Ink. - West Hollywood's Best Restaurant of 2014

October 23, 2014 Aimee Slade

In a city inundated with outrageous decor and underwhelming flavors, Ink is a much needed reprieve in the LA food scene and a must visit for anyone within a two hour radius. If you're a fan of Top Chef, you'll know that Ink is the home of not one, but two Top Chef stars - Owner and Executive Chef Michael Voltaggio who won season six and Sous Chef Mei Lin who is currently a contestant on season twelve. These two chefs are serious dynamite in the kitchen and create some of the most intricate and innovative dishes I've ever had.

Don't be fooled by the dim lighting and the absence of color in the decor, there is nothing boring or simple about this modern American eatery. The menu is made up of dishes to share, all served in mid-sized portions - you won't be leaving hungry. Between two people, I suggest ordering 3-4 smaller dishes to share, 1-2 main meat dishes and 2 desserts because they are damn good. Every dish was packed with flavor, creatively plated and made me wonder why food isn't this amazing all the time - what have I been doing with my life?!? My must order recommendations include the following:

Beef Tartare - the beef is so delicate and melts in your mouth like butter. It's not over thought - the quality ingredients shine and make for a great start to the meal.
Egg Yolk Gnocchi - sitting in a shallow pool of brown butter sauce, you'll find pillows of doughy potato pasta that have a hidden secret - when you bite down, a burst of gooey egg yolk emerges from the center.
Salt and Charcoal Potatoes - these are the most loved potatoes ever created. They sit for some ridiculous amount of hours brining in a bath of squid ink and salt water, then are dried and dusted with salt crystals - looking just like shimmery lumps of coal. To top it off, it is served with homemade sour cream and a spray bottle of black vinegar to add as desired. My mouth is watering just writing this.
Desserts: Mountain Yam and/or Apple - I tried to pick between the two and I just couldn't. Combine molecular gastronomy with familiar flavors and a twist of genius and you've got these blow your mind, delicious works of art. They were so good, we seriously discussed for a full ten minutes ordering one more because we couldn't get enough.

aquavit

sauvignon blanc, chamomile vermouth, lemon, honey, bee pollen

hamachi

shiitake escabèche, hazelnuts, kelp

beef tartare

hearts of palm, sea bean chimichurri, horseradish, rye

egg yolk gnocchi

mushroom brown butter, hen of the woods

pacific halibut

huitlacoche, corn-miso, black garlic

salt and charcoal potato

housemade sour cream, black vinegar

wagyu beef cheek

eggplant, golden raisin, shawarma spice

mountain yam

caramelized white chocolate, popcorn, coconut

apple

caramel, shortbread, burnt wood semifreddo

Type A Travel Guide to Newport, Rhode Island

October 15, 2014 Aimee Slade

It's up! Be sure to check out my full, all encompassing travel guide to Newport, Rhode Island with all of the Type A tips you need to plan a perfect vacation. If you've got questions or need some help with your travel plans, be sure to let me know. Happy Traveling!

New Hampshire's Family Run, Local Farms

October 11, 2014 Aimee Slade

If you know what dirt roads to take, you can find everything you need to eat fresh, local and delicious in middle New Hampshire. You can't find these places on a visitors map or a quick Google search, it was only through talking with New Hampshire locals that we found these hidden gems. Some of the nicest people we met were the local farmers who run the places that provide the incredible produce, maple and dairy to the people of New England and around the world.

Riverview Farm

If you're looking for sprawling acres to pick fresh berries, apples and wildflowers, Riverview Farm is your spot! We were amazed to find that just 20 minutes from our lake house lay a fun family afternoon that we would never forget. All you have to do is grab a basket or a bag and follow the signs for picking all of the farm fresh fruits you can get your fingers on. This 30 year-old family run farm provides you with everything you need to make memories with the ones you love - including a corn maze, carriage rides, a pumpkin patch and home-made doughnuts on the weekends. As a family, we picked over 5 pounds of raspberries that we took home and made cobbler with - it was oh-so-good!

McNamara Dairy Farm

Just down the road from Riverview Farm is a family run creamery, its origins going back to 1950. Visiting here takes you back to a place mostly forgotten, where you can buy fresh milk in glass bottles and butter churned just the other day. In their self serve shop at the front of the working farm - you grab what you want, leave money in the unmanned register, take your own change and go. There are few places left in the US where trust and community are strong enough that a business can establish an honor system storefront, and I'm so thankful that it is actually possible. I have to admit that I was a little unnerved seeing an open cash register in an empty store... we literally had to ask a delivery guy what to do before we figured it out! And if you're wondering how the cows are treated, just take a walk behind the store and check it out for yourself - maybe you'll even get a glimpse of some of their newborn calves like we did.

We took home as much as we could of their hormone and preservative free dairy products, including flying home with a cooler and a few pounds of butter! And I'm not kidding when I tell you that it was the best chocolate milk we've ever had, EVER. I can't wait to go back, just so I can have a bowl of cereal and a slice of buttery toast!

Week old Baby Calves

My Father-In-Law with one of the Owners

Fresh Made Butter

Edgewater Farmstand

If you don't have time to visit each farm for all of your cooking needs, just stop by Edgewater Farmstand where they carry all of their own locally grown produce as well as local products from other neighboring farms. You can find jam, cheese, milk, pastries and plants all in one quaint shop so skip the major grocery stores and buy local!

Valley View Maple Farm

Talk about local. The owner and maple-maker Ben Keger, along with his adorable little bug (beagle/pug mix), creates intoxicatingly good maple products right in his little shop just a few minutes drive off of the freeway. His shop has been around since 1937, originally established by his father where he learned the art of maple as a child. I just fell in love with his hospitality and his story - he does not own a cell phone or a single credit card - how many people can say that!?! You can buy all things maple like maple butter, maple candies, syrup (obviously) and maple mustard and he even finds time to hand craft gift boxes out of wood found right on the farm. He ships his products all over the world, but you can buy everything directly from the farm at surprisingly cheap prices for such great quality. We were lucky because on the afternoon that we showed up, his wife had just finished making the maple candies and they had just bottled the dozen plus bottles of grade A syrup we took home. Yes, friends and family can expect to be getting maple gifts for Christmas this year!