Are You Feelin’ Lucky?

After attending the Home and Garden Show at the Mohegan Sun Arena, I met a friend for a late lunch/early dinner at Lucky’s Sporthouse in Wilkes Barre. As the name implies, it is a sports bar and grill complete with numerous flat screen TV’s and boxy remote controls that allow you to listen, at your table, to whatever game suites your fancy. The inside of the restaurant is clean and spacious with the bar area separated from the dining room. With 19 beers on draft and over 40 by the bottle, the game’s libations are numerous.

My friend and I were looking for something to eat, rather than a bona-fide game night out. At 3:30 on a Sunday afternoon, there were few people there, but by the time we left, around 5:30, the place was filling up with families, couples, and friends looking for a casual bite.

I had the chicken wings, a quintessential staple of bar food. They come in four flavors, classic buffalo, Thai peanut, spicy honey mustard, or makers mark BBQ. All of which come with carrots, celery, and a gorgonzola-based dipping sauce. This sauce tastes more like dill than anything, and functions as a substitute for the normal blue cheese. The Thai peanut flavor (my selection) was sweet and caramelized. The wings were of normal size, but the Thai spices were not there. It was more like sweet and sour sauce meets general tsao sauce.

Also tasted were the tilapia fish tacos. The tortilla was crisped on one side, and the fish itself was slightly blackened, not burnt. The slaw had a light dressing with a slight twang and was composed of large chunks of cabbage. Topping this was a “smoked chilli cream,” which tasted more like mayonnaise, chili paste, cayenne, and a little ketchup.

The salads are all as big as they claim to be. They are generously topped with whatever the menu says they come with, but offer no surprises, twists, or offer anything out of the ordinary.

Pizza comes on elevated trays. The hand-tossed, thin crust is blistered from the oven and is easy to eat without a fork and knife. The pomodoro sauce (Italian for ‘tomato’) is made in house daily (or so the menu says) and is neither sweet nor heavily spiced.

Lucky’s is a great place if you want some dependable food at a reasonable price while you’re watching the game.

Y Marks the Spot

If you take the Drinker Street exit off of highway 81, take a right, and continue until there is a ‘Y’ in the road, you will come upon one of the many, home-grown pizza places through the Scranton area. I speak of Drinker Pizza. Aside from the round and tray pizzas, they also offer a variety of both hot and cold subs, appetizers, along with grill and chicken options. Prices range from the $1.75 order of fries or Texas wiener, to the $14 ‘Works’ 12” pizza. ATM on site, no cards accepted.

Our order was a large and varied because numerous people at the office had a craving. For this reason, I was able to sample an assortment of Drinker’s offerings. First and foremost was their pizza. I tried both their bacon and the original, both where the square versions. The crust is about a centimeter thick, crispy on the bottom, and still chewy beneath the toppings. The sauce was not too heavy and so did not soak the dough. A bright red, it tasted sweeter than a usual marinara and had less of a spicy bite. The cheese was both even and well melted, its soft texture acted as a good counterpoint to the crusty bottom and the crunch of the bacon bits.

The sandwich I tried was the hot wing sub. A thick Italian loaf was stuffed with big chunks of chicken breast that had been tossed in a buffalo sauce. There was enough sauce to coat the inside of the bread without making it soggy. The chicken itself was fully cooked, but was a little dry. Much like the tomato sauce, the buffalo sauce had a sweetness to it, and they had gone easy on the spiciness. 

Sticking with chicken, I also tasted the wings, this time the BBQ flavor. These wings are a dark maple color, comparable to a teriyaki. Keeping with their culinary theme, the BBQ was sweet, yet also had smoky qualities of hickory. The wings themselves were of normal size, but with 10 of them for $6, the price is worth it.

Overall, Drinker puts together a solid pie, and considering the sizeable portions, at a reasonable price. With free delivery and options to please all palates, it’s a place worth giving a shot

Chapter 8 - Lust

I like my life. My job, my apartment, my area. While many consider Scranton to be boring, I find that “it is what you make it.” As I hope it is apparent by this blog, I get out. I meet people, see new places, and have a taste for the peculiar. That is why, as I say in my profile, I would drop everything to replace Andrew Zimmern (host of Bizarre Foods) or Anthony Bourdain (host of No Reservations). The travel, the odd food, weird places, and potential danger do not deter me, rather, entice me to that kind of life. So, it comes as no surprise that I’m reading Anthony Bourdain’s Medium Raw.

            Chapter 8 opens with a description of Bourdain’s experience in Hanoi, and how one should never travel by car because their size and closed cabin area prevents one from truly experiencing the bustling metropolitan center of Vietnam. After a few pages, he describes the endless places where one can find pho, a rice noodle soup made with a broth that has been simmering with bones and other stock for hours. From here, he launches into a litany of descriptions of his international food experiences, each remembrance more succulent than the last. My favorite example:

There is a roast goose in Hong Kong – Mongkok, neat the outskirts of the city. The place looks like any other. But you sink your teeth into the quickly hacked pieces and you know your experiencing something special. Layers of what can only be described as enlightenment, one extraordinary sensation after another as the popils of the tongue encounter first the crispy, caramelized skin, then air, then fat – the juicy, sweet yet savory, ever so slightly gamey meat, the fat just barely managing to retain its corporeal form before quickly dematerializing into liquid […] Your pretty goddamn sure this is the best roast goose on the whole planet. Nobody is eating goose better than you at this precise moment. Maybe in the whole history of the world there had never been a better goose. Ordinarily, you don’t know if you’d go that far describing a dish, but now, with that ethereal goose fat dribbling down your chin, the sound of perfectly crackling skin playing inside your head to an audience of one, hyperbole seems entirely appropriate.

This kind of description is reminiscent of adult novels, which is why it is appropriately referred to as “food porn.” As a food blogger, I am fully aware that much of what I write could easily fall into this category. As infatuated with food as I am, I would wear the title of “food pornographer” proudly. Why? Because in the same way that I watch Adam Richman of Man vs. Food plow into pounds of burgers, pizza, and all sorts of heart-stopping food challenges, people live vicariously through these descriptions. When a writer is as talented as Bourdain, one is able to picture and almost taste where he has been and what he ate. While, ideally, writing like that would inspire us to travel to these places and sample these delectables (I know it does for me), that isn’t an option for everyone. So, until I get paid to circle the globe in search of foreign fare, I can satiate my “lust” with chapter 8.

+22 Days Happy New Year

In Japan, the New Year is celebrated on more than just its eve. However, three weeks is pushing it. Regardless, I went to a Japanese New Year party yesterday, and had a blast. The house party was attended by about seven families, some of whom brought their children, all of whom brought something to eat.

Despite my love of cooking Japanese food, I was unsure about the mix of Japanese to American to children present, so I took the safe rout and made M&M cookie pizza, the cookie dough was from scratch. Even though I find baking to be a science I messed around with the recipe. Having tasted the batter and found it lacking, I added a little more vanilla extract (the real stuff, not the imitation) and some white chocolate flavored Coffee Mate. A little dusting of extra flour to counter the liquid and they tasted much better. Off to the party.

The smorgasbord of food was wonderful. There was simple party fare, like pretzel sticks topped in poppy seed, garlic, salt, and sesame, a crudités platter with ranch dip, BBQ pulled park sandwiches and a fruit tray. But then things got interesting. In addition to the normal fare, the gracious host made a Japanese boiled dish with green beans, carrots, potatoes, chicken thighs, lotus root, seaweed, and bamboo shoots. There was a Thai-style pulled chicken that had a sauce which was reminiscent of peanut satay with sesame and cilantro to brighten it up. A rice noodle dish with slivers of seedless cucumber and shitake mushrooms sat next to a plate of mochi. The mochi, a glutinous pounded rice cake, was made minutes before serving. Traditionally, mochi is pounded for hours and is molded into ball shapes. They can be filled or topped with a variety of  flavors including matcha (Japanese green tea), sweetened sesame, poppy seed paste, and my personal favorite, anko (mashed sweet red beans).

Dessert was coffee, cheesecake, banana nut bread, and my cookies (most of which were eaten already by the kids). As with most dining experiences, your company can make or break the meal. In this case, conversing in Japanese (something I don’t get to do too often in Scranton), meeting new people, and sharing great food made for a fantastic afternoon.

Oh yes, before I forget, someone had made the two hour trek to New Jersey to visit the Japanese market there and brought back two cases of natto (fermented soy beans, a traditional and normal part of the Japanese breakfast). This was then resold to eager party-goers, including myself. Mmmm, pungent, stringy, bacteria filled soybeans, breakfast of champions (I’m not kidding, I love this stuff!)

Food Fight at AV

Once again, the Food Fight! Meetup and I went out. This time, the restaurant was more upscale AV in Moosic. Be forewarned, you would never know that this wonderful place is there. It sits right next to, and shares a parking lot with a Roadway Inn. Not to say that Roadway Inn isn't a fine motel, but not where you would expect an establishment of this caliber. The place is run by a brother/sister team Francis and Michaelyn Ghilardi. Michaelyn is the head chef, while Francis is the sommelier. The interior is softer and darker tones, with a good, distinctly not elevator jazz in the background. Even for a Wednesday night, the place was packed, always a good sign.

The menu is a single page, displaying about three kinds of brushcetta, a few soups, about four salads, and seven or so entrees. There are also a few specials not on the menu. Prices range from $11-35 for entrees. The restaurant describes itself as "eclectic American with French and Italian influences." This really comes through on the menu with many dishes coming with pasta, and a couple risottos, and panna cotta, along with more French-based cuisine like soufflé, creme brulee, and (perhaps just for the sake of sounding French) haricot verts and frites.

As I love to do, most of us got different dishes and generously allowed sampling from friends. Three of us started with salads. One was a classic Cesar made with crisp romaine, another was a spinach salad that had cranberries, blue cheese, honey cashews, purple onion, and pomegranate seeds. It was refreshing, light, and a great way to start the meal. The final salad was a base of arugula, topped with olive oil vinaigrette, large slices a salty parmesan cheese, and chive to finish.

For our entrees, I had the skate, which came with a decadent, whipped sweet potato, blanched, oiled and salted haricot verts, arugula, and caramelized onions. The fish itself was perfectly cooked. It pulled apart without flaking, and was soft and delicate. There were thin slices of pears, and a little bite of fish went well with everything on the plate.

The fettuccini with meat balls was clearly handmade. The pasta was the definition of al-dente, still having a slight toothsomeness to it. The two meatballs were dense and flavorful with tastes of both regular beef and veal.

Risotto in Italy is savory. It relies on the earthy tones and the "umame" of the mushrooms to flavor the rice. The cheese plays second fiddle and is used more as a textural agent. AV pulls it off perfectly, generously adding wild mushrooms, red and yellow peppers, making for a beautiful and delicious dish.

Admittingly, our entrees took a little while to arrive. The restaurant, as I said, was packed and the company was great, so the wait didn’t feel nearly as long. However, Michaelyn took time out of her busy night to come and check on us, which is always appreciated. When we were expecting our bill, what arrived was all five of their dessert offerings, on the house.

Cinnamon ice cream, thick and creamy, pairing well with everything else on the table. The chocolate cake was rich and full of deep, dark, chocolate flavors without being bitter or overly heavy. It came with a piece of hazelnut brittle that was reminiscent of hard caramel and peanut butter put together. A pear panna cotta was light and dreamy and came with a beet-red poached pear and some pear sorbet. There was cheesecake with a raspberry coulis, which, oddly enough, did not have a crust. A crackable topped crème brulee finished the parade of desserts.

AV, whose website is as hidden as its real location, is a wonderful place. Perfect for a date night, sampling event, and definitely something any local should try.

Martini Alfredo

Prior to a comedy night at the Cultural Center, I went to Alfredo's Pizza Cafe in Scranton’s South Side. I was enticed by their ad in the newspaper. A stark white page with an icy blue martini, offered at half price on Wednesday and Saturday nights. The restaurant is situated in part of a strip mall, near a Dollar Tree and Weis grocery, so it doesn’t have the best location ambiance. The enclosed patio, closed for the winter, faces the parking lot. Upon entry, you are met with an Italian style bar with mood lighting. The smell of garlic, tomato sauce, and fresh baked dough wafts through the air.

My date and I sit down but are told that for “martini madness,” we will have to order our drinks at the bar, no problem. Alfredo’s features a staggering 38 different types of martinis. The bartender has a cheat sheet so you can see what goes into each. Flavors range from the classics like a cosmo, dirty, chocolate, lemon, and green apple, to the international, like Caribbean, French, and Hawaiian. At only $4, you can try a couple, but not before driving, they are not stingy on the liquor, quantity or quality. My snickers bar martini was made with Bailey’s and hazelnut liquor, the glass was covered in both chocolate and caramel sauce. Who said you can’t have dessert first?

For starters was the ahi tuna misto salad. They cook the tuna to order, so I unquestionably got it seared rare. The salad comes with blue cheese, walnuts, cranberries, and wasabi vinaigrette. Usually, fish and cheese do not mix, especially when the fish is so delicate and the cheese so funky, but the vinaigrette really pulled everything together. The tuna was not fishy at all and was firm even in the middle, and had a beautiful color.

Pizza in Scranton is a delicate topic. Not unlike the division between Chicago deep dish and New York thin crust, everyone in the local area has a favorite. People around here swear by some of the local restaurants, whether it be Old Forge style, square dishes, fresh toppings, or home made sauces. I have yet to visit all of them and must refrain from final judgment; however, Alfredo’s makes a good pie.

People eat with their eyes and nose as much as their mouth. On this point, Alfredo’s delivers. The pizza smells wonderful, every pan that passes your table comes with a wave of envy for whoever is receiving it. The cheese is melty and has a good elasticity. The crust is toasty on the bottom, yet soft on the top, without being soggy from the sauce or toppings.

Unfortunately, I can’t comment on their soups, appetizers, sandwiches, wraps, burgers, steaks, or desserts, we had a comedy show to attend and I am not yet paid to eat out. But overall, it was a good experience and will be a point of comparison for other pizza places.

Winter in the City

On Friday, the Trolley Museum in downtown Scranton hosted a fundraiser for Scranton Tomorrow. $15 gave you access to a tasting of numerous dishes from restaurants all over the local area, wine, beer, and live music. There was no way I was going to pass up the sampling wonderland it promised, boasting over forty participating restaurants. Arriving fashionably fifteen minutes late, the museum was already packed, hungry socialites ready to indulge.

The jazzy live band was situated next to the wine bar, featuring a variety of Franzia. In true Scranton style, there was a disproportionately large amount of Italian restaurants present. Even Pizza Hut was there, touting their new family-style pasta dishes. Other chafing-dish adorned tables had pastas and rice dishes of all kinds. While none of the pasta was freshly made, the main points of differentiation were the sauce. Lightly colored vodka sauce sat next to the known and loved marinara and Bolognese. Cream sauces usually had peas, broccoli, peppers, and grilled chicken to accompany the pasta. There was a lack of tortellini, spaghetti, and ravioli, which I found surprising. Risotto dishes were flavored with button mushrooms and broccoli. The breaded eggplant parmesan was thinly sliced, covered in marinara and mozzarella cheese and melted in your mouth without being oily. The sausage and peppers (green only) were well spiced, hot, and only slightly greasy. An antipasto platter, pizza, which was clearly made off site and warmed before service, and garlic bread, also not fresh, rounded out the Italian menu.

The Hilton’s Catering service brought an interesting array including juicy BBQ chicken, a thinly sliced plantain dish, which was battered and fried, served with a purple onion and chive sauce, along with a lemongrass chicken dumpling. Kyoto/Blu Wasabi passed shitake, salmon, and cucumber rolls, while Applebee’s poured steaming hot spinach artichoke dip over tortilla chips. A variety of wings from Kildare’s and other bars ranged from a surprisingly spicy buffalo, to a sweet sesame. Eden, the vegan café, brought an acorn squash soup, which while very healthy, felt a little empty without the usual heavy cream. They also had a “tuna salad” sandwich and a “turkey club,” all made with tofu. The “tuna” had sea greens in it, giving it the fishy flavor one would expect, but the tofu could not recreate the salty, porky goodness of bacon required of a turkey club.

Other delectables included a chicken satay, which had a slight curry flavor, and was served with a thick peanut sauce. There were also stick-to-your-gut perogies with sautéed onions, dripping in oil, potato latkes with a ranch sauce, and a seafood chowder which had a broth base rather than the traditional red tomato or white cream. I was told that there was a shrimp dish, along with whitefish and caramelized onions, but both of these were snatched up so fast, I didn’t get a chance to try them. Northern Lights Café brought the coffee, while a myriad of cookies, small pastries, and a cake served as dessert.

While at first, the crowd was so heavy that getting to the food was almost frustrating, and servers had a difficult time maneuvering trays to replace empty ones, it was a fundraiser, so a turnout like that is a great success. I was told that other nights, similar to this one, are in the works, so we can look forward to more nights, with more bites, at a great price.

Is there a Doctor in the House?

As much as I love food, I am also (almost) equally enamored with wine. Thus, naturally, I am a member of the American Wine Society. For anyone wondering, the American Wine Society  "is the oldest and largest consumer based wine education organization in North America." I love it for a variety of reasons. First, monthly meetings consist of a $10 or $15 (premium) flight of wine tasting. This usually includes six wines, along with a presentation about either the wine itself, or about other viticulture related topics. Second, it is a completely non-threatening environment, as you run the same chance of sitting next to the local wine critic as you do someone who isn't 100% sure that Merlot makes a red wine. Lastly, everyone is friendly and open, often bringing cheese, crackers, meat, fruit, and other standard wine-tasting fare.

http://www.americanwinesociety.org/index.cfm

Last night, we had out monthly chapter meeting. A representative from Dr. Frank's vineyards presented six wines, three white and three red. Our wine evaluation chart consists of five categories: Appearance (3 points), aroma/bouquet (6 points), taste/texture (6 points), aftertaste (3 points), and overall impression (2 points). The chart also lists the price and the year of each wine tasted. There were about fifty people in attendance, broken into tables of about eight. Our table was, in general, in agreement regarding our evaluations. They were:

2009 Gruner Veltliner - $20 - 17 points
         There was a lot of pear, green apple, and a hint of green pepper on the nose. The alchohol also came through. However, despite the light color, the wine was full in the mouth and went down smooth. The finish was wonderful, not leaving your mouth dry or having any acidic aftertaste.

2009 Dry Riesling - $16 - 17 points
         A bright color, the fruit coming through the nose was much more subdued, bringing orange and grapefruit notes, perhaps with a bit of the rind to add a little punch. As with the veltliner, the riesling was rich and full-bodied in the mouth, echoing the grapefruit flavors from the aroma. The finish was very crisp and clean, and did not linger long after going down.

2008 Rkatsiteli - $20 - 15 points
         As before, this wine was very clear and light in color. One can smell the coming acidity almost a harshness, on the aroma. It smelled of mango, both the rind and fruit. It came through on the flavor as well, along with a hint of lime. For a third time, the light color betrayed the syrupy fullness of the wine which continued on into the finish.

2008 Pinot Noir - $20 - 10 points
         The pinot's aroma was spicy, smoky, and full of dried berries. However, the pungent aroma did not follow through on the palate, as the wine sort of fell flat, almost having a watered-down flavor. As the taste was not as present, neither was the finish.

2008 Lemberger - $25 - 10 points
        This red had a maroon tint, but not the full coloring. It seemed too clear. The alcohol present (close to 14% naturally. The presenter mentioned that they had to blend it to lower the content to avoid additional taxes) was harsh on the nose. That translated into a spicy bite on the toungue, continuing down the throat on the finish.

2008 Cabernet Franc - $20 - 13 points
         The maroon color was present here as well, but was much fuller and looked intentional. Mulberry, blackberry, and raspberry came through with a jammy sweetness on the nose. That flavor came at you fast as you drank it, but died quickly on the finish. As expected with a cab franc, there was strong tannic presence, leaving you wanting some sausage, smoked ham, or other spiced meat.

As you are gathering, Dr. Franc makes some great value white wines, but fell a little short on the reds. Still, the presenter was very informative and was able to answer any questions we had about the wine, grapes, etc. As usual, I walked away with some new friends, some great (and some not-so-great) wine to look out for in the store, and a wonderful night.

Wednesday Morning Wasabi Tzatziki

I work the late shift on Monday and Wednesday. This means I don’t have to come into work until 2:30, but have to stay until 11:00. As I live by myself, even sans animals, I have no problem with this work schedule. In fact, I love it because it means that on Mondays and Wednesdays, I either go out to lunch, taking full advantage of the cheaper version of dinner entrees, or make myself a more indulgent lunch. Today, I made tzatziki sauce.

In general, tzatziki is a yogurt-based sauce from Greece/Turkey. It consists of cucumber, yogurt, salt, and garlic. Other flavors usually include pepper, olive oil, lemon, dill, parsley, and mint. The sauce can vary in consistency from paste (much like a hummus) to a particulate liquid (like tomato juice) Tzatziki is usually served with gyros, pita, or other standard Greek fare. Personally, I like to use it in lue of ranch dressing in both salads and in a crudités platter. Like hummus, you can find it in both mainstream and specialty grocery stores, but if you ask me, they are over-priced and not as flavorful as making it yourself. Especially when it’s this easy!

I always say that cooking is an art, baking is a science. To that end, most recipes you find here do not have ingredient measures. I almost never cook with a recipe; rather, I taste everything as I go, letting my tongue dictate the dish’s components.

First thing is first, you need strained yogurt. You can buy Greek yogurt, which has a higher protein value and is much thicker than normal, but that, like the finished sauce, is also overpriced. Just take some plain yogurt (fat content is up to you), wrap about 1.5-2 cups in a paper towel or cheesecloth, put that in a strainer, and let it sit for about 30 min, or until liquid stops dripping off. You can leave it longer in the fridge if you want a thicker sauce; just make sure your yogurt doesn’t pick up any funky odors. It will look something like this:
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 Next, take 1 big cucumber (or 2 smaller ones), the strained yogurt, some salt, and a garlic clove, and throw it all into a food processor. Again, if you want a really thick sauce, you can strain the cucumber first. You can also peel the cucumber if the peel is too bitter for you.

At this point, my recipe opens to interpretation. Add whatever floats your boat. Need a little brightness? Add lemon. Really like garlic? Roast a few cloves to lessen the bite but keep the taste (and cancel your date that night). Want a more garden vegetable flavor? Add parsley and/or dill (fresh is always best). Me? I added some wasabi paste. The bite from the wasabi added great color and a wonderful punch. This is how it came out:

Now all I need is some lamb. Mint jelly? Pfft! Pass me some wasabi tzatziki!

New Friends at Cooper's Seafood

Last month, during Scranton's First Friday event, I met the Takehara family. Scranton is not known for its Japanese population, so I was excited to meet some great people with whom I could practice my Japanese. I had a wonderful dinner at their house consisting of steamed edamame, cucumbers with miso paste (both of which are Japanese festival food staples and were my contributions) along with rice, a pork and napa cabbage hot pot, and pickled daikon radish. Dinner was followed by various cookies and cakes imported from Japan, matcha green tea, and great conversation.

Our second outing was at Cooper's Seafood in downtown Scranton. Cooper's is generally recognized as the most fun and best seafood restaurant around. The decor is an assaulting assortment of sea-themed knick-knacks and memorabilia from the 80's.

Overall, its very casual, yet higher quality. I have been there a few times and can verify that their fame for their lobster bisque and crab chowder is legitimate. Any cream-based soup there is rich and decadent, but its heavy to the point that I wouldn’t make a meal out of it. If you are hungry enough, or are willing to share, I would go for the broiled seafood platter. It truly is a smattering of all their best offerings(lobster tails extra). The crab cakes have full pieces of crustacean and are not full of filler. The stuffed flounder full of both shrimp and crab, indulgent without being gluttonous. The scallops, shrimp, salmon, and haddock all taste fresh and do not need to be inundated with butter. And there are plenty of lemons to go around.

For lunch, they offer an all-you-can-east soup and salad for $7.99. The salad is fresh, with plenty of beets, blue cheese, tomato, and cucumber, but nothing to really differentiate it. Luckily, you can sample all of their soups this way. They are also running specials: 50 steamed clams for $7.99, or 1/2lb lobster tail with 2 sides for $19.99. I got the former, which came still in the steamer bag on a pizza-sized tray. Cleaned and rinsed, no grit at all, 50 clams went in my belly, while only 10 clams left my wallet for the privilege.

Food Fight Meetup 1/5/2011 - Aurant's

For anyone who is not already a member, Mettup.com is a great way to find groups of people in your area that share your interest. Not surprisingly, I have my alerts set for keywords like food, cooking, Japanese, wine, etc. Despite Scranton's small size I was able to find a group called 'Food Fight" It was started by the head chef at a restaurant called Gravity in Waymart PA. The first meetup was only 3 people at a Middle Eastern place called Savory Maza. A "Tour of Lebanan" platter and new friends made for a great night.
http://www.savorymaza.com/

Our second meetup was at one of my favorite local places, Aurants. The name is actually a play on words, 'rest-aurant'-->Aurants...a separation from the 'rest.' The head chef is Dave Ciminelli, and he puts together a wild array of flavors. He coats tofu in pretzels and pan fries them, give them a raspberry coulis and powdered sugar finish. His entree menu consists of proteins ranging from tuna, to fillets, to kangaroo! You select your preferred method of seasoning and preparation and a side. Every Wednesday is wing night. 6 Uniquely flavored wings like norzu and soy glaze, mango and coconut, garlic and curry, will only cost you $5. I had a "hog wrapped hog," which was a pork shank wrapped in bacon. I paired that with their kielbasa chowder. It was Manhattan style, with tons of clams. The kielbasa had a taste of cheddar inside it. While it is a general rule of thumb that cheese and seafood do not go, but this was tastefully done. Dessert was a fig crème brulee. The ramekin was served on a plate with house-made whipped cream. It was tasty, but the true brilliance of the place is in their savory dishes. Oh, and I forgot to mention that they have a staggering list of beers, many of which make their way into sauces and glazes on the menu. Overall, this is a great place, nice ambiance, and a knowledgeable staff. Can’t wait for the next meetup.
http://aurants.com/