chips – Fare..Eat..Ales

Rich Table:The Last Supper, Dan Brown, Exodus 16 and Foodieism as a Religion

September 13, 2014October 3, 2014 spennyrdLeave a comment

The fact that Rich Table was my last supper in San Francisco (this was from my trip back in June..I’m a little slow these days) made me wonder what the famous last supper was like. I mean, the biblical account by each of the disciples was fairly uniform. Jesus took bread, gave it to his disciples and ate it as a symbol of his body. He then took wine, proclaimed it as his blood and passed it around. Sounds pretty simple but I wondered what would happen if Jesus was a foodie. I mean, what if he wasn’t happy with a 21 Herod’s Fury Merlot and send it back or got upset over the fact the bread wasn’t served with EVOO and a crisp balsamic vinegar.

These thoughts made me realize that being a foodie is like a religion if not a cult. Think about it….can you not picture the foodie couple getting the kids ready in their little plaid shirts from the Gap so they can go to the 11 am seating at Sunday Brunch. Instead of the Eucharist, they break and share aged cheddar scone and wash it down with french pressed coffee or a mimosa, Caesar or some other potent potable deemed acceptable on a Sunday morning. Any alms are already included in the inflated brunch prices

Ironically, I stumbled across a website which used a scientific ranking system (science and religion don’t mix) for San Francisco restaurants based on a statistical formula which took into consideration everything from San Francisco Chronicle reviews to eateries awarded Michelin stars. Rich table was ranked number 1, beating out bay area juggernauts such as Coi, Saison and Quince. It’s another one of these places with a one month reservation policy but they were very polite in answering all my email questions and promptly booked me a big table when the time came. Due to the size of my group, I was told via email we would have a $65/person menu served family style.

Fast forward a month. We had a short wait as the table before us was finishing up the earlier reservation. It was buzzing for a Monday night and the small place was full of fragrant and savory smells. After being seated, I realized I had a great view of the open kitchen. A friendly waiter soon arrived and handed us a few copies of the gospel according to Rich and I was reminded that it was a preset family style menu. The menu contained 14 items divided by starters, pastas, mains and dessert. I asked the waiter how many of each we could order and he politely informed me we were getting them all.

The flip side of the menu featured the beverage offerings which included almost a dozen beers, red and white wines and half a dozen cocktails. I started with an El Jeffe which is a mezcal based drink with grapefruit, tarragon, aperol and bitters. It was a refreshing summer drink with a nice amount of bitterness. Throughout the remainder of the meal, the table developed an affinity for the Bobby Burns, a potent elixir of a holy trinity of scotch, vermouth and benedictine and finished with bitters. It started rough but finished smooth and a few of them went down as the night went on.

Genesis (starters):

Sardine chips, horseradish, creme fraiche– A thin slice of potato slitted,”stuffed” with a sardine and deep fried. Served with a horseradish chip dip. Spectacular!

Douglas fir levain, house cultured butter– Heavy, moist and extremely flavourful bread. I had to limit consumption because wouldn’t have had room for anything else.

Burrata Cheese, Strawberry Gazpacho, Chicken Skin and Almond- This was one of the table favorites. It was burrata elevated to a new level. The sweet/sour gazpacho would have succeeded as a stand alone in a big bowl, especially since it was sprinkled with some of the magic chicken skin.

Little Gems, Bottarga, Dill, Crispy Onion- An ingenious spin on a caesar salad that held it’s own against the other innovative starters on the table. The balance of bitter/salt and cream/crunch was phenomenal.

Crispy Potatoes, Grilled Raddicchio, Garlic Chive and Comte– These went quick. Once again, near perfect from a taste and texture perspective.

Dried Porcini Doughnuts, Raclette Cheese- I’m convinced that the manna which spilled from heavens in the Old Testament may have been these donuts. They were amazing as a stand alone but became a religious experience when the cheese dip was added. A table of grown adults looked like a group of kids attacking a family pack of timbits or Homer Simpson hitting a Krispy Kreme when the red light is on.

The Pasta of Pastas

Pappardelle, Crayfish Oil, Goddess Melon, Pickled Jalapeno, Shiso– The pasta itself was done perfectly. The array of flavours was a bit much for some but I thought it worked well. The melon provided a surprising burst of sweetness which I admit was a bit odd but in the end the dish worked.

Garganelli, Housemade Sausage, Tomato Gravy, Basil- Once again, the pasta was spot on. The flavours were very traditional which was almost surprising considering the uniqueness of all the other dishes at the table. That said, it left you with that rustic, home-cooked feeling.

Tagliatelle, Braised Duck, Aged Sake and Almond- This was my favorite of the bunch. The use of sake reminded me of a penne alla vodka and the almonds nicely complemented the rich flavor of the duck.

The Gospels (Mains)

Summer Squash Gratin, Kale, Local Gouda, Mixed Herbs- Beautifully presented, this dish was a cross between scalloped potatoes and a mac and cheese with greens. The abundant use of the herbs and crispy kale added a great punch to this common yet uncommon offering.

Pork Loin, Toasted Wheatberries, Cherries and Wildflower Honey- I’m a big fan of using cherries with most meats and pork is no exception. The balance of the flavours was great and I really enjoyed the wheatberries. I wish the pork was cooked a little longer. I’m not adverse to a cut of pork cooked medium but I felt the slight undercooking of the loin affected the texture.

Alaskan Halibut, Corn Grits, Chanaterelles, Bouillabaisse, Pistachio- This was my least favorite dish of the evening. The halibut was a bit limp which didn’t lend well to the fact that the surrounding ingredients has the same texture. It was like a big plate of mush.

Revelation (Dessert)

Coconut Panna Cotta, Toasted Meringue, Lime Crumble- Nice texture and nice flavours. This was a fresh way to end a large and rich meal. I could have taken or left the meringue.

Salted Chocolate Sable, Milk Ice, Mint-Chocolate Mousse- This one had mixed reviews at the table. It was very minty and very chocolaty so those who aren’t extremists thought it was a bit much.

My Take

Although Rich Table hasn’t been blessed with a Michelin star by the food gods, it’s cumulative acclaim ranked it number one in San Francisco on sfist.com and statistics don’t lie. It’s interior is somewhat humble but not overly crowded. The large table beside the open kitchen makes for a great dining experience, especially if you are in a big group. The service was professional and smart. The cocktails were heavenly and wine list is reasonable including a reasonable corking policy which allows for the waiving on one corking fee if you buy a bottle there. As for the food, there was a huge selection for a very reasonable $65 per person served family style. The offerings were brilliant although the entrees were somewhat anti-climatic compared to the starters and pastas. The porcini doughnuts (as well as the fowl at State Bird Provisions) are biblical, suggesting that if Foodieism is in fact a religion, San Francisco is definitely the Mecca of the foodie movement given these modern day interpretations of manna and quail first mentioned by Moses in Exodus 16. When thinking of my last supper at Rich Table, I couldn’t help but think of “The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown and hoped that my dining experience wouldn’t be like the book; overhyped and lacking substance. Instead, it was much more “enlightening”, perhaps suggesting that if the Illuminati did exist, they would eat like this.

Review:Montreal:Old Montreal:Brit and Chips

December 16, 2013 spennyrdLeave a comment

I was in Montreal for a conference and had a bit of a lunch break. I’m not much for the generic cafeteria food that fills the convention centre, so I decided to talk a stroll into old Montreal to see what kind of lunch options there were. I had a few glasses of wine the night before, so some grease and a little hair of the dog was on the menu.

So I found it rather ironic when I stumbled across Brit and Chips. I mean, as an anglophone with a pedigree from the British Isles, I felt rather naughty seeking out such an ethnocentric joint in Old Montreal. At the same time, I knew nothing would appease my needs better than a greasy piece of fish and some kind of ale to wash it down.

The place was small and was extremely crowded although it was at the tail end of lunch hour (part of me highly suspects that lunch is rarely limited to only an hour in Quebec) but luckily there was a table available in the make shift patio which was set up outside the front door. I was quickly greeted by a server was quick to take my beer order. I opted for a Fuller’s London Pride ($7.50) to further flex my anglo chest muscles amongst those who may otherwise opt for a Kronenbourg or something like that.

The menu is simple. You choose a fish and whether you want fries or not (all the choices are $10 and $12 respectively). What’s interesting is that each fish is matched with a particular batter so it’s the first time I had to weigh the type of fish against the batter and decide which I wanted more. I’m not sure to this day if you can mix and match, so maybe my dilemma was a moot point. I was torn between the cod and the maple syrup batter on the haddock. In the end, I chose the latter and went with the batter. For a downtown Montreal restaurant, it was pretty good…at least enough to forgive the fake newspaper which lined the serving vessel. The batter was crisp enough and was well proportioned to the moist fish within. I thought the tartar sauce, which is often overlooked, was a solid companion to the main.

Haddock and chips in maple syrup batter $12

Going along with the theme of the the British pub, there are also pasties, pies, sausage rolls and even some Indian influenced tandoori popcorn shrimp and curry fish cakes. I couldn’t help but order up a sausage roll and pork pie as my colleague shook his head at the amount of grease that was put in front of me. Both the roll and pie were authentic, even down to the nasty (in a good way) mustard. I could only “mustard” up the courage to eat about a quarter each as my colleague watched in utter horror.

When I went inside to pay, I noticed a soft serve ice cream machine promising an authentic chunk of a Cadbury Flake if you ordered one. I couldn’t resist and found it a nice end to a decent meal.

My Take

If I ever chose to film “An Anglophone in Montreal”, I would definitely film a scene here. The fish and chips and even the environment rival any chipper in English Canada. From the fish to the mustard to the greasy yet flaky crust of the pork pie, the place screams authentic even when they infuse a little maple syrup into the mix. There is no shortage of chic cafes, adorable bistros and fine dining in this fantastic city but if you want to be a limey for an hour, this is the place to go. Not only is the food good, there is little risk of getting a sabot in the back of the head for ordering fish instead of poisson.

Review:Vancouver:Downtown:The Fish Shack

August 13, 2013August 13, 2013 spennyrdLeave a comment

It was honestly an internet search and a restaurant within walking distance that brought me to the Fish Shack. After seeing it was a creation of the Glowbal group, I was sure it would be far from a shack and even have a few of the gimmicks this restaurant group is renowned for. The last Glowbal restaurant I went to was Black and Blue. It had a beautiful decor, with a classic steakhouse setup and highlighted by a 15 foot high meat locker. I figured the Fish Shack would be the same.

I wasn’t far off. The decor is reminiscent of a wooden fishing shack. Nets hang throughout the place and pictures of fish with interesting trivia line the wall. It’s bright and clean and the busy waitstaff have a casual look and attitude. The air is filled with the aroma of shellfish, likely a combination of the bar side shellfish steamer and the adjacent table ordering the fisherman’s catch, a Cornucopia of mixed seafood strewn across the table in a free for all.

The beer selection is pretty lame, dominated by Molson products. The Whister Bear Paw Honey Lager is a bit of a redemption. This sad reality led me to the Caesar fleet featuring four offerings laced with vodka, gin, whisky and tequila. I went vodka, a pretty standard Caesar garnished with prawn and pepperoni. It was a good Caesar and definitely better than a Coors light.

I like gimmicks, so I opted for buck a shuck oysters (Light house were featured) and mussels and clams fresh from the steamer. The oysters were fresh and a great deal for four bucks. The $15 steamed shellfish prepared classic style (wine, garlic , shallots and herbs) were good but didn’t rival the mussels at Chambar or the clams at the Pike market in Seattle which were pulled from ocean just minutes away in Puget Sound.

For the main, the halibut was calling my name. Although priced significantly higher than the other fish and chips options, I remembered my experience at Dandelion in Philadelphia and Blue Water cafe in San Diego and hoped for the same in Vancouver. It was a bit flimsy and although all the components were quite good, nothing was remarkable. The batter was not greasy and had a pleasant taste while the fish maintained a good integrity and decent moistness. The tartar sauce and fries were pretty classic and the creamy horseradish slaw was colourful to look at but didn’t have as much bite as I wanted.

I last had the brussel sprouts at Black and Blue last year and ordered them again. I was equally impressed, especially when I hit them with a squirt of hot sauce.

There’s a small dessert menu featuring cheesecake, apple berry crumble and sticky toffee pudding, all for $8.50. Some may argue you don’t need anymore than that. I opted for the latter and was presented with a pretty decent offering. The cake was moist, partially helped by the plentiful pool of sauce it sat in. The traditional chantilly cream and somewhat unorthodox berries were a good finishing touch.

My Take

The fish shack is kind of like Red Lobster, except for people under the age of 65. Both have a bad beer selection and shrimp garnished Caesars. Both are decorated with fish and fish paraphernalia. Both have cheesy slogans like “We sea food differently” and “hook it and cook it”. One can indulge on an array of seafood with the shack’s Fisherman’s catch or Red Lobster’s Ultimate feast, a choice from the fresh daily fresh fish list or non-sea signatures like cheddar bay biscuits (RL) or brussel sprouts (FS). Both even have a New York style cheesecake for dessert.

The fish shack is pretty; pretty decor and pretty good food. It’s filled with the little gimmicks like bar side steamers that make the Glowbal group what it is. . Although none of the dishes blew my mind, the execution of the food was acceptable. and the vibe reeked a little of fish and little of hip. So send Gramma to Red Lobster and suck back some west coast buck a shuck oysters before 6 pm at the fish shack (trust me, Gramma and oysters don’t mix). Afterwards, you can hear about the nice fish and that dessert cake like Gladys used to make.

As for slogans, I kinda like this one from a famous book that pretty much says it all:

“Fish,” he said, “I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends.”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea

“Catchy”, isn’t it?