Cooking Well, Eating Well

Happy Friday, people. And what a Friday it turned out to be...300 plus covers on a Friday night. Typical given the new wave of weather we are having and being so close to the waterfront. That, however, was a breeze for The Mad Chef...have your line prepared, prep in place, and the night is just another one for the books as some say.

Last night is what I do want to talk about though. I had the pleasure of dining at a restaurant by the name of PS7, located downtown at 7th and I street. Beautiful little restaurant that has similar characteristics to Zola (a former haunt of mine) with its sliding doors leading from the kitchen. Our service was spectacular and very accommodating (we had to ask to move because our table on the patio seemed a little on the slant) for everything my significant other and I asked for.

We started with a "Lonzino Carpaccio" of house cured pork tenderloin topped with mango and garnished with sesame sticks, simple and absolutely delicious. My girlfriend ordered the sirloin au poirve medium rare, which was great and all but I have to mention the onion rings that garnished this dish. They were simply mouth watering, slightly crunchy but not overly coated with the breading that you still got great onion flavor with each bite. I am a sucker for fried food people...it's a vice.

My entree was a potato crusted Alaskan Halibut served with morel mushrooms, English peas and thinly sliced shallots...the morels being what made me order the dish. Guess where The Mad Chef will see these beautiful shrooms again next week?? Also, our wine was an excellent match for the food, a Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley in Oregon that shall remain nameless. But trust me, any Pinot from that area is damn good.

The dessert (that we shared) was a smoked pecan pie served with a lemon sorbet. The dish was garnished with a chocolate sauce that looked as if the person plating it had taken a careful hand with a paint brush going from one corner of the plate diagonally to the next. Sprinkled with just a hint of Fluer De Sel (a very, very good salt, great choice chef) to keep the dish from being overly sweet to the tooth. All in all it was the best dining experience I have had in several months and cannot wait to return.

3 weeks until the Chili Cook-Off people, have you gotten your tickets yet?? I have yet to receive my "rule book" which is going to break down what I can and cannot do...nevermind finding a tent that was flame retardant, I have a feeling once I receive this pamphlet I will have plenty more hoops to jump through before the 10th rolls around.

Cheers!!!