Bangkok in Downtown

Growing up here many years ago, there were no Thai places (nor Sushi) within a hundred miles of Fort Pierce, so being able to explore a dining establishment other than a fast food establishment in his hometown was a very exciting moment for Chez.

So what was his evaluation of the Bangkok in Downtown, Fort Pierce? Well, at best I would say it is a mixed review.


We began our dining experience with a quick look around the venue. The downtown area of Fort Pierce has made huge strides in its gentrification process and it bares very little resemblance to the FTP of Chez youth. As for the bistro, it had a clean, neat and decided Asian air, as was expected… and it looked like it was smooth sailing for this riverfront downtown.

Our drink orders (no bar, just beer or wine) went the non alcohol route with the Thai Coffee for Chez and Thai Tea for Chez wife. The ice coffee drink was only fair and leaned toward the too much, too strong, kinda bitter side while the tea was refreshing and flavorful.

For appetizers we went with Fried gyoza and steamed vegetable dumplings. These both were outstanding and served as a very fitting start to the meal.


For the main course Chez’ companion choose the Chicken Stir Fry and while it was pleasant to the eye it was lacking any zing and left little in the way creativeness.

Chez order the Bento Box A, composed of a few tempura, sashimi, maki and a side of Pad Thai. The Japanese element of the dish was decorative and tasty and overall it was outstanding, but that was due more to the expertise of the sushi chef and the quality of the fish. The Pad Thai however was abysmal and lacked any ‘pop’.


So what’s the final evaluation? Well, Fort Pierce has come a long way since 1977, but it still has a ways to go in the Thai Food Department.

- Chez

The Ruby Grapefruit Gimlet (makes 2)

Does the thought of grapefruit cause your taste buds to cry out in alarm and your pucker to go into overdrive?

Well, here’s an adult beverage that will supply you with all of that grapefruit goodness without all of that bitter/sour that haunts your grapefruit memories… honest!

- Chez

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka
• 1/4 cup vodka
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (and don’t skimp here… make it fresh squeezed.)
• 2 tablespoons Simple Syrup (see below)
• 2 tablespoons fresh grapefruit juice (and don’t skimp here either… make it fresh squeezed.)
• Ice cubes
• 2 Grapefruit slices (garnish)

PREPERATION

Place first 5 ingredients in cocktail shaker; fill with ice.

Cover and shake quickly and vigorously for 8 seconds.

Strain into 2 Martini glasses.

Garnish with grapefruit slices.

Simple Syrup:

To prepare the simple syrup Stir 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons water in small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves.

Bring to boil; cool.

Mill Race Inn 12/5/10

Day Three brought us to the Mill Race Inn, a historic pub and eatery located on the east bank of the Fox River in Geneva, Illinois. Following on the heals of our outstanding experience of the previous evening, our hopes were high that tonight we would again experience a more-than-pleasant dining experience. Sadly, this was not to be.

We began with our cocktails, with Sheb ordering… yes, you guessed it, a Dirty Martini. For me, I chose a standard Manhattan. Sheb’s drink was fine but in mine was the harbinger of things to come for the evening. Too much bourbon, not enough sweet vermouth and no bitters? Well, then it isn’t really a Manhattan, is it! Well, it did have a cherry… three in fact, so sad.

With the appetizer course came the only ‘high spot’ for the evening, in the form of the Baked Mushroom Caps, which according to the menu were stuffed with spinach, onion and bacon, then drizzled with béarnaise sauce. We both found them to be quite acceptable.

Our second appetizer choice was the Crispy Coconut Duck Strips, supposedly tender strips of duck breast; coconut encrusted and fried golden brown, and served with a sweet and sour cherry dipping sauce and Asian-inspired coleslaw. Reality however was that while the duck was indeed succulent and flavorful, the heavy-handed coconut breading drowned out whatever ducky-goodness that might have been there and as for the sweet and sour dipping sauce… no sour, way too much sweet and not a good match for anything on the plate.

Now about that Asian inspired coleslaw… Note to Chef: Piling julienned red and yellow bell peppers on the side of the dish IS NOT the same as making coleslaw. What you made was a garnish and not a very good one.

Sheb’s main course for the evening came in the form of Swedish Meatballs in a sour cream sauce on black pepper fettuccine, topped with lingonberries. The pasta was acceptable and the sauce was a nice pairing with the dish, but the meatballs had the consistency of wet bread and were too soggy/mushy to be eaten.

Chez’ main course was the Grilled Ahi Steak, reported to be a fresh, Hawaiian tuna steak served medium rare with citrus lime butter, sided with wild rice blend and a fresh vegetable medley.

Reality was:

1. It wasn’t Ahi,
2. It was criminally over-cooked (despite my plea to the waitress to tell the chef to go sparingly with the heat) and,
3. It was over-salted and over-peppered at to make it ‘not fit for human consumption’ (Thank you Morimoto, for giving me just the right words to describe this dish!)

Even in the realm of service, the Mill Race Inn failed to deliver. Initially it was great, with a highly attentive server and visits from the manager. But with the arrival of a large party about thirty minutes after our arrival, we were relegated to the forgotten realm of the ‘corner booth’, in as much as there was only one server and the table of eight trumps the table of two. Filled with disgust, we left the restaurant and went to A & W for dessert.

So, as you can guess… we won’t be going back.


- Chez

Buckingham’s 12/4/10

Day Two of our Restaurant Marathon took us to Elgin, Illinois and the Grand Victoria Casino. Now casinos are renowned for having good food so let me preface this review by saying… “The Grand Victoria and Buckingham’s did not disappoint”. From the elegant surrounding to the stellar service to the high quality of the food, the dining experience will need to be repeated and if not every evening… (As this isn’t practical or particularly cost effective) it is on Chez’ Repeat List for 2011. I have only high-praise for the staff and chefs at Buckingham’s.

Cocktail Time consisted of Sheb’s standard choice, the Dirty Martini but I ventured outside the box and went with a Rob Roy, if for no other reason than to see if they would get it right. They did!

Appetizers for the evening consisted of (for her) the Bacon Wrapped Scallops and (for him) Carpaccio. Concerning the scallops, Sheb had high praise for these jewels of the sea and while she abstains from eating the bacon wrapping, that just means that it will be available for my consumption!

Concerning the Carpaccio, the thinly sliced, meaty goodness was grand and the shaved Parma was exquisite. The chef strayed from the ‘traditional’ and went with a truffle oil rather than olive oil, and it gave the dish a nice touch... but when the chef continued to veer off the traditional path and opt for sunflower seeds in lieu of pine nuts? Not sure about that. I am not saying it was bad… just that I am not sure it was good. Tradition does have its place, you know.

The only real disappointment of the evening, and a minor one it was, was the soup course. Sheb declined the course but I went with a Lobster Bisque and when it arrived I found that it tasted reminiscent of canned Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup. Sure, there were delectable bits of lobster in it, sure it had a cutesy cracker spoon, sure it was good soup… but it wasn’t lobster bisque. No ‘happy face’ here.

As our main courses arrived, we were both in a level of high anticipation that our culinary extravaganza would continue. For Sheb, it came in the form of several ‘small’ plates filled with Grilled Asparagus, Wine Sautéed Mushrooms, Potato au Gratin and Beef Tenderloin Kabobs. No negative comments here and all was quite well on her side of the table.

My main dining choice was The Tomahawk, twenty-six ounces of manly Beef Meat, served up on an eighteen-inch bone straight out of an episode of ‘The Flintstones’. Sure, there were potatoes and veggies with a cheese sauce, but who cares… and throughout the dining experience I had the strangest urge to utter a Neolithic grunt.

Dessert time brought two more items to our table. For her, a huge slice of Double Chocolate Cake that could, without a doubt, feed a family of four for a week. (Joy upon joy, there will be leftovers!) For me, it was a hope that this was where Brule Heaven resided. Sadly, not today, for the Crème Brule suffered from ‘density’ issues and was more of a flan than a crème.

Nonetheless, Buckingham’s is a topnotch steakhouse with excellent food, great service, wonderful ambiance and should be visited by anyone who comes within 100 miles of the Grand Victoria Casino.

- Chez

Wildwood 12/3/10

Over the course of three days (12/3 through 12/5) we managed to visit three distinct restaurants; a local gem, a casino steak house and a riverfront icon, all within 20 miles of each other. The first of these visits was to the Wildwood, the local gem that is located in the quaint, scenic Dodson Place in Geneva, Illinois.

Despite it being ‘Kick-Off Night’ of the annual Christmas Walk Weekend, reservations were available and the restaurant was busy but well organized, with a good traffic flow that allowed customers to come and go without disturbing the clientele who were dining… a major accomplishment when one considers the sea of humanity that avails itself to the Geneva Christmas Walk each year.

The views of the square, decked out for the season as well as the tasteful décor inside gave the entire experience a very festive overtone and bode well for the night’s dining experience, which began with; yup you guessed it, cocktails. As is our custom, we both selected the Dirty Martinis with Blue Cheese-stuffed olives. (What is there not to love with this concoction?)

For our appetizer course we went with the French Goat Cheese, consisting of baked imported goat cheese, served atop spinach and surrounded by a sea of tomato basil sauce, served with an olive tapenade garnish. My wife and I differed on our rating of this dish. She found it quite tasty… while I found the sauce to be on the bland side, with it tasting more like pureed red peppers and having no tomato-esque zing that I was hoping for.

For the soup course we went old school, and both had the classic French Onion Soup. With this dish the folks at Wildwood kitchen hit it out of the park. The onions were done to perfection; the cheese was at a flawless consistency and all elements of the dish were equally represented without any one flavor dominating the dish. This one is a big thumbs up!

The Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Crumbles and Bacon was standard fare, but there was an issue with the dressing. On my wife’s dish, dressing flowed like an endless sea of creamy goodness. Moresthepity too, when one considers she is a ‘light dressing’ type. My salad, on the other hand was a veritable desert with just the faintest hint of creamy goodness.

For the main courses, Sheb went with the Tuxedo Pasta, a dish of sautéed chicken and tender bowtie pasta, tossed with sundried tomatoes, spinach, garlic and mushrooms topped with creamy gorgonzola. She (and I concurred) felt that the dish was on the bland and lifeless side and could have used a lot more zip.

I chose the Baked Sausage Fettuccine, an Italian fennel sausage dish simmered with red and green bell peppers and broccoli with a red wine marinara cream sauce, tossed with fettuccine, topped with provolone and baked until golden. My choice was outstanding and if you are a fennel fan (and I am), this one is for you.

As the dessert cart appeared it was time to contemplate the sweeter things of life. Despite the warnings of my wife, I went ahead and ordered the Orange Crème Brule, delicate orange custard with burnt sugar crust. As followers of this blog know, I have been on the quest for the perfect Crème Brule ever since that incredible moment of five years ago when I experience Crème Brule Nirvana, while at sea enroute to Jamaica. Well, tonight came close… but not quite. The brule was perfect and most of the crème was too, but the bottom 1/4 inch was grainy, thus it is relegated to ‘Good… just not great’. Well, a snifter of their finest will help assuage the pain of this disappointment!

So, what is the final analysis? Overall, Wildwood scores an 8.5 out of 10 and garners a ‘worthy of a repeat’, if for no other reason than to evaluate their steaks. Hmmmmm … when can I fit that visit in?

- Chez

Old Fashion Molasses Cookies (Makes 2 dozen)

I like cookies… heck, what’s not to like!

But if you like your cookies on the chewy side (I’m not a cookie snob. I’ll take them anyway I can get them) then these are for you.

The cracked and craggy structure, the heady molasses aroma and the bite from the ginger, coupled with subtle brown-sugar sweetness come together in this chewy cookie concoction that is sure to win 1st prize at your house.

Give them a try!

- Chez

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 3 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
• 2 large eggs

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°F.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon.

In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter, shortening, and 3 cups sugar until light and fluffy and beat in molasses. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture and combine well.

In a small shallow bowl put remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Form dough into 2-inch balls (I find that a standard Ice-cream scoop does a great job) and roll in sugar.

On baking sheets lined with parchment paper, arrange balls about 4 inches apart and flatten slightly with bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. (6 cookies will fit on a sheet.)

Bake cookies in batches in middle of the oven 15 minutes, or until puffed and golden. (Cookies should be soft.) Transfer cookies with a metal spatula to racks to cool.