Nebraska State Fair

Sometimes you just need to say YES to all kinds of bad food . . . bad in a good way, of course. I spent today eating my way through the Nebraska State Fair in Lincoln on a beautiful late summer day. The focus here is fried things and things on sticks . . . sometimes fried things on sticks . . . and everything I ate was wonderful in a way only fair food can be. So, here are the highlights:

Hot Beef Sundae [yes, you read correctly]: garlic mashed potatoes, sliced roast beef, more mashed potatoes, brown gravy, cheddar cheese and a cherry tomato on top. Its like a roast beef dinner in a sundae bowl and it was GOOD! I could have eaten two, but wanted to save room for other treats. I had never seen anything like this before and hope that it makes its way to the Oregon State Fair in the future.

Deep Fried Peach on a Stick: oh yeah baby! A fresh peach, impaled on a stick, dipped in funnel cake batter and plopped in the hot fat. Crispy and hot, the peach warm and sweet, with a sprinkle of powdered sugar for good measure. Who thinks of this stuff!

Pineapple Whip: I'm not actually sure what this stuff is ... frozen pineapple stuff, kind of like ice cream, but not. Lighter in texture and full of pineapple flavor. Because its cold and light and tastes like fruit, it seems that it should be on the healthy side of the spectrum. But remember, this is the fair, so I'm sure its as full of empty calories and fat as everything else. And, its good!

Deep Fried Oreos: another fried revelation, oreo cookies dipped in batter, fried, then covered with some whipped cream when served. Crunchy, chocolaty, gooey and perfect.

Corn Dogs: who doesn't love a corn dog! They have gotten a bad rap because of the Costco/supermarket premade abominations. But a well made corn dog, dipped in the batter and lowered into the hot fat right in front of you, well, this is another story. Hot and crisp, flavorful corn bread batter and a good hot dog . . . dinner on a stick just in need of a slather of mustard and we're set. More fair goodness.

Deep Fried Twinkies: well, why not . . . frying makes everything better and a twinkie is no exception. Crispy, the outer layer of cake almost caramelized, and the filling [what is that stuff, anyway] warm and gooey. Again I ask, who thinks of this stuff!!

Lemonade: gotta have something to drink, and freshly squeezed is a fair staple and very good. Tart and cold, its the perfect thing to wash down the other tasty treats and refresh the palate in preparation for more fatty fun.

Don't tell the cardiologists about all of this, just enjoy. What fun!!

Omaha: The French Cafe

So, here I am in Omaha and have discovered that its a beautiful city with some great green spaces downtown and wonderful sculpture [I am particularly fond of the herd of bison and flock of geese: http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/52978517.html]and interesting architechure. Who knew! And, an area called Old Market that is about three blocks of restaurants and clubs in the old market area that was alive with people on a beautiful summer evening. Among all of the this is The French Cafe, a real find of a French bistro in an old brick warehouse. Nice bar space, large dining room and a cool patio as well.

And on to the food. I started with Coquilles St Jacques which was described as seared scallops in a tarragon cream sauce with crimimi mushrooms and creme fraiche. Well, maybe. The sauce was flavorful and had a nice consistency, but the 'seared' scallops showed no signs of being near a saute pan, and there weren't many in the dish. The dish was served in the traditional puff pastry case, which was the main problem. The pasty was flaccid [yes, I said flaccid] at best and I discovered the reason: they covered the plate on its way from the kitchen to the table . . . so what probably started out as crisp, got steamed on its journey from the kitchen and the dish was ruined. For the entree I had a really good roast chicken, served on a bed of lentils with a roasted garlic and green peppercorn sauce. The chicken was perfectly cooked, moist and flavorful and I love lentils . . . so it was a good match. The lentils were well cooked as well, not to soft, and the garlic mustard sauce brought everything together. After the entree I had a small salad with a perfect vinaigrette.

This place is know for its mussels and has an entire section of the menu devoted to "les moules" with ten different preparations. I wasn't in the mood for mussels this evening, but saw several orders come out of the kitchen and they looked and smelled very good.

One thing that can elevate the experience is the staff, and in this case Kyle the bartender and Michael the manager were good company and kept the evening enjoyable. Even in the face of a completely drunk and abusive regular . . . arguing over a tab that he walked out on . . . they maintained both their composure and sense of humor. In spite of the misstep with the appetizer puff pastry, this was an enjoyable evening and I will return the next time I'm in Omaha.

EatHereOrNot: EAT HERE

Jonesborough, TN: Earth and Sky Confections

So, Jonesborough is the oldest town in Tennessee, a picturesque place filled with restaurants, stores [always called a shoppe] and stuff. Its also the home of the National Storytelling Festival and International Storytelling Center [with a degree program at ETSU], which is very cool. In a town of this type, folks in tee-shirts with 'sayings' on them, sipping from over sized cups and generally not at their best, it was with trepidation that I was lead to Earth and Sky Confections [described as a chocolate shop]. I was expecting something like Rocky Mountain Chocolates . . . Rocky Road and caramel apples and all . . . but what I saw blew me out of the water. This place is a gem, the chocolates jewels of color and bursting with flavor. I was immediately reminded of Vosges Chocolates in Chicago and Joseph Schmidt of San Francisco. And I'm in a tiny town in the Tennessee mountains. Amazing!

So many interesting flavor combinations: chili, herbs, honey, citrus and all perfectly beautiful. I could not decide, so had as many different pieces as could fit into a box without looking the complete pig. Or, maybe not. Anyway, this place is a spectacular surprise, tucked behind a nondescript storefront, and you should NOT MISS IT.

EatHereOrNot: EAT HERE