Cucumber Salad

This cucumber salad, is a popular South Indian dish, found at weddings and other celebrations.  It is one of my favorite uses of cucumber.  One aspect of Indian cuisine that makes it a protein rich diet, is their uses or pulses (beans, peas).  They add this, even in small amounts, to almost every dish, from salads, to main courses and even in desserts.  This is a delicious salad that has that little bit of added protein, due to the addition of mung beans.

South Indian Cucumber Salad
1/4 cup split and hulled mung beans (aka green gram)
1 cup water
1 English cucumber, split lengthwise and then thinly sliced
1/2 cup coconut, grated
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
3 Indian chiles (or 2 Serrano chiles)
1 tablespoon Safflower oil (or vegetable oil)
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon asoefetida
15 curry leaves
salt, to taste
Method:
In a saucepan, bring the split mung beans and water to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, until tender.  Drain.
In a medium bowl, combine the cucumbers, coconut, cilantro,chiles and cooked mung beans.  Add salt, to taste.

In a small skillet, heat the oil  Reduce the flame to medium and add the mustard seeds.  Stand back as the mustard seeds will pop. When the seeds finish popping, add the asoefetida and curry leaves to the hot oil and fry for about 2 to 5 seconds, until the leaves are wilted.  Add this mixture to the cucumber; stir well.  Serve chilled or at room temperature.


Chef Mireille
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My Favorite Celebrity Chef's Fish Pie (cookbook recipes)

In the age of the celebrity chef, there are many who deserve the accolades and then there are others who don't.  Because one celebrity likes the chef, all of a sudden they will become the biggest celebrity.  Some of these, who shall remain nameless, make cooking more complicated than it needs to be.  Some of these have published cookbooks, yet the recipes are confusing and difficult to follow or are just badly written, so that the final result is NOT as it should be.

One celebrity chef who deserves all the accolades he gets is the Naked Chef aka Jamie Oliver.  I used to be a regular viewer of his television show, the Naked Chef.  He makes delicious food by using simple, fresh ingredients and makes recipes easy to follow.  When I was in culinary school, the bane of my existence was making risotto.  It would either come out too hard or too mushy.  Finally, I attempted a Jamie Oliver recipe where measurements are given by wine glasses instead of cups and I made the perfect risotto for my final exam.  Ever since, I have been a loyal fan.  I hope his new show will be a success, as I think it definitely serves a need in America.  We really need to work on cutting the obesity in this country and learning about the diversity of fruits and vegetables.  Here in NY, I have access to so many fruits and vegetables that eating a healthy, balanced diet is easy.  Middle America does not always have this variety, so I hope Jamie can teach people how to make fruits and vegetables interesting and delicious, no matter how limited their selections may be & to teach them different cooking methods, other than deep frying.  French Fries should not qualify as a vegetable!!!

My next cookbook recipe posting comes from one of his cookbooks, The Naked Chef Takes Off.  Fish Pie is a common Sunday evening dinner in England, comparable to a Sunday roast, in America.  His fish pie was a simple to follow recipe and came out absolutely delicious, with subtle flavors of mustard and nutmeg, but nothing overpowering.  Using simple ingredients creates a delicious family meal.

Fantastic Fish Pie
5 large potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch squares
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 eggs,  hard-boiled, shelled and chopped
1 bunch spinach
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, halved lengthwise and finely chopped
extra virgin olive oil
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
2 good handfuls of Parmesan cheese
juice of 1 lemon
1 heaped teaspoon English mustard
1 large handful or flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 pound cod fillet, skin removed, pin-boned and sliced into strips
1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Put the potatoes into salted boiling water and boil for about 10 minutes, until cooked through.  Drain and mash with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and nutmeg. 

Steam spinach until tender.  Squeeze out excess water.

In a seperate pan, heat the oil and fry the onion and carrot for about 5 minutes, until vegetables soften.  Add cream and bring to a boil.  Remove from the heat and add cheese, mustard, lemon juice and parsley.  Stir to combine.

In a large casserole dish, place the spinach on the bottom.  Placed the eggs and fish on top.  Pour the cream sauce on top.  Cover with the mashed potatoes.  Spread evenly.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown at the edges.

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Cafe Asean

 This week is the very first Malaysian Restaurant Week.  Malaysian food ties with Indonesian food as my two favorite Southeast Asian Cuisines.  Flavorful, spicy cuisine with strong flavors like the generous use of dried shrimp paste permeates the cuisine.  It had been a while since I had cooked or eaten Malaysian, so I was looking forward to this event and especially my favorite, Roti Canai!

My favorite Malaysian Restaurant, Nyonya (see my review here) was on the list, but since I have been here more times than I can count, I decided to try one of the other restaurants on the participating list.  Cafe Asean had pretty good reviews with some resources I checked, so I figured I would give them a try.

First of all, even if you are not a solely Malaysian restaurant, if you are going to participate in Malaysian Restaurant Week, the menu should highlight the Malaysian options on the menu.  Cafe Asean had only one option for Restaurant Week, which was a spring roll appetizer and pan seared chicken breast over asparagus.  Vegetables in Malaysian Restaurants are usually stir fried with lots of chili, garlic and shrimp paste.  Here the vegetables were simply steamed vegetables, with no bursting flavors, according to my dining companion.

I felt too limited by this menu, so I opted to go off of their regular menu.  What Malaysian Restaurant does not sell Roti Canai.  Roti Canai is the first thing I think of when I think of Malaysian cuisine, but none was to be had at Cafe Asean.  I opted for a lemongrass crusted red snapper fillet in a lime coconut sauce and green beans.  Again, just some steamed green beans placed on top of the sauce.  The lemongrass flavor in the fish was strong and delicious, but this was NOT Malaysian food.  I would classify it as an Asian Fusion Restaurant.  This restaurant serves American style food, using Asian flavors.  The portions are small.  I was hungry again, by the time I reached home, after paying $17.95 for my small piece of fish.

There are a few more days left to Malaysian Restaurant Week, until June 20th, and I definitely think you should take part in this $20.10 deal, but just not at Cafe Asean.  Definitely go to my old favorite Nyonya or Penang is also offering a varied menu with 3 choices in each course (including Roti Canai).

This teaches me to be loyal to my old favorites , when they have proven themselves to be unwaveringly delicious and not be tempted by good reviews by people who may appreciate good food over authenticity.  To me, there is nothing like good, authentic, International cuisine.  Don't give me muted flavors because you think my "American" palate can't tolerate the heat. Bring it on!


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Pumpkin Casserole

As a chef, I still have to cook for myself, in addition to my clients.
Traveling on the train home (primary mode of transportation for most New Yorkers), after teaching a cooking class or whatever other culinary activity I am involved in, I am usually thinking what am I going to make for myself now, for dinner.
I start thinking of what's in my refrigerator and especially, I think of the vegetables and what do I need to use up before it goes bad.
I remembered I had 1/2 a Calabaza pumpkin in my refrigerator.  It was too hot for pumpkin soup, so I created this recipe in my head and I am always happy when what I invent in my head comes out perfectly delicious on the first attempt.

Pumpkin Casserole:
1 1/2 pounds Calabaza pumpkin, chopped
1 pound potatoes, chopped
8 cloves
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup cassava flour (cornmeal should be a good substitution, since I know cassava flour is not a usual pantry item for most)
1 egg
1/3 cup coconut milk
salt and pepper, to taste
1 pound ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
4 ounces Pepper Jack cheese, grated

Place pumpkin in a large pot with 5 of the cloves and cover with water.  Boil until pumpkin is tender.  Place potatoes in a medium pot with 3 of the cloves and cover with water.  Boil until potates are tender.

While vegetables are boiling, heat a skillet with the oil.  Saute onion and garlic until golden brown.  Add ground meat and saute until cooked through.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add parsley and stir to combine.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Strain potatoes and pumpkin and remove cloves.  In a food processor, whisk potatoes and pumpkin with butter until homogenous.  Add milk, egg and flour.  Process for another 2 minutes until thoroughly combined.  Add salt and pepper, to taste.  Process for another minute.

In a square casserole dish, spread half of the pumpkin and potato mixture on the bottom.  Place meat mixture on top.  Sprinkle 3 ounces of the cheese over the meat.  Spread the remaining pumpkin-potato mixture on top.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.  Garnish with more parsley.

Bake in oven for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes, to set.

Cut into squares and serve warm with a green salad.

A delicious summer meal.



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Urubamba Peruvian Cuisine

After sampling a number of mediocre restaurants recently, it was a pleasure to experience what good food and service can taste like again, at Urubamba Peruvian Restaurant in Jackson Heights.  Located in heart of the Latin American section of Jackson Heights, this restaurant does service to the multi-layered depth of Peruvian cuisine.

The meal started off with a pitcher of Chincha Morada, a local beverage made of fermented blue corn.  Fruity, spicy and sweet at the same time, it reminded me of Caribbean sorrel, a drink close to my Caribbean descended heart.  The appetizer sampler of ceviche, fish in aji yellow pepper sauce, calimari, mussels and yuca fries will have your taste buds thanking you with all the different levels of flavor and spice.  One of the spiciest of South American cuisines, the fish in pepper sauce jumps out at you with a sauce, that has quite a powerful kick to it.

Of course, the menu has grilled steaks and Rotisserie chicken - standard fare at most South American restaurants, but I suggest going for the entrees that are unique to Peru.  Start with some offals - Anticuchos (skewered veal hearts) are a popular street food in Lima and here they are cooked perfectly, to moist tenderness.  Tripe, not a favorite food of mine, was enjoyable here.  Seasoned and fried perfectly - those who don't usually like tripe texture, will enjoy this dish.

Beef in cilantro sauce was delicious, as was the falling off the bone tender Goat Stew, served over tacu-tacu.  Tacu-Tacu is a kind of rice and cranberry bean pattie, served as an accompaniment to the main course.  This is way more interesting and delicious than plain white rice.  I definitely suggest ordering one of the tacu-tacu entrees.  Cumin and coriander are dominant flavors in the stews, but there is a great balance so not one flavor overpowers the entrees.

Don't finish your food.  Instead, take home some leftovers and save room for dessert.  Picarones, delicious anise flavored pumpkin and sweet potato donuts, are surprisingly light, given the starch content of the root vegetables. 

Picarones

Ice creams in local Peruvian fruit flavors like cherimoya and lucuma.  Cherimoya tastes like candy, almost artificially fruity like gummi bears.  Truly, a unique fruit flavor.  The better choice is the lucuma, spiced with strong cinnamon and vanilla flavors, is the perfect end to this wonderful meal.  Skip the post meal coffee.  It is not needed, due to the spicy flavors in the lucuma ice cream.

Service is also attentive and friendly.  Not over the top, but adequate.  This is a restaurant that I can recommend to frequent, until you have tried everything on their extensive menu.  I have a feeling this is one of the few restaurants that will get repeat postings on the blog, for subsequent visits.

Make your next Dining Out experience be at Urubamba and I guarantee, you won't be disappointed.

And don't forget to check out Global Tastes and Travels' Andean Discovery Culinary Tour to Peru, so you can sample this delicious cuisine in Peru itself and learn how to prepare ceviche yourself, see Machu Pichu...and so much more.  See here for more information.


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Kath Katha (cookbook recipes)

Our second posting of our Cookbook Recipe series is taken from The Great Curries of India.

This cookbook is a wonderful book that includes recipes from the different regional cuisines of India.  Ms. Panjabi also tells you exactly what region and community of India the recipes is from.  I have made many recipes from this book and each one is a hit.  My favorite is a delicious South Indian Prawn curry, made in a rich tomato sauce with jaggery and tamarind.  I decided to try something different and tried this Vegetable Curry from the Indian state of Goa.  The use of the Guajillo peppers are representative of the strong Portuguese influence on Goan cuisine.

Ingredients:
1 cup coconut
4 tablespoons oil
2 onions (1 finely chopped, 1 thinly sliced)
3 dried Guajillo chiles
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 2-inch piece of cinnamon stick
4 cloves
10 peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon asoefetida
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 bay leaves
2 blades of mace (can be purchased from Kalustyans)
1 pound vegetables, chopped (I used all root vegetables that have about the same cooking time, so they can be all added at the same time - potatoes, pumpkin and carrots
1 teaspoon lime juice

Method:
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a non-stick skillet.  Add the coconut and saute for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden brown.  Remove and set aside in a bowl.
Remove the heads of the chiles and place in the skillet with the coriander seeds.  After 3 minutes, add the cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon and stir for 2-3 minutes.  Remove from the pan and add to the bowl with the coconut.
In a blender or food processor, combine coconut-spice mixture, roasted spices and 1 cup water.
In a large skillet, heat the remaining oil.  Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asoefetida and turmeric.  After a minute, add the bay leaf and chopped onion.  Fry for about 10 minutes, until golden brown.  Add the coconut-spice mix and the mace and fry for 15 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated.  Add 3 cups of water, salt and stir to combine.
Bring to a boil and add the vegetables, until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
Add the lime juice and taste for seasonings.  Add salt, if necessary and serve with paratha.


For both vegetarians and non-vegetarians, this is a dish that can be served as a main dish.  The dried chiles and the roasted spice paste create a great depth of smoky flavor.  The Guajillo is a mild chile that adds flavor and smokiness, without adding a lot of heat. This is a great dish for people who like the flavors of Indian cuisine, but do not like a lot of pepper.

This semi-dry curry goes better with chapati or paratha, rather than rice.  The coconut-spice mix consistency is perfect to be picked up with the bread, but there is not enough sauce to be absorbed by rice.  If you would like some more heat to the dish, simply eat it with some achar.  Sweet Lime Pickle would be the perfect achar to go with this mild curry.

Personally, I am not a fan of dry curries of this nature, but the dish had a lot of layers of flavor.  I just was not a fan of the consistency.



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Vegetarian Indian

For vegetarians, Indian food is the most adaptable to this type of diet. Two of the most popular Vegetarian Indian restaurants in NYC are Pongal and Tiffin Wallah.
Tiffin Wallah has been one of my favorite go-to restaurants since it opened just a few years ago, for consistently great South Indian vegetarian cuisine. The staff is friendly and attentive., never rushing you out, even when there are a line of people outside, waiting for a table. Delicious dosais, thali plates and their samosa chaat are my favorite menu items.. Perfectly spiced floury potatoes inside the samosas served in a simultaneously sweet, tart and spicy tamarind sauce is one of the most delicious items on the menu (see photo). The depth of varied flavors at Tiffin Wallah make this carnivore forget there isn't any meat on her plate.
When I was having dinner with a Vegan friend of mine this week and I was asked to pick the place, I knew right away where we'd go. Unfortunately, when we got there, the gates were down to a gas line leak.
Thank God Tiffin Wallah is located in the Indian hub of East 28th Street, so there were many options available. We decided to try Pongal, another entirely Vegetarian and certified Kosher located just around the corner on Lexington Avenue that has a good reputation.
They were jam packed, which is usually the sign of a good restaurant, but we got a seat within a few minutes. We were given menus, served water and that was the end of our excellent service. We waited 20 minutes until we FINALLY got the attention of the waiter to take our order, while the two tables who were seated after we arrived were already on their first course. When I explained this to the waiter, he said it is because our table is not his usual side. Is this a valid reason to forget clients are waiting to be served? I think NOT. Yet the table right next to us (also not his regular side) had their orders taken immediately. They did tell me that they are regulars. To provide special attention to regulars should not alter the standard level of service to all the diners!
The food was tasty enough, although I found their menu not as varied as Tiffin Wallah. Although tasty and seasoned with perfect levels of spice and heat, the saambhar was pureed so that it was more like a dahl than authentic saambhar with chunks of vegetables. Shahi paneer had no depth to it. It tasted more like a tomato soup with paneer. More spices to add levels of flavor were needed.
When restaurants apply the gratuity to the check, it is usually for groups of 5 or more. At Pongal, it is 3 or more. They might as welll just include the 15% gratuity on alll checks.
Perhaps if you are a regular, Pongal is the place to go, but I will wait until the gas leak is repaired and remain faithful to consistent delicious food and excellent service. at Tiffin Wallah.

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NYC Summer Foodie Events

For NYC foodies, there is no other season like summertime.  Summertime brings weekly street fairs and festivals full of foods by local purveyors as well as well known restaurants.  Some of the festivals focus on other cultural activities as well.  Not to mention, our annual Summertime Restaurant Week!!! 

Here is a comprehensive Resource Guide for the upcoming summer events.  Please support our local food artisans and eat your way through our wonderful city!!!

HIGHLIGHT FOODIE EVENTS

June 11th - Pushcart Market - some of the best street food vendors will be all here, at one market, including Vendy Award winner, Biryani Cart.

June 13th - Japan Block Fair - featuring food, shopping and performances to highlight Japanese culture

June 14th - June 20th - Malaysian Restaurant Week - 3 course pre-fixe meals for $20.10 at restaurants featuring Asian Cuisine

July 12 - July 25 - NYC Restaurant Week - 3 course pre-fixe meals for $24.10 (lunch) and $35.00 (dinner)

NYC CULTURAL EVENTS FEATURING FOODS AND MORE...

June 11th -Tribeca Food Festival - (on West Broadway from Beach - Leonard Street)

June 12th - Lower Third Avenue Summer Festival - (on 3rd Avenue from 6th - 14th Street)

June 13th - New York City Expo - (on 3rd Avenue from 23rd - 34th Street)

June 19th - Times Square Expo  - (on Broadway from 47th - 57th Street)

June 20th - The Turtle Bay Festival  - (on Lexington Avenue from 42nd - 54th Street)

June 25th - Grand Central Station Festival - (on 43rd St. from Lexington - 3rd Avenue)

June 26th - 6th Avenue Summerfest - (on 6th Avenue from 23rd - 33rd Street)

June 27th - Times Square Block Party - (on 46th Street from Broadway - 8th Avenue)

July 3rd  - USO - Avenue of the Americas Summerfest - (on 6th Avenue from 42nd - 56th Street)

July 4th  - The Great July 4th Festival - (on Water from Fulton - Broad Street)

July 9th - Financial Community Day Festival - (on Broad St. from Water - South Street)

July 10th - Park Avenue Summerfest - (on Park Avenue South from 17th - 23rd Street)

July 11th - NYC Celebration of Nations Festival - (on Madison Avenue from 42nd - 57th Street)

July 17th - East Side Summer Festival - (on Lexington Avenue from 42nd - 57th Street)

July 18th - NYC Unfolds Street Fair - (on Broadway from Houston - Grand Street)

July 24th - Washington Sq. Summer Fair - (on Bleecker St. from Broadway - 6th Ave. )

July 24th - Central Park Summerfest - (on 60th St. from Madison - 5th Ave. )

July 25th - 52nd Association Jazz Festival - (on 52nd Street from Lexington - 7th Avenue)

July 31st - Festival of the Americas - (on 6th Avenue from 42nd - 56th Street)

August 7th - Greenwich Village Festival - (on Greenwich Avenue from 6th - 7th Avenue)

August 8th - Lexington Avenue Summerfest  - (on Lexington Avenue from 42nd - 57th Street)

August 14th - Summer Seaport Festival - (on Water Street from Fulton - Broad Street)

August 15th - Madison Avenue Summer Fair - (on Madison Avenue from 42nd - 57th Street)

August 20th - Grand Central Summer Festival - (on 43rd Street from Lexington - 3rd Avenue)

August 21st- The Great Irish Festival  - (on 6th Avenue from 42nd - 56th Street)

September 5th - The 26th Annual Brazilian Day Festival  - (on 6th Ave. from 42nd - 56th St. & on 46th St. from Madison - 7th Ave.)



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Kuku (cookbook recipes)

Global Tastes & Travels is introducing a new series to our blog called Cookbook Recipes.  At least once a week, we will be testing recipes from various cookbooks (sometimes tweaking it a bit if necessary and using slight substitutions based on what is currently in stock, although we will still inform you of the original recipe ingredients) to help you decide which cookbooks are worth the money.

The first recipes we are trying is called Kuku.  It\ is a Kenyan recipe taken from The African and Middle Eastern Cookbook.  The influence of the Indian population on Kenyan cuisine is evident in the use of mung beans and the suggestion to serve with chapatis.  I have used this cookbook several times over the years and so far, only one recipe was a miss.  This is a pretty well  written recipe, although when writing recipes, I always assume the reader knows nothing about the culinary arts.  A few additional explanations make it a bit clearer.  Here is my rewritten recipe for Kuku:

Ingredients:
5 boneless skinless chicken thighs (original recipe had 6 thighs)
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
salt and pepper, to taste
2 oz. split green gram aka as mung beans (original recipe called for whole green gram.  Using split gram reduced the cooking time)
4 tablespoons sunflower oil (original recipe used corn oil, but sunflower oil is a healthier option)
2 onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tomatoes
1 green chile, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/4 cups coconut milk
1 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh coriander, finely chopped (originaly recipe used 1 tablespoon)

Method:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add tomatoes and boil for about 5 minutes, until skins start to crack.  Remove immediately to a bowl of ice and cold water.
2. Once chilled, peel and chop tomatoes.
3.  Season the chicken pieces with salt, pepper and ground ginger.  Set aside in the refrigerator.
4. Boil split gram in plenty of water until tender, about 20 minutes. (35 minutes, if using whole mung beans, according to original recipe).  Strain and mash the cooked mung beans.
5. In a large skillet, heat oil and brown chicken pieces on both sides, about 4-5 minutes one each side.
6.  Remove to a plate and discard half the oil.
7. In the same pan, saute onions, garlic and chile, until onions are golden brown.  Add tomatoes and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
8. Add the mashed mung beans , lemon juice and coconut milk.  Sit to combine and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
9. Add water and coriander.  Stir to combine.  Add chicken pieces and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
10. Serve with rice or chapatis.

This a delicious recipe with the sweet coconut milk and using simple, fresh ingredients.  The chile adds flavor, without a lot of spice.  The thick sauce tastes delicious over Basmati rice.

4/17/2012 update:
Submitting recipe to Chicken Feast

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Shakshuka

Shakshuka is a very popular breakfast item in Israel.  There are many places that serve Shakshuka and everyone has their favorite go to place for Shakshuka.
Shakshuka was first brought to Israel by Moroccan Jews.  This has a little kick to it with the North African penchant for pepper and spice, however, many places in Israel will tone down the spice for more mass appeal.  I prefer the authentic version with the chile.

Ingredients:
10 tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
4 eggs

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil.  Saute onions, garlic and jalapeno until onions are translucent.  Add tomatoes and heat on medium flame for about 10 minutes until tomatoes start to liquefy into a sauce.  Stir in chopped parsley.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Add eggs,, placed seperately on top of the sauce.  Cover and cook until eggs are set, to desired doneness.

Serve with warm pita.

This is a great weekend brunch item!!!



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Bourbon Street Bar & Grille

Bourbon Street Bar and Grille is a restaurant located on NYC's Restaurant Row.  Authentic architecture does remind you of New Orleans' French Quarter.  They have a wonderful outdoor dining area upstairs and on a beautiful sunny day, as it was on Saturday, it was the perfect setting to enjoy brunch and get a suntan at the same time.  Unfortunately, the poor service put a slight damper on the day.

If you are going to advertise unlimited mimosas during brunch, it should not take 20+ minutes to receive each one.  Rather than having pitcher's of the pre-made brunch cocktail, having to wait for them to be made individually on a busy afternoon, is just not time efficient.  If everyone at the table is having unlimited mimosas, it makes more sense to leave a pitcher on the table.  Secondly, one person in my dining party was in a rush and upon arrival, she attempted to ask the hostess if she can place her order right away.  Neither the hostess or the waitress would take her order.  They insisted she sit down first at her table and then she had to wait another 20 minutes for them to take her order and then another 1/2 hour to deliver her burger, which she had to gobble up in 5 minutes.

They have changed their way of making Smothered Chicken and Biscuits.  They have changed the large chicken pieces to diced chicken and now the dish lacks depth and texture. The "blackened" shrimp that was supposed to come with the salad was not blackened  and was unevenly cooked.  Some were overcooked and others were not quite cooked thoroughly. Omelette of mushrooms, spicy ham and parmesan cheese were a great combination of flavors, although it was a bit overcooked.  The redeeming factors were the wine list and the white chocolate bread pudding, which had many layers of flavor and was the perfect consistency of French bread pudding which is more like a custard then loose pieces of bread, as in American bread pudding.  The spiced chantilly cream and white chocolate complemented this dish perfectly.  This decadent dessert almost made up for the poor service.

One thing I must complement them on is their lingering policy.  They will allow you to leisurely spend your whole afternoon there, lingering on drinks, long after brunch is finished.  Not the slightest attempt to try to rush you or clear the table for the next round of diners.

Slow service and average food does not leave me impressed with Bourbon Street.

Urubamba Peruvian Restaurant is the next place I will be sampling.  I hope they leave me more impressed than my last two dining experiences have been.


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