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San Diego (Day 2): A Lambo, Gelato, and Rollin’ in Dough (Donut Bar, Nado Gelato, Village Pizza)

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Mark T

Ah San Diego. Home to the Chargers, the Padres, and their most famous mustaschioed ambassador, Ron Burgundy. While we were visiting the city, we never got into antics like the Channel 4 news team like an anchorman street fight or having our beloved pet dog punted off the Coronado bridge, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t have a memorable time (I did get a new suit though for the wedding!). Our first day was fun, but Saturday was a non-stop rollercoaster that had plenty of thrills and a couple spills because we did eat and drink our fair share like any good tourists should.

If you didn’t read my first post, you can check it out here because our morning involved Janice’s friend and local fixer Amber who I introduced before. Sadly, Ellie the schnauzer was not there to keep us company. So, she brought us to a local breakfast favorite for both locals and tourists: Doughnut Bar. Now, coming from Chicago which has its fair share of fancy doughnut bakeries, I didn’t know what the big deal was about a company that specialized in creating mind-boggling sweets. The line that stretched down the block that we soon found ourselves in spoke otherwise to my doubts. Amber recommended getting there the earlier the better as in like 8 am or 9 am if you want your choice of doughnuts because once the fried treats are gone, they close the entire store. As we slowly shuffled like a horde of bleary eyed zombies toward our sugary host, something bright and shiny caught my eye. It was just the Doughnut Bar owner’s new Lamborghini Aventor with a custom paint job. I don’t know why other people weren’t as enthused as I was about this beauty of a machine just chilling on the side of the road. It was a sign that it was going to be a great day on west coast. Thankfully, the line moved quickly because we needed to get our sugar fix on before running off to get ready for the wedding ceremony! I was having some second thoughts about rushing in and out after we set foot inside. It was very modern and quirky with plenty of hilarious doughnut themed swag and artwork. The true objets d’art were spread out in front of us like some type of heavenly bounty graced with every color and flavor of the rainbow. According to Amber, they also switch around their menu and offer vegan options, so they know how to cater to people from all walks of life and keep them on their toes at the same time. Janice and I didn’t know where to start because all of the doughnuts were calling our names. There were chocolate ones, ones made in homage to the local MLB All Star Game, cake batter, and even one with a motherloving Pop Tart baked in the middle! I didn’t want to look directly into its frosting for fear it would put the diabetic evil eye on me. Plus, some honorable mentions among many. We eventually made our choices, and they are not the cheapest doughnuts in the world at roughly 2-4 bucks a doughnut. However, most of them are huge as you’ll see later in the post, and they are some of the most unique doughnuts you’ll ever taste. Janice and I got a box of the Homer doughnut (mmmm sprinkles), a bacon infused cinnamon roll, a peanut butter cup doughnut, a Mexican hot chocolate doughnut, a Nutella doughnut, and a red velvet. In addition to our to-go box, we got a French toast doughnut which was a doughnut fried and served up like regular French toast. This was an homage to the origin of doughnuts. According to Wikipedia, some believe the word “doughnuts” came from the Dutch North American settlers who made oliekoek or “oil cake”, but the more compelling origin comes from a mid 19th century tale of an American boy punching holes in his fried dough because the centers were often raw. This allowed for his dough to cook thoroughly and looked like the traditional doughnuts we eat and enjoy today. However, the “nuts” part might have originally referenced the fried bits they poked out from the middle and have been referenced in writing as a uniquely American recipe as early as the early 1800s by none other than Sleepy Hollow author Washington Irving. We enjoyed every bite of this fried piece of Americana as we chilled upstairs surrounded by plenty of interesting paintings and wall art. The French toast doughnut also came with a side of butter, honey, and syrup. I just went with the syrup, but it seemed almost like gilding the lily with how delicate and light the doughnut was. It was an excellent investment and got us amped up for the very long day ahead of us. Highly recommend this option if you have the chance to snag one from the hungry masses. As we were leaving, there was still a plethora of people lining up outside, but I managed to sit in the Lambo which fulfilled one of my lifetime dreams. Could this day get any better? Oh yeah! We got suited and booted and went also with our friend Kathy to the church on Coronado island.

Burt Macklin on the case!

Much better

We made it just in time, and it was a great service. Personally, I think the flower girl and ring bearer stole the show until the bride’s grandparents came out.

Awwwww

They were so old but in such good shape and happy. Definitely restored my faith in humanity. The ceremony went off without a hitch,

The wedding party

and afterward I found myself once again face to face with another beautiful automobile. This time around it was a classic Rolls Royce that the bride and groom were riding off in, but I wouldn’t have minded if they gave Janice and me a ride just around the block. Instead, we wished them well and needed to find something to eat before the reception. Walking around the beautiful isthmus of Coronado, we eventually found Fire and Fly Pizzeria. It was bright and airy inside with outdoor seating in the front and rear of the establishment. They seemed to specialize in brick oven fired, Neopolitan style pizzas. They offer both premade and make your own pizza options in addition to a few sides. We got an order of two broccoli and tomato pizzas and one chicken pesto pizza ($9 each). I also got a local brewed Coronado beer ($6). They were promptly cooked and served as we made our way to the back patio to enjoy the beautiful day and engaging food. The pizza that Janice and I shared, the broccoli and tomato sans tomato, was good but too bland for my taste. I’m a man of fiery foods, so the mix of mozzarella, ricotta, and herb garlic olive oil was a bit too safe for my palate. Don’t get me wrong, it was a quality pizza, but I’d get a different pizza the next time around. I preferred the chicken pesto pizza that our friend Kathy got because it was coated with a healthy, almost excessive top layer of arugula which gave way to pieces of chicken that were intermixed with mozzarella, pesto, and roasted peppers. As for my California Amber, I realized that I wasn’t a fan from the first sip. It had a slight pine/resin aftertaste which turned me off instantly, but it seemed like a trend in California to serve mainly lighter beers like lagers and IPAs. What does a guy got to do to get a good stout/porter? Still, Fire and Fly was an excellent place to grab a bite to eat before the wedding reception. We finished our lunch and walked around the isthmus toward the Del Coronado hotel and decided to get some gelato at Nado Gelato. It was a non-descript cafe that we strolled into and managed to beat the local crowd from the beach. A clear sign we made a good decision. After looking over their numerous, mouth-watering flavors, Janice and I got a small cup of the giandua (chocolate hazelnut) and salted caramel. It was reasonably priced and extremely high quality. After learning so much from local Chicago ice cream shop owners in another post, we could tell from the rich, nutty flavor complimented by the salt in the caramel that we found the jewel in the crown of Coronado’s dessert scene. Highly recommend this tiny spot if you’re looking for something sweet to cool you off. Eventually, we reached the historical Hotel Del Coronado. It was originally built in 1888 and didn’t look a year over 100. Seriously though, it was a reception location that was without equal that I’ve been to in a wedding and hotels I’ve stayed in for my entire life. We walked through the dark wood lobby under antique crystal chandeliers and past the wrought iron elevator up to the penthouse suite for pre-cocktail hour drinks. Long story short, the views were terrible, and it was a mainly forgettable time. If the written word doesn’t convey my sarcasm, I’ll let the view do the talking.

Life is hard

Before we made our way to the cocktail hour, we managed to witness a special part of Sabrina and Thompson’s wedding: the Chinese tea ceremony. I thought it was going to be a traditional Chinese ceremony to compliment the Catholic ceremony before, but it was more of a symbolic uniting of families through Sabrina and Thompson serving tea to the new members of their expanded familial network. In return, they received lucky red envelopes containing many monies I assumed. However, the real show stopper were the gifts for the bride and groom. Thompson got a spiffy new watch, but Sabrina managed to wear half of Fort Knox’s gold in the form of two giant bracelets and a gold chest plate. Once the ceremony concluded, we made our way through the hotel like some sort of entourage. Jokingly, the girls said I looked like a secret service agent escorting some gold covered celebrity and her squad through to the afterparty. Little did they know, I was trained by Burt Macklin from Parks and Recreation. Luckily, we made it safely to to the very bright back lawn that was right next to the Pacific Ocean. No big deal. The setting was picturesque, the drinks were flowing, and the seagulls were out for burgers, mini-sliders to be exact. They swooped down on us to steal food, but luckily we were looking stylish and freaked out in our sweet sunglasses party favors. Their family dog, Bebe, however, was non-plussed looking so stylish in a bowtie. Eventually, the clock struck the reception hour, and we were led to the back ballroom that was enormous and overlooking the same rear lawn where we were enjoying some classic wild animal attacks. I won’t get bogged down in every minute detail of the reception in this post because it’s long enough. In a nutshell, minus the odd band music, we made some new friends and got down with old ones even when the dancefloor was dead sometimes. The food was par excellence (a dessert bar and a macaroni bar? yeah, that happened), and our one bartender we always went to made sure that everyone was having a great time. By the time the band’s encore finished, Janice and I made our way past our fellow partygoers outside the hotel entrance who, like us, needed a comfortable bed. However, our night didn’t end there. Back at the Air BnB we tried some of the doughnuts from the first part of the post. I loved the Homer doughnut because it was simple, iconic, and fitting for someone with a big appetite like me. The Mexican hot chocolate one wasn’t that memorable even with the toasted marshmallows, but the Nutella doughnut was delectable as well as the red velvet one. By that time, our friend Kathy had made it back as well, and we passed out after an incredibly long day with heads filled with memories and bellies stuffed with amazing eats.

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Posted in Alcoholic, American, Bakery, Beer, Beverages, Chain Restaurants, Desserts, Doughnuts, European Cuisine, Gelato, Ice Cream, Italian, Pastries and tagged alcohol, bacon, Bar, Beer, Beverages, broccoli, Chinese, chocolate, Coronado, doughnuts, Food, hotel, Lamborghini, mozzarella, Nutella, pizza, restaurant, review, San Diego, tea, tomatoes, Travel. Bookmark the permalink.

Food Convention Post: Taste Talks in Chicago

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Mark T

In Memoriam: This post is dedicated to the dear memory of beloved Chicago institution, Hot Doug’s (2001-2014). May you continue to make unique and memorable sausage creations in food Valhalla. Check out my visit to the now defunct land of wondrous tube steaks.

Today’s post on Mastication Monologues is a unique one since it is about my first visit to a food festival that focused more on the craft and industry than purely the art of gorging oneself on grilled meats and throwing money away buying tickets for beers with skewed prices. The festival in question is called Taste Talks, and it took place from October 3rd to October 5th. With two events in Brooklyn in NYC and Chicago, it originally was the brainchild of the carrot-topped, Croc-rockin’ chef, Mario Batali. However, you’re probably wondering how a small blogger like me could attend such a festival? I actually was emailed by Paulina from OpenTable offering me a spot on the guest list. I’d like to thank her once again for the opportunity along with OpenTable for reaching out to me. Not only that, but I was able to get a pass for my girlfriend as well since I wanted her to share in the glory that was Taste Talks.

While we couldn’t attend the Friday kick-off event with the oyster and champagne dinner at the Kinmont Restaurant, we had essentially free reign over what we could see on Saturday. It was a cold and drizzly day, but the first meeting we went to at the elegant Soho house. While it used to be a tannery at the turn of the 20th Century, in the 21st it is a chic and hip hotel. We marveled at the lobby as we quickly moved to the elevators to get to the first food meeting. Even the elevators were swanky as the walls were upholstered like a fine leather couch. Thankfully we didn’t fall asleep leaning on the walls and quickly moved to the Free-Styling with Ice Cream Desserts talk. Our panel consisted of Jeni Britton Bauer (Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams), Dana Cree (Blackbird), and Jessie Oloroso (Black Dog Gelato).

Left to Right (Jessie, Jeni, Dana)

During the talk, they were all quite gracious and humorous when interacting with each other and the audience, but I could tell that they knew their stuff based on the emphasis they placed on making their ice cream and gelato from scratch. While they said most ice cream places throughout America claim to create their ice cream by hand, in reality they just use a dairy base, throw in some sugar and flavorings, and add some toppings. What they’re selling us is just an image of it being artisanal. What these ladies do instead is actually break down the ingredients and balance them just right in order to get the right texture, flavor, and melting point. The choice to do what these ladies do isn’t the cheap route in comparison to the easy peasy ice cream base method, and in reality, the government is against them. The FDA is very meticulous when evaluating their franchises, and the big dairies are favored in the ice cream industry since they offer an easy way out for people who want to go the traditional route when making the cold treat. The speakers even made some revealing statements like it turns out the soft serve cones at McDonalds are actually just cold, whipped, leftover animal fats, and ice cream was originally derived from excess butter at dairies. Ice cream normally is around 10% fat, but McDonald’s, as always, manages to do it bigger than anyone else. They also explained the differences between gelato and ice cream: gelato has a lower fat content than ice cream, it’s smoother than ice cream due to the lack of ice crystals, and gelato is served at a higher temperature than traditional American ice cream. Once they got tired of just talking, each chef did an ice cream demo. First, there was Jeni Britton Bauer’s ice cream punch.

I knew we were in for a good time when there were bottles of Hennessy on deck right next to the punch bowls. However, she started instead by struggling to open a bottle of Prosecco, but she eventually opened two and dumped the bubbly into the bowl. Jeni followed that up with a cup of the smooth brown cognac. Then, she proceeded to throw a bunch of scoops of different types of sorbet like lemon, strawberry, and raspberry. Those neon orbs were bobbing in the brew like an extremely adult version of bobbing for apples as she ladled cup upon cup of the crimson mixture. Janice and I sampled the beverage, and it was quite refreshing. It tasted like a bubbly, adult Italian soda with rich pieces of ice cream sliding over our palates every other sip. Next up was Jessie from Black Dog Gelato.

Jessie operated the only ice cream parlor I knew out of the three, and I have heard a lot of buzz about it. So, I was curious to see what this wizard of cream and sugar could come up with. She did not disappoint with her chocolate coated pumpkin ice ream pops. First, she did a simple popsicle using her pumpkin infused gelato, but then melted chocolate using a hot plate on the side. The pumpkin pops were lovingly caressed in the sweet elixir and then rubbed with a coating of dried coconut and strudel crumbles. We could sample smaller versions of the pops, and we definitely took advantage of the offer. While the crunchy, milk chocolate interior gave way to a more subtle pumpkin gelato that was creamy and understated, it was quite difficult to eat as the slivers of chocolate were flying everywhere. They probably thought it was my first time eating a cold treat based on how overjoyed I was. The final creation came from Dana Cree which was a lemon and elderflower infused frozen yogurt that was based on a recipe that used unsweetened Greek yogurt. This gave it a real tang when combined with the lemon and fragrant notes from the elderflowers. Out of the three, my favorite was the chocolate and pumpkin pops, and I later found out how creative Jessie could be when Janice and I visited her Black Dog Gelato. While we would have loved to talk to them for longer, we had to rush to the Art of Salted and Dried Charcuterie.

This lecture took place at Kaiser Tiger at 1415 W. Randolph Street. It was an eclectic place in terms of decor, but we were there to sample some sausages. We arrived a bit late and soaked from the drizzle, but it was a very different vibe from the ice cream meeting. While the ice cream baronesses were approachable and humorous, the speakers were not interested in chewing the fat. Plus, the people there looked more of the hipster persuasion which gave it an air of pretentiousness that I wasn’t digging. We just went to town on the sausage sample platter at the back of the room. It was like a time machine for me for my time living in Barcelona. Not only did they have the same sliced, orange-red, peppery chorizo I used to make sandwiches with during my siestas, but they also had super fatty pieces of Catalan fuet sausage that contained chewy pieces of meaty flavor.

Chorizo on the left and fuet on the right

I used to gnaw on a piece of the super rich sausage while working on my homework since it gave me the energy to keep my focused, and I really liked the texture contrast between the fat granules, the melt-in-your-mouth meat, and semi tough casing.

Memories

After eating our fill of artery-clogging meat, we decided to peace out early for the biggest fireside chat of fireside chats with Rick Bayless.

We boogied on back to Soho House, and we made sure to get a front row seat to see Rick Bayless who is now one of the biggest and most respected chefs in the culinary world thanks to his contributions to the Mexican food scene (he was awarded the Order of the Aztec Eagle due to his promotion of Mexican culture and food). Even with all of his accolades and awards, it was unreal to be so close to someone who seemed so down to earth when talking with the audience. It’s an effect that happens when you see someone on tv for so long that they take on an almost mythical status, and you expect them to be more imposing in real life like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster. Instead, you just find out that they are human just like you and me. During his talk, I found out he had similar life to mine with focusing to study Spanish in college along with linguistics in graduate school. However, cooking and food proved to be his true passion. Perhaps I could parlay my love into a new career path like Rick. He went on to talk about the importance of the connection between culture and food which is what I try to achieve here on Mastication Monologues, so his words really resonated with me. Rick also highlighted the shifting perception of chefs from blue collar workers to veritable rock stars today, and he has provided culinary students with a tempered vision of the future that to get to the top: hard work and mastery of the craft is crucial to becoming famous. There aren’t any chefs who open Michelin 3 star restaurants right out of cooking schools. After talking a bit about his connection to Mexican history and food with his changing menus at Topolobampo (including his 1491 menu that used no ingredients the Europeans brought over like chicken, beef, pork, cilantro, and limes), I got to ask a question during the Q and A session about the shifting demographics in the USA especially with the Latino population. I asked if he noticed more Latino diners in his restaurants recently , and he said that he saw a lot of younger Latino diners eating his food on date nights as a way to get a taste of their ancestors and learn more about their culture. Rick graciously thanked everyone, and I was the first person to just thank him for coming out. Plus, I plugged my blog a little bit, and he seemed really interested in it. When I said goodbye, I was still amazed that I was less than five feet away from someone I’ve seen for decades on PBS and gracing the covers of cookbooks everywhere. Janice and I went out on a high note as we walked away from Taste Talks with a new perspective on the food industry and an excitement for the future of dining. Also, it was a wonderful way to celebrate five happy months together : )

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Posted in Uncategorized and tagged alcohol, Bar, bread, Chicago, chorizo, dining, festival, Food, fuet, gelato, ice cream, industry, Mexico, Rick Bayless, sausage. Bookmark the permalink.

All Hail Cesar!

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Mark T

Que tal, amigos? If you couldn’t get enough of my food adventures on Mastication Monologues, today I’m bringing you a review of a Mexican restaurant that is well known for their murderous margaritas: Cesar’s Killer Margaritas. I’ve passed by it many times while gallivanting about Chicago on the Northside, but I’ve never set foot in the establishment. Thankfully, I got an opportunity to visit for dinner recently, and it was quite an enjoyable experience.

When Janice and I walked in the door, there were a bunch of people waiting for a table sitting along the wall, and that immediately elicited my response of, “Great…a wait”. I’ve worked as a host at a restaurant, and I know that giving an estimated table time is a very loose interpretation of how long it’s actually going to be since there are so many variables to take into account. The hostess quoted us at 10 to 15 for a free table which is the fallback answer since it doesn’t give the customer unreasonable expectations yet doesn’t seem like an insurmountable wait. Surprisingly, the wait was shorter than estimated, so we were hustled up and down two staircases to get to our table. Once seated, we immediately looked over the signature margarita menu since we wanted to see if they could live up to the hype. While they had the usual flavors like raspberry and strawberry, they had nods to Latin flavors with tamarindo and guava. I got a frozen guava margarita ($11) while Janice got the chilled raspberry margarita ($11). While waiting, I was systematically destroying the chips in front of me along with the watery but cilantro filled salsa roja that come complimentary with the meal. Eventually, they were brought out to us, and they looked like any other margaritas. However, it was a pleasant surprise that they were not too syrupy, and we could taste the liquor as well which let us know we were getting our money’s worth. I found Janice’s margarita to be more interesting than mine because it contained something I’ve never seen in a margarita: fresh fruit. I don’t know if they do this with all of their flavors, but her raspberry margarita literally had whole raspberries floating amongst the ice floes of the red sea of tequila. It was a masterstroke of tex-mex bartending. While we were enjoying our frozen beverages, we looked over the dinner menu. They had plenty of entrees, lighter options, appetizers, starters, and soups. While they didn’t stray much from the tried and true tex-mex favorites, I decided to go for the steak mini burritos ($10) while Janice got the vegetarian fajitas with steak ($14). While waiting for our plates to come out, I thought back to another Mexican dinner that I had in London which resulted in me carrying a pair of twin food babies around for the majority of the night. Thankfully, these burritos wouldn’t destroy me like that chimichanga in Old Blighty. Before our entrees arrived, we were hooked up with a free cup of what seemed to be tomato soup with noodles. It was flavorful but nothing noteworthy since we could only taste tomatoes. When they came out, I immediately pounced on them since these plump little buggers looked quite scrumptious under their cheese and salsa verde blanket. I sliced into them, and the juicy pieces of steak, beans, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes came tumbling out. I poured the sour cream all over them while spackling guacamole on each forkful. Madre de dios, estos burritos fueron de la puta madre! (“These burritos were the bees knees!” in so many words). The tortillas were flavorful and bursting with gooey cheese and fresh vegetables. I think the combo of the cool sour cream and the cilantro filled guacamole gave the savory steak a herbal tinge that made my tastebuds scream “Más Más Más!”. The Mexican rice was average, but I didn’t even touch the beans. As for Janice’s vegetable fajitas, they were served piping hot at our table and contained plenty of veggies one typically doesn’t find in Mexican cuisine like cauliflower, broccoli, and mushrooms. She offered to make me a taco out of the ingredients in her fajita, so I got a mouthful of peppers and onions along with the same succulent steak in my mini burritos. I would have helped her more with the monstrously-sized meal, but I would have needed a second stomach. I was feeling full by that point in the meal but not to the point of sickness. It wasn’t the most mind blowing meal in the world since Chicagoland has a ton of great Mexican eateries, but I was a happy customer with the service and food.