Valanni

This Saturday night Sean & I and our friends Kate & John tried out a new restaurant named Valanni. We arrived at 5pm because we were having dinner before the theater. The restaurant dubs its cuisine Medi-Latin. Though I'm not sure exactly what this means, the food was delicious. The four of us shared the Serrano Ham Croquettes, Crispy Chickpeas & Chorizo, Spicy Pulled Empanadas, and Calimari. Although the calimari was nothing unique, it was well done and not a bit chewy. The other three appetizers were both unique and delicious. For an entree, Sean & I split the meat & seafood paella. The portion for two was quite large and chock full of shrimp, clams, mussels, langostines, lobster, chicken, sausage and tomatoes. The seasoning on the rice was delicious and the pan had a large surface area so there were lots of crispy bits at the bottom.
Next time we might just split the portion for one as we barely had room for dessert afterwards. Speaking of dessert, make sure you save room for the oreo beignets. They were delicious fried donuts with a crunchy oreo layer in the middle. It was accompanied by vanilla ice cream and caramel. It was the best dessert I have had in a very long time. I dream about it. Mmmm... The churros were also delicious. They were very fresh and had a great light consistency. The chocolate mousse was a bit thick but had a good milk chocolate and fruit flavor. But don't waste your time with anything other than the beignets. I will order two next time. :)

Triumph Over Adversity

Yes, the adversity I am talking about is cake! I finally managed to make a beautiful cake. It was a frog themed masterpiece for my friend Jen's baby shower. I can't wait for the next occasion for a cake!

Macaroons

Although Amy & I probably have fodder for many a paris related blog post, I felt that I had to start my series of blog posts with my favorite new food, the macaroon. My coworker had introduced me to the amazing French macaroon, which is nothing like the almond & coconut concoction that you might associate with this name. The French macaroon consists two light but chewy meringue cookies sandwiched around a flavored buttercream frosting. The middle layer can also consist of a jam-like filling in some cases. The two most famous macaroon makers are Laduree and Pierre Hermes and obviously I tried out both (as well as quite a few others!). The macaroons come in many delicious flavors including blackcurrent, pistachio, rose, salted butter caramel, and my personal favorite, passion fruit chocolate. I can't wait to try to make my own delicious creations. I will report back with recipes!

Famous Parisian breads

In keeping with the name of our blog, Lisa and I roved on over to France last week. We split our time between Paris and Bordeaux, gobbling up delicious treats and sipping on fine wines in both spots. I'm sure there will be several more posts covering the trip, but let's lead off with a discussion of bread.

One of our first stops in Paris was Eric Kayser. We purchased two baguettes, one regular and one sesame, and several croissant ones. The regular baguette was terrific - crisp crust with a soft inside. The sesame one was less successful for us, but still good. The croissants were excellent.

Later in the week, K and I made our way to Poilane. It's a very small and unassuming shop but the shelves are lined with delicious breads, rolls, and cookies. Their famous round loaf of sour dough bread is HUGE, so we decided to go for half a loaf. I added a small box of butter cookies to the order because I can never turn down a good butter cookie. After picking up some cheese and meat, we headed back to our apartment to sample the spoils. The bread is absolutely out of this world! The outside is very dark and yet not burnt. The crust has just the right amount of chewiness and toughness. The inside is airy and full of flavor. We loved it.

In fact, we loved it so much that I ended up carrying about a quarter of the loaf home with me the following day. The Poilane lived on for two more days as I was able to use it on Monday to make tartine sandwiches with basil, mozzarella, and prosicutto and on Tuesday to make panzanella. Each reincarnation was delicious. For those who won't be in Paris anytime soon, Poilane's website allows you to order all of their products and have them delivered to your home. If you're having a fancy dinner party, need a special foodie gift, or just want some darn good bread, check it out.

Beantown Reviews: Persephone and Rialto

It's been awhile but I'm back in the foodie saddle! I've got some recipe updates but I thought I'd share two restaurant reviews first.

Persephone is a new spot located in the up and coming Fort Point Channel area, just a short walk from South Station. The premise of the place is a bit too hip for me - it's a restaurant located inside a clothing boutique. But, in reality you just walk past the clothes to get to the restaurant and it's not a huge deal. I guess you're supposed to be lured into dropping $300 on those designer jeans that you won't be able to fit into after you eat, but whatev. We were seated promptly at a lovely table by the windows. The space has an industrial, modern feel to it but still maintains some warmth and liveliness. On our way to the table, we walked through the bar/lounge area which looks like a terrific spot for the after-work crowd. In addition to several flat screens showing the Sox game, there are also two screen connected to Wii's. Patrons can try their skills at Wii bowling or any other number of games - all while sipping delish cocktails and nibbling yummy bites.
Alright, back to the food. The menu is set up, rather annoying I might add, by size. We had to ask what would be an appropriate amount to order. Luckily, our server must get the question a lot because she had the answers down pat. We decided to do several appetizers and then split an "extra large" entree. Anyone who knows my husband knows there is no way he'll pass up the chance at a 34 oz. sirloin steak! The apps were terrific. K's raw bar selection was fresh and good; the red curry wings were a terrific update to your average buffalo wing; and the Duck egg/mushroom/toast dish was tasty enough. I'd highly recommend the wings if you visit. The gigantic steak arrived next, with a delicious basket of fries and a side of creamed spinach. The meat was well-seasoned and perfectly cooked. We devoured most of it, and took the rest home for the yummiest steak and egg breakfast sandwiches ever the next morning. The wine list was reasonably priced and had a few interesting bottles. Cocktails were superb. Service was friendly and efficient. The bill ended up being more than we had figured - the steak was probably overpriced by $20 but it was so delicious that we quickly came to terms with the extra dough being shelled out. Can you tell I really loved the vibe of Persephone? It was cool, but not too cool for an almost-30 something who has left the scene behind. Two thumbs up, highly recommend.

And then there was our trip to Rialto. I had been longing to give this restaurant a try since we moved to Cambridge but K had been before and hadn't been terribly wowed so it fell to the bottom of our list of restaurants. And frankly, it could have stayed there. Our dinner was good, but not great. My pasta was rich and delicious, but seriously involved like six pieces of gnocci. My stuffed veal was dry and a bit bland. K enjoyed his little neck appetizer and his steak but thought the one we got at Persephone's was better. Full disclosure: I wasn't a huge fan of the wine we ordered, which certainly isn't Rialto's fault, but it probably had an impact on my opinion of the food. Dessert was banana fritters that tasted little like banana. Luckily there was some homemade chocolate ice cream that accompanied them which was delicious. Service was attentive and excellent. The decor is beautiful. And the food is good, but I doubt we'll be back. Mixed thumbs, recommended with reservation.

The Bane of My Culinary Existence...

is cake. Yes, this simple baked good has troubled me for years. I strive to make a beautiful cake. I have many many delicious cakes but I have never really make anything worth of taking pictures. Yesterday I made a birthday cake for a coworker and once again I was unable to get the cakes cleanly out of their pans (despite lots of crisco and flour) and was forced to use frosting to hide the flaws. My attempt reminded me of my one flirtation with fondant at Amy's bachelorette party in Vermont. As you can see from the picture, it was not exactly a beautiful creation either. I have decided that springform pans will be the answer to my prayers. Anyone else have any suggestions? Help me finally realize my dream!

Long Overdue

This is my review of the luxurious brunch that Sean & I had at Nineteen restaurant in the Hyatt here in Philadelphia. Though this was not a meal for the faint of wallet at $46 a head, the location alone was worthy of the pricetag. While the giant pearls strung from the ceiling might seem like a strange touch, the opulence in the room was done very elegantly. On the nineteeth floor, the restaurant had great views of the city and had the weather been a bit warmer, it would have been nice to sit outside. The brunch was unique in that it was not a straight buffet but had buffet stations accompanied by a served entree. To begin, there was a continential breakfast like station that had delicious pastries and fresh fruit. The croissants were my favorite part and they had multiple options from the traditional butter to a strawberry filled. Sean's favorite station was the dim sum/sushi table. While there were not many sushi options they were fresh and plentiful and Sean got his fill. Along with the sushi, there were dumplings, a lo mein like stir fry and vietnamese spring rolls. Though none of these were spectacular they were all better than your average buffet fare. The station that might intrigue others but was not our #1 choice was the raw bar/salad station which had four types of oysters and a variety of salads. The Caesar was the only one that I tried and it was quite tasty however. For our entrees, I had the seafood omelet which consisted of crab, boursin cheese and roasted red peppers. It was good but nothing special. Sean had a biscuit breakfast sandwich that was a bit of a brick in his stomach, particularly following all the fresh fish. Although we would certainly return, we would definitely try other entrees next time. Usually my favorite part of a buffet would be the dessert table but sadly this time, there was very little room in my tummy for more food. I did have a delicious cookie and a bite of citrus mousse, orange creme brulee, and a passion fruit tidbit. I can't wait until I have another one of those cookies!