That 70s Place: Michael's

Michael's Fine Dining

Well, the website made Michael's look like a good, basic steakhouse. My colleague picked it out and since we were communicating by text, it wasn't easy to make deep, thorough decisions.

There was something about Michael's as we stepped in that gave me deja vu, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. We were led to our booth with the large leather seats. Our helpful waitress soon appeared and told us we had to get the onion rings (so we did). Menu was a selection of steaks and chops, pasta, chicken, but also with a Greek twist.



After some thought, I went with the pork chop. The entree came with a side salad and vegetable (asparagus with hollandaise). Very basic salad and tasty asparagus. The pork chop was good, but not great. For dessert, we split the raspberry bread pudding (again at the  suggestion of our waitress).

As we left, my colleague hit it on the head; it was the 1970s! Michael's reminded us of a place out of the 70s (not that there's anything wrong with that!). Michael's was probably a great and trendy (in a 70s sorta way) in its time, but it was stuck in the 70s. Plastic menus, iceberg lettuce (not a wedge!), a certain style of oil painting on the walls ... well, you know. Not bad by any means. but just well, what it was.

Meal: Dinner
Rating: **
Date: 27 April 2010
Address: 15 S. Broadway, Rochester, MN 55904
Website: http://www.michaelsfinedining.com/

Fleming's in Baltimore: Meat, hold the crab cake!

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse

Caesar salad, lamb chops and a glass of wine. Oh, and some tasty bread with two different butter/dips. What more could you want in Baltimore, especially if you're someone who doesn't like the inescapable Maryland Crab!?!?

I was up in Baltimore for a short conference and one night out to eat. I'm not a fan of crabs (actually, of crustaceans in general, but crabs are at the top of the list). So, what to do? Well, to the rescue came one of my colleagues who suggested that a group of us go to Fleming's steakhouse, just around the corner from our meeting hotel.

Off we went.

I hadn't been to an American style steakhouse in quite a while (see my last Brasilian adventures in meat), so that was fine with me. Located in a nice new building on Baltimore's Inner Harbor, our party of three (henceforward known as the "Speyer Party" to the wait staff - as in "And how is the Speyer party tonight?" was quickly seated and brought the introductory bread.

It's hard to pass up an opportunity for a good Caesar salad (with anchovies) and Fleming's did it well. Likewise, though it's not steak, a well-grilled (with nice pink inside) lamb chop keeps calling out whenever I run across it on a menu. And thus my meal was set. My colleagues went with the green salad and fillet and they both seemed pleased.

We opted out of the shareable sides (the usual garlic mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, etc.), but the serving sizes were good. Our slight mis-step in our wine order was handled with graciousness by our server and all was well.

Recommended, especially for those who are trying to escape from the attack of the Maryland crab cake!

Meal: Dinner
Rating: ****
Date: 12 April 2010
Address: 720 Aliceanna St., Baltimore, MD 21202
Website: http://www.flemingssteakhouse.com/

Pleasures of the Flesh, in Brazil

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

Pleasures of the Flesh: Grill Hall Prazeres da Carne

Most everyone by now as been to or at least run across one of the Brazilian steak houses back in the U.S. There are a couple of big chains (heavily advertized, I might ad in airline magazines!), Fogo de Chão and Texas de Brazil being the most common. While in Chicago a few years back, I had my first experience at one, Fogo de Chão, and it was quite interesting.

So, what do you get at at churrascarias? First off, don't bring your vegetarian friends with you. A churrascarias is not vegetable friendly. When going to at churrascarias your goal is to eat meat. Cow, lamb, pig (there might be some chicken thrown in, but why bother). Oh yeah, there's also a salad bar (placed there to distract the unwary from the primary goal, eating lots of meat).

So, when I went to Brazil, I was hoping to stop in at a churrascarias. And there were plenty to choose from, smaller places, and even Fogo de Chão. When my colleagues expressed interest in Brazilian steak, our hosts said they had just the place for us, Grill Hall Prazeres da Carne. In translation, The Pleasures of the Flesh! Ah, and how true!

We arrived early and our group of ten or so had a nice big round table that made for good conversation. The passadores (meat waiters) soon descended on us with shrimp and chicken, but our hosts to eat sparingly of the first offers (if at all) as the offerings get better as the evening goes on.

Wait you ask, how does this work? Well, each guest is given a token, red on one side, green on the other. As long as you are showing green, the passadores will come to your seat and offer you food. Feet is most often served on long skewers (or swords) and cut directly onto your plate.

And so, the meat came. Lamb chops, beef in various cuts (filet, sirloin, etc.), sausages, and more. As the evening drew to a close and the table was showing mostly red, a side of beef was rolled out on a table (too large for the swords) and tender slices passed around.

Not the kind of meal that you want too often, but for a once in a while treat, especially when on the home turf of the churrascarias, it was a great meal.

More photos.

Meal: Dinner
Date Visited: 4 February 2010
Rating: ****
Address: Rua Borges Lagoa, 1065, São Paulo, SP, 04038-032
Website: http://www.grillhall.com.br/

Viver a vida Lilló

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

Livin' the Lilló life!

After landing in São Paulo and checking into my hotel, I took a stroll around the neighborhood, partly to scout out dinner locations and partly to see the local sites. Just a block or so from the hotel, I spied Restaurante Lilló, it looked quite promising. Later that evening, when getting back together with my colleagues, they too had spotted Restaurante Lilló and noted it's extensive wine list. It was a go.

The main dinning area of Restaurante Lilló is practically outdoors, basically, it's a covered alleyway with live trees and a wall of ivy. Quite nice! In terms of food, it offers a variety of main courses as well as pizzas.

By choice, chance, and happenstance, I ended up having three meals at Restaurante Lilló – and there's a possibility of a fourth upon my return to São Paulo!

What did we have, meat. Lots of meat. Yes, there were fish, chicken and pasta options, but each night, we pretty much stuck with meat. Carpaccio for an appetizer, and various cuts of beef with different accompaniments. The braised cheese side was a real winner, as were the two different risottos. Oh, and the fries were good too.

Never having had Brasilian wine before, I didn't have much to compare with, but the Cabernet and pinot noir were both quite good.

An excellent choice!

Meal: Dinner
Date Visited: 2, 3, 4 February 2010
Rating: *****
Address: R Borges Lagoa, 1321, Vila Clementino, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
Website: http://www.restaurantelillo.com.br/

Snowbird, UT, Dining at the Bird

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort

Billing itself as an all year resort, I had high hopes for the culinary options at Snowbird. Perusing the website, the descriptions of the various eateries led me to believe that I was going to have quite the dining experience.

Sadly, things weren't quite what I expected. The food was by no means poor, but overall, things were of a generally average nature. The coffee spot, Baked and Brewed, offered up some good coffee and baked goods (at a relatively high price). A few spots were closed or only open certain days.

The biggest disappointments were the big ticket restaurants - The Steak Pit and the Aerie Lounge. Caveat, we ate only at the Aerie Lounge, the lower end version of the Aerie, but after the meal there and at the Steak Pit, the perceived value of the Aerie was in such doubt, we passed on it in favor of another stop at El Chanate. El Chanate was the big winner, two dinners and a lunch.

In any resort environment where there's a captive audience, the diner is at the mercy of the establishment. When you're on top of the mountain, prices, selection and quality take back seat to "can I get anything? Please!?!"

Overall, I'd give Snowbird (summer version) a solid 2.5 stars.

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Here's some details:

Forklift
For a nice little sit down breakfast, pancakes, the works, Forklift is a good option. The oatmeal was quite good as were the bacon and pancakes!

Meal: Breakfast
Rating: ***
Date Visited: July 2009
Address: Snowbird, Utah
Website: http://www.snowbird.com/dining/diningguide/forklift.html

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Baked and Brewed in the Bird
Okay, I'm in Snowbird, Utah. I want coffee and it's early in the morning. Where's my Starbucks!?!?! Huh? Where is it? What? Down in the valley? Yikees! What do to do?

Okay, I'm calming down, there's some coffee in the Cliff Lodge lobby (but nothing but powdered white stuff - and I don't mean snow) to lighten it. Where to go?

Okay. Baked and Brewed. Whew. The best little spot (ok, the only spot) to get a really good cup of coffee and a baked good.

I had the cinnamon roll which was light and tasty with just the right amount of frosting. It was really too big for just one person, but well ... it was vacation!

Meal: Breakfast
Rating: ****
Date Visited: July 2009
Address: Snowbird, Utah
Website: http://www.snowbird.com/dining/diningguide/bakednbrewed.html

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General Grits
General Grits was a good, all around spot for getting supplies while staying at Snowbird. The sandwich bar, located in the back, could get pretty busy during breaks in the Botany meetings, but the crew of sandwich makers soldiered on.

There were the usual offerings (ham, turkey, etc.). I went with a tasty salami on a roll. A nice, relatively inexpensive option at Snowbird.



Meal: Lunch
Rating: ***
Date Visited: July 2009
Address: Snowbird, Utah
Website: http://www.snowbird.com/dining/diningguide/generalgritts.html

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El Chanate
I had one and a half dinners and lunch at El Chanate. We arrived late at Snowbird and El Chanate was our only option. We had great service and a nice and lovely light meal with enchilladas and chips (note: you pay for the chips and salsa!). I also, with some business colleagues, had the "all you can eat" lunch. A nice hot table of options as a reasonable price.

We ended with another dinner on the patio (surrounded by potguts - the local ground squirrel). Good service and serviceable food.



Meal: Lunch/Dinner
Rating: ***
Date Visited: July 2009
Address: Snowbird, Utah
Website: http://www.snowbird.com/dining/diningguide/keyhole.html

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Aerie Lounge
It was getting late and there weren't that many options. It was also pretty busy since the Botany conference that I was attending was getting underway and the botanists needed to eat!!!

We went with the Aerie Lounge on this night.

Service was very slow (but I blame the staffing levels and crowds for that). Worse, the food was extremely mediocre. We had a fusion spring roll apetizer and for a main course, I had what sounded like a good pizza offering. Overall, it felt like the Aerie Lounge had ordered their foods from Chef Tontino and zapped them all in the microwave.



Meal: Dinner
Rating: *
Date Visited: July 2009
Address: Snowbird, Utah
Website: http://www.snowbird.com/dining/diningguide/aerie.html

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Steak Pit
Well, the Steak Pit was the big disappointment at Snowbird. I don't go out for steak often and when I do, I like it to be an event. I was hoping for an event at Snowbird. If this dinner was an event, it was not a big event!

Located in the lower level of the Snowbird Center, the Steak Pit aims for the basic "western steak house" look. Seated in a large booth, we made a good selection from the nice wine offerings. Snowbird is big on coupons and we had one for a free appetizer. We went with the artichoke. A nice selection, but basically, it was a boiled artichoke. Good, but, well, I make the same - and better, trimming the spiky tips - at home.

A nice touch was the family style salad. A salad was served in a large bowl with dressings on the side for the table to eat from.

For my entree, I went with the 7 oz. snake River Farms Wagyu Petite sirloin. The steak was a bit dry and didn't have a good grill look to it. Might have been done in a broiler or even in a pan. Tender, but not terribly flavorful. My wife had the chicken and my daughter the burger. Both, again, adequate, but leaning towards the dry and basic.

Not the "best western steakhouse" that I had been looking forward too.

The service was attentive and informative.



Meal: Dinner
Rating: **
Date Visited: July 2009
Address: Snowbird, Utah
Website: http://www.snowbird.com/dining/diningguide/steakpit.html