FOOD
&
DRINK
PHOTOS
RUSH JAGOE ; KEVIN MARPLE ; ATSUSHI TOMIOKA
AMERICANWAY
NOVEMBER2015
35
agarnishofJamaicanbitters.Theflavor is
creamyanddelicate,withbeautifulhints
ofcornbalancedby lime juiceandsimple
syrup.
Meauxbar.com
At thenew
BrokenShaker
inChicago,
FreddieSarkis isalsoup for thechallenge.
HisGodmothercocktailcombinesbright
amontilladosherry, citrusandmezcal.The
drink’scornmilk isexpressedafterroasting
cobs,huskon,overhickory.Theresult isa
lightlysmoked,wonderfullysweetharvest
tipple. “Thesherryaddsa littleacidityand
umami to thedrink,”Sarkissays. “Wedehy-
dratesageandMexican friedcrickets, then
grind thosewithsalt intoafinepowder to
rim theglass. It’ssaltywithaslightspici-
ness.”
Thefreehand.com/chicago
TheA-maize-ingGracewason thefirst
menuat
OkraCookhouse&Cocktails
,
opened inPhoenix inAugust. “It’snotour
mostpopulardrinkon themenu,but it
containssomemoreunusual ingredients,”
saysMicahOlson,bartenderandco-
owner.Smokymezcal,AnchoReyeschile
liqueur, fresh lime juiceandeggwhitesgive
ita frothy textureandspicybite,but it’s the
dehydratedcornsyrup (whichrequires12
hoursand135-degree temperatures) that
lends that irresistible tasteof freshcorn.
Okraaz.com
–
JENNYADAMS
CHEFJOHNTESAR is oversee-
ing somethingof a top-of-the-line
meat renaissance.No longer do you
have tohit up traditional old-school
steakhouses tofindexceptional cuts
andpreparationof beef.Now, in
places likeTesar’s restaurant Knife
Dallas, youfindhigh-end,modern
establishments offeringmeat that
exceeds expectation.
ForTesar— currentlyworkingon
his book
Knife:ModernSteak
with
JamesBeard-award-winning author
JordanMackay— it’s all about com-
bining traditional techniqueswith
thebest local ingredients. “Weget
ourmeat fromplaces like44Farms,
whichgives us all-natural TexasBlack
Angus beef,” he says. “Dry-aging the
beef in the restaurant itself hasmade
all thedifference.”
With that inmind, here are three
favorite steaks of themoment:
QUALITYMEATS (MIAMI)
Qualitybranded.com
ThisNewYork-based restaurant
opened tomuch acclaimearlier this
year, andMiami.com’s reviewnoted
that “hefty slabs of beef are the star
here.”Thebeef is cured, smoked
or aged in-house.
TheMenu’sMeatStar:
the
24-ounce tomahawk rib steak
KNIFEDALLAS
Knifedallas.com
Oneof thehottest restaurants in
town since theday it opened, the
showstopper at Knife is the
windownext to thehostess
stand, where you can see the
meat dry-aging. Tesar offers at
least 10 steak cuts.
TheMenu’sMeatStar:
the28-ounce
dry-agedbone-in rib-eye for two
PRIMEMEATS (NEWYORK)
Frankspm.com
We’re cheatinga littlebit, because
thisNewYorkhot spot is really known
for its handmadeGerman sausages
— try the sampler; it’sworth it.
TheMenu’sMeatStar:
a 36-day
dry-agedBlackAngusCôteDe
Boeuf for two
-
ERICCELESTE
Meatof
theMoment
Our three favoriteplaces thatoffer
hugehunksofqualitymeat
MEAUXBAR
KNIFEDALLAS
QUALITYMEATS
