How to Foxtrot

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I don’t know exactly why, but in early October I decided to stage a boycott.  Since early March I’d been meal planning for at least five days at a time and making one, well-planned, agonizing shopping trip to accumulate what I needed. I’ve never been much of a meal planner, but thanks to COVID-19, meals driven by spontaneity and hankerings were few and far between.

So, earlier this month I boycotted meal planning and arduous trips to the supermarket and lived, instead, by eating at Foxtrot Market for three meals a day for four days. Why Foxtrot? I considered it an experiment and change my routine. I visited both local Foxtrot Market locations: Snider Plaza and McKinney Avenue.  There, I found everything I needed except for fresh produce.

To be honest, I’m typically not a grab and go gal. I’m always a little suspicious of food that’s premade, prewrapped up and sitting in a cooler with a “best by” sticker plastered on it but decided to use my boycott to boycott boycotting grab and go.

Many of Foxtrot’s salads, sandwiches, soups, bowls, and other grab and go meals are inspired by international cuisine.  Flavors from Korea, India, Asia, the Mediterranean, Mexico, and Spain are alongside traditional American standards.

Two standouts I recommend are the Aloo Gobi salad with roasted potatoes, pickled cauliflower, kale, lentils, bell peppers and serrano peppers with a sweet-ish fig masala vinaigrette and the Carnitas Bowl with Mojo braised pork, brown rice, black beans and vegetables with a poblano crema.  The carnitas bowl was dinner one night which I served with chips and Sarah Jane’s Finest Gourmet Queso.

Foxtrot has an abundance of snacky foods. This is a merchandising strategy that speaks to my heart. One night, my husband and enjoyed a charcuterie spread with Calabrese, Proscuitto and Iberico Ham from Creminelli, La Quercia and Fermin and cheeses from Kindred Creamery and other brands. The selection at Foxtrot is all premium but I didn’t consider the prices to be out of line as I have found in other “luxury convenience stores.” 

There was also a Dill Pickle Dip that I tried on a lark, which was so good (if you like pickles) and the Fresno Chili Hummus which was great – creamy, little to no garlic and a nice punch from the Fresno chilis.  Foxtrot has plenty of chips and crackers, including several gluten free options.

From Foxtrot’s extensive wine collection, which includes big red cabs such as Silver Oak, light wines such as Chablis and everything in between, I picked a Rickshaw Pinot Noir because it rhymes with Kickshaw which is part of the name of my food blog, The Kickshaw Papers.  It was a great pinot with black cherry notes and only $20 per bottle.

Foxtrot also carries some grocery staples, including Allen Brothers steaks which we grilled one night and ate with Foxtrot’s Kale Caesar Salad.  For dessert, we devoured Haute Sweets Patisserie’s chocolate cookie cream sandwiches which are in the refrigerator section near the dips.

The refrigerator section has stables such as milk, eggs, butter, and bacon the freezer section is loaded with pizza and other frozen dinners but what’s most impressive is the amount of ice cream Foxtrot has. Forget Baskin Robbins, just come here and pick up a pint or two of Jeni’s!  

There are a few fresh-made items to choose from here.  The Avocado Toast is a must try – avocado, orange slices, feta cheese, radishes and micro greens beautifully arranged on a slice of thick toast.  Breakfast tacos and sandwiches, including a beef tenderloin with Korean Gochujang sauce and cucumbers are also high quality and tasty.  Foxtrot partners with local companies such as Bisous Bisous Pâtisserie and Haute Sweets Patisserie for croissants, macarons and other desserts and pastries.

Prior to this experiment, I did not consider using Foxtrot as anything other than a place to grab a quick iced tea or coffee.  Honestly, I just didn’t know how to Foxtrot. My husband and I ate 12 consecutive meals from one, small market that also serves as a specialty wine and beer shop, social hub, study hall, meeting place, and gift shop.  We picked up the food and we used Foxtrot’s one-hour guaranteed delivery service. We never ate the same thing twice (except the cookie sandwiches) and spent less on groceries during that four-day period.

Both locations have large, pet-friendly patios for outdoor Foxtrotting. There are plenty of seats inside with some folks wearing masks and some not.  All employees are masked, and, per the state mandate, guests are required to wear them inside while not eating or drinking. Snider Plaza’s adjacent parking garage is very convenient with loads of open spots.  The McKinney Ave location is a little tricky on the parking, but there are two spots up front for grab and go.

Something’s Fishy Here

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What is the number one selling fresh seafood product at Central Market across the state?  Verlasso Salmon, the delicious farm-raised salmon from Chile. It outsells every other fresh seafood by a large margin and, if you’ve tasted it, you know why. Verlasso is mild in flavor, rich and buttery and has a perfect texture that makes grilling, baking, pan frying and even smoking very easy.  You can even eat Verlasso as sashimi; it’s that good.

So what makes Verlasso so good? It’s farmed in the fjords of Patagonia, southern Chile, where the Humboldt Current keeps the waters cool and clean. The area is pristine, far from environmental pollution, with cold, moving water rich in nutrients. Verlasso is a brand, not a breed, owned by AquaChile, which is selective in choosing its farming partners and invests in sustainable processes to cultivate the salmon.

Verlasso has been around for around a decade, which is pretty much when I first discovered it.  My notoriously picky daughter, 13 years-old at the time, wouldn’t eat much of anything so I picked up some Verlasso and roasted it with fresh thyme, lemon zest and olive oil.  Since then, I’ve prepared it for her about once a week and it was the second thing she requested to eat, after Whataburger, when she came home on college breaks.

The only retail outlet in Texas that sells Verlasso is Central Market, which is a perfect partner for a high quality product. I often write and post about my affection for Central Market, (remember this) because I think they sell the very best in each category they carry, and I appreciate the leadership and philanthropy of the owners, the Butts family.

If you’re not much of a cook but want to enjoy Verlasso, you can also find it on the menus of restaurants Parigi and Salum and many others.

Parigi Chef/Owner Janice Provost told me that “I chose to use Verlasso after seeing Abraham Salum using it. We share lots of ideas together,” she said. (Probably the reason they are two of my favorite restaurants.)

“We were getting Faroe Island [North Atlantic] salmon before March 17,” she continued. “Then, since COVID-19 shut things down, the product wasn’t as good. They had to freeze their supply to save it, and when we received it, it wasn’t up to our standards, so we switched to Verlasso.”

As an award-winning restaurant with a sophisticated clientele, clean food is important to Provost.  She added, “Like Faroe Island, Verlasso is also ocean farmed, not tank farmed, so it’s clean, no hormones, sustainable and we feel good about serving it. People love salmon so it is a regular on the menu.”

Want another reason to become a fan of Verlasso Salmon? When COVID-19 forced restaurant closures and many hospitality workers were laid off, Verlasso donated 2,500 pounds to Staff Meal Dallas, a program created by hospitality veterans including Alison Matis, who raved about the company:

“Verlasso Salmon has been a consistent and proven friend of the hospitality industry. By donating a literal ton of salmon to feed COVID-19-affected restaurant and hospitality workers, they ensured that hundreds of people in our community, and their families, would be nourished and sustained for months while out of work. Their ethical business practices carry through from their product to their practices in the community.”

Victoria Parr, Verlasso’s marketing director, estimated that their contribution provided 13,000 meals to those in need and were happy to support the hard-working foodservice workers who have represented the brand for years.

For more information on Verlasso Salmon including recipes and a fun story by Andrew Zimmern from Follow that Food, visit their website at www.verlasso.com.

Meals on Wheels: The Original Door Dash

Meals awaiting delivery

In August 2019, People Newspapers published my story about Meals on Wheels.  I have the honor of serving on the VNA/Meals on Wheels Board of Directors and wanted a way to promote our Drive Away Hunger campaign. My idea was to “review” the meals eaten by more than 4,500 Dallas residents who receive Meals on Wheels (MOW) daily.  The reaction I got from folks when I told them I was going to eat MOW for a week was pity, curiosity and, in some cases, borderline disgust.  I was undeterred.

In August of this year, I learned that my article on Meals on Wheels earned third place in the National Association of Newspapers Buster Awards for Best Feature.  I’m delighted to share this article and you can also follow this link to read the version that ran in People Newspapers.  

“Hello, my name is Elaine*. I just want to let you know that my mother really enjoyed it her meal Friday.  It was the Honey-glazed Turkey with Au Gratin Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts and she told me over and over how delicious it was and to be sure and tell the chef how much she appreciated it. Though we didn’t know it at the time, that was mom’s last Meals on Wheels delivery. She succumbed to cancer two days later. I wanted to be sure to pass along her ‘compliments to the chef’ and to say thanks to Meals on Wheels for being my mom’s lifeline for so long.”

Between Pinterest boards filled with edible works of art to “instagramworthy” meals to “food porn,” thanks to technology, food has been objectified to the point in which many of us have practically forgotten its value. I get it – my “phone eats first” and I can spend 10 minutes trying to get the perfect Instapic of shards of Maldon Sea Salt artfully arranged on a juicy red tomato. I have a healthy preoccupation with food and feel lucky to be able to write about it for this paper. This month, I’m not going to feature a new restaurant, I’m going to feature an old one: Meals on Wheels Dallas County which is about 40 years old.

Meals on Wheels is the original Door Dash with employees and volunteers canvassing the Dallas area Monday through Friday to deliver meals to 4,500 clients for whom their daily delivery of food, a friendly face and a kind word is a lifeline. Many MOW clients have health issues so providing nutritious, balanced meals on such a large scale and tight budget is challenging. If you’re reading this in a newspaper that was delivered to your home, chances are you live in an affluent area and are unlikely to be food insecure.  But have you ever wondered about what kind of food is prepared and delivered on such a large scale five days a week?  Maybe not but I hope you do, if just this once.

With the help of Dr. Ashley Lind, the VP of Meals on Wheels and Population Health, I ate four meals to gain insight into the value of Meals on Wheels to homebound seniors. It was an eye-opening experience, not because the food was especially good or especially bad, but because it allowed me to appreciate food in a way I haven’t in years.

Monday: Swiss Steak with Whipped Potatoes and Italian Green Beans

I approached the first meal as a novelty. The ground beef patty was juicy and flavored well with hint of sautéed onion. All meals must be low sodium, so the whipped potatoes and green beans tasted like not much until I added salt. Everything had good texture.

Tuesday: King Ranch Chicken with Steamed Broccoli and Carrots

The King Ranch Chicken was really tasty! It was a little spicy, in fact, and had big chunks of white-meat chicken in a cheesy sauce. The broccoli and carrots were cooked but not mushy and needed salt.  Without realizing it, I ate the entire meal in four minutes. As I walked out of the VNA Haggarty Center, it occurred to me that I inhaled that meal as if I was just checking a box and not feeding my body and soul. I started to cry as I walked to my car.

Wednesday: Turkey Tetrazzini with Brussels Sprouts and Vegetable Medley

My favorite meal so far, the pasta with chunks of tender turkey meat was full of flavor with a hint of spice. I wondered how they can make 4,500 plates of pasta and have it not become mush. Honestly, I didn’t eat the Brussels Sprouts. I’m sorry mom, I never liked them.

Thursday: Homestyle Meatloaf with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and

Herbed Green Beans

I think the Meatloaf is about the same as the Swiss Steak but with more tomato and seasoning. The meatloaf was tender but not mushy, the green beans were cooked just right with a little snap left in them and more flavorful than previous vegetable offerings. The mashed potatoes only had a hint of garlic and when I finished the trapezoid-shaped mound, I realized I hadn’t eaten mashed potatoes since last Thanksgiving, and I’d eaten them twice this week.  “How ironic, I thought.”

I’m so fortunate, most of us are, to afford high-quality food and spent time and money dining out with our friends. We can order what we want; throw out what we don’t. We have so many choices, too many sometimes, on what and where to eat. We can celebrate food with photos and hashtags and beautiful creations made from watermelon and a paring knife  – and we should! I hope, too, that we will be aware of those who are food insecure, lonely and rely on that daily delivery of Meals on Wheels as one of their few remaining connections to socialization, sensorial pleasure and nourishment for their bodies.

I say I’m not a critic, I’m a storyteller but I’ll summarize the meals this way: They’re better than airplane food, WAY better than the Frank Crowley Courts Building Cafeteria you’re stuck with for jury duty and better than starving, which is the alternative to Meals on Wheels delivery.

A Rosé is a Rosé is a Rosé

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Smith Story Rose and a Texas Sunset

Blush, summer water, pink wine. It can be syrupy sweet, acidic and bright, fruity and vaguely effervescent, and bold but thin. It has become the omnipresent social accessory of summer for its refreshingly crisp taste that literally makes your mouth water and its ability to match summer outfits perfectly. Though often regarded as a “chick drink” because of its slightly effeminate tones ranging from pale pink to a translucent cherry red, there is no data to support that stereotype.  It really depends on individual tastes, and with ten different styles of rosé, there is enough range to satisfy nearly every palate. Good rosés can be had for less than $10 a bottle and there are many great rosés priced below $30 a bottle.

This Saturday, June 13, is National Rosé Day, always the second Saturday in June, the perfect time for a cold, crisp mostly low alcohol wine to enjoy on a toasty day. In honor of rosé day and several Dallas area restaurants have created specials to honor the occasion, but first, a history lesson.

Rosé wine is thought to have been created around 8,000 years ago in Armenia where clay jars with wine residue were found.  Back then, wines would have been lighter since the more advanced pressing and fermentation techniques that make red and white wines weren’t developed yet.  Some rosé is produced when black-skinned grapes are crushed and the skin maintains contact with the juice for around 24 hours, versus the skins immediately being filtered out for white wine or left in contact with the juice for long periods of time as with red wines.

In the past three years at least, rosé sales have been increasing around 40% each year, with the main source of rosé wines coming to America from France, Spain and Italy, though American rosés compare very favorably to Old World wines.  My favorite American rosé is from local gal Alison Smith Story, a Keller native and Baylor grad who started Smith Story wines with her husband, Eric.  They make only one, a Rosé of Pinot Noir Rheingau Germany which is bright and delicately fruity. I also love La Vielle Ferme (also known as “chicken wine”) which is in the style of Provence, a combination of granache, syrah and cinsault grapes making it a little tart, a little sweet and a little fruity, a great blend and an exceptional value at around $9 per bottle.

Foxtrot Market in University Park and Uptown have great rosé choices

How do you know which rosés you will like? Try them.  Rebecca Murphy, Wine Writer, Professional Wine Judge and Founder of The Dallas Morning News and TexSom Wine Competition (and is also considered to be the first female Sommelier in Texas), offers this advice, “I love rosés from Provence, but they are so popular that winemakers from other regions are going to great lengths to get that Provence pale pink. So, my first thought is to avoid selecting a rosé just because of its color.  Instead, pick a one from a grape you really like (like you).  Or from a region or country that makes wines you like. It wasn’t that many years ago that a rosé drinker was considered an unsophisticated rube.  Today, we are living in rosé heaven with a whole world to choose from.  Have fun exploring.” You can explore with minimal financial risk at Central Market, World Market or Foxtrot Market which have abundant selections.

Whichever rosé makes your day, as always, drink responsibly. For a few unique approaches to National Rosé Day, check out these cocktails and frozen drinks made from rosé.

Happy National Rosé Day, here’s to your health!

National Rosé Day Specials in Dallas

Blueberry Souffle and Rosé at Rise no. 1

Rise no. 1 has a beautiful selection of French rosés of different styles which are perfect to pair with savory and sweet dishes, including their seasonal Blueberry Soufflé.

Young & Beautiful at Knife

Knife at The Highlands Dallas has created a refreshing rosé-based cocktail called the Young & Beautiful, named after the famous Lana Del Rey song from 2013. The drink combines Rose Gold Provençal Rosé Dashfire Hibiscus Bitters, Fever Tree Soda and a Hibiscus Flower which can and should be enjoyed on Knife’s patio.

JAXON Texas Kitchen & Beer Garden has created a summer-inspired twist on the traditional frosé cocktail with a Fresh Watermelon Frozé , the perfect pairing for JAXON’s massive patio.

Malibu Poke always has rosé and frosé on the menu but Saturday you can enjoy $1 rosé all day while you’re partaking poke.

Poke and rosé sort of rhyme

Dreaming of The Charles

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Song Pairing: A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman

The Charles

The steady hum of much needed interpersonal connection filled the space, the occasional percussive beats of laughter punctuated the atmosphere, then quieted, leaving a brief pause for me to hear the background music. It was reopening night at The Charles after its closure on March 16. Preshift earlier that day was electric, J stayed in the kitchen, head down and focused while Chas, emotionally charged and energetic as ever, recounted the difficulties of the past few weeks. He told this family of employees, whom he and his partners had been paying since Day 1 of the shutdown, that he missed them, even though he’d regularly video chatted with them during the shutdown. He took a moment to swallow the emotion that swelled in his throat. Chas looked at every staff member in the room as if he were trying to imprint this moment and their expressions into his memory forever and told them how happy he is to share this space once again with them. They all nodded in agreement, shifting back and forth on their feet like racehorses in their starting gates, ready for service to begin. Chas then took a sip of Drappier, put his glass down, and flew up his arms to signal the rise of the golden-tasseled red velvet curtain. “It’s showtime!”      And then I woke up, my dream about The Charles ended before I could even order.

Throughout the pandemic, I’ve had vivid dreams, many of which couldn’t be explained by the even the best psychoanalysts.  This dream wasn’t hard to decipher, though. I’ve been distancing in my dreams to places I would rather be, and a frequent theme is restaurants. I visited Bar Charles in December the day it opened and managed to squeeze into their reservation book for an early dinner in January.  I’ve since dreamt about The Charles and the Lemon Ricotta Gnudi and Veal Ragu Capelloni which compelled me to call Chas and find out how he’s doing and when The Charles might reopen. After we spoke, I had what I now refer to as “The Greatest Showman Dream” about the reopening.

The Charles celebrated its two-year anniversary May 1, not as they had wished, surely, but still optimistic that they would soon be able to open the dining room. Since late March, The Charles has served lunch and dinner for curbside pick-up and delivery via Alto and has opened their more than “Italian’ish” wine list for sale at attractive discounts. Recognizing that the well-healed crowd The Charles attracts appreciates great wine, Chas stocked up on impressive wines to add to the collection right before the pandemic decimated the hospitality industry. If he had known in January what he learned in March, he admits he would not have amplified his cellar to such an extent. Like other restaurants, The Charles is selling from its cellar to keep cash flow going, while still quite certain that when it reopens, $399 bottles of Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia (yum) will be ordered by eager and appreciative guests. For now, The Charles is selling bottles of wine under $250 at 50% discount and those over $250 at 40% discount.  If you price shop, you’ll recognize this as a very good buying opportunity.

J Chastain, Chef and Chas Martin, Owner of The Charles

J Chastain is an introvert, the complete opposite of Chas they both confessed.  J’s pedigree cooking in some of the most respected, if not chaotic, kitchens in Dallas proves his creativity, execution, and endurance.  He misses his team and the energy of the kitchen, he told me, but he’s rather enjoyed this relative downtime. He’s at the restaurant near daily, doing or overseeing maintenance and repairs of the equipment and space which was new construction, custom built but driven like a Ferrari on the Autostrada since its opening in 2018.  J feels fortunate to work for Chas Martin and the See brothers, Ross and Corbin. Prior to The Charles opening, they sent J to Italy to research, study, eat and drink to live la dolce vida, capture it like a firefly and release it within 1632 Market Center Drive. “They have vision,” he says of the owners and will accomplish great things in the future.  For now, though he isn’t a chef who works the dining room, touching tables, preferring to stay in his groove behind the scenes, he recognizes the challenges the restaurant, like all, will face when it reopens.

The Charles

When The Charles reopens, Chas and J wonder what the new normal will look like.  The restaurant is a compact 2700 square-feet.  The tables are close together by design, the long bar is set with tall chairs lined up for hip-to-hip seating while a row of two top tables sit only two feet away. It’s tight by design, sexy and energetic, intimate in a very public, voyeuristic kind of way. How will this work when you increase space between tables and reduce the number of bodies in there?  How do you articulate luxury with paper menus and silverware condoms? It won’t be easy but the stylish, positive, intuitive showman, Chas Martin, will figure it out.

Dallas is still a strong, viable restaurant market and destination city.  The Charles’ ownership group is bullish on the city and their ability to provide unique dining experiences for their clientele.  They are patient and measured, smart investors who are playing the long game and, in fact, invested back in The Charles for 21 months before making a distribution to investors.  They are currently at work developing new concepts which they are quite secretive about, but I will venture to guess that they could move into something textural and moderately exotic, such as Mediterranean-ish, to feature the bright cuisine of the region, beyond pita and hummus, and introduce local diners to the exciting wines of Israel, Lebanon and Greece.

Ross See, Chas Martin and Corbin See, owners of The Charles

Until The Charles reopens the dining room, I will order and pick up the polenta fries, spicy creste di Gallo and a bottle of one of their Sicilian white wines (at 50% off, remember).  I will distance in my dreams; I’ll visit The Charles and my other favorite restaurants in town.  In my dreams I’ll walk a clean, empty Venice, the canals clear and odorless; I’ll spend hours in the Victoria & Albert in London with no pushy queues forcing me to abandon the exhibits I want study for hours; my dreams will take me to sunrise over Angkor Wat with only those closest to me alongside.  I will dream a million dreams, the same as Chas Martin.

LISTEN TO THE MOCKINGBIRD GOURMET

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Song Pairing: Listen to the Mockingbird

George Lewis Band – Jazz at Preservation Hall

First Impressions . . . 

The first time I met Stephanie Magilow, she was sampling product at Central Market and wearing a food-server’s hairnet. The second time I met her there, she was wearing a hair net. The third time I met her, I didn’t recognize her without her hair net, but I recognized the small jars lined up like buttons on a blouse on an upstairs table at Royal Blue Grocery. She’d brought samples from her new food company, Mockingbird Gourmet.

Stephanie Magilow, creator of Mockingbird Gourmet

The co-creator of Jammit Jam is spreading her wings into a new line of comestibles made with fruit and other ingredients sourced from farms within a 50-mile radius of Dallas and in some cases, even closer – like the herb garden in her Highland Park backyard. The inspiration for the name of this endeavor came from the street on which her grandma lived: Mockingbird Lane, just around the corner from her home. Though she will continue to produce and sell Jammit Jams, she will expand the Mockingbird Gourmet product line to include gems such as limited edition preserves, jams, caramel sauces and, eventually, pastry.

Local sourcing plus fixed seasonality means each batch of jams will be limited editions, with only 60-80 six-ounces jars per run available for sale. Stephanie’s relationships with local famers and Market Provisions at the Dallas Farmer’s Market grants her access to straight-from-the-plant produce which she immediately adds to her recipes. Since North Texas is resplendent with fresh blueberries, figs, strawberries, peaches, tomatoes, peppers, pecans and more, Magilow has great bounty with which to showcase her affinity for combining flavors and developing recipes. If you’ve tasted her jams, you know she can pair surprising flavors to bring out the best of each.

Caramel Sauces are $$$$.

Mockingbird Gourmet debuted in May at the St. Michael’s Farmer’s Market where she sold her Fig Jam, Strawberry Jalapeño Limeade Jam, Moroccan Tomato Jam and her caramel sauces, which are sublime. The Bourbon Vanilla Bean Sea Salt Caramel is made with raw cane sugar and Madagascar vanilla beans which have been soaked in Dallas’ own Herman Marshall Texas Bourbon Whiskey for a year. She also males a vegan and paleo version of the sauce sweetened with maple syrup (obviously not from Texas) and includes coconut oil and almond butter.

Mockingbird Gourmet can be found at the St. Michael’s Farmer’s Market all summer, Market Provisions at the downtown Farmer’s Market and Scardello’s on Oak Lawn. 

Pairing notes: Since I met with Stephanie, the song “Listen to the Mockingbird” has been tapping around my brain. I’m partial to the version from the George Lewis Band recorded at Preservation Hall in New Orleans. My roots run deep in Louisiana; why I love food and music so much, I suppose. I grew up listening to jazz and eating my grandmother’s fig jams and kumquat preserves, made right from the trees in her garden. Stephanie’s jams are made much the same way, with an almost maternal love for the fresh fruit ingredients and farmers who grow them.

This article first appeared in the Park Cities People May 2019 print edition.

 

 

The Flowers of Guatemala

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Song Pairing: Flowers of Guatemala by REM

Stepping into San Martín Bakery and Restaurant on a rainy spring night was like walking into a tidy garden of bright flowers, edged by brick and marble, cradled by lush greenery and illuminated by firefly-like lamps. It felt like a Viennese coffee shop except, the décor of Guatemalan owls and tiny little worry dolls and the elegant letters that spelled out Pasteleria and Panaderia was an obvious tell that it’s not European, rather Guatemalan.

This charming eatery opened in December though I had, sadly, never heard of it prior to the media dinner invitation. I feel I missed out on cute Valentine’s cookies, Easter sweets and by having morning meetings at Starbucks, not here. Well, that’s about to change. San Martín is perfect for morning meetings, lunches, brunches, dinners and just dessert-only dates and I can envision baby and bridal showers, girls’ night out and after-tennis lunches too. On nights when my husband and I have our 7:30 Spanish class, I can see us popping in for a quick, easy dinner.

Comida

The dinner menu is diverse and, for me, surprisingly Italian in offerings. There are several different pastas on the menu. I tasted a one with a light, tomato sauce with a hint of smokiness from pancetta but would like to return to try the lasagna and ravioli (confession: I could eat pasta every day). There are also several pizzas, all of them using a light, thin crust, a nod to the lightness of Guatemalan Pan de Agua. There are also soups such as the Sopa de Elotes, a creamy sweet corn soup and the Guatemalan staple Frijoles al Albañil a salty, rich soup with panela cheese, avocado and tortilla strips on top. They are both delish. There are great-looking salads and appetizers including Guatemalan style Tostadas and Carpaccio, beef and avocado.

I didn’t try any of the hamburgers or sandwiches but will definitely return to try the traditional Guatemalan options, such as the Shuco, a hot dog loaded with guacamole and white cabbage salad and the Arrachera, skirt steak on a baguette with a chili mayo and avocado, seriously all good things to eat. I’ve never been much of a Bruncher, probably because I’d rather eat breakfast AND lunch instead of just one brunch, but I would like to check out the Belgian omelets, the chilaquiles and every single pastry they sell (except the ones with banana, I do not eat banana under any circumstances).

Panes Dulces

What shines most to me are the pastries, breads and cakes that are all made fresh in a nearby commercial kitchen. Beautifully-made cakes, cookies and cupcakes will draw your eye, but the taste will draw your soul. The light Rosca Vienesa is a San Martín original and is a light, not-too-sweet almond-kissed bundt cake that I brought to the office and was gone in half an hour. Croissants, strudel and eclairs are laced between Guatemalan specialties such as pan dulce, sweet bread; polvorosa, a shortbread cookie and the Guatemalan Quesadilla which is nothing like the quesadilla we know as Texans, rather it’s a sweet cheese bread/cake. All fresh pastries and breads are available for dining in or takeaway, and there are take-and-bake offerings of the Pan de Agua, Pan Francés and Chapata rolls as well.

Bebidas

San Martín serves and sells all-Guatemalan coffee. If you’ve been there and didn’t think much of its coffee, it’s probably because, according to Gabriel Castillo, the director of U.S. operations of this Central American chain, the best Guatemalan coffee is exported. Numerous coffee drinks are available from the coffee bar and include espresso, macchiato, americano and cappuccino and well as the house specialties Café de la Casa with and without milk. The restaurant is beer and wine only, with the red list serving only American wines from California and Washington State, and the white list offering a bit more diversity, with American, Italian and New Zealand wines and Italian and French bubbles. Beers are also mostly American with two Central American beers added to the list: Famosa from Guatemala and Pilsener from El Salvador.

 

Prices here are very reasonable. One person can easily spend just $20 for a nice dinner and less for lunch and brunch, depending on your drink and pastry options. The restaurant and bakery are open daily from 7 am to 8 pm. If you haven’t been, go. It’s great for everyone at any time. Parking is ample and the setting is really lovely, like all flowers of Guatemala.

This article was originally published in the Park Cities People Newspaper

3120 McKinney Avenue, Uptown

Website: sanmartinbakery.com (it’s all in Spanish)

Scaling Cliffs for Dinner

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Using my voice to tell others’ stories . . .

I was fortunate enough to be hired by Auberge Resorts Collection to write for Our Stories, the section on their Esperanza and Chileno Bay websites that shares first-hand stories from the resort team members of their experiences on property and in the region.  My favorite interviews were with the culinary and F&B staff, I extracted colorful detail to write about. I would interview the team member then research and write their story in first-person.  As I’ve always said, having worked in the hospitality industry for so many years, the very best of every hotel company is the team on property.  They work with joy and purpose of sharing their unique hospitality.    Chef Guillermo Gomez of Esperanza is a genius and a gentleman.  Here is one of the story intros, followed by the complete article.

Scaling Cliffs for Dinner

There is a cliff at Esperanza where I go to retrieve live sea urchins that cling to the sides of the warm granite, as they sunbathe and seek refuge from the constant crashing of the Sea of Cortez. The cliff is one of my favorite spots at the resort and I go there to carefully collect the urchins and bring them to my kitchen to prepare and serve them. Foraging for fresh seafood among the backdrop of Cabo’s dramatic cliffs is one of the most surreal and best things about my job here, and to have immediate access to high quality food is any chef’s dream.

We are blessed by more than the sea, the organic farms in Baja Sur provide an abundance as well, with exceptional fruits and vegetables that nourish tourist and locals alike. On weekends and days off, my family enjoys going to Miraflores, a small town almost 50 miles northwest of Cabo which was settled more than 300 years ago by French sailors. We make a day of it there, visiting leather craftsmen, the farmer’s markets and sometimes we make it to the hot springs. My daughter and son love to pick their own produce at the farms we visit.  In fact, the Valentina’s salad we serve at Cocina del Mar is inspired by my daughter who is a “foodie” and eats everything, including raw oysters which she first tasted at age two.

We moved here almost three years ago from Sicily, Italy. Like Cabo, Sicily is perched on deep blue and turquoise waters and the view is sometimes obstructed by hills and cliffs that taunt curiosity and beg for exploration. Cabo San Lucas surprised me, in some ways.  I wasn’t expecting such rich nature and biology, so much depth in the landscape and not just in and around the town. When I’m walking around the resort, my gaze still gravitates to the trees where red and yellow birds sing and dance from branch to branch.

As a chef, every day is a new day.  I can prepare the Chocolata Clams for Cocina del Mar every day for five days in a row and it will not exactly be the same each time. The chocolate clams that are native to our waters, the cucumbers from Miraflores and avocados from Michoacán are different today than they were yesterday, and they will be different tomorrow.  Maybe our guests cannot tell a difference, but I absorb the subtleties of product and approach them new every day.

It’s my good fortune to work and live here in Cabo.  My colleagues around the resort and especially within the culinary team have formed a family and I find it very satisfying to work with them. Every day I see beauty here, the views from La Palapa and Cocina del Mar are unforgettable. Some of my favorite times of the day are when I come out to the kitchen to greet guests and get a peek and the deep blue sea and sky behind them.

 

 

Did I Just Drink Actual Poison?

Snake oil cures what ails you, or so they say. They say the same thing about Digestifs, the category of alcohol-based after dinner drinks that claim to aid digestion, reduce effects of hangovers, cure menstrual cramps, make you feel younger, healthier, more virile, etc. etc. Even if you don’t regularly partake in digestifs, you’re probably familiar with a few of them: brandy, sherry, cognac, sambuca, fruit-infused liquors such as Grand Marnier and limoncello, and, the ubiquitous college-party staple, Jägermeister.

How about herbal-based digestifs, are you into them? Have you tasted Underberg, Herbs de Majorca, Unicum, the drink that sounds like something you’d find in a hospital’s hazardous waste barrel, or Fernet-Branca, which actually tastes like it came from a hospital’s hazardous waste barrel? Well, I have so you don’t have to.

On a recent trip to Italy, we stopped at a little bar in Trieste to enjoy a digestive after a long day of eating and drinking.  By “we” I mean my lovely Austrian friends, Mischa and Fritz, and my husband, Clark.  The three of them ordered Fernet-Branca and I ordered a Bailey’s on the rocks.  My husband ostracized me for my drink choice, maybe because the bottle cap of Bailey’s was encrusted with a greyish crystallized substance indicating an age no longer compatible with consumption, or maybe because he still thinks you can’t drink the water there because of the plague.  Regardless, I chose, instead, to join them in Fernet-Branca, up.

Oh! my merciful God in heaven. I was completely caught off guard by the oily, black elixir. Bitter is an understatement, as is terrible, revolting and vile.  It tasted like pureed penicillin, and I would know that because I took a lot of penicillin for ear infections as a kid. My mother, a really good cook but less so a caregiver, crushed up penicillin tablets and put them in prune yogurt in an attempt to get me to take the medicine (it was before it was available in pink bubble gum suspension fluid). So, that night in Trieste, I was assaulted again with a taste so bitter, it caused facial gyrations and dry heaves that left the three others doubled over with laughter. When I recovered, I declared that my lips would never again meet “Franca,” the rechristened designation for Fernet-Branca.

I’ve tried Underberg and found it quite tolerable, almost pleasant in an “I dare you to drink this” way.  A few days after the Franca incident at a tiny bar in Venice, I tried again to consume a digestive.  The Averna was a bit softer, not as bitter and less offensive, but still not for me. I will stick to my Bailey’s, maybe a Sambuca now and then, or maybe I just won’t eat and drink so much to require a digestif.

Or, naaah . . .  Say ciao to Trieste . . more to come on this beautiful seaside town soon.

Really? Another Food Blog?

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Today I met three other food bloggers, coincidentally.  We met at a planning meeting for VNA’s Celebrity Chef’s Dinner next March.  Most of the committee members are either involved in charity or food, many of us, both.  Two of the blogs are dormant and one is a successful food and nutrition blog that belongs to my friend Robin Plotkin.  So I ask myself, “does the world need another food blog?’ and the answer, of course, is no.

But, I’m launching The Kickshaw Papers for me, and I hope along the way, it will provide information and entertainment about things I fancy – food, travel, nice people, great ideas and puppies.

Here’s my puppy, Henrietta. Many more posts to come. Leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you.