First Look: Carpenters Hall

Oh computer. I had written an entire blog post on Carpenters Hall at Carpenter Hotel (400 Josephine Street) and the computer ate it. So here's the abbreviated version.

I liked the lunch I had, but I didn't love it; I think the brunch menu interests me more. For a weekday lunch, clientele didn't seem all that diverse. Lots of millennial ladies who lunch, including lifestyle blogger Camille Styles. Loved the decor. Had a great waiter.

Restaurant interior. Love the bench seating and they kept the old union hall banner.

The kitchen

Corn nuts and what they call mole salami. Which when I asked the waiter about it when ordering, I understood it to be salami with a mole sauce. No, it's salami with a chile oil with some mole-like flavors. Hmmmm.

Beautiful grains bowl, but honestly, not all that interesting.

Double burger with some of the most amazing fries I have had anywhere. I would go back just for these. 

Coffee shop in lobby area.

Large and delicious salted chocolate chip cookie. 

What's been your experience at Carpenter's Hall? What dishes did you have? Would you go back? Anyone stayed at the hotel? What are the rooms like?

Hopdoddy

I was warned. Or shall we say advised.

A friend who went to Hopdoddy last week (and thus spurred on my going last night) told me about their method of ordering. Basically, you order at the counter. However, as you are waiting in line to order, a friendly hostess/server comes along, asks how many are in your party, and finds a table for you. You're told what your table number is, and in turn, you tell that to your order taker. You order, get your drinks and condiments, and find your table. Then the server finds you and your table with your food. As three of us were approaching the order taker, we were told there were no tables at the moment, but we were next up. Within a couple minutes, we reached the order taker, and the waitress had secured us a table.

I guess it's not all that different, but it's nice to know they won't let your food get cold as you're waiting for a table to clear. 

Very clean lines, and a very effective use of space (the old Cissi's Market on the SoCo strip). High booths line the right-hand perimeter, and high tables in the middle and on the left. A couple "regular" height tables are to the right of the main door. The booths would be difficult for kids or a mobility-impaired or elderly person to navigate. We were in one of the booths, and at one point, my shoe came off my foot, and it was a bit of struggle to fish for it on the floor with my short legs. Great pictures of local music legends line the walls.

Anyway, the food. They have a number of burger options from basic burger, to ahi tuna to lamb to veggie, etc; there seems to be something for everyone! And, they bake their own bread, cut their own potatoes, and even make their own ice cream. 

Two of us split the classic burger with an add on of bacon and cheese; our third member got the Terlingua burger, complete with chili con carne, Fritos, and cheddar. Our order taker immediately asked if we wanted them to pre-cut our burger in half. We got an order of chili cheese fries and a Mexican vanilla milkshake. Once we picked our condiments and found our table, our milkshake was already there, split into two cups, and we hadn't even asked for it to be split; very thoughtful! It was heavenly! OMG! Real vanilla beans were used -- you can see the specks from the seeds, and it was a very thick, incredibly creamy, tasty shake. A good sign of things to come!

The burgers arrive on small metal trays (quarter sheet trays). A nice soft challah-style toasted bun, filled with meat and the fixin's. They don't ask you how you want your burger cooked, so this was cooked more than I like it (medium rare), but still good. The fries were extra crisp, and well-seasoned, though perhaps a bit heavy on the salt, and I am the one who puts salt on everything. We still ate practically every last one though! Overall, I'd say the shake and fries were phenomenal, and the burger was good, but didn't blow me away. Will try the lamb burger next time.

Hopdoddy was hopping on a Tuesday night at 7:45. It is a bit loud in there, and the booth tables are wide, so I sort of had to lean in to hear all of what my friend's were saying. Oh, and the name Hopdoddy. Another beer + animal named establishment (see Barley Swine post). Hop(s), obviously for beer, and doddy is the nickname of the Aberdeen cow in Scotland. Hop to it, for beer and burgers!

Sweet Potato Burgers

 

 

So, I found this recipe online, and while it sounded a little odd, I really liked the idea. I've tweaked it a bit, so here's my version that I made last night. It came out as a nice, hearty vegetarian meal! The sweet potato definitely gives it a the denseness needed, and surprisingly, it held together without egg or other binding agent. I rushed the caramelization of my onions, so they didn't come out quite as I had hoped, but still tasty!

Sweet Potato Burgers (makes 4 medium burgers)

olive oil for sauteeing
2 medium yellow onions, sliced into rings
1 medium sweet potato (or yam), approx. 1 pound, washed & cubed (you can leave the skins on)
1/2 of a red onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp chipotle chile powder
1/4 tsp Spanish smoked paprika (the hot, not the sweet)
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
few grinds of fresh black pepper
1 - 2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped (or use flat leaf parsley if you don't like cilantro)
1/2 cup pecans, toasted & coarsely chopped
whole grain buns (or bread of choice...I used challah bread rolls)
mayo, bbq sauce as condiments

-- In a large, heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil; add sliced yellow onion. On medium-low heat, allow to onion to cook slowly, gradually browning and caramelizing. Remove from heat when done.(You can add a touch of salt to help draw out moisture, and a touch of sugar to help sweeten the deal.)
-- As onions cook, place sweet potatoes in a small saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until tender. Drain, run a little cold water over them to stop the cooking, drain again, and set aside.
-- As sweet potatoes, cook, heat a medium skillet over medium heat, and add a tablespoon of oil. Add chopped red onion, cooking about 5 minutes until becoming translucent and tender. Add garlic, and saute for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
-- In a food processor, combine oats, cinnamon, chile, paprika, coriander, cumin, salt & pepper; pulse a few times until the oats are finely ground.
-- Add sweet potatoes, onions/garlic, and cilantro, and pulse until well combined. Stir in pecans.
-- Form mixture into 4 medium patties.
-- To cook, heat a large, preferably non-stick skillet, with a little bit of oil over medium heat. Cook about 3 minutes per side, or until browned.
-- Serve on buns (I like mine toasted, with a little mayo & bbq sauce, and the caramelized onions on top. Enjoy!

The next go-around, I may saute the sweet potato a bit after boiling/steaming so they get a bit more texture to them. Actually, roasting them from the get go may be the way to do it! Adjust the spices to your comfort level. If you don't want so much cumin, use less... there are no rules here!