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Quick Byte: Indochine Cafe, Banh Mi

Posted by CMH Gourmand on September 23, 2012

There is a lot to write about Indochine but today the topic is the staple sandwich of Vietnam, the Banh Mi. As presented and prepared at Indochine, I might refer to it as the Asian Value meal. I have tried most of the Banh Mi’s in town and by volume of consumption alone, I might lean towards the Mi Li Cafe Version. But after additional reflection, testing and retesting, I give the edge to Indochine. My scientific equation goes something like this: size of sandwich + value of pricing + helpfulness of the staff + an Andes Mint with the tab = The Banh Mi winner.

Ultimately, the key to a great sandwich and in particular, the Banh Mi, is the bread. The authentic version of this sandwich features a baguette – a French style torpedo roll. Not all baguettes are created and baked equally. I tried to pull out the source of Indochine’s bread from the owner on several occasions but she was on to me in a second and became evasive in a friendly way. Their baguette is big, chewy, dense, crunchy and crusty concurrently. Several versions of the sandwich are served with a variety of meats – I have tried all versions and found them delightful but the best of the bunch is the traditional sandwich with pork.

I have looked at the rest of the menu but paid no heed to it. I would assume that it is good and reviews of Yelp and other sites would confirm my hunch. I can say that my observations include a staff that has a hard-core group of regulars they know by name and order. The cuisine is focused on Vietnam with a few Laotian items creeping in. I mentioned the Andes mint earlier – each person gets one with their bill, in my book, three cents of good will goes a long way. The location is in a former fast food franchise building repurposed into a bastion of diversity on the east side of central Ohio. Go for the Banh Mi – it will fill you up then order something to go so you can be more diverse than me.

Indochine
561 South Hamilton Road
Whitehall
614.231.7357

Indochine Cafe on Urbanspoon

Posted in sandwiches, Sub Dude | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

The Art of the Science or the Science of the Art of Food Judging

Posted by CMH Gourmand on September 19, 2012

I have been a judge all my life….but haven’t all of us? There is a phase De gustibus non est disputandum or to the non Latin among us = In matters of taste, there can be no disputes. Thousands of years show that this is most often true and I would say in some areas such as wine, beer, cheese and strongly crafted items that individual tastes are so….individual – that is a challenge to say what it best – although it is very often easy to agree on what is worst.

However, I have been asked to judge many foods formally over the years starting with my entry into the world of The Kansas City BBQ Society as a certified judge in 2006. I judged a contest in Wisconsin that year. I then started judging at too many events to count at the North Market. (This is the best gig on the judging circuit, which is good because NO ONE says no to Mary Martineau). Since then I have judged at Baconcamp, BeerCamp, The Ohio State Fair, The Smoke Experiment, Pizza Grand Prix, Cupcake Camp, wine judging for the Columbus Food and Wine Affair and most recently at the International Chili Society Championship at Cajohns.

Most people say, “wow” how do you get a job like that? It is fun. It is a great way to meet new people and experience new flavors. It is an honor and a privilege to be asked. It is also a significant investment of time and rarely reimbursed with more than a Thank You. (And let me say, when I do receive more than a thank you, it is greatly appreciated and sometimes I feel unworthy of the consideration).

All of the above considered, the question does arise – How does one judge who wins and who does not? What makes me, or anyone qualified to decide the tastes of the masses when we all have different taste buds. This question was posed to me at the Smoke Experiment by a very passionate attendee. I provided a 10 to 15 minute explanation and thought I had covered the question well. The person then followed up with an e-mail wanting more information. I did not feel that I had more to add, but the persistence of this enthusiast probably indicates that there are deeper questions to be asked and more people interested in the answers.

Judging is only easy when you are deciding between two items. Much like at the eye doctor “Is this better or worse”……an easy question right? But what do you do when they are “about the same”. That is when, like when looking at the eye chart you might try again and say “better now….or now?” Eventually you get an answer because there is a difference, right?

But therein, lies the rub (sometimes) how do you sort out the differences? How do you get more than one person to taste something at the exact same place on the flavor spectrum as someone else? The answer is you often cannot. Because of this, a good contest will do a few things: establish criteria based on the characteristics of the food and the contest goals, obtain or train judges that can understand and follow those criteria and make sure that judges reflect the diversity of your contestants. A good contest planner can also hope that no one cries when they lose. That sucks and it does happen.

Criteria vary but most often include taste, appearance/presentation and aroma. A common criterion for “amateur” contests is creativity. The other criteria usually target on the dish itself – spicy, heat, ________ flavor. I prefer contests that weight the scale in favor of what I care about the most – the flavor of the item being say up to 10 points and creativity being up to 5. If you are a judge – before you sample – you need to determine what your baseline flavor is – what is average and do you best to keep to that baseline for each entry you try. This is a challenge.

If you are a contestant – take a look at the criteria for judging and make sure you are hitting the mark on all of them. I have sample many things that tasted great – but looked horrible. I have seen beautiful presentation of a dish only to taste something that was not worth a bite.

For the science of judging I have taken two classes. The first was with the Kansas City BBQ Society. It was a 4-hour class to become a certified BBQ judge. The second class – which requires two sessions, was wine judging for the Columbus Food and Wine Affair.

Both classes spend some time walking through the criteria and describing the characteristics of each in great detail. Both classes provided a lot of tongue on experience – tasting, sampling and discussing what was sampled. It both classes, the instructors would have students talk about their rankings at the end of a sample session. After a few dry runs – a natural bell curve could be seen for each item tried – whether is was a wine or a loin. The better entries clustered high in scores and the weaker entries clustered low. There were clear bad, good and great entries that every one could agree on. But when it comes down to the BEST – there is often not complete agreement. Often one judge’s number two candidate is another’s first or third place. The same applies to the bottom of the scale. So for winners and losers – it comes down to score average. My best may be your third best. My worst may be your low average. But I have never encountered a competition where one judges best ranked as another worst.

It comes down to technical execution. If you execute everything technically well you will place in the upper half of the bell curve. What is a winning entry in one group could be a third place with another group of judges on the same day.

Some of these challenges presented themselves to me judging at the state fair this year. The scoring systems for the many contests are not the clear-cut point systems that the esteemed Mary Martineau uses. There were criteria and some percentages but in each category we found ourselves debating the pros and cons of the top three contestants in most categories. It was really democracy in action – but the debates were long. In one contest – we gave first place to our second place finisher for taste. Why? Because the winner had to then go on to national competition and our “winner” for taste was not even close for presentation and also missed some critical elements of the quintessential type of pie it was supposed to be. If you want to be a judge, it is helpful – but not always observed as being a selection criteria – to have these skills: tact, diplomacy, the ability to articulate flavors and sensations as well as the ability to be pragmatic enough not to obsess over every little detail and nuance and just go with your first impression.

I have judged wine four times now and I can say – my skills are not improved in this area. I can tell you what I like and what I don’t like – but I would be hard pressed to defend a score of 14 out for twenty vs. 15 out of twenty with anyone. However, in the world of BBQ – I have the confidence and ability to articulate why one brisket is better than another based on taste, appearance, etc.,

We have different palates and they are not all created equal. Not all dishes presented to the judges are created equally either.

Judging is an art and a science. It is more than a roll of the dice but less than a bull’s-eye by a sharpshooter. That is as much of an answer and explanation as I can muster. How would you rate that on a scale of 1 to 10?

Posted in culinary knowledge | 1 Comment »

Hemisphere Coffee Roasters: Mobile Coffee in Clintonville.

Posted by CMH Gourmand on September 16, 2012


While driving to work on September 11th I caught a trailer with a line of one out of the corner of my eye. The trailer was parked at the corner of Indianola and Blenheim/Northridge. I was a bit surprised because the Boston Berts mobile food trailer has been parked less than 200 feet away for 5 or more years and there was a trailer parked in the Bert’s spot for years before then, I now because in lived at that corner from 1993 to 2002. The Boston Bert’s does a slow but steady business serving the workers at the Marzetti plant across the street. But I could not imagine that this strip could support two mobile vendors.

I quickly turned off Indianola to investigate this novel folly but within a few second, my skepticism disappeared. Why? The easy answer is one word: Coffee. Coffee in an area that sees 1000’s of commuters heading to downtown in the morning with only a few coffee options but none of which is convenient and only one which is good. This area also has two schools nearby with parents dropping off their children in the morning less than 1 block away. This stretch of Clintonville is home to a larger than average percentage of hippies with sustainable jobs that like and want coffee.

Also of note. Of the 100 plus mobile vendors in Columbus, none of them do coffee. A few set up lame coffee in a pot for special occasions but not on a daily or weekly basis. There is a coffee trike on the way. The missing link in mobile vending is coffee. Almost every morning or evening event I have been to herding mobile vendors has been missing one product that 100’s of people were looking for: coffee. It could have been bad coffee and people would have bought gallons of it. But, imagine if you will, what if someone took good coffee to the masses? Hemisphere Coffee Roasters have been at it for a week now and I wish them well and I think they are going to do well in there spot (and any other location they can find to set up a serve).

Posted below is an interview with Hans who owns and runs the trailer with his wife Joelle.

A little history first… My wife’s parent’s founded Hemisphere Coffee Roasters ten years ago after learning about the plight of a coffee farmer in Nicaragua. Paul Kurtz, my father-in-law, traveled to Nicaragua often because of his position at a Christian Missions agency. He began importing small lots of coffee and selling the roasted beans as a hobby. As the business grew, Diego Chavarria, the coffee farmer in Nicaragua, advised him that to really make a difference, he needed to buy a whole container (37,500 lbs) of coffee. Paul found investors and imported that first container in 2007. Since then, we have imported seven containers, with more in the works. These purchases have allowed Diego to employ workers full-time, make improvements to the farm, support local churches and pay off his loans to the bank and own his farm outright. In return, this Direct-Trade relationship insures quality coffee. We travel to Nicaragua frequently, see the coffee that is being prepared for us and spend time getting to know Diego and his family, soaking up their incomparable hospitality. This is better than Fair Trade, because we know the exact farmer our coffee comes from, what he is getting paid and what processes he is using to cultivate the beans. He shares with us his financial needs, we provide micro-loans and financing, and are granted premium coffee in return. Since meeting Diego, we have connected with other companies and non-profits who are doing the same thing we are, helping a specific farm. We offer six to eleven Direct-Trade coffees (depending on availability) and showcase these at the HCR Trailer. HCR supplies businesses, cafes, restaurants, churches, markets and gift shops.

My wife Joelle and I got involved in the company about 4 years ago. My wife does a lot of book work, customer relations, and filling and shipping orders. I roast most of the coffee, and work on flavor profiling, following trends in the coffee world, and really anything that needs done around the shop. Our Roastery is located in Mechanicsburg, Ohio about 25 miles Northwest of Columbus. We live in and love Columbus and have been dreaming for years about how to mesh our coffee life in Mechanicsburg and our home life in Columbus. Plus, we love coffee! The more I research, read, and learn about coffee, the more I fall in love with this versatile commodity. I had been working part-time for HCR and part-time for a remodeling company, but found myself dreaming about coffee; Perfecting a roast, sampling new Direct-Trade offerings, getting my latte art down pat. In August, I quit my remodeling job and went full-time with HCR. This trailer allows us to bring Direct-Trade coffees to Columbus, something we are passionate about! I still roast in Mechanicsburg, and those demands can vary week to week. The trailer allows flexibility in schedule and location. We had a great reception at the Ohio Food Truck and Cart Festival a few weeks ago and have several other festivals slated. The trailer also allows us to test out locations without the upfront costs of rent and utilities. It’s a low-risk way to start a business, even though it feels like a high-risk to quit my steady job and support my wife an daughter in this way.

Where did you’re passion and knowledge come from?

I think I first fell in love with people. I loved the coffee shop atmosphere and wondered what was behind it. I learned about HCR while in college, and became curious about the roasting aspect. I grew up in rural Ontario, CA (4 hours from a Wal Mart!), and spent my high school years in small town Kalona, IA. I moved to Columbus after Paul offered to take me under his wing. I got in way over my head, marrying his daughter, but this is good. 🙂 I learned to roast and read anything I could get my hands on about coffee. I’ve attended events, workshops, and meetings about how to offer quality coffee with compassion in mind, how to help farmers without being a charity. This is at the heart of HCR. Coffee is very subjective it’s up to each individual to decide if they like it or not! But there are industry standards and we strive to be at the cutting edge of those standards. Whether it’s Direct-Trade brokerage, pour-over techniques, or fourth-wave espresso blends. I’ve traveled to Nicaragua and Costa Rica to see coffee at it’s roots. It’s easy to fall in love with coffee once you’ve seen how it’s grown, harvested, processed, and how it affects the individual farmer. We want to do this Direct-Trade coffee justice and treat it with the respect it deserves!

What types of jobs and food service training did you have before opening the HCR trailer?

I’ve worked in the food service industry and my wife was a manager at a coffee shop for a few years. HCR has a small cafe we both work at. We’ve gotten a good sense of what people are looking for and always strive to make them happy. You can have the best coffee in the world, sourced form the most sustainable farm, but if no one likes it, who cares! We want to please people and offer education. I remember thinking, “what’s this latte thing?” We want to present the best latte possible, and don’t look down on people just getting in to coffee. There’s something for everyone in the coffee world, and it’s an exciting industry to be apart of.

What are your plans for additional food or baked goods?

We would love to offer more food options. My wife makes granola bars that will make you swoon. We also have vegan, gluten-free hot cereals form Earnest Eats that will fill you up. We are just getting started and trying to feel out the needs of our customers, but we’d love to partner with local food businesses. Expanding our menu is a work in progress.

Anything else you want people to know about HCR and the trailer?

We’ve learned of the hospitable benefits of coffee, a beverage that brings people together. We are just one small trailer, but we’re backed by our company that is excellent in providing coffee to businesses and organizations. If you need coffee, let us know! We have competitive pricing and you can know that your purchase is benefiting coffee farmers around the globe.

HCR Trailer
3825 Indianola Ave.
Clintonville (south of Cooke Rd)
Tentative Hours: 6:45 am to 10 am

Posted in CLOSED | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

Wurst und Bier

Posted by CMH Gourmand on September 5, 2012

I feared the worst.

I first became aware of Wurst & Bier on Columbus Underground. The first post seemed a bit suspect. A second post seemed more authentic and honest. Note to Restaurant and Social Media consultants (like myself) using Columbus Underground – study these two posts and do a compare and contrast in reaction.

The second point of hesitation was the location which is the Crosswoods office complex at SR 23 and I-270. This is probably the most poorly managed strip mall in the Central Ohio region. In a previous post I described the area as densely packed with apartments, office buildings, condominiums and not so long ago, six steakhouses in a quarter-mile area. Somehow this retail center has become beaten down with numerous failed restaurants, unpatched potholes and thousands of cars driving by in search of an Applebee’s. Nothing has changed, if anything the area continues a death spiral – even Panera left.

I used to work in the area, so when I drive by the old wage slave factory, a dysfunctional hate rises up in me as I shake my fist at my former employer and say “Suck It ____”. So for my own emotional well-being I stay away from this suburban hell.

OK, catharsis aside, there were more misgivings. The WB logo is horrible and cheesy. If I was to classify the artwork the first thoughts that come to mind are honky gnome meets smurf. My initial thought was that this place was a “Schmidt’s Light”. I decided to defer inspection.

However, this is a Biergarten baby! Having spent time in Germany, and specifically the Hofbraeuhaus, I think that Columbus could stand with a good Biergarten. The beer list looked inviting with plenty of German brews on tap. Since the place remained open after a few months of operation, I decided an exploratory mission was in order.

I arranged the services of the Dining Duder as a co-pilot and we made our pilgrimage for pilsner. The moment we walked into the former BW-3 location, memories of the dreaded sports bar of days gone by filled my mind. Comparing the immediate vibe of the former tenant to the atmosphere of the new upstart Wurst & Bier my diagnosis was “This does not suck”. One fear was that the place would be staffed with unauthentically garbed Bavarian-wannbe servers in the theme of Whore & Wurst (this place is a sports bar so it was a possibility). It was not themed in schtick – the black-shirted servers treat this as a bar that serves wurst so they don’t try to act like experts on the cuisine or culture. Our server was proud that she could correctly pronounce one of the items on the menu (one more than me) and for that I would say she earned the Prost on the back of her shirt. I also need to mention that on an off-peak Wednesday night, the restaurant has an 80-odd-year-old accordion player on site blazing away on his instrument. This mild-mannered, energizer bunny style octogenarian Bavarian deserves excessive tips due to his dedication.

The Dining Duder and I promptly zeroed in on the bier part of the evening. Although there were many beers we wanted to try we opted for the novelty of the Gaffel Koelsch wheel of 11 (a wheel of 11 .2 liter glasses of beer). Since these cute little bier tasting glasses are on a moving wheel and the alcohol content seems to sneak up on consumers, the casualty rate for the glasses has been higher than the normal collateral damage of the bar trade. Since the bar could only offer ten glasses for the wheel – we were given two similar glasses to make up for our impaired authentic experience and give us an even dozen. To that I say Prost!

Time to dine. The menu is not overwhelming in size but there are some difficult decisions to be made. My suggestion for your first visit is to go with a group of five or more people so you can fully investigate the selections. German food was made for one purpose…to facilitate the consumption of beer. It is starchy, maintains a non diverse rainbow of white, brown and dark yellow and is true meat und potatoes fare. Granted, there is an occasional earth toned pickle mixed into a dish but vegetables are for the French and girly men.

We started with the Obazda: the traditional Bavarian bar food of Brie mixed with cream cheese, butter, onions and some mystery seasonings served with a large, freshly baked pretzel paired with Bavarian mustard. On a score of 10 – we would place Obazda at 9.7 on the bar food scale. It was the perfect pairing for beer drinking.

Moving right along…time for the wurst. The Dining Duder ordered Currywurst (the popular street food of Germany). Excuse me please, Vas ist Currywurst you ask? You choose one from a wide selection of sausages und wursts which the kitchen slices up and covers it with a magical sauce and curry powder. Simple, flavorful and a little spicy. This is like eating a sponge to soak up alcohol but more tasty.

I opted to go traditional in honor of my own German heritage with a choice of two wursts (one traditional, one spicy), mashed potatoes and sauerkraut. This met my expectations and was on par with my meals in Munich and Frankfurt long ago.

I also decided to draft the Dining Duder into some critical research. There are two potato salads on the menu. I was determined to try both. Munich Style Potato Salad is a mix of vinegar, oil, onions, pickles and mustard. Berlin Style is mustard, potatoes and pickles. Berlin won. Both salads looks similar, used the same potatoes and pickles but the simplicity of the Berlin style won me over. This reminded me of the potato salad of my youth made by my grandmother.

As we finished our meal we noticed that the table across from us had just ordered a beer tower (looks a lot like a giant beer bong) but we decided to save that for our next visit and a different beer. Our server checked in to see if we were interested in dessert. When the Duder and I declined, all three of us snorted, since our served pointed out that she was proud of us for not eating until we barfed….and we had thought that might happen at one point. Good sense reigned for the evening. We expected the worst and got better than we expected. We will be back.

Don’t fear the wurst. CMH Gourmand tested, Dining Duder approved.

A final note. When it comes down to it 21% of the Barvarian food experience is about mustard, Wurst und Bier serves several, authentic, real deal, German mustards. That my friends is significant and makes up for any misgivings I had before I walked through the door. In the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger, “A’ll bee Baacck.”

W&B aka Wurst Und Bier
110 Hutchinson Ave
Crosswoods
Columbus (Suburban Hell)
614.436.2437

Wurst und Bier on Urbanspoon

Posted in beer, restaurants | Tagged: | 5 Comments »

Food For Thought?

Posted by CMH Gourmand on August 26, 2012

This post is for the sake of discussion. See the photo below.

This billboard is at the corner of Second Ave. and Cleveland Ave. I drive by this intersection a few times a week while on the way to meetings as well as to add revenue to St. James Tavern. Looking at this billboard, my first thought was – hmm – not very good advertising. Then I started to think, wait a minute, maybe this is graffiti / vandalism / social commentary (i.e., the cockroaches? ). Then, when I stopped to get out of my car to snap a photo, I noticed this written among the bugs “Gov. Kasich says”. Hmm maybe it is social commentary. It definitely is intriguing.

As for my comments on Fair Food, it is good, if you know where to go and what to eat. We did a Foodcast episode on it a few weeks ago.

Readers, what do you think about any or all of the above?

Posted in food | 4 Comments »

Inner Circle

Posted by CMH Gourmand on August 19, 2012

In this post, several of my worlds collide. Since Inner Circle has a loose Clintonville connection, I am cross posting this here as well in Street Eats. Sadly, I am so busy at work, I have not had time to do any blogging on the job at the Food Fort….I barely have time to Twitter most days. Rich Stewart is one of our commissary clients but I feel this post is still objective….so here we go. Plus, I am trying to get my readers retrained to seeing posts one to two times per week from CMH Gourmand, so consider this practice as well.


Website – in progress
Facebook: facebook.com/innercirclestreetfood
Twitter: InnerCircleCart
614.296.0604

Inner Circle appeared on the scene early this summer to good reviews. Rich Stewart is Commander and Chef in Chief of the Cart. Vegans and Carnivores have had rave reviews of his homemade vegan sausages. He is in the process and refining stages of other items including burgers and more. The cart has hit the circuit this summer at St. James Tavern Mobile Mondays, Goodale Park Music Series, Pattycake Bakery and elsewhere.

In regards to the sausages, having sampled several I can say – wow. I think many people have low expectations for vegan food, especially in tubed form. In the case of Inner Circle, take your expectations, raise them by the power of ten and you will still find your expectations exceeded. The sausages have great texture and spicing. Placed in a fresh bun with ingredients that enhance the natural flavors of Rich’s hand crafted links and the result is flavor explosion.

This may be a Street Eats first, but an interview with Rich is included in this post as well. Read on Mobile Food lovers.

How long were you at Dragonfly?

I was with Dragonfly for nine months. Chef Magdiale Wolmark is a genius, glad to have had that experience.

What other places have you worked at?

I spent time with another great Columbus chef in Hubert Siefert at Spagio, also stints at The Lakes Golf & Country Club in Westerville, Digger & Finch in Dublin, Whole Foods here as well as in Chicago, and a stint at Green Zebra in the Windy City.

Where are you working now when not out with the cart?

I needed health insurance and more reasonable hours for my two five-year old children, so I took a job on the opening team with Market District, then transferred to a Giant Eagle within walking distance to my home.

What inspired the cart?

Another chef friend of mine John Franke and I were going to collaborate on two carts or a truck that had his omnivorous cuisine, with my vegan versions of each item. He ended up taking a sous position and had no time for the project. I didn’t have the funds to get a truck on my own so I went with the cart. I want to bring affordable vegan cuisine to my patrons so I started with the sausages, I’m building on that.

What would you like to do after the cart or in conjunction with it.

I do some catering as well, I catered a vegan waffle bar brunch wedding reception earlier in the summer, . I’d really like to find a bar with a working but vacant kitchen and move inside once the weather gets too cold. I know there are enough vegans (and vegan food loving non vegans) in Columbus to be successful. I’d like to have a truck next year if I can get a good following this season and convince a lender that I’d be a good investment.

Any new menu items for the summer.

A new sausage that’s inspired by the vegan favorite falafel, a tempeh meatball sub and a vegan burger.

What inspired you to do the sausages and how long did it take you to perfect the recipe?

My cart is designed to be a hot dog cart. The gas grill and steam wells make it very conducive for my sausages. I don’t have the storage space for a large variety, so a few sausages and soup fit nicely. Everyone likes a sausage sandwich and I didn’t want to use store-bought vegan ones. I don’t much care for those anyway and wanted to showcase my skills as an accomplished chef. It took a few trials to get a product that had a mouth feel of a meat sausage. My girlfriend, parents, kids and friends got to try each stage of the process.

Other than love is there a secret ingredient in the sausages that you might want to hint at.

I add a VERY smokey paprika to my sausages. It’s my favorite non maple syrup (true love) ingredient to add to anything.

Posted in CLOSED, Vegetarian Friendly | 1 Comment »

Captain Montagues B&B: Food Coast Base of Operations

Posted by CMH Gourmand on August 14, 2012

To begin, I must apologize to my hosts the Tann’s. This post is eight months overdue. Although there have been some mitigating circumstances none individually or collectively can account for the delay. However, I think the timing may work out for the best, so that my readers can replicate my first visit to Captain Montague’s Bed and Breakfast.

Before I begin, allow me to digress. In leading up to this post, I have written about some of the places I explored on Ohio’s north coast as part of the SKY Gourmand series (search the categories to the right). Combined with the CLE(veland) Gourmand Series, I think the north coast deserves a name change, so I am dubbing the Lake Erie Shores with a new name, the Food Coast. I build my case below.

My lifetime in the Buckeye State had taught me to connote just a few activities with Lake Erie: Cedar Point, Put-In-Bay, Fishing and a long drive on 23 North. In my adult life, I have found better and more scenic routes to the north. I am allergic to fish, so that is a leisure time rule out for me. Cedar Point and Put-In-Bay as fun as they are for most people, make me cringe at the thought of throngs of hot, sweaty masses fighting me for personal space on a roller coaster or at the Round House Bar. I have learned a secret – The Food Coast is my culinary amuse bouche-ment park for eating. The fall is now my time for the lake and my time to feast.

Using Captain Montague’s as the base of operations for Food Coast adventures – there is a lot to see, discover and of course, devour near the shores of our Great Lake. I will list a few below. I hope to write about a few more soon.

Captain Montague’s is located in Huron, Ohio which as luck would have it is the heart of the Food Coast. See my list of exhibits below.

Chez Francois is 20 minute coastal drive to Vermillion

Cheese Haven, the largest cheese shop in our state is 25 minutes away in Port Clinton

Firelands Winery is an easy 20 minute drive near Sandusky. (Note: the region nearby hosts many wineries including: D&D Smith, Norwalk, Hermes Vineyards, Sandusky
John Christ Winery, Avon Lake, Klingshirn Winery, Avon Lake, Matus Winery, Wakeman, Mon Ami restaurant & Winery, Port Clinton, Paper Moon Vineyards, Vermilion, Quarry Hill Winery and Orchard, Berlin Heights and more)

Toft’s Dairy 20 minute drive to Sandusky

Zinc Brasserie is 15 minutes away in downtown Sandusky

Or in the Spirit of CLE Gourmand, heading east you can enjoy the following as an afternoon drive.

Chef’s Garden just 10 minutes down the road. I think a great night would combine a Veggie U. Earth to Table Dinner with a night at Captain Montague’s and a long walk the next morning to work off the meal.

Melt – an easy one hour drive away in Lakewood, Ohio (West Side of Cleveland, this is the original and best location of the Melt Empire)

Westside Market is one hour away, take cooler to stock up.

So from a culinary viewpoint, Huron and the North Coast offer plenty of tastes, treats and temptations.

I will also point out that mistress of the house of Montague, Judy Tann is no slouch in the kitchen. Feast your eyes on this breakfast below.

Having, hopefully, sold readers on the merits of the area from a Gourmand’s point of view, let me digress again, to expound on the Bed and Breakfast experience.

My previous Bed & Breakfast experiences were limited to Ireland and New Zealand. I did wonder if the B&B experience abroad translates to the shores of our country and in particular my state. Abroad, the B&B experiences offered a great value and kept me from feeling like a stranger in a strange land. As a non alien resident of Ohio, I wondered if a B&B would have anything to offer a fellow countryman. I am glad my first continental B&B experience was at Captain Montague’s. The Tann’s and the home have connection to the Emerald Isle, which I felt as the walked through the door. In fact, my stay did remind me of my Irish Bed and Breakfast experiences in Ireland many years ago.

My hosts Judy and Mike Tann were exceptional ambassadors for Huron and the house. They are knowledgeable about the neighborhood, region and most importantly, where to eat. They approved of my intention to eat at Zinc but mentioned several other dining options that I should add to my list for the future. Two fellow guests use Captain Montague’s as their pre and post dinner lounge for dinner at nearby Chez Francois. Their tales of dinners past and present made me wish I had made a second reservation for the evening but good sense and a swat from my photographer du Jour ended that plan before I could dial the phone.

For first time Bed and Breakfast guests (anywhere), the whole experience might seem a bit intimidating. You are staying in a person’s home, which in the Midwest, we typically limit to holidays with the in-laws, and even then, only with great reservation. The Tann’s easy-going demeanor and attention to detail allow guests to feel at ease and at home. The house is a showpiece but not so dainty as for one feeling the need to be afraid to walk about and enjoy the creature comforts of staying in a home instead of a drap and dreary, generic hotel.

The Tann’s entered the world of Bed and Breakfast tending by a twist of fate. In 1994, they were looking for a condominium the area so they could enjoy their free time, instead fate decided to put them in the path of a Bed and Breakfast to consume them. They moved on to restore one room at a time for the next decade. Fortunately for the guests, they stayed and have brought the Captain’s domicile back to its former glory and made the house a home.

Here is a bit a history on the house. “Built in the late 1870’s by the owner of the local lumberyard and master shipbuilder,…… Great Lakes captain, Charles Montague, purchased the property in 1890. He and his family lived in this grand house until the mid-thirties. The Montagues made their home famous for its grand parties and receptions. It has its roots in hospitality.”

What else does the B&B have to offer? How about pillars and white picket fence in a residential neighborhood (known as The Old Plat) filled with historic homes just minutes from the Lakefront Park and the Huron Harbor Lighthouse. Ohio’s oldest continuous summer stock theater, The Huron Playhouse, is in production for five weeks beginning in July and just around the corner.

Captain Montague’s Bed & Breakfast
229 Center Street
Huron, Ohio
419 433.4756 ‎
captainmontagues.com

For more ideas take a look at:

Lake Erie Shores & Islands website

Disclaimer: My lodgings were provided to me at no charge – they would be worth every penny paid and in fact, since this post is so delayed, I have sent a portion of my room fee to the owners to make up for my sloth.

Posted in CLEGourmand, Ohio, Road Trip, Sky Gourmand | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

And Now For Something Completely Different: Bricks?

Posted by CMH Gourmand on August 12, 2012

Last summer, I found a need to have something to obsess about. (And here is where some of you say…some thing? – how about yet another thing). Something in addition to food and the great number of other things I had on my mind at that time. I blame Athens for leading me to Bricks and Blocks. I also blame the Buy Local Movement, but in this case, it is more like, Forage Local. I needed something that would fuel my curiosity, desire to learn and allow me to roam by myself with only one purpose and task on my mind. That is how found my way to amass a horde of Ohio Bricks, Blocks and Pavers.

So of course, it would lead to yet another blog, six is not enough, (especially since my writing time has been nil of late) so I added a seventh. However, this one is pretty low effort. Allow me to introduce B.O.B, Bricks of Ohio Blog.

Posted in Road Trip | 1 Comment »

Reflections on Veggie U. Food Wine Celebration (With Bonus Event Survival Guide)

Posted by CMH Gourmand on July 22, 2012

I have been to countless food related events. Many of them are interchangeable – same food, different venue, different cause. The Veggie U Food Wine Celebration has the elements of many of the events I have been to but the execution and focus on the purpose is a cut above the rest. This farm feast observed its tenth annual installment on July 21st (yes, you missed it). I was happy to be invited as a guest. I have wanted to go for the last four years, but each year I was thwarted by other commitments. Since I first learned about what Veggie U does (back in 2008) I have had an opportunity to visit the farm, meet Farmer Lee Jones, stroll throughout the Chef’s Garden, attend an Earth to Table dinner and I even received a Veggie care package in the mail. So my “grounding” in the organization and the mission was only lacking one piece – the “big show” a.k.a. the Food Wine Celebration.

If you are interested in going next year, it will be in July. Connect with the website, sign up for the mailing list and keep informed of what they are doing, you may just find out how to get an early bird special. The event offers food from over fifty of the top restaurants in the country, a chance to mingle and learn from culinary celebrities, demonstrations, wine tastings, raffles and more. All of that is interesting and for a good cause. Great.

All of the above is well and good, but what makes a difference for me is the attention to details. Each guest gets a program which includes a map showing each tasting station, what it has to offer and which restaurant / chef is serving their best. As an added bonus many of the vegetables for the tastes are from the farm. Also included in the program is an agenda, photos of the chefs and bios for the celebrity chefs and presenters. Prior to the event, detailed directions are made available, the place is a bit off the beaten path but an easy drive from Cleveland….a longer, but pleasant drive from Columbus (don’t pass through Crestline on the way). Parking is offered at a nearby business with shuttles taking guests to the farm and running continuously back to the parking lot throughout the night. On the three-minute bus ride, a volunteer briefly explains the purpose of Veggie U. and covers all the details about the event. The volunteers do a great job throughout the evening: they are knowledgeable about the program, the event, they keep trash cans empty and beverage stations full. This year, there was a large mobile bathroom (not a portapotty) with air conditioning. Farmer Lee Jones mingles freely with all of the guests as do all of the culinary dignitaries. The organizers have learned a lot about event planning in ten years and they know how to execute an evening under the stars.

The most important part of the event is that, in a non pushy way, you know what the purpose of Veggie U is and why you are there to support it with your attendance. Reminders continue throughout the night from many sources. Most charity events I go to usually begin with a small note on a piece of paper I am handed as I walk through the door, which I promptly forget and occasionally a long-winded speech at some point in the evening, usually when everyone is ready to do. At Veggie U the purpose is clear and the food is the bonus for showing your support.

So what is it that Veggie U does? It creates a hands on curriculum for fourth grade students, provided free to schools. Through the course of several months, the program teaches healthy nutrition, sustainable agriculture and plant studies which fits into existing requirements and lessons plans for school systems. The kids sow seeds, watch them grow, discuss the planting process and at the end, eat what they grew in salad form. A classroom can receive a kit for $450 and have supplies refilled for the next year for $225. Funds raised at The Food and Wine Celebration as well as the Farm to Table dinners go to cover the costs above. People making donations can direct their contribution to send a kit to a specific school.

Here are some of my tips for this event if you go next year (these can apply to many large events)
1) Get to the site 15 minutes early to avoid the crowds
2) If a member of a group of three of more, direct one member to secure a table as base of operations
3) Take your own notched plate to attach to your wine glass (you can get a sleeve of these at most party stores).
4) Ladies don’t take a purse, it makes maneuvering much easier
5) Heels might look nice but they hurt your feet and make no sense on the grass fields of Veggie U – you will never see the other guests again so don’t worry if people are judging you.
6) Ladies and gentlemen: wear hats. These make you easy to find, become fans quickly when needed and if the hat is expendable….becomes a defacto feedback. Most importantly, hats create additional personal space which is important for outdoor events with lots of people.

At every event I attend, at some point…..well, at many points, my eyes start to roll and my internal need for order and fairness starts to bounce my soul like a bronco rider in a rodeo. If everyone would take a ten minute training session on my proper etiquette for public events which involve more than three people….the world….at least my world, would be a much better place. Please read the public service announcement below and share with the individuals you know are “those people”. You know who they are. The kind of person who stands in a grocery line for 15 minutes and waits until the transaction is complete before starting to remove a check and filling it out. The kind of people who take thirty bulky packages to the fifteen items or less line. The type of people who use their horns too often and never appropriately. Yes, those people. They go to large events as well and they make the rest of us suffer. Directions for the untrained and clueless are below.

1) If you see a line avoid it or go to the end of line after you identify where the end is.
2) While standing in line….think about what you are going to do when you finally get to the table….plan for how you are going to get the food or wine sampled and then beat it, there are people behind you.
3) Don’t stand, talk, eat or stare blankly into the sky when you are at a serving table….there are people behind you, grab and go.
4) Whatever hilarious joke you have for the server or chef at the table…..they have heard it before – don;t slow down the line, there are people behind you.
5) These samples were plated earlier in the day. If you have a food allergy or dietary issue….there is not much the servers can do for you to change a sample that has been planned, plated and prepared many hours before hand. Move on. Let the people behind you eat instead of trying to recreate a wheel which is trying to roll.
6) If there is not a table for everyone, eat it….and beat it.
7) Identify where the trash cans are, keep tabs on them and use them.
8) Keep your arms, hands, food and drinks close to your chest so as to not spill substances on others.
9) Wearing white or your best outfit to an outside food event is asking for trouble….
10) Approach a sampling table from the right, leave to the left and don’t dawdle. There are people behind you.
11) When moving from point A to point B….keep moving, don’t stop unless you have mounted breaklights and turn signals of your rear end.
12) Don’t block aisles, areas of major or minor traffic patterns….and don’t violate others personal spaces
13) Say excuse me or pardon me when passing others
14) Use your inside voices
15) Bathrooms are for those that need to use them for their intended purpose….these are not for extended cell phone conversations, having philosophical discussions or dawdling around checking your hair…..there are people behind you who need to pee or have problems holding their alcohol. Dump it and hump it.
16) Recycle if you can and if you drop something, pick it up.
17) Say thank you to someone working the event, they rarely get to enjoy what they are doing or eat…until the very end of everything and by then, they just want to go home.

Posted in CLEGourmand, events, Ohio, Road Trip | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

Yubba, Dubba, Veggie U!: Food and Wine Celebration this Saturday

Posted by CMH Gourmand on July 18, 2012

I have written about Chef’s Garden and Veggie U a few times.  Farmer Jones and company grow great things and Veggie U is their outlet to grow young minds with food education.  I wanted attend the Veggie U Food and Wine Celebration for the last several years, but each summer as the date draws near, something thwarts my plans to go – such as being sold out.  This year is the tenth anniversary for the event so the organizers are going all out.  And…. some tickets are still available.  

I was given a ticket to drive up as a guest (Thanks Guys), if anyone would like to hitch a ride with me (and you have bought a ticket) I may be able to give you a ride, let me know.  

For more details on the event, click here  <-there

Anyone driving up – watch out for Crestline, Ohio – it is a speedtrap.  

I will be live tweeting from the event with some play by play and photos.  I will abide by my first rule of social media “don’t drink and tweet”.

I doubt they have available rooms, but if they do for this event or any other Veggie U. trip, I suggest Captain Montague’s Bed and Breakfast in Huron.  I finally retrieved my photos of the place and will be posting about this great Foodcoast base of operations soon.  

 

 

Posted in events, Road Trip | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

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