Dinner Of Champions - These Guys Are Good!

Guess who just got back from a sweet gig on a guest judge panel for a chefs’ competition at TPC Sawgrass right here in Ponte Vedra? Your friendly local food bloggess, that's who!

I shared the honors with Jacksonville Magazine's Editor-in-Chief Joe White (no relation to Dan the man), Account Exec and Event Planner extraordinaire Carol Kinsey, also with Jacksonville Magazine, and Corporate Food and Bev Director for the PGA Tour, Bill DeGrafft. About 40 club members sampled and voted along with us.

Corn Crusted Halibut

Our host was TPC Sawgrass Executive Chef Hector Gonzalez. A preliminary contest among his talented team narrowed the field to three finalists. Sous Chef William Murphy, Chef Tournant Michael Tucker and Executive Sous Chef Cameron Walton battled it out in the club's Champions room for the chance to represent TPC Sawgrass as a member of Team Beaches at Great Chefs of Jacksonville II. 

Tonight's winner was Chef Murphy - whose tasty (and gluten-free) Corn Crusted Halibut, served with Roasted Tomatoes, Brussels Sprouts, and Cauliflower Puree edged out the competition - giving him something to crow about when he shows up for work tomorrow. 

Crepinette of Duck with Apples and Sweet Potatoes

While the fish dish was great, no doubt, I was also quite taken with Chef Walton's Crepinette of Duck with Apples and Sweet Potatoes. The Crepinette used the duck breast, leg and liver, and was an excellent showing of classic technique, but what really transported me on this dish was the accompanying gratin of sweet potato and apples. Think haute cuisine meets comfort food. Bonus - we walked away with recipes for all these dishes! This gratin is one I will make for sure. It MIGHT even edge out the ubiquitous sweet potato casserole at my next Winter holiday gathering.

Cinnamon Pumpkin Stuffed French Toast

Chef Tucker threw us a tasty curve ball with his Maple Glazed Cinnamon Pumpkin Stuffed French Toast served with Amaretto Pecan Ice Cream and rum laced Vermont Coffee. Decadent for dessert or breakfast, it was warm, oozy, cinnamon-sweet and oh, so good to eat.

Great Chefs of Jacksonville II takes place at TPC  Sawgrass on Thursday, April 5. Tickets are $175 per person (and must be purchased in pairs).

A very few tickets remain to be sold, so if someone out there wants to share the love with their favorite Ponte Vedra food blogger, you’d better get crackin’ on those reservations!

Event proceeds benefit one of my favorite non-profit causes - Second Harvest.  My sources me they are planning some super foodie-themed silent auction items that night, so if anyone is going and hasn’t quite picked out my birthday present for September, you’re in luck there too!

Congrats to Chef Murphy, who joins Ted Peters from Azurea, David Medure from Restaurant Medure and Danny Groshell from Ocean 60 on Team Beaches.

Team City boasts Tom Gray from Bistro Aix, Matthew Medure from Matthew’s, Dennis Chan from Blue Bamboo and Scott Ostrander from ‘Town – and they’re looking for a win after last year’s victory by the bad boys from Team Beaches!   

Thanks to Jacksonville Magazine, Chef Gonzalez, and the crew at TPC Sawgrass for a fun evening of friendly competition and great food. I’ll definitely be back soon to check out Happy Hour at Nineteen!

Renegade Resto / Legit Legends

I must admit - I'm intrigued. I purchased my ticket for The Legend Series almost two weeks ago, and tonight is the night! I've been anticipating great things since Cari Sanchez-Potter and the gang first described their concept of "a series of 'renegade' dinner events - that will include some of the Southeast’s best chefs as well as local artists, musicians and artisans."  The list of participating chefs is enough to set off Niagara Falls in your mouth. I have visions of great food and art and music weaving together to create a memorable evening. I got my email this morning revealing the uber-secret location of tonight's feast, and I'm pretty sure I should be able to sneak out a few tweets during the evening - so look for posts via Instagram, pushed to Twitter with the hashtag #Legendseriesjax - If you don't hear from me again for awhile, it could be that I dove headfirst into a vat of bouillabaisse. There are worse ways to go.

Ring In The New

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well. ~ Virginia Woolf

A new year has dawned. After well upwards of fifty of these I confess I'm somewhat jaded by the whole fireworks and champagne popping, Dick Clark and Lady Gaga ball-dropping business. I approach New Year's Eve as a time for personal reflection and appreciation for all the good things the passing year brought. This year was no exception. I marked midnight with friends from around the world on Instagram and Twitter, followed up with a few "likes" and comments on Facebook, all while snug in my comfortable bed. 

This time last year, I was in Ohio visiting friends and family. New Year's Day dinner with BFF Kiki was a spectacular Thai feast from Bangkok City in Buckeye Lake, Ohio. Chef-owners Danny and Molly Armonyard are so welcoming and genuinely friendly, a visit to their place has become a must-do on every Ohio road-trip. 

I have fond memories of fishing at Buckeye Lake with grandma and grandpa, my sisters, mom and dad. We'd pack the trunk and make a day of it. What little patience I now possess I learned from my grandpa Lowe - sitting on the banks of Buckeye lake, learning to catch fish. To this day, I carry a fishing pole in the trunk of my car. I haven't been fishing in years. That's not why it's there. 

A lovely jaunt to Savannah in February brought friends and family (in this case Kristeena's family) closer together. The V-Jewels painted the town pink that weekend - and we're making plans to do it again in 2012, with a few new friends sprinkled in for more flavor. Forming close bonds with old friends and meeting (virtually and IRL) so many new friends as a result of social media - these are my most pleasant memories of 2011. 

The scent wafting out from the Choucroute Royale that will feature in tonight's New Year's "Good Luck Food" dinner at our new casa reminds me of a more sophisticated version of pork belly, field peas and greens I ate at the Augustine Grille at the Sawgrass Marriott in my adopted hometown of Ponte Vedra, Florida.  I was invited there last year, along with my friend Jodi from EatJax, for a Bite Club event  where we had the pleasure of meeting and dining with Scott and Denise Francis from Twinn Bridges Farm, and other local purveyors who toil so that we can still enjoy real food with little or no chemical adulteration. I still run into Scott and Denise at the Beaches Green Market on Saturdays when I make it out there. The pork belly dish took me back to countless walks to the butcher shop with my grandma Lowe, shopping for cuts of meat few people in the Lady Gaga generation have even heard of. Fatback, salt pork, chicken gizzards and livers - my grandma made use of all of them, and my mom has faithfully adhered to her methods through the years (although I can't recall the last time she purchased a chunk of salt pork).  


Several "meet the farmer" style events made 2011 a banner year for Slow Food on the First Coast.  There was also a spectacular "Meet the Winemaker" event at Salt - the flagship restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island, where I met and dined with Jed Steele of Steele Wines. 

The fish course at that meal had a savory lemon zabaione creme that had me wishing it was kosher to lick one's plate in polite society. I'm pretty sure I stabbed the waiter with a fork when he attempted to clear it before I could lap up the last of it. 


A special shout out is in order to Cari Sanchez-Potter of Cari-Vicarious - for all she's doing to nurture the local Slow Food movement. Expect great things from this one. Check out her recent mouthwatering culinary adventures in Spain on her blog.

We had a conversation about pork belly last night, mom and I. She didn't see the point of it. I don't see how it differs much from the aforementioned fat back, except that it comes from a different spot on the pig, so it gets less, um,  exercise during the pig's lifetime, which contributes to its melt-in-your-mouth tenderness - when properly cooked. 

I sense our friend Amie from The Veggie Bin cringing in disgust upon reading that. She's a recently reformed vegetarian, and still a little squeamish about our food-centric view of pigs, cows, delectable sea creatures and such. But we love her because she brings us all those fabulous boxes of veggies from our farming friends. 


Which brings me to my New Year's Resolutions. I only made two this year. One I carry over from year to year, and it is a reflection of where I've been and what I've done in my life. 


Enjoy Life - This is NOT a Dress Rehearsal.


The other is indicative of the dire shape my body is in due to all this excessive consumption, and it will be my philosophy for 2012: 


All Things - In Moderation. 

"I think it's time for you to start to seriously
consider salads."  ~ Tony Soprano

I plan to eat more fruits and veggies, incorporate more raw foods in my diet, and consume less fried things. Larger variety, smaller portions. STAY HYDRATED. That's a big one for me. 


I want to live a healthier life, but I don't see myself going on some dramatic food regime and obsessing over each choice, each ingredient, each pound. You won't be seeing any of those "wow - look how big my pants used to be, now I fit in one leg" kind of posts from me. 


Nor will I flood my Facebook feed with grass clipping and seaweed smoothie recipes, or videos on the dangers lurking in a can of Diet Coke or box of McDonald's French Fries. I like those things. I may, from time to time, consume them. Hopefully less often than in the past. All things in moderation. 


In 2012 I plan to focus on the things that nourish my inner beast - good friends, great food, art, nature, - and run the gamut from the grand passions to small observations about life and love that make me who I am. I hope you'll come along for the ride. Thanks for being part of my life. I wish you all the best in 2012.

Cook This. 
Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

Empty Bowls

The 27^th Annual Empty Bowls Luncheon, presented by Bank of America, will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011, at the Prime Osborn Convention Center. Doors open at 11 a.m., with the one-hour luncheon scheduled to begin at noon. Tickets are $25, and all proceeds benefit Second Harvest North Florida.

The Empty Bowls Luncheon demonstrates community support for those who are coping with hunger in North Florida. All proceeds benefit Second Harvest North Florida, its member agencies and our neighbors who need food assistance.

For more information about the event, or to order tickets, tables or sponsorships, visit:

http://www.wenourishhope.org/events/2011/27th-annual-empty-bowls-luncheon

First Coast Fabulous: Food Day At Intuition Aleworks

Arugula (sourced from The Veggie Bin),
Proscuitto, and Honey Caramelized Peaches

October 24 is Food Day - a national grassroots campaign promoting healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way.  On the First Coast, we celebrated a day early with a Moveable Feast - a yard to table tour of the gardens of Riverside / Avondale with freshly prepared delights along the way, culminating in a Slow Food Demo sponsored by Slow Food First Coast, Intuition Aleworks, The Veggie Bin, SeaCow Confections, 29 South, the Jenks House Bed and Breakfast, the Jacksonville Dietetic Association and FoodDay.org 

Chef Scotty Schwartz explains the
concept of eating locally sourced food.

I must confess I skipped the bicycling, touring portion of the program, and instead made a beeline for Intuition Aleworks where Chef Scotty Schwarz of 29 South presented a simply prepared fresh meal of REAL FOOD. 


In his own words, Chef Scotty advises that when you want to start cooking locally sourced foods, a great way to start is to  "shake the hand that feeds you." Get out to your local farmer's market - meet the people who tend the field at your local farm, the cheesemaker at your local dairy, the beekeeper who supplies you with fresh honey from their local apiary. 

If you are too busy to make it out to farmer's markets or the farms themselves, check into produce delivery services like The Veggie Bin. It's a great way to introduce new veggies and fruits into your diet, and get creative finding new recipes for favorite ingredients. 

Summer Truffle Chianti Sausage,
Chef Scotty's Kale with Whipped Ricotta 

Another revelation of the evening was Chef Scotty's Fresh Ricotta. I recently learned first-hand just how easy and rewarding it is to make your own ricotta - one of my all-time favorite culinary experiments! Once our weather turns for real, I am planning to make a rich, delicious vegetable lasagna with home-made ricotta. Who needs bechamel? 

Topping off the evening's repast was a Spiced Seminole Pumpkin popsicle 
from Sea Cow Confections. The icy-fresh chunk-o-punkin hit all the right notes. Subtly spiced, not too sweet, creamy without being cloying. A tasty spiced ginger "snap" cookie rounded out the flavor profile nicely. 

PJ and Jaime Pawelek from Sea Cow Confections

PJ Pawelek is the owner of Sea Cow Confections - a small St. Augustine business making handcrafted, artisan sorbets and popsicles, using locally and regionally grown fresh fruits, nuts, and sugars, mostly from local area family farms. Any fruit he uses which is not grown in Florida is certified organic and fair trade.  All of their products are vegan and dairy free, with no chemical stabilizers, artificial coloring, or preservatives. Their packaging is 100% biodegradable and compostable. You can see why they received the Slow Food Snail Of Approval from First Coast Slow Food!
Last Christmas I picked up some great confections from them, and tonight I chatted with Jaime about my order for this year. I've been dreaming about their chocolate covered almonds all year long. She tells me they are a best seller. I can attest to their being the best chocolate covered almonds I've ever eaten. Not sure any got into gift stockings though... Cheeky Santa!

This year when you're holiday shopping, be sure to patronize your favorite purveyors of REAL foods - the makers, bakers, chefs and farmers whose personal connection to and passion for food is 100% worth celebrating! 

Cheers to hosts Cari S. and the crew at Intuition Ale Works - did you hear they were recently named Jacksonville's BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR. Woot!

Inconsistent Experiences at Indochine

When the sexy urban-chic Indochine opened on East Adams Street in Jacksonville's urban core, it seemed like Jax diners could at last be in for a great Asian restaurant experience. I've never wanted to like a restaurant more. I crave Thai food, and I appreciate a restaurant that puts such an effort into creating a beautiful space. I purposely didn't go immediately, while it was the talk of the town. I gave them more than enough time - almost a year in fact - to settle in to the restaurant they would be for the long haul. In the meantime I read many glowing reviews on Urbanspoon. 


I was more than ready when the opportunity presented itself to go for lunch with a couple of co-workers. We were seated immediately, and our waitress found her way to our table shortly afterward with water and menus. We found the atmosphere attractive, but the noise level during a half-full lunch service was a little high for our tastes. 

Green Curry - Lunch Portion

This was a particularly hot summer day, and the large, open room was a bit warm, but I managed to get by with a couple glasses of water from our table's water bottle, a nice and practical touch. When it came to ordering (or a refill on that water, for that matter) it was another story. 


Two tables were seated after us, but ordered and were served before us.Our waitress apologized in advance explaining some staff had called off and they were shorthanded. I was pretty sure I couldn't use that as an excuse back at my office.

I'll have mine with extra cabbage please...

Our food, when it finally arrived, was adequate. I enjoyed a small bowl of green curry with some very fresh vegetables in it, not the usual stewed melange. It almost looked as if the sauce had been ladled in and the crisp-fresh veggies laid on top of it. The heat level was a perfect #3, as ordered.


One of my table-mates chose the vegetable stir-fry and asked for extra vegetable in lieu of a protein choice. Her entree, while beautifully sauced, seemed to be topped with copious amounts of  cabbage. She professed to enjoy it, but I would have been disappointed in the dish. 


The biggest issue was the table service, or lack thereof. Our waitress was nowhere to be found once our entrees came to the table. We eventually managed to flag her down for more water and a soda refill, but these things never made it to our table. We wrote it off to a possible short-staff situation and I vowed to come again before forming an opinion or stating my feelings about the place. I usually dine somewhere 2-3 times before writing a review here or on Urbanspoon. 


My next visit was during Eat Out Downtown. My friends and I were happy to see that Indochine hadn't changed their usual menu for the annual promotion. We dreamed of which savory delights we would enjoy, and booked far in advance, an early seating so we could get some light for snapping pics. 


Aside from a brief brush with the law, we had no trouble getting there on time or finding convenient parking. We were seated immediately at a table near the back door and kitchen area, a bit warm as they were keeping the doors and windows open for cross-ventilation. With an outdoor temp in the 80s, I noted again that this wasn't the coolest of spots. 


As you can see, the appetizer platter was less than appetizing, with some clammy, lettuce filled summer rolls, a couple of crab rangoon oozing with a piping hot, bright orange liquid filling, some quite ordinary fried calamari and the greasiest, most overcooked spring rolls I have ever seen. Each of us ordered this dish, and two of us got the sauce pictured here, while the third got a bright red mess that looked like standard Americanized sweet and sour. No explanation was given regarding the different sauces. 

One bright note was an appetizer of Stuffed Chicken Wing. It was appropriately seasoned, a sort of pork-alicious filling with a crispy panko style crust, and came to the table at a perfect temperature. I would order this again. In fact, with a glass of wine, it would make a nice meal. 


Our waitress was April, the same woman who had waited on us during my previous visit.  She copped a surly attitude when we asked her to check if a particular dish was available, noting it wasn't listed on the promotional menu. She took an almost instant disliking to us, despite our attempts at remaining congenial and upbeat. 


Our dishes were tossed at us as if we were a pack of hungry dogs. At one point, we managed to flag her down to refill our long empty water bottle. She took it and abandoned us altogether. When much later she managed to reappear for our dessert order, we asked her to please bring our water. It was then I recalled we had the same issue with her the last time. Be forewarned. If you get April, it could be May or June before you see your beverage refilled. Order accordingly. 


And word to Indochine, when your server goes AWOL on a table, you are losing revenue from potential drink refills. I'm certain I would have ordered another glass of Steele Shooting Star Aligote - it's so infrequently found on local wine lists, and it pairs perfectly with spicy sweet Thai food.


Surly, dismissive service notwithstanding, we would still have been happy campers if the food had been up to standard. My chicken stir fry entree was tasty enough, but having ordered a #3 spice level, the same as at lunch, this time I didn't detect any heat in the dish. I assume they thought we didn't know better. Cari ordered her entree super spicy though, and it did pack the heat she expected. 


And then there was Jodi. It was her first trip to Indochine, and she had been looking forward to the experience. She ordered the Shrimp Pad Thai, #1 spicy. She calls it the "canary in the coal mine" of Thai cuisine. Hard to screw up a dish as elemental as Pad Thai. As it turns out, not impossible. Her dish appeared to be coated with and swimming in oil. The greasy noodles came with the usual condiments, but the shrimp were not evident at service. With some careful excavation she was able to find four small translucent shrimp, which she was afraid to eat, they looked so far undercooked. Complete. entree. fail. 

Dessert was part of the package deal for Eat Up Downtown, and we planned to each order one of the three options. When the lovely April came to take our order she informed us they were out of the chocolate lava cake. This was day two of Eat Up Downtown, early in the evening, at that, and they were already out of one of the three, the one any first year kitchen manager might assume would be the most popular, despite it not being in keeping with the restaurant's Asian theme. Planning fail. 


I ordered Coconut Creme Brulee, J and C each ordered the Mango Sticky Rice. The creme brulee was delicate and sweet. Score. The girls' Mango Sticky Rice dishes, however, came out looking like two totally different desserts. One was topped with a sliced mango, the other with an oddly cobbled together slab of mango colored.... custard? flan? orange cream jello? It was and remains a mystery. Of course April didn't mention a thing about the dueling presentations. The other, more critical issue with the sticky rice was that it seemed to be more crunchy than sticky. Another failed dish. 


I might return to Indochine, but probably only at lunch or for a cocktail and a snack, and only if I have plenty of extra time. I didn't find it to be worth the extra coin for dinner service. I do hope they make a go of it, though, and I especially hope they address the poor service and inconsistencies in presentation.





Indochine
21 E Adams Street Ste 200
Jacksonville, FL 32202
(904) 598-5303
www.indochinejax.com

Adventures in Jacksonville's Urban Core

Let me begin by saying downtown Jacksonville has such potential. The urban core boasts a fair amount of architectural charm. It's accessible, fairly easy to find a space to park (especially at night), there are decent restaurants, nightclubs, a theatre, hotels, and a fabulous new library. 

So why aren't we flocking there in droves? Maybe it has to do with the lingering perception that it isn't safe there after dark. Consider my recent foray into the area on the occasion of Eat Up Downtown - a showcase of downtown eateries sponsored in part by Downtown Vision. 


I parked my car in a safe and well lit (it was still daylight) lot by my restaurant of choice for the evening, Indochine. As I was settling into my parking spot, I saw a JSO officer chase a middle-aged woman across the lot. He flagged her down, they had a brief conversation, and he returned to his cruiser. As he was exiting the lot, he pulled up beside my car, threw his cruiser into park, and approached, jesturing for me to roll down my window. While my mind started cataloging my possible offenses (unpaid parking ticket? backing into the parking space?) I rolled my window down JUST enough to hear what the fine officer had to say. 


"Do you come downtown often?" he asked. Beads of sweat were popping out on my forehead at this point. What answer was he looking for? Did he mistake me for a middle aged, overweight hooker? 

 "Yes - well - not really" was my non-committal response. My mind was racing. 


He edged closer to the car and handed me - a government issue pamphlet. "We're giving folks some tips on staying safe. There's a lot of people coming here for the first time with that Eat Up Downtown."


"Yeah - that's actually why I'm here, I'm headed to Indochine" (I pointed to the restaurant in plain view, some 50 yards from my car). "Has there been a rise in the crime rate downtown or something?"


"Oh yeah, It gets pretty bad down here at night, especially with the homeless and all" he suggested. 


I was sixteen different kinds of offended by this. To begin with, I have, actually, spent many evenings in downtown Jacksonville over the years. I have had interaction with, but  have never felt threatened by the homeless population seeking shelter and sustenance there. Also, we were within walking distance of the Sulzbacher Center - offering "the way home"  for homeless men, women and children. If you suffer from the ill-conceived notion that homelessness is somehow a criminal offense, please visit their website and learn more about the wonderful work this organization does for the most vulnerable among us. And if you want to support their cause while learning more about what they do, consider attending their annual fundraiser, Transformations, October 6. 


The officer must have spied another potential victim of crime, and bid me farewell about the same time my friend pulled up. We warily made our way the few short steps to the restaurant and waited for our friend to arrive so we could get our fill of some Thai food... 


Next post - Indochine.

Florida Staycation - Salt and Steele

"The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea."  ~ Isak Denisen

My Florida Staycation took a swanky turn recently, when I was invited to attend a Winemaker's Dinner at the Ritz-Carlton resort at Amelia Island's flagship restaurant, SALT, featuring Jed Steele of the Steele Winery in California's Lake County. They didn't have to ask twice. I was so there...


Crossing the intracoastal waterway and winding my way through the hammock of Live Oaks, I handed Charlotte the Prius over to a valet and soaked in the effortlessly elegant ambiance of the oceanfront resort. 


It's always a pleasure to dine at the Ritz-Carlton. Earlier this year my food-loving friends Jodi from Eat Jax, Cari from  Intuition Ale Works and I were invited to a Meet The Farmers Dinner at their Cafe 4750, and we enjoyed every single detail of the evening. 

A savory creme brulee 

This dinner would also begin with delicate appetizers and pleasant conversation, and end with me following the moon and stars home to my own little stretch of beach. 

The food and wine were superb, and the service impeccable, but it was the company that elevated the evening into one of the most pleasant experiences I've had in some time. 

A whimsical note was struck early in the evening with an appetizer you in part squirted into your mouth through what the server described as a syringe. A lovely counterpoint to the fresh seafood, the little vial of chilled soup took playing with your food to a new level. My host and I shared a  laugh at the concept of "injecting" food into our mouths, and my mood was elevated along with my palate. 

With the Hors d' Oeuvres we tasted two lovely wines. The Steele Cabernet Franc Rose (Lake County, 2009) paired perfectly with a savory-sweet bite of steak, strawberry and asparagus spear. 


The crisp, clean, tart and sweet Shooting Star Aligote (Washington State, 2009) has become a favorite since an earlier tasting I attended in Ponte Vedra, during which Mr. Steele explained that the little-known Aligote is actually the fourth most planted wine grape variety in the world. In America it usually ends up blended into Chardonnay, which is why we don't hear much about it here. I'm glad he decided to bottle it by itself. Under the Shooting Star label, Steele produces their lighter, "everyday" wines, and showcases a few fun, lesser known varietals. The booming popularity of Chardonnay has long overpowered Aligote, but we are seeing it on more local wine lists, and during a recent visit to Indochine I discovered it pairs nicely with spicy sweet Thai food. It's my new summer wine obsession, one that I expect will stretch well into fall.

Custom Blended Salts - a Fume, cold smoked using
Steele Winery's oak barrels, a Citrus Blend and one
infusing the lees of Steele wine grapes.

As my host and I arrived at our table, Salt's excellent Maitre’ D, Isabelle, introduced each guest by name, a lovely and gracious custom. I was privileged to enjoy the company of a sweet-natured local coffee shop owner and her beautiful daughter, a wine distributor and his lovely wife, my charming host, and Mr. Jed Steele himself. The dining room was full, but our little group settled in at one quiet end, where the sun streamed pleasantly across the table and the surf seemed close enough to lap  at the window.

Salt is probably the only restaurant on the First Coast with its own Salt Sommelier.  Our server explained the custom blended salts for the evening. We sampled each on its own, and they were all amazing, but the dishes were all so expertly seasoned they were rarely called into play. The fume and grape lees infused salts were both lovely parting gifts, and have been gracing my table, enhancing steaks and salads ever since.



An early triumph of the evening was the first course of Georgia Quail, cooked sous-vide for ten hours and plated with hard boiled quail egg, shaved summer truffle, a cherry, tart creamy goat cheese, marcona almond crumbles, pickled celery, and garnished with a tuft of micro-greens. I checked into the clean-platers club, and sipped the accompanying Steele Pinot Noir, Carneros, 2008.

The fish course was one of the most beautiful and impressive dishes I've had all year, and it has been a good year for food. Striped Bass rested on bright, tender pillows of Basil Gnocchi and Chanterelle mushrooms in a Steele Chardonnay reduction, napped with an impossibly creamy lemon zabaglione, and topped with a salty-sweet Serrano ham chip and fresh basil. 


I fear I may have outright guzzled the Steele, California Cuvee Chardonnay (2009) at this point as I became the the foursquare mayor of the Salt clean-platers club. At some point in the evening's festivities, our wine-merchant friends also busted out some private stock of Steele Durell Vinyard Chardonnay (Carneros, 2006), made with grapes grown in a vinyard Steele had taken a liking to during his days at Kendall-Jackson. A glass or two of this sleek Chardonnay may have rolled around my tongue as I savored every bite of that fish dish. 


Incidentally, Steele Chardonnay was the wine of choice at my wedding reception at the not nearly so posh Myrtle Beach Yacht Club in 1996. Steele Wines had only been on the scene since 1991, and since we were tying the knot on the east coast and not California wine country, I credit Kiki, proprietress of Ruby Magnolia Vintage and Home, my San Francisco muse and MOH, for suggesting it. AND since most of the crowd were beer drinkers, she and I probably polished off most of it. Good times. 

Winemaker Jed Steele

But I digress. Fast forward fifteen years, and I'm sitting at the big kids table drinking their  private stash. Life is good. And strange. Good and strange. 


While I pondered what an odd trajectory my life has taken of late, Jed (he just seemed to down-to-earth to refer to as Mr. Steele at this point) shared a story about a recent excursion in which he had come across a colorfully woven bag of the sort that is used to carry salt in Afghanistan. To our surprise and delight, he pulled it out and explained that he bought it as a present for Isabelle, our Maitre 'D. It was a sweet and thoughtful gesture and she seemed genuinely charmed.

While the sun set, our next two courses made their way to the table. An Entree of Lamb in Variations - succulent braised lamb-filled ravioli and perfectly pan-seared rare lamb loin, served atop a deconstructed ratatouille of sorts - sweet and sour eggplant and heirloom tomato, a cool, subtle cucumber gremolata, olive, and bold mint pistou. The result was a study in contrasts of textures and temperatures,  somehow drawn together into an artful composition. (Forgive the photo quality here - due to darkness setting in I had to revert to flash.) 

At a certain point I was having trouble keeping up with
all this wine, but I'm pretty sure none of it went to waste.

The lamb was paired with not one but two wine selections - Steel Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Hills Vinyard (Lake County 2007), and the reason I jumped for joy on receiving the invitation to attend this event, the  Steele Stymie Merlot (Lake County, 2007). I usually leave the wine descriptions to Master Sommelier Kris Chislett at Blog Your Wine, but given my intense interest in this wine I will take it upon myself to cut and paste from the Steele Wines website to inform you that Stymie Merlot is a rich, well-structured wine with layers of ripe red currants, anise, chocolate-covered cherries, a peppery mid-palate, and just a hint of coffee. I couldn't have said it better myself. Especially with my nose thrust deep into my wineglass as I inhaled aromas of chocolate, jammy fruit, tobacco and pepper. OK that was another cut and paste, but seriously, I fear I couldn't do it justice. If Steele Chardonnay is sweet seduction, Stymie Merlot is steamy hot sex in a glass. I'm pretty sure we also sampled a bit of Stymie Syrah as well, but don't tell the others - it might just have been a dream. I was two-fisted drinking at this point, I'm pretty sure. 

AND then the desserts started rolling out of the kitchen. If you've eaten at Salt you know you're likely to be served not one or two, but a seemingly endless array of sweet little treats at the end of your meal. I think these are designed to get you to linger just a little longer at table, and quite possibly in this case, sober up with a cup of coffee at least. 


A deconstructed Peach Melba featured Tahitian Vanilla Panna Cotta with a deep red raspberry consomme, a Berry sorbet and "dots" made from a reduction of Steele Late Harvest Chardonnay, which was the pairing for that particular dish as well. A slice of deep chocolate served to intensify the Stymie Merlot, which I was still savoring at this point. Good luck finding the Steele Late Harvest Chardonnay, Sangiocomo Vinyard (Carneros,1997) anywhere. It is quite possible we drank the last of it. 

True story - as I was driving home it suddenly occurred to me that I had neglected to taste the "dots" which had been so carefully reduced down and placed on my dessert plate. It might have required licking said plate though, and I just couldn't see myself doing that - in public anyway. 


My thanks to everyone at Salt and the Ritz-Carlton for a truly memorable evening. I hope to return to in October for another of their Farmers dinners, and I will most likely savor more of Salt on an upcoming special occasion that shall remain nameless but may or may not be my birthday. 



Salt
4750 Amelia Island
Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
(904) 277-1100


Full disclosure - my participation in this event was complimentary - and while this post is 
my personal and honest point of view - it is not meant to be a critical, unbiased review of the restaurant.

Florida Staycation - Breakfast and Breakers

They say its the most important meal of the day. But who the heck are they, and what do they know? American breakfast standards bore me. Give me the continental breakfast buffet at my local motel, and I'm good to go with yogurt and a banana. 


Hold the eggs, bacon, grits, biscuit and for GOODNESS SAKES hold the sausage gravy - what in the name of all that is holy IS that, anyway??? It's like library paste thinned out with motor oil and a cup of salt. Non, merci. Here are a couple of lovely breakfasts I've enjoyed in and around Jacksonville and the Beaches area. 

At least once a week I like to stop in at Bakery Moderne for a cup of coffee and pastry or a mini-quiche - they make at least two varieties of quiche fresh daily, and the scones are lovely, crumbly soft and laden with fresh fruit. 

Bakery Moderne
904-389-7117

869 Stockton St
Jacksonville, FL 32204

Late breakfast at Culhane's involves Bangers and Mash, and yes, frankly, a pint of Guinness as well. Don't judge. You know you want it.

Culhane's Irish Pub and Restaurant
904-249-9595  
967 Atlantic Blvd 
Atlantic Beach, FL 32233

One of my favorite spots for breakfast is Biscotti's in Avondale. The atmosphere there reminds me of Cincinnati - can't tell you why. Anyway, they have some slightly awesome breakfast offerings, including some over the top french toast, and this quiche, that has an unusual but awesome crust. 


I was obsessed enough after eating this one that I made my own for another couple of weeks - until I decided it was easier and more rewarding to go out and enjoy it at Biscotti's.

Biscotti's
904-387-2060
3556 Saint Johns Ave
Jacksonville, FL 32205

       Check out Mi Pueblo Bakery on Beach Boulevard for a latin twist to the grab-and-go breakfast. I wrote about them in my Serious Sandwiches segment last year.  The Buneulo gets my vote for a quick bite. Savory cheesy goodness, Charlie...

Mi Pueblo Bakery
904-619-0153
10771 Beach Blvd Ste 107
Jacksonville, FL 32246

And while we're talking Latin influence - one of my absolute favorite pastries in Jax is this Guava Pocket from Edgewood Bakery. Sweet tart guava jelly loaded with sugary glaze, piled into a crispy layered pastry square.


Edgewood Bakery

904-389-8054
1012 Edgewood Ave S

Jacksonville, FL 32205 

OK - that's enough! I need to go walk on the beach and shed some of these virtual calories! 


I hope it is sunny and warm where you are today - enjoy your summer. I'll be back soon with more from my Summer Staycation. Woop-woop!