Monday, May 31, 2010

Tofu Croutons


by way of special correspondent Lady Fleur de Lys


Take a tetra-pak of Mori-Nu firm tofu and cut into 1 inch cubes. Lay on cookie sheet, season well and toss in olive oil. 400 degrees F and 2 hours later, voila...
You have some healthy tofu croutons that will keep in a ziplock back for a good 2 weeks.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Hey Song Sarsaparilla - 黑松沙士

When I crave a taste of Taiwan... and can't get to Flushing (Queens), I crack open a chilled can of Hey Song Sarsaparilla. Those of you who love Root Beer, the Sarsaparilla root is a main ingredient in Root Beer. Very pungent and oh so good.
Brings a tear to my eye...

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Cakebread Chardonnay

Friends in the industry have been telling me Cakebread makes a mean chardonnay.
Wow! Were they right.
Not that overly buttery chard you think of when you here California. Great balance and high marks on the yumminess meter.

I picked up a bottle on my way to my buddy's place.
He made mussels, pasta pesto, baked branzino, and affogato last night.

Molto Complamenti! 

Friday, May 28, 2010

Soft Boiled Eggs

This is what happens when you have make an extra large batch of eggs. 
You have eggs 3 days in a row. 

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Boiling Eggs

I actually don't mind if its 4 or 5 eggs in the morning. But deshelling 30 eggs is NOT fun.

Instructions :
Bring up to boil.
Cut heat and cover for 8 minutes.
Cold water bath to stop the cooking.
= Soft Boiled Eggs

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Compost Cookies

Words can't describe how magically delicious Momofuku Compost Cookies are.

Wow are they good! Even priced at $1.85 a cookie, the overall goodness far surpasses its monetary cost.

For my "Girls" in the office

Every now and then, I like to treat the ladies in the office with a little home cookin'. 

Today's Menu :
Mapo Tofu
Slice of Pork Belly Chashu
Pickled Cucumbers
Miso Sauce
White Rice

Cooking Matrix

Monday, May 24, 2010

Quick & Easy Chicken Wing Recipe

Note: These are not Buffalo wings.

So I was invited to a party that was supposed to have around 25 people, and it was a pot luck. Most of the people were foreigners, so I needed to represent. Initially, I thought I would make my enchiladas and guacamole. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do something different. I called Porthos to discuss the menu, and he suggested ribs with a bad ass rub, and chicken wings. He sent me the recipe for the rub, but I couldn't find half of the ingredients, even after going to 5 stores, including an international market and a "spice depot." This leaves the wings.

I did a test run on a dozen wings, and I screwed up... but it turned out to be a good thing! I didn't pay close attention, and I heard a sizzling sound instead of a steaming sound, and, well... here's the recipe where I explain why the "mistake" was a good thing:

Ingredients:
Chicken wings
Coca-Cola
Ginger
Scallion (green onion)
Shitake mushrooms

Directions:
Throw wings in a pot, cover with Coke, and boil on high for an hour. While it's boiling, throw in a few sliced scallions, a few sliced shrooms, and a few slices of ginger. That's it! No really... that's it!!





So here's a nicer touch on what I discovered when I wasn't paying attention. As the Coke was boiling away, around the 50 minute mark, I heard the pot "sizzling." Umm, not good. This means all the Coke evaporated away, and everything is burning! I immediately dumped everything onto a plate, looked at it, and tasted the chicken. OMG, surprisingly, it was pretty darn good! Here's what happened - the Coke reduced into a thick, syrupy-like sauce and stuck to the wings. Add a little salt, maybe some Cayenne pepper, and you're in business!

This time around, I made 2 large pots. After an hour, the chicken was done, but the Coke was still there. I spooned out a lot of the Coke, and let it evaporate away. I plated the chicken wings, threw some sliced and diced scallions on top with some kale for garnish, and I brought it to the party. It was a hit!

At least I think it was. Everyone may have just been acting nice to me. :-D

Since many people asked me how I made it, here I am at 1:15AM writing this blog. Enjoy, all! And thanks again, Porthos

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Wedding Cakes 101


IMG_7920
Originally uploaded by gkao007

1. You should always have ample refrigerator space for the finished product.

2. If not, make sure you have a ton of dry ice to keep the sugars from melting.

3. You should have a vehicle capable of transporting your 200lbs. wedding cake from point A to point B.

4. If not, make sure your Best Man has a vehicle capable of transporting your 200lbs. wedding cake from point A to point B.

Congratulations Kohji !!!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Having the right tools...

At the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco, the chef Ron Seigel uses a bong to create cedar smoke to flavor quail eggs.

(taken from the NY Times)

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Wu Liang Ye

I started my day yesterday at 4:30am, making sushi for high school students in the Upper West Side. Then a barrage of meetings here and there, finally finishing up at the Plaza Hotel around 9pm.

I had zero desire to cook for myself so I grabbed my co-workers and we all went to Wu Liang Ye and dined like kings. Or should I say, "Emperor".

I have always wanted to go here but never could round up people. That is until yesterday.

Wu Liang Ye - Highly Recommended
(I'm thinking like all Chinese joints, it helps when you speak their language and convey you specifically came here for authenticity)
36 W 48th St (btw 5th and 6th)
NY, NY 10036
212-398-2308

I'm deeming this joint my favorite Chinese restaurant in Manhattan for sure. Not that there's that much competition, but this was on par with a "mom's cooking".

Items ordered :
Tender Boiled Pork Belly with Spicy Garlic Sauce **
Pu Ehr Tea Smoked Duck *
Szechuan Boiled Dumplings in Chili Sauce *
Squash in Dried Scallops and Seafood Sauce *
Young Chow Fried Rice *

And the default house tea was Jasmine Tea. Extra bonus points for sure. 

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Arnie Palmers

Ever since Aramis introduced to me Arnold Palmers (half iced tea, half lemonade), I've been a big fan. 
My coworker spotted a green tea Arnold Palmer today and got me a bottle.

And yes, its quite good.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Faster Food KFC

If you ever have a craving for the Colonel's original recipe... for $1.99 and about 15 seconds... you can charge into a KFC and demand a "get a grip" piece of fried chicken breast.

I just ate one and pretty happy I ventured to give it a try.

There are so many great fried chicken joints now that "fry" a whole lot better than this boyhood chain does, so this was the perfect palate teaser and gave me enough of the 11 magical herbs and spices that make KFC so damn nostalgic.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Food Network New Programming - Murder Mystery?

Looks like a former Food Network chef, "The Calorie Commando" tried to hire some homeless people to commit murder. Looks like he changed his format to slashing people instead of calories - wocka wocka wocka!
http://cbs2.com/entertainment/Murder.plot.food.2.1695659.html?detectflash=false

Friday, May 14, 2010

Madai (Red Snapper)

These were flown in the other day from Japan.
The Red Snapper (aka Madai) is considered the King of Fish in Japan.  Predominantly used for ceremonial and celebratory purposes. And delicious in any preparation.

I took part in a private cooking class held at the Japanese Culinary Center (Manhattan), where a Master Sushi Chef came in and taught us how to break down the fish and prepare the whole fish 5 ways.
From basic Sashimi, to Kelp Marinade, fried Scales, Simmered Split Head in Dashi and Soy, to Soup Stock with Bones.

www.japaneseculinarycenter.com

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Ploi Thai

Kinda disappointed today for lunch, but will give them one more try. I desperately want a go to Thai place near my office.

In picture : Hot and Sour / Pork and Chicken Rice Noodle Soup.

How can pork be bad

Terrible "Lechon Asado" from this Cuban joint on Christopher Street in Manhattan. 1 block east of Hudson. The name of the place is slipping my mind, but it was horendous.

In no way was this a roasted tender suckling pig,as the menu suggested. 

Mitsuwa - NJ

Killer lunch special at Mitsuwa (Japanese grocery store and food court in Edgewater, NJ)

In the pic : $7.50 Gyudon with Miso Soup and Pickles 

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

What's That Smell?

White Castle candles that smell like burgers have customers drooling

BY Katie Nelson
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Friday, May 7th 2010, 12:25 PM
White Castle introduced a new candle that smells like hamburgers.
White Castle introduced a new candle that smells like hamburgers.

Want to woo Harold or Kumar?

White Castle has just the aphrodisiac: the fast-food burger chain is hawking burger-scented candles in honor of their self-proclaimed National Hamburger Month.

The mood-setter comes in a rectangular ceramic holder that resembles the cardboard box of the White Castle Slider sandwiches. They sell for $10 each, with net proceeds going to Autism Speaks.

A New York candle power-house helped create the flame-broiled scent. Laura Slatkin and her company, Nest Fragrances, typically design luxury bath products for the likes of Christian Dior and Vera Wang.

But this time, the Chelsea-based firm is helping out a like-minded fast-food company - both she and the heads of White Castle have kids with autism.

"I was thrilled to do it," said Slatkin, who also helped found the New York Center for Autism and the state's first public charter school for children with autism.

"The candle has a top note of diced sweet onions and crisp pickle, the middle notes are beef patty, cheese and ketchup, and bottom note is a warm burger bun. It all comes together to create this amazing aroma of a White Castle Slider."

The candles have been selling like, well, hotcakes, said a spokesman for the Columbus, Ohio-based company, immortalized in the hit movie "Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle."

"We thought we had a two- month supply for online sales, but they were gone in 48 hours," said Jamie Richardson, a vice president of corporate and government relations. He projects the company will raise more than $50,000 for the nonprofit.

New Yorkers were, however, skeptical about the idea of eau-de-burger.

"I wouldn't buy it because hamburgers smell too good," said Crystal Padin, 19, of East New York, Brooklyn as she ponied up for a four-pack of White Castle burgers in midtown. "I would be hungry all day."

knelson@nydailynews.com

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/food/2010/05/07/2010-05-07_if_you_luv_the_smell_of_burger_white_castle_candles_selling_fast.html#ixzz0niC4CjU5

Mother Burger - Review

Intro
Mother Burger - Recommended
329 W 49th St, New York NY 10019
Btwn 8th & 9th Ave
Phone: (212) 757-8600

Met up the Cardinal and we were in the mood to have some brews outside, so the Cardinal mentioned Mother Burger is a good place for cheap brews outside.




Our Menu

Double Burger *
Two double patties served with the "mother sauce" - basically like a thousand island with a bit more kick. These were pretty good. Beef flavor was decent and meat was juicy.

Rating System
--- What the F - in a bad way * Good ** Great *** What the F – in a good way


Overall Restaurant Experience
  • Food –Burger is pretty good - not great by any means, but pretty good.
  • Service – We sat outside and they were relatively attentive. Food came out right away and the server was trying to be funny, but he was pretty good.
  • Atmosphere – Something about sitting outside drinking beers in NYC makes me a happy camper. There's a bunch of tables in this square area near the theater district. There's a bunch of people just sitting near by just chilling out and some other people in the same square eating at Blockheads.
  • Price – $9 for a burger, which seems a bit pricey for the quality. However, this is counteracted with the crazy cheap beers - $2 per. Sick!
Closing Comments
So where does this sit in the NYC burger universe. This is similar in style to Blue 9 and Shake Shack. Blue 9 crushes this place, but Mother Burger is much better than Shake Shack. The ultimate question though is would I go back...if I'm in the area, heck yes. Cheap brews sitting outside is always a winner in my book.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Too Funny

Can't believe I missed this one... but still quite funny. 

Is April 1 Over Yet?

By Feast 04/01/10 at 02:48PM 

D'artagnan Produces World's First "Meat Perfume"

D'artagnan Produces World's First "Meat  Perfume"

We're sick of April Fool's Day already, and it's almost three 'o' clock here in New York. But the food world keeps churning out "joke's on you!" press releases, and this one seemed worth highlighting, if only for the "A for effort" award. Below, the fake press release in full. Because nothing says "gotcha" like the manly smell of lamb leg.

"NEW YORK, April 1, 2010 -- D'Artagnan is proud to present a new line of fragrances to entice the mind and inspire the appetite.  After 25 years of intensive research, D'Artagnan chefs have been able to produce alluring meat-scented oils that replicate the aromas of your favorite cooked protein.  The scents are suspended in a revolutionary and environmentally-friendly medium: duck fat.  These solid perfumes are not only 100% edible, they are also great skin moisturizers.   

Studies (and many food blogs) have proven that men respond to the smell of bacon, that seductress of vegetarians, and many claim they would be extremely attracted to a woman who smelled of bacon.  Since the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, then the way to his stomach must be through his nose.  Being equal opportunity carnivores, the D'Artagnan fragrance line is unisex.  After all, what woman could resist a man who smells like he can cook?  

 Once the science was established, D'Artagnan developed a line of fragrances for the home using these patented essential oils of meat.  What smells better than bacon wafting up the stairs?  Perhaps the delicate perfume of a rack of lamb, seasoned with rosemary, roasting in the oven?  These room sprays will give your kitchen that friendly, cooked-in smell that makes it feel like a home.  Even when you order a take-out dinner, your home will smell like you slaved for hours over the stove.  Made with 100% natural ingredients, the room sprays are edible and can be used as breath fresheners.  They do not, however, offer much in the way of nutritional value.  For that we recommend actual meat."

Serious Noodles

Pastarazzi

Katie Couric, Wannabe Food Blogger?:  Recently, there's been a lot of debate between chefs, critics, and blogging set about whether or not it's appropriate to take pictures of ones food in a restaurant. Well, it looks like CBC Evening News anchor Katie Couric approves of the practice. Couric was spotted snapping a picture of her ramen at New York's Momofuku Noodle Bar. [Gawker]

Yikes!!!

The Evening News

By Alex Vallis 05/10/10 at 06:59PM

The Day Betty White Ruled the News

The Day Betty White Ruled the News
Getty Images

Good evening. Today on Feast, we revealed a secret that may have been keeping you from one of the city's best roof top bars: The Gramercy Park Hotel's "Private" terrace is public. Tom Colicchio upstaged David Chang, Eric Ripert, and Wylie Dufresne on HBO's Treme over the weekend. And Maloney & Porcelli started bribing MTA construction workers over-the-table with steak to get their job done on time. If it's legal, it could be genius. Finally, you might have heard that Betty White hosted SNL? We found a food-related excuse to show you a clip today but in case you haven't had enough, NBC Local also uncovered video for skits that didn't make it into the live show.

Domino's Pizza vs Papa John's

Like Athos, I've been tempted to try Domino's after being bombarded by the plethora of commercials on TV. Well, after reading Athos's post, we decided to give it a try at the last UFC event. I'm a little bit of a pizza snob and you know what...this is pretty eff'n delicious. Not spectacular by any means, but pretty damn fun. The sauce is solid having a great balance of savory and sweet with decent tomato flavor. The crust was a little doughy, but relatively crispy on the bottom and the outside crust definitely has some garlic butter. Even the toppings were pretty damn good. Pepperoni was crispy, sausage was pretty tasty, but the winner was bacon. Something about bacon and pizza is so magical.

The funny thing is the coworkers ordered Papas John's the day before. Domino's wins hands down which is funny considering I was always into Papa John's and hated Domino's. Papa John's was very doughy and the cheese was oily and almost too gooey with the toppings having no flavor. Not good stuff at all.

Having said that, I would always go with my local pizza joint 9 times out of ten since our local joint kicks massive ars.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Mother's Day 2010

My mom is a seafood fanatic, so I decided to try making a bouillabaisse for Mother's Day. I've actually never made a seafood stew in my life and this came out hella good. It actually started out as a bouillabaisse but morphed into a San Fran cioppino as I was cooking and adjusting the flavorings. Whatever it was - it was hella delicious.

Roasted Peach Salad
I've made this before and it's hella delicious. Sweet roasted peaches, caramelized onions, and whole fat ricotta is such an awesome combo. Great way to start the meal as it hits the sweet, sour, and savory notes.


Fish Stew
I basically started with my basic braising ingredients but substituted fish instead. Surprisingly it worked out really well. My only change would be as you cook the seafood through - take the fish out so it stays whole. These broke down a wee bit too much for me since I left it in the pot the whole time. Especially the cod breaks down easily.

Ingredients
1 can jersey tomatoes
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 fennel - 1/4 of it diced, the rest sliced - fennel fronds removed
2 red onions thinly sliced
5 garlic minced
3/4 cup white wine
1 cup water
dozen clams cleaned thoroughly
3/4 pound halibut cut into four pieces
3/4 pound cod cut into four pieces
2 dozen bay scallops
sea salt and pepper
extra virgin olive oil
rosemary and garlic bread toasted with olive oil toasted
garlic mayo (1 egg, salt/pepper, 4 garlic cloves, 1/4 cup olive oil blended)

1) Add the diced fennel and onions in a heavy bottomed pan with olive oil over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper and cook 5-10 minutes until softened.
2) Add white wine and balsamic vinegar. Then cook it down till you don't smell the alcohol anymore. Once the alcohol smell goes away add the tomatoes and 1/2 the water with the clams. If you want the broth thinner, add more water. Set over high heat.
3) In a frying pan, add olive oil and sliced fennel with salt/pepper over high heat. After about 7 minutes remove and set aside. Fennel should be nicely browned and softened.
4) As soon as the clams open up, remove the clams and set aside (about 5-10 minutes)
5) Add the halibut and remove when finished (about 5-7 minutes)
6) Add the cod which should finish in 3-4 minutes.
7) Add bay scallops, the rest of the fennel, and seafood back in. After 1 to 2 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning. Drizzle with olive oil, gently remove the fish pieces into individual bowls, add broth, top with fennel fronds and serve immediately. Make sure you use the bread smeared with the garlic mayo and dip in the broth - the best part of the dish. Buono appetito!

Desserts from Whole Foods - brownie cheesecake, strawberry cream puff, sfogliatelle.
All pretty delicious with the brownie cheesecake being the best.

Eating at the Met

I recently sat in on a talk given by one of the curators at the Met on Van Gogh and Gauguin. It ran until 7pm and naturally, my tummy reminded me it was feeding time. 
I was in no mood to make a reservation in the city and wait a few more hours for a seat, so I opt for a quick bite inside the Met.
And in doing so, I discovered a comic juxtaposition between the caliber of art and food there.

While on one hand, countless breathtaking pieces of art hang on the walls through out the building, and yet, not one quality morsel of food is available in the place. Its an unfortunate truth the cafeterias and dining rooms dish out very bland and uninspiring food.

I guess we can thank Restaurant Associates for pinching their pennies and making a great place such as the Met, such a bad place for a meal.
I wonder if its the chefs or just the nature of museums, but it was just horrible.
It would be a blessing if they suspended cooking on premise and instead outsourced all the food and simply marked everything 3x.  I'm sure people would prefer this over the satus quo and enthusiastically sit down for a meal.

I would happily pay $12 for 2 Gray's Papaya Dogs and a Fruit Smoothie. Or even $4 for a slice of Joe's Pizza from Bleecker St.  And if I'm feeling extra good about myself, $21 for the best Turkey Club from Stage Deli in Midtown.

But unfortunately, we live in a cruel world, where restaurant chains and food service moguls dumb down our tastebuds and dictate poor food upon us.

If you ever find yourself a tad bit hungry while visiting the Met, do everything you can to avoid eating inside. I highly recommend taking a few steps outside and picking up a hotdog from the street vendor. 

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Zengo NYC

Went there with 8 of my colleagues for lunch this week. Went back to work with massive Diarrhea.

Needless to say, I won't be going back for eats anytime soon.

Zengo (NYC) - Not Recommended
40th and 3rd

(Mexican with a strong and highly mistaken Asian Twist)

Friday, May 7, 2010

Organically French in the City

A Proclamation


Being from Chicago, and loving food, I’m picky about pizza. What I’m about to say is sacrilege, folks… I. Actually. Like. Domino’s. Pizza.

There, I said it.

Mind you, I didn’t always like it; in fact, in terms of pizza, I actually hated it. Yes, the h-word. It was the commercials that kept drilling into my head where they actually bashed themselves and would say stuff like “the sauce tastes like ketchup” and “crust is like cardboard.” So they promised to make a better deliverable (pun intended). Okay, I took the bait. Plus, 2 pizzas for $12 helps. They let you choose a crust? And sauce? Am I in Domino’s??? Same red, white, & blue around me, same ghetto feel in the store, same bad service… yep, Domino's. Well, let’s see how the pizza is. About 10 - 15 minutes later, I got the pies and went home. I took the first bite, and whoa. I don’t mean like “WTF-whoa,” but more like “WTF-this-is-Domino’s???-whoa.” It was actually good! Both pizzas!! I don’t remember what I ordered, but I remember I had garlic sauce instead of the traditional on one and really liked it. Fast forward about a month later, and we’re pulling in an all-nighter at work. They ordered Domino’s, and yep, it was still good. My colleagues concurred. Apparently, many people think it’s better according to this article:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2010-05-05-dominos05_ST_N.htm?se=yahoorefer

There are a couple bold statements from that article that stand out, like: “the chain reported on Tuesday what CEO J. Patrick Doyle calls a "historic" leap in sales at locations open at least one year” and “Jeremy White, editor of trade magazine Pizza Today, agrees: 'Domino's is really kicking it right now.'

Try it yourself, and you'll see. And if you don't like the pizza, you can at least appreciate their easy-to-use website. :-)

On the other hand, Papa John’s has been touting the same notion of changing its recipe. Another long project at work caused for more pizza ordering; it’s still crap. Blech…

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Gusto - Review

Intro
Gusto Ristorante e Bar Americano - Highly Recommended
60 Greenwich Ave, New York NY 10011
Btwn 6th & 7th Ave
Phone: (212) 924-8000

Went out for "date night" with the wife and decided to check out Gusto after seeing the place on TV. Great decision as the pastas were so on point with loads of fun Roman dishes. Overall, I give the restaurant an 86/100.

Our Menu
Carciofi Alla Giudea *
fried artichokes
Carciofi alla guidea was one of my favorite dishes in Rome and these were a good representation. Crispy exterior and creamy interior. Pretty damn tasty, albeit slightly expensive.

Raviolo Al Uova **
fatti in casa raviolo filled with bufala ricotta & egg in sage butter
I've had loads of pasta in my day, but I don't recall ever having ravioli stuffed with a raw egg. This dish just rocked with the egg yolk creating it's own creamy sauce. Pasta texture was nice and silky too though I always prefer a tad more chew to my pasta.

Pappardelle Al Ragu' Di Bue **
fatti in casa fresh pappardelle with oxtail ragu
Great ragu flavor with the rich shredded oxtail meat. Pasta texture was silky albeit I'd like some more chew again. Uber delicious stuff.

Gamberoni Fra Diablo ***
seared jumbo four head on prawns in fradiablo style
Definitely a WTF dish here and totally reminded me of the gambas from Barcelona. Great shrimp flavor - uber sweet and really delicious. Combine that with the intense tomato sauce with decent heat. The shrimp heads were delicious as well. It was so good I got another order of bread to mop of the rest of the sauce - the plate was sparkling white while we were done.

Rating System
--- What the F - in a bad way * Good ** Great *** What the F – in a good way
























Overall Restaurant Experience (86/100)
  • Food (8.7/10) – Another Italian joint in the city and another great experience. It's all about big flavors here and totally my strike zone.
  • Service (8.5/10) – Waiter / waitresses were very attentive and the food came out very quickly. The GM checked on us once or twice too - kinda refreshing since that never happens in the City.
  • Atmosphere (7.0/10) – Darkly lit with some clubby lights. Music was hella loud and the place seemed a bit odd with a long bar in the middle of the joint. Usually that would be OK, but it was crazy crowded with people that were just hanging out and no intention to eat. Place was pretty mixed, but seemed to mainly consist of people in their 40's and 50's. Got there at 9:30 for dinner and it was pretty busy but we were seated within 15 minutes.
  • Price (8.0) – $80 for the both of us which didn't seem so bad considering I had 2 glasses of wine. Definitely happy to pay for the quality of food we had. Pastas were under $20 which seemed like a great deal for the quality.
Closing Comments
Food was great and definitely have to go back although I don't necessarily love the space. Would love to try the rest of the pastas and try some more apps.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Sumo Wrestle of Pizza


There’s a relatively new show on the Travel Channel called “Food Wars.” The basis of this show is the (hot) hostess, Camille Ford (<-- do yourself a favor, and click that link), goes to different cities and pins the rivals of food against each other, and people would try the food to pick out a winner – for example, we all know of the rivalry in Philly between Geno’s and Pat’s for the cheesesteak sandwich. (I choose Pat's, by the way.) If you've seen Man vs. Food, you can tell the same people do this show. On this episode, they were in Washington, D.C.:








They had “Jumbo Slice” vs. “Pizza Mart.” As the video shows, the owners are brothers, but one broke off, opened Pizza Mart, and changed the sauce and cheese blend from the original. I wrote an article back in 2008 on the Jumbo Slice pizzerias you see in D.C. The pizza is just okay there, but after a night of partying, they taste like gold. Anyway, I headed out to Adam’s Morgan in D.C. and did my own taste test. I stopped at Pizza Mart first and saw the owner , the brother that separated from the original, but he was walking out. It looks like since my last article, the prices went up a dollar and is now $6 vs. $5. I took the (large!) slice of pepperoni a few doors down to Jumbo Slice and ordered one there as well. It was very close, but I agreed with the show and chose the new recipe better than the original and picked Pizza Mart. Basing off of looks, Pizza Mart won, hands down. It seemed like 20% of the pizza, closest to the crust where it’s the widest, lacked sauce, pepperoni, and cheese at Jumbo Slice. Both crusts were about equal, but I think the kicker was the flavor. I felt Pizza Mart had a little more into the sauce, and cheese was a little different. Like I said, it was very close, but Pizza Mart is what wins if I had to choose – but my choice is easily made when I’m drunk: which is the closest to me!

The funny thing is when I was doing my experiment, I noticed the girl behind me with a Pizza Mart box as well, so she was doing her own test. When I asked her about it, the 2 guys that were sitting near us told me they just finished doing their own. We all had a laugh. They agreed that Pizza Mart is better, but only slightly. Guess that extra dollar they added to the price will really make a difference, especially because of this show.

For more information on the episode, look here for video clips and more:

http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Food_Wars/Episodes_Travel_Guides/WashingtonDCJumboPizzaSliceWar













Pizza Mart vs. Jumbo Slice













Pizza Mart has pepperoni & cheese that goes to crust vs. Jumbo Slice that doesn't quite make it











Pizza Mart is the winner on looks AND taste vs. Jumbo Slice