Guu

I've never been to Asia. Thus, I have no frame of reference for any kind of Asian (in this case, Japanese) inside joke. That's how I'd regard Guu - an inside joke...

We visited the popular Thurlow Guu location (recommended to us by The Salt Tasting Room wait staff), which I think is an irreverent take on a Tokyo dive bar; only with more thoughtful food. We waited outside 20 minutes for our table and were then ushered in as the waitress and chef yelled in Japanese at each other and then us; a welcoming, of sorts. Wok smoke filled the heavy air. We were crunched against the bar between other fellow diners. More yelling. But it was never kitschy. Never (remotely) Benihana. My problem? I was never quite sure whether I was watching an earnest recreation of home or a tongue-in-cheek version of a familiar institution. But that's a compliment and that's my problem. If I'm eating Japanese, why shouldn't I be transported to Tokyo? Why shouldn't I be disoriented and unsure? Isn't that authentic? Authentic or not, it's foreign to me and that's fine...

The menu was broad and interesting, as well as a minefield for both my allergies and my sensibilities. Shrimp galore, Pig intestines, fish heads with salt, marinated jelly fish...

We waited another 15 minutes before our waitress took our drink/food order, but then our food arrived in less than five minutes...

Fresh Beef "Sashimi Carpaccio" with Tomato Ginger Sauce and Mustard Mayonnaise
Smoked Salmon and Three Kinds of Tomato Salad
Grilled Black Cod with Miso Mayonnaise Sauce

Dishes were priced between $4-8 (Canadian), leading me to believe we'd get small tapas-sized plates. Nope. Each dish was good-sized, almost a meal unto itself. And I wouldn't describe any of the dishes as delicate. Miso mayonnaise glopped atop a slab of cod. Large pieces of smoked salmon haphazardly added to a simple salad. But everything was good. Tasty. Some accessible. Some interesting. My friend got the Pumpkin Croquette Ball inside egg with original sauce...

Would I go back? Yes. Although, next time, maybe I'll bring along somebody to translate the humor...

Cost: $$
Rating: 7/10

Guu
838 Thurlow Street
Vancouver, BC Canada
604.685.8817

The Salt Tasting Room

I'm not sure where it was that I saw or read about TSTR (after a quick Google, I think it might have been a Food Network show or maybe Food & Wine magazine), but when learning I'd be spending a quick couple days in Vancouver, it's the first eatery that came to mind. It was the immense chalkboard wall of charcuterie and cheeses that left an impression...

Nestled in (what I perceived to be) a faux grungy alley in quaint, yet touristy, Gastown was a simple idea. Pick your meats and cheeses (total of 3), pick your condiments (3) and pick your wines (3). Pair them yourself or have the helpful and knowledgeable staff pair them for you...

Full disclosure: we arrived on a lazy Tuesday evening and it's reasonable to think our experience might have been different on a packed Friday night...

I've documented my historic disappointment with wine bars (Cliff Notes: love the concept, "eh" on the execution), but I'm not sure I'd call this place anything but perfect. Every step of the way I felt I was eating something hand-picked. Something pre-screened. That's all I ask. I start envisioning a distributor shoving surplus product down a buyer's throat and the vibe's lost...

After some intense deliberation, here's where I spent my $30 Canadian (solid portions btw):

Manchego (Spain)
Marcona Almonds
Shepherd's Ridge Pinot Noir (Wairau Valey, New Zealand)

Pancetta Salami
Guiness Grainy Mustard
Langmeil Three Gardens (Barossa Valley, Australia)

Valdeon Azul (Spain)
Similkameen Apricots
Renato Fenocchio "Elena" Barbera d'Alba (Piedmont, Italy)

Two words: Valdeon Azul. I like Blue Cheese. I've had good, I've had bad. My point: I'm no devotee. But every bite of that wedge was an experience. A strong, balanced flavor that paired perfectly with wine and the apricots. But what I loved was that it wasn't overly rich. Not over-the-top buttery, as blue cheese can be. Later, I learned it's a blend of cow and goat's milk customarily wrapped in Sycamore leaves. Complex flavors I don't have the vocabulary to describe...

All three pairs (trios?) worked. Well. Differently. And it was fun. I love assembling food. I love making those micro-decisions that help craft the experience. What should my pancetta to mustard distribution look like? Do I finish the blue cheese before downing an apricot? Good stuff...

The concept's not new. Meat, cheese and wine. But give me good meat, good cheese and good wine. TSTR delivers on all three and the mix-n-match pairing is what takes it over the top...

Cost: $$
Rating: 9/10

The Salt Tasting Room
45 Blood Alley
Vancouver, BC Canada
604.633.1912

Folk Gospoda - Warsaw, Poland

The words hearty fare are usually framed as a selling point. Who wouldn't want hearty fare? It's hearty. It's fare. Of course, like tagging along with your wife on one of her business trips to Warsaw, it sounds better in theory...

I'm not a dainty man. I throw things at the tv when my alma mater is losing a football game. Yet I have come to the conclusion that I do not like hearty fare. In fact, on the stereotypical male/female continuum, my love of food more closely mirrors my propensity to cry at the end of a manipulative movie than my encyclopedic knowledge of James Bond...

Which brings me to my experience with Polish hearty fare. If Folk Gospoda was in Peoria, Illinois, I probably wouldn't bother to blog about it. But it was in Warsaw and it was the only real restaurant within a walk of the newly built (and first-rate) Hilton. So file this under cautionary tale...

Oscypek Highlands style
Beef Tenderloin rolled in bacon
Russian pierogi (cottage cheese and potatoes)

The butter was mixed with cracklins. The tenderloin was dripping with a heavy brown sauce-type substance. The pierogis (I'd find much better later in the trip) reminded me that I haven't had a cholesterol test in awhile. Combined with probably the worst service I've personally witnessed, this place wasn't very memorable. Sure, there was an Eric Clapton cover band. And the Oscypek (a local cheese) with cranberry and horseradish was a nice sweet/savory combo. But next time I'm in Warsaw (there won't be a next time), I'm taking a cab from the Hilton...

Rating: 4.0 / 10.0
Cost: $

Folk Gospoda
13 Walicow Street
Warsaw, Poland
(+48 22) 890 16 05

Rainarai - Amsterdam

Eating and traveling is a wonderful concept. Exotic, aspirational, liberating, yet, all too often, disappointing and unsatisfying. Either you stick too closely to the guide book (treading the path well-traveled) or your pursuit of the quintessential local spot ends with mixed results. That's why discovering an authentic, earnest spot like Rainarai makes the whole process worthwhile...

North African cuisine, I guess, but they don't bend over backwards explaining anything. In fact, in a friendly city that unilaterally speaks English, it was actually refreshing to have to decode some Dutch. And there's no menu. Just a showcase and a chalkboard with whatever was cooked that day. And it changes daily - we know because we kept going back...

Occupying an odd-shaped corner spot, bordering the Jordaan, Rainarai looks like a too-small bodega. It's at once friendly and aloof. Nondescript and unique. There's not even a sign (I had to swipe a business card to even know the name), only a couple of crates of fresh fruits and vegetables to signal its existence. And on a sunny day, they'll toss the rugs on the sidewalk and let you dine on the Lauriergracht canal. Don't expect fussy service or over-attentive waiters. Or even waiters, really...

I can't recount all the food we had over our three trips (truth is, I don't remember). What stood out was the couscous with apricots and a hollowed out Butternut Squash roasted with figs, goat cheese, spinach and lots of other great stuff. But what made it work was the complete absence of pretense. Like I envision a quick-service restaurant in Marrakesh. Maybe Rainarai is better, maybe worse, but it doesn't seem to care. You can't help but admire anyplace that is so disinterested in making it into Frommers they don't even both to hoist a sign over head. Oh yeah, and the food was great...

Rating: 7.5 / 10.0
Cost: $

Rainarai
Prinsengracht 252
Amsterdam
020-624 97 91

De Kas - Amsterdam

There is public transit in Amsterdam, most noticeably in the form of bright blue trams, which share the road with a sea of black bikes and tiny cars (I'm putting the over/under for crippled American tourists per summer at nine - yes, insensitive, but these things have no conscience. The trams not the American tourists - okay, maybe both). As a visitor, however, I think the best way to see the city, and remember what it's like to be ten again, is to rent a bike and jump in the mix. The city's traffic is completely oriented around Amsterdam's preferred mode of travel and, while often intimidating, the learning curve is not so steep. I say this because De Kas almost certainly requires a bike ride. Set off from the road, just south of Oosterpark and probably three or four miles from the city center. About a 30-minute ride from our Jordaan location, we allowed the time and had fun with with it (post meal it was a welcome bit of exercise)...

On approach, you at once feel completely isolated as you would in a city garden or state park (either of which, this area might actually be). A well-manicured children's playground and grassy patch of ground are all that share this slice of solitude with De Kas. De Kas is made up of two connected greenhouses, one an actual greenhouse that helps feed the guests and the other a giant dining room with clean, unobtrusive light filling a massive space...

The menu is set and they accept substitutions only for vegetarians and allergies (during my recital the waitress actually sat down to remember my list). Five courses (three appetizers brought out simultaneously, one entrée, and a dessert) for 47.50 Euros. Before ordering, they offered Champagne with basil from the garden, which was a nice touch. The earthy basil competing with the bubbles... The wine for the night was an Australian shiraz (Shotfire Ridge 2004) which was outstanding. Later, I learned it's a relatively cheap ($15-20) 92-point (Robert Parker) bargain if you can find it...

The menu wasn't revealed to us up front, which I liked. As we became engrossed in conversation, a new plate would make an appearance requiring a lengthy explanation...

Veal with lemon foam and pesto atop ratatouille
Saffron cauliflower with proscuitto, assorted tomatoes and gnocchi
Soft-boiled egg atop butter lettuce and french beans with shaved truffles and parmesan
Grilled duck breast with parsley risotto, chanterelles w/ garlic and (a long) radish (-type thing)
Marinated plum pastry with sheep's milk frozen yogurt and a pistacchio cookie

Where do I start? The small chunk of veal (airplane meal sized) was cooked perfectly. The soft boiled egg/truffle/parmesan combo was flavorful without trying too hard. But the best course, oddly, was the cauliflower. So fresh, cooked so perfectly with saffron used so sparingly (maybe only for color), it typified the meal. Yes, I knew De Kas was all about the fresh ingredients from their property, but that's pretty much everyone's schtick nowadays. Only this was no schtick, they really let the food speak for itself, with just enough restraint on the spices to complement, not distract. The entrée-sized duck breast was also cooked to perfection, tender and flavorful with the just-picked parsley taste of the risotto. The dessert was outstanding. Again, the perfect balance of sweetness, and like the rest of the meal, so clearly made for an adult's sense of taste. The sheep's milk frozen yogurt is, I'm guessing, what Pinkberry is striving to replicate (I'll know if I ever decide to wait on the lines)...

In short, the meal was near-perfect. From the rare European no smoking rule (a plus for us), to the relaxed yet focused service, to the unbelievable food. Before all of today's restauranteurs build their menus around "what's fresh at the market" and "make the food the star" they should be ordered to enjoy a meal at De Kas...

Rating: 9.5 / 10.0
Cost: $$$+

De Kas
Kamerlingh Onneslaan 3
1097 DE Amsterdam
+31 (0)20 462 45 62

Blauw aan de Wal - Amsterdam

Translated from Babel Fish, it means: blue to the rampart. Translated from Webster's Dictionary, rampart means: an embankment built around a space for defensive purposes [note: back off, I know it's in the Star Spangled Banner, but it's been awhile since I've used it in a sentence]. In other words, I have no idea what the name means (and I didn't think to ask). What Blauw aan de Wal is, is an odd culinary gem in the most unlikely of places. In the heart of Amsterdam's Red Light District, through a graffiti-tagged alley and next to a tiny courtyard, is the two-story, white-linen restaurant. In fact, upon entering the alley I was graciously offered "yay-yo, speed or ecstacy" by someone who, I can only assume, wasn't affiliated with the restaurant (I could always be wrong)...

Inside, what I found was an uber attentive staff waiting to seat us and cater to our every need. The menu was short, but complex, with each of the appetizers and entrees prepared with fresh ingredients into a sophisticated rendering. The wine list was light on by-the-glass offerings, but had a nice diversity of choices by the bottle. We opted for the "set menu" - a three course meal of off-the-menu specials for 44 Euros...

Tompouce of Scottish Salmon with hard-boiled egg, fresh herbs, anchovies, capers and a roasted red pepper dressing
Bacon-wrapped Monkfish with roasted tomatoes and orange zest on creamy polenta
Verbena parfait with herbs topped with an orange confit

Evidently, a tompouce is traditionally a Dutch dessert with some type of cream between two wafers. In this case the wafers were Scottish Salmon and the cream was an egg salad-like mixture with the salty capers and anchovies adding a nice touch. At the end of the day, however, I don't like egg salad, so while this was an inventive dish and I'm sure a lot of people would enjoy it (most likely people with a penchant for egg salad), I didn't love it. The wine that accompanied the appetizer, however, was a perfect match. Las Brisas is an inexpensive Spanish wine that by itself was nothing special, but when paired with the salmon and egginess of the appetizer, really came to life...

On to the monkfish... I love bacon. I love things wrapped in bacon (usually having something to do with the bacon). I have come to realize that I do not, however, love monkfish. I don't recall ever having monkfish and I found it exceptionally meaty and not in a swordfish or sharky kind of way. It was cooked to perfection, I have no doubt, but like the aforementioned egg salad, I just don't think I really like monkfish (having nothing to do with the nightmares I will have as a result of the monkfish pictured above - he's scary and mean looking and I'm glad, in that way, I ate him). The wine the waiter suggested was solid and a good match, although I've never been a huge Rosé fan (a Graf Hardegg 2005 Rosé from Austria)...

The dessert was good. The waiter kindly explained how a parfait is basically ice cream that, instead of being turned and turned and turned into ice cream, is simply put into the freezer (and it seems he was right, although America's globalization machine had me thinking it was a fruit/yogurt mixture). The dessert was definitely the most enjoyable part of the meal...

Overall, it's a tough one. I didn't really enjoy my meal, especially relative to what it cost, but I can't help wondering if this is one of those "it's not you it's me" instances. If I was a monkfish-loving, egg salad-craving wild man, I'm sure my take would be different. Although I'm not sure I'd be as much fun at cocktail parties...

Rating: 5.5/10.0
Cost: $$$+

Blauw aan de Wal
Oudezijds Achterburgwal 99
Dam, Amsterdam
+31 (020) 330 22 57

Brown Sugar Cafe - Boston

When thinking about Fenway Park, I tend to think about the majestic Green Monster or mammoth David Ortiz home runs or (even better) mammoth Bucky Dent home runs. I’m not sure superior Thai Food would make the top five (hundred) on that list, but what we found on a quiet side street just behind Fenway was just that. Inexpensive, unpretentious, delicious Thai food. Truth be told, I can’t even be positive what we had, as the dishes came out fast and furious, but every single dish was flavorful, fresh-tasting, and perfectly spiced. The expansive menu features curries, seafood, classic Thai dishes, as well as the chef’s Gourmet Originals menu, which turns the menu upside down by showcasing the vegetables with the meat in the second chair...

With another location closer to BU (I think) and a full lunch menu, it's a great, (relatively) cheap meal. We were there mid-week and, even though there was a Red Sox game in progress, reservations weren’t necessary...

Rating: 7.5 / 10.0
Cost: $$

Brown Sugar Cafe – Fenway
129 Jersey Street
Boston, MA 02215
617.266.2928

Brown Sugar Cafe - Comm. Ave.
1033 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
617.787.4242

11 - Amsterdam

11 Restaurant and Bar is all about the view. That is not to minimize the menu, the see-and-be-seen vibe or the stark industrial approach to the 11th floor loft space (including the graffiti-tagged hallways and giant art-as-eroticism posters hanging in the elevator lobby). All that does just fine to compliment the view. In a city completely dominated by squat four and five story buildings, the converted mill rises about the city's downtown like a forgotten voyeur. Unfortunately, a recent condo project to the west blocks a small chunk of the 360 degree vista, but that matters little when you're sipping a white beer at ten at night with the summer sun still beaming. The latitudinal phenomenon that allows for an 11pm sunset and 4am sunrise is pure magic. I don't know how it would feel as a local - to swing from bleak winter days to endless summer nights - but for a summer visit to one of my favorite cities, it's ideal...

An unexpected 30-hour trip to Amsterdam is a prelude for a longer (purely recreational) stay next month, but a late dinner in the Eastern Docklands area (adjacent to the Central Station) made the quick turnaround worthwhile...

Escargots with gnocchi, Dutch lettuce and parsley butter
Spinach truffle risotto with asparagus, Beaufort cheese and water cress
Peach frangipane with lavender créme

I'm not exactly sure if white beer (or witbier) was the perfect pairing for my menu, but nor do I care because I am a huge fan of the European brew. It's light and citrusy and I love the little plastic muddle they deliver with it to pulverize the lemon. 11's brand of choice was Hoegarden, a Belgian beer that I'm told is available in the States...

The food was prepared with care and each course was enjoyable, although I can't say anything stood out. The snails were a little tougher than I had a couple of weeks ago at Artisinal (my one and only escargot experience to date) and the lavender was a little overpowering in the dessert (a frangipane is evidently, in this case, a Belgian almond pastry tart) but when you consider the view, I'd highly recommend experiencing this place for dinner. At a minimum, get a drink and stare out the window...

Rating: 6.5/10.0
Cost: $$$ (33 Euros for the prix fixe menu)

11 Restaurant and Bar
Oosterdokskade 3-5
1011 AD Amsterdam
020 62 55 999

Artisinal - New York City

...or the full name Artisinal Fromagerie Bistro & Wine Bar. Went with some friends, who had been there before and suggested it. In general, I have this aversion to overly commercial restaurants. You know, the celebrity chef (Terrance Brennan), the website with MBA-caliber merchandising (welcome to The Artisanal Online Cheese Shop). And after perusing the menu online, I was fairly certain that's what we was getting...

After a couple of drinks, we made it to Artisinal. Nice, very large room that, while noisy, I didn't find annoyingly so. There was a nice feeling to the room - they do the whole French Bistro thing well...

Chilled Asparagus Soup with Basil Oil
Burgundy Snails en Croute with Chervil-Garlic Butter
Rainbow Trout with Chanterelles
Orange Zest Creme Brulee

Given my penchant for allergic reactions (see the title overhead), I have effectively avoided escargot for my 35 years on the planet. I understand that shellfish are different that other things that happen to live in shells but are not fish, but let's be honest, I'm fragile. That said, after a couple of drinks and some prodding from my friends (and possibly because my wife thought I was taking a stupid, unnecessary risk), I placed the order. I thought they were okay, the actual snail at least, because let's be honest. It's all about the butter. In fact, enjoying (which I did) the escargot is the best testament I can think of to my new-found corollary that anything works with a ton of herb butter...
Overall, the meal was solid. I really enjoyed the soup, which had a fresh from the garden earthiness. The fish was good, not great, and the chanterelles didn't add as much to the dish as I was expecting. As far as dessert, while I may not have the requisite training, I am a self-proclaimed creme brulee aficionado and this one was very good. The orange was a little overpowering, but not too much so...

Sorry, forgot the wine we drank, which would make it, by definition, forgettable...

Rating: 6.5/10.0
Cost: $$$

Artisinal Fromagerie Bistro & Wine Bar
2 Park Avenue (@ 32nd Street)
NYC, NY 10016

Bin 26 Enoteca - Boston

On a recent trip to Boston, we coincidentally happened on Bin 26 Enoteca, a trendy Beacon Hill wine bar/restaurant I'd read about in Food & Wine ("Best New Wine Lists"). I remembered how they had ironically put Thunderbird on the wine menu, which I thought sounded clever (my unfounded fear was that it was a little too clever)...

Inside, it was a fairly typical setup. Small front-room, albeit with a nice, sizable wine bar, and smallish back room. I would ask for a table up front, by the street-facing window (but then I'm a people-watcher). The food was what I guess I'd describe as gourmet Italian with a seasonal menu (wouldn't it be refreshing for a restaurant to advertise their penchant for frozen fish and canned vegetables?) - interesting takes on traditional Italian fare (seemingly all regions, but I could be wrong). At the risk of getting all socio-political, it had the too-familiar homogenous ethnic makeup of Boston (that always amazes me), but, of course, that had no impact on my meal. My food:

Red & Yellow Pepper Bruschetta
Beef Carpaccio w/ Tarragon Citronette
Cocoa Tagliatellee with Porcini Ragout scented with Nepitella
Strawberry Millefeuille

As an aside, I had no idea what either Nepitella or a Millefeuille were. After some digging, Nepitella is a wild mint from Tuscany (not sure I could taste it) and a Millefeuille is a layered pastry...

Everything was very good. Nothing great, nothing bad. My friend's Hanger Steak, however, was perfect. The best I've ever tasted. My other friend's special pasta was also a better order than mine (what else is new). The dessert was outstanding. I can't recall, but it's possible I licked my plate...

The wine list was impressive. Broken down a couple different ways and comprehensive by the glass. We started with a bottle of Seghesio Zinfindel, which was great. For my dinner, I put myself in the hands of the helpful/attentive waiter who paired my pasta with a Pinot Noir from Northern Italy (Grosjean Freres, Valle D'Aosta). Tremendous Pinot Noir, quite different from what you normally drink from California. Of course, I can't pinpoint how. Trust me, it was a great glass of wine. I've found it online for $22/bottle, and I plan to order a few bottles ...

Definitely worth a visit...

Rating: 7.0 / 10.0
Cost: $$$

Bin 26 Enoteca
26 Charles Street
Beacon Hill, MA 02114
617.723.5939

Obligatory mission statement disguised as first post...

While I completely recognize the value of a blog (power to the people and all that), I am not a devotee. Sure, I have several bookmarked. Guy Kawasaki's energetic take on the business world, John August's carefully constructed thoughts on the world of screenwriting, and, while I don't know that I would consider it a blog in the truest sense, who doesn't bookmark Bill Simmons as The Sports Guy? But I'm not addicted. That is, they're not part of my day-to-day. And if you subtract those few outstanding blogs from the blogosphere, I am blinded by the sea of mastubratory musings that hopefully provide some sort of catharsis to the blog-er, yet are rarely of value to the blog-ee (at least as decided by me)...

I am not looking to form a community, appear in a New York Times blurb or parlay my food-lifestyle blog into a lucrative career as a food critic (offers on the aforementioned encouraged). This blog is meant to be but one fabric in the wonderful world wide web. It struck me, when researching restaurants for an upcoming trip to Amsterdam, that I needed help. Some sort of resource (or collection of resources) to help me avoid a night spent with my wife in a restaurant overlooking an outdoor brothel (we're saving that for the last night. joke)...

What I'll capture is straightforward... My thoughts on dining out, cooking in, food, wine and drink. I have no formal training, no time to do this, but it's too late. I'm in...