Fun With Carbs

I wonder if all summer babies are like me, in that the first hint of winter chill sends them into a deep depression for six months.

It’s a tough way to live, when you reside in New England. But that just means you soak up every last second of summer while you can.

Between wine-trail stops, my friends and I decided to have an outdoor lunch at Bill’s in Westbrook, a little gem I discovered with my family during the wedding-planning process at Water’s Edge. Located at the Singing Bridge on Route 1, along the Patchogue River, Bill’s is a destination for casual waterfront dining and fantastic – let me say that again  – fantastic seafood.

We started with raw oysters on the half-shell and fried calamari. While the calamari was delicately crisp and enjoyable, the oysters totally floored us. Big, meaty, creamy, succulent, just the right hint of salinity – we very nearly ordered another dozen. I’m not sure what stopped us, besides cash. (Bill’s doesn’t take credit cards.)

I’m kicking myself that I didn’t ask the waiter about their origin, I can only hope they were Connecticut-grown. So I can brag about my adopted state and its incredible bivalves. They’re easily the best oysters I’ve ever had, and almost a bargain at $9.95 for six.

Remember this spring’s debate about hot vs. cold lobster rolls? Connecticut: warm lobster meat with melted butter, served on a toasted, buttered bun. Almost everywhere else in New England: cold lobster “salad” mixed with mayonnaise, and sometimes celery, served on a toasted, buttered bun.

My western Massachusetts-born friend, Aimee, hadn’t ever heard of the hot variety and was eager to try it. We ordered one of each and split them.

She loved the lobster warm and buttery. And while I’d never kick that version off my plate, I decided definitively that I like mine cold. There’s something so pleasing about that cool lobster meat/warm toasty bun contrast. Maybe it reminds me of Maine.

Our friend Kat ordered the crab cakes as her meal, and they were outstanding as well – a crisp crust encasing lots of deliciously seasoned lump crabmeat.

I ordered a Sam Adams Oktoberfest draft to wash down my seafood. It was kind of bizarre, drinking a fall beer with such summery fare. But certainly not unpleasant – it seemed like the best of both worlds.

Until next summer, Bill’s. I’ll be back with enough cash for a few dozen of those incredible mollusks.

It has been way, way too long since my last post and for that I apologize. I’ve been busy in the best way possible.

Among other work, I’ve been writing for the Hartford Courant’s Flavor section as a contributing restaurant columnist. Which is essentially the greatest gig ever. So far this summer, I’ve traveled to four different eateries (with plenty more to come) to interview chefs about their educational and professional backgrounds, cooking philosophies and menu choices.

Yes, I get to eat when I visit these places. (Most of the time. Depends on the setup.) But that’s not even the best part. What I really love about this job: The chefs. Who are some of the most passionate people on the planet.

It takes real grit and stamina to be a chef. Just read Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential. They’re on their feet for 16 or 17 hours a day, jammed into boiling-hot kitchens and constantly at risk for burns, cuts and a-hole diners, if we’re being honest. But they do it for the love of the food. Creating dishes that people enjoy, it’s what fuels them.

Here’s a look at some of the chefs I’ve met in the past few months.

David Sellers: Max Fish, Glastonbury. Sellers was one of the most talented chefs in Santa Fe, NM before returning to his native New England. He worked for Ming Tsai there before opening his own highly celebrated restaurant, Amavi. Now with Max Fish for six months, he speaks reverently of New England’s coastal seafood bounty and the amazing fresh produce available in the summertime. He was incredibly nice, soft-spoken and humble. No pretense. No ego. And his miso and panko-crusted salmon entree made Rob swoon during his birthday dinner in July. I think he’s still talking about it.

Kohei Kishida: Umi Sushi, West Hartford. Kishida and his general manager, Taki Tanaka, had a dream to build Connecticut’s first kaiten-style sushi restaurant, in which the sushi travels by conveyor belt to customers. In about a year, they pulled it off. They’re young guys, with lots of energy and hustle, and they’ve brought an exciting new concept to West Hartford’s Blue Back Square. I hope they do very well for themselves.

Greg McCarty: Beach Street Sandwiches, Madison. McCarty has big-time Manhattan chops. He’s worked for names even non-foodies would recognize: Jean-Georges, Nobu, Bouley. Now he’s running his own food truck, serving gourmet sandwiches at Madison’s beaches and other spots in town.

I called his business partner to check on a few facts in their press release, and got McCarty instead. What a stroke of luck. We chatted for 45 minutes, during which he told me repeatedly how grateful and excited he was for his new opportunity. “I know I’m not sleeping…but I’m not ‘working’, either,” he said. You can’t fake that kind of enthusiasm. It was a thoroughly enjoyable, inspiring interview.

Chris Prevosk: Brickhouse Pizzeria, Westbrook.  You’d be hard-pressed to find more balls-to-the-wall gourmet pizza than what Prevosk and his manager, Scott Hallden, are doing on the shoreline. Lobster, Brie and fontina. Pulled pork and fried pickles. Jamaican jerk chicken and fried plantains. Bourbon-braised peaches with bacon, asiago and maple mascarpone. Hungry yet?

Almost everything at Brickhouse is done from scratch, something Prevosk is truly proud to share. I instantly felt at home as he brought me things to sample – a fresh golden beet, a glass of the house lemonade, a piece of his prized tiramisu. He lit up as he described the feedback he receives from happy locals, and the good relationships he’s forged with nearby businesses and town offices. For him, it’s not just that he gets to build culinary artistry on top of thin-crust pizza. It’s the fact that people keep coming back for it.

On a more personal note, Prevosk and I connected instantly when he revealed that he’d grown up in Worcester (the home city of yours truly) and had relatives in the same town as my parents. This is a rarer occurrence than you’d believe.

I’ve got some more passionate chefs on tap: Carey Savona of New Haven’s Heirloom at the Study (Sept. 30) and Bun Lai of Miya’s Sushi for October. So, keep checking back.