Joe Squared Gives Pizza a Name in Baltimore

David and I

Not too long ago I ventured through Baltimore, MD after getting picked up by my good friend Caroline at the BWI airport.  We were on our way to Williamsport, PA for a week of catching up, eating out, and an adventure to the Finger Lakes Wine Country of New York.  Before getting out of the city, Caroline and I made a stop at Joe Squared, a pizza joint where David Mathie Bersch, a friend that I had met while filming Season 2 of Masterchef in Los Angeles, works and plays.

I'm usually in awe of David's facebook postings, finding ways to create flavor combinations with miraculous beauty and composition on a plate.  I'm well aware that I lack his finesse when it comes to cooking, but I still get inspired by it.  Joe Squared isn't really where David does his artistic cooking though. It is more of a working-class pizza joint with beer and wine, and one Hell of a selection of rum.  I liked it because of its uniqueness.  Who has a rum collection like that?  And who drinks all those rums?  Well, I for one, wanted to try some just because I could, and my not ever get the chance to again!

Joe Squared

The inside flap of Joe Squared's menu had an insert for weekly specials.  I knew I liked the place just from reading some of it.  First, just the attention to detail to constantly challenge one's self in the kitchen and to continue to create great specials on a weekly basis instead of simply relying on the standbys is great.  Secondly, a special of the day just doesn't cut it anymore.  I'm not looking for one special dish.  I'm looking for a whole menu.  For some actually thought, creativity, and pairings.  Some of the items on Joe Squared's weekly menu were a Spinach and Lamb Soup, Gorgonzola Dulce and Toasted Pistachio Risotto, draft beer and wine specials, and Raspberry Mole Chicken Wings.  I got the chicken wings.  I rarely pass up a mole.  And I'm glad I didn't.  The wings were fried to a nice crispiness on the outside and tossed in a spicy and earthy chocolate mole sauce sweetened with the fruity notes of the raspberry.  They were messy, but I ate the heck out of them!

Raspberry Mole Chicken Wings at Joe Squared in Baltimore

Since Joe Squared had a risotto menu in addition to a pizza menu, I couldn't help but get one for Caroline and I to try.  I wanted something different, and they had about 20 options to choose from on the menu.  I kinda wanted to go with the weekly special but if memory serves me correctly Caroline picked out the sausage and carrot risotto with Gouda and roasted fennel seed.  Either way, I applauded the decision as the risotto delivered a creamy texture full of flavor.

Sausage and Carrot Risotto

For the pizza we went a little outside the box compared to normal toppings as well.  We ordered a large pizza, which of course is square shaped.  On one half we got the Chicken, Corn, and Apple and on the other I demanded the Cumin Braised Lamb pizza with roasted eggplant, mozzarella, Romano, parsley, and mint.  Both sides were certainly worth eating.  If I had to knock anything, it would be the corn.  The whole kernels tasted like they were just straight out a can or the freezer.  And the apple flavor didn't really come through.  I liked the creativity of it as a whole though.  The lamb pizza, on the other hand, had every element working from crispy crust to succulent lamb.  The mint even added the right touch of uniqueness without being overpowering.

Square Pizza

After the meal and a few rum drinks and brews (for me, Caroline was driving!), we bid David adieu and took off for Pennsylvania.  I definitely enjoyed meeting up with a fellow Masterchef contestant once again though.  And I'd gladly go see him again at Joe Squared!

The Bullfrog Brewery in Williamsport, PA

Williamsport, PA's Bullfrog Brewery

I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend in Williamsport, PA in large part because Caroline knows me so well.  The planned activities for the weekend: pretty much nothing.  The suggested activities for the weekend: find cultural, local, and authentic restaurants and bars at which to eat and drink, then do so.  Oh, and play with Lola (Caroline's enormous and fantastic puppy) while we rubbed our bellies to recover from all the eating and drinking.  How could it get much better?  After all, it was pretty darn cold outside!  One of our first stops in Williamsport came at the Bullfrog Brewery.  This brewpub in downtown had plenty of character, so we went in, grabbed a seat, and ordered a couple pints.

Brew Kettles and Fermenting Tanks at the Bullfrog Brewery

I began with an Amarillo-ville American Wheat, one of the specialty brews on the menu.  It had a great hops flavor without being overpowering.  I'd certainly suggest it to those who are intimidated by pale ales and want to get their toes wet with hops before jumping in.  From there the logical decision was to order a sampler of various Bullfrog beers.

Beer Sampler at the Bullfrog Brewhouse and Eatery

Like a lot of craft breweries, I generally preferred the beers more as I moved down the line from light to dark.  Particularly of note from Bullfrog were the Apricot Wheat and the Pumpkin Stout.  The Apricot Wheat had a fruity nose that went away slightly upon taste.  I liked that the apricot flavor did not overshadow the beer and make it taste like juice.  Bravo.  The Pumpkin Stout had similar characteristics in that the pumpkin and pumpkin spices did just enough to let you know this was no ordinary stout, but they let the craft beer do most of the talking on my taste buds.

Bullfrog Bruschetta

While quenching our thirst with refreshing brews, it dawned on Caroline and I that we should probably eat as well.  We started things off with an order of the Bullfrog Bruschetta.  The dish consisted of diced tomatoes, feta cheese, kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, olive oil and cracked pepper. After placing the spread on some sliced focaccia bread I flew the plane to the hanger, so to speak.  The bruschetta actually impressed me a fair amount.  Light, refreshing, fresh, and pretty delicious.

The Pittsburger

Still, I couldn't resist going from that reasonably healthy bruschetta to a greasy, beefy burger.  The Pittsburger caught my eye since I did happen to be in Pennsylvanian at the time.  This contribution to the burgering world combined bacon, provolone, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, and cole slaw.  Added to that were some pretty fantastic garlic fries.  I'm not a huge cole slaw fan, but it actually worked on the burger.  The beef had plenty of juice while all the other toppings were piled high enough to fall off the bun at times.  Despite being rather tricky to eat, the Pittsburger got my approval.  Then I washed it down with more beer.

Appalachian Brewing Company, Harrisburg, PA

Volks Weizenbock from Appalachian Brewing

On the drive from Baltimore to Williamsport with Caroline, we stopped in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to grab a couple beers at the Appalachian Brewing Company.  The brewpub is one of the largest in the country so stopping by just made sense.  I began with a pint of one of their specialty brews, the Volks Weizenbock.  The beer had a strong alcohol content but remained considerably drinkable from start to finish.

We soon ordered a couple appetizers that reminded me of typical northern food.  I already realized that I missed Louisiana cooking.  We ordered a round of Canadian Poutine as well as some "Craisy" Baked Bree.  The poutine is apparently a version of cheese fries that are made with steak fries, cheddar cheese curds, and brown gravy.  I'm all about giving things a try but these just weren't really very appetizing at all.  The bree tasted alright as it came with walnuts, craisins, and some ginger infused honey.  However, they served it with plain white toast... quite a disappointed accessory to such a flavorful spread.  I'm glad we just got some appetizers and beer, because I have a feeling a full meal would have been even more disappointing.

Oh well... I wasn't there for the food!  Time for more beer.  Naturally, since this was my first time at the brewery, I ordered the sample.  Delicious!  Now this was a good choice.  The Jolly Scot Scottish Ale easily rose to the top of my favorite list, followed by the Susquehanna Stout.  All of the beers were certainly drinkable in my book so taking them down didn't prove to be much of a problem!  Cheers!!

Beer Sampler at the Appalachian Brewing Company

Peru in Baltimore: Chicken Rico

A recent trip to visit Caroline in Pennsylvania had me routed through the Baltimore airport thanks to a Southwest Airlines buddy pass from the one and only Amanda Ball.  Since I had a couple hours to kill in Baltimore before Caroline could come pick me up, I gave drinking and sailing pal Doug Avnet a call to see if he could join me for lunch.  Fortunately for me, he could; and he knew exactly where to take me.  I met Doug around Camden Yards on a snowy Baltimore afternoon.  We hopped in his cab and took off towards Chicken Rico, a Peruvian chicken joint on Eastern Avenue.  Baltimore is a city known for being rather multicultural, and one tour down Eastern showed why.  I'm used to "Latin" restaurants meaning Mexican, Tex-Mex, or possibly a little Mexican-Cajun fusion, but is rare to see authentic Cuban, Peruvian, Honduran, and more.  I knew I was in for a treat!

Clearly, charbroiled chicken highlighted the menu.  Whole  roasted chickens revolved continuously over red-hot charcoal on a rotisserie spit.  As the birds slow-cooked to hot, juicy goodness, customers could see exactly where their food was coming from.  The chickens were rubbed with Peruvian spices to give them proper flavor.  When ordered, the staff takes a plump chicken and chops it up with a cleaver right in front of you.  Doug and I ordered a "family special" that came with a whole chicken, two sides, and a few beverages.  Within about ten seconds the chicken had be deconstructed into eighths and piled onto a platter.  For side items we opted for thick-cut fries as well as fried plantains.

A whole charbroiled bird, fries, and fried plantains from Chicken Rico

I tried Inca Kola for a change of taste

The chicken exploded with juices on first bite.  The tender and moist meat had a great flavor with more herbs and spices under the skin.  Each bite pulled off the bones of the bird and made my stomach extremely happy.  The fries and plantains were just okay though.  I would try something else if I went back to see if any of the other side items were any better.  In the end , after I ate half a chicken, it's not like I really needed any sides!  I also tried Inca Kola, a carbonated beverage that Chicken Rico had in their cooler.  I figured I might as well drink something that I've never had before.  I don't know that I'd choose Inca Kola again, but they at least wet my whistle while I enjoyed the chicken!

Delpit's Chicken Shack

There are several good places in Baton Rouge to find fried chicken other than Popeye's.  Undoubtedly one of the best of these places is Delpit's Chicken Shack on N. Acadian.  The Chicken Shack serves up hot lunches to many satisfied patrons every day as they have quite a few offerings on the menu, but their specialty is the bone-in, finger-licking fried chicken.

Delpit's Chicken Shack, N. Acadian Thruway, Baton Rouge, La

I recently visited the Chicken Shack for my first time after strong recommendations from Eusebio and Eric.  The lovely Caroline met me there for lunch to help me see what all the fuss was about.  We got things started with an order of the "shack balls."  These hand-battered boudin balls were unlike the other deep-fried Cajun treats that you can find around town.  The each ball contained the flavorful rice and meat mixture that remained extremely moist inside.  The shack balls impressed me a lot, so I couldn't wait for the chicken!

Three Shack Balls

The fried chicken dinner came in a styrofoam box with couple of sides and a roll.  I ordered a three piece meal of all dark meat and picked cornbread dressing with brown gravy and yams as my side items, which may have been a decent call, but they weren't anything too special.  Fortunately for me, they were better than the two sides that Caroline got so at least I can brag about that!  Both of my sides were plenty good enough to eat, just not good enough to bring people to Chicken Shack on their own.  The chicken, on the other hand, is a different story!

Fried Chicken, Cornbread Dressing, Yams, and a Roll from Delpit's Chicken Shack

Seasoned well, fried crunchy on the outside, and juicy on the inside, this chicken could soundly be argued to be the best fried bird in town.  It was absolutely delicious from the first bite of crispy skin to the final nibble of tender flesh off the bone.  Each bite made me want to order more to eat until I couldn't stuff any more down my throat, then go back for more the next day!  I resisted the temptation though.  But don't worry, I'll be back soon enough.

Fleming's for an anniversary!

It sure is nice to get to go to Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar for an occasion such as somebody else's wedding anniversary. That was exactly what happened last Thursday when Jim and Dana Higgins came in town from New York. Dana is Jason Wesley's sister, and Brent is really good friends with all of them as well. I met Dana several years ago and then caught up with her again and met her then-fiancé Jim two summers ago while visiting New York. Since they came into Baton Rouge on their first anniversary weekend, Brent organized a trip to Fleming's for them, and I was invited to attend. Brent brought Chelsea as his date and I was accompanied by my dear friend Caroline. Our group was hungry, thirsty, and ready for a fabulous evening at Fleming's where we knew Eusebio would take care of wining and dining us like we were on Top Chef or Jim's Favorite, Hell's Kitchen.

Jay, Caroline, Jason, Jim, Dana, Chelsea, and Brent at Fleming's

We all started with a cocktail at the bar. I very quickly noticed that I did not get the jacket and tie memo before the evening began, but I got over it. I've been underdressed before, and I'm sure I will be again! I imbibed on a Fleming's Classic Martini because I wanted to make sure I thought it tasted as good as the last time I drank it. When we sat down at our table we were greeted by our wonderful wait staff and were informed that Chef Eusebio had a special appetizer planned for us that would be coming out soon.

Duck Breast with Raspberry Glaze, Seared Scallops with Roasted Corn, and Lobster Lettuce Wraps with a Homemade Slaw and Sauce

The appetizers made their way to the table and everyone sat in awe and amazement. Eusebio explained how each of the dishes were prepared in the kitchen and then we were invited to dig in. The duck breast was amazingly tender and paired perfectly with the sauce that sat atop the fowl. The scallops were seared nicely and topped with a roasted corn mixture that partnered with the scallop surprisingly well. The lettuce wraps were filled with sautéed lobster, a fresh slaw, and a simple sauce. From the moment the wrap touched your lips you knew you were getting something special. The lobster was clean and fresh with a delicate texture that was complimented very well by the slaw that was served with it.

A couple bottles of wine were ordered for the table, one white and one red. I'm a much bigger fan of red wine myself, so I opted for a glass of the Malbec. I'm not sure exactly which vineyard it came from but Davida, the Queen of Wine at Fleming’s, picked it out for us so I knew it would be excellent!

A Beautiful Glass of Malbec

After the appetizers we were ready to order the rest of our food. Caroline and I thought it would be a good idea to try the soup de jour... that's the soup of the day. It sounded good, so we thought we'd have that (Dumb and Dumber reference in the Fleming's blog post! Point Jay!). On this day the selection was Butternut Squash Soup. It was rich and creamy with several flavors that were like candy on the tongue. It was a perfect amount of sweet and savory that I look for in this type of soup.

Butternut Squash Soup

For the main entree I ordered the mixed grill. I had previously always gotten the cowboy-cut bone-in rib eye, cooked medium rare, when I was at Fleming's, but for my birthday this past year I got the mixed grill and couldn't have been happier, so I thought I would go that route again. The mixed grill is an opportunity for the chef to be creative with some stuffings and sauces each day, which is one of the main reasons I like it. It is always a pleasure to go for specialty items or off the menu because you really get to see what the chef can produce rather what is established and cooked routinely every day. This particular mixed grill contained a duck breast, a boneless quail, and filet mignon.

The Mixed Grill at Flemings

To give you better idea of what you are looking at in the picture above; from the top center and rotating clockwise: boneless quail stuffed with a goat cheese mixture, macaroni and cheese, blackberry glazed breast of duck, grilled asparagus spear, filet mignon with mushroom sauce, and Fleming's potatoes (sorry the picture is so dark, the mood is set in the restaurant, if you know what I mean!). All of the food was fantastic but I think I could pick out the winners and losers from the bunch. The filet was average. I was not too impressed with the mushroom sauce compared to the other sauces and flavors on the table. The meat was tender and delicious, but I'm not a filet kind of guy, so it was off the mark for me. The asparagus spear was good, but a little ordinary compared to want they do with a lot of things at Fleming's. I feel like I could get grilled or steamed asparagus of that quality (which is high) at quite a few restaurants around town. The Macaroni and Cheese is fantastic with chipotle and cheddar flavors in every bite, but I've had it several times and know there other sides on the menu worth trying. The side item that I do think is worth getting every time is the Fleming's Potatoes. This potato dish is made with cheese, jalapenos, and cheddar cheese and is one of the best side items in town. The duck breast was also a winner. Even though I already had some duck breast on the appetizer plate, I can always eat more! The sauce on the mixed grill duck was a mouth-watering blackberry reduction that enhanced the flavors of the dark duck breast to the point of ecstasy in my mouth. However, my favorite item of the evening was the boneless, goat-cheese-stuffed quail. While the wings and legs actually still had bones in them (they are a little small to be de-boning), the breast portion of the quail was bone-free and stuffed with succulent goat cheese mixture. The combination of the tender quail breast infused with the melting, grilled goat cheese flavors created a taste bud explosion and all that was left to do was try to remember to chew and swallow instead of sit there drooling.

Naturally, no meal is complete without dessert, and Eusebio had worked up something sweet and special for the anniversary couple and the rest of us as well.

Cheesecake, Chocolate Cake; Buttered Pecan, Cafe Au Lait, and Peach Ice Creams

Pictured above are a classic cheesecake with chocolate topping, a chocolate cake, and three different varieties of Kleinpeter Farms Dairy Icecream. I will give Fleming's props that even though they do not make their own ice cream in house, they do serve a local product that is still emerging in the marketplace. If you have not had Kleinpeter Ice cream yet, I suggest you do so soon! The real treat of the dessert parade that was placed on our table is not pictured above. Eusebio made a special chocolate-flavored baked dish, like a cake, that was extremely light and fluffy. He then sliced that in half and spread a layer of crème brulee in the middle, and then stacked the two halves back together again. It was incredible! The cake melted in your mouth as the crème brulee lined your tongue to create a unique sensation to go along with the exquisitely sensational taste.

I should be back at Fleming's in November for their Bourbon Dinner... that will make one hell of a blog post! Until then, keep the mouths watering!