VOODOO DOUGHNUTS, PORTLAND OR

This Portland, OR landmark creates the Best, "CRAZIEST" doughnuts in all the world!

Ken Pogson and Tres Shannon had been wacky friends for a long time and wanted to open a business together. They are funky so their dream business was funky. Then reality became their dream...a funky doughnut shop!

Crazier still, neither one knew how to make a doughnut. After travels, to LA to learn from some of the best, their own creations have been highlighted on many Travel Channels including most notably Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations in which he went back days later for seconds.

Their signature VooDoo Doughnut is the Gingerbread Man shaped doughnut with a pretzel stick stabbed in its abdomen and red jelly "blood" filling. Most people I know gravitate to the bacon maple bar (shown above) which is topped with strips of fried bacon. They make doughnuts with toppings of Fruit Loops, Oreo's, peanut butter and chocolate chips to name a few. The menu changes as much as their funky minds will allow.

There have a "Tex-Ass" challenge to anyone who can eat a glazed doughnut the size of 6 full-size doughnuts in 80 seconds or less...if you can It's Free!

And for you Vegans, they have a variety for you as well.

I will be there in a few weeks and plan a visit for sure and I don't even like doughnuts.

Right in the heart of "Old Town" Portland, if you go there...GO THERE!

ENJOY!

HAPPY 60TH DUNKIN' DONUTS!

Living out west, you would be hard-pressed to find a Dunkin' Donuts.....but when we travel East...you can't stop counting them! There are ones across the street from each other and a building in downtown Boston has TWO of them!!!

In 1948, Dorchester native Bill Rosenberg founded a coffee shop called Open Kettle in Quincy, MA. He didn't like the name so he held a brain storming meeting with friends to make a change. His architect friend said, "What do you do with a chicken..pluck it...what do you do with a doughnut...Dunk It"..and so in 1950 Bill opened his first Dunkin' Donuts. Now there are more Dunkin' Donuts franchises per capita in Massachusetts than there are any other restaurants of its type anywhere! In 1990 a British company bought it, but years later a Boston based company brought it back home.

Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, says when the team wins, he goes inside his local Dunkin' Donuts for his "Large with milk no sugar"...when the team loses he goes to the drive through.

Today there are 9,186 shops worldwide in 35 states and 31 countries. There are 94 pages in the manual that governs the Dunkin' Donuts coffee recipe.

So Happy 60th Birthday Dunkin' Donuts...."I'll have A regula"..Ben Affleck is that YOU!... (regula is cream and two suGAS"

ENJOY!

Celebrity Guest Blogger Today!

Ok, so I am not a celebrity... but my mom did let me blog today!! ps. this is Rachel :)



Well bad news to all the aspiring cooks out there... I am not as motivated as my mom in the kitchen. So there will be no new recipe to take home to the family today... sorry. What my mother and I do share in common is our love to try new restaurants.



It has almost been a year since I moved back to Portland. My friend Claire had also left Portland for college and since our arrival back in the city of roses we realized there were A TON of things we never explored growing up here. So began our mission to create a bucket list of Portland events, places, and sights that we wanted to accomplish. The list has been fun and we have always been adding and crossing things off as we go. I am here to share with you a recent completed bucket list adventure....



Pine State Biscuits. Located in the Belmont neighborhood in Portland. Breakfast food extraordinaire. The credit for this discovery goes to Claire. It is a tiny hole in the wall breakfast joint with an AMAZING menu. Pine State got it's humble roots as a food cart and food vendor at the Portland Saturday Market...and as business boomed they opened a small shop in Belmont. The food is out of this WORLD good and since has been talked about and reviewed by the likes of Anthony Bourdain and Diners, Drive-In's & Dives Host, Guy Fieri. The place is amazing. Below is what both Claire and I ordered... The Reggie... fried chicken, bacon, cheese, between two flaky biscuits.. then covered in gravy. How's that for healthy? haha well it eats purrdy good :) I suggest if you are ever in the neighborhood stop by Pine State, but get there before 9am...after that the line is out the door and around the corner till close. Enjoy :)





photo courtsey of www.pinestatebiscuits.com

IT'S MARGARITA WEEK - TOP PLACES IN THE COUNTRY

Recently, USA Today had a feature of the top places in the country for margaritas. Here are some of their favorites:

TOMMY'S
San Francisco, CA
http://www.tommystequila.com/
USA Today says they have the best margaritas in the country. "The tequila selection is incredible. Bartender, Julio Bermejo is one of the country's most respected experts on the subject"

JIMMY'S BAR
Aspen, CO
http://www.jimmysaspen.com/
Jimmy's is stuck in a fancy mall in Aspen. It has a great selection of tequilas and agave spirits (105 in all).

OYAMEL
Washington, DC
http://www.oyamel.com/
Jose Andres, a chef seen frequently on Top Chef, serves up a traditional margarita but kicks it up a notch with a topping of salt-air foam.

RIVERA
Los Angeles, CA
http://www.riverarestaurant.com/
This places sounds great...they serve tequilas ON TAP. If you take a seat in their bronze and leather chairs you can enjoy TEQUILA FLIGHTS!

PETROSSIAN BAR
Bellagio, Las Vegas
http://www.bellagio.com/
Experts say to order the classic margarita at this swank spot. These bartenders know their stuff.

NACIONAL 27
Chicago, IL
http://www.n27chicago.com/
Drink master, Adam Segar makes very fresh cocktails and their margaritas are seasonally based with fresh ingredients.

LONESOME DOVE
Fort Worth, TX
http://www.lonesomedovebistro.com/
You know what they say "don't mess with Texas". Located in the Stockyards District, their margaritas are just as creative as their food. So, with the elk sausage and wild boar enjoy a jalapeno cucumber margarita.

MERCADITO CANTINA
New York, NY
http://www.mercaditorestaurants.com/
This is an excellent Mexican restaurant with three locations in NY and on opening in Chicago. The wonderful margaritas range from traditional to Tres Citricos, made with orange and habanero chile. Or try the mentirosa featuring "tric tequila", a sake based blend that has a smoother finish than regular tequila.

So, if you GO THERE.....Go THERE!
Miss you already family
ENJOY!

JACKIE'S TOO, OGUNQUIT, MAINE

The motto at Jackie's Too in Ogunquit is,

" If he can't be on the sea bed, a lobster belongs in a place like Jackie's Too"

Every year for the past ten, my family has come to Maine. For my husband, the trips to Maine go back generations. We always take a ride out to Ogunquit and more specifically Perkins Cove and dine at Jackie's Too. So far we have dined with our kids, my Mom and sister!!! Fabulous!

The outdoor seating lies up against the rocks, the only thing keeping the surf from the restaurant. And the motto is true, the lobster rolls at Jackie's are hard to beat. The specialty drinks are pretty tough to beat too.

Ultimately, the view is the most spectacular.

So if you go THERE...GO THERE!

ENJOY!

BEST PLACES FOR FRIED CHICKEN

We have all tried recipes for fried chicken. From great recipes handed down for generations to tossing chicken pieces in a bag with "Shake n' Bake". If you are a Food Network junkie like me you have seen endless fried chicken competitions, visits by network chefs to famous fried chicken haunts and even famous chefs competing against very popular local chefs who serve fried chicken.

The toughest thing about making fried chicken is we all have a different perspectives on the breading...too thick...too thin...too much flour...too much grease....

So since most of my followers are from New England, Chicago and the Pacific Northwest...here are the best places for fried chicken for 2010 as determined by Bon Appetit Magazine. In no particular order:

Trina's Starlite Lounge
Somerville, Massachussetts
3 Beacon Street
617-576-0006
trinastarlitelounge.com
This comfort spot serves the best and meanest version of fried chicken and waffles north of Harlem. The chicken is served with a hot pepper syrup.

Big Jones
Chicago, Illinois
5347 N. Clark Street
773-275-5725
bigjoneschicago.com
If its Tuesday, you will find fried chicken junkies at this Andersonville hangout. The chicken is served with beans, mashed potatoes and cornbread. Chickens are from the local Gunthorp Farms.

Pine State Biscuits
Portland, Oregon
2640 SE Belmont Street
503-236-3346
pinestatebiscuits.com
Purists will certainly debate whether boneless fried chicken is really proper fried chicken at all. But if taste alone is the deciding factor then the "Reggie" boneless fried chicken, bacon and cheese with gravy on a biscuit certainly qualifies....no calories there.

Others that made the list:

Huckleberry in Santa Monica, CA
Little Skillet in San Francisco, CA
Pies 'n' Thighs in Brooklyn, NY
Fearing's in Dallas, TX
Cork Market & Tasting Room in DC
Resurrection Ale House in Philadelphia, PA
Bar Symon in Avon Lake, OH


So if you go...go to these!
ENJOY!

MARCUS SAMUELSSON - NEW TOP CHEF MASTER

The competition was heavy. Mr. Samuelsson was up against some of the countries best chefs: Executive chef at Spiaggia in Chicago (Obama's favorite hangout) Rick Moonen and Suser Lee to name a few of the top 12 chefs.

Born in Ethiopia, his mother died of tuberculosis when he was three. His birth name was Kassahun Tsegie. He and his sister were put up for adoption and a family in Sweden named Samuelsson adopted them. They changed their names to Marcus and Linda.

His adoptive grandmother loved to cook and it rubbed off. He attended the Culinary Institute in Gothenburg, Sweden.

He came to the United States in 1991 as an apprentice at Aquavit restaurant in New York. By 24 years of age, he became executive chef.

Shortly after, he was the youngest chef to receive a 3 star restaurant review from the New York Times. In 2003 he was named Best Chef in New York City by the James Beard Foundation.

Last November, he served as guest chef for the first state dinner in Barack Obama's presidency.

And of course, he once competed on Iron Chef America against Bobby Flay and LOST. It was battle "corn".

Important to note that chefs competing for the title of Top Chef Master, win money throughout the competition for the charity of their choice. Marcus won $105,000 for his charity, UNICEF Tap Project which provides clean water to children all over the globe, notably in his native Ethiopia.

Today he owns:

Aquavit in New York City

C-House Restaurant in the Affinia Hotel in Chicago

So if you go there.....GO THERE!

Congratulations to Mr. Samuelsson

ENJOY!

HUGO'S CELLAR, LAS VEGAS

Many of my blog fans will be in Las Vegas this week, so I HAD to blog the great Hugo's Cellar in old downtown Las Vegas. My husband found this place many many years ago and tries to get there any time he is in Las Vegas. I have been many times.

As you enter Hugo's, you descend a flight of stairs down to the "cellar". Women are given a beautiful fresh red rose. It has a very romantic atmosphere..great for anniversaries or first dates.

We love the salads made table side. You choose from an array of ingredients and the waiter tosses them with your choice of dressing and serves it right to you......love that!!!!!!

The veal chop is fabulous and their tournedos with twin filets topped with foie gras and artichoke hearts under a perfect bearrnaise sauce melts in your mouth. In fact all the prime steaks are wonderful. They serve a Mediterranean twist on shrimp scampi by adding peppers and sun dried tomatoes....YUMMY!

They are renowned for their 24 ounce prime rib...yes 24 ounce and for an extra $30 you can add king crab legs to that....carry me OUT!

For you dessert freaks...all meals come with chocolate covered fruit.

On Fremont Street in old downtown Las Vegas....Get There!!!! http://www.hugoscellar.com/

ENJOY!

ALISSON'S

Alisson's restaurant was a great find in the heart of Dock Square in Kennebunkport. Opened in 1973, it has changed hands a few times but always remained a "locals" favorite. Visit their website at http://www.alissons.com/ to see their menus and read their history. George and Barbara Bush are regulars. As their website says " Casual, Comfortable, Classic Favorite.

I have visited often and shared the experience with my sister and her husband and we all agreed they served the best lobster roll in New England. Their Reuben is fabulous too.

If you visit.....

ENJOY!

RISTORANTE LIMONCELLO

Ristorante Limoncello is located in Boston's famous North End...or as my NY BFF would say "The North Side". Only a block or two away from Paul Revere's house this perfect Italian restaurant offers both Northern and Southern Italian cuisine. It is family run and the service is impeccable. The food was wonderful and I recommend the stuffed artichoke appetizer it was to die for!!!

I had the pleasure of dining there last night with my husband and six of our good friends. So as they say "if you go there...go here"

ENJOY!

THE SMALLEST CHEF

This week one of the last surviving Munchkins from the Wizard of Oz passed away. He was 94. Meinhardt Raabe was the munchkin who so eloquently spoke these words....as coronoer I must aver, I thoroughly examined her and she's not only merely dead she is really most sincerely dead......

After the movie's release Raabe toured the country in the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile promoting hot dogs as "Little Oscar" the world's smallest chef.....

In 2005 he wrote a book...Memories of a Munchkin: An Illustrated Walk Down the Yellow Brick Road.

So now you are saying to yourselves...she's blogging about a munchkin...a small chef...Bernie he was a munchkin not a clown....my kids are not surprised...I love the Wizard of Oz....favorite movie...

Let's face it I am on vacation in St. Thomas...the sun just came out...a bloody mary has my name on it...got to go...love you all

ENJOY!

THE BLUE SKY AT YORK BEACH

My family has been visiting York Beach Maine for the last 10 years. My husband and his siblings and parents have been visiting for his entire life (which in years I am not allowed to disclose) and beyond to his grandparents.

During most of that time we have had the opportunity to choose to eat at the taffy joint, the pizza joint, the local tavern and a few breakfast joints unless we wanted to get in the car. To our surprise in November of 2006 a renovation began on an old run down building. While there was talk of an upscale restaurant and hotel...no one quite believed it would get off the ground. To our amazement the restaurant and hotel opened a couple years ago. From the photos you can tell this is a cozy upscale dining room. The chef is a renowned chef from Boston named Lydia Shire. I love Lydia because she shares her Kendall Jackson with me when we are both at the bar!!!!!

The menu has so many wonderful delicacies from the waters of New England; clams, mussels, wonderful fish and an entire section of the menu devoted to lobster including pizza.

I love the lamb pizza, yes I said lamb and the spaghetti carbonara.

The restaurant has been featured in Gourmet Magazine, Bon Appetit, Metropolitan Home, Taste and Portland.

So when you come to visit us we'll all pay a visit...no I didn't say I'd pay for your visit...we will all visit this small town treasure.

Rachel who worked downstairs from the restaurant at the hotel never ate there only drank their LEMON DROPS!!!!!

And a toast to Bernie and Donna!!!

This is new for me, I am actually blogging a restaurant. This is not just any restaurant. My apologies to my followers who do not live around the Chicago area and may not be able to visit Wildwood.

Opened in April 2006, only months before I made my return to IL, it is a treasure in Geneva Illinois. I have tried almost everything on the menu and have never been disappointed. Having said that, my go to dish is always the Australian Barramundi baked on a cedar plank and served with a mango salsa. Barramundi is sometimes called Asian Seabass. All the fish is wonderful...the Door County whitefish and the Dover Sole are fabulous. Love Dover Sole and it just doesn't show up on many menus. For you meat lovers they have the best center cut pork chops and their veal oscar with a huge king crab leg is to die for.

They have a great wine list and the service is impeccable. Sorry to you Bernie that I never took you there but come on over and I will!!!!!...promise. Kathy we were there but just drank wine and beer, remember?
Just go to http://www.wildwoodsteak.com/ to find out more.

ENJOY!