My Ten Favorite Dishes: #6 - Lengua

Ken Oringer is probably my favorite chef in Boston (and was also on People Magazine's 50 most eligible bachelors) – he has four and ½ restaurants, and truthfully, I could make a list of my ten favorite dishes in Boston, solely from his menus. Clio, his flagship restaurant, serves modern-French fare. Uni, the sashimi bar on the lower level of Clio (the ½ restaurant) offers modern interpretations of sashimi – my favorite: seared foie gras with grilled uni with a sweet soya glaze and granny smith apples. K.O. is a steakhouse in the Nine Zero Hotel, and La Verdad is a taqueria near Fenway Park. Compiling a list of only Ken Oringer dishes would be intoxicatingly delicious, but not very interesting, so I limited myself to just one: from Toro.

Toro is a tapas-restaurant in the South End of Boston. It’s located on the edge of this trendy, restaurant-centric neighborhood, in a low-traffic section bordering the edgier parts. But the food bring the crowds. The bar and dining room blend together in single area that concentrates the lively energy. The wood bar stools and tables create warmth that accents the fire in the back of the room. The kitchen juts out just barely into the dining room. The ambiance mimics perfectly that of the Tapas bars in Catalania, Spain which I visited last year.

The dishes are uniquely Ken Oringer with a decided Spanish influence. Tortilla Espanola makes a pro-forma appearance, but the real stars of the menu are the grilled corn with spicy aioli and farmers' cheese rub, roasted brussel sprouts and conejo. David at limeduck gives descriptions here.

Since I’m limiting myself to one dish, I will tell you about the lengua… the Spanish word for tongue. The tender meat is smoky, salty and perfectly marbled for richness. The bed of lentils (lentejas) gives it an earthy, textural contrast; and they tone down the intensity of the meat without distracting from its flavor. (Though admittedly, I prefer strong flavors). The salsa verde drizzled on top gives a sweetly, acidic contrast to the meat which rounds out the full spectrum of flavors.

As a side note, growing up, my parents used to take me to a local deli for Sunday lunch. My favorite cold cut was the tongue, and I regularly ordered a tongue sandwich on rye with mustard. It wasn’t until cooking school, 12 years later, that I realized that tongue was, in fact, tongue. I’m not sure what I thought it was, but I never made the blatantly obvious connections.

Have you ever seen a fresh tongue before?

My Ten Favorite Dishes: #5: Guilty Pleasures

We all have our guilty pleasures…. The little indulgences that we know aren’t good for us, and perhaps don’t even fit our personality or lifestyle. I’m not embarrassed to share mine – as a self professed foodie and gourmand, I’ll admit mine in is Popeyes Fried Chicken. I’m “guilty” because I know how bad it is for me. It’s guilty because their chickens, despite proclamations on their website, probably live a life similar to those of I saw on the Perdue chicken truck. Guilt aside, I’m like Pavlov’s dog when I smell that distinctive greasy, salty aroma.

Growing up in Washington DC, with a soul-full, southern culture, Popeyes are as popular as any other fast food chains. I first experienced the crispy, seasoned-to-the-bone chicken when I was 16. The biscuits are buttery and light, and the red beans and rice has a smoky hint of ham hocks. Over the years, I’ve eaten fried chicken all over the south, and so far nothing has come close.

I moved into my first apartment in Boston because of its proximity to Popeyes. Alas, the last Popeye’s closed in Boston in 1995 and did not return until last year. Great fan fare preceded the opening with buzz on Chowhound – a decidedly foodie website. Apparently, I’m not alone in this guilty pleasure. True vindication came when the Boston Globe reviewed it… the first ever review of a fast food chain.

Popeyes reached a new level of refinement when Popeyes’ twitter recommended the best wine pairing was with a $45 bottle – Cakebread Chardonnay. Up until this point, I had always stuck with 7-Up. Not surprising, though, the best wine with Popeyes, according to a recent blind tasting, was a $5 bottle. You can read all about the Popeyes Wine Tasting here. What’s your favorite beverage to pair with Popeyes?

As if I need an excuse to eat Popeyes, it’s right next to Fenway Park! And what’s more American than Baseball and… Fried Chicken.

My Ten Favorite Dishes: #4

All this talk of Pad Thai, besides making me hungry, was really a lead-up to the fourth dish on my 10 favorite dishes in Boston.

Believe it or not, on this trip to Thailand, I did sample a few other dishes including my new favorite vegetable “Pok Bong,” morning glory leaves. Crunchy with a slight “creaminess” to it in a light brown sauce: it was the perfect balance for all the noodles I was eating. Upon my return to Boston, friends told me that Brown Sugar Café not only has the most authentic Thai cuisine, but it also serves Pok Bong.

Once in the door, I forgot about vegetables and immediately went for the noodles section of the menu. I quickly discovered the “Country Style” Pad Thai, and all memories of other Thai noodles faded away. The slippery noodles balance the sweet, salty, sour and spicy. They are not dry, but a little saucy. The heat pleasantly builds as you work your way through the plate. Peanuts do not dominate the way so many American versions can. And as someone who does not like nuts (though I manage through most Pad Thais), this is an added bonus. The piece de resistance is the 5-spice tofu used in place of regular tofu. Little bits wiggle through the noodles, adding a depth of sweetness and warmth that make this dish irresistible. Just the right touch of bean sprouts adds texture and brightness. If it were possible to improve, I would use more scallions.

And while you’re there, be sure to try the Brown Sugar Roast Duck and, of course, the Pok Bong (when it’s in season).

My Ten Favorite Dishes: #3

I’ve always wanted a transcendental food experience. My first awareness of the notion was when I was five years old: watching Fred Flintstone devour a pterodactyl drumstick. Every summer, at the Renaissance Festival, I would order the turkey drumstick hoping, praying I would derive such pleasure, even half the pleasure, that Fred seemed to get from that leg. Alas, it never happened. As I got older, I witnessed my father eat sushi. He would close his eyes as he popped Flying Fish Roe with Quail Egg into his mouth, waving us off to be sure we didn’t interrupt his experience.

In 1999, I traveled to Tuscany…. We dined, among other places, at a four-star restaurant in the Old City of Colle d’Val Elsa; the setting was spectacular, atop an ancient village, gazing out to the rolling hills at sunset. The service and décor were flawless. If ever I were to have a transcendental experience, this would be the place. My friends ooh’ed and aah’ed through every bite. Though I enjoyed the meal, I couldn’t muster an authentic moan of delight. I resigned myself to never having this experience.

It was not until I ate at Oishii Boston – 9 years later, that the culinary heavens opened up and shone its light on me. Specifically, the hamachi-truffle maki sang to me. Hamachi, yellowtail in English, is thick and meaty like tuna, but creamier in texture, and is my favorite fish for sushi. Truffle has no taste, per se, but has an intoxicatingly earthy scent. It keeps drawing me in, sucking my taste-buds hoping to extract more of its aroma. In this maki, the flavors and textures come together harmoniously with smokiness from torched (“bana”) yellowtail and crunchy shrimp tempura rolled inside. The roll is topped with a nibble of caviar to give it a crunchy, salty start that opens the taste-buds for the sensations to come.

The first time I tasted this roll, I immediately ordered a second despite the $25 price tag. On another occasion, as I sat eyes closed focusing inward to the sensations in my mouth, I waved off the server (just like my father waved off the family) when she asked me how everything was mid-bite. My dining companion was so incensed by my behaviour, we never spoke again. The same waitress has served me again, and she has forgiven what we both agree is justifiable behavior. I go back again and again, never tiring of the flavor, having a petit mort every time.

I think I need a cigarette....

My Ten Favorite Dishes: #2 - Faux Virtue at the Shack

Jasper White garnered his acclaim during his years at his eponymous, white-tablecloth restaurant in the North End. Imagine everyone’s surprise when he shuttered the doors to work at the chain Legal’s Seafood, and then a clam shack!

The original Summer Shack is located at Alewife...a sprawling restaurant that, unfortunately, does not resemble a shack. Nor does it feel like summer with little natural light flowing in from the small windows. But what it lacks in décor, it makes up for in the food experience. Food is indeed love here.

One of the first things I notice when I walk in is the guy standing in the walk-in cooler (with a window so I can see him and he can see me) shucking clams. These clams don’t come from a gallon tub whose provenience is unknown; they come from fresh clams. In the open kitchen, a cook is cutting corn kernels off the cob for the fritters. As a person who opts to make fresh pasta for an idle Tuesday dinner because it’s not that time-consuming, I appreciate these extra touches for the sake of quality. The fried clams burst with sweet-brine, slightly chewy but mostly tender. The bellies, which can be a turn-off for the novice clam-eater, are subtle if even discernible.

But what keeps me coming back time after time is the Vegetable Platter: a mélange of faux virtue that allows me to order the clams and feel that I’m actually eating healthy. I’ve studied enough nutrition to know that a salad has little nutritional value and lots of fat since we make it taste good with dressing. Vegetables, on the other hand, are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber. And that Jasper makes them taste good…

Brown Rice, Seared mushrooms and Corn on the Cob regularly star on the plate. The rice is firm and chewy with a richness that only butter can offer. The mushrooms are seared so hard that they are crispy and caramelized brown with a nuance of roasted garlic. The corn, despite the season, manages to be crisp and sweet. To color the plate, other vegetables appear depending on the season. In the winter, broccoli raab is sautéed with garlic and chilies and glisten of olive oil, in the summer, squash is bathed in fresh tomatoes, in spring it’s asparagus roasted with parmesan. And in fall butternut squash with a hint of sage and honey. Though, you can never be sure what you’ll get since the kitchen takes advantage of what’s at peak seasonally. No matter what’s on the plate, each vegetable has its own treatment that showcases its particular virtue. And the abundance and variety make it the perfect dish to share with the table.

My Ten Favorite Dishes: #1

We all have favorite restaurants: the good ole’ standbys for every occasion that we frequent as often as our wallets allow. But then, there are the favorite dishes. Those are the dishes that we’ll go to a restaurant just for that dish. The rest of the menu is good, but it’s the one dish that keeps us coming back. And tempt us away from trying anything new.

In no particular order, here’s my list of 10 favorite dishes in Boston:

No. 1: The Burger at the Bristol Lounge in the Four Seasons. Hands-down, this is the best burger in Boston. How do I love thee, let me count the ways:

1. The burger is always cooked perfectly….. Too often, with a lesser burger, I order medium rare and it comes out well done. At most places, I hedge my bets on how accurate the chef is… if I order rare will it come out raw or well done? At the Bristol Lounge it always comes out perfect. And it’s never overly charred. That “flame-broiled” business is a hoax. The gas grills of most restaurant kitchens give an off-flavor to the meat
2. …and seasoned perfectly. For those of you who have partaken of my salt experiments, you know that food seasoned before cooking tastes “better seasoned” than that which has been seasoned at the table. And this burger is always seasoned in the kitchen
3. The Fries are thin, crispy and salty! And if you ask, they will even substitute the truffle parmesan fries which bring the burger to a whole new level of euphoria.
4. The mustard is so good that I end up dipping my fries in that instead of ketchup which is my usual condiment. And often I use mayonnaise as well, and as would be expected, theirs’ is homemade, light, creamy and sparkling with a hint of lemon.

To be sure, it’s an expensive burger. At $20, you could get 4 burgers at Bartley’s and still come out ahead. But how else can you get the service and refinement of the Four Seasons, and still walk away with a full wallet.