if you’ve ever written a food blog, you’ll know two things:
1. it is a highly profitable pastime which generates a substantial income, and
2. people will constantly suggest restaurants you should try out.
as a food blogger with literally tens of readers, i often find myself on the receiving end of restaurant suggestions, both welcome and not.

lately, i’ve been hearing positive things about matt moran’s chiswick and honeycomb in darlinghurst. but before i could get to those establishments, i had to check out an eatery several people had suggested i try: mcdonald’s restaurant.

a friend had mentioned to me that mcdonald’s restaurant was actually located in my suburb, which was rather lucky, as my area isn’t exactly known for it’s culinary expertise. so i decided to investigate. 

as it turns out, there are quite a few of these places. a quick internet search revealed that mcdonald’s is a chain of hamburger restaurants that began in california in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by richard and maurice mcdonald. the promise of delicious hamburgers was enough; i was there. 

my attempt to review mcdonald’s restaurant did not get off to a great start, as i had a difficult time finding it at first. there was no sign saying “mcdonald’s” out the front, but instead a logo which resembled yellow archways, so i ended up walking straight past it. perhaps more visible signage would help bring more customers in. 

once inside i waited to be seated for several minutes, however was unfortunately not shown to a table. perhaps the maitre d’ was not in that day. i decided to take a seat at one of the tables in the restaurant’s alfresco courtyard. again, i found myself waiting for around ten minutes for someone to take my order, which was incredibly frustrating. already disappointed by the service, i ventured over to the counter and ordered directly with one of the staff. 

the menu was displayed high on a wall, and after looking over the options i decided on a “quarter pounder” burger, with french fries, coca cola and something called a “mcflurry”, which the server recommended to me as a particularly delicious dessert choice.

i went to return to my seat, but before i got there my meal was ready. what it lacked in table service, the restaurant certainly made up in speed. i was somewhat put off, however, to see my meal arrive on a plastic tray adorned with a paper advertisement for the restaurant. it was a rather tacky presentation, and confusing too as i was already dining there- why advertise to customers who have already bought your food?

quarter pounder burger 

presentation aside, i must admit i was excited to try the hamburger, which was served in a box. i figured, if this place had been trading successfully for over 70 years, the food would certainly taste great. turns out, this assumption was foolishly misguided. the “quarter pounder” burger had little to no flavour and included rubbery cheese and a sugary bread bun. for a hamburger restaurant, i expected a great deal more. 

french fries, large

the fries were lukewarm, cardboardesque and lacked substance. eating them was like watching kristen stewart act. 

double chocolate fudge mcflurry

time for dessert. the serving container indicated that my “mcflurry” would be “thick and creamy.” the packaging continued to boast, “what gives mcflurry that creamy taste? it’s the soft serve made with real milk of course!” well, mcflurry, i don’t remember asking what gave you a creamy taste. and furthermore, “real milk”? how can you brag so flagrantly about something that should be a given? were mcdonald’s previously making their “mcflurry” desserts using imitation milk? i have to say i was rather deterred by mcflurry’s arrogance. thou doth protest too much methinks, mcflurry, and you don’t at all taste like real milk. 

overall, i was disappointed with my mcdonald’s restaurant experience. the quality of the product is poor and the food has an almost mass-produced feel to it. i also suspect it is not particularly nutrimental either. having said that, the prices are very reasonable with a variety of burger meals available under $10. the verdict: while no culinary landmark, this is certainly the type of restaurant that would really appeal to families, especially those with limited knowledge of fresh produce. check it out if you have exhausted all other options, or are feeling slovenly. 

we’re off to san francisco for the next edition of grain of salt’s u.s food adventures. this time it’s commonwealth; a progressive american restaurant in the eclectic mission district. “what is progressive american cuisine?”, you ask. what a fantastic question! you are very clever. though often confusing, like similar terms “modern australian” or “mcdonald’s restaurant,” progressive american has come to describe the innovative ways in which chefs are reappropriating traditional culinary practices through contemporary techniques and styles. 

commonwealth takes this definition one step further, using it to describe its unique charitable agenda. while executive chef jason fox reinvents american cuisine in the kitchen, the restaurant itself donates a portion of their profits to various charities. progressive indeed, and a concept i could sure get behind.

the donations come from commonwealth’s tasting menu: a six-course degustation for $65, $10 of which goes to a particular charity. on this night, the worthy recipient was direct relief international. though an exciting a la carte selection is also available, this philanthropic angle, in addition to the incredibly reasonable price (by sydney standards) sealed the deal for us. tasting menu it was!

but before that, we are presented with commonwealth’s signature complimentary opener: kombu dusted potato chips with malt vinegar espuma. while the white foam may appear dense here, it is in fact light and delicate, and the chips dangerously moorish. the combined effect is that of the best salt and vinegar chips imaginable. some quick stats: i ate 95% of these chips in approx. 2.5 minutes. my constant dining companion mr. joe king seems impressed/appalled. though we are immediately offered more by our attentive waiter, i feel it sensible to decline. 

the next dish to arrive is a spiced watermelon gazpacho. though i initially believe this to be the first of our tasting menu, i realise this is in fact another amuse bouche. excellent! the gazpacho delivers what it promises: smooth, sweet watermelon countered by a hit of chilli warmth. it is at once refreshing and intriguing. 

at last, the first of our tasting dishes arrives. at least i think it does. the menu tells me it is sockeye salmon tartare with chiogga beets, sorrel, and frozen horseradish. all i can see, however, is something that resembles a millennium dome/oversized golf ball/ aerial view of r2d2. where’s the tartare? i decide to use some neanderthal problem solving logic and hit the dome with my fork. 

one crack and the dish is revealed. the dome is the frozen horseradish, which instantly melts into the salmon. the fish itself is beautifully fresh and pairs well with the horseradish cream. unfortunately, i can’t get a sense of the aforementioned beets and there’s a nagging feeling that something is missing, texture-wise. an element of crunch would go a long way here. regardless, we are utterly impressed with this feat of culinary engineering. 

up next is a striking salad of radishes, goat’s milk butter, mache, and sunflower seeds. it is one of the most beautifully presented dishes i’ve seen, with the rough slate providing a bold contrast to the natural colours of the mache & radishes, which sit atop it. mr. joe king remarks how much he loves the salad, after having now recovered from witnessing me eat all those chips earlier. 

our meal takes an exciting turn when we see our next course: asparagus custard, beech mushrooms, chorizo, and jalapeno. the star of the dish, however, is a sea urchin, which floats on the custard’s surface. neither joe or i have tried sea urchin before, and i am delighted at the prospect. joe is slightly more apprehensive. we are both pleased to find it is incredibly smooth and melts in the mouth. the custard itself is undoubtedly unusual yet delicious, and i particularly enjoy the crispy nuggets of chorizo which i find on the bottom. 

the “main meal” of our tasting menu is next: veal cheeks with artichokes, crispy ham, smoked marrow, and burnt orange. it is yet another triumph for the progressive american cuisine genre, taking familiar flavours of tender veal and “bacon” and twisting them with unexpected orange gels and smoky marrow. the meat is perfectly cooked, and the overall dish reminds me of an avant-garde home cooked meal. you know, if your grandma was into molecular gastronomy. 

as the savoury component of our meal comes to a close, our palates are cleansed with a refreshing apricot sorbet with honey lime soda, which is presented ever-so-beautifully in a classic champagne coupe. 

our relishable meal at commonwealth concludes in a rather special and humorous way for me, personally. you see, earlier in our trip, i discovered a guilty american food pleasure: movie popcorn mixed with goober’s (chocolate covered peanuts), eaten in large handfuls. ok, that sounds embarrassing, and prior to our dinner at commonwealth: it was. but, in a delightful twist of fate, our dessert validated my new food habit. there it was: a peanut butter semifreddo with chocolate ganache and frozen popcorn. it tastes so similar to my movie treat that i can’t help but laugh. according to our waiter, the chef himself has a similar guilty food pleasure and sought to translate it into a fine dining context. it is a perfect conclusion to our meal, and makes me wonder how feasible it would be to sell liquid nitrogen popcorn at the cinema. 

as you can see, commonwealth is a brilliant, interesting restaurant. chef fox and his team harness fresh, seasonal ingredients and apply a variety of innovative techniques to create beautiful, impressive food. most remarkable, for us, however, is commonwealth’s incredible value for money. though i get the impression that locals feel it is quite expensive (and sure, it’s not cheap), joe & i both know that food of this calibre would set you back a lot more than $65 in our beloved home town. and it certainly wouldn’t include a $10 charitable donation. or copious helpings of awesome chips. 

stay tuned for the next edition of grain of salt’s u.s food adventures to see another fantastic american restaurant, and perhaps even some more dome-shaped meals*

(external restaurant image: kevin bond, zagat.com)

* there’s no more dome-shaped meals, sorry if it seemed as though there was.

my general understanding of restaurants on a monday night is limited to a rather sad image of one couple quietly eating in a corner while a maitre d’ stands hopefully at the front door, willing people to come in and fill the sea of empty tables behind him. or alternatively, an image of me looking through the window of a restaurant, in disbelief that it’s closed, even though the last seven were too, and saying to my friends “ok, it’s either stanmore mcdonald’s, or we make sandwiches at someone’s house.” 

yep, mondays are generally pretty depressing as far as sydney restaurants are concerned. which is why my mind was sufficiently blown upon visiting girl & the goat in chicago.

looking back, i should have realised this was a very popular place to be when i first made the booking. despite being more than a month in advance (i’m organised, okay?) the only available reservations in an entire week were on monday at 8.45pm and 10.30pm. despite being young, i am not a vampire/panamanian night monkey and so opted for the 8.45pm time slot. 

girl & the goat is the culinary brainchild of stephanie izard, renown restauranteur and winner of the fourth season of top chef. having watched that very season, and become quite a fan of izard’s, i was delighted to visit girl & the goat. and i wasn’t alone. yes, on a monday night, this large restaurant space was packed. take that, stanmore macca’s!

though only opened in 2010, girl and the goat has received a veritable buffet of accolades including four stars from the chicago tribune, a james beard best new restaurant nomination and a glowing review from saveur magazine which one-upped james beard, officially naming it “america’s best new restaurant.” without further ado, let’s find out why.

like many trendy u.s restaurants at the moment, girl & the goat serves a variety of small plates, categorised on the menu as either v (vegetables) f (fish) or m (you guessed it, meat). our meal begins with a “v”- sauteed green beans with fish sauce vinaigrette and cashews. it is every bit as “awesome” as our cool waiter says it will be.

next up, it’s hiramasa crudo, crisp pork belly, aji chilli, and caperberries. a perfect balance of salty, spicy, sour and sweet, the latter being the beautiful melt-in-your-mouth kingfish. though on the menu, it’s found under “f”, i feel it certainly deserves an “a” (ha.. oh dear) 

our meal takes a more substantial turn with grilled hanger steak, maitakes, sugar snap peas, miso-marcona almond, and green almond nuoc charn. the steak is cooked perfectly, and i spend some time wondering how i would describe izard’s cuisine. though featuring a strong asian influence, particularly japanese and vietnamese, the food is still american and mediterranean at the same time. i decide that izard’s food is best described as “top chef” in its style, summarised as “an eclectic mix of seemingly mismatched flavours, which sit atop a chosen protein.” (grain of salt fictionary, 2011) an example of which can be found with our next dish:

here we have pan-roasted halibut, brandade, grilled asparagus, green garlic & blackberry. yes, blackberry. a surprisingly excellent addition that would surely win any quickfire challenge.  

we finish the savoury portion of our meal with the goat chorizo flatbread. we could hardly leave without trying some goat, after all. though the flatbread is delicious i am exceedingly full after characteristically over-ordering. mr. joe king does an excellent job of eating 5/6 of it. what a man!

he rewards himself with a small but rich doughnut & ice-cream dessert. unfortunately, the flavours escape me as i was by this point, in a food coma. 

girl & the goat is one very cool restaurant. the food is truly exciting, and perhaps that is the joy of the “top chef” style of cuisine. though sometimes confusing, it offers unexpected flavour combinations that set it apart from its’ contemporaries. and, judging by the crowd enjoying the goat on this particular monday night, izard is certainly living up to her top chef moniker. 

now, i am not what you would call vegan or vegetarian. but my dear friend bec is, so you could say i’m a vegan sympathiser. you may remember bec from my vegan bolognese post- not only is she a vegan but she is also celiac. “no animal products or gluten?” you say. i know, those are my favourite food groups too.

despite not being nutritionally impaired (i believe this is the pc term for it), i do often enjoy a bec-friendly meal, but what i enjoy more is dining at a restaurant where she has more options than a) the garden salad, hold the dressing or b) the fries, though the latter is often a desirable meal.

with this in mind, and considering we were on her home turf (a city scattered with uber healthy options, and scientology “churches” incidentally) we went to a vegan restaurant called cru, which is not only also gluten-free but raw as well. all forms of dietary concerns quashed in an instant! cru is located in silver lake, along with several other cool food spots and a fedora-load of hipsters, as it turns out.

we started our meal with the tomato & basil bruschetta. considering it was not technically “cooked” and had no gluten, it was an excellent bruschetta. how refreshing!

of course, the joy of our delectable appetiser was to be hampered upon the arrival of our main meals. you see, when at least 75% of your diet consists of very starchy carbohydrates (as mine does) your appetite is distorted so greatly that no meal will satisfy you unless it has real bread/pasta/potatoes. get where i’m going? it’s really sad/worrisome for your health. so unfortunately, while joe king’s (see previous post) taco salad was delicious….

and my vegetable “curry” was positively flavourful, t’was sadly not enough for us. which is why, after dinner we went to a pub and i (shamefully) devoured this:

no, i’m not proud that i needed to eat a giant plate of pasta after a lovely, fresh vegan meal, but that’s what happened, okay? please note, this anecdote offers no indication of the quality of cru’s food, which is delicious, rather a troubling insight into my dietary behaviours. 

scary. oh well, on to the next restaurant!