Band Pasta

On my last trip to NYC, to play Rockwood Music Hall with Stripmall Ballads, the band and I wondered seeking the eatery that best suited our hunger and made it all the way over to Tompkins Square Park. We found a little stall of a restaurant called La Lucha or The Wrestler. It only has about a dozen small tables and the every available piece of wall space had toys, action figures, old lucha libre posters from Mexico. They also showed old Lucha movies in B&W projected onto the wall. 

The food was outstanding and I do plan a return visit to try more. They had appetizers like “Villano” a grilled ear of corn with chipotle mayo and cotija cheese, cactus salad taquitos, and Oaxacan style tamal in banana leaves. (Oaxacan is the spanish word for the 32 federative entities of Mexico, Oaxacan cuisine is often known for exceptional “moles” and herbs like Epazote or Mexican Tea and the Hoja Santa also known as Mexican Pepperleaf. It’s very good. 

That was just the first section of the menu. The main focus is on their famous tacos. They are small but only cost between $3.50-4.50 so try a bunch. I had the “Ciclon Ramirez” which was tinga de pollo or chicken cooked in a chipotle sauce. I also tried the “El Espanto” which was Cicina or salted steak. They have an expansive menu of plates to share with two or more. Save room for fried plantains, pastel de leches, mexican popsicles, and bunuelos. 

It was delicious and we played a great gig that night. I think largely in part. You can check out a video from the show on the Stripmall Ballads Youtube Channel Here. See y’all next time.

The final dining experience of my tour needed it’s own entry. If you ever have the chance to visit this establishment, make sure you take that chance. Its called Craig and Sally’s and is a find dining establishment in Frenchtown near the downtown area of St. Thomas. They boast a large and varied wine list and they literally chance their whole menu daily and document every menu on their website. I really like this, cause in am able to pull up my meal from a week ago. Sally Darash is the head chef and owner and has cooked for seventeen years. Once we got past the shotty excuse for a server (he questioned us as to how quickly we could eat so he could reseat our table, uh duh), he did know quite a bit about the food.
On the recommendation of our friend Edythe, we ordered the Eggplant Cheesecake. It was unreal. It was basically a cheesecake recipe with pureed eggplant in place of cheese. It was made with a walnut-garlic crust, a churro age of basil and tomato, and served atop a roasted garlic cream. It surprised all of us at the table, but the waiter was happy to take our email and send us the recipe. I look forward to trying my hand at it. We also got a trio or tapas, each diner picking one each. We had the white tuna crudo served with watermelon, scallions, and sea salt; the Japanese marinated chilled calamari salad (it was a citrus maranade and made the squid tender rather then chewy. Super good); and the caprese ensalata.
For our main course we all opted for red meat, my friend Heather got the Grilled Flat Iron “Steak Frites”. It has a side of fried potato wedges, melted Brie on top and a rich port reduction below. Kat got the lamb shank, it was slow oven braised and served with mushroom and asparagus sauté, mashed potatoes, crisy gee plata, and a white wine braising jus. It was a big hit around the table. I still felt mine was the winning dish. I had the slow roasted Pork Prime Rib. It was so tender and served with white beans, kielbasa, leeks, and crimini mushrooms in a light sauce. It was a huge portion. We all shared around the table and the restaurant was uniquely suited. I believe Heather got the cobbler for desert, but I couldn’t possibly have had another bite. It was sooooo good and the appetizers will be sweetly remembered forever.
I suggest that you travel to St. Thomas just for this restaurant, but if you do, let me know and I’ll advise a bunch of places to visit, music to see, beaches to frequent, etc. Happy eating everyone.

Http://www.craigandsallys.com

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So just last Thursday, I returned from my third annual tour of the US and British Virgin Isles. I tour with one of my favorite DC bands, The Grandsons. Alan MacEwen is one of the finest songwriters and person I know. It’s always my pleasure to share a stage, tour car, or catamaran with him. This year, Alan and his family bought a condo at Sapphire Beach on The island of St. Thomas. In an effort to speak authoritatively on the fine dining on the island we tried a few upscale establishments on this tour.
We spent our second night at Northside Bistro, a lovely locale on the hill overlooking Charlotte Amalia. They tend towards Italian cuisine. Also a perk, our good friend and St. Thomas landlord prior to Alan’s condo, Paul Dirks, plays guitar to entertain on Wednesday nights. I had the puttanesca angel hair. I have little more to say about the dish. Alan played it smart with a nice appetizer plate for a meal. Stayed cheap and tasty that way.
The band treated ourselves to a meal at the restaurant Thirteen. This is a top the hill facing the east side of the island. They are only open a handful of days a week. They have one of the best wine lists on island and a small menu. Everything was delicious. The boys stayed on the less expensive end with orders from the bar menu of Fish and Chips and a burger with gorgonzola cheese. Both were executed wonderfully. I splurged on one of their pizzas. It cost $20 and was a great value. I believe they dubbed it the Mediterrian and featured anchovies, feta, kalamata olives, and fresh basil. Thirteen was a wonderful eat and hang and I would definitely recommend it.
As an aside, just down the road from Thirteen lives Oliek Ledee, a twenty four year old blind calypso accordion player. You can catch him playing at the airport a few days a week. His mother had the whole band over for dinner one night and made an authentic French creole chicken dish, a heavily garlic filled pasta (that rocked), and some of the only freshly picked lettuces on the island from her own garden with a lovely vinegrette. That was a real treat.

Quickly other eateries we tried and enjoyed around the Virgin Islands:

The Pie Whole - in Frenchtown, a small place, great for lunch. Specializing in brick oven pizza. All are good. They also have a huge beer selection. Get a Belgium one, no not bud light.

The Jolly Roger - a venue, hotel, and restaurant in Soper’s Hole in Tortola, BVI. We always look forward to playing here. It’s relaxing, they have an amazing staff, and the food is legendary. Have the ribs or the rib/chicken BBQ combo. You won’t be disappointed. If you can afford it they also have Anegada Lobsters from a small neighboring island of the same name. They had five pounders. Too rich for a musician, but it looked great.

There is a little breakfast burrito place on St. John. Just head right down the first street after walking straight off the Cruz Bay ferry dock. The burrito and the hot sauce to go with it will set you right all day!

Ok my final dining experience deems it’s own entry, so I’ll see you in part 2…

      So I haven’t been traveling much this summer. I have been playing plenty and with some new bands. Things continue swimmingly with Stripmall Ballads, we play at iota August 1st opening for Frazey Ford of the Be Good Tonyas. I also played my first 930 Club show last Saturday night with the Justin Trawick Group. It was a great success. Last week I also had the great privilege of playing all week with Robbie Schaefer at the Children’s Theater in the Woods at Wolf Trap. It was amazing and since I was in that area, I treated myself to one of my favorite restaurants. It’s a hidden jewel of Tyson’s Corner and great to stop at if you are going to a show at Wolf Trap, Jammin’ Java, or seeing a play at First Stage, a great small independent theater across route seven.

The restaurant is called Shamshiry and is located at 8607 Westwood Center Drive in Tyson’s. They specialize in Chelo Kebobs, which is the national dish of Iran. It’s different varieties of meat  (my favorite is the Barg) served with saffron basmati rice that has been tossed in butter. Accompanied by grilled tomatos and onions. Somagh (Sumac) is often sprinkled on the rice. This is the main dish of the restaurant but far from their best. They also serve chicken and salmon versions of the Chelo Kabobs and a slew of delicious vegetarian rice dishes. My favorite the Baghali Polo is the basmati with saffron and dill and tossed with farva beans. It’s quite good. 

I highly recommend eating there. I go at least every month or two for my fix. Hope you all are having an amazing summer.

Danny

Hello all,

      welcome to what is currently being called, Band Pasta. The name is from the band meal served at the Iota Club & Cafe in Arlington, VA where I have run sound for the past two years. I have eaten a lot of band pasta in that time and from my time on tour, I can tell you that it is a step up from the norm. In other clubs you are offered sandwiches and hamburgers, vegetarian and vegan options are tough to come by. In that spirit and because I love good food, i have gone searching for the best regional cuisine in any particular city and hopefully with some proximity to the venue I’m playing.

       I have been logging my food travels for a while now with my good friend Luke Brindley and have only recently decided to break out on my own and expand the touring food blog empire. Please support Luke’s blog and musical efforts at www.lukebrindley.com and http://what-exit.com. My past blog entries are up on what-exit.com.

       I have grand plans to engage musicians I know and ones I don’t, to be contributing food bloggers on this page. Since I play some cool places and my friends play many more, it seemed obvious to get them to blog about where they like to eat when playing particular clubs. Their entries will be complete with links to their sites. If they write an entry for this blog then rest assured they are totally awesome and come with my full endorsement. Please support. Let’s talk food soon and you can see my tour dates at www.dhssound.com

-Danny

P.S. If you are a vegetarian or vegan on the road and need some help finding your culinary way, then visit my friend Yvonne at http://www.thetravelingvegetarian.tv/ She can point you towards the most incredible foods in a bunch of cities. I totally trust her and you should as well.

This past week, I toured to the midwest with Stripmall Ballads as far as Knoxville, TN. We also hit Greensboro, NC and Johnson City. Before heading south of Knoxville to an hippie fest on a landlocked island, we played in downtown Knoxville on WDVX’s Blue Plate Special and at The Preservation Pub. Just a few doors up from the pub in Market Square is The Tomato Head Restaurant. They feature a menu of the most delicious pizzas, calzones, salads, sandwiches and burritos. Since my bandleader Phillips had lived in Knoxville, I took his lead and ordered the Southwestern Chicken Salad.

  A salad of Romaine with roma tomatos, black beans, chicken, blue corn chips, local sharp chedder, corn salsa, and a southwest vinaigrette. It was delicious and filling. Hit up this local gem anytime you are playing or attending a show at The Preservation Pub, The Square Room, or The Bijou. Also, be sure to check out Morelock Music on Gay St. Matt was just finishing the stage when we were there, but it looks to be amazing. He has collection of cigar box guitars and a handful of great ukes too. Looking forward to going back to Knoxville. 

If you ever find yourself going to a show at The Metro Gallery, Depot, Ottobar, The Hexagon, or the Windup Space, you find yourself on W North Ave in downtown Baltimore. If so make a point of walking north on N Charles St on block from North Ave and make a left on E 20th St. On your right will be a small wooden awning noting the entrance to Nak Won. The restaurant in an authentic Korean establishment with Hibachi grills and a bar. They serve everything you’d want off a Korean menu from beef cooked tableside to an list of different Jjigae (stews). 

  When I go I like to order Bibimbop. It basically just means mixed rice and is a rice bowl topped with vegetables including carrots, mushrooms, sea tangle and bean sprouts, as well as beef and a raw egg. In this variation known as dolsot bibimbop, the whole dish is served in a heated stone bowl that continues to cook the dish. You also mix in gochujang a red pepper paste that is not as spicy as chirashi sauce. 

  With any Korean meal you are served an array of appetizers that include fried spam, Soondae which are korean sausage, Kimchi which can be either cabbage or cucumber usually brined or pickled and served with gochujang. Be sure to try some of all of them, they are delicious. Finally you are served a creamy sweet rice drink for desert. All this runs about $15. A huge menu for a great price and so close to great venues.

Hey blog peoples, I hail this morning from Frederiksted on the island of St. Croix in the Virgin Islands. I am currently on tour with the DC rockabilly band The Grandsons. This is my second year on this tour and unfortunately it meant missing Luke and many other of my favorite players on BandHouse Gigs’ tribute to Neil Finn and Crowded House last at the Barns at Wolf Trap. Nevertheless, I have been really enjoying myself and eating wonderful, new and interesting foods on this trip. Culinary highlights thus far have been a tasty grouper sandwich at The Fat Turtle, late night eggs at Betsy’s bar with her homemade hot sauce, and bbq chicken on the beach for valentine’s day (made by our booking agent, Chicken Charlie).

Yesterday, we headed over to the St. Croix Agricultural Fair. It was a huge weekend-long fair and everyone on the island came. They had multiple music stages, tons of crafts, and rows and rows of food. They even had food competitions. My bandmates tried the regional Callaloo, which is a soup made from taro leaves, okra, conch, onions, garlic, and possibly pork fat all cooked down to a stew. It’s traditionally a Jamaican dish, but Puerto Rico, the west indies, and other parts of the Caribbean have their own variations. It smelled wonderful.

I tried a Samosa, which is a south asian pastry (pictured above). It contained potatoes, peas, onion, red peppers, coriander, and curry all wrapped in a triangular pastry. In grand Caribbean fashion, I put extremely hot sauce on it (few of the hot sauces have labels and are usually made from a regional pepper that isn’t a habanero or scotch bonnet). Either way it was delicious and I enjoyed every bite, if you are ever in these parts or in a city with a good asian food contingent, give a Samosa a try. I even bought a bottle of homemade hot sauce to bring back (Luke, I’ll let you try it). I’m sure I’ll have more to report before this trip is through, till then, happy eating.