Xmas in Mexico

Dearests!
I'm leaving for Christmas in Mexico.

I'll miss you!!!
Besos

-EV 

W: Trace

Dear W, 

Are you FREAKING KIDDING ME? $150 per person prix fixe for NYE dinner? Ha... Only the naïve out-of-towners that are staying in your gorgeous rooms will pay that much. 

Good luck. We're going to Uchiko (yum!!!).

P.S.- Your decision to have a tiny kitchen to service the 135 seat restaurant for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, AND the 159 residences AND 250 guest rooms for 24/7 Whatever/Whenever® room service surprised me. Only time will tell if that was a smart move. Starwood, what were you thinking?!?!

xoxo
-EV

****Note that I have NOT tried the food... therefore this is NOT a critique****
Image: www.statesman.com

Red House Pizzeria

Thank you Art Alliance! For not only providing me with awesome volunteer opportunities (which totally give me the warm and fuzzies), but also for feeding my hungry belly. 

Last night I met the ladies at Red House Pizzeria, which I'm ashamed to admit I had only drank at...never eaten. I was late, of course, so the ladies had already ordered. 

Risotto Balls appeared in front of me... oozing with pesto and fontina and covered in marinara. I was skeptical, but with the first bite I was in heaven. Seriously, delish!!! Soft and creamy on the inside, perfectly fried and crispy on the outside.

The Greek Salad was good, but lacking. It was just a way to get our veggies in the midst of carb land.

***Also, on a side note, what is up with all Pizzerias serving Greek Salad?***

The Margherita Pizza was not very good. No sauce, very little cheese, the crust was soggy, and the flavors were quite bland... don't worry, I still ate two slices and the tip of another one... I was hungry!

Great thing about this place is that it mixes Italian comfort food with booze. Head over to the bar behind the restaurant and enjoy a merry little cocktail! 

http://www.redhousepizza.com/home.html

Wine & Swine: Pig Roast

This past weekend, in efforts to prepare for the actual Festival in the Spring, the peeps of the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival along with local Chefs hosted an awesome array of events showcasing the variety of ways to   cook, enjoy, and marvel at a pig.

Yours truly attended the Bridges Ranch to partake in the last event of the weekend and sample tasty swiney morsels.

$35 got you endless (or until each pig ran out) tastings of each Chef's food as well as loads of wine!!! I was surprised to see so many Californian wineries there and only St. Arnold's Brewery to represent Texas. 

Some chefs cooked their little piggies over night, and some began early in the morning. Everyone served a light app, most were cold, and a heartier dish. I tried most of them, and some of them more than once...hehe :)

Chef Josh Watkins from The Carillon served pork belly black beans and a cold tiny cut of some part of the pig with slaw in between a soggy bun. Not his best...

Chef Jon Gelman from The Driskill Grill made Kahlua tamales garnished with chicharron and some sort of delicious salsa thing that was to die for. This tamal was incredible. Kudos for kicking butt at something so difficult to nail.

Larry McGuire from Lamberts served a couple of cold items (which ran out before I got to them) and pulled pork with delicious bbq sauce right out of the smoker with a sweet little bun and a pickled jalapeno. More please!

Chef John Bullington from Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar gave us one of my least favorites- very bland pork, and tasteless, insipid, butternut squash and potatoes as a side. I didn't even finish it.

Chef Rene Ortiz from La Condesa made chicken liver pate topped with tomato jam and later pork tacos with a creamy green salsa and chipotle mayo...I went back twice for apps and then again for tacos. He cooked his pig like he did for Outstanding in the Field  catching a lot of attention from attendees.

Chef Jason Dady- The only San Antonio dude - served head cheese as his appetizer and later just a piece of pork with quinoa, cauliflower, and a  mustard that I find hard to describe. It overpowered all of the flavors, and his pork was poorly cooked -- very dry.

Finally I went to Rebecca Rather's tent...What can I say, when you sell yourself as Rebecca Rather from Rather Sweet Bakery (which I was told she sold and is notorious for its delicious sweets--- try her Mexican Chocolate Cake, yum!!), why the heck would you serve pork tacos? She served it chopped in a corn tortilla with a white balsamic jicama slaw (you can find this recipe in her Pastry Queen Parties book). It was cold, poorly executed, and seriously skimpy...I'm talking two tiny chunks of pork in my taco with a whopping pile of jicama and apples on top.

I think it's safe to bet this is only the beginning of an Austin/Driftwood annual tradition.
Can't wait til the Spring for the Festival :)

http://www.texaswineandfood.org/wineandswine.html

Finally...

Is it gross that I'm FINALLY eating the last of my very non-traditional Thanksgiving leftovers? Am I the only one? 

Don't worry, all of the desserts were gone the following morning.

Our menu: 

Apps: Neufchatel with Fischer & Wieser Raspberry Chipotle sauce, Neufchatel and smoked oysters ball covered in almonds, and an assortment of olives

Meat: Pork tenderloin with port and fig reduction

Pasta n' Cheese: Penne and brie with panko 

Mashed Potatoes: Baked mashed potatoes with pancetta, mozzarella and parsley

Salad: with feta, grapes, almonds, and a balsamic vinaigrette 

Veggies: Brussels sprouts with bacon

Sweets: Apple and Pumpkin pie with some good ole vanilla ice cream (these were bought, but made from scratch from a fantastic pasty chef!)

SFC Chef Series: Autumn Harvest at La Condesa

 Last year I had the pleasure of attending the Sustainable Food Center first ever Chef Series dinner at La Condesa. I missed the one they hosted in the Spring, but as soon as I saw tickets on sale for the Autumn Harvest, I jumped on it!


This year was different. We started in Malverde for passed hors d'oeuvres, courtesy of Chef Zach Northcutt and some awesome cocktails by Nate Wales and Bill Norris. It gave us a chance to chat with fellow diners as well as sample the fare of Mulberry and soon to open Haddington's. 

I was also excited for Paul Qui to take Tyson Cole's spot in the kitchen (nothing against Chef Cole, it's just a great chance for a young chef, you know?) and the menu seemed more playful and fun...oh, and I was seated at the wives' (and significant others) table!! So, before each course, the Chef would come out and explain the dish, what inspired it, and then swing by our table to give us some love.


We started with a Catfish Terrine by Jesse Griffiths. This thing was KILLER. He served it with crostinis and raw jalapeños. I literally almost stashed it in my purse...classy, eh?

Todd Duplechan gave us the 'surf and turf' as boar boudin topped with butterflied gulf shrimp and apple rosemary. 


Rene Ortiz served caramelized pork hock and crispy belly, beetroot chili mermelade, creme fraiche, watermelon radish and basil salad. The drink was a sort of sake concoction that was perfect against the bold flavors of the pork. 


James Holmes' creation was crispy braised lamb, bison bresaola, yaupon honey and turnip puree, garden greens and mustard tuile. 


For his first SFC Chef Series, Paul Qui gave us quail, fuyu persimmons, fried cashew miso, marigold. 


Shawn Cirkiel's dish was interesting...to say the least. He called it 'Season of the Witch'. Imagine all of the seasonal veggies on one plate. It was almost like an aerial view of a produce fairy land. 


 



To end the night, Laura Sawicki gave us a goat's milk marigold cremeux, apple and quince confit, marcona almond brittle, pedro jimenez sherry gastrique. 




This was a meal like no other. The diversity in the chef's taste, inspiration, technique, and play on Autumn flavors was so fun to experience. 

You should definitely go to this in the Spring! 
P.S. - sorry for the pic quality ... oops!

Lucky's Puccias

Italianini and I needed a quick bite one random weeknight... and decided to make a quick run to Lucky's Puccias. 

The tiny little trailer sits next to Tiniest Bar in Texas (totally no the tiniest! and, they just got real floor, and even a concrete wall to replace their wooden frence) houses a brick oven... yes, for your baked-to-order bread, a fridge full of goodies, and the two people who run this little operation. 

 

I had the Lucky's, which consists of your basic caprese, throw in some prosciutto and sundried tomato pesto. 

Italianini had the Contadina- Turkey, provolone, arugula, tomato, and olive tapanade.

The bread is good, but we had to wait quite a bit for this freshness. The sandwiches are tasty, but very simple. At $8 I could have had two slices and a soda at Home Slice, or a Banh Mi and spring rolls at Me So Hungry. To each their own. 

If you're in the neighborhood (W. 5th) and craving some Italian love between freshly baked bread, give them a shot.

http://www.facebook.com/LuckysPuccias

Outstanding in the Field: La Condesa

Listen, I can't lie and tell you I'm the super outdoorsy type; however, Chef Rene Ortiz cooking for Outstanding in the Field at Boggy Creek Farm can certainly get me to connect with nature!!!

Chef camped out the night before in order to set up this AMAZING feast. Now, if you're vegetarian, vegan, or a super active member of PETA, stop reading now.

He chose to cook two whole pigs (raised specifically for this event by Richardson Farms) al asador which actually looked like he had crucified two pigs, butterflied them (cut them right down the middle), and taken the gross intestines and such out.

It was quite a sight. First, walking into the farm and seeing all the gorgeous vegetables, plants, chicken coop, the Outstanding in the Field bus and artistically simple table. Then, looking past the lush greens and seeing my swiney friends roasting in their last couple of hours before going straight into my belly.

I've traveled, but I'm not the most 'wordly' person per se...the only other time I have ever seen this cooking technique was on the No Reservations episode where Francis Mallman cooks an entire meal in this very primitive way in the countryside of Uruguay. It was awesome.

There's little I can say about the menu. You can imagine the freshness of all the ingredients involved and the combination of such amazing food with the creative mind of Chef Ortiz and Pastry Chef Sawicki.

Here it is:

Dewberry Farm chicken liver pate, tomato marmalade, house pullman bread

Eggplant, Waterroak Farm goat's milk ricotta, quinoa cracker, gause yaupon honey Boggy Creek turnips, White Mountain yogurt, Lightsey Farms persimmon vinaigrette

Deviled Lockhart quail eggs

2008 Furne Blanc, Pleasant Hill Winery

Mixed Boggy Creek Farm herbs & lettuces, five minute Soncrest Farm egg, quinoa, Pure Luck Farms feta & sorrel-garlic aioli

Colina Bianca, Pleasant Hill Winery

Roasted Richardson Farms whole hog, pickles, apple chutney & cornbread

Dad's Red Blend, Pleasant Hill Winery

Richardson Farms bone-in rib eye with oak-smoked Jenschke Farm butternut squash

2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, Pleasant Hill Winery

"Tubby J. Tupelo" honey pie: Boggy Creek Gause Yaupon honey, Pure Luck Farms Hopelessly Bleu cheese, roasted Fredericksburg golden apple compote

Blanc du Bois, Pleasant Hill Winery

New friends were made, all the wine was drunk, bugs were repelled (we were at a farm, hello!), and I was very happy.

If you're unfamiliar with Outstanding in the Field, check out the link. Also,  I've recently learned that Chef James Holmes of Olivia cooked for these guys two days later!

Blue Dhalia Bistro

I guess it had been about 4 years since the last time I had been to east 11th. Me and some LatinWork-ers had gone to Longbranch to grab a drink. I had no idea how much development had gone on since! 

I had a lazy sunday lunch with Morritow at Blue Dhalia Bistro, nestled between a super cool design studio, and an electronics store that made even me want to buy super cool headphones, or a real quality amp...I don't even l ike going to Best Buy!

The place is cute and VERY cozy (tight squeeeze). The ceiling is low and covered in wood paneling. Very french cafeteria. Large tables are shared with other parties, loud conversations, and a very loud accordion cross paths in this tiny eatery. 
There is a small patio out front, but the cutest and roomy patio is out back. 

The menu is extensive and has something for everyone. Morritow ordered the tuna salad sandwich, and I had the nicoise salad. While we waited for our order, a nice wooden board with pate (Duck), cornichons, and baguettes came to the table. It was beautiful, and really, who can turn down pate? So, I dug right in... then our server said, "sorry, they delivered it to the wrong table"... I've been taught that it's rude to spit out your food, so I finished the whole thing.

The Tuna Salad was served open-faced with basil, capers and sun dried tomatoes. It's a very generous serving...We totally could have shared. 


The Nicoise Salad with seared Ahi tuna was very filling, and I certainly felt like I got my veggies for the day; however, the flavors left much to be desired. 


Overall, you get what you pay for. The space is worth checking out and it's great for a simple little lunch.

http://www.bluedahliabistro.com/

Foreign and Domestic

It's officially Austin Restaurant Week, kids, and the Italianini and I ventured over to Foreign and Domestic. 

First, let me tell you that parking SUCKS. they have a couple of spaces right out front, but the rest is across the street in the neighborhood. Which wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't raining.

Second, this place is tiny, and always busy, so you'll have to wait--- it was a Monday at 6:30 and we waited 20 minutes.

Third, if given the choice, sit at the bar. It was the coolest experience. 

The kitchen is right there in front of you, exposed, raw, the heat, the smells, the bar is covered in jars with garnishes and wonderful herbs. 

While we were originally going for the ARW menu, we saw Chef Ned Elliot (owner) was cooking, so we had to skip the $30/person deal. 

 We had Popovers- Huge rolls with gruyere cheese. Incredible flavor, soft  and gooey on the inside, flaky outside, beautiful.

We also tried an app that was on the menu that night (menu changes constantly) called something Lardo. Sorry, horrible memory these days. Imagine pig's back fat, put in their meat grinder until it becomes like a pate, and then layered with balsamic jelly over toast... It was flavorless, gross, and the bread was soggy. The balsamic jelly was intense. It was like eating pig fat french toast. I'm all for being adventurous with food, but don't be the hero, save yourself!

I had the Ditali and Cheddar with oxtail topped with bread crumbs and a soft egg.

I think this is by far the best interpretation of comfort in a bowl. The sharp flavor and heaviness of the pasta and cheese are well complimented by the sweetness of the oxtail. This was lick-the-bowl-clean good! 

Italianini had a special of the night. Grilled octopus with scallops, topped with ink foam served over potatoes, and shishito peppers. 

It was delicious. The foam was tasteless and useless. The dish would have been fine without it. Trying too hard? Although, I must admit that I didn't expect this place to be so gastronomic. I expected something more rustic, but instead I was witness of  some serious cooking techniques.

It was really fun to watch the Chefs work in harmony in their little assembly lines.  

We almost ordered some sweets, since I know the Chef's wife (and co-owner) is the pastry chef, but that would have just been gluttony.

The service was FABULOUS. Our server was patient and lovely. 

We had a great experience, I hope you do too!!!

http://www.foodanddrinkaustin.com/

Lambert's

After volunteering for a few hours at Charity Bash, the Argentinian and I grabbed a late-ish meal at Lambert's. 

Typically I get pulled pork, or a little bit of brisket, and pretty much drown it in their house sauce... but tonight was different. 

I decided if I was going to let myself have a whole plate of mac 'n cheese, I had to eat lighter... So, I decided on the baby bibb, avocado, and pine nut salad. 
This salad was good! I loved that the avocado is at the very bottom of the lettuce. It's almost like opening a present? Ok, maybe not that exciting, but it was still very good. 

Of course the mac 'n cheese didn't disappoint. However, I have recently learned something that I MUST share--- one of the cheeses in Lambert's version of this comforting American staple is VELVEETA!!! grroooossss!!!! Oh and Tabasco sauce. So, I closed my eyes and imagined I was frolicking around with cows and giant blocks of aged cheddar and still ate every last bite. Gotta find what works for you~~~ Happy place, happy place~~~A girl's gotta have her mac 'n cheese, ok? 

Who would of thought that in the land of heavy meats I'd find such a refreshing salad??

Here's the one thing about eating at Lambert's, you end up smelling like smoke even if you just go upstairs for some drinks and live tunes. 
Despite my healthy entree, I still left smelling like a pit master.

El Naranjo

I attended the Foodways of Mexico: The Culinary Birth of a Nation: Gastronomy and the Making of Mexican Identity with Chef Iliana De la Vega (owner of El Naranjo formerly in Oaxaca, now gracing us with its presence on Rainey Street) on September 9th at the MACC and left captivated, truly inspired and so proud to be Mexican!! Following her super interesting and funny talk, we had the opportunity to sample her Chiles en Nogada (btw, my grandma's are still the best)and Mole Poblano. What a tease!!! I, of course, wanted to try her entire menu immediately!!! 

So, the other night my LWers and I went to El Naranjo to have ourselves a mini-feast. 
I had such a hard time picking just one item... so I chose two, ok, maybe three, and then poked my fork into everyone else's food :). 


I started with the infamous Molotes Veracruzanos- plantains, black beans, and cheese mixed into the masa. They top them with crema and queso fresco and give you a generous side of salsa. This is like the Mexican mozzarella stick, only this one is ridiculously good. 


Then I moved on to my Tacos de Nopales- cactus with tomatoes, cilantro, and lime topped with queso fresco. Yummy yummy! These were really good and healthy-ish... I had corn tortillas, so I'm going to call it my serving of veggies for the day, ok? 

Morritow and Huemasita told me I was going to need more food, guess they know me well, so I ordered the Tacos de Tinga Verde- chicken in green sauce. They were tangy, spicy, and delicious. We also tried the Gringas (basically a quesadilla with al pastor meat) and the Cochinita Pibil tacos. Ok, the Gringas were good, but the Cochi has a long way to go. If you want good Cochinita, go to La Condesa.


Morritow got one of the specials- Tacos de Cecina Adobada. They were very good, the adobo was amazing and the meat was tender. Ro got the other special- Tacos de Tasajo. Holy crap, the meat was tender, thin, juicy, delicious, perfectly seasoned... it was so good. The tortillas were ok, but fell apart easily and didn't taste like they came straight from the comal.


While the food was awesome and the conversation was interesting, the mosquitoes biting our legs were a little more than ANNOYING! 
Apparently they're trying to move into the house (If you haven't been there, the trailer is on the drive way of a cutie patootie house that is still under renovation) by January.

 If you love Mexican food, you'll love El Naranjo. She knows a thing or two about this stuff... after all, she did give a 'talk' on Mexican culinary history! I even learned how Mole was accidentally invented by a nun in Puebla.


*Note: The taco specials for the night are the only ones served with beans and rice*

 http://twitter.com/elnaranjoaustin

Botticelli's

Living on SoCo is really high on my 'things that rock my world' list. I have everything a stone's throw away, including work and my Italianini's place! However, lately I've been getting together with all my peeps in the neighborhood and realized we are in DIRE need of new restaurants and watering holes in the area. I have had enough tacos al pastor and overpriced margarita's from Guero's to last my life time, been to home slice (although, I really just love it there) about 700 times, Hotel San Jose for a refreshing adult beverage at least once a month, I'm so over the spraying, misty fans at Perla's that make my hair look like a lion's mane, and can't even stand the smell of Zen anymore (although I heard it may be closing????), I don't love the food at Snack Bar, am not a huge fan of Continental Club or Vespaio, and South Congress Cafe doesn't come to mind when picking a place for a meal.

Anyway, making the most of our pretty afternoon in the 'hood the Persian, the Argentinian, and I went to Botticelli's for happy hour to enjoy a cheap glass of wine and apps. 

We shared the Boticelli bread (the only $7 item on the HH menu)  “the original”—grandmother’s own homemade bread stuffed with prosciutto, coppa, mortadella, salami, mozzarella, parmesan, and roasted bell peppers. 
I had always heard people rave about this bread, and with the long list of Italian ingredients that live happily inside of it, I figured it had to be fantastic.... Wrong, it totally lacked pizzazz and flavor. It's also very dry, maybe a little sauce would be nice? Maybe a little spice? I don't know, but I won't be ordering it any time soon.

Persian got a caesar salad, I got the mussels, and Argentininan had the calamari. 

The salad was very simple, don't really need to go into detail for that one. 

The mussels were tiny, and the broth was o.k., way too many things going on. They had capers, brown butter, lemon (LOTS of lemon), bread crumbs, and some red pepper flakes.  For $5, they were o.k. 

I liked that the calamari's batter-It wasn't overwhelming. It's cooked just enough to avoid the rubbery effect. The Arrabiatta sauce was not spicy, but it was decent. 

Overall, it was a good deal, but the food is not award-winning or even worth full price... so, only go for HH :)

And, restaurateurs, please bring more options to SoCo!!!!!
http://www.botticellissouthcongress.com/index.php

Imperia

I caught up with my Argentinian (or is it Argentine?) friend this past Saturday at Imperia for some sushi.

I wasn't very impressed last time I had their sushi, but Argentinian's main squeeze was working that night and she totally hooked it up!

We started with edamame and seaweed salad. The edamame had fresno chiles, sea salt, anda little lemon love. It was really good, but then again, it's just edamame. 

We had some rolls:

Red Devil: Tuna rolled with black sushi rice and bell peppers topped with spicy mayo and white angel sauce. - This was intriguing, spicy, and addictive.

4138: Tempura shrimp with avocado, topped with tuna and salmon and spicy peanut sauce. (So good we ordered a second one!!!)

Bank: Unagi and cream cheese, fried in cilantro tempura with spicy teriyaki.

Hamachi POPO: Yellow tail, fresno peppers, yuzu, and POPO sauce. (Don't get freaked out by the name).

We had a couple of pieces of salmon and uni, and then the staff sent over a special:

A small piece of watermelon topped with miso candied bacon, and crumbles of feta on top. It was poignant, but so good. The strong flavors contrasted AND complimented by the watermelon so perfectly. Oh.My.God. 

I was afraid the service would have suffered since C.K. left, but I was impressed at the care and attention the entire staff treated us with.

Uchiko for my 25th

Gotta love birthdays (Aren't my flowers pretty? Thanks loved ones!). I had my big 25th this past Monday and the Italianini took me to Uchiko to celebrate.

We were trying to start a diet that day to prepare for our upcoming Mexi trip (poor choice of start date, I know) so we tried to stick mostly to sashimi and such.

You'll have to forgive me if I forget to mention some of the things we ate, but there was so much, I have to stick to the items that stood out, right?

First of all, I have a new favorite snack: Shishito peppers. Forget edamame! Shishito is where it's at. These little peppers are green, long, skinny, and hard to find (not even at Wholefoods, my friends). They have a little kick at the end, but overall they're just addictive and fantastic. Second, I can't stay away from their Take Nabe. Talk about Japanese comfort food!

The rest of the meal went a little like this- Golden Beets with skyr yogurt, sake toro, the George, the P-38, the Avofry, a little Bacon Sen (pork belly with fried apple puree and apple kimchee), and the akami te (big eye tuna, water­melon, cilantro, coriander). 

It was a lovely, very romantic, very sloooowww meal, but in the end, it was awesome. 

Thanks to my Italianini for another fantastic eve.

Paggi House (Sunday Brunch)

My 25th is fast approaching!!

So, the parents came in to take me to Sunday brunch at Paggi House. 

It's a buffet, but you can also order items until you wish you had wore your fat-pants. 

I went for the berries, potatoes, bacon, quiche, smoked salmon, and goat cheese with pistachios. 

Dad chose ceviche shrimp, salmon, bacon, and the cheese. 


Mom had a lot of the same, except she tried the bread pudding and wouldn't stop mmm-ing.

Mom and I ordered eggs benedict and loved them. The hollondaise wasn't overwhelming, just dressed the dish beautifully. 


Dad ordered two different kinds of omelets (all you can eat!). He said they had nice flavor, but didn't wow him. 

We all were curious to try the chicken and waffles since CK (as in Chin) kept saying how fabulous it was. I really liked that the portion was small since the sweet flavor of the maple syrup was very strong. The waffle itself was delish! But I think I like 24 hour diner's better. Overall, it was a good and sweet morsel to finish off the meal with. 


The service was excellent, and I was surprised to see it half-empty at 1 p.m. on a Sunday. We didn't try the $1 mimosas, but that's enough incentive to make me go back. The patio was quite warm, but there was live music and plenty of umbrellas and trees for shade. There is a sunroom(?) bar in the back. It's pretty cute, just really really warm- the fans in there don't really cool it down. 

Blue Star Cafeteria

The time has come for one of  my besties to walk down the aisle. 

Now, don't judge me, none of my close friends are married, I have never been to an American wedding, much less been in the wedding, so I know NOTHING about this life-changing ritual. 

However, I will be co-maid of honor at J&B's April wedding, so when her day came to shop for wedding gown, I was ready. No one told me how mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausting this process would be, or how hungry I'd get!!

Knowing me far too well, she built lunch right into the schedule in between bridal shop appointments.

Blue Star Cafeteria, another one of Eddie Bernal's hit-or-miss restaurants (Santa Rita --gross, and 34th Street Cafe--$$$$), hosted the Bride-to-be, mother-of-the-bride, and the bridesmaids. The decor is simple, but very cute, the service was good, the prices were moderate, and the bubbly drinks were delish. Oh btw, Mr. Bernal is too cheap to get a liquor license, so you can bring your own "hooch" and save some $$ at 34th Street and Blue Star. To the left are the sparkling grapefruit and the poinsetta-- cranberry juice, sparkling wine, and lime juice.

I had the Waldorf salad with mango, jicama, candied walnuts, gorgonzola, turkey (I subbed with chicken), and a honey dijon dressing. Now, don't freak, but mine had a hair in it... so along with my freshly made second salad, came complementary desserts for the whole table! :). Good service.

J&B, her mom, and KT had the Asian Chicken salad (a.k.a the Hack salad at 34th Street Cafe). They were all super disappointed. Not enough dressing, it tasted different, the lettuce was not crisp, etc, etc, etc. 

DR and HS had a turkey burger and turkey sandwich respectively. The fries were excellent!

Then we all went a little bananas with the sweets. We ordered two Italian Cream cakes, one chocolate chip cookie pie thing with ice cream on top, and a key lime pie. All of the desserts were amazing and in very generous portions.
They comped my salad and $17 worth of desserts. Cha-ching. 

NYC:

As promised, I have a full report on my amazing culinary New York experiences. 

There's so much ground to cover! So, let's just start at the beginning. 

Thursday, Day 1

Lunch: Roebling Tea Room, Williamsburg, Brooklyn

First of all, the place is adorable and inviting. It was antiquey down to the light fixtures and hardware. Definitely feels like a tea room. 

The service left much to be desired. We were there at off-hours, but there was still plenty of staff and servers. Whatever, in the end it was fine.

I chose a light salad with beets, trail mix, and goat cheese with a light vinaigrette. The trail mix consisted of sunflower seeds, walnuts, pecans, and peanuts and was covered with super light layer of honey. It was fresh, light, and a lovely choice for my first meal. 

Italianini, on the other hand, went down a very different path. Imagine a juicy patty, a fried green tomato, english muffin, and chevre cheese in your mouth... just take a minute to imagine it... nice huh?

Dinner: James Beard House, West Village, New York

In 1985 James Beard died, leaving an empty house and an empty place in thousand of people's hearts. But, in 1986 Peter Kump, along with Julia Child, raised enough money to buy James Beard's townhouse and turn it into the North American Mecca for Chefs. 

As I walked through the front door I felt like the luckiest girl alive!! 

The Maître d’ was kind enough to take me through the kitchen (HOLY CRAP!)out to the garden where drinks and hors d'œuvres were being served. We were all then led to our assigned seats, some right by the kitchen in the sun room, some (including me) were in the main dining room, and some in a mezzanine by the stairs. The main dining room is where Beard's living room used to be. It was fantastic to be there, and I felt special even though they have these types of dinners nearly every night of the week. Four hours later, the Chefs were honored, toasts were made, and the last tequila shot was poured. I was happy.

Friday, Day 2

Lunch: Pastis, Meatpacking District, New York

After an amazing meal with fantastic wine pairings in the Beard House and a long night in Meatpacking District, Italianini dragged my disgustingly hung over a** to Pastis. He had a humongous (and delicious) sliced steak sandwich with onions and gruyere with a side of fries. I figured in my tender state I should probably take it easy, so I had the arugula and shaved parmesan salad with lemon.

Snack: Terrace 5 MOMA, Uptown, New York

In between Matisse, Dali, Klimt, and Picasso I wanted a snack. Mixed berries with crème fraiche and a coke was all my belly needed to recuperate. It was surprisingly refreshing and just the right thing to fix my hang over.

Dinner: Momofuku Ssam Bar, East Village, New York

David Chang is pretty much my favorite person right now (Just don't tell my Italianini). 20 of us crammed into the only large table in this tiny place for our 11 p.m. bo ssäm.

I would have been happy with the dozen oysters, the steamed buns, the crispy rice and sausage, the mackerel with melon and dijon, the kimchi, or any of the other 10 dishes on our table, but the big boy was coming...
I don't know how to explain this experience. I guess it's why they say a picture is worth a thousand words.

The pork shoulder comes with bibb lettuce and three different sauces. Chang suggests an oyster be included in the tiny pork lettuce wrap with one of the sauces, but I just slurped them right up!

 Yep, definitely bigger than a dollar...

Saturday, Day 3

Lunch: Mamoun's Falafel Restaurant, West Village, New York

I had been craving falafel since I got on the plane in Austin at 6 a.m. on Thursday, so Italianini took me to his favorite falafel place in the village. $3 will buy you a piece of falafel heaven. Italianini chose the shawarma sandwich, which didn't disappoint, but the falafel was amazing. 
I apologize for not having a picture of that, but it was a quick bite in between some shopping :)

Dinner: Roberta's, Bushwick, Brooklyn

After a super long afternoon enjoying this Summer's exhibit at PS1 (along with a few beers), we all enjoyed our last supper together at Roberta's. 
Let me tell you that this is the only thing Buswick has going for it, in my opinion anyway. It's the coolest place. It's in an adorable older building, worn wooden tables, a great huge pizza oven, and their own little garden. We ordered the meat plate, the cheese plate, the bibb lettuce salad, and about 10 pizzas. The wine flowed freely as we enjoyed the nice summer night in Brooklyn. 


I know I'm not supposed to blog about New York, my blog is an Austin blog, right? But man I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this trip and I just had to share!! When I really think about it, it revolved around amazing meals. 
I have a tough life, I know.