Anywhere, World


I’ve traveled to many different countries… been to many different cities.. eaten at some of the best restaurants, and some of the worst… worked in great kitchens, and tried many types of food.. I’ve cooked several great meals, and some bad ones too.. I guess the ultimate goal of a chef is not to win medals or awards, Maybe it’s cooking the perfect meal (in the chef’s own opinion) and having someone else proclaim it as “their best meal ever”?

Where have you been? what have you eaten? care to share? =)

My Best Meal? (s)
It’s really hard to pick just one thing.. so I guess I’ll break it down..

Most Memorable: Per Se’s  9 course Tasting - NYC
Best BBQ: Rudy’s Extra Moist Briskt – Austin, TX
Best Sushi: Kanno’s – Metairie, LA
Best Dessert:: Angelo Brocato’s – New Orleans, LA
Best Steak: Mom’s



What’s your Best Meal Ever?
I would love to know what you guys eat! Maybe I’ll even do a review some day? =)

New Orleans, LA


Upperline is rated “#1 for Food in New Orleans” by the Zagat survey. It’s located across the parking lot from Le Crepe Nanou right off St. Charles. Inside Upperline you’ll find interesting artwork on the walls, white cloth covered tables, and a very romantic/comfortable setting. The service is very nice and prompt… Upperline was the perfect place to celebrate 2 years of being with my wonderful girlfriend.. =)


Crisp Sweetbreads


For the appetizer we had the Crispy Sweetbreads over Polenta with Mushroom Ragoût.. After trying Craft’s sweetbreads and having it open my mind again, I thought I’d show Upperline some love and try their crispy fried version. It was not as good as Craft’s but it was still very good. The crunchy texture and moist meat with he delicious Mushroom Ragout put an interesting twist on it.. I was pleasantly surprised!



Baby Drum Meuniere with Jumbo Lump Crabmeat




Braised Lamb Shank in Burgundy with Saffron Risotto


For the Entrees we had the Baby Drum Meuniere with Jumbo Lump Crabmeat and Braised Lamb Shank in Burgundy with Saffron Risotto… The servings were huge, so come hungry! The Drum Meuniere with the Jump Crabmeat was a formidable duo.. the sauce was tangy, sweet, buttery.. ideal for the fish, classic New Orleans! The other course was the Lamb Shank in red wine… It’s really hard to mess up Lamb Shanks. You just have to keep it simple and they did it perfectly! It was tender and seasoned beautifully… and with the Saffron Risotto, it gave it a nice Spanish flare!

Overall Rating:    1/2 (out of 7 )

www.upperline.com

Future Entries:
I’ve been traveling.. =) TBA

New Chef Eats’ Directory:
-Entries and Entrees-

Updated regularly, So eat up! =)

New York, NY

Craft is Top Chef Judge Tom Colicchio’s restaurant. It is located in New York City and it’s style is very different from other notable fancy restaurants.. it’s niche is “family style”. Don’t you love going to a place and being able to taste a little bit of everything? The same way you do it at home when eating with the family? “Pass the mashed potatoes, pass the gravy!” In my case, pass the noodles, Canh Chua and braised fish (Ca Kho To).. Whatever it is.. it’s a nice comfortable feeling, isn’t it? Craft gives you just that!

Gazpacho w Razor Clams

Chanterelle & Louisiana Crab Ragoût

Escargot & Chicken Egg 

Sweetbreads

The Amuse Bouche was a shot of Gazpacho with Razor Clams. It’s a very finely tuned Gazpacho with a punch of razor clam flavor. A very good starter… We ordered 3 apps.. Chantrelles and Louisiana Crab Ragoût, Escargot, and Sweetbreads.. The Chanterelle & Louisiana Crab Ragoût was very intense, it may have been bit oversalted but still good.

The second app was the Escargot & Chicken Egg. It’s escargot sitting in a green sauce with a fried egg on top. It looks like something right out of Dr. Seuss, but very hearty and luxurious, I liked it very much. And the third 1st course offering were the Sweetbreads.. I haven’t had sweetbreads in a while. Mainly because a lot of places fail to capitalize on the delicate moistness of the thymus glands, which usually make me cringe and hesitant to order them. So I figured Colicchio and his gang would get it right.. and they did! It was a very succulent and enjoyable piece of meat. =)

SIDES ITEMS


Mushrooms

Potatoes Au Gratin

I guess we were more focused on the first and main courses that we semi-neglected the side items. Nevermind that.. we ordered the Bluefoot Mushrooms, which were seasoned and cooked nicely and we also order the Potatoes au Gratin. The gratin was simple and delicious. The cream, the cheese, the potatoes were all very rich and it brought me back to my childhood, my first taste of potatoes au gratin.. but way better!! Potatoes au Gratin IS and will always be one of my favorite comfort dishes!

ENTREES

Halibut

Braised Monkfish

Seabass

The first 3 of the entrees were.. Roasted Halibut, Braised Monkfish, and Braised Wild Striped Bass.. Halibut is not one of my favorite fishes but they managed to cook it and season it right. The Braised Monkfish is similar to lobster in texture, if you didn’t pay attention you wouldn’t know the difference. Craft’s Monkfish is done just flawlessly and served with Clams, which doesn’t hurt it at all.. The Braised Wild Striped Bass was cooked with the fundamentals in mind, you can’t go wrong if you have the freshest ingredients and prepare it in a humble manner. I like the way these chefs cook!

Sauteed Softshell Crab

Scallops

28-Day Dry-aged Sirloin

And the last 3 entrees were the Virginia Softshell Crabs, the Maine Diver Scallops, and the 28-Day Dry-aged Sirloin.. The Softshell crabs were good but not the best I’ve ever eaten, maybe a touch too salty? The Maine Diver Scallops were just perfect, and the sauce… whatever it was, was very delicate and matched well with the seared scallops. The 28-Day Dry-aged Sirloin, how can you NOT order something with that name? It lived up to expectations, the meat was cured and cooked just perfectly.. and you gotta love the bone marrow too! Beautiful!

DESSERTS??

Cherry Spritzers

Lemon Steamed Pudding w/ Blueberries

Ice Cream/Sorbet Sampler

The desserts started with a palate cleansing Cherry Spritzer, it was like drinking a very refreshing cherry soda! mmm.. For dessert, Lemon Steamed Pudding, Bluekberry Compote, Candied Pistachios and Pistachio Ice Cream.. all of the elements to this dessert came together perfectly, warm pudding, cold ice cream, sweet blue berries and crunchy pistachios!

The Ice Cream/Sorbet Sampler was made up of: (left to right) Classic Vanilla, Blueberry, Coffee Crunch, Sour Cherry, Strawberry, and Peach Prosecco! I LOVE samplers! You get to try everything without having to commit to one thing.. especially when it comes to food! =) My favorites? The Coffee Crunch and the Strawberry Ice Creams. My Least Fav? Gotta be the Sour Cherry one.. I didn’t know it was sour cherry until I tasted it.. yeah, not a fan of it.. haha

Happy 25th Vicky! =)

Caramel Popcorn

The dinner celebrated the birthday of a very good friend. Happy Birthday Vicky! And thanks again for letting me crash at your place, again and again! lol

Okay bottom line? Craft is the perfect place for people the get unpretentious food, served in a simple comfortable style… just the way mom use to do it! I enjoyed my meal at Craft. I guess this gives the Top Chef judge some validity. I know you didn’t need my validation, but you’ve got it! Kudos to having a fine restaurant! And thanks for the random caramel popcorn too! lol

Overall Rating:     (out of 7 )

www.CraftRestaurant.com

Future Entries:
Village Yokocho, NYC, NY

New York City, NY


I love this place.. I like going into a sandwich shop and being able to smell the the fresh bread that I’ll soon be eating. It gets you “in the mood”. Yes that’s fat kid talk for “it turns me on”… Yes, the smell of bread does it for me. I love the smell, the taste, and the crunch of bread. Hot and Crusty lives up to it’s name!



Turkey w/ Brie Cheese



Fresh Roll


I ordered the Turkey and Brie Cheese sandwich on a roll. They load it to the max with turkey and give you a nice chunk of brie. It’s very tasty and very filling. I literally had to take out some of the turkey. The soft crusty roll of bread was just as the smell advertised, fresh and delicious! Maybe I’ll open a bakery some day… call it “Carb Heaven – Where all the fat kids go” lol that would work! Hit this place up if you’re ever in the big apple. Know what you want, service is ridiculously fast.

Overall Rating:   (out of 7 )

www.HotandCrusty.com

Future Entries:
Craft – NYC, NY
Village Yokocho, NYC, NY

New Chef Eats’ Directory:
-Entries and Entrees-

Updated regularly, So eat up! =)

New York City, NY

My New York eating binge continues with Aureole, Charlie Palmer’s fine dining establishment on Manhattan’s Upper Eastside.. I went there with pretty high expectations, I’m a big fan of Charlie Palmer.. I respect his vision and I like his style. Being that this was during restaurant week, you can’t still hold them to the same standards, can you? Yes you can, especially if 2 of the 3 people ordered off the regular menu! Let’s see what happened…

Outside Aureole.

Heirloom Tomato Amuse

Lobster Tortellini

Chilled Sweet Pea Soup

East Coast Oyters on the Half Shell

The Amuse Bouche was a Consomme of Heirloom Tomatoes. It was nice, it wasn’t spectacular but very decent. A true fan of tomatoes would have really enjoyed it. First Course I had the “Lobster Tortellini, infusion of fresh thyme and lemon grass”, I’m sorry.. I did not pick up the  “lobster” on this course and the infusion was so-so. It was beautifully presented, but it lacked a depth in flavor.

My partners in crime ordered the “Chilled Sweet Pea Soup, crab crisp, lemon & pepper cream, shaved radishes” and the “East Coast Oyters on the Half Shell, green apple and cucumber mignonette, wasabi tobikko”. The pea soup.. as one of my favorite quotes from Iron Chef America goes, “There’s much “Peaness” going on here.. which is nice” lol Joking aside, this soup’s problem lied mainly in it’s portion-size. There was too much of it and you get tired of it really quickly.

The East Coast Oyters on the Half Shell was good. The oysters were fresh tasting and the cucumber migonette left an interesting /refreshing finish. It’s not how we usually do it down South but it’s different and that’s not always a bad thing, right? =)

Spiced Moulard Duck Breast

Roasted Amish Chicken

Seared Maine Sea Scallops

Main Courses… This was the “meat” of the Aureole experience! I had the “Spiced Moulard Duck Breast, confit and date “b’steeya”, spicy honey, black cumin roasted carrots”. The Duck, fruits and carrots were just perfect but the “egg roll” thing wasn’t a big hit. I’m sure it was done to create contrast in texture.. it just didn’t work for me.

The other 2 courses? “Roasted Amish Chicken, Scallion Risotto Sweet Garlic & Herb jus” and “Seared Maine Sea Scallops, crisp potato cake, Granny Smith apple brown butter”. The chicken was tasty but it wasn’t something I expected from Aureole, anywhere else it would have probably been gold! The Seared Scallops were deliciously juicy and very plump, it was practically bursting at the seams! One of the highlights of the meal..

Tasting of Chocolate Classics

Triple Chocolate Terrine

Creme Brulee Trio

The desserts were all very decadent and luscious! If you want variety, this is the way to go. A Tasting of Chocolate Classics, a Triple Chocolate Terrine, and a Creme Brulee Trio??? Whoa.. you think it’s rude to ask for a cup of milk? lol The desserts more than made up for the lackluster first couse offerings. It was a bit much, but even after this late lunch followed with a cup of coffee… food coma still came out on top. We were unable to do anything else that afternoon.. lol

Overall Rating:   1/2 (out of 7 )

www.CharliePalmer.com

Future Entries:
Craft – New York City, NY

New Chef Eats’ Directory:
-Entries and Entrees-

Updated regularly, So eat up! =)

New York City, NY

Otafuku and Pommes Frites

Two place that each do one thing and do it right… One does octopus balls and the other does french fries or “pommes frites”.. It’s genius idea! Octopus balls with a sweet glaze… French fries served in a cone with a billion different sauces to choose from… Life doesn’t get any better, does it?

Otafuku

Octopus Balls with Takoyaki Sauce

On the menu it’s labeled as “Unsweetened ball pancake with Takoyaki sauce”. When eaten, it’s slightly crunchy on the outside, very hot and moist on the inside. I’ve never had it before… I didn’t know what to expect. It was delightful! The sauce is sweet but not over-powering, it’s a perfect match for the octopus balls.. it’s also topped with some shavings. Gotta try these! =)

Pommes Frites Menu Board of Sauces

Pommes Frites in a Cone

Pommes Frites.. They make French Fries… yes, that’s all they do! lol Large steak fries which aren’t as bad because they actually absorb less oil, but the sauces are the main thing here.. A huge selection of sauces ranging from Mexican Ketchup to Roasted Garlic Mayo to exotic ones like Vietnamese Pineapple Mayo… All very interesting and very tasty! Both hole-in-the-walls make for a wonderful treat, don’t miss out!

Otafuku:
Overall Rating:   1/2 (out of 7 )

236 E. 9th St., New York, NY 10003
nr. Second Ave.
———————————————————————–
Pommes Frites:
Overall Rating:  1/2 (out of 7 )

www.pommesfrites.ws

Future Entries:
TBA – still organizing my NYC stuff!

New Chef Eats’ Directory:
-Entries and Entrees-

Updated regularly, So eat up! =)

New York City, NY

Chef Eats visits the Big Apple.. Day 1! So I arrived in NYC and I was starving.. a couple of my friends decided to take me on a quick tour of the city (a food tour.. lol) We figured the best way to taste many different items was to not “put all of our eggs in one basket”.. so we put them in 4 baskets.. 


Chef Eats’ NYC West Village Tasting Menu

Mamoun’s Falafel
$2

Bleecker Street Pizza (+Bottled Water)
$3.50

Gray’s Papaya 2 Hotdogs and 1 Papaya Juice (I ate only 1) 
$3.50

The Magnolia Bakery Cupcake
$2

Mamoun’s Falafel

Bleecker Street Pizza

Gray’s Papaya Hotdogs

It was damn good falafel.. and for just $2? Even with a little bit of a crowd, I paid and recieved my freshly made falafel right along with my change, it was that fast! For the second course.. we made our way to Bleeker Street Pizza. I ordered a tomato and cheese pizza. The slice was a nice size and it was just as I imagined, delicious! And the third item on the list, Gray’s Papaya.. the hotdogs were ordinary, just like most of the dogs in NYC.. But the Papaya juice was very very nice! Great papaya flavor.. refreshingly sweet! =) Highly recomended!

Magnolia Bakery Cupcake with green icing and sprinkles.

A Dozen Magnolias!

I don’t watch Sex in the City but I was alerted by my friends that Carrie, the main character, visited the Magnolia Bakery one time and ever since then, the place has been packed to the max. So we dropped in and to my surprise, it was as good as advertised. The cake was moist and very light… The icing was sweet and fluffy.. and they even added sprinkles! lol Nicely done!

Mamoun’s Falafels, Bleecker Street Pizza, Gray’s Papaya Hotdogs, and The Magnolia Bakery’s Cupcakes. It was a wonderful “NYC West Village Tasting Menu”! =)

Overall Rating:    (out of 7 )

Future Entries:
TBA

New Orleans, LA

Mother’s is a New Orlean’s institution.. When President Bush came down to New Orleans some time last year… A one-block radius around Monther’s was blocked off so that the President of this great nation could enjoy his Po Boys in peace! It makes sense right? So if you’re ever in town and you’re looking for some straight up authentic New Orleanian grub, this is the place. Is it a tad bit over priced? yeah probably.. Does the service leave a lot to be desired? yeah that’s probably true too… But if you can overlook those minor things, the food actually lives up to expectations!

In front of Mother’s

Crawfish Etouffee

The Ferdi Po Boy

I ordered the Crawfish Etouffee and the Ferdi Po Boy. Crawfish Etouffee is a basically a creole dish with rice “smothered” by a cajun gravy-like sauce. In this case, the etouffee is loaded with Crawfish! The rich gravy coats your tongue with all of the cajun/creole/crawfish flavors you’ve come to love. It’s one of my favorites in the city!

As for the Ferdi, it’s a po boy that’s loaded with Mother’s baked ham, dressings, gravy and”debris” (the meat and juices that drip into the pan as the roast beef is roasting). It has a very unpretentious “take it or leave it” quality you get use to, the longer you live in the big easy. The french bread is half crusty and half soggy because of the gravy that’s poured onto it… like a “french dip”. It’s all good and very enjoyable! Oh and if you see the price “9.00/8.00″ that means $9 for the whole sandwich and $8 for the half… yeah I thought the same thing… take the whole and save your money! =)

Overall Rating:    1/2 (out of 7 )

www.MothersRestaurant.net

Future Entries:
Texas BAR-B-Q Company

New Chef Eats’ Directory:
-Entries and Entrees-

Updated regularly, So eat up! =)

New Orleans, LA


I’m not a “Professional Critic”.. not even close. I eat out a lot and I document where and what I eat just for fun. I know that not everyone can afford to go out and eat at a lot of these “pricey” places, but when you are able to.. you want to have an idea of what you’re getting yourself into, right? I enjoy sites like Chez Pim, Chocolate & Zucchini and Azriha Eats World.. I don’t get to travel too often, so when I do.. these sites help me find the “hot spots” in food. And utimately, that’s what I’m trying to do for people (you guys) who visit New Orleans…


Magazine St… NOLA


Believe it or not, Chef_Eats’ is less than 4 months old! I started this site when I came back from NYC in March.. I didn’t think I would ever have over 400 readers! Now I’m committed for life.. Thanks a lot for the support and words of encouragement. And thanks to the Xanga Gods for the love! So if you’re ever headed to New Orleans, feel free to browse my site or even message me and ask for suggestions on where and what to eat.. I’ll be happy to help out!

So how do “Bad Reviews” affect you?

Would you not eat at an establishment just because you’ve read one bad review?

Do you not go to movies because Ebert gave it a “thumb’s down”?

What if it were you that’s getting the bad review? Work-wise, or from your significant other, or even your friends bad mouthing you?

Good Reviews are easy to take.. but what about Bad ones? How do you handle it? Do you handle it?


I, personally, have been humbled many of times. Whether it was my Executive Chefs, Culinary Instructors, Customers or even my Parents (dad rest in peace).. they’ve all made me stronger and allowed me to learn from my mistakes and not only correct it, but to go beyond what was expected to begin with… You know, the old cliche “It’s not how many times you get knocked down that counts, it’s how many times you get up”..

Future Entries:
Mothers, NOLA


New Chef Eats’ Directory:
-Entries and Entrees-

Updated regularly, So eat up! =)