QuickBites- June

This month I decided to set a goal for our dining. I wanted to eat out only at neighborhood establishments that promise interesting food. The one objective condition was that the most expensive item on the regular menu could not cost more than thirty dollars. Thinking about the cost of of gas and the eventuality of a down payment for a house, I knew we could choose restaurants that offered a delicious compromise between pub/chain food and those establishments that promise a near fine dining experience.


While our latest experiment has been going on, we at A Man Has to Eat have been out twice to places we frequent with family. Enjoy these QuickBites.

Meson Los Espanoles

My aunt and uncle vacation in Spain every year and frequently gravitate to the Spanish culture and cuisine. Since Solera closed the doors to its Irvington location, they have been on a quixotic endeavor to find a replacement in Westchester. Very few establishments that promise authentic Spanish food have been left untested.

Meson Los Espanoles, located on Post Road in White Plains across from the Tango Grill, is one they have found that consistently pleases. While neither as sophisticated nor as progressive as Solera, Meson Los Espanoles offers a traditional Spanish menu in an atmosphere that is conducive to conversation and enjoyment of food (read: Aunt Nancy and Uncle John don't like eating in a place that is too crowded or loud).

Everytime we go someone orders, without fail, the pulpo a la Gallega and the boquerones con pimientos. The pulpo are served thickly sliced over potatoes with olive oil. The boquerones are bleached herring (anchovies) cured in vinegar. Both are a perfect start to a fulfilling meal.

Most of the dishes are grilled or served in a cazuela. The best way to summarize Meson Los Espanoles is as a traditional restaurant that reminds me most of coastal Spanish cooking (though their menu does certainly branch into other Spanish traditions). It doesn't offer the promise of cutting edge Spanish cuisine, but comfortably puts out dishes that replicate the foundation upon which those culinary leaps were built.

Encore

It should come as no surprise to anyone who has been reading this blog that my father asked to go to Encore for his Father's Day dinner. I'd been involved in a discussion thread on the trisate board at Chowhound recently whose focus was on places to eat in Larchmont and Mamaroneck. The usual suspects, deservedly so, all came up, but no one mentioned Encore. I threw this gem into the mix and the only person who engaged me wrote about how Le Provencal is better. My take is that Le Provencal and Encore are two very different restaurants. In my opinion, Encore defines bistro dining. That they execute it well only makes me love them more.

Last night's meal was one of the best yet. At our previous visit they were introducing new menu items, one of which was a whole baked snapper. It was just a little under done last time, but I wrote I expected it to be much better when the kitchen had a chance to get used to it. I was correct. The fish was perfectly cooked and the pineapple garnish provided a wonderful acid. Balancing out the dish was a hint of heat that I do not recall last time.

I started my meal with the grilled calamari. My mother enjoyed it last time and wanted to share the dish with me. I agreed because she is my mother and because I had grilled calamari less than a week ago at Solmar and I wanted to compare the two while the flavors and textures were still fresh on the tooth and palate. I'm not sure which flavors I liked more. The Encore plate employs a tremendous amount of garlic in a rich sauce while the Solmar plate utilizes oil and sun dried tomatoes. On Encore's side is the fact that my dish came out fresh from the oven. One of my only complaints about Solmar was my lukewarm appetizer.

Chrissie and my father split, as they usually do, a dozen escargots. I would never order this, but I enjoy having bites of theirs, especially dips of baguette into the buttery cells of the cast iron plate. I'm of the opinion that enough butter and garlic on anything will taste good.

A more pleasant surprise than doneness of my fish was the inclusion and execution of quail as a nightly special on a Monday. Both my parents ordered this dish last night and both of their birds were perfectly cooked. I would have ordered it myself had I not been on a mission to re-evaluate the snapper.