Writing With My Mouth Full

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    • Where to eat in Wakefield: Phil’s Restaurant

      We wanted to go to Surfin’ Tacos to cure our hangovers, but they were still preparing to open when we stopped by. When we saw the menu, we realized it wasn’t a tacqueria per se, but more like a Chipotle type of place. Across the street, the line of high school and college-age kids outside Phil’s Restaurant caught our eye.

      The origin of diners can be traced back to the 1850s when a Walter Scott from Providence supplemented his income by selling coffee and sandwiches at night from a horse-drawn wagon parked outside the Providence Journal newspaper office. There really wasn’t a reason not to eat in one while I was already in the state.

      Well, okay, there is one: how awful you feel after eating a plate of three eggs, corned beef hash, white toast with butter and a plateful of potatoes. Although at the time very satisfying, I felt I was going to get a stomachache after. Big breakfasts from diners can be excellent, you just have to have the stomach for them.

      Phil’s Restaurant is at 323 Main Street in Wakefield, Rhode Island. You won’t miss the American flag. Just walk in and wait to be seated.

      Related post/s:
      Narragansett, Rhode Island photos on Flickr
      Get some mayo-less lobster rolls at Jim’s Dock

    • Where to eat in Matunuck: Jim’s Dock

      Jim’s Dock was a good start to our quick weekend in Rhode Island. After a long morning drive, we were famished. We checked in at Blueberry Cove Inn to drop off our stuff and got back in the car to find food. We were near Narragansett and were surrounded by water, so seafood with a view of the Rhode Island Sound just seemed like the best choice.

      At Jim’s Dock in East Matunuck, we were seated outside next to a pier where children jump off to get in the cold water. We watched as fishermen gathered their poles for the day. There were lobster buoys hanging off the walls and a variety of beach signs decorated the restaurant entrance. As we walked in and felt sand between our toes, I fell in-love again with summers in the east coast.

      When traveling to hot destinations, I try to stay away from deep-fried foods because I eat a lot of those at home. I’m also not a big fan of mayonnaise, so a lobster roll does not really excite me. I prefer eating raw seafood and cracking crabs while wearing a bib. In Rhode Island, I broke all my rules. We ordered the clam cakes, deep-fried batter you have to eat in order to find the small jewel of clam inside. I pulled mine apart to find them because even a Filipino girl can only eat so many fried bread. The Dr. ordered the lobster roll after hearing that Jim’s has one of the best in Rhode Island. As much as I like decadence, I was a bit surprised that their lobster roll mostly had lobster meat and so little mayo. I’m not complaining because for $16, I got my money’s worth, but we ate a lobster meat sandwich, not a lobster roll.

      Jim’s Dock is at 109 Succotash Road, East Matunuck, Rhode Island. Just follow the path to the beach on your way to East Matunuck or call 401/783.2050.

      Related post/s:
      Narragansett, Rhode Island photos on Flickr
      I went to DeWolf Tavern during my first visit in Rhode Island

    • Inlet Seafood Restaurant

      541 East Lake Drive, Montauk, Long Island
      631/668-4272
      about $200 for five, with several drinks, without tip
      ♥ ♥

      The weather in Montauk was tentative the entire weekend we were there. The sun came out during our breakfasts and then hide while we got ready for the beach, only to come out again when we walked on the sand. Luckily for us, it never rained during the day and we were able to sunbathe, get in the water and drink cold beers on the beach.

      When we walked in Inlet Seafood Restaurant, we were two people less in our group and another two were heading back to the city. It was a gray Sunday afternoon and the restaurant was pretty tame; people must have left Montauk early to beat the slow traffic. We were seated on the deck outside with a view of its namesake, a narrow strip of land jutting from where the boats were docked. The restaurant is owned by local fishermen who also work at the next door packing facility. From there, the catch is brought to Hunts Point in the Bronx and sold. For us who don’t wake up before the sun rises, some of the goods are cooked at the restaurant.

      After I confirmed that there was at least one Asian person behind the sushi counter, I ordered the octopus sashimi with ponzu sauce with my ceviche wonton “sandwich.” I also ordered six pieces of sashimi from their daily catch selection: tuna, salmon and porgy. The fish wasn’t sublime, but they were as fresh as any affordable sashimi pieces in Manhattan.

      My companions’ meals were so much better. A cioppino was a bowl of happiness with white fish, clams, mussels and squid in a saffron broth flavored with a little spice. A grilled tomato bread was included for dipping. Another had a well-prepared roasted monkfish. The bowl of mussels with fresh herbs was also satisfying especially with an order of the extra bread. A Cajun-style fluke taco was served in the hard shell kind and disappointed my friend, but the burrito sure made up for it–it was the size of my arm served with chunky guacamole. A salad of beautiful heirloom tomatoes had the perfect summer touch of soft stalks and leaves.

      The weather may have been tentative, but there was nothing on the Inlet Seafood Restaurant menu that was.

    • Lemon Sorbet with Blackberry Simple Syrup

      From Montauk, we paid $10 to get the car onto a ferry to Shelter Island. From there, we paid another $10 to exit through North Fork and avoid the Hamptons traffic. We stopped by one of the farms on the side of the road to pick our own blackberries for $5 a pint.

      If you can get your hands on some fresh blackberries before summer ends, this is a great and easy recipe to end that perfect meal you’ve just whipped up for your friends. Cameron made it for us when we came over her apartment for dinner one night. The Dr. loves tarty desserts, so she easily won him over.

      Ingredients:
      1 pint blackberries, washed
      white sugar
      1 star anise
      lemon sorbet
      mint leaves

      1. In a small pot, make simple syrup. Simmer some water with white sugar and star anise. I use about three cups of water with two cups of sugar, but feel free to make it sweeter if you like. Add blackberries and continue to simmer. Stir slowly and ocassionally to avoid burning. Remove the pot from the heat when blackberries are just a tad soft and bruised. Set aside to cool a bit.
      2. To serve, scoop sorbet in a small bowl. Spoon over the warm simple syrup and a couple of the cooked blackberries. Garnish with mint leaves.

      Related post/s:
      If you have more time and more blackberries

    • Ditch Witch

      40 Deforest Road, by the East Deck Motel parking lot, Montauk, Long Island
      no phone
      less than $10 for one, with a drink, without tip
      ♥ ♥

      Do you have any money?, was all we heard from the guy inside the Ditch Witch wagon. I’m still not exactly sure why we thought that was funny, but at the time, we were eating our second meal of the day on the beach while locals and surfers alike walked up to the Ditch Witch to order. In that case, a young kid in board shorts came up and tried to buy something. He wasn’t given his order until he answered in the affirmative.

      It was that kind of lackadaisical attitude that I liked about Ditch Witch and the Ditch Plains beach. The beach is an insider’s spot–you need a town parking permit or a temporary beach sticker to park. It was a Monday afternoon, so it wasn’t quite as busy as the weekend, but the vibe was more homey than listless.

      We ordered the cold sesame noodle salad served with greens and tomatoes. It was simple, with the right amount of peanut butter flavor; bright and light at the same time. The tomato avocado basil sandwich was mellow without the vinaigrette, but the pressed bread made it extra crispy and held the ingredients together quite nicely. The Ditch Witch also has different iced teas. The Ab’s Brew, a black unsweetened tea with lemon was refreshing and not watery.

      If I have to wake up everyday near or on the beach, the Ditch Witch could easily start my day right.

      Related post/s:
      Montauk photos on Flickr
      Townline BBQ outside Montauk
      The beach was an inspiration to the city restaurant

    • Townline BBQ

      3593 Townline Road, Sagaponack, Long Island
      631/537.2271
      about $44 for two, with two beers, with tip
      ♥ ♥

      After spending three days on the beach in Montauk and eating fresh seafood and lobster rolls in neighboring restaurants, I was ready for some meat. I was in the backseat when we drove by Townline BBQ outside of East Hampton. I remember seeing the Grand Opening banners and thinking, I wonder what just opened there? The drivers in charge asked me where Townline BBQ was after I wrote down the address on our Long Island printout. We turned around and found out that the place that caught my eye was the barbeque place we were looking for. I knew then that I was meant to eat lunch at Townline BBQ before I head back to the city.

      There are rules at Townline BBQ: you order from the counter, pay and get a beeper; pick a table and wait for your beeper to vibrate. When it does, you pick up your order from the counter. Considering my last barbeque experience in Harlem was a bust, I thought Townline was organized and well-executed. It didn’t stop with the service. Their Texas beef ribs were so good, I was using my hands not just to eat them, but also to pick from our tub of pickles and collard greens.

      I don’t remember the last time I had beef ribs. Hill Country in Chelsea, which specializes in Texas-style barbeque, was out of them when I went during their first month. I also don’t remember ever having barbeque with meat as tight and stuck to the bone as Townline’s. I loved how dry it was; it didn’t have to rely on any thick sauce, although the available ones on the table were good. I picked on leftover meat from the big bones until no cartilage was left and I was licking my fingers by the time our meal was over. This was our third meal of the day and it wasn’t even 5pm.

      We ordered a pulled pork plate but instead got a pulled pork sandwich. Judging from the sandwich, I bet the plate was even better. The pork meat came in beautiful strings slathered with just enough red sauce and served on a toasted bun with pickles. The pickles were more sweet than sour, but complemented all the meat we were eating when the spicyness kicked in. The collard greens were good, too, with small cubes of pork included. They also didn’t have root beer available when we visited, but a good selection of beers on tap (Julius Echter hefeweisen, toasted Blue Point) more than compensated for it.

      We went on a Monday afternoon and the place was empty. I can only imagine the crowd during the weekends when vacationing Hamptons folks crave their barbeque. You may be familiar with the Hamptons because of what you read in the celebrity papers, but Townline BBQ is a good indication that Long Island is sometimes where it’s at.

      Related post/s:
      Montauk photos on Flickr
      No need to go to Long Island for Texas-style barbeque
      Oklahoma Smoke in Harlem can use some pointers from Townline

    • Ginatang Isda, Fish in Coconut Milk

      This is my second contribution to Lasang Pinoy 20: Binalot, All-Wrapped Up! Binalot comes from balot, which means “to wrap”, while isda is Tagalog for “fish”.

      If you live in the Philippines, I’m sure you can go to your neighbor’s backyard and find a banana tree. All you have to do is wipe the leaves down with a wet paper towel to make sure they’re clean. Here in New York City, I bought mine frozen in Chinatown. I thawed the few rectangles I knew I was going to use. If you’re surrounded by concrete buildings and there are no banana leaves around, you can use parchment paper which should be available in your baking goods supermarket aisle. If you can’t find bluefish, you can use cod or even salmon.

      Using coconut milk is common in some parts of the Philippines. I grew up calling it gata. The important ingredient here is the dried chiles–the coconut milk needs to have some oomph!

      Ingredients:
      1 bluefish, scaled and cleaned
      half a can of coconut milk
      2 cloves of garlic, minced
      1 small red onion, finely chopped
      a handful of basil leaves, chiffonade
      a few sprigs of cilantro, finely chopped
      a few sprigs of parsley, finely chopped
      dried chiles, crushed
      salt, pepper
      frozen banana leaves, thawed

      1. Preheat oven to 375º. Season the fish inside out with salt and pepper.
      2. Using a bowl, combine all the ingredients and whisk together to make marinade, except for the fish and banana leaves. Marinate the fish for about 30 minutes.
      3. Lay banana leaves large enough to cover the fish on your working table. If they are already in squares, make sure you overlap two leaves for your “base”. Put the fish on top and spoon the coconut mixture inside and outside the fish. Discard the rest. Using another banana leaf square, cover the fish and fold with the base to seal. Use toothpicks to hold the leaves together.
      4. Put on a baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, discard the toothpicks and uncover by removing the top leaf. Return to the oven and cook for another 7 minutes. To serve, leave the fish on the banana leaf; just transfer to a plate.

      Related post/s:
      Where we got our bluefish
      Wrapping fish is fun!
      All about Lasang Pinoy
      I hosted Lasang Pinoy before: Lamang-Loob, Odd Cuts and Guts

    • Pinangat na Isda, Bluefish in Tomatoes

      This is first my contribution to Lasang Pinoy 20: Binalot, All-Wrapped Up! Binalot comes from balot, which means “to wrap”, while isda is Tagalog for “fish”. Simmering in tomatoes is referred to as pinangat, although in my family, it also meant sour broth. It was too hot for soup, so I decided to make this even more simple by wrapping the fish in parchment paper. I wanted something easy and quick, preferably using ingredients that didn’t require me going to the supermarket. I found everything I needed in the fridge and the herbs I wanted on my windowsill. Under half an hour, we were eating dinner. Shortly after, we were ready for bed.

      In French, this is also known as poisson en papillote, or fish in paper.

      Ingredients:
      1 bluefish, scaled and cleaned
      a handful of white mushrooms, roughly chopped
      1 large tomato, roughly chopped
      1 small red onion, finely chopped
      2 sprigs of thyme
      1 sprig of rosemary
      1/4 stick of butter, half of it melted
      salt, pepper
      parchment paper

      1. Preheat oven to 375º. Season the fish inside out with salt and pepper.
      2. In a small pan, heat half of the butter. Sauté onions until translucent. Sauté tomatoes until mushy. Add mushrooms and cook until soft. Season with herbs and with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and set aside.
      3. Lay parchment paper large enough to cover the fish on your working table. Brush one side with melted butter. Spoon half of the sautéed tomato mixture onto the paper. Put the fish on top. Stuff remaining tomato mixture inside the fish and spoon the rest on top. Fold the parchment paper over and seal all sides. Put on a baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes. Move to a large plate and unfold the sides of the paper in front of your guests.

      Related post/s:
      Where we got our bluefish
      All about Lasang Pinoy
      I hosted Lasang Pinoy before: Lamang-Loob, Odd Cuts and Guts

    • Bluefish Sashimi with Kochujang Sauce

      This isn’t really a recipe for the bluefish as much as it is for the spicy sauce that Koreans use to eat their sashimi with. The Dr. grew up fishing in Los Angeles and this is what his family does when they eat their catch. He replicated it in New York after he caught some bluefish off Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn.

      Kochujang is a spicy Korean condiment made of fermented soy beans and chilis. It’s the same red pepper paste used in making kimchi. You need sushi-grade or freshly-caught fish to make the sashimi. A Korean boy with knife skills is also important. A big plus is spicy arugula to wrap and pick up the sashimi with.

      Ingredients:
      freshly-caught bluefish or any sushi-grade fish, filleted and sliced in small pieces
      a dollop of Korean kochujang red pepper paste
      1 tbsp sugar
      a few jigs of rice wine vinegar
      toasted sesame seeds
      salt
      a few leaves of spicy arugula

      1. Combine and whisk all ingredients together in a bowl, except for the sashimi and the arugula. Season the mixture with some salt to taste.
      2. On a serving plate, lay some arugula leaves and top with sashimi. Drizzle with the kochujang sauce and sprinkle with extra sesame seeds.

      Related post/s:
      You can buy kochujang sauce in Koreatown
      Where did we get our bluefish?
      Kimchi recipe

    • Orzo Citrus Pasta with Orange Oil

      Lisa emailed to ask me where she can buy fregola pasta. I wondered why on earth an Italian would ask me that. It turns out that even her father didn’t know what it was. She couldn’t find it in her supermarket either. Fregola is a North African pasta used often today in Sardinia. It’s made with semolina and then rubbed to form small pellets and then toasted. It’s crumbly, almost like couscous. After I called Di Palo’s and confirmed that they had the pasta in stock, I sent Lisa to pick up a box before they closed.

      I was intrigued that she needed the exact pasta, so I did some research and looked for a substitute. Orzo, and even couscous, were suggested. I have both at home but I decided to go for the orzo. My mother has plenty of grapefruit and oranges she uses as our coffee table centerpiece, so I ended up stealing a few to give the orzo a summery taste. The fennel was a bit of a surprise here–it gave a toasted smell and taste. You can make this meatier if you add some half-cooked peeled shrimps.

      Ingredients:
      2 1/2 cups of orzo
      1 orange
      zest of that same orange
      half of a pink grapefruit
      chicken broth
      1 small red onion, thinly sliced
      2 stalks of scallion, white parts only, chopped
      a handful fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
      a pinch of fennel seeds, lightly toasted, grounded
      salt, pepper, olive oil

      1. Make orange oil for dressing. Soak the orange zest in some olive oil using a small bowl. Set aside.
      2. In a pot, bring the chicken broth to boil. Add orzo pasta and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain and remove to a baking sheet. Spread to a single layer to avoid sticking and clumping.
      3. In the meantime, cut the skin off the orange and the grapefruit, and slice flesh into smaller pieces over a serving bowl to catch the juice. Add the onion, scallions and the orzo. Toss with the mint, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Drizzle with orange oil before serving.

    • Oklahoma Smoke BBQ

      231 West 145th Street between Frederick Douglass and Adam Clayton Avenues
      212/862.5335
      about $31 for four people, with two sodas, without tip
      ♥

      The day Oklahoma Smoke opened in west Harlem, they ran out of meat. I stopped by to check their menu and they told me they just didn’t anticipate how many people were going to show up. Really? You knew it was your opening day, right? The next day, I stopped by at 2pm. They were open, but the guys in the front had to ask the kitchen what time they think they’ll be ready. 5pm, someone said. Two days after that, I called to order dinner for pick-up. It was loud in the background but I managed to order a rack and a half of their pork jerky ribs. The guy on the phone said two side dishes come with my order, so I picked collard greens and rice and beans. He also reminded me that I can have a can of Coke with it.

      Half an hour later, I walked in to pick up my order. There were a few of us standing around and waiting for our orders. Once in a while, someone would announce a number. They finally stopped when they realized their customers don’t know what the numbers mean. (Them: Who ordered number 23? Us: What the hell is number 23?) They packed up my order while I waited, but then realized someone had done it already. When I looked at that bag, the wrong sides were included. So I waited some more. When I received the sauce-stained paper with my food items checked off, the young girl at the counter didn’t know what buttons to press to register my order. One of the older men had to help her. At this point, I’m not quite sure who’s working for the restaurant. When I was finally handed my order, they told me they ran out of Cokes. I picked an orange soda instead. They gave me two.

      Back at home, I served the ribs to three others. I had to use my hands because the meat easily fell off the bones. I wasn’t quite sure why they were called jerky; they tasted more like they were boiled before they were slow-cooked. Without the orange-colored sauce, the meat barely tasted like barbeque. Curiously, I texted Aaron, a friend who grew up in Oklahoma, and asked him what makes barbeque an Oklahoman barbeque? All I got in response was, We use a hillbillie recipe.

      Harlem is going through a lot of changes. Business owners need more practice in running a restaurant to please more than just their neighbors. At Oklahoma Smoke BBQ, they’re trying really hard–at least they do their collard greens right.

      Related post/s:
      Another Harlem restaurant I’m holding out hope for

    • Fishing in Sheepshead Bay

      I opened my eyes when the subway crossed the Brooklyn Bridge. The sky had that blue morning glow tint with the sun rising behind one of the old warehouse buildings. I wondered how many New Yorkers have not seen this sight. I checked my phone and saw that it was only 5:15am. We’ve been on the subway only since 4:50am and yet, we were already halfway towards Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn.

      The Dr. had the weekend off and he really wanted to go fishing. The last time I met up with Sean and Jane in Staten Island, she mentioned that she wanted to go fishing for the first time. I told her about our last-minute trip on Friday night, and by 6:30am, the four of us were sitting together in the Brooklyn VI boat ready to fish for bluefish.

      We spent the next eight and a half hours on the boat dropping our sinkers and lures and reeling in. In between boat stops to look for the perfect spot to fish–we were following the sea gulls–we would go inside the boat and nap. We bought several beers and a hamburger from the kitchen when it was time to eat lunch.

      It was a beautiful day to fish. We had our sunblock on, but it wasn’t too hot to be outside the boat waiting for the fish to bite. Once in a while, someone would scream that they got something and the deckhands will go around the boat announcing that there was one aboard. There was a lot of pep talk and rah-rahs to encourage all of us to keep fishing. Even though it was Jane’s first time to fish, she caught four. The Dr. followed soon and contributed six. Sean had a few bites but none wanted to become dinner. I had one exciting moment, but I panicked that I probably helped the fish unhook itself. Before the day was over, we paid a dollar each for our fish to be cleaned. Everyone ahead of us just wanted their fish filetted. I was so horrified when I saw the deckhands dump the pail of fish heads and bones back in the ocean. These burly men have never heard of fumet! When our turn came, we asked only for our fish to be scaled and gutted out, head and bones intact.

      I didn’t have beginners’ luck like Jane, but I had an awesome time hanging out on someone’s boat and thinking of our dinner prospects.

      You don’t need a reservation to join the Brooklyn VI boat. Just take the Q subway to Sheepshead Bay, walk towards the water and go to Pier 6. The boat leaves every Saturday at 7am. In July, bluefish is in season, but you can also catch sea bass and porgies. It’s $45 to get on the boat and an extra $5 to rent a rod. You keep all the fish you catch. Each fish is $1 to be cleaned.

      Related post/s:
      Fishing in Sheepshead Bay photos on Flickr
      Fumet recipe for all those fish heads and bones