I Can't Wait!: VOLT

Just in case you haven't heard, there is a potentially fabulous new restaurant opening in town this summer: Volt. And, I have bought into all of the buzz hook, line, and sinker. Don't know what I'm talking about? Check out their blog (much, much more info than their web site):
http://blog.voltrestaurant.com/

The head chef, Bryan Voltaggio, seems like the real deal in food. He's a CIA grad and a veteran of Charlie Palmer Steak in DC. Here's a quote I picked up off of his blog: “Developing the menu will be driven by the changing seasons,” said Voltaggio. “Produce will be featured at the peak of its harvest. Fish, game, and aged cuts of beef and lamb will be procured from only top-notch purveyors. Wine selections will highlight both pedigreed and emerging wine makers from both old and new world vineyards.” Voltaggio says the restaurant’s wine program will be supported by a highly experienced sommelier who is dedicated “to creating a memorable dining experience.”

With so many fabulous ingredients available locally, the menu is sure to be fantastic and work for all of the locavores out there too.

Volt will be located on N. Market St between 2nd & 3rd Sts. (across from Wheel Base). He and his partnew, Hilda Staples, have hired a DC architect focused on restaurants. I'm sure they'll do the building across from justice, plus, it's right around the corner from my house. As I get more info, I'll post it here.

Hmmm, sounds like more good eating is coming to town. Woo-freakin'-hoo!!!

Saffron at Costco? Ole'!

Just a quick post to let all of you paella fans out there know that Costco, yes COSTCO, has wonderful certified La Mancha Saffron in stock right now! It's a 5 gram bottle and goes for around $26. If you know anything about saffron, you know that this is a great deal! The threads are a dark red and are packaged in a glass bottle with purple cardboard surrounding it. It looks to be the real deal. Expiration is March 2010, so you've got some time to use it.

You can find this in the spice section. Now, go make some paella and let me know how it is!

Caballo Viejo -- Oh Yes You Should!

My new favorite restaurant in town? Hands-down, it's Caballo Viejo in the 7th St. Shopping Center just behind Glory Days Grill & Bonefish Grill. I've been waiting to post about it until I took some snappy photos, but who knows when I'll ever get around to that...

Though more of a very casual counter shop than a fancy sit-down place (limited seating is available), you'll know that you've stumbled onto something delicious from the moment you walk through the door. But don't be confused, this is not Mexican, it's Venezuelan. I can hear you now, "Well, what the heck does that mean Chris?" It means not too spicy, and more than just burritos.

The basic menu is this: Burritos (the boys both love the steak version), Rotisserie Chicken (I don't know what they rub on those darn birds, but I am considering rubbing myself in the same thing so that I can lick it off whenever I want some :), a salad or two, and my favorite...Arepas.

Oh Arepas, let me sing your succulent praises! Arepas are a corn cake, polenta-esque really, that is steamed then very lightly grilled. They are hot hot hot, sliced open through the middle and stuffed with any number of great fillings. My favorite? It's a toss-up between the shredded beef (OMG!) with the white cheese and the Chicken-Avocado Salad. Holy cow -- that is some yumminess. They have a ton of different toppings and side dishes (plantains, yucca, etc.), but don't get too distracted. Simple can sometimes be the best. Ask the guys behind the counter how they would eat it, then trust them. The best part? This joint is totally inexpensive. You can get an Arepa for under $6 and it may even last you two meals (ok, a meal and a half). Whole chickens seem to be around $9, which is a lot more than Costco, but it is a really, really good chicken and totally worth it.

Tiny note #1: Dessert is really an afterthought and seems to be a mass-produced tres leches cake. It doesn't suck (just try to find a tres leches cake that does, actually no, don't), but I do try to avoid the mass-produced stuff unless it's completely excellent, and this is good, but really, stick to the main dishes).

Tiny note #2: The lore behind Caballo Viejo includes the fact that these folks were set to open in the Monocacy Shopping Center that was burned to the ground last spring. Scuttlebutt has it they they worked hard to recover and open in this new location. Do yourself a favor and give them a try. You won't be sorry!

Rising Food Costs & The Food Biz

Food costs are quickly approaching new heights, even locally. Certainly this is no news to anyone who has made a trip to the grocery store in the last couple of months. Being in the food business, food costs made a huge difference to my bottom line. Folks at home tend to think only of their soaring grocery costs, not those of the businesses they use.

Yesterday's Washington Post had a great article by food critic Tom Sietsema on how Washington area restaurants are handling the problem. Here's a link if you want to check it out: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/15/AR2008041500778.html

At The Kitchen Studio, we're working hard to keep our costs in control so that no price increases are necessary as we weather this hopefully temporary storm. Rest assured, our customers and students will continue to receive the excellent quality fresh food that we are known for. We're not going to skimp just because it hurts a bit in the pocketbook right now. We're proud of the food we offer, both in classes AND Make It, Take It, Bake It! (and soon to be coming Chippa Chippa Bloem Bloems!) and promise the same great quality at the same great price.

So, You want to Open a Restaurant???

Well, have I got a lead for you!!

A gentleman I know is interested in purchasing a great building on Rt. 26 just beside Ceresville Mansion. You know the one...it's a large, vacant, old stone mill. Anyway, this gentleman (one of my Leadership Frederick County friends) and his partner are hoping to revitalize the building and make it something fabulous.

One of the big ideas is to create a destination restaurant on the first floor of the space. They're hoping for fine dining, but lacking any restaurant experience on their own, they would love to hook up with a chef with a great fine-dining vision and help that person to execute the idea.

Have you always wanted to open an upscale restaurant using your own vision? Do you have a solid idea ready to go? Have you lacked the funding? Do you know someone who fits the bill?

If so, please email me (comments will be fine) and I'll put you in touch. Here's the thing though, this is for folks with serious food experience only. If you've always hoped to open a great coffee shop except for that pesky 9 to 5 rountine you've currently got going, this isn't the deal for you. But if high-end fine-dining right here in Frederick County has always been your dream, please get in touch with me asap.

Bon appetit my friends!

R.I.P.: Proof

That's right...rumor has it (from pretty good sources) that our favorite bakery, Proof on E. Patrick St., will soon be closing its doors. Get your mini lemon-meringue tarts before it's too late!!

The owner is selling the super fabulous bakery and opening yet another great (if his track record has anything to say about it) restaurant a little further up South Market St. toward South St. No word yet on when we can expect to see the new place up and running, but I'll be sure to keep you posted as I hear scuttlebutt on the street.

The question is, NOW where to we go to satisfy our sweet tooth??? I have yet to find a local bakery that can even hold a candle to Proof. Cafe Nola makes their own desserts, but those aren't in the same league as the bite-size pastry masterpieces next door (and they're not supposed to be). Dolce Vita gets theirs from an outside supplier of baked goods, Starbucks, well, let's not even go there, and the former Stone Hearth Bakery on East St. is more expensive than Proof and frankly, just not as good. The Carriage House has it's devotees, but it's the whole way out Rt. 26 in Mt. Pleasant, and I'm just not driving that far. Plus, I like the fancy pastries (I'm totally a sugar snob...can't help it).

Whatever shall I do? Wherever shall I go???

Why Rachael Ray Doesn't Suck

Rachael Ray takes a lot of heat from a lot of different sources. Truthfully, I'm not a huge fan, but not because I disagree with her cooking style (30 Minute Meals!). It's more so because I'm really into food and tend to pay attention to the folks out there who are a bit more technical.

My impression is that the people who tend not to enjoy Ms. Ray's shows like to highlight her word choices (yummo! evoo!) and the style of the recipes she develops. Ray is known to say that writing recipes is one of the easiest things she does, and sometimes, well, that shows.

People in food, in particular, love to hate her. That's ok to a point, because she's not trying to talk to us. What Rachael Ray has done that is wonderful, is to get people cooking and interested in food. Lots and lots of people are now making dinner if not every night, then close to it. She has spoken to the masses, and they love her. They love her spunky style, which personally is a little too "on" for me, but I really think that's who she truly is. They love how quick and easy her recipes are. Heck, most of them just really like the idea of her, the person. The girl next store who loves to cook and smile and laugh and have some fun.

I was blog surfing the other day and stumbled across one of the Ray-hating communities. I mean seriously, there are communities build around the theme of hating and disparaging one person. Communities! That's just not right.

I was really taken with the fact that this particular site really seemed to be the opinion of a few people, spewing their venom like their opinions are the only ones that count. What type of life must someone lead to spend so much time cutting down someone else? It was incredibly hateful. I'm not providing a link here, but a simple search will give you numerous results.

Rachael Ray isn't my favorite food personality (I still think she's entertaining though), but for heavens sake, it's not like she's the anti-Christ or something. If her perky, quick-cooking style doesn't appeal to you, move on. If Ray is getting people, and more importantly, kids, cooking, then God bless her for that one. Cut her some slack and let her talk to the folks that are buying what she's selling. Maybe she's diluted her brand a bit with all of the shows, endorsements, and so on, but let her have her day in the sun and get people moving into the kitchen. Once they've mastered Ray's methods and madness, maybe they'll move on to the next step.

Trust me, there's plenty of food out there for everyone, and plenty of tv food personalities to fill all sort of niches, even if it's only on local cable. Check out (http://www.fnptv.com/hello.htm) if you're interested in taking a peek at my own humble offerings, just please don't set up a web site dedicated to my shortcomings as a tv cook, at least not until I've made my 10th million, or really, my 1st for that matter:)