Frozen Michigandering - Part Two

M was stuck working on Christmas, so his family decided to hold off on celebrating until we were able to get out there for New Years. The theme for the night was beer and electronics. The electronics came mostly from M, and the beer was pretty much a family thing (all three siblings got some each other). This Golden Cap Saison was from Bro. Not bad, and the winged monkeys add that special touch you just don't see nowadays. I doubt we'll find New Holland brews here in New York.

EDIT: Since it was asked, a Saison is a Belgian style pale ale. Alcohol content hovers around 5-8%, and color ranges from gold to orange, but it can also some that run brown or really pale (wiki). I could be reading this all wrong, but it looks like the best known of the Saisons is the Saison Dupont, which comes from Brasserie Dupont. And according to this website, not only is it a brewery... it's also a working farm! Niiiiice.

Spinach dip! Since both his Bro and Sis were making something for dinner, I figured we should pitch in as well. Being that it was New Years Day, we weren't too sure if the store in town would be open (holidays, small town... who knows?), but we lucked out and grabbed the things we needed. And speaking of luck (I guess), SIL kicked us out of the kitchen and made our contribution to the dinner. I felt bad that she ended up making the dip, but I understand her feelings about other people cooking in her kitchen.

I didn't take pictures of the rest of dinner, but M's dad made a chicken noodle dish, SIL baked layered cheese ravioli for M, Bro roasted potatoes, and both Bro and Sis made roasts. Unfortunately, Sis's roast was a little too overcooked... and I'll leave it at that.

After dinner presents were given out, and even though I wasn't expecting anything (M and I agreed on no presents) I think I got the most out of the group. I got a Wii Fit! And a tripod for my camera. And a hard drive for my Wii. And a ukulele. I'm such a lucky gal. There was a lot of rock and roll going on, but I don't think I'm allowed to show everyone just how rock and roll it was. All I can say is, M is hilarious when he drinks. Me? I'm just pukey.

EDIT:M said it was okay to put up the video! It's a bit on the dark side, so there's stuff you don't see... but audio is wonderful. And maybe a bit too loud.

Rock & Roll from Under the Copper Tree on Vimeo.

Ah, CJ's. No trip is complete without a stop there for breakfast. For the four days we were in Michigan, (we were gone for six, but two were driving days) we ate there twice. It would have been three times, had we not taken our time on NYE (they closed at 2:00... wtf). But if it wasn't for that time, I wouldn't have overheard a server tell her customers the rundown on New York City. I don't know who her sources are, but she needs to get new ones.

M's cheese omelet and my double order of hash browns and biscuits & gravy. And lots of coffee.

I don't think I'm a mallrat, but I always seem to end up at the mall. We met up with two of M's friends and went to a restaurant called Garfield's in Port Huron. The big seller there is the fact that happy hour is "all day, every day." 22 oz. domestics were 3.50 and large margaritas were 3.00.The only food item on their happy hour menu was chips and salsa, which was horrible. The chips were super greasy, and the salsa... I can't even describe it other than yeeeech. But we were drinking, so I did my best to eat through it.

The next day we met up with MB and once again went to Badawest. It had been on my mind the whole trip, especially the stuffed grape leaves.

These were amazing. I wanted to try the version with meat, but M talked me out of it. The picture is after we ate half of it and I remembered I should take a picture. I should have taken a picture of the inside... I keep finding recipes online, but I want the one that's closest to it. Was it rice? Bulgur? Ack! Perhaps I should ask MB to find out for me... or better yet, get the recipe.

It was a fun night, and maybe a little too much fun for M. I ended up driving back, which royally sucked since it was snowing and I had no clue where I was going. But we made it back in one piece and slept most of our last day in Michigan sleeping.

All in all, a good time once again. I don't know when we'll be back there, but hopefully soon.

Beirut (Troy, NY)

While I didn't wake up from my nap well rested, I did wake up hungry. M had suggested heading over to the farmers market to help him figure out what to make for dinner. This week's selections were uninspiring for him, but I did pick up some peanut butter snacks for the dogs.

We headed over to Shalimar for the lunch buffet, but of course they were packed and I was not willing to wait for a table. We walked around the corner and I remembered Beirut. It used to be Al-Baraki, and was taken over by a former worker. If you need your Al-Baraki fix, not to worry- they still have their Albany location.

The restaurant can be found sandwiched between antique shops along River Street in downtown Troy. According to M, it looks a lot better than it did before- new flooring, and brightly painted walls. The place is tiny, but there is enough space for a handful of tables, each proudly displaying copies of articles written about Beirut in the Times Union and the Record. Beirut looks more like a take out place than a dine in restaurant, but they offer a lunch buffet during the week and will cater for events.

We split the medium sized Mezza (sampler platter) which was made up of Hummus, Baba Ghannouj, stuffed grape leaves, Makdous (oil cured eggplants stuffed with walnuts), Falafel, Tabbouli, and served with pita bread. I really liked this appetizer, with the makdous and tabbouli standing out the most. M did not agree, saying that he thought the hummus and baba ghannouj tasted as if they were thawed out. He did like the falafel, and the pickled turnip that garnished it.

I also ordered a small Shish Kabab (Kafta) wrap, which the menu describes as "beef patties prepared with onion, parsley and a special blend of Lebanese seasoning." The beef was a little on the dry side, and the taste reminded me of sausage (it could just be the seasoning). The garlic sauce that was generously spread on the wrap was a little strong, which would be a good thing if I was feeling congested. I overheard a conversation the owner's dad was having with a customer and found out that he uses the same recipe for the garlic sauce as Al-Baraki.

When we were done with our meal, the owner's dad brought us over a piece of Sfouf, anise flavored yellow cake. The cake was a little dry, but I liked the subtle anise flavor. M wasn't impressed with it, but I chalk up his responses as being biased for Bada West.

I liked their tabbouli so much that before we left I got a large order to go. It was only after I finished eating it at work that night, that I realized that their version did not contain any bulgur. Without it, can it still be considered tabbouli? I've always known it to have bulgur, along with the standard parsley/mint, tomato, cucumber, olive oil and lemon. I've had versions that were heavy on the wheat, or just enough to notice. But no bulgur at all?

According to this recipe on Epicurious, traditional Lebanese tabbouli uses very little bulgur. So it should not be surprising to find none in the Beirut version.

Lunch for two came out to $31.00, including tax.

Beirut
184 River Street
Troy, NY, 12180
(518) 270-9404