Endo Edibles is the new home site of uhockey.blogspot.com.
Why the move? More Space, Better Format.
Who am I? Just a guy. 31 years old, single, busy, and an admirer of beauty, skill, and dedication. A firm believer that living a healthy lifestyle is the most important thing that one can do, but that balance is key and while I eat healthy and train hard 95% of the time there are other times when seeking out the finer things is of the utmost importance and that t00 many people treat food as a convenience these days. If I expect a trained mechanic to fix my car and a skilled physician to heal my wounds, I equally expect a skilled tailor to make my clothes and a trained chef to prepare my meals.
Why the name? Twofold – An Endomorph by genetics and an Endocrinologist by training.
Anything else? Just ask.
Mike! Extremely random but I was browsing chowhound Chicago and saw your post..and thought..wait a second! How have you been sir? I travel quite a bit through.Ohio for work..we should grab a meal sometime. Hope all is well.
Jon Lapolla
Blitz n Destroy…bb.com
I’m well – e-mail me at uhockey AT yahoo DOT com at some point.
Thanks for posting the blog link on Yelp. This site is a foodie treasure trove. Looking forward to reading through your food journeys.
There are many great blogs out there, but thanks!
Feel free to comment where you like and ask questions if you want – I try to get back to all inquiries.
Hi, I live in boston and I was really considering booking the same chef’s table thing that you did in L’espalier. Did you get the chef’s tasting menu?? And how much does it usually go, like 200 per person.? Thanks!
I don’t recall the exact price, but I believe with tax/tip it was over $200. The only option at the Chef’s table is the tasting.
My curiosity has finally gotten the best of me. Why the name uhockey? I love the sport and wonder about your connection.
Enjoy your posts. I love the New York restaurants more than anything in the whole world. Just visited Seattle so enjoyed your posts on there also.
Last name starts with a u.
Hockey has been my favorite sport since I was 5.
Created the screenname when I originally signed up for AOL in 1995 and it has stuck ever since.
Did you play hockey? I was a hockey mom for 20 years.
I’m from North Dakota. Thanks for your reply.
I played as a kid. Stopped when I started medical school due to time constraints. Would love to get back at it some day, but age and time away from the game has likely dulled my already average skills.
Love your website!!
Just thought I would let you know that I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog. You sound intriguing. Sure sounds like you are able to get around quite a bit while maintaining a full time job. Thank you for your descriptive reviews.
Thanks Cara. I try.
LOVED your review of the Julia Child dinner @ Christopher’s/Crush. I enjoyed every morsel right down to the last word. Just curious, what were the “allergies” of your dining guest? I’ve also been to Crush and loved the cheese/charcuterie platter. If you love food radio, checkout Culinary Confessions, AM1440, Mon – Fri @ 11 AM to 1 PM. Or, check them out at http://www.kimanddon.com Bon appetit!
She has many, but probably not blog topic conversation. I can be reached by e-mail if necesary.
I am completely impressed and amazed by your excellent coverage of food. You photos, and writing are excellent. I tend to agree with many of your reviews. I was very impressed with your reviews in Montreal and New York where I know the restaurants pretty well. I was wondering:
1. How do you stay healthy? It seems if you are eating these meals when you travel, are you going to stay healthy? What tips do you have?
2. How do you cover so many cities?
3. What’s “uhockey” refer to ? Are you a big hockey nut?
Hello Neal, thanks for stopping by. I find your comments/questions a bit strange, but I shall try my best to field them:
1) If you read the blog closely you’ll catch the running references repeatedly. If you know me, you’ll realize that I only eat this way when I travel – I have not eaten a processed/packaged/mass-marketed good in ~9 years and I cook everything I eat at home myself – 55% Vegetable, 35% Protein, 10% Fat in most cases. A tip from a man far smarter than I: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle.
2) I travel to them. It is really quite that simple.
3) See also many references in my blog. I’ve been a Los Angeles Kings fan since I was 7 years old and I’ve been to 21 NHL Arenas in my 32 years of living so far.
Hi Uhockey, I saw you commented a while back about contacting a Glen at Roche if you were to ever redesign your home. Would you recommend Glen?
Thanks,
SW
Huh?
Hi! I love your blog. I was wandering, what is your day job? Do you write food articles for other websites? Your insights must be spread! You seem like you have a great palate since you notice such subtle details with food.
I do this for fun; no more and no less. I work as an endocrinologist.
Thank you for the compliments.
Hi Michael!
I just wanted to tell you how much I have enjoyed reading your blog and your restaurant reviews. I also appreciate your comments about my desserts. Because we pastry people are nearly always in the background, we have to seek out feedback in order to improve. I take everyones comments to heart and only want to provide them with a happy dessert experience. So, I thank you!
My only wish is that I could dispel the notion that my chefs are outsourcing their desserts in the commonly accepted notion of “outsourcing” – picking up a pre-fabbed available to anyone dessert, opening the box, putting it on a plate with a little store-bought sauce, etc. Maybe I can explain what we do because it really is different.
I work personally with each chef/owner to create a unique menu for their venue. Back in my commerical kitchen, my team of pastry cooks and I then prepare every item from scratch- from the sauce to the streusel, from the cake to the ice cream, we make it all, we pack the order and deliver it, put it away, go over it with staff as needed, etc. It’s not unlike what I did when I worked as pastry chef to Cowboy Ciao, Kazimierz, Sea Saw, Digestif and the short-lived Star-Spangled Tavern and Baroque at the same time except I worked for the same company.
My goal is that each venue has desserts that are uniquely theirs with no overlap. The benefit to the restaurants is reduced overhead, inventory, payroll, regained work space, etc., which following our most recent economic slump was an solution for many including out-of-work me. The great thing is that they really do enjoy the same benefits of having their own pastry chef. For me, it’s a dream come true to work with chefs and owners with whom I have had long term professional relationships and to continue to be part of the dining experience of so many foodies and supporters like you while getting to own my own business, make desserts everyday, and continue to train new talent.
Thank you so much for your support and I hope that we will meet at some food event or another! In the meantime, keep eating and writing!
Cheers,
Tracy Dempsey
Hello Tracy,
Thanks for stopping by, and for your comments – I rather assumed that approach to be the case and I certainly cannot fault restaurats for employing your talents; having obviously traveled a bit (along with my substantial sweet tooth) I’ve found many of your creations to be truly outstanding and my mother still raves the Black n’ Tan from Citizen Public House.
I obviously meant no offense when commenting on the restaurants involved, but at the same time I also value the creativity of all chefs/artists and see ‘outsourcing’ of any sort to be somewhat limiting. No matter how much you try to fit that restaurant’s vision with your creations, it is still a Tracy Dempsey Original whereas a restaurant with their own in-house team brings a whole different artist’s viewpoint.
I hope that makes sense, but either way, keep up the great work!