Rachael Ray may be the most reviled celebrity cook or chef on network and cable television. While adoring fans admire her perkiness and down-to-earth approachability, it’s those traits grumpy detractors (including other celebrity chefs and food writers) seem to find most offensive. Well, that and the way she punctuates sentences with one of her many trademark catchphrases. Entire blogs are dedicated to disparaging her use of “Rachael Rayisms” with heated discussions revolving around the most annoying of her cutesy (or not so very much, depending on your perspective) catchphrases.
It’s a true testament to her popularity that one of those catchphrases was selected for inclusion on the 2007 edition of the Oxford American College Dictionary. Thanks largely to the effervescent phenom, EVOO (short for extra-virgin olive oil) is now officially part of the American lexicon. In a list of the seven most annoying Rachael Rayisms compiled by the Huffington Post, EVOO ranked only seventh for “annoyingness.” At the top of the list as the most cringe-worthy catchphrase was “yummo” (which has been used on this blog three times and no, I’m not a Rachael Ray clone).
When Mary Ann Spencer, a long-time friend of this blog, told me about a new restaurant named Delish on Albuquerque’s burgeoning northwest quadrant, my first thought was “hey, wasn’t “delish” one of the seven most annoying of Rachael Ray’s catchphrases?” Sure enough, “delish” was number six on the list, just above EVOO. The Huffington Post writer declared “Okay, Rachael Ray may have not been the first person to coin ‘delish.’ But she is definitely the person that has made people everywhere think it’s an acceptable thing to say. It’s not.”
Whether or not “delish” is “an acceptable thing to say,” it’s been part of the English lexicon since the 1920s. Delish is obviously a colloquial diminutive for the word “delicious” and has been trademarked several times. While most dictionaries still recognize it as a diminutive of “delicious,” the term “delish” is often used in a declarative or exclamatory manner. It’s as a diminutive of the adjective “delicious” for which the Duke City’s Delish is named.
Before there was a Delish, however, there was The Sassy Apron, a pre-prepared dinner and catering business operating out of a small space within the Cottonwood Corners Shopping Center. The Sassy Apron’s success convinced owners Rachael and Ian Broglie that they could expand their business to include a full-service restaurant. When a previous tenant vacated the space next door to The Sassy Apron, Delish was born.
Today Delish occupies a 3,200-square-foot space which seats 60 guests, including as many as 18 on a single community table in the middle of the dining room. From a physical, historical and proximal standpoint Delish remains connected to The Sassy Apron. Not only will they share a kitchen, they will serve some of the same dishes. Not being restricted to freezable meals, Delish is able to expand the kitchen’s repertoire, offering a very enticing array of creative American dishes.
Delish is currently open Monday through Thursday from 11AM to 6PM and on Friday and Saturday from 11AM to 10PM. The only commonalities between the lunch and dinner (Friday and Saturday after 5PM) menu are in the salads and dessert sections of the menu. Otherwise, lunch and dinner menus are distinctive, offering a different experience altogether. For lunch you can order from among several specialty sandwiches, grilled sandwiches and burgers, vegetarian sandwiches and salads. The dinner menu offers appetizers (not available for lunch), salads and entrees which range from chicken pot pie to sirloin tender steak. The motto at Delish is “dare to indulge” which will certainly heighten your expectations. Delish delivers!
Before you peruse the menu, take a gander at the unique milieu in which you’ll be dining. It’s safe to say there is no restaurant quite like Delish. Where any other restaurant would have a back wall, Delish has an array of multi-hued doors reminiscent of the doors on the animated hit Monsters, Inc. (having slept through the movie, my Kim apprised me of this fact). The repurposed doors are of varying sizes and styles, but what will really catch your eye is how they’re positioned. Seating is attractive, but more functional than it is comfortable.
Because the lunch menu doesn’t offer appetizers gives you a good excuse (not that one is needed) to have a salad. You might think that with only three salads on the lunch menu, it would be easy to make a quick selection. Alas, all three are so beautifully described, it’s impossible to make a quick decision. The Candied Walnut Salad (mixed greens, blue cheese, dried cranberries, candied walnuts served with raspberry vinaigrette) is an outstanding choice. There’s something especially delicious about the contrasting flavors of sharp, feted blue cheese and tangy raspberry vinaigrette melding with the complementary flavors of sweet-savory candied walnuts and dried sweet cranberries. The mixed greens are fresh and crispy on a beautifully plated curvilinear bowl. Chicken can be added to any of them for a pittance more.
The menu offers two burgers–a green chile cheeseburger and a fried avocado burger. It’s not often, I’ll eschew a green chile cheeseburger, but the concept of fried avocado proved too much to resist. With a mouth-watering ingredient profile (six-ounce ground chuck patty topped with provolone cheese, fried tempura avocado, tomato, bib lettuce, red onion served with a smoky chipotle sauce on a toasted pretzel bun served with house made potato chips) sure to appeal to all burgerphiles, who can resist? Alas, because there are so many assertive ingredients, the relatively mild creaminess of avocado sheathed in a tempura batter isn’t easily discerned, but the ingredient combinations do come together in a most delicious way. In fact, the only way this burger could be made any better is with green chile (yeah, I’m incorrigible) .
One of the more interesting sandwiches on the menu comes from the vegetarian sandwiches menu. It’s a Crisp Cheese Filled Eggplant Panini (panko breaded fried eggplant topped with a basil goat cheese and provolone spread on a flatbread and drizzled with pomegranate molasses and balsamic reduction) served with a mini Caprese salad (mozzarella, basil, tomatoes). Eggplant is one of those “either you love it or hate it” vegetables and lovers and haters are rarely converted. This panini probably won’t convert any haters, but eggplant lovers will enjoy it very much. The notion of a flatbread panini is reason enough to try this, but it’s the eggplant that’ll ultimately win or lose your affections. The eggplant, sheathed in panko, is excellent, complemented by the lively pomegranate molasses and balsamic reduction. The goat cheese, alas, was lost among the other flavors.
There are six desserts on the menu. A couple of them are so uniquely named you’ll have to ask just what they are. Have you, for example, ever heard of Xango? Contrary to images the name may conjure, it’s not an exotic African fruit of any sort. Xango is a layered pastry stuffed with cheesecake filling and deep fried like a chimichanga then drizzled with brown sugar. It’s a lively dessert with interesting textural and flavor contrasts. Another unique sweet offering is Delish’s take on Smores, the traditional night time campfire treat made with roasted marshmallows and a layer of chocolate sandwiched between Graham crackers. Instead of Graham crackers, the roasted marshmallow sits atop a Graham cracker cookie and is topped by sliced strawberries and a trail of chocolate sauce. It’s an adult Smores children of all ages will love.
Delish may be a diminutive version of the word “delicious,” but there’s no shortchanging exciting flavors and options at a West side restaurant sure to draw in diners from throughout the city.
Delish
3705 Ellison Road, N.W., #A
Albuquerque, New Mexico
CLOSED: 31 August 2017
LATEST VISIT: 28 July 2014
# OF VISITS: 1
RATING: N/R
COST: $$
BEST BET: Candied Walnut Salad, Crisp Cheese Filled Eggplant Panini, Fried Avocado Burger, Xango, Smores
PB&Js on toast to prevent tearing of white bread?
The nuance of a sloppy Joe?
Really?
Welch’s grape jelly is what I feed to the Orioles and they don’t even like it.
Re limited attention span, the obvious culprit is the 1/2 hour show on TV. Folks want everything wrapped up in those 30 minutes, which computes to maybe 20 minutes of cooking and 10 of commercial time.
That’s another reason why Rachel Ray appeals to the downtrodden masses, her 30 minute meals using up a good 10-15 seconds carrying all those items from her fridge to her stove, all 6 feet or so.
It’s amazing what she can do in such a short time with her experience and her can opener.
Ms. Beaver, while having a lovely physique just doesn’t pass the 6AM test, my standard of excellence.
If you toast fresh wonder bread for a PB&J you might not understand my LB remark.
Y’all come back soon, ya hear.
“….and these viewers think that PB and J’s deserve cooking shows. She caters to the millions and millions of viewers with extremely short attentions(sic) spans.”
Alas…Y’all apparently have not explored the nuances of PB&J’s (let alone Sloppy Joe’s!). For example, if you toast your (and to keep it simple) white (e.g. Wonder) Bread, you will find that in spreading your Peanut Butter, regardless of brand or Smooth or PNutty, there is almost no likelihood Y’all will experience the vexation of ripping the bread!!! In addition, and as a variation on a theme taste wise, I’ve mentioned this whimsical variation in postings elsewhere herein…pardon for those who don’t suffer a short attention span and will remember that…one will have little trouble spreading some Marshmallow Fluff (out of a jar)on the opposing toasted slice. Thus, it is easy to spread some Welch’s Grape Jelly on either, all to be enjoyed with some, e.g. Wise, salty potato chips.
~ Alas, through no fault of their own, many, many…millions of people are born with limited “attention spans”. As such, I posit it may be of economic/sociological benefit to ‘give ’em a leg up'(e.g provide public schools) which in the long run will benefit those few of us with superior intellect! Similarly, if we can find some possible causes e.g. Moms drinking during pregnacy; absent Dads not providing for the cost of pre-natal supplemental nutrition, maybe we can get ahead of the game!
~ “I have no idea how we got to human reproduction, autopsies, FIFA, Linda Beaver in your kitchen, etc.”
I am truly sooo sorry it was so complex to follow! So as not to distract readers with short attention spans however, I wont touch that with a ten foot pole, let alone (lest I be wrong) the implication one wouldn’t want to meet up with Linda Beaver in one’s kitchen, patio, closet, coming across the border, or…….the next FOG gathering, or wherever!!!
Y’all go and have a Happy Day…ya heeyah!
While Ms. Ray is “Cooking for Dummies ” I prefer Craig Claiborne’s NYTimes Cook Book.
I have no idea how we got to human reproduction, autopsies, FIFA, Linda Beaver in your kitchen, etc.
Although I’m somewhat surprised that you would want Ms. Beaver in you kitchen for cooking lessons.
Rachel Ray has made a career out of dumbing down her viewers to the point they like sloppy joes more than a good well prepared steak, roast or anything that requires some skills, not just the operation of a can opener and some EVOO, and these viewers think that PB and J’s deserve cooking shows. She caters to the millions and millions of viewers with extremely short attentions spans.
Oh my! I have no objection to Miss Julia et al! Am just sayin Ms Ray may have a place in the world of cookery that I thought I was fairly specific in outlining a rational rationale for. (OMG, I ended in a preposition!) Despite the adage “We are are all created equal!” please indulge me, apolitically, that “We Ain’t!!! as evidenced by ‘mego’-tons of couch potatoes watching instead of being able to play for the NFL/NBA/FIFA; people simply singing their life off key in the shower; etc. as we all ain’t Madonas/Beyonces/Vicki Carrs/Perry Comos.
Just as some of us are blue-eyed/left handed/etc, no matter how much ‘willing’/shoulder-to-the-grindstone/candles we light, we ain’t going to change our blue eyes nor become Einsteins.
Just as gals n guys differ anatomically in terms of reproduction, we differ anatomically in terms of the number of taste ‘buds’ (which can in fact be counted) we’re blessed with to detect sweet or sour or bitter/etc. and cells of gray matter that figures all that stuff out. Lo, we can now see…show concrete proof of…. on autopsy or the varieties of -ographies…MRI/CatScans/tomography. Thus, while I can taste this is good, this is not yummo, I’m admittedly limited in comparison to others of this Blog no matter how much I will it/study/etc., to say there is too much or too little cumin in this or if there is any at all!!! All I am asking is for Folks to “will it” to be tolerant that some Folks might need to receive “how to cook” in a way that is different from how you are likely to receive “how to cook”, no matter how impossible that may seem. (It is using what Columbus used…”La reina Isabel, te ruego que me ayudes a la vela hacia el oeste” como si “el mundo no es plano!” (“Queen Isabella, I beg you to help me set sail Westward “AS IF” the world ain’t flat!”)
I.e. am not wishing to say Folks shouldn’t try (as exception to the rule abound) just saying not all Folks might be enthused by Julia’s or others presentations of how to improve their nutritional fare. Have you ever looked around and wondered as I, how that gal/guy could have ended up going to bed with that guy/gal instead of you!!!! LOL
Agreed “we” should not work to set the lowest denominator, but try to set the bar higher, but maybe that may need to be in steps if it can be at all?
~ Alas, No, I’m not into schtick like Bozo (no, I do not have Coulrophobia)or Berle or the 3 Stooges or Soupy Sales altho I did enjoy Benny Hill/Laugh In and Megyn Kelly/Jon Stewart today… but apparently some find it of benefit to their health…Laughter is the best medicine as they say. On the other hand, what’s wrong with a little variety like…OMG…Linda Beaver in my kitchen showing me…well you, how you might enjoy/benefit from eating several different kinds of salads…i.e. roughage…for a richer life?
Alas…while noise drones in the background while I focus on this missive, i.e. I’m trying to improve my limited ability to ‘multi-task’…e.g. keeping up with the world around me…while not having to pay strict attention to often repetative/idiotic/irrational news in the news cycle.
Hasta! Thanks for taking the time to opine! Wish more would, but especially about their dining experiences!
Have you added Miss Ray on your want/desire list after the Beaver Bombshell or before?
Yummy or Dummo. Do they both wow ya and rouse ya?
Ray’s daytime TV show is a continuation of the dumbing down of TV viewers who like you need or want a droning going on as background noise for their daily tasks.
Yes, I want real chefs on cooking shows not former Macy’s Celler food and gadget demonstrators showing me how to make a better version of smores and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on a budget.
I’m more interested in “lardo” than Ray’s tendency to put on a few ounces of lard. I’d rather see the likes of Julia Child, hardly in the class of the semi-attractive, bubbly beyond words, Ms. Beaver, cooking and creating than Rachel Ray.
In a nutshell, or re Rachel, in a nut case, we have to decide whether we’d rather get the news from Edward R. Murrow or a Miss Alabama contestant.
I know your choice, it’s a rhetorical question.
You seem to prefer Bozo the Clown
Thanks Schuy for the comment as well as El Brute for his recognition elsewhere of my participation, quantity wise…LOL.
Caveat: An aside of stream-like consciousness follows:
The Rachael: Cute segue-like ado about the owner Rachael and Ms. Ray. I will confess, I’ve left her show on while surfing for news channels for noise while I hack away on the computer. My latest “excuse” for watching was having passed on this bit of frivolity http://tinyurl.com/ma9yuq8 to her which I serendipitously ran across.
~ Meaning no “personal” offense herein, I would like to venture/suggest some thoughts for consideration: IMHO, her show is not meant/intended to be an erudite, culinary exposition, but it’s afternoon target is entertainment or info-entertainment or at least a potpourri of something or other. I’d like to posit that within that framework however, consideration be given to her contributing to humanity, the masses, by her showing (enticing) some working Moms (who are home sick, on vacation, etc) that they can fulfill their “stereotypical role” which they may feel guilty about, by her presenting cooking as a fun and simple, down and dirty way the family can eat maybe a bit more wholesomely than what’s afforded by fastfood take-out or sugar/sodium enriched frozen dinners while having quite a bit of day-to-day variety! Yo, her kitchen manner can itself be/reflect a medium for the whole family to spend ‘quality time’ before everyone goes off to the Ipads/phones/tablets, Monday night football, yada yada versus having to more serious.
~ Re Rachael herself: her “job” is to be an entertainer for an hour 5 days a week. Alas, that may involve including some schtick that is grating/over-the-top given such a format is ‘organic’/not been done before. I’d bet they’d lose most of the audience with an hour filled with tedious recipes. One interesting trend I’ve noticed over the past year…to increase her male base?…is a bit more cleavage. I’m told there is a chef gal noted for that! Seriously, where should one drool? With Rachael or Giada?
~ “Rachael” is a alternative medium for getting a message across which perhaps exposes some, but obviously not all, people to an untapped ability/talent within themselves. It’s a shame to buy a VW for its great gas mileage and then kick its tires cuz it can’t go from 0 to 60 in 3.106 seconds. I.e. different strokes for different folks (audiences)…we ain’t all built the same!
~ Aha! Whoa, I swear! I came up with Yum Yums on my own and never intended to needle anyone…LOL!
~ Don’t know if they still do it “Back East”, but hearing ‘Delish’ reminds me of my Bronx friend and her speaking in Clipeze: E.g. “Ya want me to rasp ya some ‘matzorel’ or ‘prov’ on your ‘Veal Parm’?” I’m thinking she picked that up from her Italian inlaws which might similarly account for Ray speaking with hands per her Italian roots let alone her marriage partner’s possible influence. Certainly while spending alot of time on the john doesn’t make me a plumber, I can’t help but to think that what Ray was exposed to/participated in might give her a few points in making/knowing her way around a kitchen…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachael_Ray including some of her (overpriced) alterations for culinary success, e.g. lazy utensils; oval pot/bowl; a helper handle on a pan; a sectioned fry pan; etc. In any event, can’t help but to suffer some envidia of what her “bottom line” most likely is.
~ OK! Ok! I have critiques also! Hate it when she, or any gal, wears cowboy boots with a dress/skirt and I’ve Tweeted her she needs to cut out nibbling to avoid a chunky look.
“Ciao!” and with all due respect to Whoever floats one’s boat!
PS: Tip of the Day: To avoid incomprehensible blatherings…no offense taken….simply do not click on them as checking out Comments does not require Comment by Comment sequencing. What a hoot! I.e. I ain’t gonna go back to school, let alone in ABQ, for more gramma as ya either has a rational/logic mind or ya don’t; i.e. it can’t be teached or learnt! Which leads me to say of late: Gawd Save America!
The Doors: I’ll bet Gil was so taken aback by them cuz they arrived during one of our heavy rainfalls while listening to this tinyurl.com/a3hbgwz (Pun intended) on his 8 TRACK.
Upon entering, I’m guessing most other Folks will first espy…perhaps, lest they be dressed in flip-flops or are not wearing a shirt, be intimidated by….the chandelier seen in the pic above which is quite playfully whimsical in real life. Personally, I was impressed with the unique table tops along with the size of the Community Table, all crafted by the owners!!! All in all, the decor/ambiance is your first step into the artistry herein!
~ Plain and simple, the idea of a Spaghetti Pie compelled me to try it despite my shying away from unidishes. OMG, wait till you see this: an exquisitly beautiful, so golden, domed puff pastry, lightly/sparingly flecked with greenary, and embedded in a ribbon of red marinara…it is humongous, filling the whole plate. I’ll bet no one ‘digs in’ right away per being awed/enchanted by its golden richness let alone the shear size of this puff pastry…and therein lies the rub for me – I can’t eat that much…LOL Tastewise, it is down-home enjoyable and the pastry is nicely flaky. Hint: it is described as being accessorized with Italian Sausage. To enjoy that as well, you will find it amassed in the center and not in slices throughout.
~ While I’m usually not into dessert, Gil’s description of how the Xango (Chango, not Zango) is made per reference to my Fav, the Chimichanga, peeked my interest. Alas, what I was feted with is more exquisite than shown on his pic. Note the attention of turning dolops of whipped cream into rosettes; sprinkle wee bits of strawberries on them and stategically place them in the corners of a triangular dish. Bottom line: you are
e a t i n g Art!!!!
PS: Wine/Beer license is expected in a few weeks…and entertainment will be coming along the weekends as well! Oh Oh…did you see those great Dinner prices!!!
Gil’s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog is a microcosm of the foodie blogosphere and Bob of the Village People is the Rachael Ray of that microcosm with his own bubbly vernacular: albeit, LOL, whoa, per, etc.
Like Rachael Ray, Bob has his detractors, most notably El Brute. As far as I know, he also has an admiring public, especially the long lost Gloria.
While I consider Rachael Ray as grating as fingernails scraping a blackboard, I learn something new every time Bob comments. His tiny URLs often lead to treasure.
Re Rachel Ray…………
I did not realize how many folks aren’t enamored with her.
My gripe is simple, she was at the forefront of what I refer to as the simplifying of cooking from an art form to a simple task.
She slapped chefs like Julia Child upside the head with her yummos and delishes, etc.
She would carry 6 items from her fridge an entire 4 to 5 feet thereby saving 8 to 10 seconds of her precious time.
And her hands which never stop moving do most of her yapping.
She’s a pop star home cook, I prefer real chefs.
What’s next Bozo the Clown does foie gras, yummo?
> Fried Avocado Burger with housemade Potato Chips
Pretzel bun from Costco? C’mon.