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Travel Eats

Travel Eats: A weekend in London

Travel Eats documents my food adventures while traveling.

Duck and Waffle foie gras creme brulee
Foie gras crème brûlée, with pork crackling brioche and glass of rosé, Duck and Waffle

Before I go into any further detail about my weekend in London, I must explain this first photo. Duck & Waffle is a 40th-floor restaurant with panoramic views of London; it’s also open 24 hours a day. When I called to make a reservation, I was told that 12:45 was available. As in, 12:45 a.m., a reservation time that has never occurred to me as a possibility. But we took it, and were later whisked up 40 floors in a glass elevator for our late-night meal. A second revelation was soon to follow: this 24-hour menu listed foie gras crème brûlée as an actual dish you could order. My mind could barely conceive of this decadent combination, but there was no way I could pass it up. It had the texture and caramelized sugar shell of a crème brûlée, but the meatiness of foie. As strange as that sounds, it worked really well, and the brioche on the side even made it feel more like a appetizer. My glass of dry French rosé was much needed to cut through the richness. And of course, the lovely nighttime city views heightened the whole experience.

Rainbow of meringues, Meringue Girls at Broadway Market
Rainbow of meringues, Meringue Girls at Broadway Market
Chorizo scotch egg and Vietnamese iced coffee
Chorizo scotch egg from Finest Fayre and Vietnamese iced coffee from Cà Phê VN, both at Broadway Market

On Saturday morning, we strolled through the Broadway Market and were able to sample several offerings from local vendors. I was greeted almost immediately by the most gorgeous, colorful display of meringues I had ever seen. I tried the watermelon variety, complete with decorative black sesame seeds, and the flavor was spot-on as well. Next, an array of scotch eggs appealed to my savory breakfast cravings. I opted for chorizo, which was just a little spicy and anchored by a perfectly soft-boiled egg. I got my caffeine fix from an excellent version of Vietnamese iced coffee, whose stall also had a nice seating area. I saw a display of Persian stuffed dates, and couldn’t help but try one – the orange mascarpone, burnt almond, and pistachio were such an unexpected treat together. I was also pleasantly surprised by our donut selection: I knew I’d appreciate the banana cream and the sea salt caramel, but the mild tang of the chocolate sourdough base made it much more interesting.

Persian dates, Zardosht
Persian dates with orange blossom mascarpone, burnt almond, and pistachio, Zardosht at Broadway Market
Salted caramel donut with banana cream
Sea salt caramel and banana cream donut, Crosstown Donuts at Broadway Market

Sunday brunch was also quite special. Dishoom has a few locations in London, and serves cuisine inspired by the Irani cafés of Bombay, India. I was enticed by the dry-cured, cold-smoked bacon in the bacon and egg naan roll, and it was the perfect fusion of breakfast flavors: the classic bacon and egg alongside chili jam and cream cheese, all wrapped up in puffy naan bread. The side of masala beans were richly spiced and almost smoky. To drink, I had a bottomless cup of Dishoom’s incredible blend of house chai.

Bacon & egg naan roll with masala beans
Bacon & egg naan roll with masala beans and bottomless house chai, Dishroom

I snagged some enormous figs at the fruit market on Brick Lane, also charmed by the adjacent sign that called pomegranates “pommys.” And I couldn’t leave London without a classic, fruit-filled Pimm’s cup. The version at Marksman Public House was just the refresher I needed after braving the crowds at the famous Columbia Road Flower Market.

Figs and "pommys" at Brick Lane Fruit Market
Figs and “pommys” at Brick Lane Fruit Market
Pimm's cup
Pimm’s cup, Marksman Public House

The details: Crosstown Donuts, Broadway Market Schoolyard at London Fields Primary School; Meringue Girls, Cà Phê VN Saigon Street Cafe, Finest Fayre, and Zardosht, all at Broadway Market; Duck and Waffle, 110 Bishopsgate; Dishoom (Shoreditch), 7 Boundary Street; Brick Lane Fruit Market, Sclater Street; Marksman Public House, 254 Hackney Road; all London, England

Categories
Travel Eats

Travel Eats: A whirlwind weekend in Philly

Travel Eats documents my food adventures outside of Chicago.

Philly cheese steak with onions and Cheez Whiz, Pat's
Philly cheese steak with onions and Cheez Whiz, Pat’s

I spent 48 hours in Philadelphia for the bachelorette party of a dear friend I’ve known since preschool who now lives there. Our group managed to fit in a surprisingly wide range of cuisine in a short amount of time – starting, of course, with a classic Philly cheese steak. Two of the most famous steak places sit right across the street from each other in South Philly: Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks. We went with Pat’s, and it was a quintessential no-nonsense sandwich joint. I ordered my steak “wit” (with onions), and with neon-yellow Cheez Whiz (seemingly the most popular option). It was drier than I expected, although I guess I’m just used to Italian beef, and did truly showcase meat, cheese, and bread in their purest, no-frills form. I also added a few of the house peppers and hot sauce, but only to one side, as they did overpower the steak a bit. We also stopped nearby for gelati from Rita’s, a treat that I’d remembered from a summer on the Jersey Shore. It was half mango Italian ice and half vanilla custard, which gave it a well-balanced Creamsicle effect.

Mango gelati, Rita's
Mango gelati with Italian ice and frozen custard, Rita’s

For brunch, it was The Dandelion, a British pub-style eatery filled with charming details. A citrusy pitcher of Pimm’s cup was an exceedingly refreshing way to start – it should really be offered on more brunch cocktail menus. I really loved my poached eggs with bubbles and squeak, a traditional hash from across the pond that’s made with veggies, cabbage, and potatoes. What really made the dish was the housemade steak sauce, basically a thicker version of worcestershire sauce that made the eggs and hash incredibly savory. We also shared the scotch pancakes, which hit all the right maple-apple-cinnamon notes.

Poached eggs with bubble & squeak, plus hollandaise and housemade steak sauce, The Dandelion
Poached eggs with bubble & squeak, plus hollandaise and housemade steak sauce, The Dandelion
Pitcher of Pimm's cup as a brunch cocktail at The Dandelion
Pitcher of Pimm’s cup with cucumber, orange, lemon, and strawberry as a brunch cocktail at The Dandelion
Scotch pancakes with maple apples and cinnamon cream, The Dandelion
Scotch pancakes with maple apples and cinnamon cream, The Dandelion
The Dandelion's charming exterior
The Dandelion’s charming exterior

We spent one evening in Chinatown, first noshing on creative sushi and okonomiyaki (seafood pancake) at Yakitori Boy. When we finished, instead of venturing upstairs to the two floors of karaoke that were already in high demand, we rounded the corner to what was our most intriguing destination. A buzzed-about speakeasy called Hop Sing Laundromat lies hidden behind an unmarked door that’s guarded by a man that I later learned was known as Lee. He asked us what we were there for and who had told us about the place (we may or may not have name-dropped a certain celebrity chef), and finally made it in inside. Lee launched into the house rules: primarily, no photos or videos of any kind, and no phone calls except in the lobby area; if any rule was broken, we’d be kicked out immediately. By the time he was done with his spiel, we were sufficiently terrified to disobey him, and were ready for our table. The space was rich and cozy, and I took it in all the more knowing that it couldn’t be documented. I also had one of the most interesting cocktails I’ve ever had: the Montana Payback, with applejack brandy, rum, velvet falernum, lime juice, muddled strawberries, Thai chili, and cream, topped with rose petals. It was fruit-forward and complex, and the chili left my lips tingling. This place is absolutely worth a visit if you’re ever in the area.

Secret door to Hop Sing Laundromat speakeasy (shhhh!)
Proprietor Lee standing behind the secret door to Hop Sing Laundromat speakeasy (shhhh!)
Sushi rolls, Yakitori Boy
Sushi rolls, Yakitori Boy

Our other big meal was at Philly’s popular Oyster House. We’d called in advance to partake in the Dump Dinner, a clam bake-esque feast of Maine lobster (a half-lobster per person), steamed clams, mussels, merguez sausage, kale, and new potatoes, all in a pot, plus fries and slaw on the side. With pages from the Sunday New York Times covering the table and lobster bibs around our necks, we dug in for a messy, but completely delicious seafood extravaganza. While it’s tough to beat dunking lobster claw meat into melted butter, I also appreciated the contrast of the wilted kale and merguez sausage that had soaked up all the shellfish liquid.

Dump Dinner place setting, complete with lobster bib, at Oyster House
Dump Dinner place setting, complete with lobster bib, at Oyster House
Clambake–style "Dump Dinner"  with steamed clams, mussels, Maine lobsters, merguez sausage, kale, potatoes, fries, and slaw
“Dump Dinner” with steamed clams, mussels, Maine lobsters, merguez sausage, kale, potatoes, fries, and slaw

The details: Pat’s, 1237 E. Passyunk Ave.; Rita’s, 239 South St.; Yakitori Boy, 211 N. 11th St.; Hop Sing Laundromat, 1029 Race St.; The Dandelion, 124 S. 18th St.; Oyster House, 1516 Sansom St. (all Philadelphia).

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Best Bites Chicago

2012 Best Bite #21: Ice cream sandwich, Owen & Engine

Each day in December, I’m celebrating my best bites (and sips) in 2012, posted in chronological order.

Ice cream sandwich
Ice cream sandwich

Why it’s a Best Bite: When our group stopped in one weeknight for drinks and dessert, we decided on this ice cream sandwich for its light, summery flavors. The blondie was an ideal vehicle for the citrusy semifreddo and jammy peaches, with an added crunch of almond in each bite. This dessert was even better washed down with an O&E Pimm’s Cup, one of my favorite drinks in the city.

The details: Owen & Engine, 2700 N Western Ave., Chicago.