AlwaysSoBe: BubbleQ

February 27, 2010

Clockwise from top: Lonesome Dove Western Bistro’s Lamb Belly BLT with Warm Potato Salad, Big Bob Gibson’s Smoker, Champagne refills from a chandelier-dangling trapeze artist.

Thirty great chefs working the grill. An epic BLT sandwich. Free-flowing Perrier-Jouët Champagne. A woman refilling glasses while hanging from a chandelier. Only on South Beach, and only at BubbleQ.

The event was presented by Allen Brothers, hosted by Emeril Lagasse, and held under a big tent on the beach behind the Delano Hotel. It featured everything from ribs, brisket, and fried Cuban Sandwiches, to Grilled Oysters and Frittas. Unlike at Burger Bash, no official awards were given out, but our winner was Tim Love’s Lamb Belly BLT— a crunchy, well-dressed spin on a classic. Our Top 5 bites of the evening were rounded out by entries from Restaurant August, Centrico, Big Bob Gibson Bar-BQ, and Restaurant Mirazur (Menton, France).

Pork Belly featured in Centrico’s Tacos.

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AlwaysTraveling: Emeril’s (New Orleans, LA)

Jeff Zalaznick — February 05, 2010

At Emeril’s, clockwise from top: Black Pasta with Crawfish Meatballs, Andouille and Boudin Sausages, and Banana Cream Pie.

Restaurant: Emeril’s New Orleans
Address: 800 Tchoupitoulas St,New Orleans, LA 70130
Contact: (504)528 9393
Hours: Lunch, Mon-Fri, 11:30am-2pm; Dinner, Mon-Sun, 6pm-10pm
Grade: B+
Always Hungry Recommends: Gumbo, Black Pasta with Crawfish Meatballs, Rabbit Remoulade, Boudin Sausage, Banana Cream Pie.

About five years ago, I attended a small dinner in the tasting room at Italian Wine Merchants that was being cooked by Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse. Aside from it obviously being an epic experience, the one thing that I have never been able to forget was a white gumbo that Emeril served. It has been seared into my food memory as a wonderful flavor profile that I have not known since. So, there was little choice but to make a pilgrimage to the place where these flavors brewed long before the country become familiar with him as the screaming Food Network star.

As I expected, the meal had highs and lows, but one thing that it did deliver was that flavor that I had been yearning for. Both the Gumbo and the Boudin were perfectly rendered, and the black spaghetti with crawfish meatballs gave the perfect fusion twist.

But the highlight of the meal was a conversation I had with the restaurant’s general manager. He was telling me how he used to be one of Emeril’s executive sous-chefs. When I told him that I was from New York, he said that he had once visited the City with Emeril to cook a dinner, and that he would never forget it because he had been responsible for the gumbo, and that he made an experimental white gumbo that people are still talking about. My night was complete.

Click for Food at Emeril's >>

HungryChefs: StarChefs.com’s International Chefs Congress (Day One)

Arthur Bovino — September 21, 2009

Norman Van Aken, Charlie Trotter, Emeril Lagasse and panel moderator Clark Wolf.

AlwaysHungryNY.com attended Day One of StarChefs.com’s International Chefs Congress at the Park Avenue Armory on Sunday. Aside from tasty delights like “The Egg” by Le Bernadin’s pastry chef Michael Laiskonis, Rougié‘s seared foie gras, and a Leffe beer milkshake, there were noteworthy presentations. Events included panel discussions about food trucks and American cuisine, Chris Young and Dr. Nathan Myhrvold’s entrancing presentation of their upcoming book on modernist cooking techniques, and demonstrations by David Bouley (Sea Urchin Terrine), April Bloomfield (Pork Belly Roulade), and Pierre Gagnaire (Iron Chef-esque cooking challenge) among others.

Click for chef & food pictures from Sunday's StarChefs.com International Chefs Congress >>