No Reservations Season 7 Episode 2: Heartland
Tony opens this episode confiding to the audience his respect of heartland chefs and restaurants. Tony has had a number of “one night stands” for food, as he calls them, as he traveled across country for book tours and filming.
Tony visits the School Craft College, in Livonia, MI. Tony tells the audience that Chef Brian Polcyn is the authority in charcuterie nationwide. Chef Polcyn can write his own ticket to anywhere, instead he is chef at Forest Grill, and teaches culinary students all about charcuterie. Tony visits with Chef Polcyn as he prepares a wonderous plate of charcuterie for Tony to taste, a variety of smoked venison sausages and a venison terrine, all of which Tony devours with gusto. Chef Polcyn tells Tony he cooks for himself first, and Tony nods in agreement.
Tony and Chef Michael Ruhlman sit in Kihachi Japanese Restaurant, Columbus, OH, a restaurant located a mall within a mall in the middle of nowhere. Tony and Ruhlman wait at the sushi bar as Chef Mike Kimura prepares his traditional Japanese cuisine. Tony and Ruhlman dine on abalone, briny sea squirt, a sashimi of Japanese mackeral, then crunchy fried skeleton of fish. Chef Kimura brings them a tuna collar, which Tony says is one of his favorite things. Ruhlman claims the tuna collar rivals pork belly for deliciousness.
Next Tony pays a visit to the Clever Crow at Circus in Columbus, OH, where Gary Robinette is the owner with no employees to help him as he serves up his innovative pizzas. Gary uses half a pound of sausage on his pizzas, sausage he grinds himself from his roasted pork loin. Gary’s corn crust is homemade and each pizza has a set menu for its toppings, not that anyone is complaining since customers love Gary’s unique pizzas.
In Austin, TX Tony talks about how the food scene there is young and exciting. Tony visits Perlas Seafood and Oyster Bar, where Chefs Lawrence McGuire and Thomas Moorman share fresh oysters, whole red snapper, trigger fish cooked on the skin side only making it crispy on one side and raw on the other, and last but not least, octopus with fried potatoes and aoli. The next stop in Austin is Gourdoughs food trailer featuring gourmet made-to-order gourmet doughnuts of both the sweet and savory kind.
Tony visits East Side Kings in Austin TX, where Chefs Paul Qui and Moto Utsanomiya serve him their version of Japanese fusion. The restaurant is a trailer on the back patio of the local Liberty bar. Tony calls their food “Japanese drunk food fusion”. Tony eats their dishes of beef tongue, panko breaded hot dogs and fried buns with relish. At Odd Duck Farm to Trailer in Austin, TX, Tony learns about Chef Bryce Gilmores farm-to-table movement, showcasing local ingredients. Tony enjoys coffee rubbed pork belly sliders and grilled quail.
During a book tour in Denver, CO in 2002 Tony was not impressed with the local food fare. This time around Tony is happy to report good food abounds. First, Tony shares a meal with Chef Frank Bonanno at his award-winning restaurant Mizuna. To Tony’s delight, the chef presents a plate of many different versions of foie gras, squab and brussel sprouts with truffle vinaigrette, and cassoulet with blood sausage and baby lamb.
Next Tony visits Biker Jim’s Pettingers Gourmet Hot Dogs in Denver, CO. The restaurant is a food cart on the street, serving up gourmet meats in tubular forms. Tony enjoys an order of reindeer hot dog, buffalo hot dog, boar hot dog and rattlesnake hot dog from Biker Jim’s cart. Jim tells Tony “for a chef, I’m a really good car thief”, downplaying his tasty creations and making Tony laugh.
At Bacchus-Bartolotta Restaurant in Milwaukee, WI, Chef Adam Siegel serves Tony and Bacchus owner Joe Bartollota delicious food from Milwaukee. The chef serves beer cheese soup with Amber brew and maple glazed pork belly, caviar with creme fraiche, eggs spiced with curry, and foie gras with french toast and cherries. When the veal bone marrow with truffles plate arrives Tony is thrilled to partake in one of his favorite foods. The meal finishes with a dessert course comprised of famous Wisconsin cheeses. Tony stops in at Sollys Grille, Milwaukee, WI, to try out one of their famous and bad for you local favorite butter burgers.
Tony’s last Heartland stop is in South Minneapolis, MN at Piccolo restaurant, where he says he enjoyed the most inspiring meal of his travels across the heartland. Tony visits Chef Douglas Flicker, who serves up exquisitely prepared small plates. The courses begin with artichokes, ramps and pork, followed by pigs feet with eggs, rabbit summer sausage, lamb belly and lamb liver, and ending with homemade ricotta and rhubarb. Chef Flicker tells Tony “I like my little corner of the world”. Tony tells the audience “Customers are a hell of a lot smarter than we give them credit for”, when it comes to appreciation of unique and fine food found in the heartland of America.
