Restaurant Widow

Potluck. Last reminder, I promise!

Don't worry, if you haven't RSVPd, you can still come! I have plenty of utensils!! See you tomorrow!

Last Update for Potluck!

I am expecting around 40ish ppl for the potluck. You do not have to prepare food for that many!

I will bring some chafing stands and there is an oven there.

I will be making some sort of braised meat product, and a giant tub of mashed potatoes. I'm hoping other sides and desserts will be taken care of...

I'll probably make a salad or something, depending in what I find at the market.

Wines will ne provided by Columbus' own Signature Wines, beer will be from the Elevator Brewing Company!! I will add links when I am at the computer (I'm in my iPhone, so I'm sure there are tons of typos).

Please let me know if you have any questions!

If not, I'll see you Sunday! Woohoo!

Last call for bulk club

Orders must be placed by Friday! Pickup will be Wednesday, February 10th. Location tbd. If you were counting in having things faster, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Countdown to Potluck!

Okay, kitties.  I am trying to get a feel for how many people are coming and what you are bringing.  I hope everyone is excited!  I know I am!

If you are new here and have no idea what I'm talking about, here are the details: I will be hosting a free potluck at Wild Goose Creative this Sunday, January 31st, at 7pm. Wild Goose is an open creative space (think blank store front) in SoHud - that's my 'hood!! (map) (read about last year's dinner)

Who can come: Absolutely anyone. Doesn't matter if you don't know anyone. For my first few dinners, I didn't know anyone who was coming and I am very shy and it was just fine.  Lots of single people come, and there is always lots of diversity, so you can come no matter who you are, who you bring with you, or if you come solo.  I think you will be surprised to find how awesome everyone is.

There are lots of people coming who I don't know, so don't think this is just something for my friends!

What should I wear: whatever you want. I'm super casual.

Can kids come? If they are cute. (just kidding, all kids are cute). I do believe there are some toys and the like at Wild Goose, so if you can't find a babysitter, don't let that stop you from coming.

What if I can't cook? No worries! You can bring your favorite beverage or a favorite carryout item from a grocery (the Hills, Carfagna's & Weilands are both good for this sort of thing), whatever. 

What if I can't cook "gourmet?" will people be snobby? Let's face it - 7 layer salad and buckets of chicken are delicious. They might not be gourmet, but they're potluck staples for a reason.

What are we going to do? um, eat! and talk. that's it. no agenda.

Does this cost? Nope! Although it would be nice if you brought some cash to donate to Wild Goose, because they are super awesome and need to put in a cushioned wood floor so they can host dance parties and yoga classes.

What if I can't bring anything? Then don't! Just come. I don't mind

What should I bring? Whatever you would like.  If it is your signature dish, and you would like to tell the world about it, please feel free to bring the recipe with you.  

I just took a tour of the Elevator Brewing Company and they are donating beer! How awesome is that?! I am pretty sure I have some wine lined up as well!

So, what now? 

Please let me know if you plan to come. I will be buying plates and the like and would love to have a good idea of how many to buy!  If you don't plan to come, no need to reply.

Please let me know also what style of dish you are planning to bring - you don't have to tell me what it is if you don't want to, but I'd love to know if you consider it a main, side, salad, or dessert.  This will help me inform my decisions on what to make big enough for everyone.

Okay! So, your assignment, should you accept it:
Leave a comment or email me with:
your number of people
what you are bringing.
If you don't drink alcohol, what non-alcoholic drinks should I supply?

Yay! I'm so excited for the potluck!

Smackies BBQ Pit

clockwise from to: pulled pork sandwich, collard greens, rib tips.
 

It's a great time to be a meat lover in Columbus.  And for all of you who became vegetarians for the New Year, well, you made your bed.

My Twitter followers already know my strong feelings for Smackies BBQ.  My bbq sauce stained fingers are compelled to share my love every time I find myself cramming my kisser full of their glorious porky goodness.

Last week Husband brought some pork sandwiches for lunch on Saturday.  Sunday, when it was my turn to procure lunch, I rather sheepishly admitted that I wanted more Smackies.  He just laughed and said he'd been thinking the same thing. 

So let's start with the basics.  James Anderson, aka Smackie, sets up a trailer in the parking lot of a carryout at the corner of High & Pacemont in Clintonville Thursdays - Sundays at noon.  The smoke was rolling this Thursday when I drove past at 11 in the morning and my car began turning on its own.  Alas, some of you might remember that I am in the process of losing weight (6 pounds down!) and I can't be running around eating ribs and mac and cheese and the like without consequences. *sigh*

I knew there was going to be a long love between Smackies and me the first bite I took of the pulled pork sandwich.  The buns are of the nice, soft, white variety; typically I am not a fan of soggy bread, but when you start to get towards the end of the sandwich (which is messy, and must be eaten still wrapped in the foil), the whole thing has turned into this glorious bbq-y, porky, soft bready mound of deliciousness. Hm. Have I used the word deliciousness twice already? Well no matter. It's good stuff.  The pit boss chops the pork all together so you have a great ratio of fat to meat without getting any undesirable fatty hunks. Oh drool.

A tweep had suggested getting the ribs dry with sauce on the side, advice I took. The ribs really are amazing.  I mean seriously, the best I've ever had by far.  The dry rub is perfection, and you have to keep eating them, because they are so good the way they are, but the homemade sauce is so great that you have to keep alternating between dry and dipping.

My mouth is watering as I write this, and I just ate dinner.

The collard greens (sometimes kale, and sometimes a blend) are of the smoky variety - I believe they are only meat, onions, and greens; they don't seem to have either sugar or vinegar added (I know there are many different positions on this topic).  Some have told me they find the greens undersalted, but every time I have had them, I ponder drinking the pot likker directly from the little styrofoam cup.  With a pinch of tabasco, the only thing these greens are missing is some cornbread.

Lest you think I'm just slobbering and drooling all over this place, delirious with my love for fatty porky smoky spicy yumminess, I am not super excited about the mac n cheese.  This might be a personal thing; this is the bechamel based soft baked kind of mac and cheese, and I kinda prefer a gooier mac and cheese with lots of salt and sharp cheese.

The first time I had the brisket, I wasn't completely sold that it outweighed Weiland's on their best day (the brisket at Weiland's runs the gamut from glorious to meh, with most times settling on very good), but I must have had a rare misfire because I just received this tweet from Armando the Crimson Cup coffee roaster: "@lisathewaitress Raised on Texas Pit BBQ. I know good brisket. Smackies is the best i've ever eaten. Need to try the ribs next."  Yeah, that's some pretty serious praise, just in case you don't want to take my word for it.

The less expensive rib tips are pretty tasty, too - they have a chewier texture, but are still tasty, and you burn more calories chewing them. So, there's that.

Sauces are homemade - there's sweet and tangy sauce (awesome), a spicy sauce (awesome), and a habenero sauce, which is delicious and has a very slow, creeping heat that you don't notice until you're halfway through your sandwich and find yourself guzzling beer to cut through the heat.

So, what have we learned today? Smackies is worth abandoning your silly vegetarian resolutions.*  I promise its worth the guilt.

Hm. If I were really mean I would post this review Sunday night at 9pm, just when Smackies had closed up for the week, and make everyone wait until Thursday. But I'm not mean. I love you, and I want you to enjoy the best BBQ our fair city has to offer.

Info: Smackies Pit BBQ, corner of Pacemont & High in Clintonville

*dear vegetarians, I love you. I don't understand you, but I love you. So please, spare me the lecture.  You can take my pork when you pry it from my cold, dead, cholesterol-riddled fingertips. Along with beer, pork is proof that god loves us and wants us to be blissfully happy all the days of our lives. Amen.

Bulk Club Extended

Hi everyone! I am going to extend bulk club an extra week, and I might add a fee things since some have expressed interest in dried fruits and the like.

Orders will be taken until Friday, January 29th. If you need your items sooner, please let me know and I'll get it to you.

Cheers!

U hope you're enjoying restaurant week.

Things to do in Columbus::January 20th Edition

That's right, folks!! It's the return of everyone's favorite weekly feature, the Weekly Things to Do List! Woohoo!

Do you have events to add? Leave them in the comments, and have a fun week here in our Fair City!!

• First up, this week is the 614 Magazine Restaurant Week.  I know it's confusing, but there are 2 different sets of Restaurant Week.  One for Dine Originals restaurants only, and another for 614 Magazine which has restaurants in and out of the DOC. Proceeds from Restaurant Week go to the MidOhio Food Bank.  There are tons of great restaurants participating, including the Refectory, G. Michael's, Luce, Sage...the complete list can be found at the link above.
• Available Light Theatre presents a new interpretation of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice at the Riffe Center. The show runs through Sunday and many showing feature talkbalk after the show; there's even a noon show on Friday with lunch from Tip Top! How cool is that? That's the one I'm thinking of seeing.  If you haven't seen an ALT show yet, you really should.
• Latitude 41 will be hosting a beer tasting this week featuring the beverages of Goose Island Brewery.  The dinner features a Goose Island expert and a five-course dinner. Dinner is $45 and includes a complimentary beer glass.  More details can be found here.
• In more theatre news, MadLab presents "Cow Tipping & Other Love Stories" beginning tomorrow through the end of the month.  This show presents three shorts, so it's perfect for the ADD-afflicted among us.
• This week at the Wexner Center it's Cinema Latino; next month there are going to be some awesome food-related movies; don't let me forget!
• Did you know that you can visit the Wilds for a winter safari? I keep trying to hint that they should host me for a night in one of their fancy yurts, but so far I've been out of luck! (just kidding. kinda)

Want a Pretty AmyD Apron?

You know AmyD, right? She makes pretty skirts and dresses and especially aprons!  Ms. AmyD has graciously offered an apron for one lucky reader!

 
 
As you can see, this apron features a lovely applique of the beautiful state of Ohio and a fancy pocket for the most important tool in the kitchen, the beer bottle in your right hand (or other yummy beverage, root beer, for example).

How to enter? Simply leave a comment with your favorite small business; it doesn't have to be local.  Just let us know about them and where they are located, and maybe help them out with a link.  

We'll take entries through Thursday, January 21st at midnight, and announce the winner on Friday the 22nd.

AmyD will offer a consolation gift to non-winning entrants - a 15% discount on any apron in her shop!

So, I'll start.  I love Yeah Me Too coffee.  Yeah Me Too is located in a tiny storefront in Clintonville at 3005 Indianola ave near studio 35. I wrote about them here.  Yeah Me Too roasts their own beans and they are always deliciously yummy.  It's one of the most perfect small businesses around. No pretense, no frills, just great people roasting beans very well and selling them.  That's it.

Bulk Club Items & Order Form!!

*update* I fixed the missing sugar prices and made the form more easily downloadable. 

I am so excited about this month's bulk club.  I have found some really great things; one thing I am looking into for the next order is bulk olive oil and vinegar.  I think I have found a great source for olive oil, and I am ordering a sampler pack of extra virgin olive oils and vinegar so that we can taste through it together and see if it is worth the investment.  It would be a significant layout on my part so I would like to feel out how much interest there is.  I will say that it would be far, far less expensive than anything you can buy in a grocery store.  

If you would like to order some things in smaller quantities than I have listed, please let me know; I will be able to do that for some things but if I get too many requests, I might not be able to get everything on my list.

Please place your order by Friday, January 22nd (that's this Friday!!)

Below is the order form.  I have gussied it up a bit this time.  Add your name to the sheet, then just enter the quantity of whatever you'd like in the "quantity", and it will automatically add up.  There is a link to PayPal under the total where you can pay; save the excel sheet to your computer, then attach it to an email and send it to me at LisatheWaitressATgmailDOTcom.

Pickup day will be at the potluck on January 31st.  If you aren't able to make it, please let me know in the notes to the seller and we will arrange another time.

After the order form is a list of descriptions of each item we have this time around.  If there is anything you would like to add, please let me know and I will make every effort to get it in time for the pickup.

Happy shopping!!!

Download January Bulk Club!

Fragrant Jasmine Rice - The rice of Thai cooking. Jasmine rice is long-grained and has a very fragrant and nutty aroma
Arborio Rice - a short-grained, Italian rice variety used for making risotto.  Arborio becomes very creamy when stirred and cooked slowly.
Kala Jeera Rice - This is a new one for me, and I can't wait to try it! Kala Jeera is a tiny rice similar in aroma to a very intense basmati (which is known for its popcorn-like aroma). Kala Jeera is so fragrant and delicious it is best eaten on its own with a little salt.
Flageolets - are immature kidney beans.  They have an ethereal greenish-white color and a very light and delicate flavor.  They are the standard bean for cassoulet.
Beluga lentil - tiny black lentils which retain their shape with just a bit of bite.  I love belugas because they cook in under 20 minutes and are meaty. excellent with just a little olive oil and salt.
French Green lentils - another great firm lentil which retains its shape and cooks in a flash.  I love these as a mild counterpoint to rich sausages (they are frequently paired with foie gras), and they make great cold salads.
Rainbow Couscous - I thought this would be a fun thing to try.  This is traditional Moroccan-sized grains, which are flavored with tomato and spinach, making a pretty blend.
Yellow Popcorn - usually has large kernels and a strong corn flavor.
White popcorn - smaller kernel with sweeter flavor
Pumpkin Seeds - these are roasted and salted.  A great snack and very good for you - they have lots of good minerals, protein, fatty acids, and vitamin K. 
Chia Seeds - they may or may not be a miracle food.  Chia seeds have a ton of omega 3 fatty acids - as much as flax seeds, yet chia is easier to digest.  These seeds also hold 9 times their weight in water, so they fill you up. They have tons of fiber. I like to add them to smoothies - they don't have very much taste, so you won't even notice them - for the fiber boost and the fullness factor.
Spirulina powder - a blue-green algae which contains lots of vitamins and minerals, as well as a good amount of protein. Some people even think the legendary lifespans of Okinawans are due in part to the longstanding use of spirulina powder.
Soy Protein Isolate Powder - this vegan powder is 90% protein and can be added to just about anything; you can make your own soy protein shakes, flavored your way, instead of paying out the nose for the yucky ones at health food stores.
Whey Protein Isolate Powder - 80% protein, can be used as you would use soy protein powder
Textured vegetable protein - a tasty vegetarian source of protein.  Can also be used as an economical way to stretch meat-based dishes.
Organic Cane Sugar - this sugar still contains some molasses, giving it a richer flavor, especially when used in baked goods.
Vanilla Extract - Great true vanilla extract at a fraction of the price at specialty stores. Price includes repackaging in a nice glass jar.
Ugandan Vanilla Beans - bourbon-style beans from Uganda; they are plump and juicy. Flavors are stronger than Madagascar beans, very rich and complex. 
Madagascar Vanilla Beans - long considered to be the best vanilla bean, very expensive with a complex flavor
India Vanilla Beans - Haven't tried these yet! apparently they have a rich and exotic flavor.
Guittard Dark Chocolate chips - a great and affordable dark chocolate
Guittard Milk Chocolate chips - a great and affordable milk chocolate. 
Valrhona cocoa powder - widely considered to be the best chocolate currently being made, you have to see it to believe it. I have a great recipe coming from Pistacia Vera using this powder. You will never, ever go back to hershey's.
Valrhona 40% Milk Chocolate - will make you rethink milk chocolate. One disc will take you on a tiny little vacation. Valrhona simply gives chocolate a whole new meaning. Expensive, and worth every penny.
Valrhona 64% Madagascar - simply amazing with complex flavors. will make you stop in your tracks. Again, it's expensive and worth it.
Vac Bags - available in 3 sizes, pint, quart, and gallon.  these are compatible with FoodSaver and other vacuum sealer bags, but are at a fraction of the price.  They are 4mm thick and can withstand extreme temperatures (even a blast chiller) and boiling. 

Everything will be packaged in a sealed, heavy-duty zip-top bag which is freezer safe. Exceptions are vanilla beans, which will be packaged in test tubes or wrapped in wax paper and vacuum-packed.  Vanilla extract will be packaged in an 8oz glass bottle.

Who wants to help Husband pass his Master Sommelier exam? You do?! Great!
Here's how you can help, and I know you can do it because you are all foodies and have eaten places I can only dream about.
Part of Husband's exam will include pairing food and wine. This isn't just the "steak and cabernet" sort of pairing, this is more complex. The judges will be looking to see how he makes his decisions and if he can back them up.
This is how to help. I am making a ton of flash cards with different dishes, and I would love to solicit your help. There is no limit - they don't have to be things you've eaten, they might be tasty things you've read on the menus of your favorite restaurants or they can be your favorite dish.
The important thing is that you include the main ingredients, flavoring agents, sauces, and any pertinent preparation details (because grilled fish has a different flavor profile than fish poached in olive oil, for example).
Here is an example: Frisee salad with rabbit loin and lardons, and hazelnuts; truffled hazelnut vinaigrette (yes, I really ate that - two of them, in fact - at Zuni Cafe in San Fransisco)
The dishes can be any course from amuse to dessert and can also be of any cuisine you'd like. In fact, the more diverse the cuisine, the better. Ethnic foods can be especially tricky to pair; especially Asian cuisines, because soy is a particularly tricky partner for wine (except champagne, of course).
The dishes don't have to be fancy. They can be the lunch you grabbed from hot dog cart outside your office.
You can leave your ideas in the comments section or email them to me LisaTheWaitressATgmailDOTcom! I can't wait to see your ideas! If you are reading me on Facebook, you can leave the comment there - Tweeps can tweet their dishes if they'd like, to @lisathewaitress.
Husband takes his test in August, and because it is very difficult (only 10% pass in any given class, and that includes those who are re-taking it), we are commencing the studying now. Actually, he has been studying since he passed his Advanced test in October 2008. You might be hearing a lot about wine this year...