fast food Archives - Page 2 of 3

Detroit’s 2022 Eater Awards Winners: Best Restaurants, Chefs, and Bars

Posted on01/01/202307/12/2022Author

If there’s one characteristic that sums up Detroiters, it’s persistence. Working with grace under fire has always been a prerequisite for surviving and thriving in this city, whether it was during a pandemic, the struggles with gentrification, a historic bankruptcy, or decades of disinvestment. Somehow, we know how to overcome whatever challenges we’re faced. That’s no different for the restaurants and bars and in 2022, a number of establishments have found ways to innovate in the kitchen, build community one cocktail at a time, and design spaces in neighborhoods that feel welcome to all Detroiters.

This year, we saw an underutilized ground-level storefront near downtown transformed into an intimate neighborhood destination that’s perfected the art of Coney-style steak and frites, a long-vacant historic firehouse reimagined as a casual-yet-elegant wine bar, a trio of Black bartenders whose pop-up beverage program encapsulates Black excellence, and a pair of neighborhood restaurants that are redefining Detroiters’ notions of fine dining in their own communities.

And with that, Eater Detroit is proud to celebrate the winners of the 2022 Eater Awards.

The interior of Bar Pigalle in Detroit, Michigan with white top tables, dark colored chairs, green accents.

A dish of food on a plate from Bar Pigalle in Detroit, Michigan.

A cheeseburger in the foreground on a plate a bowl of fries to the left in the background and a brown bottle of beer to the right in the background from Bar Pigalle in Detroit, Michigan.

Best New Restaurant

Bar Pigalle

Years ago, sommelier Joseph Allerton and bartender Travis Fourmont got to know each other at the new-at-the-time Michael Symon’s Roast in the swanky Westin Book Cadillac. Allerton stayed at Roast, while Fourmont parted ways with the spot. The two crossed paths over the years after that and somehow always knew that they would get the chance to work again someday. That someday came this June when the pair opened Bar Pigalle on the ground level of the historic Carlton Lofts.

To be sure, the duo never abandoned their ties to the beverage world. Bar Pigalle’s cocktail, beer, and wine lists are impressive but now with their own space, they get to pair libations with a food menu. Chef Nyle Flynn plays with Detroit’s French history with dishes like bison tartare, guanciale-wrapped frog legs, and a Coney-style steak and frites. In keeping with its Parisian theme, the establishment is named after the Quartier Pigalle — home of the famous Moulin Rouge.

Best New Bar

Ladder 4 Wine Bar

Part of the charm of Detroit living is its abundance of historic architecture — including its old-school firehouses. Sadly, many of the city’s structures are in need of significant TLC, waiting for someone to recognize the beauty that lies within them. On an otherwise quiet corner at Vinewood and West Grand Boulevard one such firehouse, known as Ladder 4. Built in 1910 and designed by the same architects behind the Belle Isle Boat House, the hidden gem lay dormant since the station closed in 2000. Enter James Cadariu, who along with his brother, purchased the building in 2015 and got down to business restoring the space so that it could realize a new future. Earlier this year, Cadariu’s elbow grease finally paid off when he reintroduced Ladder Four as a bar and retail wine shop featuring more than 200 varieties of wines that span the globe.

On a balmy summer afternoon, guests can grab a seat at three patio spaces and sip on vino by the glass or bottle. The first floor boasts comfy U-shaped upholstered booths, several stone high tops, and a period-appropriate subway tiling. From the start, Cadariu insisted that Ladder 4 is a wine bar, not a restaurant, although more recently, that’s begun to change, thanks to the innovative menu designed by John Yelinek who also helms the popular Park Ranger pop-up. Sure, you could settle for a bowl of olives or a tin of mussels. But the move is certainly to go big with a 32-ounce dry-aged rib-eye for two. Suddenly, you’re transported from what was once an abandoned building into an elegant neighborhood destination.

Lisa Posey, one third of the Black on Both Sides bartending pop-up venture.

John Neely of Black on Both Sides in Detroit, Michigan.

Best New Collaborative Hospitality Experience

Black on Both Sides

In February 2022, a trio of Black bartenders decided to band together with the mission to enhance the hospitality experiences of people of color. Andre Sykes, who was just coming off the high of leading the Shelby speakeasy to the James Beard Awards’ long list for Best Bar in America, along with co-conspirators John Neely of Highlands and Lisa Posey who helped open an Evening Bar downtown in 2019 followed by a stint at The Spare Room in Los Angeles, launched Black on Both Sides. That investment in itself has been paid off so far. Among the trio’s highlights came mid-summer when they collaborated on an ambitious effort to invite Detroiters of all walks to immerse themselves in the city’s burgeoning, though sometimes a not-so-welcoming dining scene with the Hospitality Included Fest outside of the Chroma building in the Milwaukee Junction neighborhood. Among the dozens of food and beverage vendors in attendance — ranging from emerging

Best Eggnog French Toast Recipe

Posted on06/11/202230/11/2022Author

It seems like there’s always a little more eggnog in the carton than we know what to do with, so we set out to create the perfect recipe to use it up. Enter: eggnog French toast! It turns out that eggnog makes the ideal French toast custard base in place of traditional milk, half-and-half, or cream. Enriched with eggs and spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and rum extract, this eggnog French toast recipe has all the flavors you love in an eggnog cocktail, but in a family-friendly breakfast format.

The trick to custardy (but not soggy) French toast is to use dried-out bread; compared to fresh bread, it absorbs more of the custard and keeps its shape rather than falling apart as it soaks. We give our bread a 10-minute toast in a 275º oven to get the job done. (Dried bread makes for a better texture than stale, which retains a lot of moisture. If you do happen to have a stale loaf, still go ahead and dry the slices in the oven.) Just make sure you give the bread at least 30 minutes to soak before cooking—while it may increase your prep time, it really does make a difference in achieving that custardy center.

To create a textural contrast, we sprinkle the bread with a little sugar before cooking. The result is a crispy, glazey, caramelized crust that complements the toast’s rich, eggy interior. It’s just sweet enough to stand on its own, but we love it drizzled with maple syrup and garnished with some whipped cream and berries.

Want to get ahead of the game? Prep the French toast the night before, soaking overnight in the refrigerator (covered with plastic wrap) for an extra custardy interior. Just be sure to let it warm up slightly on the counter before cooking, and potentially give it a few extra minutes in the pan to ensure it’s cooked all the way through. PS Use a 13″-by-9″ baking dish if you don’t have a large rimmed baking sheet.

Made this holiday breakfast? Let us know how it went in the comments below!

Satay and sambal: 12 foods every Indonesian visitor needs to try

Posted on12/10/202230/11/2022AuthorAuthor

Editor’s Note — This CNN Travel series is, or was, sponsored by the country it highlights. CNN retains full editorial control over subject matter, reporting and frequency of the articles and videos within the sponsorship, in compliance with our policy.

(CNN) — As the world’s largest archipelagic nation, Indonesia is filled with different cultures and influences spread out over 1,904,569 square kilometers (735,358 square miles).

This makes it a huge challenge to try to summarize the flavors of the country in just a few paragraphs.

“Indonesian food culture is based on regional cooking among 17,500 islands, 38 provinces and 700 dialects,” says Indonesian cookbook author William Wongso.

“Flavors of Indonesia are very diverse. From Aceh (the westernmost province of Indonesia) to West Sumatra (also a western province), it’s only about a 1.5-hour flight, yet their food and taste profiles are totally different.”

The 75-year-old author of “Flavors of Indonesia: William Wongso’s Culinary Wonders.” says that even though he’s been traveling and eating around Indonesia for decades, he still hasn’t tasted every local dish.

For example, chefs in the Moluccas on the eastern side of Indonesia, once nicknamed the “Spice Islands,” prefer using fresh spices like cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. Aceh, on the other hand, frequently incorporates dried spices thanks to the influence of India, Arabia and China.

Padang (or Minangkabau) cuisine in West Sumatra uses lots of coconut cream, chiles, shallots and some curry spices, as well as ginger and galangal with aromatic herbs such as turmeric leaves, kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass.

Javanese are experts in using the three colored spice pastes — red (made of chiles, shallots and garlic), white (candle nuts, shallots and garlic) and yellow (candlenuts, shallots, garlic and turmeric).

“The taste profile of Central Java is sweeter than Eastern Java,” added Wongso.

Ready to enjoy the overwhelming diversity of Indonesian cuisine? Here are a few dishes that offer a sample of the many delicious flavors on offer.

Rendang beef

Beef rendang is unbelievably tender. The beef is coated with dry curry that has been stewed for hours.

asab974/Adobe Stock

It isn’t an exaggeration to say that beef rendang is one of the world’s most flavorful foods.

A dry curry dish linked to the Minangkabau ethnic group, which is indigenous to West Sumatra, rendang is a great way to preserve meat — essential for the Minangkabau people during their travels.

There is no one recipe for rendang. “In West Sumatra, there are about 900 districts and each has their own style of rendang,” says Wongso.

But one of the most common meats that appear in rendang is beef. It’s stewed in coconut milk and spices including lemongrass, galangal, garlic, turmeric, ginger and chiles for hours until the meat is unbelievably tender and the curry mixture is reduced to a relatively dry coating around the meat.

Tempeh

A rising star in plant-based diets around the world, tempeh has in fact been a constant in Javanese culture for more than four centuries.

The low-fat, high-protein meat substitute is made of soybeans fermented in banana leaves — and sometimes, other leaves — for two to three days before it turns into a white, moldy and chunky block.

Its flavor is often described as nutty and mushroom-y with a slight sweet soy scent.

It can be cooked the same way as any meat — baked, fried, grilled or boiled into different dishes. In Indonesia, it’s often deep-fried and served as a tasty snack.

Satay

A staple at Southeast Asian restaurants around the world, satay — or satay in the local tongue — is said to have originated in Java.

The preparation of these skewers varies from region to region, often featuring different meats or vegetables, spices, sauces and marinades.

One of the most loved versions in Indonesia is chicken satay served with a sweet peanut sauce that has just a hint of spice.

Fried rice

Fried rice: So much more than just fried rice.

Jairson/Adobe Stock

If there’s one staple that represents Indonesia’s multi-faceted culture, it’s fried rice — literally translated as fried rice.

Each household has a different recipe made with various ingredients and sides, but the use of terasi (shrimp paste) and kecap manis (a sweet and thick Indonesian soy sauce) unite most — if not all — versions.

These condiments create Indonesian fried rice’s unique taste.

Topped with a perfect sunny-side-up egg and a side of crunchy shrimp crackers (or kerupuk), nasi goreng is a versatile meal eaten throughout the day.

A dish influenced by Chinese cooking, fried rice is as popular in Singapore and Malaysia as it is in Indonesia.

Shrimp crisp

While prawn crackers are commonly found in several countries’ diets — especially in Indonesia and Malaysia — it was thanks to Indonesia that the snack was introduced to the Dutch and then brought