Restaurants
The Hoof Cafe
The Hoof Cafe has been open about a month. When we stopped by for a recent visit, either the cold or the holidays kept this cozy yet well appointed French country (or according to a Swiss dining companion: mais non, plus American country) meets IKEA space emptier than it will be once the word gets out.
Well consider the cold a test of your mettle, Jackson. Because if you manage to mosey your way on up to Hoof Cafe's beautifully aged wood and whitewash bar, braving the cold is a good start to your visit since brave is definitely what most people will need to be to eat here. Or you can be like our intrepid little band this particular Saturday afternoon and believe that it's never too early in the day for nose-to-tail eating.
Greeted and seated, Latte ($4) and Earl Grey ($2.75) in hand we anxiously wait for 11am to pass so we can order co-owner Jen Agg's tasty take on a Ceasar ($8). The home made Clamato is very mildly clammy and complements the pepper-infused vodka. What helps this drink punch above its weight is the addition of dehydrated horseradish, and marmite syrup which adds depth without the (clearly acquired) taste of pungent yeastiness that the british staple is known for. And the pickled bean on top beats celery any day!
Drinks sorted, we focus shift, slowly scanning across the chalkboard menu, eyes cataloging items with the same mixture of beautiful dread and bewildered awe as a Riefenstahl tracking shot. Pork belly pastrami? Pigtails and cheesy grits? Grilled tongue and cheese sandwich? We're definitely coming back for the suckling pig benny which pulls baby pork and couches it 'twix the house cheddar biscuit and perfectly poached eggs drenched in home made hollandaise.
And on another visit, the sweetly floral blueberry buckwheat pancakes with rabbit we'll have'll be a winner that'll have us thinking a cereal box ain't the only worthy place for our flop-eared friends at our breakfast table.
All that'll have to wait though because the specials today are speaking my language. We start with an inspired take on the timid timbit: crispy, bite-sized beignets ($6) stuffed with house sour cherry jam and bone marrow and dusted in caster sugar (and maybe just a playful sprinkle of salt). HOLY CHRIST! That's what Tim's has been missing! Marrow! It's insane. The addition makes the outside crispier while keeping the center almost liquid and tongue-scaldingly molten and rounds out the flavours with panache! The cherry vibe is subtle and definitely adds a little extra sweetness to the mix. The donuts are devoured nearly before we can capture the photographic evidence.
The other special of the day is a blood sausage crepe with grilled quince and walnuts ($10). The creamiest boudin noir I've ever had is stuffed inside flapjack's skinny sister and it's rich earthiness is complemented perfectly by the floral fruitiness of the grilled quince. I really hope this delicious treat goes from understudy to lead on the Hoof's menu because I can't wait to have another.
The star of this meal though is definitely the French toast ($8 - photo at top) with the--read my lips--o-bli-ga-tory slice of seared foie gras perched precipitously on top (add $14, and don't forget to thank me. Oh and here's a link for the girl sitting next to us who wasn't hip to the gavage goodie...seriously...what's foie? Give your head a shake).
Like Ken Boothe's UK pop-reggae, Chef/Co-owner Grant van Gameren and dish is a glorious corruption of a classic and there definitely ain't no sunshine in this dish as all the flavours are moorishly dark, the textures complex; all cinnamon, cardamoms, custard and crunch.
Even the peach in the peach and ginger preserve that anoints the dish manages to somehow evoke autumn rather than August. And the foie. Fuck. You'll forget you ever heard of butter once you taste the way this perfectly seared, liquid centered piece of duck liver evokes the savory, smoky taste of bacon and eggs, and as the heat from the thick-cut, egged up brioche slices (made in house like pretty much everything else) begins to render it...well all I have to say is oarsome. This dish is diabolical. Sided with an order of sabodet ( $3.50, think tongue-in-cheek breakfast sausage...literally) luxuriating on a bed of the best lentils you'll ever eat (drippings from the suckling pig are used in the prep) and you'll be needing a lipitor instead of a post meal mint.
Now, I've been accused in the past of occasionally fawning in my reviews. Well bring out the haters because I haven't had a meal, let alone a breakfast, this gush-worthy in ages. Everything we had on the menu was deftly prepared; rich without being overly so, clever without being precious. The service was friendly and knowledgeable without being pushy and I am personally IN LOVE with the beautiful Laurie, our server on both occasions (call me)!
Also worth mentioning that most of the Hoof's amazing brunch dishes were developed
collaboratively between Grant and his wicked talented head chef at
Hoof, east-coaster Geoff Hopgood (I have him to thank for the outstanding
boudain noir crepe) who I'm sure we'll be seeing amazing things from in the future if his work on the menu at Hoof Cafe is any indication. Definitely someone to watch.
There isn't room in this space to go into Grant's tweets with Chris Cosentino, the relationship between slow food and blogging, how he feels about Keller's recent name-dropping, asking Jen exactly how long figs need to marinate in cachaça before it's caipirinha-ready and a host of other quandries. All this will have to wait for next time. And there will be a next time. I can guarantee it.
Caveat: Vegetarians and our Hasidic brethren may wanna reconsider a visit (or their priorities, I'm not picky) to this Black Hoof off-shoot because there's really not that much for you to nosh on at this...this high temple of the pig. Offended by offal? The fifth quarter not to your liking? These are all just thorns around the castle to keep out any but those who truly appreciate the whole beast and some seriously inspired cuisine.
Photos courtesy Adrienne Tam
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I agree with the sentiment on the suckling pig benny. It was so good that halfway through my meal I was simultaneously ecstatic (to have half my meal left) and depressed (to have only half my meal left).
As for the review, I don't mind the gushing, especially when it's merited. But the whole thing seems overwritten, affected. Take it easy, champ - no need to shove some imagery in every sentence.
And since you revel in looking down on others ("seriously...what's foie? Give your head a shake"), you might want to first of all brush up on some writing basics, say, the difference between its and it's, or complement and compliment. Or maybe learn to spell Consentino's name properly. But hey, you say Clammato, I say Clamato. It's all good, right?
By the way, the Cafe does look great.
Props to Grant for getting it done. That right there is one smart chef.
1. You invoke Brad Evans when I can only assume you mean Brad Garlinghouse, author of the Peanut Butter Memo. In either case, hardly infamous except among a select few dot wankers (among which I count myself). To recap: Brad Evans, who?
2. Its vs. it's is a common mistake, solved by a second pair of eyes and made by the best of us. Hardly a fatal mistake nor does it preclude the author from noting his surprise that someone at the table next had never shared his joy of foie gras. The point was that one should partake of foie gras, not a rant on ignorance (although this is).
3. He understood complement correctly. You did not. Doh!
4. Consentino's name is spelled correctly, as someone already pointed out. Insert Tab "A" into Slot "B" (not included).
Pedro, I'm so embarrassed for you. Fuck!
where is this person's editor?
1. Despite the rant above, I have no particular animus towards you (though the feeling may understandably not be mutual). It was more an aversion towards a particular hyperactive, inordinately referential style of writing. Evans was a random example of this.
2. Really, was that the point? At the least, it was both of those points, as it came dripping with thinly-disguised condescension.
The it's may not be a fatal mistake, but hints at sloppiness when present with several other similar mistakes. I readily admit to being cheap by pointing them out, but it was only because you seemed to be making said cheapshot above (I would otherwise not refer to such things). You'll probably be more vigilant about these 'common mistakes' in the future, so, cool.
3. Along the same lines, you certainly did not understand complement correctly. The original "compliments" and "complimented" were fixed (along with "Clammato") after I pointed them out. But nice try though.
4. There's my actual D'OH. The Laws of the Internet dictated that I also had to fuck up some sort of spelling myself for correcting someone else so vociferously.
[for the record Pedro, once I write a piece, I consider my job done so I don't normally comment on my posts and would NEVER do it anonymously. You can thank someone else for calling you out. And in your defense, I did correct some of the typos. I was in a bit of a rush to get the post up. Thanks for bringing them to my attention. Frank]
I retract all earlier criticisms of Pedro which relied on assumptions that the article had not been revised subsequently. For the record (pun intended), Frank, once you publish an article, you should not change it unless you make it obvious you have done so, otherwise it's self-serving revisionism and disingenuous.
Still liked the review.
<p>back to the actual cafe?
i had the tounge* grilled cheese & my partner had the suckling pig benny. SO GOOD!
<p>great service? check
<br>AMAZING, unique, delicious food? check
<br>a little pricey for brunch, but definitely worth it.
FOR THE REST OF THE REVIEW GO TO
http://www.thatveronicavaughn.com/
The French Toast is now $11. For two medium slices with a few sliced strawberries and maple syrup, it is definitely not worth the price.
Ha ha nice.
http://theavidbaker.wordpress.com/2010/12/30/food-porno-black-hoof-cafe-edition/
As soon as I entered the restaurant, I noticed how small the space was. I tried to make eye contact with the staff several times and was not even greeted. Everyone had their nose up in the air and pretended as if they didn't even notice us entering the restaurant.
We saw a table clear up so we made our way over and sat down. We were sitting for maybe 15 minutes with no greeting whatsoever and finally when a waitress approach us, it was only to rudely tell us that we were supposed to wait by the door and be instructed by them on where to sit. Regardless, we apologized for not being aware of this but we barely even received a smile or any kind of greeting from the staff.
Having read about the bite-sized beignets that this post mentions, they were the first thing I ordered. About 10 minutes later, we were notified that they had run out of them. No alternative or apology was offered.
The couple that later came and sat beside us and ordered 20 minutes after we had seemed to receie these beignets immediately. We continued to quietly eat our meal disregarding making any rude comments.
I ordered the eggs Benedict with the shredded pork( Suckling Pig) and they were not very good. The eggs were cold and the pork tasted like it came out of a can, the whole meal was not very warm and quite bland. I forget what my partner had but we both were dissatisfied with the food and would definitely never go back there again.
Also, my water was never refilled nor were we asked if we enjoyed the food.