{Travel Tuesday} Marlowe in San Francisco, CA

One of the reasons we like to dine out is to discover new dishes we could make at home.  Last month, we discovered the airiest Brussels Sprouts chips while we were in San Francisco.  We had trekked all the way over to the SoMa district from our hotel (30 mins walk) to grab a late lunch at this relatively new bistro, Marlowe.  Though located near the AT&T Ballpark, this bistro serves anything but your average ballpark fare.

Walking inside Marlowe, we found a small, but comfortable space with an industrial decor.  My husband ordered the locally brewed Trumer Pils (Berkeley), a German-style Pilsner that made for a refreshing afternoon drink.

Marlowe Burger with Brussels Sprouts chips ($12): My husband ordered this juicy, rare burger and quickly devoured it.  With caramelized onions, bacon, melted cheddar cheese, and horseradish aioli, this burger had a nice balance between spicy and salt.  The burger itself has 80/20 ground beef with some mild lamb mixed into it and it's held together by an Acme bun.

But what I loved about the dish was that the kitchen let us substitute the side of fries with Brussels Sprouts chips  These chips were wafer-thin and crispy.  To make them, the chef takes the outer layers of Brussels sprouts and fries them in rice oil.  The chips are finished off with sea salt and freshly-squeezed Meyer lemon juice.

Little Gem Salad ($8):  I ordered this colorful plate of various shaved radishes, pickled onion, and avocado laid on top of bibb lettuce and dressed with a light citrus vinaigrette.  Though too small for a complete entree, the salad was bright and light.

After the salad, I definitely had room for dessert.  Believe it or not, this dessert was their version of Pumpkin Whoopie Pie. The Pumpkin Whoopie in a Jar ($6) had a very strong bourbon ice cream, bourbon caramel, vanilla bean, pumpkin spice, and pecans.  As excited as I was for this dessert, the bourbon flavor was too overwhelming for me (I was hoping for more pumpkin and vanilla).  My husband, however, enjoyed it and emptied out the jar.

Marlowe is located at 330 Townsend St in San Francisco, CA.

{Travel Tuesday} Victoria Gastro Pub in Maryland

After driving many hours from NYC to Maryland (to visit our newborn nephew), my husband suggested we have dinner at Victoria Gastro Pub.  It was one of the best places in the area for craft beers, so of course he had to check it out!  And for non-beer drinker me, he convinced me to dine here with entree options like Lobster Grilled Cheese and Duck Poutine.  Good beer and warm, comforting food - yes, it was a good night! 

So many craft beers....so little time! After going through the binder full of options including many local brews and an exhaustive bottle list, my husband tried the dark roasted Lucky 7 Porter from Delaware's Evolution Craft Brewing and the smooth Oliver's Bishop's Breakfast Oatmeal Stout from Baltimore's Pratt Street Ales. 

Chicken Liver Pate ($7):  Rich and decadent, this tasty (and not overly salty) pate was served with a sweet apricot and cherry chutney and warm challah toast (artfully arranged like a game of Jenga!).

Duck Poutine ($8):  As a good Canadian gal, I'll seek out poutine wherever I travel.  Though this plate of duck fat fries (like the ones we last enjoyed in Chicago at Hot Doug's), duck confit, duck gravy, and melted gruyere cheese was not a poutine (which is fries, gravy, and cheese curds), it was a comforting guilty pleasure.

Kobe Burger with Gruyere ($13): Beyond being a juicy burger, where else can you get a Wagyu (Kobe) burger made with meat from Snake River Farms (the same place The French Laundry has sourced its meats) for only $13?  The burger came with Gruyere cheese, caramelized onions, mushrooms, house pickles, lettuce, tomato, aioli, and smoked paprika fries on the side.  With its juices running after our first bite, this burger was almost a "5-Napkin Burger".

Lobster Grilled Cheese ($16):  Brie fondue and big chunks of Maine lobster - what could be better?  This hot grilled sandwich was a winning combination, especially partnered with homemade jalapeno potato chips.  Though we both still prefer lightly dressed lobster rolls, this sandwich was a nice twist on the classic grilled cheese.

Victoria Gastro Pub was a worthwhile stop on our road trip.  It also hosts beer and wine pairing dinners.  Victoria Gastro Pub is located at 8201 Snowden River Parkway in Columbia, MD.

Preview of 4Food

Scheduled to open after Labor Day, new burger restaurant 4Food's opening has been highly anticipated.  Why? It could be it's efforts to be green (including high-scale composting). Or its widespread use of iPads and social media. But for us (and many others), it's about the food.  After all, 4Food promises to offer customizable burgers (including Wild Alaskan King salmon and meat patties produced using fresh, all-natural, and humanely-raised animals).  These patties are shaped like a doughnut and filled with a huge selection of seasonal ingredients.  All of this, plus offering food quick at a fairly affordable price.  It's definitely an ambitious plan.

Once it opens, we know it'll be fairly crowded in its first few weeks.  So we were happy to win a couple of spots to check out 4Food during its Family and Friends preview event.   

4Food's mission is printed on the wall.  It reads "Our mission is to de-junk fast food by bringing fast, fresh, delicious, and nutritious food, made of local produce purchased at fair prices, to people of all ages, lifestyles, and ethnicities."

The space itself is fairly large, spanning 3 floors (though the main and top floor are smaller).  There are sleek wooden communal tables, counters, and static stools everywhere for dine-in.  

The menu boards are dynamic so it can quickly reflect new seasonal ingredients.  To order, you can go the easy route and choose a Chef combo (starting at $12 for a menu burger, side, and tea).  Or confront the myriad of choices and Build Your Own Burger.  We both took the BYOB route.

Faced with a dizzying array of choices, my friendly cashier guided me through the process:
Bun (made by Grimaldi's Bakery, includes bagels, brioche, multi-grain, and even a gluten-free rice bun, etc.)
+ Patty (shaped like a donut, includes beef, lamb, pork, breakfast pork, turkey, salmon, egg, and veggie)
+ Veggie Scoop (or donut hole filling, includes Avocado & Chili Mango, Dried Fruit & Nut, Shredded Brussels Sprouts, Spinach & Pine Nuts, Mushrooms & Onions, Mac n' Cheese, etc)
+Slices (Avocado, Pancetta, Roasted Shiitake Mushrooms, etc)
+Cheese (Manchego, Black River Blue, Gruyere, etc)
+Tomatoes, Lettuce, Pickles, and/or Vidalia Onions
+Condiments and Spreads (Lemon Caper Tartar Sauce, Jamaican Jerk Sauce, Tzatziki, Organic Ketchup, etc.)

And then there's the various options for sides (salads and their version of fries, square roots), beverages (all naturally-sweetened and flavored, including cold tea drinks, sodas, and smoothies), and desserts (apple crumble, chocolate mousse, and chocolate-cherry mousse).  Phew!

It'll be interesting to see if this overwhelming amount of choice can handle the large lunch crowd.  It took me a good few minutes to decide on everything, so definitely know roughly what you want before you go! (Their website isn't completely updated yet, but customers will have the option to pre-order and schedule a pick-up for their meals.  There are also supposed to be self-serve machines and iPad-carrying staff around to speed up the process.  In the meantime, check out their extensive menu here.)

Since it takes a few minutes for your order to be ready, you can spend the time checking into Foursquare or tweeting about @4foodnyc (then see yourself on the big screen).  Each customer is also supposed to receive a limited-time password to access the free WiFi available (printed on your receipt).

When our orders are ready, our names are called and also appear on the pick-up screen (updated by an iPad).

Our Dine-in tray is cute, but seemed like a lot of packaging.  We did put throw them away into its designated bin that we're guessing was for recycling or composting.

I ordered the pork patty on brioche bun with the spinach & pine nut 'scoop', chopped pancetta, pickles, vidalia onions, tomato, lettuce and manchego.  I couldn't pass up selecting my favorite Spanish nutty cheese (which I've never been offered as a burger topping at any other burger joint).

The burger ($6.50) was a little messy to eat, but it was very tasty.  The pork patty was nicely seasoned and the sauteed spinach made me feel a bit healthy and added some nice texture. 

As a side, we picked the Square Roots ($2.50) which is 4Food's take on french fries.  Instead of frying, these root vegetables seemed like they were oven-baked (but still crispy).  The purple potatoes were a pleasant surprise.  

My husband chose the lamb patty on a multi-grain bun.  He also selected a scoop of mushrooms and onions, a slice of sopressata (not really needed but he wanted to try it) and goat cheese topped with pickles, lettuce and tomato.  The lamb was cooked medium and remained quite moist.  The goat cheese was tasty but it overwhelmed the other toppings (our own misstep).  (His burger would have cost $6)

We ordered our condiments on the side:  organic ketchup, hummus, guacamole, salsa verde, horseradish cream and tzatziki sauce.  I liked the ketchup because it tasted like, well, ketchup.  My husband liked the guacamole with a citrus tang and the savory coarse hummus.  He would've preferred a chunkier salsa verde.  The horseradish cream and tzatziki were both really mild.  We like spicy and strong sauces and felt that these ones would get lost in the burger.  I did appreciate the eclectic, international choices instead of the usual ketchup, mustard, and relish.

  For dessert, I chose the apple crumble ($4).  The star of this dessert is the silky smooth vanilla cream on top.  There was only a small amount of  crumble, apples, and caramel on the bottom.  The scant amount of apples were still a little hard and we would've liked them to be cooked a bit more.

Green Smoothie ($4):  We rarely have (and almost never enjoy) a green drink (outside of St. Pat's Day), but this was one of our favorite picks of the dinner.  Blended with kale, pineapple, and honey, this smoothie was sweet and so good!

Hibiscus Berry Tea ($3.50):  I liked the added fruit (I could make out raspberries and blueberries in my drink) and tapioca bubbles.  It was probably the most natural "bubble tea" I've ever drank.  It was refreshing, but less sweet than the Green Smoothie.

Since this was a Family and Friends event, our meal was complimentary.  After adding up what we could have spent (my final "bill" after tax was $18, while my husband's was only $11), we saw how easy it was to spend a lot more than usual for a weekday lunch.  (Given the area, the restaurant is certainly geared toward the workday crowd).  For lunch, we would stick with a burger and only one other item (for us it would be the green smoothie). 

Because it was a preview event and they're still getting everything ready for the Sept opening, I would probably return after it's been open for a month to experience the full operation.  (And of course, to make another burger!)

  4Food is located at 286 Madison Ave (at 40th St) in NYC.  It is scheduled to open at 7 am on Tuesday, September 7th.  But if you sign up now to their website and answer their survey (be forewarned though, questions involve weight, active lifestyle, and other questions your physical trainer or doctor might ask), you can get a $12 food credit.  By signing up, you can also create and name your own burger creation. Anytime someone orders your burger, you get a $0.25 food credit.

Happy Hour at DBGB

I love date night with the hubby.  It gives us a chance to chat and enjoy a meal without doing the dishes.  We wanted to take advantage of a Happy Hour deal (or Early Bird Special), so I met him early one evening at DBGB Kitchen & Bar   

The last time we were at DBGB, it was Lent, so I had to watch my husband enjoy his pork belly burger while I opted for a salad (albeit a very tasty crab salad).  This time, I was eager and ready to try my first Daniel Boulud burger!

On the menu, there were 2 wines on tap (never had a wine on draft before!): a riesling and a lambrusco from Red Hook winery.  Unfortunately, the riesling ran out and we thought the lambrusco was a little funky, fruity, sour, and almost fizzy.  Instead, I opted for a glass of French white wine while my hubby chose a $5 pint of McNeill's Extra Special Bitter, a malty English-style ale from Vermont. 

My hubby then picked a beer which turned out to be one of the best beers he's ever had, aptly titled Of Love and Regret.  It's a saison beer from Stillwater Artisanal Ale's Brian Strumke, a gypsy brewer from Maryland but brewed in Belgium.  This seasonal beer (above in tulip glass) had an herbal and grassy focus but was so smooth and easy drinking that he hopes this one-off beer is bottled and distributed everywhere (instead of the few kegs floating around NY and DC).

A dozen fresh, balanced Blue Points ($15):  We could have used some horseradish on these plain oysters, but these meaty bivalves (my hubby's word) were only $1.25 each. 

Mixed Charcuterie ($10) In-house headcheese (fromage de tete), pate, pork terrine (rillette), and salumi (saucisson sec) with cornichons, pearl onions and frisee.  By far, the best "bar snack" we've ever eaten during happy hour!

The Yankee Burger with Vermont cheddar and crispy bacon ($11 normally $18):  Yes, it tasted as good as it looks! We enjoyed our perfectly-cooked (medium rare), juicy 8-oz beef burger.  I find most French fries addictive, and these thin, crisp ones were no exception.  Overall, my hubby preferred The Frenchie burger he had the last time (can't beat pork belly), but he had no trouble sharing this burger with me!

Raspberry Fromage-Blanc Ice Cream Sundae ($6, regularly $9):  It looks almost too pretty to eat! I loved the fresh raspberries, house-made whipped cream, speculoos cookies on top.  But my favorite part were the anise marshmallows that had a faint licorice-flavor.  I was at first concerned about the white cheese ice cream, but it was very subtle in flavor.

Happy Hour specials are currently available every weekday from 3-6pm

DBGB Kitchen & Bar is located at 299 Bowery (btwn Houston and 1st Aves) in NYC.

{Sweet Treats} Bake Sale Burger Cupcakes and French Fry Cookies

Welcome bake sale supporters!  If you stopped by our Share our Strength bake sale at Kiehl's last Saturday or just follow us on Twitter and Facebook, you know that I made these deceptive sweet treats to raise money for a good cause.  Though I'm not a professional baker, I do like to entertain (as evidence by the parties I've styled) and these burger cupcakes and French Fry cookies would be perfect for any kids' party or burger-fanatic's get-together (like my husband and his friends!)

Making this combo is incredibly easy; however, they took me a lot of time to put together. The effort was well worth it as our bake sale raised over $800 for Share our Strength.  Here are my step-by-step instructions, with notes on shortcuts you can take:

Step 1:  Bake your favorite vanilla and chocolate cupcakes (I liked this recipe for vanilla cupcakes but substituted additional 1 tsp vanilla extract for the beans. For chocolate cupcakes, I used this one, but substituted milk instead of water).
Tips: Fill the batter up to the half-way mark so that your cupcakes don't expand too large.
Shortcut: Use boxed cake mix in a pinch.
Alternatives: Instead of chocolate cupcakes, you could also make chocolate brownies and then cut them into 2-inch circles.

Step 2: Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the vanilla cupcakes
Tip:  Gradually add the seeds to your liking. I found it easier to sprinkle them with my fingers versus pouring them from the container.  Also, if your sesame seeds are not sticking well to the top, make a simple syrup. Brush the top of the vanilla cupcakes first with the simple syrup and then add the sesame seeds.

Step 3: Cut the vanilla cupcakes in half to make the "bun".
Tip: Use a very sharp knife (I used this one) so that the cupcake doesn't fall apart.

Step 4:  Cut 1/2 inch circles from the bottom of the chocolate cupcakes to make the "burger".  (I saved the discarded cupcakes to make cake pops, like I did for Christmas)
Tip: Again, use a very sharp knife (I used this one) so that the cupcake doesn't fall apart.

Step 5: Now we're ready for the toppings! Put vanilla frosting into 3 different bowls (about 2-3 heaping spoonfuls in the "mustard" and "relish" bowls, 2 spoonfuls in the "ketchup" bowl).  Add food coloring in each (I used Wilton gel coloring in Golden Yellow, Kelly Green, and No Taste Red). (For the frosting, I used a container of Betty Crocker Vanilla Frosting. With my KitchenAid mixer still in Toronto, it takes a long time to whip up fluffy icing!).  Put colored frosting into a small Ziploc bag and snip a tiny hole in one end. Pipe the icing to look like ketchup, mustard, and relish.

Tip: The red was the hardest for me to get right. Start with a smaller amount of frosting (2 spoonfuls) and add the coloring.  For the Ziploc bag, start with a small hole and increase size if necessary.

Shortcut: Use pre-colored icing tubes/decorating gels.

Burgers (cupcakes) are ready to be served!

Step 1: To make the French Fry cookies, I used my Christmas sugar cookie recipe (but used vanilla extract instead of lemon extract). Note that this recipe makes a lot of dough so I keep the rest in the freezer for future use.
Tip:  The dough needs to be chilled before using, so make the dough ahead of time.
Shortcut: Use sugar cookie mix.

Step 2:  Roll out the dough as thin as you can (about 1/4 inch) and thinly cut the "French Fries" (less than 1/2 inch wide).
Tip: The cookies will expand while baking so don't worry if you think your "fries" are too thin.  Again, use a very sharp knife (I used this one).

Let the "fries" cool before serving. 

To amp up the illusion of burgers and fries, I cut out and glue-gunned containers for the cupcake and cookies.  I used this template created by Bakerella.  (Also, check out Bakerella's post on her Cupcake and Brownie burger with Cookie fries!)

Step 1:  Print the template (page 1 and 4) on cardstock. Page 1 should be printed on a white or light-colored cardstock so that the red checkered pattern can be seen. I printed Page 4 (fries template) on red cardstock, but any color will do.
Tip: The template lines are very light so using lighter cardstock makes it easier to see the lines.

Step 2: Cut and glue everything together.  Feel free to add stickers or party circles onto the French Fry template. (I had created Bake Sale Cupcake Tags and added them onto the French Fry containers, but any party circle will do. You can also leave them plain).

I also cut up sheets of parchment paper to lay the "burger" and "French fries" on as well.  Hope you enjoy these step-by-step instructions and, as always, email us or post on Facebook any photos of your burger cupcake creations!

{Dining Out} Burger Lunch at 5 Napkin Burger

It was the long holiday weekend and I had to find a place in NYC that took reservations for a group of 8.  There needed to be space for a stroller or high chair and the menu had to include vegetarian and seafood options.  Surprisingly, our perfect spot for lunch was burger joint 5 Napkin Burger in Hell's Kitchen.

Look closely at the burger above.  It isn't extremely rare nor is it even meat. This is the Veggie Burger ($11.95) and it's fantastic.  Made with beets (which gave the burger its rich color), barley, black beans, brown rice, sesame seeds, jalapeños, and carrots, this burger patty was so tasty.  The multi-grain bun was hearty and the toppings (including the 5 Napkin sauce, pickles, and cheddar cheese) matched well with the burger.  This veggie burger is so good that even with all of the other meat options, I would definitely order it again.

Burger Salad ($14.95):  My sister-in-law loved her salad, filled with chopped greens, endives, tomatoes, blue cheese, cucumbers, peppers, green beans, red onions, radishes, celery, 5 napkin sauce, oil, and vinegar dressing. You can choose a beef, lamb, or turkey burger patty, but my SIL went with the veggie burger patty.  She declared that patty to be the best veggie burger she's ever had.

Original 5 Napkin Burger ($14.95):  My husband and brother-in-law both shunned our salad/veggie burger choices and went straight for the oozy, juicy, original namesake burger.  I don't blame them - I've enjoyed the burger before - and I knew my husband couldn't refuse a beef burger with caramelized onions, Gruyere cheese, and rosemary aioli.  Yes, he devoured the whole burger (and some of my veggie burger too!)

Ahi Tuna Burger ($15.95): My friend ordered the tuna burger.  The tuna was marinated in ginger, scallions, and soy, grilled to a medium-rare, and topped with wasabi mayo and tempura fried onions. She liked the thick slice of tuna -though I think I would still stick with the more colorful veggie or original burger.

Bacon Cheddar Burger ($14.95): Another friend ordered the huge beef burger topped with sharp cheddar, bacon, raw onion, lettuce, and tomato.  He made his meal healthier by substituting the fries for the side salad.  For him, it was one of the juicier burgers he's enjoyed - making the trip with his young family in from New Jersey completely worth it!  

With so many burgers to choose from, which one would you choose?