Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

12 Apr 2010

Sweet Iron Waffles – Seattle

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The timing couldn’t have been anymore perfect. Right before I left for Seattle, I posted about a lackluster Liège waffle served up at Holly’s Coffee. I lamented its pathetic texture and yearned for the real deal. The food blogging gods must have been smiling down upon me because on my second day in the city, I was riding on one of the city’s dependable public buses when I spied a shop specializing in “The Real Liège Waffle!” I made a mental note of the coordinates of Sweet Iron Waffles and swore to return the following day.

After a visit to The Crumpet Shop, The Astronomer, Rosalind, and I indulged in a second breakfast at Sweet Iron. The moment I walked into the shop and saw the Belgian waffle iron and smelled the caramelized sugar, I knew I was in the right place.

As is the norm in these here parts, all of the waffles at Sweet Iron are made with the best organic, local, and all natural ingredients. Most notably, the flour is from The Shepherd’s Grain, an alliance of progressive family farmers who are dedicated to sustainable agriculture.

We started off with a classic Liège waffle ($2.99) made with a brioche-style dough (all natural butter, flour, honey, yeast) and plenty of little pearl sugar beads. Finished with a light sprinkling of powdered sugar, the waffle arrived crisp, warm, and glossily caramelized. Its texture was slightly flaky, while the flavor was ever so sweet. Sweet Iron’s specimen was indeed “The Real Liège Waffle.”

Taking a walk on the savory side, we also ordered a basil and Val de Saone brie waffle ($4.99). Soon after the above photo was snapped, the cheese melted its way into the waffle’s crevices, yielding a sweet, savory, and herbaceous blend. Rosalind was on the fence about whether or not savory toppings went well atop a sweet waffle, but The Astronomer and I were certain it was a winning combination.

Thanks, Sweet Iron Waffles, for erasing the awful memory of Holly’s Coffee.

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Sweet Iron Waffles
1200 3rd Avenue, Suite 110
Seattle, WA 98101
Phone: 206-682-3336

Restaurant Review

10 Apr 2010

The Crumpet Shop – Seattle

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If there was one British practice that we should have retained before ousting them from our shores centuries ago, it surely is afternoon tea. I can’t think of a better way to spend the hazy hours between lunch and dinner than indulging in warm tea with clotted cream-slathered scones. As much as I adore the practice, I’ve only been to tea exactly two times in my life. On both occasions I was in a fancy hotel in Saigon [See: Caravelle and Park Hyatt] and on both occasions I missed out on crumpets. Sure, there were dainty finger sandwiches and adorable petit fours, but sadly, not a single crumpet graced my three-tiered towers.

I finally had the pleasure of tasting a coveted crumpet while in Seattle. Opened in 1976 by Gary Lasater and Nancy McFaul, The Crumpet Shop has become a city institution. While crumpets aren’t traditionally eaten for breakfast, The Astronomer, Rosalind, and I thought they’d be perfectly pleasant in the morning. We snagged a table near the kitchen, granting us the opportunity to spy on the unknowing chap performing his crumpet making duties.

Crumpets are the result of a simple yeast batter meeting a hot griddle and circular molds. The spilled-over batter is scraped off to create a neat disc. The surface is spongy and porous, which allows butter and jam to seep into every little hole. The texture is similar to an English muffin, but a bit doughier and more substantial.

On our first visit to The Crumpet Shop, we shared two crumpets with butter and fresh preserves ($1.95). Each one was toasted to order and buttered up nicely. The marmalade was full of zesty bits and bitter enough to remind us that we were eating a whole orange with a bit of sugar rather than the opposite.

The gooseberry jam offered two firsts in one bite—my first crumpet and my first gooseberry! Taste-wise, the jam was better balanced than the marmalade.

The Astronomer and I returned to The Crumpet Shop a few days later for an afternoon snack. This time around, we sampled a savory one. The warm crumpet came topped with a thick spread of ricotta cheese, house-made pesto, and shredded ham ($4). The highlight was the subtle and creamy ricotta. I don’t think I’ve ever been so taken by ricotta cheese.

I loved my crumpet experience so much that I purchased crumpet molds from Amazon as soon as I arrived home. I cannot wait to have afternoon tea in my apartment with fresh crumpets and jam served on the brand-new China from the wedding registry. Good times ahead.

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The Crumpet Shop
1503 1st Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
Phone: 206-682-1598

Restaurant Review

08 Apr 2010

Ludo Bites 4.0 at Gram & Papa’s – Los Angeles (Downtown)

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Chef Ludo Lefebvre is a rock star. For starters, he doesn’t play by the brick and mortar rules. He pops up whenever and wherever he pleases, keeping diners firmly on their toes the entire time. Furthermore, when the chef unveils his chosen venue and releases dates, every seat in the house sells out within hours. Reservation systems have been known to malfunction due to his popularity. Not to mention, the man has more groupies than David Bowie does. His most devoted fans drop in several times a month and are sure to have their menus autographed afterward.

After bringing down the house at Royal/T last December and at BreadBar before that, Chef Ludo has set up shop at Downtown’s Gram & Papa’s. His two month engagement officially begins today and runs through May 28. Fortunately, I was one of a few lucky bloggers invited by Fooddigger to sit down for a sneak preview the evening before LudoBites 4.0‘s debut.

The new space is incredibly intimate. Every seat in the house offers a perfect view of the open kitchen, redefining the boundaries between diners and chef.

Our multi-course tasting began with individual-sized baguettes served with “Three Fat Textures.” While the clarified and brown butters were completely delicious, I found myself returning again and again to the bright white lavender-laced lard.

Following the bread course was a gorgeous plate of Gastrovac‘d fruits and vegetables. The centerpiece was a carrot salad with saffron creme anglaise. Cooked slow and low, the carrots retained their characteristic snap and sweetness. Pickled pearl onions and a plethora of citrus fruits (Meyer lemon, blood orange, Navel orange) brought pleasantly tart accents to the plate.

The dish that elicited the most ooh and ahhs was the “Egg, Potato Mousseline, Lobster, Borage Flower.” Hidden beneath the impossibly smooth layer of potato puree were hunks of butter poached lobster and a soft boiled egg. The intermingling of flavors between the lobster, potato, and silky yolk had us all swooning with delight.

Making its second appearance on the LudoBites tour was the foie gras croque-monsieur. The sandwich initially debuted at the tail end of LudoBites 2.0 and was brought back by popular demand. While it doesn’t look like much on the outside, Chef Ludo’s croque is something kind of wonderful. Sandwiched between two slices of squid ink-dyed bread is a luscious lobe of foie gras, ham, and cheese. A chutney of lemon, turnip, and seaweed provided a bold punch to balance out the richness. Will Chi, one of Fooddigger’s founders, missed the sandwich so much that he proclaimed “welcome home” as he took a bite. Welcome home, indeed.

Another terrific course was the Burgundy escargots with garlic flan and parsley jus. While I can’t say that this wildly different interpretation topped the classic Escargots de Bourgogne, I did appreciate how Chef Ludo turned the standard combination of ingredients completely on its head.

The only dish that left me wanting was the Columbian River King salmon with spring cabbage and juniper berries. While the fish was superbly cooked, the accouterments mostly fell flat and didn’t enhance the dish overall.

All thoughts of the lackluster salmon completely disappeared with the arrival of the peculiarly shaped Jidori chicken. The supple slab of poached white meat was topped with bits of fried skin and hazelnuts. The deconstructed chicken was impressively moist and crispy in all the right places. Pickled leeks with English peas, as well as a phenomenal bacon pudding, were on hand to mix and mingle. Having mastered the art of fried chicken, it seems that Chef Ludo is channeling his creativity toward rethinking roasted chicken.

The cheese course was comprised of a brie chantilly napoleon with honeycomb, balsamic, and frisee. The rind-less brie was whipped for two hours by hand Kitchen Aid, creating a luxuriously creamy texture not unlike butter. I’ve always loved pairing honey with cheese and was pleased to have bits of honeycomb to swipe my napoleon in.

The final course was a dark chocolate souffle with black pepper milk chocolate ice cream and chocolate cream. Served warm out of the oven, the souffle was light and ultra chocolaty. The black pepper milk chocolate ice cream, which was made with the most fragrant Indonesian black pepper, was surprisingly spicy and strangely addictive.

In a town where every other menu is crowded with sliders, bacon, and pork belly, Chef Ludo is seeking to do something different and memorable. Diners and critics may not always be thrilled with his jarring juxtapositions, but he’d rather be bold and fail, than predictable and popular. The beauty of LudoBites is the ever-evolving menu. Chef Ludo promises to introduce some really provocative dishes just as soon as he’s comfortable in his new space. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next!

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Ludo Bites at Gram & Papa’s
227 East 9th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Phone: 213-624-7272