Dim Sum Roundup! A Look Back at Some Great, Albeit Long Ago Enjoyed Meals

So, I started to compiling this post quite a while ago. If I'm being honest, we can measure the time in months - not weeks. So many people asked me if I would keep up the blogging effort once I started working again and of course I thought I would. What I didn't take into account is just how busy I would be and how hard it is to find the time for documenting my many meals and travels. I thought it would be a shame not to share this post - even though some of the meals are mere memories so here goes a look back at many delicious encounters.

I will begin with some home cookin. This is a dish I make very frequently because of how quickly it can be thrown together and how totally yummy and wholesome it is. I guess I would call this Brazilian Codfish Stew, because a Brazilian lady I once worked with gave me the rough outline for it.

Here's the story - I pan sear about a pound or two of cod (depending on how many people I'm feeding) for like a minute. Then I add 1-3 chopped tomatoes, a few diced scallions, a handful of chopped cilantro, salt and pepper to taste and then top it off with as much coconut milk as I see fit. The tomatoes cook down and make it a little soupy but it's the cilantro that adds the flavor. I usually serve it over brown rice and it's pretty damn good.

Brazilian Codfish Stew

These are a few photos from... I dunno - April or something. I post them primarily because I want to make a point about Boston Beer Works. Some of their food simply isn't very good... but they do a few things that are quite tasty. Case in point - the fried pickles. I love fried pickles and tend to try them when they're on a menu but Beer Works has some of my favorites.

Beer Works Sliders... They Don't Suck

The Fried Pickles...


Game Time

Shiny Green Man

So case in point on the fried pickle tip. We went to LTK one night for dinner and it was actually very ironic. I mean, it's the LEGAL Test Kitchen. Seafood is their jam. Not this night... they were out of shrimp, swordfish, tuna and cod. Really? Anyway, I got a lobster roll and fried pickles and was pretty unimpressed. Instead of the spears like they have at Beer Works, LTK does little slices and the result is just underwhelming. You don't get that nice, warm pickle flavor and the batter slides right off. They also don't give you the nice side of ranch for dipping.

LTK Lobby & Fried Pickles

Okay so this was pretty awesome. I think this was my first work trip to Toronto. I have since been back like 5 times but we were at Rodney's Oyster House and these dudes ordered the 10 pound crab!!! I had to doctor the photo a little but it was pretty spectacular!

Giant Crab

Seafood Smorgasbord

There's been a lot of deviled egg activity lately. Have you noticed? Everywhere I go someone has some kind of wacky deviled egg on the menu. I'm not mad... I love a deviled egg. Deep Ellum has some of my favorites. They do them three ways and they're always different but they rock!

These specimens were from Central Kitchen and they were of a lobster variety which I didn't love but the rest of my meal was top notch. I had a chicken fricassee and my companion had tuna which he enjoyed a lot.

Central Kitchen Deviled Egg

An Unorthodox Chicken Fricasee

The Tuna

Another noteworthy morsel over the past few months were the asian-braised short rib soft tacos at Meyer's + Chang. I find the food a little hit or miss overall. Some dishes are very tasty and others miss the mark a little but these taco jammies are A-mazing.

Asian Style Taco

I went to Marliave with a small group a while back with some pretty good results. This place makes me a little nervous as I like it a lot but every time I go in there - it's fairly empty. This worries me. It's a fun little spot that harkens back to a bygone era and mixes some great classic cocktails. The food is pretty solid too. The location down a little side street off Tremont (behind the Orpheum) might be a bit of a challenge as you wouldn't walk by it unless you were looking for it, but I hope it survives because it's a great option. I have also been to Grotto, their sister resturant which does wonderful Italian in a much smaller setting. Show some support and check out Marliave next time you're going to dinner.

A Linguine and Clams Dish

A Well Mixed (Shaken?) Tom Collins

Yum. Steak & Cheese

That's all I got. As I finish this post of meals gone by, I feel a little sad. I have had so many wonderful meals over the past few months and have travelled a bit - London, Toronto, San Fransico - but I haven't documented my meals on these trips... or even some of the great dining experiences I have had a little closer to home. It is with renewed focus that I truly hope to do a better job sharing these experiences... but I make no promises. My days are long, my life is busy and it's hard to find the time.