Risotto Fail

Other than the half a day I worked at a Hardee's when I was fifteen, I have no restaurant experience.  While enthusiastic about trying new dishes and techniques, I really have no foundation on which to build.  Enter my risotto experiment.

I have made risotto before and it has turned out lovely.  Creamy, delicious, spreads on the plate just as it is meant to.  So I feel I have a decent handle on making the dish.  My beau and I have been talking about having a dinner party and I got it in my head I wanted to make this wild mushroom risotto.  Not wanting to ignore our guests for half an hour to make the risotto, I concluded I would have to make it ahead of time and finish it just before serving.

Realizing my limitations, I thought it best to practice on my beau ahead of time.  Thank goodness I did.  This was an epic fail.  I did a little Googling about pre-cooking risotto and mostly the advice was to never do it.  Some places did suggest that restaurants cook risotto about 2/3 of the way and then finish to order.  It was recommended to cook it to that stage, then put it in the fridge to cool and stop cooking.  I happily cooked up my risotto, checking it regularly, and reached a pre-al dente stage that I guessed was right.  I put it on a cookie sheet and directly into the fridge.  About 90 minutes later when we were ready for dinner, I pulled out my risotto. 

Epic fail.  I put it back on the stove to finish cooking and heat through.  The final result was overcooked and thick.  Basically, it was nothing I would ever serve guests.  My only consolation was that the flavors were good.  The texture was nearly too much to overlook.  Needless to say, our dinner party menu has been revised. 

What's the big deal?

Indian Oven
Old Market, Omaha

This will be a short review because I will admit upfront that before dining here I had already had more than a couple cocktails.  It is possible my perception was impaired.  However, I have to say I don't understand what the big deal is.  I enjoy Indian food from time to time and I have had several locals say to me, "If you like Indian, you should definitely try Indian Oven."  So... I did.

The atmosphere is nice.  The service was pleasant.  The food was underwhelming. 

My favorite part of the meal was the rice. 

Several items were served lukewarm at best.  The spice level was bland and the flavors a bit muddled.  the menu disclaimer was off putting.  It was not the worst meal I've ever had but certainly not something I would rave about.  Except for the rice.  The rice was really good. 

Worth It

Mark’s

www.marksindundee.com

4916 Underwood Ave. Upper, Omaha  (402) 502-2203

Every time I go to Mark’s my boyfriend and I seem to end up having an argument.  I’m not really sure why this happens.  It could be the food brings out some deep emotions, or the environment allows us to feel relaxed and say what is really on our minds, or maybe it is just coincidence.  Fortunately, our arguments are over something silly, but there is nothing frivolous about the food at Mark’s.

(I know that was cheesy.  Gimme a break, okay?)

Anyway…  The food!!

On my first visit to Marks I was already enchanted.  We climbed the stairs and passed the hidden outdoor patio which I am eager to enjoy in warmer weather.  The converted building has modern conveniences yet retains elements of older charm.  The wood floors and waiting area wingback chairs are warm and welcoming.  A heavy dining table invites you to stay and linger with friends for hours with a bottle (or three) of wine.  The bistro tables pressed against the glass wall draw you like a moth to flame with the twinkling lights of Dundee just below you. 

I was impressed with the menu with its ranging variety of selections.  The cuisine is spirited American.  They dapple in Asian, French , and Italian but it feels as if it is because someone had these dishes and loved them, not because they are trying too hard.  Mark’s also has a wide selection of gluten free and vegetarian dishes. 

My first time at Mark’s, we were in the mood for something lighter and decided to order sandwiches.  We had our choice of sides and each picked the sweet potato fries, a waffle cut fry with spice to counter the sweetness and a house-made remoulade for dipping.  I could have filled up on these crispy treats but managed to save room for the sandwiches.  We went vegetarian and ordered the Tempeh Reuben and the Grilled Vegetable Sandwich.  The flavor of the Reuben was spot on.  Unfortunately, I don’t really care for Reubens, but if you like them, these are really well prepared.  I was even more skeptical about the Grilled Vegetable Sandwich which boasted of smoky carrot “bacon.”  I have eaten my share of bacon in my life and found the idea of a carrot replacement unimaginable.  Surprisingly, it served quite well in the context of a sandwich.  It is not something I would alongside eggs and toast, but in a sandwich it did indeed provide that smoky salty flavor one expects from bacon in a sandwich. 

The real treat at this meal was the lemon basil cheesecake with balsamic macerated strawberries.  Unfortunately, bowing to some seasonality, this item is not on their menu now, but it is one of the best things I have ever eaten.  Ever. 

Our second trip to Mark’s we received the same level of top notch service.  The wait staff seem to struggle a little to remember all the complicated details of the nightly specials, but are well versed in the regular offerings and the wine selection.  Bread and butter begin the meal and are brought quickly.  We choose from the entrees this time and went international.  My beau had their take on Indian food with the Spinach, Paneer and Pasta; I chose the Pad Thai Pasta.  I was warned the Pad Thai was spicy, but it was as spicy as other Pad Thai I have had.  Mine came with a choice of Tofu or Shrimp.  Tofu seems to be a tricky ingredient and often has an odd texture but this was well prepared and fully marinated.  The portion was enough for two meals.  It could have used more vegetables proportionately and the garnish seemed to be an afterthought.  I had to ration my crunchy peanuts.  The Spinach Paneer dish was an interesting Indian/ Italian hybrid, not really evoking either. 

For dessert we tried the Pumpkin Butterscotch Cheesecake and the Whisky Bread Pudding.  The cheesecake was light and fluffy and tasted of all the best of pumpkin pie.  The ginger crust and butterscotch ship topping were nice complements.  I am a sucker for bread pudding and couldn’t resist.  I was disappointed in the dish.  It was served piping hot and had a good amount of the whiskey caramel sauce.  The pudding itself however had not soaked into all the bread and tasted as if it had been reheated, perhaps more than once.  It had crunchy and burnt pieces and one corner was hard.

Part of an enjoyable dining experience is of course, the experience.  Mark’s delivers.  This is an experience you will enjoy.  It feels like going to a friend’s house and if you don’t have some there, you might make some new ones.  Every time I have been greeted and welcomed by managers and patrons.  The menu is varied enough that you will find something you want to eat and probably something you want to try next time.  Even if you have an argument with your boyfriend every time, dining at Mark’s is worth it.

Unexpected

Firebirds Rocky Mountain Grill

www.firebirdsrestaurants.com

17415 Chicago Circle, Omaha  (402) 359-1340

To begin with, this is a steak place which is not really my thing.  However, I have been here a couple times and even I would eat steak here, if I wanted to eat a steak.  Today, I am just going to talk about my most recent dining experience at Firebirds.

We were at Firebirds for a party so I began with a cocktail.  I have a passion for pears so I could not resist the Dessert Pear Martini.  It was full of pear flavor without any of the cloying sweetness that sometimes accompanies this fruit.  The vodka, sweet and sour, and pear juice were well balanced and delicious.  In fact, it was so good, I had two!

Along with cocktails, we enjoyed appetizers.  The star here and from anyone I have talked to is the Lobster Queso.  Barely salted tri-color tortilla chips accompany a warm bowl of pepper jack cheese, tomatoes, spinach, and lobster.  Such strong flavors could overpower lobster, but this dip has unexpected large chunks of lobster making it a rich and flavorful starter.  Despite the richness, you will not want to share.  Thank goodness decorum will hold you back from gobbling it all down because there will be much more food to come.  We also sampled onion rings which were large and crispy due to a panko coating. 

Firebirds offers a variety of salads that are large enough for an entrée, but some also work nicely to be shared for your salad course.  Trust me… share the salad.  Do not order your own.  You may think it is priced to be a side salad, but don’t be fooled.  Share the salad. 

Along with salad the wait staff will bring fresh sourdough bread and butter.  In our case, we had to twist the waiter and waitresses arm a bit to get enough bread for our table of ten.  Seriously.  We are ten people.  We need more than one 6” round of bread.  The bread is warm, but impossible to cut properly with the utensils provided.  The butter is cold and impossible to spread on delicate fresh bread. 

The service was timely and we did not wait long for our entrées.  It is a steak place so of course my beau and I ordered fish dishes.  Ordinarily, a steak place only does steak well, but the fish was unexpectedly pleasant.  He had the Sesame Encrusted Salmon which was cooked perfectly.  Salmon is hard to screw up yet I frequently find it overcooked.  This was just right and had a lovely ginger mustard flavor under the crunchy sesame crust.  Neither overshadowed the salmon.  Most delightful on his plate was the fried spinach.  He is not a fan of cooked spinach but this was unexpectedly light and crispy.  It was reminiscent of potato chips and equally as addictive.  They carried a hint of garlic, were lightly salted, and melted on your tongue.  I would return just for this spinach.

I opted for the Pecan Crusted Trout.  Two large filets filled my plate and were topped with a serving of peach cilantro salsa.  The salsa had great potential but the acid had begun to work on the peaches and the result was a slightly muddled sauce.  The moisture from the salsa also softened the crunchy coating on the fish but the flavors were pretty good. 

The dessert list looks unassuming, merely listing them by name.  Key Lime Pie.  Carrot Cake.  These are the desserts we ordered to share with each other.  The Key Lime Pie was good enough that my beau seemed to forget we were supposed to be sharing it.  The carrot cake was a completely different take on the traditional.  Instead of a high stack with many layers, this was one (large) square of moist cake, uncluttered with the fruit and nuts some people find necessary, topped with a rich and lightly sweet cream cheese frosting.  On the side, a serving of warm salted caramel.  This is everything you could want in one bite, sweet, salty, rich, amazing. 

After carrot cake, I really have nothing more to say.  If you like steak, or even if you don’t, Firebirds is a good restaurant to try.  The portions are huge and the flavors are not at all what you might expect from a steak place.  Enjoy.