Another big highlight for me during our stay in Carmel a few weeks ago was visiting Earthbound Farms, a familiar place to me only by name, as I buy their salad greens each week. I got excited when I saw their farm, while on our way to Carmel Valley Ranch, where we were staying.
I made Dan promise me that we can stop in for lunch the next day, so I can make myself a farm fresh salad.
Atmosphere:
To say that the atmosphere at Earthbound Farms is magical is an understatement. Situated in Carmel Valley, the farm is surrounded by nature’s finest beauty, including colorful rolling hills, tall redwood trees and just spectacular countryside.
The property is large, but not overwhelming, consisting of the actual farm land, a general store and café, as well as an outdoor sitting area, and a few smaller gardens that cater specifically to visitors.
Staying true to its rustic vibe, the café is very casual and the salad bar is self serve, which I like. Featuring all of their different salad greens including arugula, fresh spinach, a spring mix, kale and other varieties, it’s all there for you to make a colorful, healthy lunch creation. Of course they have other fixins too such as a tasty roast beet salad, dilly beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, a quinoa salad and other yummy things. It was fun to see everything decked with the Earthbound Organic logo, as it also educated me about other products they carry such as all sorts of fruits and veggies (not just salad), as well as pre-packaged goodies such as granola, cookies, nuts, and other natural snacks.
Salad and More!
As I already hinted above, I chose to make a farm fresh salad at Earthbound's little cafe, which was a lot richer and vibrant than the salads I make at home. Consisting of their signature spring mix greens, I also added other things such as roasted beets with onions, a crunchy bulgur salad, edamame beans, tofu, a mixed bean salad and tied it all together with balsamic dressing. Taking the salad outside and eating it in the open fresh air, it tasted wonderful and nourishing. It was satisfying to respect the earth from which this food came by eating it right on Earthbound's premises.
Dan ended up getting a grilled cheese sandwich at the cafe, which was also hearty and delicious. We appreciated the normal portions, especially while on vacation when it's so easy to overindulge.
As you can see from the above picture, we couldn't resist a little portion of garlicky dilly beans, which we took with us and ate during a BBQ we had during our stay in Big Sur. More on that soon...
Costs:
Since the cafe was super informal and really just a grab and go kind of place, it was fairly inexpensive, setting us back about $20 for our food and drinks.
If you're travelling to this lovely part of California, I highly recommend stopping at this charming, natural place. I'll never look at my ordinary salad the same way again.
3 Mmmms
Earthbound Farms - 7250 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel CA 93923
831.625.6219
www.ebfarm.com
After we left San Francisco, we headed South by way of California’s Monterrey Peninsula, which was just a spectacular experience. Part of what made the journey that much more enjoyable was the delectable, natural food we had at our disposal, and it was really difficult to have anything that wasn’t delicious.
I did some research on Carmel’s restaurants, as I usually do, only to find a lot of gems, which were also very pricey. Doing some more digging, I decided that heading to Carmel’s quaint town called Carmel by the Sea would be a nice place to have dinner, and I found a cute little, low-key restaurant called Basil Seasonal Dining that ended up being our dinner destination.
Atmosphere:
Set in the heart of Carmel by the Sea, it’s a wonder that Basil Seasonal Dining remains a hidden gem. It must be its stealth location, as Dan and I inadvertently passed it on our way over since it’s situated in a little tributary street right off of Ocean St.
We noticed a few tables outside, but since Carmel gets to be quite chilly at night, we chose to dine in Basil’s cozy dining room. It’s a good thing we had a reservation, since the place was almost full, which was a good sign.
Dan remarked at how tiny it actually was, the dining room housing only about 25 patrons – and we loved that. We hadn’t really had an intimate, romantic meal up to that point in the trip, and this created a nice opportunity.
Food:
While the menu wasn’t wildly extensive, it had just what we needed, and we were excited by a lot of the menu items. The wine selection was quite nice too, and boasted a few local varieties, which we naturally had to sample.
Tuna Tartare – We were totally taken with this appetizer special, which sounded delicious and hinted at Asian flavors. I enjoyed it very much, as the tuna was fresh and cut into bite size pieces, resting on a bed of chunky avocado salad. Refreshing and light, we both agreed that it was a great way to start, and to keep our palates neutral, in preparation of the heartier dishes still to come.
Braised Rabbit – I was curious to try Basil’s take on a braised rabbit dish, which was paired with locally grown veggies such as heirloom cauliflower and romanesco. A modest helping of homemade gnocchi also graced the dish, which was a big highlight for me – the soft, pillowy pieces catching the rabbit’s hearty braising liquid. The meat itself was really flavorful and cooked perfectly – not too gamey or tough but tender, juicy and a tad earthy.
Wild Boar Sausage Wrapped in Prosciutto – Dan was a very happy customer, devouring the sausage dish, but still managing to share with me. I was grateful, as it was a real treat, the salty, well done prosciutto being my favorite part. Boasting some fresh pieces of basil, it was nice to actually tear some into the dish for a hint of lemony freshness.
Service and Cost:
The service was yet another success at Basil, our waiter showing off his knowledge of food and drink, but also his professionalism, all at the same time maintaining that characteristic, Carmel laid-back vibe. We never felt that we waited too long for anything and generally felt well looked after.
All the food is very well priced, considering the locally sourced ingredients and their high quality. The entire dinner set us back about $95, including drinks, tip and tax.
3 Mmmms
Basil Seasonal Dining - San Carlos between Ocean & 7th, Carmel, CA 93921
831.626.8226
www.basilcarmel.com
You may remember my recent mention of the organic, grass-fed veal I got last weekend at Jersey Girls Dairy Farm in Vermont. This all went down during the awesome Sweet Escape food retreat, and even though at the time it was a pain to drag all that stuff, including raw milk and eggs home, it was totally worth it.
Dan and I used the veal to make homemade meatballs, which was all Dan's department, and they came out stupendously. You can definitely taste the difference, in the good quality meat and the farm fresh egg he used in the meatballs as its binder. A sprinkling of fresh herbs and some freshly chopped red onion didn't hurt either. We paired all this with my homemade Bolognese sauce, which I have on stash at home and some freshly grown basil too. It was total savory bliss. Here's how you make them:
Grass Fed Veal Meatballs a la Dan
Ingredients (serves 2)
1 lb of ground veal (try to use organic, grass-fed if possible)
1 small red onion, finely chopped
5-6 small garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce
Handful of fresh basil, chopped
1 farm fresh egg
1/3 cup of plain breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Bolognese sauce - see recipe
Fresh basil for garnish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a cookie sheet with a wire rack, placed inside of it.
Combine all ingredients into a medium bowl and incorporate well with your hands. Use your hands to form the meatballs, about 2 inches in width.
Place meatballs onto the cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes on one side. Flip the meatballs on to the other side and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and serve along with the Bolognese sauce and some fresh basil on top.
Enjoy with a big glass of red vino.
Well...I can hardly believe it, but Astoria's second Bareburger location on 31st Street and 23rd Avenue (Ditmars nabe) is celebrating its first year in business. There's no doubting how successful the Bareburger franchise has proven to be, spreading its wings into other parts of Queens such as Bayside and Forest Hills, as well as Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Don't miss their special anniversary celebration this Thursday the 20th. Come by and enjoy:
All day food and drinks specials, including:
1/2 priced snacks and essentials
$3 individual grizzly sliders (beef, turkey and veggie)
$4 any 16 oz beer, $5 any 25 oz beer
$6 pitchers of Lionshead Lager
Bareburger - 23-01 31st Street, Astoria NY 11105
718.204.7167
N/Q Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)
www.bareburger.com
In honor of summer and in support of the arts, this Thursday, June 21st is the sixth annual Make Music New York Day, where various local venues all around NY lend their spaces for free music concerts. This "festival" so to speak is really unique because in addition to NY, there are over 460 cities around the globe that will also be ringing in the first day of summer in just the same way. It's a "global celebration of music making," as Make Music calls it.
Our very own BareBurger (the original location on 31st Avenue) will be taking part this Thursday with its own joyous festivities from 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. Not only will they feature Breakaway, a popular Blues band, but they'll also have food and drinks specials to go along with it. So come on in this Thursday and enjoy:
$4 pints of organic beer
$4 baskets of fries
And don't forget about the 14 varieties of burgers, including my favorite The Big Blue Bacon with a traditional, organic beef patty.
Enjoy the tunes, and bring a group of friends along with you.
BareBurger - 33-21 31st Avenue, Astoria NY 11106
718.777.7011
N/Q Train to Broadway
www.bareburger.com
516.570.0915
www.bee-organic.com
Attending foodie events certainly has its benefits - not only because you get to taste some pretty amazing food in a very high-end, lovely atmosphere, but you also get to meet a lot of cool foodies.
Last week's Pooja Mottl lunch allowed for just that, as I met a spunky, vibrant woman, Stephanie who also happens to be the consulting chef at an organic, health eatery called Bee Organic, in Great Neck, Long Island.
Immediately drawn to Stephanie's strong and lively spirit, I was eager and willing to find out more about Bee, which I was already a bit familiar with. Graciously inviting me for lunch one day, I accepted the invitation and headed over for what turned out to be a very filling and delicious experience.
Atmosphere:
Located in Great Neck, Long Island, which is on the border of Little Neck, Queens, Bee Organic is conveniently positioned on Bond Street, just a few short steps from the train station. Its exterior is blue and yellow and features a sweet honey bee, representing its clever title, which is a nice play on words.
The interior is bright, airy and generally very zen. They use a lot of natural woods in their furnishings and the warm yellow and deep red wall color scheme works well to evoke feelings of comfort and relaxation. I like that the seating is a bit non-traditional, consisting of various sized tables and even a bar in front for guests who are eating or drinking solo. You'll find that this organically laid-out space evokes a friendly vibe and cross conversation between diners isn't uncommon. During my visit, I met a handful of lovely people who were too happy to exchange a few pleasantries. As a solo eater, I appreciated the interaction.
Food:
Just like its name suggests, everything at Bee Organic is...well organic. I can't speak more highly about the gorgeous fresh vegetables used in everything and other high quality goods such as fair trade coffee and tea, raw non-dairy and gluten free products and more. I indulged in a what I believe was a balanced, healthy lunch filled with lots of vegetables, fruits and protein.
Salad - As soon as I spotted the fresh greens in the kitchen (including kale, collard greens, sprouts, celery, etc), I got really excited. I knew this wasn't going to be some sad, wilted salad and I prepared myself for a hefty helping of super foods. The salad contained everything I just mentioned and more including orange segments, slivered almonds, fresh dill and a simple olive oil and black pepper vinaigrette. I liked that the greens were cut into bite sized pieces, which made it pleasant and easy to eat.
Veggie Burger - Next came the veggie burger, which was my favorite part of the meal. Substantial in size and flavor--boasting some nice spice--this burger absolutely held its own. Instead of the puny, gray patties that try to pass for a burger, this one was colorful, vibrant and really filling. The fact that it came on a gorgeous Orwasher's whole wheat bun also made this more of a meal rather then just one component.
Potato Cake with Collards & Roasted Cabbage - In honor of St. Paddy's day, I really wanted to try this dish, especially because it incorporated an ingredient which I love - cabbage. A lot of people don't eat this vegetable on a normal basis, but in the Eastern European culture, cabbage is a staple. Bee Organic's version was excellent - a large piece of white cabbage that was sauteed and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. The best part of it was the texture, as it was soft enough to bring out its sweetness but still toothsome enough to preserve its freshness.
The potato cake, which was also on the plate was a yummy side (in actuality, I think the cabbage was the side but I viewed it as the primary component), with a soft interior that rested on a bed of braised collard greens, which were far from bitter. The potato cake was further dressed with mushrooms and a thick gravy that further brought life to a simple potato dish.
Yogurt Parfait - A great way to end this wholesome meal, the yogurt parfait was a simple, delicious dessert alternative. Made up of a simple vanilla yogurt, good quality granola and fresh fruit such as juicy strawberries and blackberries, it was a nice way to bring some sweetness to your palate without eating too rich cakes, cookies or creamy desserts.
Service and Cost:
Since the staff at Bee Organic is pretty lean, you'll get personal attention from its owner, Elena as well as from Chef Stephanie. If you ask, you'll get the inside scoop about their hand-picked products as well as the natural and organic philosophies of each carefully thought out dish. Since this attention is so evident, I observed that Bee Organic enjoys a lot of visits from loyal customers, who the staff knows by name.
Prices are moderate and considering the quality and the organic nature of the food, I think they're quite fair.
Juices - $2.50 - $6.50
Salads - $7.50 - $9
Tartines - $6.95 - $9.50
Soups - $5.95
Eggs - $3 - $5.95
Dessert - $2 - $5.95
3 Mmmms
