Bite Club: Katz's vs Stein's

The return of a Bite Club post can only mean one thing: I recently ate two things that I strongly felt needed to be compared!  In an epic match up of the original Katz's Deli in New York vs the upstart Stein's Market and Deli in New Orleans, only one pastrami sandwich on rye could reign supreme!

Katz's on the Lower East Side of Manhattan has been around since 1888.  They are famous for pastrami, corned beef, and the orgasm scene from "When Harry Met Sally."  While the "I'll have what she's having" line is definitely the quote of the film, Meg Ryan wasn't actually eating a pastrami or corned beef sandwich.  Still, I had to go for the good stuff while I was there with my friend Caroline and her friends from Williamsport, PA.

Pastrami on Rye, Katz's Deli, New York

 
The pastrami at Katz's is undoubtedly some of the best I've ever had.  The brined beef soaked up all the flavors while the peppercorn rub on the outside left the beef spicy and delicious.  Each slab of pastrami is hand carved to order right in front of the customers and then piled high on rye bread.  Throw in a little mustard for good measure, and you've got one heck of a sandwich!  

On Magazine Street in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans, Stein's Market and Deli is a hot spot for diners looking to get an authentic Jewish Deli style sandwich.  Again, I ordered pastrami on rye with a little mustard.  Stein's also added some melted cheese to my sandwich.  I always have a hard time arguing with that!  The pastrami packed a lot of flavor into the thin beef slices while the cheese helped to mellow out the spices from the peppered red meat and the mustard.  This was a good sandwich... no, a great sandwich.  And I'd go back and eat it again and again when in New Orleans.

Pastrami on Rye, Stein's Deli, New Orleans

But, with that being said, Stein's pastrami truly presented itself as a distant cry from the mouth-watering succulence of Katz's deli.  Katz's thick-cut to order, tender slabs of beef had so much juice and flavor that it can easily put people into proper food comas.  It didn't need cheese to reach a desired mixture of tastes and textures because the pastrami could speak for itself.  I applaud Stein's for trying to bring a taste of the New York deli to Louisiana.  The store is great and the sandwiches are terrific.  However, do yourself a favor and try not to compare it too critically to the granddaddy up north.  Katz's Deli, while touristy, is overcrowded for good reason.  And locals flock there too.  Quite simply, it is just that damn good.

YTAC's Kiss My Grits Gulf Coast Throwdown

Last Thursday evening I had the extreme pleasure of judging the YTAC (Young Texans Against Cancer) Kiss My Grits Gulf Coast Throwdown in Houston, TX.  Sara Jackson recruited me to come serve as a judge and represent Louisiana on the grits judging panel.  I was joined by Houston Texans's Quarterback Matt Schaub, the Food Editor of the Houston Chronicle, Greg Morago, and Sarah Rufca from Houston's Culture Map. The star-studded panel knew we'd be eating some good food, but nothing could prepare us for the constant flow of gastronomic grits glory that was about to unfold.

Jay Ducote and Matt Schaub prepare to gorge on some grits

My mom also came to the event to support the cause and sample a few grits.  Some of Houston's best chefs were there to try their hand at grits cooking in order win foodie trips to New Orleans and Dallas.  But most of all, the event raised $45,000 to benefit cancer awareness and Houston area cancer centers.  Oh, and Saint Arnold brought some local beer, which is always nice!  Now, on to the food!

Dish number one came from Chef Jeramie Robison of Zimm’s Little Deck and Restaurant Cinq.  Chef Robison featured jalapeño grits underneath a seared Gulf grouper filet and a poached quail egg.  I loved the southwestern flavor of the grits that also had cilantro in them.  The crispy exterior of the grouper added a great contrast to the egg and grits as well.  Plus, he served the dish with a smoked lime margarita.  Extra points there!

The first attempt at Shrimp and Grits came from Chef Chris Shepard of Catalan and Underbelly.  The dish featured a pair of cold cocktail style shrimp with a fried ball made out of blue corn grits and pork served over a parsnip puree.  The grit and pork ball ended up being rather similar to a Cajun boudin ball.  It also had a little sweetness from a syrup in it that worked really well.

Chef Randy Evans of Haven presented the judges with a duo of Grits Congee.  Congee is a porridge traditionally made out of rice in many Asian countries.  To step outside the box and use grits to make congee certainly showed a little creativity.  Chef Evans had two types of congee for us to try: Louisiana crawfish and Texas pork.  Each bowl also included a touch of chili oil as well as an assortment of additions that were served on the side including homemade cracklins!  This dish certainly got extra points for being inventive as well as delicious.

Another fascinating dish came from Chef Jamie Zelko of Zelko Bistro.  Chef Zelko used all sorts of local ingredients to create her seemingly simple yet surprisingly complex dish of sausage, grits, and greens.  The sausage had a wonderful flavor and everything on the plate came out very delicious.  At the bottom of the leaf bowl there was also an agave nectar that took everything up even another notch on the taste bud chart.

The second shrimp and grits plate we were served came from Chef Elouise Adams of Ouisie’s Table.  The shrimp were warm and had great flavor after being cooked down in white wine and lemon juice.  I also really liked the mushrooms and other flavors in the grits.  Everything tasted fine and well prepared, but the other judges and I had a hard time finding the creativity in this dish like we found in some of the others.

Speaking of creativity and interesting dishes, Chef Jason Gould of Cyclone Anaya’s and Quench presented us with this masterpiece on a plate.  The dish featured a bacon, herb, and cheese fried grit cake stuffed with braised pork served over fresh arugula and julienned apples that had been tossed in a little apple cider vinegar.  On the side came a little cold corn mustard to add some extra flavor.  The grit cake highlighted the dish while the greens, fruit, and mustard all kept the dish light and refreshing.  This was one of my favorites for sure.

Chef Mark Holley from Pesce took us for another trip around the world with his gnocchi grits and charcuterie plate.  It also featured a bouillabaisse reduction and everything being cooked down in fennel.  The gnocchi style grits brought a great texture that certainly made the dish unique.  The sausage and greens were salty and delicious.  I found that everything on the plate had a consistent salty flavor.  While it tasted good, there was nothing else there to balance out the dish.  Still, bravo to Chef Holley, because this dish was good!

Next up were the Kimchi Grits from Chef Seth Siegel-Gardner of Kata Robata.  Served with some sake and Asahi beer from Japan, this dish was already off to a good start.  The kimchi flavor in the grits left them tasting a little sweet and tart at the same time.  Atop the grits was a pickled lamb wonton and some flowery greens that provided more than just eye appeal.  The dish had superb balance and creativity, and tasted phenomenal.

Chef Randy Rucker of Bootsie’s Heritage Cafe took the biggest risk of the evening by serving his version of breakfast in a cup.  Chef Rucker used instant grits to go along with his scrambled egg mousse, fried honeycomb cow stomach, and maple syrup.  The bowl did have excellent, classic breakfast flavors.  Unfortunately, I felt like the texture of the instant grits wasn't ideal for this dish, especially when paired with the scrambled egg mousse of the same consistency.  The fried tripe, however, tasted amazing!

The final dish of the evening came from Chef Jonathan Jones of Beaver’s.  The dish, in his words, represented Texas on a plate.  His grits were unique in that they were baked in the oven low and slow with mixture of eggs, local sheep's milk feta and all sorts of goodies.  The grits ended up acting almost like a cake.  Chef JJ baked them until a crust formed on the top to provide some extra texture.  In addition to the unique take on grits, the plate also had some Texas-style pork shoulder grillades, mushrooms and pearl onions.  The dish as a whole was every bit as interesting as it was delicious.  The only complaint I had was that the pork didn't quite end up being as tender as I would have liked.  All we had were forks and we we almost needed a knife to cut the grillades.  Still, Chef JJ presented an excellent final dish of the contest, and I knew that the judging would be close!

I know my buddy Alvin Schultz, who writes the blog Eat. Drink. Experience., cast his vote for Chef JJ's baked grits and grillades.  My mom dropped her voting beads for Chef Jason Gould's grit cake.  For me, the top point earner was Chef Siegel-Gardner's Kimchi Grits with 35/40.  Next was a tie between Chef Gould and Chef Evans with 34 points each.  Several others were close with 32 or 33 points.  The top two in audience votes and judges points were announced:

People's Choice:
1. Chef Jason Gould's grit cake over greens with corn mustard
2. Chef Mark Holley's grit gnocchi and charcuterie

Judges results:
1. Chef Seth Siegel-Gardner
2. Tie: Chef Jeramie Robison and Chef Randy Rucker

A huge thanks to all the chefs who participated, all of YTAC board members and volunteers for putting on such a great and well-attended charity event, and especially to Sara Jackson for inviting me to be one of the judges for such an amazing culinary contest for a cause!

Double Double Animal Style at In-N-Out Burger

Double Double Animal Style

Sure, it may be a little cliche... and yes, I should be above fast food (or at least writing about large fast food chains) most of the time, but how can I resist a blog post about the Double Double "Animal Style" at In-N-Out Burger?  We don't have this chain where I'm from in Louisiana.  And it isn't everywhere that you can order something "animal style."  When out west and in need of a quick bite, In-N-Out it is!

In-N-Out is a regional (California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah) burger joint that prides itself on fresh ingredients and quality products.  They serve burgers, fries, shakes, and drinks, and are well known for doing so.  The Double Double is a two-patty two-cheese burger served with lettuce, tomato, onions, and mustard.  All In-N-Out burgers also come dressed with a special sauce that is similar to a thousand island dressing.  However, that's not exactly what I ordered.  In-N-Out also has a not-so-secret lingo and menu that offers customers a way to act like they are in the loop when they order.  I got my Double Double "Animal Style" which meant that they would grill my onions, add more sauce, and throw on some pickles.  Damn.  Pickles.  I asked that they hold those.  So basically I got some grilled onions.  I'm okay with that.

The burger itself was certainly better than par compared to similar fast service restaurants.  I'd eat that before the competition most of the competition any day.  I'd put the burger in the same category as Five Guys... which didn't impress me that much because you have to go in and its a little overpriced.  In-N-Out was inexpensive and delicious.   I'll take that every time.  Maybe it should remind me What-a-burger, of which we only have one of in Baton Rouge but I remember them fondly from the Houston area. The grilled onions were money and the sauce added just enough kick to make the burger stand out.  The fries I had were forgettable.  I ate them all but they could have been a little crispier.  They weren't bad, but I wouldn't brag about them either.  Still, when in the far Southwestern USA and in need of quality, affordable fast food, give it a try!

Addie's: Let's Eat Outside of DC

Addie's delivered exactly what I was hoping for.  In the Washington DC suburb of Rockville, MD, I found myself surrounded by national chains and shopping mall cuisine, of which I wanted no part of.  I traveled to the District for a work conference, and the last thing I wanted to do was settle for food that I pass up on routinely back home.  After doing a little web searching for some local eateries, I stumbled across Addie's.  Only a 15 minute walk from my hotel, I decided that I'd give it a try and hopefully have something to add to Bite and Booze from the East Coast.

Upon arriving at Addie's I realized that the restaurant is set in an old house.  I really like that restaurant setting and have talked about that being the kind of establishment I'd like to own one day, so my excitement had really piqued at that point.  At 7 pm when I stepped in the front door, the place bustled with dining excitement.  I stood there for a second and looked around.  I really liked the atmosphere, but there was no host to greet me or waiter to help me.  After a few seconds, I stepped out to reevaluate my thoughts on the evening.  On one hand, the restaurant had to be good to be that slammed on a Wednesday night.  On the other, I did not get greeted at all, and perhaps that was indicative of the dining service as well.  Before I could give it too much thought, I noticed that right next door was a little pub serving well priced cold beer.  That seemed like a better option to determine my next move, so I walked into Dietle's Tavern and ordered a pint of Yuengling Lager.  I enjoy this regional brew and certainly prefer Yuengling on tap over most other American macrobrews.  There was baseball on the TV, Nationals and Orioles "fans" talking ball, and a cold beer in my hand.  Happiness is simple.

Bread and Wine at Addie's in Rockville, MD

After a couple pints my hunger reappeared and I figured the time had come to go back to the neighboring Addie's to check on the grub situation.  This time around the staff promptly greeted me as I walked in the door and sat me at a cozy table in the corner of the former living room of the house.  I ordered a bottle of '08 La Linda Malbec and the restaurant brought out a course of bread and butter.  Addie's served freshly baked French-style white bread as well as a pseudo cornbread that tasted like it had teamed up with pound cake and fruit cake.  It really was quite fantastic, especially when eaten with the accompanying creamy butter.  The Malbec also hit the spot and the half bottle lasted me perfectly through the entire meal.

Benton Ham and Green Leaf Salad

I wanted a cup of the asparagus and parmesan soup but they had sold out of the rotating daily special, so I settled for a salad instead.  My waiter, Octavio, suggested the Benton Ham and Green Leaf Salad.  The salad  came with a deconstructed deviled egg where the boiled whites were mixed in with the ham and greens while the yolks were turned into a paste and spread on the side.  I really enjoyed the egg and the plating, but overall the salad did not quite live up to the anticipation.  The greens were mixed with macerated red onion and an herb vinaigrette.  The ham from their charcuterie selection was money, but the greens and dressing lacked just the smallest amount of flavor to put the salad over the top.  Still the egg yolks and ham made up for minimalist dressing and slightly bland greens.

My Entrée from Addie's: Locally Raised Pork Chop

There were several amazing options for a main course, but I easily settled on the pork chop because I thought it would pair well with the Malbec I had been sipping on.  The chop came from locally raised swine.  I asked for the thick cut pork to be cooked to a medium temperature and it came out exactly as ordered.  Accompanying pork chop was black pepper spaetzle, fava beans, lemon confit, and a brown ale mustard sauce.  The succulent chop tasted terrific with new and interesting flavors compared to the Louisiana cuisine that I'm used to.  

Mexican Chocolate Creme Brulee

When Octavio told me about the dessert options I immediately decided on the Mexican chocolate creme brulee.  The sweet treat had a beautiful blend of warm and cool temperatures as well as crunchy and smooth textures.  The brittle top layer combined with smooth creme to leave a rich yet delicate dessert with a distinctively Mexican flavor that added a just the right touch of uniqueness to the dish.  My extreme compliments go to the pastry chef for delivering the top dish of the night!

Things To Do
Washington DC

Pork Shoulder Barbeque at the House

While most of the culinary conquests that I write about on this blog consist of restaurant reviews and delightful dishes that other people create, every now and then I do a little cooking myself.  I recently spent an afternoon barbequing for some friends where I experimented with some pork shoulder recipes and also threw in a little bit of grilled chicken, green beans, macaroni and cheese, and some homemade biscuits.  Brent, Eric, Justin, and James all came over to enjoy the afternoon of sports and smoked meats.  Add some beers and few things in life could be much better!

Two Pork Shoulders Ready to be Seasoned and Smoked

I decided to use two different injections for the pork shoulders so I could play around a little bit and see which one came out better.  Since my blog is title Bite and Booze, my first decision was that each recipe should contain some kind of booze in it.  The first injection contained blackberries, honey, and bourbon.  I tried to make this one sweet instead of salty to see how the meat would turn out.  After combining the blackberries, honey, and Maker's Mark bourbon, I injected the liquid mixture into the pork shoulder and then rubbed the rest onto the meat.  I let the shoulder marinate like that overnight and in the morning I rubbed it down with a blend of seasoning that mostly contained Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning and brown sugar.

Honey, Blackberries, and Maker's Mark Used to Marinate a Pork Shoulder

For the second shoulder I decided to use more of a salty and spicy mixture to contrast the sweetness of the fruit and honey in the first injection.  I blended together some Worcestershire Sauce, Creole mustard, German-style Kölsch beer, and Louisiana-style hot sauce to create a unique injection liquid for the pork.  Specifically, I used Lea & Perrins which truly is THE Worcestershire Sauce as far as I'm concerned.  For the Creole mustard I used some Zatarain's that I had in my fridge.  As far as Creole mustards go this is pretty much on the top.  My good friends at Slap Ya Mama supplied provided the hot sauce.  There a lot of options to choose from when it comes to Louisiana-style hot sauce, but you can never go wrong with Slap Ya Mama!  Finally, the beer I chose is actually from Texas, but it is damn good and I have no problem using it with Creole mustard and Louisiana hot sauce.  Saint Arnold's Lawnmower is crisp and refreshing with good malt and fruit flavors.  I thought it was a good beer to use in this injection because it is full bodied but light enough to not mask the other flavors.  Plus, I got to drink the half that did not get injected!  Like the first shoulder, I let this one marinate with the injections over night and then I rubbed it down with a generous portion of my blend in the morning.

The Second Batch of Injection Ingredients Lined Up, Two Pork Shoulders in the Smoker

The smoking of the pork shoulders took quite a few hours, so there was plenty of time to enjoy the company of my friends, watch sports on TV, and drink some beers.  I smoked the shoulders over pure mesquite charcoal.  I really like mesquite because it brings me back to my childhood days at South Texas deer camps where my father taught me how to grill on open mesquite fires.  Mesquite smoke leaves a unique flavor and spiciness in meats that I've never found from any other wood. 

Two Pork Shoulders in the Smoker, Blackberry/Honey/Bourbon in the Back,

Worcestershire/Mustard/Hot Sauce/Beer in Front

While the pork smoked over the indirect heat of blistering mesquite coals, I got to work back in the kitchen to make sure I had lunch ready at a decent hour.  I seasoned a batch of chicken thighs with my rub from the pork that mostly consisted of Slap Ya Mama and brown sugar.  While grilling the chicken thighs over the mesquite, I sautéed some haricot verts in olive oil and lemon juice with a touch of garlic, sea salt, and fresh cracked black pepper.  In addition, I made a smoked Gouda mac and cheese with some grated Gouda and boiled egg noodles.

Lemon and Garlic Haricot Verts and Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese

I felt a bit adventurous so I took a stab at making some biscuits from scratch.  I tried to use a recipe that I had stumbled upon for Popeyes-style biscuits.  They ended up having a pretty good flavor but they didn't rise like I wanted and wound up dense rather than fluffy.  Oh well, it will give me something to work on for next time!

Biscuits in the Oven, Plate of Lunch Featuring Haricot Verts, Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese, Grilled Chicken Thighs, and a Biscuit

After lunch, football, and several rounds of beers the time had finally come to take the pork shoulders out of the smoker.  The anticipation in my mind ran wild with thoughts about how great this pork could be.  While there certainly are some tweaks to make to the recipes, overall my expectations were met with great satisfaction!  The "sweet" recipe could have been sweeter.  The honey and blackberry didn't shine through quite as much as I had hoped and I found that I could have used even more sweetness in the injection and rub.  Next time I think I will try it with pure maple syrup instead of honey.  I also might use some blackberry preserves rather than trying to put fresh blackberries through a food processor.  We'll see though.  In the end the pork certainly ended up being juicy and tender, I just think it could have used more flavor.

Blackberry, Honey, and Bourbon Pork Shoulder

I found the salty and spicy shoulder to be the better of the two.  The flavor of this shoulder really came through with the spiciness of the mesquite smoke complimenting the Creole mustard and hot sauce.  If I had one complaint about this one it would be that I applied too much rub to the outside and it became a little bit over salted if you got a big enough piece of the crust.  I'll certainly need to work on my rub, though I thought it was really pretty darn good considering how easy it was.  All in all I had some really good food with some great guests while I worked on some barbeque recipes.  It is hard to get much better than that!

Tray of Pulled Pork: Worcestershire/Mustard/Hot Sauce/Beer on the Left,

Blackberry/Honey/Bourbon on the Right

Maxwell's Market for a "Business" Lunch

Maxwell's Market now has three locations in Baton Rouge.  The original is on Corporate Boulevard near Jefferson Highway, another is across from Pennington on Perkins Road, and the newest spot is right off of Highland Road near Ruffino's.  On a nice sunny day in Baton Rouge I joined Laura and Natalie for a nice "business" lunch at the Perkins location. 

Maxwell's Market on Perkins Road

Maxwell's is a locally owned market that carries premium meats, fresh seafood, a great selection of beer and wine, specialty foods, and local produce.  Additionally, they offer a delicatessen for patrons that would like to dine in.  Their slogan is "Bake. Grill. Chill."  Not bad, considering I like all of those things!  We took our lunch breaks from busy downtown government life and headed to Maxwell's to sample the deli menu.  Maxwell's offers a variety of poboys, burgers, soups, and salads.  I decided to go with the Cuban, a poboy style sandwich with a little kick.

Cuban Sandwich from Maxwell's Market

The Cuban sandwich came with layers of roast pork, ham, turkey, salami, Monterey Jack cheese, pickles, mayo, and Creole mustard served hot on French bread.  Naturally I ordered mine sans the pickles and mayo.  I habitually despise pickles to the point that my hatred would lead to anger and my anger would lead me down the path to the dark side of the Force, but I'm actually ok with mayo in small amounts.  Still, when I'm eating at a restaurant, deli, burger joint, or sandwich shop, I typically order my food without mayo because I find that it is rare to find someone who knows my definition of a "thin" layer of mayo.  The sandwich tasted fine but I would have preferred a more generous portion of meats and cheeses than what they served.  One of my very few complaints about poboys is that often times the bread overshadows the filling.  I enjoy overstuffed poboys, and this certainly did not fit that bill.  Still, the meats and cheeses were freshly sliced Boar's Head brand and certainly gave a good flavor to the sandwich.  The Creole mustard complimented the spicy Monterey Jack perfectly, so all in all I was a happy eater.

Basket of Sweet Potato Fries at Maxwell's Market

During the Fall and the holidays, one thing that I find hard to resist is sweet potato fries.  These crispy wedges of sweet potato goodness make me happy that yams are so plentiful around here.  They are such a terrific stray from the usual French fry.  I shared this basket of fries with the other guests at the table and we were certainly not disappointed.

Overall the trip to Maxwell's ended successfully.  I'm glad I went in and saw what this local market has to offer.  Although the deli did not blow me away, I'm going to make sure that I do some wine, beer, specialty foods, and meat shopping there.  They had some pretty cool stuff!