The life and times of Jeffrey Forman.

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  Jeff Forman 12:26 pm on April 26, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

  Wine Riot 2010 

  I have been meaning to write this post for a few weeks, both as a recap of the event, and as a reminder to myself of the wine I want to keep a lookout for.

  For those not familiar with Wine Riot, it’s basically a beer festival/tasting, but with wine. A bunch of retailers, distributors and vineyards themselves come to the event and give samples of their product to attendees. This happened to be the biggest surprise for me. Having been to several beerfests previously, I am used to the brewer themselves being there. This gives patrons the ability to speak to the people behind the product. You can really learn a lot from those people, all the nuances and thought behind a new series of brews, and upcoming products. Wine Riot had a much higher percentage of distributors and wine purveyors on-hand, as opposed to winemakers themselves. To the best of my memory, I don’t remmeber speaking to more than a handful of actual winemakers or people from the actual vineyard. In total, there were about 50 booths set up in the Cyclorama in Boston’s South End.

  Below is the list of wine I vaguely scribbled as myself, M, and some friends made our way ‘around the world of wine.’ In no particular order.

  • Oyster Bay Marlborough Pinot Noir 2008 (New Zealand)
  • Esporao Reserva White 2008 (Portugal)
  • Sequana Vineyards Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir 2007 (California, Russian River Valley)
  • Corvidae Wine Co Wise Guy Sauvignon Blanc 2009  (Washington, Columbia Valley)
  • Corvidae Wine Co “Lenore” Syrah 2007 (Washington, Columbia Valley)
  • Charles Smith Wines Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2009 (Washington, Columbia Valley)
  • K Milbrandt Syrah 2007 (Washigton, Wahluke Slope)
  • K Viognier 2009 (Washington, Columbia Valley)
  • Terra Rosa Old Vine Malbec 2007 (Argentina)
  • Porta Wines Syrah WInemaker Reserva 2008 (Chile, Acongagua Valley)
  • Terra Andina Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 (Chile)
  • Yellow+Blue Torrontes 2009
  • Herdade do Esporao Touriga Nacional 2007 (Portugal, Alentejo)
  • Podere San Lorenzo Rosso di Montalcino DOC 2007 (Italy, Toscana)
  • NV Mionetto Moscato Dolce (Italy)
  • Corelli 34′ Malbec 2008 (Argentina, Mendoza)
  • Cahteau Lacombe Noaillac 2006 (France, Bordeaux)
  • Domain La Croix Belle Champ du Coq 2007 (France, Languedoc)

  My biggest surprise was the Yellow+Blue Torrontes, a wine served from a plastic container, almost like Franzia’s popular low cost wine in the square box. It was surprisingly good for the connotation that boxed-wine has.  Overall the event was worth going, especially because I was able to use a Groupon I purchased, saving me $10/ticket from the normally $30/ticket price. Local restaurants Upper Crust Pizza, Legal Seafood, and Redbones BBQ were among others selling food at the event. Given a Groupon being offered for next year, I highly recommend the event for those interested in wine, and will return myself.

   

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  Jeff Forman 7:31 pm on February 6, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

  Holy Dim Sum 

  I was down in Chinatown a couple weeks ago having shabu shabu while my mother was in town. I was waiting for her to arrive, and wandered over to an area of the neighborhood I don’t normally frequent (the East side of Surface Road for those curious)t. I came upon Hei La Moon, a resturant I had frequently read about via local food blogs and forums. I grabbed a menu and noticed that the dim sum list was at least 20-30 deep. It’s a big place, one massive room, with pictures on the front doors showing carts weaving their way through a packed weekend lunch service.

  Two weeks later, M and I, along with another couple friends who have become our restaurant seekers-in-crime, descended upon HLM at 12:30pm on a Saturday afternoon. To say this place was busy is an understatement. Now I don’t pretend to speak any Chinese, but that’s all I heard among the hostess shouting out numbers to parties waiting to be seated. (Being the stereotypical white male, I have heard the adage that a restaurant with ‘locals’ to the cuisine is normally very good, so I was psyched.) Without waiting more than 5-10 minutes, we were ushered through the throngs of people and incredible number of staff pushing carts to our table. I looked around and all I saw was a sea of people and staff, working the crowds entering and exiting, ushering food between tables, and turning tables over for the next party.

  Within 30 seconds of being seated, we had a cart off to the side of our table, with a waitress offering us various kinds of dumplings. This is all from memory, as I was not able to either take pictures nor write down any of what we had due to the intense commotion of the entire dining room. (In no particular order)

  • Beef Ball
  • Tripe
  • Peking Duck
  • Tofu skins
  • Pork knuckles with thick wonton noodles (the latter were incredible)
  • Steamed shrimp dumplings
  • Steamed Pork buns
  • Sticky rice with peanuts
  • and others I am unable to remember.

  This was a new experience for me, having never had ‘cart service’ dim sum. Waitresses did speak English, but over the din of the dining room (it was incredibly loud, but still possible to carry a conversation at your table), we ended up just pointing to things we wanted and that we hoped had the food we expected in them.

  There were some hits, like the peking duck, tripes, and wonton noodles. Each had a distinct flavor, never bland, and perfectly cooked, even though they had probably been sitting on the cart for several minutes making their way around the dining room. And there were some misses, although few and far between. Only the beef balls and sticky rice received less-than-rave reviews. We found those dishes to be very single-note, with not much interesting flavor. The beef balls tasted more like meatloaf, of which I am not a fan. The sticky rice had boiled peanuts, which surprisingly added no peanut flavor to the dish. We drank hot tea throughout the meal, but I must imagine cold water and soft drinks are available. Flagging down a waiter or waitress was not a problem when we were looking for more dishes, most of the time they came to us before we were done.

  Needless to say, we were full, but not stuffed, after polishing off the food we had ‘ordered.’ The one thing we were unsure of was just how much money we spent, given that the dim sum menu has no prices. After giving them my credit card and hoping for the best, a bill of $44 came back. We were blown away that so much food came from $11 a person. While not an every weekend trek for us from the near suburbs, we will definitely be back to try more of the menu and experience the frenzied atmosphere of Hei La Moon.

   
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  Jeff Forman 3:49 pm on September 19, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Boston (4), Food (5), sushi   

  O Ya for Sushi? Oh Yeah 

  I had RSVP’d for Ignite Boston 6, hosted by O’Reilly which was downtown this year at Fidelity’s Headquarters. Since it was right around dinner time, I figured I would grab some dinner downtown, maybe run over to Chinatown before jumping back to the Financial District. I had looked around, and noticed the O Ya was around the corner. O Ya being ranked as one of the country’s best Sushi resturaunts last year by the NY Times. I had heard the hype on the local food blogs, Chowhound and other places, and was curious about about the food. Knowing it was expensive, I wanted to go myself before bringing M and dropping a mortgage payment on dinner.

  Luckily I had dressed in jeans and a dress shirt, so while I ended up being a little under-dressed, I did not feel uncomfortable among the other clientèle who walked in later. The restaurant was empty, it being 530pm which is on the earlier side of dinner. The hostess took what I thought was an inordinate amount of time trying to “fit me in” but I obliged respectively and was seated at the bar. I was given the menu, and of course offered omakase, chef’s choice. While scanning the menu I noticed that the prices were indeed very high, even for sushi, and decided to put myself at the whim of the Chef for $75. This in my mind was how I would keep myself within a price range, and explore things I would not have otherwise selected on my own.

  The hit list (from the receipt, I didn’t have a chance to take pictures or write down each dish specifically):

  • Hamachi N O Ya
  • Salmon Tataki
  • Warm Eel O Ya
  • La Ratte Potato Chip
  • Shiitaki Mushroom O Ya
  • Kumamoto Oyster O Ya
  • Shima Aji Sea Urchin
  • Salmon O Ya
  • Hamachi Viet O Ya
  • Tuna Tataki O Ya
  • Foie Gras O Ya

  I must say that the sushi was excellent, every dish visually stunning, and even better on the way down. Most of the dishes were cooked or heated in some way, which caught me off guard from other sushi I have enjoyed. Having had omakase previously while on vacation in Los Angeles, the fact that this presentation was more cooked than I expected, made it no less satisfying. The only dish I felt was a let down was a piece of hamachi covered with a home made potato chip. While the dish was good, I felt that while at a restaurant that carried such prestige, this just seemed like a pretty-good potato chip on to pof a piece of tuna and some rice. It felt boring, more of a “a potato chip, really?” kind of moment. The only other nit was the use of basil. While very fresh and refreshing, it overpowered the dishes it accompanied, and I found myself removing it as courses went on.

  The last course was the most memorable since it was the most different. Foie Gras seared with some balsamic vinaigrette and chocolate, on top of a simple sea-weed rolled piece of rice,  paired with a sample of an 8 year aged sake. While having more of a syrupy consistency and being heavier than most sakes I have had, is still extremely sweet, with a strong hint of raisins. A perfect combination with the very savory foie gras it had been paired along side. This sake, worth noting and buying on my own for consumption at home, is called Hanahato Kijoshu.

  I thoroughly enjoyed my meal, and left full but not stuffed from the portion size I had decided on. I felt the omakase kept my budget in check. While scanning the menu during my meal, it would be very easy to blow a $100 or even $150 per person going a la carte selecting sushi or other cooked entrees from O Ya. This is definitely a special occasion meal, and somewhere I put on my list to hit once or twice a year if my budget and appetite desire.

   
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  Jeff Forman 9:18 pm on September 6, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Boston (4), Food (5)   

  Round two with Toro 

  M and I hadn’t gone out to dinner all weekend, and we figured, it was about time. I was having a hard time trying to figue out where we should go, and since neither of us had work in the morning, we could stray a bit farther from home. A friend’s Facebook status mentioned ‘sangria’ and I immediately thought tapas. Our normal standby tapas place is Dali in Somerville near Harvard Square. The past couple times there we became disillusioned with the dishes. It seemed like the same food on the menu the several times we went, not to mention it was always a bit oily. A couple months ago we tried a new place, Toro, in Boston’s South End with a couple good friends of ours. From that first visit, we were hooked, and vowed to go back again.

  The restaurant met all the South End trappings: expensive valet parking, dim lighting, and a clientèle a little bit more hip than everyone else. But being that it was a Sunday night, and a bit on the early side (630pm), I was hoping I could find street parking (I did), and that we could slip into a table (30 minute wait) or at the bar (we happened to get the two seats closest to the open kitchen). Having read about the place before, and heard about the Chef, Jamie Bissonnette, I recognized him from the moment we sat down. We saw him the last time we came in, and he’s here again. For some superficial reason, I knew the food was going to be just as good since he was there. Just so happened during the meal he ended up service us one of the courses, and asked how whether we had been to Toro before and whether we liked the food. Judging from my comments below, it was a hit, and we told him so.

  While waiting for our seats, I scanned the chaulk-board menu above the bar. I asked one of the bar tenders what a ‘Blinker’ was. Rye, grape fruit juice, and orange juice. While it was a good drink, albeit a little strong, I’d probably get something else next time. M got a sangria, which she enjoyed incredibly fast.

  Tonight’s hit list:

  • Atun Pincho: Tuna tartare with coconut milk and lime
  • Lengua con Lentejas y Salsa Verde: Smoked beef tongue with lentils and salsa verde
  • Ceviche with halibut
  • Anna’s Empanadas: Chicken and potato empanadas, aji roja and alioli
  • Sherry del Pollo con Tomate: Braised chicken with Pedro Ximenez, tomatoes and quinoa
  • Escalavada catalana: Roasted eggplant, peppers, onions and tomatoes
  • Churros con Chocolate (dessert)

  Every plate was memorable. The lime foam on top of the tuna tartare made the dish pop even more, with just enough sweetness to bring the tuna to life. The beef tongue had a buttery texture, sliced thin. M loved the lentils, even eating the tongue regardless of her less-than-voracrious appetite for red meat. The ceviche with halibut was extremely fresh. (Get more bread for this one, and sop up the juices with the bread.) The empenadas were M’s favorite. Luckily the weather had cooled off in Boston tonight, or else this dish would have been a bit too heavy for a hot night. The accompanied mayonassaie aioli to put on top of the empeanads had a very faint hint of garlic, which didn’t overpower the sweet empnadas. The chicken was cooked to the point where only forks were needed to seperate meat from bone. The chicken I found to be pretty ‘chicken tasted’, that is to say that it didn’t have much flavor in and of itself. But the accompaning quinoia and tomatoes added some depth. While I am not the biggest fan of quinoa (I found it a bit bland), this version did have definitely character to it, and added some thickness to the chicken. This chicken dish was another that had juices on the bottom of the plate worth scooping into your bread. The eggplant brought out was soft and made a good comparison to the heavy meat and poultry dishes we had.

  To end the meal we decided on getting the dessert suggested by our bartender/waitor who took great care of us. Churros con chocolate, like a fried/puffed pastry. The chocolate had a little kick to it, definitely unexpected. M and I had tasted chocolate that had chiles in it when we were out in Seattle in May, and this had the same profile. Slight, but not overpowering. Just enough to make you realize how unique and tasty it was.

  The bill came and we were again pleasantly surprised at how relatively affordable it was. All in all, another home run for Toro.

   
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  Jeff Forman 6:27 am on March 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Cambridge, Food (5)   

  Restaurant Review, Ten Tables Cambridge 

  The never ending race to Friday night, where M and I get home, and ask each other, “So where are we going out to eat this weekend?” I hadn’t come up with any new places, so I went through OpenTable curious to see where we could get into. Ten Tables popped up, the Cambridge location, and we called, just to see for the hell of it if we could get in. 915pm, while insanely late for us, we weren’t in any rush to get out of the house, so we took that reservation.

  We arrived to Ten Tables-Cambridge (TT-C) around 850pm and approached the hostess stand. We were told that our name was not to be found on the reservation list, but none the less, they would see if we could be seated. Ten minutes later, we were seated along the main aisle of the dining room. I noticed it a bit loud for indoor-voice conversation, but not overwhelming.

  It took at least five minutes before we were offered water and then another several more minutes before the water arrived in a glass carafe. Several more minutes elapsed before our water arrived with some pretty good soft bread and olive oil. A pretty good start to the meal while even though the service seemed a bit inattentive.

  We ordered our dishes, one appetizer and one entree each. While we were sitting there talking, we noticed that our waiter was discussing the tasting menu to a couple next to us. After he had tended to their needs, we pulled him aside and asked about the tasting menu, which we had not been told about from the outset. A bit odd, but four courses, chef’s choice at $40 a piece, we decided it was the way to go, to truly experience what the chef had to offer. We noticed that our server was much more explanatory with other parties, talking about TT, the thought behind how the food is sourced, how the kitchen can accommodate most food preferences and allergies. I guess we expected that a resaurant that had such good reviews would give us customers more of a welcome feeling rather than ask for what you want and dash off.

  Our first course was by far our favorite, a small bowl of mussels on top of a crustini with sauteed spinach. Just the right amount of garlic and oil so that the bread was slightly soggy. I was using my bread to lap up all the garlic-oil sauce I could get to. The second course was a duo of scallops on top of farro with olives, with a strong zest of what tasted like lemon. I found the scallops well cooked, but the lemon zest over-powering the entire dish. I ended up pushing what zest I could find off to the side. The olives were cut up small and mixed in with the farro. I myself am not a fan of olives at all, but did not find that they dominated the dish. M felt otherwise, and left most of her farro on the plate.

  The third dish was a piece of steak, sliced thin, over vegetables in what tasted like a balsamic vinegar reduction. I found this the most uninteresting part of the evening. While I do understand it was chef’s choice, I must imagine there are people who have strong preferences over how they like their meat cooked. I like mine more medium-rare, while M is more a medium- well person. The meat came out in more of a medium preparation. It was quite tough, and lacked any real distinctive flavor other than the vinegar on which it sat.

  Before desert we were given a palette cleanser of sour-orange sherbert which was quite tart. It did its job, the memories of the past three dishes had been successfully erased. The dessert was a chocolate terrine with Thai basil ice cream. For those people who enjoy Thai food and the spices it features, the ice cream will bring a familiar flavor to your tongue. I must say it was the most thought-provoking dish of the evening. Definitely not what you expect, but it easily cut through the other flavors. The chocolate terrine was a square of sweet rich-but-not-too-rich chocolate. I felt that again a restaurant that is popular among Boston foodies, could have made a much more interesting dessert.

  I must say, having read reviews of the Ten Tables-Jamaica Plain location, and how it was a must-eat for so many of Boston’s residents, I found TT-C underwhelming. The hype and excitement of a new location for TT was much talked about in the local newspaper rags and food blogs and forums. While M and I do plan to go to TT-JP to sample the food and make a determination about whether we truly enjoy the resturant’s presentation, we are going to hold off for a while. Lets hope that only the young age of TT-C contributed to its underwhelming presentation. One always has to take reviews with a grain of salt, or maybe the fact that the kitchen was having an off night. But at least I can check this place off my list of places-to-go.