Pancakes Double Takes

Although I talk up my love for Pakistani and Yemeni delights, I must disclose that since returning to Northern Virginia nearly four years ago I’ve rediscovered my passion for yuppie comfort food- particularly the mostly dependable creations churned out by the kitchens of the Great American Restaurants Group and its burgeoning tribute chain, the Neighborhood Restaurant Group. Because the dinners at most of these joints moderately exceed what we’re willing to throw down to make pigs of ourselves, we take advantage of the relative good values found on their lunch and brunch menus. And lately I’ve found myself regularly jonesing for the pancakes at the Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s Vermilion.

The pancakes pictured here were, until recently, responsible for my regular Saturday afternoon couchings as the only physical activity that I could muster after consuming them was reclining and self-loathing. These pancakes were the fullest realization of the term “pancake”- their griddle-crisp (almost crunchy) exteriors sandwiching a nearly inch thick moist buttermilk cake. And the plump dried cranberries that they used were no mere Craisins, which a lesser kitchen might deploy without anyone noticing the difference.

A few weeks ago, the Neighborhood Restaurant Group managed to lure chef Anthony Chittum away from D.C.’s Notti Bianche to man the kitchen at Vermilion. As a result, the menu has undergone a makeover over the past couple weeks, forcing our poor waitress to struggle with quickly learning such esoteric terms as “malfatti” and “velote”.

Thankfully, the $7 brunch pancakes survived the menu purge that typically comes with a change in chefs. And though they are totally different from the former pancakes that shall remain (in my mind at least) the definitive pancakes, they are still pretty damn good.

Chittum has replaced the buttermilk pancakes with cornmeal griddle cakes that come with a side of whipped buttermilk in lieu of butter. These cornmeal pancakes are a more manageable scale than their blanket-sized predecessors, as I can easily put away a four stack and not hate myself for the rest of the afternoon. The mild tang of the whipped buttermilk works well against the rich earthiness of the cornmeal pancakes. And the pancakes themselves are thin, moist and dense.

The bacon at Vermilion is excellent, but it’s worth trying their Italian breakfast sausage, which will make you realize what an abomination breakfast sausage is at pretty much every other restaurant. It’s a fat, well-spiced link with a snappy casing that they specially order from a butcher in Baltimore.

Though the Vermilion website suggests that brunch is only served on Sunday, it's also available on Saturday. And late risers can shuffle into Vermilion for brunch until 3 p.m.:

Vermilion Restaurant
1120 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 684-9669

—AC

The Cheese More People Choose

A recent business trip took me to a small town in Wisconsin this past weekend. When I think of Wisconsin, two things come to mind: 1. It’s cold there this time of year. And 2. Supposedly they make good cheese.

Both were true. We landed in a Madison to a winter wonderland of snow and cold. Also, there were signs and stores boasting delicious cheeses everywhere. Everywhere.

But after two days of meetings and seminars, it seemed time escaped us much too quickly. There was simply no time to explore the wintry environs of the Wisconsin Dells and take in the local culture and food (save for all the meat you can eat there).

But our sadness at a lost opportuity faded when we saw an enormous billboard on the way back to the airport boasting great Wisconsin cheese and sausages. We exited at the required location and pulled up to Ehlenbach's Cheese Chalet, a purveyor of local food and the requisite Wisconsin gifts (think overpriced plastic cheeseheads and sausages shaped and packaged like bottles of Milwaukee’s Best). The best thing about this chalet, which bears the appearance of a Bavarian shack, was that it welcomes visitors with an enormous fiberglass dairy cow outside the shop. We like that kind of stuff.

From experience, I’ve learned these types of places usually have great homegrown goods in addition to whatever their signature item is. In this case, many varieties of homemade jams were on sale, as well as some Door County (known for its cherries) favorites, such as cherry salsa, which is made with the county's best sour and sweet cherries, onions, peppers, and other savories. I picked up a small jar of spicy pickled garlic, also a product of Door County. Whole cloves of garlic are married with jalapenos, red peppers, and vinegar. I was told this should be eaten straight, but I hope to find some way to work it into a salad dressing or a pasta dish.

On to the cheese: The variety was almost too much to handle. You know how deciding on one or two things from a Chinese restaurant menu can be completely daunting? I had the same problem here. There were so much to choose from. You had the basic cheeses—cheddar, havarti, aged homegrown varieties. Then there were fruity and chocolate cheeses, and others with various flavores and added elements. I wanted to go for something simple so I could truly enjoy the creaminess and flavor of the cheese. I went for a half pound of the Wisconsin havarti. Adjacent to the cheese counter was an ample selection of cured meats, and in this case it was their award-winning peppery hard salami that caught my eye. I got a half pound.

AC’s facial expression alone told me I had made the right choices. The sausage was indeed hard, but peppery and chewy. And the cheese was unbelievably fresh and creamy. Though havarti is a mild cheese, it had enough flavor and punch to marry nicely with the spicy sausage.

If you’re in the Madison, Wisc. area, check out Ehlenbach’s at:

4879 County Road V
Junction V & I-90-94 (Exit 126)
DeForest, WI 53532
(608) 846-4791

Or order it online at:
www.ehlenbachscheese.com

—AKC