The Gourmez

Covington Sweet Potato Vodka
Snow Hill, NC
40% ABV

With a slogan like “the best yam vodka on Earth,” Covington gets out of my gate with a head start. If you are not a pun enthusiast, that may translate to a 10-second penalty. It’s made in North Carolina and thus qualifies as a local spirit for me, one that attracted my attention as soon as word of it hit the social media scene. So I was excited when a foodie friend gave me a sample bottle to taste for the blog. And yes, that is my disclaimer that my alcohol was provided for free for this post. You are such smart readers!

Vodka is a spirit I drank plenty of when I started out in the brave new world of libations, but I haven’t had it often since my tastes grew more … refined, shall we say? Naw, that’d be a lie. I just moved away from vodka-based fruity cocktails and toward the stronger stuff. So I’ve only tasted one or two vodkas for the blog before. I chilled the bottle in the freezer, as the online hive advised me, then poured it into my triple shot glass.

Yes, this is an excuse to show off my triple shot glass.

The coloration is uniformly clear. Its smell is mild and pleasant, nearing toward marshmallow with an earthiness that grounds it. The vodka has much more flavor as I drink it than I expected. That marshmallow impression remains, but that may be because yams make me think of sweet potato casseroles with marshmallow toppings. The alcohol burn is mild. The potatoes add a natural, gentle sweetness that pleases me. As it moves toward room temperature (yes, I’m a slow drinker), the alcohol gets bolder and spice comes out, but not the pie type. They are close to fenugreek or coriander. I’m intrigued by the broadening flavors, but I do think the vodka is better chilled.

Covington Sweet Potato Vodka is quite pleasant, almost like Pinnacle’s whipped cream vodka but so much less artificial in flavor and sweetness. It would make a great martini, but nothing dirty or cheesy would combine well. Perhaps a vermouth wash would work, but I’m hesitant to suggest that either. More creative thinking is needed. Maybe Lillet Blanc as a wash? You don’t want to obscure the subtle sweetness of the yams. Alas, I had only enough vodka to fill that glass, so I’m only dreaming of the possibilities.

Other Bloggers’ Thoughts:

I didn’t find anything by way of blogger reviews. But Covington did win a 2013 Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits competition, so congratulations to them on that!

Reviewed 1 May 2013.

Durham’s Noodles & Company location.

With spring comes new dishes at many restaurants, and that includes Noodles & Company, a chain I’ve sampled a few times before. Well, readers, it’s your and my lucky day, because I was invited to come to their Erwin Rd. location in Durham to try their spring asparagus menu and you get the chance to win a coupon for a free dish of your choice! The first five commenters on this post will win.

All food and drink in this blog were provided free of charge by Noodles & Company.

Interior of the Erwin Rd. store.

About a month ago, the chain restaurant added three asparagus-centered options to their regular menu, and they are likely to be available through early summer. Let’s dine on an appetizer first.

The Asparagus Stack is a large helping of asparagus simply blanched and served with a handful each of bacon and feta cheese. It’s vibrantly presented, and the flavors match. Use the lemon to accentuate each element. I do think a sprinkling of herbs would take the dish to the next level, and it’s not that easy to eat.

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After a great brunch, Ben and I decided to take a stroll around the University of Virginia, founded by Thomas Jefferson. President Jefferson also designed most of the notable architecture on the main campus, which is where we took that stroll. No official tour; we went where the pretty buildings and Ben’s Ingress portals called.

We parked in the Corner, which is a typical college town strip of affordable eateries and retail that I’m sure UVA’s students keep busy.

Crossing University Drive brought us to a set of entrance gates and the first appearance of mysterious marks in white paint.

Yep, that’s a double helping of “IMP.” The next mysterious mark was in the building just past the gates, part of the UVA medical center.

Hello, giant “Z”! I imagine it wouldn’t take me long to figure out what all the approved graffiti stands for, but I think I’d prefer to wonder. Across Hospital Drive is a lovely lawn peppered with literary quotes.

Hard to see, but there’s an “IMP” on Brook’s Hall in the distance.

I figured it was the campus’s main lawn, but I discovered how wrong I was as we continued our journey around the side of Brook’s Hall. The Rotunda captured our eye next, as Jefferson designed it to do as the landmark building of the campus.

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Ben at our table at Rapture.

I have blogged about Charlottesville’s downtown mall before, but the brunch that trip was not so memorable, and Charlottesville is a town that brunches, so I needed to fix that. Most places offer brunch until at least 3 pm on the weekend, and that’s a beautiful, beautiful practice for this late riser. I decided we needed to commit to the Charlottesville brunching tradition and pick a spot with seating in the middle of the downtown strip and a more inventive menu than we had before. Quick scans of posted menus as we walked led me to Rapture (303 E. Main Street).

And I am glad I chose it. A random guess would tell me it’s a spot locals probably find overpriced and overhyped, but this food blogger had little to complain about. Being brunch and vacation, I chose a cocktail to start the meal.

The Sage Cup is brandy with pear-sage scrub, a splash of Grand Marnier, and bitters. If you, like me, wondered if this meant a bush was involved in the cocktail creation, you’ll be intrigued to learn that shrub is actually a type of mixer. It combines fruits or vegetables with sugar and aged vinegar. And it explains why I could not get over how tangy every sip of this drink was. The color was attractive, and that bite from the vinegar was tantalizing. The Williams brand may disagree with me, but I’m not sure the pear and brandy combined well in this drink. I think the bitters may have heightened the dissonance, but I enjoyed pondering each sip.

My husband had the eggs benedict with country ham. Biscuits were offered instead of English muffins if you want to change it up a bit.

He ate every last bite, so I have to assume he liked it. As my plate also had the homefries (grits were the other option), I can confirm they were close to heaven. When potatoes are roasted that deeply red and tossed with a salty, spicy blend of seasonings and light flour coating, I am guaranteed to love them. The onion and red bell pepper strips are just bonus.

My dish was scrambled eggs with lump crab, asparagus, and smoked tomato coulis. The asparagus was finely diced, which added a great crunch to a silky breakfast. The crab was sweet and plentiful, and the eggs were soft-scrambled and moist. The coulis was rich and layered when I tasted it on its own, but the scramble subsumed it, so I’d have liked a good amount more of that. But it was a great brunch dish overall.

Finally, the biscuit. I loved that it was toasted on the griddle. However, it was less fluffy, more chewy, so consider your preferences before choosing it over the English muffins. I like my biscuits fluffier.

I can definitely recommend Rapture for brunch on the downtown mall. It was close to ideal, and what wasn’t ideal captured my curiosity regardless.

Reviewed 27 April 13.

Bangkok Fever @ Jujube
Glen Lennox, Chapel Hill
My Restaurant Review
$10

Once again, Jujube proves to me that their cocktail list is second to none in the Triangle. Bangkok Fever’s ingredient list is Thai-chili-infused reposado tequila, passion fruit juice, and cinnamon salt. And it’s amazing. The essential cinnamon salt livens up every sip, playing with the spice and sweetness. Don’t be deterred by how thick the rim is—the cinnamon is never overwhelming and it has an earthier role in this than it typically does in a cocktail. I love passion fruit, and you all know I adore heat in my drink. The chili provides a moderate kick, but I’d imagine most folks would find it pretty darn spicy. The tequila’s punch is perfectly balanced with the rest of the ingredients.

More, please.

Reviewed 29 April 13.  

Last year, Ben and I spent a weekend in Charlottesville, VA, which I blogged about previously here, here, and here. We happened to pick the weekend a derecho hit the East Coast, which is only relevant to this blog because we got a free hotel stay from that natural disaster. Yay? I use the question mark because when we redeemed our gift certificate, the first thing I noticed in the hotel room was a letter warning about the plague of stink bugs that have taken over the town. From a derecho to stink bugs, Charlottesville knows how to treat us with class.

I do mean that last line sarcastically, because despite the plagues and natural disasters, I enjoyed both excursions to this college and foodie town. And now reading about it is your curse as a peruser of this blog, because I know how to treat you with class, too.

A friend in town recommended we spend our dinner meal at Mas (501 Monticello Road), a tapas place in the Belmont neighborhood, and so we made our way to the very popular corner spot around 10 pm.

It is definitely a happening restaurant! Even at 10, we had a short wait. There’s an inviting front patio area, but the night was too chilly for me, so we opted for a seat in the restaurant proper, which is two-level.

Upper level.

Lower level.

Apparently the upper level near the bar is hotter real estate because we were asked whether the lower level was satisfactory and at least one other waiting party turned it down. I saw nothing wrong with the lower level, and I loved the mix of materials, which shouldn’t surprise those of you who read my Chef and the Farmer post. Brick, multiple cuts and types of wood, gray concrete, and smoky glass pleased my eye.

Vibe-wise, it’s jammed with people and the speakers struggle to play Top 40s hits of years gone by loud enough to be heard. I’d call it a place to chill with friends for the evening, as long as you’re okay speaking well above a whisper. Nibble on the complimentary olive bowl, order a bottle of wine to share, and dig into tapas! All plates we had were available in larger portions for twice the price, and Mas’s ingredients are a combination of imports and goods sourced from local farmers.

That’s broccolini sautéed with garlic, olive oil, and Amontillado sherry. It’s a simple dish, but its ingredients, especially the salt sprinkle and amazing oil flavor, were exquisite despite the broccolini being a tad undercooked.

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Kahlua Midnight
Mexico
35% ABV

Kahlua Midnight strikes me as the serious older brother of the regular Kahlua we know and love. It’s a mix of rum and black coffee liqueur, and that appeals to me because I don’t take cream or sugar with my coffee, never mind that it still has sugar in there somewhere. In related news, the original Kahlua is also a coffee liqueur, but it doesn’t use the word black in taglines, therefore I am not their intended audience. It’s the little things that win me over, like one word targeted to me from a team of advertisers.

Kahlua Midnight appears a lot darker in the bottle than outside of it. I’d call it melted toffee in the glass, though the darkness comes back depending on your angle. It has moderate legs and smells of…coffee and rum! I’d ascribe almond and hazelnut notes to the smell as well.

I am tasting it at room temperature, although the bottle says it’s best as a chilled shot. It’s pretty darn good like this, smooth and sugary enough to go down easily. The rum and coffee flavors are nicely balanced. Those nutty notes show up again in the aftertaste.

I think this liqueur is pleasing on its own, but I couldn’t help but imagine it over ice with the RumChata in my alcohol cabinet (Note, in the interests of honesty, it’s an alcohol stand. But no image would have come to mind if I said stand, right?). RumChata is also rum based, and it has cream and spices in the mix. In other words, while I take my coffee black, I do not take my cocktails the same way. So I present a coffee cocktail for you …

Note, I had no orange, so no slice.

Café D’olla on a Bender
1.5 shots Kahlua Midnight
0.5 shots RumChata
0.5 shots Grand Marnier
Orange slice

Shake that alcohol up, serve it over crushed ice, and garnish with the orange slice. It’s a treat!

In both sipping and as a cocktail, Kahlua Midnight does well, preserving a cleaner coffee flavor than its more sugary sibling.

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Bar Lusconi
117B East Main Street
Downtown Durham
Website
Weds – Sat, 5 pm – 2 am

Hey folks, I posted this review of Bar Lusconi over at Carpe Durham last week, and I didn’t get the chance to report here until now! So here you go:

Bar Lusconi is a downtown beer and wine bar that soft-opened this week, so don’t expect perfection or a wide food selection just yet. However, I was very happy with everything we tried last night and can report no kinks in the service. There’s a great article in the Herald-Sun that covers the details of the bar opening. It’s owned by Timothy Neill and Jesse Gerstle, who opened Peccadillo last year, which is a somewhat secretive cocktail bar in downtown Carrboro. Bar Lusconi is at a readily accessible streetfront location, but right now, the main sign there’s anything going on behind the butcher-paper-covered windows is the sound of an animated crowd when you walk by. Eventually, those windows will be covered with curtains, but it’s one thing at a time for this bar. So far, that’s been renovating the space, keeping the beer and wine list stocked and the bartenders well versed in its particulars, and working on a selection of small plates from Chef Eric Akbari that will hopefully be expanded soon, once logistics of their tiny kitchen space are worked out and more dishes make their way through the bartender-approved quality assurance method.

The space is narrow, loud, and lively, and it feels bright although the lighting was mostly a warm glow from candlelight and a few overhead ceiling fans. It was packed until late last night with a crowd of mostly 30-to-40 somethings.

Owner Timothy and Dean James, one of the super friendly and knowledgeable bartenders you must make friends with, gushed about the distressed walls and white tin ceiling. We particularly liked the wood bar that lines one wall and was made from reclaimed wood found on the property. Tim is especially excited to open the small beer garden space in the back once the weather cooperates and allows him to finish renovations for it.

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Time for another installment of Triangle Foodie Happenings! These are events coming up in the next week that I wish I could make, but hopefully you can! We really do have a ridiculous amount of foodie fun options in this area.

Spanish Wine Dinner with Laurence Vuelta at Jujube! 4/30, 7 pm, $47. Jujube’s wine dinners are my favorite in the area, and they are usually pretty affordable, which is always a plus for a food blogger like me. Charlie Deal, Jujube and Dos Perros’s chef/owner, hit some highlights of the wines and menu, describing it thusly, “When we sat down and started tasting through them [the wines], I thought it might be fun to put together a Spanish-inspired menu using Asian touches, which should be really fun for me to make and really tasty for you to eat. If I had to pick a star in the line-up, it would be the refined and effusive Terras Gauda Albarino. … Minerally, briny, but so lush and supple, all at once.  In honor of its Basque origin, we thought we’d serve it with a few pintxos, just like they might in Donastia. Well, they might if someone was working out of an Asian cupboard .Bookending the meal are a bright and lovely Cava from Gran Bach (paired with what I think is going to be an exquisite croqueta of local ham) and a friendly, yet regal Priorat, paired, as I think it should be with roasted lamb.”

Here’s the dinner menu:

JohnstonCounty country ham croqueta with Asian pear coulis
-Gran Bach Cava Brut NV

Pintxos platter of friend anchovy with almond-chile sauce
and radicchio-mizuna “ramo” with Chinese olive aioli
-Terras Gauda Albarino Abadia de San Campio 2012

Grilled quail with peanut sauce and cucumber salad
-Raimat Tempranillo 2008

Shiitakes a la Plancha
-Vina Zaca Rioja 2008

Roasted lamb with grilled onion-mixed grain salad, and yogurt sauce
-Scala dei Negre Priorat 2011

Reservations can be made at 919.960.0555.

Taste Carolina Tours Artisan Series! Next one is 4/30, 6 pm, $45. Taste Carolina is in the midst of a series of events focusing on local food producers, farmers, and chefs, and the next one is coming up on Tuesday! The series is intended as a package deal, but two events have already passed us by. The good news is that there are four more coming, and you can still buy package deals for the remaining ones if you’d like. Single event tickets go on sale the week of the event. This time around it’s Cackalacky Hot Sauce, Fullsteam Brewery, Pie Pushers, American Meltdown, and The Parlour: An Amalgamation. The event is described as follows, “Beer, hot sauce, food trucks, and ice cream? Perfect! Learn about these five local companies while enjoying food and drink. The evening will begin with a tour of Fullsteam’s Brewery and a beer tasting. Over dinner prepared by Pie Pushers, American Meltdown, and the Parlour (with off-the-menu items) and featuring Cackalacky products, we’ll talk with owners and operators of the businesses collaborating on this event. Arrive at Fullsteam at 6pm sharp. Dinner will take place inside the brewery.”

Upcoming events will focus on TOPO Distillery and the Crunkleton, several of Durham’s taquerias, and Two Chicks Farms and Panciuto. For tickets or more information, head here

Derby Day at Washington Duke! 5/4, 11:30 am to 12:00 am. Washington Duke is hosting a variety of events to celebrate the Kentucky Derby this Saturday. They are having special brunch, tea, and dinner menus, and you can watch the race over three courses if you’d like. Most intriguing to me are the special cocktails of the day: Kentucky Derby: Mint Juleps, Belmont Stakes: Black-eyed Susan, and the Preakness Stakes: White Carnation. There’s also a Derby Day hat contest! Click on the image for the complete details. As the brochure describes it, “Join us for Derby Day at the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club’s Fairview Dining Room and Bull Durham Bar while watching the early show coverage, race and post show coverage on the big screens with winning Derby Day cocktail and food specials.”

Straw Valley Cafe’s Farmers’ Market! Thursdays, 4 pm to 6:30 pm. Last week, Straw Valley Cafe started hosting a farmer’s market in the parking lot in front of their cafe and Once and Again. That means you should actually be able to see it from 15-501, which is helpful for this notoriously hard to find, but amazing once you get there, cafe. Who doesn’t want another option for fresh produce in the area? Straw Valley says, “Come by to help support your local businesses and farmers and grab a snack or drink from the cafe or bar!” Their Facebook page is the best place to get more info.

Trader Joe’s Grande Reserve Carneros Pinot Noir 2011
Napa, California

I tasted this wine before purchasing it at Trader Joe’s, and I’m glad the sample convinced me to get a bottle. Its rich, medium-bodied boysenberry digs into me and won’t let go. The nose has a fleeting burst of fig newton, but is otherwise lackluster. That’s fine because the wine’s taste more than makes up for it. It’s sweet and tart in complementary proportions. Cocoa gives it depth, though that may be the chocolate-dipped apple I just ate. The texture is velvety smooth. Its tartness reminds me of aloe vera, and it’s just enough to give the wine some verve.

I will call this a gateway wine, one with no dryness so the uninitiated will think only of those bright boysenberries and how delicious it is. Could it be more complex? Of course, but I’m smiling as I drink it.

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