Weekend Update // Memorial Day

I hope everyone had a fun memorial day weekend.  Last thursday there were no plans on my weekend schedule but somehow it filled up fast and there was not much downtime.  Crazy how that happens.

Highlights of the weekend included cocktails on the patio with a homemade rosemary-infused simple syrup inspired by a recipe seen on fruetcake, bbqs with my inlaws and my family, an amazing visit with my grandparents (this was really the best part of the whole weekend), a major update to our front yard and also, a delicious brunch here on monday morning.

Thank you to all who have served our county and to the freedoms we all get to share.  This was a a wonderful memorial day weekend that I am extremely grateful for! 

Restaurant Review – The Bagel Deli

The Bagel Deli is an institution, dating back over 40-years.  Families, Denverites and lovers of matzo ball soup come here to fill their cravings for traditional Jewish cuisine.  I heard about this restaurant nearly two years ago from a colleague but just recently made my way over to taste what all the hype was about. 

(Clockwise from top:  restaurant exterior  /  taking down a monster Ruben  /  Guy Fieri  /  lunch piled high  /  chicken noodle soup)

The dining room was nothing to write home about but was packed from wall-to-wall with hungry diners.  Charming family photos cover one wall, truly capturing the family’s roots sense the restaruant’s conception.  It is a simple space in a strip-mall that I will not lie, turned me off at first as it is situation next to a dry cleaner.  The place is cloaked in signage proudly touting their feature on Food Network’s ‘Diners, Drive Ins and Dives’.  No joke, there is a TV that airs the special on a loop, all-day-long!

Up until my visit to The Bagel Deli, I had never eaten matzo ball soup before so, to say the least, I am the last thing from an aficionado.  I thought the broth had deep flavors but it was overly salted for my tastes (crazy, I know because I love salt!) and I felt like the soup was begging for a couple grinds of fresh cracked pepper.  However, the matzo balls had great texture and flavor that balanced out the salty soup.  Coincidently, the homemade chicken noodle soup, with a plentiful serving of delicately thin noodles was swimming in, what I would presume to be the same broth from the matzo ball soup.  Sadly it slightly reminded me of a store-bought version I like to eat on days I am feeling under the weather.

The hype however, is about sandwiches stacked high and proud with briny corned beef, pastrami and brisket.  Slow-cooked in their natural jus, vegetables and spices these meats are standouts on the menu.  The phrase, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ must be the motto with the cooking preparation for the tender, thinly-sliced proteins that sing between two slices of deliciously soft and chewy rye or pumpernickel breads.  The classic Ruben with tangy sauerkraut and Swiss cheese was nearly 4” high and a complete mess to take down.  However, if you have been making the same sandwich for over forty years, I would hope you would have mastered it by now so I guess I was not overly impressed. 

The Bagel Deli does knock it out of the park with their purple horseradish; slightly spicy, peppery and pickled, this condiment one that intensifies every item on the menu.  However, beyond the horsey and the proteins, I did not find many memorable items that would bring me back for another meal at this well-known establishment. 

I guess if I had to sum it up, The Bagel Deli has made a well-known name for itself in the community as a place that brings people together over the love of traditional Jewish food but I feel like somewhere along the way, the Bagel Deli has lost its ‘chutzpah’.  Maybe after forty years in business, doing the same thing day-in and day-out without any change has made the place a bit complacent, monotonous or lax.  By no means am I saying The Bagel Deli is going away anytime soon but I feel like the place might need to tighten the reigns and put some focus back on the food before The Bagel Deli’s good name cannot hold up their current reputation.

(The Bagel Deli's feature on 'Diners, Drive Ins and Dives')

See you in Scottsdale

Yep, that’s right… we are packing up and shipping out for a weekend in sunny Scottsdale, AZ. 

Actually, Ryan and I are going together on behalf of my job and one of the companies I work with who are hosting us (so excited!)  We are going to hit up some Spring Training games, look classy in our mid-century modern Hotel, make a stop at a Diners, Drive-ins and Dives featured restaurant, get some sun at the pool and relax as much as possible.  I will try to make a post while I am gone but if not, I will take lots of photos to share next week.  Hooray!

Restaurant Review – Bang!

I have heard for a couple years now that Bang! restaurant in Denver’s Highland neighborhood has the most delicious comfort food and yet, I had never been.  Well, that is until today when I went for a lunch meeting and I was completely impressed by the amazing food I had. 

Bang! might throw you off when you first arrive because the front of the restaurant is actually the kitchen.  You don’t use the ‘front’ door at this place but instead, walk down the alley to the ‘back entrance’ of this 1889 residency that was converted into a restaurant. 

I had the grilled salmon that was served atop a bed of jasmine rice, a wasabi cream sauce and then garnished with a marinated cucumber salad.  The salmon’s natural fattiness was offset perfectly with the slightly sweet taste from the jasmine rice and the wasabi cream which had just a hint of heat and a velvety consistancy.  The dish was simple and yet, each component was prepared flawlessly so the dish sang with finesse and flavor. 

Other items worth mentioning were the jalapeno corn bread and the meatloaf with Bang’s signature ketchup.  The corn bread has great texture yet could have used a bit more jalapeno flavor to live up to its name.  Nevertheless, the meatloaf was rich in comfort, flavor (maybe because it is draped with bacon before it hits the oven) and consistency.  While I am not a condiment lover in any sense of the word, this ketchup is worth trying.

The hands-down favorite for the table was the gingerbread cake that packed the essence of fresh ginger, cinnamon and cloves into a light and airy cake that I could not stop pecking at.  The cake is made in house each day and served with fresh whipped cream.  Don’t believe me that this cake alone is worth checking out Bang!, well then just ask Food Network’s Guy Fieri.  He featured this restaurant on his show, ‘Diners, Drive Ins and Dives’ back in 2010.  I even took a picture of his mark on the wall (I was such a dork when I saw this too!). 

If you are a lover of simply delicious home-cooked food then Bang! is one to definitely add to your dining bucket list.   I am already looking for an excuse to go back.