use real butter

Tonight, we reviewed The Med, which is a very popular establishment among the young and lively population of Boulder. The Med has a reputation for terrific tapas, a hoppin’ happy hour, and good food. I’ve dined here before and enjoyed my lunches and happy hours thoroughly.

the med

I arrived before Jeremy and elected to sit on the patio. Due to miscommunication, Jeremy didn’t show up until 40 minutes later. What really bothered me was that I had left both of our names with the hostess at the front and she assured me she would bring him to my table. When he called The Med to ask if I was there, the person who answered the phone (one of the four hostesses - not the one I spoke with) refused to tell him. I have little patience for incompetence or rudeness. I asked to speak with a manager. I got Frank. Frank was extremely apologetic and that was about all that could be expected. One thing I absolutely despise about Boulder is the overabundance of scantily clad, young twenty-something hostesses who spend more time thinking about their manicures than anything else in life. The Med seems to enjoy placing four or five of them at their front door. Trust me, there are far too many in this town to be of use to anyone.

dining out on the patio

We began by ordering the two tapas specials that day since we had missed happy hour utterly and completely. The marinated golden beets ($4.25) arrived on a small plate. They were tossed with feta, shaved fennel, onion, walnuts, basil and walnut oil. The beets were firm and sweet. I particularly liked the tang and crunch of the fennel. Overall, I found the dish to be pleasing and refreshing. Oh, and Jeremy found glops of lipstick stains on his water glass.

cold tapa special: marinated golden beets

The hot tapa special was the prosciutto-wrapped pacific blue salt prawn served with tomatoes and a nectarine-fig chutney for $4.95. Imagine my surprise when our plate arrived with one prawn. The prosciutto had a nice and crispy texture. It tasted smokey and salty in contrast to the sweetness of the prawn. The tomatoes did little for me in the way of flavor. The chutney was a nice compliment to the prawn.

hot tapa special: prosciutto-wrapped prawn

For dinner, I ordered the Point Reyes blue crusted petite filet, herb marinated shrimp skewers, grilled lemon confit and watercress salad, with a balsamic and Cabernet reduction ($25.95). The filet was actually quite good (I ordered it rare) although it was about half the thickness I think most filets ought to be. The true disappointment was in the shrimp which lacked flavor and had the texture of overcooked, rubbery shrimp (because that is what it was). The lemon confit was delicious, the salad was unremarkable otherwise. I’ve paid less for far better plates of beef and seafood.

surf and turf

Jeremy’s sea scallop risotto with beurre blanc saffron ($16.95) was superb. Each tender, peppery bite of scallop was something to savor. The creamy, rich risotto was just right to the teeth - not soggy, but not overly firm. The dish was sprinkled with peas, tomatoes, and squash. The ring of saffron-stained butter sitting atop the risotto was simultaneously horrifying and tempting and delicious. This was the winning plate of the evening, served piping hot, full of flavor and perfect textures. I made the mistake of ordering a glass of Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon Mission Hills (BC) for $8. I wanted a Chard, but they only had California Chardonnays by the glass - and I hate California Chardonnays. This tasted like incense when paired with the peppery scallops - blegh.

sea scallop risotto

The chocolate almond tower ($6.95) is a warm ganache-filled chocolate and almond genoise served with Glacier caramel ice cream and caramel sauce. Once you break through the crunchy and chewy outside crust, the soft spongecake reveals melted chocolate ganache in the center. The chocolate had a mild flavor - not a strong or bittersweet signature. It was a smooth chocolate. The ice cream was a nice companion to the cake and I love caramel and any sort of caramelized almonds. The strawberry garnish was just that - garnish and not terribly tasty as strawberries go.

chocolate almond tower

The crème brûlée was Jeremy’s dessert order. This one was very light, maybe milk-based more than cream-based, and made with real vanilla bean. Light is not necessarily a bad thing. This was far more delicate in flavor and weight than the ones I have ordered in other establishments or served in my own home (I use full-on cream). Jeremy ordered a cup of coffee ($2.50) too. He said it was a nice italian style dark roast on par with that served at Laudisio.

crème brûlée

Frank came by to check that everything was okay and asked how the food was. I was honest about the surf and turf and he said next time to try the pork loin. I did pass along kudos to Jesse, our server, who did a fine job and was very knowledgable about the food. On a whole, I don’t think The Med lived up to the hype, at least not on this evening. The food was hit or miss in terms of value and quality as was the service: Jesse a hit, the mystery hostess who wouldn’t do her job, a definite miss. I think happy hour is the best deal at The Med (their happy hour rocks).

The Med
1002 Walnut St.
Boulder, CO 80302
303.444.5335

July 19, 2006
Mediterranean/Tapas
$84 including tax (not including tip) for 2 diners
Rating: 83/100 (B)

conversation earlier in the week

me: i’ve signed up to bring dinner over on thursday. what sort of food do you guys like?
neighbor: oh, we’ll eat anything, thanks a lot.
me: how about the kids?
neighbor: yeah, they’ll eat anything. they’re not picky. but [chuckling] we’ve definitely had enough pasta to last us a long time.
me: you don’t have a preference for ANYTHING?
neighbor: [to daughter] honey, what do you like for dinner?
brita: [on the swing] i like chinese food!
neighbor: [turning to me] really, we’ll eat anything.
brita: oooooh - and i love rice! yum yum yum yummmmmm.
neighbor: please don’t go to any trouble.

Chinese food? I’m Chinese! Not only am I Chinese, but I cook Chinese food too. This afternoon I took a few hours to prepare a special meal for Marcus and his family. I realize it’s my way of overcompensating for not being able to do more for them. But they’ve gotta eat and why not eat something that they can’t get anywhere else in Boulder? Besides, I think Brita is just about The Coolest seven-year old on the planet. She’s seven going on 28… so mature (even more than most 20 somethings I know) and yet such a tomboy. Her mother raised an amazing little girl.

The menu was: steamed rice; stir-fried flank steak (in soy sauce and sesame oil) over sautéed broccoli; stir-fried chicken breast (in chinese sherry) with napa cabbage, straw mushrooms, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and snow peas; and slow cooked boneless pork ribs (in sherry, soy sauce, vinegar, green onions, and sugar) served over a bed of sautéed spinach with garlic.

chicken

beef and broccoli

ribs over spinach

My grandma is definitely improving each day and my mom also seems to be more relaxed and generally happier. I always discover a little more about my grandma each time I see her. She told me if she could be half as carefree and dim witted as some folks, she could live a fairly blissful life. But we both laughed - because neither of us are like that. We like to worry about our little details and be in control and be that much more annoyed with things. I like that she recognizes this in both of us and laughs about it.

good genes

Yesterday, we went by a Vietnamese place that has dried Anything You Can Imagine. Lots and lots of snacks and a million teas and herbs. We picked up dried preserved plums (a snack) and some tree ear fungus (a nice addition to many stir fry dishes and soups). It’s piled high with stuff I couldn’t even identify. Newbies are either fascinated or horrified by foreign food stuffs. I tend to be curious or indifferent because I’m used to being dragged through this sort of shop. Jeremy is definitely among the fascinated. Those folks who are afraid of unfamiliar foodstuffs go into my book as “wusses”. If there is one thing to be said for Asian cultures, they do not waste food.

i’m looking for some spongebob squarepants fruit chewies…

dim sum guide
If you are a shrewd dim sum diner, like everyone in my family, the first order of business is to choose a good dim sum establishment. The next order of business is to arrive early, but not so early that all carts are not yet in full circulation. It is a requirement to be seated in the proper location to capitalize on the physics of the cart flow because tables in “eddies” never get a good selection and are passed half of the time. After that, you must order the right dishes lest everyone else at the table (unless they are white, or just Chinese losers) think you lame and without a working taste bud in your mouth. Oh, and you must order twice as much as the table can physically ingest. During the ordering process, scrutinize what the ladies pushing the carts are offering. Don’t order stir-fried noodles or stir-fried rice! What are you, white?! Ask what the ingredients are in each rice noodle-, tofu skin-, dough-wrapped item and then make a face at the really mundane dishes like that plate of shrimp-stuffed green pepper halves, or the dish of pork meatballs that any idiot can make at home, or that fried shrimp ball monstrosity.

grandma knows how to enjoy it

The polite host or hostess will dutifully fill the tea cups of the party and flip the lid of the pot when it is empty to let the waiters know we need a refill. Be sure to order jiao yien yo yu (spicy fried squid) from the kitchen and not to accept a plate from the cart (because they are cold and overfried). If the yu-to or the shien swei jiao are cold, emit a sound of disgust and say loudly in Chinese to everyone within earshot - “Ai-ya! These are cold!” However, if you chose wisely in step #1 - this should never happen. The final phase is paying the bill. The veterans discreetly slip their credit card into a pocket or sleeve during the meal and will either jump up and shove their credit card into the hand of the waiter when the bill arrives, or will have earlier excused themselves to use the bathroom and actually have snuck away to give the cashier their credit card with explicit orders not to accept any OTHER cards. My mom actually elbowed me in the gut when I stood up to force my credit card on the dude. Luckily I’m no shrinking violet as my mom is pretty strong for a 5-foot tall lady and could have easily taken out a kidney…