Northside Grill

I took Terrific Son for breakfast at the Northside Grill in Ann Arbor. Not bad at all, I say.

A friendly staff welcomed us and we chose to sit at the small counter rather than wait for a table or booth, though at noon on Sunday the wait would not have been more than ten minutes. I like that they give the waiting customers one of those little vibrating messangers to carry while they wait outside in the spring sun drinking coffee supplied outdoors by Northside.

I had a pancake with eggs OE, hash browns, a biscuit and bacon. High marks for the bacon - thin and crispy and clearly good quality. The hash browns were pretty good. Just potatoes, but very well cooked - crispy on the outside and soft inside. Eggs were fine, properly done with firmish whites and runny yolks and the yolk was filmed over nicely. The biscuit was just ok - a little on the heavy side. I have the opinion that biscuits are wonderful in the first five minutes after they come from the oven. After that, I would stick 'em in a barrel and sell the barrelful to the British Navy.

I ordered a single pancake because I like to make a pancake sandwich with my eggs. This single pancake could have made a meal by itself. I usually make buttermilk pancakes that are very light and fluffy. This buttermilk cake was thick and cakey and covered an entire dinner plate. It tasted fine, though I did not notice a buttermilk bite. It was not the ideal shape and texture for a egg sandwich, but I don't suppose I can fault Northside for that. For those looking for this style 'cake, Northside does a very decent job with these. If you're a light and fluffy sort, order eggs or something else here. Northside offers pure maple syrup for $1.45 extra, which seems reasonable to me.

Terrific Son had the corned beef hash. It was very nice, almost all meat, not greasy at all, and it had some spice to it. He enjoyed it.

I put Northside Grill on a par with Angelo's and The Broken Egg in Ann Arbor. All serve a tasty breakfast in different styles - tho it's easier to make a pancake sandwich at The Broken Egg.

Incidentally, Terrific Son graduates soon with a double major in film and communications. He has not yet selected a job and is still willing to listen to offers. You can contact hm through this blog if you're in need of a terrific filmer and communicator.

Leftovers night

Stopped at LeSoups in Ferndale for a lunch today. I had the crab/corn chowder with some bread. The chowder was pretty good with real pieces of crab in it. It was peppery, pretty potently peppery - I am kind of a wimp with spicy things, but this was peppery enough for a normal person, but not so peppery that I couldn't handle it. The bread was OK, French they said, and it had a crispy crust though the inside was insubstantial. Sadly, when I looked in the bag back at work I realized they put two containers of margarine in there. The bill was about $4.75 for a 10 oz. cup with bread and margarine and a nice bag to carry it back to work in. LeSoups is on the south side of Nine Mile, a couple blocks west of Woodward in downtown Ferndale.

Much of Metro Detroit believes that the Red Coat Tavern in Royal Oak serves the finest burger in the area, in the state! in the world! Knowing this, I stop in there every few years hoping that I will notice what seems so obvious to every one else. I did so again recently. I now believe that Red Coat makes a decent burger. The one I got was rare, though I ordered it medium rare, and the bottom of the bun was soggy. The fries were crisp and hot. Service was competent if not the friendliest. My bill for a cheeseburger, fries and iced tea, with tip, was $16.72. Red Coat Tavern is on the east side of Woodward Ave between 13 and 14 Mile Rds.

Here is one terrific meatloaf recipe I copied off Chowhound.com.

1/4 lb pancetta, diced
1 cup minced onion
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup 1/2 and 1/2
1-1/2 TBS worchestershire sauce
1/2 tsp hot sauce
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 pound ground veal, pork or turkey
3/4 lb 85% ground beef
ketchup
shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cook the pancetta in a skillet until the fat renders. Pour off most of the fat and saute the onions and garlic in the fat until they soften and the pancetta starts to crisp. Mix all the other ingredients together in a bowl, add the onion mixture, and mix well with your hands. Form a loaf and place on a rack so it doesn't sit in grease while it cooks.
Cook 40 minutes of so until the internal temp is 155 degrees F.

Note: I used 1 lb of 80% chuck, 1/3 lb ground veal, 1/3 lb ground pork sausage.
Note also: I have one of those electronic thermometers with the long cable so I can watch the temperature rise outside of the oven. Take the meat out of the oven at 155F; if there's a little residual heat temperature rise, it's OK.

Fish and Chips at Dick O'Dow's

Another adventure in fish and chip hunting in Metro Detroit, this time at Dick O'Dow's in downtown Birmingham.

(A confession of bias first: I am not a big fan of "Irish" bars. I am plenty Irish - of my 16 great-great-grandparents, 14 left Ireland during the 1840's famine and most of them were, in my mother's words, "peasant farmers." I don't really know what counts as authentic Irish, but I doubt any of my ancestors ate and drank in an establishment like Dick O'Dow's. I'm not really angry about places like this - I just don't see any of my ancestors' lives here.)

Anyway, onto the food. I liked the fish here. The fish quality seemed right up there to me and it was cooked perfectly. The coating is different from most F&C - very thin and not very crispy. The coating came, I'm guessing, from a very thin batter. They advertise Guinness in the batter but it was more subtle than my ravaged taste buds could identify. The serving is more than sufficient - I took the third piece home with me.

The fries exceeded any I have had for a while. Ordinarily, steak cut fries are not my first choice, but these were big, crunchy on the outside, pillowy inside and HOT - and by hot, I mean hot from the fryer, not from the heat lamp. Dandy fries, however they're cut.

The slaw was good, fresh, creamy with a bite of vinegar and a generous serving it was, as well.

The service was OK. The waiter was friendly and helpful; she was just overworked. To be fair, we were there at 4:30 on a Sunday afternoon, the first warm springlike Sunday of the year. I assume they wouldn't have a huge staff scheduled for that time of day. She had 5 or 6 tables going in the back room, which is a long way from the kitchen and the bar. So the service was slow, but she served our food hot from the fryer and grill (daughter's hamburger) - she got the essential work done right and of course I tipped accordingly.

Would I go back? Probably for a beer and some fries, probably not especially for the F&C.

Our meal was about $25, with tip and soft drinks. Dick O'Dow's serves alcohol; we just didn't have any.

Dick O'Dow's is on the north side of Maple, a half block west of Old Woodward in downtown Birmingham.

Thuy Trang

So, daughter is home for spring break and I'm in need of pho. She's never had Vietnamese food so this is a great day to try. Based on some area Chowhounders, we tried Thuy Trang for the first time. Located in a Madison Heights strip mall, between 12 and 13 mile road that includes Saigon Market, it's a busy and popular place. We were some of the few non-Vietnamese, a good sign.

Lots of specials on the wall, but lacked explanation in English for folks like us, occasional visitors. Interior is strictly utilitarian and isn't made for lingering.

I opted for the pho with beef and meatballs, daughter had the # 37 egg noodles --stir fried chicken and vegetables over crispy noodles. It's got an extensive menu, a lot beyond our experience, but had helpful descriptions.

Service is prompt, but a bit brisk. We started with spring rolls--very plump and generous in its pork, vermicelli, herbs, with a lovely dipping sauce with crisp carrot juilienne pieces and a bit of heat.

The huge steaming pho came in a lovely bowl. The broth was a bit oiler than those I've had other places--more like a chicken soup with "eye" of fat...not unappealing, not what I've previously had. Also the pho had an abundance of finelyy sliced veggies, onions, scallions cooked in the soup. The a generous plate of \ fresh herbs, bean sprouts and lime came promptly to add in. The broth was light, flavorful and totally satisfying. The noodles were very fine, abundant and fun and delicious to slup, with some extra hot sauce.

Daughter's dish had stir fry on a bed of ethereally light, fried thin noodles. Totally surprising in its crispiness, and lack of oil or additional oily flavor. The stirfry had a deep flavored sauce and nice chunks of very fresh peppers, straw mushrooms, baby corn, onion and carrots. Really excellent flavor and neat textural contrast.

Only quibble is we weren't offered tea, just water. Oh, and I knocked over my water all over the plate and floor.

This is a place you come to chow...not to hang. But if you want pho, and sometimes you just do, Thy Trang is fast, reasonably priced and will make your tastebuds happy.

Thuy Trang is located at 30491 John R in Madison Heights, MI

Ah, The Lark

Oh, we had a lovely time at The Lark in West Bloomfield. Deservedly restaurant of the year from Hour for the second time and certainly the best meal we've had in years.

It could have been a disaster - The Lark called Thursday to confirm our Saturday reservation and when I told the caller we were planning on Friday she became it seemed rather flustered and stumbled around a bit before she gathered herself and promised they would manage Friday night. They did indeed and seated the five of us at a nice table overlooking the garden.

The Lark is primarily prix fixe with your dinner including cold and warm appetizers, salad and main course. Dessert and drinks are extra. In addition, we chose the wine bouquet which includes four wines from the by-the-glass menu with both appetizer courses, main course and dessert. It works out to perhaps a bit over two regular glasses of wine for $32.50 each. That worked nicely for us for two reasons: we would be leaving in two cars and neither driver would have had more than two glasses of wine in two-and-a-half hours and the college age folks with us would get a chance to sample a larger variety of good wines (as would I).

From the cold appetizer cart we enjoyed oysters (Maryland farm-raised), shrimp, a slaw, an apple-duck salad and beef carpaccio. Both the duck and the beef had lovely, smooth ribbons of tasty fat. The oysters were juicy and perfectly fresh.

The hot appetizers included pasta with rock shrimp, a thick sweet mushroom bisque with sherry and a sole and scallop grill with a sweet pepper sauce. We shared all of them. The sole-and-scallop dish was marvelous - perfectly grilled with a mild sauce that fit it perfectly.

The salads were greens with incredibly smooth blue cheese and a sweet cashew dressing or greens with artichokes and a sherry viniagrette.

Our main courses included The Lark's signature rack of lamb - rosy, tender, curried; prime beef strip loin with an intense red burgundy sauce, pan-fried lobster with butter and red pepper sauce and a crispy, grease-free roasted duck with a sweet sun-dried plum and Armagnac sauce on braised cabbage. The steaks came with pommes frites which were OK. Years ago at The Lark I had a steak with a delicate, crispy potato dish constructed like a basket. Oh, that dish was wonderful.

Desserts included cherry tart (heavenly-light pastry), cheesecake, blueberries and pineapple, chocolate truffles and a light-as-air lemon cake. Desserts were fine, but we really didn't need them. By the time we got home, I was feeeling a bit fuller than I would have liked.

There was not a loser in any of the wines we sampled. There were:
Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Kabinett, Von Kesselstatt, 2004
Nobilo Icon Sauvignon Blanc, 2004
Qupe Block Eleven Reserve Chardonnay, 2003
Pouilly Fuisse, Latour, 2004

Leal Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon, 2002
Domaine Monpertuis Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 2000
Rancho Zabacco Chiotto Zinfandell, 2001/02

The only issue to be raised with the wines was the waiter's suggestion of the Riesling with the lobster. Not as sweet as most Riedslings, it was nonetheless way too sweet for the lobster and butter.

The Lark is expensive. For dinner with dessert and modest wine consumption, you should count on $150 or more per person. We can't do that on a regular basis, but it is truly worth it on rare special occasions.

The Lark is warm and small, cozy and friendly. Jim and Mary Lark are always there. The service is professional and pleasant. The food is of the highest quality, prepared expertly. And we had no difficulty getting a reservation for Friday night - perhaps a effect of Detroit's dismal economy.

The Lark is rightly recognized as one of the premier restaurants in Michigan and the Midwest.

The Fly Trap

Ferndale has for a few years been a pretty popular destination for breakfast, at least along the Woodward corridor. Between Club Bart, Toast and The Fly Trap you can mingle with a diverse and representative bunch of Ferndalers, wannabe 'dalers and oughtabe 'dalers, hipsters, used-to-be-hipsters and cheerful folks like us.

We checked out breakfast at The Fly Trap and at least felt right at home with the crowd - except for maybe a irritatingly loud woman a table over.

I had the Boring breakfast - so says the menu - eggs over easy, double slab o' ham, toast and jam, potatoes and coffee. The ham was grilled just right, the coffee was medium strong, fresh from beans ground right before our very eyes. That was the good stuff.

The eggs were OE, but the white was not quite cooked through as you ate from the edge toward the yolk.

The sourdough toast came from what seemed to be pretty good bread. I could tell it was toasted because the edges were the palest of pale gold, though the centers were soft and white. After a swipe of the paintbrush dipped in butter, the toast came to the diner on its own plate, piled high - which of course allowed the bottom slice to sit in its extra generous paintbrush swipe of fat until it was PDS (pretty damn soggy) by the time I got to it. The British have a good idea with those upright toast holder thingeys they use. The raspberry jam that came with the toast was very tasty, almost homemade in its bright flavor and minimal sweetness.

The garlic fried potatoes were only very slightly burned by which I mean it was easy to peel off the burned skin parts. But when you get past the burned parts, imagine this --- imagine pretty good fried potatoes carrying the lovely, smooth sweetness of roasted garlic mixed in with the spuds and onions. Got that taste in your mind? Now imagine that every other garlic clove in the mix wasn't exactly roasted - in fact every other one was damn near raw! If you're in need of a quick wakeup, try biting into a harsh, nearly raw garlic clove with your first sip of coffee.

The waitress was not very friendly.

They don't serve pancakes.

Let's review: potatoes with a raw garlic surprise, toast soggy, ham fine, coffee good, eggs cooked as well as could be expected from the local 8th-graders in their first cooking class, no pancakes, no smiles.

Maybe The Fly Trap calls it the Boring breakfast because the cook got bored with it before he actually learned to cook and serve a pretty basic breakfast of ham, eggs, toast and spuds.

Happy Valentine's Day

Years ago I met a woman. I liked her. One of the things I liked was that she was willing to try new things. I was very impressed that she went on one of those outdoor survival trips. She liked foods I'd never tried; we explored wines and champagnes; we hiked and camped and explored deserted beaches and hot springs.

I didn't like all the new foods she cooked. She didn't like all of my vacation ideas.

Once on a weekend trip we got up early and explored a 300 year old cemetery and wondered about the lives that were lived here, some as parents who lost children young, some as slaves.

Anyway, I liked her. She liked me too so we married and made some good kids. Perhaps we don't try new things as often anymore. Perhaps we should.

We were watching TV when a commercial came on for KFC Snackers. She said, "I had one of those the other day. I liked it!"
I wouldn't eat one of them if I was starving. But, I don't have to like everything she tries, do I?

Happy Valentine's Day, dear