned with Parmigiana, and the flavor of the zucchini blossom was the star of the dish.

For our pasta course, we went with one seasonal and one very traditional dish.  The waitress told us that they had “special” fresh ricotta, so I ordered the tortelloni with ricotta, spinach, and lemon zest that was lightly sauced with butter.  The dish was so fresh, and if you can imagine anything tossed in butter tasting light, that is the only way I can describe it.  The fresh pasta that encased the tortelloni was perfectly thin and cooked to perfection.

Adrian went with a regional specialty for his primi – Pappardelle con Guanciale, or thick cut pasta with the cured cheeks of the pig.  Again, the pasta was so perfect, it was almost the star of the dish, were it not for the unbelievable, rich and slow sauce.  We both reluctantly switched plates to sample each other’s, only to become increasingly confused about which dish to fight for.  Either one of these dishes would have certainly been the best pasta we had ever had.

For our secondi course, we opted for their house made sausage, which the waitress assured us was their specialty.  We decided to trust her on that, wisely.  The sausage was formed in perfect disc-shaped patties, coated in a light breading, and deep fried until it had a perfect golden crust to encase the savory juices within.  The sausages were accompanied by a perfect zabaglione, which is an incredibly light custard made with whipped egg yolks, sugar, and Lambrusco wine.  Having a sweet accompaniment to such a savory dish was surprising at first, but when we tasted them together, it was indescribably delicious.  Who ever thought of that should be knighted.

To finish the meal, we couldn’t pass on their homemade ice cream drizzled with a reserve aged balsamic vinegar, an absolute treat, after which we expected to have to request a wheel barrel to tote us out to the street.  Remarkably, though, we felt wonderful, which is a testament to the perfect portion sizes and simplicity of the food we had just eaten.  Or perhaps it was the ease on our wallet that left us feeling so great – the whole meal cost less than sixty Euros.

We left through the back door, which puts you at the very end of a long alley.  Just outside the door, accross the alley, there was a wine store that carried an innumerable collection of Italian wines.  The lights were low and no one was presently in the wine shop, but the door was open nonetheless, despite the fortune of wines within.  Only in Italy!  We were pleased at the opportunity to just snap a few photos and let the high from that most incredible meal carry us back to our hotel in Bologna.

There are not many places in the world that I’ve seen like Toscana (Tuscany to us North Americans).  Especially in the summertime, when man, that Tuscan sun is intense – the movie didn’t lie about that one.

So after an amazing few days down on the Amalfi Coast, Aimee and I made our way via rental car (a little go-cart-esque Fiat) from Sorrento up the A1 highway to the hills of Tuscany.  Along the way, we stopped in Montepulciano quickly, took some pics and (not surprisingly) bought a bottle of Brunello wine – really great stuff.

Tuscany is the home of wine in Italy for the most part – the place where Chianti comes from, the pinnacle of the ancient Sangiovese grape, which is responsible for the makeup of the region’s most popular wine, Chianti Classico.  Chianti, as we learned at the Castello Fonterutolli outside of Castellina, MUST contain no less than 80% of Sangiovese grape – other than that it’s up to the vintner, many use Cabernet Sauvignon to complement.

We spent out time between the town of Siena – an awesomely ancient city (like going back to the middle ages in terms of the architecture, art and just the feel of the city).  In terms of food, we really enjoyed Siena as well, tasting probably what was the second best meal of our time in Italy, on Aimee’s birthday at the Antica Osteria da Divo, a fantastic little restaurant that we literally stumbled upon after a rather embarrassing incident driving through the mainly pedestrian streets of the Siena town center.  The restaurant was perfectly suited for Siena, with terra cotta floors and high, wood beamed ceilings.  The only light came from candles on the tables and around the room.

It’s unfortunate that we didn’t get some pictures of this food, as it really was delicious.  We started with Crispy Herb Scented Anchovies with Eggplant Cake and Basil Sauce, then sampled some of the regional specialties.  In Tuscany, they’re famous for their use of wild boar, which we sampled in the Pici with Wild Boar Ragu.  Pici is a hand rolled, or “pinched”, pasta that is shorter and much thicker than spaghetti.  We also ordered a risotto dish with zucchini and zucchini flowers served in a hollow wheel of pecorino cheese.  When they scooped the risotto out of the cheese, the dish was delightfully rich and creamy – a nice touch!   Since we had just been in Montepulciano, and we were planning to head to Chianti in the next couple of days, we decided to order a Brunello to sip throughout the meal.  Delicious all around for sure.

In Tuscany, Aimee and I also fell head over heels in love with perhaps our favorite ingredient in all of Italy this time of year – the tomato.  Bruschetta you see was in full bloom there, and we took full advantage in Tuscany.  Perhaps the second best Bruschetta we sampled in Italy was at a cafe right on the Siena’s main square the Piazza di Campo.  So simple and delicious – something that we’ve already re-created here at home for dinner.  Just toast up some crusty bread, rub the surface with a garlic clove, and top it with tomatoes tossed in a little olive oil, salt, and dried oregano.  That’s it.  But believe me, that is enough.  In the heat of July, bruschetta is a perfect snack.

Other highlights of Tuscany besides the wine and the food was the coffee – especially at the famous Siena roaster Nannini, which roasts their own coffee and offers homemade gelato and around 1,000 different types of pastries and biscotti.  It offers very few tables, but there is a long espresso bar at which you can stand and sip your cappuccino or espresso and nibble on your pastry.

We also sampled some of the traditional dishes of Italy in Tuscany, such as Pesto Genovese, Fagiuoli all‘Uccelletto – the traditional Tuscan white beans in a simple tomato sauce.  Panzanella, a salad made with bread, cucumbers, and tomatoes, is also a regional specialty during the summertime, but the authentic version unfortunately falls a little short of the american adaptation.

Rather than making the dish with fresh baked crusty croutons, as we often see Giada prepare it on the Food Network, the serve it with mushed up day old bread, sparingly incorporate peeled and chopped cucumbers and tomatoes, and dress it with little more than olive oil.  It is served chilled and lacks much acidity.  This is one dish we tried that we definitely prefer to eat at home.

All in all, Toscana’s stunning scenery and rich history make for a memorable experience.  We’ll certainly be back.  For now, off to Bologna, Modena and Emilia-Romagna!!

So with a few days of married life under our belts, Aimee and I set off to Italia – a place we’ve long looked forward to traveling together for the sights, architecture, art, bot mostly the food and wine.  Our first stop on the trip was the Amalfi coast, where after loads of recommendations, we decided to stay in Positano, a town literally built into a 3-4K foot mountain with views right down to the Mediterranean and cool shops and restaurants throughout.

In terms of the food, we figured two things: first, we’re on the water, so the seafood must be delicious.  Second, we’re near Napoli (Naples), the home and origin of pizza, so we thought that sampling a few of these local delicacies was a good idea.  We really had no idea about which restaurants were which, but we tried to stick by our guns and find places that were more like holes in the wall instead of fancy places looking for Michelin stars.

Our first night in Italy, quite tired from a red eye flight and the day of traveling that followed, we struck out and found a restaurant called ‘Ristorante Il Capitano’, situated on a corner of a steep Positano street, just overlooking the harbor and water. Quite a setting, and they complimented it with a duo Lute and Guitar player for a small charge (something that every restaurant in Italy does I’ve learned).

Our meal started with perhaps my favorite dish of the trip so far: Thinly sliced fried Zucchini, dressed with salt, vinegar and olive oil.  Imagine something like a plate of small potato chips, but instead of potatoes, they’re zucchini instead.  Delicious, and something that I’ll try to reproduce for sure.  We then ate a pasta dish made from homemade squid ink pasta served with small fishes and tomatoes.  Delicious, and the pasta, albeit not the best made pasta I’ve ever had, was flavored with the quid ink and insanely good.  We then shared a pizzetta with some salumi and simple fresh tomatoes from San Marzano, which I later learned are grown in the area on the southern slope of Mount Vesuvius, just outside of Napoli.

This pizza really changed my idea of pizza totally around, and not just on the pizza front – on all food in general.  The food here in Italy is SO SIMPLE.  These people who cook here (basically everyone) don’t try to do too much.  It’s a lesson I needed to come here to learn – less is more.  For example, the tomato sauce they use for the pizzas in Napoli: it’s literally just pureed tomatoes – possibly a touch of garlic, but that’s basically it, and that’s all it needs to be.

Our eating experiences in Positano continued at the Saraceno D’Oro, right down the street from our hotel.  We ate simple things here as well, such as simple spaghetti with cherry tomatoes, bruschetta con tomate (best bruschetta I’ve had BY FAR) and the best thing (again) was the pizza – this time with Fungi Porcini, fresh porcini – tasting almost as delicious as if there were actual truffles on the pizza.  The bruschetta was made by the way the restaurant prepared the bread – it was baked fresh, then simply toasted to perfection (not just thrown in the toaster – it was golden brown throughout) then rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil, before the tomatoes went on.

In terms of drinks, the Amalfi coast is known for it’s citrus groves, mostly lemons – so you can imagine it’s the home of limoncello.  What I was surprised by is that every little gift shop and bar in Positano and Amalfi makes their own version of the stuff.  We tried a couple different samples, and liked them all, especially at the Saraceno D’Oro where they gave us free samples after our meal.

As we drove out of the south of Italy, through Sorrento, Napoli and the surrounding coast, we were more than content and happy we had gone there and experienced the culture, views and of course of the food of the Amalfi coast – it’s qite a place.  Oh, and if you’re considering coming here and also potentially Cinque Terre, take it from me (I’ve been to both places) go to the Amalfi Coast, it’s much bigger and more dramatic.  Don’t forget you’re in the home of pizza!

Next Stop: Tuscany: Siena and Chianti!

Let me first start by explaining what it’s like to go on a trip with Bob Owen – my father. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been to the destination once or a thousand times, you’ll always feel like a tourist. He’s a man in constant need of information – “What are you known for”, “Who are the owners so that I may get a picture with our family”, “Does president Lincoln have any ties to this town?” But typically the local flare, despite your grumpy, “I hate tourists”, local, enjoy his passion for wanting to know every little detail about their town, locals shops and in this case, their breakfast spots.

Up For Breakfast is right across from the old Quality Restaurant in Manchester, Vermont. It was a sad sight to see a dark interior where the Quality once stood. From the classic jukebox to the fresh squeezed orange juice, our family has many fond memories of their breakfast. But there’s no question that a new breakfast sheriff is in town and many memories are in store for the Owen family.

Upon arriving at Up For Breakfast, you must first make it up the steep and narrow wooden stairs that lead you to the second floor of this two story building. The space below is closed and we later learned that Bonnie, the founder of Up For Breakfast, is the owner (she’s looking for renters). But don’t tell Bonnie she should open up the bottom with more tables for service because it’s not going to happen. You have to respect someone like Bonnie who doesn’t want to make any changes to a good thing. And boy, do they have a good thing going. According to their staff, the place can seat about forty-one people. On a busy weekend morning they turn the tables over about seven times, roughly 300 patrons.

Amanda and I showed up on Wednesday night and on Thursday morning we had our first experience here. However, this was already my parents, my two sisters and Emily’s now fiancé, second or third trip since Sunday. Per usual, they had already begun to be on a first name basis with the staff, especially Danielle, who happens to share her name with my other sister – and they also happen to share the same hair color so of course my father claims they could be sisters.

I decided to write this review after our second trip on Saturday morning so I’m going to focus the review on that particular meal. But I must say, the omelet I had the first time was just as satisfying.

I was feeling more of a sweet tooth this morning so it was either French toast or pancakes. I had picked at a blueberry pancake our first day and was very impressed by the consistency of the batter. The fact that they use coffee carafes to keep their pure Vermont maple syrup warm is also a huge plus on the Dear Diner meter. As I combed the specials, I immediately noticed the French toast special – Banana blueberry whole wheat oatmeal bread topped with warm bananas, walnuts and brown sugar. But to satisfy my savory taste buds, I decided to try out the special sausage – wild boar (On Wednesday the special sausage was rabbit). Huge bonus points for exotic meats. The wild boar had a milder flavor then pork sausage. It’s a bit drier with less grease. There was a hint of gaminess but not so much that it overpowered the sausage spice, which seemed to come from a combo of nutmeg and cinnamon.

The French toast wasn’t the most colorful plate but the taste made up for the lack of beauty. The tops of the bread were perfectly grilled, giving it a surface so smooth that you could skate the butter across like a frozen pond. However, you won’t need any bit of butter for these bad boys. Just a dollop of the warmed maple syrup we mentioned above and you’re ready to dig in. While the surface was crisp, the innards were warm and moist. The syrup soaked through giving it a thick, heavenly texture as you went diving in with your fork. The taste all starts with the warmed bananas and eventually makes its way to the nutty walnut flavor. In between you soak up the sweetness of the syrup and tang of the blueberry. Unlike some whole wheat bread, this one did not taste too grainy.

From the friendly service, to the open kitchen vibe, cozy interior, and most importantly the remarkable breakfast fare, Up For Breakfast gets the first 10 out of 10 on the Dear, Diner scale. Looking forward to returning and getting more pictures with Danielle, Bonnie and crew.

This past Wednesday evening our restaurant club paid a visit to a restaurant that many of us had been wanting to try for some time now, based on some of the excellent reviews of the place in the local press.  The spot is (awesomely) called ‘Hungry Mother‘ and it’s located near the MIT campus in Kendall Square Cambridge, just across the river from Boston’s elegant Beacon Hill.  The restaurant is named after Hungry Mother State Park, located in southern Virginia, near Chef Barry Maiden’s hometown.

Culinary training took Chef Maiden to the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, VT where he learned the fine art of French cooking that he would later combine with the southern food from Appalachia that he grew up loving.  Chef Maiden made stops at venerable Boston haunts Sel de la Terre and L’Espelier before opening his own spot in Cambridge that’s giving him a chance to share his unique southern influenced French menu with us Bostonians.

Our night started at Hungry Mother with a drink and some tasty snacks.  I opted for the ‘No. 2′ – a mixture of Maker’s Mark bourbon, sorghum syrup, and amaretto.  It was served in a martini glass with a Southern boiled peanut and let me tell you, it was awesome.  A great cocktail that was a bit sweet and really unique.  Another drink that looked awesome was the ‘No 49′ which was a mixture of Rain vodka, grenadine and rosemary water.  I tried a sip of our friend Mayas and it was also really tasty (see pic).

Our amuse bouche featured more Boiled Virginia Peanuts, salted on the outside of their shells but rather mild on the inside.  They reminded me of being back on the roadside outside of Charleston, South Carolina – but I do remember them being a bit saltier down south.  We also sampled some Spicy Pimento Cheese with (white bread) toast points.  The cheese dip was spicy and really awesome – a sort of junk food in a fine restaurant – but since it was homemade, it felt ok to devour and we did just that.

Onto the appetizers and I think everyone really liked the look of the Black Eyed Pea Fritters with buttermilk ranch dressing, so we got 2 orders of them to share between the table.  The were delicious, but not totally unique in terms of their flavor – perhaps even a little over cooked for my taste.

The next appetizer was the Deviled Maine Crab (I’m a huge fan of crab in general), served in a small cast iron saute pan and topped with some bread crumbs.  This was comforting and totally delicious, full of lemon and some over the top flavor.  Perhaps my favorite bite of the evening.

The last app we sampled was a soup, aptly named Potlikker Soup.  This soup was broth based and included local turnips, braised collard greens (or chard, it was hard to tell which) and some pork which seemed like braised ham hock.  The pork was falling apart and added some excellent flavor to the soup.  If you’re looking for a hot, comforting soup on a cold day this winter, stop in to Hungry Mother and try to Potlikker – it won’t disappoint.

With our palates successfully tempered, we were ready for the entrees.  When it came my turn to order my entree, I opted for an old rule and decided to order the pork, more specifically the Berkshire Pork Loin which was served with creamed cabbage, small heirloom potatoes and some delicious apple cider based pan sauce.  The pork was cooked so well that I actually asked our server if the chef had used a sous-vide machine to cook the meat.  It was tender and absolutely delicious.  The best part of the plate though?  The BBQ rib that accompanied the cut loin pieces.  It was so good in fact, that I just went over to my freezer and took out a small rack of ribs to cook tonight.

Another winning entree on the menu was the French Gnocchi which was served with delicata squash, chanterelle mushrooms and a mushroom sherry broth.  Sounds pretty rich, but was actually deliciously lite yet fulfilling (according to Taylor and Lisa my mom, who ordered it).  The other entree that was ordered and enjoyed was the North Atlantic Pan Roast which was a combination of scallops, squid and oysters with hominy and a small dollop of old bay aioli.  I enjoyed tasting this dish, but found the hominy to be a little too tough and rather hard to mouth.  I know whole hominy can be rather tough unless you cook it for a long, long time.  The texture of it in this dish was interesting, but I just thought it could have beexn a little better executed.

Dessert was a little tough for us to order, as we all felt a little like loosening our belts, but we persevered and ordered 2 to share between the 8 of us dining.  The Apple Bread Pudding was stellar – served with caramel, walnuts and some Chantilly cream.  Awesome dessert and an excellent end to the meal.  We also sampled the Cranberry Upside Down Cake – tart and really interesting.  Served with Grand Marnier Chantilly cream and candied orange zest.  This dessert was truly unique and delicious.  I would love to try to re-create this at some point.  Excellent way to get things finished off on an excellent evening.

Overall, I came away really impressed with The Hungry Mother, especially since I had sky high expectations going in.  One aspect of The Hungry Mother that I’m sure everyone will enjoy is the very reasonable prices.  Check out the menu and I think you’ll agree.  One thing’s for sure, I’ll certainly be back to this place and I look forward to trying new dishes that chef Maiden creates.  Also, I’m sort of kicking myself that I didn’t try the Smoked Beef Tongue Canape, as I’m now hearing that it is the MUST order dish on the menu.  Oh well, good thing they’re right down the street.

I was fifteen years old when I first watched the Ken Burns PBS series, Baseball, with my father.  We watched all 9 innings (episodes).  Throughout the episodes you saw kids with their families stuffing their little mouths with hot dogs.  It was a part of the Great American past time and still is to this day, only now they’re enjoyed not just at ball games but also during other Great American past times such as the family BBQ.

But if you look at a Hot Dog as just another version of a sausage, then the true origin could date as far back as the day’s of Homer and his Odyssey.  I quote, “As when a man besides a great fire has filled a sausage with fat and blood and turns it this way and that and is very eager to get it quickly roasted. . .” (Homer, 850). And it became the German’s who would be known for their frankfurters and sausages.  It was they who would introduce these great meat products to the new world.

The origin of the name “Hot Dog” is hotly debated (no pun intended).  But most will agree that it was some where around the turn of the century and one man who stands in the middle of the debate is Harry Mozley Stevens.

The story goes that during a Giants game at the old Polo Grounds in Brooklyn, NY, Harry was losing money trying to sell ice cream and cold soda so he told his colleague to run out and buy all the “daschund” sausages and rolls he could buy.  Within an hour his vendors were yelling, “They’re red hot.  Come get your daschund sausages while they’re red hot!”  This would go on to inspire cartoonists to draw these “daschund” sausages wrapped in a bun showing four legs and tail coining the term “Hot Dog”.  Again, this is a lose translation of how it came to be but nonetheless, it’s a great American story.

Now that we’ve looked at a brief history of the “Hot Dog”, lets turn to Iceland.  “Iceland, you say?”  Yes, Iceland.  Amanda and I took a recent trip to the exotic volcanic world of Iceland.  One of her good friends from college lives and grew up in this viking land.  He just had his first child.  Great people over in Iceland.  A beautiful place both in landscape and in human figures.  Amanda and I both made our observations. There’s something pure and wholesome about the place.  The air is also amazing.  Very refreshing.  And if you ever go, DO NOT MISS the Blue Lagoon.  You come out feeling like someone slipped you a couple Valium and sat you up against a warm crackling fire.  In other words, you can’t feel any more relaxed then you do after three hours in the lagoon.

Upon meeting with Kristjan, we first met the little one but then immediately headed to the famous Icelandic hot dog stand known as Bæjarins beztu or The Best Hot Dog.  It’s been there since 1937.  It’s famous for having served Bill Clinton and about a week later he would have his heart attack.  So what’s in these bad boys that could induce such a joyous event one week and a horrific one the following?

If there is a dog in the states that I could compare their taste to it would be Hebrew Nationals.  Great snap but not as snappy as say a Nathan’s (my personal favorite).  The one unique factor of the dog was the bun.  Where as in the states the buns usually mold to the imprint of your hand, the buns in Iceland had a harder texture to them, but not in a stale way.  Maybe this was symbolic to the rough landscape surrounding us.

But if you’re going to experience a true Icelandic hot dog, you need to order “the works”.  This includes ketchup, sweet mustard (a relish of sorts) and caramelized onions.  But these onions were more then just caramelized, they were crunchy fried caramelized onions.  The crunch of the onion plus the sweet mustard was what won me over.

Is this the best hot dog I’ve ever had?  Not quite.  But it’s damn close.  And who would have thunk that in a world so mysterious and unknown to the American people that they would share such an historic past time as the hot dog.

“Hill Country” in the heart of Texas is not only the home of the totally amazing Enchanted Rock, it is the peach growing capital of the state, and home to many German-influenced towns like Fredericksburg.

After a rough, windy day of rock climbing in the Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, we stopped into this charming oasis to refuel.  Literally hundreds of Bed & Breakfasts made from converted historic homes and buildings are interspersed in the town along with quaint cafes, German bakeries, boutiques, unique handmade candle shops and ice cream parlors. The Fredericksburg Herb Farm about 6 blocks off Main Street sells various products made with their own organically grown culinary and ornamental herbs (we were sorry to miss it because it closes at 5:30).

We wandered into the Fredericksburg Brewing Company, housed in an 1890′s restored rock building.

The Beer:  From what I could tell, all the beer was brewed right there behind the bar.  I wasn’t expecting much from the beer thinking that I was at a tourist trap instead of a fine brewery.  Boy was i wrong.  I started off with an Enchanted Rock Red Ale.  This beer was absolutely fantastic!  Not too hoppy, a perfect blend of maltiness, and a refreshing finish.  I was already finished with half of it before I realized it is a multiple award winning brew.  I was totally in love!  (In the 2007 Great American Beer Festival it won a bronze medal, and in the 2004 World Beer Cup it won a silver medal.)  Every sip was exactly what I look for in a sip of beer.  If you like red ales, this one will blow your socks off!  The next beer I got was the Pioneer Porter.  Another Award winner (Gold and Silver from the Great American Beer Festival, and a Bronze from the World Beer Cup.)  This was good, but not the best porter I’ve had.  From hitting the lips to swallow it was superb, but I lost it on the after taste.  A bit bitter I suppose.  But still, better than most beers I’ve had.  The last I tried was the Giant.  The Giant is a heavy stout, and I mean heavy!  The head was a rich brown in color and the consistency was thicker than your normal stout.  Due to its 8.4% ABV, I got a 4 oz glass.  It was plenty for me.  I enjoyed it after our meal and was very impressed.  It is nutty and chocolaty, with a roasted finish.  No bitterness, just strong enough, and no pasty aftertaste.  An excellent after dinner, or all-by-itself beer. 

Congratulations to Fredricksburg Brewing Company for brewing fantastic beer!

Tasty as they sounded, we couldn’t bring ourselves to order the German specialties like the Reuben sandwich, schnitzel, sausage, etc (opting for the healthier options as we are trying to detox after living in New Orleans for 7 months!).

We enjoyed a winter salad with pecan vinaigrette dressing; the Monterrey Chicken, grilled with roasted peppers and cheese, and topped with fresh avocado slices; rice and beans; and a loaded baked potato. The pecan vinaigrette dressing was defiantly the highlight, nutty and sweet. I love trying new salad dressings and I’m always looking for new ideas, this was a first for me. Unfortunately I don’t know how they made it or if the pecans were local, I was too tired to ask.