Speaking of the Dining Popitos, I have to mention that my soon-to-be second cousin-in-law (I think) Angie also has a food blog, Glutîre. Like Amanda, Angie focuses on vegan cooking, but don't let that turn you off. I doubt you'd kick her
Pistachio-Ginger-Crusted Sweet Potato with Green Curry Sauce out of bed!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Dragon King's Daughter
Neil has a lot of family members, and the other day I started working on a family tree for both our families so I could try to get a handle on some of his extended relations. If you take a look right here you can see the tree starting with Albert Andriot, Neil's great-grandfather, also known as Pop.
When Neil's great-aunt Betty passed away a few months ago, the funeral turned out to be a bit of a family reunion, and it was decided that everybody should start trying to get together for dinner once a month. In honor of Pop, the Andriot family patriarch, the group named itself the Dining Popitos (which people keep accidentally calling the Flying Popitos, which is awesome).
The Dining Popitos met this week at Dragon King's Daughter. This place is owned by the same folks as my beloved Maido, but it's very different, with a lot of fusiony stuff; there's sushi, but also sushi-inspired pizzas and tacos, as well as a variety of other Asian-flavored small plates. (Although I haven't had it, I love the fact that there's a tako taco.)
Neil and I had been to Dragon King's Daughter twice before, and the last time the service was pretty bad. Not so bad that I refused to return, as I did with Third Avenue Cafe for almost two years, but bad enough to put me off of the place a little bit. Still, I was excited when it was announced that this was the Dining Popitos' selection for April, and I looked forward to trying it again.
I want to love Dragon King's Daughter the way I love Maido, but the fact is, it's just pretty good. The food is tasty, but it doesn't totally blow my mind, and the service is friendly but remains inattentive.
We started with some edamame, which is more or less the same wherever you get it, and that was fine. Next we had tuna tataki (which we didn't photograph until we'd already dug into it):
Slightly seared ahi tuna slices on a bed of fresh organic spring mix, served with Hawaiian pink salt, avocado-wasabi and fried garlic chips.
Neil didn't care for the fried garlic chips, assessing them as "just little bits of burned garlic," but I did. I actually thought this whole thing was pretty divine; the tuna was fresh and perfectly seared, and the avocado-wasabi mixture was a nice complement, although it could have used some more wasabi. I was a little sad we had to share this with the rest of the table.
Next up was a sushi roll, Sushi and the Banshees. Neil didn't email me a photo of this, so I'll have to check with him later and see if he has one. Cream cheese, garlic, avocado inside... salmon and basil outside. This was just okay. I thought the basil was an interesting flavor to encounter in a sushi roll, but there was a little too much cream cheese and it overwhelmed the roll's other components.
Then we had the unagi pizza:
Unagi, avocado, scrambled eggs and cheese—topped with unagi sauce.
In the last, oh, six months or so, I have realized that I am totally batshit in love with unagi. I remember trying it and not liking it at some point, and I didn't eat it for years. But then I tried it again and it totally rocked my world. I admit that I was a little unsure about the scrambled eggs and cheese on this pizza, but the idea of an unagi pizza was too compelling for me not to try it. So we did. Neil really liked it, but for me the flavors just didn't work together very well. The baked avocado was especially off-putting; I would have preferred for that to be added after the fact.
We ended the meal with a tempura fried Snickers bar with red bean ice cream. Yes, really.
What can you even say about a tempura fried Snickers bar? It's a fun novelty of a dessert, not orgasmically delicious, but worth trying at least once.
We also had tastes of a few things that other people were eating, and I especially liked the wasabi salsa: Fresh wasabi, diced tomato , avocado, mango, jalapeños, red onions, garlic, cilantro and lime juice mixed together and served with fried wonton chips. The wonton chips were outstanding, although for something with wasabi in the name, the salsa didn't have much of a kick to it.
Our server was friendly (and didn't make condescending comments about our beer choices the way our server did the last time we were there), but he disappeared for long stretches of time, and we had to wait quite a while before he came back to take our dessert orders.
Overall, I like Dragon King's Daughter, and I think to a big extent it just requires some tolerance for trial and error; I won't order the unagi pizza again, but I know from previous visits that I like the sashimi pizza. The tuna tataki was a big hit, and I could totally make meal out of that and some salsa and wontons. I'm also looking forward to trying their happy hour; that sounds like just the thing for the band of food- and booze-loving freelancers I hang out with. (The best thing about freelancing is - by far - drinking beer with my self-employed friends while the rest of you poor suckers are at work. Too bad I'm about to give all that up this fall so I can go back to school and become a social worker!)
Anyway, Dragon King's Daughter, final verdict: Try it. You might like it!
When Neil's great-aunt Betty passed away a few months ago, the funeral turned out to be a bit of a family reunion, and it was decided that everybody should start trying to get together for dinner once a month. In honor of Pop, the Andriot family patriarch, the group named itself the Dining Popitos (which people keep accidentally calling the Flying Popitos, which is awesome).
The Dining Popitos met this week at Dragon King's Daughter. This place is owned by the same folks as my beloved Maido, but it's very different, with a lot of fusiony stuff; there's sushi, but also sushi-inspired pizzas and tacos, as well as a variety of other Asian-flavored small plates. (Although I haven't had it, I love the fact that there's a tako taco.)
Neil and I had been to Dragon King's Daughter twice before, and the last time the service was pretty bad. Not so bad that I refused to return, as I did with Third Avenue Cafe for almost two years, but bad enough to put me off of the place a little bit. Still, I was excited when it was announced that this was the Dining Popitos' selection for April, and I looked forward to trying it again.
I want to love Dragon King's Daughter the way I love Maido, but the fact is, it's just pretty good. The food is tasty, but it doesn't totally blow my mind, and the service is friendly but remains inattentive.
We started with some edamame, which is more or less the same wherever you get it, and that was fine. Next we had tuna tataki (which we didn't photograph until we'd already dug into it):
Slightly seared ahi tuna slices on a bed of fresh organic spring mix, served with Hawaiian pink salt, avocado-wasabi and fried garlic chips.
Neil didn't care for the fried garlic chips, assessing them as "just little bits of burned garlic," but I did. I actually thought this whole thing was pretty divine; the tuna was fresh and perfectly seared, and the avocado-wasabi mixture was a nice complement, although it could have used some more wasabi. I was a little sad we had to share this with the rest of the table.
Next up was a sushi roll, Sushi and the Banshees. Neil didn't email me a photo of this, so I'll have to check with him later and see if he has one. Cream cheese, garlic, avocado inside... salmon and basil outside. This was just okay. I thought the basil was an interesting flavor to encounter in a sushi roll, but there was a little too much cream cheese and it overwhelmed the roll's other components.
Then we had the unagi pizza:
Unagi, avocado, scrambled eggs and cheese—topped with unagi sauce.
In the last, oh, six months or so, I have realized that I am totally batshit in love with unagi. I remember trying it and not liking it at some point, and I didn't eat it for years. But then I tried it again and it totally rocked my world. I admit that I was a little unsure about the scrambled eggs and cheese on this pizza, but the idea of an unagi pizza was too compelling for me not to try it. So we did. Neil really liked it, but for me the flavors just didn't work together very well. The baked avocado was especially off-putting; I would have preferred for that to be added after the fact.
We ended the meal with a tempura fried Snickers bar with red bean ice cream. Yes, really.
What can you even say about a tempura fried Snickers bar? It's a fun novelty of a dessert, not orgasmically delicious, but worth trying at least once.
We also had tastes of a few things that other people were eating, and I especially liked the wasabi salsa: Fresh wasabi, diced tomato , avocado, mango, jalapeños, red onions, garlic, cilantro and lime juice mixed together and served with fried wonton chips. The wonton chips were outstanding, although for something with wasabi in the name, the salsa didn't have much of a kick to it.
Our server was friendly (and didn't make condescending comments about our beer choices the way our server did the last time we were there), but he disappeared for long stretches of time, and we had to wait quite a while before he came back to take our dessert orders.
Overall, I like Dragon King's Daughter, and I think to a big extent it just requires some tolerance for trial and error; I won't order the unagi pizza again, but I know from previous visits that I like the sashimi pizza. The tuna tataki was a big hit, and I could totally make meal out of that and some salsa and wontons. I'm also looking forward to trying their happy hour; that sounds like just the thing for the band of food- and booze-loving freelancers I hang out with. (The best thing about freelancing is - by far - drinking beer with my self-employed friends while the rest of you poor suckers are at work. Too bad I'm about to give all that up this fall so I can go back to school and become a social worker!)
Anyway, Dragon King's Daughter, final verdict: Try it. You might like it!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Blog Recommendation
My friend Amanda started a blog called Happy Introvert a while back. While I was very excited when she announced this because she is an awesome person and a great writer, I forgot to add it to my Google Reader and then I forgot about it entirely. Oops! Fortunately, she just tweeted about her latest entry, and I re-remembered the blog (and immediately subscribed to the RSS). And man! Amanda has been busy! Although Happy Introvert isn't strictly a food blog, she does a lot of posts (with lots of photos!) about vegan cooking. And even though I'm not vegan, I'm all about reducing my intake of animal products, so I'm totally interested in these yummy-sounding recipes. You should check her out!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
I had been hearing really great buzz about the Comfy Cow for a few months, so a couple weeks ago I finally ventured out to Westport Village with my friend Eric to sample their handmade ice cream. I had a scoop of white chocolate coconut almond in a cone, and it was amazing. I came home and told Neil about it and asked him if he would accompany back to the Comfy Cow in near future for A Monkey's Delight, the Comfy Cow rendition of a banana split.
I am a banana split fiend. I have been ever since I was a kid and my grandpa would take me to the Ice Cream Factory (RIP) after movies at the Village 8. I'm pretty sure the Ice Cream Factory's banana split was called the Roller Coaster, and it was exactly as a traditional banana split should be; served in an oblong glass dish, scoops of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry nestled between two banana halves, each scoop covered in the appropriate topping. And for purists, there are definitely appropriate toppings: chocolate sauce on the chocolate scoop, strawberries on the strawberry scoop, and pineapple on the vanilla scoop. Three liberal dollops of whipped cream follow each topping, along with a sprinkling of nuts, and each mound of deliciousness is crowned with a cherry. That is the consummate banana split.
A Monkey's Delight bends the rules a little bit.
And it doesn't come in the traditional banana split dish, simply because it won't fit:
I will admit that while the marshmallow topping was good, I still prefer pineapple. But that is a small quibble. This was a damned good banana split. I really appreciate the fact that they make all their toppings there; there was none of that weird fakey chemical taste you get with cut-rate banana splits from the likes of Dairy Queen. (And seriously, how can a place called Dairy Queen not even have ice cream? Or at least more than one flavor of soft serve? Ridiculous.) Now it is true that all this homemade deliciousness is going to cost you; with tax A Monkey's Delight came to $11 and change. But you get what you pay for, and A Monkey's Delight is definitely worth the splurge. I imagine most other things at the Comfy Cow are, too.
The only thing that marred our visit - and this is really not a criticism of the Comfy Cow, more just a feminist rant that marginally even belongs in this blog - was one obnoxious young male employee, who was loudly lecturing his young female coworkers about rape. "Seventy-five percent of women in the US have been raped," he said. Uh, no. "I encourage all women to take self-defense classes."
"I encourage all men to stop raping women," I replied to Neil. Seriously, kid! Go take a women's studies class and shut up so I can enjoy my ice cream!
I am a banana split fiend. I have been ever since I was a kid and my grandpa would take me to the Ice Cream Factory (RIP) after movies at the Village 8. I'm pretty sure the Ice Cream Factory's banana split was called the Roller Coaster, and it was exactly as a traditional banana split should be; served in an oblong glass dish, scoops of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry nestled between two banana halves, each scoop covered in the appropriate topping. And for purists, there are definitely appropriate toppings: chocolate sauce on the chocolate scoop, strawberries on the strawberry scoop, and pineapple on the vanilla scoop. Three liberal dollops of whipped cream follow each topping, along with a sprinkling of nuts, and each mound of deliciousness is crowned with a cherry. That is the consummate banana split.
A Monkey's Delight bends the rules a little bit.
Our Signature “Strawberry” Fields Forever, Chocolate and Vanilla ice creams loaded with homemade strawberry, marshmallow and chocolate toppings, then covered with thick, rich whipped cream, chopped peanuts and maraschino cherries... All this nestled within a large, ripe banana.
And it doesn't come in the traditional banana split dish, simply because it won't fit:
I will admit that while the marshmallow topping was good, I still prefer pineapple. But that is a small quibble. This was a damned good banana split. I really appreciate the fact that they make all their toppings there; there was none of that weird fakey chemical taste you get with cut-rate banana splits from the likes of Dairy Queen. (And seriously, how can a place called Dairy Queen not even have ice cream? Or at least more than one flavor of soft serve? Ridiculous.) Now it is true that all this homemade deliciousness is going to cost you; with tax A Monkey's Delight came to $11 and change. But you get what you pay for, and A Monkey's Delight is definitely worth the splurge. I imagine most other things at the Comfy Cow are, too.
The only thing that marred our visit - and this is really not a criticism of the Comfy Cow, more just a feminist rant that marginally even belongs in this blog - was one obnoxious young male employee, who was loudly lecturing his young female coworkers about rape. "Seventy-five percent of women in the US have been raped," he said. Uh, no. "I encourage all women to take self-defense classes."
"I encourage all men to stop raping women," I replied to Neil. Seriously, kid! Go take a women's studies class and shut up so I can enjoy my ice cream!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Delicious Summer Sandwiches
We're having quite a heatwave here in Louisville, and I feel like I've been kind of fast-forwarded into summer (which is fine with me!). The weather put me in the mood for these delicious grilled veggie sandwiches. We didn't feel like messing with the real grill, so we just slapped the veggies on the George Foreman. It's nothing fancy, but the lemon garlic mayonnaise with the feta is a great combination. I'm looking forward to making these throughout the summer, especially with veggies from the farmers market and/or my own garden!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Edible Louisville
This morning I noticed a strange and interesting new magazine on the coffee table. Edible Louisville, read the title, Celebrating the Pleasure of Local Food and Beverage. I gave it a cursory flip-through, as I was getting ready to leave, and I liked what I saw.
"Hey," I said to Neil as we were having lunch at Lunch Today, "where did that Edible Louisville magazine come from?"
"Oh yeah! I got that at Heine Brothers. The cover says it's $5.95, but it was free."
It turns out that this is the latest publication from Edible Communities, which publishes similar magazines in cities across the country. And this isn't any bush league magazine, either; the design and photography look great, and it's edited by long-time Courier-Journal food editor Sarah Fritschner. This first issue contains a feature on Capriole goat cheese, gardening commentary from Jeneen Wiche, and a reprinted Wendell Berry essay. Good stuff! I'm assuming that Neil got this for free because it was the first issue, and that going forward the $5.95 cover price will be in effect, but I think I might be willing to cough up $32 for a six-issue subscription.
Tangentially related: The magazine has a little blurb about Butcher's Finest beef, which is available at ValuMarket. I had noticed that ValuMarket was carrying fresh (as opposed to frozen) local beef and had been looking forward to trying it, but this blurb, which had a definite promotional tone, turned me off. "All beef... is born and raised for its first few months on grass at participating farms throughout the state. The cattle are then shipped to the Midwest for fattening and finishing. After processing, the beef is shipped back to Kentucky." Is it just me, or does it seem totally ridiculous for anyone to call this local? My whole reason for eating local meat is to avoid the use of fossil fuels for transporting the animals/meat and to avoid the inhumane conditions and environmental problems associated with feedlots. As far as I can tell, the only way that Butcher's Finest differs from regular factory farming is that the cattle are born in Kentucky and then returned to Kentucky to be eaten. So what? I call bullshit on this whole thing.
"Hey," I said to Neil as we were having lunch at Lunch Today, "where did that Edible Louisville magazine come from?"
"Oh yeah! I got that at Heine Brothers. The cover says it's $5.95, but it was free."
It turns out that this is the latest publication from Edible Communities, which publishes similar magazines in cities across the country. And this isn't any bush league magazine, either; the design and photography look great, and it's edited by long-time Courier-Journal food editor Sarah Fritschner. This first issue contains a feature on Capriole goat cheese, gardening commentary from Jeneen Wiche, and a reprinted Wendell Berry essay. Good stuff! I'm assuming that Neil got this for free because it was the first issue, and that going forward the $5.95 cover price will be in effect, but I think I might be willing to cough up $32 for a six-issue subscription.
Tangentially related: The magazine has a little blurb about Butcher's Finest beef, which is available at ValuMarket. I had noticed that ValuMarket was carrying fresh (as opposed to frozen) local beef and had been looking forward to trying it, but this blurb, which had a definite promotional tone, turned me off. "All beef... is born and raised for its first few months on grass at participating farms throughout the state. The cattle are then shipped to the Midwest for fattening and finishing. After processing, the beef is shipped back to Kentucky." Is it just me, or does it seem totally ridiculous for anyone to call this local? My whole reason for eating local meat is to avoid the use of fossil fuels for transporting the animals/meat and to avoid the inhumane conditions and environmental problems associated with feedlots. As far as I can tell, the only way that Butcher's Finest differs from regular factory farming is that the cattle are born in Kentucky and then returned to Kentucky to be eaten. So what? I call bullshit on this whole thing.
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