Pennington's Foodstory

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that most people enjoy going to brunch, but at times have been a little too out of sorts to really enjoy it due to a previous night of imbibing. I love brunch, that mystical meal that combines the glories of both breakfast and lunch. Is it going to be a French toast kind of day or shall it be Eggs Benedict? Or should I just throw caution to the wind and get a big-ass, greasy cheeseburger? Whatever the choice, the evening before has helped determine your decision. Brunch is both mine and Kelly’s favorite meal to cook, so we rarely go out. When we do, it’s usually because we have neither the energy nor the desire to destroy the kitchen. I mean when we start cooking in the morning it soon looks like a bomb went off. There are dirty pans everywhere, the waffle iron is spewing globs of batter, mixing bowls in the sink, a sheet pan of bacon grease teetering on an unstable surface, while both the espresso machine and the French press have been wor...

  If there is one thing about restaurants that drives me absolutely bat-shit crazy is the phrase "Grilled to perfection ".  Throw in any other word such as cooked, roasted, sauteed... it doesn't matter, it still drives me out of my mind.  Why is this phrase so unnerving?  It's because the word " perfection " in this sense, is very subjective.  What does this word, together with the phrase, mean anyway?   I understand that the phrase is supposed to reflect the diner’s perception, but is that really the case? When ordering a steak, is my definition of medium rare exactly the same as the guy grilling my steak?  I would like to think so, but how can I be positive?   Sure, there is a guideline for “a warm red center”, but in that nanosecond a steak crosses that threshold will it be on a dish in front of me, or still on the grill waiting to be plated?   If it’s still on the grill, the meat will continue to cook once plated and thus negate...

Trust me, I love a good Happy Hour. Great food and drinks at a reduced price? Who doesn't love it? We had a neighborhood place in Nashville that had 'Buy one, get one" on draft beer from 5-7; I tore that place up! The whole crew would meet up there and get down for a couple of hours then go our separate ways. Great times. Usually restaurant owners do a happy hour to get folks in early and possibly persuade them to stay longer and enjoy the real menu. While this is the intention, the desired outcome is sometimes far different. People tend to take advantage of the restaurant's generosity and abuse the system. They get hammered quickly and then leave, only to return for the next happy hour and never visit the establishment during their normal hours.  It is what it is. What really sucks is when a really good restaurant offers a half-priced bar (food) menu during the off season.  Let me just say "the freaks come out at night." Such is the situation down my way...