Around the BLOCK

Geranimo in Santa Fe

Written By: Mary Bloch - Nov• 03•12

Geranimo is a veritable institution in Santa Fe. It has changed chefs over the years, but has never lost its panache or its place as one of the premier restaurants in Santa Fe…if, that is, you are looking for an upscale, non-enchilada/burrito meal.

Geranimo is in a lovely house on Canyon Road, about 2/3 of the way up this very unique art gallery-lined lane. The restaurant is much larger than it appears from the entrance; once past the pleasant sidewalk patio, diners will find several elegant rooms decorated simply with gorgeous leather chairs and banquettes, providing a lovely contrast to the white walls. Service is refined, yet not stuffy or intrusive.

Breads are homemade and unusual, including chile dotted rolls and a very moist cornbread.

The waiter knew we were celebrating a special occasion, so he brought each of us a flute of blush champagne, a very festive way to start what was to be an outstanding dining experience.

Though it was not easy to decide among the mouth-watering appetizers, we were pleased with our selections. Duo of Tuna was quite different. Though there was a somewhat traditional tartar, the other half of the preparation consisted of mini bricks of tuna that were wrapped in a crepe-like buttermilk pancake with hoisin green garlic sauce and wasabi aioli.

One of Chef Eric DiStefano’s signature dishes is a fabulous fiery chile shrimp atop an almond rice cake with yuzu basil aioli, and he serves it here as well as his other restaurant, Coyote Cafe. I had ordered a half portion for an appetizer, but after taking one bite was regretting not getting the full tower for my entree.

Other appetizers included a crab cake with dill remoulade, wasabi Caesar salad with Japanese horseradish infused dressing, and orange and pepper seared diver scallops with vanilla crepes, all beautiful to behold. Tom never met a noodle he didn’t like so he had ramen noodles with Japanese vegetables for his main course. They are billed as a side dish and are more appropriate as such; though a nice addition to a meal, the noodles were a bit bland on their own.

Though tuna and wasabi mashed potatoes is a timeworn combination dating back to the 1980s, it’s one I never tire of and this was a worthy rendition. The bok choy and watercress added a layer of texture and all the flavors played well together.

The grilled lobster tail with green chile garlic sauce over angel hair pasta has been a mainstay on the menu at both restaurants. Though it was a lovely dish, it lacked a punch that one would expect from the menu description.

The birthday celebration was topped off with a complimentary piece of dense flourless cake and four forks, and was easily rich enough for us to share without fighting over the last bite.

Geranimo is not an everyday sort of hangout, though having a drink and appetizers on the patio or in the bar would be a nice way to spend an evening without spending big bucks. I consider it the finest fine-dining restaurant in Santa Fe, having maintained its consistency and quality over the years.

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The Jacobson

Written By: Mary Bloch - Oct• 27•12

The Jacobson, the Crossroad’s newest hip restaurant, shares space with Lulu’s Noodle shop. Both occupy the old A.D. Jacobson Heating and Plumbing Company building. It’s a very cool space with glazed cement block walls, a mix of high and low tables, secluded boothes and plenty of bar counter seating. Some of the cocktails come in flasks to the table, sitting in an ice bucket so diners can pour their own or share.

The menu is large, and diners can choose to go light with flatbreads and salads, or heavier with entrees, both day and night.

On my first visit I indulged in a rich and decadent Banh Mi with sliced pork belly, cilantro and carrots, and a spicy mayo. I loved every bite, but it’s definitely not an every day kind of sandwich. If it were sliced pork loin or pulled pork shoulder I could pretend it wasn’t too bad for me, but pork belly is by definition fatty.

The Ahi tuna salad may be a standard on many a menu these days, but this is a good one, with good quality rare tuna and a very pleasant miso vinaigrette dressing up the greens.

On another go around we started with a wild mushroom and ricotta flatbread. The flatbread was crisp, with plentiful toppings, but the dough could have benefited from perhaps a bit more salt (which I hardly ever recommend!).

I really enjoyed the unusual Crossroads salad. The crisp romaine is  tossed with bacon, corn, tomatoes, avocado and a creamy oregano dressing, and a soft poached egg sits on top.  Eggs on salads are big right now, with good reason. The oozing yolk mixes with the dressing to add complexity to the salad.

The J has Happy Hour every day. It would be fun to hit the patio on a beautiful autumn day and throw back a few. There’s a full bar with beer on tap outside, and a water and fire element on the patio. It can be noisy with all of the construction going down in the Crossroads, but that’s the price of progress, and that stops in the early evening.

Desserts are definitely worth ordering. If you’re into Dutch Babies (looks like a cross between a huge pancake and Yorkshire pudding), I saw a few of them  pass by and they looked like the real deal. Servers seem to be partial to the Fig Newton, an unusual twist on my childhood fig newton sandwich: squares of bread pudding serve as the sandwich to the fig perserve filling and are drizzled with chocolate sauce. In a cute riff on cookies and milk, the dessert comes with a shot of Shatto banana milk. Adorable lookng, but since I’m not a bread pudding lover, I don’t think I’d get it again. The Brown Sugar cake on the other hand, with peanut butter ice cream and caramel sauce was a winner.

Chef John Smith has some impressive credentials, having worked with some of the great chefs in Chicago, New York and Paris. Based on his resume, I’m looking forward to trying out the dinner menu, which is more extensive and emphasizes fish, chicken and meat entrees.

It’s fun to go to the Crossroads these days. The ability to experience high quality fare from independent restaurateurs seems to be increasing at an exciting pace.

The Jacobson on Urbanspoon

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Vidalia–Washington DC

Written By: Mary Bloch - Oct• 21•12

Vidalia has consistently made Washingtonian’s list of the Top 100 restaurants in the DC area, and is usually in the top ten. Its cuisine is more mid-Altantic/Southern, of the sort you’d find in Charleston. It has a lovely dining room and, fortunately, not a loud one, so conversation is easy.

We had a wonderful server, who was friendly but not at all obsequious. His command of the menu was impressive and we relied on his suggestions. He was also very accommodating and said the kitchen is always happy to entertain special requests.

For starters, we sampled the crab cake with creole mustard butter, country ham and a bit of cabbage and kale; agnolotti with shrimp; and the signature appetizer, a Vidalia onion stuffed with country ham, red-eye gastrique, and mushrooms. The crab in the crab cake was the star of the show–very little filler and the sauce did not overpower. The pasta was light and fresh and beautifully presented. The onion didn’t live up to its billing, but onion lovers would nonetheless enjoy having a dish that focuses on what is typically just a lowly ingredient.

Yellow fin tuna with oxtail fritter, sweet onion fondue, roasted heirloom carrots, barley, port city porter was not as exciting as it may have sounded, but the tuna itself was excellent. The seared scallops with smoked bacon, grit cake, spring onion, collard green marmalade, cracklings, barbecue butter was the most complex, both in terms of texture and flavor.  The shrimp and grits with smoked bacon, grit cake, spring onion, collard green marmalade, cracklings, barbecue butter reminded us of what we’ve been enjoying recently at Bluestem, Webster House and Genessee Royale Bistro. It was fun to see that the grits were from Anson Mills, which I profiled in a recent Kansas City Star story.

We finished with pecan pie, and it was as sweet, chewy and decadent as one would expect from this quintessential Southern dessert.

While at Vidalia, we also had our first ever bottle of wine  with a glass cork in it!  It’s really quite stunning. An elegant and definitely more upscale alternative to the screw top, it also does the job of cutting down on corked wine that can result from a traditional cork.

 

Vidalia on Urbanspoon

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Port Fonda

Written By: Mary Bloch - Oct• 14•12

Before it even opened, the buzz was all about Port Fonda. Aside from being one of the most exciting-sounding restaurants to open in more than a year, Chef/owner Patrick Ryan has an impressive pedigree. He worked with Rick Bayless at Frontera Grill in Chicago, one of the country’s most highly acclaimed Mexican restaurants, and Ryan’s Port Fonda food truck experience received the only four star review by the Kansas City Star to be bestowed in recent memory.

The truck has been sidelined for now so Ryan can concentrate on getting his brick-and-mortar restaurant up and running.

Maybe my expectations were too high, but based on the awesome and memorable fare Ryan served up in the food truck, my first couple of visits were underwhelming (though he has since gone on to excite every time). Everything I sampled was very good, but there was nothing I just had to have again, except for the awesome chips and salsa. The carnitas tacos were good, but nothing special. Same goes for the Sopa Port Fonda. In fairness, I stayed away from the dishes I loved in the truck, preferring to focus on Patrick’s newer creations.

I persevered because I love Patrick’s food, and my next and all subsequent forays were much more in line with what I had anticipated and hoped for…creative as all get out, and every bite of every dish was mouth-watering.

The grilled sweet corn, one of my favorite dishes in the truck, is incredible. Epazote, cotija, habañero mayonnaise, chile, and lime top the bowl of corn (which has been taken off the cobb), so this is a much more complex and substantial dish than one may think at first glance.

If I didn’t make a meal out of the corn, I certainly could out of the chilaquiles. What makes these chilaquiles better than all others I have had (including in Mexico) is that the thick tortillas have been bathed but not soaked in salsa verde, so the tortillas retain some crunch and aren’t a mushy mess. The stack would have stood on its own without the fried egg, but of course the combination of fried egg, salsa, chorizo verde, crema, cilantro and lime really sends this dish into the stratosphere.

There are several other starters and salads, including tempura fried vegetables with the same spicy mayo that graces the corn dish, pig tails in a hot sauce, and a Rancho Gordo bean salad that can be had with or without a fried egg on top.

Tacos are reasonable priced, at 2 for $6 or $7 and, if you’ve never had a fried oyster taco, Port Fonda is the place to give it a whirl. Tortas seem to be a popular item, especially the sandwich with fried pork loin.

The flasks of green and red hot sauce on each table to use to your heart’s content is a nice touch.

If you are willing to forgo one of the interesting cocktails and stick to beer, Port Fonda offers a sweet deal called the 2 x 4. It’s a 24 ounce can of Tecate for $3. While my husband was unhappy with the $8 guacamole for a small ice cream scoop, he was over the moon about the cost of that can of beer.

Many dishes on the menu are cazuelitas, so defined because they come in a casserole dish. They range from queso fundido (melted cheese dip), which could be considered an appetizer, to wood-roasted mussels or braised octopus, grilled shrimp with green peanut mole and the Panza, which we devoured: rich pork belly with salsa negro, Rancho Gordo beans and pickled tomatillo. It was decadent, but scooping all of the ingredients into a warm corn tortilla was heaven.

I’ve also been to Port Fonda for brunch when the menu is abbreviated and obviously more breakfast focused.

In addition to the chilaquiles, which I must get every time I go to Port Fonda, we also ordered the Tostada de Carnitas and the Burnt Ends, with pork belly, Rancho Gordo beans, grilled green onions, a fried egg and chorizo hollandaise. Pork belly is by definition fatty, but this hunk was shy on meat. Nevertheless, wrapping all the ingredients into another one of those warm tortillas made for a satisfying treat.

Going on a Saturday or Sunday morning has the decided advantage of not being as loud. And the music was more to my liking with tunes from the 70′s(at least the day we were there). Typically the music is thumping, despite putting baffling under the tables and an intention by management to lower the volume in response to complaints from all ages. Though I’m not into the hard rock that blasts through later in the evening, Patrick’s symphony of flavors will keep me going back. I just wouldn’t suggest going with a big group when you have to resort to shouting, or on an occasion that calls for serious conversation.

I’m definitely on board now and in full agreement with those who think Port Fonda is the most intoxicating restaurant in town right now.

Port Fonda on Urbanspoon

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The Dutch–New York City

Written By: Mary Bloch - Oct• 08•12

Locanda Verde’s Andrew Carmellini opened The Dutch just over a year ago, and it’s been on the “hot” list ever since. It’s an American counterpart to his Italian restaurant, similar in style but with less attitude.

On a recent trip to NYC, I booked a reservation for brunch, 30 days in advance as advised. Walking in at 11:00 am, both dining rooms were practically empty, but by the time we left it was filling up, and walking by again at 2pm, it was absolutely jammed. We enjoyed a leisurely and tasty brunch, choosing a variety of dishes on a limited menu. We started with an exceptional burrata dish pairing the creamy cheese with broccoli and a green sauce, a pastry board with blue cheese and raisin scones, a curried sugar donut and a blueberry ginger muffin. Entrees consumed included fried eggs with creamy grits, chorizo and tortilla chips, a turkey sandwich with that same awesome green sauce, a lobster cocktail and a mushroom frittata with goat cheese. I had heard the fried chicken and biscuits were worth ordering, but we had no takers at the table.

Dinner is a more raucous affair, but I’d like to try it. Squid ink pasta with shrimp and chiles, sea scallops with bacon jam, pork chop Adobo, and Korean hangar steak with kimchi fried rice are pretty serious enticements, don’t you think?

The Dutch on Urbanspoon

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Bo Ling’s on the Plaza

Written By: Mary Bloch - Oct• 02•12

This summer, Bo Ling’s moved its flagship restaurant to a space on the Plaza worthy of its designation as the top dog in the chain.  It’s stunning in its contemporary and bold design. Taking up half of the Skelly building, the restaurant would almost feel cavernous if not for the well-divided dining room that includes cocktail seating, booths, and a full bar. There are two entrances, one on 47th St. and the other on Jefferson. There are also a few parking spots reserved for people dashing in for carryout.

This location has added a noodle bar; diners choose soba, udon, ramen or rice noodles, and then add  a protein and broth. It even sells gorgeous cakes, something one does not expect at a Chinese restaurant.

Most of the menu reads the same as the one at the old venue– presented notebook style, each page is laminated and full of photos to help diners make their selections. It’s huge, so plan on several visits to discover your favorites.

We started one evening with fabulous Sichuan dumplings bathed in a luxurious garlic-soy chili sauce. We also ordered spicy vegetable lo mein, a dish not on the menu, but one of my favorite dishes to request…and they are always happy to oblige.

I love any of the vegetables Sichuan style, but the long green beans are especially satisfying.

Yu Xiang Chicken has a little fiery pepper next to it, which indicates the dish will be spicy, but I found it to be pretty mild. But tasty, with chunks of fresh peppers and very tender chicken.

I didn’t love the Dan Dan noodles, but that’s just me. I realized the minute I took a bite that I had made the wrong choice, but only because I don’t like Chinese five spice, and it was clearly the dominant flavor in the noodle sauce.

If you are with a group, consider ordering the Beijing Roasted Duck. Typically served with Mu Shu style pancakes, Bo Ling’s tucks the duck pieces in steamed buns instead.

I’ve always found Bo Ling’s to be quite expensive for a Chinese restaurant. It still is, but now with its new decor and upscale ambiance, it feels a bit more justifiable.

Bo Lings on Urbanspoon

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Haus–First Taste

Written By: Mary Bloch - Sep• 25•12

I’m introducing First Taste with this entry. I’ve wanted for some time to provide readers with my first impressions of a new restaurant without a full-blown, detailed account of the menu and my experience. Haus seemed like the perfect place to roll out this new feature because with just one visit I thought it was easy to take the measure of the new brew haus.

What: This beer garden is located in Martini Corner and, though it may be ideally suited to the twenty and thirty-somethings who frequent that part of town, it will appeal to anyone who enjoys a beer with their sausage and fries. In addition to the beer garden is a funky dining area with TVs, and a cool bar that sports a long blue banquette.

Who: The sausages are handmade at the Local Pig, a local butcher shop in the East Bottoms which is owned and lovingly operated by Alex Pope. One of the proprietors of Haus is Chris Seferyn, who also owns the Velvet Dog down the street.

First Taste: Not normally a fan of sausage (unless it’s in Italian sausage soup), I ordered the Pork Thai Chile Kaffir Lime Sausage.  It tasted of all the flavors in the description. By itself that would be good enough, but  served up on Farm To Market pretzel bun with a choice of toppings like peppers, onions and sauerkraut, the dog was elevated to a higher level. And my husband thought he was in heaven when the server brought an assortment of mustards to add at will. It is truly a gourmet treat. Other selections are just as creative:

Duck Ginger Sage Sausage  •  Smoked Chicken & Apple Sausage Cumin Oregano Sausage  •  Chicken Jalapeno & Pineapple Sausage  •  Pork Tequila Serrano Pepper Sausage  •  Roasted Eggplant & Fetta (vegetarian sausage)

Rabbit & Tomato Basil Sausage  •  Buffalo & Beef Kielbasa Sausage   •  Wild Boar & Pork Porcini Sausage

Seconds: The Belgian Fries are double fried for a crisp texture and served with a choice of dipping sauces. There’s also an awesome list of beers–all of the ones on draft come in their own glass, and are specially picked based on the style of the beer. Each beer is a different size, so pay attention to ounces and dollars per beer.

You don’t expect great service at such a casual spot, but we sure got it. Our server was very knowledgeable about each beer on the list and catered to our every desire.

Haus on Urbanspoon

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Casa Chimayo in Santa Fe

Written By: Mary Bloch - Sep• 19•12

We were told by some friends of ours to try Casa Chimayo on our next trip to Santa Fe. It was new since our last visit in 2010, and though we have quite a long list of favorites, this sounded like our kind of place. It’s family owned and operated, the recipes come from the owner’s mother who grew up in Mexico, it’s very casual and the price is right. 

The mole was incredible; rich, thick and redolent of chocolate and spices. The lunch menu features plantain enchiladas with mole, but the kitchen was very accommodating and made it with chicken instead. And there was plenty of sauce to enjoy with the flavorful rice.

The cheese enchiladas were made with blue corn tortillas, which I always appreciate, and we ordered them Christmas style so we could try both the red and green chile sauces. I didn’t care for the red chile sauce, it was too thin and light colored, more like a spicy hot sauce. I prefer the thick red chile sauce of La Choza or Tecolote, but the green chile sauce packed a bunch and had substantial chunks of green chiles in it.

We also had  a nice green chile stew, though my favorite is the one at Tesuque Village Market, because it’s chile based, not broth based and hence thicker.

 From 12-2 pm and 5-7 pm, a Happy Hour is offered, featuring $5 plates of food, and are almost as substantial as what you’d get at lunch or dinner. It may be the best deal in town!

The restaurant must have been a house at one time, and now each room constitutes a different dining area. During nice weather, I recommend the funky patio. It’s delightful and, if you’re lucky, the owner will be out there. We enjoyed talking to him and hearing about the restaurant and the heritage of the recipes.

For a while there was no website, which was endearing. But I’m glad they succumbed to 21 Century social media; word of mouth only takes you so far these days, and I want Casa Chimayo to be around for my next visit to Santa Fe.

Casa Chimayó on Urbanspoon

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Cyrus in Healdsburg, CA

Written By: Mary Bloch - Sep• 13•12

Cyrus is closing its doors at the end of October. The Le Mars Hotel in which it is housed bought out Douglas Keane’s longterm lease so it can replace Cyrus with a full-service hotel restaurant that offers room service. SO, I consider myself extremely lucky to have been in Healdsburg before the last meal.

We were in Sonoma celebrating a big anniversary with close friends who share the same anniversary year, and Cyrus fit the bill beautifully. It was an over-the-top experience, one which did justice to the special occasion we were toasting. But at $105 for a five course tasting menu or $135 for 8 courses, it was relatively reasonable compared to what is offered at restaurants like the French Laundry in Napa or Eleven Madison Park in New York City. Considering it was only $27 more for an additional 3 courses, we fell for the marketing ploy and went for the 8 courses. And because the cheese course is typically offered a la carte at $17, it seemed like the way to go. Great fun, but way too much food in the end. 

The wine pairing was $135 per person, so we opted for a bottle of wine instead, though it was not easy to find a reasonable price on the ridiculously extensive wine list. Given the size of the list, it was especially impressive that the sommelier didn’t miss a beat in eloquently describing every bottle about which we inquired.

The service throughout the evening was exemplary and not at all stuffy. Most of the servers were young, especially the sommelier who couldn’t have been thirty, and they were all, not surprisingly, superbly trained. But they were also helpful and engaging, which most definitely enhanced our enjoyment.

Before we had even ordered a drink, a server presented us with a spectacular tiered display of bites which represented each of the five tastes–sweet, bitter, salty, sour and umami. Then another server rolled a cart of champagne and caviar over to our table. It was an additional charge, so we didn’t partake of the caviar, but considering we were celebrating one of those milestone occasions, champagne was definitely in order.

We were then given an amuse bouche with tiny pearls that reminded us of dippin dots!

Since this post will soon be obsolete, I’ll let the photos do most of the talking.

Here’s the 8 course tasting menu, which doesn’t include the very impressive array of beautiful housemade breads.

Tasting Menu
“Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato”
or
Shima Aji Sashimi with Plums and Myoga, Ginger Shiso Dashi Gelée

Thai Lobster with Avocado and Melon
or
Chorizo Crusted Scallop with Sweet Corn and Lobster Froth
King Salmon with Chanterelles, Radish and Snap Peas, Tomato-Konbu Broth

Slow Cooked Egg with Miso and Morel Fondue, Buckwheat Pasta

Crispy Chicken Thigh with Potato Puree, Black Eyed Peas, Truffle Vinaigrette
or
Australian Wagyu Beef with Mung Sprouts, Kumquats and Fermented Black Beans

Artisanal and Farmhouse Cheeses Presented Tableside

Goat Milk Panna Cotta with Rhubarb, Parsley-Lime Ice

Yuzu Crémeux, Bergamot Meringue and Cream Cheese Ice Cream
or
Milk Chocolate and Macadamia Bar with Compressed Peaches, Rice Sherbet

We picked off some of the dishes below as well and substituted them for a few that are on the “basic” tasting menu, just so we could experience the widest possible range of tastes.

Vegetarian Tasting Menu
Chilled Yellow Pepper and Basil Soup with Zucchini and Almonds

Compressed and Pickled Watermelon with Ume Budo and Sea Beans

Tofu with Tomato Ginger Compote, Walnuts and Cilantro

Steamed Eggplant Dumpling with Tat Soi, Smoked Shiitake Broth

Sweet Corn and Truffle Risotto, Taleggio

Artisanal and Farmhouse Cheeses Presented Tableside

Goat Milk Panna Cotta with Rhubarb, Parsley-Lime Ice

Yuzu Crémeux, Bergamot Meringue and Cream Cheese Ice Cream
or
Milk Chocolate and Macadamia Bar with Compressed Peaches

The lobster and risotto dishes were my favorites, with intense and stunning flavors.

But we weren’t done. For our anniversary, a server brought us “milk and cookies”–homemade chocolate cookies with an old-fashioned chocolate soda. AND hot glazed donut bites. AND a cart of chocolates and other final bites.

Phew. A very memorable evening all the way around, capped off by a very long walk.

Cyrus on Urbanspoon

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The Green Room

Written By: Mary Bloch - Sep• 07•12

The Green Room  is located in Westport, fittingly next to a theatre (green room, get it?). It also tries to be green in terms of our environment, thus the double-entendre….

Recently opened, it aims to provide a comfortable place to have a good burger at an affordable price, while also perhaps washing it down with a brew from the very extensive beer list. Though I think it achieves that, it’s probably not a place where you’d hang all night, throwing them back. It’s a bit too sterile to get comfortable,  though I found sitting at the bar to be more appealing than in the dining area.

I had a good veggie burger on a great wheat bun from Roma Bakery. The habanero aioli that I had ordered for my fries gave the burger a bit of pep. The French fries were hand-cut, with skins on just the way I like them, but my batch needed a bit more cooking  and much less pepper.

Everyone is very friendly and eager to please, and two servers asked how I enjoyed my meal. Since they inquired, I told them both that the fries were way too peppery (which was obvious from looking at them), and though they apologized, neither did anything to rectify the situation. Since it’s not meant to be a fine dining experience and the fries were cheap, I couldn’t get  upset that they didn’t offer to make me another batch.

Next time up I had the Brownfield burger, a classic with the traditional toppings. Though I regretfully neglected to take a picture, you can imagine it in your mind….diner style, fresh bun, pickles, ketchup and mustard. The meat comes from Bichelmeyer, and I could tell it was a quality product.

In both cases, the price was right at $5 for a burger and $3 for fries.

The Green Room Burgers & Beer on Urbanspoon

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