On the road...

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On the road...

Postby vagreys » Wed Jun 04, 2014 2:55 pm

Had dinner, night before last, in St. Louis (well, actually Olivet), at the Sugarfire Smokehouse. Excellent loin back ribs, delicately smoked, needing no sauce. The pork belly hushpuppies were excellent (slivers of smoked, uncured pork belly in the batter). The potato salad was made on the premises and, wonder of wonders, the potatoes were neither under- nor overdone. Dessert was a slice of Crack Pie, and it was addictive. While I need to check out Bogart's Smokehouse for the best in St. Louis, I have to say this relatively new joint is right up there.

In Omaha, today, and driving to Denver, tomorrow. Will be visiting craft charcuteries in Denver and when i return to Omaha on Monday. Maybe another stop at Sugarfire in St. Louis on the way home. Bogart's is not in the cards for this trip, since it is only open 11-4, and will be closed when I pass through. Sigh.
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Re: On the road...

Postby DanMcG » Wed Jun 04, 2014 7:15 pm

have a safe and interesting journey Tom
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Re: On the road...

Postby GUS » Sun Jun 08, 2014 9:14 am

Had an interesting run in with some hardcore drugged up gun toting gang bangers in St Louis, & the best of times in a downtown St Louis biker bar, dressed up like a monkey in a morning suit after a wedding at the cathederal, wasn't the best place to stumble into "aggressive dagger eyes" were the most complimentary things we received upon entry from a weekend bar full of bikers & associates.

ordered a pint jug, did my "trademark piece" which can take a while, ..could of cut the atmosphere with a cheese knife till I finished, then the place was uproar, high 5's & free entry over the city thereafter on the doors of many clubs & salubrious places, ..good times.

Very welcoming place once you stamp your mark on the place, :wink:
but what a city of contrasts, we were with the deemed Missouri elite all the way down, (I much preferred the company of the good folk toward the bottom).
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Re: On the road...

Postby GUS » Sun Jun 08, 2014 9:19 am

I have yet to run into a place within the uk that understands the basics of smoked food or well made wings (for instance) ..& am ruddy jealous btw!
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Re: On the road...

Postby vagreys » Mon Jun 09, 2014 3:39 am

Had dinner at Old Major, in Denver, last night. They do all in-house charcuterie. Sat next to the glass-sided maturing chamber, where they had guanciale, chorizo, calabrese, coppa, prosciutto, black ham, and more going. The guanciale was silky and intense. The coppa with a delightful black pepper aroma and flavor, yet without any heat. The calabrese was nicely spiced and warm enough to make you want a good beer. A pork and rabbit paté rounded out the charcuterie plate. Dinner was "Nose-to-Tail", including crispy ears, smoked ribs, a fresh, smoked pork and rabbit sausage, and braised, smoked pork belly, all on a bed of mash, fresh peas, a pea purée, and wild mushrooms. Finished with a light orange-cranberry sorbet. Tomorrow night, we have the table by the charcuterie table as the guest of the owner of an establishment in Omaha.
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Re: On the road...

Postby vagreys » Tue Jun 10, 2014 4:00 am

Had dinner at The French Bulldog, tonight. Sat at the charcuterie window table and had chef's choices of charcuterie board, sausage board, and a cheese board, plus a pork belly sandwich with sweet pickled vegetables and pickled garlic. The charcuterie board consisted of pork rillettes, a country paté, capocolla, a semi-dry juniper sausage, and whiskey bacon, served with house mustard, a lavender honey that made everything reminiscent of Provence, and house strawberry jam. The sausasge board included a sweet Italian sausage, a curry sausage, and a fresh Chiang Mai sausage, served with steamed Brussels sprouts, pickled garlic, and a nice, house coarse mustard. The appetizer was dates filled with chopped Hot Chorizo Cantimpalo-style, served on a bed of sun-dried tomato relish and crumbled chevre. I had a nice chat with owner Anne Cavanaugh, Unfortunately, Chef Bryce Coulton, the charcutier, was off, tonight - a visit for another time. A very nice evening and end to our visit with our younger daughter. Tomorrow, we head back to St. Louis, and more good Q, and then home to the rolling hills of Central Virginia.
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Re: On the road...

Postby NCPaul » Tue Jun 10, 2014 10:41 am

Great meals it sounds like; they should give you some inspiration.
Fashionably late will be stylishly hungry.
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Re: On the road...

Postby vagreys » Tue Jun 10, 2014 1:01 pm

Actually, i got to thinking about currywurst, and an Asian take on the concept with a fresh Chiang Mai sausage, paired with a Thai curry sauce. I've got to develop that.
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Re: On the road...

Postby wheels » Tue Jun 10, 2014 1:11 pm

Looks fantastic.

Phil
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Re: On the road...

Postby vagreys » Thu Jun 12, 2014 4:35 pm

Home, now. Drove from Omaha, NB, to Mt. Vernon, IL, on Tuesday. We stopped in Kansas City, MO, for lunch at B.B.'s Lawnside barbecue joint, for some excellent KC-style spareribs, pulled pork, and blues. Stopped in St. Louis at suppertime for a repeat at Sugarfire, and picked up a Crack Pie, while we were at it. Reverse engineering that, now... Then on to Mt. Vernon, IL, where we stopped for the night and had leftovers and pie for a late dinner. Drove from Mt. Vernon, IL, back to Richmond, yesterday - 14.5 hrs on the road. inspiration and good food for reflection.
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Re: On the road...

Postby yotmon » Mon Jun 16, 2014 1:58 pm

And here's me wondering whether to open a tin of tuna for my lunch ! Sounds a wonderful trip, nothing better than being served good food that has been perfectly prepared.
"Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm." - Sir Winston Churchill
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Re: On the road...

Postby Wunderdave » Wed Jun 25, 2014 3:09 pm

I thought that the food at Old Major was pretty good. I really enjoyed their house charcuterie and thai sausage. The cocktails were overpriced but that's what you get at a trendy spot like that.

Thanks for the report!
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Re: On the road...

Postby vagreys » Wed Jun 25, 2014 7:56 pm

Wunderdave, while in Denver, we had a brunch at Lucille's, and a meal at Fresh Craft, after the graduation ceremonies. Lunch in the Tavern at the Brown Palace, where we were staying. My daughter's boyfriend is a manager at the Small Batch liquor and beer shop, and a proponent of local and regional brewers and micro-distilleries. An interesting visit with lots of ideas for my next trip out.
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Re: On the road...

Postby Wunderdave » Thu Jun 26, 2014 3:06 pm

Sounds like you ate very well out here. I'd put in a good word for Euclid Hall, Rioja and Root Down, as well, for next time.

I'd be interested in working on that Chiang Mai sausage if you want to bounce some ideas off me. Thompson's book has a recipe for thai chicken sausage that I've made in bulk before for patties with sticky rice "buns" and the flavor is great. I've never tried fermenting it, though. Want to start a thread?
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Re: On the road...

Postby vagreys » Thu Jun 26, 2014 6:14 pm

I will when I get down to it, Wonderdave. Right now, I'm preparing to cook for 125, next weekend, in the Shenandoah valley, in a field, without a kitchen. And after that, I have 3 weeks to finish preparing for a two-week camping trip in western PA. So I expect to throw myself into developing this one in mid-August. Has to be finalized by the end of October.

The Chiang Mai project evolved from a request to come up with an "Asian-fusion bratwurst" for a private dinner at a convention at the end of October. i'll have to do this as a fresh "Chiang Mai", since I'm not currently equipped for making fermented sausage. The sausage at The French Bulldog made clear to me that I could capture the flavors without having to go for a ferment, and reduced Panang curry sauce could be used to come up with a sort of Asian-influenced currywurst, served on toast points.
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