Next Restaurant - Sicily

(Top to bottom: welcome card, Bucatini con Bottarga, Pesce Spada con di Ceci, Cassata, assorted dolci)

I was a lucky guest for Next Retaurant's Sicily menu - I took no initiative to book a ticket, but my brother-in-law was unable to make it last minute so I enthusiastically enjoyed the meal on his behalf. Having been to Childhood twice, I was excited to taste the more serious side of Next. The vision was to create a meal inspired by the Sicilian comfort food; the food was brought out family-style and the main courses were paired with vegetable sides. The dishes were excellent, warming, and abundant. Among my favorites was the bucatini, where the taste of fish roe was strong but did not overpower the dish, which was finished in a butter sauce. The last main, a beast of a pork shoulder, was roasted with an all-day-cooked tomato sauce that was outstanding. My favorite may have been the signature, traditional marzipan-coated cake. Served with ricotta whipped cream, the cake was incredibly sweet and impeccably decorated and lived up to expectations following the pork shoulder and pasta dishes. An assorted plate of desserts wrapped up this Sicilian culinary experience and another extraordinary time at Next.

Barbecue chicken salad

As one of my last adventures as an undergraduate, I finally hit up Lincoln Park's Green City Market with Stephanie, Eric, and Emily. The day was filled with sun, Snookelfritz ice cream, and fresh greens from Growing Home. We also took home a loaf from Evanston's Bennison's Bakery, heirloom tomatoes and radishes, and feta goat cheese from Nordic Creamery. All were assuredly put to good use, and the tomatoes, radishes, and bread helped Stephanie and me craft a delicious meal centered around barbecue chicken salad. First broiled and lightly coated with barbecue sauce; then mixed in with celery, radishes, and onions and topped with a dollop of mayonnaise.

Rosemary Bread

Our third bread adventure may be our last. Though light and delicious, this white rosemary bread was pretty demanding to make. Nonetheless, we thoroughly enjoyed this bread: first for breakfast with fig preserves and second with dinner, coated with garlic, butter, and gruyere cheese for some amazing homemade cheesy garlic bread.

Paki-Mex

This marks our first foray into some creative, multicultural fusion cooking: Pakistani tacos. Admittedly I did little more than prepping. Sakina contributed the Pakistani portion, making bihari kabab for the filling. Stephanie contributed the Mexican portion with a tomatillo and tamarind salsa. These delicious tacos were topped off with diced onions and cilantro and wrapped in corn tortillas.

Empanadas

Food adventure #4: two varieties of empanadas, one filled with ground beef and the other filled with chorizo. Stephanie made the filling, and I made the dough, which could have benefited from more diligent kneading. They still tasted delicious, and we made enough to enjoy for lunch the next day.

Honey Oatmeal Bread

I am generally not a fan of generic, store-bought bread, but homemade bread is an entirely different story. Though we could have let the yeast rise longer, Stephanie made the dough expertly, and the loaves turned out subtly sweet and quite airy.

Eating in and around New Haven

Sure, people think of Yale when they think New Haven; a lot of people also think of pizza, and that is also where my Connecticut trip took me. With a trusted local at the lead, I got a taste of two famous pizza joints (next time, Sally's).

Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana

"Medium" pizza, half pepperoni half spinach

On a trip to New Haven, you simply cannot bypass a culinary tour of the region's celebrated, eponymous pizza, nor would you want to. First stop: Pepe's. Founded in 1925, Pepe's is credited with inventing New Haven's thin-crust "apizza." All pies are cooked in 14' x 14' brick, coal-fired ovens, giving the crust a slightly charred finish on the outside. For me, the dough set Pepe's apart with just enough chew and just enough crunch. However, the pizza was almost excessively oily, making the pizza more difficult to stomach on the final slices. That being said, I definitely want to go back for their fresh tomato pie (only in the summer, clearly made with fresh, native tomatoes) and their acclaimed white clam pizza.

(Pepe's)

Rich Farm Ice Cream Shop

All ice cream is made fresh daily on the premises, too

Nothing like finishing breakfast with a little dessert. That's exactly what Dileep and I did the next morning. Located on the family's original dairy farm that originated over sixty years ago, the ice cream shop opened in 1994 and makes all of the ice cream daily. Their portions are more than generous (a theme at all of the food stops on the trip), and I enjoyed two large scoops, one of toasted almond and the other of maple walnut.

(Rich Farm)

Bar

Pizzeria, brewery, and nightclub

The second and final stop on the New Haven Pizza Tour. Ostensibly a haven for nightlife, Bar was strictly a hip pizzeria and brewery at five in the afternoon. Located in a refurbished automobile showroom, Bar had a number of cool and unique spaces, punctuated by a large brick oven at one end and brew kettles at the other. Sitting atop a small second-story landing, I enjoyed Bar's renowned mashed potato and bacon white pie. Unlike Pepe's, the crust had little chew, was more brittle, and less oily. Though lighter, it also had less character. Nonetheless, the mashed potatoes and the crispy bacon went well with the crust and each bite was accented by hints of garlic. Ultimately, Pepe's had more history and Bar was more hip; the pies at both places were superb, and I'm already dying to go back.

(Bar)

Ham quiche with feta cheese and oven-roasted tomatoes

Only a few days after enjoying a delicious slice of quiche at Bittersweet Pastry Shop (here), we decided to make our own. As with the pot pie, Stephanie and I made our own crust, this time with rosemary. Inside, we placed sliced ham and feta cheese and then poured the egg and half & half mixture. We topped it off with oven-roasted tomatoes and rosemary. Unfortunately we had to wait an hour before taking a bite, but it was worth the wait!

Chicken Pot Pie

For a cold and dreary weekend, chicken pot pie serves as a wonderful remedy. Contained in this little cup of deliciousness are diced bits of butternut squash, celery, carrots, peas, rosemary, mushrooms, and shredded chicken. Both the vegetables and the chicken were boiled before combining them in a pot of heavy cream and chicken stock. All of this was then placed into delicately crafted bowls of pie crust, which we made with copious amounts of butter. We topped each pie off with a layer of crust, pinched the edges, and brushed a whisked egg to give it a golden finish. Having made a total of six, we enjoyed them over the entire weekend!

Next Restaurant - Childhood Menu

November 20, 2011, 10:00 pm seating

Fish-n-Chips

Autumn

Hamburger

Campfire

Following "Paris, 1906" and "A Tour of Thailand," Childhood is the current menu at celebrated Chef Grant Achatz's latest concept, Next Restaurant. Across 10 courses, Chef Dave Beran weaves childhood favorites, like mac & cheese, PB&J, and chicken noodle soup with more conceptually nostalgic dishes, like Autumn and Campfire. Overall, the experience was incredible, enough to warrant going twice (which I did - and I was pleased to find that elements of the menu had been subtly adjusted, and in my mind, improved).

Though broadly titled "Childhood," the menu itself is influenced by Beran's and Achatz's childhoods in Michigan, circa the 1970s and 80s. The menu was successfully engaging, triggering me to open a present, to dive into a lunchbox, and to lick frosting (or 'foie'sting) from my fingers. It also included a lot of playful interpretations of classics: chicken noodle soup where the noodle is made out of chicken; a lunchbox complete with a truffle oreo cookie; and doughnuts complemented by foie gras frosting.

While the 'foie'sting was my favorite by taste, the Autumn course (a mix of polenta, maitake, and broccoli) was my favorite conceptually, as it incorporated the scent of burning leaves, the imagery of a walk in the forest, and the warming flavors of a fall meal. While the menu was certainly playful and novel, it was in many ways disappointing. The food was surprisingly salty the second time around. The interpretations, though cute, became gimmicky and repetitive more so than inventive and fresh. Despite these drawbacks, the imaginativeness created an experience that was on the whole fun, evocative, and nostalgic.

Eating in New York City

Although most of my nine weeks in the Empire City were spent in an office, I was fortunate to have enough spare time to explore the city's endless eating excellencies. I've detailed the more notable ones below.

Kajitsu

Hard candies from Kyoto

This Michelin star awarded Japanese restaurant is distinctive - no meat and no fish. The acclaimed Kajitsu serves Shojin cuisine, an ancient Japanese cuisine developed in Zen Buddhist monasteries. Following this principle, the restaurant serves only fresh, seasonal vegetables in an almost ascetic atmosphere. The menu changes monthly and the eight-course meal was very refreshing and pure, with excellent presentation and emphasis on texture and flavor of the ingredients.

(Kajitsu)

Van Horn Sandwich Shop

Foreground: Buttermilk-fried chicken, zesty vinaigrette slaw, sesame seed bun; Background: Hushpuppies

Seasonal and local ingredients highlight this Brooklyn establishment. Founded by a couple of North Carolina natives, Van Horn Sandwich Shop incorporates traditional Southern BBQ rules with a Brooklyn twist, resulting in an appealingly simple menu and filling but not heavy sandwiches. The celebrated fried chicken sandwich was amazing, with a breading that was crisp but not greasy (the secret, they say, is the buttermilk). The shop is also known for its fried cornbread hushpuppies (which were a must-order!).

(Van Horn Sandwich Shop)

Momofuku Ssam Bar

Shigoku Oysters with violette mignonette

It's not often that you order ten dishes and all of them be delicious. It's also not often that two people order ten dishes. Nonetheless, Momofuku Ssam Bar may have been my favorite restaurant in NY - and certainly one of my favorites ever - because of those facts: it was all really good and I got to sample much of the menu. The restaurant itself, part of the Momofuku restaurant group, is informal and energetic. The menu is eclectic and extensive without being overwhelming. We ordered:

Shigoku Oysters - violette mignonette

Artic Char - jasmine, sweet flag, celery

Steamed Buns - pork belly, hoisin, cucumbers, scallions

Bar Bun - crispy pork belly, avocado, basil, smoked mayo

Asparagus - trout roe, leeks, sunflower seeds

Morel Mushrooms - fingerling potatoes, ramp scapes

Spicy Honeycomb Tripe - ginger-scallion, celery, pickled tomatoes

Geoduck - cucumber gazpacho, cucumber slices, apple butter

Veal Sweetbreads - almond, sauerkraut, thai chili

Spicy Pork Sausage & Rice Cakes - chinese broccoli, sichuan peppercorn

(Momofuku Ssam Bar)

En Japanese Brasserie

Okayu - white rice porridge cooked with an egg, tableside with an assortment of eight toppings

The purity and simplicity of Japanese food and flavors makes it easy to eat regularly, and since the menu of En embraces this so thoughtfully (though with elements of uniqueness), it makes it easy to go back. With a fixed amount of time in NY and an interest in maximizing worthwhile dining, I tried not to patronize the same restaurant multiple times. However, En was one of the two places (the other can be found below) that I was set on going to more than once. For dinner, freshly-made scooped tofu, and yellowtail collar fried with negi and a pepper-soy sauce vinaigrette highlighted my meal. For brunch, I enjoyed white rice porridge with egg and eight toppings, mushrooms in a creamy sesame dressing, and a side of kurobuta sausages.

(En Japanese Brasserie)

Not pictured (because I neglected to take pictures) but just as noteworthy:

Graffiti Food and Wine Bar - Shoebox-size restaurant combines Asian, French, and American cuisines

Little Owl - Lots of fanfare and long waits for very good but definitely not great food

Mercer Kitchen - Informal Jean-Georges offering located in the Mercer Hotel

Momofuku Milk Bar - Cookies, pies, croissants, breads, and of course: cereal milk ice cream

Pearl Oyster Bar - Obviously good for oysters but famous for its lobster roll

Rogue et Blanc - French-Vietnamese restaurant with an incredibly intriguing menu, so much so that I had to go twice

Shake Shack - Has a cult following like its West Coast counterpart, In-N-Out

San Francisco Fare

When visiting my sister and brother-in-law in San Francisco, I know that good food will be plentiful. And so on my recent four day trip, the challenge was not figuring out where to eat but at which places we wanted to eat less than others. Needless to say, with the exception of one Indonesian eatery, all meals were amazing. I've selected a few to share with you below.

Chez Panisse

Downstairs kitchen

Opened by Alice Waters and partners in 1971 and a multiple-time Michelin Star award winner, Chez Panisse is often credited with pioneering "California cuisine." For all 40 years, the restaurant has been committed to organic and locally grown food with menus featuring ingredients appropriate to the season and dedicated to nearby suppliers with ecologically sound principles.

Our menu on Saturday:

Cannard Farm leek and cauliflower with sauce gribiche and prosciutto

Spot prawns and Dungeness crab ragout with fennel and spinach

Grilled Liberty duck breast with picholine olives, chicory salad with orange vinaigrette, and green asparagus pudding

Cara Cara orange sherbet with rose gelee and almond cake

(Chez Panisse)

Fish.

Crab Roll (Dungeness crab served atop a toasted Panorama Fish roll with organic butter and chives. Served with shoestring fries.)

Located along the water in Sausalito, Fish. is dedicated to sustainable (and absolutely delicious) seafood. The species carried at Fish. come from not only healthy fisheries but they are also caught with the strictest standards that do not deplete resources. You pay a price for responsibility, but being able to make the right choices while enjoying fresh seafood is definitely worth it.

(Fish.)

Tartine Bakery

Smoked ham open face sandwich with bechamel, gruyere, thyme, and pepper

Bread pudding

Again devoted to local suppliers and organic ingredients, Tartine Bakery is surely one of the best bakeries in the United States. Always crowded and famous for its bread, the smoked ham quiche was deliciously buttery, the open faced sandwich's bread was phenomenal as was the pickled carrot on the side, and the bread pudding was rich and sublime.

(Tartine Bakery)

*All pictures were taken by my iPhone camera, explaining the inconsistent focus.

Longman & Eagle

Dinner menu and postcard

Duo of Foie Gras, Hot Chocolate and Seared, Black Pepper Funnel Cake, Compressed Quince, Werp Farm Microgreens

Awarded a Michelin Star this past fall (along with numerous other accolades), this newly opened Chicago eatery did not disappoint. The crowded space was teeming with energy and chatter as we perused the menu (from which we wished we could try everything). Ultimately, my mom and I ordered and thoroughly enjoyed:

Slagel Family Farms Meatballs, Creamy Polenta, Parsley Pesto, Fonduta

Duo of Foie Gras, Hot Chocolate and Seared, Black Pepper Funnel Cake, Compressed Quince, Werp Farms Microgreens (pictured above)

Slagel Family Farm Pork Belly Confit, Squash Risotto, Apples, Chestnut, Soy Caramel

Warm Gruyere Donuts, "Blis" Maple Syrup, Rasped Parmesan, Roasted Hazelnut, Whipped Citrus Goat Cheese

Banana Toffee English Pudding, Ginger Black Pepper Panna Cotta

Sourcing from local and regional farmers whenever possible, the combination of flavors and foods was incredible. This is definitely one of the most exciting eating establishments in the city.

Pizza!

Ingredients

Potato, Polish Sausage, Garlic, Onions, Olive Oil, Mozzarella

Tomato, Basil, Fresh Mozzarella

Tomato, Basil, Fresh Mozzarella

Cooking and sharing food with friends makes for great fun, happy memories, and an enjoyable meal. After digging out the car buried in snow and picking out a variety of toppings at Hyde Park Produce, my roommate, his girlfriend, and I dove into the kitchen to begin dicing, slicing, and pouring our recent purchases onto tortillas for a delicious pizza extravaganza. Enjoy the pictures of the pizzas (unfortunately poorly lit) though you won't enjoy them as much as we did.

Of course, for beautiful photos and great stories about food, visit: Together In Food