The Lunch Break Chronicles

ABOVE: Rachel Haughey serves up some latte art on a cappuccino at espresso NEAT in Darien.

2/14/2010

Happy Valentine’s day.

–CP

POST SCRIPT: I’m working a few hours a week at espresso NEAT just to keep busy and to maintain my caffeine buzz – but that’s a story for another day.

ABOVE: A bacon burger at Five Guys in Westport.

FIVE GUYS BURGERS AND FRIES: 534 POST ROAD EAST, WESTPORT, CT

2/11/2010

I had my first Five Guys burger in downtown Philadelphia a few years back. It was late, I needed a quick bite and something just drew me in. The restaurant was so spartan and dimly lit, I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting myself into, but then I tried the burger and I’ve been hooked ever since.

The menu is simple, yet there are dozens of combinations, every burger is cooked to order and all the ingredients are fresh. Essentially, Five Guys is the real deal in the world of fast food burgers (at least in a world without In-N-Out).

Subsequent trips to Virginia (where the chain is based) and D.C. have given me the chance to try the burgers a few more times.

Since then, the chain has expanded like crazy; they are in New York, New Haven, Orange and now finally Westport.

This is about as close as I’m comfortable with. Their portion sizes combined with my complete lack of self control mean that after a burger and regular order of fries, I’m pretty much done for the day. I better not be required to do much physical activity after this because it ain’t gonna happen.

Yeah, that sounds gross, but it’s oh so good.

–CP

CENTRAL SEAFOOD: 285 NORTH CENTRAL AVE., HARTSDALE, N.Y.

2/11/2010

I am a relative newcomer to the world of dim sum but the core concept sits well with me: You sit down, you eat way too much, you leave fat and happy.

“They just pull up the cart and you look in and point,” said state Rep. William Tong during a recent outing at Central Seafood in Hartsdale, N.Y.

Tong, 36, a Democrat who represents parts of Stamford and New Canaan in Connecticut’s House of Representatives, sits with his family at a large table in the bustling dining room as dishes land on the lazy Susan from all directions. Along with his wife Elizabeth and their two children, Eleanor and Penelope, Tong is joined by his parents and his sister Jill from upstate.

In anticipation of Chinese New Year, which begins Sunday, Tong offered to give me a decent primer on Chinese food for the Lunch Break Chronicles, which I eagerly took him up on.

An export of Southern China, dim sum is a Cantonese tradition involving a succession of small dishes served family style. The meal is always served with tea and usually from morning into early afternoon. It begins with lighter steamed dishes, spring rolls, dumplings and buns, before moving on to heavier fare and finishes with a selection of small desserts.

While Flushing and Manhattan’s Chinatown famously offer a wide array of dim sum options, Central Seafood and nearby Aberdeen Seafood & Dim Sum in White Plains are popular alternatives for locals. “I’m not sure it gets much better by driving into Chinatown” said Tong, conceding to the easier commute.

Many dim sum restaurants have dispensed with cart-based ordering, where roving waiters offer up selections from stainless-steel push carts, but Central Seafood sticks to this old-school tradition while also allowing for ordering from the menu. The Tong’s, however, dealt mostly with Jackson, the affable manager who worked the room like a politician.

To my unrefined palette, most of dishes in the early rounds were similar: shrimp or pork or pork and shrimp. All wrapped in a dumpling or rice noodle roll or steamed bun. All easy for me and my intermediate chopstick skills. All very good.

Then came the tripe.

“This is more advanced,” I was warned, but having already tackled chicken feet, I wasn’t going to let a little steamed stomach scare me off.

Tong’s father, Ady, is from Hong Kong and his mother, Nancy, is Taiwanese so dim sum has become something of a family tradition. And they have their personal favorite dishes. Ady prefers the fatty steamed pork riblets which I found just fatty and, you know, steamed.

Waiters jockeying carts circulated while others whisked in larger dishes. The rising steam from the plates caught the window light making them all the more irresistible. While not all conventionally categorized as dim sum, the large plates are nonetheless part of experience here. Clams in black bean sauce with ginger, beef chow fun, curry noodles with shrimp, pea shoots, fried squid, crispy duck legs. It was endless.

As far as I’m concerned, the fried salt and pepper shrimp clearly reigned supreme with the heads being the best part, crunchy and immensely flavorful.

After the customary egg custard tarts with dessert, I was presented with a warm bowl of douhua, a very soft tofu in a sugary syrup.

“If you don’t try this, my parents are going to freak out,” Tong prodded and Ady sensed I wasn’t sure how to pick up such a gooey, free-flowing piece of tofu with chopsticks. Not being entirely sure what to do with it, there was much fussing over my inability to serve myself. Much to my relief Ady handed me a porcelain spoon.

Wrapping up the meal, the appeal of dim sum was plainly obvious. It is a frenetic, non-stop feast with virtually unlimited options. It is the original family-style restaurant meal and for the Tongs, it marks the beginning of the Year of the Tiger.

“This will begin a month of too much eating,” Tong declared as we were putting on our jackets.

The flotsam of this grand meal littered the lazy Susan and in observing the wreckage before us I couldn’t help but feel downright kingly; as if I had dispatched a legion of squires to obtain the finest dishes from far-flung provinces for my epicurean enjoyment.

But all I did was drive to Westchester.

- CP

2/10/2010

GREENWICH – Plans for a Blue Smoke – an upscale barbecue joint out of New York – went, well, up in smoke.

Part of the Danny Meyer restaurant empire, Blue Smoke has locations on E. 27th and at at the Mets’ Citi Field, where they make a totally decent brisket.

But hopes of a Blue Smoke at the new hotel on the former site of the Riverside Howard Johnson have been dashed according to the Greenwich Time’s Neil Vigdor:

A spokeswoman for the upscale chophouse, which is run by the owners of New York City’s Union Square Cafe and has locations on Murray Hill and at Citi Field of theMets, confirmed Tuesday that the restaurateur has pulled out of the hotel project at the former Howard Johnson site.

READ THE REST OF THE STORY: HERE

–CP

ABOVE: The grilled octopus with olive oil and red wine vinegar, $15.

EOS GREEK CUISINE: 490 SUMMER STREET, STAMFORD

2/8/2010

The octopus is tender – way more tender than you’d expect – salty and acidic with just the right amount of char. Just downright good.

I fell in love with grilled octopus at Taverna Kyclades in Astoria and their version, which at $11, is the single best dish on the menu.

But EOS Greek Cuisine, the lone real Greek restaurant in Fairfield County – and a fine one at that – serves up a very good version served classically with red wine vinegar and olive oil with capers over a bed of frisee greens. It’s a little pricey at $15, but it saves me a drive to Queens.

As far as I’m concerned, it’s the go-to item on the mezze menu. If you are afraid of tentacles, get over it.

–CP

2/7/2010

Stamford’s Shelter For the Homeless is hosting a “Chocolate, Dessert & Wine Lover’s Evening” Thursday at the Hilton.

Notable participants include Chocopologie, Godiva, L’Escale, Michele’s Pies, Napa & Co., etc. The list goes on and on.

WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 11, 6-9 p.m

WHERE: The Hilton Stamford Hotel

HOW MUCH: $40 (call 203-406-0017 or click here)

MORE INFO: Here

–CP

ABOVE: Buttermilk pancakes.

2/5/2010

As far as holidays are concerned, the Brits do it right with their Pancake Day. Across the pond we have to settle for National Pancake Month, totally pointless and manufactured by marketing professionals. But I’ll take what I can get if it gives me an excuse to eat more pancakes.

So what are you doing for the holiday? Personally, I’m forgoing any IHOP-related promotion and heading straight for the cupboard.

For the record, my mom makes the best pancakes. Ever.

Her secret actually comes from a Sunset recipe and the only big difference here is that you separate the egg whites and fold them in at the end but it makes a huge difference. You end up with a pancake that is light and airy but not cakey. I hate cakey.

I don’t care how convenient those ridiculous bottles of pre-mixed batter look, this is embarrassingly easy. Plus, buttermilk lasts forever in the fridge, so not having that in stock isn’t really an excuse either (and you can always make it).

Unless you are feeding an army – literally – step away from the Bisquick.

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 1/2 cups a.p. flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, separated

2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup melted butter

WHAT YOU DO:

1. Mix the dry ingredients.

2. Mix the wet ingredients, minus the egg whites (save those for later)

3. Mix the wet into the dry

4. Whip the whites to a soft peak and fold them into the batter.

5. Throw some blueberries or whatever on them if that’s your deal.

That’s about it.

–CP

2/4/2010

Gilt Group, a website that offers deep discounts of very limited quantities of luxury goods is offering Knipschildt truffles today.

Grab a box of chocolates from the renowned Norwalk chocolatier in time for Valentine’s Day, the stuff is legitimately one of the best things Fairfield County – if not Connecticut – offers the world.

It’s that good.

Or, you could just drive up there, but with with prices from $18, this is a pretty good deal.

CHECK OUT: The sale here.

–CP