The Maitre d’ of Cheese

by Kendra Bailey Morris on

I must confess. I want Carolyn Stromberg’s job. She spends all day surrounded by stinky cheese, nibbling away her work hours immersed in plethora of funkiness. There’s no three-walled office cubicle for this former Cowgirl Creamery apprentice. Only a butcher’s block and a stainless steel cheese slicer, along with one of the ultra-coolest gadgets I’ve seen in a long time– a glass-enclosed cheese cave built right into the wall of the Old Hickory Steakhouse restaurant at the Gaylord National Resort and Conference Center in National Harbor, Maryland.

And, these are no ordinary cheeses, mind you, so get that grocery store smoked gouda and that plastic-wrapped havarti out of your head. Carolyn, whose proper title is Maitre d’Fromage, spends much of her time working with a variety of local and international purveyors in search of the very best seasonal cheeses to present at their ultimate peak.

Each cheese is carefully selected based on origin, texture, taste and appearance, and is housed in the restaurant’s own cave which is kept at just the right temperature and humidity (60 degrees and 80 percent humidity) in order to preserve its optimum ripeness and moisture level. The cave, which is the only one of its kind in the D.C. area, can best be described as a sort of humidor for cheese.

For diners at the Old Hickory Steakhouse, a classic tasting platter might begin with selecting from a fruity cow’s milk Piave from Italy or a piquant Lord of the Hundreds sheep’s milk from England or perhaps an earthy Irish Cashel Blue might be your savory ticket. U.S. artisan cheese makers get a well-deserved nod on Carolyn’s list as well, whether you’re craving a buttery Nettle Meadow Kunik from New York or an Up in Smoke goat’s milk from Oregon.

Boasting more than two dozen artisanal cheeses, the collection can be worth an estimated $8,000 to $10,000 on any given evening.

And, these rare cheeses don’t come cheap. Boasting more than two dozen artisanal cheeses, the collection can be worth an estimated $8,000 to $10,000 on any given evening. With this in mind, cheese lovers are encouraged to choose wisely, which is where Carolyn as Maitre’d comes into play.

After spending all day ordering, slicing and tasting some of the most respected dairy producers in the world, Carolyn fills her evenings catering to the inner-cheese junkie in all of us. Pushing along her trolley of goodness (a custom-made cheese cart), Carolyn presents fifteen or more varieties table side for guests to choose from.

What results is both delicious and educational, as diners are first asked about their personal taste preferences and then offered several options from the trolley. As choices are narrowed down, Carolyn offers her take on the history of the cheeses along with pairing suggestions. The presentation culminates with guests customizing their own cheese plate, which can serve as a tasty beginning or end to a carefully-crafted meal built for the passionate cheese lover.

As part of the Old Hickory’s dinner menu, which is an impressive collection of delights in and of itself courtesy of Chef Wolfgang Birk, the customized artisanal cheese option, is just the beginning. With views overlooking the Potomac and a contemporary design take reminiscent of a Georgetown row house, the restaurant boasts a collection of 130 award-winning wines designed to pair with hearty cuts of grain-fed Black Angus beef (which can be decadently topped with lobster tail or foie gras) and signature dishes such as pepper crusted organic Scottish salmon with butternut squash risotto and truffle leek sauce. Birk, a former chef of the five-diamond awarded Casa Casuarina (a.k.a. the Versace mansion) often culls from local farms and producers in an effort to keep the menu fresh and contemporary.

Service is tight here as well, and the little details make all the difference, such as presenting a wedge of unsalted butter on cold salt stone to accompany the basket of bread. Yet, the most unique aspect of the resort’s restaurant is Carolyn’s table side cheese presentation, which is a foodie adventure not-to-be-missed, so when you’re ready to get your cheese on, hit the Gaylord National for an experience tailored to those who crave a little more pungency in life.

—Kendra

A big small-town hotdog in East Anglia

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Let’s face it: Bury St. Edmunds doesn’t have a lot going on. The Abbey Gardens are the main attraction – particularly the internet-enabled bench. So, it’s pretty easy to see why entertainment alternatives are generally limited. There are some fine restaurants in this sleepy eastern England town, allowing you to eat quite well. But, I prefer to go as down-market as possible. So, I made it a point to find a hotdog place in Bury St. Edmunds, and I found one fit for royalty.

King’s is a tiny, dumpy establishment that reminds me of strip mall pizza joints here in the United States. It’s possible to eat your dog, burger or slice of pizza elbow-to-elbow with whoever’s on duty, or you can take it outside to the patio, which is considerably more spacious. I chose a third way: take it for the road. The main reason I look for hotdogs when I travel is because I can eat on the go, maximizing my time wherever I am.

The hotdog at King’s was impressive in size. Unlike the hotdogs in Reykjavik and Stockholm, this sleepy British down puts out an enormous wiener, so make sure you haven’t eaten in a while before trying to tackle it. As for taste, frankly, the long dog at King’s just doesn’t measure up. I had to wait longer than I expected, and the hotdog just wasn’t tasty enough to warrant all the standing around.

I’ve had better.

Even with its drawbacks, though, it’s still nice to know you can find a hotdog in this remote corner of the world. Yes, it is remote. For a city-dweller, the East Anglia countryside is about as far from civilization as possible. The good news is that, somehow, hotdogs made their way as far out as Bury St. Edmunds, allowing even the country folk to dine ‘n’ dash.

Check out the video review after the jump.

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[Thanks to David Harris from the Cambridge Chronicle for shooting the video]

Disclosure: Visit Britain shelled out some cash for this experience, and British Airways supplied the flights. But, the trip to the hotdog place was certainly off the beaten path. I wasn’t asked to cover it.

Continental’s Restaurant Week could increase revenue

by Tom Johansmeyer on

On its face, Continental Airlines’ participation in International Restaurant Week seems like just another promotion. Think harder, though, and you’ll see that it’s really a way for the airline to bring in a little extra cash. Since passengers with a bit of extra girth may be charged for an extra seat, it only makes sense to fatten up fliers and reap the rewards.

A dozen New York restaurants are participating in 2009 International Restaurant week this year, which stretches from today to May 10, 2009. Continental chose these restaurants because they replicate the cuisine from some of the airline’s top destinations. A first, each restaurant will create a signature dish, and diners can rate the offerings (by May 10), with the winning restaurant netting $25,000 for the charity of its choice.

“We are thrilled to have Chef Tom Colicchio as our judge for this year’s Signature Dish contest and look forward to tasting the winning dish,” says Mark Bergsrud, Continental’s senior vice president marketing programs and distribution. He continues, “While we certainly love bringing New Yorkers to each of our international destinations to experience exquisite cuisine first-hand, we’re excited to offer International Restaurant Week and create authentic dining experiences for our customers that don’t require a plane ticket.”

Guests can use the Continental Airlines International Restaurant Week website to make restaurant reservations and take advantage of special offers.

Participating restaurants and details are after the jump.

Alfama (Portugal) – Diners will experience an authentic 4-course meal, ending with a glass of port from Alfama’s extensive collection, included with the meal. They’ll also take home a box of Pasteis de nata, traditional Portuguese custard cakes.

Allen & Delancey (United Kingdom) – After enjoying Chef Kyle Bailey’s 5-course meal and specially designed signature dish, guests will be able to recreate the experience with Chef’s signature dish recipe and a package of couscous.

Avra (Greece) – For a truly personalized experience, a manager will help design a menu for each reservation, providing insight into the menu and wine pairings. Guests will take home some Greek delicacies chosen by the Avra team.

Boqueria (Spain) – While there, diners will get to know Chef Seamus Mullen as they enjoy his specially designed shared tasting menus – for lunch or dinner. Each diner will receive a complimentary bag of house-made candied Marcona almonds.

China Grill (China) – Guests will enjoy an exclusive 5-course tasting menu created by Chef Jamie Knott, with a specially paired cocktail included in the meal. Each diner will also take home a box of delicious ginger and almond cookies.

Delmonico’s (United States) – After enjoying an exclusively designed menu featuring Delmonico’s most famous dishes, diners will take a personal tour of the restaurant, a National Historic Landmark, and take home a complimentary signed copy of the cookbook Dining at Delmonico’s.

Del Posto (Italy) – Diners will be invited to tour Del Posto’s extensive wine cellar and bring a taste of the restaurant home with a special gift bag filled with the chef’s favorite Italian delicacies.

L’Ecole (France) – Guests will begin the evening with a behind the scenes look at L’Ecole’s teaching kitchens. After, they’ll indulge in a unique dessert and cocktail featuring rare Grapefruit Thai Basil Tea, included with the meal. Diners will take home a sample of the exotic tea along with the recipe, to recreate the experience at home.

Maya (Mexico) – Chef Sandoval offers a uniquely designed 3-course Cinco de Mayo menu with special beverage pairings. Diners will be gifted with a complimentary signed copy of his cookbook Modern Mexican Flavors.

Nobu (Japan) – Nobu’s talented chefs will kick start the meal with a complimentary Chef’s Selection Amuse-Gueule. Diners will finish on a sweet note too, with a signature fruit sake or shochu, included with the meal.

Plataforma (Brazil) – Guests will go behind the scenes on a tour of the kitchen with one of Plataforma’s Master Carvers. Every table will be gifted a complimentary caipirinha making kit to bring home a taste of this traditional Brazilian cocktail.

Tabla (India) – Guests will be invited to take a personally guided tour of Tabla’s kitchen. After savoring an exclusively designed 4-course prix fixe menu with an optional wine pairing to match, they’ll take home one of Pastry Chef Melissa Walnock’s uniquely designed desserts, packaged along with the recipe.

Fill your stomach, save your wallet

by Tom Johansmeyer on

You’ve heard a lot about cheap flights and amazing hotel rates lately. Well, restaurants are getting into the game, too. Prix fixe meals for between $25 and $40 are being offered at upscale restaurants across the country. Hey, if you’re not likely to spend big cash on travel, maybe you can splurge a little on a great local meal.

The restaurants are suffering just as much as the hotels and airlines, so they need to get diners in the door.

This year, the National Restaurant Association (yes, there is another “NRA”) expects restaurant sales to drop 1 percent this year – as it did in 2008. That would be the first time drops happened in consecutive years since the association started to keep score back in 1970. This isn’t as bad as the U.S. Travel Association‘s forecast of a 6.7 percent slip in travel spending, but for restaurateurs from coast to coast, it’s certainly cause for concern.

So, if you’re willing to sacrifice dinner at home from time to time, you stand to win. National seafood chain McCormick & Schmick’s for example, is offering a steak and lobster dinner special (with dessert) for $29.95. Realistically, the company has no choice. Up to 40 percent of its customers are business travelers, and sales are down 13 percent from last year.

To find some real bargains, keep an eye out for prix fixe menus. These deals allow restaurants to offer a better value to guests without having to turn to coupons and discounts that would bring prices down relative to specific menu items. Also, every party of four is likely to have one or two people who pull from the regular menu … and they can always nail you on the liquor.

Eateries near an airport

by Jamie Rhein on

We’ve covered the best places to eat inside certain airports, and have given a big nod to the In-N-Out Burger just a mile from LAX Airport in Los Angeles, but here are other dining options in case you have a layover and want to find food that’s worth a bit of effort to get to.

In this Washington Post article, Joe Brancatelli gives a rundown of major airports in the U.S. and where he heads to eat if he has some time. In-N-Out Burger is one of his suggestions.

Here are the first 10 of his other suggestions, along with their distance from the airport. If you’re flying out of one of these cities, I’d also consider these as ideas for where to eat before you head off on an airplane. There’s nothing like a good meal to help face the uncertainties of air travel. Eating close to the airport helps food digest instead of attempting a mad dash across a city to catch a plane.

  • Atlanta—The Brake Pad. This is a converted gas station that serves up “pub grub.” It’s four miles from the airport.
  • Chicago— Here are two suggestions for Chicago-style pizza that are not at O’Hare airport. The Rosemont branch of Giordano’s is four miles from the airport and the Park Ridge branch of Lou Malnati’s is seven miles. If you’re heading to or away from Midway, try Giordano’s on South Cicero. It borders the airport. About five miles away is Lou Malnati’s on West Ogden.
  • Charlotte–Eight miles from the Charlotte/Douglas Airport is Villa Antonio on Southern Blvd. where you can find a pork sandwich, Italian style.
  • Dallas/Ft. Worth–Brancatelli suggests taking at 10 mile drive for the Mexican food at Via Real in Las Colinas.
  • Denver–I concur with Brancatelli about this airport. There is not much close by. He did find Blue Bay Asian Café and recommends the Thai food and the dumplings.
  • Detroit–To find good food here, you don’t need to go any further than the Westin hotel that’s connected to the McNamara terminal at the airport. Dema’s serves decent food any time of day.
  • Honolulou–If you can call ahead, try Mitch’s Fish Market and Sushi Bar. It’s only a mile from the airport’s runways. I’d say you can walk, but it might be further than it sounds.
  • Houston— Chez Nous is in a converted Pennecostal church and dishes out French food worth the seven mile drive from Bush Intercontinental Airport.
  • Los Angeles–Along with the In-n-Out Burger, Brancatelli suggests Mariposas at the Hacienda Hotel for Mexican dishes and breakfast. It’s only two miles from LAX.
  • Minneapolis/St. Paul–Café Levain, about eight miles from the airport only serves dinner.

For Brancatelli’s suggestions for New York/Newark, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, Phoenix and San Francisco, click here. [The photo is from Mitch’s Fish Market and Sushi Bar.]