Little Saigon Cafe

The combination nail salon/restaurant deterred me from trying the Little Saigon Cafe. The neon Pho sign in the window of the nail salon didn't exactly inspire me to slurp noodles.

However, after a few Lawrence chefs recommended the restaurant, I decide to visit Little Saigon Cafe this week. I enjoyed my first experience so much that I returned later in the week. I can't recall the last time I visited a restaurant twice in one week.

I still have a lot to learn about Vietnamese cuisine, but this restaurant is a good place to learn. The staff was extremely helpful and friendly, and I'm eager to return so I can sample the entire menu.

So far I've sampled two soups:

Jjam Bong, which is a Spicy Seafood

and pho

Both soups were amazing. There was tremendous depth of flavor. At this point I would say the pho was my favorite. Its aroma cleared my head and was the perfect aromatheraphy for a stressful day. There were layers and layers of flavor in this soup: salty, citrusy, beefy, minty, and earthy flavors mingled to make a perfect bowl of soup. At the time I had a sore throat, and this soup cured it. Coincidence? Or is this a miracle soup?

Eating soup always changes my state of mind. For me everything slows down when I eat soup, and I find myself living more in the moment. This might sound like New Age mumbo jumbo, but for me it's true. I know I come across as a loon, but I'd have it no other way.

My visit to the Little Saigon Cafe reminded me that this is a big ol' world with a lot to experience. I walked out the doors of the restaurant with a lust for life, which is what good food should inspire.

dancing with thunder,

muddywaters

PS. . . What foods have the power to change your state of mind?

Beermosa

Woody: Can I pour you a draft, Mr. Peterson?
Norm: A little early, isn't it Woody?
Woody: For a beer?
Norm: No, for stupid questions.

***From Cheers.

On a recent trip to Denver, we revisited Snooze, which bills itself as an "A.M. Eatery." Staring at Snooze's menu is like peering into a 64-count box of Crayola Crayons. It's full of possibilities that paralyze me with indecision and giddiness. I offer the following evidence, a partial menu of their breakfast cocktails:

Where does a fella start? Do I order the Booze Hound Dog or opt for the humorously named John Daly or maybe I get my coffee fix with the Cosmonaut? You see what I mean.

I know what you're thinking: Who does this muddywaters think he is quaffing alcohol for breakfast: Well, my friends, I normally don't order a drink with my meal because I must too cheap for such antics, but on vacation I live more unconventionally. I enjoy drinks on the porch of the Stanley Hotel. I eat pie for breakfast. I even wear a gas-station cowboy hat, something I'd never do in my real life.

Let's get back to that drink menu. After some enjoyable contemplation, I opted for the Beermosa, a mix of orange juice and New Belgium Trippel.

How did it taste? Wonderful. The flavors worked well together, and I can't think of a more "laid back" morning drink; it's much better than a bloody Mary. I'll be purchasing some New Belgium Trippel and making this drink a staple here at The Greasy Skillet. I hope it's something you'll enjoy too.

drink locally,
muddy

Guy and Mae's Tavern

Elwood: What kind of music do you usually have here?
Claire: Oh, we got both kinds. We got country *and* western.

***From the movie The Blues Brothers.

Recently I traveled to Melvern, KS., with the man who is known as The Oracle in some outer limits of the blogosphere.

The main purpose of the trip was to hear The Oracle's brother's band -- The Barnyard Boys -- perform. The band's name makes me think of Akroyd and Belushi in The Blues Brothers posing as The Good Ol' Boys and performing in some backwater bar with only chicken wire to protect them from a barrage of beer bottles.

Even though our ultimate goal was hearing The Barnyard Boys harmonize, strum, and pick, we had another purpose, eat ribs at Guy and Mae's Tavern in Williamsburg, Kansas.
They're known for their barbecue ribs, and other than the pitchers of beer, I can't really recommend anything else there. I'm not going to sit here and tell you these are the greatest ribs in the world, but when you visit Guy and Mae's Tavern, you'll receive friendly service and very good ribs with tender meat that gently pulls from the bones. They're stripped-down, unassuming ribs. There's just a hint of smoke and they're served dry, seasoned with just salt and pepper, and the sauce is served the side. The ribs are much like Kansans: hearty, simple, plain, and sincere. They don't try to be something they aren't, and that's what I love about Guy and Mae's ribs. This is probably why Guy and Mae's is one of 8 Wonders of Kansas Cuisine.

(If I was a dog, I'd hang around in front of Guy & Mae's also. Does anyone have a doggie bag?

keep the sauce on the side,
muddy

PS. . . It was a good evening, complete with the 3 b's: barbecue, beer, and The Barnyard Boys' version of "The Blue Moon Over Kentucky." The Oracle reveled in the 4 b's by adding beans to the tri-fecta. The only thing missing was bacon and maybe, bourbon.

KU vs. NU

Although I could argue that University of Kansas basketball possesses more prestige than University of Nebraska football, I know better than to make that argument in front of my wife. She's a NU grad who would banish me to the couch for making such a claim, so let's steer clear of debates about prestige and tradition. Let's talk food. Who has the better food?

At KU's Allen Field House, you can grab a slice of Pizza Hut pizza:


At NU's Memorial Stadium, you can grab a slice of Valentino's pizza:

In the pizza department, I'd say it is a draw.

At KU you can grab a mediocre BBQ sandwich from Bum Steer BBQ, but at NU you can grab a Runza sandwich, a savory blend of onions, cabbage, and meat wrapped in a pillow of dough.


I give the advantage to NU in the sandwich department.

At KU you get the run of the mill hot dog, but at NU you can get a Fairbury Stadium Dog:
Advantage: NU

At KU you can get Dippin' Dots, a culinary concoction that I don't understand. At NU you can get a fresh waffle cone with a scoop or two of ice cream straight from the campus creamery. Having a great agricultural program has its perks.

Advantage: NU

I think, you can see the direction this is headin'. If you want to enjoy some good food while you watch a game, travel to Lincoln, Nebraska.

What college has the best stadium food? This question begs to be researched.

take care,
muddywaters

PS . . . I still can't wrap my brain around the notion that basketball has started. In my mind it's still football season.

Brookville Hotel

My mother makes great fried chicken, so the idea of going to a restaurant for it always seemed foolish. However, there are a few restaurants out there that come close to meeting those lofty standards of my childhood. I like a restaurant where I can dine at a table family style.

I look for a restaurant that sincerely and warmly welcomes all guests.
I look for a restaurant where service is formal without being uppity.
It helps if the restaurant is a James Beard Award Winner.


Of course, the restaurant should have great tasting food that conjures memories of mothers, aunts, and grandmothers.

The Brookville Hotel in Abilene, Kansas, offers all of this and more.
If there's a restaurant that captures the spirit of Kansas, it's the Brookville Hotel in Abilene.

Pass the gravy,
muddywaters

Hell's Kitchen

A light blanket of snow fell on the Twin Cities last night. This called for a hearty breakfast, so this morning we drove to downtown Minneapolis to dine at Hell’s Kitchen. I’m not going to beat around the bush with this review. The food at Hell’s Kitchen was heavenly; With each bite I think I heard angels sing. Stop reading this blog, hop in your car, drive to Minneapolis, and order everything on the menu. You won’t be disappointed.

For those of you familiar with Lawrence, KS., Hell’s Kitchen reminded me of the now defunct Paradise Café. The artwork of Ralph Steadman, who illustrated Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, decorated the restaurant, which earned points from me. The restaurant earned immediate points for my daughter when our server brought her a small toolbox full of toys to keep her entertained. After our earlier “spicy taco’ incident that sent our family into a tailspin, I’ve been on edge each time we dine at a restaurant. This kid-friendly touch helped put me at ease. The menu also contained several options for kids that were healthy and inexpensive. My daughter opted for the waffles with a side of fruit that contained a nice fresh mix of blueberries, blackberries and strawberries for under $5.00.

My wife, who is the pancake queen, ordered lemon ricotta pancakes that were fluffy and bursting with so much flavor that syrup wasn’t needed. The snow that morning inspired me to eat a breakfast fit for a lumberjack, so I ordered a breakfast sandwich, consisting of bacon, eggs, mayo, and tomatoes between two slices of grilled sourdough bread. However, I didn’t stop there. I also ordered the Mahnomin Porridge, which is made from Minnesota wild rice, blueberries, cranberries, and hazlenuts all moistened with a mix of warm maple syrup and cream. I know porridge doesn’t appeal to most people, but this dish was a revelation to me. It’s one of the most original breakfast dishes I’ve ever tasted. In fact, it might be the best thing I’ve eaten all year. I can see myself embarking on a quest to replicate the recipe at home.

If you’re ever in the Twin Cities, do yourself a favor and eat at Hell’s Kitchen. It’s a meal that I will reminisce about when I’m on my deathbed.

Happy eating,

Muddywaters

P.S. The following is a recipe for Mahnomin Porridge I found on the web. When I make the recipe, I’ll blog about it.

Mahnomin Porridge

Ingredients

4 cups cooked wild rice

¼ cup pure maple syrup

¼ cup dried blueberries

¼ cup craisins

½ cup roasted, cracked hazelnuts

1 cup heavy cream



Preparation

1. In a heavy non-stick sautee pan, add the cooked wild rice, heavy cream, and maple syrup, and warm through.
2. Add the blueberries, craisins, and hazelnuts, and stir to mix well.
3. Serve in a bowl with sides of warm heavy cream and maple syrup.
   

Courtesy of: Hell's Kitchen

D'Amico and Sons

Greetings! The Greasy Skillet is coming to you from the Twin Cities. I struggle to write and travel because I lack the discipline, so be patient with me. Normally my ideas for The Greasy Skillet stew for a few days, and then I patiently hammer out the writing. Today’s blog is a bit more organic.

Last night I snapped and lost my cool. Some of you know that traveling with a 4-year-old isn’t always a joy, especially when it comes to dining. After my daughter fussed about her taco being too spicy, I threatened her with meals of lunchmeat sandwiches and carrots served within the confines of our hotel room for the rest of the vacation. In later blog entries I’ll write more about my daughter’s finicky eating habits.

However, today I’m pleased to say that my little come-to-Jesus meeting with my daughter reaped positive results today. Dining with her has been a joy today, especially this evening’s meal at D’Amico and Sons in the Minneapolis suburb of Edina.

Before I write about the meal, let me just say that in The Greasy Skillet I will generally write about positive dining experiences. There are numerous restaurants that I dislike, but I want my blog to emanate a positive energy. I’ll share my passions, and I’ll save my gripes for a time when I’ve had one too many drinks. Gradually, you’ll see where I’m coming from when it comes to food, but I want to share a little background on the criteria I use to evaluate a dining experience. I’m not a food snob. My favorite foods are simple affairs, but I do demand two things from a restaurant. First, I want to feel good about the dining experience. I should feel good paying my hard-earned money to eat a meal away from home, a place where the meals are usually very good. If I eat at a bad or average restaurant, I start computing how many quality meals I could prepare for the money I flopped down on so-so food. Second, I want the restaurant I’m dining at to be proud and passionate about their food. They should be providing more than a product. Later I’ll work out this criteria, and I’ll try to write a complete blog conveying it.

D’Amico and Sons met the above criteria. The restaurant is an informal Italian eatery where you order at the counter. However, ordering at the counter isn’t a chaotic, stressful experience like most places because the staff is calm, helpful, and passionate about the food. At the counter there’s a deli case displaying their various salads and sandwiches. I opted for one of their signature wood-fired pizzas, the Smoked Mozzarella Prosciutto and Pepperoncini pizza. My wife chose to have the penne pasta and Italian sausage, and my finicky daughter selected a “sauceless” pizza with only cheese. When our food was brought to the table, we were immediately satisfied with our choices. Now I’m not going to spend a lot of time describing the taste of everything because I’m feeling a bit rushed to post this. I’ll improve with experience. Let me just say that dining at this restaurant provided the perfect end to our perfect day. Good food has the power to provide the exclamation point to a fantastic day.

The restaurant also serves several unique and quality salads and sandwiches, making it a perfect lunch stop. If I ever return, I’m going to order the salad sampler that allows the customer to select any three salads to sample. While we dined a steady flow of traffic entered the restaurant to pickup carryout for home. The restaurant had a neighbor vibe of place where families come in on a regular basis. I’d love to return in the summer and pickup food for a family picnic in one of the Twin Cities fine parks. There are several D’Amico and Sons across the Twin Cities Metro and one in Naples, Florida. If you’re ever in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, I recommend making a stop at D’Amico and Sons.

Take care,
muddywaters

P.S. This was my first experience snapping photos of food in a restaurant. I felt a bit awkward, but I think I'll grow accustomed to it. Next time I'll try to get more pictures of the restaurant. I few good pictures of the menu board and deli case would have spiced up this review.