Organic, Vegan, Raw

To celebrate my dear friend Gina’s birthday, we do lunch, and she suggested a restaurant called LEAF. Organic, vegan, raw food. Grains, seeds, and nuts are soaked and sprouted. The food is not heated to above 110 degrees F. I love my dear friend, and happy to go anywhere she likes, but I must admit I was a bit skeptical about this choice.

Cracklin’ Corn Chips with Hummus

Flying Falafel Salad: Sprouted chickpea falafel croquettes with creamy tahini sauce, mixed greens, marinated onions, tomatoes and sprouts.

This food is very colorful and photogenic…

Veggie Sunburger Wrap: Veggie seed croquettes topped with sweet tangy tomato sauce, mixed greens and sprouts rolled up in a collard green with house dressing.

We were pleasantly surprised, the food was tasty and interesting. I was especially intrigued with the marinated onions. Chef Patrick shared that the thinly sliced onions are left to marinate in a raw organic unpasteurized soy sauce, then are served atop the salad. I will be stealing this technique for some future salads, thanks Patrick.

Here in Southern California, my roses are still blooming. I brought along this bouquet for my long-time friend. The arrangement is a mix of Tahitian Sunset Rose (far left), Secret Rose (light pink middle) Tournament of Roses (front pink), Julia Child Rose (far right). Happy Birthday, My Friend! Glad to explore Organic, Vegan, Raw with you anytime…

David Burke Las Vegas

Chicken Club
grilled chicken paillard, smoked bacon, lemon aioli

Pretzel Crusted Crab Cake
mango, poppy seed honey

Classic “Caesar” Salad
lemon, anchovy, garlic, French toast croutons, grilled shrimp

Happy to share!

We fell in love with David Burke in New Jersey. So for my mother’s Las Vegas 75th Birthday Weekend we were excited to take her to lunch at his restaurant in The Venetian. Again, we were totally impressed with the food, the service, and the ambiance.
I’m excited about the new camera I bought last month, a Canon EOS Rebel XS. I think there is a distinct difference between these photos and the ones I took at Fromagerie. Working with this camera is turning out to be a terrific learning experience. The only drawback is that it is quite cumbersome to lug around Vegas, especially when trying to maneuver my big purse at the blackjack tables! But that didn’t stop me from bringing it to restaurants Guy Savoy and Alex. So please stay tuned for more fabulous Vegas food!

David Burke Fromagerie

HAM AND CHEESE OMELET STREUDEL
My favorite meal to dine out is SUNDAY BRUNCH. And my family and I like a leisurely brunch at that. A while back we had a phenomenal four hour brunch at David Burke Fromagerie in Rumson, New Jersey.

HANDMADE CAVATELLI & BRAISED SHORT RIBS
wild mushrooms, truffle mousse and mushroom chips

For nearly 35 years, Fromagerie has been a landmark in Rumson. In his teens, New Jersey native David Burke worked in the kitchen here. “I didn’t become a cook because I love food, I became a cook because I love the kitchen.”
As he became more successful, Chef Burke remained friends with the original owners. It was his dream to one day buy Fromagerie when it came time for his friends/mentors to retire. This dream came true in 2006.

PETITE FILET MIGNON & EGG BENEDICT
home fries

HAND CUT BACON “for the table”

Our family has a dining custom we call “for the table.” It first came about in the 90’s at a new restaurant in Vegas where our waiter said we would be remiss if someone did not order the Chef’s truffle risotto. My brother said, “Well, just bring one for the table,” thus ordering an additional entrée for all to share. Over the years this has become Standard Operating Procedure. Ordering the Chef’s recommendation or a dish to share “for the table” even has it’s own gesture: Outstretch arm and make a circular motion with the hand toward the middle of the table.

TITANIC FRENCH TOAST
two marmalades & strawberry consomme

What to drink with Brunch? Bloody Marys are good. But we are in love with Grüner Veltliner. This darling Austrian white wine pairs with all brunch foods. All? How can that be? Salad, artichoke, omelette, asparagus, hollandaise, bacon, crab, cheese, French toast??? Yes. I plan to keep drinking GrüVe, affectionately called groovy, with brunch and I promise to let you know if something doesn’t work. I suspect it has something to do with the time of day as well as the wine’s character: Juicy. Complex. Bright. Balanced. Intriguing. Johann Donabaum is one of a new generation of younger winemakers producing wines from the western end of the Wachau, Austria’s great dry white wine region. Johann Donabaum Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Berglage Loiben 2005

The Hirsch winery is among the best white wine producing estates of Austria. Josef Hirsch and his son Johannes, with a love of nature and honed oenology skills respectively, combine old style and new style produce wines of exceptional character. Speaking of Austria, if you want a real treat, please visit my blogger friend Merisi, whose Postcards from Vienna photography will give you an amazing taste of this gorgeous country. Hirsch Grüner Veltliner Qualitätswein Trocken Kamptal Kammern Lamm 2005

FRESH SEASONAL FRUIT
lemongrass-ginger consommé & “chai tea” whipped cream

MOLTEN CHOCOLATE S’MORES
bourbon vanilla gelato, crisp meringue mushroom

DAVID BURKE CHEESECAKE POPS – The staff could not have been more gracious. To top off the experience, they presented all six of us with a gift box of cheesecake pops to take home (or for some of us, on the plane).
We just returned from Las Vegas where we celebrated my mother’s 75th birthday and enjoyed another fab David Burke meal at his restaurant in The Venetian. More to come…

Chicago’s Custom House Restaurant

Sweetbreads
Glazed Bacon/White Polenta
Button Mushrooms
I want to share the experience of dining in Chicago, one of my favorite food towns. It’s not just about the food, but also the big personality of this metropolis and the service, ambiance, architecture, and lights of the Windy City.
Chef Shawn McClain’s Custom House is located at 500 S. Dearborn, on the edge of the Loop. In the 1890s, the area was called the Custom House Levee District, known for its bordellos, saloons and pawnshops; hence the name. With its floor to ceiling windows this restaurant has a sleek cool elegance. It features Regional American fare with locally-sourced seasonal ingredients.

Werp Farms Beets
Crispy Lardo/Pistachio
Blue Cheese/Arugula

Standing at 1,450 feet and 110 stories high, the Sears Tower is the tallest building in North America and the third tallest building in the world: seen here from our table.

Heirloom Beans
Soffrito/Oregano
Homemade Tortelli
Buffalo Milk Ricotta/Green Beans
Parsley Walnut Pesto
Horseradish Cream Puffs

Bone In Short Rib

Pommes Anna
Housemade Bacon

Another Order of Horseradish Cream Puffs

Veal Cheeks
Tomato Anchovy Preserve
Bone Marrow Crostini

Artisanal Cheeses

Enjoying the Evening
As the Sun Goes Down
Black and White Ice Cream Float
Chocolate and Wattleseed Ice Cream
Mini Black and Whites

French Press Coffee
End to Another Fabulous Chicago Meal
A friend of mine is on her way to Chicago for business and asked if I had any recommendations for dining in the city. Another of my favorites is Joe’s Stone Crabs on the corner of Grand & Rush, which I wrote about in April and, of course, Charlie Trotter’s. For an authentic Chicago-Style lunch, don’t miss Hot Doug’s!

We also love Bistrot Margot, in Chicago’s Old Town, a blog post for another time…
Have a great trip, Susan!

Charlie Trotter’s Kitchen


I’m so fortunate. Last Saturday I was The Guest Chef for the Day at Charlie Trotter’s Restaurant in Chicago – a unique opportunity to participate in the creation of Charlie’s world class cuisine. The weekend before, the restaurant celebrated its 21st anniversary. This prestigious restaurant is dedicated to excellence in the culinary arts and I was absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to be a part of the team for the day.
I arrived at 2 PM. The plan was to work in his innovative and progressive kitchen until 9 PM then change out of my chef’s whites and join my family and friends in the dining room for dinner.

The Family Meal: The staff and I enjoyed this delicious fish stew, paprika potatoes, fresh Illinois corn and salad before the shift.

Ready to get cooking, but wait, I am first offered a glass of Champagne…they’re spoiling me! Pierre Peters Brut Blanc de Blancs, Grand Cru

I’m hoping I can give you a sense of the experience by sharing photographs of the kitchen and some of the finished plates.

The Busy, Dedicated Staff

Garde Manger: the station where cold dishes are prepared.

Chilled Snow Lake Trout with Smoked Salmon Roe
Sorrel & California Crayfish

Pickled Baby Radish with Chives
Charlie Trotter is clearly passionate about vegetables.

Building the Dish:
Michigan Heirloom Tomatoes with Fava Beans
Basil Seeds & Chervil
Italian Summer Truffle 🙂
Ossau Iraty with Truffle
Ossau Iraty cheese from the French Pyrenées is aged for a minimum of ninety days;  its fragrance is reminiscent of toasted hazelnuts, and it tastes of the sweet, buttery flavors from superior sheep’s milk.

Braised Short Ribs are Grilled…

Plated…

Served:
Forty Eight Hour Braised Short Rib
with Chive Blossoms & Fermented Black Garlic

Angelica Ice Cream is made with angelica herb from the restaurant’s abundant garden.

Michigan Raspberries & Blackberries
with Angelica Ice Cream & Angle Food Tuile

I am so grateful to the entire staff at Charlie Trotter’s. Everyone was extremely accommodating, friendly, and professional. And to top it all off, my family, friends, and I enjoyed a fabulous dinner later that night.
Thank you everyone for a most extraordinary and memorable day.

Mignardise: small sweet bites served at the end of a meal…
A sweet experience indeed!