Hot Dish Review

Coming soon….more reasons to go There!

No matter where you are, it’s There.
You can eat some deer, if you dare.
Where “upscale” and “dive” go hand in hand.
A favorite of the E Street Band.

Where am I? There,of course! Brookhaven’s new restaurant and pub, catering to foodies and the occasional rock star, is making quite an impression. A fresh, organic menu features several items that are smoked, pickled, or otherwise laboriously manufactured in-house, from the trail mix with bacon (yes indeed!), to the mysteriously light smoked oyster chowder.

Me and B stopped by recently for a laid-back dinner and drinks. We chose seats at the bar. Being her first visit, B was disappointed to discover the barstools do not actually vibrate as I had reported in a previous post….LOL! Proprietor BB was There with his new prized possession, the guitar left to him by the legendary Clarence Clemens who, sadly, passed away last year.

Chef Ryan Hickey was There as well, bringing out an appetizer sampler including his devine smoked trout deviled eggs topped with duck prosciutto and pickled shallots. A small bowl of crab dip was baked until the manchego bubbled on top. Another small bowl contained his stellar smoked oyster chowder, brimming with perfectly diced potatoes, carrots, and bits of bacon.

We munched on a trio of bar snacks….roasted pepitas, smoked almonds, and the best damn trail mix I’ve ever had, made with peanuts, cashews, candied pineapple and bacon, then sprinkled with sesame seeds. BB delivered housemade fried pickles, a dish of crispy greasy goodness. All an excellent compliment to any beer, like our Coronas with lime served in real mugs with salted rims.

Next we tried the artisanal boar sausage and aptly named “mountain man” sausage made with a variety of wild game, including venison. Both were sliced and served with a grainy mustard and garlic aioli for dipping. A salty, caloric, meaty, manly snack.

Still not quite full, we ventured on to the sandwiches. I’ve tried nearly everything on the abbreviated opening menu except the mahi Cubano, recommended by BB and the chef. A thick filet topped with melted gruyere, pickles, garlic aioli and mustard pressed between two halves of a H & F roll tasted like something you would find at a boardwalk fish house in New England. Excellent fries seasoned with rosemary and garlic came with a wonderful dill-spiked dipping sauce.

There was no room for dessert, but alas, it did not matter. Chef asked if we would like to try a Guinness float. Ya think? B and I took turns sucking the thick and frothy concoction through the straws….yum!

Now I’m just waiting on the duck salad. Bring it on!

This pub cuisine is beyond compare,
So grad your friends, I’ll see you There!

305 Brookhaven Avenue 404-949-9677

Happy Easter to all my Hot Dish bunnies!
As a child me and my Mom always colored eggs for Easter. I continued that tradition on my own until just a few years ago when I switched to making deviled eggs….appropriately inappropriate!

This is so elementary it’s not even a recipe, really.

Omega 3 eggs (I use Eggland’s Best)
Dijon mustard
Lite mayo
Salt and pepper to taste
Cayenne
Paprika for garnish

Boil the eggs for about 9 minutes. Let cool and peel. Cut the little guys in half lengthwise and scoop out the yolks. Mix with desired amount of mustard and mayo with a fork until creamy (start with a tablespoon of each for about 4 eggs). Add a pinch of cayenne, maybe a dash of hot sauce if you like. Fill the eggs halves with the yolk mixture and sprinkle with paprika.

This year I tried to be fancy and piped the yolk mixture in with a plastic bag with the corner snipped off. Not a bad effort!

While in Orlando, LC and I dined at a cozy spot on the main drag called Brick House Tavern and Tap. Flattering lighting and a modern rustic decor made it the perfect choice for a casual date night. We settled into a booth next to the fireplace.

Not sure how I missed the overt sexual innuendo on the menu during our visit, only discovering it while reviewing our choices for this post. Items like “three-way chicken wings” and “submissive baked potato soup” make me wonder who thought this was a good idea….and why. I also discovered that the restaurant is part of a chain, with 15 locations from Texas to Florida. I liked the place a whole lot more before I knew that bit of info.

Having eaten at Brick House a few weeks before on a business trip, LC knew I’d love the deviled eggs topped with crispy bacon and roasted jalapenos to start, so we ordered them along with a couple of drinks. That’s when we got the bad news: they were out of bacon. Checking out the entire menu, I noticed that many dishes contained bacon, from the mac ‘n’ cheese to the “bad boy chopped salad”. How the f*ck can you run out of bacon when your entire menu depends on it?

We ordered the deviled eggs anyway, which arrived unadorned, save for a sprinkling of cayenne. I guess without the bacon we wouldn’t want the jalapenos? LC asked our server to bring them. The eggs were good but disappointing without the bacon.

Like all taverns and taps, Brick House offers a large selection of specialty and import beers with twenty served on draught. Man-sized burgers and sandwiches compete with ladylike dishes like “zucchini curls” or the “good girl Caesar salad”.

As we often do, LC and I chose a few items to share. Silver dollar burger sliders were thick and juicy, topped with balsamic caramelized onions and gooey melted cheese. Soft buns were the final component that made these sliders exceptionally delicious.

If she ever was a brick house, she wouldn’t stay that way for long eating stuff like the “big onion stack”. LC demonstrated how it was one continuous piece of greasy, battered onion. I blotted them with my napkin to no avail. Did we stop eating them? No sir!

For a lighter dish we tried the “beefed up steak salad”. Grilled pieces of tenderloin were flavorful paired with grilled red onions. Although not listed, the salad was garnished with tomato wedges and candied walnuts. Creamy balsamic finished the fresh greens.

Desserts are called “happy endings”, of course. We were too full to indulge, but when we got back to our lovely resort we had worked up an appetite for “pleasure pie”.

Sorry, just couldn’t resist.

8440 International Drive, Orlando 407-355-0321

After the longest day of my life last Thursday, I was on my way home when I got a call from BB to meet him at Bocado. Having already had a glass or two of wine, I couldn’t refuse the offer for a cap on my nightcap.

Some places do one or two things really well, becoming known for a signature dish. Bocado is a prime example. Their “stacks”, sandwiches piled high with all kinds of deliciousness, are what keep folks coming back, and also explains the restaurant’s monicker which is Portuguese for “mouthful”. If I want a fried green tomato and pimento cheese sandwich, I go to Bocado.

Their combo of roasted poblanos, fried green tomatoes, pimento cheese, and bacon on grilled sourdough is awesome. The ingredients are stacked, some warm, some cool, so that the cheese just begins to melt. It is served with a satisfying tomato bisque. Honestly, I would never have ordered this sandwich if I hadn’t read so many great reviews. I’ve also had the burger stack which has won many fans around town, including being voted Best Burger by Creative Loafing’s staff in their recent “Best Of” issue. It is served with flawless fries, dipped in mayo.

Beer and wine selections are smarter than smart. Bocado has great neighborhood appeal. But the truth is I rarely have the craving for that specific sandwich and it is the only thing I’ve eaten there that commands a repeat performance. And if I wanted a burger I would go to YEAH! Burger right around the corner.

There are plenty of other items on their menu and, admittedly, I’ve only tried about half of them (which is enough, right?). The big plates, with combinations like pork with borlotti beans and carrots and flatiron steak with potato puree and turnips, just don’t turn me on.

Seated at the bar I ordered a glass of red wine, a zin I believe. BB was on his second glass. It was already near 10pm, a bit late for a calorie-dense sandwich, so we chose a couple of small plates, the deviled eggs and crab fritters.

BB had already ordered the Brussels sprouts for us to snack on, a small plate that I rather enjoyed the first time. The petite veggies are halved, complimented by capers, tiny croutons, and shaved parmesan with a definitive vinegary bite. Their flavor rocks, just wish they were cooked a bit longer to smooth out the bitterness of the Brussels. BB likes them al dente, so no complaints from him.

Crab fritters, the fried and less classy cousin to the crab cake, were served with a corn and pepper salad and aioli that tasted pretty much like tartar sauce. Fishy fried balls. Not my thing.

Deviled eggs were much better, their creamy yolk filling topped with crisped bits of prosciutto. But the serving of five is a bit curious. On offer for dessert? Three types of cake, I kid you not. Neither of us like cake so there was a resounding “no thanks!”

Once again, I enjoyed the atmosphere and service at Bocado, but for me, the menu lacks that something special that would catapult it from ordinary to extraordinary.

Photos courtesy of BB