Last Nights

No matter how long I'm in Texas for a visit it's never long enough. So when time has flown by and all of a sudden it's the last night, we usually do it up and go out in style. This past trip was no exception. As everyone else in my family (including my sister's boyfriend) had been to Andrew Weissman's latest creation but me and all I had ever heard were the most rave reviews (and also still feeling a lingering sadness over the now-shuttered Le Reve) that was my pick: Il Sogno.

Now I try not to give you too many restaurant reviews because it's frustrating if you're not in the area, and maybe just to me but posting pictures has always seemed like the easy way out. Not being a professional reviewer as well, not even a professional writer, photographer, or blogger, I've been hesitant to take on the role of influencer, especially with the chef-driven out cry against amateur reviews that may be the deciding factor of whether a reader even comes to their restaurant or not. I understand and respect when a chef asks diners not to take pictures and just because I'm a pretty happy, laid back, and optimistic person, don't really want my little blog cluttered with bad reviews anyways when I have that occasional bad meal.

But when the meal is exceptional, the town is wonderful and the restaurant is a bit off the beaten path I will break my little rules, but keep it short and sweet. Even with the recent departure of the executive chef Luca Della Casa and Weissman back on the line, even with a large party the open kitchen looked almost relaxed, well practiced in their art. Everything was excellent, the atmosphere superb, and service was top notch. That's all you really need to know outside of a little food porn, right? So if you are in San Antonio in the near future, or live there but just haven't been, this is still along the Riverwalk, but not in the expected places- in fact it's down a mostly new stretch of peace and quiet that would make for a nice pre/post dinner stroll.

Second Best Baked Good

After pie dough that is, but I think because the making of the 2 are so similar... the desired fat and flour crumb consistency, just enough liquid, the necessity for the fat to be as chilled as possible before and after combining. That'd be the cheddar chive biscuit, from BLT Fish. I figured since I just mentioned it, and turned down one straight from the source, the least I could do is give you the recipe, right?

One thing Laurent Tourondel has excelled at (or perhaps more correctly, his pastry chef's) is the unique baked goods served at his restaurants. I was in love at first bite with the cheddar chive biscuits and bought a popover pan after having his gruyere popovers at BLT Prime. He's also so nice to give you a little recipe card, gratis, along with the baked treats. And it was through this that I was able to make and eventually perfect my biscuit making skills.

Sardineys!

Yuck, right? Smelly, fishy, boney... a fish to avoid. Those were my exact thoughts, right up until I ate one. My first time was at the Harrison bar, where I was enjoying a drink and chatting it up with the bartender and naturally the conversation turned to food. He suggested the sardines and I'm sure I twisted my face in disgust. He persisted and I gave in. Simply prepared, they were coated in breadcrumbs, some spices and herbs and then broiled until crisp and brown. The flesh of the fish just flaking off until there was nothing but a perfect skeleton left. He then suggested I try the head and that's where I drew the line, but ever since it's been love.

They were on the menu at The Majestic, where a year ago ago I celebrated my re-entrance into the working world and where just a few days ago we returned to celebrate my anniversary, and both times I ordered the sardines. I prefer the way chef Shannon Overmiller does them better than Amanda Freitag's (see, now I'm a sardine snob!). Again simply roasted but also with some capers and cherry tomato's, topped with breadcrumbs, olive oil and lemon drizzled over. And it put an idea in my head. To make you'd simply need an oven, some breadcrumbs, some herbs, optional accompaniments and of course sardines, right?

As Long As I Live In New York...

I will probably never make this dish from scratch. Yes I own the cookbook, and yes I have the culinary knowledge, the accessibility to all ingredients, and the required cookware, but why... when I can just go to the restaurant?

Lazy? Perhaps, but let me just say, the broth alone takes 8+ hours to make. The pork belly takes over 24. The whole dish requires things like nori, fish cake, konbu, as well as about 40 other slightly more recognizable items. So would you make this when you could just grab a friend, settle down to the counter and have a bowl in front of you in less than 15 minutes? That's right, I thought not.



Seriously. This is page 1 of more than 20.

Did I also mention that it's my go to when I'm sick? During the height of the holiday shopping, naturally I came down with the worst cold. But presents won't buy themselves, so I dragged myself out. When it came time to re-energize, my first thought was ramen and I came here. Today with a friend, also suffering from a bad cold, here we came again. It's the broth, it's the egg-y protein, it's the chewy noodles, the salty fish cake, the melting pork belly. It's that combination of so many delicious things all in one hot bowl of ramen. Chicken soup has nothing on this.