Return to Wine Country

In today's edition of "Places I'd Rather Be Right Now," we visit the grapevine-lined valleys of northern California. Two weeks ago The Pope once again played cruise director for a group of his oenophile friends, visiting wineries along St. Helena Highway, the Silverado Trail, Sonoma Highway, and beyond. Due to time constraints at my real job, The Folk Singer and I flew in late, causing us to miss out on the Napa leg of the trip which included dinner at Robert Mondavi and a much-hyped tasting at Quintessa. But we were excited to experience Sonoma County, an area which none of us had visited before.

Dinner on the first night was at Mosaic, which came highly recommended by New Orleans' #1 wino, Tim McNally. Located in Forestville, a rural town west of Sonoma proper, from the outside Mosaic looks like it could be a simple roadhouse restaurant. Inside though is a most inviting space and farm to fork menu featuring specials like this spread of wild mushroom and warm brie.

On our first night we stayed on the grounds at Korbel. While I will admit that the champagne is not my first choice for drinking, I will say that the history of the winery is absolutely fascinating. Francis Korbel was a political prisoner in Prague, and his grandmother busted him out of jail by hiding him underneath her skirt. He and his brothers then fled to America, starting out as cigar box makers, then moving to the Russian River valley to farm various crops, before one of the brothers decided that growing grapes was a good idea. 138 years later and after its purchase by Adolf Heck, Korbel is still a 100% family owned winery.

Bruce Cohn, owner of B.R. Cohn Winery, is a classic car enthusiast who keeps a number of his favorite hot rods on the property. Bruce is also the manager of a little band called the Doobie Brothers. He made his first million in the music industry, bought an estate in Sonoma, and began selling his grapes to wineries. But after his Olive Hill vineyard received designation and won awards for those other winemakers, Bruce decided, "F*ck it. I can do this," and started making wine himself.

After our first night at Korbel, we moved closer to Sonoma Plaza, where the girl and the fig is located. We loved the place - the guys for the food and relaxed atmosphere; the girls because some guy named Kiptyn from "The Bachelorette" was eating dinner there too. We started with a tower of local cheeses and charcuterie from Mano Formate, their in-house charcuterie shop. Everything was top notch, from the cocktails to my plat du jour featuring lamb sausage patties over goat cheese polenta.

The next day we had a tour, tasting, and lunch at Sonoma Cutrer. What I found most interesting about their process is that Sonoma Cutrer now making two different chardonnays: a rich and buttery California style and a crisp, classical French style. The latter, labeled as Les Pierres, was my favorite white wine of the trip. Other notable facts: (1) For the last 20 years Sonoma Cutrer has been working exclusively with two cooper families to make their barrels, and (2) the winery has two picturesque croquet courses on the front lawn.

Favorite overall wine tasted on the trip? Hands down, no question, 2005 Jordan Cabernet. Founder Tom Jordan is a petrochemical geologist by trade and was one of the first Americans to be granted permission to work in India and Malaysia, where he subsequently discovered the largest land-based oil deposit in the history of the world. (Yes, you read that right). In the late 1960s he was one signature away from buying Chateau Margaux, one of the oldest and finest Bordeaux houses in France, but the deal fell through when his agent disclosed that he was an American. So instead, Mr. Jordan sent topographists to France to study the terroir of the fine Bordeaux houses and told them to find an equivalent region in California. He ended up in the Alexander Valley, where his son John now oversees the operation.

In my opinion, what sets Jordan's wine apart from other California cabernets is an absence of the defining "new oak" flavor, which is a result of much shorter barrel-aging process (max 10 months at Jordan as opposed to 2 years for some others). Our host Isabelle told us how last year they conducted a vertical tasting of every vintage - from 1972 all the way to 2005. She said that the '99 stood out as one of the best, so I bought 2 bottles. One day down the line, I'll let you know if she was telling the truth.

One hiccup at Jordan: I don't know the name of the man in that picture, but I know that it is NOT Paul Prudhomme.

For our final dinner of the trip, we drove to Redd in Yountville. I'm running out of words at this point, so I'll just say that the menu was progressive without looking like they were trying to hard, and the food was phenomenal.

Upon recommendation of Big Brutal Dave, whose cousin cooks at another restaurant in the valley, we tried a grease the palm trick which would have been one of hell of an embarrassment had it failed. Let's just say that you get quite the number of stares when you walk into a fine dining restaurant armed with a 12 pack of beer when everyone else is bringing in magnums of Harlan. The bribe actually worked though, and our table was treated to a complimentary stack of sticky/sweet chicken wings and a prosciutto and parmesan pizza.

The food that we actually paid for was excellent as well. The table favorite was this yellowfin tartare with crispy fried rice. Not to toot my own horn, but I thought that my duck confit dish was better. Not only did the duck pull apart in meltingly tender shreds, but it was accompanied by foie gras meatballs.

Foie gras. Meatballs.

Finally, we closed out the trip with breakfast at Boon Fly Cafe, just as we had on the first trip. Green eggs and ham never looked or tasted so good.

By Da Track

When someone asks, "You wanna go to Liuzza's for lunch?", I always answer that question with a question of my own: "On Bienville or By the Track?" No matter what the response though, I usually say yes.

Liuzza's By the Track is best known for four specialties: Gumbo, BBQ Shrimp Po-Boy, Garlic Oyster Po-Boy, and the Breathtaking Beef. On a recent lunch with Rene and Big Brutal Dave, we ordered all of the above.

1. Gumbo - With a foundation handed down from owner Billy Gruber's mother, plus a few influences from Paul Prudhomme, this creole version includes oysters, shrimp, chicken, and andouille (but not okra). For an interesting read on the history and method behind this gumbo, check out this interview of Mr. Gruber by Amy Evans of the Southern Foodway Alliance.
2. BBQ Shrimp Po-Boy - Hands down the best dish on the table. A hollowed-out pistolette is overflowing with shrimp swimming in a sauce comprised of "all the butter in the world and half the black pepper."
3. Garlic Oyster Po-Boy - The crunchy fried oysters slathered in garlic butter were tasty but few in number.
4. Breathtaking Beef - Dry roast beef and horseradish mayo which lacked a potent punch made for a disappointing bogey.

If the specials board advertises fried eggplant, these light and crisp batons dusted with powdered sugar are an excellent way to start a meal. The cramped tables and no frills service are indicative of the dive bar ambience, as is the cadre of regulars usually perched at the bar. If the ponies are running (like they will be today), it's best to place the daily double before the lunch rush and then check the tote board on your way back to work.

Liuzza's By the Track - Par

The Downtown Deli Diagnosis - Part 2: The Store

Blogger's Note - Welcome to Part 2 of our in-depth survey of the CBD sandwich shops. Here's a link to Part 1 in case you missed it.

Often after a weekend replete with booze and rich food, I like to start off the week with a salad as a small step in the name of good health. When that time comes, I almost always head over to The Store. I despise boring, bland iceberg lettuce, which is usually the default greenery at most lunch counters where salads take a backseat to the rest of the menu. Not at The Store, where spring mix or arugula serve as the base for everything from Shrimp Nicoise (above) to the classic Chopped Cobb (below). And it's not just the lettuce. Everything, from the avocado and tomatoes to the roast turkey breast and boiled shrimp are high quality ingredients.

The hits keep on coming when it comes to sandwiches at The Store. I'm one of those "it's just a sandwich" people who usually doesn't see the point in paying $8 for a simple sandwich that I can easily make for myself at home, so I appreciate when a deli serves me something other than Boar's Head turkey on wheat. Pulled pork, basil-marinated mozzarella, caramelized onion spread - all ingredients not found in my fridge but readily available at The Store. I also appreciate a good potato salad, and their green onion version is a fine example.

Just like most other downtown sandwich shops, The Store runs daily specials (I've only had Wednesday's pulled pork hash over baked macaroni - it's very good) as well as an everyday special of shrimp and grits. The line is usually long, but this is still a place where you can be in and out in less than 40 minutes, which leaves just enough time to stop and chat with the numerous acquaintances whom you will inevitably run into. There are so many lawyers in this place during lunch that owner BJ Laws should start hosting CLEs. The food alone would be worth the registration price.

The Store - Birdie

I Scream, You Scream

Lakeview has been adding new eateries with fervor over the past few months. Recent openings in the 70124 dining scene have fulfilled three key groups in the Blackened Out Food Pyramid: buttermilk drops, po-boys, and now ice cream thanks to the opening of the second location of The Creole Creamery on Vicksburg. I appreciate the strategic placing of TCC directly across from St. Dominic's church - perfect for an afternoon Mass filled with repentance followed by a sinful reward of a double scoop of salted caramel (above). I am not sure there is a better flavor on this planet.

In other news, while waiting out an early afternoon rain storm inside TCC a few weeks back, The Folk Singer and I chatted up the counter girl, who offered some keen insight into the churnings behind The Creole Creamery. She said that after TCC was featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives last year, they were slammed with people embarking on a Guy Fieri culinary tour of NOLA. "Well, we just came from Joey K's, and so now we want a Sky Scraper," they would say. Some of the wannabes even spiked their hair and wore pinky rings. But I guess since The Pope started sporting 7 jeans, we have no room to judge.

Another little tidbit she let us in on is that TCC will be featured on this month's New Orleans episode of Chefs vs. City, which is the same show that Rene and I auditioned for back in March. Like Rob on Swingers, we were still optimistic because we had not heard an "official no" yet, but for now it seems that the dream has died. Oh well.

Our source tells us that the Chefs vs. City competition included a Tchoupitoulas Challenge, which is sort of like an ice cream eating Olympics, except that in this case one team got to pick their flavors first so the other was stuck eating Avocado & Cream, Beet Generation, Wasabi-Pistachio, etc. All I know is that had Blackened Out been competing, we would have destroyed 8 scoops of Steen's Molasses Oatmeal Cookie and Poblano Lime and THEN finished the other team's Tchoupitoulas just for sh*ts and giggles. But I guess Rene and I don't have what it takes like Brian Boitano does, so we will just have to stick with our day jobs for now.

At this time TCC in Lakeview unfortunately does not have the Tchoupitoulas because the positioning of the bathrooms is... shall we say... less than ideal for those valiant warriors who come up short on the challenge. But we were offered a few tips in case we ever decide to take the plunge:

1. Plain favored ice creams are preferred because they are easiest on the stomach.
2. Same goes for fruit toppings and syrups because they have less sugar than the chocolate or caramel alternatives.
3. Her most valuable piece of advice though was this: "Some people ask for the Tchoupitoulas and then get gummy worms as one of their toppings. I'm like, 'Dude, there is no way you are finishing this thing if you get gummy worms. They are like the kiss of death.' But they never listen to me."

But rumor has it that the Tchoupitoulas might be soon coming to 70124. Apparently there is a Lakeview resident who has put in many a request with TCC to bring the Tchoupitoulas to Vicksburg Street. This particular individual is one of TCC's best customers - frequently sending his wife to fetch a double scoop of Bananas Foster while he lays on the couch and watches football.

But until then, we will have to settle for the Peanut Butter Fudge Sundae. Life sure is rough on the lakefront.

The Harbor

No, not Snug Harbor. I'm talking about Lakeview Harbor, which is usually referred to as the "Port of Call of the Lakefront" because of its emphasis on burgers and baked potatoes. I happen to think that the Harbor is better than Port of Call, but I try not to make that well known for fear of retribution from the diehards.

A few weeks ago I visited the Harbor with two of the Lakefront's finest citizens: Rough Country and Big Brutal Dave. Though we are friends from long long ago, both of these characters happen to be up-and-coming attorneys at different big shot firms in the city. Between listening to them talk about how many hours they billed last month, we managed to eat some pretty good food.

We started with an order of potato skins, which were a lesson in fried goodness. Some might wonder why we chose this as an appetizer considering that a baked potato comes with all of the sandwiches. But come on people. This ain't my first rodeo. Instead of the standard burger and baked potato, I usually go with...

A filet sandwich. It's back there buried underneath that mountain of sauteed mushrooms, grilled onions, and shredded cheddar. And an order of cheesetots. This plate is exactly the reason why I prefer Lakeview Harbor over Port of Call: variety - of which Port of Call offers none and Lakeview Harbor offers some.

As an aside, you may have noticed a few tots missing from the picture. (I apologize for the poor quality of the photo, but I have never claimed to be Robert Peyton.) Anyway, it so happens that when the food came, both Rough Country and I were away from the table. Seizing upon this opportunity, Big Brutal Dave decided to help himself to a few of my tots, but he was not fast enough and I caught him red handed (and red faced). After sitting back down I received a text message from a friend who had been watching the robbery from one table over. It said:

"What's interesting is that he didn't take a fry... it was all cheese... and he looked like a 5 year old on Xmas."

For Lunch Today...

In the spirit of the season, I have been on a huge barbecue kick. So for those of you who did not get your fill of smoked meats over this past 4th of July weekend, this one goes out to you.

Last week I was for fortunate that Big Brutal Dave decided to take some time out of his busy bar review schedule to squeeze in lunch with me. There was no question as to where we would be eating: BBD loves, and I mean loves Ugly Dog.* In fact, just a few months ago I ran into BBD enjoying his birthday dinner there before a Hornets playoff game. He is a man of humble means, ladies and gentlemen, what else can I say...

Ugly Dog is just off Tchoupitoulas on Andrew Higgins. The problem is that, eventhough it is still located just outside the CBD in the Warehouse District, its too freaking hot outside to walk to during the summer months. Thus, the necessity of driving may deter some from choosing Ugly Dog for a quick lunch. But they are the ones who are missing out. Regardless, it serves quite a sizable lunch crowd during the week but slows down significantly during dinner.**

BBD recommends the pulled pork, and I would have to agree with him. Add on a loaded baked potato plus a side of that tangy coleslaw, and you have a hefty and tasty lunch for around $10. On my last visit I tried the burger - it's OK, but not the best this place has to offer. The chicken sandwich looked about the same. The brisket is pretty solid, and the pork spare ribs are a decent stand in for the ones you never have the time (nor the patience) to cook at home.

But I must say, the coleslaw alone is worth coming here for. Dressed with a combination of mayo, molasses, and soy sauce, I could probably eat an entire bucket of this stuff. Most of you should have already seen this next tip coming: put the coleslaw ON TOP of the pulled pork sandwich. Straight $.

Ugly Dog Saloon - Par on a par 3 with difficult pin placement.

* "Dude, they put f*cking molasses on the coleslaw. F*cking molasses. Gives it that tang. F*cking awesome."

** Blackenedout Exclusive Tip: After 5pm the Ugly Dog offers potatoes au gratin as a side dish.

For Lunch Today...

There are not many BBQ spots in or around NOLA, but the few that we do have put out a pretty damn good product. After living in exile in Austin for four years (no victory lap for this guy), I developed a hankering for BBQ which I brought back home with me. So whenever I get the itch, I head on down St. Claude to Poland Ave and make my way to The Joint.*

The Joint is such a dive, but that's what gives it its charm.** There are maybe 8 picnic tables and benches inside and a few outside, the A/C barely works, and the "bathroom" door is a curtain. But they make some great BBQ, so ambiance be damned.

In some regions, your choice of BBQ meats is strongly dependent on where you are. Brisket and sausage in Texas, pulled pork in the Carolinas, ribs in Memphis and St. Louis. Not the case at The Joint. They have Texas style beef brisket, St. Louis cut pork spareribs, Carolina pulled pork, smoked chicken on the bone, and a local Cajun specialty of smoked chaurice sausage. Can't decide which one to choose? No problem, go with the 3 meat combo plate. Oh and don't worry, they have both thick, sweet sauce for the brisket and thin, spicy sauce for the pulled pork.

As for sides, my favorite is the mac & cheese. The baked beans are rather light in color from the absence of tomato, but they are still sweet with either molasses or brown sugar. If you need a little greenery, order the salad with smoked tomato and onion dressing.

Finish it off with a slice of peanut butter pie for dessert, and you've got yourself one hell of a lunch. So head on out to the Bywater, tuck your tie inside your shirt (if necessary), and dive right into some great BBQ at The Joint.

* This "For Lunch Today..." goes out to Big Brutal Dave ("BBD"), an avid reader of the blog. He had some, shall we say, "complaints" yesterday:
BBD: f*king let me ask you this
where the f*ck was i supposed to go to lunch today
if yall didnt tell me
d*cks
Peter: You are in Baton Rouge, mother f*cker
We only do it for NOLA
BBD: so f*cking what
its bullsh*t
you didnt do it for nola today
thats what im saying
Peter: Agreed
At blackenedout we try to post everyday
Sometimes we need to bill though
BBD: well where should i eat
or should i have eaten

**I noticed on The Joint's website that it will be featured on the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives," so some of you may think that I am guilty of plagiarism. But let it be known that I have been patronizing The Joint and calling it a dive long before Guy Fieri has. End of rant.