The Firkining is Happening

Walking into the Firkin is bittersweet. You see all the familiar faces of the staff and the regulars that haunted the now closed EJ Malloy’s but its different. It’s like someone dusted off EJs and what they found underneath was the Firkin. I don’t handle change very well and to be honest I wasn’t sure if I can accept the Firkin into my life. EJs meant so much to me, Shane, our trivia team, and the community, that we did not want it to go. But being an adult is accepting that things change. 

I didn't want to give them a chance. The Firkin had their soft opening on August 16th or should I say, I saw on their Instagram that they had their soft opening. We didn't think we were going to go but $5 drafts happened and this chance happened a bit sooner than I would have liked. We sat down and saw all the same people behind the bar with a few new additions. We were handed a menu and a Fresh Squeezed IPA freshly squeezed from the tap. First thing we search for on the limited time, limited menu, are the wings. They have the Buffalo wings, the reason why we frequented EJs as much as we did. 

I also noticed that there is a Nashville hot wing. My initial thought was well if they have a Nashville hot wing they would be foolish if they didn't have a Nashville hot chicken sandwich. Low and behold, there it is. I think the first and only Nashville hot chicken sandwich in Long Beach. So we got an order of Buffalo wings and a Nashville hot chicky sando aka Nashville hot chicky chicky what I will probably start calling it. The Nashville hot chicky chicky was great. They didn't go fancy in the bun which for a new restaurant using foodie buzzwords like brioche bun are commonplace. The bun was soft and chewy and there was a good flavor and heat that came from the chicken. The slaw could use a bit more acid to cut the hotness and fat but its a hot chicky sando not a slaw sando and the flavor from the chicken came through.

The wings are not the same and it's not a bad thing. They opted out of the usual Franks and butter and went with a different hot sauce that is sweeter, but still hot and when I think about it I don't think we requested a heat level. They wings themselves were crispy like they always were at EJs but instead of the usual orangey tone to the wing, they were red. They were good. EJs wings aside, these wings are better than most wings you will find in Long Beach. 

It's hard to write about a new restaurant especially when the restaurant that it replaced was one that was so loved but you can't compare the two. The Firkin is trying to make a name for themselves in Long Beach. EJs itself replaced a long standing Irish pub and probably had similar experiences upon it's opening in 1992. They had time to grow into what I have come to know and love. It is not fair to asses a restaurant when you have only eaten there once and have not had a proper round of trivia, but there will be time for that. While I do miss the wings, I can still get them in Long Beach at the two other locations scattered around the city so not all is lost. I did think that I was going to miss EJs so much that I didn't want to step foot in the Firkin but I am happy to see and support a new restaurant in the neighborhood. I am excited to see how they grow and eventually shake the dust that EJs left behind.

Fuckin' Frrrech Toast

A lesson in stocking a good larder or being a food hoarder.

What do you do when you have left over white bread and half and half? Make French Toast.  But what happens when you realize that the half and half is curdled? You make cashew/oat milk because you are a survivalist like me and you can make anything. I believe in you.  

Cashews blend up easy without any straining and I had oats. Oak milk is having a moment right now and I had some oats and I wanted to use it.  The oats also give me a reason to not over blend. If you do over mix it develops a goopy texture. I also added two dates so I didn't have to add much sugar some grated cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, a bit of yogurt, because I had it, salt, and an egg.

What to do:

Soak a handful of cashews and handful of oats in about 1 cup to about 1 1/2 cups hot water, depending on how big your hands are. Soak for about 10 minutes and if you impatient like me, 5 minutes. 

Blend on high with an emersion blender or an actual blender till it resembles milk. Try not to over blend as the oats can develop a slimy texture. 

Add, cinnamon, I grated cinnamon but its like a teaspoon, I think. A pinch of  nutmeg, too much will over power. A capful of vanilla extract and a bit of salt. I tasted it and it was too creamy, so I added about 1/4 cup if yogurt to break it up a bit. Then add your egg and beat till egg is incorporated. 

The bread I had was a bit dried out, which was perfect. Dried out bread absorbs more of the "custard" so the staler the bread the better. Dip your bread till soaking and in a heated pan, add butter and soaked bread. Cook on first side for about 5 minutes or more or till a nice brown. Then flip. When the second side is brown, remove. I then spread a bit of butter over the Frrrench Toast and dust with powdered sugar. 

I guess if you didn't add the egg, it would be vegan. I made this with what I had on hand, if you had almonds, you could probably use those. I mean if you have real milk or whatever milk you have would work even better.  

April

April. We went camping,  I tried to make real life Boomerang a thing and I ate at a highly anticipate restaurant the weekend it opened. I turned 34. I don't feel 34.  I never feel or act my age. This is April

March

March is over and onward to April! 

February

It was a short month. 

January

Hello January!

Love At First Bite: Gjusta

Gjusta. What can I say? It's crazy, confusing and chaotic. It took me a long time to get here. But I made it. The Italian sandwich was perfect. Crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside. We stood at the counter. Spent a little more that we thought because I bought some Rosemary Marcona almonds and cold brew. You can't put a price on love.

Finding Mexico City: sin aguacate

Mexico City



What can I say? It was colorful, vibrant, big city, I love it. Every taco was as vibrant as the colors in the Saturday market. I am already dreaming about the next time.