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| Ali the Butcher at Avril's |
The most surprising part about this meal was not that I had it 3 times but that I cr(eat)ed 2 of the 3 meals in my own kitchen--and cooking doesn't happen very often in my cramped little kitchen.
A little background on why I don't cook:
1) I am NOT a fan of grocery shopping-- I don't enjoy it and I'm not good at it. I usually run into the grocery store, get overwhelmed and walk out with something like 10 yogurts (or whatever is on special in large quantities), a head of cabbage and cream cheese. What can you make with that? A few weeks later, it all goes in the trash.
2) Captain John has fairly limited and simple food preferences--beef, potatoes, bacon, bread and desserts. So, it's easier for him to pick the restaurant and order what he wants. He really enjoys a gr(eat) steak so Capital Grill and Jeff Ruby Joints are popular choices and McKendricks Steakhouse in Atlanta is a favorite.
So here's what happened:
I was given a "Thank You" gift of 2 hand-cut beef tenderloin filets and 2 twice-baked potatoes from Avril-Bleh's Meat Market in Downtown Cincinnati. Captain John was on a trip and unavailable so I asked my next door neighbor, Denny, to join me for a steak dinner to thank him for rescuing me when I got on the wrong bus. (But that's a whole 'nuther story.)
With the main course taken care of, I went to out to hunt and gather another side dish and dessert. I went to Granny's Garden for fresh corn...too early for corn, ended up with peaches. I drove through Frisch's and got an Apple Pie...they do a great apple pie! With time running short, I ran into Remke's and got 6 ears of corn for $2.99 and 10 bottles of Ice Sparkling Waters...I'm a real sucker for those weekly specials.
I told Denny to come over around 5:00 on Sunday and he promptly showed up at 5:00. He was smartly dressed in dress shirt and pants, socks and hard shoes...ready for a "Steakhouse" steak dinner. Imagine his surprise when my dining room table is all set and I'm barefoot, wearing my "good" sweatpants and my "I'm kind of Awesome at Ping Pong" Tee Shirt. My bad.
Meal of the Week #1
I fired up the George Foreman Lean Mean Grilling Machine, turned on the oven for the potatoes and boiled water for the corn. I put the lovely filets in some Lea & Perrins Worchestershire Sauce for a few minutes, popped the potatoes in the oven and made a last minute decision to steam the corn on the cob.
Twenty minutes later, everything was done and cooked to perfection!
The meat was charred on the outside with perfect grill marks and tender, juicy and flavorful. One word: WOW! The twice-baked potatoes were hot, fluffy and topped with a bubbly, melted cheesy goodness. The steamed corn was sweet and summery with a generous schmear of butter and salt. We were both members of the "Clean Plate Club".
Even though we were kinda full, we went in for the dessert round. I cut slices of Frisch's Apple Pie and Denny ran next door to grab his container of Homemade Brand Sea Salt Caramel Ice Cream. It was a perfect pairing and perfect ending to a great meal.
Jump forward a few days:
Captain John was due back in town on Thursday night but he finished up too late to catch the last flight in. On Friday Morning, I'm about to board my bus to go Downtown and John called to say he just landed in CVG and could use a ride. I picked him up and I googled "Avril Meat Cincinnati" as we headed Downtown. Avril-Bleh Meat Market on Court Street was easy to find and everything I hoped it would be and more. True Love at first sight!
Captain John studied the different cuts of beef and ordered a New York Strip Steak. I'm totally sold on the Filets and Twice-Baked Potatoes. So, It's off to work and I was only10 minutes later than usual.
Meal of the Week #2
While I was at work, John made dinner plans with his friend, Ed. Ed is a Rib-Eye Kind of Guy so John went back to Avril-Bleh's and got some Rib Eyes and more Twice-Bakeds for a cookout at Ed's House. The Rib Eyes were very good but give me the filet! Dessert: Regina's Brownies Yum!!!
The next day, we decided to go out for lunch and a matinee at the Esquire Theater in Clifton.
Great Lunch at Sitwells Coffee House, home of The Best Tiramisu. I had the Salami, Cream Cheese and Cucumber Sandwich and John had "The Best BLT Ever", we shared the Tiramisu. We both loved the movie--- Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.
Meal of the Week #3
Like I said earlier, Captain John likes his steak.
With an Avril's NY Strip and another Tenderloin Filet with my name on it in the fridge, we decide to fire up the Lean, Mean Grilling Machine. We're out of twice-bakeds so we microwaved some Bob Evans Original Mashed Potatoes Singles. The Bob Evans "Heat & Eat" potatoes are surprisingly delicious and they are a favorite of Johns. (If John says "It's Good", then it's really good.) While John is manning the George Foreman, I play "Becky Home-Ecky" and make a batch of Chocolate Crackle Cookies (Krusteaz Mix) for dessert.
While Krusteaz Crackle Cookies from a mix and Bob Evans Microwave potatoes aren't exactly "Home Cooking", it's a giant step in the right direction.
Since being introduced to Avril-Bleh's Meat Market, I've rediscovered my kitchen and how meat is supposed to look and taste--it's supposed to be displayed proudly in a case and wrapped in butcher paper by the butcher who cut the meat (like the lovely Ali in the top picture).
I'm on the lookout for more "Mom and Pop" gems like Avrils, Granny's Garden and Stillwells Coffee House.... and more Great Plates to share!
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