Eat Arkansas: November 2007 Archives

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Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 22:24:52

Irrational Dislikes

I was pondering what to post on my first entry on good ole Eat Arkansas, and after much thinking I decided that nothing says "hello" (and party) better than cake.

Pumpkin spice cake with caramel cream cheese frosting, to be exact, with some spiced candied walnuts on top. I whipped this bad boy up for Thanksgiving, and it was absolutely divine. The cake was nice and dense, and the sweetness of the icing coupled well with the spicy-ness of the walnuts, which were coated in powdered sugar, then fried in vegetable oil, then tossed with a cayene pepper mixture.

The cake itself tasted much like pumpkin pie, which I refuse to make at holidays because I just can't stand it. Much to my family's dismay, I am the designated dessert-maker for Christmas and Thanksgiving, and because they all like pumpkin pie (except me), I try to make pumpkin substitutions. For years and years I made a pumpkin bread pudding with caramel rum-raisin sauce (I'm beginning to see a caramel theme here as well ...), but this year I decided to be a bit more adventurous.

Because this pumpkin cake tasted so much like pumpkin pie, which I really and truly dispise, I began to think about my dislike, and I couldn't really put a finger on it. Obviously I don't dislike pumpkin pie because of the flavor, considering this cake tasted so much like it. I thought perhaps it was the texture, but then again I love sweet potato pie, which has a similar texture to pumpkin pie.

This conundrum led me to think of my other irrational dislikes, which try as I might I just can't force myself to like. Take guacamole for instance. I know, I feel less American admitting it, but I just can't make myself like it. I've tried it prepared all sorts of ways, even home-made by my mom, but I just can't stand it. And even though I love chocolate and love peanut butter, I just can't stand the two together. This I attribute to eating a peanut butter m and m as a child, fervently believing it was a plain m and m but being grossly mistaken and highly disappointed.

And dont even get me started on dip'n'dots, just the smell of those things makes me sick ...

Other than those things I just listed, I'll eat pretty much anything you put in front of me, the weirder the better. Does anyone else have any food dislikes they just can't explain?

P.S. The cake recipe is from the November 2007 issue of Food & Wine, and the spiced candied walnuts are from a Michael Chiarello recipe, reproductions of which can be found here.

Posted by Jenny at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments [14]

The lowdown on Velo Rouge

As we reported on Eat Arkansas last week, Velo Rouge Brasserie has opened on the corner of President Clinton Ave. and Cumberland, in the space that once housed Nu.

Velo Rouge is the first concept developed by Riviera Restaurant Group. Rebekah Hardin, who was part of the team behind Nu, remains a part of Riviera; she declined to identify other investors. Little Rock-native Robbie Lewis, who's spent the last 16 years in San Francisco, steadily racking up accolades as the chef for two of the city's finest restaurants, Jardinière and Bacar, is the executive chef for the restaurant group.

Yesterday at Velo Rouge, Hardin and Lewis stressed that the new restaurant is no Nu. "This isn't a pinkie in the air spot," Lewis said. "It's somewhere you can come wearing whatever and chug a beer and have a steak." The decor, which you can see below, is all warm lighting and stained white oak.

Brian Chilson

The menu is typical brasserie cuisine, "lots of proteins and fried things," said Lewis. Entrées range from $16, for the roasted free-range chicken, to $59 for a 48-oz bone-in Ribeye meant for two. There is a variety of tasty-looking appetizers — duck leg, fried whitefish and vegetables, homemade gnocchi, pork belly — and a handful of "bar bites," low-priced appetizers like crab beignets, pommes frites (fries) and Parmesan puffs. There's also focused and impressive wine list by the bottle and glass along with a full bar.

Brian Chilson

Lewis is still serving as the executive chef at Bacar in San Fran, though he says he hopes to eventually move his family back to Arkansas. In the meantime, Lewis has brought in a "pedigreed" team to run Velo Rouge and said he'll be in Arkansas month to month to supervise the brasserie and to monitor progress on Restaurant Artesia, the second project Riviera is planning for the Heritage East building.

Artesia, as its name sort of suggests, will be more artisanal, a "chef-as-artist-restaurant" that will reflect Lewis' cooking style. It will be "sleek and pretty and comfortable," Lewis said. "Hopefully, the kind of restaurant you could find in LA or New York City." Lewis concedes that Ashley's probably has fine dining wrapped up in the city and suggests that Restaurant Artesia will be "less austere and formal." It will seat 50 and 50 in a private dining room and will only be open for dinner and special events.

"It will for sure be the best food in the city," Lewis said with a grin.

In San Francisco, Lewis' cooking style has been intensely market driven (he has a full-time forager who goes to markets every day searching out produce and meats). He makes his menu daily depending on what's available. Transitioning that idea, from the mecca of fresh markets to Arkansas, will be difficult, Lewis acknowledges, but he says he's prepared to work with local producers to help them understand the market and develop an infrastructure, "even if it means getting a bunch of farmers together and putting on a cooking demonstration."

Lewis says he's eying Valentine's of next year to open Artesia. Meanwhile, lunch and happy hour will begin at Velo Rouge in about two weeks, Lewis and Hardin say. Until then, the kitchen will be open 5 p.m.-midnight seven nights a week.

Posted by Lindsey Millar at 03:54 PM | Permalink | Comments [1]

Sunday, November 25, 2007 - 18:27:22

Flight of Fancy

Flying high at Central-

We're diving in!-

Mrs. Belly gots the club-

I gots the Chili Cheeseburger-

It may be a bit off the beaten path- but you can't beat the ambience or the cheeseburger. The food is very good here, and so is the service. By all means- go out of your way.

Tell us about your out of the way place.

Posted by Belly Boy at 06:27 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Velo Rouge

Lindsey invited opening weekend comments on the new Velo Rouge Brasserie at Markham and Cumberland and an Arkansas Blog reader Jenny Robertson has provided a detailed report. Check it out in the comments.

Or better yet, go to the author's food blog for her review. Her picture of clams and fries is shown below. (Good-looking frites.) Her blog, I'm Hungry, has lots of great stuff.

Posted by Max Brantley at 06:57 AM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Friday, November 23, 2007 - 15:12:16

Cheesecake shot

Says reader Kelly Hight:

Thanksgiving should have been a golden opportunity for beaucoup de food photos... but when I reached for a camera, I closed on a fork instead - and never looked back.

So attached is the only shot I got -- the pumpkin cheesecake.

Posted by Max Brantley at 03:12 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Happy leftover day!

Hey, some people like to shop, I like to eat.

We'll be eating on this one for a day or two.

Breakfast of champions-

2 1/2 to 3 c. leftover stuffing or 1 pkg. (6 oz.) stuffing mix
1 c. chopped cooked turkey
1 c. shredded swiss cheese
4 beaten eggs
1 (5 1/2 oz.) can evaporated milk
1/8 tsp. pepper

Press leftover stuffing or mix into 9 inch pie plate to form crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Combine meat and cheese. In another bowl, beat eggs, milk and pepper, sprinkle meat and cheese on baked crust. Pour egg milk mixture on top layer. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in 350 degree oven, until center is set. Let stand for 10 minutes. Garnish with tomato wedges. Serves 6. Recipe from here.

We did this last year and it went over with our guests really well. Any plans for leftovers? Turkey gumbo perhaps?

Posted by Belly Boy at 07:39 AM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Wednesday, November 21, 2007 - 10:23:38

For those about to smoke

We salute you.

Considering smoking a turkey? The folks at the Sauce Company in the heights are here to help.

I'm probably going with the pecan wood chips myself, mainly because I'm stuffing it with pears and apples. I don't want to overdo it with fruitiness. As a friend told me recently, less is more with turkey.

Anybody else smokin?

Posted by Belly Boy at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments [2]