Restaurant Review: Honeypie

Image from Honeypie...

I finally got to eat at Honeypie in Bay View Friday evening after much anticipation. Really, I am not a food snob, I just usually prefer to spend my USD's on ingredients and do the cooking myself. However, if and when I do want to eat out, I will patronize Honeypie.

I actually wasn't even hungry, I was meeting friends. I did end up ordering the pork fries, fitting for a place with a "pig in a bib" on their logo... (Incidentally, my little boy-o loves saying "pig in a bib" and then laughing hysterically ever since we first saw the sign.) Pork fries are going to be my new guilty pleasure since they are delicious fries topped with BBQ pork, a cheese sauce and I'm guessing jalapenos pickled with coriander seed. Oh, yes, and then topped with bacon. I'm fairly certain this plate could have fed me for 3 days:

I mistakenly thought that the portion would be a bit more on the modest side since it was actually an appetizer, now I'm betting my bacon consumption for the week is nearing its max. The restaurant is actually just down the street from me, and is a sister to the Comet Cafe on the East Side. It's the type of place that feels homey, serves genuine food from responsible sources, and beckons you to eat meat though they do have vegan options for many things. In fact, Sasa went before I did and reported that the whole place smelled of meat. It must have been a day they were smoking something... since I thought it just smelled like a home kitchen.

We arrived early, were already acquainted with the waitress, (who besides that did an excellent and efficient job, complete with awesome recommends) and stayed until the place really started to jump for the Friday night fish fry crowd. I tasted some of the perch that Kim had, no pics since they were dim and blurry, and it was tremendous. It instantly transported me to my 8 year old fishing self and I could even see my Mom pan frying in the round portable skillet she used to have. Sasa had a sandwich, but I don't remember which one, and it looked great too. All of the portions were ample, and next time I go, I'm bringing my appetite.

My RanchoGordo beans are nearly done, and what is for dinner tonight? Puerco. I think this really is the Porcine Weekend for me. I am planning to lay off the carnivorous side for quite a few days after, since I scored some really nice veg at the South Shore Market this morning. Today was the swansong of the season for us farm market attendees, though I am happy to see that there will be a Winter Farmer's Market (Indoors!) at State Fair Park on Saturdays starting November 7th and running through April 24th, 2010.

food slam

That's me, with the flimsy fork...

I was pretty psyched to attend the Food Slam benefit for local radio 91.7 WMSE last night. I like tasting events, since you usually get small portions, and can meander around trying what appeals to you. Unfortunately, however, I never am able to eat as much as I'd like. Fullness always seems to arrive way too early.

I tried to take pictures, but didn't get too many good ones due to lighting and roaming... Happily, I was able to get my favorite eats of the night on film: this amazing northern Prussian dish from

O'Keefe's House of Hamburg.

This spot is fortuitously close to home for me, and I will definitely be going there to dine soon. I always thought it was just a bar, and had no earthly idea of the kind of food they were serving up. If only for this amazing cabbage in red wine seen above, I am certainly going to go and see what else is on their menu. The dumplings in a sherry-cream sauce were top notch as well.

I could have been satisfied with just a small plastic plate from them, but there were many other terrific local restaurants in participation as well. And what Milwaukee dining experience would be complete without some kind of sausage?

Usinger's was dishing out, of course, with bacon studded sour kraut on pretzel rolls.

The Rishi Tea people were serving 3 varieties of iced tea, my favorite being the

Iron Goddess of Mercy:

Photo by Rishi Tea

I never tried it before, even though I've seen it around. I'll be picking some up on my next shopping trip. I'm now greatly inspired to cold-brew some teas of my own...

A pleasant bonus was walking down the alley back to the car after the event, since the purveyor of Asian art and design, Artasia, was lit from within. These dolls appeared to be at play in the window, though my camera wasn't doing the shadowing justice.

When I pressed the camera to the glass above my head and took this shot, I was surprised how the room looked perfectly bright and as if the creatures suddenly had stopped what they were doing and froze perfectly still to pose.

My two companions may have thought I was a bit crazy, but then again, it was a little chilly. On second look, I really like the doll front and center on the floor - almost appearing to be a full size human. Maybe she was, it was a pretty strange sight.

I can be sure the Food Slam will be on my docket for next fall as well, and meanwhile I'll have a few new places to frequent. Thanks to WMSE for 3 hour blocks of great music to soundtrack my mornings, and for organizing a fun fundraiser.

Topolo Bliss

Last night I ate the best meal of my entire life, and really have a renewed respect for Iron Chef judges - especially Jeffrey Steingarten. We had an 8:30 dinner reservation at Topolobampo, Topolo for short, at 445 N. Clark St. in Chicago. We ended up sitting down at 8:00, and didn't complete our dinner experience until 11:00. Yes, I ate for 3 entire hours. I wasn't sure I would be able to finish my 5 courses, but I am very proud to say that I did.

I had the Bravo's Top Chef Master Finale Tasting. Rick Bayless won this program, and while I didn't watch it, did know that it had occurred and that Rick Won. I don't have much time (or rather make much time) for television watching lately, but after eating this meal, I could see myself watching this one. Rick's challenge was to create a menu that represented his food life from first beginning until now. I've long been a great admirer of his, and have cooked many things from his cookbooks. I think I even tackled tamales alone due to the courage his writing has given me. And his recipes for sauces and salsas are constant homemade companions in my kitchen.

Jeff also had a tasting menu, his first, the Adventurer's Tasting. Appropriately, since he tends to try things unusual, when I will not. But before we had set foot inside this beautiful place, I had made up my mind to eat any and everything I possibly could.

The second we entered, was crazy. The whole place smelled of smoky corn, it was like a huge tortillaria. I think I was expecting a more pretentious Chicagoian type place, but instantly I thought I could pull up a chair and live in this restaurant.

I'll let my blurry, dim pictures taken with a borrowed camera

stashed into my bag tell the rest of the story:

The guacamole they gave us right after we sat down was made with Illinois sweet corn and served with jicama and cucumber chips. I may be converted from tortilla chips forever.

My first course was Codorniz estilo Oklahoma Barbecue: Hickory smoked quail with amazing bbq sauce, cornbread croutons, spicy watermelon salad and these amazing red chile threads. It was the first course, so I was feeling really good about demolishing all parts of this dish until only 2 small quail bones remained. It was so delicious. It was hard to get pics of Jeff's food, since my hands were unsteady with excitement, but he had 3 beautiful British Columbia oysters with squid ink caviar, roasted poblanos and crema. Judging from his eyes rolling back, I'd say they were pretty good.

My second course was Atun en Mole Negro: by far the most miraculous thing I've eaten. Seared Ahi tuna in Oaxacan black mole that has 27 or 28 ingredients and takes 3 days to make according to our handsome, attentive waiter, who looked somewhat like a latin Adrien Grenier. It was served with a grilled nopal (cactus) salad, and a plantain filled tamal - and was paired with probably the most delicious wine I've ever tasted: 2006 Bodegas Ateca "Atteca Armas" from Calatayud, Spain. I think if the meal ended here, I would have been satisfied enormously.

Jeff's second course was a Tallgrass ribeye tartare with guajullo chile, red onion, garlic scapes and avocado, also a pretty little quail egg. Also delicious.

The third courses were seafood: Jeff's was Louisanna crawfish and a New England sea scallop in a tremendous verde sauce. Mine was Arroz Negro a la Tumbada: Black rice with Maine Lobster, squid, Prince Edward Island Mussel, grilled octopus and homemade chorizo. The poorly taken picture of my most amazing course is really sad. This course is where I started feeling super full. Still I had to eat 2 of the corn tortillas that I had smelled on the way in, to sop up all of the tomato jalapeno broth. Had to.

I have much happier pics of Jeff eating, but this one kind of shows the background of the restaurant...

And as for me, well, I normally don't have quite so sunken eyes...the red eye reducer was flashing away, and I was worried about attracting attention.

The fourth course was the piece de resistance. Mine was Cochinita Pibil: overnight braised suckling pig "pibil" with crispy pig's foot, sour orange jellies, and a sunchoke pudding brushed onto the plate. If I told you that the pork literally fell apart under the weight of the air, it would not describe how wonderfully tender this was. I was so full by this point, that I had to sacrifice a portion of the puerco to Jeff, who agreed that this was some seriously good eats. I tasted his too, a Barbacoa de Chivo: delicious goat barbacoa with braised garbanzo beans.

Now I must tell you that I truly believe that there is always ALWAYS room for dessert. Jeff rarely eats dessert, and prefers additional food to sweets. I usually like something sweet a couple of hours after supper. But this Fifth course came out, and I really didn't know how I was going to eat another bite. For for the sake of food writing, I persevered. Mine was Tartaleta de Duranzo: Peaches, flowers, and a tart of goat cheese infused with Earl Grey, and toasted pumpkin seed frangipane. After one bite, I nearly finished the rest, only leaving about 2 bites, that really could not find a way to wedge themselves into my overpacked stomach.

Jeff actually finished his, and loved it! A blueberry tart with macadamia nut crust, and a sweet corn ice cream. WOW.

I was so blissfully giddy when we got up to leave, never really having such a dining experience before. I wonder if I'll ever be actually hungry again, and wonder if I can ever cook again since eating such works of art. I've got to hand it to those like Jeffrey Stiengarten who eat for a living...I don't know how they do it. Probably just little mouthfuls here and there, and not nearly licking the plates as I did. But what a wonderful birthday! 33 has to be a great year after a start like this!

Thank you, thank you, darling Jeff.

I will never doubt you again...(or The Case of Salmon Roe Addiction)

Tonight we were going to go for dinner, but our boy, 2.5, was under the weather. So we ordered take away from Lotus Restaurant, a Japanese/Chinese place in nearby Oak Creek. I have eaten here several times - the first time scrupulously because it offers both Japanese and Chinese, but we are not exactly smack dab in the middle of a culinary hotbed here on the near southside of Milwaukee so we checked it out. When our boy was mere months, we were semi regulars since he was a great dinner companion when he was a small tot... Now we eat there only every once in a while, but tonight we had the best meal ever...and completely by accident.

My husband pretty much said this was what we were getting: Amazing Sushi. Really, that is what it was called. It was described as "7 pcs double sushi (2 kinds mixed and 1 crabmeat hand roll)". It didn't sound too amazing to me. But I admit when I am wrong. I had wanted to order regular sushi maki rolls. He insisted. I said fine, I'm sure it will be good. But I thought only good, not GREAT, not the best amazing sushi I may have ever had...

We've eaten at many sushi places, some not so great holes in the wall, some really good, some super expensive. But none of my experiences came close to eating these 7 pieces of double sushi with my husband while boy was watching I Spy in the living room. I only wish I thought to photograph each piece before eating. Only after the satiating first few bites, did I regain composure enough to think of it...

Look at them, in the dimming light of our first really warm day in Wisconsin: they are perfect. We had already gulped down the kobe beef one, neither of us had ever had anything like it.

I never had salmon roe before, but I tell you this: I will definitely be having it again. If I could find a reasonable way to have this in my fridge at all times, I can already think of about 100 ways to use it. It is delicious. It is like pure essence of salmon, with salty overwhelmingness and that pleasant pop that all fish eggs have. I could go on, but I think I will spare you.

The second piece we shared (I'm glad we took it home, because I didn't feel bad gingerly slicing each piece in half so we could both try...) was lobster. Who knows what was on it, but it was so good, we could hardly talk about it. All that was left was this tiny claw:

And salmon that would make a Jewish Delicatessen blush!

These were the best, silkiest salmon pillows we ever ate...

We think this was real crabmeat (not depressingly, flabby crab stick) with white tuna wrapped around it...with green onions and tobiko.

All in all I have to say, Honey, I will never doubt you again. This was up there on the top ten of most memorable meals. And to think it is right in our backyard...