Dayton OH: Oakwood Room

Oakwood seems to be the Main Line neighborhood of Dayton. The streets are lined with large, elegant houses and manicured lawns. The main street is nicely curated collection of upscale shops. The Oakwood Room fits in that mold as a classic beef house with wood paneling, low lighting, and classic décor. I would say steak but their signature beef dish is the prime rib. Naturally, they also serve seafood. The service is very gracious. Many of the patrons were clearly regulars and I was treated with equal warmth.

The bread course was hearty and appreciated after a day of travel. The dressing was a vinaigrette dressing that was very nicely balanced.

I was in the mood for a fine piece of prime rib and that’s what I got. It was tender, juicy, and delicious. My server warned me that the horseradish was extremely hot and she was right---wow. The hash browns were formed into a neat cake, as is the style with steak houses. My only very small complaint is that the vegetables had a hint of fish, probably from sharing the steamer with some. But overall, this was a classic meal nicely done and service that made me feel like an old hand.

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Eating Around Georgia Tech: Ecco

Our Texas Instruments colleague Cathy Wicks was gracious enough to host several of us at Ecco tonight. This is one of those restaurants that has been on my list for a long time. Even though it is within easy walking distance of Georgia Tech, I hadn't made it there until tonight. The menu is a combination of Italian, Spanish, and French that make use of some local Georgia ingredients. The combination of those three countries is sometimes a little forced, although the georgia ingredients (fruit, cheese) were all great and perfectly appropriate. We started out with a meat and cheese board. This actually reverses the French tradition, where cheese usually follows the main course. Everything was excellent. The Georgia cheese was a big hit, as was the French cow/goat cheese. I thought the sauscisson was very subtle and very good. The waitress said that the roast pork pasta was their signature dish, so I had to try it. It had traditional broad pasta (fresh, of course)

DCA: Cava Mezze Grill

Cava is a DC area chain with light Mediterranean food. Saibal encouraged me to try lunch at their airport location and I was very happy with the experience. I ordered falafel on SuperSalad with assorted other toppings. The falafel was tasty. The SuperSalad was light, flavorful, and very easy to eat. Overall, a healthy and enjoyable lunch, something you can't always say about airport eating.

Pressure Cooker Candied Ginger

I made candied ginger a few years ago. It's not something I would do every day but I had a lot of fun doing it. I recently acquired a pressure cooker and it inspired an interesting idea to me: why not make candied ginger in the pressure cooker? It should be very soft and flavorful. Here is the result. I peeled two large ginger roots, cut them into small cubes, and put them in the pressure cooker with heavily sugared water. The traditional method first boils the ginger in plain water to soften it and then again in sugar water to candy it. The resulting candy was very tender but still with the characteristic ginger texture. It was also sweet without being overpowering. The traditional method leaves a lot of sugar crystallized around the ginger. The pressure cooker gives a much more subtle result. The ginger stays moist even after it cools but you can dry it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. That inspired me to dip it in chocolate. While I was in the b

Atlanta etc.: Marilyn Wolf's Food Blog and Restaurant Blog

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