Petroussian Cafe

Smoked Salmon Baguette from the Petroussian boutique and cafe. A small place near central park (NYC), which has a variety of pastries and sweets, as well as some tables for restaurant style dinning. They also sell a wonderful selection of caviar. I came in for some lunch.

The strong flavor of the salmon is what sets smoked salmon apart from other fish. There is so much flavor to be had. This sandwich, with just smoked salmon and some butter on french bread is the pinnacle of simple and yet delicious. The salad on the side breaks the monotony with a mild but tasty vinaigrette sauce.

Philly in Philly

On my way to the Big Apple I had an hour to kill in Philadelphia. Logically, I went to get a philly cheesesteak. Unfortunatelly I couldn't leave the airport so I had to settle for, well, what was available. Though I will admit that if the bread had been a little less rubbery, it could have made for a quite good sandwich.

To summarize, I have had a Philly cheesesteak in Philly, so that's off the bucket list (Though I look forward to coming back for the best of the best that Philly has to offer).

Cucina Italiana

I don't think I will ever write badly about an Italian restaurant, but that doesn't mean I don't know where to give credit. La Vecchia Cucina in Santa Monica is a high end package of deliciousness.

I had the vitello piccata with linguine alla puttanesca. It was very rich in flavor and the meat was very soft. The restaurant tables are packed pretty close together in a very Italian way, and I didn't feel like it disrupted from the experience.

Another Greek Cafe

I have momentarily forgotten the name of this little Greek Cafe near in Fullerton (SE LA), but its a quiet little place, with great healthy food. I choose a pasta salad combo, the pasta was a simple white sauce, chicken pasta with bread crumbs and cheese on top, while the salad was a traditional ceasar salad.

I'll keep this post short as I have to catch a flight today. I have one place left in LA I want to post about, then I'll be posting about a couple places in NYC.

Market Fare

The farmers market in LA (at least near the LACMA) is a must go to place. Go have lunch at one of the many stands that offer all kinds o foods. I chose a Brazilian BBQ place and though it isn't the best BrBBQ I've had it definitely gives you a little taste at a fair price. Keep in mind that it is an outdoor market, but then again, you are in sunny California. The LACMA is also pretty good, though I didn't check out their cafe's selection.

Bonjour Monsieur

My first step towards learning French: going to a great French restaurant. Madame Chou Chou in Santa Monica was a great intro course. I went during lunch and got the daily pasta special, wild boar. I thought it was absolutely delicious, the meat was so soft and moist that it really felt like it was melting in my mouth. The pasta was thin and not heavy. I hope to go again soon, but ordering in French!

Panna Brownie

I was making panna cotta, but used a new type of gelatin and it didn't quite solidify. To make the best of a somewhat disappointing dessert, I took a piece of brownie and put it on a bowl, which I filled with the panna cotta. Then after putting some strawberry sauce it was ready for eating. Turned out pretty good. It was like having strawberry whipped cream with the brownie. Just because things don't look like they are working doesn't mean you should give up! You never know when something good will come out of it.

Lazy as a Dog

I will make a confession. I could eat a burger everyday and be totally ok with it though not with the fat I'd gain. Today we have the Lazy Dog Cafe burger. A pretty standard burger for an american restaurant.

It is both big and filling, and make you feel like a lazy dog afterwards. If you want a good american sit down restaurant, and you feel like getting a burger this is a good place to start. Don't expect to be blown away by it. Not pictured, the potato hush puppies and the mediterranean pizzetti are very good. Oh and lest we forget, they also offer a pretty delicious apple pie, so don't eat like a pig dog and save up some room.

Foam ART

I am now in NYC and have had some issues getting connected to the internet. I am still writing about LA though. I went to this place twice in one week while in LA. The Urth Cafe prides themselves in having excellent organic teas and coffees from around the world. I had both the chai tea and the italian roast (below).

As you can see they also do some amazing cool foam art. I want to go back and get all the other types of teas and coffees to see what other designs they do. Also it helps that the Italian roast is one of the best coffees I have ever had, and the atmosphere is relaxed and enjoyable.

It's Acceptable to Drool

Oh My French Toast!

26 Beach Restaurant, thank you so much. This place has one of the best Brunch menus that I have ever seen. The restaurant is quite small and if you plan on enjoying their wonderful brunch selection it is recommended that you make reservations, especially if you are one to wake up kinda hungry. Their portions are huge. I got the Caramel Macchiato French Toast. Heavenly stuff.

This thing is everything you expect it to be. The toast is soft as a sponge, and yet not soggy. The espresso sauce is a decently strong coffee liquor so I suggest you try it before pouring it on. The hardest part of this post was holding myself back from devouring this beauty long enough to take a picture.

Steak, YES!

Recently I found myself in a random steak house. This place was called Prime Cut Cafe in Stadium Promenade, Orange County. This place was amazing, also home to the Best Chocolate Cake Ever. However be prepared to shed a couple ounces in gold off of your wallet. Like all steak houses most entrees went for for around $20-25, throw in some drinks, maybe a salad and dessert and it adds up pretty fast. Now onto the part you actually care about, the food.

Simple dish, baked potatoes (I'm guessing with eggs and plenty of cheese), roasted garlic (literally melted in your mouth, eat it with the steak if you know whats good for you and bad for your breath), and coulotte steak (part of the top sirloin). Absolutely delicious. Not much else to be said.

Purple Drink? No Green Drink!

This one won't win any beauty contests, but it's all about what's inside, isn't it? When I first saw Naked Juice's Green Machine drink, I thought to myself, that looks way too healthy to taste like anything worth drinking. However my brother assured me it was actually quite good. The pure juice is a little thick, he mixes it with water. I however wanted to keep a little of the thickness and with fruit smoothies in mind I mixed mine with milk. Granted this probably made it look worst, and my brother refused to try it, but I found it quite enjoyable. The milk didn't take away any of the taste, and I found the light green color (after mixing) a little more appealing, but that's just me. I will end with, don't judge a book by its cover, though it's ok to judge by the inside leaf of the cover.

Sausage Feast

Portillo's is a Chicago based hot dog and other stadium type food restaurant. Its one of those quick, but not really fast food dinner types. Tonight I got a standard hot dog (left) and a polish dog (I liked this sausage better). Not pictured is their chocolate cake milkshake. Yes they drop a piece of brownie into a vanilla shake, yes it was good, and yes it was thick and very filling.

For the price it's pretty good, however it is just a loaded hot dog. You won't miss out by skipping this place, unless you are a fan of cheap sausages.

Best Chocolate Cake Ever!

That is vanilla bean ice cream on the background, while up front we have The Cake. This is the best version of the brownie I have ever tasted. Its a soft cake shell filled with chocolate fondue. I am not entirely sure what the cap is made from, seemed like a cheese of some sort. It mostly melted into the fondue and the browned part was pretty chewy.

To summarize the lesson of the day is if you ever make a brownie, hollow it out and fill it with chocolate fondue.

IKEA Trip

Swedish meatballs!

It's been a while since I had them, but they are great. These were from the IKEA cafeteria, so not the best showing that they might have. Still it was free and it was a good memory to relive. Also strangely Thanksgiving-ly themed.

Hopefully when I'm actually in Sweden I'll be able to post a more accurate and delicious looking portrayal (if they are really Swedish, which I haven't checked yet). I'm keeping this post short, but when I do some more research I'll blog about it.

Peru.... Well Done!

So me and my brother were in the south Santa Ana area when dinner time rolled around. We ended up going to DX Peruvian restaurant. This place is fairly small, and is run by actual Peruvians! I decided to be adventurous and ordered the ceviche. The green sauce called huacatay was also very good, slightly spicy, very herb-y.

I really liked it. It is very zesty, and also quite spicy. The service was outstanding, they were all smiles and answered all my questions, and I had quite a few. I also chose a unique drink. I got the chicha morada, which at this restaurant is a fruit drink made from purple corn, pineapple, and apple. According to Wikipedia it is usually fermented, but this one wasn't. I will admit I was disappointed with the fried yucca, but overall this was one of the best surprises of the year.

Thank You Delicious Potatoes

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

Our dinner was probably a lot more conservative then most, and a little less traditional. We didn't have any pumpkin or turkey. We did have potatoes though and this is one of the best ways to have them.

Simple meal, with some roasted pork loin, steamed vegetables, rice, and roasted potatoes. The potatoes are thinly sliced, seasoned and layered. Then, we pour a egg, milk, and cream mixture to fill in the gaps. Sprinkle a heavy layer of cheese on top to melt and give a nice brown golden layer, and you are good to go.

Happy Thanksgiving!

First, I just want to wish everyone a happy thanksgiving.
Second, I want to say that the thanksgiving dinner food isn't ready yet, so the picture(s) will have to come later.
Third, this year we aren't having turkey so it won't be a very typical thanksgiving dinner.

Lastly, I hope everyone has a great time, and I wanted to keep this short so I could also get back to my own feast making and relaxation.

Fritto Misto

Welcome to Santa Monica! There are a lot of good restaurants around here. This time around I decided to go to a small homely Italian restaurant called Fritto Misto. This place has delicious homemade pastas at a moderate price. Under recommendations I got the Jumbo Raviolli, this plate is a ridiculous assortment of delicious. All you need to know is that it has prosciutto, chicken, mozzarella, pancetta (bacon), dried tomatoes, and caramellized onions, all immersed in a garlic cream sauce. Ok enough talk, take a deep breath and take it in.

I haven't even left, but I already want to come back to LA.

New Food Opolis

At the suggestion of a close family friend I went to Zoës Kitchen, a trendy new Mediterranean dinner. I ordered the grilled chicken pita sandwich and chose the pasta salad to accompany it.

This place is good. The ingredients are fresh and the food tastes like something you should eat while enjoying the sun and overlooking the Mediterranean from a high Greek balcony. I am also a huge fan of Mediterranean food. A good point this family friend brought up, is that they have wonderful vegetarian options. I could gladly have a vegan meal off of Mediterranean foods (though eating feta cheese would be extremely tempting).

Unlikely Collegian Classic

Pork loin baked to perfection was one of my all time favorite dishes to cook in college. I would chop up some garlic and seasoning, rub it into the pork loin with some salt. Heat the oven up, throw that baby in there and go make yourself some side dishes. In college I would make rice, takes about 15 minutes on the stove top? Never really timed it. Then, when the meat was getting about ready, I would thrown in some bananas in the stove for some sweet baked bananas as a side. I will probably do a post on baked bananas as my roommates in college were fascinated by them.

This is a post-college version, we still have the pork loing, but in addition to the rice we have some spinach and instead of baked bananas I went with some french fries.

Asian Pick-up

You know I am not a true Asian when I get Pei Wei to go and consider it a quick and good Asian meal. My Chinese friend refuses to accept Pei Wei as a true Asian restaurant, but then again he is very picky. For me the Thai style chicken coconut curry dish was great.

It is slightly spicy, but the coconut milk keeps it in check. This is a great no effort meal, which can be picked up and enjoyed at home. Call in, pick it up and you have yourself a cheap quick dinner. The portions are usually big enough for two meals as well.

Crème Brûlée

Here it is, the much anticipated dessert from the Yucatan taco stand. The white chocolate crème brûlée.

There isn't much to say, the creme is sweet and the berries are just the right amount of tart. The crisp crust is hard and provides the crunch to keep your teeth working. All in all a great derivative of the classic dessert.

Tequila or Taco??

So the Yucatan Tequila Bar Taco Stand  recently opened on the Woodlands waterway, so me and some friends went try it out (I feel like I need to go back for dinner and order some liquid fell good food). I admit this picture isn't much to look at, so yes if you will actually have to read what I have to say about it.

This shredded carne de puerco (pork) taco looks more like a burrito bowl salad. That's a good thing, it gives you an idea of the size of this flavor packed taco. As an after thought I would have liked to mix the ingredients all together, as you can not see the pork is all under the salad and cheese, but there is plenty of it, trust me. For this meal I only got this single taco, I was saving up room for the dessert. That can wait till tomorrow though.

My First Bench Mark!

I want to take the time to thank any regular viewers out there. It's gratifying to know people are reading my blog.

I also want to take some time to share some statistics. Yesterday we crossed the 1000 views mark. With viewers from 14 different countries. The top 5 being the United States, Russia, Brazil, Sweden, and India (China would complete the BRIC).

I would also like to invite anyone to reply to any of the posts with suggestions about other restaurants or traditional meals (the more diverse, the better). I would love to be able to try whatever 'it' is someday. Also I gladly welcome any excuse for me to go travel somewhere.

2008 Euro trip. Showcase my travelling spirit.

Oh and for my Swedish or Russian viewers, I am hoping to visit your country in the near future.

Bento Box!

From sushi and tempura to bento box and donburi The Japanese seem to never fail to please. This is an elaborate bento from Fokuda Japanese Restaurant. If only every day my lunch could be as carefully prepared.

Out of the many bento options I chose the Robata bento. It was very good, as was the not picture salad and miso soup that comes before the main portion. After eating this, it makes me think we could all take a lesson from the Japanese.

Brio Tuscan Grille!

If you want that top notch service, great food, classy upscale atmosphere, head over to Brio, a nice upper scale Italian restaurant. The lunch menu is different from the dinner, with portions considerably cheaper, but also smaller. I had the Pasta Yandolino with Rigatoni, chicken, spinach, mushrooms, Feta and diced tomatoes in a light bercy with pesto bread crumbs.

Everything I have eaten here has been of great quality. I have never had a bad waitress, and somehow just walking in makes you feel important. I think it's a great place for when you have a little extra to celebrate, besides just being your awesome self!

The Devil's Food

This cake, more commonly known as Red Velvet comes from the esteemed Cheesecake Factory. It was consumed in celebration of a good family friends birthday. The thick cheesecake layer is suave and delicious with just enough cream cheese. The cake is just moist enough to crumble effortlessly in your mouth. Finally, to be a little critical I found the white chocolate shavings a little too sweet.

If you are wondering red velvet is a chocolate cake. Traditionally the acidity of buttermilk and vinegar mixed with cocoa makes the anthocyanin pigment of the cocoa more apparent giving the cakes its reddish color. Now food coloring makes the red tone even stronger, giving it a stark contrast with the common cream cheese layers. It'll taste good if it looks good, right?

Cold as Ice

The newest old trend in self-proclaimed healthy desserts is frozen yogurt. These places are popping up everywhere, and I'm not one to complain. The pay by the pound style is great for limiting your consumption to a decent amount. It's true, I tend to get carried away sometimes, but usually I keep my head and get a great dessert for a great price.

The condiments are what makes the dessert. Here I have a mix of red velvet (almost chocolate) and cheesecake frozen yogurt as a base, with strawberries, cheesecake bites, and some yogurt sprinkles on top. This time I forgot, but I usually also add some condensed milk to keep things deliciously sweet.

Black Walnut

Sometimes you just want to relax with friends. Eat great food, drink great tea/coffee. Lean back on a comfortable arm chair. Maybe get a sweet dessert. Well you can do any or all of those things at the Black Walnut Cafe. Here is one of my favorite entrees.

Chicken tenders and fries, with honey mustard and chipotle ranch dressings. The price is on the higher side, but the quality of the food pays for itself, and if you need more motivation, the large portion should be enough to serve as lunch and dinner. I'll post about their desserts and you will find out the wisdom behind rationing your entree.

It Tastes Like Green

When I was a little kid I claimed to be able to taste the difference in different colored pastas, no one believed me... That was then, now I make no such claim and people still don't believe me.

Spinach fettuccine with a mascarpone cream sauce with a handful of shredded Parmesan on top. A hard cheese will give you thinner shavings as opposed to soft cheeses. In my opinion it looks a lot better for the presentation, and will melt easier. I also like hard cheeses, because they have a more powerful taste to them.

Rolling with it

I am a huge fan of sushi and I am surprised it has taken me this long to post them up on here. I don't know of any studies on how healthy sushi is, but every time I eat it I feel like I'm being healthy. This is a roll that I got at H&H, but I much prefer simple sushi like just tuna or salmon over rice (also healthier).

Pre-prepared sushi also makes for a great lunch on a hectic day.

Fire in the Hole!

Austinites might recognize this slogan from Pluckers. This isn't a picture of when I did the challenge, no that was too painful to showcase in public. If they hadn't put up that huge poster on the left wall right as you walk in on the Rio Grande location in west campus, you would see my picture about eye level (if you are... idk 5'6), but they did put the poster up and my picture is now gone... Sad I know, that wall just has no charm anymore...

Their wings however are as hot as ever, and delicious too boost. I got medium with lemon pepper, and it was as a little spicier then I remembered. Their cups are large so you are set to go, but the wait for a refill can be painful. If you want a great loud atmosphere, go there for any Texas game, you won't be disappointed.

Monday Mix

So I have been playing pick up soccer games on Monday nights at my gym, and it kinda runs into dinner time. So after hitting the showers I leave my gym to hit the food counter at H&H kitchen. They offer a variety of ready pre-prepared hot foods. I tend to try and get something different every week.

This week I went for 2 chicken tenders and portobello mushrooms. It's more filling then it looks, and it's also a late dinner so I usually don't over indulge.

Cuatros!

Ok, what has a 4x4 mega screen, shows soccer matches, has great burgers/chicken sandwiches/tacos, and 

some of the cutest waitresses in Austin?

CUATROS. I love this place.

This is the Burger for Breakfast. Say hello to a sunny side up on your burger, and then say your goodbyes as it disappears into your stomach.
I can't say exactly how many times I have come to Cuatros for a brunch and devoured one of these while watching a football or a futbol match. I can say it hasn't been enough.

Alas, Hunger Broke my Fast

After fasting for about 10 hours I woke up quite hungry so I went for a complete breakfast...

It's hard to find a good mango but that one was juicy sweet. As the main course I chose a salami/Havarti sandwich with and a strawberry jam dessert.

Now that's something worth getting up for.

Simple Bowl Complicated Salad

In my hometown (The Woodlands, TX) there is a upscale outdoor shopping center called Market Street. There is now a salad wrap/bowl location there, which is not creatively called Salata. This place is pretty cool. You first choose whether you want a tossed salad bowl or a wrap, then you pick from their vast array of extras to compliment the lettuce just the way you want it. Then, for a small fee you can add some protein in the form of chicken or seafood (salmon, shrimp, etc.).

Though some will say it's a bit pricey for 'just' a salad, I think it's a great fast option for a light and healthy meal. Also the salads are quite big, and all the ingredients are incredibly fresh and of great quality.

I got mine with a pesto toast (devoured before picture...), mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, feta cheese, green and black olives, grilled chicken and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

QA QELATE KATI NA FATE?

So it was the birthday of one of our good family friends last weekend, and we went to a spirited Greek restaurant called Olive Oil. I got a simple gyro plate, but one of my friends got the sampler, which contains a little bit of everything. It was more photogenic in this case...

I will comment on the gyro meat, which is what I got, and I will say that it was good, not terrific but good. The hummus appetizer was also good, but a bit dry for my taste, the pita bread however was amazing. The restaurant also has a little show on Saturday's, which consisted of some traditional Greek dancing, and a bellydancer (who happened to be an old high school colleague). If you like music and dance with your a good hearty Greek dish, this place has got it all.

Halloween!

Oh Halloween...

For those of you who don't know this is a deadmau5 head (my halloween costume...)
For those of you who do know, yeah BADASS!

Halloween has been hectic and I apologize for the absence of exuberant gastronomic display. No reason to panic for the daily posts will resume, and don't worry they will be worth the wait. The hungrier you are, the better it'll taste!

Cold Stone!

Ice cream is a treat I don't treat myself to enough. If you don't know, Cold Stone mixes ice creams on a cold marble counter top as you order. This gives you the opportunity to be creative and blend flavors together while adding diverse toppings. I try to keep my creations simple.

This here is a blend of chocolate (would have preferred dark chocolate) and sweet cream ice cream, with frozen strawberries mixed in. During a hot Texas afternoon nothing feels better then slowly letting a sweet ice cream concoction melt in your mouth, and that's exactly where Cold Stone put their money.

Algae is... Delicious?

So this was a left over lunch from a previous Japanese restaurant meal. The dish isn't exactly what you would expect from a Japanese restaurant, except one thing. The algae salad. Am I the only one who loves this? It is absolutely one of my most favorite sides, and it can only be found in Japanese restaurants (that I know of...). I need to learn how to make this. So refreshing, so delicious...

There it is on the left! The algae salad, then center in on some fried rice, and finish with some fried chicken breast pieces.

Bitter Sweet Love

Lemon tarts, what a tease. You think its sweet, but it's just slightly bitter. Words just don't do you justice, my love...

A little dessert never hurt anyone right? Not if you been exercising daily! Sometimes, you walk into a bakery and you just can't resist the sweet treats under the flashy lights, it's ok, we have all been there. Just try to keep those bakery visits after hitting the gym.

Sweet and Sweeter!

Sometimes you just need a little sugar rush, and nothing does it like a sweet peach with ice cream.

This time I diverged from my standard vanilla and peach combo to shake things up. Serve up some strawberry ice cream and throw that peach in there. This combo was great, two distinct tastes that share a sweet... well sweetness.

Grimaldi's!

In my opinion the best pizza in the woodlands is from Grimaldi's Pizza. The price is a little high for pizza, but it is well worth it. You also get to make your own pizza's, pick your base and toppings from a list and sit tight while your pizza bakes in their brick oven. The small salad is a good size starter...

The pizza had ricotta cheese, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, and ham. on a tomato sauce mozzarella thin crust base. I don't quite remember what salad we ended up getting... All in all a great meal. If you like pizza, you must check this place out.

Big Treat in Little China!

What is more exciting then skydiving?! Skydiving then going out for great Chinese food!

So, last Saturday me and some friends went skydiving, and that adrenaline rush worked up a good appetite. My good Chinese friend suggested we go to China town grab some grub. He took us to Fu Fu's, and ordered everything in Chinese so I am not entirely sure what I ate. What I do know is that it tasted good.

Going clockwise from the top left we have some fried tofu, followed by spicy orange glazed beef strips, then a pork dumpling and finally some garlicky hollow stem and spinach.

Shank you Very Much!

I really hope cheese word play or bad photographic lighting doesn't put off your appetite.

This here is a slow cooked lamb shank covered with a selection of diced vegetables and accompanied by a side of linguine aioli. The veggies were soft and had picked up loads of flavor from the meat. The shank would literally melt in your mouth. Lastly the pasta was cooked 'al dente' and gave something for your teeth to dig into. All in all an spectacular dinner.

That's Just Fruity

I love the presentation that a good fruit assortment will give to your dessert. Just take in this vibrant display of color.

A simple fruit tart. The fruit assortment not only make this a great looking dessert, but also gives it just enough variety to keep it from being a monotone dessert. The glaze works with the cream to ward off any bitterness from the fruits. Go ahead, judge it by the way it looks.

American BBQ

American BBQ, it has grown on me over the years. Gives me a great excuse to pig out on some potato salad and coleslaw. But of course the main is the meats. Brisket and pulled pork are my go to meats.

This particular time I found myself pigging out at Dickie's BBQ in the Woodlands. Hopefully I'll find myself at Salt Lick in the near future....

Salgadinhos Revisited

So if you are still curious about salgadinhos and you weren't able to go to a Brazilian restaurant or Brazil itself in the past couple of weeks then here is another take at 'em...

Now you can clearly see what they look like inside and out. The left one is a coxinha, in the middle with have a cheese rissole, and on the right a esfiha. Hot sauce (like Tabasco or similar) go really well on the coxinha.

COAL Burger

So there is this new burger joint called Coal Burger, it is a organic natural food burger paradise. Even the soda is their own blend with cane sugar instead of HFCS (high fructose corn syrup). The weird thing is they charge more for the 100% organic grass fed burger, which I feel like should just be incorporated into the price and served as the first and only option. That's just my opinion though. I got the organic classic burger, half pound with swiss cheese, feast your eyes on this...

Their special house sauce on the burger sets it apart from other burgers. Their fries, there in the background, are also crispy and very good.
This is a great burger joint, but it is a little pricey when compared to other burger joints. However, if you are willing to spend a little extra to get a healthier great tasting option than what you will get elsewhere, then this is the place to do it at.

Nice Rice

Rice pudding or arroz doce was one of my favorite desserts growing up. Now it's still one of my favorites. It is easy to make, easy to garnish, and tastes like delicious with a little of awesome on top. It is not too sweet and its very light, which means it can be enjoyed in moderate portions after just about kind every meal.

If you are wondering that is cinnamon on top, gives it a good contrasting garnish, and changes up the taste enough to keep your taste buds guessing.