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.