|
Nunez
magic,
what is
it? Come
find
out.
In the
few
weeks
since
the
launch
of the
Foodie
Files,
I’ve
found
the
process
of
creating
a weekly
column
to be
rather
daunting
for
someone
like me
who is
neither
a
professional
chef nor
a paid
restaurant
critic.
For that
reason,
I ask
your
indulgence
as we
find our
footing.
The goal
is to
present
a
product
that
will be
readable,
enjoyable,
and a
bit
informative—without
taking
ourselves
too
seriously.
In last
week’s
column,
I went
off on a
tangent,
or as a
staff
member
put it,
“It
sounds
as if
you were
just
having
one of
those
days and
needed
to
vent.”
Well, I
did and
I was,
and the
Foodie
Files
are not
the
place
for
that. I
apologize
to
anyone
offended
by last
week’s
piece
and to
those
who were
expecting
a true
restaurant
review.
In the
future,
I will
confine
my
unedited,
blog-type
comments
on
non-foodie-related
topics
to the
Baltimore
Foodies
Message
Board.
Now, on
to that
promised
review...
When I
think of
fine
dining
in
Baltimore,
I get a
vision
not only
of great
food,
but also
of a
certain
type of
venue.
To me,
Baltimore’s
greatest
restaurants
are the
small,
locally
owned
establishments
situated
within
some of
the
city’s
great
neighborhoods.
Whether
I’m
dining
in
Federal
Hill,
Mt.
Vernon,
or Fells
Point, I
don’t
expect
20-foot
ceilings,
floor-to-ceiling
windows,
or a
huge
dining
space.
Which is
why I
was
pleasantly
surprised
to find
the
ambiance
so
agreeable
at
Windows,
the
restaurant
at the
Renaissance
Harborplace
Hotel.
Recently,
I was
invited
to
sample a
meal at
Windows
with a
friend,
and I
enjoyed
the
experience
immensely.
My
elegant,
delicious
meal
that
utilized
a wide
variety
of
ingredients,
including
extraordinary
spices
and
sauces,
was
exceptional.
Executive
Chef
Nunez
has
brought
his
expertise
to
Baltimore,
creating
a dining
experience
you
won't
soon
forget.
We
started
with the
shellfish
tasting
for two.
This
included
chilled
Maine
lobster,
jumbo
gulf
shrimp,
Atlantic
oysters,
and
Alaskan
crab
claws.
There
was
enough
to share
and it
was
quite
elegantly,
yet
simply
presented.
The
highlight
of this
dish,
other
than the
amazingly
fresh
seafood,
was the
homemade
cocktail
sauce.
This
sauce
was
delicious,
complex,
and
perfect.
Starting
with
ketchup
as a
base,
Chef
Nunez
added
roasted
red
pepper,
dill,
cilantro,
chives,
horseradish,
and
cayenne
and
lemon
juice to
come up
with
“secret
sauce.”
The
combined
flavors
and
spices
were a
perfect
complement.
After
the
shellfish,
we moved
onto a
mixed
greens
and beet
salad.
If you
love
beets,
you
won't
want to
miss it;
however,
even for
those
who
aren’t
fans,
like me,
it’s
still
worth a
try.
Served
with ash
goat
cheese,
yellow
and red
beets, a
bouquet
of
greens,
and an
avocado
citrus
emulsion,
the
beets
were
delicious
and
almost
candy-like.
This was
a
perfect
summer
start to
the
meal.
Next
came a
dish
that
will
premiere
with the
fall
menu, a
braised
rockfish.
This was
presented
simply
with
some
greens
and
vegetables.
Hitting
the
palate
almost
like a
salad,
it was
satisfying
and not
overfilling
and
light
enough
to be
served
in hot
weather.
Finally,
a meat
course.
We were
presented
with a
beautiful
double
chop
rack of
Australian
lamb. It
was
curry-crusted
and
served
with a
vegetable
piperade
and
carrot
ginger
foam.
Traditionally,
this
dish is
presented
with
some
sort of
a demi
jus
reduction
as a
sauce.
The
piperade
replaced
the
sauce—a
stroke
of
genius
by the
chef.
Piperade,
I
learned,
is a
classic
dish of
Basque
cooking
made by
melting
together
onions,
peppers,
tomatoes,
and
garlic.
Chef
Nunez
explained
that the
best
piperade
is made
with
fresh
seasonal
ingredients.
"It
requires
nice
ripe
tomatoes,
small
mild
green
chilies,
with a
bit of
crunch
but not
too
ripe,
and no
bell
peppers
as some
people
believe,”
Chef
Nunez
said.
“It's
made by
cooking
a little
onion
until it
wilts,
for
color,
then
adding
chilies
and
tomatoes
and
reducing
everything
slowly.
The
piperade
is done
once all
the
liquid
from the
tomatoes
has
evaporated—you
may even
need to
add a
few
drops of
water.
You
cannot
make it
fast. It
takes at
least
three or
four
hours to
be
prepared
correctly.”
This was
pure
Nunez
magic.
The
vegetables
and the
curry
were
luscious
combined
with the
elegant
lamb,
and the
piperade
stole
the show
as an
accompaniment.
Just for
this
dish
alone, I
would
return.
Any
time.
Ah,
dessert
time.
Save
room for
Pastry
Chef
Joseph
Cascio's
quartet
of
desserts.
My
dining
companion
and I
happily
shared
the
orange
Creamsicle
cheesecake,
the
chocolate
parfait,
and the
strawberry
trifle,
but you
may try
to keep
the
pistachio
bonbon
with
spiced
cherry
syrup to
yourself!
Amazing!
We
agreed
that the
pistachio
bonbon
was
easily
our
favorite.
With its
incredible
view
overlooking
the
Inner
Harbor,
Windows
is the
perfect
place to
take
out-of-town
guests.
It has
the feel
of a
restaurant
where
you’d
hold a
celebration
or enjoy
a
romantic
dinner.
Windows
has
definitely
changed
the way
I feel
about
fine
dining
and the
Inner
Harbor.
You
should
go and
see for
yourself.
Make
sure you
tell
Jamie,
the
assistant
manager,
that you
read
about
Windows
at
Baltimore
Foodies.
She’ll
take
great
care of
you and
find you
a seat
near the
windows.
Go and
enjoy, |