Is this the best breakfast sandwich in the country?

Wicked Smaat  sandwich - Guy from Boston

This may be the best breakfast sandwich in the country. How about we keep it simple? Egg Sandwich with Fresh Avocado, Crispy Bacon & American Cheese on a Toasted Kaiser Roll. Olive and Ivy, one of the many progressive Fox restaurant concepts, positioned this menu item at the location's morning market bakery. Well done Sir, well done. It's an insanely great tasting morning sandwich layered on a buttery kaiser roll with fresh avocado that keeps it light and airy.

Keep it simple folks, that's it.

Chopbiscuit on the road dining review: Z' Tejas Grill - Tempe, AZ

Leo's Street Tacos from Z Tejas

Welcome to another delightful Chopbiscuit inspection of some of the USA's most frequented saloons, dining halls and high end bistro's. At least one of your humble contributors is on the road virtually every week and luckily have the opportunity to dine at some of the finest institutions and loathsome watering holes known to man. Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, some deity would permit us to be pirates and savage our nutriment.

I like eating. It fascinates me. I sit and look at the food for hours. I often eat while laying down in my hotel room with a bib in my lap and my outlook calendar open. Eating is my tweeting, except it's much cooler and hip. Food is often made into the celebrity of carnage, which makes us appear to be pompous and scarce in regards to the act of eating itself. You eat because you fuel. I eat because I'm hungry. I eat because it's my job. I go out to these establishments to consume their lineups.

I then judge it.

Z' Tejas Grille
20 W. 6th Street
Tempe, AZ 85281

After a long trip out to Arizona from New York, the crew was a bit tired and dreary of travel. Unfortunately I didn't have the zest to put much effort into theorizing a nice review for you here. Z' Tejas Grille is a Mexican taqueria concept located right off the popular Mill avenue in the heart of Tempe, AZ. Home of the Arizona St. Sundevils. 

I obviously started off with their house margarita and some fresh chips and a medley of dips. I would have assumed that the guacamole was made fresh, but by the texture I don't believe it was. (Don't hold me to that, I was a bit jet lagged) The concept had the big-overpowering concept feel of the late 90's where everything in the space went "huge". Meh.

For my entree, I kept it light and ordered off the appetizer menu. I ordered the Leo's Street tacos. Seared beef tenderloin, chopped cucumbers, topped with avocado and cotija cheese and then drizzled with a chipotle cream sauce. They were filling and had decent flavor. A good option that has some good flavor pop and you don't want to eat too much. Like I said - we were tired, groggy, and not "feelin'" the moment.

A nice grilled cheese and tomato soup at home with a Yankees win would have suited me fine this evening.

Flavor Flav and fried chicken decide to call it quits

911 and Fried Chicken are a joke

In a truly shocking turn of events, Flavor Flav's fried chicken concept has closed it's doors. After a turbulent four months of bounced checks and low staff retention, Clinton, Iowa-based Flav's Fried Chicken has shuttered.

We're all in shock, aren't you? How could this savvy entrepreneur let this potential outstanding concept come to an abrupt halt? We may never know. After seeing this video showing Flav pitch the concept, I thought Venture Capitalists from all the land would be lining up to offer the gold toothed wonder millions in capital?

*Tear*

Chopbiscuit Easy Summer fixins: Slabby Chicken Thighs

Summer is "a" coming

As we are getting knee deep into spring and inching towards summer, I figured I would continue post some of my favorite summer recipes on Chopbiscuit. I have been throwing down on the flames at tailgates all over the country for years and have led a few Pig Roasts in North Carolina, judged Wing competitions in Buffalo and ventured in a few "Rib Cook Offs" in Texas.

Hope this will help everyone get a few ideas for their next Barbecue and enjoy Real Simple, Hearty Grub leading up to your backyard fiesta. I thought I would kick it up (literally and figuratively) with my Slabby Barbecue Chicken Thighs. For those who have not tried a great chicken barbecue, this is the easy recipe to start up your taste buds.

Slabby Chicken Thighs

1/2 Cup Dinosaur Original BBQ Sauce (Just because Dino is the best. Period)

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon salt

Skin chicken, if desired. In a small mixing bowl combine paprika, turmeric, and salt; rub over the chicken, Johnny Gill style.

Grill chicken (free range organic preferred) on an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 20 minutes. Turn chicken; grill for 15 to 20 minutes more or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. (Or, place chicken on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 5 to 6 inches from the heat for 28 to 32 minutes, turning once.) Brush with Dino BBQ sauce during the last 5 minutes of grilling or broiling.

Serve and enjoy. It's that freakin' simple.

Add On's: Thread chunks of red sweet pepper, grilled corn on the cob with garlic butter, and zucchini on skewers for a quick partner to grill with the chicken thighs.

This barbecue chicken thigh recipe will delight your friends, Johnny Gill and The Royal wedding observers  everywhere.

Researching 'round Brooklyn part deux

Tuesday morning started out like most of my Tuesday mornings, drinking some of the best coffee in the world and not being at home. But, this was one of those work trips that I was really looking forward to. We began our day meeting up at Blue Bottle Coffee on Berry St in Brooklyn - this is an incredibly simple space where folks true to their craft share their joy of coffee. They buy the bean, roast the bean, sometimes blend the beans, grind the beans and thank god they deliver the beans. They use the art of pour over to deliver an amazing cup of Joe in the Williamsburg neighborhood that is truly world class. I really like to drink single-origin coffee mainly because I love to learn how different folks roast the same beans to different levels and then guessing what I'm drinking (currently I suck at this but I'm on the verge of breaking down the wall that keeps me from seeing the wizard) No matter your skill level or knowledge the folks at Blue Bottle will help you select the right morning adult beverage and even teach you a thing or two about coffee if you are willing to ask a few questions. Blue Bottle is not about teaching you new words (real or fake) for your SIZE of coffee or a feeble attempt to create a new coffee culture. Nope, it just an honestly great cup of coffee done in an environment that quietly reminds you that the simple things in life are the most important.

We also ate some tasty little baked goods that included a several savory shortbread's. One had toasted fennel seeds, cracked salt and some kind of really flavorful cheese crumbles on top. And the next one was made, my guess here - with a rosemary infused fat in this case butter and baked to perfection.

Before breakfast I wanted to hit Mast Brothers Chocolate since we were only a few blocks from their little shop. Unfortunately they were closed but they had propped the door open to let the cool air in which is all the invite I needed .  I opened the door a little more peeked in to see 7-8 young people working and seemly having the time of their lives.  One young man said "sorry we are closed" and he must have seen the devaluation on my faced because he then asked if I wanted to step in and watch them work. Little did he know that I had five other people with me. We jumped in watched a few minutes and bought lots of chocolate bars to keep our energy up between stops.  I don't think I can do justice to what these Brothers do to chocolate. But for starters they don't just do chocolate, they are artisans in every meaning of the word. And, to really understand what I'm trying to say click on this video below. I love these guys not because they seriously make the best chocolate I have EVER eaten, but because they are changing us back to the way that we made food a long time ago... http://vimeo.com/13664547

Later in the morning we walked to Egg for more sustainable grub. The theme so far for Brooklyn is simple environment meets truly honest food because spot #2 was incredibly simple in design, menu, ingredients and a simple mission statement: to expand the availability of good food to people that don't have access to it. I'll get to the food in a minute but I want to share the most important piece, THESE GUYS AND GALS GET IT!

They connect to their community, their local school and they even have a small 6 acre farm close by in the Catskill Mountains. They have sold pies to help with the local soup kitchen, helped Jenny Kessler sustain her Organic Gardening program at Automotive High School just to name a few.  OK now back to the food piece. I ordered the Country Ham Biscuit with Col. Bill Newsom's country ham, house made fig jam, Vermont Grafton Cheddar and served with cheese grits. Not just any cheese grits but Anson Mills Grits. The whole reason I ordered my selection was for the Col. Bill ham and the Grits.  Good thing cause the biscuit less than great, but hey, we all have bad baking days and pretty damn sure that given all of the incredible food on that table for 6 that morning that this was not the normal gold standard biscuit that Egg strives for.
My side choice was a Caramelized Grapefruit with mint and let me tell ya out of everything great on that table this was by far the coolest.  Don't think I've ever had a caramelized grapefruit?

 Not sure exactly how they did it but here is my guess: remove the top portion of the grapefruit, soak it in mint simple syrup and low roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes and eat it. This will be attempted all weekend until I have perfection.

Now for Pie. Yep, pie after breakfast.  Doesn't everyone eat pie at noon just after breakfast? So to get our Pie fix we headed to Four & Twenty Blackbirds  and they do have  some of my favorite coffee from Irving Farm in upstate NY.  Like the coffee, the ingredients they use for their pies are local & fresh including Battenkill Creamery (less than an hour from my house) and it's some of the best cream and milk I have ever had.

Simple great pie using a simple space so it was all about the pie. For example the welcoming sign, the only sign, was a small white board with the words "fresh pies" hand painted on it, that's it. I guess a lot of these new hip places watched Field of Dreams when they were little kids because these folks are just building the dream and if you show up they would love to share with you their passion and if not then they will eat the pie without you.  Over the cash register there was a small black board and hand written on that board was the following: Salty Honey ~Buttermilk Chess ~Salted Carmel Apple and not to worry cause we ordered all three. My favorite was the Salty Honey. It was this soft melt in your month kind of pie that was truly a new flavor for me and one that I will not soon to forget.  Now lucky for me I'm a professionally trained eater and I know just when to have one bite or just two for good measure and I know when it's time for a walk.

Now it's time for a walk to the next spot that's just a 25 minutes away,  Frankies 457 on Court St. Frankies' is not just another story of: two friends, both named Frank (stop me here if you have heard this one a thousand times before) from childhood that decided to open a restaurant.  Yeah, they grew up together, and yeah, they have a restaurant, actually they have four but who's counting? They live and eat and play and drink in the same neighborhood. Their restaurant Prime Meats is a Farm to Table restaurant (.01 blocks from Frankies) that goes so far to even be a CSA pickup for members Lancaster Farm CO-OP. Yeah I say they get it,  and they work with a lot of other folks that get it as well, like Jim & Andy -third generation vegetable cart peddlers from the streets of South Brooklyn, Saxelby Cheesemongers, & Six Point Craft Ales just to name a few locals.

We damn near ordered everything on the lunch menu but the braised octopus salad & the BLT on the crispiest flat ciabatta was the stars of the table. But if you asked everyone at the table I think the options would vary because everything was really amazing. The pastas were hand made, the sauces made to perfection & the salads (all 4 of them) had this lightness full flavor that we all reach for when making salads. You know the food is incredible when at the beginning of the meal everyone was saying "Oh my God I can't eat anything else" & things like "Please don't order everything" and one by one as we began to read the menu we were all adding menu items that read so well we all started adding things that just could be passed on.  

Here's what I'm seeing and feeling all across this incredible country - Keep it simple, lead with your heart, what ever you do keep it honest and be your true self!

TO BE CONTINUED....

Chopbiscuit on the road: Becoming one with your Shake

One of the single greatest benefits of having a research job is... RESEARCH. So in the name of research a few of us set our sights on one of the hot spots for all things Culinary... Brooklyn, NY.

Before we took on Brooklyn I drove into "The City" late Monday night and as fast I could possibly check I was ready to begin researching. I started with a little solo walk around Times Square because I love the lights, people watching and the energy. There is always an motive for choosing my travel and the locale of my hotel and hoards of people are usually never at the top of the list unless it's a Bluegrass Festival. However the "where can I end up eating or snacking great simple, honest food while walking" is always on the top of the agenda and in land of plenty (18,866 on the Island of Manhattan alone) can be overwhelming for the untrained. But lucky for you, I take my research very serious.

So, with limited time because I need my rest before hitting Brooklyn I headed to Danny Meyer's Shake Shack. Now if you have never had the opportunity to enjoy one of Danny's establishments (Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, Blue Smoke just to name a few and also CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group) I take it you have never been to NYC and if you need a food tour guide I'm the man for the job! Shake Shack is this amazingly familiar burger joint that you have locked away in your memory, great burgers and milkshakes that taste like, well, call me crazy but they taste like a burgers and MILKSHAKEs from the past.

Shake Shack also has some other great items like Hot Dogs as well as a chilly treat for your four feet best friend! Anyone who puts a treat on the menu for my hounds moves up two nothces in my book. To make my shake they started with great cream and add a few other quality ingredients and I mean just a few and my poison of the night was a Salted Carmel cup of all things good so needless to say but, I had a great walk through hoards of tourist, bright lights, noise and I didn't hear or see a thing because I was in the moment, just one with my shake.

So, time for some sleep and I can't wait for my first of many food tours of Brooklyn.

Chopbiscuit on the road dining review: Sportello - Boston, MA

The Diner Style Elites

My travels this week brought me to Boston. As a Yankees fan, this is considered enemy territory - but duty (work) calls. I met some of my co-workers at Sportello, located in Boston's Fort Point neighborhood. Sportello is actually the term for counter service in Italian.  The restaurant offers a menu of Chef Barbara Lynch's trattoria-inspired Italian dishes for both lunch and dinner. You can either grab a seat at the counter and enjoy a bowl of handmade pasta or sit with friends at a table and enjoy a glass of wine from the creative artisanal wine list. Sportello also offers freshly baked breads, pastries and coffee from the bakery counter, along with a selection of prepared dishes and pantry (retail) items.

My group sat at a table, for conversing purposes and ordered off the evenings dinner menu. I started out with Gorgonzola fonduta which was prepared with fresh salumi, dates and roasted vegetables. Truly, an evening style comfort food. For my main course I enjoyed the tender Pork Osso Buco. This entree was prepared with white beans, artichoke mustardo and jus. Of course, I enjoyed a glass of the dry Sportello Cabernet, which was a great compliment to the cheese heavy starter. * Geez, I sound like a pompous-ass food writer.

Sportello is a great little comforting spot located right above one of Boston's newest raves, Drink. Drink is also owned by Sportello owner Barbara Lynch. If you haven't been, it's a must stop on your next trip. Just wear your drinking shoes.

Overall, Sportello  gave me a feel of a "chic diner" for the 20-30 something crowed. Nice "Big" White tones created the sense of the counter service aura, but with the luxury of a high-end Bistro. Great food, great service and a nice wine list. You can't complain about that.

Is this the best croissant in the world?

Feel the force of the dark side....!

For the folks out there that really know me, I'm a glutton for good croissants - or as the Pompous elite say "Kwessonts". I've traveled all over the country and the world  trying the so-called best croissants and I've luckily awarded that honor to a bakery that's located less than a 1/2 mile from my home. Mrs. London's Bakery and cafe is a world acclaimed Patisserie noted for many of her wondrous pastries and deserts.

What makes a good croissant is that buttery texture and flaky origin that melts in your mouth with every bite. That' exactly what you get with the croissants here. 

One thing that they've done is stick to their guns. According to their website:

Best Ingredients at Whatever the Cost

The notion that "if it ain't broke why fix it?" has never made much sense to us. We've always felt that if there were a better way of making a croissant or if someone showed us a technique that worked better, or we discovered a new way on our own, that we owed it to ourselves and our customers to give them the best we can offer. Moreover, if we didn't, someone else would. And that includes using the best ingredients at whatever the cost. We're convinced that Plugra butter and Valrhona chocolate make a difference in our confections, but we're not stuck on either. Similarly, we use BIODYNAMIC ® and organic grains in our bread. They cost more, but they also taste better. And we're committed to a wholesome and sustainable agriculture.

The problem with many concepts is that they always eventually drift outside of their original essence and culture. You won't find that here, it's commitment remains focused on providing their customers with the gold standard baked goods and breads everyday. If you haven't been, make sure to take a stroll down beautiful Broadway in the heart of Saratoga Springs, NY and make sure you go in with an empty belly.

Chopbiscuit recipes at home: Your chicken is so fiery

An incandescent style heat

Even though I'm the one with the daytime food job, my wife Katie is the at home Super taster (Well, she has never taken the formal test, but I'm pretty sure she has the superhuman taste buds that would put her in that elite group) One of Katie's favorite simple recipes is a Fiery Baked Chicken recipe. She got the recipe from Kate Merker, and I put a lil' spin on it the other night.

What's in it:

1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce
3 tablespoons of pureed fresh pineapple
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless free range - antibiotic free chicken breasts
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon of sea salt
3 tablespoons of canola oil
1 teaspoon of Peri Peri seasoning

Preparation

Heat your oven to 450 F. In a large bowl, combine the chili-garlic sauce and the pineapple juice. Add the chicken and toss and coat. In a separate bowl, combine the bread crumbs, 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and the oil. Working one piece at a time, coat the chicken in the bread crumb mixture and transfer to baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining breasts. Lightly coat each of the breasts with a pinch of Peri Peri seasoning. Baked until cooked through, 12-15 minutes.

fried Parmesan on a chicken Caesar is deelish!

We ate the chicken with a chicken Caesar with white whole grain croutons (from your local Panera Bread) and Katie slightly fried the Parmesan cheese to give it a slight crunchiness. It was a great simple 20 minute dinner.

Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner! I believe this guy below will tell you how easy this recipe is.....

Tainted Meat = Know Thy Farmer

Recently the Oxford Journal Clinical Infectious Disease released a very alarming report: Almost 50% of the beef, pork, turkey & chicken bought in 5 major cities by researchers contained drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus. This is very alarming and most importantly unacceptable and "we" consumers can stop this. There are numerous health related issues with this bacteria that include mild skin irritations to the even more serious issues of heart infections (read the link attached) to Sepsis. Sepsis can be a serious situation (like the first two issues weren't freaking serious enough) and can be a life threatening disease calling for urgent and comprehensive care! The initial treatment is antibiotics but.... 52% of the staph bacteria found in by researchers in all of that contaminated meat is resistant to up to nine of the most commonly used antibiotics by your physician according to Lance B. Price the senior author of the report from Translational Genomic Research Institute.

Now most staph bacteria is killed during the cooking process provided you are not eating a med-rare to rare hunk of meat or a plate of carpaccio. And let's don't forget one of the most common issues of cross contamination: The mishandling of your food, defined briefly as using a cutting board after cutting raw meat and then using that same board for cutting vegetables that will be used in a raw dish. The mishandling of foods happens quite often and can land you in the hospital or just a mild case of praying at the porcelain altar. One of the most frequent symptoms is when you have that "I don't feel so great" feeling or you have the "I'm getting a cold/flu" feeling and then several hours later you say "man I'm so healthy I just kicked that colds ass" statement!

Here is the best news "We consumers set the bench mark for what is acceptable and what is not". Yes, I've written this before so just for good measure I will write it again in big bold letters for easy reading:
 
CONSUMERS SET THE BENCH MARK FOR WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE AND WHAT IS NOT.

Get it? Got it!

So with every issue, problem or challenge I like to present you with a solution: KNOW THY FARMER. Not just meeting them at the farmers market, go to the farm and don't just take their word for it ask the hard questions and snoop around.  Of course with their permission.  The point is you are building a relationship with your farmer and your community and bake some great cookies or bread and share your love for food, because "breaking bread" with folks is one of the most primal ways to begin any relationship.

So get off your ass, stop watching mindless & countless hours of reality television, load up the family and friends, grab a couple of Republicans and GO VISIT A FARM NEAR YOU. Don't forget to wear your boots and make sure you take an ice chest with you cause more than likely the folks you are going to visit love nothing more than sharing.

Another way is to research the farms on line and find out where you can buy them. For example on my way home from the New England Culinary Institute Friday I stopped by one of my new favorite General Stores in Pittsfield, VT called oddly enough The Original General Store where you can purchase locally produced farm products, so I bought some great grass fed beef, baby bokchoy and eggs from Amee Farm a working organic farm just down the road ( you can actually stay in a beautiful rustic lodge on the farm) and some great hot Italian Pork Sausage from The Royal Butcher all under the same roof.

Folks my point is simple, it's all about RESPECT and is it worth the chance to jeopardize your heath,the health of your family, your kids and the well-being of the animals? I don't think so. I'm not perfect, but I work hard all the time to make sure I vote with my fork and I work hard to support the products that represent the kind of world I chose to live in.

Be Well, Eat Well & Play hard!

* Pictured at the top is Paul Willis ~Founder and Manager of Niman Ranch Pork Company. Great guy.

Food Industry Myths: Myth # 20 {Eat your meat, it's your only real protein source}

Happy, happy factory farming

* Editor's note - This will be the first edition of a twenty part series debunking myths and propaganda by the big food industry.

Kids, eat your beef. It's what's for dinner. Whopper, double whopper, Triple sized Mega-whopper. You need more meat. Blah, Blah.

As a young man growing up engaged in the world of sports and "gettin' buff" with my friends at the gym, we always saw meat as the gateway to building lean muscle mass. It was always pushed as the only option from a dietary standpoint to help your fatigued muscles after an exhausting workout. We weren't the brightest young lads.

But, it was the Man's meal.

Well, after many years in this business and understand the importance of the role of meat in our diet, but not to the extent as it is represented in the media. There's a reason why you have organic, vegetarian and other varieties of restaurants popping up all over the place.. People everywhere are finally refusing to eat foods laden with chemicals and if a restaurant or fast food restaurant has those foods, they're voting with their wallet and eating elsewhere. It is a change in mindset which is revolutionizing the restaurant industry. Let me say this again, it's a change in mindset which is revolutionizing the restaurant industry.

So, the myth that cutting meats from your diet deprives you of quality protein for building muscle, deficiency in vitamin B12 and heart healthy omega-3 oils in fatty fish is just not true. Not convinced? Check out a horse, they don't eat meat. They're also pretty buff. Ever wonder how humans consumed meat before the age of refrigeration and all our fancy kitchen freezers? Well, most didn't. If you wanted meat, it was from a fresh kill and that only made up a small portion of the human diet.

When it comes to preventing disease, there is emerging evidence suggesting that plant-based diets are superior to any type of meat diet. Take a look at how we feed and kill animals and how we process their meat.

Enough said.

I'm not saying to give up meat. I love meat and enjoy it often, just not as much. If you are to eat meat, just try to check out where it came from and how it was processed. Also, if available, look to see if you can buy directly from a local farm.

If you choose to eat less meat, you can make up some great protein compatibles by eating legumes, seeds, nuts, fruits and whole grains. You will be surprised by the trade off in a number of ways.  Also, they all go well with your favorite game and a nice draught.

Chopbiscuit at home: Coffee Review - Counter Culture Coffee {Burundi}

Give the pour over method a try. Now!

Every morning when I'm not on the road, prior to performing 100 one-handed push ups (Jack Palance) style, I make my cup of morning Joe. Generally, I have a new blend from one of the many favorite joints and roasters I've seen throughout my years on the road. Lately, I've been ordering most of my coffee (mail order) from Counter Culture. For me, it doesn't get any better than this. These guys and gals eat, sleep and breathe coffee and all the nuances around it.

According to their website:

Since our founding in 1995, Counter Culture Coffee has represented a new way of bringing coffee to market: sourcing the greatest handcrafted coffees in the world directly from the farmers themselves, celebrating the farms and cultures that create those coffees, and roasting skillfully to bring out their delicious, unique flavors. We celebrate these great coffees as the fresh, seasonal fruits they are, and we only sell coffee at the peak of flavor and freshness. Thus, our selection of coffees will grow and change as we find other spectacular coffees to share. Our seasonal selection of single-origin coffees, microlots, and handcrafted blends are, to us, the quintessential coffee experiences and the best expressions of coffee’s diverse traditions and origins.

These folks are just passionate, brilliant coffee people that care about the bean, farmers and process. It truly doesn't get any better than this. One of my favorite coffees right now is Burundi. For those of you coffee beginners, Burundi is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. It has an estimated population of almost 8,700,000 and it's capital is Bujumbura. Although the country is landlocked, much of the southwestern border is adjacent to Lake Tanganyika.

Burundi coffee is known for it's bright and clean finish with some citrus notes and slight floral after tones. Counter Culture describes Burundi as a crisp white wine - sweet, clean and light.

A fine, fine coffee

So, if you have the opportunity, hop on over to Counterculture.com and give this coffee a try. You won't be disappointed. If you are, well, you just crazy mon. (Irish-Jamaican accent)

Taco Bell, you're so Cool..........Ranch (Doritos)

Wow, just wow.

So, can a fast food chain "jump the shark"? Probably not, but Taco Bell went Joie Chitwood by testing a taco shell made of Nacho Cheese Doritos. Let me say it again, Taco bell went Joie Chitwood by testing a taco shell made of Nacho Cheese Doritos.

What's next, a chicken sandwich with chicken as the bun? Oh, wait.

That completes the Prophecy.

Hey Kid...! Here you go, don't tell your mother.

Can I have that in a sippy cup

Applebees. Applebees. Applebees.

What are we going to do with you? What's next, a mediocre breakfast diner chain will buy you out? Oh, wait. Well, I haven't been to an Applebees since, well, I had my dial up modem maybe? So, I can't comment on the experience, but I can comment on things like this hitting the intertubes.

Slashfood sums it up nicely:

Applebee's Grill & Bar said it would change its serving methods after a Michigan toddler was mistakenly given alcohol instead of apple juice at one of its restaurants.

Police ruled the incident an accident, but Applebee's management says it will no longer serve juice from bottles behind the bar. (The 15-month-old's cup was filled from a mislabeled bottle at the bar.) Now they'll serve juice in single-serve portions -- and pour it at the table.

The child was examined by emergency medical technicians and released, but Mike Archer, president of Lenexa, Kan.-based Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar, acknowledged the severity of the mistake in a statement:

"We want to express how thankful we are that the child involved in the incident at our restaurant ... was not seriously injured as a result of accidentally receiving the wrong beverage," he said. "We also want to apologize to his parents, for the stress and worry this caused them. Although our efforts to speak with the child's parents have been unsuccessful, we extend our personal apologies.

Mistakes happen, of course, but the chain has a history of mistakenly serving alcohol to children: Nation's Restaurant News reports that in 2006, a New York City Applebee's accidentally served a 5-year-old a Long Island iced tea cocktail instead of apple juice. And in June 2007, the Associated Press reported that an Applebee's unit in Antioch, Calif., accidentally served a margarita to a 2-year-old instead of apple juice.

So until the new juice new policy goes into effect next week, you might want to take a test sip of junior's drink.

Mistakes do happen, but it's always fun poking a little fun at Applebees right?

Everyone wants to be your baker.....

The sights. The smell. The taste.

As most of you know, I travel around the country for work. Those excursions are generally filled with food experiences and communications from all angles. From the Starbucks at the airport, to the in-flight food options on the airline, to the hotel merchandising feedlot at check-in, we're are constantly being pierced, pricked and punctured that we may need a little something to put in our bellies.

One category of this agitated sensory overload is the processed junk pastries and baked goods we are being mentally fed by  'in your face" messaging thanks to the industrial food circuit. I'm often amazed that our society has not fought back against this junk business and denied this fake food it's daily existence in our daily travels.

Try and think back to your younger days and your neighborhood bakery shop. For some of us, this may have never existed - it's been awhile since these places have had a relative existence in our communities. I remember when my mother would make a trip and bring back some butter croissants or cookies and that would be a treat and was mentally processed as such. I'm just young enough (mid 30's) to be a part of the junk food society and it's overwhelming influence on our diets and mental well being in terms of dietary habits. As I've grown older and taken a particular interest in our food ecosystem, I've become accustomed to the lost art of "real" baked goods and the craftsmanship it represents. Like any other craft, you have the folks that are passionate and artisan in the experience and culture around the category and you have the mass produced, industrial packaged crap that hits you at every turn of your life journey.

I propose one request to my fellow consumers of sweet goods. The next time you grab that pre-packaged  hostess snack cake or frozen muffin, choose instead to bypass their existence and honor a from scratch provision from one of your local bakers. Not only will this help your waistline, but you will surely taste the difference at many levels. Everything in our lives seem to be commoditized and dragged down to  convenience store quality. Real food and bakery products have made the ultimate sacrifice and expanded the bellies of millions of Americans every year. Those Hostess twinkies don't come from a kitchen with flour and heritage, they come from a food lab, removed of any baking resemblance and brought to your local grocer or gas station by a bunch of men and women sitting in a boardroom crunching the numbers and figuring out the profit of each unit you ingest.

A cost effective bakery

You make the call - what and who would you rather support. Over time we've got to realize that convenience can get us into real trouble regarding our health. Don't expect to have everything available at anytime. You want a great muffin - use your GPS and find the best local bakery and search for it. Don't be a slave to the food commodity mind scam.

Get to know your local baker. He might actually be kinda cool.

Food you should probably stay away from

Beware of Hardee's new Monster Biscuit, it goes straight to your thighs:

3 half-strips of bacon
1 sausage patty
4 slices of shaved ham
1 folded egg
2 slices cheese

All on a biscuit. Seriously.









Included in this (VIP seating at the Charlie Sheen's traveling circus show):
2300 mg sodium (1 tsp. salt) [Daily Value = 2400 mg]
275 mg cholesterol [Daily Value = 300 mg]
18 g saturated fat [Daily Value = 20 g]
57 g fat [Daily Value = 65 g]
30 g protein
38 g carbohydrates
790 calories

Outside of Charlie Sheen dropping F-Bombs, he could surely throw back a few monster biscuits in his downtime.

Holy Bejesus.

Your restaurant is so hot right now.

 As they always do, OpenTable does annual listings of the hottest new restaurants in the land and this year another crop has emerged as the 10 must see food shacks in the country this year. What I like about OpenTable's format is that these restaurants are generated by user's and not some snooty restaurant critic.

I'm sure the proprietors will be happy if you visit their namesakes or you can just stay at home and cook with your family and friends all the while saving a few dollars. Wow, what a novel idea.

Here is the list:

1. Beauty & Essex, New York
2. Searsucker, San Diego
3. Lavo-NYC, New York
4. Girl & the Goat, Chicago
5. Cleo-SBE, Los Angeles
6. Kenmare, New York
7. Towne Stove and Spirit, Boston
8. Zuma Japanese Restaurant, Miami
9. Gilt Bar, Chicago
10. The Hurricane Club, New York

*Editors note - I've only been to one of these (Girl & The Goat). I'm slippin'.

Chopbiscuit on the road dining review: Girl and the Goat - Chicago, IL

Weathered wood planks layer the walls at the Girl and the Goat

 Okay, let's finally get to the review. Like I stated in the previous post, this restaurant has been on my radar for some time now. I was able to make it over to the restaurant Wednesday night with a couple co-workers and celebrated a culinary masterpiece of food, environment and good eatin'. Bravo Top Chef winner Stephanie Izards Girl and the Goat has generated some rave reviews for her unique spin on comfort food, concentrated on a variety of barnyard specialty plating's.

A Tender Goat T Bone

The Girl and the Goat is located in the meatpacking district in Chicago. The area is alive with shops, cafes, boutiques and restaurants. It's truly a great area that is abuzz in culture. The interior design looks like a muddled painting with charred planks, hip bar and a cozy, sexy and inviting layout. In the crowd were patrons that looked like Chicago's chic ruling class - very Park Slope. The place is impressive—huge, really, with soaring ceilings and a scattering of polished wood tables that make the place feel more like a factory dance club more than a remarkable restaurant venue. You step inside and get sucked right into a hipster vibe. Hot Chip is playing on the sound system when we walked in with a smooth transition '80s New Wave music the next (Duran Duran Rio to be specific), and the bar that lines one side of the room is packed a few people deep waiting for that coveted bar stool.  Izard, along with her business partners Rob Katz and Kevin Boehm, worked with designer Karen Herold of the Chicago firm 555 to turn this vast space into a quirky, yet modern layered environment with a unique culinary vision.

Food. Yes, the food. The three of us ordered around six small plates that we shared and devoured as we were three teenage boys that just got out of JV football practice. The chef's style in bringing out the flavors that you crave, all the while layering it visually as an artist would on a blank template. We enjoyed some pan fried shishito peppers, lamb sausage stuffed calamari, roasted pork shank and a few nightly specials with Goat T Bone as the headliner. It was truly a feast beyond no other. 

 For desert, we shared Bittersweet chocolate with shiitake gelato. An amazing sweetness from the chocolate was minimized by the earthiness from the gelato. Absolutely, insanely delicious.

So, go. If you haven't yet, you should. Period.

The Girl & the Goat
809 West  Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60607
312.492.6262
www.girlandthegoat.com

Chopbiscuit on the road: Walking the ranch with Bill & Nicolette Niman

Two weeks ago while in San Francisco expanding my Culinary knowledge along with my waistline I reached out to Bill & Nicolette Niman to see if they had some time for a visit. I have never really had the chance to visit the famous ranch that Bill started over forty years ago so I was really hoping they were up for a visit as well as a tour of the ranch. They were home and told me to come on up, so I grabbed my BFF's (best foodie friend's) Shauna from Sacramento & Chef Eric from NY and off to Bolina's we went.

I've driven Hwy 1 along the California coast many times over the years but never and I mean never with the excitement that I had last Thursday on our way to the farm. I've only met Bill & Nicolette a couple of times, we have some mutual friends and Nicolette & I keep in touch through Facebook so I was so honored that they would take the time for a visit. I'm getting ahead of myself so let me start with the The Niman's:

I could write countless words describing what they have both done for sustainable agriculture, animal husbandry and for the environment. Also, the countless folks like me that they inspire before they even met each other and then 20 more pages on what they have done since they met, wed and had one of the most bright & beautiful little guys I have ever met.

 I would like to tell you what they mean to me.  To me, they are to sustainable agriculture and good living what the Beatles were to music ~they have changed everything. Ok, now don't roll your eyes or stop reading just yet, but they have both in their own ways done more to restore animal husbandry and the restoration of our environment than pretty much anyone you will meet in your life time and have a huge following everywhere they speak and each time they write. They continue sharing, writing & speaking all over the country and beyond. Bill was telling me that he just spent almost two weeks in the UK speaking about his passions and spreading the word. Nicolette in just the last two weeks has attended the 2011 Food Camp @ the prestigious MIT in Cambridge, MA., spoke at Chef Michael 's restaurant Lumiere, (I was able to attend this event) gave a speech at Slow food, Napa Valley's - A Tail of 2 Pigs at the incredible campus of the CIA Greystone, and last but not least, a visit from chopbiscuit. Wow, I'm tired from just typing what they have done lately

As I said before I was really excited for the afternoon but knowing Northern Cali has had a very wet spring with almost 20 inches of rain in a couple of weeks, so I was worried that we would not be able to walk the ranch or even be able to see the operation. So knowing this I was doing my good weather dance and man did it work because not only was it great weather Nicolette commented that it was the best spring day so far this year. I could not agree more, because living in Northern NY we are weeks away  from these kinds of days.
When we finally arrived, Bill greeted us at the door with their Great Dane the wonderful Clair De Lune and followed by Nicolette and Miles with big smiles.

After catching up for a few minutes Miles was ready to lead the charge up the first hill but quickly fell behind because there was so much other cool stuff to check out. We headed to the breeding pens for Heritage Turkeys. As we arrived at the pens, Bill opened the door walked in and Clair was right behind him. My first reaction was to step in front of her and stop Clair from getting to the turkeys but I was about a second too late she bolted in. I was shocked that not only was she excited to be near the turkeys, but the turkeys didn't mind her being in their home. The Toms and Hens just walked all around us and at one point the large Tom was fanning his large tail feathers directly into Clair De Lune's face, it was quite funny. Seeing each breeding pen after breeding pen, (three in total) we saw the same thing: the turkeys were not aggressive or even concerned one bit.

Next we begin walking the ranch and I had to drop back and take a few minutes take it all in. It was almost overwhelming from the beauty and to actually walking the ranch that I have read and heard so much about. It was such a great day and you could smell the ocean and the breeze was great. We walked and talked for hours, watched Miles play in puddles and looked out over the cliffs into the Pacfic Ocean that the ranch drops into. At one point I asked Bill how in the world he ever leaves to go on speaking engagements and such and he looked me and said that if it was for needing "milk money" he would ever leave.

As we approached the first heard of cattle Nicolette & I were hopeful that the now famous female cow "Girlfriend" was in this bunch. At first it didn't look hopeful but in the distance on a hill top Nicolette yelled, "there's Girlfriend" and with that yell we all headed towards her. Now this might not be exciting to some but I can tell you that for me I was really excited because I have read about her in Nicolette's book ~Righteous Porkchop and have seen pictures on line but now was my chance to meet her.

Girlfriend was saved from "going to town" by Nic's lawyering skills. You see, if cows cannot produce calves then they are not much use on a ranch and Girlfriend was not pulling her weight on the ranch so to speak. So after pleading her clemency case she was spared that year and was spared the next year only because she became the perfect babysitter to other calves in the herd. Finally, Girlfriend was with calf and Nic's lawyer skills were not need this season. For the next several years she produced several healthy calves and Bill agreed to allow Girlfriend to live out her days on the ranch. It is quite a story and for a ranch to have a happy ending like this it just puts a big smile on my face. So that's why I was so excited to finally meet her.

We continue to walk and talk, changing from walking with Miles to watching the Niman's walk their incredible piece of heaven on earth. I hope to return one day and even get my hands dirty.. Oh, and one last thing, I don't think I will ever get all of the mud out of my shoes and man does that make me happy, cause every time I look down at my shoes I can be right back on the ranch.

Chicago Eating - sloth style

Work has brought me out to Chicago this week, one of my favorite food towns in the country. Everytime I visit Chicago I feel like I gain 10 pounds hopping off the plane. I lose all self control and turn into a gluttonous pig - meandering through the provisions like a kid at Christmas. I finally had the opportunity to visit the Girl and the Goat in Chicago last night and had one of the best food experiences in my life. Make sure to come back to check out my dining review where I will elaborate on what this restaurant is doing right in the world of flavors, combinations and environment.

This is my first post on Chopbiscuit using my iPad - so I apologize up front about any grammatical errors. Traveling peeve numero uno - Airports that charge for wireless. It's 2011, get in the game and provide this service to the traveling salesman type. Ala, me.

I will be frequenting Chi-town quite a bit this spring for a few projects and the annual NRA food show show. This show is a big "Vegas" style food porn exhibit numbing your senses as you peruse the aisles and aisles of non-sensical "things" that bow down to our big food business gods. For those who have never attended the show - make sure you have clear intent on what you're looking for or you will get lost somewhere between the Thailand smoothie taco truck or the Bhurman fusion pancake flipper guy. It's your local County Fair midway on Steroids and Four Loko.

Flight is boarding - talk to soon.

Utica Club is the shirt your cool friend wears.

 


Every fan of the F.X.Matt Brewing Company recognizes the Utica Club roof top landmark that once illuminated the Utica, New York skyline. The charcoal color of this 100% ring spun cotton shirt provides a great background to feature this brewery icon. Who knows if enough people start wearing this shirt, Utica Club Pilsner may once again become as popular a beer as when the sign was first erected!

Now buy this shirt and drink more Utica Club. The beer other beers talk about.

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations - It just gives me the Shiveries.

Oh! Not cool.

The ongoing debate between CAFO owners and the activists that are against this type of farming seems to never end. In one corner you have the Hoity-Toity operation owners that wants everyone minding their own damn business. In the other corner you have a curious public that just wants to know what's happening inside the Death "food" Star. As of right now it doesn't look like either side is giving an inch. Not an inch.

Okay, so let's see what's happening.....

In Missouri, House Bill 209 and Senate Bill 187 would restrict compensation for damages caused by CAFOs. The bill  would restrict the rights of citizens to seek compensation for damages caused by concentrated animal feeding operations. If those bills become law, a CAFO that is successfully sued by a neighbor or others over harm they have suffered would only have to pay the fair market value of any devaluation of their property. The CAFOs would not have to face any other damages. Wow, who is their lawyer - Johnny Cochran?

In Iowa they just simply don't want you to peek inside their shop. Agriculture committees in the Iowa House and Senate have approved a bill that would prohibit recordings and pictures of their businesses and punish people who take agriculture jobs only to gain access to animals to record their treatment. Proposed penalties include fines of up to $7,500 and up to five years in prison. Like I said in a former post  -"Hear no evil, see no evil". Last, but not least we have good ole Florida who is putting a bill together that will punish anyone who enters onto a farm or other property, produces audio or video records without the written consent of the owner or an authorized representative of the owner.

I understand the issue revolving around trespassing and unwarranted video and this type of insationable,  forceable journalism. It seems very Bill O'reilly Fox news to me. But, with these operations being strategically placed as far away from reality as possible, we need to have updates and credible sources revealing what is actually happening in there. People, this is about what your family, friends and children are putting into their bodies. We have to have some accountability for the eating populus.

Well, enough of this depressing, conniving and deplorable acts of selfishness from these operators. How about a good Miller Lite commercial featuring Joe Piscopo in acid wash jeans from the early 80's. Basketball in jeans Joe, seriously?

Chopbiscuit on the road Dining Review: Cock of the Walk - Nashville, TN

Dining guest, "The handly probably had a cock on the top; things that were contrived to turn seem anciently to have had that form, whatever was the reason. Waiter says, because it used to be constructed in forma crit[ae] galli, i.e., in the form of a cock's comb."

..... A conversation overheard while dining at the Cock of the Walk.

Welcome to another delightful inspection of some of the USA's most frequented saloons, dining halls and high end bistro's. One of us is on the road virtually every week and have the opportunity to dine all over the country at some of the finest institutions and loathsome watering holes known to man. Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, some deity would permit us to be pirates and savage our nutriment.

I like eating. It fascinates me. I sit and look at the food for hours. I often eat while laying down in my hotel room with a bib in my lap and my outlook calendar open. Eating is my tweeting, except it's much cooler. Food is often made into the celebrity of carnage, which makes us appear to be pompous and scarce in regards to the act of eating itself. You eat because you fuel. I eat because I'm hungry. I eat because it's my job. I go out to these establishments to consume their lineups.

I then judge it.

Cock of the Walk
Nashville, TN 37214

This restaurant is located near the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and is a favorite of the locals. If you like fish (fried), the way most landlocked Midwesterner's, you will love this joint. It's got every country star from Hank Williams to Joe Diffy up on the wall for your viewing enjoyment. *wink*

What I absorbed

My group ingested the pot of white beans, fried onion rings, and fried dill pickles for our appetizer. The cute-bubbly waitress then pulled out fresh cornbread in a skillet then tossed it 20 feet in the air prior to slicing it on the table for us. It was very Ringling Brothers, without the little people in face paint running around.

Our main dish was the classic, fried catfish and flatboat shrimp. The light breading was perfect and the catfish had that smoky note that makes it a great catch. It's a simple concept with simple amenities that make this a great joint. To top it off, they served me my Shiner bock in a tin can. Three thumbs up for that one-I felt like I was out camping with confederate soldiers, in a good way.

I enjoyed the aura of the restaurant and would definitely recommend it to any body that enjoys the visuals that accompanies the country western vibe. 

I love the simple things in life and must admit the finer things in life as well! To some this might seem to contradict each other but to me it's just... me being me. I love the simple smell of rain and the way the morning sun seems to wake and warm everything it touches and I love kickass fire work shows and Funyuns!!!! And I also love the flavor of a grass fed dry aged Hanger Steak and the sizzle of my grill as the line caught (preferably my line) Wild Stripe Bass hits the cast iron grates! So to me it's not about giving up but learning where to give, when to balance and when to enjoy the harvest. Life is so not about giving up it's more about respect and balance! So don't feel guilty about eating meat, but I always feel guilty about eating animals that have not lived a good life. I define a good life as the following: raised in an environment that allows the animal to live the way nature intended, allowed to eat in a natural way and enjoy the simple things in life, SUNSHINE, GRASS UNDER THEIR FEET (hooves or whatever) AND COMPANIONSHIP!!! I also feel horrible when I buy something and THEN do the research to find out that it was made by some child labor or in a sweat shop! So learn to live in a way that balances your love with total fulfilment and harmony!!! And by all means buy, eat and have things in your life that totally represent the world in which you chose to live in!

The Dive Bar - An American Icon

Ripped out leather stools and canned beer specials. We're home.

So, what actually makes a vintage dive bar? After traveling around the country the past few years I've noticed many definitions of what a Dive Bar actually represents. Some define it as a local place that has cheap drinks, a pool table and jukebox. Others say it's the characteristic and charisma of the "feel" that you get inside. Some define it by the stench of the "sour" cases of empty bottles lying in the back storage room - pillaging our senses.

The best thing about Dive Bars is the iconic attraction to many of us that appreciate the irony that it serves. I love great handcrafted brews, tasteful red wine and flavorsome sushi. I appreciate fine dining and local farmer's markets.  But, when I'm in Dive bar mode I welcome the luke warm can of Miller lite or the breaded chicken tenders off the "limited" menu with the Kraft honey mustard.

Time and place folks, time and place.

Well, the good folks over at Portland Dive Bars put together a great list of Dive Bar qualifications. Let's take a peek of their Gold Standard to this American Classic.

1. Has Rainier, Olympia, or PBR on draft or in a 12oz or 16oz can. (Any local swill will count)
2. Restrooms smell like, well, a place where you go to the bathroom.
4. Average age of the clientele is over 50.
5. Jukebox contains over 50% country music.
6. No more then 2 Microbrews on tap.
7. Stall in the Men's restroom has no door.
8. There is a cigarette machine.
9. Pickled eggs or Hot Mama's possibly on display.
10. If the bartender is female, she must look skanky or haggard.
11. If the bartender is Male, He must be missing one or more teeth.
12. Walls are decorated mostly with Nascar memorabilia.
13. Limited or no food menu.
14. Regulars either look or possibly could be homeless.
15. Busch/Busch Light cans available.
16. Unpaved or no parking lot.
17. No HIGH end alcohols.
18. NO martinis!
19. The game room has either Big Buck Hunter or Silver strike Bowling
20. Stools, chairs, and booths need to be reupholstered.
21. You have the feeling that you might get shanked at any moment.
22. Bartender/Customer confrontations are common.

Can I bum a smoke?

As a former frequenter of these fine establishments I'm humbled by the conformist sense of aesthetics that most Dive Bars share. This culture is truly American and each community has a local watering hole that represents it's fellow locals. Some may be intimidating, some depressing and some may bring you back to a place where people looked at each other in the eye and said "Get off my stool".

So, put your cans up and pause the Nascar race and raise 'em up to an American classic!