Posts Tagged ‘bacon’

2 New Burger Bars in Toledo with Ingredients we like to see… Finally!

// June 20th, 2011 // No Comments » // Blog, Restaurant Reviews

Tin Chef Josh

Two new burger bars have opened in Toledo: Burger Bar 419 and Bar 145.

FYI I have not read TC Chucks review on the burger bars before I write this.

I am going to start with Burger Bar 419. This place is located where the old Matthew’s and Mustard Seed used to be in the plaza off Heatherdowns next to Shawn’s and the Beer and Wine Cave.  Go see Matt at the Beer and Wine Cave… but that will be a blog post for another time. The menu for the burger bar 419 was posted online a month or two before it opened and I have to say I was so excited to see a smaller menu with great ingredients South Toledo doesn’t have! For example: bone marrow, crispy pork belly, kimchi, sriracha, taleggio cheese for some great examples and items I’m in love with! Maybe the second or third day it opened TC Chuck and I went and ordered the whole appetizer menu and burgers and milkshakes… We had a great time trying the appetizers: like crispy pork belly with kimchi, bone marrow, soy deviled eggs with sriracha and arugula (Which is my fav appetizer there). The only execution error of all the apps was the bone marrow was undercooked but they fixed it no problem. I must say an awesome appetizer list. Now lets get to the burgers… The first burger I had there was the “Must Have” but I have tried almost all of them except maybe two, I will have to look. Here is my ranking of my top 3 favorites:

1. Pate Melt – This burger is so so so damn good. It is rich and very delicious, but me being who I am (critical) I wish the pate was thicker and stayed more as a patty on the burger then pretty much melting into a sauce. I understand the play on words with the pate melt name but I don’t like it because the association with patty melts don’t really come with a good reputation.

2. Vintage Bleu – This burger is awesome. I love bleu cheese, I love pickled red onions (we make those a lot at home) Great Burger!

3. Three Little Pigs – Another over the top awesome burger. Everyone will love this burger and I wouldn’t be surprised if its the most ordered one on the menu.

These burgers are more on the rich, dark, messy in a good way side of the burger world.

Their sides are also good. Fries are good especially with bacon and crazy cheese melted all over them! The only side I thought was just ok are the onion pedals. They are good but they are what they are.

I have tried two of the milkshakes: the banana foster and the oreo mint. For $5 a shake I don’t think there are amazing, and this will be my really only not great review here. The oreo mint I got to go and it came in a really small styrofoam cup and it was good but not over the top great I would expect from a place like this. The banana foster shake I got sitting at the bar and it was pretty good but again I didn’t feel like it was amazing. I would definitely add Captain Morgans to the banana foster shake next time. But then it would be like a $10 shake probably. I saw the peanut butter they get is from Gordon Foods so I will say the shakes should be a little bigger and probably use better ingredients. Little surprising from a place that has awesome ingredients like taleggio and gruyere cheeses and get there meat from a local butcher. I am technically a milkshake snob being that that was one of the things my dad and I always made together growing up and I never stopped making shakes at home by hand with great ingredients. I haven’t had any of there salads, desserts or floats yet.

I am so happy there is a place like this in South Toledo. A small place with a small kitchen, a small menu with great food ingredients that is casual. I love that you can sit at the bar and see into the kitchen and watch everything being made. That is awesome. With that said I haven’t sat in the dinning room and have had a server so I cant really comment on the service there. This place is a mile from my house which is so fantastic. Every time I have been there at the bar, Moussa (one of the owners) has come over and said hi to make sure everything was good and stayed and chatted a bit, and has even bought us drinks. Try the Widmer dark IPA, it is awesome. I will be a regular.

Bar 145 is located out on Monroe street a little farther from my house… I hear the place is owned by the guy that owns a few places at Put-n-Bay like Mr.Eds. Before going I had a few different friends give me some not to great reviews about the place except the inside of the restaurant is cool but the service was bad and burgers are ok but not seasoned properly, over cooked from the temp they ordered and a little overpriced for what you got. Ok… wow… bummer.

So TC Chuck and I go and Chuck ended up knowing the day manager very well and who I have meet a few times. This is awesome for us because I know service will not be an issue and it wasn’t, it was great… but we were sitting with the manager. We tried all the appetizers and made our burgers from the make your own sheet instead of ordering off their menu. The appetizers aren’t as good as BB419 but very different and I am sure more appropriate for the masses instead of things like kimchi and crispy pork belly… Not they are boring but just not as crazy as BB419. Most of Toledo is a chain restaurant loving (what I call) the “chicken finger and diet coke crowd”!!  Anyway I will say there apps are good and you cant go wrong with any of them but none of them where wow this is over the top.

Now to the burgers… I created my own (Which I like this because I am crazy and dangerous when it comes to these things) I created a $12 burger which consisted the onion roll (luv!) burger at 145 degrees (the name of the place if you wondered) spicy cole slaw, pickle chips, heirloom tomatoes, gruyere and brick house cheese (Brick house is from Zingerman’s deli in Ann Arbor!!!! Best deli in the country if you didn’t know.) Arugula, fried egg, hot sauce, and garlic aioli. I think that’s it. My burger did look good when it came out. I do think the toppings are a little on the skimpy side, I got two pickle chips, a tiny bit of the spicy slaw, and for ordering two different cheeses it wasn’t over the top cheesy. The fried egg was over cooked and not runny but seasoned well and tasted good. For ordering a burger 145 degrees hence the name on the place and on the menu it says perfect or perfection. My burger was overcooked, like the reviews from the others I heard. Now this is the most important thing I think. You have to get this right with no exceptions especially since its the name of the place. Even though my burger was over done than what I ordered it still was juicy and really good. Was it a $12 burger… probably not, but it was very good despite for all my critical observations. I definitely need to go back and get a burger off their menu that is cheaper and see what’s up.

Back to Zingerman’s deli, Bar 145 gets 3 cheeses and their gelato from Zingerman’s. This is soooooooo x 10 to the 5th cool!

Now the vibe here is more of a Jed’s/Bar Louie which I’m not real fond of. I hear the bands that play at night are so loud you can hear them in the neighborhoods surrounding. I know I’m getting old when I say this… But If I can’t talk to someone next to me because its so loud then I’m not going there to eat. Not that that’s entirely a bad thing. I go there for lunch and eat and go there at night for drinks, maybe apps and listen to bands. People hear in Toledo love this kind of atmosphere and I can see this place staying in Toledo and doing well. I will probably take people from work there for lunches since its closer to my work and maybe go occasionally at night.

 

 

 

Friggin Awesome Burgers in Toledo!

// June 14th, 2011 // No Comments » // Blog, Restaurant Reviews

Tin Chef Chuck

I recently had the opportunity to try out two new burger joints in Toledo.  What is really newsworthy here is not how great they were, nor how awesome the service was or even how good the food was.  What really has excited me is that we now have two new restaurants that are pushing the culinary envelope.  Places that really have something unique to eat.  These are not another cookie cutter place that reheats generic burgers bought in bulk from a large restaurant supply house.  Rather each uses really high quality meat, makes handmade patties and then creates truly unique flavors by using really fresh ingredients.  Before I really dive into these new places, I need to mention one of my all time favorites.  Not quite as hip as Bar145, and not quite the gourmet experience you get at BurgerBar419, but if you are looking for an honest to God, greasy spoon awesome burger- you need to go to the Green Lantern on Broadway.  Don’t let the appearance fool you.  The Green Lantern has been around since the 1930’s for a reason.  It’s not heart healthy, but it is a great greasy cheeseburger place.  Stop in for breakfast and lunch.  Try a double Goopy, and tell Mo I sent you.  You go there once and I promised you will be hooked!

The first new place I want to talk about is Burger Bar 419.   Burger Bar 419 is located in South Toledo on 4400 Heatherdowns Blvd. or across from the Distillery in the old Matthews.  The first time we went there, we had almost every appetizer!  Start with the basic, good old fashioned French Fries.  The battered fried onion petals were good but nothing special, but then cam e the roasted marrow bones with sweet onion marmalade.  The first time we had this- it wasn’t perfect.  In fact it was almost raw.  But for crying out load- bone marrow in Toledo, minutes from my house.  Yes there were several errors in technique- but the concepts are there.  We were there a day or two after the place just opened.  The execution has gotten better and this really has become my favorite hangout in Toledo.  The pickled vegetables are awesome.  The chipotle pickled pineapple and goat cheese is great, I personally love the crispy pork belly with homemade kim chee!  This was another dish that was undercooked on our first go around, but the flavors and potential was there.  It was spectacular the next time we went.  Make sure you try the sriracha-soy deviled eggs with bacon and arugula.

The Burger Bar 419 has 15 or so burgers and they are all $9.00.  The offer a wide selection of home made mayonnaise and aolis, as well as several unique ketchup’s and mustard’s.  The Heater, Italian, Pate Melt, and Vintage Bleu are all awesome.  You can’t go wrong when you use all fresh ingredients and combine great flavors.  I can’t wait to try all of them.

We had the milkshakes for desert.  So far, this has been the biggest shortcoming of Burger Bar 419.  They were small, over priced and nothing memorable.  Personally, I would save your money and go to Handel’s!  Don’t let the deserts stop you from checking this place out though; I am sure it will become one of your favorite Toledo hangouts.

The other place we recently went to was Bar145° on Monroe Street.  Bar 145 is very different from Burger Bar 419.  First, it has a totally different atmosphere.  It seems more like a club than a burger place.  They have live music, a dance floor and a large bar.  There appetizers include fried pickled green beans, fries, artichoke gratin, a baked potato waffle, bourbon onion straws, mac and gouda, pretzel chips, and smoked salmon with garlic flat bread. By the way- any idea how Bar 145 got it’s name?  Overall the appetizers were pretty good, but nothing spectacular.  Most were served with generic salted/peppered flat crackers, which I think detracted from the flavor of several of the dips.  They have a few burgers on the menu, but they do a build your own menu.  What is nice here is that they use really high quality ingredients and do a pretty good job of creating your custom burger.  I may be splitting hairs, but I wish they would create a few more signature flavors by combining the awesome ingredients that they offer.  Surprise me, don’t make me think- create that special, signature burger for me!

We didn’t really try out the bourbon, but did have several of their gelato’s.  They had some nice flavors- but I am really partial to my salty caramel, so make sure you read TC Josh’s reviews as well.

In the end these are 2, no make that 3 great places.  If you are looking for breakfast during the week or on Saturday, the make sure you try the Green Lantern.  The Green Lantern is also a great place to grab lunch during the work week.  Once you meet Mo (Maurice), you will fall in love with the Lantern!  I look at Burger Bar 419 more as my local neighborhood hangout, where I can sit at the bar and talk to the chef as he cooks my next burger.  Bone marrow, pickled vegetables and cold Heineken and an awesome burger- can it get any better? To me Bar145 is that place you go to on a Friday or Saturday night, have a great burger and take in some great music.  All 3 places offer unique atmospheres- each may be more appropriate depending on your mood or day of the week.   But all 3 of these places need to be experienced.  If I hear one more person complain that there is nowhere to go, nothing to do, no where to eat in Toledo- I swear I am going to slap the #@%& out of you!  Places like these 3 restaurants would have waiting list in any other city- if they struggle, it’s your fault!  Take a walk on the wild side and try one of these places this week, in fact, try all 3 and leave a comment on which one you think is best.

 

Tin Chef Chuck

 

Molecular Gastronomy: Part II with Tapioca Maltodextrin

// June 25th, 2010 // No Comments » // Blog, Recipes

Tin Chef Chuck

Tapioca maltodextrin-  My tapioca maltodextrin finally came this week.  I used a few of the basic recipes which you can find on the Khymos site.  I made 3 different powders using Nutello, olive oil and bacon fat.  They all came out well and were really easy to do.  This is one “molecular” cooking technique in which you really don’t need to be all that precise.  I used the food processor for the nutello and a whisk for the liquids.  Add the maltodextrin until you achieve a texture you like.  For those of you who have never heard of this, tapioca maltodextrin is a very fine powder (can be a bit messy) that binds with oils.  The cool thing is when it’s exposed to liquid, it completely dissolves, leaving the original substance.  It has no taste what-so-ever.  You can use it to add a unique flavorful garnish to a lot of dishes.  So when you put it in your mouth, it melts away leaving the olive oil or bacon taste and texture.  It’s not meant to be eaten alone, but Lydia would have eaten all of my bacon fat powder if I would have let her.  As a cardiologist, I really can’t condone that.  So any way, give it a try and let us know what you think.  If you are just starting out, I would suggest buying a starter kit first.  Amazon has on for $32.00 and it has small amount of several things to play with.

I am now waiting for my electronic scale (with 0.1 gram accuracy) and my magnetic stirrer hotplate and glass beakers.  My kitchen is starting to look like me 7th grade science glass.  If Mrs. Miller could see me now…  Enjoy, CJG

Braising…my favorite method of cooking

// June 1st, 2010 // No Comments » // Blog, Recipes

Tin Chef Chuck

Braising is by far one of my favorite cooking techniques.  In the past, I would toss a relatively inexpensive cut of meat into a crock pot, throw in a few veggies, a little beef stock and- fire and forget.  Although the results were pretty good, braising in the oven  results in spectacular and complex flavors.  The only down side is that it takes a little time- it’s easy, but not quick.  Braising was a typical peasant method of cooking, slow simmering beef in wine as a means of tenderizing cuts that would have turned out terrible any other way.  Braising is awesome and can transform most inexpensive, tougher cuts in to “haute cuisine“- basically delicious fancy, smancy French cooking.

The basic technique is to first sear the meat.  I like to use a cast iron dutch oven with a little olive oil and butter.  Sear all sides of the meat until it develops a rich brown color.  Remove the meat and set aside.  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

In the same pan, saute one onion, 1 or 2 celery stalks coarsely chopped, and 2 carrots, also coarsely chopped. I love garlic, so I will always add several gloves of chopped garlic.  You can also add a pepper for a little heat.  You can also add a few bay leaves and flat Italian parsley, also chopped.   Cook the vegetables down, salt and pepper to taste.  Add a little more olive oil if needed. You can add about 2 tablespoons of tomato paste now, or add whole tomatoes a little later.

Put the meat back into the pot and add several cups of red wine.  Simmer for 20-30 minutes to reduce the wine down by at least half.  Add about 12-14 ounces of low sodium beef broth and if you like, a can (28 ounces) of San Marzano tomatoes that have been crushed by hand. Stir everything together.  Cover the pot and place in the pre-heated oven and braise for about 90 minutes.  Remove the cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes or so.  You could use a crock pot here, but I only do that on my boat now.

There are several variations that you can try.  The meat can be dredged in a seasoned flour before searing.  You can also mix up the veggies, typically sticking with root vegetables.  This works great with “cheaper” or tougher meat cuts.  Veal shanks (Osso Buco) are my favorite, but you can use just about any roast.  Bone in short ribs are also excellent.  Coq au vin is braised chicken.  Coq means rooster, which is typically very tough, and works well with braising.  Classically a capon is used, but we don’t have a lot of neutered chickens running around in Toledo!   But too be honest I wouldn’t even know where to look to tell if the chicken was neutered.   Coq au vin usually has mushrooms and Burgandy wine, but there are endless variations.  Beef bourguignon is another traditional French recipe and just another variation of beef braised in red wine.  It is usually seared in bacon fat and has pearl onions and mushrooms.

I love adding 1-2 hot peppers to add a little zing.  I will also add a little acid, either a splash of Ver Jus, wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar to bring out even more flavor.  Next time I will talk about making a roux and using bouquet garni in your cooking.  CJG