ad hoc Sunday Brunch, Yountville CA

The best part about dining at Thomas Keller's ad hoc restaurant is that I don't know the menu till day of. This is also the worst part about dining as I usually scope and scour the internets to strategize what I'd like to order and what are must try menu items.

ad hoc posts their daily menu at http://www.adhocrestaurant.com/menu/. Their american style sunday brunch was no exception and given their menu is their menu, you have to be willing to eat anything that's served to you. No substitutes! 

My foodie buddies and I really wanted to try ad hoc, but were nervous so we decided to play it safe *just in case*. The good news is that there are many, many other world-class restaurants walking distance for a last minute change of plans.

Once we arrived, there was no question that we would stay. At the end of the day, these folks know what they are doing so it's worth trying regardless.  I don't think I've ever ordered a porkchop for breakfast, but I'm so glad I was forced to. At $34 per person (excluding drinks/extra), it's well worth the money to experience the culinary skills of the ad hoc team and try something new.

Everything was delicious from start to finish: Beautiful spring endives & watercress salad, a crispy, juicy porkchop with cheesy grits and apple crumble, a side of belgian chocolate pancakes, and finished with strawberry shortcake = amazing. Here's what we ate on April 28th, 2013. Everything other than dessert was served family style.

• ad hoc Bloody Mary
• Endive & Watercress Salad with ruby red grapefruit, tangelos, carrot, ping pong radishes, and dill-yogurt dressing
• Grilled Porkchop with ham gravy, anson mills cheddar grits, sunny-side up hen eggs, charred kale sprouts, and baked apples (these were more like an apple crumble with so many crispy bits to die for!)
• Chocolate Chip Pancakes (an extra $8 for 3 - again, if you're at ad hoc, you might as well try everything!)
• Strawberry Shortcake with lemon curd, swanton strawberries, and whipped chantilly cream

Can't wait to go back and try dinner there one day, and visit addendum (located right behind) for their famous fried chicken!

Tips: 

• Make reservations in advance! ad hoc is on OpenTable which makes it pretty easy.
• If the menu hasn't been posted yet, you can call them at 707-944-2487hen they open at 10am to check what brunch items they're serving, or just stop by the location. The menu is posted outside.

See more pictures at http://on.fb.me/11dfGEb

Endive and Watercress Salad from ad hoc

Grilled Porkchop from ad hoc

My Perfect Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Martha Stewart's "Perfect Macaroni and Cheese" was pretty close to perfect, but I've made a couple tiny tweaks to make it perfect for me and the family. By using Panko instead of her "buttered breadcrumbs", I save oven space (for all those other Thanksgiving dishes) and I get more of the cheesy crunch across the top (love!). By using a tbsp more butter but 2% milk - it helps keep this mac 'n cheese rich and gooey, but not as heavy which is the only fat sacrifice made for this dish.

Hope you enjoy this as much as we did! We lamented at the lack of leftovers :(

Perfect Macaroni and Cheese: macaroni, butter, flour, 2% milk, gruyere, sharp white cheddar, parmesan, panko, parsley, etc.

Perfect Macaroni and Cheese
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Recipe, Volume 66 February 1999

You can easily double this recipe; use a 3 quart casserole dish if you do.
Serves 6

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
2 3/4 cups 2% milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)
⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or more to taste)
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 ¼ cups (about 9 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar
1 cup (about 4 ounces) grated Gruyere
½ pound elbow macaroni
½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
¾ cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 1.5-quart casserole dish; set aside. Combine panko, parsley, and parmesan in a small dish; set aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk until steaming but not boiling. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Whisk with a flat whisk until smooth, 1 minute.

• Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick (coats a spoon).

• Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 1.5 cups cheddar, and 3/4 cup Gruyere. Season with salt to taste. Set cheese sauce aside.

• Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Salt water. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer's directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone (not crunchy though). Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

• Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup cheddar and 1/4 cup Gruyere; sprinkle panko mixture on top. Dab remaining butter in spots on top. Bake until browned on top and bubbly on the edges, about 30 minutes. If the top isn’t crispy enough, broil for a few minutes but watch carefully. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve.

A Must Try Food Truck: Turf N Surf Po' Boy in Austin

om nom notes rating: 5 stars

This food truck served what ended up being my favorite meal in Austin, TX this last trip. In a sea of food trucks - Turf N Surf Po' Boy stands out from the rest because of it's unique local, fresh food menu and intentionally dilapidated but charming "truck". They had quite the selection of responsibly sourced seafood, beef, pork and veggies - but po' boys are truly the star. This truck is not to be missed.

I have to add that the folks here are the NICEST people. They took the time to recommend selections, and made it a point to tell me that I could order anything exactly the way I wanted. So of course I did. :) They were also very apologetic when they didn't have some menu items like the guacamole or etouffee.

While their blackened or fried shrimp po boys are the crowd favorite, I chose to do the grilled crawfish po-boy with extra tomatoes and coleslaw on the side. 

It was AMAZING. Between the crusty and just right grilled multi-grain bread (different from your standard french-style baguette), the seasoned just right crawfish, the fresh tomatoes & mesclun greens, and the addition of thick sliced pickles - every bite's mingle of flavors made me so happy. 

While you would think might be a heavy, greasy sandwich - the greens, pickles, and squeeze of line added the unexpected freshness that made this monstrosity of a sandwich seem almost delicate. It was so good that I must have eaten the entire thing in 5 minutes. The coleslaw is very creamy (courtesy of Mr. Mayo), so I'm glad I got it on the side. 

You can also get any of the Po' Boys in the form of 2 tacos, or a salad (but really - who would want to do that?). I got to try a bit of the blackened shrimp taco, but I have to say that the po-boy with the amazing bread is better and significantly more memorable. Blackened shrimp was very good though.

The cilantro fries on their own are worth getting, just note that it's a huge portion and enough to share between at least 4 people. Curiously enough, they reminded me of the fries from "The O" (The Original Hot Dog Shop) in Pittsburgh - about a medium cut, but fried till crispy.  I had heard that you can get etouffee fries, but sadly they were out of gravy. Next time…

See more pictures at: http://on.fb.me/NIkzeh

Quick Notes:

1. Love that the truck/trailer was built out of 90% recycled/reclaimed material - it started as a shipping container!
2. There is a shaded seating area, but it's open so still hot!
3. They take credit cards.
4. Learn more about the history of the po' boy.
5. They sometimes are open outside of their normal hours, just check their Facebook page for updates
• Normal Hours:
  Mon-Thu 11 am - 3 pm

  Fri 11 am - 3 am

  Sat 12 pm - 3 am

Grilled Crawfish Po' Boy - $10

Grilled Crawfish Po' Boy: grilled crawfish, mesclun greens, pickles, red onion, tomatoes, and coleslaw (on the side)

Cilantro Fries - $3

Cilantro Fries: fresh cut potatoes, salt, cilantro, ketchup

Turf N Surf Po' Boy Trailer Truck

Turf N Surf Po Boy Food Truck: at 4th and Congress

Turf N' Surf Po Boy

177 Yelp reviews as of 7/13/12

The Ambiguous "Onion Soup" IS French Onion Soup

om nom notes rating for onion soup: 5 stars


So Blue Ribbon Brasserie's dishes to fame are seemingly the Beef Marrow & Oxtail Marmalade and Fried Chicken, but sadly I did not have a chance to try these out. I'm sure it's delicious though and you can read all about it on Yelp. Next time...


That being said, I did want to share is that the ambiguous sounding "onion soup" on the menu is in fact French Onion soup, complete with lots of crusty but melty cheese with toasty bread edges. The price is a bit steep, but I've heard that it's one of the best french onion soups in New York City - and it's certainly shareable. Don't ignore it (which is what I did while reading the menu)


I love crispy bits so appreciated the large shallow bowl it came in to maximize the crunch and ooze:) 


Tips: I've heard from NY natives that this place is a great place for celeb sightings and the mustard here is great! Used it with my Ham & Cheese Sandwich (Cotta de Parma & Swiss).


Onion Soup - $14.50

Blue Ribbon Brasserie Onion Soup

Blue Ribbon Brasserie

412 Yelp reviews as of 6/9/12

Are Disneyland Corn Dogs Worth the Wait in Line?

om nom notes rating: 4 stars


Adored by Disney fans galore and featured on Los Angeles Foodie's Top 10 Best Foods at Disneyland, I finally had to try the Corn Dog truck at Disneyland. I have to admit, these Corndogs are really quite amazing, but you need to be strategic in "when" you decide to get one. There will be a line so be prepared!

Where to find this truck...

The stand is located off of main street in the little cul-de-sac after the shops on the right end. The line does ebb and flow so there are 'down' times. Or - you could always spend the time in line if you have another member of your party saving a seat for you for the parade or fireworks. If you wait 'too' long, I'm not sure you'll enjoy it *as* much. And, make sure you're hungry and in the mood.

Reco: You can easily share this corndog with at least 3 people, depending upon how much grease you want to intake. These corn dogs are quite large, especially if you get a heavily battered one. Disney always amazes me in how 'consistent' each unit comes out - these are always perfectly good, but sometimes there are 'larger' ones with more cornbread batter.

A Disneyland corndog will cost you about $6.49, but you also get your choice of either chips or prepackaged apple slices. Would highly reco the apples to help cut the grease :) Don't get me wrong - this isn't the gross kind of greasy, it's the really crisp, good kind with a crunch but tender on the inside kind of greasy. Only thing about these corndogs is that I wish the 'dog' had more chew - but still the batter is the best I've ever had.

Tip: For those visiting California Adventure - these corn dogs will also be available at Corn Dog Castle on Paradise Pier.

Enjoy! 


Disneyland Signature Corn Dog - $6.49

The Corn Dogs "Little Red Wagon" at Disneyland

Disneyland Signature Corndog: recreated by an executive chef with the right cornmeal, the right honey, the right flour batter - and the right mix!

A tad bit longer than the normal line at the Corn Dogs truck at Disneyland

Curious about the history of the Disneyland Corndog Truck? Hear from Gary Magetti, Disneyland's Food and Beverage Director:

Note: While the Disney turkey leg is sort of a "must eat every time while visiting Disneyland" kind of thing, I would say the corndog is a "must try" and repeat only whilst craving :)

Disneyland Corn Dog Cart

355 Yelp reviews as of 05/15/12

The BEST Turkey Leg Ever! - by Disney

om nom notes rating: 5 stars


One of the best (and economical) options for food from Disneyland is the turkey leg! The price has gone up over the last couple of years, but it is still worth it at $8.99 for a 1.5lb leg. Where else can you get a moist, juicy, tender, smoky and ginormous turkey leg that can easily be shared with 2+ people (that you are ok with sharing germs with of course)? Plus - are you really going to be able to replicate the salt-water cured, slow-cooked in a smoker for 6+ hours process? SO DELICIOUS!!!

Tips: Make sure you bring lots of napkins and have some water/quencher on hand. It gets salty! Also - if they offer you a tray/carton, take it! This is good to have on hand as you remove the tough turkey cartilage/bones and/or skin (i know i know - blasphemous!)

Where to find these turkey legs?

Disneyland

Main Street Roundabout - If you're facing the Walt/Mickey statue, the turkey leg cart is on the left side, close to across the entrance area to Frontierland. This is a really good place to get a turkey leg if you're waiting around for the fireworks or parade. You can also get chimichangas and (buttered or chili-lime) corn here. 

Side note: Chimichangas are decent at $5.49, well portioned. My family really enjoys the chili-lime corn ($4.39) but it's messy!

Frontierland - This is close to the entrance of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. It used to be a cart, but has actually been turned to a permanent 'stand' to the right of the ferry landing/line area.

California Adventure

Hollywood Pictures Backlot - There's a cart off the main street as you turn into the alley that leads you to Muppet Vision 3D. Chimichangas and corn here too.

Disclaimer: Disneyland/California Adventure clearly can change their plans at any time so these locations are current as of May 2012. These turkey legs (of the same yummy goodness) are also available at the Walt Disney Resort in Florida.

Disney Turkey Leg - $8.99

Smoked Turkey Leg

Disneyland Turkey Leg Cart off Main Street

Learn more about why the turkey leg is so tasty from Food Network's Unwrapped: 

And just in case your curious about the calorie count, i've included it but don't let that stop you. it's totally worth it!

Disneyland Turkey Leg Cart

Yelp reviews as of 5/15/12