Good (K)(C)arma

Recently I stopped by Carma for lunch. In all honesty, I had no idea that Carma even existed (probably like many of you didn't) until it was recommended to me by a friend. And what an excellent reco it was! I loved the window directly into the open kitchen, from the bar! I loved the group of regulars that know everyone in the restaurant, and vice versa (it was kind of like an upscale Cheers!). And most importantly, I loved the food!

First, let me start off by saying that Carma is far from the dive joints that I frequent, in almost every way other than that it is slightly hidden (and the good food too). You can find it in Park Place, just down the street from my guy Aaron Sanchez's place Mestizo. Also that I know very little about what is authentic Italian vs. what is Americanized Italian, so I will not be commenting on the authenticity of the food simply because I have no clue whether it is or is not (I would have to refer to my homies from Little Italy for that). Anywho, enough with the disclaimers, you want to hear about the food.

Carma was initially opened as a second Carmen's Cafe location, but after some changes in operating interests and rebranding Carma was born. The new rotating menu at Carma focuses more on fresher and seasonal ingredients than did the old Carmen's Cafe fixed menu. Part of this is a daily special...

The daily special on the day that I stopped in was the prime rib dip sandwich. It was killer! The sandwich was piled high with tender, juicy, and meaty (without big chunks of fat, all of the fat had been rendered) prime rib on top of a bed of rocket (or arugula for those not hip to the Queen's English). The au jus was not too shabby, but quite frankly, you did not need it. The bread was not dry and the meat provided plenty of juice. The Greek salad on the side was a nice touch with the feta, onions, and spring greens.

After spending a couple minutes talking to Chef Leo about how much I loved the sandwich, he agreed to bring me out a few samples of other menu items. When he said "a couple", I thought he meant "a couple", here is what I was in store for:

Chef brought out two flatbreads, a sharp turn from Carmen's menu, Sweet & Spicy Shrimp and Margherita flatbreads. The S&S shrimp was just that, sweet and spicy: sweet chili sauce, feta, more rocket, shrimp (duh), and a lemon vinaigrette. The Margherita is your traditional Margherita, made with fresh mozzarella, roma tomatoes, fresh basil, and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Both of which were amazing and I would by lying to you if I told you that I could pick a favorite; and this is just the tip of the flatbread iceberg.

Salads do not stop at side dishes to delicious prime rib sandos! Chef Leo brought me out two salads that were packed with flavour: The quinoa salad (pictured to the right) and the kale salad. The vinegar-y, citrus-y quinoa salad normally comes with a steak or salmon topper, but Chef sent it out with shrimp for me (something he will do for you too). This went great with the pickled onions, feta, spinach, and cucumbers. The kale salad, which is topped with a champagne vinaigrette that also has a vinegar/citrus hint, brings the people what they want: kale! Kale is so in right now, people are making everything out of kale. This kale is complimented with red onions, avocado, and pine nuts. These salads are perfect for the summer!

Once upon a time, I was a huge fat kid and loved fettuccine alfredo (or "mac and cheese for grownups" as Mitch Hedberg called it, and what I thought of as Italian). Once upon a time that was a few years after the previous time, I had grown to know real food and left my previous ways behind. In the second time, I had foolishly sworn off Italian restaurants because I believed that they were all just noodles in random sauces. That was until a good friend of mine showed me the light. He told me to not order pasta at Italian restaurants, but to order the entrees instead. This section is dedicated to this idea that I encourage you all to try as well (however Carma does make their pasta fresh every day).

When Chef brought me out some entrees, I was glad that they subscribed to the above theory! The steak Santana (pictured to the right and named for Chef Leo) comes topped with caramelized onions in a reduced balsamic vinaigrette and accompanied with potatoes au gratin and a seasonal vegetable (which happened to be asparagus the day that I visited). Other entrees that I got to sample were the blackened salmon on a bed of mixed vegetables and Carma's take on chicken spiedinis (made famous by another local spot: Garozzo's). All three were pretty good, but I have to give the championship belt to the chicken spiedinis.

As if all of the things that I mentioned had not left me stuffed enough (and yes I ate, not just sampled, all of them in one sitting), I was not allowed to leave without trying dessert! The New York style cheesecake and Pistachio torte are both made in house and pictured to the right. While the cheese cake was very good, the pistachio torte stole my heart! It was fantastic! I actually took a whole serving of it to-go!

When I was at Carma, they were working on an adjacent space where they were going to do deli-style grab and go New York style pizza (among other things, similar to the prime rib sandwich), for lunch. If you don't have the time to dedicate to a sit down lunch, this is a perfect option for you.

After all of that, there is only one thing left to say: go check them out!

Not Just Meat and Potatoes!

Providence New American Kitchen is the new contemporary American restaurant that resides inside the President Hilton, in the space that the old Drum Room dining room used to occupy. The old Drum Room has been separated into what is now Providence New American Kitchen and the new Drum Room bar. The Drum Room bar has been transformed into a modern mixology bar that doubles as an amazing place to watch a game, with 4 big TVs encircling the bar area.

President Hotel

New Drum Room Lounge

Old Drum Room Dining Room (Photo stolen from Hilton.com)

Providence New American Kitchen

The President Hilton is owned by Ron Jury, a native Nebraskan, who felt that his hotel needed an American restaurant that serves dishes made with locally sourced ingredients. I know what you are thinking right now, "I see salmon, scallops, and shrimp on the menu. How is all of that locally sourced?", as I thought as well. Everything that can be locally sourced, is (even the wood that you see adorning the new dining room). Everything that cannot be locally sourced is single sourced to a local farmer/purveyor near the area that the product is indigenous to. This is also the reason that the restaurant does not open until 11am daily: Chef Eric is at the markets, personally selecting ingredients.

Providence takes its name from the Secret Service's code name for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, not from the city in Rhode Island. The dining area is enriched with vintage Americana pieces, such as the tattered flag on the wall and the filament light bulbs in the vintage light fixtures. The menu is also full of classic American favorites, but is not just your grandfather's steak and potatoes. Steak and potatoes are on the menu, but there is also so much more!

Vintage Light Fixture

My wife and I were taken care of by a tag-team duo of Sirish and Jeff. They were both extremely knowledgeable of the menu (both able to explain everything on the menu), helpful, and pleasant. We could not have asked for a better experience! We sampled the lion's share of Providence's menu items, and there were no weak links. Below I have included a photo of each item that we tried, followed by a brief description. I will try to do each dish its due justice. Do keep in mind that we requested sampling sizes of each dish and that the actual dish sizes may be much larger than pictured.

The Vino:

Immortal Zinfandel

The Immortal Zinfandel is an amazing mate for any of the red meat dishes at Providence. The full bodiness of this wine pairs wonderfully with the complex flavours of the dishes that we sampled. You also cannot go wrong with the Pedroncelli Cabernet Sauvignon, especially if you like a more oaky flavoured vino. Also of note: The Parducci Pinot Noir has been so immensely popular that they have already sold out of it (a week and a half after opening).

The Starters:

Buffalo Carpaccio

The Buffalo Carpaccio: extremely thinly sliced buffalo, arugula salad, pieces of shaved hard cheese, and some aioli dressing plated with crustini to eat it all with. The buffalo was so thinly sliced that Jeff told me it was a secret how it was even sliced.

Dungeness Crab Cake

Dungeness Crab Cake: Probably 90% crab and 10% cake. There were just enough bread crumbs in the cake to keep it from crumbling into pieces and to give it a little colour, not any more. The lump Dungeness Crab meat with just a dab of the Sriracha Mayonnaise was incredible! Possibly the best crab cake you will find outside of the Northeast.

Loaded Potato Pierogi

Loaded Potato Pierogi: American twist on this Polish classic. What's better than a crispy pierogi with that creamy potato center? Only a crispy pierogi with a creamy potato center that has been loaded with cheese, bacon, chives, and sour cream. This thing was gigantic too!

Grilled Shrimp Bruschetta

Grilled Shrimp Bruschetta: Wonderful bruschetta that is topped with fresh (never frozen) shrimp, roasted pepper salad, and tomato vinaigrette. I love bruschetta anyways, but you put grilled shrimp that tastes as fresh as the second it came out of the water on top of it, and you have a masterpiece. The shrimp tasted just as fresh as the shrimp that we get on the coast.

BBQ Glazed Pork Belly

BBQ Glazed Pork Belly: This was my favorite of the starters that we tried. Borderline bite sized pieces of pork belly (I say that because chomping the whole skewer will yield a very full mouth, something I found out the hard way), covered in a maple chili glaze and Japanese Seven-Spice, on a skewer with a piece of tart Granny Smith apple to balance out the spice. Perfecto!

The Salads:

Blue Note (left) and House Salad (right)

The Blue Note salad was incredible! I would have never thought that mixing blueberries and bleu cheese would yield such an awesome combination, but it does! The House Salad did not punch me in the mouth like I had hoped and expected when we were told that it is served with a Tank 7 vinaigrette, but is a solid option when you want something with a lighter taste.

The Entrees:

Pan Seared Rainbow Trout

Pan Seared Rainbow Trout: A very light piece of fish served with a thin piece of lobster sausage and baby potatoes. Great for anyone trying to add some Omega-3 to the diet, yet doesn't like a strong fish taste. The house made lobster sausage was probably my favorite part of this dish.

Smoked Chicken Ravioli

Smoked Chicken Ravioli: Sort of like a ravioli deconstructed. Delicious tender smoked chicken thigh and baby spinach served with a ravioli that is lightly filled with a ricotta filling.

Apple Wood Smoked Meatloaf

Apple Wood Smoked Meatloaf: My favorite entree! Meatloaf made with veal, pork, and beef (yes I know veal is a form of beef, but lets not split hairs here), slow smoked and then grilled. The sides that come with this entree are equally awesome: sour cream golden russet potatoes on top of wild mushroom gravy, grilled mushrooms, grilled seasonal veggie cubes (carrots, butternut squash, etc), crisp green beans, and lightly pickled onions (vinegary yet still crisp).

The Desserts:

Nothing goes with dessert like coffee

Ricotta Doughnuts

Ricotta Doughnuts: I never thought that doughnuts and key lime would go well together, but they do, deliciously. These doughnuts are fantastic: sweet doughnuts, tangy key lime dipping sauce, and a wonderfully light white chocolate mousse accompanying it all.

Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake: The Carrot Cake is great. Served with orange sherbet and topped with candied roman carrots.

S’mores Flavors

S’mores Flavors: This is essentially a deconstructed S'more: graham cracker crumbles, graham cracker ice cream (yes you read that right, graham cracker ice cream), molten brownie (I couldn't think of a better descriptor for this brownie myself, it is indeed molten), and marshmallow fluff that has been hit with a torch. This has to be one of the best desserts I have ever had in my life! This dessert alone would be worth the drive for a South Kansas Citian! Just incredible! Words cannot describe it!

Hotel President at Night

Everything at Providence New American Kitchen was awesome! We will definitely be back for some of our favorites, as well as to try other dishes (such as the Bully Porter Braised Short Ribs). As we were walking home, discussing our favorite dishes (that we had just gorged ourselves with), and stopping for a couple photo ops, we were reminded that we live in a pretty sweet city!

Buenas Noches

Different Post (Tuna Melt)

I know that I normally blog about restaurants and places that I eat, rather than what I eat at home, but this post is something a little different. With the weather cooling off, I have been hungry for something a little warmer, yet something that can be made rather quickly (as the last thing we want to do after a long day of work and a hard workout is spend an hour smelling food before its ready to eat). If you are looking for something warm and salty after a long workout on a cold day, then you may want to give this Rachael Ray tuna sandwich a try.

This recipe was introduced to us this past spring by my wife's friend who kindly brought us this meal after my wife's ACL surgery. We loved it so much that my wife asked for the recipe and has made it multiple times since then. She has made some different variations of the below recipe, and I have to say that my favorite involves swapping out the ciabatta for some Farm to Market pretzel bread buns. The soft pretzel bread, lightly toasted, combined with the savory tuna, salty capers, creamy melted cheese, and wonderful arugula is sandwich perfection. (Pictured to the right with Spinach-Cucumber-Feta Salad tossed with Tasso's Greek dressing)

Please post feedback regarding whether or not you would like an occasional awesome recipe post on here, along with the awesome restaurant reviews, or if I should just stick to eating out. Below is the recipe and nutritional info for the sandwiches. My wife also uses buns instead of loafed ciabatta and broils the sandwich in the oven (open faced), rather than using a panini press. Be adventurous and make it your way, because I always say "Eating is equal parts food and adventure".

Ingredients:

2 (5 5/8 ounce) cans good quality tuna, drained
1 (14 ounce) can water-packed artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/4 cup sun-dried tomato, thinly sliced
1/4 cup black olives, sliced
3 tablespoons capers, rinsed
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 large shallots or 1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 cup baby arugula
1 large lemon
olive oil, for liberal drizzling
pepper
1/2 lb deli-sliced provolone cheese
1 loaf ciabatta, split lengthwise horizontally

Directions:

1. Heat panini press or cast iron skillet for pressing sammy.
2. If using a skillet, you will need another heavy skillet to press with or a brick, wrapped in foil.
3. Flake tuna in bowl. Add chopped artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, capers, parsley, shallots and arugula.
4. Dress with lemon juice and liberal drizzle of oil.
5. Mix to combine salad thoroughly, season with pepper to taste.
6. Arrange half of the cheese, overlapping the slices, on the bottom half of ciabatta.
7. Top with salad in even layer then arrange remaining cheese and top with bread.
8. Cut the loaf into 4 sections and press a few minutes to melt cheese and heat through.

Nutrition Facts:

Serving Size: 1 (294 g)
Servings Per Recipe: 4

Amount Per Serving
% Daily Value
Calories 399.0

Calories from Fat 183
46%
Total Fat 20.4 g
31%
Saturated Fat 10.9 g
54%
Cholesterol 69.5 mg
23%
Sodium 964.1 mg
40%
Total Carbohydrate 20.0 g
6%
Dietary Fiber 7.7 g
30%
Sugars 2.7 g
10%
Protein 38.1 g
76%

Nica's 320

First off, I would like to apologize for not having any pictures of the awesome food from Nica's. It was dark in there and my phone doesn't have a flash on it (I know, I know, I know... lame! I know!).

When we walked into Nica's, it was rainy outside and very dark inside. There was a table of pseudo-hipsters at the table next to us. Clowns are being hanged from the ceiling. Then I started worrying that this may be one of THOSE places, where everyone there thinks they are too cool to be there and so on. But Nica's could not be more unlike that! The food was fantastic! The plates were huge! The wait staff could not have been nicer! And the clowns actually just add to the creole feel of the joint.

Nica's is a bit pricey, but you get a ton of food and it is actually a great value for what you get. My wife ordered "The Jerk" salad. The salad was huge and came with a large amount of jerk seasoned steak and chicken. It was drizzled with an awesome "Rasta-vinaigrette", but the best part of the salad was the banana chips.

As for me, the Dr. John had my name on it. This gigantic spicy-creamy risotto (or as it is written on the menu: rissoto. Which I believe is done this way to play up the "crazy" vibe of the restaurant, the menu actually is quite crazy, and the food is crazy good) is a very spicy dish, so beware if you can't handle much heat. The heat comes from candied jalapenos. It is filled with tons of meat (both in quantity and in variety), there is: andouille sausage, crawfish tails, shrimp, and chicken. All of the meats are incredibly seasoned and very spicy. The chicken was so tender that I was able to shred it with just my fork. The accents in this dish only pulled more flavour out of the main ingredients; the green onion, olives, and peanuts (I believe they were peanuts, but it was dark). I would have to say that my first scoop of the dish that had an olive in it was my favorite bite.

A small note about my the salad that came prior to my meal. It was a salad of spring greens with what tasted like a Thai inspired vinaigrette. But it was topped with the coolest little carrot curls. The presentation at Nica's is awesome!

Dessert: We were both super full after dinner, but when we had a dessert menu set in front of us and saw that a made-to-order beignet (pronounced: behn-yay, as our awesome waitress Torie helped me 3 times to get correct, and I am sure I still don't understand 100% how the "g" in there is pronounced) for just $3, we had to try one. We ordered the Cinnamon Apple Beignet, it was incredible, my wife put it on her dessert all-star list.

All in all, Nica's was amazing. There is a great, almost New York-esque, vibe and we will definitely be returning soon. Go check them out for some crazy Cajun fusion flavour.