Eating, Drinking & Thinking with The Jaguar Club

Philly Cheese Steaks and "Cheese Steaks"

2010-02-15T13:55:00.003-05:00

So when we were in Philly last month and we had the obligatory cheese steaks, well I had grilled veggies... however I have no idea where we were since this thing just deleted most of the pictures we took, including the one of the exterior. Maybe one of the carnivores knows whew we were and can update this later. It was on South Street, I know that much. I also know that what I ate was delicious and what Yoi and Gavin ate had some kind of "whizz" on it which met with a positive response. So this isn't much of a review I guess. Whoops! We'll do better next time.

Big Bad Wolf - Baltimore

2009-10-05T00:03:00.005-04:00

When venturing for food in Baltimore, we are tempted by lake trout – which is neither from a lake nor trout – cuisine that reportedly gets better the further into the sketchy parts. But Felipe, our Baltimore host, suggests another local delicacy – pit beef.

Felipe speaks enthusiastically about The Big Bad Wolf and its namesake sandwich, which features pulled pork, beef brisket, bacon and a sauce of your choosing. That description was enough to squeeze us into the car into the backseat of a hatchback and for an uncomfortable ride that seemed to last for hours.

The Big Bad Wolf is pretty much a simple, smokehouse shack.

We found counter space and had to wait a while for food as Friday nights are heavy traffic at the shack.

But the sandwich was worth it – not too large, not too small, just perfect. It was filling without being overwhelming, but still an intense culinary experience. The different meats are all smoke-tacular on their own, but in tandem formed an intriguing flavor that was difficult not to inhale.

Yoi and Jeremiah opted for the spicy Kansas City-style barbecue sauce while Gavin went with the North Carolina vinegar. Will wasn’t feeling the Wolf and gulped down a large and tasty tuna steak sandwich instead.

In addition, we asked for some of the Wolf’s XXX hot sauce – it was spicy enough to make you sweat but still sweet and rich. In particular the sauce was delicious on the Wolf’s fresh cut fries.

So while we may have missed out on the charm of lake trout, The Big Bad Wolf certainly satisfied our carnivorous yearnings.

Summit Diner

2009-10-03T14:03:00.004-04:00

Last time we were here in December of 2007, we had an amazing meal that neither Jeremiah nor I will forget. I think Will was pretty sick during that trip and he doesn’t remember the quality of the food for his taste buds being shot.

We drive down Somerset’s main road and there she is in all her silver glory: a diner straight out of the 50’s.

It could be in any town in any Main Street, USA. Oh, but the food! The food is the stuff of dreams.

We sit down at a corner booth to relive the experience. Our sassy waitress plays a practical joke on Will and confiscates his camera. Hilarious.

Gavin gets the Scrapyard, which is a heap of potatoes and homemade scrapple smothered with cheese. It’s enormous.

Jeremiah gets a full stack of pancakes and a side of freshly ground sausage.

Will and I get burgers, his plain and mine with mushrooms, Swiss and bacon. I also get fries and a cup of beef and vegetable soup. He gets a bowl of the same soup. Everything is amazing, just like we remembered.

Honestly, this is the best diner in the whole world. So yummy.

Will and Jeremiah even indulge in dessert. A slice each of cherry and blackberry pies. Flakey crusts, gooey yet fresh fillings.

We polish everything off. Gavin’s getting pretty good at eating faster and in larger quantities. Kudos to you, Gav!

Ted’s - Buffalo, NY

2009-10-01T14:48:00.002-04:00

Driving into Buffalo, before we greet Jeremiah’s family, before we go to the club to unload, we make a beeline straight to Ted’s.

We can smell the charcoal as soon as we step out of the van. Where are the grills? I don’t see them outside. That’s because all the grills are actually inside the building! We get in line and Jeremiah does the ordering. He just holds up three fingers and says, “three.” Three dogs, that is. The grill guy knows. That’s what everyone comes for: the charcoal grilled hot dogs. Jeremiah also asks him to burn them, so the natural casing chars and crisps up. The grill guy also pokes holes in the dogs so parts of the inside also get the charcoal treatment. Looking good.

Jeremiah also orders Will a grilled chicken sandwich and an order of onion rings for us to share. Jeremiah and I get the “works” on our dog. A separate guy (a young kid, really. He must have just started because the grill guy keeps on yelling at him.) takes the grilled dogs and tops them with ketchup, mustard, onions, relish, a pickle and Animal Sauce, Ted’s famous hot sauce.

Since I missed out on the Chicago Red Hot, I’m looking forward to this Buffalo cousin. We sit at a booth and have at it. The dog is delicious. The casing is crisp, the burnt bits lending it a smokiness that goes perfectly with the surprisingly sweet onions and relish, the tanginess of the Animal Sauce and the sour pickle. This dog rides on the same concept as Banh Mi. All the flavor spectrums attack your mouth at the same time. A worthy adversary to both the Chicago Red Hot and the austere New York dog.

The onion rings are a tangled nest of sweet, crisp and yet, also moist wonder. We douse it with vinegar and wolf them down along with our dogs and chicken sandwich. Jeremiah has the loganberry drink, which I do not have the pleasure of sampling. I imagine it tastes like berries. Loganberries.

Definitely check out Ted’s when you’re in Buffalo. Just as Ben’s Chili Bowl has a distinctly DC vibe, Ted’s has a distinctly Buffalo vibe that is hard to explain. The best way to understand would be to go see it for yourself. Cheers!

OKcupid

2009-09-30T11:45:00.001-04:00

Enjoy! And if you're confused about why this is here, check out Saturday in this post.

Gino's Chicago

2009-09-30T11:40:00.000-04:00

We would be remiss to visit Chicago and not eat deep dish pizza. Refusing to settle for any old Joe’s version of the windy city classic, we went to the place where the stars get their fix – Gino’s East. Gino’s walls, benches and even seat cushions are filled with the markings of past patrons, including someone who was smitten with the latest “Harry Potter” movie.

Deep dish takes about 45 minutes to cook, so we started out with calamari and a salad.

The calamari were the usual fare, but interestingly enough they came with a side of cocktail sauce. However, we were still starving and a touch impatient – we’d finished the games on the kiddie menu and even drawn extra eyes and arms on the pizza man.

Finally dinner arrived – and it was huge.

We ordered a medium when we should have got a small. Two slices of the monster and Yoi and Gavin were toast.

The beast must have had 10 pounds of mozzarella baked under a tangy layer of sauce. The crust was more like a butter-soaked biscuit than pizza crust – and we mean that in the best way possible. The homemade, crumbly sausage was not spicy, but still tasty – it was recommended, but pepperoni might be better.

Will wasn’t feeling the pizza vibe, so he ordered spaghetti, which was covered with the same sauce as the pizza. He could only get through half the plate – not just the pizza is overwhelming.

A slice of Gino’s deep dish is heavy and filling, but it’s grossly satisfying as long as you don’t overeat. Oprah apparently loves the bacon cheeseburger deep dish, which sounded like a heart attack special. While it was a treat, we won’t need that urge to be filled again for some time. Walking out, the line to be seated was around the block.

Its popularity is well deserved.

Thinking in Chicago

2009-09-30T11:31:00.005-04:00

In Which We Are Priced Out Of Several Chicago Museums And Walk Many Miles...

Ina’s - Chicago, IL

2009-09-30T10:46:00.006-04:00

I wake up in the morning and I don’t know where I am. Great. Time for breakfast!

Seana, Martha Petry’s friend from the night before, invited Will, Gavin and I to have breakfast at her restaurant, Ina’s, while Jeremiah flew back to Brooklyn to attend a wedding. I was in a harsh state, mind-bogglingly hungover. Will drags my carcass and Gavin to Ina’s in the Blue Torch. As soon as we step into the restaurant, we are greeted by Ina and Seana. Our table will be ready in five minutes. Do we care to have a drink at the bar while we wait? Yes, please. More like, oh god, please yes! We all order bloody mary's and they are delicious. The horseradish and black pepper kick goes straight to my shriveled brain. The glasses are rimmed with celery salt and the whole thing is garnished with an enormous stalk of celery. This might be the drink they serve in heaven. Alcoholic heaven.

The table is ready in three minutes and it’s a lovely table, by the French doors where the sun streams in from the sidewalk. Seana comes to the table and informs us that Martha is buying the meal for us and takes the bar tab off the table and crumples it up in her hands. Without a beat she goes on to explain the whole menu and makes suggestions. What were we, celebrities? I don’t know what we did to deserve such VIP treatment.

Will goes for the vegetable hash with eggs.

Gavin orders one of the specials, pulled-pork hash.

I go for the smoked salmon omelet with bagel and cream cheese.

We also follow Seana’s suggestion and share the meat sampler. We chose the chicken, andouille, and veal chive sausages.

It’s hard to say which one was most delicious. I loved the texture of the veal sausage. It was very authentically German and would do any of its wurst brethren proud. My omelet was a fantastic cross between bagel and lochs and a smoked salmon omelet. The saltiness of the salmon and the capers melded with the sweetness of the cream and the bite of the red onion - delicious. My screaming brain is slowly regaining form.

Seana comes by during the meal with a plate of their coffee cake. The best coffee cake Will’s ever had. I even dip a piece into coffee (I don’t drink coffee) after Will and Gavin explain to me the origin of this cake’s name (remember, I don’t drink coffee. I’m not an idiot. Entirely.) Yum!

We gorge ourselves with this bounty until we can eat no more.

What a lovely, life-affirming meal. We can’t thank Seana and Martha and Ina and everyone at Ina’s enough for this splendid piece of civility in the middle of our grimy road trip. Cheers!

Quenchers: The Food

2009-09-28T22:42:00.011-04:00

It’s always great when a venue offers food to the band. It not only
says that they care about treating their bands well, but it also saves us a
boatload of money. It’s equally if not more amazing when the food they give you is
actually delicious. Enter Quenchers, the food review:

First of all, they let us order whatever we want. The bartender gives
us a piece of paper and tells us to write down the order. This is
where my skills as a waiter are put to the test. I haven’t made a
hand-written dupe in a few years but I am damn proud of the clarity
with which I am able to write down the order:

Spicy Cuban Reuben
Sub salad / balsamic

Spinach Beef Melt

Spinach Beef Melt
Sub tater tots

Cobb Salad
No cheese
balsamic

The food comes and what a gem it is. The servings are enormous and it
all looks delicious. We're joined at the table by Jeremiah’s mom Martha
Petry and her friend and local chef, Seana. Martha got the Reuben:

The tater tots are just like the ones we used to eat at AnyTime.

The sandwiches, however, are far beyond. The Spinach Beef Melt is pretty
much a delicious Philly cheesesteak slathered with mayo and stuffed
with spinach. Real diet food.

The Cuban is just as slimming, a mash-up of two classic sandwiches into one.

There is a New York restaurant that serves the same sandwich but the name escapes me. Anyway, they were both delicious. Will opts for the healthy option and gets a Cobb
Salad.

But it comes with basically an enter deli counter’s worth of
ham, which I dutifully eat sandwiched between tater tots and make into
mini sandwiches.

Overall, a yumminess far exceding our expectations. Cheers to you, Quenchers.

Anheuser-Busch Tour

2009-09-28T22:08:00.022-04:00

Hello. It's your friendly photo editor. It shouldn't be a shocker to find out that the JC enjoys a sudsy one from time to time. So I'm here to fill you in on our memorable visit to the Anheuser-Busch brewery in St Louis. It was surprisingly informative and a pretty fun time, though we're definitely on the side of all the local citizens hurt by the recent buyout of the company. I was especially impressed by the beautifully maintained grounds and the Clysdales. Also out tour guide was named Darwin which seems worth mentioning, though as soon as he was formally off duty he turned into kind of a dick. Oh well.

Anyway, bottoms up...

Al-Tarboush - U City, St. Louis

2009-09-26T03:49:00.012-04:00

Middle Eastern music plays softly in the background. There is nothing much to look at inside the storefront at Al-Tarboush, save a few tables and chairs, a wall crammed full of hookahs and flavored tobacco (cola flavored tobacco, anyone?). The kitchen is just as bare bones. This is a one man operation, a genial man with a thin mustache who cooks, assembles and rings up your order. And what comes out of his kitchen is a small wonder.

The falafel (photo editor's note: they were spelling it Falafil, with an 'I') here is made with Damascus bread, the end result of which looks more like a burrito than the circular pita sandwiches more prevalent in New York. The freshly fried up falafel were toothsome on the outside, giving way to moist, fluffy center.

We also sampled the tabbouleh salad, which came packed with diced tomatoes, red onions and parsley, mildly acidic and refreshing. Delicious.

The stuffed grape leaves were perhaps the low point of the meal. The spicing was good but the rice inside was undercooked. Bereket’s grape leaves are still the tops in my book.

The spicy babaganoush plate was my favorite thing we tried. The generous serving was heaped high with tomatoes, onions, parsley and a liberal dousing of olive oil. The eggplant was smoky, spicy and silky smooth. I could eat this all day.

Despite the grape leaves, the meal was thoroughly enjoyable. The freshness of the ingredients and the deft use of spices rivals that of the best New York has to offer. Who knew that St. Louis had damn good Middle Eastern food? As we got up to leave, the proprietor with the mustache asked, “Did you enjoy the food?” We responded with a chorus of "yes's" and "thank you's". He gave us a gleaming smile and waved us goodbye.

Chicken and Waffles in Atlanta

2009-09-24T15:00:00.013-04:00

If our first night in Atlanta was about all the bad things this city has to offer, our second was all about the good, about the city redeeming itself in our eyes and in our stomachs. We made our way into a warm, dark wood-paneled booth at Gladys Knight and Ron Winan’s Chicken and Waffles.

Jeremiah, Gavin and I got the signature, The Midnight Train: Four jumbo wings (tips all the way down to the drum) served with their signature waffle.

Will got their fish and grits.

We shared four sides: fried okra, collard greens, squash casserole, and corn (which the kitchen brought out by mistake, but we ended up keeping, because they were delicious).

When I say that these wings were jumbo, I’m talking turkey-sized. I can’t believe there are chickens this big on the planet. Easily the best wings I’ve ever had. The spices in the batter were just right, and the crisp, golden surface gave way to a moist, steaming morsel of poultry perfection. The waffles were also equally delicious, delicate and fluffy and the perfect foil for the spicy chicken.

Will’s catfish was also excellent, being coated in a light cornmeal dredge that didn’t have a slightest bit of oiliness. The flesh was delicate and flakey.

The collard greens and fried okra were the standard fare, but the corn we accidentally received stood out as among the best sides we’ve had this tour. The corn itself was barely cooked, still retaining that crispness of raw corn on the cob. It was mixed with some fresh, diced tomatoes, butter, and a healthy dose of spices which gave it a good kick. I wasn’t so much a fan of the squash casserole; the sweetness I thought was too cloying, but Will reminisced that his grandmother used to make this dish all the time.

We were especially fond of the Texas Pete Pepper sauce, which we later found out was supposed to be a condiment for the greens. We put it on just about everything and loved the clean, lemony spiciness it endowed on all that it touched.

The scene got pretty ugly towards the end when I ended up gnawing at the wingtips to get every last morsel of meat I could from the delicious chicken. We pretty much destroyed our plates. We hope we didn’t seem like cavemen. This was really finger lickin’ good chicken. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Northern Atlanta Gem

2009-09-22T14:09:00.012-04:00

After taking my (Yoi's) fried amplifier to the shop we managed to raise our spirits by discovering a little unknown gem of a restaurant in northern Atlanta:

They set up a buffet-style system where you choose whatever you want and take it to the cashier up front. Jeremiah had a starter of mixed seasonal fruit salad, followed by a strawberry, banana and yogurt parfait and almond granola. Jeremiah was blown away by the freshness of the raw fruits (admittedly the first raw, unprocessed food he’s had this entire trip) and swears that it saved his life.

Will also had the mixed seasonal fruit salad, as well as an entrée of raw baby carrots, garlic hummus, and flour tortilla. Will had never stepped foot into a Walmart before, and was pleasantly surprised that he didn’t hate it (although he still disagrees with it on principle). He did have a gripe that the peaches were sourced from California, an appalling prospect for any visitor to the state of Georgia. We therefore boycotted those fruit.

Gavin had the Italian cold-cut wrap with a Subway coffee. I had no idea that Subway sold coffee; Gavin said it tasted like Ramen noodles. But the wrap, he said, was pleasantly spicy.

I had a roast beef sandwich, which was admittedly bland and awful, even with the aid of a packet of Walmart-brand mayonnaise. I had a delicious vine-ripened tomato sprinkled with a packet of iodized salt, and a container of pineapple spears, which I could not finish because I was so full. They were so delicious. They also made my mouth kind of numb and tingly, which Jeremiah and Will assures me is a sign of a pineapple allergy. They have advised against further ingestion of pineapples lest I suffer death.

The seating arrangement was less than ideal. We were seated at the benches at the entrance of the store, which, although made for good people-watching, also lead to an incident in which a strange man asked me to watch his messenger bag while he “got something” from the store. We all thought it was a bomb until he came back and thanked me and left. I figured he had something stolen in the bag and was uneasy about going through the detectors once more, lest he get caught by the old Chinese woman who was at once store Greeter and security guard. All in all, a surprisingly good eating establishment. Cheers.

Oh, by the way, if you were wondering why we didn’t have a food review for last night, it’s because we ate at famed spot The Varsity here in Atlanta. It was horrible. It deserves no review, no pictures. After several encounters with the homeless here in Atlanta, Jeremiah declared this city “DC on crack.” Same with the food at The Varsity. Oh, Ben’s Chili Bowl, how we miss you.

Meet Dave & The Pit

2009-09-21T09:57:00.011-04:00

Did you ever feel like you had a tiny you who controlled everything you do from a cockpit in your head? Well, you're not alone. Dave is a spaceship that has a little Dave inside that tells him what to do. This often hilarious, enormously satisfying Eddy Murphy flick took all of us by fancy when we checked into our horrendous motel room in Raleigh. We were like orphan children huddled in a hovel, discovering some magic book that got us through a cold and snowy winter. I especially enjoyed the antics of #4, the secretly gay weapons systems guy, who comes out of the closet halfway through the movie. And I supposed #3 was pretty hot too, but I'm more of the-lady-in-Wet-Hot-American-Summer-but-turned-into-mom-in-this-movie type guy. Anyway, the kid in the movie was waay annoying, and didn't deserve to act with such a master as Eddy Murphy. What a good flick.

We ate at the Pit in downtown Raleigh. We would have gone to Cooper's instead, but it was closed, because it's Sunday. The weird thing about the Pit is that it looks like the sort of place that would open in Manhattan, serving authentic Carolina barbeque. Everything from the exposed wine cellar wall to the glass murals reminded me of being in Manhattan. Except we were in Raleigh, eating Carolina barbeque. And one of the murals read, "Everything but the squeal," which made Will feel squeamish.

The food itself was excellent. The gratis biscuits and hushpuppies that came to the table were hot and delicious. The vinegar-based Carolina sauce was also spot-on. We all got chopped barbeque with assorted sides. Will elected for chopped turkey BBQ which was just as good as the pork believe it or not. Also as Will just noted, the article cited it as "the other, other white meat" - the article for clarity's sake was the menu. The collard greens and potato salad were the genuine article, but Will's fried okra were really amazing. We all agreed that they were the best side dish.

The portions were pretty large and the service was lightning fast. The food came out in minutes and we ate it just as fast. Except for Gavin, of course. We're glad to not have shared an order of vidalia onion rings, for we all felt quite full without them. Yum.

We drove over to the venue which was in a newish, or at least newly gentrified part of town. Will and Jeremiah had a good time parking the van in a garage with two inches of clearance...

Tacos Autenticos en Durham, NC

2009-09-19T19:41:00.014-04:00

Our friend J.J. Goode's New York Times article "36 Hours in Research Triangle" lead us to the order window at Taqueria La Vaquita in Durham, NC. This stand looks like a DairyQueen and is situated in the middle of a gravel lot. But instead of a DQ logo, the barn-like structure is topped with an enormous cow.

Our order came up in mere minutes and what came out was delicious. The tortillas were really delicate and seemed like they hand-ground their own masa. We all agreed that the beans and sauces (one tomatillo and another, red ajillo) were top-notch. Between the four of us we tried the shredded BBQ chicken, grilled beef, braised beef, braised pork, roast pork, chorizo and beef tongue varieties. We all finished off our tacos in minutes. Well, all of us except Gavin. We've discovered that Gavin is a slow eater.

Who would have thought that a bunch of snooty Brooklynites would be blown away by Southern tacos? Gavin actually dreamed of going back to the Taqueria last night. I dreamed I was in Mexico, or at least some Mexican-run taqueria in Bed-Stuy. Well done, La Vaquita, we salute you.

DC: Ben's Chili Bowl

2009-09-19T11:42:00.011-04:00

Probably the most famous chili bowl in the whole nation, located in the U Street Corridor in NW. We'd always talked about going there, but never got the chance, until now:

It's often featured in Food Network shows as one of those "must visit" places in the nation. I can still hear that Guy Fieri dude blabbing on and on about how it's "da bomb" and how the chili is "money" while refusing to take off those stupid sunglasses he wears backwards wrapped around the back of his head. I hate that dude. Anyway, Ben's has been around since 1958, and it's most famous dish is the Chili Half-Smoke, so Gavin and Jera and I all decided to try one. I really liked how snappy the casing on the Half-Smoke was. And how smoky the meat. Really delicious. I put a bunch of Pete's hot sauce on mine, which made me sweat like crazy. Jera tells me they are way better when you are drunk. I suppose that is true.

Will opted to get a burger with veggie chili, what got a confused look from our waitress. She was skeptical of his meat burger/veggie chili combination. Will said it was delicious.

We all shared an order of Chili Cheese Fries, which reminded me of these nachos that they used to have at Shea Stadium where you couldn't see the chip for the condiments were so plentiful. Same with these fries. You didn't know if you were going to get any fries, or if the fork would yield only a copious helping of chili and cheese. The thing to do at the end of this delight is to mop up the rest of the chili and cheese at the bottom of the container with your fingers. Yum.

Next time I'll go drunk.

Tour Begins Friday

2009-09-16T22:18:00.003-04:00

Hello...
So we're leaving for a few weeks of touring on Friday (September 18th) and thought it might be entertaining for us to write about the non-musical/non-work stuff we do when we're on the road. As a band we try to make an effort to put the tourist back in touring wherever we go... eating the local specialties, visiting historic sites/museums, communing with nature, seeking out interesting places to eat and drink, and generally trying to make the most of the few free hours we find on our hands in any given town.

We started doing this from out very first show outside of New York City which was to Boston in December 2006. We swung through my (will's) old stomping grounds on The North Shore of Massachusetts visiting beautiful Singing Beach, eating fried seafood and drinking Sam Adams at Woodman's in Essex and then going on a driving tour of Boston sites from my past. That was how we started touring and we haven't really changed out style since then despite increasingly tighter schedules, more commitments, and just being older and harder to impress. As much as touring probably sounds like a ton of fun, and it is, it's also very hard work and at times can kind of get you down... so we've developed our own way of doing things over the last few years that, for us anyway, keeps it fun and stimulating. This tour is especially exciting because it's been a while since our last lengthy tour and we're visiting a number of cities for the first time as well as some of our all time favorites.

So we'll keep updating the regular band blog about our shows and general exploits but this is the place to come if you want to hear about four dudes making the most of being in an unfamiliar town with not too much time, not too much money, and a big van full of valuable musical instruments to keep an eye on. First stop Washington DC on Friday the 18th... where there's been talk of finally hittng Ben's Chilli Bowl. See you there!