Two Eat Nashville: Pancake Edition

You may be thinking that we haven't published a thing about Philadelphia so far this month... perhaps we should change the name of our blog to "Traveling Twins" or something. After a weekend in DC and a weekend in Maryland, we hopped on a plane and headed to Nashville, TN for a long weekend self-imposed spring break. Our best friends from home now live in Tennessee, so after a few long months without them, we were more than ready to check out their new city. I could go on for quite some time about the loveliness of the entire weekend, but I will spare you and stick to the food-- well, some of the food. I could probably also write an entire separate post on the food that our host and hostess prepared for us throughout the weekend (Southern deliciousness and the best picnic lunch you could imagine) but pictures could not be taken due to the continuous hand-to-mouth motions every time we sat down to eat.

Our friends planned our weekend to maximize our fun and our explorations of the city. Having never been to Nashville, they wanted to let us in on an authentic taste. Of course, part of this involves classic Nashville eateries. Perhaps one of the most well known- the Pancake Pantry. J and I love pancakes and make them often, so this in combination with the potential for a run-in with a certain country star had us good and ready. We set out on Friday morning- which may have otherwise been a quiet morning at the PP (I love a good acronym) particularly because of the slight drizzle. However, with the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament going on in Nashville, we met a bit of a line (mostly wearing Kentucky get-ups) upon our arrival. Apparently a line is quite a common occurrence here, as the PP is not only a famous tourist spot but also very popular with the locals. Always a good sign- you know the food is good if locals will wait in line for it!



The wait took about half an hour, but was made infinitely better by the free self-serve coffee cart. Cream and sugar? No problem. Seriously, any restaurant that requires waiting should offer free drinks.



The restaurant is one big open square, mostly dotted with tables for four, with booths lining two walls. It has a bit of a Cracker Barrel feel to it, very open with friendly servers and down home decorations. The menu consists of over twenty variations of pancake (surprise!) ranging from fruit flavors, crepe-style pancakes, and both sweet and savory options. They also serve waffles, French toast, eggs, and other varieties of classic breakfast dishes. Lunch dishes (think salads, soups, and burgers) are also available, but I don't even remember seeing those items on the menu- we were there for the pancakes.

After some debate (it's hard to decide!) and lots of mouth watering, we gave our orders to our adorable waitress who I can only describe as a perfect replica of Amelia Bedelia, although about forty years older. J decided on the Smokey Mountain Buckwheat cakes- a "half" order. All of the pancakes come five to an order, but you can also get any of them in a smaller serving of three. Usually not the type to cut down from a normal serving size, we were hesitant to do this, but were glad we did- they were big! The buckwheat pancakes had a wonderful nutty flavor, but weren't heavy like whole wheat products can sometimes be. They went well with a smear of butter and a drizzle of syrup- apparently homemade. The house maple was great- not overly thick and sweet but on the thinner side. The buckwheats also went great with honey, which was our alternative syrup option.



Our lovely hostess chose the Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pancakes-- you can never go wrong with the classic, right? They were fluffy and literally, the best "regular" plain pancakes I have ever tasted. I swear, I don't understand- I know a good pancake from a bad pancake, but never thought there was a separate "heavenly" category. Both the flavor and the texture are unbeatable. I'm afraid there is some secret, very unhealthy ingredient... but a secret that I am fine with never knowing. The lightness of the cakes make them veritable sponges for syrup, just as they should be.



I ordered the Water Ground Cornmeal Pancakes- I grew up begging my dad to make corn pancakes every Sunday morning and am a cornbread connoisseur. These pancakes were a small bit of corn-y perfection- quite dense with a large grain that allowed for extra corn flavor in every almost-crunchy bite. They were somewhat steamed like tamales, and both melted and soaked up my pat of butter simultaneously. They went perfectly with the honey- after a small taste of maple, I never went back.



The three of us weren't very adventurous in our pancake choices (I mean, we could have had Apricot-Lemon Delights, or "Chocolate Sin"!) but I think we had a good taste of what the PP has to offer. Three completely different grains used to make three perfect stacks of cakes... I think the locals have definitely found and supported the real deal. And honestly, if (or rather, when) I go back, I will make the same choice- the sign of a very good meal.

Spaetzle revisited

After visiting an authentic German eatery (documented here) in January, our grandpa seemed somewhat embarrassed that we didn’t know what spaetzle (pronunciation: SHPET-sla) was. Since we seemed particularly delighted by it (who wouldn’t like buttery, crispy noodles?), he divulged the fact that since he grew up in a REAL German household (as his parents migrated from Germany), he was well versed in the making and eating of spaetzle, and even owned a spaetzle-making device. If you’re interested in making the dish, you don’t necessarily need one of these (a colander and a spatula seem to be the next best replacements) but we were excited to try it “the real way.”

An available weekend happened upon us (we’ve been crazy busy with both work and traveling for the past six forevers), and we jumped on the chance to spend some time with our grandparents and master the art of spaetzle-making. As our grandpa pointed out, you can’t “just eat noodles,” and he recommended we pair the spaetzle with a roast of beef and braised red cabbage. Like the Super Grandpa that he is, he had all of the necessary ingredients on hand when we arrived- and had even prepared the meat a day ahead of time so we could focus on our real project.

Our first mission was to start the cabbage- it takes at least an hour to cook down to the right consistency, and it seems as if additional time is beneficial. To start, we chopped an onion (in thin rings), a green apple (our supervisor disapproved of the chunks that J cut it into, insisting that all of the ingredients must be cut into the same shape) and two cloves of garlic. These must be browned in bacon fat prior to the addition of the main ingredient. You could cook down a couple pieces of bacon, but apparently our grandparent’s household keeps a tub of bacon fat on hand- two thumbs up from us.



After four or five minutes of browning, we began to add the cabbage, which had been cut in half, cored, and thinly sliced. It was a monster cabbage, so we first added just a half to prevent cabbage overflow. After a few minutes, the cabbage began to cook down, and we added a half-cup of water to help the process along. Eventually about ¾ of the head of cabbage made it into the pot, along with ¾ of a cup of apple cider vinegar, a heaping tablespoon of German Dijon mustard, some large grain salt and a few twists from the pepper mill. As soon as it all comes to a boil, the active prep is over- just bring the heat down, plop the lid on, and enjoy the cabbage-y, vinegar smells that permeate your house. Just kidding, it didn’t smell as bad as I expected, and the final product was well worth it. It simmered away on the stove for about two hours before the rest of dinner was ready, and cooked down to an almost disappointingly small amount (still enough to feed eight…).



On to the spaetzle making! We printed a recipe we found online, which was then fairly modified by the professional. The recipe is extremely simple, with only four ingredients. We started with eight cups of flour (yeah, we made a lot of noodles) and one teaspoon of salt. After combining these dry ingredients, J formed a well in the middle of the flour heap and cracked three eggs into it. And here is where some controversy began- our dad thinks that we should have followed the recipe we found, which called for six eggs. However, our grandpa remembers making a large batch as a kid with just one egg, so we decided to compromise with three. We whisked the eggs (atop the flour) and began pouring water into the hole while simultaneously beginning the combination process. The recipe called for 3 ¾ cups of water, but we decided to take it slow and add it little by little to ensure that we would end up with the proper dough consistency.



After mixing and mixing and mixing some more, we finally arrived at our final dough product: very thick and heavy, more so than pancake batter but less so than bread dough. A large pot of water was boiling away, waiting for the first batch of spaetzle to be cooked. Step One: load the dough into the spaetzle machine, which comically resembles a huge garlic press. Two: squeeze the dough through, into the pot of water.



Step Three: Recruit another pair of hands to cut off the resulting strands of noodles into different lengths (we had three different noodle cutters, all using their own spaetzle length discretion). Four: curiously watch the noodles roll around the bottom of the pot and slowly rise to the top (it takes just a minute or two). Five: when all of the noodles have risen, scoop them out with a strainer, making sure to let most of the water drip off. Transfer to a giant bowl, and repeat. About ten times. Like we said, a lot of noodles.



The noodles are kind of sticky, so it’s definitely best to serve them immediately. We loaded our plates with spaetzle and red cabbage, and covered the noodles with chunks of beef and gravy. It looked great: authentic German food that WE had just made! As we sat down to eat, the great spaetzle debate continued. We loved the chewy texture of the noodles- some of them had stuck together in the pot to form “chunks”- we apparently inherited a love of anything dough-like from our mom, so the three of us were in dough-y heaven. Our grandpa seemed to be a bit disappointed, and told us at least fourteen times throughout the night that when we next attempted the dish, we should add more water to achieve a thinner consistency, and therefore a smaller noodle. However, the general consensus was that, while it may not have been perfect, it was delicious. The noodles themselves don’t have a lot of flavor, but easily soaked up the meatiness of the gravy and was a perfect textural accompaniment to the tender meat. The red cabbage was also a huge hit- it was extremely soft with an acidic bite from the vinegar that was cut down a bit by the sweetness of the apple. Vegetable perfection, well appreciated for both its delicious delightfulness and its health benefits.

We had a fun time cooking with our gramps (although he’s very picky about our cooking techniques) and learning how to make a dish that was enjoyed by our family for many generations. It’s a fun process, and makes a great meal for a large group- cheap, quick, and satisfactory to most palates. We want to experiment with it more in the future- maybe to increase the health factor a bit (some internet browsing showed some recipes adding shredded veggies into the dough, or mixing the noodles into a pesto sauce) or to change the overall texture- pan-frying them to a crisp in a little butter would more closely replicate what we had at Brauhaus Schmitz. Our grandpa promised to leave us the machine in his will, but we would love any extra excuse to come visit, so for now, we’re leaving it with him.

Two Eat DC

This past weekend we took a quick trip down to our nation's capital to visit a college friend. Food wasn't exactly the focus of the trip, but of course we wanted to explore the restaurant scene in another city. Our friend suggested a place near her place of work, so we checked it out for a late lunch after an appetite-inducing Greyhound ride.

The concept of the place, called Founding Farmers, is very unique- essentially focused on fresh, seasonal ingredients grown with an emphasis on flavor. They don't care so much about where the food is coming from location-wise (apparently they buy carbon offsets to take care of this), but more of a concentration of "knowing where your food comes from and how it was made." The building is also LEED certified and "eco-friendly." The inside is very open, with large rustic wooden tables and simple shelving stocked with jars of vegetables. However, located at 19th and Pennsylvania Avenue (close vicinity to Mr. Prez), the concept of a warm, inviting farmhouse seems a little out of place. The area is chock full of tall, mirrored glass, flashy office buildings (think World Bank), so I'm a little confused about why they chose this area, but that's not really important.



When we arrived a little after 2 PM, the place was full of customers, but without seeming loud or crowded. We were told there was a 30 minute wait, but only ended up waiting about 5 minutes- just enough time to snap some pics of the interior. We were seated at a tall table with stools- big enough for 6, which gave us plenty of room for all of the impending food. Our waitress was absolutely phenomenal- perfect mix of informative, friendly, and humorous without being overbearing.

We each started off the meal with an "appetizer." A got her fall-back favorite, cornbread ($5). Though we aren't huge fans of corn itself, we are fans of bread, and cornbread is no exception. Baked and served in a cast iron skillet, the bread was piping hot, crumbly and full of whole kernel corn. On the drier side, the texture was grainy, with a slightly browned "skin" on top. The flavor was naturally sweet, and the dish of creamy white butter sitting in a pool of honey served as simplistic, yet complementary accompaniments.



I ordered the fried green tomatoes ($7), another one of our personal fave's. We have had these at a variety of (mostly southern) eateries, but these hands down win the "Best of Show" award. Four thick slices of firm, not-soggy-at-all, unripened fruit evenly battered in cornmeal and fried to crispy perfection... the only downside to this appetizer was the fact that we couldn't finish it. The tomatoes were served with a creamy goat cheese spread (A thought it was a little on the goaty side) as well as a well seasoned guac-ish spread with big chunks of avocado and a "secret ingredient"- sardines.



We also got a big bowl of the "Popcorn of the Day" ($2)- fresh air-popped corn (we were really on a roll with the corn here) with the Chef's Choice of seasonings. We were treated to Old Bay & Sea Salt popcorn- not overly salty or greasy, and certainly an interesting and unique item on the menu. A and I often reminisce about airpopped corn from our childhood, and this hit the spot. Again, the bowl was much too large for us to finish, quite sadly.



Because it was lunchtime, we all ordered either sandwiches or salads, so we can't attest to the "entrees" portion of the menu. A ordered the Roasted Vegetable and Avocado sandwich ($12), served on a rye-sourdough thin sliced bread which was unfortunately overly crusty and/or toasted- she claimed it was hard and stabbed the inside of her mouth (she even complained about this the next day...) but was still totally delicious. The bread was layered with a goat cheese-avocado spread, as well as a mix of roasted peppers and eggplant and fresh, crisp lettuce, tomato and cucumber. It was accompanied by housemade potato chips- thick cut and crunchy, but a little plain (though how much can one expect from potato chips?).



I ordered the Roasted Chicken Salad ($13), which I was told upon ordering was actually chicken salad on a salad. I like chicken salad, so this was totally fine by me. The bed of lettuce consisted of large pieces of Bibb which I actually had to use a knife with- I couldn't just shove the giant thing in my mouth like I wanted to. The dressing on the greens was very vinegary which I love, but it was a little heavy handed making the sharp acidity of the vinegar a tad overbearing. The chicken salad was terrific- shreds of rotisserie chicken in a creamy, not too heavy binder filled with almonds and golden raisins. There were also some tomatoes, avocado chunks and golden beets (so good...) that all tasted really fresh and flavorful. The salad was served with a thick slice of grilled bread- a good hearty French misted with olive oil, with a good crust to soft middle ratio. Overall, very pleased.



Our friend ordered the grilled cheese served with tomato soup and a side of french fries ($10). Again, the restaurant is really focusing on simple and "down home"- we were a table of happy eaters.



Definitely too full for dessert, but the menu looked amazing- doughnut holes anyone? They also have a wide variety of coffee, tea, and housemade sodas, as well as a fully stocked bar that focused on "organic" labels if you're into the cocktail scene. A & I have already decided we don't want to go back... we NEED to go back. If you live in DC, don't walk but RUN to this restaurant- great food, great atmosphere, great mission, great service, and totally affordable- 5 stars in all the categories that matter to us!

Fasnacht-a-palooza

The past week marked Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) and the start of Lent, neither of which we really acknowledge. However, there is a Pennsylvania Dutch tradition that involves cleaning out the pantry of anything indulgent- lard, butter, sugar, etc. Throw these ingredients together and what do you get? Donuts.

A & I were invited to a "Fasnacht" party this past weekend, hosted by two PA natives who have several years of experience in the art of making these treats. We're always curious about food that we've never heard of, especially when it falls in the dessert category, so there was no way we were missing this event.

We unfortunately missed the actual making of the dough, but I grilled our host on the process so I could make them myself blog about it. Apparently when Pennsylvanian's were cleaning out the pantry, there was also a surplus of potatoes, as these make up a substantial part of the dough. The following recipe makes an extremely large number of pastries, so if you're thinking about making these, please plan to invite everyone you know. Including us.



First you "scald" 5 cups of whole milk. I've never had to scald milk, but apparently the technique our host used involved "heating up the milk until it forms a skin." Sounds good enough for me. Next, mix in 4 cups of mashed potatoes (oh yeah, make these before you start the milk). Add 1 1/2 cups of sugar, 2 sticks of margarine (makes a better texture than butter), and mix thoroughly. Next comes the yeast, as with any fluffy breadlike substance. Mix three packets of yeast (I think 1 packet is standard 1/4 oz) with 1/4 cups of hot water and add this to your potato-milk mix. Then mix in 4 cups of flour. Let the whole mess rise for 30 minutes in a warmish location.

At this point, the dough will be reeeally sticky and wet. In order to get to a workable donut dough, more flour must be added. A lot more flour. Apparently 9 cups more flour. After you exhaust your flour supply (and possibly your next door neighbors supply as well), form the dough into your donut shape of choice. Our fasnachts were squareish, several inches in width. Line them up on wax paper covered pans and let them rise again (perhaps in your oven on a warming setting). Another option is to add surprise treats inside- our treats included mini Snickers and Hershey's chocolate pieces (gotta support PA). The large sized dough chunks easily wrap around your candy of choice- be creative!



The next step is actually frying the donuts. Our host & hostess used a mixture of lard and shortening- most recipes call for "hot fat." Heat it up to somewhere between 325 and 350 F (use a candy thermometer and monitor it carefully) and get ready to fry! A & I manned the kitchen for awhile- we like to get in on the cooking action. The pot that was used was very deep & stainless- there really was very little splatter factor. However, use a metal slotted spoon to keep your distance from the oil. Plop the donuts in, let them fry for a few minutes, flip them over, repeat, and... fasnacht! If this doesn't sound good to you, you're probably a Communist.




To make these even MORE delicious and disgustingly bad for you, add powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar to a brown paper bag, pop in a piping hot donut, and shake. The end result will be a perfectly coated donut- hot, fresh, and ready to go. Even though I ate a very large number of these fist sized doughy puffballs (we had to try all of the variations!), I could still totally go for one right now. Sweet but not overly so, crisp on the outside, hot and airy on the inside, a slight amount of greasiness... SO GOOD. We're already looking forward to next year!

Cooper's Brick Oven Wine Bar

In the outskirts of Philly lies the "suburb" of Manayunk, known for its Main Street and ubiquitous twenty-somethings. I have completely recovered from my original surprise at its name- now it blends in with all of the other Native American monikers in the area. It is actually considered a Philadelphia neighborhood (with a Philadelphia address), but visiting requires a twenty minute train ride from Center City. As you may know, we aren't particularly fond of relocating that far for any old reason. However, an invite to a food-related party had us looking up train schedules in a heartbeat (post to come on this subject soon!)

Since we were making the trek to Manayunk, we decided to make it a day of shopping and exploring the area... and since the noon hour would be included, lunch was our first mission. Several restaurants and cafes in Manayunk are fairly well known by name to us, and in combination with a personal recommendation, our plan was to visit Chabaa Thai. However, since Saturday morning always means "extra hard workout" in our house, upon arriving we were in the mood for something more.. substantial.

Practically adjacent to Chabaa is the restaurant duo of Jake's and Cooper's Brick Oven Wine Bar. Jake's is a Manayunk classic, but Cooper's is its slightly newer and apparently somewhat more relaxed (ie less $$) little brother. I am still confused about the relationship between the two- are they physically connected interiorly? Clearly I was more focused on the food than on the space. We were given our choice of seats and chose a cafe table near the front window- better lighting for pictures and a good place to enjoy the sun (it's rarely seen around here recently).

The menu is a bit extensive and includes pizzas (hence the "Brick Oven"-- prominently featured in the back of the restaurant), salads, sandwiches, "plates" (like smaller entrees) and regular entrees. The menu covers a lot both in terms of food and prices- you could have lunch for anywhere between $12 (if you get the Margherita pizza or the gnocchi, for example) to $29 for the Chilean Sea Bass or crab cakes. We were both in the mood for a burger, but noticed that two fellow diners had barely been able to finish this dish together, so decided to split it.

First, we ordered a "snack"-- roasted beets ($5). We love beets as you can tell... there is just something very refreshing about their crisp flavor. Their bright color, juicy texture and purported health benefits don't hurt either! The beets were served in a small square bowl- a great presentation with crumbled goat cheese and bits of candied pecans. However, the bowl made it difficult to eat- spooning them out onto a plate caused the cheese to fall over the sides (the horror of potentially losing cheese!!!). The extra effort was worth it- the combination of flavors and textures was, while classic, very enjoyable. The goat cheese wasn't too "goaty" and helped contrast the earthy beet flavor with a salty, creamy taste. The candied nuts were almost pulverized to a powder- which was actually very much appreciated. It easily stuck to the beets for a sugary crunch in every bite.



Next came the Caprese salad ($10). The originality of this dish is still surprising to me- how many takes on tomatoes, mozzarella and basil are possible? Cooper's is one that we have never seen, nor would we have ever created ourselves. The plate starts with two pools of delicious basil pesto, framing slices of fresh mozzarella sprinkled with an oil vinaigrette. These are accompanied by clumps of fresh, raw cherry tomatoes still on their vine. Atop all of this sits a frazzle of greens (the only word I can come up with to describe it!) These included what we called "clover" and that stringy green lettuce that often comes in bagged salads... sorry, I'm just not up on my alternative lettuce vocabulary (editor's note: frisee?). These greens were great for dipping into the pesto, although I would have preferred a little more substance (a better ratio of lettuce to air, if you will). The tomatoes were middle-of-summer fresh, and I'm still thinking about their acidic burst in my mouth.



Finally, what we had walked in the door for- the burger. Labeled "Jake's Prime Burger" on the menu, the sandwich lived up to its price tag ($15). A fluffy potato bun encased a huge patty, perfectly cooked to our specified medium-rare, covered in Vermont white cheddar. Sauteed mushrooms and caramelized onions were also part of the show. It was served with a side of crisp fries and two options for sauces- regular ketchup and a horseradish-mayo combination. The burger was super moist, but was well matched by the bun, which somehow was both dense and soft. The toppings were a good combination- normally I might consider mushrooms, onions, and cheese to be somewhat of an overkill, but it didn't overwhelm the meat at all. I gave my half of the sandwich a healthy slather of the horseradish sauce- and ended up dipping my last few bites in it to maximize the flavor. It was what every horseradish sauce should aspire to be- even J, being a general objector to mayonnaise was gladly eating it. It also made a great sauce for the fries- I have recently been introduced to the mayonnaise-fry combination and the horseradish stepped it up another notch. The fries themselves were great sans sauce, being a cut large enough to include a crispy outside and soft inside (just the way I like them). They were coated in large grain salt, adding an additional crunch. The portion was reasonable for two people to split without feeling like total greaseballs.



The meal was overall satisfying- a quiet, sunny spot in a new, unexplored corner of Philly that served us creative, delicious food for a reasonable price. We would normally have considered ordering "lunch dessert", but we had a full afternoon of dessert eating in front of us. Stay tuned for that adventure...

Cooper's Brick Oven Wine Bar
4367 Main Street
Philadelphia, PA