Taqueria 27 Brunch

I reviewed Taqueria 27 a while back and have always been a fan, but only recently did I get a chance to stop in for Sunday brunch.  Overall, the staple items remain on the brunch menu, with a few additions that are breakfast-specific.

We started out with the roasted guacamole (blackened sweet and spicy chiles, caramelized garlic, balsamic and herbs).  This is a good guacamole, although I desperately hope that Taqueria 27 will add the bacon and black bean option to their list of daily choices instead of just featuring it as an occasional guacamole of the day.

We enjoyed a few drinks with brunch, most of which were of the beer persuasion, but one cocktail took me by surprise.  The Spicy Jalapeño-Melon Rita (fresh jalapeño and watermelon with agave and lime shaken with Hornitos Plata and melon liqueur) is not something I would normally order due to the melon and the liquor, but combined with the fresh muddled jalapeño this ends up being a very balanced and not overly sweet cocktail.

For our meal, we mostly enjoyed a selection of tacos, including the grilled pears and roasted beets taco that I had not tried before.  These were really nice and a great option if carnitas and chorizo sounds too heavy for you in the morning.  

However, if carnitas in the morning sounds like exactly the right choice, T27 has that avenue covered as well.  The carnitas and pickled onion together make this taco a must-try staple at the restaurant.

Those who have read other reviews on this blog know how much I love Chilaquiles - a traditional Mexican breakfast item consisting of salsa poured over tortilla chips and topped with eggs or meat, queso fresco and crema.  The version at Taqueria 27 uses a red salsa and cooks the tortilla chips until they become soft.  The plate is then topped with an egg any style and dressed with crema and cheese.  For me, this was a miss.  I prefer my chilaquiles to be made in a way that maintains the chips crispiness, but it is not uncommon to cook the mixture until the chips become soft.  When prepared this way, Chilaquiles need a much more generous portion of salsa in my opinion.

The verdict?  I would absolutely go back for brunch at Taqueria 27 as it is casual and offers solid choices in the breakfast or lunch genres, as well as great drink options.  While they missed on my favorite dish, staying within their wheelhouse (tacos) did not produce any disappointments.

Caputo's Intro to Scotch Class

My wife surprised me with an evening at Caputo's Market and Deli for their inagural 15th and 15th introduction to scotch whisky class, and it was a great time.  The class is taught by Evan Ross, who has actually helped me out in the downtown Caputo's cheese cave more than once and is a master at pairings.  The format is to walk through a general overview of whisky, what makes Scotch unique and how to evaluate a dram.  Then, we tasted four whiskies - three scotches and a bourbon.

The thing that comes out most clearly in Evan's presentation of whisky is his passion for the subject.  Although he hasn't been in the game too long, I got a strong sense that he would be a lot of fun to dissect my favorite whiskies alongside.  I also appreciated the east coast demeanor that I don't get to experience too often in my new home of Salt Lake City.

We started out the tasting portion of the class with Basil Hayden's Bourbon.  I actually don't like this bourbon very much, but, as an extremely light and floral bourbon, it provides a nice segue into scotch if you're used to the harsher American whiskies.  The genius piece of this taste was the pairing to Frody Volgger's house made pastrami - which is the best deli meat I've ever tasted.  Do yourself a favor and stop by either location for a pound next time you feel like a sandwich.

Moving on, the first scotch on the list was a Bowmore Legend.  This one falls firmly into the bargain dram section of my cabinet, but it makes an excellent daily driver if you like a peated Islay malt and you're on a budget.  Probably the biggest critique I would offer of this class is evident in the above shot - it is near impossible for beginners to properly nose and experience whiskies out of an Ikea tumbler.  I would recommend that Caputo's invest in a proper set of Glencairn glasses, which would aid beginners in their journey much more than one might expect.  The Bowmore was paired with Caputo's own Taleggio and the match worked quite well.

The next whisky on the list was one of Evan's (and my) favorites.  If I had to pick one Scotch to drink for the next year, it would be Talisker's 10 year expression (assuming I was paying for my own supply).  To me, this dram has the perfect amount of peat and salinity to match the sweet notes, black pepper and lightly sherried finish.  Evan paired it with a blue Spanish cheese (Valderon) and the result was a totally enjoyable fistfight between two huge flavors.

We finished the night with the 12 year old expression from The Macallan.  The Macallan is the Rolls Royce of single malts, according to whisky godfather Michael Jackson, and the 12 year is perhaps the most representative expression of their malt.  Evan again worked some magic in pairing this sherry bomb with Fiore Sardo and a single origin honey.  Interestingly, I went home with a block of the Fiore Sardo and the miracle pairing really fell apart without the honey - which made me appreciate the nuance in Evan's pairings even more.

Overall I've had a few amazing experiences with Caputo's education classes and look forward to doing more.  Because there is not a whisky scene AT ALL in Salt Lake, I hope that this particular series introduces more people to the joys of whisky.  If that happens, I would also like to see some more advanced education opportunities - perhaps nudging participants to be a bit more participatory in sharing their tasting notes and opinions throughout the class.  As I said before, I would love to sit around and talk whisky with Evan as his passion for the subject is evident.  I would also love to see Caputo's bring in more experts who can take non-novices a bit deeper into discussion.

The verdict?  The whisky series at Caputo's is an excellent opportunity for beginners to familiarize with the various expressions of whiskey.  It is not aimed primarily at those who spend their evenings reading whiskey blogs and writing tasting notes, but that does not mean a more seasoned sipper would not have a perfectly enjoyable evening at one of these events.

The Cranberry Bitters Project

I decided this year that I wanted to create a holiday gift for some folks, and that it should involve booze. Little did I know when I launched into the Cranberry Bitters Project 2013 that it would take months of toil, but since it is done I figured that it was worth documentation here.

This was a double batch.  Step 1 - lightly dehydrate 64 ounces of fresh cranberries and orange peel (leaving the pith off) in the oven by spreading the fruit onto a baking sheet and cooking at ~200 degrees for a few hours.  The recipe I was following said to cook for 30 minutes, at which point the fruit should begin to burst, and that is when you remove the pans.  For me, the fruit didn't get there for almost three hours, so keep an eye on your berries.

Step 2 - portion out the berries and orange peel into mason jars and fill about half way with a 1:1 mixture of everclear (grain alcohol) and high proof vodka.  Once you have the fruit and liquid in there, you will want to try and mash everything down enough to submerge the fruit in liquid.  It isn't super important to get every bit of the fruit under booze, because eventually those cranberries are going to soak up the liquid.  At this point, leave the jars in a cool dark place for two weeks and shake them once daily.  I also suggest flipping them when you shake them so they spend every other day on their lids to be sure all your cranberries are getting a chance to drink up.

After two weeks you're going to add the stuff that makes your bitters bitter.  Gentian root powder, quassia bark chips, some star anise and a half cinnamon stick.  The amount shown below is enough for one large mason jar.  

Wrap all those goodies up in a double layer of cheese cloth, tie if off with a string, and dunk it into your mason jars.  Now repeat another two weeks of the shake and rotate cycle.

Waiting is a big part of the bitters creation game.

Now you are ready for the fun part, and here is where it gets messy (thus, no more pictures).  You are going to take all of the fruit from your jars and sqeeze all of the juice out of it and set that aside.  You'll do this by getting a set of rubber gloves (lest you be red-handed for several weeks post maceration) and a long roll of cheese cloth.  I found that you want to place a baseball-sized lump of fruit into the cheese cloth and squeeze until all the liquid is drained.  More fruit than that and you'll never get all the juice out. 

At the end of this you will have a pile of fruit and a jar or so of liquid.  Take that liquid and seal it, and put it aside for a few more weeks.  Then take your pile of macerated fruit and orange peel and throw it into a stock pot with two cups of pure cranberry juice (nothing with any sugar added).  Simmer the mixture on medium heat for about 15 minutes.  Then take what you get from that pot, put it back into the mason jars and wait two more weeks (shaking and rotating all the while).

Last step is to go through the cheese cloth process once again with your fruit and squeeze everything out of the jars.  You'll want to marry the two batches of liquid that you have now in a large pitcher and add a cup of sugar, which you should stir into the liquid until dissolved.  Portion that potion out into whatever receptacle you prefer and gift away.

Cranberry bitters can be substituted for other bitters options in just about any cocktail, but for the uncreative here is how to make the above cocktail.

Black Manhattan:

2 ounces Bourbon Whiskey

1/2 ounce Nocino Walnut Liquor

1/2 ounce Sweet Vermouth

5 dashes Cranberry Bitters

Del Mar al Lago

Del Mar al Lago might be the best bang for the buck in Salt Lake City, assuming you are a "Cebiche yes" kind of person.  Given the buzz, I expected the food to be good.  What shocked me was the killer presentation and the best Pisco Sour I've had outside of Lima.  I'm going back soon to check out some of the non-seafood items on the menu so look for an update here.

We started out with pisco sours and, while the other drinks we tried were also worthwhile, we should have probably just camped out here.  Bitters dot the foamy egg white on top as you can see - these guys do it right.

We ordered two main entrees that would have been enough for 4 or 5 people, but we did our best to knock them out as a twosome.  First, the Jalea Mixta, which was a gorgeous plate of deep fried fish, seafood, plantains, yucca and salsa criolla.  This dish does an excellent job of giving you fried goodness to enjoy without overshadowing the quality of the ingredients hiding beneath.  I also didn't feel like I had been eating the Long John Silver's bucket special when I was done, so I'd highly recommend this dish even if you hesitate at the thought of a pile of fried seafood.

We also ordered the especialidad de la casa: Ceviche tres continentes.  This is a presentation of the three main ceviche options at Del Mar al Lago.  All would have satisfied on their own, but the plate includes the Ghandi, Chifa and Brasa ceviches.  Ghadi (top left in the photo) is the a fish, squid, shrimp, scallops and octopus cevice in a curried mango and cilantro marinade.  Chifa was shrimp, scallop, fish, squid and octopus in a classic citrus marinade with onions, yam, carrots, canchita and cucumbers.  The Chifa was our favorite (bottom right in the photo).  Finally the Brasa is a chipotle take on the base ceviche that added a smoke quality to everything - this one was perhaps the most interesting flavor but we ate the least of of it as I can only do so much chipotle.

My wife opted for a pisco take on the mojito (really good) while I felt like a Cerveza Cristal (not pictured). 

We wrapped things up with the chocolate lava-style cake that is spiced with chiles and added an interesting kick to a well executed classic item.  I wouldn't come here for the dessert, but if you're here, get the dessert and you won't be disappointed.

The verdict?  Del Mar al Lago is going to be on my top 5 list for the foreseeable future.  They are creating better, more beautiful dishes than so many others in SLC who are charging 2-3x as much.  Whether you want to do it up and spend all night or stop in for a quick bite, Del Mar al Lago is a good choice.

Freebirds World Burrito

I don't review chains as a rule but Freebirds get a pass on that.  As a long time lover of this restaurant, I want to alert you with a brief admonition to drive out to Taylorsville and get yourself a taste of College Station, Texas.

Before Chipotle, Qdoba or Barbacoa, there was Freebirds.  Stop in and get a burrito done right.  They still have some kinks to work out as you can see in the picture (my burrito was about 3x larger than my friend's, but they were ordered as the exact same thing).  This can be fixed by finding a skilled roller (may I suggest Alan?).

Freebirds differentiates with more selection than just about anyone else - of tortilla, additions and meats.  There is also the plentiful foil sculpture (Utah isn't there yet but give it a couple of months).

The Verdict?  If you care about food rolled in tortillas, you owe it to yourself to stop by Freebirds.  Rumor is there will be more locations before long in the Salt Lake valley, so if you can't make it to the desolate stripmalled wasteland that is Taylorsville, be patient.

Forage Restaurant: Fall 2013

There are a few places where it doesn't make much sense for me to add my opinions on a chef's talent.  Bowman Brown did it again at Forage and I'd like to just present our meal as it came.  I was less than thrilled that our favorite course (the smoked cheddar) was not captured well via my iPhone, but so it goes.  Check out the meal and let me know what you think!

We started with a juniper soda with sorel sorbet in a sugar rimmed glass.

Potato puffs with house soured cream and elderberry caper dust.

Fermented dragon tongue beans.

Elderberry leather with chicken liver mousse.

Tomato crisp with milk skin.

Smoked cheddar from Gold Creek Farms in Kamas, UT, with barley and epic beer batter.  This was probably the best item of the night and I apologize for getting such a mediocre shot.  That being said, the presentation really did look kind of like a stack of delicious charcoal.

Smoked tomato water gel with corn purée and trout roe.

Potato with trout glaze with wheat grass and onion purée.

Charred heirloom tomatoes with sturgeon and coastal plants from the Salt Lake.

Veggies from the Forage farm in Draper,UT topped with chicken vinaigrette.

Smoked Utah wild trout, apples, onions, apple juice and lovage oil.

Poached egg yolk with grain porridge and buttermilk emulsion.

Duck breast with plum and caramelized onion, finished with fermented plum juice and thyme oil.

"Herbs from the garden".  Burnet sorbet with lemon, sorel curd and basil cake.

Rose hip sorbet and meringue with sparkling yogurt.

Peach, with goat's milk ice cream and toasted granola.

The Verdict?  Forage continues to be the best deal in food in Salt Lake City and proves that our best can run with, if not outshine, the best culinary talent from anywhere in the United States.

 

Brunch at The Wild Grape Bistro

Come for the donut holes and stay for the grits.  I've written about The Wild Grape in the past and it is one of the first places that comes to mind when I'm looking for casual, interesting food.  Until recently I had not tried the brunch options, but I've been twice in the past month.

The 12 minute donut holes are the obvious choice to get things rolling.  While not as delightful as the beignets over at Zy, they are still worth a try, especially if you are a fan of cake donuts.  We usually grab two orders.  The donut holes are served with a vanilla custard and a house-made jam, and the correct application is both - in every bite.

The main plates ranged from decent to great in my experiences with brunch at The Wild Grape.  On the decent side was the biscuits and gravy - house made biscuits and gravy served with two eggs to order and apple wood smoked bacon.  I appreciated the restraint shown on the gravy (more than enough but you didn't have to bob for your biscuits), but overall I'd just say this dish was an average example of a classic.

The shrimp'n'grits was another story: rock shrimp, Spanish chorizo, leeks and peppers all served over cheddar grits was worthwhile.  On a very practical level, it would have been nice if the shrimp had been fully peeled given the cheesy sauce they swam in, but I will order this dish again as it was outstanding.

My daughter (she's 3) had her heart set on French Toast. The brioche french toast on the menu was just the ticket, served with house made sweet ricotta, orange jam and maple syrup.  Having tried I bite I thought this one needed something more to make it onto the list of things I'd order - the ricotta is a great idea but nothing held the dish together - it was just a plate with five separate elements. 

As an avid burrito enthusiast I had high hopes for the Wild Grape breakfast burrito (scrambled eggs, chorizo, breakfast potatoes, ranchero sauce, black beans and queso fresco).  Good but forgettable, it was a bit dry and not worth repeating. 

The artichoke chicken salad felt like it was moving back into the restaurant's wheelhouse (savory, non-breakfast dishes).  The salad is wood grilled chicken, marinated artichoke hearts, goat cheese, pickled beets, herb croutons and honey cider vinaigrette on mixed greens.  Really nice combo - I would order this one again for sure, and can also heartily recommend the grape salad if you're in the restaurant and feeling like greens.

The crab benedict is comprised of cornbread topped with tomatoes, avocado, chilled crab, spinach and the obvious poached eggs with hollandaise.  The dish was good, but I was hoping for a bit more based on the ingredients.  I would not order this one again.

Finally, we all enjoyed the fig and prosciutto flatbread, which is a house-made whole wheat flatbread topped with sweet and spicy fig jam, crispy prosciutto, smoked provolone, blue cheese crumbles, olive oil and arugula.  I would get this as a starter if you're not sold on the donut holes (you're making the wrong choice, but this was great so at least you'll have that consolation).

The Verdict?  The Wild Grape does its best work on non-breakfast items.  While nothing was bad at brunch, I'd steer anyone towards the lunch side of the brunch menu for the best shot at glory.  While the shrimp and grits was fantastic, I have yet to try anything at brunch that rivals the bison burger or braised beef gnocchi from the dinner menu.