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Archive for June, 2011

Does the tagline “You’ve Arrived” mean anything to you? If not, it will. Smith & Wollensky is a premier steakhouse where political figures, celebrities, and those who appreciate fine dining experience elegant food.

Smith & Wollensky is almost an elite restaurant, having only nine locations in prime cities. It was established in 1977 in New York. Now, the signature green and white building is known for luxury. The nine locations include the iconic restaurant in New York City, Chicago, Las Vegas, Miami Beach, Columbus, Houston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C.,  and Boston. An additional Smith & Wollensky is being built in another part of Boston this summer.

So what is the Smith & Wollensky claim to fame? Although the restaurant has been in several Hollywood flicks like “The Breakup” of “The Devil Wears Prada,” the food is more noteworthy. Smith & Wollensky is the only national steakhouse to dry-age and butcher on site.

Dry-aging is a process used to make meat more flavorful and tender. Smith & Wollensky places fresh beef in coolers for several weeks, usually up to 28 days. The top 2% cuts the restaurant uses dry-ages with near perfect marbling for intense flavor.

When it comes to lobster, they fly fresh fish in daily. Every side and pastry is made by hand daily as well.

To top off the experience, Smith & Wollensky has top honors from Wine Spectator magazine for excellence. The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence requires interesting selections, wide range of appeal, and appropriate to cuisine. Smith & Wollensky has some of the best wines the United States produces.

One of the intriguing qualities about this steakhouse is the dress code. For such a classy and quality restaurant, Smith & Wollensky encourages comfort above anything else. Some guests prefer suits, while others dine casual.

Overall, Smith & Wollensky’s is fine dining at its finest.

A famous French delicacy is escargot. Escargot is snail, which can be served in a variety of sauces. Well prepared escargot has a delightful flavor and texture. Snails have been a delicacy in several Mediterranean countries throughout history as well. However, the French eat an estimate of 40,000 tons of escargot a year, making France the world’s leading consumers of escargot.

Preparing fresh escargot takes several days. Escargot may be farmed or found in the wild. In France there is actually a shortage of wild escargot. Regardless of the type of snail, these snails have to “fast” usually a week prior to being prepared. “Fasting” the snail is a way to cleanse the system of the snail to get rid of toxins so they are edible.

Common preparations for escargot include steaming or boiling. Snails are typically served still in the shell, although there are several recipes that do not include the shell. Often, escargot may be served on a special escargot plate, a plate with depressions for each shell to sit in.

In order to eat escargot, you use special tongs to remove the flesh from the shell. Once you have the meat, you then use a small fork, comparable to a crab fork, to dip the escargot into a sauce. The most common sauce for snail is butter or garlic based. Wine sauces are also popular.

There are at least 100 different types of edible snails. The most popular in France are the Petit-Gris and Escargot de Bourgogne. The nutritional value of a snail can depend on how it is prepared. Snails are low in fat and high in protein. Snails are also 80 percent water.

If you are interested in preparing your own escargot, canned snails are available.