Hedonism

Franklin Cafe

It's been a while since i've been to the Franklin. It's one of those places that I put in that "late night after a long one at the restaurant" category. A joint that had good food, but better drinks and wine at great prices. A destination that one could hit up after an evening spent serving up the goods to diners and simply, in the parlance of the industry, be taken care of. It was, in my memory, a bar for those who work at a place with a bar. So, when my fiancee wanted to go there for dinner and drinks with one of her best friends who was visiting from New York, I reluctantly agreed. Simply put, I trust the Franklin for late night food and drink satisfaction, not so much for a real dining experience. I was hoping to be proved wrong.

I arrived earlier than the rest of the party, which is usual for me, and after announcing my intent to have a party dining with me, found a pair of seats at the bar. The bartender assigned to my end of the bar, Nathan, was a sweet guy with an interesting and rather relaxed approach to bartending. It almost felt as if he were a stoner who was always surprised that customers were there and wanting anything. However, he was not inattentive. Water glasses were kept full and drinks as well.

I perused the menu and watched the crowd while waiting for the rest of my party to arrive; thinking that the menu had, at some level, moved away from the Franklin of old attitude of comfort food to the new South End pretension menu. This was to be expected, given the people I noticed sitting about eating and drinking. Back when I worked in the South End, most of the folk one would see at the Franklin were either gay or industry. Now, they were pretty much hetero with a few gays tossed in to the mix; a nod to the fact that the South End is rapidly becoming usurped by the straight folk who finally think that the formerly hooker and drug addict filled neighborhood is finally safe enough to move in to. 

I decided to order a bottle of Schramsberg Rose sparkling wine; a great little bottle of sparkling from the Napa Valley while waiting. As the wine arrived, my fiancee came in the door and sat down next to me. She tried and liked the wine, so score one for me. One of the cool things about the Franklin is that they have a fair markup policy on wine, much like Silvertone. It makes it easy to grab a good wine at a good price.

While waiting for the third member of our party to arrive, we decided to order the falafel appetizer. It was good, a nice portion of falafel that was well cooked with a good tzatziki filled with chunks of cucumber and a good sized wedge of lemon. We asked for, and got, a little hot sauce that made it even more flavorful.

We were sitting at the bar next to another couple and were thinking that what we would really like to do would be to sit at the bar and eat there. We are, at heart, mainly bar eating types. The couple next to us were actually in the process of leaving and offered to sit at the bar while we awaited our third.

Finally, he arrived and we got our seats at the bar, no small accomplishment on a Friday night around 8pm in the South End. We all looked through the menu and finally decided on our dishes. M. and I both chose the Trout, Leah chose a few apps; Mussels, Scallops and a Fish Taco. I asked to sub a side, I wanted to have asparagus instead of the baby spinach. I find that more often than not, spinach is rarely washed well and I hate biting into something that already mucks with my teeth because of the iron in it and coming upon a cache of grit. I was also worried that they would cook the spinach and I am not a fan of cooked spinach, especially when it's gritty. The bartender told me that the "Chef" doesn't allow substitutions. That really got my goat. It's one of those ego trips that really shows how committed to the guest the Chef really is. Instead of allowing someone to choose their own sides, this guy thinks that he knows so much better than anyone else what belongs on the dish. That is something beyond frustrating and had it not been for the fact that I didn't want to create a scene, I would have left that place without looking back. I absolutely cannot stand it when a Chef has the hubris (or inability to pay attention to stock levels and food costs) to pull that sort of stunt. Instead, I decided to take the dish as presented and ordered one of the only two choices of sides, sugar snap peas.

We wanted all the food delivered at the same time, but the kitchen had different ideas. They shoved the mussels out first as, I guess, a second appetizer. Probably just them screwing up the order. The mussels smelled better than they tasted. A smoky broth, very light, and a side of clarified butter. The broth had a lot of flavor, but there wasn't really that much in the bowl and the mussels were just kinda' there. They were also poorly rinsed and kinda' gritty. Another pet peeve of mine. Mussels are filters and really need to be cleaned well before being served.

Eventually (read: quite too long between courses later), the rest of the food arrived. I couldn't wait to find out how the Chef's vision of the baby spinach was going to make the trout something worth coming back for. The fish was fine, if under-seasoned. The menu inferred that there was to be pancetta in the dish and I was of the opinion that it was part of the fish dish. Turns out, it was added to the baby spinach as a salad of sorts. The spinach salad was primarily shaved fennel which was blanched almost to the point of having the flavor profile of jicama. It was the most generously portioned item of the salad and considering it wasn't even mentioned on the menu, came as a surprise to me. The only thing that ended up making any sense on the dish was the grilled pineapple; which actually seemed rather odd when I read the menu. Of course, it seemed that the kitchen prep didn't include coring the pineapple. So, when the dish arrived, I had to, in a dark restaurant, dig around the core of the pineapple to get the only truly inspiring part of the dish free and onto my fork. The pancetta was almost non-existent; almost a dream of salty meatiness that probably would have helped out the trout. I was really disappointed in the trout overall and really didn't see what the side did to enhance the dish.

Leah ordered a lot of food because I promised to help her out. The fish taco was, to be honest, not a taco at all, it was a quesadilla. I'm guessing that they call it a taco to fool people into ordering it. Greasy fried flour tortilla filled with a lot of queso blanco and the standard chopped salsa fixin's were the only things I really noticed in the dish. I honestly coudn't taste the fish. I also couldn't see it, since the place was so dark. One of the interesting things I learned at a steakhouse I worked at early in my career is that lighting can be used to hide things like overcooked meat and missing ingredients, like the mango, avocado and quite possibly the fish. The "taco" was not a taco at all and even as a quesadilla, it was still nothing that I would ever consider eating again. She also ordered the Scallops, which came with an endive and celery salad with pistachio and grapefruit. One look at them, even in the limited lighting, and one could see that they looked overdone. One taste, and I knew for certain that was the case. The seasoning blend that they had dusted them with had burnt onto the rubbery scallops. I think that Nathan heard me say this to Leah and asked me if everything was okay. Not the type to usually complain, I only mentioned the scallops and not the entire litany of issues that I was having with the food. I can be very matter of fact and told him simply that the scallops were overcooked and tasted burnt. When the dish came back, the scallops were cooked well and tasted fine. The sides... Ah, the sides. I have to say; I didn't have a single side that night that really made the dish better. At best, it didn't make the dish any worse. The actual highlight of the meal for me was the single side that I ordered, the sugar snap peas. It's really sad when something that is so hard to muck up is the only thing that really was good.

In all, if I had a rating system, I would give this meal 5 out of 10 "whateversnappything" and call it a day. During a week that's been filled with average meals, the only thing that really matters is I have had the pleasure of company that can even make average food bearable. As Leah mentioned in her blog, it might be time to start eating in a little more often. I make a mean pasta from scratch.

Grilling "Social" At Tremont 647

So tonight, after work, I found my way over to Boston's South End for a Grilling Social held at Tremont 647/Sister Sorel. I was to meet my fiancee, a friend of hers and a friend of mine. Since I got out of work earlier than most of them, I was there early enough to really get a feel for the event as well as a morsel of most, if not all, of the dishes that they were plating and sharing with the guests.

After arriving, it was painfully apparent that although they claimed to do these types of events with some regularity, they weren't properly prepared for the turn-out. People were lined up and asked to check in with the Host to confirm the reservation (required) and pay for the tickets. The Host Stand is so far into the interior of the joint that anyone could have wandered in and started nibbling on the passed snacks without ever paying the fee. As a matter of fact, there were at least two people who did do so. The tickets included two free beers from Harpoon (the choices were Harpoon IPA, UFO and Raspberry- which ran out early), so all these kids did was buy their own drinks and take advantage of the free food. I waited in line with the rest of the socialites (read: bridge and tunnel people) and when it was my turn to pay, I ponied up 45$ to grab my drink tickets and rights to eat the grilled goodies that the chefs were churning out.

I wandered over to the grill station on the patio outside Tremont, where Chris Coombs (DBar) and John Delpha (La Campania) were manning their grills. The area was filled with older city nobles and a melange of gay and lesbian "Friends of the South End", all waiting for the food to get plated to pounce on it like the seagulls I was calling them. To get to any of the food that I paid for, I literally had to throw myself in the way of the servers to garner any of the nibbles that were moving through the crowd. Problem is, i'm a smallish person and I can get lost in a crowd when i'm not in a mood to be noticed. I hate to follow food around and having to do so to gain some value for the entry fee sorta' bugged me. I became a seagull just so I could at least grab a sampling of the snacks.

One of the things that I noticed was the lack of cocktail napkins in the hands of the servers passing food. This is not good service, especially when the food is as messy as grilled items tend to be. That was soon remedied, however. I guess someone else noticed and took care of that.

Okay, food gathering issues aside, there was also the issue of food quality. I tried most, I think, of the items that were there. The first tidbit I had was a vegetable bruschetta on house-made foccacia. That was lovely, flavorful and almost perfectly light. The bread was a little too thick and the vegetables were a little too loose to hang on to the bread. However, in it's defense, the flavor was there. Then, making my way to the grill station, I managed to be totally ignored by everyone there. Chasing down a server, I managed to procure my second taste, a bit of sausage-wrapped pork loin. The pork was, to be honest, under-seasoned and the sausage, I am guessing this (the server was rather imprecise in his explanation of the item), was most likely local but bland and kinda' greasy. There was a small slathering of green herbs layered between the sausage and the pork, but it wasn't quite the right fit. The tiny dollop of creme fraiche was, to be honest, not the right choice for the dish. Better they had chosen horseradish, for a creamy texture and slight bite. Creme Fraiche seemed to be the condiment du jour at the gathering. Then, I managed a pork wonton of some sort, with a mild and unassuming ponzu dipping sauce. This I had to fight my way through a brooding group of lesbians who had grabbed the plate and positioned it on the bar between them in an effort to protect the spoils of this food war. Completely boring and too greasy to enjoy. Finally, before my cabal arrived, I grabbed a slider from the interior open kitchen bar. It was a uninspired burger with cheese, ketchup and onion. Far too wet and absolutely no seasoning I could detect. I found some tabasco at the bar in Sister Sorel and even that really didn't raise the burger past the level of passable. The lowlight of the evening.

Finally, I got notice, via text, that my group was arriving. That was when I found out that the fee was actually 40$ and managed to get a refund of the difference. The hostess was very nice and I have to admit that she was handling the lack of organization. She truly was the star of the evening. The servers were also great and the bartending, although slow, was pleasant.

I did warn my group to stay away from the slider, but as they were bellying up to the bar and waiting to grab a beer, I went back to the interior grill and grabbed us all some pulled pork sliders. The things were bready, the cole-slaw average at best and the pork way too vinegary. We tried several other items, including a fish taco that was bland and heart of sirloin soft taco that was too sweet and filled with way too much cilantro for my taste. I think that most of us didn't finish that. It needed some acid to flesh out the flavors, it was simply sweet and could have passed as dessert. None of the flavors worked as a team and the balance was off. My gang, not heeding my advice, grabbed sliders of their own and that was another item that ended up being left on the table. The highlight of the slider and the pork sammy was the bread that was used. Finally, dessert was served. Some sort of burnt tasting banana bread and a pastry filled with whipped cream and blueberries. The pastry was the best. The single item that was truly inspired and managed to get a positive response from all of us was some meat on a stick. A skewer of beef that had been marinated in some sort of Asian inspired seasoning and really did shine. Funny that it was also the simplest looking item they offered. A testament to the idea that keeping things simple is sometimes the best course of action. Of course, as a whole, we were all thinking that this grilling event would include something more substantial and more "grillesque". Like ribs or something of the sort. After all, Harpoon beer was involved and really, what's more grill than beer and ribs? Oh, right, burgers. Except they were sliders and came from the interior grill.

In all, I think that I would never again blow 40$ on something like this again. The only truly saving grace was, as is usual for me, the company. My fiancee was adorable and, in my humble opinion, the one in the cutest attire. The conversation was great and I left feeling like I hadn't wasted my night. Even though I had average, at best, food and only just okay beer options. The staff was as nice as they could be and handled the event with good cheer and hospitality; even while fighting off the hoards of seagulls. We positioned ourselves at a table and simply took the event as an opportunity to chat. In the end, I think that was the best course of action.

Debauched

I have spent the last few weeks months being pretty hedonistic. Way too much fatty foods, alcohol and the only exercise I have been getting is the walking to and from the T with a truncated softball game this week (it ended up being rained out) tossed in. Because of this, I have been feeling not as good as I should. So, it's time for me to consider how to best address the situation.

I could do a massive detox and spend the next month living a cleaner lifestyle; but I know that it's not the best way to make a change. A detox is good for a quick cleanse, but what really needs to happen is something more substantial, something that will last longer than a few weeks. So, i'm thinking about ways to make little shifts in my habits that will encourage a healthier lifestyle and will be something that I can maintain.

Last night, I went to a friend's house and grilled out. I actually invited myself over to grill food at her place. We also had a vegetarian along for the ride, so there were plenty of veggies and only one rack of ribs. Grilling veggies is something that I rarely do, so I decided that I would take things that I already love and modify them for grilling. Eggplant, red bell peppers, asparagus, potatoes, beets, mushrooms, garlic, tomatoes and apples were the meatless options.

For the asparagus, a simple olive oil, salt and pepper were sufficient. After all, asparagus has such an amazing flavor that there really is no need to doctor them up with anything else. Besides, the grill added a nice charred component that was perfect. The red bell peppers, being naturally sweet, were also given the same minimalistic treatment, but wrapped in foil before being tossed on the grill. The tomatoes, garlic and mushrooms were skewered. I wanted to let the garlic infuse the tomato and mushroom. As well, I tossed them in a little olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. The eggplant was more challenging. That was specific to the vegetarian, so I wanted to make sure that whatever I did, it was more than a charred bit of fleshy vegetable. I did the obvious salt and pepper and noticed that the host had a bottle of sesame oil, so I drizzled a little of that on the eggplant for the grill. The beets and potatoes were treated a little differently; I used olive oil, salt, a lemon pepper blend and thyme. Those two items were grilled together. However, they ended up burning more than cooking, so I pulled them off the grill and finished them off in the oven. Still a little underdone, but tasty. The apples I sliced, cored (I didn't have a corer, so I used a measuring spoon and carved out the core of the slices individually) and after they were finished off (meaning not soft, just warmed through), I dusted them with cinnamon and drizzled with honey.

The veggies were done before the ribs, so as the ribs finished off, we ate the veggies. Before serving, I drizzled a little more sesame oil on the eggplant and pepper. The veggies were great! Very flavorful and the grilling added a wonderful depth of flavor that complimented the wine (Allegrini Valpolicella) nicely. We were full by the time the ribs were ready, but we gamely noshed on those and ended up with an entire half rack left over to share. They were slightly different than the last batch I made, indicating I should have measured the ingredients the last time, as that was damn near a perfect dry rub. I'll do it in the future, so when I get it right again, I will know how much of what I used and can carry it with me into coming bbqs.

The leftovers we split, giving all the eggplant to the vegetarian and splitting the last of the ribs between the ominvores. Meaning, I have some great grilled food in the fridge for lunch tomorrow.

Which brings me full circle to the original point: it isn't hard, really, to eat better and do so in ways that are easy and satisfying. Using fresh vegetables, almost all of which are in season (I think that we can get a pass on the potatoes and mushrooms, but I leave that to the discretion of the reader), one can increase the healthy options and cut down on the less-healthy ones. It doesn't have to be hard to create personal change in dining habits. It just takes some effort, shopping for food as opposed to eating at the mall food court, looking for fresh fruits and vegetables and drinking more water. Although, in my defense, I don't do sodas almost ever (I have a penchant for coke in little bottles) and pretty much drink only water or juice.

So, as I embark on the dietary changes, i'll keep posting about what I'm making and how it turns out. Can't wait to start making the small changes that make the big differences.

June Daring Bakers Challenge

This post is late merely because I was without the internet access when I had the time to do it. So, please accept my apologies and enjoy.

Sunday was the post day. I, being the constant procrastinator, thought that I would wait until then to make the bread. I suppose next time i'll actually read the entire recipe before taking on a task so late in the month. The four thirty minute turns weren't a big deal, as I started fairly early. The five hour chill and two hour proofing are what really made it an effort.

 However, wanting to hone my baking skills and really having such a limited background in things yeasty (pizza dough and dinner rolls pretty much being the extent of it), I gamely trudged to the grocer and picked up the ingredients, ponied up the cash and made my way back to the guest kitchen (with its electric stove/oven) that was to be the lab for this creation.

Assembling the ingredients was fairly straight-forward: zest an orange, juice said orange, yeast food, flour, scrape some sticky fragrant seeds from the unsuspecting belly of a vanilla bean. Making those items into a satisfying repast for someone's morning ritual was something else entirely.

I cook better than I bake for one reason: I like to play with flavors and baking pretty much assures that i'll be too worried about messing something up to make too many changes to the root recipe. This recipe was even more troublesome because of it's particularly difficult demands.

I managed to get all the items together and formed into a sticky (and I mean sticky, I added at least another cup of flour just rolling it out and forming it) mess the bread then stuck it in the fridge for the thirty minute wait until I had to roll it out, add the butter layer, fold it over and stuff it back in the fridge to cool for another thirty minutes. Three more times, I pulled that mess out of the cooler, rolled, folded and waited. Finally, I had the last fold completed and set the base in the fridge for at least 5 hours (or overnight) to set. At this point, it was after 11pm, so I set my alarm for 0530 to pull the base out and let it sit on the counter to proof for another two hours. Back to bed and alarm reset for 0730.

Once up for real, as I had to get to work, I pre-heated the oven and started rolling out the dough for the bread. The filling was basic apple; cooked down with butter, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and lemon juice. I chose to make my bread longer rather than wider, as I knew that I wouldn't really be eating much of it and it would be easier to share with co-workers and friends if it were easier to manage as a loaf. Dough rolled out, filling in and braided up, I tossed the bread in the oven to bake while I showered and got ready. When I was out of the shower, the warm smell of freshly baked goods filled the apartment. I looked into the oven and watched the bread brown. When it was finished, I couldn't wait to try a little of it fresh and hot. It was pretty tasty, I have to admit. Since I had so much bread, I decided to toss a little cheddar on the top of it to melt and add a nice little savory hint to the sweetness of the bread and filling. The cardamom and orange zest tied in well with the bread both sans cheese and with it.

I took it into work and the bread was demolished within minutes. Funny, really, given that there was also a birthday cake for another employee on the break-room table. A huge chocolate concoction with a chocolate cheesecake filling and simple white frosting. I guess that the hot and fresh nature of the bread was enough to entice those seeking sweets to navigate to that little bit of pastry wrapped in aluminum foil.

In all, i'm glad that there is this group to keep me in the kitchen stretching my culinary chops. But this recipe was so involved and time-consuming, I doubt that it would be something I would make in the future unless I had a really compelling reason. Simply said, I don't find that I usually have the kind of time that it takes to manage a recipe of this complexity.

However, I might be talked into making it for a dinner where i'm making everything from scratch anyway. Like a pasta dinner or something.