A Whirlwind of Food
It's been a crazy few days of food and wine! I've been out and about and run into lots of folks. If you're new and just checking in here, welcome! And if you're an old friend, welcome back. Here are a few tidbits from my eatings:
Supper Club Deliciouso! Friday night, we celebrated summer (and a birthday) with 16 of us foodies and wine geeks who have a supper club together. It was crazy, flavorful fun! Every dish was *intense* from the rich peanut sauce of the super-fresh Vietnamese spring rolls to the pine nuts and raisin relish on the perfectly cooked salmon, to the ginger-toasted coconut-orange coated scallops to the crazy flavorful watermelon/feta salad, fresh blueberries and lemon pound cake. All so rich and good with all the best summer produce has to offer. The wines? Incredible. (My favorites? The rose Malbec "tinto" and the Twisted Oak Viognier) Thanks to our host and hostess and everyone who brought food and wine!
Race Party Central: If you couldn't find a party to hit on race weekend, you weren't paying attention. My favorite parts of the party circuit? The pineapple infused vodka punch, the wasabi chex mix, the ubiquitous artichoke dip, and, hey, who brought those mini-chocolate cupcakes? I couldn't stop eating them!
Catering from Epicurians: A big shout-out to Chef Brad Miller who was sauteing sweetbreads like a champ at a wine event on Sunday night. Miller, the catering group Epicurians, and the wine experts from Confreie des Chevaliers du Tastevin did a terrific job on the pairings with the six 2002 white Burgundies. The stars? The pea soup with white truffle oil (paired perfectly with the Macon-Village Les Vallon de Lamartine 2002) and the strawberry shooter with black truffle (interesting with a Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseigneres 2002). I also loved the Dauphinoise potatoes, the venison with cherries and chocolate, and the quince paste on the cheese plate.
Coho Salmon at The Oceanaire: Last night, Executive Chef Ryan Nelson of The Oceanaire Seafood Room rolled out a salmon feast with four courses featuring west coast Coho salmon just coming into season. My favorite? The delicate and so fresh starter of house smoked salmon with diced watermelon, cherry tomatoes and and ice wine vinaigrette. So perfect for high summer (and paired with a rose sparkler, natch.) The rest included a grilled coho fillet with his signature cherries, almonds and thyme, and a slow baked fillet with red verjus grapes, spaetzle, duck sausage and spinach. (The duck sausage gave the dish a hearty quality which worked with the spaetzle and made the grapes shine.) I'm pretty sure Ryan said that watermelon salad was on their regular menu so I'm assigning myself to check that out this week. What I won't do in the name of research. (Plus, any excuse for oysters is an excuse for me to go to Oceanaire.) Hat tip to GM Roddy for the spot on wine pairings. My favorites of the night? The Craggy Ridge NZ Sauv Blanc and the Benton Hill pinot.
What Foodies Don't Tell You: At two different dinners this week, foodies shared their dirtiest secret: We love McDonald's! From the fries to the McNuggets, just know that some of your high end eaters secretly crave a double cheeseburger, biggie fries, and large Coke. After discussing the finer points of the dollar menu, two well-known foodies last night made an interesting point (after confessing they eat lunch together at McDonald's almost every day.) On healthy days, they have the chicken sandwich and the fruit salad. For two of them, it's around $18 and 1000 calories. If, however, they were willing to settle for the double cheeseburger meal, large fries and 2000+ cals each? Around $9. An interesting commentary on how hard it is to eat healthy fast food. Me? I go for the fries!
3 comments:
THAT IS THE DRYEST SALMON I HAVE EVER HAD. THE SERVER ASKED IF MEDIUM RARE WAS O.K. AND IT CAME OUT LIKE IT HAD BEEN ON SINCE LUNCH. IF THEY ARE SELLING FISH AT MEAT PRICES THAT IS FINE, IF IT HAS THE FLAVOR OF FISH AS OPPOSED TO WHAT I HAD. D+ ON COHO. I DO AGREE, THE OYSTER HAPPY HOUR IS AWESOME.
Ocean Air is the most overrated seafood in town, I think they get fresh stuff but in my experience the way it is prepared has always been mediocre.
Also, it makes me mad that nobody seems to mind that this is not only a chain but is more like a Walmart.
It is not good for the local economy or the local food cause.
I read in the recent Indianapolis monthly that Ryan Nelson was one of the most important people in the food scene of Indy. The rest where independent restaurants. The article listed the enemy of independent restaurants as being Cheesecake Factory. Why isn't Oceanaire a threat? Is their PR firm that good?
Seems stupid to me.
Oceanaire does indeed bring in fresh seafood every day. So do many of our best fine dining restaurants, but there should be no question there.
Why is Oceanaire not treated more like a chain? Because they don't act like one. Many of our fine dining restaurants (like Mo's, A Place for Steaks) are outposts of a single branded restaurant, quasi-chains if you will, but the chef at Oceanaire is also a partner. He has a financial stake in the success of business and is incredibly involved in the food scene in Indinapolis -- more like an independent chef. Unlike many, if any chains I know, Oceanaire is supportive of local causes, charities, etc. right at the local level. They give and support the community much like an independent and without hiding behind the corporate shield.
If any restaurant -- even a chain -- acts like an independent, they're going to get a bit of a pass from me.
Like any restaurant, they have some hit or miss dishes. I tend to avoid plain baked or broiled fish, any thing that's fried, and stick to what's different and fresh. I love the oysters, the watermelon/tomato salad, anything super fresh and most of their specials.
Ryan takes the time to be a chef in Indianapolis, not just a guy who cooks for a chain. He's a force in food here -- and that's why he was included, I suspect, with so many other chefs who are equally is important -- but who happen to own and run independent restaurants.
Are they overrated? Probably a little but at least they deliver. We all have places we think aren't worth it -- it's why you never see me at St. Elmos.
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