Tag Archives: restaurants

Day 55: Chef Marc Vetri

Chef Marc with father Sal making meatballs

Chef Marc with father Sal making meatballs

Marc Vetri, famed chef from the City of Brotherly Love, has the best recipe for meatballs on the planet. And he has shared it – it’s the equivalent of putting Prozac in the water. They will make you very happy.

The recipe was coupled with this quote from Vetri, “My father instilled three things in me: (1) Always work for yourself—no matter what, be the boss; (2) Always have integrity—you are only as good as your word; (3) Always use veal, pork, and beef in meatballs. Life really is that simple!” Good advice.

 

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Dear Marc,

Congratulations on your recent article in the Huffington Post regarding the state of restaurant reviews in this country. You are spot on! I remember talking with local (DC) restaurateur Andy Shallal once and him saying how when his first restaurant was reviewed he woke up at like 4am to drive over to the Washington Post to get a paper and read the review. It was glowing and his restaurant was booked for months after that.

My hope is that you and other chefs continue to pour your energy, precision and knowledge into creating delicious meals for your customers, because the rest is probably out of your control.

Here's a shot of my recent batch of Sal's Old School Meatballs

Here’s a shot of my recent batch of Sal’s Old School Meatballs

A few years back I stumbled upon your recipe for Sal’s Old School Meatballs. They are the best meatballs I have ever had. Thank you, thank you, thank you – and thank your dad!

If you choose to write back – I’d love to receive another recipe that you love. I promise to try to do it justice.

All the best to you and your family – I hope to some day have the pleasure of dining in one of your restaurants.

All the best,
Reed Sandridge

Day 33: Chef Janny, Bistro Blanc

Wow…what a crazy end to the Super Bowl last night – I still can’t believe it.

Photo: Newsweek.com

Photo: Newsweek.com

Photo: Jen Rynda

Photo: Jen Rynda

Today’s handwritten letter recipient and Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady have something in common. They’re all about texture. When questioned about Deflategate, Brady said that it was all about the texture of the footballs.

Chef Janny Kim of Bistro Blanc in Glenelg, MD agrees, “I’m all about texture.” He was referring to food though, not footballs. The 28-year-old self-taught chef is delighting customers at this Howard County hidden gem. I was with a group of friends at the Chef’s Table that featured a 10 course mouth-watering menu.

Pillows of RIce: fermented sesame leaf, roasted peanut curry, toasted peanut and micro shiso

Pillows of Rice: fermented sesame leaf, roasted peanut curry, toasted peanut and micro shiso

The aerated celery soup, the grouper, suckling pig, the 29 day dry-aged ribeye and spicy dark chocolate ganache were my favorites, but they were all very good. I’ve never written a chef to tell them that I enjoyed there food – but why not?

I even found a postage stamp that featured Edna Lewis – famed James Beard awarded chef known for her southern style culinary creations.

BistroBlanc-2

Chef Janny,

Suckling Pig with nuoc mam pickled vegetables and leek emulsion

Suckling Pig with nuoc mam pickled vegetables and leek emulsion

I had the distinct pleasure of dining at your Chef’s Table Saturday evening. I live in downtown Washington, DC and have dined in wonderful restaurants here as well as in New York, Chicago, Lima, Sao Paulo, Paris, Madrid, Florence, London, etc. The food that you created for us was worthy of the coveted Michelin stars. Your intense flavors, complimenting textures and stunning presentation are a clear result of your passion and commitment to culinary excellence.

Thank you, it was outstanding!
Reed Sandridge

BistroBlanc