Urban Deli Author The Deli

Posted on July 25, 2013 Posted by The Deli

My Necessary Evil

Twitter…I was multitasking yesterday (what woman doesn’t) and sent myself a Tweet — not once, not twice but three times from two different Twitter accounts and to each other. Basically, I was having a conversation with myself and did not know it.

Immediately, I had two good friends send me an email to ask what was going on. My response “the only Twit Tweeting was me”. I was slightly embarrassed.

Anyone who knows me knows that I can be a perfectionist in some ways and especially with food and customer service (thank goodness there’s wine). At times, I drive myself crazy.

One of the things that I have not perfected is social media. I get it, the spirit and intent: The opportunities (socializing and communicating information … plus it truly is an economical way to stay competitive, if you’re a business.

Twitter is my necessary evil.

Not unlike Twitter , Yellow Pages Directory (the hard copy) for many years was a necessary evil. You need to have a presence when you’re in retail, especially if you’re a restaurant.

There are few differences between Twitter & what Yellow Pages was…Twitter is not going away any time soon because social media has relatively no barriers to entry EXCEPT not understanding how to use it correctly. It’s fast and you don’t have to wait a year to update your information.

It got me thinking about other necessary evils that have come and gone for me over time.

My list has evolved over decades (the 1960’s to present day)

Afternoon Naps
School
Vegetables
Love
Teller Line Ups
Taxes
Government
Yellow Pages Advertising
Having to be a ‘member’ to get a discount / saving (what major retailer does not have a points reward / member card?)
Money
My latest – Twitter (joining the 21st Century)

I look forward to overcoming yet another necessary evil with a smile and help from my ‘web guy’ Bill, Fran & Michelle who I love dearly. They’re my social media gurus who get me ‘unstuck’ and are truly creative.

Posted on October 10, 2012 Posted by The Deli

Comments: 2 Comments

Autumn arrives with Italian by Night’s Autunno Menu

It truly is a great time of year and the colours of the trees that line the highways and country roads easily translate to a similar abundance; the flavours you’ll find on our Italian by Night (IbN) Autunno Menu.

The team is back to work; Michelle & Kim are working hard in the kitchen preparing for our new menu. One of their favourites? They say if you want to start with a melt in your mouth flavour, start with our Insalata D’ Autunno: Warm caramelized pears on fresh greens topped with Gorgonzola and walnuts.

Sharing is a great way to go! Try our Aracini or Bruschetta board that changes slightly in its presentation and ingredients each season.

The lasagna (La Gran Lasagne) is one of a kind! You can order it in Italy or at Italian by Night. What makes it great is the preparation; layers of house made pasta and IbN meatballs, scratch balsamella, tomatoes and loaded with cheese.

For autumn we’ve introduced a four course (quattro corso) menu offering. We’re excited to offer our customers an opportunity to eat their way through our menu, similar to an authentic Italian dining experience. We know you’ll leave happy and full!

As always, gluten-free pasta is available and there are so many dishes available to you on all our menus. Vegetarian? We can easily make your dining experience a great one!

Great News!!! Saturday, October 13th we’re open Saturdays

Since introducing our Italian by Night in February 2012 you’ve asked for us to be open for dinner on Saturday evenings. Now we are and we hope to see you soon! Reservations are recommended but you can certainly take your chances and drop in. We always try to accommodate you and your guests – even on short notice.

Thinking Christmas? You’re not alone. If you would like to join us for a Christmas Italian menu give me (Elizabeth) a call at 652.3354. Let’s chat and see what we can do for you! We also offer caterings and private dinners.

buon appetito!

Posted on September 2, 2012 Posted by The Deli

Comments: 3 Comments

Our SPCA story (Do you have one?)

(With the Saint John SPCA facing closing down, and desperately needing support, our owner Liz wanted to share her SPCA story.)

Last November, I visited the Saint John SPCA Animal Shelter and immediately found a dog that stood out. It was a black lab named Storm.

Saint John SPCA Animal Rescue

In any city that I’ve lived I’ve always visited their SPCA. Most times I went to donate something (food, newspapers, toys) and I did it on days when my day felt like it had been a rough one. Visiting the SPCA quickly put things in perspective for me by making me understand that my days are never as bad as the lives and stories of these animals. (Not all are bad stories – just sad circumstances.)

Over the next month and a half I went back to the SPCA. One visit included a walk. Or I should say Storm walked me? He was a big guy. Finally, I asked about how fostering works. With running the Deli, I didn’t think I could manage the commitment of keeping a dog BUT … Christmas was fast approaching and like most people, the heart strings are vulnerable. 🙂

Whiskers, adopted from the Saint John SPCA a couple of years ago.

Whiskers was adopted from the Saint John SPCA a couple of years ago.

Knowing there was a spoiled cat at home named Whiskers (who had been adopted through the SPCA two years earlier) I was convinced another pet would be too much. (Whiskers has my husband John – John Mallory Fitness – trained just perfectly. It’s very cute.)

A week before Christmas and I went back to the SPCA to ask if Storm was still there and was told that a mom and her daughter had been in to see the dog and were coming back with the dad that night.

My heart sank but I was also happy to know someone was going to take Storm home.

I went back just after Christmas and to my surprise Storm was still there. No one had come back to adopt him.

This is when I filled out the foster-to-adopt paperwork.

Storm and John (John Mallory Fitness) reminds us that a happy dog is an adopted dog and without the Saint John SPCA Animal Rescue animals like him would be without a friend.

My husband and I left for a couple days to Moncton and on the way back to Saint John on New Year’s Eve I asked him if I had showed him the dog I had noticed at the SPCA. He laughed and said, “You’ve been to see that dog at least six times!”

Storm was beautiful and I couldn’t believe he had been brought into the SPCA twice. A family gave him up to the SPCA and he had been immediately adopted. But that family returned Storm thinking he could not be trained and that he did not get along with their cat.

Knowing this, my heart was sad. Every time I had visited him and I would try to pat him through the bars of his cage, he would just push against the bars into my hand and want to be petted. He never barked, whined or anything. He would just look at me with those sad brown lab eyes.

John and I got to the SPCA and he petted him, talked to him and immediately said, “We’re taking him home.”

I was thrilled. I told John I already had the fostering paperwork done.

Fast forward to mid-January and we still have this ‘foster’ dog named Storm. John takes him snow shoeing, walking and running each day. We’re now signed up for obedience classes in February. And our cat Whiskers is no longer hiding. One day Whiskers walked across the room, jumped up on the couch, reached out and swatted Storm across the head with a big meow. Since then their boundaries are set. Now they hang out quite happily.

It was a great way to bring in the New Year and Storm was finally adopted – by us. He goes to work every day with John and they’re inseparable.

Mamasita with her kittens - She is still waiting for a permanent home

Fran, our manager for Italian by Night recently fostered a mom-to-be cat and has spent a few sleepless nights ensuring the mom and her kittens have the best foster care. She’s kept us posted on the family and unfortunately has lost two of the kittens. Fran has given her time and money and has gone above and beyond in her caring for mama cat and her kittens. Her vet has also been kind and generous and has also gone above-and-beyond in supporting Fran.

At times we think there is not enough room or time in our lives for these animals others give up for their various reasons. But I think there is a pet out there for everyone who can reasonably have one.

There are a ton of great causes to support. Right now, the Saint John SPCA needs ours.

(We’re also happy to say that this past Christmas eve staff and customers at the Urban Deli / Italian by Night worked for free and donated both their time and tips to the Saint John SPCA – customers generously donated and we were able to bring them a cheque for nearly $700.)

Do you have an SPCA story? Share it in the comments or on our Facebook page. And please, if you can, help keep Saint John’s SPCA open. We need them so much!

(You can make a donation online at http://spcaanimalrescue.com/donate/ )

These are Mamasita's kittens and they all have a home except for the second kitten in this photo. You can help our SPCA by adopting, fostering or volunteering.

Posted on May 29, 2012 Posted by The Deli

Comments: Leave a comment

Our fresh lemonade is back!

Urban Deli's fresh, from scratch, lemonade is back! (Photo: iStockphoto) Summer beckons and so does Urban Deli’s Lemonade … Our lemonade is scratch lemonade, refreshing and worth coming in to try (straight up or with a spirit)! And on the theme of lemons … Read on for two fantastic recipes we tried this past weekend that are definitely worth making at home or at the cottage this summer.

But first, a little lemonade trivia.

Where did the phrase, “If life hands you lemons, make lemonade,” come from? It came from the early 1910’s and friends of H. J. Whitley (considered the father of Hollywood) in reference to his transformation of the existing lemon fields of the time into the area now known as Hollywood, CA.

I have a new found love for anything lemon this year, thanks to my friend Joanne. This past week I had two very good friends (Joanne and Henry) visiting from Edmonton. It’s their fourth trip to Saint John and they LOVE IT here!

It’s the people and the sense of community, they tell me. Oh yes … Lobster is also an attraction and their timing is always impeccable for that treat. Thank you to Karen and Kenny at Whitetail Fisheries in Lorneville for the 4 pounder. And yes, we squeezed lemon on our lobster 🙂

We picked up the Occasions Magazine from NB Liquor this week (like I do with every edition that is released) and Joanne made two recipes from it. You won’t be disappointed!

Two refreshing recipes from NB Liquor’s Occasions Magazine

The first was the Frozen Lemon Mousse. (Take out of the freezer 1/2 hour before serving to rest in the fridge or on the counter.)

Frozen Lemon Mousse Recipe

This is a complete “no fuss” dessert. The beauty of serving a mousse like this as a dessert is not only the ease of preparation, but it’s also light. After a big meal, a light dessert is often a welcome respite from dense, heavy cakes.

Ingredients:

4 egg yolks
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 egg whites
2 cups whipping cream

Preparation Method:

Whisk together the egg yolks, lemon zest, the lemon juice and one tablespoon of the sugar.
In a separate bowl, place the egg whites and remaining sugar; beat using an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
In another bowl, whip the cream.
Fold the egg white into the whipped cream, followed by the egg yolk mixture.
Place the mousse in rocks glasses or for a more eclectic look, a variety of glasses.
Place the glasses on a tray and place in the freezer for a minimum of three hours before serving.

Servings: 6

The second recipe is the Classic Lemon Gin Fizz. Ok, I had one too many but they are delicious and refreshing and one was simply not enough. Agian, thank you Joanne for mixing these up!

The other recipe we tried this weekend was the Classic Gin Fizz recipe.

Classic Gin Fizz Recipe

Ingredients:

2 ounces (60 ml) Beefeater London Dry Gin (we used Bombay)
1 ounce (30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ounce (30 ml) simple syrup
1 egg white
Soda Water

Preparation Method:

Put the gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white in a cocktail shaker filled with ice; shake vigorously.
Strain into an ice-filled rocks or highball glass; top with soda water and garnish with a slice of lemon.

Servings: 1

Enjoy life when it hands you lemons!

Posted on April 23, 2012 Posted by The Deli

Comments: Leave a comment

Cheese and water buffaloes

When I lived out West I was introduced to cheese of many different kinds and I recall thinking, “Where have I been?” It was an eye-opener. With this post, I want to share my newest amore named Mozzarella di bufula.

I love Mozzarella di bufula for many reasons: it’s so darn good and it’s an essential part of Italian cuisine, to name just two. It has to be on our menu! But what is it?

It is Buffalo Mozzarella, meaning it uses milk from water buffaloes.

Although it is made in many countries around the world, using milk from their own herds of water buffaloes, some believe Italy and Bulgaria have the best dairy water buffaloes. Right now, we do know that the Italians are proven to be the masters of making Mozzarella di bufula!

Unlike the blocks of processed cheese we had when were kids, or the bags of shredded / grated Mozzarella which are readily available in our local grocery stores, ‘buffalo mozzarella’ is balls of white cheese that come in various sizes and, in our opinion, a superior mozzarella.

We’ve learned that the richness and quality of Buffalo milk yields much better than a cow’s milk.

With our menu, we’re taking the approach of bringing you the most authentic experiences we can. It starts by sourcing the best products we can find and serving them to you, including Mozzarella di bufula.

Some of you experienced it for the first time when you tasted our Italian by Night “Inverno” (winter) menu. It blended nicely with our Antipasti platter, and also had great reviews when we served it with a drizzle of our house-made pesto and foccacia bread.

With the arrival of spring and our seasonal menu, we’d like to share Mozzarella di bufula with you as Crostini Primavera (Spring). This is where we build on a crostini (grilled bread), by adding chopped seasoned tomato salad, Mozzarella di bufula and aged proscuitto di parma. It’s all finished off in the oven and served to you with amore!

There are many ways to get up close and personal with your Mozzarella di bufala; it’s not a taste that will bite you on your tongue. In all honesty, it has no distinct flavour on its own. It’s what you do with it that makes people ask, “Mmm … what cheese is this?”

You can get creative too! For example, try something as simple as a caprese salad with two types of tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil and cracked salt and pepper.

You can find out more about Mozzarella di bufula on Wikipedia. You can also have a look at the site Mozzarelladibufala.org, “Campana buffalo’s mozzarella cheese.”

“Don’t send flowers on my birthday, send cheese!”

Posted on April 22, 2010 Posted by The Deli

Comments: 2 Comments

Seared beef carpaccio with peppercorn mushrooms

I loved this recipe! This is so refreshing and flavorful and worth the few minutes it takes to prepare and serve. It’s taken from: Company’s Coming: Practical Gourmet – Small Plates for Sharing (pages 58 & 59).

(Note: the image shown is an example of carpaccio but not that of the recipe below.)

Seared beef carpaccio with peppercorn mushrooms:

– 1 tbsp / 15 ml Montreal steak spice
– 1 tbsp / 15 ml finely chopped fresh thyme
– 1 lb / 454 g beef strip loin steak

– 1 tbsp / 15 ml cooking oil
– 5 cups / 1.25 L sliced brown mushrooms

– 1/3 cup / 75 ml brandy
– 1 tbsp / 15 ml canned green peppercorns
– 1 tbsp / 15 ml butter

– ½ cup / 125 ml Arugula leaves lightly packed

Combine Montreal steak spice and finely chopped thyme (I used dried and would have preferred fresh) in a pie pan or wide bottom bowl. Press steak into spice mixture until coated. Cook on a greased grill on high for about 2 minutes per side until browned and slightly crisp. Transfer to cutting board. Cover with foil and let stand for 10 minutes.

Heat cooking oil in a frying pan on medium-high. Add mushrooms and cook until browned and liquid is evaporated.

Stir in brandy and peppercorns. Add butter and stir until melted.

Cut steak across the grain into very thin slices. Arrange with arugula and mushrooms on a serving plate. Serves 6.

Company’s Coming describes an alternative method for cooking the Beef Carpaccio. (I grilled it on our flat top at the Deli). Instead of grilling the steak you can sear it using olive oil in a very hot stainless steel or cast iron frying pan. Sear each side for only one minute. The result will be a very thin dark crust that is quite appealing; however, it is not recommended that you use this method with a non-stick pan as the high heat may ruin the non-stick coating.

A couple of my own notes:

I doubled the recipe because it was for a group of 15 people as an appetizer. If you have a smaller dinner group the recipe portion is perfect!
I used spinach instead of arugula. Although spinach was good the arugula would have added more of a peppery taste to further compliment the flavors.
When I sautéed the mushrooms, peppercorns, brandy & butter, I poured it over the spinach, which was down the centre of the platter with the beef carpaccio on both sides.
Squeezing a bit of fresh lemon juice down each side of the plated carpaccio enhances the flavor (personal preference).
Once the beef carpaccio has been left to stand for 10 minutes, you can put it in the freezer for 15 minutes to make it a bit firmer, which makes it easier for thinly slicing. We used the meat slicer at the Deli and did so after the beef stood for 20 minutes.

(If you’re interested in the book, you’ll find Company’s Coming: Practical Gourmet – Small Plates for Sharing at Chapters – Indigo.)

Posted on March 31, 2010 Posted by The Deli

Comments: 1 Comment

Bourbon Quarter – worth the reservations

*For reservations call 506-214-3618

Opening and trial nights are never easy for new restaurant owners and their staff. There is always something that is unfinished to the perfectionist owner who wants nothing more than to be a crowd pleaser for his or her future clientele. The old saying about having one opportunity to make a good first impression is true and it can be overwhelming.

On Friday, March 26, I and 14 others in our party were lucky invitees to the friends and family night at Bourbon Quarter. The menu presented for the evening was $20 with the following choices:

Appetizer:

Grilled Watermelon with goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, spring greens and buttermilk vinaigrette
or
Louisiana Fried Clams

Entrée:

Crisp Skin Salmon with roasted fingerling potatoes, julienne vegetables, fried onions and beet butter
or
Supreme Chicken Breast with truffle whipped potatoes and glazed vegetables

For dessert (for an additional $5) there was Crème Brulée, Madagascar vanilla bean (meaning “burnt cream”).

The review:

I’ve taken a hybrid of my own personal experience during my evening as well as those of other people in our party.

Like most foodies, I had to try everything regardless of any extra cost.

Grilled Watermelon: When the grilled watermelon appetizer arrived the presentation was beautiful. The flavours were something I have not tasted since visiting the Rossmount in St. Andrews just before Christmas. Those of us who tried it (including myself ) were using our pinky finger and spoons or forks to capture the remaining buttermilk vinaigrette on the plate. Need I say more?

Louisiana Fried Clams: This was a great idea but the consensus at the table was that this appetizer needs work. There is always one dish for a new restaurant that will be their nemesis. Owners love feedback and I shared mine with Chef Brad. (Our nemesis at the Urban Deli, and as simple as it sounds, was our homemade baked beans.)

Crisp Skin Salmon: OMG! I don’t think they could have cooked the salmon any better; the flavor was delicious and the plate presentation was perfect. It was a nice follow-up to the Watermelon appetizer.

Supreme Chicken Breast: The chicken was cooked to perfection (mine was) and there were a couple of dishes that were on the cooler side but tasty to the hungry visitor.

Dessert: Crème Brulee was the intent and as it turned out…someone forgot the dessert torch for the brulee; therefore, it was more of a custard (a very good custard too!). When we finished, everyone’s dish was empty.

Plate presentation at Bourbon Quarter is beautifully simple. I haven’t seen their static menu or their pricing. For this friends and family night our cost for two for the evening was $116 not including the gratuity. Our service was excellent….Ashley, who also works at the Urban Deli, did a phenomenal job given the size of our party!

Wine was only available by the glass. Beer, tap beer, martinis, cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks were also being served by bartender extraordinaire Gordon, former manager of Sebastian. Mike Verner is hiring a sommelier from Ontario. We should see a real focus on wine and food pairings in the future.

The Bourbon Quarter room with its renovations was trendy, upscale and comfortable. The renovations would have had more of an impact if you had visited the location prior to it being Bourbon Quarter. Vision goes a long way. I could feel a bit of the same flare from the designers of Thandi’s, who also did Bourbon Quarter. The end result? It works for both restaurants.

Thank you to Mike Verner, Sean Verner and their families, Chef Brad Richard, and all the staff. Great work!

Visit Bourbon Quarter at 112 Prince William Street, Uptown Saint John.

***

Bio: Liz is the owner of the Urban Deli. With a sister in Manhattan, she has visited New York many times and invariably studies the Big Apple’s famous delis.

Page 1 of 212