VittlesVamp

Hummus Is Where The Heart Is

Finally was able to get to Philadelphia and see Mama Vamp.

Did we celebrate? My mother made a special request - that I bring cocktail supplies to make her something special that we could sip together. I packed up a shaker, a jigger, and small bottles of St. Germaine and Applejack. Montparnasse cocktails were shaken and poured into good crystal coupes. We raised them, toasted to being in good health and lucky enough to be together.

One round and we were hungry. Very hungry. Some things don't change. Thank goodness!

It was a beautiful Saturday and Philadelphians were out-and-about, masked up, sitting outdoors at local cafes. Wait times for a table were upwards of a half-hour. Not surprised. We kept walking and then saw it - Dizengoff - Chef Michael Solomonov's Center City Hummuyisa. In other words - a trip to Tel Aviv without the flight.

Yes. This was lunch. Gorgeous, light, fluffy hummus. One platter topped with roasted cauliflower and pistachios, and another with roasted brisket, beefy in a rich tomato and onion sauce. Swiped the plates with freshly baked pitas and thick slices of Persian cucumbers.

Oh, yes.

It made me question why I haven't made Solomonov's hummus recipe as of late. The difference between the homemade stuff, using his recipe, and the stuff in the market? They aren't even close. A comparison isn't fair. Solomonov's hummus is revelatory. The secret ingredient? Ice water. Seriously. Ice water.

I may have been leaning on my "Meat and Greek" combo throughout the pandemic, but "Hummus and Friends" may be my next go-to. It'll make me think of Mama Vamp. And, I have a strange feeling that even if I start making the hummus at home, I'll be visiting Dizengoff again with my mom the next time I am in Philly.

Her face lit up tasting its creamy goodness. Maybe the company had something to do with the smile too - but that hummus sure didn't hurt!

Oyster Happy Hours Of Days Gone By?

Remember Oyster Happy Hours? I recall them all too fondly. I cannot tell you how much I have sorely missed inexpensive shellfish slurping and cocktailing with friends.

And just when I figured that Oyster Happy Hour wouldn't be on the rotation for a good long time, I stumbled upon a sign at the new Cardinal Mkt on Henry Street, not too far from my apartment. Was I seeing things or was this a chalkboard inviting patrons to an Oyster Happy Hour? It wasn't a mirage. It was a bonafide Oyster Happy Hour - one that was offered up in a makeshift patio out on the street, but a real deal Oyster Happy Hour nonetheless.

Dare I? I don't usually sit out front of restaurants these days. I usually keep my dining out to garden locations. But, there was no one else sitting on the patio. There wasn't much foot traffic on the street either. I dare!

One slurp and it was all sortsa like Proust's madeleine. The briny, boozy memories of Oyster Happy Hours of long ago came flooding back. Oh, yes! This was pleasure. This was joyful. This was just the fix I needed before the weather turns frigid cold and I start to want my oysters in chowder instead of on-the-half-shell.

Will I return for more? Most likely. In addition, I'm going to be getting shucking lessons soon. If we end up back in lockdown I think I had better be prepared. I will make my own Oyster Happy Hour, if need be!

Baby Got Back

Seeing diners flock to outdoor seating at restaurants in Brooklyn is wonderful and weird all at once. It's terrific that restaurants can start serving again. I'm glad that the city is making it possible by allowing for makeshift patios to be set in front of cafes, extending into the street.

Am I partaking?

Sort of. See that photo above of a cocktail? I enjoyed it at French Louie in Boerum Hill. But I did not sit out in front. That photos is from back - in their idyllic backyard garden.

Similarly, I paid call on Le Crocodile in Williamsburg and sat in their gorgeous patio/garden space, away from the street and close to this bottle of wine (recommended by the restaurant's ever-gracious wine director, Rafa)...

Oh, and I ate on both occasions as well. This Duck au Poivre from French Louie was incredible, perfectly seared...

And these Scallops at Le Crocodile - crudo-style - were lush and buttery, with a bright-tart, herby punch from a vinaigrette of Ginger, Parsley, and Meyer Lemon that made the dish irresistible...

Could I have enjoyed these meals in the dining area set out front? In ordinary times, sure. But, now? Too many Cov-idiots walking by. I'm all about the backyard gardens if I'm going to dine or drink out.

And with a setting like this...

...can you blame me?

P.S. If you are going out to dine, I strongly recommend tipping as much as possible!!!

So Nice, I Ate There Twice

Over the past several weeks, I have been spending time in Philadelphia. For the most part, food and drink have been low on the priority list when I hit the City of Brotherly Love. Juggling family chaos and work has been the priority. There has been an exception though. Well, two. The same exception made twice - at a new South Philadelphia restaurant called River Twice.

The dining room is a low-key affair with a modern design sensibility and a bit of Japanese flair. Members of the kitchen staff are on full display in an open kitchen - including James Beard-nominated Chef/Owner Randy Rucker - and all are gregarious, food-lovin', attentive gents. The food? Freakin' amazeballs!

Case in point: A humdinger of a bone-in strip steak, aged enough to give it a marvelous edge of funk and cooked to a perfect deep ruby medium-rare. It didn't need the homemade steak sauce that accompanied it, but who am I to tell anyone not to gild the lily? And, the glazed brassicas hearts alongside were unlike any other green that I've had before. I don't know what those boys put in the butter to create the "glaze," but I am thinking some form of umami black magic might be involved.

So impressed was I by that meal, that I felt inspired to return days later for brunch with Mama Vamp in tow.

Just take a look at how brunch started...

Yeah. With a Duxbury oyster the size of my head. Seriously. It was roasted and topped with uni butter and pickled mustard seeds. It totally did not suck. In fact, it was kinda genius. (Thanks for making this beauty for me, Chef de Partie James!)

And, then there was the off-menu - because I was trying keto this month and Chef Rucker took pity on me - brunch main dish that came my way...

Yup. Not the least bit special. Not the least bit OH MY FREAKIN' GOD THIS IS GOOD!

Heck, even Mama Vamp approved of River Twice and tough customers don't get much tougher than my mom.

So, in other words, if you are in Philadelphia or are in close proximity - or have an excuse to haul ass to Philadelphia - I strongly recommend you do so and pay call on River Twice before they get reviewed and you can't get in the door.

The South on a Plate

For some it is Pimento Cheese. For others it is Boiled Peanuts. And, then there are those that are partial to Fried Green Tomatoes.

All of those make for fine eats, but none of them can hold a candle to an expertly-cooked dish of Shrimp n' Grits. Mind you, we're talking "expertly-cooked," like the specimen above from Charleston's Marina Variety Store Restaurant - where Sweet Tea comes in giant plastic cups and Bloody Mary's come with a thick slab of bacon, just because.

Have yet to have great Shrimp n' Grits in New York City. And, that's a shame. Open to suggestions, if you have any that you want to send my way.

Foods of Summer

Is summer really summer if you didn't eat a Lobster Roll? I say no. This one is from Pilot, a lovely docked sailboat that serves as a restaurant and bar in Brooklyn Bridge Park. It was summer outfitted in a buttered roll.

If a bright yellow cob of sweet corn had been served alongside and ice cold slices of watermelon had been on deck for for dessert, it would have been summer trifecta bliss.

Those are my big three for summer. Toss in some gorgeous tomatoes and a nectarine or two for extra credit and I'm swooning.

What are your flavors of summer?

Fried Chicken Mania - A Trend I Can Get Behind

Fried chicken has finally done it. It's not only turned Rob Lowe and Reba McIntyre into Colonel Sanders, but it has become a go-to main dish item on fancy restaurant menus - and we are not just talking about in the South.

Case in point, consuming a platter of "everything lickin' good" fried chicken at Chef Thomas Keller's Napa restaurant Ad Hoc. Take a look at that platter of deep fried, poultry deliciousness above. Tell me you wouldn't forgo some foie gras for a serious taste of that!

The East coast is smitten as well. I was picking nubbins of crust off of the table after ravaging this beauty at Brooklyn's Freeks Mill...

Oh, then there is Korean fried chicken - a category all its own. In fact, it seems that the Korean fried chicken-chain Bonchon is nipping at KFC's heels - or, ahem, wings as it were.

Note to self: Must get to Atoboy in Manhattan before the summer is over.

Open to other fried chicken must-do suggestions too! Where do you go for your fave fried chicken fix?

Getting My Veg On

There is no question that I like meat. Meat and fish both. Cannot visualize going vegetarian, but I have been seeing more and more vegetarian options on restaurant menus - and have found myself intrigued.

Cauliflower steaks galore, people!

In truth, cauliflower has been a bit overplayed. But, there are other vegetables that are calling to me these days...Above are some gorgeous blistered green snap peas with Aleppo oil and crispy pita from Brooklyn's Celestine, and below are some of the kitchen's beautiful roasted baby carrots with crushed cashews...

Now, these are vegetarian mains I can get behind!

So, share vegetarian recipes if you've got 'em. No mock duck or mock anything though. If I want meat, I'll have it. If I do go veg, it is because I want the veggies out, loud and proud. Bring out the best in a beet or the finest in fennel, and you got me! Dare I say it? Produce pride!

Changing My Mind

In my last post I admitted that I am a planner. What I didn't mention was that I sometimes plan going out to a restaurant down to what I want to order off the menu. More often than not, that's because I'd read stories about a particular dish that got my mouth watering.

For example, it was New York Magazine that got me to visit Carroll Garden's Madcap Cafe for brunch a couple weeks back. They had waxed poetic about the spot's breakfast sandwich, describing it as "perfectly scrambled cheesy eggs and thick-cut bacon topped with a sprinkle of chives and rolled up in a slightly flaky homemade flatbread." I wanted it. I wanted it bad.

And, yet, confronted with the brunch menu, I went another way. I ordered the kitchen's take on Huevos Rancheros (pictured above), and have to say that I don't regret the choice. Moreover, I went back for dinner the next week and was dead-set on getting one of the restaurant's flatbread sandwiches for my evening repast - but then ended up opting for the Five-Spiced Duck Fried Rice. Once again, not disappointed in the least.

Will I ever get that mythical BEC at Madcap? Probably. Someday. And, if I pay heed to my last post about going "reservation-free," it'll be when I least suspect it.

Walk Right In

I'm a planner. A serious planner. I book flights months in advance. Same goes for dinner reservations, when possible. So, the evenings where spontaneity pays off are a special treat.

Case in point: This past Thursday, sashaying up to the host at Olmsted, the James Beard Award-winning hot spot in Prospect Heights, and being told we could have seats at the bar in 15 minutes. Would we care to take a seat in their drop-dead gorgeous garden and grab a cocktail while we waited? Um, YES! Thank you!

It was a marvelous meal, made all the more marvelous by it all being happenstance. (The fact that it was a perfect spring evening didn't hurt, either!)

I've had similar luck at notoriously hard-to-get-into restaurants like Oxomoco and Sofreh too.

It makes me wonder if I should abandon the notion of advance planning altogether. But, truth is, I don't think I can let go of my natural instincts to schedule in advance. Still, it might be worthwhile for me to remember the joys of winging it and leave a little more room for surprise.