A Blog for Mama

Shalimar Restaurant: Louisville, KY

September 24, 2010

It's true what they say: you don't know what you have until it's gone. That was certainly the case when it came to me and my mom's cooking. When I was a kid, it seemed like we had Indian food for dinner all the time, but I never wanted to eat it because it was too spicy or too messy or too different. It wasn't until I was older (and slightly less...well, childish) that I realized what a privilege it was to have good, home-cooked Indian food almost any day of the week. I also realized just what a masterful cook my mom is. I remember asking her for recipes so that I could attempt to recreate some of her masterpieces. She replied that she didn't use recipes; she'd made these things so many times, she had just memorized everything in them, so I resorted to watching her and trying to write things down; this was impossible as well since she never measured anything, yet everything she ever made for us was great. And now that Tom and I live more than 600 miles away and can't just come over for dinner whenever we want, I appreciate my mom's artistry in the kitchen even more. One afternoon I found myself craving those familiar flavors while I was looking for a place to go on our next date night. Shalimar seemed like as good a place as any, and we were not disappointed. Even our drinks deserved a place in this entry.

Starter: Pappadam

They brought these out to our table when we were first seated, like how they bring you bread at other places. Now, I've heard these described as flatbread, but based on my experience, they're really more like thin wafers, made with black gram or rice flour and deep-fried. These were nice and crispy and surprisingly not oily, just something nice to snack on while waiting for our other food.

Tom's Beverage: Chai
Most people already know what chai is, but I love it so much, I'm going to talk about it anyway. It's an incredible tea that originated in South Asia and is made with tons of different spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and even a little bit of pepper. It's swept the US in recent years, showing up at just about any coffee shop you walk into, but the chai at Shalimar was unlike any I'd had before. First of all, it tasted like it had been brewed, not made from a powder or a syrup/concentrate. Second, it was creamy, but it tasted more like tea and less like flavored milk. And finally (this was the kicker): it tasted...nutty! I swear, I tasted some cashew in there. *sigh* Amazing. If this is how it tastes in India, someone book me a flight.

My Beverage: Mango Lassi

It might just be the Indian in me, but I believe that just about anything can be made better by adding a mango. Lassi is a drink made with plain yogurt, and it can be made either sweet or savory. This one is sweet because it's blended with mango puree. It was so creamy and delicious, I could've ordered another one for dessert if I'd had any room left in my tummy. It's also an especially good choice if you order a spicy entree; Tom definitely reached for this a few times throughout the meal!

Bread: Poori

These start off as flat little rounds of dough that are deep-fried. Once they hit the oil, they puff up so the top half is thin and crispy while the bottom half is still a little soft. When I was growing up, I always considered these a special treat, and since Tom had never had them before, I insisted on ordering them. They were good for sopping up some of the different chutneys and sauces that were in other items, but as a stand-alone, I think we might have been better off with chapatis or naan.

Appetizer: Samosas

These are little triangles of dough stuffed with spicy peas and potatoes, then deep fried. Yum! And they were served with three different chutneys: mint, tamarind, and onion. All three were fabulous. The onion packed a good amount of heat, and the mint was nice and cool. I think my favorite was probably the tamarind, though. This surprised me because my previous experiences with tamarind paste were not pleasant, but this chutney was sweet and sour and just delicious.

Entree: Chicken Korma

The difficult thing for me was trying to find an entree on the menu that didn't sound like anything my mom had ever made for us. Anything else, I would've been too tempted to compare, and it probably wouldn't have been as good. But the chicken korma (pronounced KOOR-mah, as my mom later informed me) sounded different enough, so I gave it a shot. Korma is similar to curry in that it involves a sauce with a good variety of spices, but it's set apart by the addition of cashews, raisins, and just a hint of cream. Oh...wow. It was incredible! There were so many different and wonderful flavors going on all at the same time, but so well-executed: the spicy curry, the sweet raisins, the buttery cashews... And it's amazing what just a little splash of cream does for the entire dish; it just seemed to tie the whole thing together. I just can't say enough how much I enjoyed this. The chicken was cooked nicely too, but to be completely honest, I was almost full before I realized that I hadn't even tried the chicken yet; that's how good this sauce was!

I can see how Shalimar's location might be a bit misleading. It's in the middle of a shopping center, but on the inside, it's very elegant and intimate. I imagine they keep it classy for lunch as well, but maybe a bit less dramatic. Don't ever be fooled by appearances! I think Mom would approve, though. (And that's a pretty big statement!)

First & Last Birthday in Louisville

The Irish Rover: Louisville, KY

December 6, 2010

With all the good restaurants near our apartment, I was really excited about picking one to go to on my 24th birthday, my first one in Louisville. Well, about two weeks prior, Tom accepted a position at a new church-plant in Salisbury, Maryland, which means we'll be moving again next summer. So this was also my last birthday in Louisville, making the restaurant choice all the more important. Some good friends of ours recommended The Irish Rover, and after looking over the menu, I knew for sure that this was the place to go.

Appetizer: Garlic Mushrooms

These cute little mushrooms were sautéed in butter and minced garlic until they were the perfect tenderness. They came with Marie Rose sauce, which is not as glamorous as it sounds; it's just a combination of ketchup and mayonnaise...! It's actually really delicious with the mushrooms, though.

Tom's Entree: Guinness Beef Stew

Yes, this is exactly what it sounds like: beef stew cooked in the dark, famously Irish stout that is Guinness. The beef is nice and tender, as are the vegetables; and the base of the stew is hearty and rich. Then again, what else would you expect from a beer you can't even see through?

My Entree: Lamb Stuffed Cabbage

To be completely honest, if you don't love lamb, you definitely won't like this dish because the flavor of the ground lamb in it is really robust. Actually, pretty much everything in this has really strong flavor...but man, does it work. You get three boiled cabbage leaves, each stuffed with a mixture of ground lamb and smoked cheddar, then topped with a red wine reduction. It's really a one-two-three punch: Ground lamb, whap! Smoked cheddar, bam! Red wine, pow! But to lend some much-needed smoothness for balance, the cabbage rolls are served on a bed of champ, which is Irish mashed potatoes with butter, milk, and scallions. Just fabulous.

The Irish Rover is a real winner in my opinion, and not just because of the delicious food. Prices are reasonable, portion sizes are manageable, service is friendly and fast (we were out in less than an hour), and the atmosphere is comfortable; we got the impression that everyone sitting at the bar was a regular...kinda like a dimly lit, Irish version of Cheers. This was also the perfect choice considering the kind of weather we had that day; it was the fourth day in a row that Louisville got snow, so some warm, hearty Irish food really hit the spot.

By the way, you might be wondering why I didn't list a dessert. As tempting as the Irish Rover dessert menu was, we had to decline because there was homemade birthday cake waiting for us at home, thanks to my wonderful husband!

Leisurely Sunday Afternoon

(I can't believe it's been so long since I posted here. Sorry!)

Conez & Coneyz: Louisville, KY

August 8, 2010

Yes, this was our one-year anniversary, but this wasn't our official celebratory meal (although going to a place that has nothing but hot dogs and ice cream is celebration enough for us). It was my second day in Louisville, and we decided to go to Conez & Coneyz for a leisurely post-church lunch. We had gone there for ice cream a few months earlier when we visited Louisville to look for an apartment, and we had been itching to try their hot dogs ever since.

By the way, don't you love the name of this place? So clever. Their slogan is "A place where hot dogs and ice cream have attitude," and they're not kidding. The hot dogs are delicious; and with the topping combinations they offer, you'd be doing yourself an injustice by ordering a plain one. Same goes for the ice cream. And if that doesn't make the place sound nice enough, we were greeted by Nadine, one of the owners, who actually remembered us from our first visit over two months prior!

Entree: Monte Cristo Dog

Ever heard of the Monte Cristo sandwich? It's a ham & cheese sandwich with French toast instead of plain bread, and it's often served with jam or preserves on the side. The folks at Conez & Coneyz have come up with a great twist on this old classic. It's a grilled Hebrew National hot dog, split in half and placed in a bun. Then, Swiss cheese is sprinkled down the middle. Finally, it's topped with "Kentucky proud" strawberry jam. It's the perfect combination of sweet and savory, plus the hot dog has a nice little snap when you bite into it (that might not be a big deal to most people, but I just get excited when a hot dog has it). Nadine told us that this item was originally created for kids, but it's become one of the most popular among adults. I'm not surprised!

Dessert: Eskimo Kisses Ice Cream

This is chocolate ice cream with shredded coconut and little chunks of fudge. Need I say more? I don't even really like chocolate ice cream all that much, and I thought this was great!

This has become one of our favorite places to grab a quick, tasty, inexpensive lunch. I don't think you'll be disappointed no matter what you order, so if you're ever in Louisville, stop in and treat yourself to a coney...and a cone!

Pre-Birthday Breakfast

Joseph's Restaurant: Charleston, SC
December 5, 2009

Since my birthday fell on a Sunday last year, we decided to go out to eat on Saturday so we wouldn't feel rushed on Sunday, with church and all. As is my custom, I went online and looked at list after list of the best places to have breakfast in Charleston without spending an arm and a leg. One of those lists led me to the website for Joseph's on Meeting Street. Everything I saw on the menu sounded great, so that was that.

I have to be completely honest here: I wasn't sure I should even write about this trip because the entree I got wasn't really that great, and I didn't want to write anything negative. But if I'm going to share my experiences, the least I can do is be honest, for the sake of those who might choose to read this blog. Besides, you might have better luck than I did, even if you order the same thing. In all honesty, I think my entree might've just been a fluke. Anyway, I think Tom's entree and our "appetizer" redeemed the experience for me. I'll just get to it.

Appetizer: Beignets
I visited New Orleans about four years ago, as one of the many volunteers who helped clean up the city after Hurricane Katrina hit; and living in an Army family, Tom actually lived there for awhile. So we were both pretty excited to find out that a place in Charleston served these fluffy little powdered sugar-covered pillows of fried dough that are notoriously associated with New Orleans' famous Cafe Du Monde. We were so excited, in fact, that we decided to start off with them instead of waiting to have them for dessert. And let me tell ya, if you never make it down to the Big Easy, I'd venture to say the beignets at Joseph's are the next best thing.

My Entree: Crab Omelet
When I saw this on the menu, I knew it was what I wanted: fresh crab meat, oven-dried tomatoes, ricotta cheese, and fresh herbs folded into an omelet. Sounds great, right? I thought so too. In fact, I still think it has the potential to be really good, but maybe someone in the kitchen was just having a bad morning. I had to stop every few seconds to pull out little pieces of crab shell; by the time I was finished, I had a pretty decent pile on the side of my plate. I also had to pause for sawing through the tomatoes because they were still pretty tough. It was the first time I can remember seriously considering sending food back, but I didn't. (I guess I'm just paranoid; too many horror stories about kitchen staff getting mad at disgruntled customers and adding their own "special ingredients" the second time around, if you know what I mean.) I will say this, though: with a lot of their menu items, you get a choice between breakfast potatoes and grits (and maybe toast), but if you don't get the potatoes, you're missing out. These were some of the best breakfast potatoes I've ever had: very nicely seasoned, and crispy on the outside, smooth on the inside.

Tom's Entree: Sweet Potato Pancakes
OK, ending on a high note here! These pancakes were fluffy and moist, and just sweet enough to where you could have them without syrup if you wanted to, but they are even better with syrup. And the toasted pecan butter that comes with it is fantastic as well: warm, mellow, and a little salty to balance the dish's overall sweetness.

I have a theory that most restaurants keep the thermostat turned way down because they know that being cold makes people feel like they need to eat more. Not the case at Joseph's. Inside it's warm and cozy, which was really nice the day we went, because it was cold and rainy outside! For your inner child, each table also has a paper table cover and crayons, which we definitely used a little. Somehow, it made turning one year older not seem so bad. :)

"Surprise" Wedding Money

Bocci's: Charleston, SC
May 2010

A thought occurred to me recently: writing about all these fabulous restaurants might give the impression that Tom and I go out to eat all the time and that we're either loaded or really wasteful with our money. Let me assure you, neither one is the case. I guess eating out has just become sort of our hobby as a couple, and people spend money on hobbies like knitting and hiking, so why not for this? Plus, like the above description says, we've just been blessed. We're as careful with money as the next couple, and once in awhile we just find ourselves with a little extra to do something fun. Take this outing, for example. One day we found a Visa gift card that my boss and his wife had given us as a wedding present. Since we had already been married about 9 months at that point, it was a nice surprise...! We also had a coupon for Bocci's, a nice Italian place in downtown Charleston, so we decided we'd combine them and have a date night there sometime. Well, one Friday night we both came home at the end of a pretty crummy week and agreed that it was the perfect opportunity.

Appetizer: Artichoke Gorgonzola
Now, we've all seen stuffed mushrooms on an appetizer menu, but I don't know that stuffed artichokes are quite so common. I was on a big artichoke kick around that time, so we ordered these, and they were absolutely delicious. They're served on a bed of mixed greens and lightly drizzled with a sun-dried tomato vinaigrette. What a great combination: the artichokes were nice and juicy, the gorgonzola cheese was creamy and gooey, and the vinaigrette balanced it with just the right amount of acidity and sweetness. In fact, the vinaigrette was so good, we ate some of the greens too, even though they were probably just supposed to be there for presentation. (Hello, complimentary salad!)

Tom's Entree: Shrimp Tortellini
This item might sound like your basic, run-of-the-mill pasta dish, but don't be fooled: it has so much more personality than just cheese tortellini and shrimp tossed in alfredo sauce (not that there's anything wrong with that!). It also has prosciutto ham, black olives, artichokes, and tomatoes. The colors from these extra ingredients make this dish as visually appealing as it is delicious. I think the addition of some veggies also really helped to lighten up the whole thing. Don't get me wrong; the alfredo sauce was still rich and creamy, but it didn't feel heavy like other ones I've had. It was just a little thinner without sacrificing that unmistakable alfredo flavor. Tastes great and is possibly even just slightly better for your waistline? Two thumbs up in my book.

My Entree: Ravioli Arrabiata
This was hearty as all get-out. The ravioli is stuffed with spinach and, get this, walnuts. Intriguing, right? At first, I was afraid it might feel crunchy or lumpy in my mouth, but the ravioli was actually nice and smooth. It almost felt like the walnuts were ground into a paste; even though they weren't actually broken down that much, they were still really soft and wonderful. The sauce is a spicy marinara with Italian sausage and more spinach. And when they say "spicy," they mean it. Our server was nice enough to volunteer this information when I ordered it, and he added that the chef could tone it down if I preferred. Well, I preferred, as you might've guessed. And even then, the sauce was a little too spicy for me, mostly due to the sausage, I think. It was still delicious, though; the smoothness of the walnuts helped to counteract the heat a little bit...! In fact, maybe the spiciness helped, because it forced me to slow down and really enjoy the huge amount of flavor in each bite.

(I thought it was funny that Tom ordered the creamy, comforting dish and I ordered the hearty, spicy one; usually it's the other way around. But what's really funny is that we ended up switching plates about halfway through the meal. I guess the reversal in preferences was just too much for us to handle...!)

Something I always worry about when going to an Italian restaurant is the humongous portions, but one of the great things about Bocci's is that all of their pasta dishes come in two different sizes. And even with both of us ordering the smaller sizes, we each had a little bit left over to take home, so you could say we got to enjoy our impromptu date night again a few days later!

Staycation Dinner

A.W. Shucks: Charleston, SC
April 17, 2010

Pretty much everyone who lives in Charleston has at least heard of A.W. Shucks, even if they've never eaten there. Until our staycation, I was one of those people. I already explained the staycation to death in my last entry, but this is where we went for dinner that Saturday night.

Appetizer: Market Mix Sampler
This is ideal if you want to get the most bang for your buck; the sampler features three different appetizers for not much more than what you would pay for any other item on that section of the menu. And the trifecta is 1) buffalo shrimp: fried shrimp tossed with A.W. Shucks' own special hot sauce; 2) stuffed shrimp: butterfly shrimp stuffed with crab, wrapped in bacon, and deep-fried; and 3) good ol' fried green tomatoes...pretty self-explanatory. All three are delicious (and fried, which I'm just now realizing...oops), but I think my favorite might be the stuffed shrimp. The buffalo shrimp are good too, and if you're like me and don't like a lot of heat, they come with ranch sauce to help cool things down. Speaking of sauce, the fried green tomatoes come with a sweet and spicy Jamaican relish that lends a nice little kick. And I think there's cocktail sauce for the stuffed shrimp, but to be honest, I'm not entirely sure; they were so good by themselves, I probably didn't use sauce.

Tom's Entree: Steampot for One
If for no other reason, order this for the sheer fun of it. It's exactly what it sounds like: a big pot crammed full of seafood (mussels, oysters, shrimp, clams, and snow crab legs...phew), smoked sausage, new potatoes, and corn on the cob. Plus there's plenty of cocktail sauce and melted butter for dipping. You also get a bucket for your shells, along with every tool you might need for opening your shellfish. It's a lot of work, but you will not leave hungry, so roll up your sleeves and dig in! (Seriously, roll them up, or your shirt will be a soggy mess by the time you're done.) And once you get over how much of everything there is, it's nice to realize that this is actually a pretty smart selection for those who are watching what they eat, since everything is steamed and nothing in the pot is really all that fatty to begin with.

My Entree: Shuck's "Legendary" Casserole
This, on the other hand, is one of the more calorically robust items on the menu. But order it anyway, and go for a walk or something afterward. (We did the ghost tour after this meal.) I guess I usually don't think of seafood when I think of comfort food, but this dish has changed my thinking. Once again, it's a good variety of seafood (baby creek shrimp, scallops, and Carolina deviled crab), but this time it's smothered in a lobster cheese sauce and baked au gratin. Hello, indulgence! It's also served with the vegetable of the day and Carolina red rice (which I switched out for more veggies), but the casserole is clearly the star of the show. It's so rich and creamy and wonderful. A word of warning, though: Don't feel obligated to finish the whole thing in one sitting. The deliciousness of this casserole clouded my judgment and tricked me into eating long after I was full, which I regretted later that night when I got into bed and was too stuffed to roll over...! I get the feeling that if you took some home and warmed it up for lunch the next day, it'd still be pretty tasty.

Even if you don't order any of these items, I think you'll leave happy. There's a reason this place has become a Charleston institution for locals and tourists...or locals who are pretending to be tourists!

Staycation Brunch

Toast!: Charleston, SC

April 17, 2010

Tom and I were coming up on the two-year anniversary of our courtship. For our one-year, we drove to Savannah on a Saturday morning and spent the day there, so we thought it might be fun to take another day trip like that. (Our main reason for going there was to have lunch at The Lady & Sons, but we'll discuss that some other time...! And I will definitely write about it, because it was awesome.) Then we realized the town we were living in had a ton of fun things to do which we had never done! Charleston is a great city, but when you live there it's easy to miss opportunities to do fun things. So, in an attempt to make up for some of the ones we'd missed, we decided to have a "staycation" and spend all day Saturday downtown and even stay in a hotel in North Charleston that night. We took a carriage tour, visited the aquarium, and went on a ghost tour. We also had some terrific food, of course. We started the day with brunch at Toast, where the guy who brought our food out told us we had ordered the two best items on the menu. I'm not sure if he was just trying to further sell the food to us, but I think I believe him anyway.

Tom's Entree: Deluxe French Toast

Don't let the name fool you; this is so much more than just a big plate of French toast. Every element of this dish is special. It's hand-cut currant bread stuffed with your choice of cinnamon apples or peaches (if you order a double, you can get one of each, which is what Tom did), with apple or peach cider syrup. The bread is nice and thick, which means that it pretty much never gets soggy. The fruit inside is flavorful and also not soggy. The syrup also adds a little something extra special. I definitely would recommend this one to anyone with a sweet tooth. And apparently Tom and I are not alone in our appreciation; according to the menu, the Deluxe French Toast has also been heralded by the New York Times.

My Entree: Eggs Meeting Street

This is one of those entrees that sounds and tastes like it would be bad for your figure (and it probably is, in all honesty) but certainly doesn't feel like it. Very sneaky, this one...! They start with that southern staple, the fried green tomato, then top it with a crab cake and lay a poached egg on top of that, then finish it off with a nice Lowcountry remoulade sauce. The end result is a combination of flavors that are colorful but compatible, comforting but certainly not boring. The combination of textures is great too, with the crispy tomato and the soft crab cake and the egg that's almost like another sauce without being too messy. The whole thing was so light too; that's what I meant by it being sneaky! When I ordered it, I was afraid that it might make me feel a little gross or heavy later because of all the fried stuff and the remoulade; but I cleaned my plate, and all I felt afterward was satisfaction. I ordered the single, but you do have the option of doubling your fun. You also have a choice between home fries and grits. Not being much of a grits person, I went with the home fries, which were fabulous, as was the warm, crumbly buttermilk biscuit that came alongside.

What a great start to our staycation! Whether you're a tourist or a local, I think you'll appreciate the southern comfort of Toast. We also had a great dinner later that night, but like our visit to The Lady & Sons, that's a separate entry.

Engagement/Birthday Dinner

Cypress Lowcountry Grille: Charleston, SC

December 6, 2008

My 22nd birthday was quite possibly my favorite birthday ever, because it was the night my now-husband Tom proposed. We started the evening with dinner at Cypress, followed by a carriage ride, a walk in the park, a diamond ring...blah blah blah. We're talking food here, right? Tom and I still talk about this meal as one of the best we've ever had, so let's get to it!

Appetizer: Almond-Fried Brie

This dish packs a one-two-three punch when it comes to flavor. Pretty self-explanatory, it's a brie round encrusted with almonds. Tom loves brie, but I had never had it before; the flavor is honestly a bit strong for my taste, but the cranberry-walnut chutney they put on top provides the perfect balance. The brie is served on a bed of baby greens, and even the greens are tossed with a champagne vinaigrette. If the entree hadn't been so wonderful, I might've been tempted to just order another one of these.

Entree: Chateaubriand for Two

What can you say about chateaubriand? Even the name implies a certain air of refinement and class. There was a bit of a snag when it came to ordering this, though. See, I like my meat cooked medium well, and Tom is a medium rare kinda man (hehe), but this was one big cut of beef that was meant to be shared, because they actually bring it to your table and carve it in front of you. So, as the first of many compromises, we asked them to cook one end more than the other, and we agreed to just live with it if my half wasn't cooked enough or his was cooked too much. Well, to be perfectly honest...it was incredible. I don't know how they got both sides to be just the way we wanted pretty much all the way through, but they did. Let me tell you, I have never seen Tom eat anything as slowly as he ate that piece of meat. It's so good, you'll want to scarf it down in two bites, but at the same time you'll want to chew it forever to make it last as long as possible. And as if it's not delicious on its own, it's served with a slightly sweet Madeira wine sauce and a rich, creamy bearnaise. This dish also comes with haricot verts (psh, fancy word for green beans), but our server was nice enough to let us switch it out for asparagus...maybe Tom had told her he was proposing that night...! Anyway, in addition to the haricot verts/asparagus, there's also a parmesan potato gratin that looks fancy but tastes so incredibly comforting.

We didn't have dessert at Cypress because we ended up having dessert with our friends later that night; Tom had invited them to meet us his house to celebrate our engagement. It was a perfect evening. Happy Birthday indeed!