The Crust, Naples, Florida

Pizza with tomato sauce, provolone cheese and crumbled italian sausage

I'm a sucker for pizza.  What's not to love about bread and cheese, right?   If you've read my earlier posts, you all know that I'm particularly wedded to a thin crust.  I'm sure my fellow Chicagoans are in disbelief.  After all, my beloved birthplace is the home of the deep dish.  But I just never got used to the gummy crust at the bottom of a Chi-town pie.  Nope.  For me it's crispy cracker crust all the way. That is exactly what The Crust promises.  So, ever on a search for the perfect pizza, the fam and I made our way to the Pavillion shopping center in North Naples during the pizzeria's opening week.  I know I was taking a risk by going on the restaurant's fourth night of operation.  I mean, I hadn't given them a chance yet to work the kinks out.  But curiosity got the best of me ... and I'm glad that it did.

The Crust definitely delivers exactly what it promises.  The Crust serves thin-crusted, midwest style pizza, cut into "party size" squares.  While other pizzerias tout their sauces, the Crust touts ... well, their crust.  The name says it all.  "Crispy on the bottom, fluffy in the middle ..."  The Crust's pizza crust is just as described on their webpage.  And just to prove it, I had to take a pic.

Now that is crisp!  And I'm not the only one that thinks so.  My husband, Italian by heritage and upbringing, is pretty discerning when it comes to pizza crust.  His family is from "just the other side" of the GW Bridge and he's grown up with more than his fair share of New York style pizza.  He doesn't let a  poorly cooked crust past his lips without vocal criticism.  I was nervous bringing him to the Crust without first sampling it myself.  And, to my great relief, it only took one bite for him to succumb to the crust of the Crust.  (Yes, I meant to say that!)

What I loved:  You mean besides that thin and crispy crust?  The options.  While the Crust offers a few gourmet pizza combinations, I was drawn to the Crust for its "make your own pizza" option.  I'm not just talking about the ability to select from a variety of toppings.  I'm talking about the ability to also choose the crust (traditional or gluten free), the sauce and the cheese.  Now that my son is on a mandatory low sodium, low protein diet, the ability to customize our pizza as much as possible is key.  I count this as a big plus for all of you who are on doctor prescribed diets.  The Crust gives you the option of selecting between traditional tomato sauce, pesto or olive oil.  And the latter is ideal for those who are told to keep sodium to a minimum.  So, for my son, we opted for an olive oil coated crust.  I myself stuck with good ol' tomato.  Both were good.

As for the cheese, here the Crust also deviates from the norm.  The Crust's menu pizzas are all topped with provolone cheese instead of the usual mozzarella.  And although you can select a different cheese,  mozzarella is not an option.  I'm not sure why, but I'm not sure I care.  The provolone tasted just as good to me.  I didn't even miss the mozz.  Call it blasphemous if you want, but I call it tasty.

Even better was the service.  For an opening week, I found the staff to be much more than adequate.  Our server, Calesta, was prompt and courteous, frequently checking on us but not so much as to be hovering.   The manager on duty also took a moment to check on us and to converse with neighboring diners.  We sat next to the bar/kitchen but didn't find the activity around us to be intrusive.  And we enjoyed the decor that pairs black and white photos of Old Hollywood with rustic wood tables and industrial elements.  I personally loved the hooks underneath the bar.  Obviously whoever thought up that one thinks just like a woman.  

What I Didn't Love:  Umm ... I'm still thinking on this one.  I've read a few other reviews on Yelp that weren't as sold on the Crust.  Perhaps I just have different taste.  Perhaps I was just as pleased as punch about the customization options.  Perhaps I fared much better going on day four post-opening than those who went to the soft opening.  I certainly mind less than others that this eatery seems to cater to a more "upscale" Mercato kind of crowd.

How much we spent:  ($$)  For our party of four we ordered two custom pizzas, one with provolone and olive oil and one with provolone, tomato sauce and crumbled italian sausage.  We also ordered four sodas.  Our total bill was $48, which included a generous 20% tip.

My rating:  (4 spoons)  I haven't had a pizza I liked this much since my visit to The Blue Moose in Colorado.  The fact that my better half likes it too must mean that there is promise in this pizza.

Before you go, don't forget to check out Anna's Mini Review.  She's got a good pic of our olive oil pizza.  :-)

Food & Thought, Naples, Florida

If you've been following along with my blog, you know that I have a penchant for farm to table restaurants.  And now that I've made a resolution to cut out processed foods, I'm in greater need to find good all natural/organic purveyors.  This Presidents' Day, the kids and I took a trip to the Naples Botanical Garden to enjoy the installation of the Lego sculpture exhibit.  But before we could take in the sights, lunch was definitely on the agenda.  In a world dominated by fast food options, finding a fresh and healthy lunch option pleasing to younger palates is a daunting challenge.  I think I could count on one hand the available options in our town.  But lucky for me today, our local Panera Bread is in the same shopping plaza as a local gem, Food & Thought.  I was introduced to this organic market and eatery by a friend but had not been back in quite a long time.  I had intended to bring the kids to the well-known chain restaurant but was pleasantly reminded of Food & Thought as soon as I drove into the plaza.  So, today was the day for a return trip.

Fronted by a full organic market, Food & Thought serves breakfast, lunch and dinner from a kitchen counter in the back.  There are some seating options indoors but the best spot to dine is outdoors, especially in pleasantly cool and sunny weather.   Outdoor seating is plentiful and includes wooden tables and benches built around grown trees that provide plenty of shade on a hot day.  Fruits and vegetables in carts along the windows and trees and plants for sale provide natural decoration.

Food & Thought offers various healthy sandwich options, including chicken salad, egg salad and tuna salad.  Hummus is also available for those looking for a vegetarian/vegan option.  Salads and soups are also available.  Those looking for more substance can order entrees such as rotisserie chicken and salmon, each for $6.95.  Entree sides, like red potatoes, brown rice and baked plantains, are also available for $1.95 each.  Today, the kids and I split a rotisserie chicken quarter, red potatoes and a "cup" of vegetable soup.  The chicken was generously seasoned and moist.  My clear favorite, the red potatoes, were slightly mashed and properly salted.  The vegetable soup, although more mildly spiced, was generously stocked with green beans, corn, carrots, onions and potatoes.   The kids and I finished every bite, providing that healthy and flavorful can exist in the same realm.

How much I spent:  $  Our lunch, along with three bottled teas, cost $18 with tax included.  Not bad!

My rating:  3 1/2 spoons.  If you are looking for a good healthy lunch that you can eat without guilt, Food & Thought definitely meets the grade.  Certainly a good post-New Year option if you are sticking to your resolutions!

The Local, Naples, Florida

Gulfcoast Chowder with Snapper and Grouper

Today, my husband had the very good fortune to be invited to play a round of golf with Coach Brian Craig and the men of the University of Kentucky Golf Team.  So, that meant that the kids and I were off to figure out lunch plans for ourselves.  Now, some might be feeling sorry for me right now, having to conjure up lunch plans to satisfy the likes of a 13 year-old boy and an 8-going-on-20 year-old girl.  But, lucky for me, my kids are smart and savvy eaters.  We enjoy lunch dates, even without Dad around, because that means that we can eat seafood to our hearts' content.  My hubby grew up right on the Indian River and apparently years of eating seafood as a youth have turned him off for the rest of his life.  Sad for the kids and I because we LOVE seafood.  So, today, while Dad was away having fun, we turned our bad luck into a stroke of good luck and headed toward one of our staple seafood restaurants in town.

We had intended to spend the early afternoon lunching outdoors at Steamers ... that was until I pulled into my parking space and remembered the new farm-to-table restaurant just next door.  For some months now, I've heard a simmering buzz about the newly opened The Local, a restaurant focused on sourcing their ingredients entirely from local sources.  Apart from featuring locally grown vegetables, The Local also prides itself on being a "Sea-to-Table" restaurant by buying seafood from the local fishermen who pull in their catch from our Gulfcoast waters.  As much as I enjoy nice fried oysters at Steamers, this new place I had to try.  With seafood on my mind, I couldn't resist convincing the kids to give it a try.

Because today was a rather cool but sunny day, we chose to sit outside.  But even as nice as the weather was, the warmth of the Gulfcoast Chowder was calling to me.  I ordered a cup for myself, knowing of course that I would be prompted to share.  The Chowder came out promptly in a clean white cup, piping hot and subtlety scented with the aroma of seafood.  Surprise #1:  This cream-based chowder featured a nice seafood broth.  Often, I find chowders so chock full of potatoes and starchy that classifying them in the soup category seems rather blasphemous.  Not so here.  This chowder is broth and fish, with hints of corn, celery and possibly yellow pepper.  Perhaps even a touch of white wine.  If there was potato in there, it was certainly not obvious - and for me that is fine.  Because what I want most from a chowder is the fish which brings me to ... Surprise #2:  Fish, fish and more fish.  Gulfcoast Chowder is made with snapper and grouper, and a lot of it.  In every single bite.  And I LOVE that, especially because I shared the chowder with the children who would otherwise have monopolized the seafood in my soup.  Nothing annoys me more than doling out spoonfuls to the kids hungry mouths to find me left with nothing but potatoes and celery.  But I had no need to fear at the Local today.  Not one of us was gypped of a bite of delicate fish!  When lunching with the kids sans Dad, I will definitely order this again!

Gulfcoast Shrimp & Grits.  Can you spot the bacon in this dish?

For lunch, I ordered something unusual for me, Gulfcoast Shrimp & Grits.  And now those who know me are bewildered about the grits.  Yep, I'm not a fan of grits.  Polenta I can do but grits, not so much. Why order it then?  Well, I had to think fast on my feet; the kids hadn't given me a lot of time to peruse the menu.  It was right there on the special board and frankly, I like to give the new restaurants I try a bit of an uphill climb when it comes to challenging my discerning palate.  I know, it's not fair, but as my husband likes to say "Life isn't fair."  Thankfully, I do a lot of homework about the new places I try so that I am not too often sorely disappointed.  Not everyone makes the mark, but not everyone crashes in flames.  And happily I can say that I enjoyed my grits today.   Not overly grainy, today's grits were texturally more smooth than I'd had before.   A plus for someone like me.  There was a little more on my plate that I would have wanted, but that was fine.  I ate all but a couple of spoonfuls.

The buttery smooth grits were a good complement to the Gulfcoast shrimp.  If my taste buds are qualified to do so, I can say that these shrimp were indeed very fresh.  It's either that or my mind thinks that they just came from the open waters.  Either way, they were nicely done, sautéed with halved cherry tomatoes.  Nestled nicely in the grits, dotting the spaces between the shrimp, were nice bits of diced fresh bacon hidden in sautéed tomato and chopped green onion.  So well diced and not visually obvious to the eye, biting into the bits of bacon in a spoonful was like opening a surprise gift, one so good that I had find and save the next one for my final bite.  My only want at the end of the dish was just for a touch of acid to freshen my palate.  If I could drink wine, a nice white zinfandel would have done just nicely.  (Gotta remember to bring the antihistamines next time, darn wine allergy!)

How much I spent:  $$.  Today's lunch for 3, with soft drinks and iced tea, cost $67 with tip.  Per person it doesn't sound too bad but it is rather pricey for lunch when you realize that the other diners beside myself were two kids.  The Local has a kids menu but with entrees like shrimp and fresh catch of the day, the prices are bound to be higher than that for typical kids fare.

My overall rating:  4 spoons.  That chowder had me with the fish.  And I'm a sucker for any farm/sea to table/fork restaurant.  You all should know that by now.

Max's Harvest, Delray Beach, Florida

The best perk of traveling out of town for business is the opportunity to discover great new food finds.  Last month's meeting for the National Kidney Foundation of Florida brought me back to the Palm Beaches.  And, in the south part of the county is the city of Delray Beach.  With an attractive rejuvenated downtown area, Delray is now home to a number of new and upcoming hot spots and eateries.  One such place is Max's Harvest, located in the Pineapple Grove district.  Self-proclaimed as a "farm-to-fork" restaurant, Max's Harvest follows the latest wave of restaurants who promise seasonal dishes whose ingredients are sourced entirely from local organic farmers.  Fortuitous for me, since I have recently pledge to move toward cleaner eating.  No matter what your political persuasion, you've got to admit that clean, home-grown, all-natural food sounds a lot more delectable than processed foods chock full of preservatives.  And delicious, well-prepared dishes are exactly what I like to enjoy on a rare date night with my better half away from home.

I don't know from firsthand experience, but Pineapple Grove appears to be a popular weekend spot for the 20s to 40s crowd.  Free parking is scarce, but luckily valet parking is available for those who are willing to splurge.  Those who find themselves parking blocks away can take advantage of the free Delray Downtowner electric cart shuttle.  On cooler nights, the front patio would probably be a nice place to both dine and people watch.  But if you find the patio too cold or even too warm, the open kitchen in the front dining room is bound to provide some table-side entertainment.  While I would have preferred to see the action, our table was in the back dining room.  That would have been fine but for being under an air vent.  The lesson here?  Always bring a sweater.  Thankfully, even if a little cool air doesn't spoil my appreciation for good food.

The menu at Max's is a la carte, but any of the items can also be ordered as a part of a 3 course prix fixe option.  For our dinner, my husband opted for a steak and I for seared scallops with farro.  But all that was preceded by smoked Hereford bacon, truffle fries and burrata.  Had we known that the appetizers would be so tasty and so filling, we might have waived off on the entrees.  The housemade burrata was amazing ... so cold and fresh, paired with this great tomato relish and served with bruschetta topped with a mash of English peas and mint.  Loved it.  The bacon and truffle fries, amazing too.  Thank goodness those are menu regulars because I will definitely have to have those again.  Great flavors, cooked just right and paired perfectly with garlic aioli.

We honestly had to force ourselves not to finish the first courses just so we could have room for the rest.  And it's a good thing we did because those second courses were just as good.  My pan seared scallops were so good, served on a bed of farro and potato puree.  The flavors were rich.  My only criticism?  My plate could have used some acid, just to offset those hearty flavors.  Thankfully, my husband's steak came with an arugala salad dressed lightly in a vinaigrette - just enough acid to help me push through the rest of my dish.  And that I needed to do because my third course - dessert - was still yet to come.

And, as it should be, dessert was definitely the piece de resistance.  So simple but so very good.  Sugared doughnuts with creme anglaise and raspberry compote.  Warm, airy and sweet.  What's not to love?

How much we spent: $$$$  For the two of us, with three courses and no alcohol, we spent $150, tip included.   Yes, it's pricey, but we ordered A LOT of food.  A spending conscious diner would likely spend less.  But if I were you, I wouldn't skip dessert!

My rating:  4 1/2 spoons.  Max's Harvest is a restaurant that I will be recommending to anyone who has the pleasure of visiting Delray Beach.  Great farm-fresh local food, well made and delicious.  I'll definitely go back.  

Kitchen Sink Recipe #2: Quick & Easy Stir Fry

There are some recipes that a home cook needs to have in their arsenal.  And throwing together a good stir fry is something that every home cook should know how to do. Why? Because stir fry is literally something that can be thrown together with just about anything that you have in your refrigerator and pantry.  It is one of the most versatile dishes. Any meat mixed with any vegetables and in the time it takes to watch one episode of a sitcom you are done. The only musts? Sesame oil, soy sauce, cornstarch, garlic and ginger. And these aren't even really "must haves". In a pinch any of these can be substituted. So, when I'm feeling tired and not quite enthused about cooking, stir fry is a good home cooked meal that I can throw together with minimal effort. And now you can too.

Beef Stir Fry

1 lb. flank steak

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 tsp. grated ginger

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 tsp cornstarch

1/2 c. julienned carrots

1/2 c. julienned red pepper

1/2 c. green beans cut on a bias

1/2 c. baby bella mushrooms, halved or quartered 

2 tbsp. sesame or peanut oil

1/2 c. soy sauce

1/2 lemon, juiced

Cut flank steak into strips of whatever length or thickness you desire and place into a bowl.  Season with salt, pepper, ginger and garlic; adjust seasoning to your taste.  Sprinkle with cornstarch.  Stir seasonings and cornstarch into the steak to coat and set the bowl aside in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.  (I serve rice with my stir fry and use this downtime to boil my rice and prepare my vegetables.  Once the steak has rested for the desired amount of time, heat oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.  When the oil is very hot, add your steak.  Using a large spoon or spatula, spread the steak into an even layer in the pan and brown for 1 minute.  Stir or toss the steak and continue to brown for another minute.  Stir in the vegetables.  Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring or tossing occasionally.   Add soy sauce and lemon and continue to stir or toss, being sure to coat all of the meat and veggies.  Allow the liquids to thicken.  The stir fry is ready to serve when the meat has reached its desired level of doneness.  It can be served with rice or ramen noodles.  These proportions are sufficient to feed my family of four.  

The great thing about this recipe is that many components can be substituted, which is why I consider this to be a "kitchen sink" recipe.  With each variation, a whole new meal is born.  While beef is my stir fry mainstay, you can easily substitute chicken or pork.  And most any cut of meat works too as long as you can slice it into strips.  The veggies can be any of your choice.  Don't like red peppers or carrots?  That's fine.  I've made this at various times with broccoli florets, cauliflower, snow peas, onions, scallions zucchini and and squash.  I'm sure at one time I even used shredded brussel sprouts.  Now you can see why this recipe comes in really handy when you want to use up vegetables that are taking up space.  Don't have fresh ginger?  That's okay.  Substitute with half as much ground ginger or omit it altogether.  Don't have cornstarch?  Use double the amount of flour.  (Just don't leave this out because the cornstarch or flour is a key ingredient.  This is what thickens the sauce.)  No sesame or peanut oil?  Vegetable oil works too.  Just make sure it's really hot when you start to cook.  Not a fan of soy?  Chicken or beef broth works in a pinch.  Just eliminate the lemon juice and adjust your seasonings if the broth is bland.  Now it does occur to me that there may be vegetarians among you.  Don't worry, you can omit the meat and double up on the veggies.  But since my recipe contemplates the addition of seasoning and thickener directly to the meat, you will need to adjust by adding your seasoning to the veggies and stirring your thickener into the cold soy or broth before adding it to the hot pan.  In that case, you can skip the marinating time.  

This is a really good recipe for the beginning or apprehensive cook because it is really hard to ruin.  It is amenable to experimentation and good for those who want to develop the instinct to cook creatively (i.e. without a recipe).  As long as you bear in mind the basic components - hot oil, meat (for all of you carnivores), thickener, veggies and sauce - you really can't go wrong.

Kitchen Sink Recipe #1: Lentil Soup

One of the things I love about food and cooking is the creativity that goes into creating a good dish.  Disagree with me if you want, but I think cooking is definitely an art and chefs are truly artists.  What draws me most to cooking shows and competitions is the adroit skill of chefs who are able to look at a cornucopia of ingredients and come up with a variety of dishes.  It’s a talent that I am sure takes quite a lot of time and training, combined with a deep love and appreciation for food of all kinds, its flavors and textures.  Having grown up in a home where recipe cards and cookbooks were rarely used, I have challenged myself over the years to develop a sixth sense about food so that I too could just grab things from my cupboard or refrigerator and come up with something good enough to eat and enjoy.  “Kitchen sink” recipes are among my favorite challenges.  This is the term I use for those dishes that I whip up in an effort to use up the last bits of any foods taking up space in my cupboards or icebox.  This happens most often after parties, holidays or family visits, when I have more food on hand than usual.  Admittedly, most of my kitchen sink meals are soups and stews.  But, no two of them are really ever alike, because it all just depends on what's on hand that day.

Last week, in my effort to create more clean and organic lunches for my Anna, I bought a package of baby carrots and one full bunch of celery.  Anna does not eat sandwiches and I've been at a loss for lunch options that don't look like tired crudite party platters.  Anna certainly likes crudites but frankly she lost interest in both veggies after lunch day two.   So, by the end of the week, I had a small cache of carrots and celery and no bunnies around to consume them.  Now, if you are a cook, you'll know that carrots and celery are two of the three ingredients of a mirepoix.  Throw in an onion (which is always a staple in my kitchen) and you have Emeril Lagasse's "holy trinity", the primary foundation of most good stocks, soups, stews or gumbos.  Lucky for me, I also had a bag of lentils just waiting for me in my pantry.  Before I knew it, a lentil soup was born.   And topped with some shredded roasted chicken and slivers of sliced spinach (which I also needed to clear out of the fridge), we had a very tasty and filling dinner.  Funny thing is, my daughter loves this soup, so much so that she is now begging me to send it in her thermos for lunch.  So, interestingly enough, those carrots and celery did wind up serving their original purpose.  Healthy clean organic lunch accomplished!

Lentil Soup

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup diced sweet onion

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced celery

2 large cloves of minced garlic

3 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp ground pepper

3 tsp dried fresh basil

2 cups (or 1 15 oz. can) diced peeled tomatoes

1 lb. lentil beans

2 qts. (or 2 32 oz. boxes) vegetable or chicken stock

Step 1: Sweat the vegetables

Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat on the stove top.  Let the oil warm, but do not allow it to overheat.  If your oil is popping, it's gotten to hot.  Do not allow it to burn.  Back the heat off if needed.  (Remember that different stove tops produce different temperatures.)  When the oil is warm, add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic.  (Tip:  I diced my veggies fairly small to complement the size of the cooked lentils.)  Season the vegetables with salt, pepper and basil.  (Note that my recipe calls for dried fresh basil.  This isn't a typo.  My basil is grown fresh in my garden but is air dried for about a week before I use it.  It retains a scant amount of moisture and rehydrates in soups and stews.  You can, however, use true dried basil in lieu of dried fresh basil.  Just remember that the flavor of true dried herbs is more concentrated than fresh herbs so you should adjust quantity to suit your taste.)  Stir to coat vegetables with the oil and seasonings and allow the veggies to sweat until onions and celery become translucent.   While veggies are sweating, rinse and drain your lentil beans.

Step 2:  Boil then simmer

Once translucent, add the tomatoes, lentils and stock.  (If you use canned tomatoes, you can use the seasoned variety.  In fact, this time around I used canned tomatoes seasoned with garlic, basil and oregano.  Accordingly, I reduced the amount of fresh basil and garlic.  If you use seasoned canned tomatoes, be sure the seasonings that your tomatoes are packed in complement the other seasonings in your dish.  Adjust other seasonings as needed!  The above recipe presumes you are using unseasoned tomatoes.)  Stir all ingredients to incorporate and allow to come to a boil.  Once you achieve a rolling boil, reduce the heat to medium low, cover and allow to simmer for 35 – 45 minutes until the lentils are tender.  Check lentils for doneness before pulling them off the heat.  If they have too much bite for your taste, you can simmer them a bit longer.  Or, for a thicker consistency, you can blend the soup briefly with an immersion blender. 

For added color, flavor and texture, you can top the soup with a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream and a chiffonade of spinach, basil or other leafy greens.  For an additional protein, I topped the soup with shredded chicken but you could use cubed or shredded ham.  (Heck, if this were the holidays and if I had a leftover ham hock, that hock would have been sitting in the soup while it was simmering.  Something to think about this upcoming Thanksgiving!)