S (you remember S, the CA Wine Guy) and I talked a lot about the Middle East and Egyptian and Meditteranean cooking….and with today being so sunny and hot, I was in the mood for it! So I found a Turkish place on Seamless that would deliver to the office and had gotten some good reviews. I chose Akdeniz (19 W. 46th Street. b/w 5th & 6th) – and my oh my oh MY – was it good!

Ordered Babbaghannous ($5.50) , Eggplant with Sauce ($5.95)- fried eggplant with tomatoes and onions – one of my favorites!, Falafel ($7.50, came with lettuce and shredded carrots and tahini), Chicken Shish Kebab($12.95)- came with rice and vegetables and salad – and was delicious! Great flavor to the chicken, plenty of rice, etc…could easily get this and a spread/app and share with someone. They were all seriously delicious – but the best of all was my pick: The Sultan’s Delight: ‘a classic ottoman dish made with smoked eggplant puree mixed with flour, milk and mozzarella cheese and served with chicken or lamb on top. ($14.95). I of course chose the lamb…and while I was expecting kebab pieces, it was actually topped with a lamb stew – beautifully tender chunks of lamb and carrots and celery…delicious!

The pita bread was that lovely puffy, seed-flecked kind…so glad I order ‘extra bread’ with one of the dishes for 75 cents. So, so, worth it! And will be grateful for it when I eat my leftovers tomorrow.

Akdeniz

19 West 46th Street
(Between 5th & 6th Aves)
212-575-2307
http://www.akdenizturkishusa.com/

Spent a great night in Greenwich Village this week.  There’s just something about walking around this beautiful, old-brick-building part of town that seems so perfect on a warm summer evening.  So many bars and restaurants have fronts that open out into the streets, so even as you stroll along in the relative quiet and darkness, every so often you walk through a pool of light and noise from one of these boisterous places.  Makes you feel like you’re a part of something, even while you feel like it’s just you and your date in a romantic part of Old New York.

I was out for the evening with S, a recent transplant to NYC from, well, at this point, just about all over the world *smile*, but most recently, from California.  And as a former California guy, he has a preference for California wines.  As I am a big lover of French and Italian wines…we enjoy, well, torturing each other, by going out and ordering one Cali and one Old World (as he calls them) wine, both trying them and then each trying to convince the other why our pick is better.

Ok, maybe that sounds lame, but it’s a really good excuse to try a lot of different wines, so cut us some slack, ok? *smile*

So we started our night at the 8th Street Winecellar. I had heard about this spot, but hadn’t tried it yet…and when I checked the wine menu, the had both our wines, so we decided to give it a go.

Interestingly modern space in a usually-old-style neighborhood. It is down a few steps at “basement level” – hence the ‘winecellar’ name, so follow the numbers on the street when you look for it, the chalkboard sign out front is easy to miss otherwise. Inside, nice atmosphere. Modern, but not coldly so, and they have the best bar stools ever!  The kind with large, padded, square seats and backs. The kind where you feel like you’re sitting on a living-room chair, but up high. I love those – you get the advantage of sitting at the bar, while enjoying the comfort of a banquette. Perfect when you plan to spend some time sitting and sipping.

They have a full bar, but we were there for the wine.   Our plan was to have a face off – ordering glasses of Cali for him and European for me and comparing side-by-side to see if one of us could win the other one over. But when we saw that the happy hour specials were just *so* cheaply priced – $18 bottles and $5 glasses of the house selection of red or white – we changed our plan. The CA Cab we were planning to order a glass of was one of the $18 bottles, so we decided to start with that. Also ordered the Sweet Corn Quesadilla ($9, I think) – which was tasty – the smoked paprika was a nice unexpected touch – good to nibble on, but on the small side. S (being a CA guy) said “Wow. That’s a quesadilla in NYC? I guess I’m not in CA anymore!” So like I said, it was good, but know that it’s not a meal.

When we first sat at the bar, I noticed two different guys sitting by themselves at the bar, having a bite to eat and drinking a bottle of wine. And I thought- you’re here by yourself and you’re drinking a *bottle* of wine at 5:30? Whoa…! But as the night wore on…S and I finished that Cab…and moved on to have four more glasses between us (had to try those French and Italian reds, too, you know – for research. *smile*) So that works out to a bottle apiece…so I guess I shouldn’t talk! *smile*

We then went to dinner at Grano Trattoria, an Italian restaurant on Greenwich Ave.   And I must admit, it was chosen solely from Opentable because it was listed, had availability and was in the neighborhood…(and I only had the time he took going to the men’s room to get a plan together. *smile*) But God was smiling down and taking care of the girl who had just drank 4 glasses of wine… (but was, remarkably, sober. I guess the combination of time  - we were there for a few hours – and drinking lots and lots of water along with the wine did the trick. Heck, sometimes at home I’m tipsy after 1 and more than tipsy after two!)… because it turned out to be an excellent restaurant.  And kept up my reputation that I always know a great place to eat in “my town” (as S has taken to calling it).  Phew!

Lovely corner spot with a wood burning oven in the corner of the open kitchen. Greeted warmly by an older gentleman who gave us a choice of tables, “The one in the corner is cooler from the air conditioner and also more private (he said with a wink), but you choose the one you wish. Please be comfortable.” That kind of warmth was echoed by our waiter- very friendly and enthusiastic – and all the staff who came to our table.

We shared the Carciofini all Romana – Sauteed artichokes with pancetta, basil pesto & sheep’s milk cheese – $11 – to start. Delicious! A bit smoky, a nice salty bite from the pancetta and the artichokes were sliced thinly and were only just-cooked, highlighting their freshness and giving the dish a nice chew. The bread basket that came alongside offered a few different kinds – and all were delicious.

S picked our mains  - something I almost never let happen (I’m bad, I know!) – but he was so excited about them, he won me over.  He went for two of the specials: Roasted Chicken with Spicy Sausages and the Lasagna made with lamb. Both were fantastic. Way to go Cali-guy!  (Maybe I should let my date chose what we eat more often.  Yeah, right! *smile*)  The chicken came with two links of sausage that had been split and had curled up in the cooking…along with mix of almost-shredded carrots and Zucchini…I think some potatoes, too – and it came in that glorious Italian ‘brown’ sauce. God I love that brown sauce! So much flavor…and mixed with the great flavors of the meat…so good!

The lasagna was a surprise. I wasn’t overly excited about it when we ordered it….but one bite and I was hooked. Tender, fresh pasta sheets layered with sauce, bechamel (I think), some cheese and a lovely lamb ragu. The lamb was flavorful and came through, but without being gamey. Italian comfort food at its best. And of course, two (more!) glasses of Italian Red to compliment the meal…and keep the competition going.

Wasn’t planning on getting dessert – so, so full, we ate everything! – but when I went to order the coffee and cappucino…I just couldn’t resist ordering the chocolate gelato. ( I get away with a *lot* of stuff while S is in the men’s room, clearly. *smile*) They serve L’Arte del Gelato products (both gelato and sorbet)…and it was a warm night in Manhattan and after such a good meal I didn’t have room for much, but a few mouthfuls of cold, rich, chocolate cream seemed right…and it was. And I don’t think S held it against me for sneaking it in – as soon as it was placed before us, he grabbed his spoon and took three big spoonfuls right in a row.

Guess we were both in the mood to end such a great night with something sweet.

8th Street Wine Cellar

28 West 8th Street
(Between 5th & 6th Aves, on the south side near MacDougal St.)
212-260-9463
www.8thstwinecellar.com

Grano Trattoria

21 Greenwich Avenue
(at W. 10th St)
212-645-2121
www.granonyc.com

Who needs skewers when you have a grill basket?  I love to make – and serve – kebabs in the summer.  There’s just something fun about them…you can prep them ahead, easily gage how many to make….look great perched on the plate…..but sometimes, there is just no time to thread the skewers.  This was one of those times, and led to a very happy discovery!

I was planning to make Shrimp and Vegetable Skewers for 4 of us for dinner.  Time got away from me, so no advance work was done.  Then at the last minute, we got a call that friends of ours were planning to stop by…making the total for dinner, 8.  Luckily, I had plenty of ingredients on hand…but what I didn’t have was time.  So I decided to just throw everything in the grill basket and hope for the best.

I quickly cut up  a few onions and peppers into chunks, added the cleaned, raw shrimp ( 2 lbs), seasoned it with a bit of garlic, salt, pepper, fresh thyme, and olive oil.  And let it sit and have the flavors come together while I started working on the side dishes and dessert.

When it was time to grill, I preheated the grill pan along with the grill (on high) so that it would be sizzling hot and sear the shrimp and vegetables when they hit the pan.  Once I put the food in the pan, I closed the lid and let them cook.  (Those foil packets you see contain one of my quick side dishes: sliced potatoes and onions with herbs, drizzled with a bit of olive oil.   A great easy grilled side dish. Especially good when you’re pressed for time, like I was! *smile*)

I turned them about 4 or 5 times – wanted as many sides as possible to get some char…

About half-way done...

When the shrimp was pink and just cooked through, I pulled it off the heat (careful here, that grill pan is really, really hot!), transferred it into a bowl, squeezed some lemon juice over top – and that was it!

Minimal hands-on time, lots of color and flavor, and a main dish for 8 in about 20 minutes.  As I said: Who needs skewers when you have a grill pan and a crowd coming for dinner.

This is easy, no-sweat summer entertaining at it’s best!

I walk along this block just about everyday, so I was certainly intrigued when I saw this ‘structure‘ pop up.  Turns out it is the home to “Spiegelworld: Empire”.

When I found out just what it was, that behind the eclectic, wooden facade was a real old-world Belgian Spiegeltent….and that there would be show in it this summer, I knew I had to go!

How best to describe what this show is….?  Hmmmmm….  I would say it’s a modern twist on the ‘side-show’ like talents from Coney Island…mixed with a bit of Cirque du Soleil….some burlesque…and some raunchy, very low-brow comedy.  But all in all, a lot of it is really, really amazing!  Amazing in the ‘how can they do that…how do their bodies bend that way…..oh my goodness if something goes wrong someone’s going to end up very hurt…!” kind of amazing.

So should you go?  If feats of strength and agility, circus acts or the talents of Cirque du Soleil appeal to you, yes.  If you’re looking for something a bit different, a bit out of the ordinary, to do here in NYC, yes.  If you have children or  business colleagues or anyone who is easily offended, no.  There is some nudity, and language…and many references to sexual acts…so just plan who you go with accordingly.

And be sure to stop by the full bar available, too.  A drink or two will help take the edge of the vulgarity…and the folding chair you’ll be sitting on.

Spiegelworld: Empire
265 West 45th Street
between 8th Ave and Broadway
Performances Wednesday through Sunday

http://www.spiegelworld.com/empirenewyork.html

This year I started Restaurant Week on a great note – with dinner in The Tap Room at Colicchio and Sons.   

Restaurant Week is always a good deal – hundreds of great restaurants offer  an amazing deal on a three-course meal – just $24.07 for lunch and $35 for dinner.  Quite a great deal, indeed!  Many (most) of the restaurants prepared a special menu for Restaurant Week, with a few choices per course…but Colicchio and Sons ( in their Tap Room, not the main dining room) lets you choose anything from their regular menu (1 starter, 1 main, 1 dessert), making this an even better deal!  As you can see from the pictures below, we ate very, very well for $35/person.

They bring fresh from the oven rolls, along with my glass of Kerner.  So warm, so good. (We asked for more!)

We started with the Sugar Snap and Snow Pea Salad

and Beef Tartare with House-Made Spiced Chips

Then onto Pork Belly with Grilled Peaches and Anson Mills Grits

and for me, my favorite: Duck Confit.  Served over Farro with Pickled Cherries

Finished it off with Zeppole with Mint Creme Anglaise

and my hands-down choice once I read the words ‘cream cheese’ and ‘graham cracker’ :

Cream Cheese Panna Cotta with Blackberries and Honey Graham Cracker Ice Cream.

 So, if you’ve been wanting to try Colicchio & Sons, now is a great time to do it!  This $35 everything-on-the-menu Restaurant Week Deal is really something.

“The kitchen is closed today.”

A funny thing to be told when you’ve just been seated in a very full, very busy restaurant, at noon – with everyone around you busily eating.  Thank goodness that – even without a kitchen – East Corner Wonton makes some very delicious and very satisfying food!

I had tried to order the Pork Fried Rice…but I guess that is only available on odd-kitchen’s-open-Fridays, not the day I was there.  But the roasted meats and noodle soups were in full flower, so that’s what I got.

The inside is the usual Chinatown, not fancy, a bit crowded, but clean and with brusque and efficient servers.  But it’s the food – oh the food! – that you’re there for.  And it is so good, so bright and tasty…..and the wontons are *killer*, so I can see why they made the title…erm, restaurant name.

Noodle Soup with Roast Duck and Wonton – was the first thing I had, because really, you have to have the wontons when you’re here.  Yes, I said, Have To.  You won’t regret it!

Great broth, nicely chewy noodles, perfectly roasted duck…and, oh my!, those wontons. Truly believe they are the best wanton’s I’ve ever had.Chin  Here’s a closer look:

And since the Roast Pork Fried Rice (one of those childhood favorites I’m grateful to be able to ‘”upgradedly” indulge in since I moved to NYC) that I had originally tired to order wasn’t available, my waiter to suggested I try the Roast Pork Over Rice instead.  “It’s much better anyway!” he assured me.

I didn’t actually need anything else after I ate that big bowl of noodle soup…but I can’t lie and say I wasn’t happy to have it!  The Roast Pork was delicious and fresh…and those bites of rice that the sauce and juices had seeped into…?  Trust me, those are something you *find* room for.

And if all that deliciousness weren’t enough, the prices are as good as the food:  Noodle Soup with Roast Duck and Wonton -  $5.00, Roast Pork over rice – $4.00….and the prices even include tax!

East Corner Wonton

70 East Broadway

New York, NY 10002

tel: 212-343-9896

There is a big debate among blueberry lovers, which are better – the wild (often Maine) variety or the plumper, sweeter ones most of us come across more regularly. I can’t say I came down on either side of the debate before – I mean we’re not talking Yankees vs Red Sox here – and to be truthful, sure I’ve had Wild Blueberries on occasion, but I’m much, much, much more familiar with the regular plump ones, so to say I really preferred one over the other wouldn’t really have been a fair decision. So when someone gave me a box fresh-picked wild ones, I thought, here’s my chance to put it to the test.  

I whipped up a batch of my favorite blueberry muffins, using the wild berries where I usually use cultivated. The verdict? While I enjoyed them – and yes, Blueberry Muffins are my favorite of all the muffin flavors, hands down – I must say, pedestrian me, I preferred my usual berries. I just enjoy getting to the big round berries and getting that extra burst of blueberry flavor. So while I managed to eat and enjoy this whole batch, I won’t be sad when I go back to the berries-I-can-find-in-the-grocery-store, either.

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda2 cup vegetable oil
1-1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
1 x-large Egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 – 2 cups wild blueberries
2 Tablespoons Sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda – set aside.

In another bowl, combine the oil, light brown sugar, lemon zest and egg.

Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla extract.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Gently mix in the blueberries.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups filling them about 3/4 of the way to the top. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with a bit of granulated sugar. This gives them a bit of extra sweetness (which helps, since the wild berries aren’t as sweet as the regular ones) and also gives them a bit of sparkle, which is always nice. *smile*

Bake for 15 minutes and then lower the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 8 – 12 minutes. The muffins are done when the spring back when pressed lightly with your finger and a tester inserted in the middle of the muffins comes out clean.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove the muffins and let them cool on a wire rack.

Makes a beautiful first course, doesn't it?

Now that you’ve had time to run out, fetch some artichokes and boil them up, here’s a way to use them.

This is one of my favorite – and quick and easy-  sauces  to serve over the wonderfully-made-in-advance Herbed Boiled Artichokes.

This sauce comes together in a snap – literally in  less than 10 minutes….and as the artichokes are already cooked, all you need do is remove the center choke from the artichoke…. if they’re cold, warm them in the microwave for 2 minutes…. spoon this sauce over top, and voila – an amazing – and impressive –  first course! And no one will know how easy it was.

Dijon Shallot Butter Sauce

4 Tbls Butter

1 Shallot, diced **

1 clove Garlic, smashed or minced

2 springs fresh thyme leaves

1 TBS Dijon Mustard

salt and fresh pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a small saucepan.

Add the shallot, stir through and bring to a simmer.

Add in the garlic and fresh thyme leaves. Stir through. Let simmer for 1 minute.

Stir in the Dijon Mustard.

Turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 3-5 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.
**If you don’t have a shallot on hand, you can substitute one small onion, diced small. Choose a white or yellow onion variety if possible, as the red types turn an unsightly grey color when cooked.

I love a fresh artichoke.  LOVE THEM!  And over the years, I’ve prepared them many, many, many ways – and I’m not going to lie to you, some of those ways are a colossal pain in the butt.  They prep of the artichoke takes forever, no matter how much you rub them with lemon, they start to darken before you’ve finished your batch – the spiky inner needles poke at your fingers and cover everything, etc. etc.  So as much as I love them in all sorts of delicate or painstaking or intricate preparations, this method below has become my go-to favorite over the years.  Not to say that I don’t hand peel whole artichokes with 8 inch stems from time to time if the ocassion calls for it….but when I want to enjoy – or serve – a delicious, fresh artichoke with minimum fuss and still get maximum Wow from it, this is what I do.

Basically, you boil them in a flavorful water bath and once they’re cooked, you can do what you want with them.  Peel them down to the hearts and use them in another recipe or add them to salads, etc. What’s nice about cooking them before you’ve trimmed them down is that, not only are artichokes lot less work to trim once cooked, it also leaves the cook with those delicious leaves to dip and eat, no matter where the bottoms and stems end up.  Bonus!

My other favorite part of this method of cooking artichokes?  Easy choke removal.  Once cooked, those spiky centers can be easily removed with a teaspoon.  Double Bonus!

Or as I usually do – serve the artichokes hot or cold (see the make-in-advance bonus here?) with a dipping sauce.  Trust me, everyone will be impressed.  They are delicious!

Herbed Boiled Artichokes 

4 Globe Artichokes, with as much stem attached as possible
1 large Onion, cut into 8 pieces
6 Garlic Cloves, peeled and sliced in half the long way
8 sprigs Fresh Thyme
1/2 teaspoon of whole peppercorns
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
I large Lemon, cut into 8 pieces

For 4 large artichokes, you will need to use a large stockpot.  Put the Onion, Garlic, Thyme, Peppercorns, Salt, Red Pepper Flakes and 4 of the Lemon Pieces in the pot, fill with water and set on the stove to bring to a boil.

Now start prepping the artichokes.  Working one artichoke at a time:  I trim a small slice off the stem end and cut down about and inch or so from the top of the ‘flower’ end.  This gets rid of the majority of the hard, prickly leaf ends.  It’s important, as soon as you make a slice, to take one of the lemond wedges and smear the cuts liberally.  This helps prevent the darkening of those places.  Once the ends are trimmed, I turn the artichoke stem-side up and slice it in half, right through the stem.  Again, quickly rub the whole cut side with the lemon wedge, then drop the two artichoke halves and the used lemon wedge into the water, and start on the next artichoke.

Once all the artichokes have been trimmed and are in the water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a hard simmer…and cook until the artichokes are tender when pierced with a knife.  Drain the artichokes, and serve right away…or keep them in a fridge (mine have lasted about 5 days) and bring them out when you need them.  You can serve them cold, or gently rewarm them before serving.  Either way, with the added flavors from the boililng liquid, and whatever delicious sauce you serve them with, they will be delicious!

One Man, Two Guvnors

By  Richard Bean

I just saw this show for the second time – yes, the second time, and trust me:  Go see this show right now!  It is hysterical!

I first went during previews.  I had heard good things from the run in London, and though I hadn’t seen James Corden on stage before, I’ve had a secret crush on him (he’s simply charming and adorable!) from my not-so-secret love of British chat shows….so I *knew* this was something I wanted to see.

It’s farce, it has fun, original music, it’s *very* physical humor…. it is, in a word: hysterical.  But I can’t really tell you anything about it.  No, really.  I can’t.  It would be wrong.  Because to tell you about it would deprive you of the fun of the absurdity unfolding.  And that would be a shame.  Trust me, truly a shame.

The surprises start when a nattily dressed, very 60′s, 4-man band comes out to sing some sprightly tunes while the audience is being seated.  The set opens on an apt in 1963′s Britain.  I have to admit, even in the second viewing that first scene is hard to follow…but don’t let it get you down – as soon as James Corden becomes the center of the show, you’ll be doing nothing but laughing…and no longer care a whit what you missed in that first act.

And after you take my advice, drop me a line to discuss it.  I’m dying to have people to talk about it with – and relive the hysterical-ness – and not worry about ruining anything!

Music Box Theatre
239 West 45th Street
(Between Broadway and 8th Avenue)
Open now through September 2nd

Fresh Salsa Salad

This couldn’t-be-easier salad was inspired by a now (sadly) defunct restaurant in my hometown: The Silo. My family ate many, many meals there over the years, hosted birthday parties, celebrated milestones, received sports awards and college scholarships there, all accompanied by the delicious Silo food.

The Silo first opened in the 1950′s, I believe…and some of that kind of service: vegetables served for the table, freshly baked bread, every meal coming with a soup or salad course…remained until it’s last day. One of my favorite of the ‘old-style-service’ traditions was sending out a little plate of mixed-vegetable salad along with the bread. It was never a leaf-lettuce salad (you got that later in the proceedings), but more of a three-bean salad or marinated crunchy vegetable mix. These snappily flavored mixes, along with that fresh warm bread and butter, really got your taste-buds humming and excited for the courses that lay ahead.

One night, out came that bowl – and it was filled with tomatoes and onions and jalapenos. And I looked at it warily. Those are pretty big pieces of onions and I’m not a raw-onion fan…. are those green bits peppers? No, jalapenos! This may be *way* too hot. Those tomatoes look like some gorgeous, fully-ripe summer specimens, oh gee, I hope the onions and jalapenos don’t overwhelm their gorgeous flavor. So at first I didn’t try it. Thought I’d wait for my soup or main course…just nibble on some bread in the meantime. But after everyone else had taken their share, the bowl ended up in front of me…and a moment or two later, between the amazing fresh-salsa smell coming up from that bowl, and the lip-smacking sounds of happy discovery from everyone else at the table…I just had to try it.

And thank goodness. It was so crisp, and juicy, and refreshing! The jalapenos brought a little bite to the mix, but had been seeded and stemmed, so not too much. The tomato taste still came through as I wanted it to, and even seemed a bit ‘deeper’ because of the brightness surrounding them. And those onions? Vidalia! So the amount of onion ‘bite’ was just right. And I realized after a few mouthfuls, this salad tastes like the way I always wished Salsa would taste. And now I knew it could.

So I went home and over the next few nights, played with the (very) simple ingredients, until I got it to what it was that first time. All it took for me to get it was for me to finally realize that less is more, and it came together in a snap.

Fresh Salsa Salad
Serves 2

2 large, ripe Tomatoes, stemmed and cut into large dice

1 cup Vidalia Onion (about half of an onion), cut into large dice

1 Jalapeno, seeds and membranes removed, cut into large dice

1 Tablespoon White Vinegar

Splash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (You really don’t need much at all.)

Garlic Salt and Pepper to Taste

Cilantro – optional. (If you like it, use it and if you don’t, it’s great without.)

This couldn’t be easier, just put everything in a bowl, give it a stir and voila! A bright, vibrantly flavored and refreshing salad is at your fingertips.

You don’t want to make it *too* far ahead, as the tomatoes will start to break down a bit…but if you make it, say an hour or so in advance, the flavors will really have a chance to mingle and come together.

Even if you serve it almost immediately, you’ll be left with some deliciously flavored tomato water at the bottom of your bowl. This stuff is so good, I sometimes serve it in little shot glasses as an aperitif.

It’s just that good.

Dame's Chicken and Waffles - Perhaps one of the best logos ever!

Here is the first in a series about *great* places to eat *even better* food in North Carolina. NC is my kinda state – lushly green and beautiful, friendly people with that beautiful Southern accent (the one my cousins, who live in NC, brought along on every summer visit out East….making this little New England girl curse her fate for not being born a Southern Belle….), fruits and vegetables that come in so much earlier than on the East Coast (huge, ripe peaches in May. May (!) for goodness sake!), sweet tea – with free refills – everywhere you turn, and deep, rich, down-home cooking at it’s best. Often with the Pig being the center of attention – which as you know, always makes me happy.

But at Dame’s it’s the Chicken and Waffles you come for. And you’d best come hungry. Have I mentioned how much I really like the portions in the South? I think it is literally impossible to come away from a plate of food served to you below the Mason-Dixon line, and to come away hungry. God, I love the South! *smile*

He kept watch over our car while we ate.

So, Saturday lunch, we headed into Durham to find Dame’s. The city was pretty quiet – until you got near Dame’s. It was a warm, sunny day and their outside tables were full. All the inside tables were full, too, so the hostess told us we could wait – probably about 15 minutes, or grab the last two seats at the bar. I saw a nice looking man sitting at the bar and it smelled incredible in there, so to the bar we went!

Full crowd on a Saturday morning!

Pretty details inside

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sat at the counter, next to a large man who was tucking into a sweet potato waffle and chicken wings. We struck up a conversation, his name is Brian Miller, a saxophone player…married, two girls, ages 7/8 and 3. Such a sweet man! Gave me some restaurant suggestions and told me about Prime Smokehouse in Raleigh – where he was playing that night….which will be covered in another post soon. When I asked him about the food here at Dame’s, he told me it was his first visit, but that so far the food was outstanding. Just what I was hoping to hear!

"Grey" Grits with Cheese and Eggs aka The Grits that changed my life!

I got the regular waffle with a fried chicken breast and their blueberry ‘signature schmeer’ on the side. My combo came with two eggs cooked to order and grits. I opted for cheese grits, which basically meant just a few shreds of orange cheese thrown on the top. The eggs and grits came out first – and oh my! – I had never seen grits like these before. Usually grits are a plain while clump….these were looser—they seemed to be flowing almost…and they were flecked with pepper and were almost grey in color. I *know* grey is not an appetizing color when talking about food….but whatever was in there grey-ing them up gave them such an incredible flavor….for the first time in my life, I could see what the fuss was about. I could now understand someone actually *craving* grits. They were that good.

My Chicken and Cinnamon-laced Waffle

The ‘regular’ waffle was very cinnamon-y (and I’m not a fan of cinnamon in my waffles or French toast) so I didn’t eat much of it, but I ate enough to know that if cinnamony waffles are you thing, you’d love this. Great texture, cooked just right….and a great counterpoint to the chicken which was juicy on the inside, but nicely crispy on the outside with some great seasonings in the coating.

"The Quilted Buttercup" What an adorable name!

Carolyn got The Quilted Buttercup ,which was a chicken breast sandwiched between two small sweet potato waffles with their maple-pecan schemer on the side. They give you maple syrup as well, of course. Of the available sides, Mac n Cheese, Grits (cheesy or not), small salad or fruit dish, Carolyn went for the fruit – and it was a bowl bright with watermelon and pineapple – all perfectly ripe.

Shrimp and Grits was a special that day and though we didn’t get it, our new friend Brian told us that he had it to start and that it was great.

While we ate we talked with Brian about all the good food and good music in the area. When he finished his meal, he wiped his mouth and then his brow and said “I feel a bit badly – this food was so good, I want to keep it all to myself you know?” And when I asked what he meant, he said that he was already thinking how his next time here he’ll have to bring his wife or his daughters with him and that will distract him from the food, which would be sad……but he know’s he’s going to have to do it because once they all know about this place they’re going to be on him to go every day.

When I suggested he keep it to himself for his post-barbershop lunch spot (which it was today, and why he was there alone, and for the first time)…he said, “I would but, this food was so good, I’m going to have to talk about it.”

I know what you mean, Brian, I know what you mean.

Dame’s Chicken & Waffles
317 West Main Street
Durham, NC 27701-3215
(919) 682-9235
www.dameschickenwaffles.com

Spicy Chicken Chili over Rice

I ran across this recipe for a quick chicken chili at Food and Wine.  I’m not always the biggest fan of chili.  I think it has something to do with liking the taste of beans, but not the actual beans themselves.  I know that seems nuts, but really, that’s how I feel about them.  Mash the beans up and flavor them well and I love them.  When we go out for Cuban food and get thick bowls of black and red beans along-side, I push my spoon in until the” bean-juice” pools into it and I use this magical stuff on top of my rice, leaving each and every bean in the bowl for someone else to enjoy.  Yep, that’s me and beans in a nutshell.

But when I read this recipe, something told me I was going to like it.  Maybe it was the lack of green pepper in the recipe (and it seems to be in so many chili recipes), maybe it was the combo of pinto and black beans….maybe it was that I knew, before I even thought it, that those canned beans would be easy to mash, right in the pot.  *smile*  But whatever it was, something told me I was going to be happy I made it….and that something was right!

I will warn you – they weren’t kidding when they said it was “Spicy Chicken Chili”.  Too spicy if you ask me.  But beneath the heat, the flavor was great.  My notes for next time – a bit less salt, a bit less chili powder and a lot more chicken.  But the bones of the recipe are great – and hot as it was – I do believe this was the best chili I’ve ever made.  Probably ever eaten, too.  And with beans, rice, lean chicken and very little fat?  Hello, Healthy! *smile*

So here’s the recipe as I made it today, and with my notes for next time.

Spicy Chicken Chili

Serves 6

Ingredients

3 large Chicken Thighs, on the bone, skin and excess fat removed (next time use 6)***
1 Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
4 teaspoons Chili Powder (next time use 2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon Ground Cumin
2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
1 teaspoon Salt (next time use 1/2 teaspoon)
2 Jalapeños, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
1 1/2 cups Crushed Tomatoes with their juice
2 1/2 cups Chicken Broth (I used a water-and-bouillon combination)
1 15oz can Pinto Beans, drained and rinsed
1 15oz can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
Chopped Cilantro (optional)

Directions
In a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray, brown the chicken thighs.

Add the onion and garlic; cook until they start to soften, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt.

Add the jalapeños, the tomatoes and the broth.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove chicken thighs to a plate.

Uncover the saucepan and stir in the beans and black pepper. Simmer until the chili is thickened, about 15 minutes longer.

After about 10 minutes, I take a potato masher to the beans, right in the pot.  I don’t pulverize them all, but, as I said above, I like mine mashed, so I have at it.  If you are a whole bean lover, feel free to only mash a few (to help the chili thicken) or even none at all.  Really, it’s ok with me -  I’m a big believer in having your beans as you want them.  *smile*

While the beans are cooking, take the chicken meat off the bone and cut or tear into bite-sized pieces.  Put the chicken meat, and any accumulated juices back into the pan, and stir to heat through.

Serve the chili over rice, sprinkled with chopped cilantro, if desired.  (Some people love cilantro, some people hate it, so usually put some out on the table and let people decide for themselves.)

***If you have leftover chicken or turkey you’d like to use, feel free to substitute it and add it in at the end.