Fun Playing With Dante at the Taste of NEO Chef's Dining Series

My fiftieth birthday, which happened in July, was supposed to be celebrated at the Chef's Table at Restaurant Dante with friends. Instead, I spent the day going from doctor, to x-ray and blood draw, to pharmacy, to home and sleep. I tried to reschedule the dinner, but couldn't get it back together. 

When I heard about Northeast Ohio Media group's debut of their "Taste of NEO Chefs Dining Series" featuring Chef Dante Boccuzzi and Dante Next Door on Sunday October 5, I decided that even at the somewhat pricey tag of $125 (including tax, gratuity and wine, so perhaps not really so pricey), this would be a nice consolation prize to the birthday washout. And it was.

Upon our arrival Sunday evening, the always genial manager Phil Hockey was pouring a signature cocktail (or other libation or soft drink as guests preferred), the Ninho Pacifico, composed of Watershed Vodka, passion fruit puree, muddled cilantro, lime juice, and topped with Fever Tree Ginger Beer, 

Over at the pizza making station, Chef Dante guided each guest who wanted to make a pizza in that process. 

Chef Dante assists a guest in making her pizza

I've always wanted to learn how, but had never actually made pizza, though Bob had done it a couple of times. Our oven just doesn't get hot enough. Oven heat was no issue here, as Dante demonstrated and watched me take the ball of dough to topping-ready. It came out amazingly well.

Nancy's Pizza with Sausage and Sun Dried Tomato

After receiving our pizzas from the oven, we headed to our table. In true rustic Italian style, seating was communal and we met a lovely couple with whom we shared the rest of the meal. The bread service included an assertively seasoned hummus and hot bread, ensconced in Dante's signature re-purposed record album-bread basket.

The evening was hosted by NEO Media's Joe Crea, on the right below. Dante took us through the first three savory courses, and his new line of signature wines named for his children, as we enjoyed them. Then, before dessert, Joe moderated a question and answer session between Dante and the guests. 

Joe Crea introduces Chef Dante

Tinted Hamachi Sashimi

Dante made this dish for the James Beard Awards Gala in NYC last May. The Hamachi was marinated in beet juice to obtain the unique color and plated with beet variations, yuzu, red oak leaves, and topped with a wasabi leaf that lent a unique bit of spice to the dish, which was paired with Dante's Sparkling Ocean-prosecco. 

Maine Lobster Napoleon

What could be more luxurious than slices of seasonal Jonagold apples cooked in browned butter and layered with pristine Maine Lobster (which was probably poached in more butter)? Paired with a lemon confit that gently cut the richness and topped with "tarragon essence," this was the favorite dish of the evening at our table. We enjoyed this dish with the Dante Sole Bianco-pinot bianco.

Duo of Angus Beef & Butternut Squash

Which is not to say that we didn't all enjoy this hunk of Roasted Ribeye, accompanied by two made-from-scratch Short-Rib Ravioli atop creamy squash, and topped with crispy sage leaves. I believe the the green vegetable under the ribeye was kale. The accompanying wine was Dante's Red Zephyr-primativo blend.

Nutella Mousse Tartlet

The dessert was topped with Salted Caramel Pumpkin Ice Cream and paired with Dante's Dolce Luna-moscato. A sweet end to a lovely dinner. Not quite the Chef's Table, but a worthy consolation prize. And speaking of prizes, we took home a bottle of the lovely Sole, courtesy of a raffle of "Dante Signature Items" that was included with the dinner tickets. We all enjoyed all four of the signature Dante wines, and I look forward to trying them again. Phil tells me that three of the four have arrived and can be ordered at the restaurant, and the last is expected momentarily!

Northeast Ohio Media Group says that they have additional dinners in the works for this series, which will likewise feature a hands-on cooking experience and interaction with the hosting Chef. If Dante's event was any barometer of the series, I'd say it's a fun way to play with food and wine in Cleveland!

Fun Playing With Seafood and the Glouster Fisherman

Continuing our Boston odyssey, we were on our own on Monday, as our hosts in Jamaica Plain had to work. With the sun shining, what could be more fun than to play with Ipswich clams and visit Gloucester? I had always hoped to someday see Cape Ann, the setting for the Harry Chapin song "Dogtown." And I had no clue what a "clam belly" was - aren't clams just, clams?

Our first stop

Fish/seafood chowder

J. T. Farnham's is an old-school shack overlooking the Essex Salt Marsh. This sweet broth was chock full of scallops, clams, lobster, fish and potatoes. Every bite, except the two bites of lobster, was pristine and melted in the mouth (the lobster was ok, just not so perfect as the rest). 

Clam belly plate with fries and housemade onion rings.

Because we were "food touring," we were going to stick with the smallest plates to share. But the counter lady strongly recommended that we get the "dinner" plate, so we could try their freshly made onion rings and sample both the "strips" and the coveted claim bellies. A great call! And now, I know what a clam belly is!

The onion rings stayed together (don't you hate when you bite into an onion ring and the middle comes out leaving you with a fistful of fried batter?) and screamed with both freshness in the cooking process and great flavors. As good as they were, they did not overshadow the plump clam bellies which were impeccably fresh and perfectly fried. I wished that they had a better quality of tartar sauce, but that is a minor quibble. 

We had fun with the clams, onion rings and seafood chowder at J.T. Farnham's, but beware that they are cash only and not a cheap date. Beer and wine are available, though we stuck with freshly brewed ice tea. 

J.T. Farnham's

88 Eastern Ave

Essex, Massachusetts 01929

(978) 768-6643

Gloucester MA Lost Fisherman's Memorial

We spent some time walking around Gloucester harbor and the monument here.

Lobster Pool Restaurant
Rockport, MA

We were still so full by the time we got to Lobster Pool that we almost just used the restroom and passed on the food. Then, we saw their menu hanging by the door:

A "no-nonsense, no-celery" lobster roll? This, I had to try.

They do catch the lobsters right off their back porch.

Best lobster roll evah - fresh, fresh, fresh lobster, a little mayo and a slice of lettuce. At $18, not cheap. But so worth it!

The cole slaw, on the other hand, was right off the Sysco truck; we didn't even taste it. (It "came with" the lobster roll.)

Our last stop on this crawl would be The Clam Box. This was the most touristy looking and feeling of the three places, but Bob felt they had the best clams. I liked Farnham's a little better, but different strokes for different folks!

Fried Clam Bellies

Clam Box of Ipswich
246 High St
Ipswich, MA 01938
(978) 356-9707

So, who offers the best Ipswich clams? Like mom's meatloaf, that may depend on your taste. But both Clam Box and J. T. Farnham's offered fresh, well prepared food with a smile. And dining in Gloucester ain't cheap. But it is fun!

Fun Playing With Asian New Year Food 2011 at Siam Cafe

Just before we left for Florida, we shared a delightful Chinese New Year Dinner and Lion Dance with friends at Cleveland Asiatown's Li Wah Restaurant. Upon returning from our Florida trip, we got to enjoy another take on playing with Asian New Year food with the Northern Ohio Chapter of Slow Food at Cleveland Asiatown's own Siam Cafe.

We've been to at least three of these dinners at Siam Cafe, perhaps four. Chef-owner Michael Hong reaches into his culinary bag of tricks for auspicious dishes every time and I'll happily eat his braised ham hock once a year every year if I can get it! This year, he and his friendly staff coped with our 40-some-odd banquet diners, two large parties celebrating birthdays (one American and one Asian) and a fully packed house on a Sunday evening. And they put out the most amazing, fresh, delicious spread I've ever tasted at Siam Cafe. 

Stuffed Crab Claws

Crab Claw stuffed with Shrimp Puree and Crispy Vermicelli. I really enjoyed this incarnation of a dish Chef Hong has served to us before.

Shanghai Xiao Long Bao

Traditional Soup Dumpling in Dipping Sauce. Chef Hong favors a more sturdy wrapper and less soup in the dumpling than some Chinese chefs - and the result is toothy and delicious. The presentation was also interesting - each diner got a bowl of dipping sauce and the servers placed a first dumpling in each bowl. The quantities were sufficient for each diner to enjoy a second dumpling, but we were on our own for landing them intact in the sauce bowl.

Scallion Pancake with Char-Sui Pork

Char-Sui Barbecued Pork Wrapped with Pancake. Served with Sweet Hoisin Sauce. Another dish we've enjoyed before - done to non-greasy, chewy perfection.

Wonton Dumplings in Thai Tom Yum Soup

Spicy Thai Soup with Two types of Mushrooms and Wonton Dumplings. Here is where the menu diverged from "Chinese" to "Asian." A light, spicy broth cuddled freshly made pork and shrimp wontons, mushrooms, and scallions. 

Lobster with Golden Garlic - Maine Lobsters Stir Fried with Minced Roasted Garlic, Green & Red Peppers

This might have been the best lobster I've ever eaten. First, it was served blazing hot from the wok, coated with chunky garlic and peppers that clung tenaciously to the shells instead of falling to the plate. Second, the  kitchen had expertly cracked the crustaceans such that the meat was easily extracted. Finally, and most important, the high quality lobster meat had been cooked to the exact right point such that it melted in the mouth.

Baby Abalone & Shitake Mushroom over Mustard Greens

A staple dish at Chinese New Year due to the round, coin like shapes of the abalone and mushrooms, together with the greens which are colored as money - this is always my least favorite because I favor neither mushrooms nor abalone. I did eat some of the greens, which are often tough and bitter. These were tender and sweet, and benefited from the mushroomy sauce.


Whole Crispy Roasted Duck

Roast duck is all about the skin - and this baby delivered! Tender meat, crisp skin and a very traditional preparation equaled a lovely dish.


Michael’s Fabled New Years Only Fried Custard with Shrimp, Snow Peas & Carrots



This unique dish was the only platter other than the lobster that our table consumed to the last morsel. The custard, which probably had some tapioca or wheat starch in the filling, was wrapped in delicate pastry and fried. It gently walked the line between sweet and savory, and provided a textural foil to the crunchy vegetables and nuts, while the shrimp offered brininess.


Pla Red Pik - Fillets of Victorian Perch with Spicy Thai Tamarind Sauce

Instead of the traditional whole steamed fish, Chef Hong fried the perch and paired it with a gently spicy sauce. The combination worked well and we all enjoyed it.


Braised Ham Hock

Another Michael Hong Chinese New Year signature dish: the most delicious and tender Ham Hock, which had been slow cooked for hours (I seem to recall one year he said it cooks low and slow overnight) and served with Baby Bok Choy that still had some body to it and actually lent flavor to the dish rather than just being a garnish.




As with the duck, the skin of the pig had been artfully prepared (though not quite as crispy). If you ever have the opportunity to enjoy this dish at Siam Cafe - make sure you avail yourself!


Very Beautiful & Delicious Fried Rice

And what makes this rice so beautiful and delicious? Pork fat! Yuppers - as is traditional, this festive rice bore the unmistakable flavor and texture that comes only from frying in lard.


Traditional Noodle with Chicken - Thin Egg Noodle Stir Fried in Soy Sauce with Chicken

My only complaint about this traditional noodle dish was that the noodles had been cut fairly short- bad luck for the New Year! Bad luck or not - I couldn't stop eating it.



This was the bounty remaining on the table when the last of us cried "Uncle!" We did box it all up and distribute it around the table. 

But wait - there was still one more dish to come:


Flaky Pastry Crust Baked with Egg Custard

While Koko Bakery makes my favorite Dan Tac in the world - these jewels were mighty fine renditions of the form. We took them home; too stuffed to even consider a bite.



It was a bite worth waiting for - fresh, eggy, creamy, flaky and chewy all at the same time.

If you've skipped going to this dinner because you've seen some of the dishes before, or perhaps there were some off notes in some of the shrimp one year - you are doing yourself a disservice! We had more fun playing with the food at this year's Slow Food Asian New Year Dinner than at any previous visit  I've made to Siam Cafe - make sure that you join us next year. And in the mean time, I saw some huge, feisty dungeness crabs in  Siam Cafe's seafood tank - I think there is one there with my name on it.

Also, please visit my last blog post and leave your comment there before 10am on Tuesday March 8, 2011 to be entered into the drawing for two tickets to The Culinary Vegetable Institute's Earth to Table Dinner featuring Chef Ellis Cooley of AMP 150 next Saturday, March 12

Fun Dancing With Lions and Playing with Chinese New Year Food

Yesterday was the first official day of Lunar New Year, which is celebrated throughout Asia. Despite Wednesday night's fuzzy weather, our group of 7 ventured to Cleveland's Li Wah Restaurant for a Chinese New Year Dinner and Lion Dance put on by the venerable Kwan family and martial arts troupe. 

Li Wah offered both "Americanized" special dishes and some a la carte items that were more authentic. We opted for the prix fix Chinese New Year Family Dinner Special for 6, and added one a la carte dish to it, since we were seven. Quantity was perfect even though we had a few power eaters at the table. And we got to feed Lucky Money to the Lion and ask for good luck and prosperity in the New Year. 

BBQ Combination

The first course, traditionally served cold, included crispy duck and BBQ pork over jellyfish, crispy pickled vegetables, cucumber and orange slices (the latter representing coins with their shape and money with their green and orange colors). An auspicious beginning.

Assorted Seafood, Bamboo & Shark's Fin Soup

Though fresh and tasty (and very gelatinous from the shark fins), the soup seemed a little bland. 

A splash of chili oil and flakes woke it up nicely - note the way the oil reacted with the surface of the soup - the mouthfeel was exquisitely soft.

Lobster with Ginger and Scallions

Fresh lobster cooked to perfection was shell-licking good.  The next course was our "add on" dish:

Beef with Pepper and Honey

Note the continuing "green" color theme with the tender asparagus and "coins" of zucchini.

Sauteed Assorted Seafood & House X.O. Sauce

X.O. Sauce is ubiquitous on the modern Chinese New Year menu (it is believed to have originated in Hong Kong in the 1980s). The sauce is named after XO Cognac to symbolize wealth and status - both themes central to the New Year celebration. This rich sauce masked well any hints of chemistry on the food service  grade seafood (which, given the price point under $25 per person for all of the prix fix dinner menus, is to be expected). The dish was most satisfying (though I skipped the shrimp), especially the squid. 

Shredded Dry Scallops & Pea Pod Leaves

Dry scallops, or conpoy, are very expensive, which is probably why they were sparingly used in this dish. Blazing hot, fresh from the wok and redolent with fresh garlic - this plate wowed the table.

Steamed Whole Fish

I was pleased to be served the traditional steamed whole fish - I recall a Chinese New Year meal at Li Wah a few years ago where our table was served a fillet instead of the whole beast. Steamed whole fish is another important Chinese New Year tradition, but one that Westerners often eschew. I made a point of telling our server that we didn't want any changes to the menu, but to tell the kitchen to serve us exactly what they'd serve Chinese customers (this was after the first course came out with the neon red cherry halves on it, though since red is an important New Year's color, I may have had nothing to worry about). After we thought we were done, our server scraped and served out all of the last bits from among the bones, and insisted that Bob eat it because he was "too skinny"!

Yeung Chow Fried Rice

Free of soy sauce or other cloying flavors, this dish is a traditional way to end a Chinese Banquet (our servers, probably weary of explaining to Western guests that white rice is not served at a Chinese Banquet, had also dropped a big bowl of the latter on the turntable earlier in the meal). I didn't notice the flavor and ethereal texture that lard - the most authentic frying medium for this dish - would have brought to the plate, but the clean, fresh flavors satisfied nonetheless.

Fried Half Chicken

Though not as lip-smackingly good as Wonton Gourmet's version - this dish also came to the table wok-hot, with crispy skin and tender meat. We enjoyed every bite.

As often happens at Chinese Banquets - dessert was simple. And sufficient. We were all full, but not stuffed, and having enjoyed a lovely meal, we next enjoyed the Lion Dance performance. I video-ed some of it, but am still on new-camera-learning-curve and haven't figured out how to transfer video off of the data card, which none of the three programs that came with the camera seem to do (anyone who knows how to work .mts files please feel free to pipe up in the comments or send me an email). Suffice it to say that we all played with great food and a festive Lion Dance to ring in the Year of the Rabbit in Cleveland Asiatown with the Hom family at Li Wah!

Items from the special menus will be offered throughout the two week New Year Celebration, and Lion Dances will be repeated this Saturday and Sunday at 11am during Dim Sum service. Gongxi gongxi!