Welcome (again) to another delightful ad hoc Chopbiscuit inspection of some of the USA's most frequented saloons, dining halls, dive bars, food trucks, in-room dining 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.
We like eating. It fascinates us. We sit and look at the food for hours. We often eat while laying down in my hotel room with a bib in my lap and my outlook calendar open. Eating is our 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. We eat because we're hungry. We eat because it's our job. We go out to these establishments to consume their lineups with arrogance.
I then judge it. (Mark Mcdonough style)
Orange Cat Cafe
21 Elm Street
Glens Falls, NY 12801
So it's Monday morning and I'm sitting at the Orange Cat Cafe getting some work done. I'm feeling giddy, yet at the same time a little embarrassed. My close friends know that this is not an unusual predicament for me to be in, but, be that as it may I am. Here's why: I spend countless hours reading, researching and learning about cities and the food they consume. Ironically, this little gem is a bike ride away from mi casa. I'm embarrassed because I continue to search high and low in my neighborhood for grass-fed, locally raised beef outside of my house and it's often difficult to find. Max London's isn't open for lunch, it's a seasonal thang.
But PONCHO hooked me up with a text recently, letting me know that his brother-in-law was running GFB's as a chalkboard special at his watering hole The Local Pub and Teahouse. So, several times in the last couple of months I've been able to get my fix Luckily now I have Orange Cat Cafe. My very own local joint that I can call home.
We live in a beautiful little community, but lets face it until very recently the culinary adventures in Northern NY have been just that; an adventure. An adventure to find, an adventure to get to because it usually involved pretty long drive and search. My wife Sharon and I had a Sunday afternoon lunch at the Orange Cat Cafe and was pleasantly suprised because the food was killer! A very large portion of the menu is organic, even down to the condiments. I was able to order a half pound grass-fed burger with romaine, shaved white onions and buns from Ezekiel. The fries alone are worth the visit. As soon as the order is placed they place the potato's into the fancy fry cutter then they drop them into the hot oil. A few minutes later these golden rods appear at the table and when you place their organic ketchup on them....Bam, amazing flavor. These fries are some of the best I've ever had. Period. They remind of my buddy Chef Vito's place that he had in St Louis a couple of years ago called Big V's Burgers. Vito has always done local humanely raised beef and his fries and burgers were amazing.
So, I'm sure that you will see many more articles from me about the food or unknowingly to you, I'll be working, writing or hanging out in my new local joint.
We live in a beautiful little community, but lets face it until very recently the culinary adventures in Northern NY have been just that; an adventure. An adventure to find, an adventure to get to because it usually involved pretty long drive and search. My wife Sharon and I had a Sunday afternoon lunch at the Orange Cat Cafe and was pleasantly suprised because the food was killer! A very large portion of the menu is organic, even down to the condiments. I was able to order a half pound grass-fed burger with romaine, shaved white onions and buns from Ezekiel. The fries alone are worth the visit. As soon as the order is placed they place the potato's into the fancy fry cutter then they drop them into the hot oil. A few minutes later these golden rods appear at the table and when you place their organic ketchup on them....Bam, amazing flavor. These fries are some of the best I've ever had. Period. They remind of my buddy Chef Vito's place that he had in St Louis a couple of years ago called Big V's Burgers. Vito has always done local humanely raised beef and his fries and burgers were amazing.
Be Well Eat Well & Live Well
~Mark
~Mark
*Oh, and the big bonus: They recycle, compost and save scraps for the hogs. I'm right at home!
