In Juneau Alaska I mentioned the hit and can’t miss spot to eat is Tracy’s Crab Shack. However, a close and impressive second is the Twisted Fish. I was really impressed with the type of seafood this restaurant served. A couple unique items to mention, Coconut Salmon strips with a berry chutney and Baked Salmon in a Puffed Pastry served in a reduction sauce. I will be in Juneau again in September and I may have to have lunch and Tracy’s and then dinner in the Twisted Fish. I have to admit, for a while there I was not to impressed with the restaurants in Juneau but I have found a couple gems.

We also devoured a bowel of their Chowder and the Crab and Artichoke Dip. Just writing this is making my mouth water. Usually what making peoples mouths water in Alaska are the glaciers, amazing mountain ranges and beautiful scenery. However, Alaska is notorious for cloudy, rainy and cold weather in the summer time. It is rear to get a great day. With the weather clouding my vision I set my sites on the food. Also being there week after week you get used to the beauty and weather and I can focus on stimulating my palate.

Sorry for the absence recently but I went on a 2 week vacation. During my trip I went to a few really good places to eat. My travels took me to Seattle and I found myself in the amazing Public Market, Pikes Place. You can find all kinds of seafood, fruits, flowers, and crafts, in one of the best public markets I’ve been too. I was strolling around looking for a gift for a friend and just off the market I strolled across Pikes Places Chowder. What caught my eye was the Crab Roll. They also had a ton of chowders to try from. I love little places like this, and there was a long line to order…always a good sign. I got the Crab Roll and thought it was going to be crab in a small hotdog bun but I have seen lobster rolls like that before. I was pleasantly surprised to get a hero roll with a load of crabmeat in it. It was a really good and refreshing sandwich.

The chowder was really good. Kelsey got the traditional chowder and I quote “ This is the best chowder I have ever had” I had a taste and it was really good but will see what Kelsey says after she tries Tracy’s Crab Shack in Juneau. I got the Seafood Bisque, which is proclaimed the nations best. Both soups were very hardy which always makes a soup really good.

Seafood Bisque

Traditional Chowder

There are a ton of different little hits all around the public market. I wish I had time to try a bunch more places. I’ll be in Seattle again, no worries.

We all know Greenpoint is home to many Polish families. Maybe you don’t, but if you have ever walked down Manhattan Ave. north of Greenpoint Ave it takes but a block to realize. Three butcher shops and 2 bakeries in the first block all with too many consonants in their name is a good tip off. I’ve lived on this stretch of Manhattan Ave. for three years now. There are weekend mornings I wake up and on the walk for coffee I hear not a word of english. It’s a bit eerie and a a bit comfortable at the same time. The comfortable far out weights the eerie, at least for me. Not only does it make me feel like I am traveling, which I love, but it excites my sense of discovery. The effect is intensified once you step into one of the shops. Be it a stop for Kielbasa or bobka the first words spoken to you are usually not those you understand. This may make these places intimidating. It may even make them a hassle to shop in.

I writing to debunk that theory. To do that I went straight to the heart of this matter. I went to Polam. Polam is the butcher shop that sits one store in from the corner of Manhattan Ave and Java St. One of my all time joys when traveling is to visit a butcher shop or food store in a country that I do not speak the language. There are only so many ways to cut up a pig. Once you know the cuts the language barrier has little ramifications. Some pointing, nodding and smiling usually gets the job done. Entering Polam is not much different.

It’s been 3 years since I first crossed this fabricated border into the heart of Warsaw. Since that first visit I have learned my proszę and dziękuję’s but you don’t need them to revel in the delicious smoked pork that is stacked, much of it still warm, five slabs high inside. In fact, you’ll have more difficulty fitting inside the chronically packed, tiny shop then you will communicating with the butcher. The picture at the top of this post is a still warm, slab of smoked bacon I bought last weekend to construct the base for a mac and cheese. I think that experience perfectly captures the point I am attempting to explain. Let me walk you through.

It was mid-day on a Friday. (Note: A much better time to go than a weekend or weekday post work) The line inside was slim. Maybe 6 deep. The temperature was below 50 degrees. Meat was stacked inside the glass cold-case which stretched the length of the store. Across the top of the case more meat four or five slabs deep. I made my way to the rear of the shop and stood next to the chicken case looking lengthwise down the long thin walkway towards the front door. Inside the case were half butchered and whole chickens. Heads, feet, necks, it was all in there. On top was the over flow of bacon that could not fit on the counter ahead of me. As I moved up through the line I entered the pork area. Hanging kielbasa’s of 13 variations dangled in my face. Ten other types of sausage sat inside the case in front of me including a giant blood sausage. Behind me was a case of dairy. Yogurt, five types of framer’s cheese and some fresh pierogies overflow from it. Abruptly a butcher interrupted me as I stared and gaped at the two cases to my right. Both were filled with cold cuts. Hot, smoked chicken quarters were piled up across the top of it. I snapped from my trance and acknowledge the butchers “Witam. Jak mogę pomóc?” with a simple but direct response, “smoked bacon”. He pointed to several slabs and explained, in half polish half english, the difference. One was smoked and uncooked. One was uncooked and unsmoked. Another was cooked but not smoked. For some reason all were hot. I paused and tried to sort my options for a second. Inside of that second the butcher grabed a slab, held it high in the air and hacked off a chunk with his 9 inch, razor sharp, semi-permanent hand extension. He handed me the piece of pork belly and moved on to cut pieces from the other slabs. After a mini pork fest I decided to go with the 4 pound smoked and cooked slab pictured at top. He wrapped it and stamped it without dropping his knife. “What else?’ he then asked. When I told him nothing he refused my answer. He proceeded to entice me with other hot smokey meats that were just pulled from the smoker or that had been hanging in the shop so long the taste was deliciously intense. Hacking piece after piece he continued feeding me until I caved in and bought an aged kielbasa. I put my hands up and signaled “enough”. He smiled and moved on to the next patron. I stepped back and into the register line. Not a word of english had been spoken the entire 15 minutes I was in the shop except for the few that I had with the butcher yet, I had my prize and some snacks to boot. Stepping out of Polam I re-entered the US without a passport, a duty free shop or even a glimpse of a customs agent. A half a block later I was in my kitchen sorting my spoils. The bacon sliced beautifully releasing an amazing smoked but fresh aroma. It was not greasy or slimy. The bacon bottomed mac and cheese was a tasty success and my kielbasa snack was the perfect cooking fuel.

I hope my point came across. My goal was to provide a window into these shops for those who usually just walk by them. The new and tragically hip business’ that are popping up all over are awesome but they are only half of the neighborhood. This contrast of new and old is what makes Greenpoint and many other ‘hoods in Brooklyn special. The gentrification of Manhattan has mad it sterile. No surprise there. But remember, that is why you moved to Brooklyn. Or, at the very least, that is why you hoped an L train to a G (or shuttle bus) and came to the neighborhood. You seek that neighborhood feel. Indulge in every piece of it.

Get on our list for upcoming dinners. Jump on.

The movie screen currently has scaffolding on it. Uhhh, we have to fix that.
Saturday, August 28th at 7:00pm
Come join us for some space travel. Here’s the skinny on the fat.

Starts: 7:00pm (cocktails and appetizers)
Ends: 11pm (really, when the film is over)
Donation: $60 (make a reservation below)
Movie: Spaceballs

Movie

We partnered up with Smaltz Brewing Company for this one and in honor of their Jewishness we figured we would bring Mel Brooks and his hilarity to the deck. Of all his movies it’s hard to pick a favorite. The deciding factor was the number of Hebrew references we could remember in each film. In the end, Dark Helmut and the rest of the Spaceballs came up winners. The hilarious Star Wars spoof is complete with Druish Princess’, John Candy as a half man-half dog and Pizza the hut. I guess all we can say is “May the Shwartz be with you!”.

Menu

Ohh, this will be interesting and tasty for sure. A mix of Jewish food and space food is already being crafted by Aimee and I. We are smoking a brisket for sure and there are talks of homemade pickles and kinish sandwiches. Although the juices, I mean brine, is still churning, salmon will be represented along with lots of Smaltz beer. Lily from Dandelion Wines will do her best to pick some delicious bottles to pair with this juxtaposed theme.

Reservations

Reservations are required. Space is limited to 16 people. When booking please make sure to change the quantity field to the number of people in your party. In the note section let us know if there are any food restrictions anyone in your party has.

I am always amazed how hot food can silence 16 talkative, jovial and passionate conversationists in mere seconds. Perhaps food is the great equalizer. Perhaps it is the key to that ubiquitous and intangible “world peace” idea. If it is, we are doing our part every week on a big deck in Brooklyn.

For those who are unfamiliar with the dinners, Reel Tasty is our summer supper club where Aimee, my co-chef/host, and I screen a movie on a 2 story building while our guests sample some of our latest and tastiest gourmet dishes. It has been a while since we hosted this dinner and I apologize for the delay. The menu for Wet Hot American Summer was quintessentially summer camp through and through.

Aimee started out the evening with a trio of delectable summer treats twisted in the way only she can. Somehow it makes you feel like you are eating gourmet comfort food tapas style.

photo credit: Kun Kim

She started the apps light. Well, not really. Fried corn & lobster mac and cheese bites so popable that you’d think they were bite size from the way the plate emptied. By light I meant there is fish in them. The glazed baby back pork ribs were up next. With a sweet hit from the bourbon sauce you had to take two…or three of these bad boys. Finally, what is more summer than watermelon? We mixed it up a bit, creating Watermelon with feta, balsamic and basil. It also was a nice palette cleanser as the grill, oven and stove top raged prepping the entrees.

Lily got crafty this time pairing the wines not only for taste but for style. Boxed wines sound horrible right? Think again. Over at Dandelion Wines they know what’s up. For the white she chose Château du Chatelard Bourgogne Blanc (100% Chardonnay). A classic white Burgundy made from unoaked Chardonnay is delicate with floral aromas. Honeydew, lime, and herbs mingle happily on your palate… For the red she went fresh and supple with flavors of black cherry and plum. Subtle notes of lavender and spice linger longer than expected in this Domaine Le Garrigon Côtes du Rhône (60% Grenache 30% Carignan 10% Syrah)

photo credit: Kun Kim

As guests sipped the kitchen prepped. The finishing touches went into the celery/nectarine salad.

photo credit: Kun Kim

The smoked Chicken was plated

photo credit: Kun Kim

And, the burger assembly line was turned on high speed

photo credit: Kun Kim

Somehow we were able to pull everything together at once. 32 burgers, 16 chicken legs, 2 bowls of salad and a giant bowl pasta with roasted cauliflower and broccolini marched out of the kitchen simultaneously and onto the stretched table of 16 guests. Presentation is never without a story or two. As we presented the dishes, their ingredients and their thematic characteristics of summer, guests wasted no time digging in.

photo credit: Kun Kim

This brings us back to that silent table I mentioned at the top of this post. The crunch of celery and squish of biting into a juicy burger replaced the sounds of laughter. Soon enough those sounds were then replaced with the unmistakeable beginning to Jukebox Hero as the movie lite up the back wall and guests turned to settle deeper into our summer camp adventure.

photo credit: Kun Kim

What summer camp story would be complete without smores. We just had to. Of course Aimee fashioned them into tarts for no muss and no fuss with fires and smoke.

photo credit: Kun Kim

That was followed by home made Pillow Fight ice cream. Nutella and marshmallow Fluff mixed with white and dark chocolate morsels churned up an edible pillow fight where clean up was NOT a problem.

photo credit: Kun Kim

Of course no recap is complete with out recipes and a shout out to the crew. This was an all hands on deck affair. Anthony was off the boat and he handled the task of burger assembly like a champ. Thanks as always to everyone who attended. You guys are the best. Our next dinner is August 28th. Hope to see you all soon.

Get on our list for upcoming dinners dinners@forkingtasty.com

Recipes:

Celery/Nectarine Salad

ingredients
celery
nectarines
cilantro
olive oil
scallions
pepper/salt
cider vinager

directions
1. cut celery and nectarines to the same size. About an inch long
2. mix with salt and olive oil
3. add cilantro and scallions
4. drizzle with cider vinigar
5. mix and serve

Wet Hot BBQ Sauce (served with the smoked chicken)

ingredients
1 can tomato paste
1 cup espresso
5 dried chilis soaked in espresso
3 tbs molasses
1 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
dash cumin
dash cayanne

directions
1. soak dried chilis in espresso
2. when rehydrated grind in food processor
3. mix in all other ingredients
4. mix well
5. simmer in sauce pan for one hour
6. transfer to container and chill in refrigerator

When I was a little kid we always had a garden. I hated it. It was a lot of work. When you are 5 the last thing you want to do is clean up weeds, pick ripe specimens and protect the growing crops from horn worms, flying things and the occasional 4 legged mammal. The garden was large, about a third of my backyard at its largest. That translates roughly into a 40×60 foot plot of peppers, radishes, tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, lettuce, blueberries, strawberries, eggplants, cucumbers and all types of herbs. To add to my misery, I found little logic with the garden and its yield. In the height of the summer we could barely the pick ripe fruits and vegetables fast enough, let alone eat them. This led to a weekly delivery service run by my parents with my brother and I as the primary delivery boys. We would bring crates of tomatoes and zucchinis to our neighbors on the block without as much as a dime. The occasional pat on the head and a “tell your mother she is too kind” was about as rich as we got.

As I look back now I see a completely different side to this ritual and chore. On Sunday’s it was the most noticeable. Supper would start early, usually around 10am. Sausage and braccioles hit the hot oiled pan. They were quickly followed by sizzling garlic. This marked the beginning of my mothers Italian sauce. By about 2pm we were making the salad and garlic bread. We would pull all the vegetables from the refrigerator, lay them out on the kitchen table and start chopping. The moment, the memory, is when we would be short a tomato or a cucumber. My mother would send me down to the garden to pick the missing vegetable straight from the vine. Back in the kitchen the missing piece was rinsed chopped and added to the bowl inside of 5 minutes. I took this for granted but always savored the taste of the fresh from the vine produce. I guess I was spoiled in a way. I didn’t know how good we had it. I thought every family cooked this way. As I grew up, I quickly realized this wasn’t true. I guess this is why everyone always ate at my house for dinner.

So today, as I run a version of this Sunday dinner on my back deck for 16 new friends each month, I see the impact this tradition had on me. The day before each dinner I travel to one of two local roof top farms in my ‘hood and see what’s fresh. I love to stand in the center of the “garden” early in the morning watching the farmer and his help pick, rinse and box the days harvest. I find myself briskly walking the rows of crops with the energy of a 5 year. My eyes shift rapidly back and forth between the rows noticing what is too young to pick, just right and done for the season. With each new section of crops my mind races with recipes I could make from the ingredients that are literally being created before my very eyes.

I settle down and meet up with Ben, the farmer, to pick up some tomatoes that I will be using in my next dinner. Fast forward to the next morning. I stand in my kitchen and begin to prepare my version of that Sunday meal for the 16 guests arriving in a few short hours. My knife slips through the flesh of the perfectly ripe, pesticide free tomatoes releasing a sugar into the air that only a just picked tomato can. I slice up a few more and then can’t help myself. I grab a plate, some olive oil and the pepper mill and make myself the simplest but most incredible snack you can imagine. As each tomato slice hits my palette the trio of ingredients augments the flavor of the other two with a simultaneous harmony. I smile to myself and finish my preparation and snack with complete content and  joy.

It has been a long time since the days of “garden deliveries”. I am still not getting paid to supply people with these delicious treats but I understand the importance of this job much more than I ever have. In fact, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Watching a new guests sit at my table and bite into a fresh tomato or cucumber and seeing that puzzled but overjoyed look on their face is money in the bank.

I usually don’t start a post with a pic of dessert. In fact, I don’t usually order dessert. As it turns out, that recurring Canadian I mention on this blog has some influence over my consumption after all.

A few weeks ago I traveled south to Carroll Gardens to dine with some friends who have the hood dialed. Knowing that I would be critical of the food choice, they started me out with some bread, cheese and a balsamic reduction at their apt. to ease me into dinner. Just across the street and a block down is Buttermilk Channel, named after the channel that used to be crossed for dairy farmers to sell their goods to Manhattan. Today’s channel is much deeper and is home to the Queen Mary 2. The restaurant pulls form a bit of that old world by making everyone feel quite at home whether you are a regular patron or a first time visitor.

Since we started with dessert, let’s continue backwards through the meal. One dessert over four people would just not be right so we packed two more on the bill. A Warm pear and riccota tart with ginger and brown butter custard just called out name. I mean come on, how can you skip anything that screams sweet ricotta? The other no-brainer was DOUG’S PECAN PIE SUNDAE. It’s all caps because it’s that good.

Backing ourselves up more into entrees lands us with some pretty unique twists on some staple ingredients and old time favorites. My buddy Elliott indulged in this DUCK MEAT LOAF with CREAMY PARSNIPS , ONION RING & DUCK JUS. Taking the meat loaf and doing it with duck is not only bold and nostalgic at the same time it is delicious.

Suze, Elliott’s wife, and that Canadian mentioned above opted for the classic of classics. A BURGER made from HOUSE-GROUND BEEF with GRILLED ONIONS, NEW YORK STATE CHEDDAR and FRIES. This didn’t have too many twists and turns but a fresh ground burger does have a certain flavor that oxidized store bought meat just can’t achieve. I am not sure how public I have been with this but Alton Brown (@AltonBrownNews) is my favorite Food Network chef for those little science lessons.

I opted for the name sake. Besides the fact that I have been on a fried chicken kick, Buttermilk in that equation made it impossible to resist. The dish did not disappoint. BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN with CHEDDAR WAFFLES & SAVOY CABBAGE SLAW. Mixing some cheese into a waffle gives a denser flavor that compliments the hearty chicken pieces. The secret to the dish was the syrup. I am not sure if you can reduce syrup but the flavor and viscosity were extra strong. Yet another twist on a traditional dish.

I like innovation in my food, it shows two things. One, someone in the back is thinking about what they are doing not just turning out food and hoping for a crowded front of house. Second, curiosity. Experimentation is the vehicle of discovery but with out taking the risk you will never move anything forward.

This brings us to the top of the meal, the appetizers. HOUSE -MADE PICKLES because you just have to try a brined cucumber if they are made on premises.

HUSH PUPPIES with GREEN CHILE AIOLI. Need I say more on this? All accompanied immediately after we sat down with these fresh brioche rolls. Hot and buttery.

I’ll be back to the Channel soon. I like their vibe both in the dining room and coming out of the kitchen.

The slider. It’s a different type of burger. It can be used as a regular meal or just a safety meal depending on how hungry you are at the time. For this forking tasty experience I was joined with a friend who loves burgers just as much as me at St. Marks Burger. I enjoyed 2 regular sliders and we shared their fries. The burgers remind me of White Castle burgers. All the sliders come with cheese and grilled onions. The unique thing about the St. Marks Sliders is they use a grinder to make their own meat. They do put a good set of spices in the burgers as well. The fries are super crispy, just how I like them. To dress up the burgers they had 4 sauces, Ketchup, Chipotle ketchup, jalapeño, and BBQ. I liked the variety. The décor was like hanging in a lounge/bar with a grill in the middle of the place. All in all, the food, décor and the company were all great.

After this week, finding this in my kitchen was a pleasant surprise. I will be visiting this establishment tonight for sure. Although the patrons are tiny they carry BIG personalities. I like that. Ok, you got me. I built it from my recently acquired, retro set of pre-lego-building-fantastico Lincoln Logs. Sometimes you need to get back to your roots in that pilgrim heritage type of way. I am hoping the cheese hut truck shows up later as well.

This post is just going to be a quick little burger review. I read in Time Out New York about this new little burger joint called Fresh & Fast. They say it’s the NY version of the west coast In and Out Burger. I had to go see what all the buzz was about. When you go in it’s small and there is not many places to sit and eat. The menu is small with only a choice of Hamburger, Cheeseburger or a Double Cheeseburger. I went for the Double with fries. The Burger comes with L,T,O and a special sauce. My first bit had juices and sauce running down my hands. It was really tasty. So tasty that I went back and got another cheeseburger. I am not the one to compare these burgers to In and Out Burgers but the do compare to another burger joint right around the corner, Shack Shack. Both have soft greasy buns and are delicious. Both are fresh but Shack Shack has a line that can loop around Madison Square Park. Fresh & Fast is just that…fresh and fast.