(mis)Adventures in California Cuisine

I mean, I was in California. It is, after all, the home of "California Cuisine," that delectably snobby foodie genre. It's a cuisine known for liberally basting itself in terms like "fusion," "organic," and "local." It's the kind of cuisine that inspires you to consume a pizza adorned solely in nettles. And it's the kind of cuisine that makes you believe nothing else could have satiated you in quite the same way.




Alice Waters, executive chef of Chez Panisse












So there I was in San Francisco, just a hop and a $4 toll bridge away from Berkeley, home of all things crunchy and California. Being the foodie I am (but refuse to admit to being), I booked a reservation at Chez Panisse, the acclaimed restaurant known for starting the California Cuisine. And known for having prix-fixe menus that start at $55 a pop (and if you want the "grilled loin and leg of Dal Porto Ranch lamb with spring vegetable ragoût and crispy potatoes," we're talking $85).

I booked it, of course, with the assumption my Cheeto-loving, hot dog-munching family would laugh my dream restaurant meal into the bay. I didn't really plan on stepping foot in Chez Panisse — the Chez Panisse — the pantheon of modern, fresh, elegant food. Yet somehow, miraculously, my entire 6-member crew folded. So there I was, slightly withered from a wild night of San Francisco hipster bars, stepping into the restaurant's hallowed halls.

The service was great. The decor was lovely. The classical music — while mildly pretentious — adequate and at the very least pleasant. But the food? The very object of our voyage?

(shoulder shrug, half eyebrow lift)

I don't know. I barely dare say this, but ... it could have been better. The flavors were bright and fresh, and the visual appeal quite nice. But the portions were small — real small. And I just wasn't blown away.

To be honest, I don't know what I was expecting; all I ordered, after all, was a citrus salad with a chile vinaigrette and pistachios. Everything was just so darn expensive. So I guess I got what I (my dad, rather) paid for. But come on, Alice Waters. You founded a cuisine, created the landmark restaurant on the West Coast. You should at least be able to impress a girl from Iowa.

Italian food for the student budget

For two nights in a row now, I have gotten carry-out from Zio Johno's Spaghetti House, located at 953 S. Riverside Dr. in Iowa City. These two occasions were the first two times I had ever had Zio Johno's in my four years of college. I have long known about it, but I avoided it for mainly two reasons: A) I try to avoid Italian places with the word "spaghetti" in their names because of a place called the Spaghetti Warehouse in my hometown and B) because it is located next to a Panchero's (yuck!).

Anyway, since I ate there for two nights in a row, I obviously like it, and here's why: they give you a ton of food for a small price and it tastes pretty good.

I was exploring their online menu on Monday and discovered a section on the site with some unbelievable specials for carry-out and delivery orders only. Upon seeing these specials, I didn't even bother with the menu anymore.

The first day I got the Chicken Salad Extravaganza. For $6.99, I got a huge salad and a 16-inch loaf of garlic bread. This was plenty for two people, so needless to say I had enough leftovers for a nice lunch the next day.

Yesterday my girlfriend and I split the Sicilian Feast, which is meant for six people. For only $15.99, or $8.00 each, we received one 1/2 gallon of spaghetti with meat sauce, a 12-inch 1-topping pizza, and a 16-inch loaf of garlic bread. We looked at the amount of food in front of us, said, "Oh my God, what have we done?" and dug in. We didn't get very far into the meal before we were stuffed. We split the leftovers, and I myself have enough food for two, if not three more meals.

Everything I've had there has been pretty delicious, and it becomes even better when you consider the price. My least favorite dish thus far was the spaghetti and meat sauce. It was better than I expected and I did enjoy it, but nothing compares to my Mom's spaghetti and meatballs.

The salad and pizza were pretty awesome. The garlic pretty is decent. Like I said, it's good but gets even better when you consider the low price and the amount of food you're receiving. If you're on a small budget and need a few days worth of meals for the price of one, check out the specials at Zio Johno's. You won't be disappointed.

Oh, and they also have gyros, which might be a future blog topic...

The Pit: A Second Look

Perhaps I should begin with a disclaimer: I've never eaten at Jimmy Jack's, so this won't be a comparison. Instead, I'd like to reflect for a moment on my experience tonight at the Pit (located on the corner of Market and Dubuque Streets). I didn't plan on eating at the Pit tonight--with pudding cups, lunch meat, and bottled water galore in my apartment, why not save some money and eat at home, right? Well, that wouldn't make a fun food blog, would it?

My roommate decided to stop there for dinner, and though I initially didn't plan to order anything, the pulled pork sandwich piqued my interest. At $4.50, it was a minor investment, so I took the plunge. I was, as it turns out, impressed.

The Pit is a small restaurant; I didn't expect that. With just a handful of tables, it's informal and simple, and I appreciate that. It took less than 10 minutes for our order to be prepared to go. Sure, it takes a little longer than McDonald's, but the food tastes--and looks--like real food (unlike Mikey D's.)

The pulled pork sandwich doesn't come with any barbecue sauce on it: Visitors beware. In fact, apparently none of the sandwiches are garnished with that special sauce. They leave it to you to decide between their house and spicy barbecue sauces. Each are tasty, but the spicy adds a little kick that some of us will appreciate. Too often "barbecue" equals ketchup, but the Pit knows how to deliver the goods.

Also worth the investment are their French fries. They're huge and crinkle cut and leave loads of grease marks on the brown paper back they're served in: Just another sign of the simple presentation that makes you feel like you're at a superior barbecue stand at some outdoor festival.

I guess I'll have to visit Jimmy Jack's so I can make a proper comparison, but as it stands, the Pit offers the best barbecue in downtown Iowa City--and to think I lived directly across the street from the place for three months and never visited it. Shame on me.

Top Chef: Season 4 Begins Tonight

Food lovers unite! The fourth season of Bravo's Emmy-nominated reality TV show, Top Chef, debuts tonight at 9 P.M. Unlike most college students, my normal TV viewing is limited to the news and reruns of Full House on ABC Family. Dramas, comedies, whatever--none of them appeal to me. Top Chef, meanwhile, is the only show I haven't missed since it debuted in 2005, and I'm warming up for another weekly adventure this spring.

Last season was particularly exciting. Dale Levitski, a former UI student, finished second in the 16-chef competition. While there isn't any local color this time around, Bravo has announced the release of a Top Chef cookbook later this month. It should make an excellent compliment to the already-inspiring cooking show.

Sure, none of us are probably too comfortable with many of the products used on the show. Growing up in a major metro area, I haven't even seen many of the animals they cook on this show. Still, you can't help wanting to learn how to cook after watching this program. (It doesn't help that I work in a kitchen either; I find myself humming the theme while I make mashed potatoes. It's sad.)

I plan to pick up the cookbook when it's released next week; that, combined with my dedication (or, rather, addiction) to Top Chef, I hope to "recreate" some of these dishes at home--in a simpler style, of course. Check back for a side-by-side comparison of my meal compared to theirs. It should be an interesting experiment.

What: Top Chef: Season 4, Chicago
Where: Bravo Network, Channel 46 on Mediacom
When: 9:00 P.M. every Wednesday (with reruns almost daily!)
Who's it for: Anyone who likes reality TV; for those that don't (like myself), it's less about personality (though that's important, too) and more about skill, talent, and what somebody can do with $5 from a vending machine.

La Reyna: The Most Authentic Local Mexican Cuisine

On Saturday night, my friend and I ventured to La Reyna, a local grocery store and restaurant. Having eaten at many other Mexican restaurants throughout Iowa City, and being disappointed with almost all of them, I did not have high hopes for La Reyna. I was delightfully surprised.

The restaurant is located on Iowa City’s Southeast side on Keokuk Street, across the street from Pizza Hut and K-Mart. La Reyna is tucked away in a small store front. The grocery store and the restaurant are connected, separated only by a small entrance room. The restaurant itself is very small and cannot seat more than thirty people, which was to my liking.

When I arrived with my friend, the restaurant was crowded, and we had to wait for a table. The waiter, who we would later find out to be the owner, brought us a menu and we ordered a beer and relaxed comfortably outside the main dining room until a table was open. The restaurant offers a wide variety of Mexican beers, but that is the extent of their alcohol. No margaritas or tequila.

When my friend and I were shown to our table, entering the dining room revealed how small the restaurant really was. There are only about 12 tables, and the kitchen is not too far off the dining room. The waitress brought us chips and salsa, as well as another round of beer, and she suggested, being as it was our first time in the restaurant, that we try the guacamole. We gave in to her recommendation, and she told us it would be about 10 minutes while it was prepared. Inquiring as to why it would take so long, the waitress told us that all the food is prepared fresh each day, including the tortillas, guacamole, vegetables, and meat.

The guacamole was delicious. The freshness of the avocadoes, the tomatoes, and the onion went great with the salsa. Unlike other Mexican restaurants in Iowa City, the guacamole did not arrive at the restaurant in a large can, but, instead, it was prepared fresh to order, just as it should be.

The dinner menu is limited, but the available choices should suit any patron. After much deliberation, I ordered the Enchiladas. My friend ordered the Tampiquena, which was green peppers, tomatoes, onions, and melted cheese, served over a skirt-steak. The restaurant also offered fajitas, chiles, carne asada, tamales, tacos, and poblanas peppers. All of the entrees include rice and beans. The prices are very reasonable, my enchiladas were only $6.99, and a lot of food is provided.

When our food came to the table, I could see, and smell, the freshness and quality of the food. Unlike other Mexican restaurants, I could taste the freshness in the corn tortillas. The tortillas were also dipped in La Reyna’s special souce, and they were delicious. The chicken was marinated and was sautéed to perfection. The rice and beans were hot and they did not have a crust over the top of them, showing me that they were just prepared.

For dessert, we ordered the house special, Flan, which is kind of like Mexican custard. It was served with chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and a cherry, and it was a great end to the meal. Overall the service was wonderful. The owner came up to our table numerous times to make sure we approved of our meal. He told us that his wife, along with one other woman, cook all the food each night. We gave our compliments to the chef and told the man we would be back soon, and we definitely will.

A week of dinners on twelve bucks

There comes a time in everyone's college career when the demands of homework preclude one from engaging in such luxuries such as, say, leaving the house. Being that food is required to live, and money is tight for the average student, it is easy to find oneself in a position where fiscal responsibility allows for only the most basic of dishes in a diet. Whoever it was that invented Ramen has been laughing all the way to the bank thanks to this very principle.

However, one can only subsist on extruded rehydrated noodles and flavored salt for so many consecutive meals in a row before the stomach rebels, crying out for more variety. To that end, I offer one of my favorite four ingredient meals: Tater tot casserole.

I am convinced this particular meal was designed with the single man in mind. It's innovative combination of the staple bachelor ingredients of meat and potatoes allows for a maximum of both in every bite. It is large enough to feed an average appetite for almost a week. Not to mention, it can be prepared by anyone who ever graduated first grade with a remote concept of what it means to stack things.

You will need:

2 Lbs ground beef
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 Cup grated cheddar (or more if you feel like extra cheese)
2lbs of frozen tater tots
A 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan
Grease (the edible kind)

The preparation for this dish is so simple, I can give instructions monosyllabically as follows:

Grease pan. Spread meat in pan. Spread soup on meat. Spread cheese on soup. Spread tots on cheese.

Then stick it in a 350 degree oven with foil over it for an hour. Take it out, let it cool, and dig in. If you are cooking for one, you can make it last a week easily. Plus, you don't even have to dirty a plate, frisbee, or whatever it is you eat from; you can just dig straight into the pan you cooked it in.

Isn't single life grand?

Early St. Patrick's Day Meal

Everybody knows that St. Patrick's Day is next week, so why would I be writing a said holiday-themed post this week? Basically, it's because next week I'll be in Florida and I'm not sure if I'm going to know what day it is once I get there.

Anyway, I recently went to Mickey's Pub, 11 S. Dubuque St. in downtown Iowa City. The place is known for its great burgers, but they have an assortment of other tasty dishes as well. Check out the menu for yourself.

When I got there, I was fully expecting to order my favorite burger there: the bleu cheese and bacon burger. Then something else caught my eye. With St. Patrick's Day coming soon, I had been craving some corned beef, and the Reuben sandwich just sounded too good to pass up.

I was a little skeptical, since the price for the sandwich and fries was a little high at $8.99. But since Mickey's food had never let me down before, I went for it.

Like I said, the sandwich came with fries, as well as a pickle and a side of Thousand Island dressing. Upon its arrival, the sandwich looked a little small for the price, but there was a good amount of corned beef and sauerkraut packed onto the two little pieces of bread.

The sandwich was good. It wasn't great like Mickey's burgers, but it was good. I'm not so sure if it was $8.99 good. Being my frugal self, I'd like to see the price bumped down a couple of bucks. And even though I said the sandwich seemed kind of small, I ended up taking half of it home, but I attribute this to a partial hangover and a not-quite-ready stomach.

Overall, the meal was decent, but I must say, if you're going to Mickey's for the first time, get a burger. They've also got some pretty good deals on weekdays that make Mickey's a great lunch option.

Is it just me, or does that milk cost too much?

I was at Hy-Vee the other day, picking up some groceries, when I realized I'd had enough. Nearly $4 for a gallon of milk ? Give me a break. Something was going on. I decided I would no longer pay a small fortune on such essentials without knowing why.

It turns out I'm not merely one of those whiny old-timers who remember the days of $1/gallon gas and milk. In fact, prices are higher by all measurable accounts. The USDA has the most authoritative take on the topic.

After a bit of calculating, the USDA Economic Research Service estimated that food prices are to increase 3-4 percent this year. Compared to January 2007, beef costs are up 4.7 percent. Milk is up 17.7 percent from last year. Eggs have jumped 34.7 percent. Tomatoes are up 25.4 percent.

Isn't that absurd? I'm slightly distressed. Looks like egg frittatas are off the menu. As are deviled eggs. In fact, Easter in general is probably a no-go. No cascarones this year.

Yet thankfully, not all is bad news — ice cream is only up a mere 2.1 percent, and oranges are actually cheaper, 10.1 percent so. But still. No painted easter eggs stuffed with confetti, primed to crack on an unsuspecting friend's head?!? What kind of an Easter will this be?

The New York Times attributes the rising prices to ethanol, that conflicted Iowa babe. According to many critics, government-subsidized ethanol raises corn prices, which raises the prices of producing dairy and meat. And that, in turn, encourages farmers to edge other crops out of their fields to make way for corn. Hence pricey eggs and milk? Well, nobody said economics is simple.

All I know is that we folk in the Heartland are suffering. I guess I'll go eat an orange.

BBQ Showdown: Jimmy Jack's vs. The Pit

When it comes to barbecue in Iowa City, and I mean real barbecue (none of that Buffalo Wild Wings crap), the choices are few and far between. In fact, to my knowledge, there are only two: Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack and The Pit Smokehouse. Now it's time for them to duke it out.

In order to judge the two, I ordered the food by which all barbecue restaurants should be judged: ribs.

Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack:

First, I went to Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack, located at 1940 Lower Muscatine Dr. The menu doesn't offer a whole lot of choices. Click the link above to see it for yourself. If you go there, you better be in the mood for barbecue because that's all you have to choose from. They've got a variety of barbecue sandwiches with various meats (and even a portobello mushroom option), as well as ribs and chicken. They also offer some sides, including fries, a corn bread muffin, baked beans, coleslaw, chips, and a chocolate chip cookie for dessert.

A half-slab of ribs by itself costs 11.99, but a the half-slab dinner, which comes with corn bread and two additional sides cost $15.49. I got the dinner with the beans and the fries.

Let me just say this: Jimmy Jack's has some of the best ribs, fries, and cornbread I have ever had. I'm not one who enjoys rib whose meat falls right off the bone. I like them to stick a little bit, so that when you cut them, the meat doesn't slide off, leaving the bone completely bare. These ribs do just that. They're tender, juicy, incredibly meaty, and come off the bone only when you bite into them.

For the ribs, you have your choice of four different barbecue sauces: the regular, the 4-alarm, the cowboy, and the Carolina mustard. While they were all delicious, I have to say that the cowboy was my favorite. It's sweet and smoky and the perfect compliment to the meat, though the spicy 4-alarm is a close second.

Like I said, Jimmy Jack's also has some of the best fries and cornbread I've ever had. Everything they give you comes in huge portions. They give you a bunch of huge, steak cut, ultra fried and crispy fries. Oh, how I love crispy fries. They're a beautiful golden brown and as far as I'm concerned, no other fry can compete. The cornbread is great and huge as well. It's sweet and full of flavor.

The restaurant itself is spacious and clean. They even have a nice outdoor patio, though it backs up to Lower Muscatine Dr., it's still a nice place to eat in the non-winter months.

Basically, I love this place. Now I just had to see if The Pit could compete.

The Pit Smokehouse:

The Pit Smokehouse lies just outside of downtown Iowa City at 130 N. Dubuque St. It's a convenient spot, especially on those last weekend nights since The Pit is open until 3am Friday and Saturday. It's a smaller place with a difficult parking lot, but I wasn't too worried about that. I was there for the food.

The first thing I noticed was a noticeably larger menu. Here's both parts of the menu so you can see for yourself: Part 1, Part 2. They've got everything that Jimmy Jack's has, plus more desserts, salads, burgers, hot dogs, and a list of "Fried Goodies".

I was surprised to see that there are no combo-style dinner options. Every thing on menu is separate.

The half-slab is less than Jimmy Jack's, at $9.75. If I had wanted to match the Jimmy Jack's dinner, it would be another $2 for the fries, $1.75 for the beans, and $1.25 for the cornbread. That's $14.75, which is about $0.75 less than Jimmy Jack's. I opted for the half-slab with just fries and cornbread.

The ribs were less than spectacular. The top of the rib meat was dry and tough while the rest effortlessly slid right of the bone. So while some of the meat was dry, the rest was a little too slimy. There was very little middle ground between the two. They also lacked the meaty factor that Jimmy Jack's perfected so well. They were an overall disappointment.

There are only two sauce options: House and Spicy. The House is sweet and overall pretty good, while the Spicy is just the House with more pepper.

The fries are big and crinkle cut. I'm a fan of the crinkle cut, and these fries were pretty good. The portion of fries was big and hearty, but they weren't as good or unique as Jimmy Jack's.

The cornbread was good, but nothing special. It tasted fine, but could never live up to the standards set by my previous cornbread experience.

Conclusion:

Jimmy Jack's is the clear-cut winner. The food was simply outstanding. The ribs, the sides, and the sauces were some of the best I've had. And unless you're a really tightly wound penny pincher, you won't mind dishing out an additional $0.75 for better food and bigger portions.

I'm not saying I won't return to The Pit, just not for their barbecue. I would like to try a burger or hot dog, but that's for another blog. For now, just get to Jimmy Jack's get ready to have a full belly and a plate of leftovers.

Local Fish Fry

Going to a fish fry wasn't exactly on my agenda one Friday, but I had heard the fried cod was well worth it. Going into the Eagles Lodge, located at 225 Highway 1, I had certain negative expectations. For some reason the term "fish fry" had a negative connotation for me. The event seemed like a place where people of only a lower stature would go or like it could be a scene off of Drop Dead Gorgeous. However, my expectations were put to the test when I started eating delicious, fried goodies.

The fish fry at Eagles Lodge has taken place from 5-8pm every Friday since February 8th and will run until March 21st, running the entire Lent season. Though it might be a costly $10, it is all-you-can-eat and the food is like a gormet banquet dinner. With the long, plastic tables and all, the atmosphere is extremely casual. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are offered, along with service that is very kind.

The dinner includes fried cod, six-piece shrimp, fried potato wedges, coleslaw, mac 'n cheese, and plenty of chocolate. The fish and potatoes were lightly fried and lightly seasoned, creating just enough flavor. Though the mac 'n cheese didn't last too well as a soft food, the rest of the food was very tasty. And when I was told that the potatoes were out, there were fresh wedges before I could even finish my plate.

The atmosphere of the fish fry at Eagles Lodge wasn't necessarily where most students went for a Friday night, but I recommend trying it out. There is plenty of tasty food for multiple plates, there is a bar for your pleasure, and even though it's all-you-can-eat, the food is prepared just for you and they'll be sure to ask how the food tasted.

To get more information about Eagles Lodge and their fish fry, call: (319) 337-9505