Young Guns Dinner at The Root

Last week, Santa (and my friend Andy) made me a very happy eater. I'd been reading about the Young Guns dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, The Root, and right after the event was announced Andy asked me to accompany him. "I need someone to go with who knows what pancetta and head cheese are," were his exact words.

We got a snow storm that night, of course. I would've made the trip in a dog sled.

The beautiful restaurant- exposed wood, actual tree branches decorating the place- was packed with people who are just so much cooler than I am. I had actually had oat bran for breakfast that morning. There's nothing cutting-edge about me.

Our amuse buche was presented by our server, who knew her stuff. She, too, was cooler than me.

marinated mussel, brussels sprout sauerkraut, kentucky bourbon barrel ponzu

I told Andy that I would be happy just eating 87 of those in a row. Then out came our first course, which was from chef Nikita Santches from Rock City Eatery in Hamtramck (which of course I've been eyeing since it opened.)

animal broth, roasted malanga, edos, moqua squash, kohlrabi, 5 minute egg, togarashi pork ear crackling

Malanga, edos, moqua squash, and kohlrabi are all root vegetables, which were roasted. The animal broth (what are we having for dinner, mom? animal soup) was a combination of stocks made from different types of protein. Imagine the most badass vegetable soup you've ever had.

smoked beef tongue, raj masala cucumber riata, mint, coriander chutney, pickled carrot

Don't shy away from beef tongue. It's like a thicker, tastier piece of bacon, which was topped with the most delicious carrot I've ever had in my life.

bouillabaisse, cod, smoked taylor bay scallop, shrimp and pork belly gyoza, lobster miso nage, pickled lotus root, uni foam

This course was Andy's favorite and my first runner-up. The nage (the broth) was so thick with flavor that it almost seemed like a puree. The cod was the most perfectly cooked piece of fish I've had, with a crunchy sear and completely tender in the center. The gyoza (a dumpling, the black piece in the photo above) gave the dish just the right amount of spice. I'm inspired to step up my Christmas Eve cioppino game.

texas grapefruit, spanish olive oil, lemon dust, lillet granita, micro cilantro

Even the palate cleanser was unbearably light, fresh, and perfect. But saddle up for what's coming next.

celery root agnolotti, short rib ragu, mushroom conserva

I never order pasta at a restaurant. I'm convinced that I can easily duplicate most pasta dishes at home with minimal effort. Heck, I can boil water. So how hard can pasta be?

This was my favorite course of the meal. The agnolotti, kind of like a loosely wrapped ravioli, was so smooth. The short ribs fell apart in my mouth. The chef who created this dish will open his restaurant in Detroit in spring 2014 and I might pitch a tent out back.

boudin noir, potato fondant, cabbage, apple gastrique

When the server said "boudin noir," I had just the slightest twinge of anxiety. I'd never had blood sausage, and I'd wager a guess that most American eaters haven't either. But I always say I will try anything, so long as it's a normal thing that people eat (Anthony Bourdain I am not.)

This sausage's mild flavor surprised me. The filling wasn't completely cohesive to the casing- that's to say that when I cut into the sausage, the two parts came away from each other and I could taste them each separately. It's entirely possible that this was a standout blood sausage, but without experience in that arena it's impossible for me to say.

olive oil cake, rosemary & local honey, pinenut & burnt orange brittle, sangiovese sorbet

After a knock-down drag-out meal like that, a light dessert was perfect. I haven't had peanut brittle since I was a little girl, sneaking it from my grandmother's December candy bowl down to my brother and sister while we shot pool in her basement. The pinenuts gave this brittle a more sophisticated flavor. "It's sticking in my teeth," said Andy. "But I'm kind of happy about that."

While we digested both the food and the incredible atmosphere at the restaurant that night, we were given a plate of the tiniest, most delicate espresso and chocolate truffles on chicory cookie crumbs. To die for, and if I haven't convinced you to drive the 60 miles from Lansing to White Lake by now, you must hate eating. They're throwing an Italian Feast for New Year's Eve, and some buzz words from the menu include truffle, branzino, duck, and dark chocolate. I would wear these stupid glasses again for that kind of food.

Who am I kidding. I loved those glasses.

Young Guns 2 has been announced, but if you don't already have tickets, you ain't gonna get em. If you DO have tickets, consider me green with envy.

 

Meatball Submarine Sandwiches for MSU

For several days leading up to last Saturday's MSU v. OSU showdown for all the roses, the boyfriend had been talking about meatball subs. This isn't anything to write home about, considering the fact that his honest-to-goodness favorite food is sandwiches, but it got me thinking. I'd never had a meatball sub.

I started to look for a great recipe. I didn't want anything that was "healthified." These sandwiches were indulgent, as I intended them to be. I'd only made meatballs a few times before, so I needed clear step-by-step instructions. Smitten Kitchen came through, as it does so frequently. Truth told, the caramelized onions were what sold me.

I spent much of the afternoon in the kitchen, mixing together my ground chuck and some of the ground venison that my hunter brought back from deer camp last week. I carefully browned my meatballs in my beloved Caribbean Blue Le Creuset Dutch oven.

After simmering the meatballs later that evening, I assembled the sandwiches as he tuned into the football game. Anticipation was running high for both of us.

Under the broiler. My mouth watering.

The oversize, juicy meatballs were stuffed into the sandwich roll and smothered in sweet, tangy onions and bubbling gruyere. If this is what a meatball sub is, I ain't been living right. They'll take you a while to make, but the sandwiches are worth it. Especially if you're tucked inside on a cold, blustery Saturday night, watching your team win their game.

The best part of waking up.

Please don't think I'm a weirdo when I tell you that, for a few moments each night, I think about how wonderful my coffee is going to be the next morning. I didn't drink coffee until I was 25, and ever since then I've been in love.

Every December 1 I buy myself a big old bottle of Peppermint Mocha Coffeemate. At no other point during the year do I drink Coffeemate, so this is a big deal. I love it.

What do you put in your coffee? What's your favorite coffee gadget?

What I've Been Eating

Grapefruit. My yearly citrus phase is about to hit hard.

Royal Riviera pears with a few spoonfuls of Cafe Latte Oikos. It tastes like coffee pudding, and it is fantastic.

Logs. Hold the ants.

Fall-inspired salads with spinach, acorn squash rings, pomegranate seeds, apple, an egg, pretty much anything else I can find.

Scrambled eggs with chives, and these breakfast buns. The recipe seems intimidating, but stick with it.

Split pea soup with cheddar chive biscuits.

My Thanksgiving contributions will be Mexican Venison Cornbread, Brussels sprouts salad with apple, pomegranate, and feta, and a buffet of baked goods. I asked my mother when she will let me make the turkey. She said when she is dead.

Mediocre Steak Night

I have a brother. I love him very much, but he and I do not see eye to eye on food. My brother eats because he has to. He eats meals in gas stations, meals where every single ingredient comes from a can, and meals where the potatoes aren't fully cooked through, but they're close enough so he'll just go ahead and eat. When I go to my brother's house for dinner he tells me to bring all of the food, because he knows that I will complain relentlessly if I get there and he tries to feed me canned meat.

My brother and I do agree on one thing- Fazoli's. It is delicious and we go there once a year, in March, for his birthday. Alone, so nobody can see how many breadsticks we eat.

A few weeks ago I decided to emulate my brother, and when I cashed in my Speedy Rewards, I selected a gift card to the Outback. No, we didn't eat a Bloomin Onion. I ate a filet and about 4 springs of broccoli, which apparently is a serving if you're fake Australian.

Beautiful plating, eh? What did I expect. The broccoli was cooked TO DEATH. The meat was heavily seasoned. The service was actually very good.

I ate this in about 56 seconds. Then stared at the flip-through menu on the table. And ordered shrimp.

Buffalo shrimp, to be exact, with blue cheese. I would eat tree branches if they were buffalo-style and served with blue cheese. I'm a human being, after all.

The boyfriend is constantly telling me that I'm a food snob. This was my attempt to try to prove him wrong, but I failed. As I sat there, watching him eat his sad little rack of ribs, I said "I'm sad that this is some people's favorite restaurant."

By the way, I know just about nothing about Australian culture, but I've heard that they call ketchup "dead horse." Can anyone confirm or deny this?

Coral Gables for City Pulse

Read it here.

Stuffed grape leaves.

Rice pudding, with a bite missing. Couldn't help myself.

Greek fries. Have mercy.

Now just wait until I tell you where I ate last week. I'll give you a hint- it's a chain, and they think they're Australian.

Junior League in Indianapolis

A few weekends ago I headed to Indianapolis with some of my fellow Junior League of Lansing members for a conference. Of course, I loved learning about what other Leagues are doing and how to make our League better, but you know I had to hit the streets and find some good eats.

On our first night we headed to Palomino for dinner. The restaurant was busy but we were seated promptly. We ordered some appetizers to share- the truffle deviled eggs, Sicilian meatballs, and Brussels sprouts and pancetta.The Brussels sprouts were good, but I would eat just about any Brussels sprouts and be happy. I had beef tenderloin for my entree.

The sauce was made with a heavy hand. It was thick, like gravy, and overwhelmed the taste of the meat. I ate most of it, but eventually set my fork down. The meal wasn't worth making myself uncomfortably full.

For dessert, several of us shared the Valrhona chocolate cake and the doughnuts.

I do love a few bits of a rich, flourless chocolate cake, and this one fit the bill. All told, there are other restaurants in Indy where I'd rather spend my money. The next day put a smile on my face. We breakfasted at Patachou, just down the street from our hotel. I was in love at first sight of the self-serve coffee counter.

When one of my girlfriends said she was going to be "a little ridiculous," I hoped that she meant my kind of ridiculous. I asked her if, by chance, that meant that she wanted both a savory and a sweet breakfast and she said yes. I fell in love with her as we ordered croissant French toast for sharing.

I also had a broken yolk sandwich with bacon and avocado.

And I ate the entire thing. I am deeply in lust with Patachou, and since I won a one-night stay at the hotel, I hope to head back to Indy soon and continue eating my way through their beautiful downtown.

For dinner that night (thanks to my Open Table app) we were lucky enough to get a reservation at St. Elmo's. This was a busy weekend in Indy, Peyton Manning was back in town for a football game and people were going.crazy. Our tuxedo-clad server glanced us over- four well-heeled women wearing our snappiest business casual, and slowly asked us if we were in town for the game. I said no, just for the steak, so it better be good.

Someday I want my likeness to be on butter.

The legendary shrimp cocktail was worth the hype. But you must be careful with the horseradish, because it is incredibly potent and will hurt you if you don't synchronize your bites and your breaths carefully.

After the shrimp cocktail I cooled off with a little glass of tomato juice.

I know the tomato juice seems a little odd. I've done research and can't seem to pinpoint where this tradition started, or why it has fallen out of favor. This tomato juice wasn't thick, like V8, but it was light and tasted fresh. It was Indiana Red Gold brand and would be a lovely way to start your day, if you're so inclined.

I stuck to my usual order at a steakhouse and asked for a petit filet, medium rare. The meat was perfectly cooked. One of my pleasures in life is to slice into a filet and be met with no resistance. My knife slid through the filet. After my first bite I tried to consciously slow myself down, to change the pace of my eating, because I could have plowed through and never taken a breath. I set my fork down. I took a sip of water. I ate a green bean (which still had a snap to them, and from which I picked out the red peppers. Blech.)

And then I dove back in and cleaned my plate.

St. Elmo's is charming as hell. Ruth's Chris is just down the block, and I have designs on engaging in my own personal steak throwdown on my return visit to Indy.