This site will soon just redirect you to JeffCutler.com to save you all the time, angst and effort of clicking.

Hosted at the Belkin Family Lookout Farm – where you can pick your own produce and enjoy some great views (see the photos) – this 2012 Food Fest included a pretty cool selection of tasty nibbles, a bit of booze and some great conversation with chefs and restaurant teams from all over the are.

While I was there yesterday, I got to talk with Billy Costa and Jenny Johnson (the co-hosts of TV Diner); Keenan Langlois, executive chef at Granary Tavern (they had a tasty Mahi and mango sandwich); and I even ran into Chris Sugrue, the GM at Tosca Restaurant in Hingham (he was there enjoying the event with family).

To give you a quick feel for who was on hand, here’s the list of exhibiting companies with a little comment from me beside each…

Salvatore’s – their wild mushroom risotto was fantastic and hearty. Not at all out of place even with temps in the 80s.

Tasty Burger – their cheeseburger with BBQ sauce and onions was delicious…just see the photo below of the TV Diner hosts.

Friendly’s – a Massachusetts original (I used to live near their factory in Wilbraham). They had chocolate, vanilla and mint chocolate chip. They also were giving away coupons for free ice cream. Win, win and win!

Glynn Hospitality – this is where I saw my friend Keenan. Their Mahi Mahi with a fresh mango salsa was great.

Fresh City – their Caesar salad was just the right light touch for a hot day.

Brasserie Jo – my friends at the Back Bay restaurant pulled out all the stops and created a balanced treat, perfect for the day. It was a pressed watermelon w/dehydrated olive, pickled goat cheese & chorizo vinaigrette. Even kids were lining up for seconds.

La Nina – white corn tortillas were used in their tasty quesadillas…both Cheese & Cheese and Ham.

Bryantville – these guys were in a side tent and were serving up their special style of meatloaf.

Captain Parkers – ladling out rich New England clam chowder made lots of people at Food Fest happy.

Piantidossi – I’m realizing now that I forgot my free baguette. But the other bread and the oils and tapenade were delicious.

Michele’s – they had a bunch of varieties of gourmet popcorn – I tried a couple and it was all I could do to not gobble it all up.

There was also a beer and wine tent, Sterlingwear crafters and the folks from Canobie Lake Park with a real live (hmmmm) zombie on site.

For $30 in advance, you got your money’s worth in food and fun. And when you were done, you could take the shuttle train across the farm to find other adventures.

In all, I’m glad I went out to the event and it was cool getting to meet Jenny and Billy in person. I’m sure I’ll head out to the farm again before the fall is over. For info on Belkin Family Lookout Farm, go to http://www.lookoutfarm.com For info on TV Diner go to http://www.necn.com/pages/tv_diner

Here’s a gallery of shots from the Food Fest…enjoy!

Everyone likes a good burger. Some – like friends Mike Langford and Eric Andersen – love a good burger. So, it was with them and other burger lovers in mind that I attended the Battle of the Burger August 7 at Black Falcon Cruise Terminal in South Boston.

According to Boston Magazine, the Battle of the Burger was the “ultimate burger cook-off” – and I agree. I got to sample almost two dozen burgers at an event created to determine the best burger in town. Further, I got to meet a bunch of chefs and try an Amstel Wheat that put many summer beers to shame.

Down below are some of the shots I took while there….but first, here’s a list of some of the participants…80 Thoreau, 5 Napkin Burger, The Blue Ox, Bond, Boston Burger Company, Brew City, Cafeteria, Church, Common Ground Bar and Grill, The Fireplace, Four Burgers, Joe’s American Bar & Grill, Legal Test Kitchen, Olde Magoun’s Saloon, Russell House Tavern, Saloon, Smith & Wollensky, Stephanie’s on Newbury, Tasty Burger and Uno’s.

When the charcoal cooled, first place at the Battle of the Burger was Boston Burger Co., second was Joe’s American Bar and Grill and third was The Blue Ox.

My favorites were the burger at Four Burgers, the turkey burger from Common Ground Bar and Grille and the tuna burger from Legal Test Kitchen.

Keep your eyes peeled for other events like this one in Boston. We’re currently at the start of Boston Restaurant Week – offering everyone a great opportunity to try some great food around our city…maybe even a burger.

Where’s your favorite burger joint?

But, there’s nothing more fun than being on the inside when a restaurant decides to relaunch a store or introduce a new menu. So, when I got an email from a marketing firm inviting me to the renovated Lucia Restaurant in Winchester, I did what any self-respecting food writer does…I skipped a few meals and got ready for a feast.

As part of an exclusive group – only four or five of us were at the reopening. While the room was packed, most of the folks in the room were food suppliers, friends and staff at the restaurant. We got to speak with the chef, the owner and the owner’s son. But the big deal was the food…and that didn’t disappoint.

Here are my reactions with a few more photos…

Passed fried oysters – nice heat and flavor.

Scallop and bacon – basic, but done perfectly.

Bruschetta – tasty and light.

Seafood Risotto – creamy and perfectly done seafood.

House-made pasta fresh from Naples Italy – some of the best and freshest (even from 3000 miles away) pasta I’ve ever had.

Here’s a bit of background too. The Lucia Ristorante was started as an idea in 1974 when the elder Donato envisioned the idea. In 1977, Lucia Boston opened in the North End. Now, as part of the 35-year anniversary celebration, Donato – both father and son – will be hosting dinners through the summer of 2012 to share new foods and tweaks/improvements to the menu.

Further, they’re trying to get on the radar of a new generation that hasn’t ever been to either location. To do this, they’ve been leveraging the expertise of 451 Marketing in Boston and the food stylings of Pino Maffeo – executive chef in Winchester.

On that night a week ago, nearly 40 people were entertained, feted and treated like royalty by the whole Lucia Ristorante team.

Some last notes on the meal. We also enjoyed a seafood salad served in a cup; a soft-shell crab dish with tomato sauce; a fantastic tuna tartare; some of the freshest meats I’ve had recently; and a light selection of desserts.

Pino called the food a bit more ‘adventurous’ than the typical fare at Lucia, but that’s what they were going for and they did a good job.

My take. I’ll go back. The food was excellent and properly prepared. The atmosphere was lively and the staff was friendly. Let me know here if you’ve been to either location and what your thoughts are on the restaurant.

2. I love pretzels and always have. From wandering the streets of New York as a young punk to buying Costco buckets of one billion pretzel nuggets, that’s how I roll.

3. Speaking of rolls, the team at Pretzilla Soft Pretzel Buns (or you can call them rolls) hooked me up for my birthday with a great care package of pretzels buns. Find their site here.

4. I used this fortunate event to create a tasty bleu cheese burger on a tasty Pretzilla Bun.

That’s the whole story. But here is the video of the unboxing followed by a bunch of great photos. Enjoy!

That means the food review and food application segment of media (and technology) is growing. To that end, I just became RE-aware of Tasted Menu. It’s a site that allows you to share your thoughts on dishes around the city. Currently available in Austin and Boston only, but with plans to grow. You can do your reviews online via the Web or via an iPhone app. I don’t know if they have Android covered, but that’s also likely in the works.

The reason I bring them up – and the maxim of the rising tide – is that it might seem as if there are tons of places to share your foodie rants and raves…

Zagat

BostonFoodFan (I take guest reviews and requests from restaurants to come and review their menu)

Urban Spoon

Harvest to Hand

Epicurious

Veg Out

Eat St.

Sushipedia

GrubHub

Open Table

and more.

And now there’s Tasted Menu. Do I think it’s destined for greatness? Like any app in this industry segment (or any segment) only time will tell. They did a cool little video to garner excitement. They were present at South by Southwest. And they reached out to me to try their service. I discovered that I had already signed up…but hadn’t yet used their app.

Maybe I’ll do so at dinner tonight. I’m visiting one of Boston’s well-known spots to test a Restaurant Week dinner.

What’s your take on all these apps? And better still, what’s on your plate?

So, this March I jumped on JetBlue Airlines to Austin, TX for the annual South by Southwest Interactive Festival. While there, I played with some technology, did some work (outside of my cuisine world) and had some meals.

Here are the photos and the recaps…

Sushi at Kenichi Restaurant in Austin. As usual, delightful, fresh and delicious. Friend and manager Danielle stopped by during dinner to say hi. One of the top two meals I had in eight days in Austin this trip.

Unremarkable and overpriced gnocchi with greens from Parkside Restaurant in Austin. While the sauce had some character, the gnocchi were overcooked and the greens seemed to be an afterthought in both taste and presentation. I will give Parkside credit for the best Bloody Mary I had all week while in Austin. The spices and the hint of citrus, along with the inclusion of olives, made that beverages one of my most memorable.

The 1886 Cafe & Bakery at the Driskill Hotel was consistently good. In past years, I’ve walked across town to grab breakfast at the Cafe. This year I was a guest of the Driskill so I only had to stroll downstairs to my usual table to enjoy breakfast. In the two photos here, top is the State of Texas Waffle with Fruit. That belonged to Steve Garfield who enjoyed it very much. He offered me a taste, but I was enthralled by my aptly named and signature dish, Hippy Hollow. It’s goat cheese, tomato, spinach, eggs and country potatoes. Excellent.

Here are a few other dishes I had while in Austin. I’ll be doing longer reviews in later blog posts of a few different places like the Driskill Hotel and a place called Trulucks that I hadn’t visited before this year’s festival.

During the summer, I added a post to the blog talking about cooking steak. That post was pretty easy because during warmer weather, I’ll use any excuse to use propane to sear some meat. With our warm summer, I was out there constantly and was able to weave my way through rib-eyes, sirloins, tenderloins, filets and one porterhouse (which I mangled because I’m an idiot).

But I told you that little story to tell you this one. The agency for Longhorn Steakhouse read that post and some of my other review posts and asked if I’d be kind enough to dine at one of their locations and give my opinion on the blog. I jumped at the chance for two reasons. 1 – see the above paragraph. 2 – 80% of my meals are eaten out and it was just a matter of time for me to have a free slot in my meal schedule.

So, let’s get right into the review….

Longhorn Steakhouse is NOT Morton’s. It is NOT Capitol Grille. It is NOT Shula’s or Ruth’s Chris or even Abe & Louie’s. But it is a solid little restaurant chain that competes – in my mind – with Applebee’s, Chili’s, Outback Steakhouse and a bunch of mid-level chain restaurants.

They provide pretty good food for an affordable price, and sometimes you get surprised. When I went there for lunch the other day, I got surprised twice. Once in a good way, once not so great.

The day
We arrived (two of us) for lunch around 1:30 on a Saturday afternoon. There was minimal crowd and the hostess and wait staff were very attentive. The bar had a few patrons in it and the bartender was boisterous and fun. We were seated immediately and there was nary a hiccup when I requested that we be seated at a booth instead of a table.

The room
The main restaurant is pretty open. While different Western gear divides the room into distinct seating areas, the pillars are open and you can easily see across the entire restaurant. The booth was comfy and I didn’t see any worn furniture anywhere. One thing I didn’t check was when this location opened, but everything looked pretty new.

Beverages
I almost got caught drinking a Bud-Light Lime, but yelled after the waitress to change my order to a Pomegranate Margarita. I thought, “If I’m reviewing a Western-themed steakhouse, shouldn’t I have a Western-ish drink?” The answer was yes. And the margarita was good. Flavor was pleasant without an overt taste of alcohol. Sometimes – especially during the day – I can appreciate a bartender who serves drinks correctly instead of going overboard on the booze.

Meals
I ordered the oft-advertised Lobster-stuffed Filet. Don’t ask if advertising works, but I had seen it so much that I was curious. And Longhorn was picking up the tab, so I decided to splurge. I also had the French Onion Soup and a side of rice with my steak.

The soup was salty goodness and full of flavor. I’ve had better at top-end restaurants, but I’ve also had worse. This one made me happy with the right amount of cheese, bread and onions. I finished the entire crock.

The rice was a bit spicy, but not unnecessarily so. The spice gave a bit more flavor to what a diner might expect to be a bland pile of rice. I’m a huge rice fan and this met my approval. On the other hand, if a place screws up the rice, it might not have much hope in other areas.

The steak was also right up there with the other two pieces of my meal. In fact, the steak was the hero. As usual, I ordered it medium rare and it was delivered to the table perfectly cooked. The meat was flavorful and tender. Good points all around in that category. But that’s were things went a little south.

If you want to stop reading here, you can think of Longhorn as a solid B or B- restaurant within its category. You’ll get a solid meal with good flavors, but you won’t be wowed by the menu options or the inventiveness of the kitchen.

Still here? OK, let’s get right into it…

Lobster in a steak? That’s just silly. The lobster was not fantastic, and I think part of that is due to it being paired with such a tender piece of steak. The lobster, as a result, was dry and salty to me and totally extraneous. It’s a gimmick and if I went there for lunch today, I’d order just the regular filet sans crustacean.

The other person in my lunch party ordered a burger and fries. While her food was cooked correctly and measured up to our expectations, there were a few drawbacks…

1 – The burger – ordered as described on the menu – was not supposed to have cheese on it. It arrived with cheese.

2 – The burger – no matter how it was described on the menu – was not supposed to come with a plastic salsa lid in between the lettuce and the bun.

The waitress was kind when we brought this to her attention. But instead of getting a manager or offering to comp the meal, she instead apologized profusely and asked what she could do for us. My companion said she’d like a margarita…and that was that.

I would have also liked to have seen the burger taken off our bill, but that didn’t happen. What’s that say for this location? What’s it say for the chain? Probably nothing. I’m sure it’s not the first time a lid found its way onto a bun when a sous or line cook was prepping a burger. I’m just disappointed it happened when things in the store were slow – at 2PM on a Saturday with no lunch rush.

Overall thoughts? I’d go back. Longhorn surprised me with how well they cooked the steak and as a meat guy, that’s up near the top of my list. Were I not there to review the location, I would have been much more vocal about the kitchen slip-ups but I didn’t want to blow my cover.

As I said earlier, if you think of Longhorn Steakhouse in the right family or level of restaurants, you won’t be disappointed. Even with the hiccups, I’m still rating them a B.

Here’s some history from Wikipedia…interesting to note that Capital Grille is owned by the same parent now…

LongHorn Steakhouse was founded in 1981 by George McKerrow Jr. The first location, LongHorn Steaks Restaurant & Saloon, opened on Peachtree Streetin Atlanta, Georgia. The restaurant initially struggled financially. However, in January 1982 a sudden snowstorm trapped Atlanta’s commuter populationwithin the city limits and McKerrow offered $1 drinks to the stranded motorists. He made a huge profit and the Peachtree Street location became successful.^[1] By 1990 the franchise had spread across the South. As of 2011 LongHorn Steakhouse operated 350 restaurants in 33 states.^[2][3] In August 2007, LongHorn Steakhouse, formerly owned and operated by Rare Hospitality, was purchased by Darden Restaurants, which also operates Olive Garden,Red Lobster, Seasons 52, and Bahama Breeze restaurant chains. In addition, other chains operated by Rare, including The Capital Grille, were purchased by Darden.

So, what do you get at Brasserie Jo? Have you been to Paris? That’s pretty much in a nutshell. Walk in the door and you can speak French to the person at the host stand to start your experience. Then, looking at the standard menu items like the amazing sandwiches and dishes can make even the most stoic person swoon.

In fact, on more than one occasion the other night I heard diners say the food was so good they wanted to weep for joy. It’s a gem in the midst of an unassuming block across from the Prudential Center Building. And I recommend you visit soon.

Menu and descriptions are BELOW the photos…

But isn’t that putting the cart before the charcuterie? It is. What occurred the other night was the Brasserie Jo Media Dinner where 25+ local newspaper folks and bloggers were invited to try out the menu and taste mini martinis. Here’s how it went…

First Course
Pan Seared Diver Scallop
Vanilla Beurre Monte, Butternut Squash, Confit Fennel
Wine Pairing: Francois Villard Viogner

Second Course
Frisee Salad
Poached Quail Egg, Brioche, Banyuls Glazed Lardon
Wine Pairing: Louis Boillot Cremant de Bourgogne Rose

Third Course
Sablefish
Saffron Fumet, Mussels, Pommes Boulangere
Wine Pairing: Domaine Ferret Pouilly-Fuisse

Fourth Course
Beef Tenderloin En Croute
Wild Mushroom, Parsnip Fondant Potato, Mustard Greens, Thyme Jus
Wine Pairing: Chateau Greysac

Cheese Course
Bleu d’Auvergne Pot de Creme
Tomato Marmalade, Pear
Wine Pairing: Pierre Sparr Riesling

Dessert
Caramelized Pumpkin Tart
Salted Caramel Ice Cream, Almond Brittle
Wine Pairing: Renwood Orange Muscat

Add to that some energetic chatter; martinis that tasted like blueberries, carrots, cucumbers and apples; new friendships; and Chef Nick fawning over each dish as a proud father would do with a newborn; and you get the full measure of the evening.

Take a look at some of the photos. Read some of the dish descriptions. Then take my advice from paragraph three and visit soon if you’ve never been. You’ll be pleasantly rewarded.

Just a quick photo essay of the steps it took to get the steak to the grill. I have not shown you the one step I took of salting and peppering the steak…sorry. Your thoughts are welcome, as are links to your food prep. If I take shots during the meal, I’ll give another post of the finished creation.