Wheat ale's are probably my favorite type of beer, since several of my favorite beers are of this variety. These beers can have a multitude of profiles other than the obvious wheaty flavor. Often, they retain a citrusy-ness or acidity that goes well with lemons or oranges. Almost all wheat beers are ales as top fermenting yeasts are used, and some breweries use specially developed yeast for high wheat content. Today there are several different varieties of wheat beers, but the two traditional types of wheat ales are the Hefeweizen from Germany and the Witbier from Belgium.
Hefeweizen specifically refers to unfiltered wheat ale and is composed of 50% wheat and 50% barley by tradition. When it is filtered it is called "kristallweizen." Hefeweizens offer a bright almost spicy flavor with low hoppiness. They are highly carbonated to accompany the beer's bright and fruity flavor and to complement the malty sweetness that results from the wheat. The refreshing nature of hefeweizen typically dictates brewers to market the beer as a spring or summer ale.
Witbier literally means "white beer" and is named so due to the hazy white suspensions that result from wheat and yeast. In the past, witbier was brewed with no hops, and spices such as coriander or bitter orange were added to add flavor resulting in the evident citrus zest. Today, some but usually little hops is added retaining the same malty yet slightly sour taste.
American wheat ales stick less to the rules, and while they do keep a high wheat content, the majority also up the hops. The additional hoppiness adds complexity to the beer by both complementing and lowering the impact of the acidity. They follow more closely to the German weizen tradition than the Belgian and are often a little dryer.
There's much more to know about wheat ale, but this is more than enough information to put to use in a taste test. Below are my 5 favorite wheat beers.
Amadeus Biere Blanche - Biere Blanche means "white beer" in French and is akin to the Belgian witbier. Amadeus has a light but bright flavor and finishes so clean. It can be enjoyed with a slice of lemon, but I prefer it alone. This beer definitely won't hit you over the top with flavor and is elegantly simple.
Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat - They call this an Urban Wheat, but I have no idea what that means. In any case this is an american wheat ale with a crisp and spicy hops flavor. Layers of flavor keep this beer rolling on the palate so don't add anything. 312 is the kind of beer that goes well with anything anytime. A lot of afficionados rate 312 poorly saying it's a light beer that lacks flavor; but let's face it, it sells extremely well.
Summit Hefeweizen - Another light but elegant wheat beer. The citrus really comes through. Add a slice of lemon to this one to make it even more refreshing.
Blue Moon - Brewed in the style of Belgian witbier, Blue Moon is very mellow and malty. Add a slice of orange to bring out both the acidity and malty sweetness. It's one of those beers that you just find yourself craving every now and then.
Hoegaarden - This is probably the most accessible classic witbier. Hoegaarden apparently suffers from some of the travel skunking problems that Heineken has. That being said, this beer is a very complex and rich. It has a fuller flavor than the beers above, and after an initial hit of hops, it has a great sweet and spicy finish.
This list is hardly exhaustive, and many are sure to disagree with me about both the flavor and quality of the beers. The only way to find out is to go out and have some. Blue Moon is an easy place to start, and although Amadeus is a bit expensive, you need to give it a try.
Some other wheat ales you may or may not have had:
Samuel Adams Winter Ale
Samuel Adams Summer Ale
Sierra Nevada Kellerweis
Sources:
http://www.tastings.com/beer/wheat_beers.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat_beer
http://www.brasseurs-gayant.com/anglais/htm/bieres/amadeus.htm
http://www.gooseisland.com/pages/312_urban_wheat/16.php
http://www.summitbrewing.com/home.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Moon_(beer)
http://beer.about.com/od/beerandbreweryreviews/gr/Hoegaardenwhite.htm
http://beer.about.com/od/wheatbeer/a/WheatGuide.htm
http://beeradvocate.com/articles/351
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Lincoln Park Whole Foods Market
Our closest Whole Foods recently moved a block away from its location on North Ave. Clearly, sharing a parking lot with Best Buy was not the optimal situation and perhaps affected business. The new location is not incredibly convenient, but we were in the area decided to indulge our curiosity. Whole Foods has a tendency to be a bit elitist, but you can't argue with the quality they carry. The parking lot remains small with a section for alternative fuel vehicles directly in front of the store. However, we quickly discovered that there was plenty of parking as the second floor of the building acts as a parking garage.
Escalate down towards the front of the store and you get a bird's eye view of the produce section, the flowers to the left, and surprisingly enough a bar to the right. That's right...a bar. They carry an interesting selection of unique beers for about $4-5 a pint. It's amazing this store closes at 10 pm. The flowers seem to be of good quality and are relatively high priced. My wife was not overly impressed with the selection despite the overall quality.
We skipped past the produce section, but noted that they had some great deals including 1 lb boxes of strawberries for 2/$3. Immediately after the produce, the store opens up into two sections. To the left is a cereal and grain aisle which also had a great selection of nuts. The right side sports a selection of amazing looking cuts of fish. I could go on and describe the layout of the store, but it's not much different what you would imagine. A dairy section, meats, and aisles of frozen and boxed goods.
Past the cereal and grain aisle, the store continues to be surprise with an extensive wine section complete with its own sommelier. You won't find the grocery store variety of Yellow Tail and whatnot. To make matters worse, if you purchase six bottles you receive 10% off. I was also informed that the store will soon sport a sake section. It doesn't stop there. In between wines and the gratuitous cheeses is a wine and cheese bar with a lazy lounge area. About this time is when we noticed that shoppers were perusing the aisles while carrying a glass of beer or wine. Shopping while drinking?! I'll be trying that soon.
Eventually, we got the section we had originally come for, the pastries. Unfortunately we were immediately distracted by the existence of a gelato bar. Then distracted again by a neon diner sign. Whole Foods has a diner inside.
The selection of pastries has been expanded a bit to include some local favorites. That's right, Whole Foods carries the Sophia from our favorite pattisserie, Vanille. We grabbed a fruit tart and an eclaire and continued on to the gelatos.
The robust selection of gelatos include peach, hazelnut, and of course pistachio. We went with a small pistachio which was good but not that good. What was that good was the hazelnut. Of course you can take a pint or quart to go, and on Wednesdays you can take 12 oz. for $3.99. I think we'll be back on Wednesday.
The rest was pretty typical. There were some premade foods, a salad bar, and a sushi bar. At the end of the store there was a barbeque station. Whole Foods has become a tailgating option. I took a side trip to take a look at the coffee beans. No Starbucks here. What they do have is the most extensive selection of local Intelligentsia's I've ever seen. After a couple sniffs, I ended up with Quetzal Breakfast Blend.
Whole Foods isn't a grocery store. It's a tourist destination. It's a retail nightmare. I don't know how we managed to get through there without spending a hundred bucks. I was eyeing the wines...my wife was eyeing the fresh pistachios. Oh that's right, they were closing. We'll be back for sure, but I want to stress that even Whole Foods has a lot of high end items, that doesn't mean you'll be overpaying. The wine selection is very reasonable, and almost everything throughout the store is worth what you pay. That being said, we won't be too interested in the organic selection as we're already loyal to the Wild Harvest brand at Jewel. But there are more than enough enticements to keep us coming back.
Escalate down towards the front of the store and you get a bird's eye view of the produce section, the flowers to the left, and surprisingly enough a bar to the right. That's right...a bar. They carry an interesting selection of unique beers for about $4-5 a pint. It's amazing this store closes at 10 pm. The flowers seem to be of good quality and are relatively high priced. My wife was not overly impressed with the selection despite the overall quality.
We skipped past the produce section, but noted that they had some great deals including 1 lb boxes of strawberries for 2/$3. Immediately after the produce, the store opens up into two sections. To the left is a cereal and grain aisle which also had a great selection of nuts. The right side sports a selection of amazing looking cuts of fish. I could go on and describe the layout of the store, but it's not much different what you would imagine. A dairy section, meats, and aisles of frozen and boxed goods.
Past the cereal and grain aisle, the store continues to be surprise with an extensive wine section complete with its own sommelier. You won't find the grocery store variety of Yellow Tail and whatnot. To make matters worse, if you purchase six bottles you receive 10% off. I was also informed that the store will soon sport a sake section. It doesn't stop there. In between wines and the gratuitous cheeses is a wine and cheese bar with a lazy lounge area. About this time is when we noticed that shoppers were perusing the aisles while carrying a glass of beer or wine. Shopping while drinking?! I'll be trying that soon.
Eventually, we got the section we had originally come for, the pastries. Unfortunately we were immediately distracted by the existence of a gelato bar. Then distracted again by a neon diner sign. Whole Foods has a diner inside.
The selection of pastries has been expanded a bit to include some local favorites. That's right, Whole Foods carries the Sophia from our favorite pattisserie, Vanille. We grabbed a fruit tart and an eclaire and continued on to the gelatos.
The robust selection of gelatos include peach, hazelnut, and of course pistachio. We went with a small pistachio which was good but not that good. What was that good was the hazelnut. Of course you can take a pint or quart to go, and on Wednesdays you can take 12 oz. for $3.99. I think we'll be back on Wednesday.
The rest was pretty typical. There were some premade foods, a salad bar, and a sushi bar. At the end of the store there was a barbeque station. Whole Foods has become a tailgating option. I took a side trip to take a look at the coffee beans. No Starbucks here. What they do have is the most extensive selection of local Intelligentsia's I've ever seen. After a couple sniffs, I ended up with Quetzal Breakfast Blend.
Whole Foods isn't a grocery store. It's a tourist destination. It's a retail nightmare. I don't know how we managed to get through there without spending a hundred bucks. I was eyeing the wines...my wife was eyeing the fresh pistachios. Oh that's right, they were closing. We'll be back for sure, but I want to stress that even Whole Foods has a lot of high end items, that doesn't mean you'll be overpaying. The wine selection is very reasonable, and almost everything throughout the store is worth what you pay. That being said, we won't be too interested in the organic selection as we're already loyal to the Wild Harvest brand at Jewel. But there are more than enough enticements to keep us coming back.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Fulton's on the River Review
A year after our wedding we returned to Fulton's for our anniversary dinner. This was an event we had been looking forward to mostly because we had been anticipating their maine lobster tails. Their menu had changed a bit, and for the most part the change was an upgrade. In any case, this latest visit recemented Fulton's into our top 5.
Fulton's is known for their great steaks, seafood, and oysters. They have the most robust oyster bar in the city. I've never been that partial to oysters as it's a taste I never quite acquired. But I've decided that if you want to learn to eat oysters you should start by eating good ones. Fulton's oysters are flown in from the East and West coasts daily and are incredibly fresh. We decided to indulge in a few. Our oyster sampler platter was a half dozen of kumamoto, kushi, and eastpoint oysters. It's hard to determine which were which since apparently our first platter was a bit messed up. We received seven oysters and couldn't figure out what we were eating. The server was gracious enough to offer a new platter, but we didn't want to be too weighed down by oysters so instead we got a complimentary second order of just the kumamoto and kushi oysters. I don't think we actually had any of the kushi on the first platter, but they were distinctly flavored and finished clean. The kumamoto were our favorite with a light saltiness and a slightly sweet finish.
Our other appetizer was the firecracker shrimp. This seems to have replaced the coconut shrimp and are similarly fried but smothered in a sweet and spicy firecracker sauce. I daresay this is actually an upgrade over the original coconut shrimp.
We always know what we're going to have when we go to Fulton's. I waited for the meats to make their rotation and was predisposed to the filet before I had taken a look at it. My wife had been craving the twin lobster tails for at least a solid week. I added a wild mushroom truffle crust to my bone in filet and ordered it rare knowing Fulton's tends to overcook a bit. When it came, my steak was thick and almost well done on one end and very rare next to the bone. I don't think there were any mistakes in cooking it, I just think the way the bone covers one side of the meat leads to uneven redness. I've had sirloins and strip steaks in the past, and I think I actually prefer their sirloins and porterhouse to the filets. That being said the crust was fantastic. I'm not incredibly partial to crusts, but I will always be adding this crust to my steaks at Fulton's. I don't actually recall the wild mushroom truffle crust existing in our previous visits. The lobster tails met my wife's expectations. 'Nuff said.
Fulton's classic steakhouse sides are family sized. A couple sides usually lead to leftovers, but this time they had a new option of a flight of sides. For about the same price, you can choose three sides to sample. We went with the garlic sauteed spinach, wild mushrooms, and truffle fries. The spinach was infused with so much lemon that became overpowered and almost difficult to eat. Their creamed spinach has been pretty good in the past and is probably a better option. The wild mushrooms are fantastic, but the star of our flight were the truffle fries. It's hard to describe what makes these fries so good. Let's just say, normally if you start getting full, you leave the fries for last. This time my wife had to tell me to stop eating the fries so I could finish the lobster, but I ate them anyway.
We went with the flight so we could also order an additional side of the maine lobster mac n cheese. We were a bit apprehensive about this dish. The server told us it was as good as it sounded. I decided we had to try it. When it came we found that it was more creamy than cheesy and the generous chucks of lobster blended in perfectly. The lobster mac n cheese is seriously good. You can't not have it.
Now for the bad part. The blondie at Fulton's is so good that we have never not had it. A year ago, we had a blondie station at our wedding that we unfortunately missed due to wedding responsibilities. A year later, this goddamn blondie was overdue. Alas, the server informed us it had been taken off the menu. We asked him to inquire to the chef if it'll ever be back...it won't. This is where my wife mimicked me blogging, "I saw a tiny tear at the corner of my wife's eye." You have to understand, this blondie is ridiculous.
We replaced our blondie desires with their chocolate paradise, a chocolate cake that manages to be decadent without being too rich. Order it a la mode and it's coupled with amazing vanilla bean ice cream. The chocolate paradise is really really good. It has a caramel Heath crust and filling that fits in perfectly with the chocolate cake.
But it's no blondie. Seriously we need to figure out a way to bring the blondie back. I can start a petition or maybe order fifty from their catering service. Our lack of blondie is too unsatisfying. If we never have the blondie again, we'll be on our deathbeds just muttering, "blondie...blondie..." I'm going to get some friends together and ask Fulton's to make a load of blondies at a price they can't refuse.
Blondies aside, Fulton's is a Chicago staple. It probably lacks some hype since it's a bit out of the way, but the riverside seating is classy and the food is remarkable. We'll be sure to return to Fulton's at least once a year for our anniversary dinner. I just hope the menu changes don't interfere with our lifelong desires in the future. Sure win choices we've made in the past: lobster bisque, rack of lamb, and vanilla bean crusted tilapia.
Fulton's is known for their great steaks, seafood, and oysters. They have the most robust oyster bar in the city. I've never been that partial to oysters as it's a taste I never quite acquired. But I've decided that if you want to learn to eat oysters you should start by eating good ones. Fulton's oysters are flown in from the East and West coasts daily and are incredibly fresh. We decided to indulge in a few. Our oyster sampler platter was a half dozen of kumamoto, kushi, and eastpoint oysters. It's hard to determine which were which since apparently our first platter was a bit messed up. We received seven oysters and couldn't figure out what we were eating. The server was gracious enough to offer a new platter, but we didn't want to be too weighed down by oysters so instead we got a complimentary second order of just the kumamoto and kushi oysters. I don't think we actually had any of the kushi on the first platter, but they were distinctly flavored and finished clean. The kumamoto were our favorite with a light saltiness and a slightly sweet finish.
Our other appetizer was the firecracker shrimp. This seems to have replaced the coconut shrimp and are similarly fried but smothered in a sweet and spicy firecracker sauce. I daresay this is actually an upgrade over the original coconut shrimp.
We always know what we're going to have when we go to Fulton's. I waited for the meats to make their rotation and was predisposed to the filet before I had taken a look at it. My wife had been craving the twin lobster tails for at least a solid week. I added a wild mushroom truffle crust to my bone in filet and ordered it rare knowing Fulton's tends to overcook a bit. When it came, my steak was thick and almost well done on one end and very rare next to the bone. I don't think there were any mistakes in cooking it, I just think the way the bone covers one side of the meat leads to uneven redness. I've had sirloins and strip steaks in the past, and I think I actually prefer their sirloins and porterhouse to the filets. That being said the crust was fantastic. I'm not incredibly partial to crusts, but I will always be adding this crust to my steaks at Fulton's. I don't actually recall the wild mushroom truffle crust existing in our previous visits. The lobster tails met my wife's expectations. 'Nuff said.
Fulton's classic steakhouse sides are family sized. A couple sides usually lead to leftovers, but this time they had a new option of a flight of sides. For about the same price, you can choose three sides to sample. We went with the garlic sauteed spinach, wild mushrooms, and truffle fries. The spinach was infused with so much lemon that became overpowered and almost difficult to eat. Their creamed spinach has been pretty good in the past and is probably a better option. The wild mushrooms are fantastic, but the star of our flight were the truffle fries. It's hard to describe what makes these fries so good. Let's just say, normally if you start getting full, you leave the fries for last. This time my wife had to tell me to stop eating the fries so I could finish the lobster, but I ate them anyway.
We went with the flight so we could also order an additional side of the maine lobster mac n cheese. We were a bit apprehensive about this dish. The server told us it was as good as it sounded. I decided we had to try it. When it came we found that it was more creamy than cheesy and the generous chucks of lobster blended in perfectly. The lobster mac n cheese is seriously good. You can't not have it.
Now for the bad part. The blondie at Fulton's is so good that we have never not had it. A year ago, we had a blondie station at our wedding that we unfortunately missed due to wedding responsibilities. A year later, this goddamn blondie was overdue. Alas, the server informed us it had been taken off the menu. We asked him to inquire to the chef if it'll ever be back...it won't. This is where my wife mimicked me blogging, "I saw a tiny tear at the corner of my wife's eye." You have to understand, this blondie is ridiculous.
We replaced our blondie desires with their chocolate paradise, a chocolate cake that manages to be decadent without being too rich. Order it a la mode and it's coupled with amazing vanilla bean ice cream. The chocolate paradise is really really good. It has a caramel Heath crust and filling that fits in perfectly with the chocolate cake.
But it's no blondie. Seriously we need to figure out a way to bring the blondie back. I can start a petition or maybe order fifty from their catering service. Our lack of blondie is too unsatisfying. If we never have the blondie again, we'll be on our deathbeds just muttering, "blondie...blondie..." I'm going to get some friends together and ask Fulton's to make a load of blondies at a price they can't refuse.
Blondies aside, Fulton's is a Chicago staple. It probably lacks some hype since it's a bit out of the way, but the riverside seating is classy and the food is remarkable. We'll be sure to return to Fulton's at least once a year for our anniversary dinner. I just hope the menu changes don't interfere with our lifelong desires in the future. Sure win choices we've made in the past: lobster bisque, rack of lamb, and vanilla bean crusted tilapia.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Sixteen Review
I hadn't previously heard of Sixteen, but apparently it was the hyped restaurant of chef Frank Brunacci on the 16th floor of the Trump Tower. I booked it for our anniversary dinner as a new hot spot that was good for special occasions. I would agree the place is decked out for a special event. Unfortunately the clientele is clearly businessy. Still the restaurant is extremely nice. You exit the elevator to a lounge type area, and the seating is through a hall of wine racks. Once you enter the main dining area, you are greeted by thirty foot ceilings and a giant chandelier. The entire outer wall is made up of windows giving you an excellent view of the River North skyline from any angle. The best view is that of the clock tower atop the Tribune Buidling.
I went in not knowing what to expect from the food, and it turned out to be fairly akin to our experience at Trotter's. Both a six and ten course tasting menu were available for $95 and $135 respectively; but seeing that most of the tasting items were available on the regular menu, we decided to forgo the tasting menu and ordered two appetizers and two entrees. The portions we received were fairly small, and I was slightly regretting not going with the tasting menu. However, by the time the meal was over I was more than full.
This is probably due to their fantastic bread. They offer a selection of french rosemary, black olive, multigrain, and orange blossom breads. We tried the french rosemary and orange blossom at first. The french rosemary bread was very good, but just not nearly as good as the orange blossom. There is a hint of white chocolate in the dough, and the crusts are very sweet. This bread is amazing.
For our drinks, we went with two glasses of the Marguet rose. This champagne was slightly fruity and very playful, perfect for my wife who prefers lighter champagnes. I will definitely be looking for a bottle of this.
I ordered the pork belly and pork taco appetizer followed by the duo of beef. My wife had the rock lobster salad and the hazelnut crusted scallops. It's a good thing we ordered two appetizers as they were portioned more like tasting courses. If possible even another appetizer or entree would have been ok, but is there any good way to order three appetizers or three entrees for two people?
The pork belly was one moderately sized piece, and it was fat. So juicy and fat. I don't really have a big problem with eating pure fat, and it was well seasoned and quite good. The pork taco on the other hand was tiny and generally subpar. There were small chopped pieces of pork marinated and laid on a crispy piece of tortilla about twice the diameter of a quarter. The pork was seasoned to taste almost like ground beef.
My wife's appetizer was also small but very tasty. A small portion of lobster was topped by a ring of fried phyllo with some lobster salad inside. The lobster was all cooked perfectly. The salad part was some deconstructed micro greens with servings of avocado mousse and a lemon gel. Everything was very good, but it's similar to other dishes with deconstructed salads.
My duo of beef was probably the best thing we had. It was a pairing of a filet and prime rib. The prime rib was incredibly flavorful and just melted in your mouth, simply fantastic. The filet ended up a little tough as I ordered it medium, but it ended up fairly well done. Still it was simple and crusted beautifully. I've had better steak but never better prime rib. Both were laid on a slice of potato surrounded by pieces of sauteed oyster mushrooms and potato.
The hazelnut crusted scallops were perfectly cooked. Not quite melt in your mouth as the ones we had at Trotter's but almost there. However, the hazelnut crust actually overpowered the scallops somewhat. They were topped by some nicely seasoned fennel and surrounded by juicy bits of rhubarb.
We finished with their strawberry trio. It actually had a very complicated name, but I can't quite recall. Something like: A small tour through the land of strawberry. Ok, the name wasn't that lame, but you get my point. This entire dessert put strawberries together with mint and basil, and did it surprisingly well. There were fresh strawberries with mint and basil floating in a jus. This dish was actually the least appreciable as the fresh basil was a little overpowering. There was also a strawberry, mint, and basil sorbet. The sorbet actually turned out to be quite delicious. There was just a hint of mint and basil and it added a freshness that went well with the cold of the sorbet. A lobster dessert ravioli was unusual, but the infusion of strawberry made it pretty enjoyable. The final piece was a bar of pistachio cake topped by strawberry gelee and then fresh strawberries and a basil mousse. Pistachio crumbles were sprinkled over the assembly. This dessert was great; the basil mousse was very light, and my wife who typically turns away from basil in dessert and things like gelee gladly took my offer of the last bite.
Overall, Sixteen is another one of those restaurants that make you think as you eat. Not quite as creative as Trotter's but very very good and perhaps executed better. Bold flavors were on display in every dish, and for the most part the chef does a good job not overthinking himself. The second best part of Sixteen, the first being the duo of beef, is the fact that there are countless little surprises. Every now and then the server will slide by and present a little gift from the chef. Before our appetizers it was a mushroom puff topped with some chive creme fraiche. Before dessert was a small candy of chocolate cookie topped with a banana and passion fruit mousse. After dessert was a sampling of cookies and desserts, the likes of which included a chocolate macaroon, a small rum cake, a lemon jelly, a piece of chocolate, a coconut crisp, a caramel with peanuts, and a cherry pastry.
Will I be back for seconds? Not for a while; there are a million other places on our list, and it wasn't inexpensive enough for us to become regulars. But I'm sure we'll be back sometime, albeit not sometime soon. The view, the service, and the food all make for a great evening. If you're not too hungry and want to eat something interesting, I would definitely recommend doing an appetizer and main course or even the six course menu at Sixteen. Just know that you'll be surrounded by parties in the middle of business dinners.
I went in not knowing what to expect from the food, and it turned out to be fairly akin to our experience at Trotter's. Both a six and ten course tasting menu were available for $95 and $135 respectively; but seeing that most of the tasting items were available on the regular menu, we decided to forgo the tasting menu and ordered two appetizers and two entrees. The portions we received were fairly small, and I was slightly regretting not going with the tasting menu. However, by the time the meal was over I was more than full.
This is probably due to their fantastic bread. They offer a selection of french rosemary, black olive, multigrain, and orange blossom breads. We tried the french rosemary and orange blossom at first. The french rosemary bread was very good, but just not nearly as good as the orange blossom. There is a hint of white chocolate in the dough, and the crusts are very sweet. This bread is amazing.
For our drinks, we went with two glasses of the Marguet rose. This champagne was slightly fruity and very playful, perfect for my wife who prefers lighter champagnes. I will definitely be looking for a bottle of this.
I ordered the pork belly and pork taco appetizer followed by the duo of beef. My wife had the rock lobster salad and the hazelnut crusted scallops. It's a good thing we ordered two appetizers as they were portioned more like tasting courses. If possible even another appetizer or entree would have been ok, but is there any good way to order three appetizers or three entrees for two people?
The pork belly was one moderately sized piece, and it was fat. So juicy and fat. I don't really have a big problem with eating pure fat, and it was well seasoned and quite good. The pork taco on the other hand was tiny and generally subpar. There were small chopped pieces of pork marinated and laid on a crispy piece of tortilla about twice the diameter of a quarter. The pork was seasoned to taste almost like ground beef.
My wife's appetizer was also small but very tasty. A small portion of lobster was topped by a ring of fried phyllo with some lobster salad inside. The lobster was all cooked perfectly. The salad part was some deconstructed micro greens with servings of avocado mousse and a lemon gel. Everything was very good, but it's similar to other dishes with deconstructed salads.
My duo of beef was probably the best thing we had. It was a pairing of a filet and prime rib. The prime rib was incredibly flavorful and just melted in your mouth, simply fantastic. The filet ended up a little tough as I ordered it medium, but it ended up fairly well done. Still it was simple and crusted beautifully. I've had better steak but never better prime rib. Both were laid on a slice of potato surrounded by pieces of sauteed oyster mushrooms and potato.
The hazelnut crusted scallops were perfectly cooked. Not quite melt in your mouth as the ones we had at Trotter's but almost there. However, the hazelnut crust actually overpowered the scallops somewhat. They were topped by some nicely seasoned fennel and surrounded by juicy bits of rhubarb.
We finished with their strawberry trio. It actually had a very complicated name, but I can't quite recall. Something like: A small tour through the land of strawberry. Ok, the name wasn't that lame, but you get my point. This entire dessert put strawberries together with mint and basil, and did it surprisingly well. There were fresh strawberries with mint and basil floating in a jus. This dish was actually the least appreciable as the fresh basil was a little overpowering. There was also a strawberry, mint, and basil sorbet. The sorbet actually turned out to be quite delicious. There was just a hint of mint and basil and it added a freshness that went well with the cold of the sorbet. A lobster dessert ravioli was unusual, but the infusion of strawberry made it pretty enjoyable. The final piece was a bar of pistachio cake topped by strawberry gelee and then fresh strawberries and a basil mousse. Pistachio crumbles were sprinkled over the assembly. This dessert was great; the basil mousse was very light, and my wife who typically turns away from basil in dessert and things like gelee gladly took my offer of the last bite.
Overall, Sixteen is another one of those restaurants that make you think as you eat. Not quite as creative as Trotter's but very very good and perhaps executed better. Bold flavors were on display in every dish, and for the most part the chef does a good job not overthinking himself. The second best part of Sixteen, the first being the duo of beef, is the fact that there are countless little surprises. Every now and then the server will slide by and present a little gift from the chef. Before our appetizers it was a mushroom puff topped with some chive creme fraiche. Before dessert was a small candy of chocolate cookie topped with a banana and passion fruit mousse. After dessert was a sampling of cookies and desserts, the likes of which included a chocolate macaroon, a small rum cake, a lemon jelly, a piece of chocolate, a coconut crisp, a caramel with peanuts, and a cherry pastry.
Will I be back for seconds? Not for a while; there are a million other places on our list, and it wasn't inexpensive enough for us to become regulars. But I'm sure we'll be back sometime, albeit not sometime soon. The view, the service, and the food all make for a great evening. If you're not too hungry and want to eat something interesting, I would definitely recommend doing an appetizer and main course or even the six course menu at Sixteen. Just know that you'll be surrounded by parties in the middle of business dinners.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Interval Training
Interval training or sometimes called high intensity interval training (HIIT) has been a trendy training method for a while now, and frankly it's a trend that refuses to die. The simple fact is that most people who train and work out are primarily concerned with fat loss, and interval training is the best way to accomplish that.
Fast twitch muscle fibers use more energy and burn more fat than slow twitch muscle fibers. Conversely, they tire more quickly and lack the efficiency and endurance to perform long term. So work out your slow twitch muscle fibers and last longer or work out your fast twitch muscle fibers and fatigue faster; in the end whichever way that burns more calories is better right?
Wrong. Even if you work out, you don't burn as many calories as you do during the rest of your day. Imagine that you burn 400 calories during a workout session, but 1600 calories while resting. There has to be a way to increase that 1600 right? That's where HIIT comes in. Working out has been shown increase your resting metabolic rate (RMR) by 20 to 25%. Everything from weight lifting to resistance training can improve your RMR, but intensity training puts a new twist on it.
Since fast twitch muscle fibers burn more calories, increasing their metabolism has a greater effect on your RMR. What interval training can do is give you the greatest returns in fat loss for the effort you put in. A combination of strength training, interval training, and low intensity training can increase all areas of your metabolism effectively, but nobody has that much time to devote to working out.
Interval training is generally advocated as a replacement for cardio. Low intensity cardio can be effective in burning calories, but it has minimal effect on your RMR. In interval training, you mix in high intensity exercises into your cardio. For example, after your warmup on a treadmill you perform a max sprint for thirty seconds. After the sprint cool down with light jogging for ninety seconds. Rinse. Repeat. The sprinting allows you to work your fast twitch fibers while the jogging allows you to recover and perform more repetitions.
Similarly performing explosive pushups or box jumps in addition to a bench press or leg press will effectively increase the RMR of your fast twitch muscle fibers. Does this work? Numerous studies confirm the effectiveness of interval training, but more convincing than that is its prevalence in personal training. No trainer wants you to spend an hour on the treadmill. They would much rather you cut that in half by performing intervals. Go try it and see for yourself.
P.S. I'm convinced that DDR is a sort of interval training. You basically perform sprints for two minutes with breaks in between.
http://www.mens-total-fitness.com/fast-twitch-muscle-fibers.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/514737/fast_twitch_muscle_fiber_treadmill_pg2.html?cat=50
http://www.articlesbase.com/weight-loss-articles/how-much-cardio-is-needed-to-burn-fat-801003.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basal_metabolic_rate
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0895.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/interval-training/SM00110
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_training
Fast twitch muscle fibers use more energy and burn more fat than slow twitch muscle fibers. Conversely, they tire more quickly and lack the efficiency and endurance to perform long term. So work out your slow twitch muscle fibers and last longer or work out your fast twitch muscle fibers and fatigue faster; in the end whichever way that burns more calories is better right?
Wrong. Even if you work out, you don't burn as many calories as you do during the rest of your day. Imagine that you burn 400 calories during a workout session, but 1600 calories while resting. There has to be a way to increase that 1600 right? That's where HIIT comes in. Working out has been shown increase your resting metabolic rate (RMR) by 20 to 25%. Everything from weight lifting to resistance training can improve your RMR, but intensity training puts a new twist on it.
Since fast twitch muscle fibers burn more calories, increasing their metabolism has a greater effect on your RMR. What interval training can do is give you the greatest returns in fat loss for the effort you put in. A combination of strength training, interval training, and low intensity training can increase all areas of your metabolism effectively, but nobody has that much time to devote to working out.
Interval training is generally advocated as a replacement for cardio. Low intensity cardio can be effective in burning calories, but it has minimal effect on your RMR. In interval training, you mix in high intensity exercises into your cardio. For example, after your warmup on a treadmill you perform a max sprint for thirty seconds. After the sprint cool down with light jogging for ninety seconds. Rinse. Repeat. The sprinting allows you to work your fast twitch fibers while the jogging allows you to recover and perform more repetitions.
Similarly performing explosive pushups or box jumps in addition to a bench press or leg press will effectively increase the RMR of your fast twitch muscle fibers. Does this work? Numerous studies confirm the effectiveness of interval training, but more convincing than that is its prevalence in personal training. No trainer wants you to spend an hour on the treadmill. They would much rather you cut that in half by performing intervals. Go try it and see for yourself.
P.S. I'm convinced that DDR is a sort of interval training. You basically perform sprints for two minutes with breaks in between.
http://www.mens-total-fitness.com/fast-twitch-muscle-fibers.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/514737/fast_twitch_muscle_fiber_treadmill_pg2.html?cat=50
http://www.articlesbase.com/weight-loss-articles/how-much-cardio-is-needed-to-burn-fat-801003.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basal_metabolic_rate
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0895.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/interval-training/SM00110
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_training
Mini Cooper vs Mini Cooper S
We recently took a Mini Cooper from the dealer as a loaner car for the weekend. It was an interesting experience, and I can wholeheartedly say I'm a advocate of the push button starter. That being said, there are some interesting differences between the Cooper and Cooper S that I will outline shortly.
2006 Mini Cooper S
168-hp, 1.6-liter I-4 Supercharged
25 mpg City – 32 mpg Highway
2008 Mini Cooper
118-hp, 1.6-liter I-4
28 mpg City – 37 mpg Highway
The biggest difference between the two models is that the base four cylinder engine has been supercharged in the Cooper S. Initially that difference isn't even noticeable. Acceleration out of the blocks is nice and responsive, and the difference at low throttle is noticeable but small. It's once you floor it that things change.
The Cooper S has a ridge in the pedal that requires additional pressure to push through. This basically means that you can floor the pedal and get a certain amount of acceleration, but if you apply a little more pressure, you can push the pedal through to its real floor and get peak acceleration. This is an interesting engineering feature, and one that I enjoy. On one hand it prevents additional wear on the engine by preventing it from maxing out in everyday use. And on the other hand, you feel like you have additional power when you do max it out. Roll up ramps and floor it on highways, and the difference between the base engine and supercharged one is evident.
The Mini Cooper is a fun car. It's tight through turns and very responsive. The Cooper S is a step up. It pretty much embodies the soul of the car. It has tight steering and a stiff suspension to grip the road. The suspension is so stiff that on long roadtrips with bad highways, I have gotten sick from the vibrations coming through. The Cooper S is built like a sports car. When I turn the wheel, I cannot leisurely turn it with one hand. The steering ratio is too low, and I need to grip the wheel with two hands to make it up our parking garage.
The Mini Cooper is a great car. It has ample horsepower for its size to zip around. It's incredibly maneuverable with a small turning radius. Everything a casual driver should expect in a Mini. The Cooper S is a marvel of engineering design. It sacrifices comfort for performance; and although it is a little underpowered compared to similar sporty cars, it packs more than enough punch to rule the city streets.
2006 Mini Cooper S
168-hp, 1.6-liter I-4 Supercharged
25 mpg City – 32 mpg Highway
2008 Mini Cooper
118-hp, 1.6-liter I-4
28 mpg City – 37 mpg Highway
The biggest difference between the two models is that the base four cylinder engine has been supercharged in the Cooper S. Initially that difference isn't even noticeable. Acceleration out of the blocks is nice and responsive, and the difference at low throttle is noticeable but small. It's once you floor it that things change.
The Cooper S has a ridge in the pedal that requires additional pressure to push through. This basically means that you can floor the pedal and get a certain amount of acceleration, but if you apply a little more pressure, you can push the pedal through to its real floor and get peak acceleration. This is an interesting engineering feature, and one that I enjoy. On one hand it prevents additional wear on the engine by preventing it from maxing out in everyday use. And on the other hand, you feel like you have additional power when you do max it out. Roll up ramps and floor it on highways, and the difference between the base engine and supercharged one is evident.
The Mini Cooper is a fun car. It's tight through turns and very responsive. The Cooper S is a step up. It pretty much embodies the soul of the car. It has tight steering and a stiff suspension to grip the road. The suspension is so stiff that on long roadtrips with bad highways, I have gotten sick from the vibrations coming through. The Cooper S is built like a sports car. When I turn the wheel, I cannot leisurely turn it with one hand. The steering ratio is too low, and I need to grip the wheel with two hands to make it up our parking garage.
The Mini Cooper is a great car. It has ample horsepower for its size to zip around. It's incredibly maneuverable with a small turning radius. Everything a casual driver should expect in a Mini. The Cooper S is a marvel of engineering design. It sacrifices comfort for performance; and although it is a little underpowered compared to similar sporty cars, it packs more than enough punch to rule the city streets.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
The Sake Handbook Review
John Guantner is regarded as one of the top sake experts in the US. His book, The Sake Handbook, does a great job introducing a novice to the world of sake, but curiously enough, his website below does just as good of a job if not better.
http://www.sake-world.com/index.html
The book does offer some more robust descriptions of the sake brewing process, but it lacks the descriptive diagrams that can be found on the website. The first hundred pages explain how sake is made, the differences in sake, and the flavors that characterize them. The rest of the book gives recommendations for specific sakes and sake pubs found in Tokyo.
The second half of the book is somewhat helpful, but the information I really wanted was all in the first half. He conveys all the necessary information and does well to keep the book from turning into a textbook. I got everything I wanted out of the book, but as I stated earlier, I could have similarly gotten it from his website. That being said, here’s what I will be looking for when I look into purchasing my first bottle of sake.
Sake is brewed from rice, where yeast breaks down a steamed rice mash into alcohol. Sake rice is different from table rice in that most of the starches (good stuff) are found in the center of the rice, and the fats and proteins are found on the outside. This allows sake brewery or kura to polish off the outer layers leaving the center. The amount of polishing is called seimaibuai and is a percentage of the remaining rice grain’s weight to its prepolished weight.
Sakes with low seimaibuai are more expensive to produce since more of the rice is discarded and in some the seimaibuai can be as low as 35%. In general at least 30% of the rice is polished off. A seimaibuai of less than 60% can classify a sake as a ginjoshu, and a sake with seimaibuai of less than 50% is a daiginjoshu. A low seimaibuai results in a lighter and cleaner flavor profile that is not necessarily desired.
Alternatively, after production, sake can have water and alcohol added to reduce strong flavors. In this case, it is called a honjozo. Sake that has not been diluted this way is called a junmaishu. Junmaishu and honjozo can be differentiated in the title that is given to the sake. If it is not a ginjoshu, they will be given one of the two names above. In the case a Junmaishu is a ginjoshu, it will be called a Junmai ginjoshu; otherwise, a honjozo ginjoshu is simply called a ginjoshu. The title is often the only way to determine what the sake might taste like but leaves questions unanswered.
Other than the name and seimaibuai, there is a measurement called nihonshudo which assigns numbers to the sake based on how sweet or dry it is with higher numbers being dry and lower numbers being sweet. The average is 3 and numbers range roughly from -3 to 12. This measure along with seimaibuai is not readily available.
If you have a sommelier available, you may be able to find out what a sake tastes like before you purchase it, but you won’t find one readily available in the states. I’m probably going to resort to going out and buying some to get a feel for the flavors and figure out what I like in a sake.
Also, sake isn’t supposed to last more than 6 months to a year without the flavors deteriorating. I have a 5 year old bottle of Mu Junmai Daiginjoshu on the shelf. I guess for my first taste test I’ll compare a new bottle with the older bottle and post a review.
Expect more amateurish beer, alchohol, sake, and wine reviews as well.
http://www.sake-world.com/index.html
The book does offer some more robust descriptions of the sake brewing process, but it lacks the descriptive diagrams that can be found on the website. The first hundred pages explain how sake is made, the differences in sake, and the flavors that characterize them. The rest of the book gives recommendations for specific sakes and sake pubs found in Tokyo.
The second half of the book is somewhat helpful, but the information I really wanted was all in the first half. He conveys all the necessary information and does well to keep the book from turning into a textbook. I got everything I wanted out of the book, but as I stated earlier, I could have similarly gotten it from his website. That being said, here’s what I will be looking for when I look into purchasing my first bottle of sake.
Sake is brewed from rice, where yeast breaks down a steamed rice mash into alcohol. Sake rice is different from table rice in that most of the starches (good stuff) are found in the center of the rice, and the fats and proteins are found on the outside. This allows sake brewery or kura to polish off the outer layers leaving the center. The amount of polishing is called seimaibuai and is a percentage of the remaining rice grain’s weight to its prepolished weight.
Sakes with low seimaibuai are more expensive to produce since more of the rice is discarded and in some the seimaibuai can be as low as 35%. In general at least 30% of the rice is polished off. A seimaibuai of less than 60% can classify a sake as a ginjoshu, and a sake with seimaibuai of less than 50% is a daiginjoshu. A low seimaibuai results in a lighter and cleaner flavor profile that is not necessarily desired.
Alternatively, after production, sake can have water and alcohol added to reduce strong flavors. In this case, it is called a honjozo. Sake that has not been diluted this way is called a junmaishu. Junmaishu and honjozo can be differentiated in the title that is given to the sake. If it is not a ginjoshu, they will be given one of the two names above. In the case a Junmaishu is a ginjoshu, it will be called a Junmai ginjoshu; otherwise, a honjozo ginjoshu is simply called a ginjoshu. The title is often the only way to determine what the sake might taste like but leaves questions unanswered.
Other than the name and seimaibuai, there is a measurement called nihonshudo which assigns numbers to the sake based on how sweet or dry it is with higher numbers being dry and lower numbers being sweet. The average is 3 and numbers range roughly from -3 to 12. This measure along with seimaibuai is not readily available.
If you have a sommelier available, you may be able to find out what a sake tastes like before you purchase it, but you won’t find one readily available in the states. I’m probably going to resort to going out and buying some to get a feel for the flavors and figure out what I like in a sake.
Also, sake isn’t supposed to last more than 6 months to a year without the flavors deteriorating. I have a 5 year old bottle of Mu Junmai Daiginjoshu on the shelf. I guess for my first taste test I’ll compare a new bottle with the older bottle and post a review.
Expect more amateurish beer, alchohol, sake, and wine reviews as well.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
How to pick a good watermelon
I like watermelons and have always endeavored to pick the best. There's also a Korean saying that if you can pick a good watermelon you can pick a good husband and lord knows I can pick a good husband. Problem is my watermelon picking has produced mixed results. In any case, it was about time I did some research to hone my watermelon picking skills. Here's what I found.
Sound:
This really works. Thump the watermelon and listen for a deep resonance. High water content equates to higher sugar content and ripeness. Researchers at the University of Delaware have found that responding frequencies from 100 to 200 Hertz correlate to the desired sugar content of 8 to 12 percent. Some describe the sound as hollow, but it's more of a rich resonance. A dull or unclean sound means that there is less water or perhaps air pockets in the watermelon.
Color:
There are differing opinions on color, but there is a general consensus that the dark green melons have absorbed more sun and are riper. Some say that the more uniform the color and less contrast between stripes the riper the watermelon is. However, one great tip is to check the bottom of the watermelon. As the watermelon ripens, the underside of the watermelon ages from a white or light green color to a cream or yellow. The larger and more aged this ground spot is, the longer it's sat on the ground and ripened.
Shape:
I'm not sure about this one, but a lot of sources say that the more symmetrical watermelons are the best. I can't find any justification for this, so I'm not completely buying it.
Size:
The sweetest watermelons aren't necessarily the biggest, but they are the heaviest. If it is heavy for its size, the melon is denser and has more water content.
Additional Tips:
Just eat it. Watermelons don't continue to ripen after they've been picked. They'll last for about week on your counter or up to three weeks in your fridge, but you can just eat it whenever you want to.
Sometimes you just get a bad batch. It's reasonable that if one watermelon is a batch is not quite ripe, the whole batch isn't ripe. If you pick poorly, don't give up and keep at it. Even if your watermelon isn't perfect, you want to be able to pick the best of the worst.
There are a bunch of other checks out there. Some sources say that if you scratch the rind off the watermelon, the layer underneath should be a greenish white color. Another tip is that the shell should be firm and without blemishes.
As for me, these are the three I'm going to try:
1. Thump it and listen for a deep resonating sound.
2. Turn it over and check to see if the ground spot is large and yellow.
3. Pick it up and go for the melon that seems heavy for its size.
Next time: How to choose a husband
Sources:
http://hubpages.com/hub/How_to_Pick_a_Good_Watermelon
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/newsrelease/1999/090299/09howdoy.htm
http://www.almanac.com/food/watermelonripe.php
http://www.hungrymonster.com/FoodFacts/Food_Facts.cfm?Phrase_vch=Watermelons&fid=6059
http://www.watermelonthump.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=1
Sound:
This really works. Thump the watermelon and listen for a deep resonance. High water content equates to higher sugar content and ripeness. Researchers at the University of Delaware have found that responding frequencies from 100 to 200 Hertz correlate to the desired sugar content of 8 to 12 percent. Some describe the sound as hollow, but it's more of a rich resonance. A dull or unclean sound means that there is less water or perhaps air pockets in the watermelon.
Color:
There are differing opinions on color, but there is a general consensus that the dark green melons have absorbed more sun and are riper. Some say that the more uniform the color and less contrast between stripes the riper the watermelon is. However, one great tip is to check the bottom of the watermelon. As the watermelon ripens, the underside of the watermelon ages from a white or light green color to a cream or yellow. The larger and more aged this ground spot is, the longer it's sat on the ground and ripened.
Shape:
I'm not sure about this one, but a lot of sources say that the more symmetrical watermelons are the best. I can't find any justification for this, so I'm not completely buying it.
Size:
The sweetest watermelons aren't necessarily the biggest, but they are the heaviest. If it is heavy for its size, the melon is denser and has more water content.
Additional Tips:
Just eat it. Watermelons don't continue to ripen after they've been picked. They'll last for about week on your counter or up to three weeks in your fridge, but you can just eat it whenever you want to.
Sometimes you just get a bad batch. It's reasonable that if one watermelon is a batch is not quite ripe, the whole batch isn't ripe. If you pick poorly, don't give up and keep at it. Even if your watermelon isn't perfect, you want to be able to pick the best of the worst.
There are a bunch of other checks out there. Some sources say that if you scratch the rind off the watermelon, the layer underneath should be a greenish white color. Another tip is that the shell should be firm and without blemishes.
As for me, these are the three I'm going to try:
1. Thump it and listen for a deep resonating sound.
2. Turn it over and check to see if the ground spot is large and yellow.
3. Pick it up and go for the melon that seems heavy for its size.
Next time: How to choose a husband
Sources:
http://hubpages.com/hub/How_to_Pick_a_Good_Watermelon
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/newsrelease/1999/090299/09howdoy.htm
http://www.almanac.com/food/watermelonripe.php
http://www.hungrymonster.com/FoodFacts/Food_Facts.cfm?Phrase_vch=Watermelons&fid=6059
http://www.watermelonthump.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=1
Friday, May 1, 2009
Bulls: Game 7 Preview
Everyone understands that this series has become a must watch, and I felt an obligation to give my two cents. Everybody without a rooting interest in this series is enjoying it much more than Chicago Boston
Honorable Mention: Kevin Garnett: You can’t be in a suit for six games and expect to play a factor in Game 7. If he’s in uniform, he’ll give the crowd a lift, but it’s not like the crowd needed any more motivation. If he plays, I expect him to be a sideshow and not much more.
10. The Other Starters: Glen Davis. Tyrus Thomas. John Salmons. Their contribution is welcome but not completely necessary. Big Baby Davis is a surprisingly reliable shooter and routinely makes 12-16 footers. His matchup against Tyrus has been fun to watch, and supposedly they’re childhood friends. Tyrus always makes a few plays. He is easily the best shot-blocker in this series. He probably has less of an impact because there have been so many jumpshots overall, but he’s good for at least one momentum-shifting block a game and a couple more key swats. Since his huge shots in Game 1, he hasn’t had a great offensive effect on the games overall. He faces up the basket rather than backing down and has a tendency to either get stopped going to the rim or finish poorly. Does anyone else think that with Thomas’ vertical, a 10-foot turnaround jumper would be unstoppable?
Honorable Mention: Kevin Garnett: You can’t be in a suit for six games and expect to play a factor in Game 7. If he’s in uniform, he’ll give the crowd a lift, but it’s not like the crowd needed any more motivation. If he plays, I expect him to be a sideshow and not much more.
10. The Other Starters: Glen Davis. Tyrus Thomas. John Salmons. Their contribution is welcome but not completely necessary. Big Baby Davis is a surprisingly reliable shooter and routinely makes 12-16 footers. His matchup against Tyrus has been fun to watch, and supposedly they’re childhood friends. Tyrus always makes a few plays. He is easily the best shot-blocker in this series. He probably has less of an impact because there have been so many jumpshots overall, but he’s good for at least one momentum-shifting block a game and a couple more key swats. Since his huge shots in Game 1, he hasn’t had a great offensive effect on the games overall. He faces up the basket rather than backing down and has a tendency to either get stopped going to the rim or finish poorly. Does anyone else think that with Thomas’ vertical, a 10-foot turnaround jumper would be unstoppable?
John Salmons is an offensive necessity for the Bulls. When shot aren’t falling, the Bulls can get some valuable points by having Salmons attack the rim. He has a tendency to throw up inexplicable three pointers with Pierce in his face, but these same threes go in with a high enough percentage to make it hard to complain. When Gordon is out, Salmons becomes the go to scorer on the Bulls.
9. Young Poise: Game 7, on the road. The Bulls have shown that they don’t back down from a challenge, and every game in
8. Doc Rivers vs.
7. Joakim Noah vs. Kendrick Perkins: I was shocked that Ben Gordon kept the Bulls in Game 2, despite the Bulls horrific rebounding.
Perkins owns the offensive glass. He shoots a high percentage because most of his points come from tip-ins. With no KG, he is irreplaceable in this series. He’s not a great shot blocker, but when he pairs with Big Baby, they clog the lanes. This series has been played around the perimeter, and
6. The Bench: Most unbelievable stat of Game 6? Brad Miller: 4 Turnovers, + 26. With 23 points, that means that for every point he scored, the Celtics scored ZERO. Miller has come into games, made a couple errors, and then either helped the Bulls build a lead or start a comeback. In six games his +/- has been +9, +19, -14, +21, +1, +26. He easily leads the Bulls in this category. My theory is that he gives the Celtics a false sense of security and has the ability to slow down time. The
The
When Hinrich is effective offensively, he is incredibly valuable for the Bulls. And can you believe that he’s the best defender in this series? With Pierce tired, nobody has been more consistent on defense. He has been incredibly versatile, hounding Allen and facing up the bigger Pierce. Kirk Hinrich could start for half the teams in the league and often plays starter minutes.
5. Paul Pierce: He has to be exhausted. After carrying the Celtics for the past few months, he was a smaller factor than expected in this series. His scoring output has been pretty consistent, but the only game he really had an impact on was Game 5 when he proved unstoppable in the clutch. After playing a triple OT game less than 48 hours before Game 7’s tipoff, he needs to be feeling it. If Pierce is in his best shape for Game 7, he’ll demand the ball and take it straight to the Bulls. But I wouldn’t count on it.
4. The Refs: They’ve been consistent; I’ll give them that. Game 1, the Bulls won in spite of the referees, and in Game 2, the Refs overcame a huge Ben Gordon game to give the game to
3. Rajon Rondo vs. Derrick Rose: On any given possession, the ball starts in the hands of one of these two. Rondo has shown that he’s the craftier and more experienced of the two, and his fingerprints were all over the first five games. In all six games, he has only 11 turnovers; Rose has 32. He was taking confident jumpshots and was constant factor on the offensive boards. But after Doc chewed him out for his bonehead foul on Hinrich, Rondo disappeared. His confidence was shaken, and he wasn’t a factor for the rest of that game. Rose didn’t even guard him when he was out on the 3-point line. The box score says that he had 19 assists in Game 6, but it’s my personal opinion that he was hardly effective. It’s not hard to rack up assists when all you have to do is pass it to Ray Allen, and indeed, 11 of those assists were from Allen scores.
Rose has all the tools to be one of the best point guards in the league…next year. He clearly lacks a killer instinct, and although he has taken some big shots, he would rather defer to Salmons or Gordon. He has a tendency to overdribble and gets the ball stolen too often. He’s not defensively experienced, although his blocks have been the highlight of this series for me, and he gets caught going the wrong way too often. He lacks timing as a help defender.
For Game 7, I give Rose the edge since Rondo might still be a little shaken. The crowd can easily get Rondo going, but Rose has shown some real maturity in this series. Do the Bulls lose if Rose has a huge game? These next two guys might have something to say about that.
2. Ray Allen vs. Ben Gordon: Nobody talks about the Gordon hamstring injury. BG was supposed to be day to day after Game 4 but came out in Game 5 pretty healthy. Is this being disregarded because of how Gordon has looked? I’m not sure, but after a combined 10-35 effort in Games 5-6, it’s safe to say Gordon isn’t the same. I realized I’ve never seen that much of Ray Allen, and he has proved to me how good he is. He’s better than Ben Gordon simply because he’s less streaky and more disciplined. Gordon can score from anywhere; but when his shot’s not falling, Vinny Del Negro needs to be able to tell Gordon that he needs to keep shooting but to stop putting up garbage. That being said, BG guards Allen better. Clearly, Allen had trouble following the younger Gordon off screens in Game 5 and subsequently fouled out. I was actually glad when Gordon fouled out in Game 6 after his atrocious shooting. Either one can put up big numbers, but the magnitude of their shots has been the single biggest offensive factor in this series.
1. Home court advantage: This hasn't proven to be as important in this series as expected, but in a fairly even matchup, it’s the biggest disparity. The
Additional Game Notes: As a
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