The Great Taste

I had the pleasure of attending an event over this past weekend in Hartford, Connecticut called: The Great Taste. Of the many food and wine shows, this one was comparably smaller than most at 120 exhibits for food, wine, beer, travel and lifestyle - but offered a true sense of community among the greater Hartford area.

A major selling point for my attendance was The Great Taste's charitable affiliation. A portion of all proceeds benefited the Greater Hartford Jaycees - an organization known for empowering young people to make positive change. Pretty cool.

On the work side, I had the chance to meet some of the great Chef's in the Hartford community and get a sense of their passion for what they do and of course some of their favorite dishes. I could see Hartford as being a great stop along the dishKarma tour in the not so distant future. We're already watering at the mouth!

Have It Your Way

Last night I realized just how much I order tuna. Not for the health benefits, but because I never get bored with the variety of ways it can be prepared.

Take this week for example:

On Monday I called up my favorite local sushi spot, Thousand Crane (or 1K Crane as my friend Sully likes to call it), and ordered the spicy tuna hand roll.

Tuesday I had the tuna from Angela’s Pasta & Cheese Shop for lunch and it was prepared like the traditional mashed tuna fish. Except everything at Angela’s is done with a twist so they added olives and a few other things to spice it up.

For dinner on Thursday it was back to sushi at 1K Crane, but this time I had the tuna sashimi rather than the roll.

Friday night I went to an engagement party at The Up River Café in Westerly, Rhode Island. The food was great, mostly app/hors d'oeuvres, and this time my favorite fish was prepared as tuna tartar. The brilliant move was individually serving this in porcelain spoons. Major points for presentation and convenience.

Running a close second for presentation (and number one for the fullness factor) was my dinner on Saturday night at Firefly American Bistro & Bar. Here I had the mirin glazed tuna, flash-seared with a spicy ginger/sweet soy sauce over jasmine rice and bok choy. If I’m really hungry and making tuna the focus of my meal, this is a go-to dish. I may even give this a shot in my takeout rotation considering the taste and close proximity to my apartment.

Now I don't eat this much tuna every week (and I should probably try grocery shopping once in a while), but amazingly after all that I’m still not sick of it. Variety, the spice of life.

What’s your favorite way to prepare tuna and who serves it up the best?

Fall eats...with a view.

dK fans everywhere can enjoy a great dish (or meal if you've taken the time to make the trek) with an unbelievable view of the foliage this fall. Vermont experiences over a million visitors per year to take a peek at the foliage the State has to offer and the Cliff House Restaurant at the top of Mount Mansfield in Stowe is the perfect way to dine and take it all in. A personal favorite of mine is the classic Vermont Cheese Plate or perhaps if you're feeling adventurous, go for the Winding Brook Farm Lamb Stew.

Part of the Vermont Fresh Network, the Cliff House takes dining to a new level...an elevation of 3625' to be exact. It's a cheap gondola ride away, or an even cheaper hike... Check out the links and enjoy one of Vermont's hidden gems.

I feel like the fall has so many great options for restaurants to take advantage of. What are your favorites?