Herons, the ultra-swank restaurant in the even ritzier Umstead Hotel in Cary, must be the “poor” stepchild of the Triangle’s restaurant community. It gets no love at all from the foodie community. Greg Cox didn’t include it in his top 20 restaurants in the Triangle. There’s been little discussion of Herons from the local food blogging community, or at Chowhound or eGullet. Quite frankly, Herons has been overlooked, dismissed, and cast aside by the same folks who debate endlessly about the local food scene (myself included). And that’s a crying shame, as this is one of the finest restaurants in North Carolina, let alone the Triangle.
I’ve now eaten three lunches and a dinner at Herons, and when it comes to upscale dining, there may not be another restaurant in the area that can match the full package Herons offers: the decor, the ambience, the service, the wine selection, and, of course, the food. The Umstead Hotel is essentially one big, plush art gallery. This carries over to Herons, where that plushness is complemented by the most comfortable chairs and banquettes anywhere. The staff is extremely attentive, with a touch of formality, but not overly so and never intrusive. The wine list, put together by sommelier Steven Eudy is top-notch. Chef Phil Evans is extremely talented and has put together a well-rounded, very tasty menu, featuring mostly local ingredients. Pastry chef Daniel Benjamin creates whimsical desserts such as a chestnut “Moon Pie” or a somewhat deconstructed version of key lime pie. Everything about this restaurant is great, not good. But where is the love? Read the rest of this entry »
Food scientist Harold McGee has a great piece in today’s New York Times (free registration may be required) about the microbiological effects of double dipping your chips. If you’re a Seinfeld fan, you remember the episode where George Costanza is caught dipping the same chip twice in the dip. Mayhem ensued, of course, after George continued the practice.
The study — “the only one I’ve ever seen to proclaim that it was inspired by an episode of ‘Seinfeld,’” McGee states — was conducted by a Clemson University food microbiologist. The results? Well, lots of bacteria do get transferred by the duplicate dipper, but no conclusions were reached on whether this was a serious threat to the public health. Just in case, I may have to have my own personal bowl of guacamole this Super Bowl Sunday. A big bowl, at that!
Leave it to the smart folks at the eGullet Society to come up with a food-related use for a foot care product. The PedEgg is designed to remove dead skin and callouses from the bottom of feet. Using the same type of surgical blade operation as a Microplane, one eG member has decided that this will be her “go-to” gadget for grating lemon zest. It’s self contained, so all the grated up bits are stored within the “egg.” And right now, they’re buy one, get one free. Of course, just make sure you keep the one used for the kitchen separate from the foot care product, or we’ll have an altogether new meaning of the term, “toe cheese.” Ick.
OK, the name really sucks. So help me come up with a new one. I found this recipe on the Site of the Evil Empire and made a couple of modifications. It’s really tasty, simple to make, and a bit different. I love the flavor of the Meyer lemon in this cocktail, as it’s not quite as bracing as regular lemons. In my mind, that makes it work better with the nutmeg, cinnamon and spiced rum in this drink. My guests loved it last week, and I might have to have another this weekend.
Speaking of food videos that’ll make you laugh and make you cringe, check out this one that I discovered on Bob Del Grosso’s site. If only Mrs. Varmint had seen this, I might never have had to cook a day in my life!
We here at VarmintBites strive to keep you abreast of all the latest news and trends in the gastronomic world. We scour the far reaches of the internet, looking for the latest news. We seek out new dishes, new civilizations, to boldly go — er, well, we like to be fresh.
However, we’re also never afraid to resort to the easiest method of expanding an audience: tapping into nostalgia (despite what the English post-punk band Gang of Four might have said, nostalgia is good!). So starting with this post, we’ll introduce a Food Commercial of the Week. In some instances, it will bring back memories. Hopefully, it’ll make you smile and laugh. And if we’re really lucky, it’ll make you cringe. Today, we resurrect our old pal, the Frito Bandito!
The Pit has now been open for nearly two months, and I finally made it there for lunch. Yes, that’s right, for lunch — they started offering the mid-day meal in the last couple of weeks. But others — many others — have beaten me to the punch. Greg Cox of the N&O has already visited and will be reviewing it shortly. Bob Garner‘s crew is editing his review for his television report. And I, after writing about it extensively (including my first ever post on VarmintBites), finally got down to Davie Street to see how good it was. Damn good is the answer.
For some reason, I was a bit skeptical of The Pit. Most of the early reviews were favorable, with a few high praises and one or two “no, thank yous” mixed in. I knew Ed Mitchell could cook a pig as well or better than anyone else, but I also remembered that his Wilson restaurant was plagued with quality control problems. Blame it on inattentiveness, bad management, or just lack of consistent turnover, but I had some pretty lousy barbecue at Mitchell’s. That’s why I was hoping, but not overly optimistically, that this partnership with Greg Hatem and Empire Eats would result in a quality eating establishment. Read the rest of this entry »
I’ve had to delete a couple of comments on the Chowhound topic because the posters were ridiculing the physical attributes of a certain Chowhound moderator. I am no fan of Chowhound or their moderation policies, but those types of comments aren’t appropriate here or anywhere else, as far as I’m concerned. Thanks to the kind reader who brought this to my attention by posting here. I’ve had to delete his comments, too, as they no longer made sense when pulled out of context.
Please try to use common courtesy when posting on VarmintBites. We can be critical without being sophomorically mean.
I like to go to dinner parties, but I really love to host them. For many people, hosting a dinner party sounds great a couple of weeks away, but as the date of the soiree nears, they start to panic. The fun party becomes an overwhelming episode of marginally controlled mania, where the minutiae of an overzealous menu consume the host. Rather than just relaxing and having fun (what a dinner party is all about, isn’t it?), the host focuses on making everything perfect. I think a lot of young couples go through a similar situation on their wedding day: they have these unrealistic expectations of “perfection” and all the things that have to happen to have a successful wedding rather than just focusing on the two most important things (one, get married, and two, have fun).
So, for me a successful dinner party comes down to two basic elements. First, did my guests and I have fun? Second, did I provide them with some reasonably tasty food? That’s it. That’s why I’m comfortable with sending out an email at noon on Friday for an impromptu dinner party that evening. I make it simple on myself, and we all have fun.
Of course, having plenty of wine is pretty damn important, too!
My wife and I hosted 15 other people this past Saturday, on the evening that we were expecting two to four inches of snow. People cancelled at the last minute because they were tired or their sitter backed out on them. Did I worry about having way too much food? Of course not. We just called some other friends and invited them at the last minute. I love friends whom you can call on a whim and they’re not angry they didn’t get invited in the first place! Read the rest of this entry »
I had chocolate chunk muffins for breakfast this morning. Well, that’s what my 7 year old daughter Clara called them, when she told me I could have exactly four. This has been a common occurrence in my house lately, as Clara has truly discovered a love of baking. I get home from work, and a couple of times a week I find the counter filled with assorted muffins, cakes, cookies and breads.
I’d like to take the credit for instilling this passion in my daughter, but I’m afraid I can’t. Read the rest of this entry »
Andrea Weigl wrote a super piece on the closing of Starlu in today’s N&O, including a poignant description of the restaurant’s final day. Weigl really captured the emotion, the economics and the reality of a chef-owned restaurant. This article is a must read for anyone who believes their favorite restaurant will always be around or for a chef contemplating opening his or her own place. The final paragraphs put a lump in my throat.
On another note, have y’all noticed how much the N&O’s food coverage has improved? With two full-time food reporters in Weigl and Amber Nimocks, Greg Cox’s expanded role beyond mere restaurant criticism, and columns by Debbie Moose and Fred Thompson, we here in the Triangle now have some of the best food writing in the Southeast. Several of these individuals are good friends of mine, so I may be a little biased, but the proof is in the print: the writing is tighter, more relevant, and frankly, a lot more fun. So we should give credit where credit is due and congratulate the N&O for expanding their food coverage when many dailies have cut back.
LocoPops is coming to Raleigh! LocoPops is coming to Raleigh! If you didn’t hear me, I said LocoPops is coming to Raleigh!!!
OK, deep breaths. As you can tell, I’m a bit excited about this piece of news that the N&O’s Sue Stock reported this morning. LocoPops will be opening two new stores this year, with one of them in Raleigh at 1908 Hillsborough Street, the old Weatherman’s Jewelers location (where Mrs. Varmint and I got our wedding rings and right beneath the location where Mrs. Varmint’s father opened his first architecture firm). But I digress.
For those of you who have no clue what LocoPops are, we’re talking about paletas, the Mexican popsicle. They have water-based and cream-based paletas, with the water-based made with fantastic (and exotic) fruit flavors. Think mango, but with a touch of cayenne, or lime with mint (mojito, anyone?). The cream-based include chile-chocolate, avocado, and cookies and cream. A small paleta will cost you a buck, so we’ll get a couple. Now that this will be in walking distance to my house, I’m just a wee bit excited, if you couldn’t tell. I’m cuckoo for LocoPops!
I just received an email that The Mint has opened on Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh. Housed in an old bank (with the vault serving as an entryway), The Mint appears to be an old-school, protein-heavy restaurant with a contemporary twist. Heading up The Mint’s kitchen is chef Jeremy Clayman, formerly of the Peninsula Grill in Charleston.
Dinner and dessert menus are now available online, although the rest of The Mint’s website is not overly functional yet. I’ve attached some photos that were included in the email below the break, and the space certainly looks quite amazing, featuring a spiral staircase to an upstairs bar area.
Walk into a restaurant that is viewed as somewhat “hip,” “cool,” or “trendy,” and you’re likely to hear a pulsing background music that is some infernal cross-pollination of contemporary jazz and European house music. It’s never a tune you know – just a THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP – with layers of electronica providing a rhythmic counterpoint to the bassline. Go to Vivace (or frankly, any of the Urban Food Group restaurants), and it’s there. I remember when Charlie Deal invited me to the friends and family night of Grasshopper a couple years ago, and that’s what was playing – and on a very short loop, too. Loved the food, but I wanted to shove a chopstick in my frontal lobe to ease my harmonic pain. My oldest son and I have a running joke about this quasi-melodic phenomenon, calling it the “Trying Too Hard to Be Cool Music.” I can almost imagine Mike Meyer’s old Saturday Night Live character, Dieter, grooving to this sound.
So, I ask myself, why, oh why, is this dreck played? It’s techno-Muzak, as far as I’m concerned. I just couldn’t figure out why this music is so ubiquitous in restaurants. And then I asked my secretary, who is way cool, way young and stylish, and totally into electronic house music. She told me that it’s exactly the type of music she wants to hear when she’s having a drink or eating with friends. It IS hip and fashionable.
Once again, Bob del Grosso has written something that I wish I had. He compares cooking for his family with cooking for strangers (aka “paying customers”). Whether it’s the delays of your family getting to the table, bickering carrying over to mealtime, or the inherent pickiness of each family member, he starts to believe that cooking for strangers is more rewarding. This paragraph really nailed it for me:
Cooking for the same people every day is even tougher if you like to cook a wide variety of things. It seems that everybody besides you has a laundry list of ingredients that they don’t like and arcane, but perfectly valid, reasons to dislike them. The net result of years of not cooking all of the things that my family collectively does not like to eat, is that my repertoire of dishes is about as sparse as the hair on my head.
Yes, I do enjoy cooking for my family, but I’ve nearly lost it several times when, after I’ve worked hard to cook something that I believe everyone will enjoy, I get that “What the hell is this crap” look from one or more of the kids. Or when they ask me to make a particular dish and then they only eat a bite or two.
Bill Smith, the chef at Crook’s Corner, is a very good friend and one of the more interesting people you’ll ever meet. He rides his bicycle to work everyday. He travels to Quebec every year to celebrate his birthday. He has gotten so close to his Mexican kitchen staff that he now takes at least one trip to Mexico each year. He keeps a notebook of just about everything he’s ever done. He co-founded the Cat’s Cradle (and still loves to go hear live music). He’s really a great cook and wrote one of the best cookbooks in the past year, Seasoned in the South. Bill and I traveled the Mississippi Delta back in October, looking for great hot tamales. He was a great travel companion, full of fantastic stories. Recently, he’s started something new: he’s a blogger! His blog, A Year in the Kitchen, gives a great perspective of his world — not just the ins and outs of running a restaurant, but the world around him — his staff, his family and his friends.
So check out Bill’s blog. And don’t be afraid to comment there, either.
I gained 7 pounds over the holidays. Wow! That’s easily the most weight I ever gained over such a short period of time. Those palmiers, pound cakes and rib roasts sure do hurt a waistline. So I’m taking control again by training for another half marathon. I ran (OK, slowly jogged) the Mardi Gras Half Marathon back in February, and at the time, I was in pretty good shape. My weight had dropped from an all time high of 240 down to 210. I plodded along the streets of New Orleans at a snail-like pace of 11:20 per mile, but I ran the whole damn thing. I then developed plantar fasciitis soon afterwards, stopped running, and started eating poorly again. My wait jumped up, but only to about 220 pounds. That was until the holidays hit, and I ballooned up to 227 pounds. Oink, oink, oink.
I’m always going to eat, so the only realistic solution is to exercise. So, I’m officially training for the Raleigh Rocks Half Marathon on April 5, 2008. I’m announcing this on my blog simply to ensure that I actually do this, as I don’t want to embarrass myself by wimping out.
Also, we foodies are known to be a bit — ah, er, well, out of shape. Particularly those of us who write or read food blogs, as we sit on our butts in front of a computer all day. So I challenge any other food blogger or any of our readers to commit to running this race. Or walking it. Just do something! And commit publicly, as that WILL motivate you.
I promise I’m not turning this blog into a health advice center. But if I don’t run this thing, y’all are free to chastise me as long as you want.
My friend Phoebe Lawless of Scratch Baking, has started a “community supported pie” program that is quite similar to the myriad community supported agriculture programs across the country. Under Phoebe’s plan, you choose one large or three small pies per week, savory or sweet. The flavors will change each month. The cost of the program is $60 a month, which is a pretty damn good deal. You’ll be able to pick up the pies in either Durham or Raleigh.
If you’ve ever had Phoebe’s pies, you know what a treat this is. Plus, you’ll be supporting a local artisanal baker who sources most of her ingredients from local farmers.
I’m not going to list Phoebe’s email address here, as it might cause her to be flooded with spam, but just look at the top right of her website, www.piefantasy.com/ and drop her an email saying you’d like to be a member of Community Supported Pie!
Greg Cox of the N&O announced his top 20 restaurants in the Triangle today. No big surprises, except he really listed 30 when including his top newcomers and best bargains. He also named Fins his restaurant of the year.
Some comments: Two Urban Food Group restaurants on the list, with Frazier’s and Vivace. Seven out of the top 20 are in Raleigh, six are in Durham. five in Chapel Hill, and one each for Cary and Morrisville. Only one of the top newcomers or bargains, however, are in Raleigh.
Finally, I found it interesting that he listed his top choices alphabetically, except for Jujube, which he listed last. Last minute change of thoughts? Overlooked something so obvious? Who knows?
I consider myself to be somewhat adept with desserts and pastries. I’ve pretty much always have been able to make a great pie crust. I made a sachertorte when I was 13. I’m very good with scones and biscuits and shortbread. But the one thing I’ve never made is puff pastry. I’ve seen others make it, and damn, it’s a lot of work, folding the butter in time and time again. So I cheat and buy frozen puff pastry sheets. Yes, I’m finally coming clean and letting the world (and my professional baking friends) that I’m a puff pastry fraud. I’m the Milli Vanilli of puff pastry.
And I don’t care one tiny bit. I love the frozen stuff — the convenience, the simplicity. I pull a box out of the freezer, let in thaw, and then go to town. Sometimes I make cheese puffs, but my “go-to” puff pastry dish is the humble palmier. The palmier (French for “palm”) is nothing but puff pastry, butter, sugar and cinnamon. It’s incredibly easy to make, especially when using the frozen puff pastry. I don’t claim to make a classic palmier, the type you find in bakeries and patisseries across the world — I’d probably need to make my own damn puff pastry for that, and you already know that’s out of the question. But I make a tasty, caramelized, crispy and flaky delight that my kids adore. And frankly, I like them, too. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Varmint 
Food scientist Harold McGee has a great piece in today’s 
Leave it to the smart folks at the 
OK, the name really sucks. So help me come up with a new one. I found this recipe on the 
The Pit
Andrea Weigl wrote a 
I just received an email that 
