Lamb I ... Mediterranean style

I'll be preparing a Mediterranean-style stuffed lamb loin's this weekend, which includes spinach, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts and feta cheese. It sounds so yummy, and it's a meal unto itself. I'll also serve a side of wild, long grain rice with macerated golden raisins. I'll take pictures of me making the dish and will post them on Sunday.

Happy Eating! Mr. Foodie.

Cab's Bistro on Main St., Glen Ellyn, Spanish Wine Food Pairing

Can you ever have enough wine and food? Of course not! I've been receiving more announcements about wine-food pairings, and here's another one. Cab’s Bistro on Main St. in Glen Ellyn, just south of the train tracks, is a great restaurant to spend an evening having dinner or just stopping by to enjoy a glass of wine at the bar.

But, on Tuesday, January 23, Cab's is hosting their "Spanish Wine and Food Match!", which will feature a special four-course dinner paired with wines from Spain. The menu is still in the planning stages, but I wanted to give all of you a heads up on this event because it will sell out. Cab's is fabulous, cozy and afffordable.

The Spanish wine and food pairing event is only $65 a person (plus tax and gratuity) ... that's a bargain. A reception will start at 7:00 p.m., with dinner beginning shortly thereafter.

Call for reservations at 630/942-9463 for reservations, and visit http://cabsbistro.com for a peek at the menu. Cab's is located at 430 N. Main Street, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137.

Also, here's a lineup of other events during January and February at Cab's not to be missed:

CABS is pleased to celebrate the nomination of Zora Young as "Female Blues Artist of the Year" by presenting a special show this Saturday, January 20 at 10 p.m.. "Zora Young UnPlugged" features this exciting blues singer in a special night of acoustic music "in the round". Don't miss this show that includes Mike Rizzman (Uncle Boogie Pants) on lead guitar and a number of great musicians. Zora's nominated album "Tore Up From the Floor Up" will be featured and available Saturday night. Reservations suggested.

Also mark your calendars for Saturday January 27 for the return engagement of Uncle Boogie Pants.

February 2 and 3 brings crowd favorites Lost Identity back for a weekend of great music featuring Crosby, Stills, Nash, the Eagles, and their blend of harmonies and music from the Woodstock era. Call ahead for reservations as these nights fill up very fast.

Door County Road Trip Dining Suggestions

Ron "Hungry in Lincoln Square" asked me about places to stop and eat on his way to Door County this coming weekend. Here are few of my favorite rest stops.

1. The Brat Stop in Racine on Hwy 50 right off of 1-94 (exit 344). This big bar setting offers the finest in native Wisconsin bar food from burgers to fried fish to steaks to salads ... www.bratstop.com.

2. The Port Hotel in Port Washington. You have to drive a few extra miles off of I-43 into Port Washington, but the extra minutes is worth the drive ... www.theporthotel.com. The menu is a mix of land and sea, and the dining room is very nicely appointed. (This is a good half-way point from Chicago, too).

3. The Kohler Club in Kohler, which is right off of I-43. There are 11 restaurants at the Kohler Club, from fine dining to casual to pub ... all of them are first rate ... www.destinationkohler.com.

4. The Inn and Cedar Crossing in Sturgeon Bay, right at the onset of Door County. This restaurant (and hotel, too) is very warm and inviting - and it's on the National Historic Registration. The menu is full of steaks and seafood ... www.innatcedarcrossing.com.

Please call the restaurant to double check on their hours ... they should be open for lunch, but be on the safe side.

If there are other suggestions, please post them in the comments section.

I hope this helps, Ron. Enjoy Door County!

Happy Eating, and safe travels! Mr. Foodie.

Making Smashed Potatoes ... Which potato is the best?

Todd B. from Glen Ellyn sent me an e-mail asking which potato was the best to make mashed - I prefer to call them smashed - potatoes?

Guess what? There is no one ideal, perfect recipe to make smashed potatoes ... just a bunch of different recipes and personal preferences.

The key ingredient is the potato ... there are ones that are high in startch (russets and Yukon Gold), and there are less starchy ones like the round white ones and waxy potatoes. My preference is the high starch potatoes because the more starch, the fuller the actual cells of the potato resulting in a fluffier texture. I think they tend to be creamier than other potatoes, too.

On the other hand, some chefs I've talked with like to you use the low starch potatoes because they absorb less water and hold up better when cooking. They also think they have more flavor and less "starchy" taste.

So, there's really no right or wrong answer, Todd.

One thing I do is not to peel the potatoes before I boil them. I like the rough appearance of the smashed potatoes and the skins give a contrasting texture and mouthfeel against to the creamy potato. My favorite ingredients to add is unsalted butter (lots of it), kosher salt (not table salt), freshly cracked pepper (I toasted my peppercorns first and then add them to my peppermill, which gives them added flavor and aroma), and whole milk (don't use 1% or 2% milk ... you might as well just add water).

Hope this helps. If you have any food questions, send them to me and I find an answer.

Happy Eating! Mr. Foodie

The Cellar Door's Tasting Challenge tonight, Downers Grove

I know this is the second wine notice this week, but I couldn't I resist.

If you live in Downers Grove, you must visit The Cellar Door at 5150 Main St. tonight. They are having a blind tasting challenge that starts at 5 p.m. and last until 9. What the challenge entails is tasting 4 wines - 2 reds and 2 whites. How hard could it be? Tasters (that's you) will be asked to guess the grape varietal, the country of origin, the region of origin, and the age of the wine. Are you up for the challenge? The taster with the highest score at the end of the evening will receive a $25 gift certificate to The Cellar Door (the winner need not be present at the end of the evening when we tally scores...they will contact the winner).

To help newbie wine enthusiasts, The Cellar Door will also provide you with a "cheat sheet" on wine tasting to aid you during the tasting. The cost of the blind tasting is only $5.00.

So, pull out that dusty copy of the Wine Lover's Bible and start reviewing today! What a great way to start your Friday evening. Stop by before you head out for dinner.

For more information, call 630/241-2030 or e-mail thecellardoor@sbcglobal.net

Happy Eating (er ... drinking this time)! Mr. Foodie (See you there.)

Courtright's Restaurant Winter Wine Dinner, Feb. 23, Willow Springs

William and Rebecca Courtright own and operate one of the finest restaurants in the Western Suburbs of Willow Springs to be exact - Courtright's Restaurant. I've dined at the award-winning white table cloth establishment, and executive chef Jonathan Harootunian does an outstanding job with every aspect of his menu. They also an outstanding wine program. One part of Courtright's that I enjoy is the restaurant hosts special events all the time.

The next one will be held Friday, Feb. 23 - it's their Winter Wine Dinner. The five-course wine dinner will begin at 7:00 p.m. with a reception featuring Kim Crawford's 2005 Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand) and passed hors d'oeuvres (gougiers with vella dry jack, tuna sashami with soy and ginger, and baked Manilla clams with garlic and chilies).

Dinner will follow at 7:30 in the restaurant's private dining room, and will include the following:
- cold smoked salmon served with yuzu and celery root salad, salmon caviar gelee and celery leaves, and paired with 0'Brien Chardonnay 2004 (Napa Valley)
- pan-seared quail served with truffled lentils, bacon and rapini and a black peppercorn beurre blanc, and paired with Costa de Oro Pinot Noir 2005 (Santa Maria Valley)
- grilled cocoa-dusted Denver venison served with butternut squash ravioli, Chinese long beans and a smoked fig and aged balsamic reduction, and paired with Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 (Napa Valley)
- chocolate tea ganach tarte with an almond sorbet, and paired with Dows 10-Year Tawny Porto (Portugal)

This is quite an exquisite dinner, and it is reasonably priced for $95 (all inclusive).

Courtright's Restaurant is located at 8989 Archer Ave. in Willow Springs. You can call them at (708) 839-8000 for reservations (and I just know this event will book quickly). Also, visit their Web site at www.courtrights.com to see the restaurant's full menu and to read more about this gem.

On a scale of 1 fork to 5 forks (1 fork is not good), I give Courtright's 4 1/2 forks.

Happy Eating! Mr. Foodie

Sante Fe on Main Street, Glen Ellyn

First, Happy New Year! Everyone makes New Year's resolution while trying to leave behind the past year. However, when it comes to food and the eating of it, let's not forget some of the restaurants that continue to serve quality food year after year.

Sante Fe Restaurant in downtown Glen Ellyn (and in Sandwich) is one of the restauants that you can count on for consistent quality - for basically everything on its menu. I have visited Sante Fe on countless number of ocassions with my family, and the place is always bustle with people at the bar enjoying housemade margaritas by the glass, full pitcher or half pitcher and ordering from the appetizer menu (you can order a full meal, too). There are the traditional apps of nachos ($5.15), chile con queso ($5.95) and guacamole dip ($5.65), but don't pass on the shrimp nachos which is what you think it is ... a traditional nacho order but this one has shrimp ($9.45). In addition to the margraritas, the restaurant also offers a full line of Mexican beers (as well as domestic brews), tequilas, wines and soft drinks.

Consistency, consistency, consistency is what I truly enjoy about Sante Fe. They have it down pat each time I visit. The dinner menu offers all of your Mexican favorites - from the a la carte side ... enchilada ($3.05) quesadilla ($3.25), taco salad ($5.75) and more. My favorite is the taco longy style, which is a corn torilla fried in margarine! Forget the diet, take two Liptors and enjoy! The taco is filled with a mixture of ground beef and American cheese (I find this a little strange instead of using a Mexican cheese), lettuce, and tomatoes. It is good.

There are also dinner items, which is everything and more on the a la carte side, but you get rice and beans. The seafood enchiladas are good, which include a combination of sweet shrimp and succulent crawfish ($8.95), and the steak chimichanga will not leave you disappointed - chunks of steak and onion wrapped in a flour torilla, deep fried and served with sour cream and guacamole.

There's also a separate section for chicken, steak and vegetable dishes. All of them are good, ranging in price from $8.15 (chicken) to $15.65 (steak) to $6.95 (vegetable).

If you want to try something special and are up for something spicey, try the chilaquilles ($5.95). It's Mexican sausage, chorizo and chips cooked together and served with refried beans, sour cream and torillas.

Desserts span the traditional fare of flan ($2.95), sopapillas ($4.25, fried dough served with honey and chocolate sauce...yum!), empanadas ($4.25, ranging from strawberry or apple and served with vanilla cream and topped with whipped cream...yum, again!) or canelitas ($3.85, flour tortilla, deep fried, and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon...they're fun to eat, especially if you send another buck for a scoop of ice cream).

As you can tell, the prices on all of the entrees are very reasonable, and the portion sizes are big enough for some people to ask for a doggie bag.

Service is always friendly and attentive, and the kitchen is very quick in getting hot food to your table. One aspect I very much like about Sante Fe is that as soon as you sit down complimentary housemade chips, salsa and bean sauce is brought to your table.

For more information, go to 426 N. Main St. in downtown Glen Ellyn, or call (630) 790-3311.

On a scale of 1 fork to 5 forks (1 is not good), I'd give Sante Fe 4 forks. Happy Eating! Mr. Foodie.