Best Dishes of The 2012 Hiatus

Work, travel, dinner, work, deadlines, chores, sleep, life...seasons pass and suddenly it's fall. And so is the highly uninteresting story of the Drunken Goat Hiatus of 2012.

I wish I could say the hiatus was spent in the Basque region of Spain learning new cooking techniques and taking weekend trips to San Sebastian and southern France. Sadly, it was not. It was, however, filled with a lot of delicious meals, many enjoyed with wonderful friends and family. Here are a few of the standout dishes I enjoyed most during the blogging hiatus.

Succulent Sicilian pork shoulder at Next

• Spalla di Maiale Brasato at Next: If you asked anyone who went to Next for the Sicily menu, there was one dish that was unanimously agreed to be the best: the pork shoulder. Sous-vide and braised for six hours, the fork-tender pork melted in your mouth with every bite. I'd like to find a way to recreate this dish one day.  
• Taglionini Nero with Crab and Sea Urchin at Balena: This dish is the dish that made me fall in love with sea urchin. After a not so great sea urchin experience at Nellcote (it was paired with burrata, and the texture didn't work for me), this pasta dish finally made me understand what the sea urchin buzz was all about. 
• Burger at Au Cheval: I don't eat burgers very often, so when I do, my expectations are high. Needless to say, this burger met - and exceeded - my expectations. Top it with a runny egg and Au Cheval's famous thick cut bacon to really put it over the top (but honestly it doesn't need a lot of bells and whistles). 
• Butter Cake at Mastro's: This dessert is so good it has a Facebook page for the people who love it. Served warm with a side of whipped cream, I almost had to pay the waitress to take Mastro's signature dessert away from me. 
• Fried Chicken and Mashed Potatoes at The Lady and Sons. Located in Savannah, Georgia, The Lady and Sons is the cathedral of Paula Deen and all things southern comfort food. So much butter; so much goodness, ya'll. While I had to double up on classes at Flywheel Chicago to work this meal off, it was worth every calorie. 
• Secret Hamachi at Arami: Comprised of yellow tail, mushroom and truffle oil, we had to wait a while for this simple yet incredibly flavorful sashimi dish. It was well worth the wait. Truffle can be overpowering if not weilded correctly, especially with a light and mild fish like yellow tail. The restraint demonstrated in this dish made all the difference. 



Crispy, juicy and positively sinful  

• Tea Smoked Duck Breast at Belly Q: Served with sweet buns and chinese broccoli, this dish was so good my dining companions and I ordered a second helping. 

After meals spent with good company and, let's face it, usually good wine, these were the dishes that had me thinking about them the next morning. 

What meals, dishes and restaurants have caught your attention lately? Leave a comment and let me know. 

Summer's Last Rite

I guess you could say I'm in denial about the end of summer. This became apparent on a recent Labor Day visit to New England where I corralled numerous family members into indulging in ice cream nearly every day of my visit.

Trapped in time: Ridgefield Ice Cream Shop 

There are few things that embody summer quite like an ice cream cone. There's something about digging into the cold, sweet, creamy delight on a sticky summer night with the sound of cicadas chirping in the background. Be it quietly sitting in the car or at a nearby picnic table while everyone quietly digs into their treasured frozen treat, people have been doing this for generations.

The first stop on my tour was "the route 7 place" in Ridgefield, Conn. My parents have lived in the area for more than 20 years, and no one knows the name of this ice cream place. I recently learned that its official name is Ridgefield Ice Cream Shop (although I'll still call it the route 7 place).

What we do know is that making a stop for a chocolate sundae is a summer ritual. The vanilla ice cream is a thick, creamy soft serve custard that on its own is absolutely decadent. Add in rich chocolate sauce and luxurious whip cream and it's memorable treat that's good in any season. We've been known to make visits in the dead of winter.

Goddaughter Isabelle: my partner in crime at Dr. Mike's.
  

The second was Dr. Mike's in Bethel, Conn. I believe that the good doctor of food can cure pretty much any ailment, so the fact that this place is named after a doctor is just perfect. That afternoon, the assortment of flavors made it a difficult decision - pumpkin? vanilla raspberry swirl? Ultimate chocolate? I opted for chocolate lace: rich vanilla ice cream with chocolate covered hard toffee, which added a periodic cold crunch.

Beyond clocking how many spinning classes I was going to need post-trip to burn off all the ice cream I was eating, I realized I was taking comfort in one of the last rites of summer. Before the leaves started crunching under my feet, before it was time to put away the flip flops, before the cool nights took hold, I was grasping for one last taste of summer.