chewingfat

I’ve been traveling to Boston quite a bit recently. Aside from working with a great client I’ve had the pleasure to experience some really fine dining including Davios on Arlington St.

It’s touted as a Northern Italian Steakhouse, so I felt compelled to order a steak. However, while perusing the menu for appetizer options the waiter made us aware of a menu section called “Davio’s Classici”. It’s a mixture of appetizers and entrees that the restaurant holds in high regards for various reasons. Items like sautéed calamari with anchovies, shallots, garlic and hot peppers in a white wine cream sauce or grilled porterhouse veal chop with creamy potatoes and vintage port populate this section. While these sounded great I was really craving some pasta, enter the tagliatelle bolognese.

I’m a sucker for a good meat sauce – it stems from my childhood. My mom has some italian background and could cook meat sauces like no one else. Beef, chicken, lamb – you name it, she had a killer recipe for it. So when I saw the meat that made up this sauce included braised veal, beef AND pork I had to order it. Davio’s was kind enough to offer me this an appetizer.

It was totally unbelievable. The sauce was a perfect marriage of tangy tomatoes and gamey meats. Considering the fat content the sauce wasn’t “greasy” at all. The pasta was fresh and perfectly cooked. This was truly one of the best pasta dishes I have ever ordered – Don’t worry mom, nothing comes close to your lamb sauce.

!/images/pimp.jpg!

For those of you who haven’t seen this yet, it’s definitly worth a look. The premise is simple: Take common packaged snacks (candy, chocolate bars etc.) and make gargantuan recreations. It takes supersize to a whole new level.

The makers of Vermont’s finest have done it again with their 2006 line-up. I’m not sure how these taste but the names are good for a laugh. Hold the phone, was the creative director at lunch when they named the last one? You decide.

Black & Tan™
Cream stout ice cream swirled with chocolate ice cream

Neapolitan Dynamite™
Cherry Garcia® and Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice creams, side by side

*Turtle Soup™ *
Vanilla ice cream with fudge & caramel cashews & a caramel swirl

Vermonty Python™
Coffee liqueur ice cream with a chocolate cookie crumb swirl & fudge cows

Berried Treasure™
Chunky Blueberry and Blackberry Sorbet Swirled with Zesty Lemon Sorbet

Jamaican Me Crazy Sorbet
Chunky Pineapple sorbet with a passion fruit swirl

Strawberry Kiwi Swirl
Chunky Strawberry sorbet swirled with kiwi sorbet

The St Lawrence Market is one of my favorite places to shop in the city. Today’s visit was like any other, save for this is the Saturday of Superbowl weekend, making it slightly more crowded than usual. I suppose the $8 for parking, insane crowds and a few relentless sales people could be seen as potential drawbacks over your local Supermarket – I think it’s just part of the charm.

Your supermarket simply doesn’t have half of the goodness stocked at the St Lawrence. Need a skate wing? no problem. How about fingerling potatoes? Yup. Buffalo steak? what cut?

Aside from the product offering, the service level far surpasses any grocery store. Want to hold that lobster to make sure its got a nice hard shell? Just ask. Veal bones for Demi-glace? you bet. Want a 20oz cut of Alberta’s finest? Ask. Blood oranges, heirloom tomatoes, orka? Ask, ask, ask. The vendors at the market are more than willing to help you locate whatever it is your looking for. Today I couldn’t find a fennel bulb. When I asked one of the guys who was restocking some tomatoes he pointed out some anise. He noted it was very similar but is typically a little stronger in flavour. Think the teenager at Loblaws could have done that?

On a side note, this trip really had one purpose – pick up ingredients for TBD Bouillabaisse recipe as requested by some good friends.

Four favorite dishes

• Mom’s fusilli with lamb sauce
• O’Carroll’s dublin lawyer lobster
• Seared Ahi Tuna at Harbour 60
• Barbecue Shrimp served with a Petite Rosemary Biscuit at Emeril’s

  Four great restaurant experiences

• O’Carrolls – Halifax, NS
• Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House – Las Vegas, NV
• Famous Ray’s Pizza – NY, NY
• House of Chan – Toronto, ON

  Four places I need to give a second chance

• Delmonico – Las Vegas, NV
• Susur – Toronto, ON
• Amuse-Bouche – Toronto, ON
• Peppino’s on the Beach – Toronto, ON

  Four kitchen tools or appliances I love

• my knives
• Instant reading thermometer
• Cast iron skillet
• Coffee maker