Guasa what what???

Last night I made my second attempt at making guasacaca sauce, the delicious green sauce that we had at the Valencia Luncheria in Connecticut.  We put that guasacaca on everything! First attempt was okay… in my opinion… but L was giving huge thumbs up! He must have been telling the truth, because it didn’t last very long. Which brought me to making batch 2, partly because batch 1 was finished so quickly and partly to see if I could perfect the taste a bit more.

So here is the recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/guasacaca-sauce-449877.  I will say that I up the red wine vinegar to at least half a cup and the second time used a fresh bottle of olive oil that was billed to have a lighter taste than standard olive oil. I also added some jalapenos from a jar, but fresh would be better I think. This sauce has been a hit with every single person who has tried it and seems to go with so much! We even put some on corn, which appears to be made for it. It is also a great compliment to any meat so far. Try it out!

K&L 😀

Wing Wing… Hello?

Welcome to the first post trip… post! We are HUGE wing fans and take every opportunity to talk about them, find them, order them, cook them, eat them… you get the point. It turns out that the first, and currently only, franchise of the American chain Buffalo Wild Wings opened in our area.  I promised L that I would wait and we would go there together for the inaugural visit.  But I didn’t wait :-/. L took the news like a (disappointed) champ.  Liking my first visit very much, he and I went the other day when the wings were on special for 55 cents each.  We sat in the bar area and I remarked how great a venue this place would be to watch a sporting event. Very wide open and TVs surrounding the place. We were then greeted by Lori (hope I’m spelling that right!) with whom we had funny and interesting discussions on many topics throughout our visit. She ALMOST made me forget that they don’t carry Strongbow… yet! If you are visiting definitely sit in her area if you want great service and a laugh.

We ordered 10 wings each (they are delicious, crispy and NOT breaded thank goodness, but are not jumbo as noted on some other review sites that I have viewed), but no fries etc., we told Lori we are on a diet! I’m not sure why, but I think she rolled her eyes and laughed! Wings arrived, and were hot and crispy, we got our sauces (jerk and hot) on the side and all was exactly as we love it. I also learned that you can specify all flatties or all drummies if you have a serious preference (I like flatties and L likes drummies so it usually works out great for us). The jerk sauce was good, but it had a bit of sweetness to it that I have not had in a jerk sauce before.  The hot sauce was hot, with nice buttery tone to it. It was all so very good that we had to order 10 more each… we tried to go with 5 each , but we were persuaded to get 10, since they are fine with taking discount wings home! But those extra wings didn’t stand a chance (did I mention that we are on a diet for our getaway down south in the not too distant future???) . Side fact, they have a great, inexpensive lunch menu as well with pulled pork sliders, cheeseburger sliders, etc. and the dinner menu looked great too.

We also had a chat with the manager and he said that in August, a new Buffalo Wild Wings will be opening in Guelph. I’m sure if our experience was any indication, they will be very welcome all over Canada! Looking forward to a return visit… to try the salads of course!

K&L 😀

Ottawa Foodie Times

Kiddo and her man and FNS BURGERS!

So better late than never here I suppose! We did finish up the official Triple D tour with a stop in Ottawa. (We later added up the trip mileage of the 5 days to discover it was about a 2500 km tour!) We arrived late, almost 10 pm, but couldn’t resist sharing the prized contents of the trusty Coleman cooler… our faithful companion throughout the trip (that L hauled in and out of each hotel room in order to keep the bounty safe and cold).  Myself, L, my daughter and her boyfriend all shared a little bit of everything we had (lasagna, meatball, sausage stuffed banana peppers, empanadas, guasacaca sauce, yucca fries, beef tips… the bacon and ham from Lake Effect did not stand a chance in the hotel room in Salem just before we set out). It was a delicious mini sample of our trip and was very well received!
The next day found us up for more food adventures of course. We headed out to Father and Sons, better known as FNS, to try the original inspiration for one of my favourite home time burgers, the TEX MEX! A delicious burger on what appeared to be an egg burger bun of sorts and covered in cheddar, salsa and guacamole. We ordered the requisite Strongbows (cider beverage, looks like beer, tastes less sweet than a cooler) and lots of burgers.  Tex Mex, Arizona (which had jalapenos, cheese, bacon, some spicy chipolte mayo, and other yummy items) some sweet potato skinny, crunchy fries and onion rings. We also ordered some deep fried pickles to start that were standard and crunchy, scalding, delicious, which came with regular fries tucked under them so no complaints there!
Burgers arrived and I instantly noticed that the bun was now a very pedestrian sesame seed product you get in many places, and my dreamy memory of the tex mex was shattered, as I noticed again what appeared to now be a standard pattie and a light amount of toppings. We actually ordered another guacamole to add to the burgers. It still did not measure up to my fond memories of the other 2 times that I was lucky enough to have had one. Oh well, I still make them at home, and they are spectacular, so I owe the FNS gratitude for the idea.  The Arizona burger was much more flavourful with the jalapenos, bacon etc. and the sweet potato fries/sticks were the best I’ve ever had, so not a total bust! I would recommend FNS as a standard, reliable place to grab some pub food.

After lunch we found ourselves full and trying to wander through the hot streets to get back to the apartment.  Tried to shop, but just too full! And let’s be honest, we had to rest up for dinner. We went to the Sitar on Rideau Street, where we had been for the lunch buffet on a previous visit.  
We ordered lots of dishes! Samosas, pakuras, beef vindaloo (we were asked if we knew it was hot, we said we sure did), chicken masala, naan, paratha, rice and an order of chicken biryani. A couple of accompaniments of lime pickle and raita and of course a nice bottle of red wine (a Zinfandel) rounded out the order.

Everything was delicious, including the poppadums provided at the start. The vindaloo was hot! We are all hot food eaters, but this was uncommonly hot based on comparisons with lots of other vindaloos I have eaten at many other places, it was however, delicious. Just meant we had to eat it a bit slower than usual. There was enough to package up and make a snack out of when we got back home, a final tasty end a couple of days later to the entire saga.  Unfortunately there is no photographic evidence of the Indian food fest this time. I don’t even know why… maybe it was the 2 large fish in the aquarium intimidating me… and by the looks of it, each other. For this one you will just have to conjure up the images on your own. I will make sure to snap in the future! But the next and last day in Ottawa, we had lamb burger business at Patty Bolan’s to take care of!

Lunch before leaving was to be another attempt at revisiting a fond memory for me, the lamb stilton burger I had tried there a year before. We again started with the ever requested Strongbows all around, and got to ordering.  The burger was gone! But they did still have a lamb burger with Guinness cheddar so I went with that and the chicken gumbo soup.  L got a beef tenderloin sandwich on ciabatta with fries, and the starving student getting a free lunch went with a beef boxty and salad.  Everything arrived in it’s tasty glory and we set about splitting the burger and sandwich. Not as good on the lamb burger as before, just like the FNS letdown (maybe my memory is the real problem!) but still a good choice, and the sandwich was very fresh and flavourful.  Boxty looked amazing, like a giant meat filled crepe covered in gravy! Everyone was happy with their decisions so I would definitely recommend a visit to Patty Bolan’s if you find yourself in the Ottawa Market area.
So that’s it! We packed up and headed west… looking forward to more food adventures that we will keep posting! Next up: the one and only Buffalo Wild Wing in all of Canada… for now….
K&L 😀

Tenderloin Ciabatta and Lamb and Guinness Cheese Burger

Beef with Gravy Boxty

Kiddo and her man and FNS BURGERS!

A round of FNS Burgers!

Deep Fried Scalding Pickles and Fries

 

Where would YOU like to eat?

Last Stop: Little Depot Diner

Up early today, our last official Triple D day. We had a bit of shopping to do before heading to the last place we could fit in: The Little Depot Diner. Walking up it looks like a little train car and inside it is as tiny as it is friendly.  Just a counter and a short row of stools. And a little kitchen of course.  Immediately noted that there is no washroom in the place, you go across the street to Dunkin Donuts, or you hold it. Our young waitress, Hannah took our order and we chatted with her and Judy the owner about our tour, the other places we had visited, kids and family etc. A very homey welcoming place. Menu is simple and we ordered quickly. We had 2 Hungry Hobos (2 eggs, corned beef hash, marble rye toast) and a side of homemade baked beans, but to start, we ordered the Creton (no idea if I’m spelling that right!), which is a ground pork mixture served cold that you spread on toast and add some good old French’s mustard on top.  This was one of the highlights in their spot on Triple D and a tasty little treat on our tour as well.  We got to see the little train go around the track at the ceiling since we were first timers and we noticed the whistle was pulled each time people left.  What a fun little place with satisfying food and super friendly staff. A perfect end to the tour. K&L 😀

Walking in a Witchy Wonderland

Next stop: Salem! Where most people go to be scared, we just went there to eat.  Try finding a hotel there that doesn’t bill itself as haunted. I asked L to please find the least haunted one. As far as I know, he did. After the drive the day before, the journey to Salem seemed too easy, till we hit the traffic jam that set us back an hour. We weren’t in too much of a hurry though so it wasn’t too distressing. The town itself is interesting with lots of pedestrian type walk areas and of course the whole haunted, witch, magic theme everywhere.  The weather was hot and humid with the temp well into the 90s which according to the woman who checked us in said is unusual for Salem. Off to our room we went and got settled and made a quick call to the Lobster Shanty, yes, it was open, no, they don’t even take reservations, they serve food till 10.  We relaxed for about half an hour with a drink and then got ready and headed out. Turns out the Shanty was a very short walk from the hotel.

So it is definitely a shanty! Wee little place with screen doors and a long narrow outdoor patio area.  As we went to go inside, a man (who obviously works there or manages there, or owns there) says “you don’t want to go in there” and about 2 feet into the door you know why. And according to the sign on the wall, if I say how hot it was in there, I have to give the bartender $5, so let’s just leave it at that. Oh I can say that there was no air conditioning. I think that’s free. So back to the patio we went. They had open mike and lots of very interesting acts performed some songs and some spoken word pieces and one that a girl had written in the last half hour sitting there at her table and it was surprisingly great.  Definitely added to the enjoyment and overall experience.

Okay on to the food stuff! I had to have a lobstertini with the claw garnish. It was exactly as I thought it would be and it smelled like the ocean. L confirmed that this was in fact true, it DID smell like the ocean. L had the drink special, sangria and it was tasty too.  We ordered the fried homemade mozzarella and deep fried mac and cheese balls to start. Sooo delicious. The cheese was 3 huge lightly breaded slabs with marinara sauce and fresh basil and the mac and cheese balls were battered, crunchy goodness.

Onto dinner… I had the lobster roll that I had been longing for, with a side of clam chowder.  L had the pulled pork sandwich and a side of sweet potato chips.  The lobster roll was overflowing with so much lobster that was tender and tasty and the roll was toasted and buttery. L had never had clam chowder before, but the trouper and superfoodie he is, of course he had some… and liked it.  We both tried the pork sandwich and with all of these places we have visited, it is amazing how good the food is when it is all done from scratch.  We liked everything so much that we ordered another dinner: marinated steak tips. We tried a bit…melt in your mouth char crust on outside and soft rare middle. We packaged up the rest to take with us.

Finally we went in to buy some swag, but they were almost out of everything.  We picked up a couple of shirts, paid and were on our way back to the hotel, full of Lobster Shanty food and fun. What a memorable evening. K&L 😀

L before trying chowder…

L after trying chowder, he liked it!

Hangover Town: Table for 2

A few hours after going to bed it was time to get up, not our preference, but the pesky hotel wants you to leave by noon. We made it out slightly after 12 and ready to see if food was going to make everything better like it usually does 😀 We headed out to the Valencia, just a few miles from the hotel. It was in a very quaint area of town and equally quaint and small on the inside, and packed with people.  We were able to grab a table for two and then studied the delicious menu of Venezuelan dishes. Service was fast, friendly and helpful.  We decided immediately on beverages, I got a monster fresh squeezed oj and L got a banana, milk and ice concoction called a Batidos, which despite the simplicity of the ingredients was like nothing I have tasted before. It was so creamy and had such fresh banana flavor. If you ever get the chance, try one.

For food, we finally settled on empanadas (cheeseburger and cubano) and arepas (chorizo with homemade mozzarella and shredded beef) the plates came with rice and beans, fried plantain, avocado wedge and ceviche. We also got an order of yucca fries. There is no other word to describe the food but spectacular.  We ate as much as we could and added generous squeezes from the giant bottle on the table of a cilantro based sauce called Guasacaca.  There was also a chipotle sauce that was tasty, but we were in love with the green stuff.  We left some rice and beans behind, but picked up some empanadas and sauce to go, and were on our way.

But not before hitting one more highly recommended place: Super Duper Weenie!

We made a quick trip to grab just one single dog to try it, much to the confusion of the young order taker who, when told we would like one Chicagoan dog said “That’s it??”  That’s it. And we took that dog back to the car, sat in our seats, and ate it like animals. It truly was the best hot dog I have ever tasted. Delicious bun holding a grilled wiener that had the most amazing flavor and juiciness, covered in shredded dark lettuce, hot relish, tomatoes, a pickle and celery salt. As we drove off, we were grateful that we live nowhere near this place or we’d be there every day. Only wish we had room for more, but thrilled that we went there despite just having finished lunch. Triple D tours are not for lightweights! K&L 😀

Connecticut Connections!

With a lighter meal consumed than expected (tacos were not quite Mighty), we started to make our way to Connecticut, for friends, pets, and the Black Duck. The over 7 hour journey was quite uneventful and we only made 2 quick stops. We arrived at the hotel just before 8 and quickly got ready, while throwing back a wine shooter (we wanted to get on our way fast!) It was quite a warm night out. Grabbed a cab and headed to Sammys place where on arrival we had a very enthusiastic greeting from everyone! People and kids and doggies at the door. Sammys boys were looking forward to the new visitors apparently and were perched on the chairs in front of their window looking out for us. They are sweethearts and showed us their artwork and told us stories about all of the pets, including the famous Merlot beagle. It was great to finally see everyone in person and special to get to pet one of the many beagles that I have spent countless hours watching online.

With pictures taken, we then headed out to the Black Duck! It is a very casual comfortable place where it already feels like you could have been there many times before. Sammys warned us about the slanted floor when you walk in and sure enough, it was… but mysterious it seemed quite flat when we left many hours (and beverages) later. Go figure.

Wine was our beverage choice for the night, Sammys and her husband N, had margaritas and beer. The food was a round of burgers and wings, no need to get fancy.  The burgers were stuffed, one with blue cheese, one with pepperjack cheese, fries, onion rings, and wings… standard, but wonderful bar food. Here’s where my little memory problem with the rest of the night kicks in: karaoke. And the beverages needed to get you to do it. Let’s just say I sang a lot (and thanks to Lee the karaoke host with the most). The night was a blast with far too many unfood related pictures snapped. As I said to the waitress at the beginning of the night “we are closing the restaurant” and we did. It ended with chairs up on tables and someone, who seemed to have the authority to do so, shouting “get out of my bar”.

Was the night over? NO! We were invited into Sammys and N’s place to share more drinks and doggie time… and the cats came to investigate the strange Canadians too. Merlot snuggled up to L, we had many more laughs and libations and then N was kind enough to take us back to our hotel. It was 4:48. AM.  That says it all. A great time with great people! Thanks Sammys and N and boys (M and N). Hope we get to see you again some time. K&L 😀

Diners Drive-Ins Dives….. and Disappointments :(

Monday morning found us up and excited about one of the most anticipated stops on our tour: Grover’s. We packed up, and headed out for the ½ hour drive and as we pulled in, a little white sign on the door caught my eye…. Oh ya and the empty parking lot. L hopped out and went to investigate. Much to my, well our, shock and sadness, the sign stated that they were in fact closed that week for holiday. Rookie mistake not calling before we went. The reality set in, NO cheeseburger soup for you! Or wings or burgers….

We decided to swallow our bitter disappointment and being on a bit of a schedule, since we were eager to get going to Connecticut, we ate at: Mighty Taco. It was definitely no Grover’s, but at least it was open and fit our timing. Later in the trip, we also realized that Grover’s is only about 2 ½ hours from home, so we’ll try to make a day trip of it and go back…. But we’ll definitely call first. K&L 😀

Wherrrrrrrrrre’s the next post???

Sorry about the lack of updates. We have clearly been having too much food and fun and not as much time in the hotels as  originally expected. However a long car ride today will give lots of time to write up the last 2 days events! Soooo if there is wifi on the way, will post on the way to Ottawa, but if not, will post as soon as we arrive later this evening! Stay tuned! We’ve had some spectacular food and fun. K&L 😀