VittlesVamp

I Went To Lancaster And All I Got Was A Pretzel

The title of this post is wholly inaccurate. Even if it wasn't, that was one heck of a soft pretzel. Lancaster's Shot and Bottle delivered on that front.

There is no question that I ate and drank well on a recent trip to Lancaster, PA.

The real win? An Italian spot called Luca. We were so impressed during our dinner there that we promptly made a reservation to return the next evening.

Yes, it was that good. Even my before-dinner drink was stellar...

...a Torino 'Sbagliato' Bianco, combining Antica Torino Bitter with Vermouth Bianco. A refreshing sipper to start the meal.

And, here are just a few dishes that inspired me and my pal to return for "seconds" the following night.

Let's start with a take on the classic Beef Carpacccio...

---in this case, made with wafer-thin slices of melt-in-your-mouth tongue, the meat brined for several days with garlic and peppercorns, and then braised until tender. Served over a slathering of bone marrow aioli, then showered with toasted bread crumbs and fresh herbs, this could have been the dinner's showstopper. Would have been. Except for what came next.

How could you resist this? Housemade Gnocchi with sweet corn, smoky pancetta, shishito peppers, grana pandano cheese, and some slices of summer black truffle to take it over the top.

Try to top that? Well, one way would be with Rabbit and Heritage Pork Sausage, cooked on the kitchen's wood-fired grill and served with summer beans, fennel, olives and cherry tomatoes.

And, what's for dessert? Was too full for a sweet from the chefs, but couldn't resist one from the bartenders...

This concoction is called an Espresso Nonna, a heady, not-overly-sweet meal capper that marries Averna amaro, anisette liquor, fresh espresso, and orange bitters, shaken till icy cold. Strained into a Nick and Nora with an orange peel twist, it went down awfully easy.

As you can see, it was worth a return visit. And, if I am honest, if we'd stayed any longer in Lancaster, there may have been a third visit to Luca. And, if I am completely honest, I would say that there might have been another pretzel from Shot & Bottle on the docket too.

Puebla By Way Of Philly

For those that pay close attention to this blog, you may recall that I took MamaVamp to South Philly a couple years ago to indulge in sublime Mexican food at Chef Christina Martinez's Casa Mexico.

We were more than overdue for some killer Mexican in the City of Brotherly Love. This time around, I took her to a spot called El Chingon.

This place is not just a gem - it's a full-on treasure.

Just take a look at our app above, Remolacha. At the base is Sikil Pak, a creamy, smoky dip made of pepitas. Piled on top are perfectly marinated beets, along with avocado, darkly roasted and sliced thin. Add a bit of goat cheese crema and caramelized sesame seeds, and I promise that you won't give a moment's thought before grabbing one of the crispy Totopos to start scooping it into your trap.

As if that wasn't enough, we had two entrees.

Whoa.

Let's talk about the Tacos Arabes. As pictured below, these were sourdough tortillas filled with pork marinated in fresh herbs, a spoonful of chipotle salsa atop. A few rings of grilled onion sat alongside, a caramelized, sweet addition if desired...

And then there was the Cemita - a classic Pueblan sandwich - which in this case was a Cemita Pierna Adobada.

This was a thing of pure beauty. It started with the bread. That's right. This is served on a homemade roll made by El Chingon's Chef/Owner Juan Carlos Aparicio who used to bake bread at Rittenhouse Square's Parc. This bread was gluten-filled gloriousness. It was stuffed with Adobo-rubbed pork butt, a slathering of ayocote beans, red onions, avocado, a slice of grilled pineapple, and a shower of shaved Oaxacan Quesillo cheese.

To be clear, I plan on eating each and every item that Chef Aparicio offers. It won't happen any time soon. But it will happen.

A birdie told me that he wouldn't say "no" to opening a branch in New York City. Well, I would not say "no" to that.

I have a feeling that El Chignon would fit in with the NYC food scene quite nicely. After all, the name translates to "bad ass." And the food that Chef Aparicio serves is bad ass, indeed!

Good Thai-mes in Brooklyn

I may have traveled to Bangkok a few years back, but I am not an expert on Thai food by any stretch of the imagination. Nevertheless, I know what I like - and I've been liking some of the newer Thai restaurants in Brooklyn as of late.

Sukh in Fort Greene was a winner from the get-go. The starter of Pak Mor (seen above) started things off extremely well. Think thin homemade rice crepe wraps stuffed with sweet radish and peanuts, heavily drizzled with coconut milk, and topped with a fiery chili pepper. So good.

Heck, I even enjoyed their Green Papaya Salad, a dish which I am decidedly "meh" about. Sukh's rendition features shredded green papaya, tomato, salted egg yolk, dried shrimp, and peanuts mixed with Thai chili lime dressing.

It is absolutely addictive.

And, I recently visited The Nuaa Table in Prospect Heights. Take a glance at a menu standout...

...Grilled Coconut-Glazed Duck Skewers with a bright green chili-mint espuma for dipping. I am also inordinately fond of their Fresh Banana Blossom Salad. I don't have a pic, so you will just have to trust me.

Speaking of not having pics, I enjoyed the food at Williamsburg's Kru so much that I never even got around to shooting photos.

Next on my Brooklyn Thai wishlist is Untable in Carroll Gardens. It's a highly popular spot and they don't take reservations. Not sure when I will be up for the challenge, but considering my positive Thai taste trajectory I expect a table at Untable to be in my future.

In-Freakin-Credible Churros

These lovelies? Can you say "Wowza"?

Freshly made at New York City's Noho Mexican cafe Atla, these Churros are deep-fried, sugar-coated wonders. In all honestly, I have never been taken by Churros before. Now? I am completely ravished -- and all the happier for it,

'Nuff said.

Link Love

The link in question is Chef Donald Link.

Many friends have asked if I hit any great new restaurants on my recent trip to New Orleans. In truth, besides the market stalls, dives, luncheonettes and holes-in-wall that I ventured to during my walking tour, my standout faves where two old faves from Chef Link - Peche and Cochon.

In fact, first meal of the trip was a late dinner at Peche, kicking off with a half dozen of Gulf oysters. Those lovelies did not disappoint. Neither did his Cajun rendition of "Shrimp Toast" enrobed in sesame seeds and topped with slices of pickle. And, the main was spectacular. Pictured above, it was a whole Speckled Trout, flash-fried and served atop a tamarind sauce, showered with pickled carrots and daikon, roasted peanuts, and loads of cilantro. Also gobsmackingly good were the turnips. Yes, you read correctly. Take a look...

This seemingly banal side dish was featured in the New York Times Magazine with a recipe. Seriously. If the Citrus-Glazed Turnips are on the menu, they're a must.

Now, lets talk about my late lunch at Cochon. This where we sat, with the wood-burning oven throwing off a heady scent that made my mouth water.

That oven was put to good use in the service of the kitchen's Wood Fired Oysters with Chili Garlic Butter...

And, that was followed by the restaurant's namesake - Louisiana Cochon served with Braised Green Beans, Pickled Pears, and Pork Jus...

Hellz to the yassss.

And, in case you are wondering, some real warmth and hospitality came our way from both the back and front-of-house at both Peche and Cochon.

These are what you call oldies, but goodies - so, so good. So, while looking for the shiny new hot spot is certainly with merit, don't sleep on the merits of a standby that consistently stands and delivers.

For The Best Shrimp Ever...

I got a little nuts. Last week, I threw a Christmas Day dinner party for eight, Italian-style. Then on Wednesday, I threw yet another dinner party, this time for six and a Vietnamese fare-theme.

Both meals were delicious. The standout on Christmas was most definitely a Seafood Salad with Fennel and Celery.

At the Wednesday dinner, a deconstructed Summer Roll salad -- which, if I'm honest, was really a Bun -- was the dish everyone ooh-ed and aah-ed about. (Coconut Ice Cream with Mango Compote almost came in as a tie on that one, but the salad surprisingly edged it out.)

A special trick that connects the two wins?

Dry-brining the raw shrimp in a mix of a 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon Kosher salt per pound. Stir and let sit in the fridge for 15 - 30 minutes before cooking. It improves the texture of the shrimp tremendously. Have to tip my hat to Serious Eats for this intel.

So, go forth into 2024 and make delicious shrimp.

Queens Culinary Crawl

I've been known to take a food tour or two when I travel. And, if a walking tour company called Culinary Backstreets is offering one wherever I am headed, it's a must-do. I've been lucky enough to take some of their tours in Lisbon, Porto and Athens. (Still dreaming of that food in Athens!)

For years I've been promising that I would check out one of their tours in my own backyard - Queens. This is the borough that the company has chosen to embrace in its New York food tour offerings. They have two Queens walking adventures. One dives into Flushing's Chinatown and the other starts in Corona and then hits Elmhurst and Jackson Heights. I adore all things Chinatown, but I had to go for the United Kitchens tour that would start me off in Corona Plaza.

Let me say this before I go any further: Sign up for this tour. It is fantabulous. Go hungry. Very hungry. You will surely not leave hungry. I can vouch for that!

Mexican pastries and freshly squeezed juice started us off as we ventured on a side street.

That kitchen above and the lovely lady doing her thing in the window? Looks pretty darn good, doesn't it? It was...

Hell to the yeah. This was a Quesadilla that had me transported far from Queens and straight to a table in Mexico.

Of course, eating that amazing Quesadilla made me hungry for a humongous sandwich...

That was quite the Cemita specimen. Napkins were deployed as we polished it off. Then, not the least bit peckish, we stopped for some Peruvian snacks. Then we headed to an Argentinian butcher for some seriously delicious Empanadas...

So good!

We kept walking, stopping into an Uruguayan bakery for a few sweets before we hit Jackson Heights.

Once we arrived, Asian food took centerstage. We quickly lined up at a food truck to get a platter of Nepalese dumplings called Momos...

We could hardly down more than one Momo each, when we asked for them to be wrapped to go. (Momo-to-go sounds like the next great fast food joint, am I wrong?)

A stop for Samosas was had before we had what we believed would be our last morsel of the tour. And, what a morsel...

These are the crowned jewels of Bangladeshi street food. Called Fuchka, they are deep-fried spheres of wafer-thin dough stuffed with spiced chickpeas and potato, garnished with chaat masala. We drizzled some tangy tamarind chutney atop and enjoyed - thoroughly.

But how could we finish the tour without something sweet to send us back home? Never fear. Our trusty guide knew exactly where to take us. We walked into a small Thai mom and pop grocery and were presented with icy cold pandan treats. We ate them so quickly that there is no photo to behold. Just the memories of a very full stomach.

By the way, if you think that I won't be signing up for Culinary Backstreets' tour of Flushing, you are mightily mistaken!

Christmas In July

I just came back from a few weeks in Philadelphia and in addition to grabbing a coveted table at the OG location of Laser Wolf, I was lucky enough to snag a reservation with friends at South Philly's River Twice during their weeklong "Christmas in July" dinner series.

Christmas in July?

Does that mean Egg Nog, Roasted Goose and Fruitcake in 90 degree weather? Thankfully, not.

It is a series of evenings in which River Twice's celebrated Chef and Owner Randy Rucker pairs up with other local Philly-area chefs to create incredible one-night-only dinners. The evening I attended, he teamed up with Chef Alex Kemp of one of the city's newest hot spots, My Loup.

The 7-course dinner was nothing less than stupendous. (Yes, I said stupendous. I could have said un-freakin-believable, but this was an elegant repast. I felt the use of a thesaurus was in order!)

First up was a sweet Raw Scallop with Tomato Water, Finger Lime, Verbena Oil, Preserved Ground Cherries and Currants. Snapshot of the glorious crudo is above.

Below, is a photo of the wholly moan-worthy second course - Beef Tartare with Fried Oysters and Romano Beans...

It took "surf and turf" to another level.

Next up was Heirloom Corn Grits with Miso-Mustard Smoked Maine Unagi and Summer Truffle...

Yaaaassssss!

And, because good, fresh corn is plentiful, that dish was followed by Skate Cheeks with Corn, Tomato and Basil...

That sauce!

Maine returned to East Passyunk with a piece of seared Wild Maine Halibut with Lightly Dried Tomatoes, Sea Beans, Kombu Butter and Golden Ossetra Caviar...

A little caviar is always a fine idea. Yup!

And, for the final savory course, the twosome of Chefs Rucker and Kemp delivered big time...

Braised Rabbit with Foie Gras, Carrots and Egg Noodles.

Simply using my words will never do this dish justice. Instead, imagine a wide smile and my eyes rolling back into my head.

Mmmmmmmmmm...

But then there was one more course before we set course back home to dream of sugarplums (or in my case, that Braised Rabbit).

Corn took the stage again with a Blueberry and Corn Tart...

A few bites in and that dinner was tied up with an ever-so-tasty bow.

Needless to say, I am ready to book a res for next year's "Christmas in July." It might just be my new favorite holiday season!

My Pasta Obsession

Fusilli was so last year. Rigatoni? Fine, but not getting me all that excited. How about Penne? What can I say? It's sort of commonplace.

A new pasta shape has caught my fancy. And, you know how I like my fancy struck!

It's called Reginetti. They are gorgeous ribbons with curlicue edges, cut into bite-sized, ruffled pieces.

Above, I served them in a White Ragu made with veal, guanciale and marjoram.

Below, they are enveloped in a Creamy Mushroom Ragu.

If Italy Magazine is to be believed, there are 350 pasta shapes in the Italian food canon. Will I find another shape that sets me aflutter? With 350 to choose from, I would imagine so. That said, right now I am seriously enjoying my infatuation with Reginetti. And, so are the guests at my table, if I do say so myself!

The Sandwich That Inspired A Seder

I wasn't thinking about the 10 Commandments when I was in Rome last month. I wasn't even contemplating a Passover seder. But there was a sandwich that I had at Testaccio Market that stuck with me -- and made me want to make a soul-satisfying Beef Brisket when I got back to Brooklyn.

The sandwich in question was from the much-lauded Mordi e Vai. Guiliano Esposito, one of the family-owned stall's street food stars, poses above. A photo of his father is directly behind -- retired butcher Sergio Esposito.

The butchery cred is key. Here, the meat is everything. In particular, the Allesso di Scottona (aka simmered Brisket). Utter simplicity. Meat and bread. It was glorious...

And, so returning from Rome, when I started toying with the idea of bringing friends together to share in my Maxwell House Haggadahs and bowls brimming with homemade Matzoh Ball Soup, I knew Brisket was going to be the main.

A gorgeous slab of beefy beauty, slow baked in a Dutch Oven for 4 hours is currently sitting in my fridge -- because Brisket is always better a couple of days later.

I can't wait to dive in. I am resisting grabbing a slice for a snack. That said, I expect that denying myself will pay off on two fronnts. First, there will be plenty on hand for a fantastic repast tomorrow after we do a bit of seder-ing. Second, there will be enough leftover meat to make for an Allesso di Scottana sandwich on this side of the Atlantic.

May my Pesach wishes come true!