Much like Robb Walsh I have been spending a bit of time at Beaver’s lately. Since Jonathan Jones took over kitchen I find myself going to Beaver’s on regular basis as the food gets better and better.
The best bets at Beaver’s are on the blackboard, where the specials are often more interesting than the regular menu, though these days even the regular menu seems better and more consistent. One night when I went a little overboard with the specials JJ appeared from the kitchen with a BBQ sampler, obviously excited about the results he has been getting from the smoker, just to see how far he could push me.
The BBQ, a letdown in the past, was excellent. It didn’t hurt that JJ coughed up the awesome burnt bits of the brisket off the fatty end that chefs and pit masters usually hoard of themselves.
The roasted oysters and chorizo were served with a flaming center piece reminiscent of the dramatic presentations at America’s. I like fire.
Continue reading ‘chefy bits at Beaver’s’
I finally made it to Max’s Wine Dive for a Sunday dinner and it turns out Max’s is just as fun for dinner as it is for brunch.
The menu is loaded with all sorts of exaggerated Gulf Coast dishes I’d love to sample, but I had a tough time passing up the Kobe burger with the foie gras supplement. Although the combination makes it a bit more expensive than a burger should be, it was worth the money. At least for the hopelessly foie obsessed.
My experience with the DB Burger at DB Bistro Moderne in New York made me cautious of over engineered burgers, but the burger at Max’s is different. The DB burger I had was a sad affair, with short ribs that got lost in the mush of the patty and foie gras that melted and overcooked into oblivion. If there was any truffle in this mess of a sandwich, it was clobbered by the other big flavors. The result was a bit like eating an over priced meatloaf.
Kobe beef burger, seared Hudson Valley foie gras.
Well worth the $30 and still cheaper than the DB Burger.
At Max’s, the burger construction is quite simple. Toasted brioche, medium rare patty, seared hunk of foie. I set the lettuce leaf and ice cold tomato slice aside, calculating that it would make the foie a bit nasty. The condiments seemed unnecessary, so I skipped those as well.
The minimalist combination was quite nice. Without much tinkering, you could really taste the foie gras as a separate component of the burger, which provided a really nice backdrop to the already great burger. Had the fries been better, this would have been an all around great plate of food.
I can think of worse ways to spend a lazy Sunday night.
