Bringing condiments or other add-ons from home...

LTH,

This evening, I enjoyed one of my favorite dishes from Nuevo Leon Restaurant on 18th Street, the mole enchiladas filled with cheddar cheese. Sort of a bastardized dish, I suppose, but I really enjoy it once in a while.

I mentioned to The Lovely Donna that it had been quite a while since I'd gotten my other go to dish, their Huevos Rancheros. Soft, runny fried eggs, slightly spicy ranchero salsa, refried beans so full of lard that they shine, and those teriffic flour tortillas. What could be better?

That's easy. A few portion control packets of Land o' Lakes, that's what. OK, the ugly truth is whole stick of butter would be even better and my confession is that after having asked for butter at NL, my waitress brought me a squeeze bottle of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, and my reaction was that I started bringing my own stick of butter. How could those fantastic flour tortillas dripping with melted butter be bad? *

Whew. I'm glad I finally got that out. It's now easier to write that I often bring my own diet coke when going to Shui Wah.

Here's my question. We all know about the chile oil at LTH and I think I remember reading about some folks bringing their own Habanero peppers to certain pizza joints. What condiments or add ons are you guilty of bringing to your favorite or even not so favorite restaurants?



* I no longer bring butter to NL.

It must be our household, but I bring packets of mayo to the Superdawg. (for my supercheezie) I also have stopped at Andy's on Milwaukee Ave. on the way to the 'dawg and purchased a small jar of Hellman's Polish mayo to bring with me when I had no Hellman's packets with me.

Evil,

I've never ferried anything to a restaurant besides some beers or a bottle of wine, but I kind of like the idea of bringing one's own favorite condiments along for the ride -- maybe a small bottle of Tabasco, a packet of oregano, some really good salt.

On the other hand, there's something to be said for giving oneself up to the experience that the chef/restaurant wants me to have.

Hammond

When living in Detroit and eating in Greektown, I have left a restaurant to go get some anchovies for my Greek salad.

HI,

When I first attended the annual VFW* smelt fry in Port Washington, WI, there were no dipping sauces provided for the smelt. We were lucky the people sitting next to us took pity on our ignorance and shared their sauce with us. Once we were in the know, we brought homemade cocktail and tartare sauces. In the last few years, they finally woke up or changed their minds because sauces are now present. However there are those who still bring their sauces. Often they leave the sauce remnants, so you can pick the offered sauces or check out what people have brought and try those.

*The VFW smelt fry is always the Friday and Saturday after Easter.

Regards,

We carry a small pepper grinder and one of the guys I work with always has Tabasco.

The true condiment lovers out there might want to stop by Cost Plus World Market. They have a section for little bottles of condiments. You know, the kind you find on your room service tray containing an ounce or two of mustard, ketchup, jam, honey, Nutella. They also have little bottles of Boyajian infused oils and balsamic vinegar. My favorites, though, are the itsy-bitsy-teenie-weenie Tabasco bottles (an ounce or less). They would fit nicely in a pocket and be used up on the spot-- nothing to spill later. These red and green Tabasco bottles are so cute that I once used them for Christmas Tree decorations. (Maybe that admission belongs on the "You know you are an LTH-er when. . ." thread.)

While I haven't packed my own condiments, I often carry a little bottle of hop oil to parties or other events where corporate mega-brews might be the only beverages served. A couple of drops will even make B*d or MGD L*te almost palatable.

Other than that, I know several parents of picky eaters who never go anywhere without a glovebox or purse full of little catsup packages.

HI,

The foil packets reminded me of a family I knew in California. The husband believed ketchup was necessary at every meal. Before leaving abroad, he would buy a case of ketchup packets to fill half a suitcase. He could not leave home without the essential ingredient.

Regards,

Lovely D--

What's Hellman's Polish? Or am I just revealing the naiveté of a provincial by so asking?

Geo

Geo,

It was Hellman's mayo made in Poland, that was all they had in a small jar and when you need your fix....well, you know.

Donna

Bruce wrote:When living in Detroit and eating in Greektown, I have left a restaurant to go get some anchovies for my Greek salad.

Bruce,

You're an animal!

One of my most preferred beverages when dining is fresh brewed iced tea with a little sugar and lots of fresh lemon. Inevitably at Mexican restaurants, even at Bayless's establishments, I've been brought lime instead of lemon. Despite the fact that the Spanish language does little to distinguish the two fruits, they are not the same, and for me, not interchangeable. So I have been noted to smuggle in a genuine lemon from time to time. Maybe I should stick to those much touted margaritas.

-ramon

Ramon wrote:Despite the fact that the Spanish language does little to distinguish the two fruits, they are not the same, and for me, not interchangeable.

It's not the Spanish language - it's the Mexican (and I infer also Cuban?) dialect. My Mother has this same problem, but in Argentina at least, limón is lemon and lime is lima. She used to get infuriated when traveling in Mexico, but now orders limón amarillo, after I had a long consultation with my Mexican Spanish coach. Apparently in Mexico, lima refers to an entirely different citrus fruit which doesn't travel well and thus isn't known well outside the country.

Of course, this doesn't mean that Mexican restaurants will have a lemon...

A couple I know started a Mexican restaurant on Santorini (Senor Zorba, of course!) about 6 or 7 yrs ago. There are lemons *every*where in Greece, but so far as I can see, no limes. So they made all their food--and marguritas, too--with lemons, which was bizarre, to say the least.

So when I got back to KC, I sent them a couple of small lime trees, to plant in their back yard. Last I heard, it was working.

Isn't it strange how lemons and limes, both of which we take for granted, live such separate lives in lots of other places...

And man, that's no margurita, let me tell you!

Geo

Guys--it's not just an accent or language thing. I order club soda with lemon in almost every restaurant these days because I don't like fizzy drinks with sugar and diet coke tastes like formaldehyde to me.

9 times out of 10, no matter how clearly and carefully I note "lemon"...i get a lime. I simply ask them to bring me a lemon when they bring the lime and smile and then I get it. It's an odd thing though -- i guess no one wants lemon in soda water.

Evil Ronnie wrote:What condiments or add ons are you guilty of bringing to your favorite or even not so favorite restaurants?

Evil,

For me it started about 15-years ago, I was in 'Little' Three Happiness, then and now my favorite restaurant in Chicago, and was just about to drizzle a plate of deliciously crisp rice noodle with BBQ pork/roast duck with the salty one dimensional commercial chili oil they kept on the table. I hesitated, seriously considering going a few doors West to Hong Min* and stealing a container of the tasty house made chili oil, when it occurred to me I could simply bring my own chili oil to 'Little' Three Happiness, thus making it a perfect restaurant, as opposed to near-perfect.

Serendipitously I had just started exploring Barbara Tropp's amazing China Moon Cookbook which contained a few chili oil recipes, including China Moon Hot Chili Oil, which I loved. I made a large batch of chili oil, ladled it into pint mason jars, labeled it Gary's Chili Oil and brought it to 'L'TH, where it's been residing** in the back cooler ever since.

I also admit to a fondness for El Yucateco hot sauce, in particular the Habanero. I keep a bottle of the habanero in my car and am not hesitant to bring it in to restaurants. I've also become a fan of El Yucateco Jalapeno, less heat, well rounded flavor.

Enjoy,
Gary

*Pre fire Hong Min was located at 221 W Cermak
**Not the same jar

Three Happiness
209 W. Cermak Rd
Chicago, IL
312-842-1964

Hong Min
8048 W 111TH St
Palos Hills, IL
60465
708-599-8488

yes, el yucateco green is my favorite hot sauce. for awhile, i was into el yucateco KutBil-Ik which is super hot habanero, supposedly a mayan recipie:



due to what it does to my internals, i've stopped using it and returned to the green though, i wonder if after enough green maybe i'll be ready for it

Agreed. Yucateco green is a great multipurpose hot sauce. RAB and I, while on a trip, once discussed what condiment we'd travel with if we could only pick one. No contest - - Yucateco green.

The other Yucateco's are good, too. But, I think the standard green is the best. Nothing better on eggs.

REB wrote:Agreed. Yucateco green is a great multipurpose hot sauce. RAB and I, while on a trip, once discussed what condiment we'd travel with if we could only pick one. No contest - - Yucateco green.

The other Yucateco's are good, too. But, I think the standard green is the best. Nothing better on eggs.

I've actually switched from Yucateco green habanero to Yucateco jalapeño. I feel that the medium-high heat level and the less bright flavor is more versatile. It has become my favorite condiment.

Best,
Michael

Before I head out to Gene & Jude's next week, I'm stopping at Costco to buy a economy-size jug of ketchup.

Pie Lady wrote:Before I head out to Gene & Jude's next week, I'm stopping at Costco to buy a economy-size jug of ketchup.

For the fries I hope.

But I want to bring along a jar of neon relish.

d4v3 wrote:While I haven't packed my own condiments, I often carry a little bottle of hop oil to parties or other events where corporate mega-brews might be the only beverages served. A couple of drops will even make B*d or MGD L*te almost palatable...

whoa...you are truly a hophead.

jmc wrote:whoa...you are truly a hophead.

Heh...I read that and immediately looked up 'hop oil'.

MBK wrote:yes, el yucateco green is my favorite hot sauce. for awhile, i was into el yucateco KutBil-Ik which is super hot habanero, supposedly a mayan recipie:



due to what it does to my internals, i've stopped using it and returned to the green though, i wonder if after enough green maybe i'll be ready for it

Mmmm...the KutBil-Il is my favorite and the standard hot sauce in this household.

Evil Ronnie wrote:LTH,

Here's my question. We all know about the chile oil at LTH and I think I remember reading about some folks bringing their own Habanero peppers to certain pizza joints. What condiments or add ons are you guilty of bringing to your favorite or even not so favorite restaurants?

I've been known to bring my own garden tomato for sandwiches at restaurants/bars. Recently I brought a homegrown Cherokee Purple to Small Bar for my burger. I also bring a pocket knife to slice it up. My wife and friend thought I was weird until they took a slice of tomato for themselves. Is it weird? I hope not...

There are a couple of things that I will bring with me to use in a restaurant. First, is a bottle of malt vinegar not sold in the States. When I leave the house on Friday mornings, the bottle goes with me. Since it does not require refrigeration, it works well for me.

Second, Diet Pepsi, without caffeine. This does create a bit of a problem. Restaurants are in the business of selling food and drink. So, at places where they know me, I give the can to the waitperson, and they fill my glass in the back of the house, and charge me for a soft drink.

jimmya wrote:There are a couple of things that I will bring with me to use in a restaurant. First, is a bottle of malt vinegar not sold in the States. When I leave the house on Friday mornings, the bottle goes with me. Since it does not require refrigeration, it works well for me.

Which type of vinegar? I've been looking for a new one

I like to bring my own Fat Free mayo to the fish market where I have my fresh fish sandwiches made. They hate me a little for it, and probably think I'm a freak, but what's the point in eating a healthy fish sandwich if it's smothered in Mayo?