Milwalky Trace

    So pretty excited to share this experience.  Big props to the cousin in law Jessi Gube for enlightening me about this place on our family vacay to Chicago.  So without further a due I give you... Milwalky Trace.  Apparently it was named after a major road or something like that?  I don't really remember because I was too busy stuffing my face holes.  You could just taste the experience and care that went into every dish.  Very simple food with a high level of technique and palette experience.  Scroll down and check out the dishes!  So good Ill even show you from the end to the beginning.

Dark Chocolate Ganache with Olive Oil and Sea Salt

The garanche was a very dark slightly bitter chocolate with a drizzle of olive oil and sea salt.  A pinch of salt further extenuates the flavors that are already in the dish, hence why salted caramel is such a popular trend nowadays.  It comes with some grilled ciabatta which I thought was buttered and drizzled with sugar but it really didn't need it.  The bitter sweet chocolate had the perfect balance for a great ending dish without being overly sweet.

Ciabatta French Toast

Here is the sugar added on the ciabatta that I was missing from the ganache dish.  A pretty standard french toast using ciabatta which is super unique, macerated berries, and some pure maple.  I prefer the ganache over this but for you all with a sweet tooth this dish is simple but awesome.

Braised Pork Shoulder with Clams

Pork belly and clams is a pretty common pairing.  I like how they used a pretty low end cut like a pork shoulder and really re-purposed it to raise its appeal.  Fresh little neck clams and a delicious spanish style chorizo broth was perfect.  Fresh cilantro on the top rounded out the dish and I am glad that the garnish belonged on the dish as opposed to just a sprinkling of parsley on the rim of a plate which I hate.

1 Dollar Fresh Oysters

We bought this restaurant out of the western oysters.  They gave us a mix of east and west oysters.  I know I may be partial but I prefer the west oysters.  They taste more of the sea and have a pleasant brine to them than the eastern ones which are a bit saltier.  Some fresh lemon and mignionet, what more could you ask for?  O yea only a dollar on Tuesdays!!

Sweet Potato Gniocchi

Not a bad dish I do like the texture of gniocchi when it is finished on a plancha or a pan as it gives it a crisp texture to complement the pillowy insides.  The dish had great flavor but I did feel the pasta was a bit dense using the sweet potato.  Still great flavor though just wanted it to round of with great texture.

Sweet Onion Fritter

These were locally sourced onions just liked the rest of their ingredients.  Neat little swirl in the cup of chipotle aioli.  I do like the spanish flair on some of the dishes.  I like how he julienned the onions and made them into a little nest.  A bit over cooked but still very good appetizer.

Grilled Little Gem Salad

Great salad.  When I first started cooking grilling greens like this was something I loved to do.  Honestly havent had a grilled salad in like 5 years till this day.  Just a simple Caesar with super fresh produce.  SO GOOD!

Gruyere Dip with Bacon Lardons

Well melty bubbly gruyer and cubes of rendered crispy bacon with bread.  Dont really need to elaborate but you could tell this picture didnt look like this for more than a couple seconds.  I think a dish like a cheese dip is pretty essential to those with simpler palates.

Tartar

Of course I pushed us to order this one.  Very good tartar, you could taste the freshness in the beef and the seasoning really came through without overpowering the meat.  Dijon and fresh herbs all over the palate.

Heyyyyyyyyyyy.... The Bronze Fonze

The best thing about this place is the menu changes with the seasons and availability of products as a restaurant should be.  Next time I go back it'll be a whole new experience!  Thanks again fam for the treat!

Feeling good about the startup!

Hello friends!  

     So I know its been a while since I've blogged about my catering startup.  To refresh the past post it was pretty much saying how stupid the process was.  Here I am just trying to use my skills to provide for my family and the city telling me I cant do it because of zoning issues.  I still don't really get it since there is already a full working kitchen where I work currently and to tell me I cant use this fully functioning kitchen was pretty ludicrous to me.  But I guess things just are the way they are sometimes and nothing worth doing is ever easy.

     I am happy to report that this past week has been very productive to me finally achieving my goal and starting my own business!  I have another application in to the city of Poway but this time thanks to some of my vendors and their tips, I have secured another commercial kitchen that is already licensed by the city to operate.  I have had nothing but great encounters with the owner of the kitchen and it just leaves a great feeling that I am finally going to get this gig off the ground.

    I have had the privilege to do a couple tasting for a couple interested clients and one of them one of my long time friends.  I think I am more excited to finally be able to share what I feel is my calling with others.  I've gone through the treacherous journey of planning a wedding myself (Not that treacherous Mel!) and remember that some of the food that we had to chose from our caterer was so basic for lack of a better word.  I really want my company to be able to cater to what the bride and groom want rather than just choose from a set list of foods which to me sounds bland don't you think?  Custom catering is where I feel is more in demand, even on a budget.  I'm making sound like I have achieved so much already and I really haven't done anything at all really, but just the amount of thinking and formulating ways to start something on your own really takes it toll on you, and I haven't even done an event yet!  I plan on trying to get my name out there by doing some of the local farmers markets and really just relying on social media and word of mouth to establish myself.

     I feel all the waiting and being told no really does lend itself to something better in the end as long as you keep working at it.  I am so excited for what is to come and I just want to thank all my friends for supporting me and believing in what I do.  In food you are only as good as your last plate and through the hundreds of steps that it takes to make a single dish I feel if someone is making your food that is only in it for the money, that is what is going to be reflected in the flavor and plating of the food.  I'd really appreciate if everyone would get my name out there and take the time to share my blog and maybe I'll get the chance to share my passion with you all!  

BurGR

Hey!

     Welcome back friends check out some of my Vegas eats over this past week. This is my third time eating here and I of course highly recommend this place.  I am pretty sure everyone would recognize this chefs restaurant.  Gordon Ramseys BurGR,  see the capital GR which represents his initials,  so witty!  Anyways its not just wit that this place has, they also have some serious eats to back up the name.  The atmosphere is great with an open kitchen so I personally feel I could hold them accountable for anything they put out.  Table was touched by 3 different servers which is always rare.  The Food is just dang good so check out some of the pics below.

Chanterelle Burger

This one is my favorite but I am partial to chanterelles.  The buns have black sesame seeds as well which I really think makes a big difference in the toastiness and flavor of the grilled bun.  The hand ground burgers are fired over applewood grill and basted with butter..... yes I needed all those dots and the burgers are treated just like a prime cut steak when cooked.  Some nice sauteed chanterelles and hint of truffle accompany the burGR which still have a bit of chew to them so not braised to mush which I appreciate.  This is then finished with some fresh wild arugala and figgy onion jam to cut the richness.  SO GOOD, just a simple yet not so simple burger.  Earthy, sweet, rich, aromatic.  Try it!

Gooey Fries and Honey Sriracha Apps

Not only are these burgers good but the apps give me the same kind of excitement.  The gooey fries weren't on the menu the first time I went.  These wedge cut fries had a smoked gouda sauce with herbs and salami (they had me at smoked gouda).  They throw the cone on a plate table side and top it with an over easy egg table side as well.  This was devoured shortly after this picture was taken.  The wings were great as well, so juicy yet so crispy on the outside even after they were sauced.  My guess is they were brined before breading and the sauce was more sweet and tangy than spicy which my was right up my wife and in-laws alleys.

Pork Belly Pig in a Blanket and the Little Man

I guess one down side to the restaurant was there was no kids menu and I understand that this is the demographic they were going for.  So after careful delliberation the mother and I chose these ramped up pigs in a blanket, and I have to say the best of this type of dish I ever had.  I must have downed half of these myself.  The center was some nice pork belly, wrapped with puff pastry.  This came with curried ketchup and pickled mustard seed.  The mustard seed was like little popping bits of caviarish like goodness.  Gave it a good acidity to balance out the pork belly.

     All I can say is good thing we did not order a side of truffle fries because I went into deep deep food coma after this one.  The burgers hover around 17 to 20 dollars which I know is pretty high for a burger with no fries.  You always have to take a step back and realize the care that goes into some of these dishes, then you realize the food is worth the money.  Great place so yall go try it ya hear!

Wildberry Chicago

Whats up!

Another review of a popular breakfast joint the cuzzos took us to on out Chicago vacay.  This place stomps broken yolk easily,  nothing gourmet just some down good homey breakfast/brunch items.  

Florentine Benedict with side of Buttermilk Pancakes

Simple classic dish and one of the bosses (wifes) favorites.  Huge english muffin, correctly poached eggs, and loads of sauteed spinach.  Hollandaise was made from scratch thats always a plus.  Great breakfast.

Apple Carmel Pecan  Pancakes

This was an upgrade for my side of pancakes.  Great choice if I may add.  Creamy.carmel and sweet crunchy pecans for texture and the spiced apples lended a great acidity to balance the sweetness.  Yum!

Cornedbeef Hash Skillet

Huge portion of housemade cornedbeef hash.  A nice melty cheese blend topped with some runny yolk.  Gotta have the runny yolk.   Can get a bit one note but I was feeling corned.beef.

Anyways great spot with great service and best of all fair prices!  Im glad I finally got to try this place because all of the families German cousins keep raving about Wildberry!  

Tkb (The Kebab Shop)

     Get ready for this one.  I can honestly say one of the most pleasantly surprising meals I've had in a while.  I've frequented this place many times as there is one so close to my work in Poway, but never seemed to have ordered this until one day I just decided to try it out.  Now I've heard in the past from the workers "would you like that California style" and never really thought anything of it.  Thankfully I decided to give it a try and behold this awesomeness!

 

Lamb and Beef Doner Kebab "California Style"

 

      The down side to this meal is the add on is about 3 dollars bringing price to about 10 dollars for the Doner itself but this is more than enough to satisfy you and I have a pretty monster appetite so that is saying a lot.  What makes it California Style is the addition of French Fries and very good creamy Feta, reminiscent to what is added in a California Burrito.  I've always thought a basic lamb beef Doner was a great meal in itself because the Kebab Shop always has very fresh crispy vegetables and the amount of food is perfect but the additions certainly make it a different beast of a meal.  You get more texture and the rich salt creaminess of the chunks of feta are out of this world. Make sure you get extra garlic yogurt sauce with the your Doner and the addition of the sumac pictured above adds a mild smokey acidity to every bite.  At the end of your meal do not forget the "After Doner Mints".... Great Pun TKS!  Enjoy Peeps.

Bon"quiche"sha

Bonjour

     Posting up a completely scratch quiche I did for the fams about a couple weeks ago.  I know anything like hand made pie shells always make people double think that maybe this is to hard.  All you have to do is get your hands a bit dirty and it will be well worth the effort,  just like many things in life right?  Look how great this looks!

Arugula and Maple Sausage Quiche

For Pie Shell

AP Flour 2cups

Salt 1Tbsp

Melted Butter 1/2 Cup

Water 2Tbsp

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and incorporate.  Cover and let rest for 30 minutes for ingredients to absorb into the flour before rolling out.  Flour a work surface and with a rolling pin roll out a thin even circle of dough that will cover your whole pie tin.  Pre heat oven to 350 degrees and par back shell by using beans and parchment in the bottom of the shell to prevent rising for about 12 minutes.

For Filling

Eggs 4 Each

Arugala 2 Cups

Sliced Sausage 1 Cup

Sharp Cheddar 1 Cup

Julliene Yellow Onion 1/2 Onion about 1 Cup

Kosher Salt TT

Black Pepper TT

First scramble eggs then combine the rest of the ingredients and fold into the egg.  Pour mixture into the par baked pie shell then bake for another 10 to 12 minutes until eggs are fluffy and bouncy, be careful not to over cook the eggs.

Surprised even my 2 year old Jacob loved it.  Finished it with some fresh fruit and boom!  Easy but fancy!  Enjoy

The Laotian Spot!

    Much apologies for the long absence but I am back and with some pretty good content (not biased at all)!  This one will be a review of a restaurant in Murrieta called Noodle Land that I found on accident because of Mel's cousin Ryan and his wife Boonmee.  Shoutout Chicagoans!  She definitely schooled me in the magical wonders of Laotion food so without delay please feast your eyes on this lunch that I rave to anyone and everyone about.

Green Papaya Salad and Fresh Beef Jerky

     Now we had this with traditional Lao style sticky rice not the dessert kind with coconut and mango.  The sticky rice is made over a stove top in a cone shaped bamboo steamer allowing the natural rice starches to stay in the rice and produce a sticky translucent accent to the two dishes above.  The green papaya salad is a traditional Som Tam but Lao style which has a bit more acidity than the Thai style.  The Jerkey are thin strips of beef marinated in Lemon Grass, Garlic, and some secret ingredients I am not sure of then fried to order. You almost get a chewy cure type of flavor enveloped in a bunch of aromatics.  

     These three components together gave me a feeling I haven't felt in a long time which I can only describe in this sentence, "WTF ALL OF THIS WORKS TOGETHER AND TASTES SO GOOD."  I put the all caps because that's how it felt like I said it in my mind the first time I had this.  Boonmee and Ryan proceeded to eat with their hands using the sticky rice and making a perfect vessel to make the perfect bite with the rest of the food.  I would like to thank the Gube family especially Ryan for marrying Boonmee and letting me experience this type of cuisine which I have to fight the urge of spending all my money on for my meals everyday. 

     Everyone go out and try this place and order these three things,  I highly recommend it! 

     Disclaimer: I got a 5 out of 10 on the spicy scale on the papaya salad and Mel said her mouth was on fire so order accordingly.  Enjoy you won't regret it!