Oyamel -- Mexican goodness, twice in two weeks

(The first dinner's desserts including the pastel de tres leches con pina)

In the past two weeks, I found myself at Oyamel... twice.  I had been to Oyamel a few times before over the years -- how could I not have wanted to go, after all I love Mexican food and Jose Andres -- but in general, I often forgot about Oyamel when thinking about restaurants to go to.  So when some friends from out of town were visiting and a mutual friend suggested Oyamel, I thought to myself ooh, I haven't been there in ages.  And this time, it all clicked.  Perhaps it was the margherita at the bar with the salt foam (the salt foam is a must, even for me, as someone who doesn't like salt with her margheritas).  Perhaps it was the spicy guacamole.  Or perhaps it was just the alive atmosphere Oyamel had that night and the fun company.  Whatever it was, I found myself the next morning craving Oyamel again and, oddly, in particular the queso fundido. 

Which brought me back to Oyamel last week for a pre-show dinner.  Mr. J and I were going to go see Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert (yay!!) at the Warner.  Oyamel is only several blocks from Warner and I don't recall ever taking Mr. J there -- with our mutual love for Mexican food (our first date actually was at a Mexican restaurant...), it seemed like the perfect option.  Even though we were eating on the earlier side, the restaurant was packed (good thing we made a reservation!).  The restaurant seems to have a very active bar scene despite the small(er) size of their bar -- the hora feliz (happy hour) deal is a good one ($4 class margs, ponche, and selected draft beer, 2 for $4 tacos, halff off all wines by the glass).  The festive atmosphere is punctuated with bright colors and a friendly staff. 

Our server recommended that we have three dishes per person -- although this proved to be a bit too much for us! The menu offers an extensive list of small dishes (like Jose Andres' other restaurants). The dishes run the gamut from various salsas/guacamoles (made tableside -- mild, medium, or spicy), a bevy of ceviches chopped up at the ceviche bar, various meats and fishes (on this occasion, quite a few pork belly dishes), a wide selection of tacos (served one per order), and so forth.  A number of new dishes have just recently been added to the menu -- in fact, in between my two meals there (so in about a week), the server informed us that they added a bunch of their specials to be official dishes on the menu.  One of those was the deliciously buttery black cod....mmmm.  It's not a bad idea to save some room for dessert (see above for the only pictures I remembered to take at the first dinner!) -- these were quite delicious and the perfect way to end the meal. 

Below are some of my favorite dishes from these two meals:

- Guacamole (of course) made to order with your level of spicyness!
- Ceviche de huachinango (red snapper ceviche with avocado, tomato, sweet onion, cilantro, and lime juice)
- Coctel de camaron y jaiba (shrimp & crab ceviche served with tomato sauce, avocado, and red onions)
- Cayo de hacha con pipian de chile pasilla (seared scallops with a pasilla chile and pumpkin seed sauce, orange segments, pumpkin seed oil and toasted pumpkin seeds)
- Albondigas enchipotladas con queso doble crema (meatballs in chipotle sauce with crumbled 'double cream' cheese and cilantro)
- Papas al mole (really, this is like crispy french fries with mole on top, but so good!)
- Queso fundido con tequila (with chorizo...mmmm)
- Carnitas tacos con salsa de tomatillo (confit of baby pig with green tomatillo sauce, pork rinds, onions, and cilantro)

Will I be back?  For sure.  Now that Oyamel is back on my radar, I don't think I can resist going back, especially for a refreshing margherita and spicy fresh guac during the hot DC summer months.

Oyamel Cocina Mexicana
401 7th Street NW
Washington, DC 20004
(202) 628-1005

Cook Club: Cooking the Austrian Way

COOKING THE AUSTRIAN WAY by HELGA HUGHES
COOKBOOK SCORE: 3.09Highest Scoring Dishes: Cooked Potato Salad, Trout Vienna Style, and Tomato Baskets
Lowest Scoring Dishes: Paprika Chicken and Broccoli Salad with Bacon
For March/April Cook Club, we decided to bring in spring with a taste of Austria!  Elaine headed up Cook Club this time and selected a cookbook that she received from her Austrian future mother-in-law.  The cookbook -- Cooking the Austrian Way by Helga Hughes -- is filled with "traditional" Austrian recipes for all sorts of occasions.  We had some hits and some misses, with presentation of the dishes often outweighing the taste of the food.  For the most part, these recipes were straight forward and easy to follow.  Check out below for all the reviews!


Entrees

Michelle's Breaded Veal (Wiener Schnitzel)
Scores: Mich: 2.5 and Joe: 3.5 = 3.0

The texture was good. I'd use this general process to bread stuff in the future (dipping it in flour, then egg, then the bread crumbs), but it just didn't have enough flavor for me. I used panko bread crumbs, because I'm partial to them and I find they're a little bit lighter. I'm not sure if the veal is different over here or what, but it just wasn't a very flavorful dish. I thought the lemon wedges would add a lot of flavor, but they really didn't add anything. I don't think I'd make this dish again.  Joe thought the breading was bland, and apparently I didn't cook it long enough (it could have been crispier). So his score was higher than mine, but I'm not sure why. Haha.

Lisa W's Paprika Chicken
Score: 1.0

My husband and I were deeply disappointed with the outcome of this dish. However, I do believe that this recipe has the potential to be delicious.  The sauce recipe was great, but the chicken recipe was not specific enough.  For example, it did not specify what part of the chicken to use.  I incorrectly chose boneless/skinless breasts, which rendered the dish dry.  Also, after breading the chicken in flour, the recipe requires drizzling of lemon juice over the chicken.  However, this caused the flour to clump together, therefore not cooking properly.  Because of this, the dish was not edible.  If you choose to make this, use bone-in chicken and do not drizzle with lemon juice. 

Anjali's Trout Vienna Style
Score: 4.0

So I've never cooked trout and thought this would be a good challenge. The recipe itself was very straightforward. And involved lots of butter! I rarely cook with butter so I had a hang up with this (I try to eat healthy!), but let's be honest...everything is better with butter. I found this dish very easy to make and it tasted great! The buttery, toasted almonds; the buttery fish; and the lemon to cut the fat. Our dinner party guests all enjoyed the dish! Overall, I would give the fish a 4.0 and I will definitely make it again!

Side Dishes

Jackie's Cooked Potato Salad
Score: 5.0

Every year for Easter dinner, Mr. J's family always has potato salad as part of our meal.  So, when I saw this cooked potato salad as one of the possible cook club recipes, I went for it!  Although I was a little bit nervous to deviate from the usual potato salad that we would have, I am so glad I did -- this was delicious.  The recipe is really straight forward and took about an hour to put together (including cook time).  The dressing was made of (turkey) bacon, onions, spicy brown mustard, apple vinegar, chicken bouillon (the cubes dissolved in hot water), black pepper, and sour pickles ...  (I added a touch of olive oil when I sauteed the bacon and onions (to prevent sticking)) -- hurray for finding a potato salad that didn't use mayonnaise!  The result was a slightly creamy and flavorful potato salad.  I was really happy with the results and it received raved reviews at Easter dinner.   Definitely will make again!

Lisa W's Broccoli Salad with Bacon

Score: 1.0

This dish was extremely easy to prepare.  However, my husband and I did not like the flavor of apple cider vinegar, which is why it was scored so low.   If you like apple cider vinegar, then you will probably like this dish.  

Anjali's Red Cabbage with Apples
Score: 3.75

Again, I wanted to choose something unfamiliar so as to expand my culinary horizons, and after the success of Amanda's Tyler Florence braised cabbage, this seemed like a great pick! The dish was very straightforward. I will admit, I added a little more sugar and vinegar than was called for, but I really think I happened to have a large head of cabbage that required more seasoning. I think everyone enjoyed it and I will probably make this again. :) I give this dish a 3.75.

Lisa H's Tomato Baskets
Score: 4

I think this was a good dish, but I would recommend using fresh summer tomatoes.  I used partially ripe winter tomatoes.  It was really easy to make.  These would be a great summertime side dish.  I would give this four stars.  (Also scored by Anjali: Presentation = 4.5, Actual taste = 3.25)
  
Desserts

Elaine's Sweet Souffle
Score: 3.0

This soufflé was easy enough to make as there were so few ingredients but I found it lacked much flavor. Perhaps it is meant to be a dessert for those without much of a sweet tooth. I really liked the sweet crunchy top from the last sprinkling of sugar before baking, but would definitely add way more vanilla extract next time into the batter. Might consider adding some other more interesting flavors next time such as blood orange or lime.


Breakfast / Breads

Jackie's Jelly Rolls
Score: 2.5

So, I think I made a few missteps along the way with making the jelly rolls.  You would think with only really four ingredients this would have gone off flawlessly...  The jelly rolls call for frozen uncooked rolls -- I was worried about finding these, but I actually found them in my local grocery store in the freezer aisle.  They basically looked like little frozen rounded cubes of dough -- excellent!  The recipe also calls for certain set periods of time for letting the dough defrost/thaw (3 hours) and rise (2.5 hours at 180 degrees).  I think this is where I went astray!  I let my dough thaw for way too long, so that it started to rise in the packaging (oops, next time, take the dough chunks out of the packaging first!) ... the dough then was all stuck together so I couldn't actually tell where each roll began and ended.  Then I stuck it in a 180 degree oven covered with a towel (as the recipe says, non-terry cloth) for about 2 hours.  This was apparently too long (seeing as that my dough had already spent time rising outside of the oven) or perhaps too high heat because the dough actually started to bake.  I continued to truck on forward though, added some jam to the middle of the dough, baked again, and voila, the finished product.  Due to all the rising and over baking, these turned out a bit... hard on the outside, but still soft-ish on the inside.  Mr. J thought they were pretty good.  I think I would try these again, but instead, I would follow the instructions that accompany the frozen rolls for thawing purposes and keep better time on everything!

Lisa H's Cinnamon and Almond Snails
Score: 3 

I should first start with the fact that I have a really hard time following directions. I got in trouble a lot when I was in elementary school. Anywho, I tried really hard to follow the recipe, but it started to go south when I left the dough in the oven at 200 degrees. It cooked the dough and didn’t let it rise correctly the last time. I cooked them anyway and put the sugar mixture in. They had a great flavor. We served them with ice cream. I would make them again. I would give this a 3 star, because the recipe was so hard to follow.  (Anjali also scored this dish with 3.75)

Amanda's Bacon Bread
Scores: Appearance: 5/ Flavor: 2.5 = 3.75

I gave this dish 2 scores because I thought the bread was very pretty once it was baked, but somewhat lacking in flavor. I chose this recipe because I have not ever baked bread from scratch and wanted to give it a try (the recipe was also chosen due to a weakness for bacon). While the entire process was a learning experience, I was disappointed with the flavor...maybe I should have put more bacon down inside the dough. The first time I kneaded the dough, it seemed very sticky, so I added flour to it, as the recipe instructed, which could have hurt the flavor as well. All in all, I'm so glad I tried this recipe! Bread baking is no longer intimidating, and I would like to try this recipe again soon!  (Anjali also tasted the bacon bread and scored it: presentation = 4.5, actual taste = 3.25, average score = 3.875)


Thanks to everyone who participated in the March/April Cook Club!  Look out for the next Cook Club review in early July!

Seder Sides: Vegetable Tian & Green Beans, Cucumber, Chicken Salad

Earlier this week, I went to my first seder -- my friend Deb hosted a multi-denominational seder at her apartment with a group of about 15-16.  Not only was it a great opportunity to meet some new people, but I really enjoyed learning about the traditions of a different religion.  We did an abridged version of a seder and we each took part in the readings.

For the seder, I cooked up two side dishes to accompany Deb's delish chicken with tomatoes and Danielle's matzo ball soup (mmmm, thinking about that soup makes me quite hungry now).   I spent some time searching for some tasty looking recipes and came across a vegetable tian.  I had never heard of a tian before, but it was exactly what I wanted to make -- I had wanted to put together a roasted vegetable dish, but one that didn't just look thrown together and one that incorporated not just wintery vegetables.  The dish I found, courtesy of Martha Stewart, was the perfect combination of being a bit more refined and being flexible in terms of the types of vegetables that could be used.  (And for those of you that are curious, a tian is a French dish that used to be more of a braised vegetable stew (that is cooked in a vessel called a tian) -- but nowadays, tians are more freeform casserole type dishes).  The dish called for using zucchini, one of my favorite vegetables -- and apparently, it is the favorite vegetable of many people in my area because the supermarket was completely sold out of zucchinis!  So then, I went for eggplant as a substitute.  And wouldn't you know it, when I cut into the eggplant, it was halfway rotten.  Just by luck, I had bought some portobello mushrooms the week before to make portobello mushroom burgers, and sliced those up to use instead, which turned out to a fantastic substitute (and perhaps even better than the zucchini or eggplant!).  It added a bit more oomph to the dish (and I personally love mushrooms...).  

I absolutely loved this dish.  I would make it again and again.  We had some leftovers and we were quite happy to bring some with us for lunch.  Below is the recipe and beyond that, the other side dish that we brought to the seder...

Vegetable Tian (from Martha Stewart's mag, April 2009)
Serves 4

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 medium carrots, sliced diagonally 1/8 inch thick
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced 1/8 inch thick (I used 1 1/2 portobello mushrooms)
• 1 medium Red Bliss potato, sliced 1/8 inch thick (I used about 2 1/2 red bliss potatoes)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil in a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Add onion, garlic, and oregano, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. 
2. Arrange remaining vegetables over onion mixture, alternating carrots, zucchini, and potato, and overlapping each. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Cover with parchment, then foil. Roast in oven for 20 minutes. Uncover, drizzle with remaining tablespoon oil, and roast, basting with pan juices every 10 minutes, until tian is light gold, about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly; serve.

I wanted to bring a second side dish, but one that didn't take too long to make because I was cooking up both of these in the quick hours between getting off work and getting to the seder. I picked out this green bean, cucumber, and chicken salad because it literally only took 15 minutes. Plus, with the turn towards warmer weather, I thought it was a nice spring-y dish. The dish was quite quick to put together also because I used a rotisserie chicken from the market instead of poaching my own chicken -- so I de-skinned and shredded the rotisserie chicken. I also tripled the recipe because I knew we had a fairly large group coming to the seder and I wanted to set aside a bit of it for lunch this week! One rotisserie chicken was perfect for tripling the recipe.

Chicken, Green Bean, and Cucumber Salad (from Everyday Food, Jan 2010)

Serves 4

* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon each finely chopped fresh parsley and basil
* 1 tablespoon capers, drained and chopped
* 4 ounces green beans
* 1 Basic Poached Chicken, breast half, cooled and torn
* 1 small cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced
* 2 teaspoons chopped toasted almonds
* Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, fresh lemon juice, parsley, basil, and capers. Boil green beans, trimmed, in salted water until crisp-tender, 3 minutes. Rinse with cold water; drain and add to bowl along with poached chicken, cucumber, and chopped toasted almonds. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.

Chicago: Where in the World Wednesday!

It is amazing that after all this time, I STILL haven't been to the wonderful food city of Chicago (although slightly ironically, on this day I'm actually three hours west of Chicago).  Luckily, we have not one, but FOUR Chicago tour guides today to offer us some insight into what the city has to give us!  Thanks so much to Silvia, Neena, Becca, and Jason!

Silvia and I lived in neighboring "houses" in the freshman dorms and have been friends ever since!  I've been sad ever since Silvia moved away from DC, but can't wait to visit her in Chicago!  She currently lives in downtown Chicago in a neighborhood called Old Town.

Neena is the fabulous sister of one of my best friends, Anjali (check out Anjali's WWW of NOLA!).  Neena is a senior at Northwestern living in Evanston, the first suburb north of Chicago. Before moving here, she grew up in Union City, a small town in northwest Tennessee.  Her top three food cities are New Orleans, Memphis, and Chicago.  Her favorite dessert is key lime pie (yum!) and if comfort food is where it is at, then Neena goes for mashed potatoes and cornbread.

Jason and Becca are showing us around jointly around Chicago!  Becca and I went to grad school together, but actually met when we worked at the same office one summer and have been friends (and coworkers!) ever since.  I met Jason through Becca and have heard about their Chicago eating adventures since Jason started school at Northwestern. 

(1)  How would you describe the food in Chicago in 10 words or less?
Silvia: There's truly something for everyone's taste!

Neena: All over the place - in the best way possible!

Becca: Either huge and hearty or trendy and innovative; Jason: Filling, diverse. Consistently exceeds my expectations.

(2) If you were bringing back a food gift basket representative of Chicago for a friend, what would you include in it?  (Feel free to include perishable items!)

Silvia: A pizza pot pie (the kind with the meat sauce and mushrooms) and the Mediterranean bread from The Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder; a Chicago-style hot dog; Garrett Popcorn (CaramelCrisp); Portillo's Italian Beef; Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale; Bobtail's Signature Sunset ice cream (it's Merlot ice cream with chocolate chunks); and Vosges Haut Chocolat's Exotic Chocolate Bars (e.g. Sweet Indian curry + coconut; milk chocolate + bacon; Mexican ancho & chipotle chillies + Ceylon cinnamon dark chocolate)

Neena: Deep Dish Pizza- preferably original cheese from Giordano’s

Chicago Hot Dog- no ketchup, poppy seed bun, mustard, onion, sweet pickle relish, dill pickle spear, tomato slices, pickled sport peppers, celery salt…from Hot Doug’s

Italian Beef Sandwich- wonderfully seasoned roast beef on an Italian roll that is often dipped in the meat juices and topped with giardiniera or sweet peppers…you can’t really make this badly, so I would say from anywhere

Metropolis Coffee- best coffee, no discussion

Vosges Chocolate- based out of Chicago, this chocolatier has some of the most exotic truffles and candy bars including bacon chocolate and Indian curry chocolate…sounds scary, tastes amazing

Becca: Steak, Roasted nuts, sausages. Jason: Agreed - maybe also throw in a hot dog.

(3) Do you find that food in Chicago has been greatly influenced by certain ethnicities/religions?  If so, which ones?

Silvia: Each neighborhood is uniquely influenced.  There are the traditional ethnic neighborhoods like Greektown, Chinatown, Little Italy, but then there are the more unique neighborhoods like Boystown (think The Hardy Boys), Wrigleyville (for the Cubs fans), and Andersonville (Swedish influence), all with their own unique tastes and flavors.

Neena:  Absolutely. Polish, Greek, Ukrainian, and Italian influences are the first that pop into my mind.

Becca: I think there is good ethnic food in Chicago if you seek it out, we've had good indian there. There is good italian, and Rick Bayless has his line of mexican restaurants that are very popular. I think there is some polish influence too. Otherwise I would say Chicago is a meat and potatoes American midwestern town.

Jason: Chicago is a city where different neighborhoods are still dominated by the ethnic groups that have historically inhabited the neighborhoods (i.e., not very well integrated). As a result, while I don't think that one ethnicity has so much influenced the cuisine of the entire city, I do think that Polish, Ukranian, Indian, Chinese, Italian, Jewish, Puerto Rican-centric influences dominate certain Chicago neighborhoods.

(4) If I were to visit you, where would we go for breakfast?  For late-night eats?

Silvia: For breakfast, I'd definitely take you to Yolk or Orange.  For late-night eats, we could not miss The Wiener Circle!!!  YouTube it and you'll know what I mean (just don't watch it in your office!) =P

Neena:  Breakfast at Toast- Their pesto scramble is perfection. A close second is their Mexican chocolate stuffed French Toast…seems like a sin so early in the morning.

Late-Night Eats at Ian’s Pizza- A toss up between a slice of chili cheese fritos pizza or a slice of steak & french fries pizza…both sound a bit disturbing/overwhelming but believe me when I say it’s not a good night out in Wrigleyville unless you snag a slice of Ian’s.

Becca:  For breakfast, either West Egg Cafe or that huge place on Michigan Avenue whose name I forgot. Jason: Agreed. Good brunch place called Orange in Lakeview too.  For late night eats, Tempo Cafe. Place is a scene late at night, good food though.

(5) If I were to visit you, what is one food-related destination or outing that we would visit/do?

Silvia: If you were here during the summer, we would definitely visit at least one of the many food festivals that take place here from May-September! There's Taste of Chicago (a definite must), the Guinness Oyster Fest, and all the neighborhood tasting festivals.  My favorite is Ribfest :)   

I would also take you to Table Fifty-Two, whose chef and owner is Art Smith, the former personal chef to Oprah.  Art personally came to greet our table and the tables around us when we dined there.  I felt like I was only 1 degree separated from Oprah, and I'd want you to have the same experience too ;)

Neena: Chicago Hot Dog from Hot Doug’s- It is absolutely an outing with the line streaming out the door daily.

Becca: We would probably go to Ginos/Giordanos for deep dish. Jason: Agreed.


(6) Was there anything that particularly surprised you about the food in Chicago?

Silvia: I was definitely surprised by how much good food and how much variety there is here in Chicago!  When I first moved to Chicago, I made a long list of restaurants that I would try during my first year living in the city.  After 4.5 years in Chicago and having tried hundreds of restaurants, that list has turned into a BOOK and still continues to grow!

Neena:  The concept of comfort food in the Midwest is not far from that of the South’s concept. This is a good thing.

Becca: Maybe not the food, but Chicago has a serious foodie scene, and it's hard to get reservations at a lot of places, we've called for a res at places that wouldn't necessarily be considered special occasion only and been told there was a 6 month wait list. Jason: I agree with Becca. I think because it is so cold people take their restaurant excursions very seriously, and as a result the Chicago dining scene is really taken seriously. I've met more foodies in Chicago than anywhere else. I've also been surprised by how diverse a selection of restaurants Chicago has to offer. You can get any type of food in Chicago.

(7)   What is your favorite “local” restaurant and why?

Silvia: I have so many restaurants on my favorite list--it's hard to pick just one!  I would vote for Chilam Balam as my favorite "local" restaurant.  Their chef (who was the Sous Chef for Rick Bayless) practices a farm-to-table mantra and as such sources local produce and ingredients for all the tasty food.  Plus it's BYOB!

Neena: Bistro Zinc. Simple French food. Never a disappointment.

Becca: Red Rooster Cafe in Lincoln Park. It's a really cute little French restaurant that's dimly lit and quiet with great food and great prices. We tell everyone to go there. Jason: Agreed.

(8)   I admit, I’m a junk food junkie… where is your go-to place for deep dish pizza?  For a hot dog?

Silvia: I love Edwardo's deep-dish pizza, Hawaiian style (ham with pineapple). 

I usually reserve my hot dog eating for game day at Wrigley Field.  But if I had a bad craving, I would hop down the street to Five Faces in my neighborhood for a Chicago-style hot dog.  I've heard great things about Hot Doug's hot dogs and duck fat fries, but I haven't tried it--I would love to try it with you, Jackie!

Neena:  Deep Dish from Giordano's without a doubt. I have learned that deep dish pizza and regular crust pizza are completely different cravings in my mind. When you are craving one of them, you will never settle for the other.  Hot dog from Hot Doug's is always a safe bet.

Becca: Deep dish: Ginos to sit in and Giordanos for take out (spinach and pepperoni).  I have to confess I haven't had a hot dog in chicago, but I've heard there's a little place way up north that is hands down the best, but requires waiting in line for sometimes hours.  Jason: I like Giordano's deep dish. Portillo's or Wrigley Field for a hot dog.

(9) Given the current economic times, where would you go for a meal and a drink for $15 and less?

Silvia: I would go to Matisse in Lakeview for their daily specials.  My favorite is the $3 burger + $4 beer night on Mondays.  Wednesdays are great with their $4 chocolate martini special!  Matisse is a cute little tavern--it's very cozy in the winter because they have a fireplace inside that people can sit next to and cuddle up.  In the summer they have a great outdoor patio that's awesome for people watching.

Neena: Xoco- Make sure you budget for the churros and dipping Mexican chocolate!

Becca: We'd probably share a pizza at Dan's restaurant Osteria Via Stato but we'd be cheating because he'd probably give us free antipasti to go with it. Chicago is full of great pubs though, pretty much any random spot in Lincoln Park or Wrigleyville is going to have a great burger. Jason: Agree w/Becca. You can get a good meal and drink for under $15 (maybe $20) all over Chicago.

(10) What is your most memorable food experience in Chicago?

Silvia: I have so many memorable food experiences in Chicago; I don't think I can pick just one!

I think the most recent memorable food experience was Chicago Restaurant Week 2010 in February.  Luke and I had a ton of fun going around the city and trying out a bunch of new restaurants we had never been to before.  We tasted and enjoyed so many wonderful dishes!  Some of my favorites included the Truffled Mac 'n' Cheese and Duck Duo from Blue 13, the Mushroom Risotto and Hot Apple Crisp from Gemini Bistro, the Alaskan King Crab from Joe's Seafood, and the cheesecake from Il Mulino.  It was really fun to compare notes with our fellow foodie friends as Restaurant Week progressed!

My overall most memorable food experiences in Chicago would involve the following restaurants: Sunda, The Publican, Hot Chocolate, the Hopleaf, and Japonais.  Jackie--you'll just have to come visit so I can take you to those places.  Then you'll know why they're memorable :)

Neena:  Too many to list! First one that comes to mind is getting a slice of Bacci’s pizza after a Cubs game. But, let me tell you. This is not your average slice of pizza. For $5 you can get a slice of pizza the size of Russia and a drink.

Becca: Hard to say, we've had a lot. After Jason I associate Chicago with food. Our first breakfast in Chicago (I don't know where) I had this amazing french toast with bananas on it. Jason's friend Dan works at an italian restaurant/pizzeria and we went there one night for an awesome 4 course meal (that ended up being several more courses because Dan's friends just kept bringing things). And of course all our dinners at Red Rooster have been great -- particularly the time we went there during the week and our food was half price (crazy because the food there is already half the price of many other places). We've had great meals all over Chicago though.

Jason: I'd say our first time at Red Rooster. It is just a nice, quaint spot that was wonderful that night and continues to impress us. Also, as was mentioned earlier, people in Chicago take their food seriously so it is hard to "find" a new place. I like being able to say, or think, that we found Red Rooster on our own.

Thank you so much  for your tours of Chicago's eats!  Ok, now I'm starving.  When is the next flight out to Chicago?

Thailand: Where in the World Wednesday

Hello everyone!  Welcome back to another segment of "Where in the World Wednesday" :)  This week we jet off to beautiful Thailand with two tour guides -- my friend Jeff and his lovely girlfriend Nim.  Jeff and I have been friends since high school and since high school, his life has taken him all around the world -- he's lived in Taipei, Newport Beach (CA), Houston (TX), and the Baltimore/Washington area.  Nim was born in the northern Thai city, Nan, and she has lived in the southern Thai city, Songkhla, as well as Atlanta and Bangkok.  Nim and Jeff currently live in Hwai Khwang, Bangkok, Thailand.  Thanks to Jeff and Nim for taking part in Where in the World Wednesday! 

(1)   How would you describe the food in Thailand in 10 words or less?

Concentrated & Intense Flavor, Spicy.

(2)   Are there any dishes that you think are traditionally Thai?

(3)   Do you find that food in Thailand has been greatly influenced by certain ethnicities/religions?  If so, which ones?

(4)   Have you found that different regions of Thailand have different types of food?  If so, which would be your favorite region?

We will group these three questions together, and start by answering #4. There are four distinct regions in Thailand - North, Northeast, Central, and South. They each have their own unique tastes. For example, the food in/from the South is ridiculously spicy.

There are many religions/ethnicities in Thailand. There is a strong Muslim influence (kebabs, hookah), Indian influence (tons of curry), Chinese (typical), and Japanese (businessman).

Traditional Thai dishes include: Tom Yum Kung (Soup - Lemongrass, Herbs, Shrimp), Sweet Mango & Sticky Rice (Dessert), Som Tam (Papaya Salad)

(5)   If you were bringing back a food gift basket representative of Thailand for a friend, what would you include in it?  (Feel free to include perishable items!)

Nim says that she would include...Raw AND Ripe Mangoes, Mangosteen, Lychee, and Durian.

I would bring... Kao Niew Gai Tohd (Sticky Rice with Fried Chicken), Kao Meng Gai (White Rice with Boiled Chicken), Ba Mi Giao Nam (Yellow Noodles with Roasted Red Pork + Dumplings in Soup)

(6)   If I were to visit you, where would we go for breakfast?  For late-night eats?

Thais don't really eat breakfast, so to speak, or as we envision what breakfast ought to be. They often have Thai Iced Tea/Iced Chocolate/Iced Coffee + simple fried street food for breakfast. Some people eat Grilled Meat + Sticky Rice, some people eat noodles, some eat nothing. Cereal is an expensive commodity here.

There are tons of 24-hour/late night places to eat. However, I am old, and I go to bed at 10. Most of them are street food though - anything you can think of, I'm sure there is a street vendor for it.

(7)   Where would you take me on a food-related outing?

It depends on what kind of place you want to go... For example, if you wanted to do something with a Chinese influence, we would go to YaoWaRat - China Town. If you wanted to do something "Hi-So" (bourgeoisie), we would go to Siam Paragon (Think Tyson's Corner but even more expensive, Thong Lor (Little Tokyo), and anywhere on Sukhumvit Road (Main road in the business district). There are tons of great places to eat, depending on how you want it, and how local of tastes you want it.

(8)   Was there anything that particularly surprised you about the food in Thailand?

At first, I hated Thai Food. I kept asking myself, with its obvious Chinese link, what happened to the Chinese Food? Thai food has its own tangy, spicy flavor, which Chinese food does not have. However, I've thrown myself into this culture, and am absolutely loving the cuisine. The challenge is in the Spicy food. With Japanese Wasabi, you breathe out to alleviate the pains. With Thai Spices, you soak it and you take it like a man. It is a great challenge to absorb the invigorating sensation that burns the insides of your body. It is actually a wonderful feeling. In fact, chillies and peppers have tons of Vitamin C.

(10) What is your favorite “local” restaurant and why?

I wouldn't call it a restaurant, so to speak; however, it is a storefront. It is family owned, and is extremely old and dirty on the inside. They serve two dishes: Ba Mi Giao Nam (as stated above) and Kao Moo Daeng (Rice with Roasted Red Pork + Boiled Egg + Special Sauce). The special sauce for the rice dish is very sweet and tasty.

(11) What has been your most memorable food experience in Thailand?

There are two. 1) When Nim and I were in Nan, along with two of our other friends, we went to this "local" restaurant, which was a Shrimp Farm. We ate our guts out, full of fresh, grilled shrimp. There should be pictures on my facebook. 2) When Nim and I went to Phuket for a short vacation, and to see her friend from middle school, they took us to a "local" seafood restaurant on the beach. We had 10 dishes of fresh, famous seafood, and the cost came out to be less than $40 for 5 people. The taste was fantastic.