Not quite as fast as a speeding bullet, but tasty!

I was fortunate to be in the area of Burlington, VT this past weekend visiting a friend. In an effort to remain cost sensitive, and healthy, we ate in for the most part. However, we did go to two different restaurants that I thought were worth mentioning.

The first was in downtown Burlington, which is fun for the ambiance and vibe of a 'happenin' college town. The Daily Planet is an eclectic american bistro serving a variety of indulgent cocktails, as well as meals such as Short Rib Sloppy Joe, the Planet Burger, Allegash Salt Cod Fish and Chips, Chicken N Biscuits, Grilled Flank Steak and fries, etc.

I chose to have a Mali juice cocktail which was a spin off a mojito, but with ginger and vanilla. It was FANTASTIC. I have every intention on replicating this divine concoction at home once I figure out how to master the flavor combination. But at $7 I would not hesitate to go back and get it at The Daily Planet again!

For dinner, I ordered the Boyden Farm Short Rib "sloppy joe" which was a generous portion of shredded tender short ribs bathed in a tangy barbecue sauce. It was heaped onto a hot, fresh hamburger bun and topped with a homemade coleslaw that wasn't overpowering or dripping in mayonnaise, thankfully. On the side were some pickles (pass) and classic onion rings. All in all, a satisfying meal for the 'hungry man' or woman. This was no manwich and for that I was very very grateful.

I was not so lucky at Monty's Tavern in Williston, VT. At first I thought I would get the chicken sandwich but I did overhear the waitress serving the only other seated bar table apologize for the chicken sandwich on his order and mention they took it off the bill. That is a clear indication that you should probably NOT go for that item. Instead, I thought a brunch place could do a good quiche.

Eggs, pastry, cheese, cream and spinach.. what could go wrong? Well, the salad of greens, carrots, tomatoes and unbelievable thick dressing was fine. The quiche? Nothing special. It was overcooked and arrived with the crust broken off on the side of the plate. The quiche mixture had separated in baking so the eggs were like tough scrambled eggs and the goat cheese sat in a layer on top of everything else. It was mediocre at best. Brunch would've been better spent in my PJs at home!

Pretty Common..

Our little city of Portsmouth, NH has invited many new restaurants into the area over the years. Most of them are small, one-off unique bistros; the culmination of a chef's life long desires. Some are more standardized restaurants that have succeeded in other similar NH seacoast towns. Very few are in fact considered chains. One of the more recent additions to the downtown scene was THE COMMON MAN which is for all intents and purposes a chain based solely in New Hampshire. But regardless of which restaurant you go to, you're meant to recognize their home brewed ale, the classics on their menu and their signature, the homemade white chocolate accompanying your check, just to make paying a little sweeter!

I am fortunate to have tried The Common Man bar food in Concord, NH on a number of occasions, and am in love with the pretzel roll they serve their burger on in the bar. It is a true experience to enjoy the comforts of a hot, warm pretzel along with a delicious, juicy burger all on one plate! So, when I heard THE COMMON MAN was coming to Portsmouth, I was pretty happy.

We tried the restaurant for the first time during opening weekend and had a good meal, including Lobster Mac N Cheese and French Onion Soup ( a real staple on the comfort food menu.) However, on my return trip last night I varied from my 'common' choices and went for Pot Roast. The meat was tender, and the veggies were fresh. However, it was, well, in a word - common. There wasn't anything very special about it at all. In fact, the garlic & herb mashed potatoes were pretty raw and while the flavor was nice, the texture was a little tough. And sadly, there was no room left in my tummy to try the white chocolate bread pudding which I am INTENT on trying one day... so I was meant to be satiated with the taste of white chocolate that came with the bill. With one large chunk and three crumbs to split between me and my dinner companion, I went the high road and offered the chunk to him. And he took it!? Just kidding.. it's better for my waist line but sadly, my sweet tooth remained unsatisfied. Never a good thing for a chocoholic. We can get ourselves into a lot of trouble (or the remaining serving of the Peanut Butter Pie that is in my freezer, oops!)

So, sadly, the COMMON MAN was in fact common this time around. I might have to stick to the bar menu at the Concord location, or try one of their many other establishments in the chain. Or better yet, try an entirely different restaurant altogether!

Watching the waist line

As part of New Year, many people resolve to lose weight or at least get more exercise. I am certainly also one of the many though I've yet to step foot back in the gym or check in with my Jenny Craig consultant. Instead, I am taking baby steps and trying to choose healthier recipes.

In my heydey, I was a diehard Weight Watchers participant. I could tell you how many points were in a serving of almost anything. I prepared recipes from their online recipe guide and attended meetings as if my life depended on it. In some way, I suppose, it has. Needless to say that in all those lower calorie, lower fat recipes, at least a few were going to be memorable enough (in a good way) for me to want to make again at a later time.

So, years later though I am no longer a WW attendee, I was thinking about desserts that might not be too sinful. A friend reminded me of the Peanut Butter Pie recipe that we thought was to die(t) for; and so I share with you, a lower calorie, lower fat recipe that is VERY tasty!

Weight Watchers Peanut Butter Pie

½ c reduced fat peanut butter

4 oz low fat cream cheese

4 oz fat free cream cheese

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 12oz can fat free sweetened condensed milk

1 cup lite whipped topping, defrosted

5 oz mini chocolate chips

1 ready made graham cracker pie shell

PREPARATIONS:

1. Combine Peanut butter and both cream cheeses together with electric mixer til smooth.
2. Gradually add lemon juice and milk until combined
3. Fold in whipped topping and chocolate chips.
4. Pour mixture into pie shell
5. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

(WW points: 7 for 1/10 of pie)

Didn't Jump Over the Moon...

I had the pleasure of going out to eat with a friend before a concert last night, and luckily we have a number of different choices for fine dining restaurants in the area. There has been a successful restaurateur who is responsible for the likes of 3 or 4 of this establishments, if not more. That being said, my friend had a strong hankering for the cornerstone restaurant, Jumpin' Jays Fish Cafe.

Jumpin' Jays, as it's known locally, stands proudly anchoring the corner of downtown Portsmouth, NH on Congress Street. It is always a bustling scene, generally requiring reservations, so we were pleased to get seats at the bar without any wait. I had been at the restaurant many years before, soon after opening, and don't have a strong recollection of my experience. I was willing to assume that was because the meal and occasion was punctuated with a friends' pregnancy announcement.

Anyhoo... the menu was mostly unassuming with classic appetizers such as mussels and calamari, but with sauces and accents which indicated some unique cooking techniques and flavor combinations. Plenty of salads and a choose your own fish/sauce combination. The Jay specialities also sounded delicious, but as I've heard from some people I've spoken with since, nothing that is so remarkable as to not be able to be made at home. I am not however someone who fries my food so I graviated right to the calamari appetizer which is flash fried and servied with a fire roasted tomato sauce complimented with a jalapeno vinagrette. YES PLEASE!!! I added a caesar salad for greens :) My dinner partner had a scallop dish served with and orange glaze.

Tangentially I think it is important to note that good food has to both taste good and feel good. By this, I mean that the texture of the meal has to suit the flavor but also the food that is being prepared. You don't want pasty mashed potatoes for examples, or charred steak. And the key to fish in general, as well as most foods, is to make sure that they are not overcooked. Fish tends to dry out and become crunchy, seafood gets rubbery, and this is often where general dislikes occur, when people dislike the texture (or how something feels) not the flavor.

So, in that frame of reference, I am sad to report that both of the seafood dishes were overcooked for the most part. I tried a scallop and while the chef was able to achieve the unique character of scallops through caramelization, they proceeded to be overcooked and weren't fork tender. Overcooked shellfish or seafood can have a rubbery texture which is how I can say most people are accustomed to having calamari though this is INCORRECT. The flavor of the light breading and the sauce were great but the calamari was tough and rubbery. I was tricked when I was little into thinking I was eating onion rings once which is how my mom got me to eat calamari in the first place. That should be the texture you want to achieve in frying squid - smooth, supple, NOT chewy. I must say that some of the tentacles were well cooked but you can't say a dish is successful if only a bite or two are good.

So, the lesson I want people to walk away from here is that you can have a good meal that tastes good but it's a GREAT meal that feels good. And this meal left me feeling well, like I was eating rubber bands. So, I won't be jumpin' back in line to visit that restaurant.