FoodieCuisine.com

By Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com

I have heard about Jimmy Johns Sandwiches and been watching their restaurants with anticipation but have never had the opportunity to try their food (until now.)  I watch my calorie intake normally at lunch and opted for their Vegetarian Sandwich.  It had a good amount of flavor, with provolone, vegetables, and a little too much mayonnaise.

Overall I liked the sandwich but did not find it to be anything special.  It’s a cross between a Quiznos and Subway.  The bread was slightly hard and as I said, there was too much mayo.  In the end, I wouldn’t go out of my way to try Jimmy Johns but your mileage may vary.

By Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com

I have reviewed Vesuvio Bisto in Little Rock before and liked it then, as well as again when I visited this last weekend.  I ordered the lasagna and was not disappointed.  It is meaty, with a spicy tomato sauce, and has the right amount of cheese to it.  I also enjoyed the pasta starter served table-side.  I cannot wait to go back!

By Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com

There are not many healthy options at iHop but the Turkey Bacon Omelet is one of them and its quite good for the very few calories it has.  I ordered mine without the swiss cheese (but had to remove it anyway) and enjoyed the saltiness from the turkey bacon along with the fluffy eggs.  The side of fresh fruit was a nice touch as well.  Give it a try sometime if you find yourself in an iHop.

By Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com

Mt. Fuji in Little Rock, Arkansas has new chefs and other staff after a long run and the sushi is as good as ever.  They also have new specials I have never seen before on their menu such as Fluke and other interesting rolls.  I cannot wait to try them all.

I enjoyed the Sushi Box Special the other day for lunch complete with a spicy tuna roll.

By Todd Barron @ Foodiecuisine.com

My wife and I had an enjoyable dinner at GW Fins in New Orleans while visiting the city on Spring Break.  We did not have advance reservations but were able to book at able within an hour using Open Table.

The restaurant is open and large with plenty of seating.  It is very close to Bourbon Street but is not run down like many of the restaurants in the area.  I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the food and service given the typical fare you find in the area.

I ordered the ahi tuna special, which consisted of seared tuna atop a beef sauce, sided with mushrooms.  The tuna was flavorful but a little of the fatty side as it was hard to chew in places.

Overall we enjoyed the dinner and really enjoyed the service.

By Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com

Episode 13 of Hell’s Kitchen had the usual rants from Chef Ramsay about raw food, undercooked food, overcooked food, and poor presentations.

/rant on

I used to want to be on Hell’s Kitchen but the cast (or the writing for the cast,) makes them out to be less-than-appealing human beings.  I cannot imagine any of them being a head-chef in any restaurant, much less one owned and operated by Ramsay.  I also read that they do not obtain head-chef jobs but rather are just like any other worker in the restaurants.  Why anyone would want to go through the pain and humiliation they endure is beyond me.

/rant off

The four chefs up for elimination in Episode 13

By Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com

For Father’s Day lunch today I made lemon chicken with homemade angel hair pasta and a mushroom-Alfredo sauce.

For the chicken I covered thin pieces of chicken in flour, dredged in an egg-wash, and then re-covered it in flour.  I set it on a wire-rack to prevent sticking and heated vegetable oil to 350 degrees F.  Once the oil was to temperature, I fried the chicken in batches for a few minutes until lightly browned.  I removed it to a paper-towel lined plate for cooling.

The pasta was made with flour, fresh Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and eggs.  I used the angel-hair pasta attachment to cut the pasta.  I used the recipe from the Splendid Table as it turns out great every time.

For the Alfredo sauce I sliced baby portabella mushrooms and added them to a sauce pan with a stick of butter, 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, and 2 teaspoons of garlic salt.  I cooked them for 20 minutes until softened.  I blended the mushroom mixture and set aside.  I heated 2 pints of heavy whipping cream on high-heat in a large skillet and whisked it constantly to prevent it from boiling over.  I seasoned it with salt, pepper, and then added the mushroom mixture once the cream was reduced.  For the final step I added 1 cup of Parmesan cheese and removed the sauce from the heat.

To finish the chicken I melted a half-stick of Parma Butter in a large skillet and added freshly sliced lemons to the pan.  Once the butter was hot, I added the fried chicken strips from earlier and let them soak in the lemon flavor.  I also drizzled the juice of a lemon over the top of the chicken strips.

I boiled the pasta for one minute, right after slicing it, and added it to the pan of Alfredo sauce.

To serve, I took a scoop of the pasta, plated two pieces of chicken next to it, and placed some Italian parsley over the top.  Aged Parmesan cheese was sprinkled over the pasta before serving.

The chicken had a nice hint of lemon and the breading gave it enough crispiness without being too heavy.  The mushrooms really set off the Alfredo sauce and the cheese in the pasta ensured it was very flavorful.  Overall I liked everything and it was worth the time.

By Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com

I recently reviewed the Flying Fish in Disney World and had another great meal there the other day.  I went solo, and sat at the bar, but really enjoyed the Yellow-Fin Tuna.

I recently had the Red Snapper as well and highly recommend it.  The Yellow-Fin tuna is seared, but rare in the middle, and comes with a wonderful wasabi sauce.

The Red Snapper is wrapped in potatoes and sits atop braised leeks, surrounded by a veal sauce reduction.  Very tasty!