gravy dreams

Growing up, on the rare occasion that my parents went out for the evening, my brother and I would always eat canned beef stew for dinner. We never had those kinds of processed foods growing up (I was very fortunate to grow up in a household that put a lot of value in high-quality, homecooked food), so opening up a can of beef stew for dinner felt very novel. I remember thinking it was pretty much the tastiest thing on the planet.

It’s weird how grass is always greener on the other side. As a kid, I was obsessed with processed food—because it was something I never had. So whenever I’d go over to a friend’s house and they’d have pizza rolls or chips or whatever other food that never made an appearance in my parents’ kitchen, I’d be all over it. Then, I moved away to college, and all I really ate was processed food, and all the novelty quickly wore off. I started to desperately miss the homecooking I grew up with. I think I even tried a can of stew in college and took one bite before throwing it in the trash—it definitely wasn’t the tasty treat I remembered from my childhood.

The first time I made beef stew at home as a newlywed, I realized, “Oh hey! This is what beef stew is supposed to taste like!” And I haven’t bought the canned stuff since. Beef stew sounds like one of those foods that would be complicated and difficult to make, but it’s actually incredibly easy. They key is slow-cooking—either in the actual slow-cooker or on the stove top. Low and slow cooking gives the stew a roasted flavor, and makes sure the meat and veggies are fall-apart tender. And it cooks the gravy up into a thick and smooth sauce that is what dreams are made of. Beefy, gravy dreams.

I tend to swap out the new potatoes that you’ll usually find in beef stew for sweet potato chunks, not only do I like the festive orange color (perfect for October), but I think the touch of sweetness is a really nice balance to the richness of the beef. Sweet potatoes and red meat work incredibly well together.

I personally think beef stew should be served with a slice of sandwich bread slathered in butter—it’s perfect for sopping up all that leftover dreamy gravy. My Canadian husband says the right way to serve stew is with biscuit-style dumplings plopped in it (which sounds delicious, although I’ve never tried it). Whatever you do, promise me you’ll have some sort of bread vessel to scoop up all that leftover deliciousness, okay? No gravy left behind.

Enjoy!

speculos spice cookie

I really wanted to try the gâteau basque for dessert, a traditional dessert that’s a buttery cake that sandwiches a dense, cream filling inside. It’s one of my favorite desserts – but I was stuffed. (The four women behind me were splitting one slice Standees. And if there had only been two of them, I might have asked for a taste of theirs. But I didn’t think it fair when there were four of them battling it out over one order.) So went for the fig tart with mascarpone and prune-Armagnac ice cream, layered over a speculos spice cookie. Every dessert that was coming out of the kitchen looked spectacular, and mine was no exception. They were obviously all made in-house, so kudos to Chef Gravé for pulling them off so nicely. I loved the speculos cookie, similar to a gingersnap, although I could only make it through three-quarters of my enormous dessert before calling it quits hk idc.

The three-course lunch is €27 if you order the plat du jour (the daily special), with your choice of appetizers and desserts from the regular menu. (There’s a €35 menu which allows you to choose from other main courses from the printed menu. And a few specials are on the chalkboard.) The restaurant is tiny, so if you go, expect to be close to your neighbors. I wasn’t sure if I needed to call for a lunch reservation, but when I walked in and saw everyone in there, I was glad I did. Although I decided since I was by myself, I’d take a seat at the bar and let them seat a walk-in two-top at the table that I’d reserved. (Once a restaurant employee, always a restaurant employee) But I didn’t feel alone there, as I had an oversized bottle of Armagnac on tap to keep my company. The staff is very friendly and efficient, and everyone in the kitchen smiled at me on the way out. A happy staff (and chef) makes good food. And that seems to certainly be true at Pottoka yellow coffee mug .