ROAST: Detroit just got SO much better, thanks to Iron Chef Michael Symon

Finally found a great place in Detroit aside from Slow’s and W’s cooking haha… and W’s cooking doesn’t count since it’s not really THE restaurant but HIS food hahahaha anyways… we’re also both lazy creatures of habit so we like to eat at the same places over and over again… as you can tell by my Detroit posts we eat a lot IN the hotel restaurants, the food court in the hotel, room service, Slow’s BBQ and the diner at Motor City.

We headed to the Westin Book Cadillac Detroit Hotel which is the home of Roast, something I didn’t know about until W mentioned it to me just a few days before….  I’m a fan of Iron Chef Michael Symon and have wanted to go to Lola in Ohio for AGES…. anyways, I had reservations at 9 and we were promptly sat at a nice big booth tucked away near the bar and by the wine case…

We were greeted by the nicest, most well informed waiter, who actually used to be working at Lola…  we ordered – the booze list actually came on an ipad haha… and we were quickly served

Bread + Soft Creamy Butter

Pork Crackling 

sea salt, lime, chili powder

SO good we got some to go.  Squeeze of lime, slight bit of grease, tons of crunch and a nice heat to it.  Delicious spices and amazing.  These were like CRACK.

Soon we were out :[ Sad

I was so sad I looked at it upside down and the paper and crumbs fell all over me.  I may or may not have yelped like a puppy. OOPS.

A beautiful Chilean red wine we ordered.  It was on the Somm’s list AND it wasn’t pricey at ALL – the others were $$ and this was not only on the low end of the price spectrum, it was Chilean, I looove Spanish&Chilean wines!

Miguel Torres, Santa Digna, Cabernet  Sauvignon, Central Valley, Chile 2009

A darkly pigmented wine with an intense, full and very fruity aroma. The palate is majestically structured – velvety, meaty and with elegant body. Its smooth, fine tannins, outlined by new oak, ensure a long evolution in the bottle.

Produced exclusively from Cabernet Sauvignon, that king of red varieties, which achieves its fullest varietal expression in the privileged climate of the Chilean Central Valley. This is a great example of the heights to which Cabernet Sauvignons produced on the Pacific coast can rise.

It had a bit of a bite to it but got creamier as the wine opened up, like most Cab Sauv’s…

Our first three courses…

Today’s Charcuterie Plate

A lot of everything.. headcheeses.. lomo, prosciutto and such.. everything was delicious and fatty and perfectly delicious.  There’s nothing like a bad charcuterie plate, but this was a really good one!  This was the plate for ONE too… since we got so much other food.. I could’ve had more :] FO’ SHO’

BBQ Pork Belly

apple, watercress, almonds

The Pork Belly completely melted in your mouth and not just the fatty areas… okay it says apple on the menu but W said it was peach, but whatever.. the slight tang, the slight sweetness.. a bit of crunch with all the veggies and a TON of creaminess…

Beef Tartare

cold poached egg, avocado, lime & crostini

W mixed it all together and it was surprisingly good.  I was iffy about the cold poached egg but it was quick yummy.  Usually, as you hear me say in the video, I only have raw yolk in my tartare… but this was delicious.. esp with some added greens and avocado – which we didn’t mix in just added it with the crostini in each bite.  We DID end up putting some grainy mustard in from the charcuterie plate to add a bit of tang/spice to the tartare. YUM.

Grilled Octopus Salad

basil jalapeno pesto, cucumber, mint, kalamata olive

Super tender and delicious. Tons of tentacles which I loved and a nice char to them.  There was a slight heat and a slight tang to the dish.

Bone Marrow

sea salt, oregano, capers & chilies

The chilies was put on as a form of salsa verde. Delicious.  The charred herbs and the fatty marrow… SOOO GOOD and there was SO much of it!  I didn’t actually taste capers so not sure if they changed it on me from the menu but it was really good and perfectly seasoned.. super creamy and just divine, as ALL bone marrow should be and is.

Southern Fried Sweetbreads

slaw, spicy buttermilk and garlic sauce

It was on a creamy bed of homemade ranch with a beautiful veggie slaw that was tangy and sweet.  The sweetbreads were SO super creamy and dissolved on our tongues into an orgasm.  This may have been the best sweetbreads dish I have EVER had. I love love love sweetbreads and while I’ve had MEH ones I’ve thankfully never had a bad one.  These were ones that I’ll dream of. PLUS….. RANCH?! I’m not even a fan of ranch, but this was SO GOOD.

Bacon Creamed Corn

Super creamy and super sweet corn.  This was SOOO GOOD and DUH you add bacon and everything becomes better!

Roast Beast of the Day: Suckling Pig

Deeeeeelicious… soft, tender with nice crisp skin and some pickled onions and parsley.. and methinks a nice light salsa verde.  I mainly had it as leftovers the next day but this was SO good.  Needs to be a MUST on the menu.

Beef Cheek Pierogie

horseradish & mushrooms

“Pierogi (Polish pronunciation: [pjɛˈrɔɡʲi]; also spelledperogi, pierogy, perogy, pierógi, pyrohy, pirogi, orpyrogy; juvenile diminutive form: Pierożki Polish pronunciation: [pjɛˈrɔʂki] also in use) are dumplings ofunleavened dough – first boiled, then they are baked or fried usually in butter with onions – traditionally stuffed with potato filling, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese, or fruit.

[…]

While dumplings as such are found throughout Eurasia, the specific name pierogi, with its Proto-Slavic root “pir” (festivity) and its various cognates in the West and East Slavic languages, shows the name’s common Slavic origins, predating the modern nation states and theirstandardized languages, although in most of these languages the word means pie. In English, the word pierogiand its variants: perogi, pyrogy, perogie, perogy, pirohi,piroghi, pirogi, pirogen, pierogy, pirohy, and pyrohy, are pronounced with a stress on the letter “o”. The Turkish word börek for a kind of pie or stuffed pastry may be a borrowing.

Pierogi are small enough to be served several or many at a time, so the plural form of the word is usually used when referring to this dish. In Polish pierogi is actually the plural, pieróg being singular. In Czech and Slovak pirohy is also the plural, piroh is singular. In Germany, this type of dumpling is called Pirogge in the singular and Piroggen in the plural, although sometimes the Polish name Pierogi is simply used.”

Ah yes.  Peroigies always reminded me of when I dated a Polish guy, I mean what other kinds of peoples loves white bland food and potatoes so much?! Hahaha, I kid.  But I do remember the one and only time I ever really ate ANY Polish food or learned about it was with him HAHA. This is SO not what I remember. Sooooooooo tender.  The skin was super doughy and almost potato-y like….. they were like gnocchi dough as skin hahaha…. and a bit undercooked.. at least the ones I ate were… but sooooo good..

The beef cheeks were super tender, like they should be, super flavorful.. and while the sauce they were in were a bit on the sweet and rich side.. the bland super doughy skin totally counteracted it. MMMM stuffed gnocchi.. that’s totally my next experiment. W beware.

Me in a obligatory bathroom camwhore shot!

The next day for lunch, while I worked, I feasted on leftover cracklings, creamed corn and suckling pig.

DEEEEEEE-LISH!

The best part?…. W cooked for me the following night… and while we both LOVED the dinner at Roast together, I freaking fell in love with his food all over again when he cooked for me the next night…. sorry suckling pig.. even if you weren’t leftover, you still can’t beat my baby’s cooking ;D

It’s all about the Jamón Ibérico Plate at Bar Basque

I had just recently added Bar Basque to my list of Must-Eats…. actually, I think I went a day or two after doing so…. What can I say, I don’t have the patience. I have an ever-growing list of places to go to and I need to get thru it asap [altho I DO have to admit that I’ve been putting off Scarpetta.. until now ;D In fact I think I’ll do a duel between Scarpetta and my dinner at Convivio – TBD]

BACK to the main topic… I tend to ramble easily

The Chef, Yuki Fujinaga, had me at poached egg at Taste 2010 [post about it coming soon, I promise]

— insert dream sequence back to Taste 2010 –

— end dream sequence, fade out music —

Soon after being seated I was greated with a cute little ball of something something. Smelled great.

Some sort of Potato Amuse-Bouche….

I don’t even like potatoes all that much but it was cooked perfectly, one bite, snap and pop of the skin that gave way to a creamy, just enough potato, middle. It was even topped with some sort of potato salad like mayo-y stuff… something I normally steer away from but YUM. Oh Bar Basque, you got me to eat potatoes…. What a tease, I was starving and they were being slow with service….

The bread basket DIDN’T come first, in fact they didn’t give us bread until we asked for it a few times after our appetizers were all out…. boo… I’ll blame it on the newness of the restaurant… if the food wasn’t so good I wouldn’t been kinda peeved… not that I *need* the bread or necessarily *wanted* it but if all the other tables are getting it, then I think I need it too….

Plato Mixto “Fermin”

Fermin Plate – Tasting of:
Jamon Serrano Fermin [Fermin Serrano Ham – dry cured]
Jamon Iberico Fermin [Fermin Iberian Ham – free range, dry cured]
Jamon Iberico de Bellota Fermin [Acorn-Fed Fermin Iberian Ham – free range, dry cured]

I will forever come here for this. In fact I could make a dinner of ordering a whole board of the two different Ibericos… and a nice bottle of red… ;D It was something that our waiter suggested that was some sort of great red wine from the Basque reason. Highly recommended and supposedly went well with all the dishes….

Aceitunas picantes fritas y crujientes

Spicy Fried Spanish Green Olives – stuffed with anchovy

Who would’ve thunk that I would eat fried olives. They had me at anchovy… unfortunately there was NO anchovy flavor AT ALL :[ But the good part is, they just have to call them spicy fried olives and I’d still eat them. Plain. Sans-anchovy.

Navajas

Simply Grilled Razor Clams – Txakoli olive oil emulsion

They were a bit on the undercooked side – so slightly fishy. Which is a shame since I absolutely ADORE razor clams ever since Toro and I know Rick makes some mean razor clams over in Chicago’s Primehouse.

The most ridiculous tiny “clam shell” holder…. The funniest part is that they brought this to the table before the clams got here… before the jamon even reached the table. They were so slow with food and service that I was asking them what it was for after awhile….I’d never think I’d say this, but it’s cute but totally impractical.

Camarones y Garbanzos al Ajillo con guindillas, choricero y espellet
Sautee of Spicy Garlic Shrimp & Garbanzo Beans – Basque chiles

This was delicious – not even heat to call it spicy but the flavors were amazing. I was completely fixated on the garbanzo beans…. especially since I wasn’t really touching my sadly undercooked razor clams [yick, I like raw and cooked but not in the middle, it’s like bipolar clams]

Arenque en escabeche, ensalada de verduras de temporada, vinagreta de txacoli

Mackerel in Escabeche – seasonal market vegetable salad, txakoli vinaigrette

I love raw mackerel.. but I rarely get it when I get sushi [not sure why, maybe I’m boring and just like sticking to the classics] but this was delicious. It came with a side of different colored beets salad. Great, refreshing and crunchy. If this was fishy like the clams I would’ve been SO super sad.

Vieiras en fundi tocino, mantequilla coliflor trufada y papada
Diver Sea Scallops – truffled cauliflower, lardo, crispy jowl

See that big tower of a white tree? That’s a thinly cut raw cauliflower. YUM. I LOOOOVE cauliflower. Cooked, Steamed, Raw… anytime anywhere even though too much gives me stomach cramps – I eat it anyways… when has anything stopped from eating – except nausea…. the scallops were perfectly cooked but I have to say that the star that stole the show were the little truffled cauliflower florets with a little burnt to it. YUM~ For once the pig wasn’t the rockstar.

Lubina entera al Txakoli y emulsion de aceite de oliva virgen
Grilled Whole Seabass – txakoli wine, fennel, artichokes, crispy jamon

Perfectly cooked… the side salad was a bit oversalted and greasy for me… the I adore fennel and artichokes… the jamon was crunchy and great but too overpowering. The fish itself was awesome. I love whole fish…. I’m not sure why people are still scared of seeing heads on their food… I love it [especially shrimp heads, YUM!]

Piquillos a la Casa Julian de Tolosa

Slow Baked Piquillo Peppers – in the style of Casa Julian de Tolosa

This was a little bowl of heaven. The peppers were SO flavorful, I was just gobbling it up. It was creamy and melted in your mouth but also had a nice firm skin still [not in a bad way, but not in a gross mushy way either, I don’t like it when things are falling apart – unless intentionally and specific dishes]

I decided I wanted the two side dishes and an additional entree while finishing up the scallops. What can I say…. I have a lot of room in there *pokes belly button*

Arroz cremoso “Calasparra” con chanterelles y tomates en conserva

Creamy “Calasparra” Rice – chanterelle mushrooms, preserved tomatoes

This was genius. Anything that is creamy and rice-y [haha minus Fast & the Furious riced out cars] and with mushrooms CAN’T be bad. My biggest fear – as usual – is overly salted, or snuck in goat cheese/overly stinky cheese [haha] But I was paying more attention to this rice dish than the main entrees….

Cochinillo crujiente con risoto de papa y boletus, lechugas bebe
Crispy Suckling Pig – potato & mushroom risotto, baby lettuces

It was good. The skin was crisp but it wasn’t amazing. There was a slight gamey taste to the meat so i wasn’t a huge fan. The risotto was amazing though – note: POTATO mushroom risotto. YES. POTATOES. And I ate it up like I was breathing air. It was a tad on the overly salty side but I couldn’t get enough. Risotto, bread, risotto, bread :] See, it worked out in the end.

The most amazing version of Pain Perdu
How do I explain?!… it was DENSE but soooo fluffy and light. I could have this french toast morning, noon and night and feel like I wouldn’t gain an ounce [I’d probably gain 20lbs by the end of the first week] This was left for my “last bite” I always have a “last bite” featuring my favorite taste of the round of eats.. this was it.

“Bacon from Heaven” – like a richer, creamier, denser Egg Tart [Dan Ta]Although this DID come in at a close close close second. It was a 蛋挞 without the crust…. and just… omg… not a flan but… just heavenly. Bacon from Heaven, yes, but NO bacon is in it. Just creamy rich happiness. Super eggy taste [if too many yolks in desserts scare you – stay away, I’m sure this contains a lot… but then if yolks scare you, come here first so I can bitchslap you]

The last one was some chocolate cake.

Chocolatey. Hazelnutty. Nothing new…. I think this was the only thing that wasn’t finished. And I think I wanted it probably because of the name [which I can’t think of or find online so whatevz] It was good but not so good that I gobbled it up….. I can only take SO much chocolate… especially such dense chocolate…

The awesome hallway in the front….

Bar Basque is fun, RED, quirky [although still a bit fresh – they need to work on some service kinks] but I wanna come back and throw a party here.. the bar/lounge area is pretty swanky as well.

Bar Basque
839 Avenue of the Americas
(btwn 29th & 30th St)
New York, NY 10001
646.600.7150

Good Mexican after Bad Mexican, only at Toloache

After a depressing brunch, I needed to have a redeeming mexican meal. I’ve been planning to go to Toloache for ages and it’s just a quick walk a few blocks away from where I live… [well maybe a little further than just a few, but still…] I mean, come on, I grew up – a lot of my childhood, the part that really gets tattooed into my soul, was spent living 30min away from the Mexican border in Las Cruces NM… I’ve had Mexican, REAL Mexican… GREAT Mexican…. since living in the North East/New England area, it’s been tough finding good Mexican [altho my fav is still Sierra’s – best grilled Mexican red snapper ever… still need to go back to the west for the real stuff tho] – Um, Boo, please take me.

I started off with a nice unfrozen watermelon margarita.

Sandia Partida

Partida Blanco, fresh watermelon, lime

It was pretty good… hard to suck thru the straw due to the watermelon meat. The rim was different spices… couldn’t figure them out, a little spice and a little salt, all yum.

The dinner date was more boring….. well very boring….

Raspado

mango frozen margarita

srsly? This is what you get on Spring Break your freshman year in college at Senior Frogs…. It’s ok, I had better ;D I’m picky with my liquor… back in the day it was whatever worked, now it better be delicious and worth the hangover…

I am in LOVE with avocados… like, one of the first things I remember eating as a child was avocado. When I was hungry late at night… “late” aka probably 9 or 10… [I would sleep at 8pm til I started Middle School] my mommy would slice open an avocado and drizzle a bit of soy sauce over it. SO FREAKING GOOD. Hungry? Love avocado? GO DO IT RIGHT NOW.

Filling, Creamy. Salty. Satisfying. Orgasmic. Even better, do it after sex. Quick, easy, gives you more energy for round #120938

Trio Guacamoles

Three guacs and a salsa…

“Like a Dinner Party at Home with Close Friends..”

Welcome to the first Miss Tiffie & R [he’s in green] reviewed blog entry :] ENJOY!!!

I’ve been waiting for the right time to go to Craigie on Main for awhile.. every time I think of it, it’s already booked for the weekend [boo] so thankfully I booked about 5 days ahead of time – and even then it was full til 9pm. Well, the ONLY opening was 9pm. Or 5pm [R got a reso for that time] — anyways. We decided to go to the 9pm since we wanted to go to Tea Time. After wanting everything and then some from the menu we decided that the best way to go this time was the Chef’s 10-Course tasting.. with additions of course [it’s how we roll]

Eat out and feel at home. Chef Tony Maws – James Beard Nominee for Best Chef, Northeast – combines French-inspired “nose -to-tail refined rusticity” with a ”no exceptions” commitment to local, seasonal, & organic or natural ingredients.

I love everything about this place. The food, the atmosphere, the people… they cook sustainably and cook what they find that day that’s fresh – which is why their menu changes daily…. even their DRINKS are made from only the freshest in-season ingredient… so awesome :] I’m such a huge supporter of places like this…. [read more about them here] this place is easily one of my favorite places to go in Boston now :]

R: Into Craigie with a huge appetite (we spent a lot of energy shopping
after tea time). A restaurant with a menu changing daily and large
supporters of local farmers. We quickly scan the menu and see the
obvious items that pop out at us. Towards the bottom we see the 10
course chef’s choice tasting menu and decided we wanted to be
surprised. We had some additional items just make sure we covered all
our bases on our Craigie experience.

Montlouis Brut – Francois Chidaine

R: As always we like to start off with some bubbly to wake our taste buds
and get our appetites ready.

Another reason why Primehouse is a MUST when you’re in Chicago…

Everytime with PH is like the first time ;D

When you’re in Chicago the your first stop  should be… well the James Hotel cuz you should be staying there bitches ;D…. For three reasons… 1. It’s in the center of everything :] 2. It’s GORGEOUS.. lovely rooms and staff… 3. It’s home of one of the bestest restaurants in Chi….Primehouse… we’ll get to that in a second though…

SO AFTER you’ve settled in… put on your best shoes and head over to Primehouse [if you’re NOT staying at the James Hotel, I forgive you but you need to get a drink at  J Bar and eat some of their truffle chocolate popcorn… MUST, got it? So get there early and mingle…have a glass of champagne or two [they have great cocktails as well] and then get ready to eat [and drink] your heart out.

Me all dressed up and ready to eat [I gots my gameface on] in our GORGEOUS suite at the James…

After sitting us down [the place was packed] and being welcomed back [yay they remember me!!!] we met out waitress, Heather, our sommelier for the night [Ms. Rachael Johnson Hussar] and I got to catch up with the most awesome Chef Rick Gresh – Exec Chef at PH :]

James Beard Foundation Benefit Dinner

Can you ever really go to too many of these delicious dinner events? You don’t really need a reason, but since boyfriend & I are trying to cut back on spending so much at events… who says you can’t celebrate his new job more than once?! I say more celebrations!!!!

So the James Beard Foundation Benefit Dinner was at the famous Publican, one of Paul Kahan’s babies :D