Restaurant News Blog
[WEEK of December 29 2008]
Madoff Scandal Burns Famed LA Restaurateur
From the Los Angeles Times’s Claudia Eller: "It’s a good thing Nancy Silverton still has her day job. The La Brea Bakery founder and queen of L.A.’s restaurant scene is among the legions of investors who’ve lost their fortunes in the alleged $50-billion fraud attributed to New York financier Bernard L. Madoff."
Longtime O’Charley’s CEO to Retire Under Fire
The Tennessean’s Wendy Lee reports, "Nashville-based O’Charley’s Inc. said Tuesday that Gregory L. Burns, its longtime chairman and CEO, will retire early next year after an agreement that cedes more control to an activist shareholder group on the restaurant chain’s board."
‘Bon Appetit’ Predicts’09 Dining Trends
The Restaurant Trend of the Year will be Breakfast, the Ingredient of the Year will be Ricotta, the Cuisine of the Year will be New Southern, and the Dish of the Year will be Anything with an Egg on Top. Plus, the so-called New American Tavern movement - of which The Alembic is declared a part - will emerge as the counterpart to the British gastropubs and French bistros. www.bonappetit.com
LOCAL EATS QUOTE OF THE WEEK
About Bazbeaux Pizza in Indianapolis:
"I moved from Indianapolis to New City, and the myth of New York pizza being the best there is is just that. I always go to Bazbeaux whenever I’m back in town, because it’s the first and last word in great pizza."
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
From the Chicago Tribune’s Bill Daley:
"One of the highlights of touring Texas Hill Country last year was visiting with Vencil Mares, the octogenarian owner of Taylor Café in Taylor, for a Good Eating series on barbecue styles across the nation (see ‘Cue Country for the entire series). How nice to see that Mike Gebert’s new video on his "Sky Full of Bacon" blog zeroes in on Taylor and, among others, Mares."
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
From Amy Stumpfl of the Nashville City Paper
To salute their ingenuity this holiday season, The City Paper peaked into the home kitchens of some of the these top chefs to discover the recipes that you won’t find in their restaurants but in their hearts - and why.
"My first year with my in-laws, my soon-to-be mother-in-law asked me to get the pearl onions ready for the creamed onions. Being the Yankee that I am, I had never heard of this dish and asked what it entailed. ŒJust peel the pearl onions, and put them in with the cream,‚ she said. Well shoot, I had peeled a ton of onions in the last few years and was darn good at it, too. So being the manly man, I bravely touted how quickly I could peel all the pearl onions and soon move on to bigger and better tasks.
Out comes the first bag. I tear right into them, and in no time flat I am halfway through the bag. I comment how quickly the task at hand will be accomplished just as the next five bags hit the counter. Of course, that‚s right about the time my eyes recognized the faint sting of that first onion tear. I try to tough it out for about a bag and a half before the sleeve-wiping and sniffling was too much to keep to myself. To this day, I think my wife was in the corner laughing at me the whole time." - Jeremy Barlow, Tayst (Nashville, TN) chef and owner.
CREAMED ONIONS
3 pounds pearl onions, peeled whole
1 cup roasted garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons ginger, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup sherry wine
1 quart cream (or as needed)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 pinch cinnamon
π bunch thyme
π bunch parsley
π bunch sage
2 eggs (optional)Peel pearl onions and garlic. Roast garlic in the oven with a little oil until it is soft and brown. Drain the oil and save it to drizzle on your bread with dinner.
In a 1 to 2 quart sauce pot, sweat the garlic and minced ginger at a low heat with the top on until the ginger is translucent. Add the onions and turn up the heat a little to get a quick sear and caramelize some of the sugars. Deglaze with sherry wine. (If you do not have sherry wine, feel free to use a white wine or even Marsala.)
Stir in the mustard and let the liquid reduce until it is almost all gone and the pot is dry (au sec). Pour in the cream so it completely covers the onions. (It will depend on the size of the pot and the size of the onions, but definitely err on the side of too much cream.) Bring the cream to a boil and turn it down to simmer. Add the nutmeg and cinnamon. Tie the herbs together with string, leaving some string that is long enough to tie to the handle of the pot. Place the herbs in the cream.
Simmer for around three hours. (The onions will look as if they are about to disintegrate, and the crème should be thickened and delicious.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in large bowl or pour into individual ramekins. Another option is to make it a day or two before and place it covered in the oven to warm back up for dinner.
The egg option is if you really want to make it rich and luxurious. (This will only work if you make it the day you‚re going to eat it.) Just before you‚re ready to eat, break two egg yolks into a bowl. Spoon some of the hot cream over the egg yolks while stirring them. A couple of spoons of cream will raise the temperature of the egg yolks. Pour eggs into the onions and stir to fully incorporate. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com
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[WEEK of December 22 2008]
Top 10 Dining Trends From Epicurious
Here’s a list of food and trends compiled by the editors of www.Epicurious.com:
"With the dawn of a new presidency, a deepening recession, and a fine-dining culinary culture that sometimes veers into the impossibly surreal, soberness is setting into the food world. Gone are the behemoth restaurants, $1,000 omelets, and ice cream made of dehydrated chile flakes. Hallmarks of 2009 will include a return to families cooking together and eating at home more than they have in decades, a premium on high-quality, seasonal ingredients that provide good value, and an emphasis on simple food for the people, by the people."
- "Value" is the new "Sustainable"
These days, the economy dictates our cooking and shopping decisions: Bargains are in, no matter where they come from. - The Compost Pile is the new Flower Garden
Growing your own now refers to vegetables, not just herbs, and that will in turn help feed the gardener’s compost pile. Live worm garnishes, however, will not make it to the house salad. - Peruvian is the new Thai
You thought Peruvian cuisine was all about seviche, maybe? Guess again: Peru boasts culinary influences from Spanish, Basque, African, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, French, and British immigrants. Pisco Sour, anyone? - Noodle Bars are the new Sushi Joints
With some seafood being suspect or overfished and raw fish prices high, noodles make complete sense. If there’s no ramen, udon, or soba shop in your neck of the woods, there will be soon. - Ginger is the new Mint
Move over, mojitos. Ginger beers and ginger cocktails (like the Ginger Rogers, Gin Gin Mule, and Ginger Smash) are bubbling up at places like The Violet Hour in Chicago , the Clock Bar in San Francisco , and Matsugen in New York. - Smoking is the new Frying
You know how everything tastes better fried? Well, almost everything tastes better smoked, too, and that includes cocktails. Bartenders are smoking their bourbons (Eben Freeman at Tailor, for example), and chefs, recognizing the national craze for BBQ, are smoking more than just salmon and ribs: nuts, salts, even smoked steelhead roe (at Chicago’s Alinea). Who says smoking’s bad for you? - Regional Roasters are the new Starbucks
It’s come full circle. What started as a local coffee phenomenon migrated to other cities and turned Americans into java junkies. Then the chain overexpanded and overreached, and the little neighborhood coffee roasters thrive again, like Stumptown (Portland , OR), Bluebottle (San Francisco), and La Colombe (Philly). - Portland (Maine) is the new Portland (Oregon)
Abundance of great chefs, restaurants, and local foodies? Check, check, and check. Want examples? Visit Five Fifty-Five, Hugo’s, and Fore Street to start. - Rustic Food is the new Molecular Gastronomy
Wacky-weird-science cuisine that requires fancy-schmancy equipment doesn’t necessarily make food taste better, and more often than not it adds needless complexity (there are exceptions). Most importantly, no one really wants to do this at home. Expect to see comfort food stage a comeback. Again. - "Top-Rated" is the new "Critic’s Pick"
Power to the people; single critics are a dying breed. Why believe what one person says when you can read and reflect on what hundreds think?
LOCAL EATS READER QUOTE OF THE WEEK
About Hofbrauhaus Las Vegas:
"Visit every time we travel to Vegas and love it. Celebrating son’s 21st birthday on 1/4/09, and we will be there early!"
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
From www.VarmintBites.com:
Frozen waffles have it bad …
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
From Amy Stumpfl of the Nashville City Paper. "Make the holiday recipes of top local chefs your own traditions. This delectable dish, affectionally called ‘Grandma’s Cornbread Dressing,’ is a near-and-dear recipe to Cafe Nonna sous chef Bron Lindsey, a native of Louisiana. Culinary trends come and go. But when it comes to the holidays, we tend to hold fast to our traditions."
"Growing up in Louisiana, Grandma‚s cornbread dressing could be found at every one of my family events. It‚s a very simple recipe that always pleases during the holidays. The recipe came about during the Great Depression, when my great-grandmother had to make do with what she had. Since then, the recipe has passed down three generations and only gets better with time. That is what makes this recipe worth keeping. Many in my family have argued that the dressing is not complete without the gravy, but you decide for yourself. There is no end to the things you can add to it ˜ try fresh herbs such as sage, throw in some jalapenos, corn, or maybe even your favorite cheeses. I hope this recipe brings as much joy to your family as it has to mine. Happy Holidays from everyone at Caffe Nonna!"
—
Bron Lindsey, Caffe Nonna Sous Chef, 4427 Murphy Road, Nashville, TN. (www.caffenonna.com)
GRANDMA’S CORNBREAD DRESSING
1 pan of cornbread, hot or cold
4 eggs
2 cans of chicken broth
1 cup of cooked rice
3 cans of cream of chicken soup
Salt and pepper (to taste)Crumble cornbread until fine, then add the cooked rice and set aside. Mix eggs, chicken soup and chicken broth together until mixed well. Add salt and pepper to taste. You could also try adding chopped onions and celery. Place in an 8 x 11-inch baking dish, bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot.
Gravy
3 boiled eggs, diced
2 cans cream of chicken soup
Half a can of water
Pepper (to taste)Bring soup and water to a boil, add diced eggs, stir and serve over cornbread dressing.
IEAT BLOG HIGHLIGHTS
Orlando Coffeehouse Comes Up with Own Relief Plan
IN THE NEWS: The Orlando Sentinel’s Sandra Pedicini reports, "Adam Dudley has watched business dry up at Sol River Coffee House & Lounge in MetroWest. So Dudley is trying a new tactic to stay in business. He’s appealing to his customers for a loan of sorts — with interest paid back in the form of all the omelets, salads and coffees they can stuff into their tummies for at least part of next year. In what he calls The 2009 Sol River Bailout Package, Dudley seeks customers willing to dole out $500 or $1,000 for memberships. With the $500 membership comes an all-you-can-drink deal in 2009. The $1,000 membership also includes all the food you can eat." www.orlandosentinel.com
KC Passes Smoking Ban
The Kansas City Star’s Mark Wiebe reports, "Kansas City, Kan., the largest city in the metropolitan area without a smoking ban, approved one [Dec. 18] after mulling the issue for nearly two years. The Unified Board of Commissioners of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan., approved an ordinance that bans smoking in all indoor spaces, including restaurants and bars. But the ordinance gives businesses a chance to apply for a license that would exempt them from the ban for up to three years. Those businesses would have to pay $250 a year for a license to get that exemption. The licenses would not be valid after Dec. 31, 2011." www.kansascity.com
Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com
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[WEEK December 15 2008]
Waters Weighs in on ‘Kitchen Cabinet’
Kate Coleman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports, "Amid the flurry of hundreds and thousands of resumes descending upon the transition team for President-elect Barack Obama is a letter from Alice Waters of Chez Panisse volunteering her services - and those of Gourmet editor Ruth Reichl and New York Union Square restaurateur Danny Meyer - to be the first couple’s informal "kitchen cabinet" on all things culinary, from recommendations for a new White House chef to overseeing the creation of a sustainable, organic kitchen garden on the White House lawn. In the letter, sent the day after the election, Waters wrote passionately: "At this moment you have a unique opportunity to set the tone for the changes we need to make in the way our country feeds itself. The purity and wholesomeness of your campaign can find a parallel in the purity and wholesomeness of the food at America’s most visible and symbolic address: the White House."
2008’s Top 10 Dining Trends from ‘Time’
Topped by Recession Dining, as well as The Year’s Most Celebrated Chef (Chicago’s Grant Achatz of Alinea)
‘Time Out’s 100 Best Things …
… we ate and drank this year. Our Eat Out team selected their favorites, from duck-fat fries to lychee foie gras, from face bacon to baklava.
LOCAL EATS QUOTE OF THE WEEK
About Bootlegger Bistro in Las Vegas:
"I eat here a couple of times a month. Great atmosphere, with live lounge music on Tuesdays. Food is homemade Italian and spectacular in taste, and portions are just right. Prices are reasonable."
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Without further adieu and just in time for the holidays, Grandma’s Killer Fruitcake:
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
From the Boston Herald and Craigie on Main, http://bostonherald.com/entertainment/food_dining/food/view.bg?articleid=1137899
CRAIGIE ON MAIN ROASTED GAME HENS
2 Cornish game hens, 2 1/2 to 3 pounds each
Salt and pepper
1/3 c. dark raisins
1/3 c. dried cranberries
1/3 c. dried pears, diced
2 T. vegetable oil (or duck fat)
4 c. mixed root vegetables, diced (carrots, onions, parsnips, celery root, rutabaga, turnips)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 c. Armagnac
1 c. white wine
A bunch of fresh herbs, including parsley, thyme, a bay leaf and sage tied together in cheesecloth
1 c. chicken brothPreheat oven to 300 degrees. Rinse the hens under cold water and pat dry. Season the hens liberally with salt and pepper, inside and out, and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Soak the dried fruit in warm water to cover for 30 minutes. In a large Dutch oven or enameled pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Brown the hens slowly on all sides, being careful not to burn the fat. Remove to a plate. In the same fat, add all the diced vegetables and garlic and slowly brown until caramelized. Strain off all the fat. Add the dried fruit and herb sachet, pour in the Armagnac and cook until liquid is completely evaporated. Add the wine, reduce by half and then add the broth.
Place the hens on top of the vegetables and fruit. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove, then cover and place in the oven. Roast for approximately 1 hour, or until the legs pull away easily.
Remove from the oven, let rest for 20 minutes and serve with “a drizzle of hearty extra-virgin olive oil, a twist of the pepper mill, some coarse sea salt and a big pull of country bread.”
Serves 4.
IEAT BLOG HIGHLIGHTS
Pittsburgh’s Largest Craft Brewery May Close
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Bob Batz Jr. and Bob Hoover report, "The fate of the historic home of the Penn Brewery, Pittsburgh’s first and largest craft beer maker, appears sealed [last week] as the owners prepare to leave the 19th-century structure with its custom brewhouse and restaurant for new quarters somewhere in Pittsburgh. The last batch of Penn beer was being brewed there [last] week, while beer production starts at a contract brewery in Wilkes-Barre. Most of the brewery staff has been told it will be laid off by year’s end. The restaurant is to close at the end of February when its lease expires. But on [Dec. 9], founder Tom Pastorius, who is still a minority partner in the operation, vowed to find a new owner that would keep the brewery in place." www.post-gazette.com
Kansas City Dining Critic Dies
The Kansas City Star reports the death of its dining critic, Lauren Chapin, on Dec. 10. Chapin, who recently turned 50, collapsed while working out two days previously. Her death was caused by a ruptured aneurysm that developed within an AVM, or arteriovenous malformation, at the base of her brain, family members said.
www.kansascity.com
Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com
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[WEEK of December 8 2008]
Mag Picks 10 Best Dishes of 2008
In the December issue, Food & Wine magazine (www.foodandwine.com) selects its 10 Best Dishes of 2008:
- Fried Cauliflower with Lebheh. Zahav, Philadelphia
- Creme Brulee Bread Pudding. Killen’s Steakhouse, Pearland, TX
- Celery Bisque. Porter & Frye, Minneapolis
- Rigatoni Carbonera. SPQR, San Francisco
- Halibut, Parsley, Ginger & Chanterelles. L2O, Chicago
- Shaved Foie Gras with Pine Nut Brittle, Lychees & Riesling. Ko, New York City
- Mushroom Soup. Justus Drugstore, Smithville, MO
- Dorade with Almond Piccata. Joule, Seattle
- Crayfish & Mascarpone-Stuffed Ravioli. Bistro Daisy, New Orleans
- Duck Fat-Fried Chicken. Takashi, Chicago
Gayot’s Top 10 U.S. Steakhouses
(Gayot organizes the top 40 lists by location but alphabetizes the Top 10 and Top 5 selections that follow by restaurant or chef name.). www.gayot.com.
David Burke’s Primehouse, Chicago
- Doe’s Eat Place, Greenville, MS
- Elway’s Cherry Creek, Denver
- Finn & Porter, Austin, TX
- Gruet Steakhouse, Albuquerque
- Kevin Rathbun Steak, Atlanta
- Mastro’s Steakhouse, Beverly Hills, CA
- Peter Luger, Brooklyn, NY
- The Prime Rib Restaurant, Baltimore
- SW Steakhouse, Las Vegas
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
In these tough times, the pawn shop that specializes in food, starring Steve Buscemi and Will Ferrell:
LOCAL EATS QUOTE OF THE WEEK
About Casa Larious in South Miami Beach:
"Delicious Cuban food that has an authentic, home-cooked taste. If you want to go somewhere and enjoy how Cuban dishes are traditionally prepared, then this is one of the best in town!"
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
From Amy Stumpfl of the Nashville City Paper
To salute their ingenuity this holiday season, The Nashvile City Paper peaked into the home kitchens of some of the these top chefs to discover the recipes that you won’t find in their restaurants but in their hearts — and why:
“Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is just the quintessential Southern holiday fare. And since I’ve been here about 10 years now, I guess that makes me an honorary Southerner. So I decided to give an old classic a new twist, and this dish has become one of my favorite stand-bys. I put it on the menu a couple of years ago, and everyone seems to love it. I guess it just brings back those homey, comfort flavors that people love. It’s really simple to make, and very translatable to the home kitchen. Enjoy!” - Jason Brumm, Radius10 chef and managing partner
SWEET POTATO BREAD PUDDING
WITH CINNAMON SMOKED MARSHMALLOWS1 large loaf soft, white Italian or French bread (like you would use for garlic bread)
1 quart half & half
6 eggs
6 yolks
2 cups sweet potato puree
2 tablespoons sorghum
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
¼ teaspoon nutmegTopping:
1 bag large marshmallows
Cinnamon (sticks or chips)The day before you plan to serve the dish, cube bread into crouton-size pieces and leave uncovered overnight to dry.
You may roast your own sweet potatoes (which I feel gives the best results) by simply placing them on a sheet tray and baking at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until soft to the touch. Let them cool, and then peel the skins off and place in the food processor on high until the puree is smooth. Add 2 tablespoons of sorghum and process until smooth.
Pour half & half into a sauce pot and bring to a boil, then immediately turn off. Place your egg mixture in a bowl and slowly add the hot liquid, stirring while you drizzle (tempering). When fully combined, pour over the bread chunks, and add the sweet potato puree, nutmeg, thyme, and salt and pepper. Gently mix with a wooden spoon until mixture is homogenous and orange.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a shallow baking dish (no deeper than 2 inches) with nonstick spray. Pour mixture in, and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes or until set. (Use a toothpick or jiggle the pan. Pudding should appear set like Jello — not loose or runny.)To smoke the marshmallows, place them on one side of a deep, disposable aluminum baking pan. Lightly break up cinnamon pieces and place in a heavy-duty sauté pan over high heat. Toss several times, until cinnamon begins to smoke. Once the cinnamon is really smoking, place in the aluminum pan (on the opposite side of the marshmallows) and immediately cover with foil. Let sit for five minutes and then uncover. Once cooled, slice the marshmallows and place on top of the still-warm bread pudding. Return to oven until the marshmallows are golden, melted and gooey. Serve warm.
IEat Blog Highlights
‘AM’ New York Spotlights New Dining Guide
AM New York (www.AmNy.com) featured the just-released Where The Locals Eat-New York book in its Dec. 4 editions. Published by Magellan Press Inc., the book takes food lovers to the top 100 local restaurants in the Big Apple, from out-of-the-way gems to celebrity chef-run fine dining, but also goes one better: The book, available for $14.95 at Barnes & Noble and other local bookstores, as well as www.Amazon.com, also features more than 200 neighborhood favorites listed by specific area (Chelsea, Upper West Side, Midtown East, Brooklyn, etc.).
Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com
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[WEEK of December 1 2008]
Forecast: Less Foie Gras, More Meatloaf
From USAToday’s Jerry Shriver: "Umm, boy! Less foie gras and microgreens await diners on restaurant menus in 2009 — their places to be taken by turkey legs, meatloaf, gussied-up mashed potatoes, ethnically-flavored fried chicken (think Korean) and peculiar pig parts. That’s the dish from restaurant consulting firm Joseph Baum & Michael Whiteman Co., which has just released its 2009 trends forecast. We’ll also see more bistro-scale eateries and fewer "absentee star chefs"; fewer expensive fixed-price menus and more à la carte; and, best of all, friendlier service and easier-to-get reservations. Among next year’s buzzwords and ingredients to keep an ear and nose out for: maple syrup, pickled vegetables, ultra-slow-cooked food, chickpeas, Nutella and Basque, Catalonian and Andean cuisines."
Mondavi Food and Wine Museum Shuts Doors in Napa
From the Associated Press: NAPA — "A Napa food and wine museum founded by the late vintner Robert Mondavi is shutting its doors while it seeks more cash to continue operating. Copia chief executive Garry McGuire blamed the current credit crisis for the closure announced [Nov. 24]. The nonprofit, also known as the American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts, has lost $4 million annually since opening in 2001. In September, Copia laid off 24 of its 80 full-time employees and cut back its hours as it sought to turn around its ailing finances. The $78 million facility shut without notice [Nov. 21]. www.ap.com
Gayot’s Top 10 New Restaurants
Top 10 New Restaurants in the US (Gayot organizes the top 40 lists by location but alphabetizes the Top 10 and Top 5 selections that follow by restaurant or chef name.)
Allen & Delancey, New York
Aubergine, Carmel, CA
Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale’s South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, CA
Christopher’s Restaurant & Crush Lounge, Phoenix
Forté di Asprinio, West Palm Beach, FL
4th & Swift, Atlanta
Gordon Ramsay at The London West Hollywood, West Hollywood, CA
L2O, Chicago
Restaurant Charlie, Las Vegas
Ubuntu, Napa, CA
LOCAL EATS QUOTE OF THE WEEK
About Beau Jo’s pizza in Denver:
"The best pizza in town! Get the whole wheat crust, and finish it off with some honey. Perfection!"
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and Karl Ratzsch’s Restaurant:
KARL RATZSCH’S RESTAURANT
SPLIT PEA SOUP WITH HAMMakes 4 to 6 servings
2 tablespoons bacon grease
¾ cup diced onion
½ cup diced carrot
½ cup diced celery
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon chopped garlic
3 quarts cold water
2 cups green split peas
Pinch of ground caraway seed
Pinch of nutmeg
¼ teaspoon celery salt
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 drops hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons ham base
Pinch of white pepper
1 to 2 ounces diced ham
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Croutons for garnishOver medium heat, using a 1 gallon soup kettle, combine bacon grease with onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, garlic and sauté until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add water, split peas, caraway seed, nutmeg, celery salt, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, ham base and pepper and stir well.
Bring soup to a low simmer and cook, uncovered, 1 ½ to 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes, until peas are tender and soup flavor is right. About 15 minutes before soup is done, add ham and parsley and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Top with croutons before serving.
Note: This soup is best made the day before serving.
IEAT BLOG HIGHLIGHTS
‘Top Chef’ Blais Opening Burger Joint
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Meridith Ford Goldman reports, "Flip, the boutique burger concept from chef Richard Blais and owner Barry Mills is set to open Dec. 5, according to Blais. … “Top Chef” runner-up Blais and Mills have fashioned a menu that sports a variety of slider-sized burgers, from a lamb burger with green olive relish and raisin ketchup on a rosemary bun to the restaurant’s signature Flip beef burger using short ribs, hanger steak and brisket. Condiments including ketchup and mayo will all be housemade. And of course there will be a rotation of molecular milkshakes, including the promised Krispy Kreme flavor. Flip is located at 1537 Howell Mill Road, on Atlanta’s west side." www.accessatlanta.com
Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com
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