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Chargrilled burger with Roquefort cheese and shoestring fries (and a pint of cask-conditioned bitter).

11/24/2008

THE SPOTTED PIG: 314 W  11TH ST., NEW YORK CITY

It is with trepidation that I write this post as I realize the LBC is continuing to veer somewhat from the original purpose of this blog.

However, while showing relatives from San Diego a little of New York on Saturday, we stopped in at the Spotted Pig, a “gastropub” in the West Village and with a camera in-hand, I decided I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

For some time now I have been reading about their legendary Roquefort burger. Having finally had the chance to experience it firsthand, I will report: it is worth the hype.

After reading Frank Bruni’s highly entertaining New York Times slam..err..review, I was expecting the worst in terms of wait time and table service. He gives it one star, which I think is a little unfair and there is quite a bit of Internet controversy over this review which is now two-years old. Principal owner Ken Friedman retorts that one is also the number of Michelin stars his restaurant possesses.

In any case, the reasonable 30-minute wait for brunch was made much easier by the fact the upstairs bar serves two different cask ales. During my visit they were pulling the Spotted Pig Bitter and a brown ale. Both were excellent, served only slightly chilled and in English-style pint mugs. It has been a very long time since I’ve had a real cask-conditioned ale at a pub and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I really didn’t have to spend much time with the menu as I knew exactly what I was looking for.

And when the burger arrived, in a bun glossy with brushed butter, topped high with Roquefort cheese, and sitting next to a ridiculous pile of super-thin shoestring fries, I knew dragging somewhat reluctant, thin-blooded Californians down here in 26-degree weather was worth it.

The burger is, as you would expect: awesome. At medium-rare, it is requisitely juicy and flavorful, topped with the salty cheese and the fantastic bun.

But the fries…oh, the fries…I am not sure they could be any thinner. This is a dramatic departure from your standard French fry’s ratio of surface area to interior potato thus allowing for a great deal more oil penetration. I think this is what we are going for here, ultra-crisp seasoned fries. Exceptional.

It should also be noted they are tossed with a great deal of whole rosemary leaves and thin, fried slices of garlic gloves which add a brilliant kick of flavor.

Now fully satisfied with my meal and still running off of a little caffeine-high from a couple espresso drinks at Cafe Grumpy, I was fully prepared to endure the cold…and the trip to some fabric store that apparently has something to do with Project Runway…

–CP

P.S. I promise to get something up here other than cheeseburgers very soon, but as you can tell, they are my weakness.

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11/22/2008/

UDAPTE: Norma Grubb’s coconut creme pie from Sommerset Hall Cafe in Dover, Kan. was voted in at number one in the GMA pie challenge Sunday.

As previously reported on the LBC, Michele’s Pies, of Norwalk, is competing in Good Morning America’s “Best Slice” contest.

Check out the contest page, while there is still time to vote and to view Michele Albano’s recipe for the award-winning chocolate chip bourbon pecan pie.

The winner will be announced tomorrow, Sunday, Nov. 23, live on the show.

–CP

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11/19/2008

I recently decided I have no time to keep up with my magazine subscriptions.

My nightly media consumption habits have devolved into endlessly watching reruns of The Simpsons and really pathetic stabs at reading the two books on my nightstand: Dexter Filkin’s The Forever War, and Jeffrey Steingarten’s The Man Who Ate Everything.

So, in a fit of laziness, I declared a colleague to be my personal magazine reader.

Since she plows through the weekly onslaught of glossy print journalism with much more diligence than I, the plan is, she will then inform me of what is worthy of my attention, thereby leaving more time for me to watch The Simpsons and furthermore I will feel less guilty about letting my subscriptions go to waste. Theoretically.

WEEK ONE: THE NEW YORKER FOOD ISSUE

There are two truly worthy pieces here:

The first, an interesting article on “extreme beer,” really a profile of Sam Calagione and Dogfish Head Beer, a brewery with which I have a love/hate relationship.

Also, Calvin Trillin’s article, By Meat Alone, on Snow’s BBQ – a relatively unknown establishment – which sort of took the barbecue world by storm earlier this year when it was anointed as the best barbecue joint in the state by Texas Monthly magazine. (Those with deficient attention spans may opt for the NPR radio story: here)

NOTE: After an exhaustive Internet search (and Facebook plea for anyone in possession of The Complete New Yorker on DVD), I finally broke down and ordered one of Trillin’s books just to read his 34-year-old piece on Arthur Bryant’s, the finest bbq restaurant on the planet. I anxiously await its arrival.

–CP

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Chris Preovolos/The Advocate

If you saw some knucklehead taking a photo of a Whopper with cheese while using his knee to steer a Subaru through a lane merge on Route 9 today, it was probably me. I apologize for endangering your life.

11/16/2008

UPDATED. 11/17/2008

Just who am I trying to kid anyway? A dreadful mass-market cheeseburger, eaten in a moving vehicle between assignments…this is a page from The Real Lunch Break Chronicles.

Welcome to the life of a newspaper photographer.

Today, after shooting a state field hockey championship which resulted in a downright un-American tie, I was running late to another game in Norwalk. Had I more time, I could have stopped at any number of more inspired dispensaries of road food in this part of the state:

SHADY GLEN DAIRY STORE: 840 MIDDLE TURNPIKE EAST, MANCHESTER

Purveyor of one of Esquire Magazine’s 60 Things Worth Shortening Your Life For: a unique cheeseburger that you really have to experience to understand. It involves overlaying four pieces of American cheese in such a way that much of the cheese comes in direct contact with the grill, thus becoming crunchy and generally reminiscent of Cheez-It crackers.

Unsurprising for a place called a ‘dairy store,’ they have really good, thick milkshakes.

SOUTHERNQUE BBQ: 70 POMEROY AVE., MERIDEN

Carolina-style que served from a trailer in a guy’s driveway. Really. It’s kind of awesome.

(OK, it’s only open Thursday-Saturday, so I really couldn’t have gone even if I had the time)

TED’S RESTAURANT: 1044 BROAD ST., MERIDEN

Steamed. Cheeseburgers.

Yeah – I know – I was terrified by the thought of the grey, steamed beef before I tasted one too.

But then I did. And I will be forever indebted to Greenwich Time editor Jim Zebora for introducing me to this place called Ted’s.

(Also closed on Sundays)

O’ROURKE’S DINER: 728 MAIN ST., MIDDLETOWN

I haven’t been here, but it had been on my list of places to go for a while until it burned down.

However, it reopened earlier this year and the Courant recently ran a story you should read here.

I discovered a copy on my desk and later discovered this was an essentially an endorsement from Paul Swan, of the Advocate’s copy desk (who continues to read my blog despite my problems with basic grammar and flagrant violations of AP style).

UPDATE: I mean to check out a couple of places in Hartford for phở. Since I’m only there up there a few times a year, it has not been a task I’ve managed to accomplish. Staff writer Magdalene Perez, who got me fired up about phở after not having it for a few years reports:

“In Hartford, Park Street is THE place to head for cheap, international food options. Just about two blocks off I-84 West, there’s Puerto Rican chicken and rice for under $10 at Aqui Me Quedo, Brazilian Churrascaria at $7 per pound at Brazil Grill, pad thai and Lao dishes at The King and I Thai, and one of the only shops that sells Vietnamese Sandwiches, Hiep Phat Market, for $2.50 a roll.

There’s also more than one place to get pho – a steaming hot Vietnamese soup with thin-sliced beef and noodles, garnished with lime, bean sprouts and fresh thai basil. On Park Street, try Pho 206, $8 a bowl. Don’t forget to get it spicy!

And if you’re more adventurous, venture South of Park Street to Pho Boston, on Shield Street. Here you can enjoy the best Pho ($8.70) in town along with appetizers like a sweet, tangy quail $9.”

While walking back to my apartment from Katie’s Gourmet last week I noticed Plateau, also on Bank St., has phở on their menu, but I haven’t tried it yet. Any other places out there?

This is obviously far from a comprehensive list, but rather a reflection of my limited road food experiences in this part of the state. I welcome any and all recommendations.

–CP

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Chris Preovolos/The Advocate

11/17/08

According to management, the new Houlihan’s restaurant on Broad St. (next to Target) will open Thursday.

The Kansas City chain’s nearest franchise is in Danbury but several staffers in the newsroom seem to be familiar with the Boston location. Personally, I’ll have to plead a Sergeant Schultz here: I know nothing.

A coming soon sign has been up for months, but I’ve only seen action inside very recently…

–CP