Why the hell is it that when someone of importance dies in a movie, its either right in the beginning or the culmination of the movie @ the end.
I want to see a movie that’s like real life and someone you’ve become attached to dies in the middle of the film. I know it sounds depressing, but I had a cinematic epithany @ the bar and had to jot down my thoughts.
Conclusion: Kill Bambi in the middle
Coach Insignia
Detroit, MI
http://www.mattprenticerg.com/urc/coach.asp
An homage to the history and culture of the Motor City. Coach is the 2nd highest restaurant in the world, it is located on the very top of Detroit’s Renaissance Center. It actually used to slowly rotate but the previous owners didn’t oil the gears as specified and the once mobile is now stagnant. The only solution is for owner Matt Prentice to pump millions of gear greasing cash into the futuristic, spherical structure to get it moving again.
Get Sauced: 2 1/2 out of 4
Coach has an extensive wine list and a knowledgeable and friendly sommelier (Patrick) who recommended and decanted two flavorful bottles of wine for the table. The cocktail list was as expected for a fine dining establishment with some interesting fresh variations like the blueberry/raspberry mojito and pomegranate champagne. Both were boozey, poppy and refreshing. I ordered the Sauced Chef staple tester; an extra-dirty Kettle One martini with bleu cheese stuffed olives. Mixed very well, but was clear in the glass which means not enough OJ (olive juice), which is imperative for an “extra-dirty” styled martini. Really disappointed in the beer list. Beer is gourmet, people! Not one single Michigan micro-brew on draft and a meager bottled selection once again leaves the beer drinker wonting.
The Sauce: 3 out of 4
The red wine and shallot reduction for my sous vide chicken was memorable. A tart topnote, followed by savory and finished with garlic shallot hints. The amount was perfect, sauce was strained and added a radiant color to the plate. It could have been a tad bit thicker but was done very well. The choclate sauce for the hazelnut torte was rich and thick but that was it. I was hoping to experience a unique take by the pastry chef, perhaps some unique spice (cardamon?) or herb (lemon mint?) but was sorely disappointed. In taking it for what it was, it was good, but not what I wanted it to be. Follow me, people?
The Reduction: -1 Customer Service and +1 Ambiance for 5 1/2 out of 10
The most appalling thing for this very expensive place was the initial lack of service. We waited unattended for about 10 minutes, even though we were on time for our reservation. Upon being seated late, the hostess did not offer any apologies for the delay. After being seated, we were not greeted for another 10 minutes, when our table was acknowledged it was by the sommelier, not the server! For a $100 per person experience, this saucy chef expects be pampered! Admittedly, once we were greeted the service was maintained at a very high level throughout the meal. The most memorable thing about Coach Insignia was the breathtaking view of downtown Detroit and Windsor. The decor, lobby furniture (over-sized stuffed red chairs so I could be the Sauced King), unique circular structure and sheer height the place humbled our group. The ingenuity, creativity and vision of Coach Insignia is impressive.
OMG, these fucking guys are hiliarious! Not sure how to embed video in my current state, watch this and I GUAR-AN-TEE that you will be belly laughing
Chinese Marshmellow Game on YouTube
the ends guys face…. hahahaha
Pearl’s New Orleans Kitchen
Elk Rapids, MI
www.magnumhospitality.com/pearls.asp
Pearl’s is located about a half-hour northeast of Traverse City, MI. You take a verdant and tranquil drive up M-31 and head downtown. Pearl’s head chef actually travelled to New Orleans to study the cuisine, this is the real deal – authentic Cajun and Creole style food. This place is always packed, so make sure you allot a good two hours for dinner.
Get Sauced: 4 out of 4
Pearl’s has a decent beer and wine list. You can tell that they really, really focused on their cocktails and bourbons! My goal is to make it through their speciality cocktail list sometime in the next two years! The mixologist provides customers with diverse offerings; from 23 oz Hurricanes, Mint Juleps, Margaritas to Oyster Shooters and their version of Moonshine. I have to pay homage to the Big Easy Mary, one of my all-time favorite Bloody Marys. It’s tangy and spicy and is served with an enormous blue-cheese stuffed jalapeno, a crayfish and pickled carrot sticks. Also, Pearl’s offers bourbon flights! They know their bourbon, folks! The single-malt flight was smooth, oaky with hints of vanilla and smoke. Fantastic!
The Sauce: 4 out of 4
I ordered the Etouffee, the sauce was thick, creamy and spicy! Hints of cayenne, garlic and jalapeno provided the slow burn that I cherish. Pearl’s also has the largest selection of hot sauces that I have ever seen. They line the walls, challenging patrons to try them all. Their sweet potato fries come with two decadent dipping sauces that compliment the flaky and sweet starch very well. Then comes the cinnamon ice cream served with the buttermilk pie. Cinnamon ice cream (when it’s done right) is my favorite. This one is done damn good; creamy, subtley sweet and cinnamon focused!
The Reduction: +1 Customer Service for 9 out of 10
Our server was knowledgeable and pleasant. She also perceived that my in-laws are not spicy people and constantly re-filled their waters. Perfect! The ambiance is cool, but may be just a little too cluttered. A funhouse-like mish-mash of Cajun lore, seems a bit busy. The booth we sat in was a wee bit compact and not very comfortable, we didn’t seem to have room on the table for everything we ordered (a reasonable amount for 4 people). Overall, this is one of my favorite places to dine in northern Michigan, a diamond in the rough, which always, always delivers on authenic Cajun cuisine, creative and boozey drinks and great service.
Sauce Lab #4: Roasted Tomato Jus and more
1 sheet pan covered in aluminium foil
2 large bowls
1 fork
12 large tomatoes (halved and cored)
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
6 rosemary sprigs
10 garlic cloves
S/P TT
Charred Green Bean and Zucchini Soup
Blender/Food Processor
1 whole zucchini (cut in half and seeded, skin on)
2 tbsp oil of choice (I like tunisian harrisma spice oil, but I’m weird!)
1 lb of fresh green beans (ends cut off)
2 cups Sauce Lab #4 Roasted Tomato Jus
1 cup chicken stock
4 roasted garlic cloves (can use tomato-rosemary roasted garlic in Sauce Lab #4)
1/2 cup fresh lemon basil (reserve some for garnish)
1/2 cup chives (reserve some for garnish)
S/P TT
Go to any established “gourmet’ restaurant and they have their waitstaff trained to suggest wine with dishes. They are quick to talk about tannins, terrior, body and aroma and how these things paired with (insert dish here) will double the enjoyment of your dining experience. However, ask that same server about beer pairing and watch the confusion, the indecision and in some cases the immediate scoffing at the suggestion. Why isn’t beer gourmet?
Well, I think beer IS gourmet and want to address the three most common myths that surround beer.
Myth # 1: Beer is easier to make than wine
This is flat out not true. I am not here to start a war between vintners and brewers, because I love beer and wine equally, but beer brewing is definitely as complex as wine making. Many of the brewers I talk shop with also have chemistry degrees! Brewing beer is a painstaking and rewarding SCIENCE. Vintners have the earthy artistry of the terrior, which takes on mythical and magical qualities. Brewers have the science of sanitation management (imperative) and the artistry of where in the brewing process (if any) to add additional flavorings (raspberry, vanilla, pumpkin, coffee etc). Any way you slice it, its EQUALLY difficult to make wine or beer.
Myth # 2: Beer is mass produced and low quality
If you haven’t seen the movie Beer Wars, go see it! This film will explain what actually happens in the commercialized brewing world, things get intense and, sadly, a bit shady. Yes, it has been documented that some of the mass produced beer companies sacrifice corn and rice intro their wort (a liquid produced from malt and hot water) instead of higher quality barley mixes. Does it actually produce a lower quality flavor, many say yes, some say no. That’s something you will have to judge. Here’s a tip: TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LOCAL MICROBREWED BEER! Every state in the union has microbreweries that produce hand-crafted, high quality beer. Craft beer is becoming so popular with Gen X and Y that big beer companies are scrambling to make their own “craft” off-brands. These beers are high quality, vibrant, flavorful and as distinct and different as red to white wine. The young brewer movement is exciting and constantly changing. New ideas and flavor profiles (chocolate, vanilla, oak, pepper, squash, jalapeno, caramel) are fluttering around the industry everywhere. For the patriots out there, the American IPA is becoming the WORLD’S new trendy beer, that’s right folks, created and invented right here in the USA. Most brewers brew high-quality and local beers.
Myth # 3: Beer does not pair well with gourmet cuisine
Balderdash! Baloney! Pa-Tooey! Ju-Ju Charp! (made that one up) Beer and food pairing is the nouvelle thing in cuisine today. In my opinion, beer pairs as well with food as wine. The cool thing is that many people don’t know how to pair beer and food because there exists such limited resources. That is what I am here for, being the Sauced Chef, one can imagine that I have consumed many a beer (not too hard to imagine, is it?) I’ve also tried many different beers with many food combinations. Here are some delicious pairings I recommend.
Blonde or Golden Ales or Lightly Hopped Lagers – these work best as thirst quenchers, try them with highly seasoned or “blackened” foods. The light golden taste can act as a natural enhancer to the seasoning while giving your palette relief. Very nice with pan-seared fish as well.
Amber Ale, Dry Porters – these work really well with steak! A nice dry porter with a filet or ribeye will enhance the savory umami of the beef while adding a subtle finish to the bite.
Bitter Ales, American IPA’s- these are solid gold with anything fried, the intense hop flavor cutting through grease like Bruce Lee. I love a citrus based American IPA with anything spicy, it enhances and subtracts at the same time, a taste fireworks show on my tongue.
Weissbeer or Dunkelweiss - Pasta! Any pasta that is delicately seasoned these beers will really compliment the flavor. Try the weiss with chicken and seafood pastas and the dark with sausage and red meat based pastas.
Cream or sweet stouts, imperial stouts - one word: Chocolate! If you have the chance to try a berry based chocolate dessert (i.e. chocolate brulee with raspberry mousse) with a sweet stout, you will be in culinary heaven. I think sweet stouts pair better with chocolate than many dessert wines.
Beer is gourmet! Realize it, embrace it and try craft beers! Find your local brewers and drink up, go to beer fests and most importantly, order beer at fancy restaurants. The next time a waiter scoffs at your choice of weissbeer with your chicken-basil cream gnocchi, scoff right back at him and enjoy your awesome flavor combination. You are now part of the movement, my friends. Get sauced with beer and ignore the sneer!
Trattoria Stella
Traverse City, MI
Using almost all local produce and featuring the farms on their menu, this 5 year old gourmet Italian restaurant shares space with many other businesses in a huge complex that used to be a mental institution! Needless to say, the feel of the place is very unique.
Get Sauced: 3 out of 4
Stella boasts an intricate wine list featuring wines from prominent regions in France and Italy as well as great local fare. Their draft and bottled beer selection is on par with what I expected, nothing more or less. Again, nice to see the great Michigan breweries be featured on the menu. The cocktail list is impressive! A diverse scotch, rum, bourbon and vodka selection. Featuring mojitos with hand-picked mint from their garden (the servers actually pick the mint) and old school turn of the century cocktails made with genuine egg whites. They offer patrons garlic-stuffed, feta-stuffed or blue cheese-stuffed olives with their martinis. Which leads me to my only disappointment, the dirty martini; I ordered an extra-dirty martini with Kettel One vodka ( A Sauced Chef staple) and received a drink that was not even cloudy! Upon tasting, it had a really unpleasant bitter finish that could’ve been caused by a number of things (poor quality olive juice, not using Kettel One, or re-using a shaker). My only Get Sauced qualm.
The Sauce: 4 out of 4
I ordered a decadent Veal Scallopini served with Leek/Celeriac Gnocchi. The sauce was everything I wanted. It had a perfect thickness that coated the pounded veal beautifully. A light brown color (not unlike veloute) made it pleasant to the eyes. A subtle sweetness with hints of pepper and leek coupled with a rolling savory finish had me mopping it up with bread. A complete success.
The Reduction: +2 Ambiance and Customer Service for 9 out of 10
Our server (Kathy) was wonderfully knowledgeable about the menu and made some smart and tasty suggestions for our group. She pampered us and was meticulous about the course timing, we ordered a lot of food, but didn’t feel the ominous course overlapping. The creepy stone pillars and wierd doors that don’t open, combined with the elegant and simple rustic decor makes Stella an inviting and interesting place. Not to mention the ghost stories that some of the staff has. If the Sauced Chef wasn’t so sauced, he might have been scared!
4 possible points for “Get Sauced”4 possible points for “The Sauce”Overall summation in “The Reduction”Sauce Lab #3: Strawberry-Basil Simple Syrup
Small strainer or fine screened tool
6 Fresh Strawberries
10 Fresh Basil Leaves
3 cups water
1 cup white sugar
½ cup real honey
