A Steaming Bowlful of Memory

There are certain foods for me that border on the Proustian.  I refer to the involuntary memory flashes that come with a whiff of grassy leeks, pungent fennel or the briny aroma and freshness of a steaming bowl of mussels.

A common fact about taste is that 80% of it is from what we smell when we eat.  Thus, a lame night out would consist of dinner with a head cold or a wine tasting surrounded by guests doused in perfume and essence de Marlboro.  But, the aggressive, vibrant and fresh aromas of steamed mussels can literally turn heads as a deep, crowded bowl of shiny black shells wafts by, leaving your eyes at half-mast and giving the feeling of standing on the dock in summer or nestled into a hard-backed wooden booth at the Union Oyster House in Boston.

My recurring Belgian reverie usually begins with me anchored at the back bar of Monk's Cafe in Philly.  With their five types of steamed mussels, skinny hand-cut fries and accompanying home-made bourbon mayonnaise, they don't get any better or any fresher in a place where every table can be seen with a stainless steel  potful.  With hundreds of beer choices from around the world, I've never spent less than three hours on a meal there, very often four or more.

There are certain ingredients that absolutely adore mussels.  Leeks and fennel are brothers in arms for a more traditional marriage.  Curry and cilantro for a slightly more exotic.  Never is fresh chopped parsley a more crucial finishing touch than when you lift the lid on a finished pot of steamed mussels.  As the vapor rises up through the freshly opened shells, the heady aroma of garlic and aromatic vegetables co-mingles with the precious release of clean seawater picking up the grassy aroma of the parsley and melds it into a dizzying savory steambath.

My grandparents always took us to an American Restaurant down the street in Lawrence Park, PA that was called the Sawmill Inn.  My grandfather religiously ordered the mussels as an appetizer which arrived to the table in a bowl large enough to toss salad.  As we kids dipped our fried shrimp and French fries in cocktail sauce, he sat quietly and savored each and every tender morsel, dunking his crusty bread and sipping his long-neck Reading.

Over the years, I've flirted with the different types of mussels out there to try.  The dense and meaty, almost always pre-frozen New Zealand green-lip kiwi mussels.  The poorly named Mediterranean mussels of Washington State with their incredible almost 1:1 ratio of meat to shell and extraordinarily plump and creamy flesh.  White water, rope-cultured mussels from around Narrangansett Bay in Rhode Island or the often bottom cultured Maine "blue" mussels are in the top echelon of sweetness and flavor.  And the well-known Prince Edward Island (PEI) variety, which rank in my top three for flavor.  Not always the meatiest, but some of the most flavorful you can cook and eat.

Another bonus feature for me when supping on mussels is their versatility as both a meal and an accompaniment, mainly to various beverages.  Mussels au natural cry for cold, fragrant beer from Belgium or France, while mussels in herbs, white wine, butter and lemon sing with a minerally white wine from the Alto Adige or Muscadet.  Back to our curry recipe, dry rieslings are in good company while smoked mussels with dill, shallot and lemon could pair nicely with a dry white sparkling wine.  Bread is almost always in good order, unless you go the Moules Frites route, those skinny, salty fries we talked about earlier that the European community blessed us with centuries ago.

You see, we should take some time to appreciate something as simple yet so sensual as fresh steamed mussels.  They're not fussy or trendy.  They're not expensive or elitist.  They're accessible, delicious and fun.  Why don't more people serve them, I wonder.

Steamed Brussels Mussels for Two
2-3# Fresh Mussels
1 stalk of chopped leek, white portion
1/2 bulb or 1 full stalk of fresh, diced fennel
1 minced shallot
1 minced garlic clove
2-3 oz. good olive oil
2 diced tomato concasse (without seeds or skin)
1 Tablespoon freshly chopped flat leaf parsley (Italian parsely)
1 1/2 cup of dry white wine (or one 12 oz. bottle Belgian wheat beer)
1 cup clam juice

Cooking:  Clean the "beards", or seaweed, from the mussels.  Tap each one and discard those that don't close.  Warm up your olive oil, leeks, fennel, garlic and shallot in a deep pot over medium heat.  As the vegetables begin to "hiss", add your mussels and turn up the heat to high.  Cover tightly for one minute.   Lift the lid and add the white wine and clam juice, replacing the lid to steam.  In about 5 minutes, check to see that the shells have all steamed open.  Toss in the chopped tomato and parsley just before serving.  Serving in the same pot keep the mussels from falling out of their shells and also keeps them hot.  Be sure to ladle the vegetables and broth into each bowl and serve with toasty, warm bread or skinny french fries.

The BBC Tavern and Grill

I slipped into the new Brandywine Brewing Company Tavern and Grill last Friday night, just to get a glimpse.  My first surprise was that I found a parking spot in front of the restaurant.  The second surprise was it was the last one open as far as the eye could see.  But, that really shouldn't have been a surprise.  This is, after all, the most anticipated restaurant opening this year in Delaware.

I love a full, bustling restaurant, and this place was both.  To say it was loud both understates the truth and makes me seem like an old codger.  But, it was deafening loud.  I immediately looked up and then down to see what steps had been taken to combat the noise.  Sound panels are installed throughout the restaurant, yet there are no floor coverings.  With all that wood paneling, hard wood floors and no table cloths- OUCH.  First impression.

It was just around 8:40pm when I arrived, and I was told it would be a 40 minute wait for a table for one.  I was given a vibrating shell, like they have on the Price is Right, and went to the bar for a beer.  The bar was two people deep, some had been camped for awhile, some were eating.  There were no visible menus or chalkboards listing the fabulous selection of beers I had seen on the website.  I recognized the bartender, Ed, and asked him to give me a good beer.  He did; a Smithwick's Ale, from the maker's of Guinness.  Good flavor, not filling, nice balance, poured right: good start.

I did some people watching and some Phillies watching, when suddenly (and I mean, 5 minutes later), my cinnabon started to vibrate.  I chuckled and went to the front with my vibra-mollusk; "Thanks for your patience!", the cheery hostess said (it was the same one who said I would have to wait).  I said, "You're welcome, but it was only five minutes."  She didn't seem to have any recollection that we had ever spoken.  But, she took me to the dining room off the main entrance and seated me at a deuce, and left me with reading materials.  

Normally, I start to do the "who's my server" scan, so I can get a drink to look the menu over, but since I had one already, I was content to browse with no sense of urgency.  The room was full of all walks of life; families with kids, couples, triple dates, young, old and, after all it is Greenville, a local big-wig (one member of BPG).  Jessica, my server, arrived very promptly and asked if I needed anything right away.  I declined and she left me to my menu selection.


This is where big points were scored.  I'm not a high-maintenance diner.  I just want to get the same attention everyone else does.  If a place is weeded, and everyone is craning their neck to get service, I don't get worked up.  I take it in stride, and so should you.  But, if I look around and tables are being fawned over and I'm doing the WTF, I wanna know why my dollar is different than theirs.  And, I came with low expectations, not for any reason other than I did arrive on a Friday night during peak service the first weekend after opening.  But, Jessica was on it.


I ordered the Prince Edward Island mussels steamed in beer and garlic as an appetizer, and I decided to try the meatloaf sandwich, described as "Home-made Meatloaf, with a sweet Thai chili cream sauce, crispy noodles and sesame French loaf".  

Mediterranean Mussels

The mussels arrived so fast, I thought a mistake had been made.  Surely, these couldn't have been mine?  But, Jesssica strolled over with a brimming bowl of colossal mussels and toasted crostini and took my order for a Clipper City Heavy Seas Loose Cannon Ale.  Upon looking at the mussels, I realized they were a variety known as Mediterranean mussels.  They actually come from Washington state.  They are the meatiest mussels (along with Kiwi) you can buy, and though they have a short shelf-life, they are juicy and succulent when fresh.  But, here is where I figured out that they were indeed my mussels.  Most cooks think that when the shells of mussels open, they're finished cooking.  And with puny varieties, they'd be right.  By the time you get them out of a pan and into a bowl, they are indeed cooked through.  But, as I mentioned before, these mussels are huge- two and three bite mussels.  And half of them arrived a shade above raw.  They had opened, but they hadn't cooked all the way.  The flavor was great, and there had to be a pound and a half in the bowl.  But- I left a good third of them, and even pulled a couple out and set them on the side in case anyone was auditing returns.  Why didn't I say anything?  I'll get to that later.



My sandwich arrived five minutes after my appetizer.  It consisted of two huge pieces of meatloaf on the aforementioned sesame French bread.  But the chili cream was a chili sauce right out of the bottle, often used to coat chicken nuggets.  There were no crispy noodles to speak of.  The greens were your standard "spring mix".  I ordered another Clipper City Ale from Baltimore, and I was ready to hunker down with some comfort grub.  


The sandwich was both satisfying and filling.  More suited for a fork and knife than double-handing.  People continued to come in and sit for dinner.  The Phils were putting their fans through another heart-attack 9th inning with Lidge as closer, and the buzz continued throughout the tavern.  Jessica had checked back twice to see if I was okay.  I giggled as I thought how rare it is to have such an unexpectedly pleasant first visit within the first week of a restaurant opening.  But, Dave Dietz is no newbie in the business.  Credit is given, because credit is due.  


I debated whether I would write about my visit so soon after they opened, but then I figured, why not?  Most people who like to dine out regularly are planning on stopping in for a beer or a meal.  Why shouldn't I write about it?  I began my post right after my visit, but...as they say, you live by the sword, and you die by the sword.  Because, they next night, my wife and a group had the exact opposite experience.

They arrived at about the same time, 8:30ish.  There were six in the group, and 40 minutes was the wait.  Except, for them, it actually was 40 minutes.  J ordered a Hefe-Weizen that she went nuts for.  And the report was the same on the noise.  Like piggy banks in a dryer.

Whereas I had courteous service, hot food and no wait, their group waited 15 minutes after placing drink orders to get them.  They waited 35 minutes to have their order taken, even though they had plenty of time to browse the menu while waiting.  And they reported painfully slow arrival of food, even while the chef was seen standing and conversing with a table for 20-plus minutes at the peak of the rush.  Whether they had a full line on or not, it's bad form to be standing in the eye of the storm as the captain of the ship, and the ship is sinking.  Notice I didn't mention the food.  Neither did they.  It seems, and I've been on both ends of this, good food doesn't always make up for other areas of a dining experience.  The server appeared to be harried and annoyed.  Which certainly didn't bode well for a first impression to friends looking for a fun night out.

So, back to my point earlier:  I didn't mention the details about my food to anyone because they were details I could overlook.  I had eaten enough of the huge mussels that I didn't need to call it to their attention.  I wasn't crestfallen I didn't have crispy noodles, whatever they are, on my sandwich.  It was good anyway.  Chili cream didn't sound appetizing anyway.  And, I appeared to luck out on getting a good server and timely service.  Some of this touches on a post I have coming up, "Culinary Myths:  The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of a Chef's Opinion".  But, that's another post.

I've no doubt that last week and in the coming weeks at BBC, people are going to have experiences just like the two I described.  It's part of when a new restaurant opens, folks.  The question you should be asking yourself is, "What are my expectations?"  You can let stuff go when you have an open mind, and subsequently, you can be let down when you set yourself up for an experience a restaurant might not be able to deliver (yet).  But, if you are considering going to BBC, do it.  I'll be going back to try more beer and more food.  

As I will be posting other dining experiences in the future, please keep in mind, blogs are the white noise of the internet.  Sometimes you listen, and sometimes you tune it out.  I write this blog for anyone who wants to listen.  

Thanks for listening.

Ice 'em if ya got 'em...

It's been a very "local" kind of summer for me.  My staycation was only to the Jersey Shore, and so for the most part, I've been riding out the last few months here in Delaware and the Brandywine Valley.  One upside, however, is I've gotten to watch a lot of the Phillies games.  While I usually prefer some wine at the end of the day (or the middle), watching the Phils over a glass of Riesling doesn't...feel right.  So, I'm beer all the way. 

I've had some fun ones, and some not so fun ones.  The prior includes Sierra Nevada's ESB or early spring beer.  Also, Blue Moon's "Honey Moon" Ale, was a nice take on a lighter quaff for passing the innings.  I found one of my favorite breweries, Smutty Nose from New Hampshire, had a Summer Weizen made with lemon and chamomile.  Ehhh- not so much.  It was light and clean as the label said, but a little to wispy for me.  Cool label, though.

 

I grabbed a craft brew from Caldera in Oregon.  If you haven't seen this trend yet, a lot of craft brews are coming in cans these days.  A number of reasons are sighted as to the benefits, but I find them all matter-of-fact.  If I were a fledgling brew maker, I'd be looking to attract a young audience and do it cost effectively.  Unless of course, you're Caldera.  Young audience, yes.  Labels reads, "Serve cool, like you."  But cost effective?  A six pack of Caldera Brewing Company's Ashland Amber, in cans, will set you back eleven dollars and some change.  Let me say it again- in cans.  

Not from Belgium or France, not even 12% alcohol from Dogfishhead.  The beer?  Awesome!  Great style, hoppy, fresh- loved it.  But, I can't get over the price tag.  So, I decided to explore some beers I tried last year when I worked in Kennett from Sly Fox Brewing Company in Phoenxville, Pennsylvania.

Sly Fox Phoenix Pale Ale has all the markings of a great local craft beer, its hops are a little tamer than the Caldera, and it has a cleaner finish.  A case (in cans, also) will only set you back $30 and change.  Waywood Beverage as you enter Kennett Square is where I found some.  I don't think it's available in Delaware, yet.  But it ought to be.  They also make a terrific pilsner, weisse and lager: all in cans.

Well, if you're going to make the trip, you might as well take advantage of the breadth of their selection.  It's most impressive.  But, I wanted to stay local, so I found a couple brews from Intercourse Brewing Company.  Again, I went with a pale ale, and this time a pilsner.  The one thing that made these beers standout, other than the price ($23.99 case, in bottles) was the sheer balance of flavor and alcohol.  

Too often the alcohol content of microbrews is completely out of whack, and it masks the flavors.  Sometimes after two, you are ready to switch to something more "drinkable", to steal the MSB's term.  And so, if you're going to kick back, bbq and listen to the game, both of these beers from Intercourse fit the bill.  Want more Intercourse?  www.intercoursebrewingco.wordpress.com    And, please; BBQ responsibly.