Fine Dining Review: Eating With The Ecosystem

Who says going green can't be fabulous?  That the mere idea of making conscious positive environmental choices would somehow mean that you would be losing or missing out on something.  I'm going to prove to you that that does not have to be the case.  In fact, I am going to show just how delicious it can be.


Point in fact:

Freshly picked and shucked oysters with a surprisingly delicious addition of fresh pink grapefruit and orange with a few slices of local radishes and garlic. 

First things first.  This is a seafood driven dining experience.  If you don't like seafood, that's okay.  What will appeal to you is where everything is sourced.  ALL LOCAL.  That is the entire point of this particular event and the following ones throughout the year.  Eating with the Ecosystem is an initiative about redesigning seafood menus to reflect the variety of life found in our local waters. The mission of this project is to raise awareness about New England's marine ecosystems through creative, localized dining inspired by science; basically a traveling dining adventure.  Here are the dates and locations of the events:

3/20/2012 - Nicks on Broadway, Providence, RI
4/2/2012 - Julians, Providence, RI
4/30/2012 - The Dorrance, Providence, RI
9/10/2012 - Cook & Brown Public House, Providence, RI
10/9/2012 - Hourglass Brasserie, Bristol, RI
11/5/2012 - Tallulah on Thames, Newport, RI

I participated in the first event of sustainable dining at Nick's on Broadway.  Sustainability can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people.  In this case it specifically refers to the food on our plates, where it is coming from and how it is obtained.  This initiative takes into account both the fishermen and the chefs preparing the meals.  Brilliant.  

Now let's get to the food.  It was a four course meal of lovingly prepared and beautifully executed dishes with perfect wine pairings.  The reception began in the bar area where hors d'oeuvres were passed around.  

Hors d'oeuvres:

~ Pickled Salt Pond mussels with house mustard aioli & pickled mustard seeds (served in a shot glass)
~ Crystal Brook Farm early spring goat cheese crostini with Aquidneck honey & sea salt
~ Choux pastry with Narragansett Creamery ricotta & herbs

First Course:
Wild Narragansett Bay oysters with early spring radishes, parsley, citrus fruits and lettuces.
Wine Pairing - 2010 Geografico Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Chianti, Italy

I love oysters on the half shell.  This surprisingly textural combination is divine.  The soft oysters paired with the crunchy radish and fresh citrus is truly a wonderful concept.

Second Course:

Butter roasted Point Judith sea scallop, cripsy skin red hake with young potato, celery, lemon and thyme broth.  

Wine Pairing - 2010 Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigare, Santa Cruz, CA

In between courses there were short talks from the folks who had collaborated to make this event possible.  Introducing the second course was Chris Brown, the captain of the F/V Proud Mary, President of the Rhode Island Commercial Fisherman's Association and the Executive Director of the Rhode Island Fluke Conservation Cooperative.  He and fellow fisherman Steve Arnold created Wild Rhody.  

The beauty of this dish is in the purposeful design because of the life history of these two species of marine life.  The sea scallop and red hake have a symbiotic relationship, meaning that the two species are interwoven into each others lives at some point.  More often then not, when you shuck a sea scallop, juvenile red hake can be found inside.

Freshly shucked sea scallop with two juvenile red hake inside.

Third Course:

Geer Farm black corn crusted Point Judith skate wing with pea greens, cabbage, chili, basil and crispy sage (the best part!).

Wine Pairing - 2009 L'Argentier Cinsault, Languedoc, France

What struck me about this dish was the inherent sweetness in the ground corn crust.  The skate's texture was pleasant and sort of reminded me or crab.  The cabbage was not overcooked and every bite was flavorful.

Fourth Course:

Dulse seaweed, vanilla bean ice cream with cranberry port wine compote, dulse seaweed-vanilla bean chiffon with fresh mint.

Wine Pairing - Bunratty Honey Mead

A feast for the senses.  The cranberry was the highlight of the dessert for me.  It was not so overcooked that you could no longer recognize it.  Conversely it was not too raw that the tartness was overwhelming.  Having a bit of mint in every bite brought all of the flavors together and melded into a earthy, savory yet sweet sensation.

Chef Derek Wagner is clearly talented and innovative and has an obvious appreciation for his staff.  His passion was showcased in every course making the diner yearn for the next.  

Nicks on Braodway was the perfect venue for this experience proving that sustainably sourced food can be appealing, delicious, and fabulous.  Its just one more way to make an environmentally conscious decision, and if that means I have to eat some amazing food along the way, so be it.  

Bakery Review: Scialo Bros Bakery - Zeppole di San Giuseppe

Since I can remember being in Rhode Island, I can remember these wonderful little pastries only available once a year just as winter is turning into spring.  I am talking about the zeppole.

All throughout my childhood my mother worked right off of Federal Hill and every year she would bring home zeppoles from Scialo Bros Bakery.  The significance of the zeppole stems from the St. Joseph's Day celebrations in Italy.  St. Joseph's Day is a big Feast for Italians because in the Middle Ages, God, through St. Joseph's intercessions, saved the Sicilians from a very serious drought. So in his honor, the custom is for all to wear red, in the same way that green is worn on St. Patrick's Day and to prepare a feast. In Rome, Naples and Sicily and Malta, these little pastries are sold on many streets and are sometimes gifts on this day. St. Joseph's Day always falls on March 19 and it is also Father's Day in Italy.  Joseph is also the patron saint of pastry chefs.  

All in all, whatever the reason is to consume delicious treats is good enough for me.  Let me explain my experience today at Scialo (pronounced "shallow") Bros Bakery.  As always, I am warmly greeted with cases filled with all sorts of pastries.

As I patiently wait my turn, the line is out the door and a fantastic sign that I am not the only who has unearthed the secret to where to find the BEST zeppoles, I look at the specials to determine which zeppoles I will get.

My personal favorites are the Baked pastry cream inside and on top and the Baked Ricotta cream with orange zest inside and on top.  I am always greeted by a smiling face and quick service.  What I particularly enjoy is that you can see straight into the back room from where you order.  You can see everyone working hard and using clean and safe practices.  I ask if I can snap a few pictures and amazingly enough I am given a tour of the backroom by the one of the owners.  

First things first, I need to see a tray of all of the beautiful zeppoles.

Freshly made and ready to go!  Then I am taken to the baking room where I am shown the wood oven where everything is baked fresh on site.  The oven is original and dates back to the 1920's.

Simply incredible.  Not only is there original equipment but the business is still in the family. The original owner Luigi Scialo opened the bakery in 1916 with his brother.  

He ran the bakery for seven generations with the help of his family until he died in 1993 at the age of 103.  It is now run by his two daughters, Lois (Scialo) Ellis and Carol (Scialo) Gaeta.

Carol is pictured here with one of the employees.

Just look at how efficient these guys are:

My tour has finished and now I can eat!  Both zeppoles are incredible and different in their own ways.  The one with the ricotta filing with orange zest is light, bright and fluffy while the one with the pastry cream is rich and decadent.

Ricotta cream on left and pastry cream on right.

I do not like one better than the other.  They are both so delicious that I think it would be a shame to choose one over the other.  Also, this gives me a reason to eat both of them which I find completely satisfying.  One more thing, look at the filling in the ricotta cream zeppole:

You can actually see the real pieces of orange zest in the cream.  This is no joke.  And this is the real deal.  

Stuff your face full of these and be part of the celebration, I couldn't think of a nicer thing to do on an almost spring day.

Restaurant Review: Iggy's Doughboys and Chowder House

This is a tough review for many reasons.  If you know anything about Rhode Islanders, then you'll understand where I am coming from.  Let me explain something to you, Iggy's is a landmark, a tradition and a state of mind.  If you visit Rhode Island, you are coming to Iggy's.  If you live in Rhode Island, you are going to Iggy's.  This place has been around since 1989 and its not going anywhere anytime soon.  

I think the best way to describe Iggy's is that it is simple and consistent.  After undergoing a renovation some years ago, you can see that the indoor dining area is sleek and cozy with fantastic views of Narragansett Bay.

What's nice about this "clam shack" is that the location in Oakland Beach, Warwick, is open year round 7 days a week.  Another thing to note, growing up my mom always said that wherever the older people are, that is where you will find good food.  Don't get me wrong, Iggy's has all walks of life going through its doors at all times of the year.  In the summertime the line is out the door and around the corner.  However, as I wisely choose to visit here in March with the strong winds gusting around the bay, I have ensured that I will have little wait time.  Also in the summertime there is outdoor seating available.  

Now the food!  Whenever I come to Iggy's I have to get chowder & clam cakes ($7.49), and a stuffie ($2.59).  These are my favorites and the chowder and clam cakes are what Iggy's is famous for.  The clam cakes are mostly doughy with a few pieces of clams.  I prefer to dunk them into the chowder seeing as they are more like a side of dense fried bread than anything else.  I get the Rhode Island clam chowder mostly because I can't have dairy.  The broth is simple with potatoes and small pieces of clams.  My mom got the New England clam chowder.  The main difference is the very thick cream based broth with noticeable thickening agents.  The stuffie has all the right components, just needed to be cooked a bit longer, the stuffing was on the wet side.

Now, my mom's way to judge local seafood is by ordering the Fisherman's Platter, coming in at $17.  Now let me tell you!  My mother grew up in New Bedford, one of the if not the biggest fishing hubs around!  My mother knows good seafood!  Oh and she's Portuguese.  Don't mess with her tastebuds.

Like I said before, everything is always fresh, simple and consistent.  The Fisherman's Platter has Bay scallops, clam strips and whole bellies (very sandy that day), shrimp (you can tell they were frozen and not whole), onion rings, french fries, clam cakes and a good portion of fish fillet (looked to be cod and the batter could have been cooked just a touch more).  It also came with cole slaw and a cup of your choice of chowder.  Oh and lest I forget that Rhode Island's own Yacht Club sodas were available, I prefer the lemon lime I think mostly for its insanely bright green color.  Mom opted for cream soda.  Very very good soda.  

All in all a Rhode Island experience.  Views of the bay while you eat and enjoying each others company.  Food is not fancy or perfect, everything comes in styrofoam containers with plastic utensils, but you know what you are getting when you go.  I'll avoid the lines in the summer and take advantage of the scenery when the crowds die down or when I feel like braving the line for a chance to enjoy the summer in Rhode Island.  

Iggy's is a tradition for a reason.  Come find out why :-)

There Will Be Food! Part Two: An Ode to Tomatoes and Basil - Bruscetta

The weather seems to be coming around and there has been more sunshine this past week which takes away my winter woes.  One thing that never changes is my obsession with food.  So, here's the next round of deliciousness with tomatoes and basil.

Appetizer
The main thing to keep in mind when chopping, dicing, etc is the size.  This is an appetizer to be served on crispy bread.  Every bite you take should be very easy and clean.  The more uniform everything is cut, the easier it will be eat!  

BRUSCETTA
Serves 3-4

Topping
1 medium vine ripened tomato
~10 large fresh basil leafs
2 large garlic cloves
6 kalamata olives
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Oil

Bread
1 Loaf Italian Bread 
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Topping
Dice the tomato into roughly 1/2 inch pieces, keep in mind that you want the pieces small enough so that you can bite easily into them.  

Take your basil leaves, stack then roll together tightly.

Slice into roughly 1/4" slices, being careful to not cut your fingers!  Once they are cut in strips, I then cut them in the other direction so that I get roughly the same size 1/4" pieces.  This will make distributing the basil throughout the topping easier, also, it will make it easier to eat.  

Alright, now slice the kalamata olives into roughly 1/4" slices, this equates to about two slices per olive, each olive will then be in three pieces.

Add all of these ingredients to a large bowl.  Then take the peeled garlic cloves and run through a garlic press.  If you don't have one, just chop the garlic into the tiniest pieces you possibly can!  The garlic will give the topping a punch!

From here add 2 tablespoons each of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and a little sprinkle of kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Now its time to broil the bread.  Slice the Italian loaf into 1/2" slices.  You'll only need about 10 slices for the amount of mixture we've made.  Lay out the slices onto a cookie sheet and drizzle the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  The 2 tablespoons is for ALL of the slices, just to clarify.  

Set your broiler to high and broil for about 2 minutes, keep your eye on it because the broiler is very hot and will easily burn the bread.  It should look like this:

Turn over and repeat.  Once both sides are nice and crispy it is time to add the topping!  Transfer the slices to your serving dish and top each slices with a couple spoonfuls of the mixture and voila!  Beautiful and delicious perfectly portioned and individual appetizer to make the dreary go away and give you a taste of summer!  Enjoy!

Let me know what you think!