Thursday, July 28, 2011

Wild Hare, Nashville, TN



I knew that the Wild Hare would be one of my favorite places, just from reviews, the menu and website. I finally got there for lunch to celebrate a month of really good work, and saw Chocolate Caramel Bread Pudding was the daily special! It was meant to be! i'm having mixed feelings because it's not a regular item, but considering how my shorts feel today, that's a good thing. As you may be able to see from the photo, I got an order to go when I found out it was a limited feature.

Perfect. I know I've said it before about very different bread puddings, but this is perfection for today. I love the sliced and toasted approach. The slices were crisp on all edges and smoothly firm inside. It was cooked and mixed well. The BP was not too sweet, which allowed the chocolate to shine. The homemade whipped topping and two juicy ripe strawberries gave me choices about how to combine each bite. I didn't taste the caramel but I don't care. I will be back, but for now, I'm taking a nap.

Price: $6
Raisins: No
Sauce: Chocolate, caramel
Ice cream: No, whipped cream
Visited: July 27, 2011

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Lou Mitchell's, Chicago, IL



I ordered this to go because I love every, every thing I have ever had at Lou Mitchell's. Until this. It may have been wheat, and it was so dry and full of raisins and maybe even nuts, that it tasted healthy.

Price: ?
Raisins: Yes
Sauce: No - it could have helped
Ice cream: No - it could have helped
Visited: June 2011

Porch Cafe (Hilton Suites), Brentwood, TN



This is my first bread pudding in the Nashville area! The Porch Cafe was recommended and I happened to be in Brentwood the next day. The crust was delightful, but then it was almost underdone beneath. The flavor made me keep on plunging in my spoon, though I was always aware of the gumminess, and slightly ashamed. I think it was made from wheat bread. I was happy that it had no raisins, but then, yep, they showed up near the bottom and my heart fell. By the end, I felt like it was just sweet, and the ice cream was just cold. At most, it was worthy of a 2, elevated to a 2.5.

Price: $5
Raisins: Yes
Sauce: Bourbon
Ice cream: Vanilla
Visited: July 2011

Jake Melnick's, Chicago, IL



Jake's is one of my favorite drop-in spots in Chicago. I worked around the corner and it has the best burgers, fries and nachos (oh, the ones with BBQ brisket are TDF). When I had a stressed morning or week, I would go there to commiserate with myself over some serious calories. I am so glad bread pudding was just added to the menu because if it had been there the whole time I worked around the corner I would not have been able to walk there for indulging. It's ridiculously indulgent and one of the few that I could not finish.

Price: ?
Raisins: Yes
Sauce: Caramel
Ice cream: Vanilla
Visited: July 2011

Zanzibar, Shaker Heights, Ohio

This was one of the worst I've ever had. Now remember, my reviews are just for the BP, not the food. The entrees, drinks and service were great enough to make my parents go back that same week a couple of times.

I took one bite and was grossed out. It was literally wheat bread slices layered with raisins. I could see the distinct slices and the raisins like it was a disgusting torte. It had no flavoring and my 4-year old could have done a better job at rendering a pudding.

Price: Doesn't matter, no price is low enough
Raisins: Too many!
Sauce: No
Ice cream: No
Visited: July 2011

New Orleans - Bread Pudding capital!


It's been a while since I updated the blog, but I've been diligent in my research (and need a copy of P90X or Hip Hop Abs as a result). I spent almost a week in New Orleans, Louisiana, and had all manner of bread pudding because it was my duty. I will start with the penultimate BP from Muriel's Jackson Square. It blew me away and deserves a scale of its own; four slices does not do it justice. The texture was pudding perfection (for me, firm and slightly chewy, well integrated, with a firmer top and a smooth look), the serving was plentiful but not obnoxious, the pecan topping gave it character, and the rum sauce knew what it was and what to do. Notice there's no whipped cream or ice cream. Muriel's knows this BP can hold its own. I would drive back to NOLA just to have more of this.

Price: $8
Raisins: No
Sauce: Rum
Ice cream: No
Visited: June 2011

Now I can go in no particular order because the rest pale, however delightful they may have been prior to tasting Muriel's.

If you see bread pudding on the Acme Seafood menu, ignore it. I sent it back because it had no redeeming qualities. The texture was mush, the flavor was missing, and it was a ball of dough dumped into a pool of sauce. Ick.



Emeril LaGasse will live without me being impressed by the bread pudding at his eponymous restaurant. It's called warm sticky toffee pecan pudding cake and I thought it couldn't go wrong, but it did. The center was undercooked and for some unexplainable reason the pastry chef put a fruit with a skin in it (can't find my notes) and the skin was a total distraction from an already diminishing culinary experience. At least the ice cream was what it said it was, vanilla.

Price: $8
Raisins: No
Sauce: Satsuma Toffee
Ice cream: Vanilla
Visited: June 2011

Mulate's was consistent and lovely in every way. The BP was smooth in texture, flavorful and satisfying. It did not have a gimmick, it was just good.

Price: $6.99
Raisins: No
Sauce: Bourbon
Ice cream: No
Visited: June 2011

Dining al fresco at Court of Two Sisters was the perfect antidote to a stressful conference. The evening was blissful. The bread pudding was plum full of raisins but it tasted so good and buttery that I forgave it and my companion and I ordered two! It was soft and creamy and, did I say, buttery?

Price: I was treated
Raisins: Lots but it was ok
Sauce: Whiskey
Ice cream: No
Visited: June 2011

Palace Cafe's white chocolate BP is supposedly famous. I think it's slightly intriguing, and struck me more like an appetizer. The white chocolate is subtle, perhaps too much so. The texture is chewy, but too chewy, like I didn't get a fresh wedge. I liked the dark chocolate shavings.

Price: $6
Raisins: No
Sauce: White chocolate ganache
Ice cream: No
Visited: June 2011


These next three are just thrown in gratis - a plug for a fantastic breakfast at the Ruby Slipper. I didn't have a chance to get Bananas Foster so this French Toast version helped me not feel deprived. Wonderful service, too.





This pecan pie was artistically presented and quite tasty - certainly not the best I've ever had, but let me tell you that an evening at Commander's Palace can't go wrong. The homemade vanilla bean ice cream tasted like my mother's and that alone made the dessert special. I loved the salted caramel sauce!



This was also from Commander's Palace. I can't remember what it was, but the fresh whipped cream and ice cream filling were scrumptious. The outer ginger cookie was ok, but it did a fantastic job holding the dairy together.