Friday, January 19, 2018. Stand by for evidence that I am not always in full control of my eating. Today, I eat a hamburger from Rally's. Reason: a guy called me a couple of days ago and said that he feels that Rally's is the most underrated hamburger restaurant in town. He was in ecstasy over the French fries, the straightforward burgers with mustard, pickles, and nothing else. That is more or less the combination I adopted when I first began to eat hamburgers, when I was a young teenager. He finished with the opinion that the buns were the freshest in the world.
Well. I ordered a burger that didn't appear to have a name on the menu board, as do most of the available combinations. The mustard & pickles combo was tolerable, with a soft texture and a warm temperature. The bun was just the usual soft, almost gooey kind you find in every fast-food place. The fries were genuinely crunch: the result of a light coating that adds the crunch and a not-bad-at-all flavor. I've long thought that if this development had come from a chef with a hip restaurant instead of the chain-fast-food world it would be lauded as brilliant.
Over all, I don't understand my caller's enthusiasm. I'm glad nobody saw me. Rally's restaurants are, as far as I know, all drive-through, which to my mind is intolerable. And there I was, About five blocks from Bud's Broiler, where the Covington branch of that long-running has improved a lot in the last year or two.
Okay. I arrive at the radio station and see that Mike Weldon--one of the traffic reporters--has brough the usual supply of apple-cinnamon rolls. I almost run to make sure I get one of these. On occasion, I've eaten a whole one. One is about enough for four people. Shame on me!
Then I discover some healthy-looking, full-of-greens-and fresh vegetables--in the producer Helen's office. If I had staved off my hunger with a couple of those, I would feel better about having dinner. As it is, when I leave the station, I fell as If I'd I've fed for the long haul.
At least I'm still not over my monthly hamburger quotient: 1.2 per month. I think that measure is safe for the remainder of the month. (To calculate your own burger quotient figure this:
100 ÷ (your age over 15 + number of pounds overweight)
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Saturday, January 20, 2018. Goodbye Due North. Unknown New Chef. Mark Benfatti Returns. I didn't think I could talk Mary Ann into having breakfast with me this morning. But she antes up the idea, and suggests the venue: Another Broken Egg. The original Broken Egg was (and still is) a couple of blocks off the Mandeville beach, and is busy all the time.
I was never crazy about the place in its early years, when it seemed contrived. But the original owner sold it, and the concept began to expand around the country. As that happened, oddly enough, the Egg became better.
The newest location is in what used to be Carmelo Ristorante. It always looked good, but a renovation made it roomier--the perfect feeling for this light-colored, comfortable dining room.
We each ordered dishes that amplified the Egg's style. Mary Ann ask for and got an eggs scramble (like an omelette, but with the eggs rendered into morsels). Inside and in some cases outside, it's topped or tossed with spinach, bacon, cheese, and a few other touches. My entree is a folded omelette called "Hello, Lucy." I recall that in the early days of the Egg there was a Southwestern-inspired egg dish called "Hello, Ricky." There must be a story behind that, but I don't know what it is. Whatever, it combines chorizo, tomatillo, salsa, and a few other items. It tasted okay but it striked me as a little heavy.
When I arrived to meet MA, I find her talking with Mark Benfatti. He was the creator of N'Tini's, the Chalmette-created bistro that took over the restaurant space that once was Criollo, Rockefeller's, and a few other concepts. Some months ago, N'Tini's closed, then reopened under the new name "Due North." This is the re-creation of the Legacy Kitchen which, after opening several restaurants around town with similar menus, has begun spinning them off. Part of the deal made it possible for Benfatti to take the N'Tini's back. Which he has done.
Something else he did was tell that a chef we will know will be part of the new N'Tini's. I can add no more just yet.
Another Broken Egg. Mandeville: 1901 Highway 190. 985-951-2246.
Written by Tom Fitzmorris January 22, 2018 13:01 in
