Sunday, February 24, 2013

Ebisu

     Let's be honest, is the Unites States, ramen gets a pretty bad rep. There are two kinds of ramen: good ramen, and bad ramen. If you're American, then I'm willing to bet that you're very well acquainted with bad ramen. You know, that cellophane-wrapped noodle brick and sodium packet that you get for 40 cents at your local super market. Well here's something to think about: the amount of blandness and cheapness you'll find in the flavor of bad ramen is about equal to the amount of deliciousness and complexity which you will find in the flavors of a well prepared ramen dish. They say that when ramen is good, it is one of the best things you'll ever taste, and that's a statement that I certainly can't argue with. Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish, made with wheat-noodles which are boiled in either meat or fish broth, sometimes flavored with dashi or miso, garnished with all kinds of delicious goodies, often including vegetables, pork, chicken, seafood, seaweed, and much more.
     In New England, restaurants that serve real ramen are few and far between, but it seems that there is no such thing as a cuisine which can't be found somewhere in Rhode Island, and ramen is no exception. In Providence, Ebisu serves Japanese food and noodle dishes that exceeded all of my expectations. Named after an ancient mythological Japanese god, thought to bring luck and good fortune to fishermen, Ebisu features high quality Japanese cuisine at fair prices.
     The décor is modern and simplistic. The lighting was pretty low, which gave it a nice sense of intimacy. Inside, it looked very clean, which is always a good sign. It was pretty late when Adriana and I arrived at Ebisu, about 10pm, so it was relatively empty. Although, throughout our meal, business did pick up which is a good sign. A restaurant that still draws customers late at night usually has a well established following. A following which I am now a part of.

 
     Our server was soft spoken and seemed a bit shy, but that fit the gentle feeling of the décor, and he definitely wasn't intrusive to our experience, like some overly spunky servers can be. He was also the only server on this shift, so he was pretty busy, but he still managed to do a good job while managing four tables alone.
     The menu at Ebisu was nicely sized. There was an entire section for noodle dishes, which was pretty extensive and covered just about every style of ramen from every region of Japan. I'll be returning regularly until I've tried them all. But ramen wasn't the only thing on the menu. They also had many rice dishes, and a traditional Japanese dish called Shabu-Shabu. According to the menu description, "Shabu Shabu is a Japanese variety of hot pot. The dish is prepared by submerging a very thin slice of meat or a piece of vegetable in a pot of boiling dashi (broth) and swishing it back and forth several times. (The familiar swishing sound is where the dish gets its name. Shabu-shabu roughly translates to “swish-swish”.) Cooked meat and vegetables are usually dipped in ponzu or “goma” (sesame seeds) sauce."
     As delicious as all of the noodle dishes sounded on this menu, I was faced with the unfortunate reality that I could not order every single one, and so after a long and arduous decision-making process, we placed our order. For an appetizer, we got the Spicy Tuna Tostada which was a fried cracker made from layers of seaweed and rice, topped with spicy tuna and a spicy mayo. As my entrée, I got the Tokyo Miso Ramen, which was thin noodles in pork broth, flavored with miso, topped with roasted pork, seaweed, a soft boiled egg, and Kamaboko (fish cake). Adriana had already eaten dinner, and just had a bowl of miso soup as her entrée.
     When our spicy tuna arrived, it was presented very well. The contrast between the warm, crunchy, fried seaweed-rice cracker and the cold, fresh tuna was absolutely delightful. The spicy mayo added a tang to the smoothness of the tuna as well which completed the flavor perfectly.
     After we finished our appetizer, our entrees came, and my ramen looked mesmerizing. A soft, fluffy bed of noodles, piled with a cornucopia of tasty morsels, all bathing leisurely in a savory, rich pork broth, billowing warm steam. Just the smell had my mouth watering.


      The flavors in this ramen were absolutely incredible. The broth was salty and umami; the pork was almost impossibly tender and robust; the noodles had a soft-yet-firm texture; but my favorite part was the soft boiled egg. The egg was soft, smooth, and had absorbed the flavors of the broth. The flavor of the runny yolk combined with the rich broth was unique and delicious.
     So how exactly can you tell if a ramen is good or bad? A good ramen should look something like this when you're finished:
 
      As far as ramen goes, Ebisu is some of the best you'll find in Rhode Island. The selection of noodle dishes is big enough to try something new every time you visit. Although this was my first experience with real ramen, I'll be returning regularly until I'm well acquainted. With modern décor, friendly service, awesome food, and fair prices, this would be a great place to take a date, or just to hang out with friends.
 
Update: Since my first visit to Ebisu, I've been back and also tried the Nagasaki Chanpon, and the Okinawa Soba. They were both equally delicious to the Tokyo Miso Ramen. I would highly suggest any of the three.
Okinawa Soba
 

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Roasted Vegetable Ravioli

     Growing up in an Italian family, ravioli was always present in my household, and a staple in my diet. Of course when I was a child, I never could have guessed what type of ingredients were used to make these soft little pouches of joy. No, to me, they were just there, and the only worry I ever had about ravioli was "How man of these can I eat before I have to stop?" But as I grew older, curiosity soon took hold of me, and as I made my transition from boy to cook, it didn't take long for me to want to delve deeper into the world of ravioli and learn how to create this savory treat myself. Once I started the Culinary Arts program at my high school in Cranston, pasta dough was one of the very first things we had learned how to make.
     Enter: Adam at age fifteen, circa 2007, inside the culinary Arts lab of Cranston High School West. It is the first week of class, and I am about to burst with excitement. I have been waiting years to work with a real chef and learn what cooking is all about. I watch intently, noting every single movement as Chef Martha Sylvestre shows us all for the first time, how to make fresh pasta dough. Since that day, store bought pasta has never quite tasted the same. It may be a labor of love, but I've never sat down to eat home made pasta and said anything other than "Wow, That was worth all the work."

Pasta Dough
Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
2 eggs
2 tbsp. water
 
Directions
1. create a mound using two cups of flour. Create a well within the mound. Add the eggs and water into the well.
 
2. Beat the eggs with a fork, and slowly grab and incorporate more and more flour with your fork as you are beating. Do this until a dough begins to form and you cannot beat with a fork anymore.
 
3. Using your hands, incorporate some more flour and on a floured surface, begin kneading the dough, incorporating flour as needed, until the dough has a little elasticity. The dough should be moist, yet not wet enough to be sticky.
 
4. Cover your dough-ball in plastic wrap, and allow it to rest for about twenty minutes before using.
 
5. Repeat this process as many times as you need to for the desired amount of pasta. Each ball of dough will feed about two people.
 
If you have a food-processor, you can simply add two cups of flour, the eggs, and the water and use that to incorporate, but I personally like to do it by hand.




 
     The first time you try to make pasta dough, it might not come out right, whether it isn't the right consistency, or just a little over-kneaded, but don't get discouraged. Every time I make this, it becomes a little bit easier and a tastes a little bit better. Once you've made it a few times, it will become second nature.
     After your pasta dough is made, you're well on your way to making home made ravioli. The next step is the filling. Everyone had their own preference of what they like to put in their ravioli filling, whether it be pork, beef, ricotta cheese, or like me, lots of veggies.
 
Roasted Vegetable Ravioli Filling
Ingredients
1/2 zucchini, small dice
1/2 yellow squash, small dice
1/2 carrot, fine dice
3-4 asparagus, thinly sliced
3-4 Oz olive oil
Salt & Pepper, to taste
 
Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and toss to coat evenly with seasonings and oil. If desired, you can add more or less olive oil.
 
2. Spread the vegetable mixture out on a sheet pan, and put into an oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until the vegetable soften and begin to brown.
 
 
     Alright, now comes the fun part: Forming your ravioli. Once your dough is rested, it can be rolled out. If you have a pasta roller, then you're in luck. If not, you can use a rolling pin. If you are using a pasta roller, a tip that I learned very early on in my pasta-making days is to run the dough through each number of thickness twice because it will more sufficiently stretch your dough and makes it much less likely to rip while rolling. You want to roll your dough into sheets about one and a half to two inches wide, and as long as you desire. You will want to make an even number of dough sheets, because you will need two sheets to make the ravioli.

 
Directions for assembling ravioli
1. On a well floured surface, lay out one sheet of pasta dough.
 
2. Scoop out 2tsp sized portions of your filling onto the sheet, about one and a half inches from each other. Scoop as many as you can fit onto the sheet of dough.
 
3. Using your finger, brush a thin layer of water onto the dough around the filling. This will allow the top layer of dough to combine with the bottom layer in the next step.
 
4. Take a second sheet of pasta dough and lay it on top of the first. Trying not to let too much air in, use your fingers to press down the dough around the portions of filling. Don't squish the dough, but push down firm enough for it to stick well.
 
5. Cut around each portion of filling leaving about 1/4 inch of dough. As you finish the ravioli, lay them out on parchment paper, or on a well floured surface to avoid sticking.



 
 
     Unlike dried store bought pasta, home made pasta only needs to be boiled for a few minutes. Drop your ravioli into boiling water, and do not go anywhere. After just a couple of minutes, they'll start to float, and when they do, you know they're ready to be strained.
 
     Unless if you grew up in an Italian family, and know how to make real tomato sauce, do your self a favor and avoid dousing your hard work with sub-par store bought sauce that will mask all of the delicious subtle flavors of your home made ravioli. I think that the best way to really let the flavors shine is to prepare it as simply as possible. In a sauté pan, heat up some good olive oil, and add some garlic and baby spinach. Once your spinach is wilted, add your ravioli, season lightly with kosher salt and black pepper, and toss to coat them with the oil. Do this in small batches to avoid over crowding your pan, and as each batch is finished, transfer it into a serving bowl. Once all of the ravioli are cooked, I like to cut some grape tomatoes in half, and sprinkle them across the top.
     Like I said, this is a labor of love, and if you don't have the time or desire to make something delicious from scratch, then this isn't for you, but if you can find the time, then you will love this recipe. Let's nosh!


Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Harry's Bar & Burger

     It is a Monday afternoon; Izzy and I are trudging, ankle-deep, through the leftover snow-slush from Winter Storm Nemo which covers the sidewalks throughout the city. The only thing that keeps me going is the knowledge that in just a few more steps, I'll be comfortable and warm inside where I can rest my legs and thaw my toes which have long-since frozen solid. Nice try Nemo, but you won't come between me and my one true love: Food

For those of you that have never been to Harry's, it's pretty simple to find in two easy steps:
1. Walk down North Main Street
2. Look for the giant plastic cow

     If you think it's a bit odd for this burger bar to have a life-sized plastic cow standing outside, then you'll love the interior. The sections of wall which aren't covered in cow print and riddled with graphic tiles of various sizes which contain different words and pictures. However, the décor isn't the only change that Harry's has made to the traditional burger bar concept. With a well-sized selection of gourmet burgers made with certified Hereford Beef, and an even bigger selection of craft beers from around the world, including even some great local New England brews, Harry's Bar and Burger definitely sets itself apart from the other burger bars in the area.
     When we walked in, the man behind the bar was pretty nice and told us to just sit anywhere. Once we had seated ourselves, it wasn't long before we were greeted by our waitress. Throughout our meal our service was certainly not rushed, but not too slow either. I'd describe it as very casual service, which fits the laid-back atmosphere well. Our waitress was friendly and attended to everything we needed. Later on in the meal, there was a slight mistake in Izzy's order, and our waitress tended to it immediately by having his order promptly re-made.
     Since the central menu item at Harry's is burgers, I decided to try some burgers for lunch. I got the Fungus Among Us, which is a classic Harry's cheeseburger with portobello mushroom and truffle aioli. Izzy went with the classic Harry's cheeseburger, ad we got an order of fries to split. Our food came pretty quickly, and it showed up nice and hot, due to the open kitchen being so close to the tables in the dining room, which was nice because we were so cold. The burgers there greasy and juicy, as any good burger should be. The Portobello mushrooms were a nice touch and went well with the sharp cheese, but between the flavors of the cheese and the beef, the truffle aioli got lost in the mix, and didn't impart too much flavor on the finished product. Regardless, these burgers were absolutely delicious. Seeing as Harry's prides themselves on serving fresh food made with high quality ingredients, it was a little disappointing that the fries did not appear to be hand cut, but the seasoning used on them was excellent.
 
     With a huge selection of craft beer and gourmet burgers at very reasonable prices, Harry's makes a great hang-out for the college kids in the area. While I'm usually not that big on greasy, unhealthy food, I believe that everyone should splurge on some comfort food every once in a while, and Harry's Bar & Burger is an excellent place to do so. In essence, Harry's is fast food slow.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Small Point Café


       Established in 2010, Small Point is one of the newest additions to the Providence coffee shop scene. However, seeing all of the hard work that must have gone into creating such a well thought out, sustainable eatery, it's obvious that this café has been in conception for a long time. This is the type of place which makes you wonder why anyone would walk into the Dunkin' just a few blocks away.

     Small Point Café is a caffeine oasis, bustling with busy college students, typing away on their laptops, buried in a book, or just enjoying some delicious local food with their friends. With an Ipad-cash-register, Chemex filter-drip coffee pots, and robots drawn on the walls of the restroom, the décor screams post-modern in the best way. Upon walking in, you will be greeted by a plethora of chalkboards behind the counter which have all of the menu items hand written with care. Immediately to your right, there are booths lining a wall which doubles as a chalkboard. There are containers of chalk at each booth for anyone and everyone to leave their mark on the wall. Small Point has a pretty large amount of seating compared to some other coffee shops in the area, which is great, because no one likes the cut-throat competition between customers racing to acquire seats the instant they are cleared which seem to be the norm at other downtown cafes.


      The staff at Small Point are incredibly nice, and you'll often see even the owners, Anne and Adam, working behind the counter, personally preparing food and drink for their loyal customers. Everything that comes out of their tiny kitchen is made fresh, with hand-picked, local, organic(when possible) ingredients. Even the coffee and is all fair trade. The coffee beans here come from a few different roasters, including New Harvest, which operates out of Rhode Island, and Equal Exchange, which uses only fairly traded coffee beans in their roasts. However, coffee isn't the only beverage that Small Point serves. They also have excellent espresso drinks (made with beans roasted by New Harvest), various fair trade and organic teas, locally made soda from Yacht Club, and even fresh squeezed orange juice, made to order. Anne and Adam make sure that everything on their menu is as fresh and sustainable as it can be, and they won't serve anything that doesn't meet their high standards.
     One of my favorite things about Small Point are the Chemex coffee pots which they use. Chemex is a family owned company which makes an extremely unique coffee brewing system which is as much a work of art as it is a means of brewing up your daily dose of caffeine. In addition to being quirky, interesting showpieces on the counter here, these coffee pots make a perfect brew every time.
 
Chemex coffee pots

      Although there are other coffee shops in the area that can boast slightly lower prices, or in-house roasted coffee, Small Point Café has a unique charm to it that keeps me coming back almost every day. Thanks to the friendly staff, the quirky décor, the board games on the shelves for all to enjoy, and the dedication to sustainability, Small Point Café has earned the number one slot on my list of favorite cafés in Providence.


Wednesday, February 6, 2013

I Heart Providence: East vs Weat

     A city divided by a river unites over food. Providence is split in two by the Providence river, which separates the east side from the west side. Each half of the city has it's idiosyncrasies in every aspect from Universities, to businesses, and even culture. However, the one thing that the east and west ends of Providence both pride themselves on is food. The east side boasts culinary hotspots such as College Hill, Thayer street, and Fox Point, while the west side keeps its citizens well fed with areas such as the Arts District, Broadway street, and Federal Hill. But which half of this food-loving city would win in an all-out battle for culinary supremacy? That's exactly what I Heart Providence and RI Food Fights set out to determine.
     It was a cold night in Providence, and the sidewalks were lightly dusted with fresh snow from the day's flurries. My fingers were chilled to the bone after walking across town. Adriana, Kevin, and I have finally reached city hall and are relieved to know that we're about to escape from the cold night-time air. We walk in, and are greeted by stands run by some local bakeries giving out cookies, brownies, and even fresh fruit for cascading with rich dark chocolate that's flowing from a small chocolate fountain. That sure warmed me up quick.
     After spending a few minutes devouring some delectable, sweet, chocolate dipped fruit, we decided to head upstairs, and were immediately confronted by "The Wall," a large graffiti covered board with "I Heat Providence" written along the top and "East vs West" written along the bottom. The middle section was blank, and there were a few markers close by for everyone to make their mark on this glorious event for all to see.
Taking a 'dip' in the chocolate fountain 
The Wall
 
      Once we reached the second and third floors, I was like a kid in a candy store- or a foodie in a room full of complimentary treats from some amazing restaurants. All around, there were restaurant stands giving out samples and business cards. Among these restaurants were: El Rancho Grande, Abyssinia, Los Andes, Olneyville New York System, and more. I can honestly say that I didn't eat a single thing which wasn't absolutely delicious, and by the time we got to the competitors on the third floor, my stomach was already about to burst with all of the amazing food.

Ceviche, courtesy of Los Andes
Some seriously tasty South American treats from Los Andes 
Abyssinia, serving up authentic Ethiopian and Eritrean comfort food 
 
Bored With Four, supplying some awesome jams for this lovely event
 
      Eventually, we reached the East vs West competing teams and just barely managed to fit all of their incredible food into our stomachs. The competing teams were:
 
The West- North, Julian's, and The Grange
 
The East- Cook & Brown Public House, The Duck & Bunny, and Vanity
 
      After eating all the food which both teams had to offer, I didn't consume a single bite that didn't impress me with unique and inventive flavors. The well qualified judges of the competition were David Dadekian of eatdrinkri.com, Chef Branden Lewis of Johnson & Wales University, and Chef Matt Varga of Gracie's. They named Brandy Schwalbe of The Duck & Bunny as the winning chef, and the East as the winning team, although the West won the vote for the people's choice. Do I sense a rematch in the future? I sure hope so! Personally, I thought that the West side team offered up the best food of the night, and they earned my vote as the winning team. My personal favorite competing restaurant was Julians with an excellent local ricotta and celery root puree.
 
Local Ricotta and Celery Root Puree from Julians
 
      This was one excellent event for the city of Providence, and it certainly proved that our city is an amazing culinary minefield filled with some of the best food you'll ever find. Although the judges and the people didn't quite agree on who won this competition, everyone agreed on one thing: we all 'Heart' Providence!


Sunday, February 3, 2013

Rocket Fine Street Food

     There was a time when the term "food truck" brought to mind small, dirty stands serving up $1, greasy, pre-cooked hot dogs fit for no one but a busy working man with a fifteen minute lunch break and a restricted budget. Of course, over the past few years, the concept of the food truck has been completely re-thought by thousands of chefs across America. Modern food trucks are sweeping the nation as beautiful mobile kitchens, run by professionally trained chefs with true passion for making gourmet food affordable for all. Providence has a particularly diverse fleet of food trucks run by some seriously dedicated chefs who work hard along side local farmers to deliver incredibly high quality food which seems to defy the laws of mobile-eats and surpass the potential of their tiny rolling kitchens. The food trucks in Providence serve just about every cuisine you could ever want, including traditional French cuisine from Plouf Plouf Gourmet, LA style Mexican food from Mijos Tacos, savory Korean BBQ from Mama Kim's, and we even have a truck called Fancheezical, dedicated entirely to creating gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. However, if you're looking for traditional American street food with an inventive gourmet twist, then you're looking for Rocket Fine Street Food.
Rocket with Sandwich Board – photo by Lori Blakey Welles (Taken from www.rocketstreetfood.com)

     It was a Friday afternoon when I made my first trip to Rocket. The sun was shining bright, and the crisp air hinted that spring was on its way, but there was a bitingly cold with which seemed as though it was determined not to let me forget that the bitter New England winter wasn't over just yet. Rocket was set up for lunch in Kennedy Plaza. Although there is usually a plethora of food trucks at Kennedy Plaza for lunch, Rocket was standing alone on this particular afternoon. There was one other customer waiting for his order, but no line, and I was served very quickly. I decided to go with a cup of the Organic Polenta with Gorgonzola, and a slider called "The Parisienne" which is a Niman Ranch angus beef slider, topped with caramelized onions, gruyere cheese, and a roasted garlic aioli. The woman who was serving me was very nice, and even commented on my order, saying that it sounded like an excellent combination.
     My order took about four minutes to come up, which is a very reasonable amount of time. Just long enough to know that the food is cooked to order, yet short enough to know that the chef is well trained on the subject of time management. My total came to $9.75, which might seem like a lot for a small meal at a food truck, but is really a fair price considering the high quality of food which Rocket serves. After receiving my food, I found a nice bench close by, on which I could enjoy my meal.
Lunch at Rocket
(Organic Polenta with Gorgonzola; The Parisienne)
 

     I started with the polenta. I'm a lover of polenta, and this was exceptional. It was creamy and smooth, with bits of sharp, salty gorgonzola which cut through very well, and added accent to each bite. This polenta was a perfect little cup of warmth and comfort on a bitter, windy day. The portion was well sized, and absolutely worth the $4.25.
     At Rocket, all of the burgers are made with Niman Ranch beef, which is humanely and sustainably raised using no hormones or anti-biotics, and it shows through in the flavor. The beef in my parisienne was cooked perfectly, and tasted very fresh. The caramelized onions were sweet which contrasted perfectly with the salty gruyere cheese. However, it was the roasted garlic aioli that really brought everything together. It was smooth yet had a slight tang which completed the taste of this delicious little slider.
Organic Polenta With Gorgonzola

The Parisienne
 
     The Rocket team works hard to provide their customers with a culinary experience that would never be expected from a mobile kitchen. With local and organic ingredients, friendly service, and fair prices, what could make you not want to make a stop at this gourmet food truck? The Rocket truck delivers exactly what they advertise: Fine street food.