Adana
Background:
Seattle native Chef Shota Nakajima (age 28) started in the restaurant business at the age of 16, working in and around Seattle at various Sushi restaurants. He then went to Osaka, Japan, to get a more formal education, working under Michelin-starred Chef Yasuhiko Sakamoto. Afterwards, he returned to Seattle and opened up Naka, a high-end Japanese restaurant that was too pricey for its Capitol Hill location. Nakajima renovated and rebranded the restaurant in early 2017 to Adana and changed the price point to make it more affordable. We visited Adana on our December ‘18 trip to Seattle. What did we think? Read on, Pancakes!
Eat This:
The menu offers a three-course tasting for $37, which is very reasonably for a tasting (also the Chef’s lucky number!). Each course has three options to choose from, making for a fun, relatively inexpensive experience. The entire menu changes every month, so each visit will be an entirely new experience.
First Course Dishes
Tempura
Delicata squash, curried mustard aioli
The squash was perfectly fried it still had an al dente crunch to each bite. The mustard aioli was spicy, but didn’t overpower the flavor of the squash.
Turnips
Black garlic bagna cotta sauce gribiche
The waitress described this dish as turnip forward, and it we would like to throw in turnip empowered as well. A good turnip is one of our favorite vegetables, and combined with the black garlic, this one was a winner. Gribiche is a French sauce made with egg yolks, oil, and mustard.
Second Course Dishes
Fried Octopus
Kimchi, shishito, cilantro, lime, kewpie
Octopus is maybe one of the hardest things to cook correctly. This lightly fried octopus was the best I’ve ever had. My favorite dish of the night.
Lima Beans
Clams, yuzu, mizuna, bonito
Yvonne loves beans as much as I hate them, so she ordered these to spite me, which is what you do when you’re married. I did sneak in a clam, though, which I thought was very good.
Third Course Dishes
Braised Short Ribs
Daikon, radish, green onion
Short ribs are not normally my go-to. If not cooked correctly they taste too gamey and tough for my liking. These guys were cooked perfectly, with a nice maple glaze that contrasted with the saltiness of the meat.
Black Cod
Celery root, dashi
Our waitress said the cod was the signature dish of the restaurant, so we couldn’t pass this one up. The cod tasted fresh and clean, with the celery root chips adding a nice crunch.
Dessert
Ice Cream
Foraged truffle and toasted almond
There were other desserts on the menu, but when the waitress said “foraged truffle” we said yes and didn’t ask about the price ($12/scoop, we found out later). My favorite was the truffle, but Yvonne really enjoyed the toasted almond. To each their own.
Atmosphere:
Adana is located in the hip Capitol Hill district of Seattle, nestled in between record shops, art galleries, and plenty of restaurants. The decor is modern––clean lines, lacquered wood tables, minimal art, and serious wooden chopsticks, but yet still feels welcoming. Most of the dining room is recessed below the kitchen with a catwalk in between, so that the front of the house can keep an eye on all the diners from up above. The vibe reminded me a lot of Maido in Peru, which was a modern take on Japanese cuisine.
Japanattle Hospitality:
A big trend in Seattle is for the restaurant to include a 20% tip on every meals. On the bottom of the menu it tells you where that 20% goes to (60% to your waiter, 25% to 401k plan, and 15% to health insurance, etc). Here at Scallionpancake headquarters we love this idea, and believe it creates a living wages for everyone in the restaurant, not just the waiters. This, in turn, makes for more qualified, happier staff members and an overall better experience for the customers. Adana participates in this, and our waitress was amazing. She was there to answer any of our questions and overall led us through a great dining experience.
Frankie’s Notes:
A three course tasting menu for $37? We’ll take three!; We literally do not have the ability to pass up a truffle dish if it’s on the menu, no matter the price; One day we will have a custom fancy set of chopsticks to pass down as heirlooms to our children; Yuzu > Lemon every.single.time.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Top Five Dishes of 2018
The moment before Noma
Scallionpancake Top Dishes of 2018:
In addition to our top five restaurants of 2018, we decided to spice things up and rate our top five dishes of 2018, like we did last year. Sometimes, we really love a particular dish at a certain restaurant, or something smaller at a casual place that is worthy of the title of "best dish," when "best restaurant" doesn't quite make the cut. Without further ado, here are our top five dishes of 2018!
Jason
1. FIVE AGES OF PARMIGIANO REGGIANO
Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy
Our overall experience at Osteria Francescana was a slight disappointment, but the the most famous dish by Massimo Bottura was excellent. I could have eaten 100 of these.
2. SHAWARMA OF CELERIAC AND TRUFFLE
Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark
You knew we weren’t going to get through this list without a dish from Noma. I had to think long and hard about which dish to choose, and I ultimately chose the celeriac shawarma because of how unique it was. This was 100% vegetarian and it tasted like the best, most savory meat shawarma you’ve ever had. Of course the truffle sauce didn’t hurt, and also the sourdough bread to mop up the sauce was next level, too.
3. Almond Granita
Caffè Sicilia, Noto, Sicily
We saw the Chef’s Table on Corrado Assenza and immediately booked a flight to Sicily. We came for the almond granita, and we were not disappointed. Words can’t describe how clean and natural the almond flavor is, so just stare at the picture and then book your Ryanair flight stat.
4. #19
Langers, Los Angeles, CA
You haven’t had rye bread until you’ve had the rye bread at Langers in LA. Put a pastrami reuben in between two slices of the heavenly bread and you’ve got yourself one of the best sandwiches in the world.
5. Aqua chile
Sanchez, Copenhagen, Denmark
This was one of the most unique dishes we had in Copenhagen. Think of a very spicy ceviche with mostly Danish ingredients and a strawberry acid broth.
Honorable Mention: Pickled Onion Rings
Majordomo, Los Angeles, CA
A revelation that could have easily made the top five if we hadn’t spent so much time in Copenhagen this year. These onion rings were the best I’ve ever had.
Yvonne
1. Mold Pancake
Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark
Oh Noma. You are my whole life. Jason didn’t have as strong a feeling about this dish as I did, but my goodness, it blew me away. A tortilla with, yes, mold growing on it, much like the rind of brie cheese. The inside was filled with a shock of cold, creamy ice cream and a balsamic fig sauce. I can’t even conceive how someone could conceive of it, you dig?
2. FIVE AGES OF PARMIGIANO REGGIANO
Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy
While much of our experience at Osteria Francescana left something to be desired, Massimo Bottura’s most famous dish did not disappoint in the slightest, and both of us felt that it made the trip to Modena worthwhile in a single bite. Parmesan is such a rich, umami flavor, and getting all of the different ages and textures together was nothing short of mind-blowing. Also, the portion was more generous that what you would expect for a tasting menu, which pleased us thoroughly, as we both could have eaten a vat.
3. Roast Chicken
Amass, Copenhagen, Denmark
On our second visit to Amass (we also went in November 2017), we dined a la carte at the bar. During this meal, we had a roast chicken from Hegnsholt farm with a sauce made from reduced carrot and almond milk, and it blew me away. I typically don’t even like chicken, and I never order it. This changed my worldview. I could drink this sauce on the daily.
4. Almond Granita
Caffè Sicilia, Noto, Sicily
Oh, Corrado Assenza, you are a god among men. Eating the classic Sicilian breakfast of warm brioche and creamy almond milk granita was a life experience I won’t soon forget. Whereas most Italian granitas are made with a syrup (which is still delicious, mind you), Assensa’s family version is made with a freshly-made almond milk, which retains the grittiness and full-bodied flavor of the Sicilian almonds used to make it. Neither the brioche or the granita are overly sweet, and though this seems like an intense breakfast option, I promise it simply hits the spot.
5. AS THE DRIFTER RESTS, IN REVERIE OF DAYS AHEAD
Atelier Crenn, San Francisco, CA
The coconut dessert from Atelier Crenn is as if I imagined the ideal dessert in my mind and Dominique Crenn brought it to life. Imagine a creamy coconut pudding studded with pineapples inside of a bowl made entirely of chocolate. Yeah. That sort of begins to cover it. Also, the portion was exceedingly generous for a dish that comes near the end of a 17 course tasting menu, which I appreciated. Just because I’ve eaten a lot doesn’t mean I want to skimp on dessert, you feel me?
Honorable Mention:
Jasper Hill Farm Cheesecake
In Situ, San Francisco, CA
We want to go to Spain to try this dish in the flesh. The Jasper Hill Farm Cheesecake with hazelnut, white chocolate, and cookies, inspired by Albert Adria’s dish from Tickets in Barcelona.
It’s cheese. It’s chocolate. It’s a party.
Honorable Mention:
Kato’s Silken Tofu
Upstream, Charlotte, NC
This beauty had soymilk, pickled shimeji mushrooms, ikura & fried ginger
Sad to lose Kato to Chicago (again)
Top Five Restaurants of 2018
Oh…Hi….Massimo Bottura.
What a year! It’s hard to believe this is our fourth year of blogging and our fourth annual best restaurant list. This year was extra special, as we spent a month eating heavily in our favorite city in the world, Copenhagen. Not only that, we went to Noma, Eleven Madison Park, and Osteria Francescana this year. Which of them made our ultimate list for 2018? Read on to find out!
Jason
Celeraic shawarma
Magical fish
2. Bardo popup with Chef Jake Bickelhaupt
Charlotte, NC
Bardo is the best restaurant in Charlotte. Hands down. Chef Mike Knoll of Bardo worked with Chef Jacob Bickelhaupt in Chicago. Bickelhaupt had a two Michelin Star restaurant in Chicago, 42 Grams, which shut down because of a domestic violence incident with his ex-wife. He is holding pop-up dinners around the country, and he held a one day pop-up in Charlotte where he and Chef Knoll served a 12-course tasting menu that was incredible.
Honey ice cream with a bee pollen magic shell
San Francisco, CA
Atelier Crenn is chronically underrated by the Top 50 Best Restaurants list, but not by Scallionpancake. Of all of our out-of-town high-end dining experiences, this was second only to Noma for 2018. And this dessert? The best. Coconut and pineapple custard with a chocolate outside that is made to look like a coconut.
I am a happy man at EMP
New York, NY
Eleven Madison Park was very contentious in the Scallionpancake household. It didn’t live up to our expectations, but it was still, in my opinion, a spectacular evening. The best dish was the duck, but the rest of the courses were also excellent. The only part I found truly lacking were the dessert courses.
Finnish blueberry vodka
5. Restaurant Kuu
Helsinki, Finland
This meal at Kuu was one of those that stands out when taking into account the perspective of the time and place. Here, I had reindeer for the first time with a glass of Finnish blueberry vodka. To me, this meal encapsulated our weekend in Helsinki perfectly.
Back on my college stomping grounds, NYU’s Florence campus
Yvonne
I am only truly happy in Noma’s hygge room
It’s NOMA, bish
1. Noma
Copenhagen, Denmark
This isn’t even a fair fight. Noma was not just a restaurant for me, it was a major life event. As we’ve mentioned often on the blog and podcast, I often go into experiences with little to no expectations in order to avoid disappointment, and Noma was no exception. I really wasn’t prepared for how much Noma’s atmosphere, service, food, and creativity would blow me away. From being greeted at the door by René Redzepi to the celeriac shawarma, to the hygge room, I am not sure if any other dining experience will ever live up to Noma.
Maybe not dressed properly for Atelier Crenn
2. Atelier Crenn
San Francisco, CA
Everyone knows how I feel about Dominique Crenn and Atelier Crenn, and Jason and I cried tears of joy for her when she finally achieved her third Michelin Star earlier this month. Atelier Crenn’s tasting menu with the accompanying poetic flare was so thoughtful, and every single flavor and texture just made my heart sing. Something about her food really speaks to my soul and my tastebuds, particularly her desserts. So many similar restaurants dial in the dessert options, but Crenn didn’t make them an afterthought.
I don’t even usually like chicken, hand to god
3. Amass
Copenhagen, Denmark
I know that this choice will shock and intrigue Jason (no--we don’t talk about our picks together at all. We don’t want any undue influence on one another). We ate a much larger meal at Amass last year, but somehow it didn’t leave the same impression as the small, non-tasting meal we had at Amass this summer. I had been dreaming of their fermented potato bread since the last time we had it, and it remains one of my favorite things of life. Imagine the best sourdough you’ve ever eaten, but even tangier and doughier. This visit, we dined at the bar, sipped on the best Aperol Spritz I’ve ever tasted, and just had the loveliest time. If you are visiting Copenhagen, I recommend ordering sitting at the bar and ordering a la carte over the tasting menu for sure. You do have to sit at the bar or counter for this option, though, and seats are first come, first served. The atmosphere is second to none, also. Amass is housed in a giant warehouse overlooking the water, and the giant murals are majorly fun and change regularly.
You eat this salad WITH YOUR HANDS. I know there’s a fork there. That’s irrelevant.
4. Al’s Place
San Francisco, CA
We went to Al’s Place with our friends (and friends of the blog and pod) Sharon and Andrew when we visited San Francisco in May. Everything about our evening was magical, from the company to the salad you eat with your hands. I loved the emphasis of fresh vegetables with zero compromise on flavor. Also, these radishes with butter made one of the prettiest plates I’d ever seen. From the brine-pickled french fries to the warm brownie sundae, I was in heaven for the entirety of this meal.
PICKLED FRIED ONION RINGS omg
5. Majordomo
Los Angeles, CA
David Chang is the god of umami, and I love everything I’ve eaten at all of his restaurants, and all of his dishes are highly memorable for me. Majordomo was up there with Ko as far as the all around experience, and the bing bread and pickled onion rings with French onion dip skyrocketed Majordomo into my top five late in the year. We also met two fabulous ladies out on a girls’ night, and sitting next to them and getting to know them just made the evening that much more enjoyable. Chang is masterful at creating fine dining experiences that are the polar opposite of stuffy, and I always feel free and giddy while eating at his restaurants. I am not surprised we met new friends at Majordomo, because that’s just the vibe that Chang has cultivated in this space.
Honorable Mention: Bardo
Charlotte, NC
Bardo is our favorite restaurant in Charlotte, and every experience there transports us and makes us feel that we’ve left home for a bit. Beyond the inventive and delicious food and drink, Jason Whiteside, Mike Noll, and Amanda Britton have made us feel like a part of their family, and now each visit is even more special than the last. Bardo makes Jason feel happy and relaxed, and since he works so hard and is always so busy, I am so appreciative that we have a food oasis in Bardo that is transformative for my husband during a hectic workweek.
WHATTA YEAR. Bye, 2018.
Top 25 Restaurants in Charlotte: 2018 Edition
Listen to our podcast on the Top 25 Restaurants in Charlotte 2018
We decided it was about time that Scallionpancake ranked the top restaurants in Charlotte, especially after some other outlets posted top ffity lists that we didn't quite agree with, which we say in the most southern way possible #blesstheirhearts.
Let's get some caveats out of the way. We live in Uptown, so proximity may play a role (though we’ve been known to drive 40 minutes for Whit’s Custard regularly). We know we haven't been to a lot of off-the-beaten path ethnic restaurants, so we apologize in advance for that, and we welcome your suggestions if you have a favorite. Next, we are only doing restaurants located in Charlotte proper. This means no Kindred, Hello Sailor, or Flipside.
Also, any sort of chain with a location outside of Charlotte, didn’t make our list. Yes, we're talking to you, Viva Chicken (and DeSano!). Finally, we have to have gone there, obviously. While we clearly dine out often (too often, perhaps), there are a few Charlotte staples, like Fig Tree or McNinch House which we just haven't made it to yet. If we haven't gone, we can't put you on the list. (Yume and The Waterman—we are coming for you soon!). Also, even though we ate at Noma this year (sorry, we had to say it one more time), we don’t discount casual joints. Places where you order at a counter mingle among white-tablecloth establishments, because good food is good food, and everything else is just window dressing.
Without further ado, we present Scallionpancake's Top 25 Restaurants of 2018:
1. Bardo
Bardo is the best restaurant in Charlotte, and nowhere else even comes close. It’s the first restaurant in town to receive a coveted Michigan Pug. The flavors and textures are next level. Our favorites on the menu are the Cobia, egg and grains, ribeye, and tortellini.
2. Haberdish
The quintessential Charlotte restaurant. The unpretentious food is affordable, really freaking good, and showcases the best of traditional and modern southern food. If it's your first time, you have to get the fried chicken and mac and cheese with chicken skins. Don't skip a cocktail, either! Haberdish is also tops for brunch.
3. The Stanley
Chef Paul Verica, formerly of The Heritage in Waxhaw, opened up The Stanley in May and it has quickly become one of the best in Charlotte. It’s farm to table, so the menu changes almost daily based on what’s available.
The tapas style restaurant has such a variety of food, from sushi rolls to their signature watermelon pork belly tacos, that it's hard to believe a restaurant could do everything this well. But Soul pulls it off and then some. Plus, the vibe is the best in Charlotte. Sit at the bar for the most fun.
5. futo Buta
Years ago, Chef Michael Shortino was one of the first chefs to show that Charlotte was ready for good food. Futo Buta is serving up some of the best ramen in the Southeast. Our favorite is the Fire and Ice.
6. Stoke
Stoke has been our top Uptown restaurant for a while. The vibe is one of the coolest in Charlotte, and the food is always excellent. The star of the show is the donut with diplomat cream. Make sure you bring friends so you aren’t judged when you order one for yourself.
7. Kabab Je
Ever since Kabob Grill closed (RIP), Kabab Je holds the title of best Mediterranean food in town. The pita. THE PITA. It’s the best. Sorry, Yafo. Get the lamb kabob and lots of sides.
8. Zeppelin
Zeppelin has an old school vibe, a great cocktail bar, and fantastic food. Some of our favorites are the lobster avocado toast, the yellowtail crudo, and all of their desserts.
9. The Asbury
Putting Yvonne’s hatred of The Dunhill aside, The Asbury always has unique and fun plays on traditional southern cooking. They also have an excellent brunch. It’s our family’s go-to before a Panthers game.
10. Dot Dot Dot
The Park Road speakeasy is serving up some of Charlotte’s most inventive dishes. Cold smoked fried chicken? Yes, pease. American Wagyu with truffle glacé? You don’t have to tell us twice. Take your hot date or your hot mistress. Either will be impressed.
Chef Shortino did it again when he opened up Lincoln’s Haberdashery in early 2018. It’s one of the coolest hangouts in town, and everything on the menu is good. Our go-to is the 13th: house-made mozzarella, La Quercia prosciutto, fresh basil, and extra virgin olive oil.
12. 300 East
A Charlotte classic with Ashley Boyd at the helm of the knock-out dessert program. Wood sorrel ice cream with lavender honey cake? YES, WE’LL TAKE 300 PLEASE.
13. Beef & Bottle
Photo from wheretraveler.com
Beef & Bottle has been around for 40+ years in Charlotte, and it’s as old school of a steakhouse as you can find. It’s a great date night or special occasion location. They also might have the tastiest onion rings in Charlotte.
Organic at its best. Siggy is cooking up some of the best food around, and it happens to be good for you, too. Everything on her menu we’ve enjoyed, but our go-to is the steak sandwich.
15. Flour Shop
The best pasta in Charlotte is at Flour Shop. Go sit at their gigantic bar and watch the chefs do their thing Their house-made burrata is a must order.
16. Lang Van
Lang Van is Charlotte’s best Vietnamese restaurant. The service here is incredible. We’ve gone six months without eating here and they still remember our orders. It’s pretty amazing. Oh, and the food is incredible, too.
A BBQ Joint with a Korean twist. Everything here is good and is known to cause middle of the night cravings. The unique sides have us coming back over and over again. Our favorites are the date tea, brisket, fire chicken, tofu wings, and potato swirl.
18. La Belle Helene
Charlotte’s new French restaurant is an instant hit for its food and stunning art deco decor. You can tell if a French restaurant is good based on the chicken, and LBH’s chicken is off the chain. Also, don’t forget about their desserts, including this amazing rhum baba.
19. Inizio Pizza napoletana
Inizio’s Neapolitan style pizza takes the cake, or dare we say pie, for the best Charlotte-based pizza place. If you’ve never been, try their classic margherita and the pistachio. Also, don’t sleep on the cannoli.
20. Bang Bang Burgers
The best burgers in town are at Bang Bang. Their short-lived Bang Bang Bites were a quick favorite of ours, but we keep going back for the big guys. Make sure you order the onion rings.
21. Sea Level
In general, Charlotte lacks good seafood restaurants. Sea Level is changing that, bringing in fresh local fish from the coast. Their lobster rolls are off the chain, and don’t overlook their fried chicken sandwich.
22. Ru Sans
We’ve tried all the local sushi joints, and we keep coming back to Ru Sans over all the rest. Our staple rolls are the Green Dragon, Ultimate Tuna, Sunshine, and the Chipotle Roll. Haters, back down. We also are not ranking them based on the lunch buffet. Chill. And don’t eat at sushi buffets. That’s on you.
23. Omaggio Pizzaria
The Roman-style pizza at Omaggios is just a bit behind Inizio, but not by much. It’s a thiner crust here, but the ingredients are top notch. Try something with pepperoni, which we think is the best in town.
24. Tea Fusion cafe
We’ve been known to drive up to University late at night, pugs in tow, to have the best bubble tea, shaved ice, and Vietnamese sandwiches in Charlotte. If you’re into Thai iced tea, Tea Fusion has one of the tastiest in Charlotte.
25. Laurel market
Laurel Market has the Charlotte breakfast sandwich game wrapped up, and they are all between 4-6 dollars. We especially love the Mercado, which is bacon, egg, and pepper jack cheese with spicy chipotle spread.
Never Doubt Phil Rosenthal: Go to Langer's Delicatessan
Background:
Here at Scallionpancake headquarters, we are obsessed with Phil Rosenthal. You might know him as the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond, but we know him as the star of the best food show in the world: Somebody Feed Phil. Phil is our type of guy. He’s Jewish. He loves good food. He loves to travel and centers his travel around food. And he would talk to anyone or anything. We can’t say enough good things about Phil, and he seems like the nicest guy in Hollywood.
Phil has been many places we have been, including Copenhagen, where we basically used his episode like a travel guide and he did not disappoint us. So when we knew we were going to LA, Phil’s home, we had to go where he said to go. Phil’s Los Angeles episode came out in 2015, but a lot has changed in three years. Some places have shut down, moved, or changed chefs; however, the one place that has not changed and will probably never change is Langer’s Deli.
Langer’s is a Jewish style deli that was opened in 1947 by Albert Langer to cater to an influx of Jews that were moving into Los Angeles. He bought the space for $14,500 and started operating the deli with just his wife and a dishwasher. Today, Langer’s is an institution, receiving the American Classic award from the James Beard Foundation in 2001, and, of course, receiving the highest accolade by Phil, who named it the best Pastrami sandwich in the world.
There are very few traditional Jewish delis left in the country. Most in New York have shut down, leaving Katz on the Lower East Side as the lone survivor. Langer’s is the NY Jewish Deli of Los Angeles, and in a lot of ways it outshines the New York originals.
We went to Langer’s with my parents, knowing that my dad loves old school Jewish delis. He talks about dearly departed ones in New York a lot, and whenever we go to a city he is always looking for that slice of the past. My dad has also recently taken up eating meat, after about a 20 year hiatus. So it was go-time on pastrami. My dad, and my grandma, and probably my grandma’s grandma, also have a yearning for good Jewish rye bread, which we just don’t get in Charlotte. I guess the one good thing they could get in the shtetls in Europe was rye bread. Once you’ve had a real rye, it’s hard to go to the local bakeries and feel impressed. So, if you want to remain impressed by Charlotte’s bread scene, don’t go to Langer’s.
Eat This:
If you are going once, there is only one thing to order, and that’s the #19. This is a pastrami reuben with hot pastrami, Swiss, Russian dressing, and coleslaw served on their famous twice baked rye bread. When the waiter gives you the menu with a million items don’t even look at it. PUT THAT MENU DOWN. Don’t try and out think your Langer’s experience, do what you came here for and get the #19. If you’re going with multiple people, let them make the mistake of not getting the #19.
#19
Hot pastrami, coleslaw, Swiss, Russian dressing, rye bread
This is as good as advertised. You haven’t had pastrami until you’ve had the hot pastrami from Langer’s or Katz Deli. What sets this apart is the rye bread. It’s the best rye bread in the world. They don’t make the bread on site, but they bake it again once it gets to the deli, which makes the crust perfectly crunchy and the inside so soft.
Pastrami Fries
Here’s the sign of a great place. Their fries were outstanding. They were the perfect balance of slightly crunchy on the outside and soft and moist on the inside. Top it with their famous pastrami and cheese and YAHTZEE ––you’ve got yourself a new Langer’s classic.
Tomato sardines
You are either into sardines or you aren’t. If you are, these sardines swimming in tomato sauce are delicious and a great way to start your meal. Plus they come with a side of rye bread, which you will want to start hoarding immediately once you taste it.
Drink This:
Egg Cream
Egg creams are staples of traditional Jewish delis. They consist of milk, carbonated water, and chocolate syrup. (Confused? Yes, there is no egg or cream in the egg cream). I guess this was a tactic back in the day to get your kids to drink more milk. If you’ve never had an egg cream, Langer’s is a great place to have your first.
Atmosphere:
Langer’s has the old school Jewish vibe down pat. You walk in and you feel like you’re in 50s or 60s New York, but with a classic Los Angeles twist. This article from the Los Angeles Times in 1986 paints a great picture of some of the conversations happening at Langer’s and the atmosphere, which hasn’t changed in 60+ years. It’s a great place to bring your parents or grandparents just for this reason––they’ll feel like they are back in time.
Angelino Jewish Hospitality:
Our waiter, Peter, seemed to have worked at Langers for 30+ years, like most of the other waiters. The place is run like a well-oiled machine. There is a line to wait in outside before you are seated, but on the Saturday we went, we only had to wait about five minutes. Once you’re in, you’re taken to your seat and the magic begins where you hop on a time machine a few decades back. The extra touches are added, such as extra rye bread, pickles, or whatever else you need. You also pay upfront at the cash register, right in front of a Dodgers #19 jersey.
Frankie’s Notes:
If Frankie could be made into one bread when he dies, it would be the rye bread from Langer’s; #19 happens to be the best thing on the menu and Yvonne’s favorite number, so it worked out well for her; Pro Tip: Don’t be scared to order two #19s and take one home with you; My mom ordered the chopped liver sandwich, and that was a huge mistake; Don’t miss the halva by the cash register when you’re checking out!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Langer’s is the best Jewish-style deli on the West Coast. It might even be the best in the US, and this is coming from both Phil (a native New Yorker) and Jason (lived in New York for seven years). Bernard (my dad) also said it was the best of the best, and was glad we made a detour to go. As Phil knows, a compliment from your dad that a restaurant is good is pretty much the highest compliment a place can receive.
PS––the fact that I just wrote Phil and Jason in the same sentence made one of the top 10 moments of my life.
Bernard looking over the gigantic menu (PUT IT DOWN BERNARD!! #19 only!)
Majordomo is David Chang's Latest Food Mecca
Photo Courtesy of Eater LA
Background:
It’s no secret that we love David Chang. So, this review is going to be biased. I hope you’ll forgive us. We’ve been to many of his US restaurants, including Noodle Bar, Ko, Ssäm Bar, Má Pêche, Momofuku Las Vegas. We tried to go to Momofuku CCDC, but there was a two hour wait. So, if you’re expecting a semi-negative review, you can read this one by Jonathan Gold, may he rest in peace.
Let’s first start with how you get a reservation and a little insight into how some members of the family feel about our food hobby. Majordomo opens up reservations 30 days out. You’d better be ready, or else you’re not getting a reservation. I am a master of snagging reservations, so I got one for Monday night. However, we were with my parents and visiting family in Santa Monica, and everyone refused to drive to downtown LA for a dinner reservation. We eventually convinced my parents to go and got a reservation for four. However, in a disappointing turn of events, they decided to take a train to San Diego rather than eat with us at Majordomo and drive to San Diego afterward. Let that sink in. They preferred to take a train three hours rather than eat at a Chang restaurant and get to San Diego in two hours by car, with their loving family. Ahem. I will hold this against both of them for all eternity, as any good Jew would.
Normally I wouldn’t care, but at Majordomo you want to try a lot of things, and with six people, you can try almost half the menu. With two, we could get a few dishes but it left us wanting more. Now that some parts of the family will never talk to us again, let’s get down to business.
Majordomo opened on January 23, 2018 in an LA warehouse on the edge of Chinatown. This place is off the beaten path, and when we showed up, it took us about five minutes to realize we were in the right place and not in a random alley about to get mugged. This is Chang’s 13th restaurant, and the first in LA. He moved to LA to open the restaurant and also start his media company, Majordomo Media, under which he currently does a great podcast about once a week. If you haven’t listened to the David Choe episode, go ahead and give that one a listen. It’s an instant classic.
Mojodōmo by night
Majordomo is unlike any of Chang’s other restaurants. For one, it’s massive, wIth a huge interior and exterior patio. There is no bumping elbows at crappy seats like his original Noodle Bar. There is a large focus on vegetable dishes, something that Chang has admittedly stayed away from in the past. It feels very LA, but still retains the feel of the Momofuku brand. You’ll see familiar ingredients, such as Benton’s Reserve ham and Crown Finish Caves’ cave aged butter. You’ll also be able to enjoy one of Chang’s signature large sharing plates, which at Majordomo is a whole smoked pork shoulder. We didn’t get that this time, thanks mom and dad. #notbitter.
All in all, it’s an instant Chang classic. It’s already been named one of the top new restaurants in the country by Eater, and it’s sure to remain hot in LA for the near future. On the night we went, Chang was there supervising everything, so make sure you get there soon while he’s still honing and perfecting the menu, and maybe you too will be fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of a food god in action.
Eat this:
Majordomo is only open for dinner, and we went the day after Daylight Savings Time, which means terrible lighting for our pictures. We apologize in advance.
Bing
With foie gras, ricotta, jam
For bread, Majordomo does a play on a traditional Chinese bread, called bing. They give you about ten options of dipping accouterments, including spicy lamb, ham, pork neck, and cave aged butter with white sturgeon caviar. We decided to go with the foie gras with ricotta and jam. The foie gras was chilled and shaved, an homage to one of the most famous dishes at Chang’s Ko in New York. The waitress described this as tasting like peanut butter and jelly, but that doesn’t do the dish justice. This was an A+ winner.
Grilled Prime Skirt Steak
With pickled onion rings and french onion dip
BREAKING PUG NEWS: the pickled onion rings were one of the top five things we’ve eaten all year, hands down. I love sides, and often order dishes based on the sides. The steak was incredible, but the onion rings outshined the steak and frankly blew our minds.
Smoked Cabbage
brown butter, macadamia
I gravitate towards anything smoked, and this cabbage was like eating tender brisket on the plains of Texas. It doesn’t stick out on the menu, but it’s a must try. Shout out to our great waitress for suggesting it.
Fried Skate Rice
Scallion, egg, chili sauce
They fried up a whole skate and put it in there, and some of it wouldn’t fit, so they put it on the side for us. This was a take on fried rice I’ve never had. Jonathan Gold described it as a play on bibimbap, which I totally agree with. This was good, though not one of my favorites of the night.
Desserts:
Banana/Chocolate Pudding
This thing had more layers than Pete Davidson/Ariana Grande’s relationship. Chocolate pudding, banana mouse, chocolate cake bits. If we weren’t extremely full (and hadn’t already ordered another dessert), we probably would have had two of these.
Passion Fruit Kakigori
with lemon meringue
This was big, like Big Bird, or Yvonne’s diamond ring #bling. Passion fruit is an underrated fruit if you ask me, and the passionfruit shaved ice with the meringue made for a great end to the meal.
Drink:
I ordered the iced tea, which I think I had about three before realizing there were no free refills. Yvonne ordered the Gibson, which was gin, dry vermouth, and kimchi consommé served in a chilled Lucky Peach Momofuku labeled bottle. Yvonne loved this drink and tried to bribe the waitress to keep the Momofuku bottle, but she wouldn’t let us. I believe this is Yvonne’s second biggest regret of her life after not eating the Chocolate Bomba at Astrid and Gaston in Peru.
Atmosphere:
I loved the open feel of the restaurant and the large patio. We ended up sitting out on the patio and making new best friends in Grace and Gillian, both LA power players who work in the industry, and that’s all we can say about that. We ended up giving them half of our meal, because we ordered for at least four people, even though it was just us (don’t ever let the waitress tell you how to live your life, no matter how many times she says that you’ve ordered more than enough food for two people). We had the best of times. I even committed to hook up my friend Branden with Grace’s new boyfriend’s ex-wife. LA BABY.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that’s David Chang you see there looking through the kitchen.
Majordomo Hospitality:
In most of Chang’s other restaurants, the service can range from aloof to hostile. You are there to eat, not to chat up the waiters at Noodle Bar. Majordomo is completely different, and the servers are friendly and attentive. They even have blankets for those outside who are chilly, like my wife. The waitress guided us through the menu and recommended items to us, some of which we completely ignored, but those we did get on her suggestion were top notch.
Frankie’s Notes:
Frankie would have gone along to Majordomo with mom and dad to eat his fair share, if only his face wasn’t smooshed and he could travel in a plane; Pickled onion rings should win David Chang a Nobel Prize for S-e-x-y; Gillian had a great idea of making the Kakori shaved ice alcoholic, something we are going to support in 2020 with CA Prop 72; Never ask if you can take an item from a restaurant, just stick in your purse and beg for forgiveness later; Never forget the pen incident of May 2018.
Rating: 5 out of 5 + 1 Michigan pug
The Experience of Taste
Sanpietrino from Gelateria Fassi in Rome, Italy
People often ask us, “Why food”? Why do we spend the money we spend traveling the world going to fancy restaurants, or why on earth do we drive three hours to try a hole-in-the-wall BBQ joint? The answer is both complex and simple. First and foremost, we love food. We love discovering new flavors, making connections with things we’ve tasted to dishes we’ve had in the past, and we love going to restaurants and feeling the vibe of the place.
But more than that, we love the experience of food. We love going to a restaurant and knowing that on that night, we’re one of the lucky people who are able to taste the food a chef prepares. It’s a completely unique sensory experience that can only be had in that place and time. We believe that food is one of the last, if not the last, great sensory experience in modern culture.
Humans long for experiences. Whether Greek Theatre in Athens or modern sports complexes and concert halls, people throughout history love to gather together at events. There is a certain badge of honor to say that you were at the Stanford Band Football Game or saw the Beatles at Shea Stadium, just as it was back in Roman times when you saw a great gladiator fight.
Sipping bees wax broth with pollen at Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark
All of these events happened before the advent of social media, high definition TVs, or the internet, and the truth is that the traditional forms of entertainment have lost a unique aura about them. There is nothing unique that can happen now that isn’t shared on Twitter in fewer than two minutes, whether it’s a highlight dunk in a basketball game, or a crazy set by Kanye West. Is the experience we have watching on our phones the same as in person? No. But sometimes, the experience on the phone can be just as good, if not better. If you go to a basketball or football game, you’ll see a lot of people watching the big screen instead of the actual players. Big concerts focus more now on the visual effects than the music themselves. It’s a hard argument to make that what you experience at the Super Bowl in the upper deck is better than watching it on an 82-inch plasma TV.
Modern society has led to the democratization of sight and sound. These senses can be shared, liked, and retweeted, with the consumption being not vastly different than if the experience was happening live and in person. Yet, as humans, we still strive to find that unique, unequivocal experience that makes us feel special. This is where taste and food have come to the forefront for the millennial generation.
Taste is the last great sense that cannot be replicated by technology. Sure, you can see an Instagram picture of food, but you can’t taste the food through social media—at least not yet. It’s our senses that can still provide us an experience that is unique, yet sharable among friends. The best and most famous food destinations, whether they’re restaurants, stands, shacks, or carts, provide a person with a one-time-only taste of a particular food served on a particular day that is best shared communally. This experience cannot be replicated or duplicated, because each “performance” of a meal is different. Even if a dish is the same, the ingredients might be slightly different, the chef preparing it might be in a different mood, the weather outside could be different, the restaurant could have a new oven, etc. Not to mention that the eater could be in a different mood, their taste buds have changed, their palate widened, etc. That’s why you can go to the same restaurant two weeks in a row, order the same dishes, and have two different experiences.
Piranha from Central in Lima, Peru
Food requires time. Each meal is unique, yet what makes the meal different than a concert or sporting event is that the taste cannot be replicated or written down. Taste cannot be shared. And that’s what makes food and the restaurant experience magical and amazing. Our taste is the one thing that truly still relies on our own imagination and memory. It’s no longer necessary to remember a play, sporting event, or concert, because you can just watch or listen to it over and over again. Taste only lives in our mind, which makes the experience of tasting and connecting the dots of a taste memory that much richer and more rewarding. This is why some of our strongest and earliest memories are of food and meals, because our other memories have been replaced with pictures or video of the moment, and we remember those pictures and videos more than the events themselves.
Food also requires place. You have to go to a particular location to get the food you’re looking for, whether it’s grandma’s house or a backstreet in Tokyo. You can’t just order the duck from Eleven Madison Park in NYC and have it get delivered to your door, or if you did, it certainly isn’t going to taste good two days later. In this way, food is one of the great joys of travel that truly has to be experienced in the moment and cannot be brought back as a souvenir (yes, you can bring back that box of Belgian chocolates, but they are not going to last forever!).
When an activity requires time and place, you have the opportunity for a “wow” experience. Going to a fancy restaurant is always a crap shoot, because there are so many variables. However, when the timing is right, there is nothing more magical and exciting than a great meal.
Spread at Franklin BBQ in Austin, TX
The Truth is Out There: Siggy's Good Food
Background:
When we first heard of Siggy’s, we weren’t sure what to expect. The name and logo came off as a bit kitschy, and the alien theme threw us off a bit. But we had heard good things, especially from New Yorkers who went to the original locations in Brooklyn Heights and the Village. And if a New Yorker says something is good, we always believe them. So we headed on over to Belmont, an up and coming neighborhood in Charlotte in between NoDa and Plaza Midwood, to see if the alien hype was to be believed. Whether you believe in aliens or not, Siggy’s Good Food does indeed have good food, and it’s worth a visit.
Siggy’s is owned by Siggy Solitto, a feisty Israeli who isn’t afraid to tell you how it is, like that Charlotte needs some good bakeries, or that the NYC restaurant scene is becoming too expensive for small restaurants like hers to survive. Her restaurant is 100% organic, and she doesn’t accept crappy produce. Quality shines through in her simple and thoughtfully prepared menu. You think you’ve had a good beet and goat cheese salad? Wait until you’ve tried Siggy’s. The flavors and textures of her dishes are outstanding, craveable, and left us wanting more days later.
Eat This:
Siggy opened up her first restaurant in Brooklyn in 2005, her second in lower Manhattan in 2012, and she decided to move south in 2018 for a better lifestyle. In Belmont, she is recreating the neighborhood feel of her first location in Brooklyn. Her menu has changed somewhat from its NYC iteration, most notably missing is her famous Happy Burger, which she says she might reprise once the restaurant settles in.
The current menu is broken up into three main sections: Salads, Sandwiches, and Bountiful Earth Sides. We haven’t tried everything on the yet, but what we’ve tried has been great.
Artichokes
Siggy serves baby artichokes with the stems intact. These were tender and simply flavored with oil oil and salt.
Red Beets, almonds, & Goat Cheese Salad
tender beets, sliced almonds, baby greens, creamy goat cheese, in lemon vinaigrette
The beets were perfectly al-dente. The combination of the crunchy almonds, creamy goat cheese, and earthy beets made for a healthy and delicious combination.
All Mighty Tuna - Wild caught
in olive oil, lemon & paprika, clover sprouts, tomatoes, baby greens, and vegan mayo.
This is not your average tuna sandwich. We’ve all had crappy canned tuna, and I wouldn’t wish that upon my worst enemy.
Organic steak sandwich grass fed
Marinated in rosemary, sautéed mushrooms, onions, baby greens, and herbs vegan mayo
Try and find a better $12 steak sandwich, I dare you. The magic here? It’s the marinade, which makes the steak so juicy.
Drink:
Siggy’s is known for their organic smoothies and juices, which range from Jason (all fruit) to Yvonne (all vegetables). All are made right in front of you with all natural, organic ingredients.
Raw Almond Protein Shake & Flu Shot
I tried the Raw Almond Smoothie, which had raw almond butter, dates, banana, and almond milk. It was delicious, and a meal in itself. Yvonne tried a Flu Shot juice, which contained greens, lemon, ginger, cayenne pepper, and echinacea. Yvonne had one sip of my Raw Almond Smoothie and claims she has been thinking about it since.
Atmosphere:
Siggy’s designed the restaurant herself, and the vibe is very relaxed and inviting. There are floor to ceiling windows and a very large patio. You order at the counter, and you can sit and relax or take your order to go. Siggy told us she’s happy when people hang out, and she’d love it if people would treat Siggy’s as the neighborhood hangout. Of course, keep an eye out for all the aliens—they’re everywhere.
Alien Hospitality:
Siggy, her niece, and the rest of the alien crew are fantastic. They treat you like family from the moment you walk in and remember you the next time you show up. What more do you want from a neighborhood spot?
Frankie’s Notes:
Belmont is up and coming, but definitely not quite there yet; Make sure you stop and look both ways at the stop sign in front, because it’s not a four-way stop sign, and we almost killed ourselves twice; We are 100% Ancient Astronaut Theorists, I mean, how were the pyramids built?; We didn’t even talk about the parsley hummus, but that stuff is good, too; Never mess with an Israeli, because they can kill you in less than seconds.
Disclaimer: This meal was provided free of charge in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are our own, and we were not compensated for this review.
Bardo Ushers in New Era of Fine Dining in Charlotte
Background:
We often ask ourselves why Charlotte isn’t a culinary destination like Charleston or Asheville. There are a lot of theories: as Mrs. Purvis posits, we are a business town that caters to national chain steakhouses, people are too conservative to try fancy new things, etc. This is all part of the story, but the Scallionpancake theory goes something like this: each city needs one great chef who leads the way, and then that greatness has a trickle down effect on others, who are then moved to create their own food legacy. Slowly and steadily, the right chef can lead a food renaissance in a city and put a location on the culinary map.
Take Copenhagen for example. Copenhagen was not a food town 20 years ago. In fact, most of the good seafood and ingredients were being exported to Southern Europe for Italian and Spanish consumption. It took a great chef, Rene Redzepi, to show Copenhagen and the world what great Danish food can be. Now, everywhere you go in Copenhagen, there is a restaurant opened by a former Noma employee who has helped turn the Danish capital into the best food city in the world. Why can’t Charlotte turn into the next Copenhagen?
I’m not saying chef/co-owner of Bardo Mike Noll is going to create the number one restaurant in the world like Rene Redzepi, but he’s creating flavors, textures, and “aha” moments like we’ve never had in Charlotte. He is gambling that Charlotte is ready for a 44 seat restaurant with $20 small plates. Really, really great plates, that is. Is Charlotte ready? I sure hope so. It’s not every day a chef like Noll comes on the Charlotte scene.
Eat This:
Bardo has 13 savory and 3 sweet dishes on its menu, ranging in price from $9 charred shishito peppers to $23 dry aged ribeye. The dishes are small and meant to be shared between a few people. Jayson Whiteside, co-owner and proprietor of the front of the house, tells us that there will soon be larger family style dishes as well.
Oysters
yuzu, grains of paradise, oyster leaf
Small oysters pack a lot of flavor, especially when you add yuzu and sprinkle on some grains for texture.
Tempura Maitake
fermented black bean, brown butter, mushroom sponge
This reminded us of a dish in Copenhagen at 108. The mushroom here is so meaty, and the acidic fermented mushrooms and black bean sauce are a nice contrast.
Dry Aged Ribeye
kimchi butter, carolina gold rice, wakame
The kimchi Carolina gold rice with wakame cracker makes this dish special and adds a local touch to the ribeye, which was perfectly seasoned and cooked.
egg and grains
poached egg, kale, escabeche
Per Whiteside, this is the most underrated dish on the menu, and I’m sure most people don’t order it because it doesn’t contain a meat and doesn’t sound sexy. Well let me tell you people, this dish is as sexy as it gets. Mix the grains in with the poached egg and take a wild euphoric ride on a rainbow of flavor.
Lamb Belly
carrot, mustard, cocoa nib, rhubarb
We’ve only seen lamb belly at one other place around town, and that was at Global Restaurant in Pineville. In Scallionpancake’s opinion, lamb belly puts pork belly to shame. The combination of flavors and textures here is next level. The grainy mustard seed with the crunchy and bittersweet cocoa creates such a perfect earthiness with the carrot and gamey flavor of the lamb. If you have the willpower to not order a second serving, god bless you
Beef Tartare
egg yolk jam, radish, togarashi
This was a texture dish through and through. The beef is seasoned with a nice togarashi spice that adds a kick. The crispy dehydrated mushrooms on top added to the complex texture, as well as the egg yolk jam.
Diver Scallops
Japanese cucumber, chicken skin, fermented hot sauce
I watched Chef plate this dish, and it had so many levels of complexity that the picture doesn’t do it justice.
The first level is the fermented hot sauce, then the chicken skins, then the Japanese cucumber and scallops. The scallops are sliced thin so you get the seared taste on most of the bites.
This was so spectacular, that it wouldn’t have been out of place on the seafood menu at Noma.
Cobia
dashi, mustard greens, smoked trout roe
This was my favorite dish. I loved the flavor of mustard leaves combined with the most well-cooked, meaty Cobia I’ve ever had.
Ricotta Tortellini
green curry, coconut, cauliflower, peanut
Italian pasta meets Thai flavors in this dish. It’s not often you get to experience stuffed pasta with crunchy coconut flakes and and curry sauce. The flavor here was amazing.
Desserts:
Chocolate
banana, horchata, lime
Crunchy banana flakes with bendy chocolate and horchata ice cream? That’s right: bendy.chocolate. This was one you didn’t want to share with others, but had to, for fear of retaliation and/or divorce.
Charred Peach
miso, elderflower, white chocolate
Visually one of the coolest dishes. The peaches were stacked on top of miso shortbread cookie crumbles with white chocolate pearls. Do you a see a theme with graininess? Chef seems to love the texture of crunchy bites played against softer main ingredients.
Drink:
Amanda Britton leads the cocktail program at Bardo. Britton was at 204 North before moving to Bardo, and was a part of designing Zeppelin’s beverage program, headed by Larry Suggs. Her cocktails are inventive, tasty, and dare we say, magical. Her use of house-made salts, dehydrated fruits, and creative spirit combinations really wowed us. Also, Kathleen Purvis specifically shouted out her talents on the Scallionpancake podcast, and a vote of confidence from Mrs. Purvis is worth 2,345 Scallionpancake reviews.
Cruel Summer
Sailor Jerry, banana, Cynar, Licor 43, cinnamon, lime
Cool Beans
Fernet Branca, Flor de Caña Grand Reserve Rum, Pure Intentions cold brew, housemade horchata, vanilla, Mexican cinnamon
Atmosphere:
Bardo is small, with only 44 seats, including bar seating. The decor is sophisticated and understated, and the moss boxes by the entrance are were a DIY project that Whiteside & Noll created using wooden boxes, chicken wire, and moss purchased from Amazon! Can you believe these two are crafty, too?! Such gifts!
The focal point of the restaurant is the kitchen, which is in the back, where guests can watch the chefs plating the dishes. You can sit at the bar and have a drink and some bites with friends, or you can have a more traditional dining experience at the tables.
Chef Noll plating the Diver Scallop dish
Gold District Hospitality:
The restaurant is run like a high end restaurant in New York or San Francisco. Everyone who works at the restaurant is familiar with all of the dishes and can answer any questions you might have on any part of the menu. Whiteside is constantly walking around and checking with guests to make sure everyone is enjoying themselves. When something does go wrong (one of our dishes was brought to the wrong table and we had to wait longer in result), it is swiftly corrected (we were comped drinks in return). More importantly, all of the employees seem happy to be there, which is often not the case.
Frankie’s Notes:
The Yume/Bardo building might be the most exciting block in Charlotte right now; Amanda showed us spicy salt she uses on the rim of a glass, and we just decided to eat it with our hands, because if Amanda made it, it must be good; We want Whiteside & Noll to come over a Martha Stewart the heck out of our foyer; The math equation that relates Scallionpancake reviews to Purvis compliments is complex and can only be solved by the gnomes that live in the Bardo moss.
Rating: 5 out of 5 with 1 Michigan Pug
We’ve been waiting a long time to give a Michigan Pug to a Charlotte restaurant, and we’re delighted that we finally found one we deem worthy. Bardo is a special place for Charlotte, and we hope that it is the beginning of many more high end, chef-driven restaurants to open in our area.
Disclaimer: We went to Bardo twice. Once, the meal was provided free of charge, and the second time we went on our own to try additional dishes for a better review. We normally don’t give out ratings for free meals, but we feel it is appropriate to give a rating since we went back and paid for our meal ourselves the second time. All opinions are our own, and we were not compensated for this review.
108: Noma's Little Brother Holds Its Own
Background:
108 opened around the corner from the old Noma on July 27, 2016. Co-owned by Noma's Rene Redzepi and with Redzepi's trained head chef Kristian Baumann at the helm, 108 quickly rose to stardom as a way to get a less expensive piece of the Noma experience. 108 received its first Michelin Star shortly after opening and this summer was named #98 on the World's 100 Best Restaurants.
We first came to 108 in the summer of 2017 because we wanted the Noma-lite experience. We love everything Noma, to the point where we probably should wear "I <3 Noma" t-shirts on the regular, so we couldn't have been more excited to land a reservation at 108. We had been the previous night to Noma Under the Bridge, which we L-O-V-E-ed, and we sat right next to a couple who flat out said 108 was better, so our expectations were sky high.
Our experience the first time was a disappointment. The food was a mix of fine and inedible, with one dish being served literally with a cup full of raw flowers which was probably one of the worst things I've ever eaten. There were a few good dishes mixed in, but overall we were disappointed. As our waiter at Amass put it, "The dishes look good for Instagram, but that's about it."
We decided to give 108 another shot on our recent trip to Copenhagen, especially after we visited the new Noma, and we're so glad we did. The menu had been updated and all of the dishes were not only beautiful, but they tasted great as well. 108, you gave us a bad first impression, but here's to second chances.
Eat This:
108 has an a la carte and a tasting menu, we elected both times to go a la carte, mainly because we had done so many tasting menus on both trips that we were tasted out. We're only going to focus on the items we tried this time, as the old ones were not that good.
Sourdough
Every place in Copenhagen has great sourdough bread. Every.single.one. 108 was no exception, and we could have eaten only this bread and walked out happy.
Greens & Herbs from Krogerup
with roasted seaweed
The summeriest of summer salads. All of the ingredients were picks from 108's farm that day. The middle contained an almond oil sorbet, which was mind-bowing. A huge upgrade from the crap flower bucket we had the previous year.
Raw Lamb
with last year's pickles
One constant at 108 is the stunning presentation. The dishes are gorgeous, every one of them. The flowers around the edge of this dish change not only daily, but minute to minute, with different tables getting different colored flowers. I'm a self-proclaimed lamb-oholic, so I loved this dish. The raw lamb and pickles made for a savory, gamey, and sour flavor that was delicious.
Brown Beech Mushrooms
with a smoked egg yolk sauce
This was a carryover from the previous year that was still on the menu, and the only dish we actually enjoyed the year before. The mushrooms were fried lightly and perfectly. Mixed with the yolk sauce, it felt like you were eating a fried steak.
Grilled Quail
with beetroot and warm spices
This was the one semi-miss of the night. The quail was good, and the sauce was good, but the dish didn't have a lot of flavor, and there wasn't enough meat on the bone to satisfy.
Desserts:
Hot Dough Not
filled with caramel and seaweed ice cream
These babies were good. I could have eaten 100 of them, but three was probably a good choice so that I didn't gain 100 pounds. The icy seaweed ice cream offset the hot doughnut beautifully.
Sorbet of Wild Black Currants
with hazelnut milk
Another holdover from last year's menu. This was a play on the traditional Danish berries and cream dish, similar to the one we had at Noma. Sweet and refreshing.
Drink:
When we walked in, there was a glass of champagne waiting for us, welcoming us back to the restaurant. That's a nice touch that most restaurants don't do, and we really enjoyed that. 108 has a variety of wines, but we're lame drinkers, so we just got non-alcoholic juices. My favorites were a raspberry soda and a mandarin orange soda.
Last year's menu: don't look too closely--it wasn't good
Rhubarb soda
Atmosphere:
108 is a beautiful space located steps away from the harbor. It's airy and light, and everything is set up to create the perfect Instagram shot. The kitchen is open in the back, and everything screams Millennial Eye Candy. Needless to say, we loved the vibe.
Three Digit Hospitality:
The first time around, we thought the service was just okay, but this time the service was excellent. We asked our server what someone was eating to our left, and she went on a 10 minute excursion to figure out exactly what it was. The chefs came out to explain the dishes, a thread carried over from the Noma mothership.
Frankie's Notes:
Always give something a second try, because everyone is entitled to an off night; What's up with all of these places being named after numbers? I thought restaurants were a safe place where we didn't have to do math; I wish every restaurant was next to a harbor that was clean enough to swim in; Flowers are good to give to ladies, but use modestly in fine-dining dishes; If everyone could eat sourdough every day, I think the world would be free of crime and skinny people.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Sanchez: Rosario Sanchez Brings Mexican Food to Copenhagen
Background:
Sanchez is the first sit-down restaurant for former Noma pastry chef Rosario Sanchez, who left Noma in 2015 to open up Hija de Sanchez, a taco stand in Copenhagen which now has two locations. Her goal is to introduce Copenhagen, and the rest of Europe, to the flavors of Mexican cooking. She imports corn directly from Mexico and handmakes all of the tortillas daily. If you go to their taco stands on a regular basis, as we did (some might say we went too often), you might see a yellow corn tortilla one day, and a blue corn tortilla the next, all depending upon the supply of the corn they can get on a particular day. Sanchez is also committed to using local Danish ingredients to complement the Mexican flavors, as spiciness is a flavor profile that Danes are often unaccustomed to.
The restaurant opened in December 2017 to rave reviews and won "The Best New Restaurant" by Berlingske, the largest Danish newspaper. Rene Redzepi, head chef at Noma, recommends it as the best non-Michelin star restaurant in Copenhagen.
Eat This:
Sanchez offers an a la carte menu is addition to a five course tasting menu. We opted for the tasting, as this was our only visit to the restaurant on this trip. Many other tables were ordering a la carte, and all of the dishes looked delicious; however, with the tasting menu, you get a wide variety of items, none of which can be ordered off the a la carte menu.
Chips & Salsa
Every table is brought homemade chips and salsa. The salsas were delicious, spicy but not overly spicy. We ate these in about 10 seconds and then sheepishly looked around for more. Spoiler: there was never any more.
Oysters
A Mexican twist on oysters, which were marinated in habanero peppers and local favorite sea buckthorn. This was a refreshing first bite with a nice, spicy kick at the end.
Agua Chile
This was the outstanding dish of the night. The agua chile contained raw brill, fresh local fruit, and a spicy strawberry sauce that was out of this world. The dish was on the exact edge of being too spicy, something that if it had even a little more spice would have been inedible for most people. I love when a chef takes a risk and pulls it off, and that's exactly what this dish achieved. The spiciness and acidity of the ceviche mixed perfectly with the freshness and sweetness of the fruit. Incredible.
Enfrijolada
This enfrijolada was filled with requeson cheese and topped with watercress, kale, and arbol chile oil. I am not a bean person in any way, in fact, I normally steer clear whenever possible. When in Rome (or Copenhagen), though, you eat beans, and this did not disappoint. There is a freshness and lightness to all of the dishes which you just don't get at a typical Mexican restaurant. If you were to have an enfrijolada in an American "Mexican" restaurant, you'd need a two hour nap immediately following inhalation. Not so with this baby. Another winner.
Tamale
Chef Sanchez said it was important to her to have a lot of vegetarian options on the menu. When she brought this out (!!!), she explained that the inside of a tamale is normally made with pork, but she decided to use mushrooms instead. We were instructed to add the tomato salsa and cheese to the tamale, and we happily obliged. Everything melted into the tamale like a warm, cheesy hug.
Taco
Our last course was a taco of beef on a crisp lettuce shell. The beef was cooked perfectly and provided a nice contrast to the crunch of the lettuce leaf.
Dessert:
Of course, we couldn't pass up dessert, especially since Chef Sanchez was the former head pastry chef at Noma. Sanchez is known her paletas, which are basically Mexican popsicles. The flavors rotate weekly, and spied on her Instagram that she was working on a licorice paleta. We love licorice (we are very Danish like that), so we couldn't have been more excited. Apparently, the chocolate maker where she sourced the chocolate for part of the paleta had gone on vacation, so this particular flavor was not on the menu; however, they had a few test ones in the back, which they were nice enough to give to us! We were seriously #blessed.
Scarface Paleta
A licorice and cream paleta dipped in cacao cookie coating and cacao nibs. This was everything to us. Denmark is the land of licorice, and this paleta symbolizes the Nordic takeover of the food world--a Mexican treat with local, delicious Danish ingredients. This was, perhaps, the best dessert of our whole trip to Copenhagen.
Stawberries and Cream Paleta
Of course we couldn't just get one paleta. We also got the one listed on the menu, which contained strawberries, elderflower cream, candied elderflower, and habanero syrup. This was good, but not as good as the scarface: SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND. Ahem.
Churro Sandwich
This open-face churro sandwich is made with a mezcal-vanilla frozen parfait, bitter cream, and orange zest. Sometimes you just want a really good, simple dessert, and that's exactly what this was. I could have had ten of these, but, of course, we had paletas to eat.
Drink:
Sanchez has a variety of mezcal, agues frescas, and speciality cocktails. We each had a few cocktails, and Yvonne tried a mezcal flight.
Mezcal flight
We are big fans of mezcal, and Sanchez has some of the best. It was cool to see the different preparation techniques that give off different flavor profiles. See also: a good way to get drunk quickly.
Pikachu Cocktail - Sea Buckthorn, lemon, vodka, thyme
Hibiscus Tea - from the tap
Atmosphere:
Sanchez has a relaxed, hip vibe. There are little remnants of Mexico everywhere, with skulls strategically placed throughout the restaurant to reminder you what type of food you were eating. The bar dominates the interior, with the mezcal bottles drawing your attention. All the servers are wearing t-shirts and make you feel at home right away.
Mexi-Danish Hospitality:
The servers were attentive and excellent. We actually recognized one of our servers who used to work at Geranium, which made us feel special really deep inside. Chef Sanchez herself was working almost all positions, from hostess to server. She brought out at least one dish to each table, which we thought was really nice and something you don't see a lot from a celebrity chef. Also, hooking us up with the off-menu scarface paleta really made our night.
Frankie's Notes:
A paleta a day keeps the doctor away; Mexican food is too spicy for pugs, so they'll stick with traditional Danish Smørrebrød thankyouverymuch; when Rene Redzepi tells you to go to a place, you go; Chef Sanchez should come to Charlotte and open up a real Mexican food restaurant here, because we need a good one; Pork butt is my favorite type of butt.
RATING: 5 out of 5
Osteria Francescana: A Review of Massimo Bottura's #1 Restaurant in the World
Background:
If you don't know Massimo Bottura, or his restaurant Osteria Francescana (OF to Scallionpancake), then you probably either just woke up from a coma and asked who won the 1986 Super Bowl, or you aren't a foodie. If you aren't a foodie, you aren't going to understand why anyone would pay €270 to eat lunch in Modena, Italy, and we get that. If you get super drunk at an Olive Garden and pretend you were at OF with us, that will cost you a lot less.
We've had our eye on OF for a few years now. I actually visited Modena last year with my friends Vishnu and Ravi, but in order to save my marriage I decided to steer us to Bottura's sister restaurant, the less fancy Franceschetta 58. We all loved it, and you can read about that experience here. In April, I decided I needed to take Yvonne to Italy, because Italy has a special place in my heart that I felt she needed to understand. While in college I studied abroad in Florence and fell in love with the country, its culture, and, most importantly, its food. If we were going to Italy, then we needed to go to its best restaurant, and that, to most, is Osteria Francescana.
Like any of the top restaurants in the world, it takes significant planning to score a reservation unless you are crowned prince of of an Arab country or you have a TV show (see our Noma post to see what we what to do to get in there!). OF releases reservations a month at a time, three months in advance of month of service, and they go fast--as in, "don't bother if it's five minutes after they have been released" fast. I had to wake up at 4:00am Eastern time to get in an epic Battle of the Anghiari style fight with Italian computer servers on our couch, which, ultimately, I won. I ran back upstairs and woke up Yvonne to tell her that we were going to Modena. She was happy deep inside, but outwardly she expressed that the news could have waited until dawn.
Since we made the reservation, OF was yet again voted #1 restaurant in the world for 2018, up from #2 in 2017. The restaurant has been ranked in the top 10 since 2010 and was #1 in 2016. It has three Michelin Stars, and pretty much every other award a chef or restaurant could achieve. Bottura was the first chef featured on Netflix's Chef's Table, has been on Ugly Delicious, Master of None, Somebody Feed Phil, and a whole slew of other shows. Bottura is arguably the world's most famous chef at a time when there are a lot of celebrity chefs.
Eat This:
Unlike most top restaurants in the world, OF gives you a few options in what you eat. You can do a la carte, a 10 course tasting menu (Festina Lente), or a 12 course tasting menu which includes the Bottura's greatest hits and the newest additions from the kitchen (Tutto). We chose the 12 course tasting menu, which i'm sure 98% of all guests choose because OF isn't a type of restaurant you go back to that often.
Bread
The first thing they brought out was traditional Italian bread, which had no seasoning added at all. A very bland start to the meal that we were disappointed in. We have since learned (thanks to our reader & pod listener Andrea--hey, Andrea!) that Italian bread was once baked without salt due to a 16th century Pope who put an extremely high tax on salt, which meant that hardly anyone was able to use salt in their cooking for a time. Now, baking bread without salt is a tradition and the preferred style for many Italians.
Fish & Chips
A delicious bite and play on fish and chips. A very crispy cracker with a small fish inside made for a great first bite. The dollop on top was carpione (fish) ice cream with fresh herbs.
Small bites
A few small bites that we couldn't understand exactly what we were because the servers talked to us so fast we couldn't figure it out. They were all good, but nothing really to write home about.
bread sticks
They brought these out as if to say, okay we gave you the old traditional shitty bread so now we're going to give you something good. These breadsticks were excellent, made with olive oil and parmesan. Crunchy and flavorful.
insalata di mare
The first real dish was OF play on a traditional seafood salad. This is an evolution of Bottura's famous dish "Caesar in Bloom," and contains 20 different elements of the sea. The lettuce was crispy with many several types of seafood hidden in between, as if they were hiding from us in coral. The crispy chips added a nice texture to this course.
Burnt
This striking dish was a cuttlefish cracker that you dip in a squid ink sauce. This dish was meant to represent sometimes the best parts of food, the burnt edges, ends, and other dodgy parts of food. Was it cheesy to have "burnt" written on the cracker? We think so. Also, not a lot of burnt umami flavor, and rather messy, to boot. This one was a borderline miss for us.
mediterranean sole
The sole is cooked in parchment paper and then finished with a sea water paper to give you the fragrance and taste of the sea as you eat the sole. It also visually represents the parchment that the fish was cooked in. The sole was perfectly cooked and was a winner for me, but Yvonne thought it was a so-so dish.
summer in modena, Autumn in New York
This dish is named after Billie Holiday's classic song. The dish showcases the fresh ingredients from the local Modena market. This summer the focus was tomato, and the team made basically the best tomato soup you've ever tasted.
Five ages of Parmigiano Reggiano
in different textures and temperatures
This is the dish everyone comes for, and it doesn't disappoint. This dish only contains parmesan and time, and truly brings out the best flavors parmesan has to offer. Imagine the best tasting strong cheese, but without that bitter taste you can sometimes get. One of the best dishes we've ever eaten.
In the countryside: snails, hare and aromatic herbs
This was our only "pasta" dish of the night, which included hare ravioli and snails in a forest of greens. We both loved this one for the earthiness and tenderness of the dish, as well as the delicious green sauce.
Fallow deer
The steak of deer is covered in a blueberry sauce added a nice sour/sweetness to the salty deer. The Swiss chard with peach slices inside was made to look like a tree, and added a nice crunch to the dish. There was even a dollop of mango sauce, because who doesn't love mango? This dish was an A+ winner.
Summer tart
The freshest bite of the night. As we're finishing up the deer this tart is brought out with summer fruits from the market. What a refreshing bite to compliment the deer!
wagyu not wagyu
This was the true miss of the night for me. This was pork belly that was made to look like wagyu, which, when I ate it, just made me wish I was eating actual wagyu. This legitimately did not taste good.
Pepper and strawberry
This was a beautiful bridge from the savory to sweet courses. The pepper provided a nice balance with the sweet strawberry.
Opps! i dropped the lemon tart
The other classic of OF. The story goes that this dish was conceived when a chef actually dropped a tart on the floor during service. Yvonne and I have had a large debate on whether this dish is worth staying on the menu, other than for nostalgia. I say yes, because it's the best lemon tart I've eaten, and I don't normally like lemon desserts.
Baba
As we're finishing up the lemon tart, the servers bring us this play on a rum baba, which is a traditional French dessert. Man was this good. The cake is drenched in strawberry juice, making it moist and soft. The ricotta is covered with bell peppers and then shaved with burnt orange on top. This was our favorite dessert.
Croccantino of Foie Gras
covered with Noto almonds and Piedmont hazelnuts with Villa Manodori Traditional Balsamic Vinegar
This is another famous OF dish, with the foie gras lollipop covered in Sicilian almonds and dolloped in 35 year old balsamic vinegar. Foie gras is admittedly not my favorite, but I get why people like it, and the little bite did have an excellent crunch with the foie gras aftertaste.
Camouflague
Bottura seems to be obsessed with camouflage. He loves to have something hiding in plain site. This appeared like a chocolate, but was much more complex. The interior is made with civet, which is reduced hare's bones and blood. We enjoyed this inventive bite.
Drink:
OF has a wine pairing, but we didn't do that because who can afford a wine pairing? I decided to get a variety of homemade soft drinks, which were excellent. Our favorite was an orange & coffee soda made with actual coffee beans. It was so crisp, refreshing, and energizing. One of the best homemade sodas we have ever had.
Atmosphere:
The interior, at least the room we sat in, was modern, yet forgettable. It was lined with drawings of birds and had no windows. Compared to other top restaurants we've been to, where there are open floor plans with views of the kitchen and the other guests, our table at Osteria Francescana felt isolated. We could only see the two other tables in our room and that was it. When you go to places like OF, you are desperate to see how the magic happens, what's going on around you, how the waiters interact with the chefs, etc. We didn't get any of this, and that felt dated. We felt cheated to only get the food versus more of a full experience that we are used to at similar restaurants. This is a recipe for an underwhelming experience. After all, we've all seen the Chef's Table, so we've all seen the fun that's going on back there. It's disappointing when that's hidden from you.
The room is also extremely quiet, with Frank Sinatra whispering lyrics to you from the ceiling. Bottura is such a fun, brilliant personality, it's strange his restaurant does not exude the same enthusiasm. We hypothesized the restaurant could be set up in small rooms because the building cannot be structurally opened up, or that Bottura wants there to be a striking contrast from his modern, exciting food to the traditional, white tableclothed dining room. No matter what the reason, the atmosphere was disappointing to us. In fact, of all the best restaurants in the world we've been to, this one was probably the least inviting.
Modenese Hospitality:
The service was stuffy yet exceptional. Whenever we needed anything we were always attended to quickly. Our main problem with the service was that the servers explained the dishes so fast that we couldn't pick up on a lot of the details. Thank god for the internet to help us out on that. The highlight of the meal was when Bottura himself came and spoke to each table. He could not have been nicer, and spent at least two minutes at each table asking about where we were from. I feel we had a real bonding moment over how Sean Brock from Husk, smoked up Modena with his BBQ a few months ago. He also took pictures with every table. No other chef has ever been this nice and courteous to the entire restaurant, and that was truly special.
Frankie's Notes:
Where are all the pugs in Europe?; Where is Jason's hand going in this Massimo Bottura picture?; Millennials like open concept spaces, please don't trap us in a small room with actual grown ups; That trash bag under the pigeon sculpture is an art piece, not an actual trash bag. Sorry Yvonne; Non-alcoholic pairings > wine pairings.
Rating: 5 out of 5 with 2 Michigan Pugs
Maybe it was that we had just been to Noma a week prior, or that we were there on a disappointing menu day, but, to us, OF didn't live up to the hype. This is very nit-picky, because Osteria Francescana is still an amazing restaurant worth making a trip to, but when you are ranked as the best restaurant in the world we expected something incredibly, unbelievably amazing. We did get "great," but compared to our expectations this was a disappointment.
Grön: A Review of Finland's Best Restaurant
Background:
Toni Kostian & Lauri Kähkönen opened Grön in 2015 on a small street in the design district of Helsinki, Finland. Kostian won Top Chef Finland in 2016. Among its many other accolades, Grön won the Finnish Gastronomy Society's "Restaurant of the Year" in 2017. The restaurant received its first Michelin Star in 2018 and is one of only five restaurants in Finland to hold a star.
Eat This:
Grön offers a fixed tasting menu for 54 euros. You can choose from their standard or vegan menu. We chose the standard, which was basically a half step up from being vegan. They also have a few add-ons you can get, which of course we got, because that's the way we roll.
HAPANJUURILEIPÄ -SOURDOUGH BREAD
with butter, pumpkin seeds, seasoning, and cold smoked fish roe with sour cream, onion flowers and chives
Yvonne loves sour cream, so we ordered the 10 euro supplement and she almost got sick eating it all. The butter was delicious, as it was grilled first and then whipped.
KASVI - PLANT
New potatoes with black currant leaf flavours,
sorrel and grass sauce
This was the winner of the savory dishes for us. The "grass sauce" was a perfect mixture of sweet and sour. The potato was cooked perfectly underneath everything, which added a nice earthy tone to the dish.
LIHA - MEAT
Pea ”Pâte Brisée” topped with raw and fermented peas, lovage and dry-aged beef
This dish highlighted the local lovage, which is similar to parsley. On top of shredded lovage, mixed in was sliced lovage, and poured over was a lovage sauce. The pastry bottom was the highlight for me of this dish, as well the mixture of textures--from the crunchy peas, to the tender beef, and flaky pastry.
KALA - FISH
Grilled carrots with elderflower hollandaise, summer flowers, pollen and reduced shrimp broth
The "fish" dish was really all about the carrot, which was chopped and grilled, and then arranged in a flower shape topped with shaved carrots. The shrimp broth was a 24-hour shrimp sauce poured over. We both agreed this dish was too carrot forward for both of us, and was missing an oompf we expected for the main course.
MAITO - DAIRY
Unripe strawberries with goat cheese and buttermilk whey
This was the supplemental cheese course, which consisted of a green strawberry topped with a goat cheese. This was a cool concept, but nothing to really write home about.
VILLI - WILD
Milk parfait with woodruff crème anglaise,
strawberries and rhubarb
This was our second favorite course after the salad, and wow, was this amazing! A strawberry granite (or granita), topped with a rhubarb flower, and covered in woodruff sauce, meringue, and cream. Despite all of the elements at play, the dish blended together seamlessly to create a great symphony of tastes in each bite.
Last Bite
Rhubarb marmalade with licorice salt
What a way to go out. This was a delicious bite, with the licorice salt being the beautiful umami to balance this guy out. I could have literally eaten 100 million of these and killed myself #deathbyrhubarbmarmalade
Drink:
Grön has a concentrated wine list focused on organically produced wines. The wine list is hand written in a notebook, which was super adorable. They also serve one gin, which is the traditional liquor of choice in Finland.
Atmosphere:
This was the smallest restaurant we have ever been to, with 12 two-person tables and the kitchen all in the same space. The restaurant couldn't have been more than 400 square feet. This made for a very family-like atmosphere, where we felt as if we were dining in someone's home kitchen. The decorations consisted of a large abstract painting on one wall and containers filled with dried and aging ingredients on the other. Summers in Finland are long, with the sun setting around 11:00pm and it not really ever getting 100% dark, so it was a very surreal experience eating dinner at 10:00pm in almost complete daylight.
Finnish Hospitality:
What you'll find in Finland is that people are very even-keeled and not particularly prone to small talk, so when you are in a bus or train it can be completely silent; however, Finnish people are exceptionally nice and will go out of their way to help you. The wait staff at Grön fit this description to a tee, with the waitress seeming almost shy, but as soon as you asked her a question she would answer it in a very thoughtful, thorough way that makes you think the Finnish people have figured out the proper way of communication. The chefs hand delivered each dish to us and explained the dishes thoroughly, although sometimes we crude Americans couldn't understand it through their Finnish-accented English. Americans are so behind the rest of the world when it comes to knowing languages! We talked a lot this trip about how we will put our future Scallionpancake children in language immersion schools one day.
Frankie's Notes:
Frankie isn't allowed to come to Finland in the summer because he would party too hard with all the daylight; Reindeer is an underrated meat and it should be served throughout the world, sorry Rudolph; Saunas are really hot - too hot for two country bumpkins from the states; The Nordic countries are #frenchbulldognation, which we feel like is one of their only fatal flaws--where are all the pugs?
RATING: 5 OUT OF 5
Noma: A Review of the Vegetable Season Menu
Update: We went back to Noma for the Seafood season. You can read about that here.
Background:
Back in 2015, when Scallionpancake was in its infancy, before we really knew anything about fine dining or the world food scene, we took a trip to Copenhagen because we knew the number one restaurant in the world was there. About a month before that trip, being the idiot that I am, I tried to make a reservation at Noma. Of course, it had been fully booked probably five times over, months before we had even contemplated a trip to Denmark. We had some good meals on that trip, but the whole time it felt like we had the weight of Noma's ghost overshadowing our stay.
Last year, we returned to Copenhagen, this time smarter in our knowledge that you can't just stroll into Noma on a whim, but unfortunate in our timing, as Noma was closed for a complete overhaul of the entire restaurant; however, luckily for us, the Noma team was doing a pop-up under a bridge in Copenhagen that I had smartly booked the moment it became available. You can read about that experience here. It was an amazing meal, our favorite of the whole year, yet it still felt that even though we had a taste of the magic, we hadn't experienced the real thing.
When we decided to spend a month in Europe this summer, I started to devise a plan of how I was going to get a reservation at Noma. I did some background research which basically said: you have less than two minutes to make your reservation, or it's going to be gobbled up faster than a piece of meat being dropped to a pack of hungry wolves. So there I was, on March 5th, a full four months before our trip, frantically refreshing my screen at 9am EST (3pm Danish time), waiting for the Tock reservation system to turn on. Yvonne was on her computer doing the same, and we were on the phone coordinating like Navy Seals praying we could get something, anything, in July. I had a strategy, which was go for a mid-week reservation as those would be less desirable than a weekend reservation. As soon as the website switched to "go," I clicked on Tuesday, July 10th, and magically, a two-person dinner reservation for 5:00 pm was still available. I swooped in on that faster than you can say Smørrebrød, and two minutes and $700 later we had our golden ticket. Scallionpancake was going to Noma! (In case you were wondering, Yvonne was too slow and couldn't get any reservations, even clicking on a week day, so it just shows you how lucky we were to get one).
When you arrive in Copenhagen, it's impossible to miss Noma's influence on the city. There's a long list of former Noma chefs who have opened restaurants, including Relae, Amass, Studio, Geranium, Radio, Sanchez, and many more. The alumni page of Noma reads like a who's who of Copenhagen food royalty, not to mention some of the rest of the world. There is a palpable sense that no matter what restaurant or bar you go to around town, somehow its origin or influence leads back to Noma. In Italy all roads lead to Rome, but in Copenhagen all roads lead you to Noma.
Noma's influence goes even further than the Danish capital. Noma started the local food revolution and foraging food revolution, and its culinary impact is felt globally. René Redzepi, Noma's founder and head chef, is considered the most influential chef in the world. Redzepi is also revolutionary in how he uses social media, often posting behind the scenes videos and pictures that really connect with his followers. The restaurant has received numerous awards, most notably being ranked #1 in the world four times: in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014. If I had to put my money on it, I'd bet that in 2019 it regains the number one status yet again.
In late 2016, Redzepi decided to shut down and move the restaurant to a new location in Copenhagen. He felt like the restaurant had become a bit stagnant, and the team needed to innovate even further (read this Bloomberg article for a great chronicling of why Redzepi did what he did). This is a big risk for a chef with an expensive payroll and perennial top five status. The construction and building lasted the entire year of 2017, with Noma doing a pop up in Tulum, Mexico and Under the Bridge in Copenhagen during this time. The new Noma (or Noma 2.0) opened in February and has received nothing but rave reviews from almost every critic around the world including The LA Times, Vanity Fair, The New York Times, GQ, The Guardian, and The Wall Street Journal.
Cue the music: looks like we made itttttt
Eat This:
Noma has one menu that changes seasonally. There are three seasons at the new Noma: Seafood (Feb - May), Vegetables (June - Sep), and Game & Forest (Oct - Dec). We dined in July, which meant we were there for the Vegetable Season. What was unique was that there was no meat served during the menu at all (except for a grasshopper mole), which seemed to inspire the chefs to come up with an exceptionally creative menu, even beyond their usual standards.
As soon as you sit down, the dishes begin to come out at a frenetic pace. In all, we had 21 dishes in little over two hours, which is the fastest pace we've ever experienced at a restaurant of this caliber. It made for an exciting, adrenaline-filled meal that kept us engaged and interested for the entire time.
Potato magma
Boom. As soon as you sit down, a potted plant with a straw is put on your plate. We were instructed to drink the new potato soup and smell the herbs simultaneously. This dish was a full sensory experience, and such an exciting start.
Nasturtium Tart &
sea Buckthorn & blackcurrent Butterfly
Does it get any prettier than this? On the left was a one-bite tart encased in a thin potato shell. On the right, a beautiful dried fruit creation that was like a gourmet Fruit by the Foot--really!
seasonal pickles
At Noma, they forage pretty much every ingredient, so everything on this plate is foraged, with the exception of the white asparagus which is from a special farm they partner with. Our favorite part of this dish was the pickled pine cone. It was essentially candied, which made it so soft, sweet, and tangy.
fresh seaweed
You know when you have fish that tastes fishy? Normally with seaweed you have the same, but this seaweed was so fresh it had none of the bad sea taste. This one-bite seaweed tart was meant to be eaten after taking one bite of the asparagus.
Barbequed Onion
This was our little special dish that only a few tables got, I think because we were going a little faster than the other tables. A barbecued onion which was opened up and cooked with elderflower. You only ate the inside, and it was so good I picked it up with my hands and ate it like a cave man.
Cucumber skin & Parsley
This was Noma's play on a grape leaf. The leaf was made entirely of cucumber skin which had been formed into the texture of a greek grape leaf and filled with parsley and flowers. What creative genius, and this wasn't even in the top five most creative dishes of the night.
quail eggs & Hip Berry chorizo
The berry chorizo tasted like meat chorizo, with a slight hint of sweetness. This was a life-changing little bite.
preserved morels from spring
They told us they got 70K morels in the spring that have been fermenting in the lab. I only got two of them, but would have happily eaten the other 69.99K
marigold flowers with a whisky egg-nog
After the meal, while lounging in the hygge room, we made friends with an amazing couple from Australia--Alisha & Matt. Even more amazing? Matt is a chef at Attica in Australia (#20 restaurant in the world for 2018! Don't worry, we're already looking into reservations). Matt explained to us how incredible it is to get these marigolds to fry in one piece, since the flowers are so fragile. Not pictured here is the whiskey egg-nog sauce that you dipped this in. This was like eating a donut with a rich egg custard. It tasted so decadent and rich, and it was perhaps my favorite dish of the night.
just cooked peas with whipped cream
If all peas were served with whipped cream, I think I'd eat peas for every meal of every day. Half of the peas were raw and half were lightly scorched. Only small peas were used. The big peas are currently being fermented in the lab for experimentation with a pea miso!
berries and fava beans
This was described as a ripe fruit ceviche which contained raspberries, red and green strawberries, flowers, fava beans, and radishes. It was bathing in a white currant broth. Light, refreshing, and slightly spicy.
Umami Flatbread
This dish was special because it looked so simple, yet had maybe the most complex flavor of the night. The mustard greens and a chili spice that the team had brought back from their trip to Tulum both added a nice kick to the cracker, radishes, and fruit. Umami to the max.
carmalized milk & Cheese
The chef described this dish as a ravioli, except the "pasta" was made with caramelized milk skin. The inside was filled with brie cheese and the whole ravioli was topped with black truffle. When describing the food at Noma it's hard to not sound repetitive, but damn, this was amazing.
wax broth with pollen
We were speaking to one of the apprentices post-meal, and she was saying they were contemplating taking this dish off the menu, because some on the team thought it was more pretty than tasty. Both of us disagreed, and thought that the bee pollen flavor and texture was excellent, so much so that Yvonne picked up the bowl and drank it like she was drinking a Yoohoo. The bowl was even made out of beeswax. This one is a keeper, Noma! Love, Scallionpancake.
pumpkin seed curd and grilled roses
Like the Umami Flatbread, this dish was influenced by Noma's pop-up in Tulum, Mexico. The mole underneath was made of grasshoppers and walnuts, and the pumpkin seed curd was flan-like, made from tofu, and plated table side. The rose petals were salty and crunchy--all of the textures in this one! I literally told the waiter I was going to lick the plate, and he said I could, but I contained myself.
Shawarma of celeriac and truffle
The main dish was a play on a traditional steak, except the "meat" was made from celery and truffle. What a freaking mindf*@k. A few courses before this, a chef brought out the shawarma on a stick (see below) like you would see at any stand in Europe. This course had everything, yet looked so simple. I think that's the magic of Noma--most of the dishes are so thought out that they appear easy and simple, the way Lebon James makes basketball look, or Jay Z makes music sound. This is the height of culinary mastery and excellence.
Sour Dough
Just when we were almost done with the shawarma, a chef runs out and puts more of the truffle sauce on your plate and hands you this lovely sourdough and says it would be rude to not share the leftover sauce with you to soak your bread in. That would be rude, indeed! The sourdough is made by Richard Hart, former head baker of Tartine who is opening up his own bakery in Copenhagen in October.
berries & Cream
Our first dessert course. The fruit by the foot is back, this time plated with berries in a cool cream sauce. One of the Danish waiters told us this was a play on a very traditional Danish dish. The color, the textures, the taste were all excellent, but you knew that already, right?
mold pancake
This dish was special, even for Noma standards. The pancake was a tortilla that had mold growing on it, much like a brie cheese, and it was filled with ice cream and a balsamic fig sauce. The mold pancake protected your mouth from the cold of the ice cream, and the fig balsamic added a nice acidity to the dish.
Rose scented terracotta
We started where we ended, with a potted plant, except this time you ate the whole thing. The pot was a chocolate coated elderflower cake scented with roses. We were instructed to slice open the pot to reveal the cake. Maybe the coolest and most beautiful dessert we've ever had.
R0se Scented Terracotta
Open sesame!
After the meal you are brought to a "Hygge" room, where you can sit and drink snaps or whiskey for as long as you want. Sometimes, they allow diners to enjoy their cake in this room as well. Noma sat us next to the aforementioned lovely Australian couple, Matt Boyle (@boylemd) and Alisha Henderson (@sweetbakes_), who we immediately took up conservation with. We spent nearly two hours lounging and talking about food, traveling, and, of course, our mutual love of Somebody Feed Phil. Matt is a chef at Attica (see above) and Alisha has her own cake baking company! They were such lovely and warm people. When we went to Noma Under the Bridge last year, we had a similar experience with another couple (Hi, Marie-Eve & Frederick!), and all I can say is, Noma goes out of their way to make its guests feel connected and have a special meal.
Yvonne in her hygge blanket feeling all the feels
Drink:
Noma offers a wine pairing ($210), a juice pairing ($155), or wines by the glass. I opted for the juice pairing, which was simply magnificent. I've had juice pairings in the past, most notably at Central in Lima, Peru. What I didn't like about Central's pairing was that some of the juices, although all unique, were just not that good. Here at Noma, all of the juices were amazing. The juices ranged from a bright red saffron and chili to a chilled mushroom tea. My favorite was the rose and berry kombucha, which tasted like a thick berry smoothie. Yvonne opted for for wines by the glass. Her favorite that she tried was an orange-colored wine from the country of Georgia, which the waiter described as being made in a very traditional way, like they made wines thousands of years ago. The bright orange color was something we had never seen from a wine before, and the taste was rich with minerality.
Atmosphere:
Noma is a magical fairytale food paradise from start to finish. When you arrive at the gate, you are greeted by staff, who stagger each party's entrance down a long, flower-filled path, so that when you open the main wooden door to the restaurant, you are greeted by the entire staff--including Mr. Redzepi himself. You are then quickly whisked to your seat. This touch was truly special and unlike any other restaurant we have tried.
OMG hi
The vibe is very electric. The Vanity Fair article put it best when it said "You want order, you work Eleven Madison." It feels like you're in the middle of a bee hive, where each worker knows exactly what they are doing, but from afar looks like a chaotic symphony. You see chefs running down the hallways. You hear "Yes, Chef" yelled loudly from the open kitchen in the middle of the restaurant. Five waiters walk by your table every ten seconds. When you need to use the restroom, a server swoops you away seamlessly into the flow, like it was part of the plan all along.
The main entrance to the dining complex
Mr. Redzepi speaking to our new Australian friends!
A view of the main dining room and kitchen from our table.
Their property is home to a greenhouse, fishtanks, an ant farm, a fermentation lab, and, of course, their famous test kitchen. Yvonne claims she saw "reindeer penis" written on the ingredient list for the team to try out for the game season, but this rumor cannot be confirmed or denied. Long bookshelves run almost the entire length of the compound, where anyone on the team can add anything to the collection. There are also random awards, creatures, bottles, and minatures ecletically sprinkled throughout.
Large bookshelves run almost the length of the whole restaurant
Outside view of the hygge room
The famous test kitchen.
The entire compound from the gates to the main dining hall in the background.
Noma-foraged Hospitality:
From the moment you open the door and are greeted by the entire staff, to the last moment when you are escorted to the gate, you are treated like the most important people on the planet. This is pretty typical for a restaurant of this quality, but what was different was the amount of team interaction with the guests. Every time you walked by a chef they would say hi and smile. Everyone seemed approachable and friendly, which is not always the case at a place of this caliber. The laid back attire of the staff, open layout of the restaurant, and general feeling of sheer joy among everyone who comes to Noma, made for a very relaxed and welcoming dining experience.
A chef shows us a presentation of the celeriac shawarma.
Frankie's Notes:
Noma might have over 20 nationalities on their staff, but no pugs??!! #notcool; The only other things that have lived up to Noma's hype were Machu Picchu and Oktoberfest; Mr. Redzepi is a god among men, and we want to live in the hygge room forever as his loyal subjects; Yvonne wants to know where she can purchase that hygge room blanket so she can relive her pear snaps joy every evening in Charlotte; We hope there really is a reindeer penis in Noma's future, but shhh, don't tell that we peeked at the list!
Rating: 5 out of 5 with 3 Michigan Pugs
Noma comes with a lot of hype: the prestige of a long-ranked number one restaurant in the world, an almost impossible reservation to score, and rave reviews from the top critics in the world--we were terrified it would not live up to our expectations. From the moment we walked on the grounds we knew it was going to not only meet our expectations, but overwhelmingly exceed them. Not one bite of the meal was off. There were no misses on the menu. It was, dare I say, a perfect meal. We contemplated adding another Michigan Pug just for Noma, because it is clearly in a class of its own among even the best restaurants in the world. We planned our entire trip to Europe around Noma, and we would do it again in a heartbeat.
Mister Jiu's
All at once imperial, classic, and modern
Background:
Mister Jiu's opened in April 2016 after a three year renovation of the iconic Four Seas building in Chinatown. The space, built in 1880, has had only three occupants since its original construction, with Mister Jiu's being the current standard bearer. The owner, head chef, and mastermind is Brandon Jew, who worked all over San Francisco and the world, before opening up his dream restaurant in the same space he grew up going as a child (the Four Seas building used to be a banquet hall). Mister Jiu's has received numerous awards and recognition since it opened, including the number three spot on Bon Appetit's Best New Restaurant list for 2017. The restaurant earned one Michelin Star within its first year, and has maintained the star ever since.
Eat This:
Mister Jiu's menu is traditional Cantonese mixed with San Francisco's obsession with local and fresh ingredients. The menu looks familiar and exotic all at the same time and includes dishes you've heard of, like hot & sour soup, wontons, and fried rice, paired with ingredients you've never thought to combine them with, like Dungeness crab, Monterrey squid, and Wagyu beef. Our suggestion: go with as many people as possible so you can try as much as you can.
Sea Urchin
Cheong Fun
You've probably had Cheong Fun before, but you probably have never had it with sea urchin on top. The noodles here were P.E.R.F.E.C.T. So soft, but not too chewy. The mixture of the sea urchin with the delicious sauce and the noodles made this one of the best dishes of the night.
Tendrils, Greens and Stems
meyer lemon, roasted garlic, sea urchin
We ordered all of our dishes and then our waiter, (who Yvonne said looks like Clark Gable), told us we should order a vegetable, because you can't just order meat for everything #whoknew. He led us to the tendrils with a Meyer lemon sauce. The tendrils were sautéed and crispy. The acidity of the meyer lemon sauced mixed nicely with the salty, crunchy tendrils.
Wontons
pork, sichuan peppercorn, Monterey squid
The standout dish of the night. The squid, spicy sichuan peppercorn sauce, and the pork wontons were so good. This is a must get on any visit.
Steak Fried Rice
wagyu skirt, crispy garlic, cured tuna heart
We saw this dish on the Fried Rice episode of Ugly Delicious, and we knew we had to try it. The Wagyu beef was amazing, but the rest of the dish we thought could have had a little more flavor.
Liberty Farm Roast Duck
pancakes, peanut butter hoisin, cucumbers
We were told to get the duck by the Internet, and everyone knows that the Internet is never wrong. The duck was served two ways: a traditional Peking style and confit. We ordered a half, which could have fed approximately 1 million people. Of course, we finished about 2/3 of it. because we are champions The winner for me on this dish was the peanut butter Hoisin sauce.
Dessert:
All of Mister Jiu's desserts sounded and looked incredible, and normally we would have ordered three desserts, but we had already had roughly 18 meals this day, so we only ordered their most famous dessert, the Black Sesame Cake. Clark Gable did recommend we get the Frozen Whipped Honey, but sorry, Mr. Gable, we just couldn't do it.
Black Sesame Cake
black sesame crémeux, ginger mousse, peanut, tamarind caramel
The key to this dessert was the peanut, which provided a crunch to go with the soft cake and all the other magical ingredients of this dish.
Drink:
Mister Jiu's has a great cocktail menu, with most of their cocktails containing some form of tea and all of them having fortune cookie-esk names, like Clarity, Tranquility, and Luck. They also have a house made Root Beer, Oolong Kombucha, which we tried but was way too vinegary for our tastes.
Prosperity
vodka, lotus, lemongrass, passion fruit, egg white
Mister Jiu's signature cocktail. How cool is that ying yang design? This baby was smooth and refreshing.
Atmosphere:
As soon as you walk into Mister Jiu's you know you're in a cool place. It reminded me a lot of the rooftop restaurant of the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong, with a traditional imperial, yet modern vibe. The restaurant is situated two stories up from Grant Street, the main street of San Francisco's Chinatown. You enter from an almost secret street a block up, so you feel as if you are floating over Chinatown and overlooking the Transamerica building. But the real show is the open kitchen, where you can watch Jew and the rest of the chefs work their magic.
The bar up front
The open kitchen
San Franciscan Cantonese Hospitality
Clark Gable was the best waiter we had all trip. He was nice, informative, and answered all the questions we had. The maître d was wearing a blue suit with a Kevin Durant Warriors jersey underneath, which was pretty sweet. It seemed like everyone really enjoyed working there, and it showed through with the great service.
Frankie's Notes:
Whenever there is a fish tank in a restaurant, I want to jump in and save all the fish; I definitely don't have enough tattoos to work or live in San Francisco; For our millennial followers, Clark Gable is a reference to an actor who died in 1960; Yvonne wanted the potstickers so bad since they were on the cover of Bon Appetit, but we went with the wontons and I think we made the right choice. Sorry Bae.
Rating:
5 out of 5 + One Michigan Pug
DeSano Pizzeria
Background:
DeSano Pizzeria is a small chain with locations in California, Texas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. All DeSano locations adhere to the strict guidelines required to be called Napoletana pizza. There are specifics on crust, type/temperature of ovens, tomatoes, cheese; the process to be a certified Napoletana pizza is intense, and for a good reason: the pizzas are delicious. They are so delicious, in fact, that Tom Brady and Gisele are known to break their strict diets in order to enjoy a pie every now and again.
There are two DeSano locations in Charlotte, one in Midtown and one in Waverly. We have been to the Midtown location several times, on one occasion we went as part of a blog even hosted by our favorite, Stephanie from LifebyChipsahoyt.
Certified Napoletana ovens
Eat This:
Well, you gotta get the pizza, obviously. Our favorites are the lasagna pizza and the classic marghertia.
Lasagna
San Marzano tomato sauce, meatballs, ricotta, garlic, scamorza, mozzarella di bufala, pecorino romano
VERDURA
Broccoli rabe, mushrooms, Vesuvian cherry tomatoes, garlic, scamorza, mozzarella di bufala, pecorino romano
NAPOLETANA
Broccoli rabe, sausage, scamorza, mozzarella di bufala, pecorino romano
One of the best parts about DeSano is that you can order any pie Carnevale style, which means they bake ricotta into the crust for a classy stuffed-crust experience. It's only fifty cents, so we can't see any reason why you would not take this option. Also, it turns your pizza into an infinitely Instagrammable star shape.
You're a star
...shaped pizza!
In addition to pizzas, DeSano also has incredible meatballs, calzones, and salads. I often see people grabbing meatballs to take home to add to a pasta, but when we order them, I usually just eat them straight up as a side.
Spinach salad
For health!
The Midtown location also offers a weekend brunch special where you can get cold pizza and a Bloody Mary bar. If you are not into cold pizza, then they will also heat it up for you, but we think this is such a cool and unique offering!
Cold pizza and a bloody mary
For what ails you on Sunday mornigns
Dessert:
Okay, ya'll. Here is our favorite thing about DeSano. They will serve you cannoli filling in a bowl. This is ostensibly a gluten-free option, but we really just dig cannoli filling. Proceed with caution, however. As this is an off-menu item, we have found what we get to be rather inconsistent (a giant bowl compared to a small bowl, chocolate chips mixed in compared to on top, cashiers not knowing how to ring this up, etc.), however, it is worth the gamble, because when it's good, it's good. Seriously, we fight one another over these bowls, so I recommend getting two.
Straight. up.
Cannoli in a bowl
You can also go classic, in a shell cannoli, if you're into that sort of thing.
Classic cannoli
Image courtesy of Roamilicious
One thing we haven't tried, and we have major FOMO, is DeSano's dessert pizza. Look at this beauty!
Uh, Yeah
Image courtesy of Austin.com
Drink:
DeSano Midtown has a full bar, as well as fun specialty drinks like Mexican coke and San Pellegrino sparkling fruit beverages. Molto Italiano!
Bloody Mary
A classic
Atmosphere:
The DeSano in Midtown is huge. The kitchen is open, and there is a bar and an enclosed patio. You order at the counter. The one in Midtown is not usually very full, as it seems most of their business is from take-out orders.
Italiano Hospitality:
The counter service is very friendly, and the pizza makers work quickly to get you eating in no time.
OMG is that my pizza?!
Trust the process
Frankie's Notes:
If Tom Brady deigns to get off of his pretentious throne to grab carry out pizza, then you know it's got to be good; We like to get pizza two or three times a week, which inspired our Pizza Wars podcast episode; There are no losers in the game of pizza; Why don't they bake Nutella into the crust of the dessert pizza?!; Why don't we bake Nutella into everything and thus create world peace in our time?
Disclaimer: [Some of these] meal[s] were provided free of charge in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are our own, and we were not compensated for this review.
Eleven Madison Park
Background:
Eleven Madison Park (EMP) was opened in 1998 by world renowned restaurateur Danny Meyer. Meyer is the man behind NYC institutions Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, Blue Smoke, and...SHAKE SHACK. Yes, the same genius behind Shake Shack founded what some considered the best restaurant in the world. In 2006, Meyer hired Daniel Humm as head chef, and he and Danny (that's what his friends call him) quickly turned EMP into one of the top restaurants in New York. Humm bought the restaurant from Meyer in 2011, which is when EMP earned its first Michelin Star. By 2012, they had earned three Michelin Stars. Currently the restaurant ranks #1 in the world.
Eat This:
When booking a reservation, you have two options. You can do the full tasting menu in the main dining room for $315/person, or you can do an abbreviated five course tasting menu in the bar room for $175/person. We went for the full tasting menu, because that's how we live our lives.
Black & White
Cookie with Cheddar & Apple
When you arrive at the table you are presented with a box. What's in the box? This black and white cookie--a savory nod to the famous NYC staple. It's a great first bite to start the meal.
Bread
Scallop Butter, & Broth
The first real course was the bread course, which we learned was designed for the winter menu to provide something hot to warm us as we began our meal. This course consisted of four distinct parts: bread, scallop butter, scallop broth, and then live scallops with sea urchin immediately following this. Yvonne was obsessed with this butter (check out her other website: www.yvonnelovesbutter.net), which was creamy with a rich, umami scallop flavor.
Scallop
Live with Sea Urchin
My favorite part of this dish was the scallop broth, which was thick and flavorful, and tasted somewhat like the best miso soup you've ever had in your life. The raw scallop with sea urchin was presently nicely on a seashell. It felt as if we were in The Little Mermaid, receiving a pearl from our boyfriend Eric (love you, Eric!).
caviar
Benedict with Smoked Ham, Sturgeon, and Hollandaise
Another play on an NYC favorite: eggs benedict. This was probably the coolest presentation of the night, with the caviar in a special EMP tin, which we later got to take home, as well as a row of small English muffins presented on an elevated wood plank. We loved the interactive element of making our little sandwiches with the quail egg and caviar provided.
Squid
Grilled with Juniper and Horseradish
At this point in the meal, we were given choices as to what we wanted. I chose the squid, and Yvonne chose the foie gras. The squid tasted like a tartare, refreshing and cold with the slight kick of the horseradish.
FoiE Gras
Seared with Maple and Apple
Yvonne proclaimed this to be the best foie gras she has ever had. The presentation with the thinly sliced apple hiding the foie gras was on point.
Halibut
Poached with Variations of Turnip
This was the surprise of the night for me. When I ordered the halibut, I wasn't excited, but I wanted to order something different from Yvonne. The halibut was excellent, and the turnip was presented in three ways--in the sauce, mixed with the halibut, and then sauteed underneath the halibut. Really a refreshing and surprising way to serve both the halibut and turnips, and a truly special EMP dish.
lobster
Butter-poached with Butternut Squash and Chestnut
This was the stereotypical lobster dish at a nice restaurant. Cooked right. Tasted good, but nothing really memorable.
mushroom
Tart with Cremini & Black Truffle
This was the one table side preparation of the meal. The captain wheeled over a cart and proceeded to cut open a crust that was baking on top of a cast iron pan. She then took the crust and turned it into the "pizza" crust, which she then lathered with black truffle & cremini paste and shaved cheddar cheese. So good. so cool. It was also served with a melange of portabello and cremini mushrooms on the side.
Duck
Honey and Lavender glazed with Cabbage
This duck is everything to me. It's the best duck in the world. What makes it so special? It's the skin, which is thick and crusted with Szechuan peppercorns and glazed with honey and lavender. The actual duck meat is cooked medium rare and has the perfect tenderness to match the slight crunch of the crust. It's the most perfect bird I've ever had.
Tubby Cheese
Grilled with Celery Root, Black Truffle, and Winter Greens
EMP's take on a cheese course. They bring out a perfectly grilled circle of cheese with black truffle, and then also mix a salad right in front of you with black truffle vinaigrette. This grilled cheese was as down home as Eleven Madison Park can get, but with the black truffle thrown in to make sure you remember where you are. A great dish to end the savory courses.
Donut
Cranberry & Pear filled with Mulled Wine Ice Cream
Our favorite dessert. The donut was filled with cranberry and pear, but the star of the show for me was the mulled wine ice cream. What a unique and cool flavor! I could have eaten a whole pint of it.
Butternut squash
Ice Cream with Sarsaparilla and Pumpkin Cake
A very warm winter dessert. I love a good pumpkin anything, #PSL for life. I am also a sucker for exotic ice creams (see mulled wine above). So this one was good. And that's how I would describe the desserts at EMP: just good. Overall, the desserts are kind of disappointing for the type of restaurant and the standard of EMP.
chocolate
Torte with Creme Fraiche Ice Cream and Cranberry
Again, a solid desert but nothing to write home about. Tasted good at the time, but we're not going to remember it a month from now.
Pretzel
Covered in Chocolate
The last bite, and one of the best. This is the best chocolate covered pretzel I've ever had, hands down. What made this so good was the chocolate to pretzel ratio was perfect. The pretzels were made in house, and had a doughy, marzipan taste.
Drink:
Okay, so we screwed up and didn't order an alcoholic beverage, which was stupid because they are known for having amazing cocktails. In our defense, we did have two two pickle backs immediately before dinner at my old favorite haunt, Whiskey Rebel, with best friend of the blog Vishnu "Charlotte Heartthrob" Pillai. The cocktail menu was presented by ingredient. The options included apple, chocolate, sarsaparilla, cranberry, kombu, and others. They also offered non-alcoholic options. I went for the mushroom mocktail, because I'd never had a drink made with mushrooms before. I guess I grew up sheltered and unaware of what the world had to offer.
Mushroom
Porcini Mushroom Broth, Oolong tea, Squash Syrup, Honey, Verjus and Cold Brew Coffee
This was one of the coolest drinks I've ever had. I can only explain the flavor as mushroom with a sweet coffee aftertaste. The mushroom wasn't overwhelming, though. It was a flavor I have never had before, and I loved it.
Atmosphere:
Eleven Madison Park has the coolest and best atmosphere of any top notch restaurant we've been to. It feels like you're walking into The Great Gatsby, because you sort of are. The restaurant is located in an art deco lobby of an office building originally owned by Met Life. The chandeliers and crown molding are all original, and the large florescent light on the ceiling was the first florescent light in New York City. The restaurant was just renovated a few months ago, with subtle changes. Sometimes when you go to the world's best restaurants, the atmosphere is museum like, with patrons almost scared to have too much fun. EMP was different. Everyone seemed like they were having a really good time. The waiters also seemed to have a sense of humor, and they weren't afraid to joke with patrons or chat with them, cutting the tension that often comes with a restaurant of this stature.
Gatsby Hospitality:
Eleven Madison Park has the best service of any restaurant we have been to. Hands down. From the moment you walk in, you feel like you're the only patron that matters in the restaurant. But it's not stuffy--the servers joke around, and, of course, they answer literally any question you have about the restaurant in a split second. Special requests? Glad you asked. There is literally a person whose job it is to make people's experiences magical. If a waiter overhears that someone loves ice cream, for instance, you might get a house-made pint of ice cream to take home at the end of the meal. Want all of the desserts instead of choosing just one? Just ask. We did. Want a pet baby lion delivered to your table at the end of the meal? Okay, maybe not, but you get the point. EMP spends a lot of effort on their hospitality, and it pays off.
Frankie's Notes:
We made a special request to be instantly transported to the 1920s, and we are now stuck in a time warp; Shout out to Rita Ackermann (no relation), who painted the large abstract on the wall; Every meal should start with cookies; Not getting a cocktail at EMP is like refusing wine from Jesus; We are regretting not dropping hints about our love of ice cream.
Rating:
5 out of 5 with 2 Michigan Pugs
Ollie's Bites: Charlotte's Best Bar Eats
Bee sting wings from Selwyn Avenue Pub
This article first appeared on Localeur's website--check them out for travel recommendations! Localeur features in-the-know locals giving food, drink, and recreation recommendations from all over the world!
Selwyn Avenue Pub
Pizza so good that MJ orders it
Selwyn Avenue Pub is a Charlotte institution. Located in the heart of Myers Park, this part indoor/part outdoor bar and grill has plenty of large-screen TVs and shady trees and is packed on beautiful fall game days. They are famous for their transfusion drink--vodka, grape juice, and sprite--and for their delicious pizza. The pizza is so good that local Michael Jordan is known to stop in often for a pie. Other solid menu items include their chicken wings and sliders. Parking can be a beast here, so an Uber is highly recommended.
Lebowski’s Neighborhood Grill
Wangs//Image courtesy of Charlotte Agenda
Tuesday night trivia at Lebowski’s in Dilworth is the best Charlotte trivia in terms of the quality of both food and trivia questions, but in order to keep it possible to get a table, let’s keep that between us, okay? This bar with Buffalo roots does all of the Upstate New York favorites justice, like roast beef on ‘weck and the very best chicken wings this side of the Anchor Bar. Wash it all down with The Dude’s favorite--a White Russian. Be mindful that if you are going on Tuesday, for trivia or just to eat and imbibe, reservations are a must. And that’s not just like, my opinion, man.
The Cellar at Duckworth’s
Truffle fries//Image courtesy of Loop Charlotte
Below sports bar Duckworth’s in Uptown Charlotte lies a hidden speakeasy gem. The Cellar has a variety of seating from high tops to cozy booths, but I always choose a spot at the bar. Here you can watch the master mixologists craft inventive cocktails like my favorite, the Cellar Smash, which is essentially a grown up “slushie” with ginger, citrus, and elderflower. To soak up all of those delicious drinks, you can’t go wrong with the tuna tartare with wonton crisps, truffle fries, or the truffle mac and cheese. The Cellar also offers full entrees, but the shareables and small plates are the way to go here. The Cellar is a decidedly more upscale locale for bar bites--if you are looking for a more traditional bar experience, Duckworth’s upstairs has tons of TVs and great food, as well.
VBGB Beer Hall & Garden
Giant pretzel//Image courtesy of Charlotte Agenda
VBGB, located in the AvidXchange Music Factory, is a playground for grown-ups. Fun happenings include life-size games like Jenga and Connect Four, a covered patio, trivia on Thursday nights, and a DJ on Friday and Saturday nights. The food is not your typical bar fare, in that most of it is homemade and much of it is somewhat healthy--like the nitrate-free brats or quinoa salad. However, my favorite menu item is the biergarten classic: a jumbo pretzel with a side of homemade beer cheese. Don’t forget to sample all of the varieties of mustard lined up in the condiment station, too.
Dandelion Market
What's this color called, because I love it?//Image courtesy of Dandelion Market
Dandelion Market Uptown is a great bar to get a little bit of everything. Earlier in the evening, the bar is laid back and rather quiet (especially downstairs), but come 10pm or so, this place gets bumping--literally: the floor upstairs shakes a little when everyone starts dancing, but that just adds to the fun, right? The food here is a cut above for bar bites--don’t sleep on the potato croquettes with cheddar and bacon, prosciutto crostinis, or the brussels sprouts. And although I’ve never done it, but have always wanted to, you can even order the entire menu for $295.
Fork!
Background:
Fork!, located in Cornelius, NC (right next to Davidson) is a farm-to-table restaurant situated in a quaint old house with a sprawling porch. Tim and Melanie Groody have owned Fork! for about four years, and they recently opened up Ramen Soul in Mooresville. Jason and I ventured here for date night on an unseasonably warm evening in February. Check out what we tried below!
FORKKKKKK!!!1!!!!
Eat This:
Spicy Chicken spring rolls
Wasabi, plum sauce
Our waiter told us that he recommended the hickory smoked pork dumpling appetizer, but then Jason ordered these. Why would he do that? I don't know. You'll have to ask him. I don't like spring rolls, so I passed, but Jason reported that they were good. I'll eat you one day, pork dumplings. A lot of the menu items had an Asian or island-y flare, which we found interesting for the venue and rest of the menu (mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, etc.).
Smoked caesar romaine salad
Garlic croutons, shaved artisan cheese
Simple and flavorful greens. They were even nice enough to split this into two portions for us, without us asking. Hospitality plus!
Grapevine smoked wahoo
Bagna cauda, yogurt, arugula, pickled cauliflower greens
Fresh and citrus-y.
All natural beef bistro steak
House made worcestershire
The only dish we didn't like. We both felt the steak was a tad overcooked and lacked seasoning.
Pan Seared mahi
Sorrel charmoula & basil collard pesto
The mahi had a crispy sear and great flavor. I love that the meats came with the option of sauce on the side. Obviously I ordered two (un-pictured). Because sauce.
We don't know exactly why, but we didn't order enough dinner. Maybe the above would be enough for mere mortals, but we are hobby eaters. The only thing we didn't like was the steak, but for some reason we didn't feel like ordering anything else. It's a bit of a mystery, even to us. However, we had devised a game plan...
Dessert:
Whit's frozen custard
...From down the way
I mean, we were only about a mile from Whit's, so...
And Whit's is only a half a mile from Kindred....
Kindred Milkbread
Yeah, that happened
What have we done?!
We were weird. We know it. We are sure that Fork! has lovely desserts, and we will be back to try them one day. But on this night, we needed custard and some bread. I would recommend that Fork! implements a bread basket. But that's just this blogger's opinion.
Drink:
Jason and I stuck with tea (iced for him, hot for me) but Fork! had an inventive cocktail menu we will also be back to try.
Atmosphere:
Fork! was adorable, and while we liked the food, the real standout to me was the ambiance. We happened to be here on a gorgeous evening at dusk, but I have a feeling that Fork! just has good and cozy vibes whenever you go. It felt at once relaxed and upscale.
Heyyy Jason
Davidson Hospitality:
Our server was super nice, and we felt awful, because we seemed to spook him with our picture taking. It wasn't his fault that we didn't order enough food and had to go to two more restaurants. That was solely on us. We are strange and we freely admit it.
Frankie's Notes:
We made it weird at Fork! and we don't really know why; The siren call of Kindred's milkbread is like a magnetic force field; Getting island vibes in Cornelius is confusing and exciting; Wrap-around porches make everything better; Why does Fork! have an exclamation point in it?
Rating:
3 out of 5
Halcyon, Flavors from the Earth
Scallops & pork belly
Background:
Halcyon, located in Uptown Charlotte, shares a building with the Mint Museum and overlooks downtown Charlotte from its second story venue. Halcyon sources local ingredients and makes all of their food to order daily. Chef James Stouffer does not even serve previously frozen items--the only food kept in the freezer is their homemade ice cream.
Our good friend Stephanie from @lifebychipsahoyt invited a large group of bloggers out one Thursday in February to sample Halcyon's fresh and seasonally rotating menu. We had such a blast, and although Jason and I had been to Halcyon in the past, it had been a while, and it was so great to see all of the fresh offerings for spring 2018.
Hi! We are cute
Eat This:
We started the night with a smorgasbord of snacks, spreads, and shareables. Diners can customize these small bites in whatever combination they choose.
House-made bread & pita
Whipped Butter. Lemon Oil. Paprika.
Ate about five pieces of that bread in the back. And allll of that monogrammed butter.
House-Cured Duck
Assorted Cheeses. Pickles. Mustard.
Chicken liver pate, n'duja, smoked salmon spread
hamachi crudo
Jardiniere Vegetables, Castelvetrano olives, artichokes barigoule
Oysters
Horseradish. Mingonette.
Lyonnaise Salad
Frisee. Benton’s Bacon. Poached Egg. Mustard Vinaigrette.
Roasted Kale & Farro Salad
Farro. Kale. Cauliflower. Golden Raisins. Marcona Almonds. Tahini Dressing.
Brussels Sprout Salad
Sea Island Peas. Hominy. Peanuts. Tobago Aioli.
Scallops & Pork Belly
Local Maitake Mushrooms. Roasted Green Onions. Spicy Aioli.
Braised Bison
Trumpet Mushrooms. Roasted Shallots. Poached Egg. Grilled Baguette. Bacon.
I am usually not a chicken girl, but this was my second favorite dish of the night. The mole and the phyllo made this such an unexpected delight.
Salmon Koulibiac
Carolina Grit Rice. Cabbage. Mushroom Duxelle. Spinach. En Croute. Swedish Mustard.
Chicken Pastilla
Stewed Chicken. Potatoes. Capers. Olives. Green Mole. Chipotle Glaze. Phyllo. Herbs.
My favorite dish of the evening. Sooo much dill. Dill forward, even.
Bloggers hard at work!
Post-cut
Venison Saddle
Braised Red Cabbage. Parsnip Puree. Cocoa Nibs. Toasted Oats.
Dessert:
I forgot to snap a photo, but we were served the most delicious hand-rolled dark chocolate truffle for dessert. Other dessert options include house-spun ice cream, warm apple cake, chocolate mousse, & chevre cheesecake. I can't wait to go back and try them all!
Drink:
Halcyon has an epic wine selection, and we enjoyed a dry white on this particular evening. Seasonally rotating cocktails are also available. The first time Jason and I came here, it was for his birthday in October 2014, and we enjoyed an epic pumpkin cocktail. That was pre-blog days, so no photo, but I still think fondly of that drink.
Atmosphere:
Halcyon is stunning, and the decor parallels their natural approach to cuisine. Some of the tables are made from long slabs of petrified wood, the light fixtures look like bird's nests, and there is a vibe that is at once upscale and woodsy. The restaurant faces the west, so if you come at dusk you can catch a gorgeous sunset over the Queen City.
Earthyyyyy
You seriously do not want to go out to eat with any of us
Locavore Hospitality:
Halcyon is owned by the Mother Earth restaurant group that also runs Fern, Flavors from the Garden and Something Classic Cafe and catering company. On this visit and on our previous visits, we received top-notch customer service and servers who are attentive and well-informed about the cuisine.
Frankie's Notes:
If you go out to eat with bloggers, you just need to accept that your food is gonna get cold before you can eat it; Bird's nest chic is the new black; The way we swooned over the salmon koulbiac you would have thought it was a Backstreet Boys concert circa 1998; Monogrammed butter is how we do fine dining in the south; What is petrified wood so petrified of, pray tell?
Disclaimer: This meal was provided free of charge in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are our own, and we were not compensated for this review.
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