tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33659278868086260142024-03-05T17:10:12.533-05:00The Fabulous FoodieRachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-18789644776923664692012-07-08T20:36:00.000-04:002012-07-08T20:40:31.440-04:00The Best Sandwich on EarthI know, I know. You're asking, "Really Rachel?! The best sandwich on EARTH?!" And my answer to you is 100%, without a doubt, there is no better sandwich in existence than the Broccoli Sub from <a href="http://no7sub.com/ace-menu.html" target="_blank">No. 7 Sub</a> in the <a href="http://www.acehotel.com/newyork" target="_blank">Ace Hotel</a> in New York City. This sandwich may sound familiar to fans of The Fabulous Foodie, because I wrote about it just about a year ago. In that post, I said "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5d5d5d; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 15px;">My broccoli sandwich was nothing short of remarkable." </span>I've been eating this sandwich a lot lately, and it is just so good that it needs another post dedicated to it. Sorry I'm not sorry.<br />
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This is a sandwich so incredible, so perfectly perfect, that I can't wipe the smile off my face for hours after eating it. In fact, sometimes I'm smiling while I'm actually eating it, which gets awkward because little bits of roasted broccoli fall out of my mouth back onto my plate. But you better believe, I scoop them back up and eat them again because there is no chance I'm wasting a single morsel.<br />
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On the days when I get lazy and order it for delivery (it's only 2 blocks from my apartment, don't judge) and my doorbell rings, I scream "YES!!!!!!!!!!!" loud enough for the entire building to hear, and then the delivery man is looking at me like I'm crazy. And maybe I am crazy. Crazy for Roasted Broccoli.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;">Let's be honest, I'm drooling right this very second looking at this photo...</span></div>
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$9 will get you the Roasted Broccoli Sub with Lychee Muchim (I honestly don't even know what Muchim is.. anyone?), Ricotta Salata (a pure white cheese with a dense but slightly spongy texture and a salty, milky flavor -- like a dry Italian feta) and Pine Nuts. It will be served on the yummiest, crunchiest, most wonderful loaf of bread you have ever treated your taste buds to. The bread will flake apart as you eat it, the broccoli will nearly melt in your mouth, the lychee muchim will be tangy, the ricotta salata will be creamy and the pine nuts will add the perfect balanced crunch to your meal that you won't even know what hit you.<br />
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If I could marry a sandwich, this would be it folks. And I don't even think Patrick would blame me for a second, as he is also a huge No. 7 Sub fan. He prefers the non-vegetarian sammies, but all the more power to him, more broccoli for me!<br />
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I'm kind of sad that today is Sunday, the one day No. 7 Subs is closed, and I can't walk myself over there right now for this little taste of heaven. But let's be honest, I'm too lazy for that, I'd definitely order it for delivery!<br />
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Let's Eat!<br />
-The Fabulous Foodie<br />
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<br />Rachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-85931001866795175772012-06-19T17:47:00.002-04:002012-06-19T18:10:30.904-04:00I'm Full... and Tired!It's been over three months since I last shared a story of food with you, so for that I do apologize. My life has been a little crazy lately, in the best way possible, and I just haven't been able to find the time. In the past three months, a LOT has happened. I attended <a href="http://sxsw.com/" target="_blank">South by Southwest</a> in Austin where I had an incredible time and was lucky enough to eat at both the famous <a href="http://franklinbarbecue.com/" target="_blank">Franklin BBQ</a> and at Top Chef Paul Qui's <a href="http://www.uchiaustin.com/uchiko" target="_blank">Uchiko</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[Franklin BBQ is the REAL DEAL!]</span></div>
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I know my dining companions from Uchiko would like for me to recount our meal, so I will share what I remember of it. The company was great, the wine was crisp, the service was impeccable (shout-out to <a href="http://www.bobbybookout.com/" target="_blank">Bobby Bookout</a>!) and the food was absolutely outstanding. We had eight diners and the table was split into four and four, so each group of us ordered a different tasting menu.<br />
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The stand-out dishes were the Brussels sprouts, the Y<span class="light">okai Berry</span> Atlantic Salmon, the Loup Crudo and the several different varities of sushi we ordered.<br />
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Bobby even taught us that when eating nigiri (sliced raw fish over a pat of rice), you're meant to flip the fish over with your fingers as you place it into your mouth so the fish hits your tongue first and the rice second. I assumed he knew what he was talking about and tried it out, and I couldn't believe the difference it made! I highly recommend you try it.</div>
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We also ate at the always-amazing <a href="http://congressaustin.com/second/" target="_blank">Second Bar + Kitchen</a> where my friend Ethan is the Chef de Cuisine. That man knows how to make some food! Another one of the highlights of the trip was the Bravo party where I got to hang with my main man Tom Colicchio.<br />
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In the past three months I also visited Florida for <a href="http://foodblogforum.com/1615-announcing-food-blog-forum-orlando-2012" target="_blank">Food Blog Forum Orlando</a> where I spoke on a panel about PR, brands and bloggers and I caught up with some of my favorite bloggers.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[Nikki of <a href="http://penniesonaplatter.com/" target="_blank">Pennies on a Platter</a>, Krissy of <a href="http://www.krissys-creations.com/" target="_blank">Krissy's Creations</a>, Julie of <a href="http://www.tablefortwoblog.com/" target="_blank">Table for Two Blog</a> (and my soulmate), Jenny of <a href="http://picky-palate.com/" target="_blank">Picky Palate</a>, Angie of <a href="http://www.bakerella.com/" target="_blank">Bakerella</a> and me] </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[I love the turkey legs in Disney World!]</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[Jaden Hare & Scott Hare of <a href="http://steamykitchen.com/" target="_blank">Steamy Kitchen</a>, Julie Deily of <a href="http://www.thelittlekitchen.net/" target="_blank">The Little Kitchen</a>, me, Diane Cu & Todd Porter of <a href="http://whiteonricecouple.com/" target="_blank">The White on Rice Couple</a>]</span><br />
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I have been traveling frequently to Chicago and Michigan for team meetings (always good to see everyone) and went to Seattle earlier this month for BlogHer Food. It was a great time, a great city and again many of my favorite bloggers were there!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[Alex Thomopoulos of <a href="http://against-thegrain.com/" target="_blank">Against the Grain</a>, me and Todd Porter of The White on Rice Couple]</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[Here I am with the KitchenAid girls, Katie Lee & Tandy!]</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2TxsYkK5Wno0zyw3Ernoq8wde7eM66GmpL7QcHUOekiMO1N_dWmJEKq9eA_0yCmEQaxYjCR9dAypJOyzxuYPbw4OFtmefJxeaeguorT6qtRW6wfl0pbrRYbo2Ph61F44F0U35mxgJo8/s1600/181431_10100935232897580_252038794_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2TxsYkK5Wno0zyw3Ernoq8wde7eM66GmpL7QcHUOekiMO1N_dWmJEKq9eA_0yCmEQaxYjCR9dAypJOyzxuYPbw4OFtmefJxeaeguorT6qtRW6wfl0pbrRYbo2Ph61F44F0U35mxgJo8/s640/181431_10100935232897580_252038794_n.jpg" width="474" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[Tracy Benjamin of <a href="http://www.shutterbean.com/" target="_blank">Shutterbean</a>, Joy Wilson of <a href="http://joythebaker.com/" target="_blank">Joy the Baker</a>, Alex Thomopoulos of Against the Grain, me and Catherine McCord of <a href="http://weelicious.com/" target="_blank">Weelicious</a>]</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcdLzabT5-P_b-52Oti4GFZdHbX5hygFb58ZEzIzh2phvWiAIzNksHtr7HSVmP1-FCpPeCfFmK6LhUVptIaVAU8Xq5JqgZlHpmUtXn0ta0VRL5hjRK37fLigKboLv7VivvEMOk8Pe3wg/s1600/578283_10100935242538260_1824879558_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcdLzabT5-P_b-52Oti4GFZdHbX5hygFb58ZEzIzh2phvWiAIzNksHtr7HSVmP1-FCpPeCfFmK6LhUVptIaVAU8Xq5JqgZlHpmUtXn0ta0VRL5hjRK37fLigKboLv7VivvEMOk8Pe3wg/s640/578283_10100935242538260_1824879558_n.jpg" width="474" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[Here I am with Jaden of Steamy Kitchen]</span></div>
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Most recently, I attended the <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/classic" target="_blank">Food & Wine Classic in Aspen</a>. As a foodie, the Classic is the ultimate event. It is something I have wanted to attend for as long as I've known of its existence. What it looked like, to me, was the most epic food experience possible. The chefs I love making the food I love to eat in a setting that looked like a dream.<br />
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When I took my job last summer, I had no idea it meant I might have a chance to go to this event. I could have only hoped. When my attendance was finally confirmed, it felt like I was dreaming. I counted down the days and this past Thursday, my boss and I boarded a plane for Colorado. The adventure began. <br />
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Over the past five days, I have had one of the best times of my life. <br />
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While I was there to work, and work I did, I couldn't help but indulge in some fun. As part of my job, I attended cooking demonstrations, snapped photos of celebrity chefs, posted content to Facebook, met and mingled with influencers, found <a href="https://twitter.com/KitchenAidUSA/status/214372972880855040" target="_blank">"tweetable" moments</a> and generally just took it all in so I could properly share it with my brand's social media community. You will never really hear me complain about my job, I absolutely love it. <br />
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When I wasn't working, it was time to play, and play I did. During the Publisher's Party on top of the mountain (which we arrived to via gondola), I was introduced to some industry people my age (some of whom also live and work in NYC), and they became my partners in partying for the weekend. We danced our faces off at Gail Simmons' Dessert Party, rode a moose (see below), sipped Belvedere cocktails at the 30th Anniversary Party while listening to the sweet sounds of Elvis Costello, again danced our faces off at the <a href="http://thespazmatics.net/" target="_blank">Spazmatics</a> concert, after-partied until the sun came up, gorged on delicious porky goodness at the Grand Cohocon Party, hopped aboard a bicycle built for 10 to ride around the streets of Aspen and, most significantly for me, successfully met New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker. All in the midst of some of the most gorgeous views of nature I have ever seen in my entire life. Yes, I am a lucky girl.<br />
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I know this is a food blog so I also need to tell you about the food which was absolutely epic. At the Grand Tasting, the short rib dish from Food & Wine Best New Chef Bryant Ng was flavorful, spicy and unique with tongue, jasmine coconut rice and peanuts while the Chocolate Chunk cookies from Jacques Torres were a welcome familiar flavor. The Grand Cochon brought several exciting dishes, like the sweet & sour pork bones from Jamie Bissonnette that were fall-off-the-bone tender and the pork tortellini in pork broth from Chef Marc Forgione that was other-worldly. Even with all the options at the event, and even considering how full I was from all the porky goodness I had consumed, I went back for seconds on both dishes. Forgione also offered a very limited supply of ribs with ramps and black truffles, and I was lucky enough to get one! (see below)<br />
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Other major highlights for me were, without a doubt, the Simmons/Colicchio "Sweet & Savory" demonstration, the annual cook-off between Michael Symon/Bobby Flay and Jacques Pepin/Jean Claude Szurdak (Pepin and Szurdak were victors), the views from the top of the mountain during the Publisher's Party, getting called out by Johnny Iuzzini for being "trouble" after our mutual antics at the Dessert Party and the realization that while I was having one of the best weekends of my entire life, I was technically "working."<br />
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Some photos of the Aspen Classic are below for your enjoyment.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[Jacques Pepin is so adorable!]</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5BQlleajLucIfG3qRAwfF48195OuVxIPIOLu3rUrF9QswwKwUVXmmSAZJ5FPabmRpEL1bEUvYivQVl-tmD8XPeO7GWlwXSnhcXMVLrruH22Oe-wa30l4PnHfYWkCnPLD1uT_Yifv-Jzg/s1600/545426_10100945614941880_236596911_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5BQlleajLucIfG3qRAwfF48195OuVxIPIOLu3rUrF9QswwKwUVXmmSAZJ5FPabmRpEL1bEUvYivQVl-tmD8XPeO7GWlwXSnhcXMVLrruH22Oe-wa30l4PnHfYWkCnPLD1uT_Yifv-Jzg/s640/545426_10100945614941880_236596911_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[Wes Welker is a whole different kind of adorable... GO PATRIOTS!] </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFezIHEuPD9iINMV7f9S91d3VsjRHCiN_m9bNxZhihvZ977tv5d0JoS0hLiJ3PmXStiG9PGR21TxNFsPt3PJwlvxu79XGLiX5fYNYSIuZJqSaXZ-mXun4Ru8sP7Xjz6TqWJXO_QNlONs/s1600/599324_10100945618429890_140117007_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFezIHEuPD9iINMV7f9S91d3VsjRHCiN_m9bNxZhihvZ977tv5d0JoS0hLiJ3PmXStiG9PGR21TxNFsPt3PJwlvxu79XGLiX5fYNYSIuZJqSaXZ-mXun4Ru8sP7Xjz6TqWJXO_QNlONs/s640/599324_10100945618429890_140117007_n.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[Good times with Johnny Iuzzini]</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3Lyu317g0PEvnFF-7rkq7rK5EiF69PUBN7oRGpeNVl-aDuhf66LspPbEVQJGKBe-OvlryVaU_Qni-do4vNOsIwtDQFKUzwHHtlQ70iBCIX6ljI5JKtwqYDj32pUJ0IvayQ_qJ5ZkYK0/s1600/600396_10100945608414960_864131179_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3Lyu317g0PEvnFF-7rkq7rK5EiF69PUBN7oRGpeNVl-aDuhf66LspPbEVQJGKBe-OvlryVaU_Qni-do4vNOsIwtDQFKUzwHHtlQ70iBCIX6ljI5JKtwqYDj32pUJ0IvayQ_qJ5ZkYK0/s640/600396_10100945608414960_864131179_n.jpg" width="434" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[New friends]</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[Obviously my favorite demo! Love Tom & Gail]</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJiiue12ZlF_jqJN_vqkxsX9B94V3Vy-R0Lmf3cx9CunA2nfl7Db_G1j6Ram_4J92sqmF1e8B4hYlJz5dSLbd1sJm55wdrwSNYlULMjltx_7NI2o5VG2EMofLuyRP8-jfPutyoOcnvqsQ/s1600/IMG_7511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJiiue12ZlF_jqJN_vqkxsX9B94V3Vy-R0Lmf3cx9CunA2nfl7Db_G1j6Ram_4J92sqmF1e8B4hYlJz5dSLbd1sJm55wdrwSNYlULMjltx_7NI2o5VG2EMofLuyRP8-jfPutyoOcnvqsQ/s640/IMG_7511.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[INCREDIBLE Pork Rib with Black Truffles and Pickled Ramps from Chef Marc Forgione]</span></div>
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More photos from the Classic: </div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100945607451890.2825791.901447&type=3" target="_blank">My Photos</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151045744748993.486641.321113608992&type=3" target="_blank">Photos I took for KitchenAid</a></div>
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I also promise, promise, promise, my next post will come sooner than three months from now. Until then...<br />
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Let's Eat!<br />
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-The Fabulous Foodie</div>Rachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-61698199412367405302012-03-09T11:03:00.001-05:002012-03-10T09:48:30.287-05:00The Lunch that Changed my Life<br />
The title of this post might have been misleading, because you're probably expecting me to tell you about some phenomenal food I ate, but that's actually not the case (although I definitely will be telling you about some phenomenal food, that's just not the reason this lunch changed my life).<br />
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I feel incredibly lucky that my job allows me the opportunity to do a lot of traveling around the country and to connect with so many amazing people. For those of you who don’t know, I manage the social media and blogger relationships for two Whirlpool appliance brands, <a href="http://www.kitchenaid.com/" target="_blank">KitchenAid </a>and <a href="http://www.jennair.com/" target="_blank">Jenn-Air</a>. Through my job, I have been traveling to amazing places, as I mentioned, and recently had the chance to visit Miami for the <a href="http://2012.sobefest.com/" target="_blank">South Beach Wine and Food Festival</a>, Los Angeles for the <a href="http://design-bloggers-conference.com/" target="_blank">Design Bloggers Conference</a> and Costa Mesa, CA for a custom blogger event all in one long trip.<br />
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As a member of the food blogging community myself, connecting with other bloggers is one of my favorite parts of my job. What could be better than meeting other passionate foodies and getting to call it “work?” I do feel very lucky that it’s part of my job description.<br />
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About a year ago, I went to the <a href="http://www.iacp.com/" target="_blank">International Association of Culinary Professionals</a> conference in Austin, TX. While I was there, I attended a session hosted by the <a href="http://whiteonricecouple.com/" target="_blank">White on Rice Couple</a>, Todd Porter and Diane Cu, a married photography and blogging couple from California. I instantly fell in love with their style, their work ethic and their adoration of food, travel, photography, life and, above all, each other.<br />
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When I started my job last July, I noticed their names on the list of bloggers that my predecessor left for me to work with. From the first time I spoke to Diane on the phone, I was smitten. She was sweet, lively and full of wonderful ideas for how we could work together. I was thrilled when she told me that she and Todd were coming to NYC for meetings and they wanted to get together for coffee.<br />
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Our coffee date ended up lasting almost 3 hours, during which the three of us talked about our mutual love of dogs, taking pictures of food and, of course, KitchenAid. Diane was excited to share an idea she had for me about a custom blogger event that they could host at their studio in California. As luck would have it, I was going to be traveling to LA for the Design Bloggers Conference in February, so the idea for the KitchenAid lunch was hatched.<br />
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Fast forward to two weeks ago. After months of intense planning that included many phone calls, emails and texts, the KitchenAid lunch was finally taking shape. I wish I could take credit for this fabulous event, but it was really Diane & Todd’s hard work and dedication that made this whole thing come together. I like to say that all I had to do was show up!<br />
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They invited some friends of theirs to demonstrate KitchenAid appliances including <a href="http://joythebaker.com/" target="_blank">Joy the Baker</a>, <a href="http://cristinaferrarecooks.com/" target="_blank">Cristina Ferrare</a> and Cristina’s daughter, Alex Thomopoulos who blogs at <a href="http://against-thegrain.com/" target="_blank">Against the Grain</a>. They also invited about 45 bloggers to attend the event. The night before, Diane came and picked me up in Los Angeles and drove me to her home in Costa Mesa. Yes, Diane and Todd were kind enough to invite me to stay in their lovely home. I was greeted at the door by their amazing dog Sierra who I instantly fell in love with and dropped down to the ground to cuddle with (I mean it, I LOVE dogs).<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Sierra the Wonder Dog)</span></div>
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Diane spent most of the night cutting out name tags and finishing planning for what we had dubbed the KitchenAid Lunch.<br />
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We woke up the next morning to arrive early to the studio for last-minute preparations. I was thrilled to meet Cristina who was warm, welcoming and absolutely stunning.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluUrXzHdWLYbZE80cvkZLTgHSrIxRoeofYLU45D_1YuEPlm52ARNhuphl0_hysS1UEgvg0lplwS4uXTEgDjGlrbyaZbUzr113TlJr_HAr8WS8F26caJpaUby5apVr4K7LpF2mEFJsV-0/s1600/IMG_4922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluUrXzHdWLYbZE80cvkZLTgHSrIxRoeofYLU45D_1YuEPlm52ARNhuphl0_hysS1UEgvg0lplwS4uXTEgDjGlrbyaZbUzr113TlJr_HAr8WS8F26caJpaUby5apVr4K7LpF2mEFJsV-0/s640/IMG_4922.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Cristina & me)</span></div>
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Her daughter Alex had me laughing from the moment I met her. A beautiful girl with bright eyes and a huge smile, Alex looked just like her mother and had all her best qualities.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Cristina & Alex)</span></div>
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Finally, I couldn't wait to meet Joy the Baker. She's one cool chick who I knew to be a total badass in the kitchen from reading her blog. In person, she’s down-to-earth, sweet as pie (no pun intended) and a total blast to hang out with.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBf_Fxe-rqWGQAweezmtkeFS7YkubRzoolbvgV5WJtGgeqKHKK6P9jGNkNUKc8ey8j-ehatgMt-lzqR6cBwzbtVr-_srKabxlqNIbXEg_9YdzcmPaddeWOd-wVKhOuaeUEYKzxglLlwRs/s1600/IMG_5028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBf_Fxe-rqWGQAweezmtkeFS7YkubRzoolbvgV5WJtGgeqKHKK6P9jGNkNUKc8ey8j-ehatgMt-lzqR6cBwzbtVr-_srKabxlqNIbXEg_9YdzcmPaddeWOd-wVKhOuaeUEYKzxglLlwRs/s640/IMG_5028.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Me & Joy - photo credit: Anson Cu)</span></div>
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As the bloggers began to arrive, I almost had nervous butterflies. I hoped that the event would be a success, that everyone would have a good time and that it would show just how darn much I adore meeting and working with bloggers. As I mentioned in a post last year, I was absolutely blown away by the food blogging community and they way it reacted to the passing of Jennifer Perillo (of <a href="http://www.injennieskitchen.com/" target="_blank">In Jennie’s Kitchen</a>)’s husband, Mikey. The community came together, offered support and love, baked Peanut Butter Pies per Jennie’s wish and showed true compassion. A lot of money was raised to help Jennie rebuild her life after her husband’s untimely passing, and the story absolutely touched my heart. It was <a href="http://whiteonricecouple.com/films-documentaries/video-creamy-peanut-butter-pie-mikey-jennifer-perillo/" target="_blank">Diane and Todd’s video tribute</a> that really got me (I mist up just thinking about it), and if you have a tissue nearby, you should definitely watch it. It was one of the most moving experiences I have ever been a part of, and was exactly why I couldn’t wait to meet these incredible bloggers.<br />
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From the moment the KitchenAid lunch started, I couldn’t contain my excitement. I introduced myself to everyone and every person there was beyond nice.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(#kitchenaidlunch)</span></div>
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Fresh-squeezed orange juice made from the KitchenAid Stand Mixer Juicer attachment was mixed with sparkling wine to make fabulous mimosas for everyone.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Thank you Jen!)</span></div>
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After we got to chat for awhile, we all took our seats for Diane & Todd’s presentation about telling stories through photography, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house (including mine, obviously) as they shared stories about their work, their love, their dog Dante who they lost recently and their amazing <a href="http://whiteonricecouple.com/films-documentaries/friends-life-recipe-2011/" target="_blank">“Life Recipe”</a> video.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Everyone watching the presentation - photo credit: Anson Cu)</span></div>
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The message that resonated the most from their presentation was that when you do what you love and embrace the natural imperfections that happen in life, great things result. For Diane & Todd, their greatness shows in their incredible photos and videos that they share with their friends and fans. Their greatness also shows in their overwhelming kindness. Can you tell I absolutely adore these two, or what?<br />
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Over the course of the afternoon stories were shared, friends were made and we got to witness some fabulous recipe demonstrations. Cristina whipped up some Potato Cakes in the 13-Cup Food Processor that she then baked and covered with smoked salmon and crème fraiche. This dish was absolutely amazing.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Cristina - photo credit: Anson Cu)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Cristina's Potato Cakes)</span></div>
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After Cristina, Alex stepped up and sliced up Cucumbers and Zucchini to make a fresh carpaccio out of the vegetables.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Alex - photo credit: Anson Cu)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Zucchini & Cucumber Carpaccio)</span></div>
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She had everyone laughing with her sharp humor and drooling over her delicious food. This girl is someone I’d love to be friends with, and I'm so excited for her to come visit New York. Diane, Todd and I watched some of Alex’s stand-up comedy later that night and I was laughing so hard, juice almost came out of my nose. More on that later.<br />
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We were all then treated to an outstanding lunch prepared by Diane and Todd. Vietnamese Chicken Salad (phenomenal), Red Rice with Beans (delicious) and Veggie Chili (so yummy) were served alongside luscious cheeses, hearty charcuterie, delicious crackers and homemade pickled vegetables. I barely had room on my plate for all that goodness, and I was blown away by how fresh everything was. Diane and Todd are truly masters in the kitchen.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(My plate)</span></div>
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After lunch, Joy was up, whipping up Marshmellow Meringue frosting in the KitchenAid 7-qt Stand Mixer.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Joy - photo credit: Anson Cu)</span></div>
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Diane then announced that we would all be decorating the 300 cupcakes they had baked the day before, and the room buzzed with excitement. The frosting was a huge hit, even with me, an official dessert hater. I snuck in a bite of a mini chocolate cupcake with Joy’s awesome chocolate buttercream frosting. Don’t tell the dessert police!<br />
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For the rest of the afternoon, we decorated cupcakes, chatted, laughed and took lots of photos. The event felt like a gathering of old friends even though many of us in the room had never met each other. It felt easy, natural and was just so much fun! As the afternoon began to wind down, we decided it would be a great time to give away the KitchenAid appliances that were generously donated. Everyone was SO excited about the possibility of winning a Stand Mixer, Food Processor or Convection Countertop Oven. Those that did win were beyond thrilled, and it was so great to be able to bring such huge smiles to their faces.<br />
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These are my favorite photos from the event, Todd, Joy, Cristina, Diane, me and Alex laughing because we felt famous with all the camera flashing at us:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Photo credit: Anson Cu)</span></div>
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I also want to take a minute to thank all of the phenomenal bloggers who attended the event. You were all so great to meet and I'm looking forward to future opportunities for us to work together and enjoy more great events. We couldn't have done this without all of you!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Bloggers during lunch)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Bloggers during Cristina's demo - photo credit: Anson Cu)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Bloggers trying Cristina's Potato Cakes - photo credit: Anson Cu)</span></div>
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After everyone had left and the studio had been cleaned, Diane, Todd and I set out on another adventure: walking on the beach and dinner! Our first stop after we went home to pick up Sierra was Newport beach where we walked, talked, took some pictures of the beautiful California sunset and played Frisbee with Sierra.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Newport Beach)</span></div>
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We did our best to work up an appetite for dinner, Diane and Todd knew how badly I wanted to have an <a href="http://www.innout.com/default.asp" target="_blank">In-N-Out</a> Cheeseburger while I was in California, so off we went. I was so excited for my burger that when our number was called, I squealed. How embarrassing! All 3 of us had a Cheeseburger and we shared 1 order of Animal Style Fries. For those of you who don’t know what Animal Style is, <a href="http://www.in-n-out.com/secretmenu.asp" target="_blank">it’s not listed on the regular In-N-Out menu</a>, but those in the know love the melted cheese, sautéed onions and Thousand Island-style dressing that make the famous Animal Style topping. I’m on the fence about it, I do love the cheese and the onions but I’ve never been that into sauce or dressing so I could take it or leave it. On fries though, I have to say, it’s pretty dang delicious.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(3 Cheeseburgers at In-N-Out)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Animal Style Fries at In-N-Out)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......)</span></div>
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We hopped in the car and drove back to Todd & Diane’s where I was served two of the most incredible cocktails I have ever had. A margarita made with fresh lime juice (the limes had been picked from their back yard) was the best margarita I’ve ever had. I usually don’t like them because they can be sugary and heavy, but this was fresh, light and went down a little too easy.<br />
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Lately, anytime Patrick orders a whiskey cocktail and I take a sip, I find that I don’t hate it. Actually, I have kind of been enjoying it. Todd made me an Old Fashioned with fresh tangierine juice (again, he picked them from their back yard) and Tangierine bitters that he made himself. Seriously, is there anything these two CAN’T DO?! I loved the drink and finished every last drop. While I was drinking it was when we watched <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpTe6LuwqIw" target="_blank">Alex's comedy</a> and juice almost came out of my nose. Yes, almost. Then Diane and Todd said that they were going to take me for the best pizza ever. Pizza? After In-N-Out? Surely they were absolutely insane. And let me tell you, that’s my kind of crazy!<br />
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We climbed into the car again to head to <a href="http://www.pizzeriamozza.com/NewportBeach/home.cfm" target="_blank">Pizzeria Mozza</a> where we got 3 seats at the pizza bar. This gave us the prefect view of the pizza oven as we watched our second dinner being made. We ordered (of course) three individual pizzas so that I could try a bunch of different kinds. Todd ordered the Potato, Bacon and Egg pizza, Diane ordered the Fennel Sausage pizza and I requested the Funghi pizza with Fontina cheese. The restaurant was warm and smelled like heaven, and when the pizzas were placed in front of us, I almost drooled. First, the Fennel Sausage Pizza.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Fennel Sausage Pizza at Mozza)</span></div>
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I LOVE sausage, and this was delicious, but what really blew me away was the crust. It managed to be light and airy but also chewy and substantial at the same time. It was like no crust I had ever tasted before, and I instantly understood why they insisted upon taking me to Mozza. I wasn’t crazy about the red onion or scallions on the pizza, but the crust and sausage were amazing.<br />
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Next up, the mushroom pizza. Wow. This was so good. So so good. The mushrooms were the tastiest I’d ever had and paired with that amazing crust, THIS was a pizza! My mouth is watering thinking about it now…<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Funghi Pizza at Mozza)</span></div>
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I did also try Todd’s Potato pizza and yes, it was very good, but just not my preference. It tasted like a yummy breakfast dish, not a pizza.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Potato, Bacon & Egg Pizza at Mozza before the yolk is broken)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Potato, Bacon & Egg Pizza at Mozza after the yolk is broken)</span></div>
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I thought about that mushroom pizza the whole ride home and the second we got home, I climbed into bed and was asleep instantly. It was the most decadent but incredible dinner I’d had in a long time.<br />
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The next morning, even though I was still full from our meal the night before, Diane and Todd drove me to Little Saigon for a Vietnamese Banh Mi breakfast. I feel like I’m gaining weight just by re-writing this! We made a few stops once we got there from a fruit market to try Jack Fruit (a huge, sweet fruit with an enormous seed) and other colorful delights.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Diane in the Fruit Market)</span></div>
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Then to <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/vans-bakery-westminster" target="_blank">Van’s Bakery</a> for Chicken Pate Chaud (flaky, buttery, tastes like a chicken pot pie) and fried mochi.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Chicken Pate Chaud from Van's Bakery)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Mochi from Van's Bakery)</span></div>
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Finally, we went to <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/banh-mi-and-che-cali-bakery-westminster" target="_blank">Banh Mi & Che Cali</a> for Banh Mi Sandwiches, the breakfast of champions! Diane got a Lemongrass Beef sandwich and a traditional Pork sandwich. What really surprised me was the price of the sandwiches. They were each under $3! I don’t think we’re in New York City anymore, Toto. As I was taking a huge bite of the sandwich and had sauce dripping down my face, I received the best compliment Todd ever could have given me, “Rachel, you’re a really good eater!” he said. I have arrived.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Lemongrass Beef Banh Mi from Banh Me & Che Cali)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Pork Banh Mi from Banh Mi & Che Cali)</span></div>
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The Lemongrass Beef was SO awesome. I’d never had it before and I loved it even more than the traditional Pork Banh Mi. I hope I can find this version of the sandwich in New York because I loved it! Don’t get me wrong, the pork was great too, but the beef! Wow the beef.<br />
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After “breakfast,” I was so sad to have to say good-bye to Diane, Todd and Sierra. They drove me to the airport and we hugged and said our good-byes. While I definitely was sad to leave, I was so happy to have formed this amazing friendship with these incredible people.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(Todd & Diane, Breakfast)</span></div>
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Diane and Todd, words can’t express how much our visit meant to me. You two hosted an event like I’ve never been to before. You are beautiful people, full of love and it’s clear how much you mean to the food blogging community. Thank you thank you thank you for welcoming me into your home, for the incredible cappuccinos Todd made me each morning, the amazing local food you shared and thank you mostly for the memories of this incredible trip.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(New friends)</span></div>
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Let's Eat!<br />
-The Fabulous FoodieRachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-7298665918647009342012-03-04T17:34:00.005-05:002012-03-05T07:54:18.496-05:00Dim Sum at Jing FongAs you’ll remember from my <a href="http://the-fabulous-foodie.blogspot.com/2011/05/adventures-in-china-town.html" target="_blank">post</a> last May, I never realized that a true “dim sum” meal was only served between the hours of 11am and 4pm on weekends. I literally thought it was a style of dining that could happen on any day at any hour, and Patrick and I learned the hard way that this wasn’t so. Over the long President’s Day Weekend two weeks ago, 7 friends, Patrick and I ventured down to China Town at an appropriate hour (1pm) to enjoy some Dim Sum at <a href="http://www.jingfongny.com/" target="_blank">Jing Fong</a> on an appropriate day (Sunday.) Boy were we in for an adventure.<br />
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Thanks to a good friend from home, I had been out until about 5am the night before this dim sum adventure, so needless to say, I was running a few minutes late for our 1pm meeting time. Since I have such punctual friends, some of them were right on time and were able to put our name in for a table. When Patrick and I rounded the corner onto Elizabeth Street, we saw a small mob assembled on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. I panicked for a moment because I was getting what my friends and I like to call “hangry,” a combination of hungry and angry, the later being mainly caused by the former. Once we met up with our friends, we were told the wait wouldn’t be too long, and it really wasn’t. </div>
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I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly large parties were being called into the restaurant, and then I became skeptical. I mean, how could they possibly seat THAT many people THAT quickly? I would soon learn the answer to my question. When our table was called, I did a little yelp of joy and followed my friends inside. <br />
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What I wasn’t expecting was a very long escalator that we had to ride underneath a beautiful crystal chandelier.</div>
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An escalator in a restaurant? Hm, okay. There’s a first time for everything. </div>
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Nothing could prepare me for the room we were about to walk into. The only thing that makes me happier than a real football field is a restaurant the size of a football field, which Jing Fong is. Hundreds of people sat in the room as tables of varying sizes pulling food off of carts as they rolled by How glorious this dim sum idea was! I couldn’t believe the eating adventure I was about to embark upon.<br />
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The 9 of us sat at our table and almost immediately, about 12 plates of food were placed in front of us. They just kept pulling dishes off the cart and we just kept shaking our heads yes. More food, please! I squealed with excitement, pulled apart my chopsticks, poured myself a huge glass of water and a cup of tea and off I went. <br />
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I can’t really explain in detail every single thing I ate, but there were shumai (my favorite), dumplings, spring rolls, vegetables, chicken feet (Patrick’s fave):<br />
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and lots of other things filled with various kinds of meat (shrimp, pork, chicken, beef). I absolutely loved the shrimp shumai:<br />
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and the Taro Cake:<br />
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A Taro Cake is a slightly spongy dish that my friend Kat encouraged me to try. It was a flavor unlike anything I’d ever had before, earthy and full of flavor. I highly recommend it if you ever find yourself out for dim sum.<br />
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Every time a cart rolled by, we shook our heads yes for more plates to be placed on our table.<br />
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The more we ate, the more water we gulped to offset the intense amount of sodium we were consuming and I was sure this meal was going to cost me a pretty penny based solely on how much food we had. When we couldn’t possibly eat another bite, we requested our check and I prepared myself for what I was sure would be a lot of damage. Not so. It came out to exactly $15 per person INCLUDING tax and tip. In New York City? For that much food? Surely there must have been a mistake.<br />
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I left Jing Fong with both a tummy and a wallet that were full and happy. We climbed back onto the escalator to go back out into the street and even though I was the thirstiest I had ever been in my entire life, I considered our meal to be a great success.<br />
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Have you ever done a dim sum brunch? What are some of your favorite dishes you’ve had?<br />
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Let’s Eat!<br />
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-The Fabulous Foodie</div>Rachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-922308038391596562012-03-03T11:18:00.001-05:002012-03-04T17:36:44.898-05:00The Best Sushi I've Ever Had... Ever.<div style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">
Seeing as I eat sushi several times a week, it takes a lot for me to see that I just had the BEST sushi I've ever had, but I really did, and I don't see any sushi ever topping this. <br />
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One of my favorite things about my boyfriend (along with a lot of other amazing qualities) is that anytime I'm hungry, he's willing to go out and eat whatever I'm craving. Last week, I was craving sushi, and he mentioned that a co-worker had strongly recommended <a href="http://www.sushiyasuda.com/" target="_blank">Sushi Yasuda</a> on 43rd between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. I did my research and found very good reviews for this restaurant, so I gave them a call and was excited that they had an open reservation for two that very evening at 7:30pm, so I took it.<br />
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Patrick and I met near my office after work and hopped on the subway up to Grand Central and we walked from there. We had a hard time finding the entrance at first, but once we did we ducked inside to find a brightly-lit restaurant with very little decoration besides the light wood wall panels and a row of chefs lining the sushi bar against the side wall. We were shown to our table and handed two menus to begin what would be an unforgettable meal.<br />
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The first thing that struck me about the menu was the sheer absence of anything fried or covered in sauce. The menu was broken out into all different types of fish and even had a Pre Fix option where, for $22.50, you could choose five pieces of sushi, two maki rolls and either a soup or a salad. I don't understand why more sushi restaurants don't do this and instead force you to order specific rolls that they have grouped together.<br />
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I ordered the Seaweed and the Pre Fixe sushi: Yellowtail (2 pieces), Tuna, Spanish Mackerel & Eel with a Yellowtail Roll and a Tuna Roll. Patrick also got the Pre Fixe sushi and we ordered a Toro Roll to share. The Seaweed Salad was unlike any other I'd had before. The plate that was placed in front of me had 5-6 different types of seaweed on it, not just the green stringy variety I was used to. The plants ranged in color from red to purple to green. The dressing was served on the side and I dunked the leaves into the tasty sauce one by one. If I had to choose, I’d say the green stringy seaweed is the one I prefer, but it was a great way for me to try something new and was the perfect way to whet my palette for the sushi. <br />
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The Seaweed Salad was followed by the perfect bowl of Miso Soup that was the most flavorful I've ever tasted. It’s hard for a restaurant to improve too much upon Miso Soup since it is so simple, but this soup was truly wonderful—rich and aromatic with deep, full flavor. Patrick and I both picked up our bowls to slurp the last bit so as not to waste a drop.<br />
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We awaited our fish eagerly and I was very excited when large round plates were placed in front of us. <br />
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The rolls were smaller than I was used to but the fish was vibrant and looked incredible. Upon the first bite of the sushi, I was truly blown away. Never had I tasted a fresher piece of fish. Patrick had a similar reaction to his first bite and noted that the fish was “melty.” He asked, “what’s a better word for melty?” When we heard the man at the table next to us call his sushi “buttery,” Patrick and I nodded our heads at each other. That was the perfect word, as the fish was so tender and the rice so creamy that it fell apart in my mouth in the most wonderful way possible. <br />
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The biggest problem I have with sushi is that I usually eat it far too quickly. I do try to eat it slowly, but all too often, it’s gone before I can say “omakase.” I wasn’t about to let that happen with this heavenly sushi, so I made a great effort to eat my meal slowly, savoring each bite. Each piece of fish I ate was better than the one before it, and I was in absolute awe of the food I was putting into my mouth. I understood why every table in the restaurant was full.<br />
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Once we had each finished our Pre Fixe sushi, we moved on to the Toro Roll that we were sharing. I had been meaning to try Toro for a long time, but the letters “MP” next to it on most menus usually steers me towards the Maguro or Hamachi instead. Since we were in an obviously special sushi restaurant, we decided to spend the extra money to try the roll, and it was completely worth it.<br />
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Toro is Fatty Tuna and when you eat it, it actually melts away in your mouth. It was a very unique experience and although I felt the Toro was missing the substantial texture of the sushi fish I’m used to, I evaluated it without comparisons and decided that I absolutely loved it. <br />
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When we were done, I decided I wanted one more roll, and Patrick encouraged me to order another so I got an additional Yellowtail Scallion Roll. It was the perfect way to end a perfect sushi meal, and I was fully satisfied by the time we finished the roll. <br />
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An important thing to note is that when I get to a restaurant and water is delivered to the table, it’s my true preference that I’m given a large water glass. I drink a LOT of water with my meals so rather than risk an empty water glass, I’d rather a larger glass. I was slightly disappointed to see a tiny water glass in front of me when I sat down, but I do have to say, my glass did not have a chance to sit empty for even one second. My glass was refilled about 25 times, which seems both inefficient and impressive to me at the same time. I do think the restaurant would be better off providing larger glasses to minimize their own work, but I can’t complain about it since I was never without water.<br />
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If you love sushi and find yourself in Midtown East, I insist that you pay Sushi Yasuda a visit. Call ahead for reservations, order a ton of sushi, sit back and enjoy the best sushi New York City has to offer.<br />
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Let’s Eat!<br />
-The Fabulous FoodieRachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-89007806052226158752012-02-16T23:23:00.001-05:002012-02-17T17:34:13.939-05:00Come for the Meatballs, Stay for the PizzaOnly two years ago, Michael Chernow and Daniel Holzman revolutionized the restaurant scene and opened <a href="http://www.themeatballshop.com/" target="_blank">The Meatball Shop</a> in NYC's Lower East Side. Serving a variety of meatballs and sauces, The Meatball Shop has been wildly successful, and for good reason. Those meatballs are DIVINE. The atmosphere is bustling and fun, especially at 3am, as the small restaurant is a favorite amongst those who have been out on the town all night (myself included.)<br />
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Due to my intense love of the Meatball Shop, I was slightly skeptical when <a href="http://themeatballfactorynyc.com/" target="_blank">The Meatball Factory</a> opened in the East Village last October. I was worried that the "meatball thing" was getting a little too trendy and that this new Factory would try to be just like the Shop.<br />
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Always willing to be proven wrong, I accepted an invitation from a fellow food blogger to try out The Meatball Factory a few weeks ago. I mostly wanted to see if their meatballs could hold a candle to Chernow & Holzman's, so I grabbed Patrick and off we went to The Meatball Factory on a rainy New York City night.<br />
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The restaurant wasn't very busy when we arrived but I instantly liked how warm and cozy it was inside. Dark wood and dim lighting set the mood for our meal, and then the food started to arrive to the table. First, the restaurant's namesake.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOdNFj6Iqu5_G15dn2Ay6qcojB9DfhAL6y1YWGJuJp15PtQziuKNTJTSQW1OY4KNwu1RZgAvebJGSUh74pf4Ej8KuPOVSjByhSaPdLAIsN90JdVJitBkgoaDvjDew2833kgKHMqCjnT0/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOdNFj6Iqu5_G15dn2Ay6qcojB9DfhAL6y1YWGJuJp15PtQziuKNTJTSQW1OY4KNwu1RZgAvebJGSUh74pf4Ej8KuPOVSjByhSaPdLAIsN90JdVJitBkgoaDvjDew2833kgKHMqCjnT0/s640/photo.JPG" width="640" /></a>We had the Turducken Meatballs (house blend of Shady Farms turkey, Bell & Evans chicken, Hudson Valley Farms duck confit, sage & allspice) with Dragon's Lair Sauce (green curry peanut sauce with red bell pepper and thai basil)<br />
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and Hog Wild Meatballs (raised heritage pork shoulder, ground heritage pork shoulder, Nueske’s cherrywood bacon fat, mascarpone and a dash of red chili paste) with Pepper Monkey Sauce (Dave’s roasted poblano bbq sauce- a smokey & tangy blend of roasted chiles & tomatoes, cider vinegar, & molasses.) </div>
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I LOVED the Turducken Meatballs. They were tender and delicious and the Dragon's Lair Sauce was one of the best sauces I have ever tasted on anything. I had to restrain myself from picking up the bowl and drinking it, it was that good. On the other hand, I wasn't crazy about the Hog Wild Meatballs. I found the consistency to be a little bit chewy and too dense. The BBQ sauce was okay, but nothing special. Needless to say, I focused most of my attention on the bowl of Turducken balls. YUM!</div>
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I did try to save some room for the rest of the food we had coming, the Shrooming Pizza with Roasted wild mushrooms, baby arugula & truffle time cream sauce and the Roasted Brussels Sprouts with maple syrup and red chili sauce.</div>
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The pizza was even better than the meatballs. I loved how thin the crust was and the mushrooms were earthy and perfectly cooked. The pizza was gone faster than it had come out, and we moved onto the Brussels Sprouts.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4XCk0mY_5-uQzhktsNTHRIn9XVGv9acz_FMBjR9ZcrOUY2ho5AOMgeVdafxosoGfsb8C1MYJqpRKlHIYbOA0ZS9C-Vivxi0x4YLL5KiDBc4fS6F3nV6HpBNlVb13TGE6BIAGKYlNuPKw/s1600/photo+copy+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4XCk0mY_5-uQzhktsNTHRIn9XVGv9acz_FMBjR9ZcrOUY2ho5AOMgeVdafxosoGfsb8C1MYJqpRKlHIYbOA0ZS9C-Vivxi0x4YLL5KiDBc4fS6F3nV6HpBNlVb13TGE6BIAGKYlNuPKw/s640/photo+copy+3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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While Brussels Sprouts are my favorite vegetable, I tend to like them a little bit on the lighter side with just a touch of salt, pepper and olive oil. These were very tasty, but the maple syrup weighed them down and made them a bit too sugary. Don't get me wrong, we finished every last one, but I would have liked them better with less on them.</div>
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Even though this meal had us incredibly full, we knew we still had dessert coming, the Hot Tin Roof Sundae (Daves malted hot fudge & sea salt caramel along with candied nutmeg walnuts over marshmellow gelato.) I know I mention this in almost every post, but dessert just isn't my thing. This one wasn't much different, but it was still pretty tasty. The walnuts added a good amount of salt to the dessert, which I like, and mixed with the caramel I almost enjoyed it, but I left most of the dessert-eating to my sweets-loving boyfriend. But not before I had him snap a photo of me with a rare dessert that I actually liked!</div>
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Overall, I really enjoyed our meal at The Meatball Factory. I was glad we gave it a chance and was even pleasantly surprised that short of the name, The Meatball Factory is not trying to be The Meatball Shop. The Shop's meatballs are more of the rustic Italian variety and while the Meatball Factory is definitely riding on more of the trendy meatball wave, some of the food is good enough to sustain it. Some dishes were certainly better than others, but Patrick and I both liked the food we had and would go back again for more. Especially that Dragon's Lair Sauce!</div>
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How do you feel about the meatball trend? Shop or Factory? I'm still very strongly in the Shop camp if I had to choose, but it's best not to compare them, as they are two very different restaurants.</div>
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Let's Eat!</div>
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-The Fabulous Foodie</div>Rachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-40778613691590388592012-01-27T23:28:00.003-05:002012-03-03T11:28:01.685-05:00Did You Say Pepperoni Soup?!Only 7 short months ago, I told a tale (over 3 blog posts) of my insane eating vacation in Austin, TX while I was there for the IACP conference. I ate so much BBQ that I was afraid I'd turn into a whole hog and I gave you every last fattening detail.<br />
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As luck would have it, Patrick's cousin lives in Austin and was getting married, so I got to go back for the week between Christmas and New Year's. I won't torture you with the details of every single thing I ate, but a few meals are necessary to highlight. Boy oh</span></span> boy, Austin is quite the foodie town!<br />
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Our first meal was lunch right after checking into our hotel. A bunch of us went to a place on South Congress called <a href="http://www.hopdoddy.com/" target="_blank">Hopdoddy Burger Bar</a>. You are right if you think the name is a little odd, so here is what it means: Hopdoddy was
created to express the perfect union of burgers and beer: handcrafted
beer (hop) + (doddy), the nickname given to the native cow in Aberdeen,
Scotland. You learn something new every day!<br />
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The line was nearly out the door (usually a good sign) and as soon as I saw the frosty chalices of beer being held by many of the patrons in line, I knew the wait wouldn't be too difficult for us to endure. We all jumped into the line and, even though I don't usually love beer, I couldn't pass up an icy glass of Real Ale Fireman's #4.<br />
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We only had to wait about 20 minutes, and they had a great policy where the table is ready for you as soon as you order your food. I went for the burger called The Goodnight, which was Angus Beef, Tillamook Cheddar, Hickory BBQ Sauce and Sassy Sauce. What the heck is Sassy Sauce?! That's a great question, and I don't entirely know the answer to that, but I think it was some kind of mix of mayo and mustard. Whatever it was, it was delicious!<br />
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Here I am with my refreshing chalice of beer.<br />
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And here is my awesome burger, The Goodnight. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqhBp9ppSD7VVVOTu4r0rl1FRQNTNRqizn2dGw3dOcD6CYwBpSyocXM4km8jRa-GMl73342-Q-J4c7PcHRY6gpdJkAZ8qnOJ32SR8Xd3BMxLkWq_HSPMuHY8Vsx3U1KrveLdTA6ih-ks/s1600/photo+copy+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqhBp9ppSD7VVVOTu4r0rl1FRQNTNRqizn2dGw3dOcD6CYwBpSyocXM4km8jRa-GMl73342-Q-J4c7PcHRY6gpdJkAZ8qnOJ32SR8Xd3BMxLkWq_HSPMuHY8Vsx3U1KrveLdTA6ih-ks/s640/photo+copy+3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was a great burger, perfectly cooked (medium rare, of course), juicy, flavorful and awesome toppings. The bun was great and the sauces were very tasty. Best of all, it was about 65 degrees and sunny, so we got to sit outside and enjoy our food in the sun. Perfect!<br />
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The other meal that I have to mention was our lunch at <a href="http://congressaustin.com/second/" target="_blank">Second Bar + Kitchen</a> on the corner of Second Street and Congress. My friend Rev (better known as <a href="http://burgerconquest.com/" target="_blank">Burger Conquest</a>) introduced me to his amazing friend Julie down in Austin, and Julie is engaged to Second Bar + Kitchen's Chef de Cuisine, <a href="http://chefethanholmes.com/" target="_blank">Ethan Holmes.</a> Julie and Ethan are both totally awesome people, and I wanted Pat to try the Buffalo Frickles I had last time I was in Austin. To my great surprise, Ethan was in the kitchen, so we got to say hi to him as well.<br />
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We, of course, started with the aforementioned Buffalo Frickles with Gorgonzola Cheese Sauce.I can't say enough good things about them. Spicy, tangy, pickle-y and honestly just downright amazing. Pat was a huge fan of them, as I knew he would be, and we finished the plate off in no time at all.<br />
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Next up, and another thing I must give credit to Rev for telling me
about, the Pepperoni Soup, truly one of the most unique soups I have
ever tasted.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguI-e9SEQ4g0M2thooqvy0pd_SgUvDw_ym4mYLaxXf1EQ-tGhn1Fbjs1ysTcT-5dYPSFacJpb6hALGEV_Vw7skctC38VDTKiLrvU2gp0txpXVahd6sUxTLQQkUikzhAW-cJ70WKYO9j3I/s1600/IMG_4020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguI-e9SEQ4g0M2thooqvy0pd_SgUvDw_ym4mYLaxXf1EQ-tGhn1Fbjs1ysTcT-5dYPSFacJpb6hALGEV_Vw7skctC38VDTKiLrvU2gp0txpXVahd6sUxTLQQkUikzhAW-cJ70WKYO9j3I/s640/IMG_4020.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
An amazing bowl of San Marzano Tomato Soup with Pepperoni, Melted Mozzarella and Garlic Croutons, you would swear you were biting into a slice of pepperoni pizza with every taste. Ethan, I don't know how you do it, but keep doing it!<br />
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Finally, another repeat visit, I had to take Pat to <a href="http://www.juaninamillion.com/" target="_blank">Juan in a Million</a> for the Don Juan Taco, "A secret combination of potato, egg, bacon and cheese in a deliciously hot tortilla" for only $3.80!<br />
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I think Pat likes it, don't you?!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lbQXQy12BTS5ENsKpYBO7CrPZOJzt1UyYy7w9EsHqKUnUF-r8h2Bp3836Y4-WbyrchZ5N4xDAIHrV29mLWOsrUGTB01SP1Bebgj2HX7doJN4U9n_ltEInJpkJrV-Q2m1cwLoxamlDLM/s1600/IMG_4045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lbQXQy12BTS5ENsKpYBO7CrPZOJzt1UyYy7w9EsHqKUnUF-r8h2Bp3836Y4-WbyrchZ5N4xDAIHrV29mLWOsrUGTB01SP1Bebgj2HX7doJN4U9n_ltEInJpkJrV-Q2m1cwLoxamlDLM/s400/IMG_4045.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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We did eat a lot of other great things, like BBQ for Pat's cousin's Rehearsal Dinner, Fish Tacos at the <a href="http://austinfoodcarts.com/2010/04/07/turf-n-surf-poboys/" target="_blank">Turf N Surf Po' Boys Food Cart</a> (you have to try the Blue Marlin Taco!) and so much more. Austin is an awesome city with incredible food. I'm going back in March for South by Southwest, and I can't wait for lots of new eating adventures.<br />
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What are some of your favorite spots in Austin? I'm looking forward to checking out <a href="http://congressaustin.com/congress/" target="_blank">Congress</a> next time I'm there.<br />
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Let's Eat!<br />
-The Fabulous FoodieRachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-84721736300535585272012-01-04T13:39:00.000-05:002012-01-04T13:42:29.047-05:00New Year, New GoalsHappy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday spent with family and friends. I was lucky enough to spend Christmas, Hanukkah (yes, my family celebrates both) and my grandfather's 87th birthday with my own family in CT, and then the next week through New Year's Day in Austin, TX with Patrick and his family. His cousin got married and we had a wonderful time in Austin!<br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Here we are enjoying some beer at HopDoddy's Burgers & Beer</span></div>
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I usually don't give into the idea of "resolutions" because I feel like it's just an excuse to wait until January 1st to make important changes to your life, but this year I decided that a few changes were definitely in order for me. I've generally always been fairly active and haven't struggled too much with my weight, but when I moved to New York City and started working in the food industry, let's just say that I haven't been as healthy as possible lately. <br />
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For the new year, I made a few goals that I'd like to share, because I think having them written out publically will help me stick to them. Also, as I review restaurants this year, I won't be trying everything on the menu anymore with no restrictions. My new eating plan will have an effect on my blog posts, so it's only fair I share my goals. I made 8, because it's my lucky number: <br />
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<u>1. No more Bagel Friday:</u> My office gives us free bagels every Friday morning. I will no longer be participating<br />
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<u>2. Replace unhealthy snacks with fruits & vegetables:</u> My faves so far are raspberries, bananas and carrots <br />
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<u>3. Take 2 Fish Oil pills every day:</u> I was cursed with high cholesterol and want to try this natural remedy <br />
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<u>4. Still allow myself to splurge, but make it count:</u> I love steak. I love fried chicken. I can still have these things, but only in moderation and only for special occastions. And no, "Monday night" does not count as a special occasion <br />
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<u>5. COOK MORE OFTEN:</u> At least twice a week, if not more. This also means I need to food shop more often<br />
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<u>6. Only go out to get lunch ONCE a week:</u> Or zero times a week, if I can help it. I'm allowing myself once a week in case of emergencies. This will be a big change from my 5-days-a-week habit. Sorry, Seamless. Cooking more means more leftovers, so I can bring lunch from home<br />
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<u>7. Drink less:</u> Alcohol should also be saved for special occasions. A glass of wine with my steak or a cocktail with friends. Not 5 beers because the Patriots are on<br />
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<u>8. Make smart choices when dining out:</u> I don't need to eat half the loaf of bread or get mac & cheese with my chicken<br />
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I'm sure I'll come up with more, but those are my main eating goals for 2012. What are yours? <br />
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Let's Eat (Healthy!) <br />
-The Fabulous FoodieRachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-38100199328281628312011-12-05T21:37:00.001-05:002011-12-06T18:03:01.204-05:00Amazing Ramen at Ippudo<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As someone who considers herself a foodie in New York City, I know there are a handful of restaurants that simply can not be missed. At the very top of that list is <a href="http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/hakata-ippudo/" target="_blank">Ippudo</a>, the famed Ramen restaurant at the edge of the East Village. Notorious for not taking reservations (and not needing to), Ippudo often boasts over a 2-hour wait. I have gone in once or twice, learned of the long wait and left, and I now realize how big of a mistake that was.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The night Patrick and I went for ramen, it was cold and rainy and truly perfect conditions for eating a huge bowl of comforting noodles. When the hostess told me the wait was only 45 minutes, I gave her my name and we happily headed to the bar to wait for our table. After a few beers (for Pat) and a yummy glass of cucumber sake (for me), our name was finally called and I squealed in excitement. While we had been waiting at the bar, a few people around us ordered some appetizers, and the pork buns looked and smelled incredible. We knew we had to get them.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As we were being shown to our seats, the cooks in the kitchen yelled a welcome to us and we were shown to a cozy table in the back. We immediately ordered a bottle of cold sake and an order of pork buns and then checked out the ramen options. We both knew that we wanted to try the most well-known dish on the menu, so we looked up the ramen that was featured on the "With Chopsticks" episode of one of our favorite shows, The Best Thing I Ever Ate. For that episode, Claire Robinson chose the Akamaru Modern Ramen from Ippudo, and so did we: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">The original "Tonkotsu" noodle soup topped with Ippudo's secret "Umami Dama" miso paste, pork chashu, cabage, kikurage, scallions, and fragrant garlic oil. </span>We both also added a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Nitamago (seasoned salt boiled egg) and Kakuni (braised pork belly). </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">The pork buns were, without any doubt, the most delicious pork buns I have ever tasted. A little sweet, a little savory and wrapped in an amazing, light and fluffy bun.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0c6D_UO8ii_aVz6FdUa0Vd_8vBKvZ0XyOVA9IuTHpE0_vLZKlkRXLc2CfDjfoVR9W3VieO4Hi1mo9ZL_cpsToG64ghGH6W_nAWo4_O3pImpA6gK0aajCmb2vxCS60JqzzVKP61Xha-8I/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0c6D_UO8ii_aVz6FdUa0Vd_8vBKvZ0XyOVA9IuTHpE0_vLZKlkRXLc2CfDjfoVR9W3VieO4Hi1mo9ZL_cpsToG64ghGH6W_nAWo4_O3pImpA6gK0aajCmb2vxCS60JqzzVKP61Xha-8I/s640/photo.JPG" width="640" /></a>I tried to eat it slowly to savor it, but I couldn't help it and it was gone in about 10 seconds. I know it's important to leave as much room for the ramen as possible, but honestly, you can not miss this pork bun.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Now, for the important stuff, the ramen. We saw the two steaming bowls of ramen being brought towards us and we could barely wait to dive into it. I knew I was going to burn my mouth, but it was the most worth-it pain I have ever experienced.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">There aren't enough words to possibly describe how this soup tasted. Bold, complex flavors swirled in a sea of perfectly-cooked noodles and other treasures that hid just below the surface of the incredible broth. Patrick and I looked up at each other about halfway through our meal and realized that we hadn't said a word to each other since the food arrived to our table. For those who know us, it takes a lot to shut us up. This soup surely did the trick.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">If you have the chance to make it to Ippudo in NYC for ramen, I'd highly suggest you do so. It's a food experience you really shouldn't miss. What are your thoughts on ramen? Amazing bowl of comfort food? Trendy food that won't outlast the test of time? Let me know what you think!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">-The Fabulous Foodie</span></div>Rachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-22668961774796884582011-11-18T17:38:00.001-05:002011-12-06T18:00:26.981-05:00Rizzuto's in Stamford, CT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I recently had the pleasure of trying <a href="http://www.rizzutos.com/stamford/" target="_blank">Rizzuto's</a>, a brand new restaurant in Stamford, CT. The Rizzuto's name has been around awhile with location sprinkled all over Connecticut, but the Stamford location just opened about a week ago. I took my good friend Katelyn there for dinner for her birthday since she lives in Stamford and I have to say, we had a truly wonderful experience there that I want to tell you about.</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-uWEpr60rGjvN4BL-ZS5PIKe4vSGaaabHT0JXELAzDM2x3NyTJpkbD8xAKIl18obzs5MrIJi_rSQnUbxzMwuCaz0qUCvkKeB6weaTgBvu6OfJHOonNsGQVNU-Vy1j9yDdVC5wypszx5g/s1600/7497.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-uWEpr60rGjvN4BL-ZS5PIKe4vSGaaabHT0JXELAzDM2x3NyTJpkbD8xAKIl18obzs5MrIJi_rSQnUbxzMwuCaz0qUCvkKeB6weaTgBvu6OfJHOonNsGQVNU-Vy1j9yDdVC5wypszx5g/s1600/7497.gif" /></a></div>
I made a reservation on one of my favorite websites, <a href="http://www.opentable.com/" target="_blank">OpenTable</a>, for 6:45pm and called the restaurant ahead of time to ask them to bring a slice of cake with a candle out for Katelyn after dinner. The host on the phone was SO nice and helpful, I knew our dinner was going to be great. Kate picked me up at the Stamford train station and we arrived right on time for our reservation. The host, who I assumed was the one I had spoken to on the phone, said "Rachel, Party of 2?" and then gave me a "this must be the birthday girl" wink.<br />
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We were shown to a table for 2 and I took in the fun decor of the restaurant. Cozy and inviting, I was already loving it before we even had our first bite of food. Our waiter, Mike, came over to greet us and take our drink order and he was energetic, friendly and warm. He talked to us about it being the first week that the restaurant was open and made us feel so welcome. </div>
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Kate and I decided to share the Meatballs, Cesar salad and Eggplant Rollatini to start, then I had the Cavatelli & Sausage and Kate had the Rigatoni. We also shared a bottle of Pinot Noir. I didn't take pictures of any of the food, but everything was truly delicious. I was super impressed especially with the meatballs. I have had too many bad meatballs in my day and know how easy they are to screw up, but these were awesome.<br />
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Our waiter Mike was one of the sweetest waiters I have ever had in my life. You could tell he loved his job and we thought he was wonderful. Then I noticed him lighting Katelyn's cake behind her back and looking to me for the nod of approval to bring the cake to the table. I found this SO sweet and Katelyn was totally surprised!<br />
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Here is our adorable waiter singing Happy Birthday to Katelyn:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDG5kMxyYKu1vCgJl1jkp39yysAp4gNgtkEzMA3doZLzWDkC4fFSEvIut22fWPcf3A4gulcU02eWj7ZcKhAhBeBS1Pw1en8g2fhmQP5FqLvieqXBnL_iwP154LYW5G-zklLkvKo6ZcRI/s1600/photo%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDG5kMxyYKu1vCgJl1jkp39yysAp4gNgtkEzMA3doZLzWDkC4fFSEvIut22fWPcf3A4gulcU02eWj7ZcKhAhBeBS1Pw1en8g2fhmQP5FqLvieqXBnL_iwP154LYW5G-zklLkvKo6ZcRI/s400/photo%25281%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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By the end of the meal we were completely stuffed and happy. We sat talking for over an hour after we had finished our meal and not once did they rush us out of make us feel unwelcome. The owner of the restaurant, Mr. Rizzuto himself, came over to as us how our meal was and we told him the truth. It was absolutely wonderful!</div>
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How important is good service to you in the grand scheme of your meal? Would bad service ruin a wonderful meal? Would amazing service save terrible food? Let me know!</div>
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Let's Eat!</div>
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-The Fabulous Foodie</div>
</div>Rachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-69992748492421814532011-11-16T23:07:00.001-05:002011-12-06T18:00:52.897-05:00Strip House Steak Rivals LugerI know the title of this post is just ridiculous. A better steak than <a href="http://the-fabulous-foodie.blogspot.com/2010/12/best-ive-ever-had-steak.html" target="_blank">my out-of-body experience at Peter Luger last winter</a>? Could it be? Maybe. All I know is that Jill, Lauren and I had been dying to try <a href="http://www.striphouse.com/" target="_blank">Strip House</a> in the Village for months and we finally snagged a 9:30pm reservation last Saturday night.<br />
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Since I usually do write about the full experience, I will get out my complaint that our table wasn't ready on time and we had to sit and wait a full 25-30 minutes before we were seated at a table smack in the middle of the crowded bar. But whatever disappointment this caused quickly melted away as soon as we started eating.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> (photo courtesy of nycgo.com - this was our exact table!)</span></div>
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For our appetizer, the 3 of us split the <cite>New England Sea Scallops</cite> with edamame succotash, black truffle butter and corn broth and the <cite>Caesar Salad</cite> with hearts of romaine, paprika croutons and shaved parmesan. Both were very yummy and we were all so starving that the food was gone before I could even think to take a picture. Oh well, sometimes you really just have to live in the moment.<br />
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Something I may have mentioned about my dear friend Jill in the past (sorry Jill) is that we like our meat cooked a bit... differently. I mean this in the most loving way possible, but my friend really likes to make sure that cow is dead. Not me. It could be mooing and I'd likely still eat it. Medium rare is how I like mine cooked, the bloodier the better. Gross to some, yes, but not to Lauren. This is why the two of us decided to split the 40 oz. Classic Porterhouse for two. Lauren had to be talked into this cut, but I'm pretty sure she was very happy with our decision.<br />
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For our sides, we chose the Black Truffle Creamed Spinach, <cite>Sautéed Wild Mushrooms and </cite><cite>Sautéed Green Beans With Garlic</cite>.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhECLymfx_YuhXpgpabEoLawNOI0l55Y38rbtNK2eG7uIE5ZJtXx2-2LCQRaRr8rBms7RtCbD-sRQ-jef1YCiEISQVWy0BdvT9uHBjo8-TVsC4IyB_UaEn6I_YXSBBDQApfyEf2Ck27RM0/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhECLymfx_YuhXpgpabEoLawNOI0l55Y38rbtNK2eG7uIE5ZJtXx2-2LCQRaRr8rBms7RtCbD-sRQ-jef1YCiEISQVWy0BdvT9uHBjo8-TVsC4IyB_UaEn6I_YXSBBDQApfyEf2Ck27RM0/s640/photo.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Yum! While I only took a small taste of the spinach to save my stomach, all 3 of these were absolutely perfect. The green beans were crisp, the spinach creamy and the mushrooms earthy. Wonderful compliments to our unbelievable steak, my plate was truly a work of art.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuw07bpLIj2yMZNTPtmoNzeX7tMWaDi_i4XZswxEYFUpzj8vCWTTRtWPqX3C-s_c0sYcqfx-3FBQwZYMWdzzY74umeTVcjCxH8TROdglTE_5_SGbAFxfVPdnsi_PEs69vLB7X3oTLcz7Q/s1600/photo%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuw07bpLIj2yMZNTPtmoNzeX7tMWaDi_i4XZswxEYFUpzj8vCWTTRtWPqX3C-s_c0sYcqfx-3FBQwZYMWdzzY74umeTVcjCxH8TROdglTE_5_SGbAFxfVPdnsi_PEs69vLB7X3oTLcz7Q/s640/photo%25281%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
I know a lot of people would be turned off by how rare my steak was, but this was an utterly perfect piece of meat. Since Lauren loves Filet Mignon and I love NY Strip, the waiter gave her more of the Filet and me more of the Strip. Amazing. Fantastic. Incredible. I can't use enough words to describe how phenomenal this steak was. Was this better than Luger? I don't know if I can actually make that call, but this was pretty darn close.<br />
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We didn't leave any room for dessert (big surprise for me) and overcame our food coma with espressos and capuccinos for the table. Then we strapped on our dancing shoes, headed out in Meatpacking and had a great night. I'm curious though, how do you like your steak cooked? Do you think medium rare is too bloody? Do you agree with me that medium well is a waste of a perfectly good piece of meat? Well, I say, to each their own, just don't overcook MY steak.<br />
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Let's Eat!<br />
-The Fabulous Foodie<br />
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<br />Rachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-42247015082404595132011-10-11T15:48:00.001-04:002011-11-16T23:34:11.443-05:00Options Abound at Flex MusselsI know, I know. I STILL haven't posted my recap from mine & Pat's trip to Chicago last month. I'm terrible! Note to self: don't load photos onto work computer, because you're never going to have time to write a blog post while actually AT work. I should have realized this. I do promise the post is coming though, within the next few days. Seriously this time.<br />
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I do want to tell you about the dinner I had last night with Lauren & Jill at <a href="http://flexmusselsny.com/13th/" target="_blank">
Flex Mussels</a> in the West Village. We'd all been meaning to try this place for a while, so we made a reservation for 8pm. We walked in through the cute bar area and were led back into a room illuminated by a glowing beach scene on the back wall. The nautical theme continued throughout the entire space, and we sat down to take a look at the menu.<br />
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Talk about variety! They had so many different types of mussel dishes, I think I changed my mind about 5 times before settling on the Little Neck with fresh chopped clams, bacon, red pepper, breadcrumbs and herbs, but I substituted garlic for the red pepper. The entire restaurant smelled like garlic, one of my favorite aromas, so by the time my mussels came out, my mouth was already watering.<br />
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Before the mussels, Jill and I shared a yummy goat cheese and beet salad that had amazing candied walnuts in it. I was a little nervous that salad and mussels wouldn't be enough to satisfy my intense hunger, but boy was I wrong! The portion of mussels was enormous. Not to mention mine also included clams and BACON! I didn't count how many mussels were in the bowl, but it was more than enough.<br />
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Garlicky, tender and full of flavor, the mussel dish was so good that I almost wanted to drink the leftover liquid once I was finished. Come on, I said almost! I do have manners, you know.
I'm excited to go back to Flex to try some of the other mussel dishes on the menu. If mussels aren't really your thing but you want to try the restaurant, Jill had the salmon, which I tasted, and it was very good too. I highly recommend you check out Flex Mussels if you're in the neighborhood. What's your favorite way to eat mussels?<br />
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Let's Eat!<br />
-The Fabulous FoodieRachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-55821626867195994832011-08-30T17:09:00.008-04:002011-11-17T00:00:05.775-05:00A Fund for Jennie<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJL5WSKSjVPjhDOZ4JGkewi21lG7XfOwtLLyp3LSbuMK2lEYFIkcMd7nIRNHkpnFmAPah8iX_M8bdg1WD5_vzXSXGyGpRf1z-DaXwuXIAus5c8ryAOn2ZVRy6bVttLJW7vt7djoZAf7iA/s1600/love-12%255B1%255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646765707363500178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJL5WSKSjVPjhDOZ4JGkewi21lG7XfOwtLLyp3LSbuMK2lEYFIkcMd7nIRNHkpnFmAPah8iX_M8bdg1WD5_vzXSXGyGpRf1z-DaXwuXIAus5c8ryAOn2ZVRy6bVttLJW7vt7djoZAf7iA/s1600/love-12%255B1%255D.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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Sometimes things happen that really make you wonder, really make you feel like life just isn't fair. A few weeks ago, I noticed my Twitter stream come alive with the hashtag <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/search/apieformikey?q=apieformikey" target="_blank">#apieformikey</a>. Upon further investigation, I learned that the husband of a well-known and well-respected Food Blogger, Jennie Perillo of <a href="http://www.injennieskitchen.com/" target="_blank">In Jennie's Kitchen</a>, had died suddenly of a heart attack leaving Jennie to care for their two young daughters and mourn the loss of the love of her life. I don't know Jennie, and I had never read her blog, but my heart broke.
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Jennie's request to the food blogging community: make a peanut butter pie and share it with someone you love. What happened next brings tears to my eyes, as this incredible community of wonderful people started to bake. The White on Rice couple, a lovely couple I have had the pleasure of working with at my new job, made <a href="http://whiteonricecouple.com/films-documentaries/video-creamy-peanut-butter-pie-mikey-jennifer-perillo/" target="_blank">this incredible video tribute to Jennie </a>(warning: this made me sob at my desk).
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That same incredible community of people then started A Fund for Jennie to raise money to help Jennie with the financial troubles that resulted from Mikey's passing. Almost every single food blogger I have ever heard of, met or worked with either made a Pie for Mikey, donated an auction item to A Fund for Jennie, or did both.
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I have been lucky enough to get to work with <a href="http://www.bloggerswoborders.org/" target="_blank">Bloggers Without Borders </a>on A Fund For Jennie, and there are <a href="http://www.bloggerswoborders.org/afundforjennie-auction-list/" target="_blank">still some live auctions</a>, so head over to their website and check it out. You can also <a href="https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=9wGRU_Uxx3miaLXbaEPLPxTGOJl7Tp1tdjaEL5KHGmgbWg7VI6GwlzNTMnC&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d35d0e363192f28ea2a5d17702da0dbf0" target="_blank">donate directly through PayPal</a> to Bloggers Without Borders, and the money will go to A Fund for Jennie.
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This story has moved me very deeply, I still sometimes sit and cry when I think of what Jennie must be going through, and I hope the love and support of her friends in the food blogging community has helped ease some of the pain.
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This story has made me take extra time to stop and tell the people I love how I feel, especially my incredible family, my wonderful friends and my amazing boyfriend who I feel lucky to know every single day of my life. I love you Patrick.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVvZRLxgu-361PeLzWwuperoXEcFYEpJpRpN7jtWFEvxOg5CQV_LquNj-gJn2q1Hk1tSBGxk05PC5BLBA6190G8iUH49N8XnV1Y6P1_yYaeE6mfeYAuqQVWlxLnBlJKLIa360zEBvDvJM/s1600/75740_965248831450_901447_52066776_1304049_n.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646762900857421522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVvZRLxgu-361PeLzWwuperoXEcFYEpJpRpN7jtWFEvxOg5CQV_LquNj-gJn2q1Hk1tSBGxk05PC5BLBA6190G8iUH49N8XnV1Y6P1_yYaeE6mfeYAuqQVWlxLnBlJKLIa360zEBvDvJM/s640/75740_965248831450_901447_52066776_1304049_n.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>Jennie, I know I don't know you, but I think your strength is simply amazing and I want you to know that I keep you in my thoughts. I'm deeply sorry for your loss.
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-The Fabulous Foodie </div>
<br />Rachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-28052131537614563702011-08-23T21:44:00.010-04:002011-11-16T23:35:38.731-05:00Classic Ukrainian Fare at VeselkaThe East Village is home to a whole lot of amazing food. When I lived in the neighborhood from 2008-2009, I was lucky enough to live on one of the most amazing food streets in NYC, East 7th Street between 1st Avenue and Avenue A. Without a doubt, <a href="http://www.veselka.com/index2.html" target="_blank">Veselka</a> Ukrainian restaurant is a New York City institution. Not only is it open 24 hours, 7 days a week, but it serves up some of the best grub this city has to offer.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTGseAW5Pw8UwxVGtVpNkjtajuIhxb-k27TCoHgqvepd17CsqmEc0uzxmLSg0njciRwiuW3SmECUabdZwMTosLvxLGqnzezSq02ioZHljvffs1riIMyBM5OGvZ7x4hyphenhyphenJNg358kl8Weris/s1600/veselka_05.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644233634019633570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTGseAW5Pw8UwxVGtVpNkjtajuIhxb-k27TCoHgqvepd17CsqmEc0uzxmLSg0njciRwiuW3SmECUabdZwMTosLvxLGqnzezSq02ioZHljvffs1riIMyBM5OGvZ7x4hyphenhyphenJNg358kl8Weris/s1600/veselka_05.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(photo courtesy of yonyc.net)</span></span></div>
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Once I heard the restaurant had celebrated its 55-year anniversary, I knew it truly had to be something special. In a city where nothing is permanent and restaurants come and go on a daily basis, 55 years is like 10 lifetimes in the restaurant world. I have a feeling there's good reason for this.</div>
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A few Fridays ago, Patrick and I were hungry and wandering around the East Village looking for some grub. We had put down a few beers at <a href="http://www.schillersny.com/">Schillers</a> and we were both craving some good comfort food. We were lucky to get a table for two outside on the sidewalk and opened the giant menu to make our selections.</div>
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While neither of us had ever had borscht before, we were intrigued by the bright pink liquid being served around us. Since it was warm out that night, we ordered the Cold Borscht and I have to say, it was such a hot shade of pink when it came to the table that I was almost afraid to try it.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzfuuX1JAeXUFQ2ACIXIdmz5W2HwNOC5088s_SHSnbajz8CUsaugcHWCwG3EWmvYGodhwxgWRVB5IIA_v0Ng23S0EGPkMi2LzIW8g10N4I3XuQgHrg-N6QNwlF5OSWlH_QpaxVuraf80/s1600/photo-2.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644236349121202226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzfuuX1JAeXUFQ2ACIXIdmz5W2HwNOC5088s_SHSnbajz8CUsaugcHWCwG3EWmvYGodhwxgWRVB5IIA_v0Ng23S0EGPkMi2LzIW8g10N4I3XuQgHrg-N6QNwlF5OSWlH_QpaxVuraf80/s640/photo-2.JPG" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>But I'm so glad I did! It was actually very tasty. The broth was rich and bright with the the flavor of beets, but was not overpowering at all. The egg was a delicious addition to the soup. I could have done without all the onions floating in the broth, but I really enjoyed the borscht and was happy to try it.</div>
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Next we ordered a plate of pierogi, which are Ukrainian dumplings. We got 7 of them, boiled, with a variety of fillings: 2 cheese (for me), 2 arugula & goat cheese (to split), 2 meat (for Pat) and 1 sweet potato (for me).<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYxvJyv_-sqD8KS5edJ0WmkmeKSPimFLfuCIY5s8a7C3aeIT-mFwA_MEOq437OJV6cw7r4-lmeCFaV1hYwNJYTi2cVLAcpfO5bHa40c3TiUh_2SBa4Rlp6rfOEvnqXkhAsymz4fjfS41A/s1600/photo-4.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644238770957023810" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYxvJyv_-sqD8KS5edJ0WmkmeKSPimFLfuCIY5s8a7C3aeIT-mFwA_MEOq437OJV6cw7r4-lmeCFaV1hYwNJYTi2cVLAcpfO5bHa40c3TiUh_2SBa4Rlp6rfOEvnqXkhAsymz4fjfS41A/s640/photo-4.JPG" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>They were all really good, but the sweet potato was definitely my favorite. The plate came with apple sauce and sour cream, and I immediately wished we had ordered 7 more. </div>
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Finally, I ordered myself a potato pancake. Patrick ordered Goulash which is veal braised in a creamy herb sauce with mashed potatoes. I was way too full for something that heavy, but the potato pancake was perfect for me. I've eaten a lot of potato pancakes in my day, and I have to say, this was the best one I've ever had.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8-BJtQPFiHdotwO4dlj1WDKTjPp1I_A54NboYXT7TNmyn0Opc0ZvlPG5CyZvGdYc55dPhRA_najFtjcA2yHWuBXJKv_h-wvlS1VF8asazzc7G3IKHCIpdJFoNHlak732sxtMtu9SeJg/s1600/photo.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644240788445707074" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8-BJtQPFiHdotwO4dlj1WDKTjPp1I_A54NboYXT7TNmyn0Opc0ZvlPG5CyZvGdYc55dPhRA_najFtjcA2yHWuBXJKv_h-wvlS1VF8asazzc7G3IKHCIpdJFoNHlak732sxtMtu9SeJg/s640/photo.JPG" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>It was crispy and flaky and there wasn't one drop of grease to be found. The flavor was incredible and the texture was perfect. This also came with apple sauce and sour cream and once I finished the delightful dish, I was incredibly full.
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A friend told me Veselka allegedly has some of the city's most delicious pancakes, so I definitely plan to return for either brunch or 4am pancakes sometime soon.
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What's your favorite classic restaurant, whether in NYC or somewhere else?
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Let's Eat!
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-The Fabulous Foodie</div>Rachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-80173791095449720192011-08-11T17:38:00.012-04:002011-11-16T23:35:55.256-05:00A Great Tasting Menu at Mas (Farmhouse)Oh how I've missed you all! Please accept my deepest apologies for how long it's been since my last post. Life has been a little hectic lately as I recently got a new job. I am now the Manager of Community Management for two major food industry brands at a large advertising agency in New York. This is truly my dream job, and I feel so lucky to have gotten it. I'm working with wonderful people, and I'm working with what I love: food and social media. Thanks to my friends, my family and my amazing boyfriend for all the love and support.
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Now, on to the important stuff. I recently decided I wanted to take Patrick out for a special meal to thank him for the aforementioned love and support, especially during these last few months as my professional life got a bit overwhelming. I told him he could pick anywhere in NYC, and while we entertained thoughts of the tasting menu at WD-50, incredible fish at Le Bernardin, he finally decided on the West Village's <a href="http://www.masfarmhouse.com/" target="_blank">Mas (Farmhouse).</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3ZaOOSBbSr60c-xbetY4LIgbDXUEOryBRnnbDGrCjV-cVoR0L7dLy1tix9rvuXmmMdA1HUEe8CTPeleeA9Zr48IFY2oeXWxzgpLjuFfZ_0taDo-ukmhQD8c7Hpg4yzqz4gNIgMtIBi8/s1600/maslogo-500x339%255B1%255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639718673705936370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3ZaOOSBbSr60c-xbetY4LIgbDXUEOryBRnnbDGrCjV-cVoR0L7dLy1tix9rvuXmmMdA1HUEe8CTPeleeA9Zr48IFY2oeXWxzgpLjuFfZ_0taDo-ukmhQD8c7Hpg4yzqz4gNIgMtIBi8/s1600/maslogo-500x339%255B1%255D.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a>This was a restaurant we used to pass daily as we walked into our old job in Soho, and somewhere we have both always wanted to try. We waited until a holiday weekend in New York, knowing the city would be very quiet (just the way we like it) and ventured down to the Village for our meal.
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From the moment we stepped into the restaurant, I knew this was going to be an experience like nothing we'd ever had before. We were shown to a cozy table for two in the busy but not overly crowded restaurant, and settled in for our food adventure. We noticed the menu mentioned a 6-Course Tasting Menu, but we couldn't find the actual menu for that anywhere. We asked our waiter, and he explained how it works.
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You tell him your food likes and your dislikes, things you want to try and things you want to avoid, and the chef creates a custom tasting menu based on your preferences and based on whatever is fresh that day. True "farm to table," this was a concept that was just too good for us to pass up. I told the waiter that I liked almost everything, just nothing too spicy and nothing with too much butter. Pat noted that he did like spicy and would pretty much eat anything. And with that instruction, our meal was underway. It's no secret that I like to take pictures of my food, but this place, and this night and this vibe, it just didn't seem right. I decided to put the camera away for the night and just take everything in. Hopefully, I will be able to describe the food to help you envision it, but apologies for the lack of photos.
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We had some very yummy cocktails while we waited in anticipation for what was to come. I had a vodka grapefruit concoction while Pat opted for his usual Manhattan. The first dish that came out was fresh shrimp with several fresh vegetables, and it was quite delicious. I know I just said fresh twice, but that doesn't even begin to describe it. It was as if the shrimp had just been plucked from the sea and the vegetables picked from a garden outside. This was a great start to our meal. Also, each dish was brought out by two people who placed the plates on the table, in front of each of us, in perfect unison, and then plucked the empty plates from us as soon as they were empty. A nice touch.
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The next course needs not only its own paragraph, but its own blog! It doesn't sound spectacular, but oh boy, was it ever. The two waiters placed small bowls of green liquid in front of us and we truly had no idea what we were in for. Asparagus soup with shaved white truffles, poached scallops, sweet corn and trumpet mushrooms. One bite of this soup and Patrick and I looked up at each other in a moment of pure food bliss. The broth was a little sweet, incredibly fresh, full of intensely amazing flavor and the epitome of absolute perfection in a bowl. There is no way for me to emphasize this enough, it was simply the most divine thing I have ever tasted. The scallops were buttery and tender, the corn was sweet and the truffles and trumpet mushrooms added an earthiness to the soup that knocked it out of the park. I literally picked up my bowl for the last sip and almost licked it clean. Then I remembered my manners and didn't, but I REALLY wanted to!
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When the waiters surrounded our table to lift the plates away, it was like saying good-bye to an old friend. I knew that I had to have that soup again and that any dish that came after would pale in comparison. At this point our waiter seemed to have realized that he forgot something pretty big and asked us if we'd be interested in a wine pairing with the rest of our courses. We were interested, but a little annoyed that he was only asking us now after we were two dishes in. At this time, new plates were placed in front of us and we prepared ourselves for the next dish. A simple piece of Halibut sat in the center of the plate and we were served two glasses of red wine. I was surprised that the wine was red to pair with fish, but it was actually perfect. Light, slightly chilled and crisp, it paired very well with the dish. Halibut is one of my favorite fishes for its sheer simplicity, so I was pretty excited. And for good reason. The fish was light, flaky, buttery and fresh. It was unspoiled by any heavy sauces or seasonings and was just very simple and delicious. The piece of fish wasn't very large, but was just enough to be a satisfying seafood course. Again our plates were whisked away, and we were ready for the next course.
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Roasted chicken with crispy skin was again paired with a delicious red wine. The chicken was moist and full of flavor, the skin was perfectly crispy and salted just to my liking. The wine was smooth and paired beautifully. We thoroughly enjoyed this course but we were both hoping for a heartier meat to finish off the pre-dessert courses. And speaking of dessert, I actually asked the waiter if my final course could be something savory, like a cheese course, and he told me it wouldn't be an issue. The next plates were brought out, and we were both very excited to see that the final dinner course was a crispy pork belly. Patrick and I both love pork belly and this dish certainly didn't disappoint. Properly fatty, tender, savory and yummy, our plates were empty almost immediately. A third glass of red wine, this time a bolder, richer wine, was paired with the pork and was really able to stand up to the flavor of the meat.
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As we waited for our dessert course and finished our final glasses of red, we began to look back on the meal and discuss how much we both enjoyed it. We really couldn't get over how incredible the asparagus soup with scallops had been and we discussed how we'd go about describing it to friends before deciding we'd never be able to do it justice. Even now, as you're reading this, you won't be able to fully appreciate this soup unless you go to Mas yourself and try it. It's just that good!
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Unfortunately a piece of cake was placed in front of me, and I was disappointed that the waiter had messed up my final course at such a nice restaurant. I didn't want to complain, so I ate some of it (confirming how little I really like cake) and the waiter stopped by the table to check on us. He looked at my plate and realized his oversight. Now don't get me wrong, I'm okay with mistakes as long as they're handled properly. This was not. To make up for accidentally bringing me out a sweet dish when I told him I favored savory to sweet, he poured us a complimentary glass of <span style="font-style: italic;">sweet</span> dessert wine. It was really surprising to me that he thought this was an acceptable make-good, but our meal had been so incredibly good that I let it slide.
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I paid the bill and we were back out into the New York City night with our stomachs full of incredible food. For a wonderful tasting menu experience, I highly recommend Mas (Farmhouse) and hopefully they will work out the small service glitches to make it a truly perfect experience.
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Do you enjoy tasting menus or do you prefer larger portions of less dishes during a meal? There are a lot of tasting menus I still want to try, but I'm so happy we tried Mas.
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Let's Eat!
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-The Fabulous FoodieRachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-78355747343959983882011-07-06T15:15:00.008-04:002011-11-16T23:36:40.901-05:00Delicious Food, Quirky Service at CraftbarLet’s be completely honest here for a second: Sundays stink. Not only are they the end of the weekend and the gateway to the most awful day of the week, but usually I’m tired from going out Saturday night (my own fault, I realize) and bummed out that I have another 5 days of work until my next weekend. Due to these facts, Patrick and I decided that we would no longer dread Sundays, but instead we would start a tradition of Sunday Night Dinners where we’d have an awesome dinner to look forward to on Sunday nights.<br />
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Last weekend we decided to kick off this new tradition with a dinner at Tom Colicchio’s <a href="http://www.craftrestaurant.com/craftbar.php" target="_blank">CraftBar.</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94lwxF-NQoKEm-h-9cCxav0CvOesvt_Uu4Wu6P3ve9ExtdT7aW0iEu7p2VPbO2f8Al7ArK47LVp3NW1lX1uLzLzG-MliUGvzGOrfHyP85Igej2HiPUmXSdz77Nh3g8N7zppHRt2ONmu8/s1600/craft_bar.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="471" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626321074904757538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94lwxF-NQoKEm-h-9cCxav0CvOesvt_Uu4Wu6P3ve9ExtdT7aW0iEu7p2VPbO2f8Al7ArK47LVp3NW1lX1uLzLzG-MliUGvzGOrfHyP85Igej2HiPUmXSdz77Nh3g8N7zppHRt2ONmu8/s640/craft_bar.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">(PHOTO CREDIT: Blonde in the Kitchen) </span><br />
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It’s no secret that I’m a big time Colicchio fan, and I’ve been wanting to try this more casual version of Craft, the restaurant that Patrick took me to for my 26th birthday dinner. We made a reservation and walked downtown in the warm Sunday summer air.<br />
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When we walked into the restaurant, it was almost completely empty. This sometimes turns me off, but on a random Sunday night at 6pm in the summer I expect many restaurants to be empty. We were shown to our table and our waiter came over almost immediately. This is where things got really interesting. Our waiter was nothing short of hilarious. With an incredibly dry sense of humor and a strong opinion on what we should eat and drink, he provided constant entertainment throughout the entire meal. For diners as open-minded as us, he hit the jackpot. I could imagine anyone with less of a sense of humor or pickier eating habits being completely turned off by his personality, but not us. We were delighted.<br />
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When I told him I wanted a white similar to Sauvignon Blanc but something new, he recommended the Pinot Blanc instead. It was dry, crisp, cold and mild—exactly how I prefer my white wine. It was also several dollars cheaper per glass than the Sauv Blanc, so I gave him silent points for not recommending something pricier. When we told him we were ready to order, he let us know that he’d be right back to tell us about what else they were offering, exclaiming that he was certain we’d need to hear these menu additions. And again, he was right.</div>
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The entrée special for the evening was Berkshire pork for two. Our favorite! He described that the pork was prepared three ways, and while I again can’t recall everything he said, all I really remember are the use of phrases like “succulent,” “fall off the bone” and “you won’t be sorry.” We ordered this dish immediately for dinner. Our hilarious waiter assured me that I would be so happy with the pork dish that I’d have to resist the urge to hug him, but that he’d settle for an enthusiastic high-five.<br />
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Patrick and I decided to start the meal off by sharing the Fried Pacific Oysters with Pickled Cucumber and Old Bay Aïoli. Ever since the fried oysters we had at Beauty & Essex, I’ve been craving them. This version definitely didn’t disappoint.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfHjPx1jBuNGStMimXnZ_NyxA06JzuQWm1OT1DfOGwlIPRrAFTuMMjC89jIBb3nQAKQmtynL2JR1aOgcMFui1FXiVdzNqYoH_Nw4sIFRRvWhDCLrm26SoF-aGaHqdygjorrD5K-x8gts/s1600/IMG_2432.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626322335250196450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfHjPx1jBuNGStMimXnZ_NyxA06JzuQWm1OT1DfOGwlIPRrAFTuMMjC89jIBb3nQAKQmtynL2JR1aOgcMFui1FXiVdzNqYoH_Nw4sIFRRvWhDCLrm26SoF-aGaHqdygjorrD5K-x8gts/s640/IMG_2432.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>Enormous, flavorful oysters were lightly dusted with a crispy coating that had a really great spice to it. There were four oysters in the order, and even half the order was plenty for me given the size of the mollusks.<br />
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The next thing we shared was the Duck Rillette Bruschetta with Fried Duck Egg, Mizuna and Orange Aïoli.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGlAfOazxXcKJrifCZrm-7fksrN8C7oc3q6oF0fB9tyi95H9kXtFfMC5zCdBvKPhXLwk0vuoM8i0rvUJM-ymPxQpXRnNcUbXUkHRvCaSmdFxxSwtocE8CmPz93RZhVCdVj0-vFfXdvC0/s1600/IMG_2431.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626322485665142786" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGlAfOazxXcKJrifCZrm-7fksrN8C7oc3q6oF0fB9tyi95H9kXtFfMC5zCdBvKPhXLwk0vuoM8i0rvUJM-ymPxQpXRnNcUbXUkHRvCaSmdFxxSwtocE8CmPz93RZhVCdVj0-vFfXdvC0/s640/IMG_2431.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>This dish consisted of some very tender duck meat (Rillettes is a preparation of meat similar to pate. The meat is cubed or chopped, salted heavily and cooked slowly in fat until it is tender enough to be easily shredded, and then cooled with enough of the fat to form a paste. Thanks Wikipedia!) While the meat on this dish was a bit salty, I didn’t find it to be too overwhelming and I actually quite enjoyed it. The fried duck egg introduced a nice texture to the dish but I found the aioli to be rather unremarkable. Overall, though, I definitely enjoyed the it.<br />
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As the courses came out of the kitchen and our waiter made frequent visits to our table, he continued to strike up witty banter with us. While the restaurant was empty when we got there and he admitted he was excited we were there so he’d have someone to talk to, people did begin to pour into the restaurant and soon it was quite busy. Regardless of the other patrons, our waiter supplied superb service all night. I noticed that he saw our water glasses were near empty from afar, and I saw him subtly nod to a support person who immediately ran to our table with a pitcher of water. We truly enjoyed his style.<br />
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Finally, the pork dish came out. It was a gigantic skillet that was filled to the brim with green vegetables and pork galore.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpEVkeK8cHklzSoCYu4uJ5j3V4tpzxXjiPPraSbkqKdV-0ssDVdq-UuY1MJR7Mdn5uJsXMoPKC9IULcB0jVjaRK1SgxnyY0hEULTPI-8hhdaczBY2rznD3Brv9RoGuaWolrBp-FixyPo/s1600/IMG_2435.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626322680506334162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpEVkeK8cHklzSoCYu4uJ5j3V4tpzxXjiPPraSbkqKdV-0ssDVdq-UuY1MJR7Mdn5uJsXMoPKC9IULcB0jVjaRK1SgxnyY0hEULTPI-8hhdaczBY2rznD3Brv9RoGuaWolrBp-FixyPo/s640/IMG_2435.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>There were pork cheeks braised in red wine and a hearty helping of pork trotters (pig’s feet) that were lightly fried. I can’t recall the third preparation but I remember the meat being tender and very yummy. To top the whole thing off, there were several pork rinds in there because, well, why not?! We really enjoyed the pork for two, even with the $70+ price tag, but since the dish was plenty of food for the two of us the price wasn’t too crazy. In the end, I did high-five the waiter.<br />
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We ordered coffees but skipped dessert, as per usual, and left Craftbar with a very positive feeling about the experience. Our waiter, although very unusual, was knowledgeable, friendly and quite funny. I hope he uses good judgment when laying his charm on patrons and holds back his over-the-top sense of humor if he can tell it won’t be well-received. Patrick and I were very entertained.<br />
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What are your thoughts on quirky service? Would you prefer a waitperson remain strictly professional at all times? Or are you okay with a little comedy show to accompany your meal? Let me know, I’d love to hear what you think<br />
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Let’s Eat!<br />
-The Fabulous Foodie</div>Rachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-72904293344349167572011-06-28T17:52:00.015-04:002011-11-16T23:38:04.106-05:00Big Apple BBQ 2011Okay, be honest... you're totally sick of reading about BBQ after my trip to Austin, aren't you?! Well too bad! Even though I swore about 20 times that I would never eat BBQ again after my trip to Texas, the <a href="http://www.bigapplebbq.org/" target="_blank">Big Apple BBQ</a> rolled into NYC on June 11-12 and there's no way I could ever miss this event, it's just too good! All the best Pit Masters from around the country drive their pits to NYC's Madison Square Park for a day of all-you-can-eat ribs, brisket, pulled pork and other amazing BBQ delights. It's a fabulous event, and one of my favorite food festivals of the whole year.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOavV3gLoatxljrKKK-7gT6kb1bfEodzHCiiEjxyId2ycAmbw3tThxlwjvJabiwjx1-tayCKIdgR59bLls9RUHN0fbLhFawUh329iwXFNDDSMSE3YlfpDGhSUQ-oVCxmFBVKvcFqTQoHE/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-06-28+at+6.06.37+PM.png"><img alt="" border="0" height="346" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623395578487689026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOavV3gLoatxljrKKK-7gT6kb1bfEodzHCiiEjxyId2ycAmbw3tThxlwjvJabiwjx1-tayCKIdgR59bLls9RUHN0fbLhFawUh329iwXFNDDSMSE3YlfpDGhSUQ-oVCxmFBVKvcFqTQoHE/s400/Screen+shot+2011-06-28+at+6.06.37+PM.png" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="400" /></a>The funny thing is that they sell "Fast Passes" for over $100 a pop that let you cut the line. Just like Disney World! And trust me, Big Apple BBQ is Disney World for grown-ups. I didn't buy a Fast Pass this year because they sold out several months before the event, but my amazing food blogger friend, Megan (better known as the writer behind <a href="http://www.thisgirlcaneat.com/" target="_blank">This Girl Can Eat</a>) texted me the day of the BBQ to say she and her boyfriend had extra passes and did I want them. Did I want them?! I think I cried tears of joy over this news.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ZvJnNsDHZ9pN3MBSEdT99GwPd4W6LZoUTTEFQZd8b654SJh3RYmaJ6FVYqRsVrs9wcfxZ-VvNQut9yewq1bU3E12HWp6Ludbn6iORtLK6RXSDxpjVrIColhCSW8izMGg8yMALm8SE5s/s1600/IMG_2222.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623394496176272050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ZvJnNsDHZ9pN3MBSEdT99GwPd4W6LZoUTTEFQZd8b654SJh3RYmaJ6FVYqRsVrs9wcfxZ-VvNQut9yewq1bU3E12HWp6Ludbn6iORtLK6RXSDxpjVrIColhCSW8izMGg8yMALm8SE5s/s400/IMG_2222.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 299px;" /></a>With passes in hand, Patrick and I headed down to the event in the rain happy about the weather because we hoped it meant it would even be less crowded than usual. Turns out we didn't need to worry about the crowd because those passes gave us "backstage access" to all the food vendors. Several of our friends met us at the event since we told them we could get multiple orders of each dish when we cut the line. It was party time!<br />
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As soon as we got down there, we knew we wanted pulled pork and ribs. My favorite pulled pork last year was from <a href="http://www.bigbobgibson.com/main.htm" target="_blank">Big Bob Gibson's</a> out of Decatur, AL. We hopped in line and as soon as we did, something awful happened. THEY RAN OUT! Noooo!! I was really upset, but quickly got over it when I saw ribs one station over. We got ourselves some <a href="http://www.bakersribs.com/" target="_blank">Baker's</a> St. Louis-style ribs from Dallas, TX.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKI7mdVKmRG7vKF4gfNNzNxDRIwb4cZGU9HgQce9VMDOno0E0A9CQarP04adiuXdIcq_iZHt2fk-z0b7uRH80Y-sQcjI_iGbyX1BRcjfrMzz1GSlAxQVxMjyY_T3Y4gBMqLG4hbZyeoI/s1600/IMG_2230.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623396124874057810" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKI7mdVKmRG7vKF4gfNNzNxDRIwb4cZGU9HgQce9VMDOno0E0A9CQarP04adiuXdIcq_iZHt2fk-z0b7uRH80Y-sQcjI_iGbyX1BRcjfrMzz1GSlAxQVxMjyY_T3Y4gBMqLG4hbZyeoI/s640/IMG_2230.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="476" /></a>After many ribs in Austin that came without BBQ sauce, this was a pleasant change for me since I LOVE BBQ sauce. The ribs were moist, succulent and delicious. They came with a side of cole slaw, one of my favorite BBQ side dishes, and we were off to a great start.<br />
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As we disappeared back behind the ropes to go for some more food, we were met with quite a surprise. <a href="http://www.martinsbbqjoint.com/" target="_blank">Martin's BBQ Joint</a> out of Nashville, TN had a WHOLE HOG out back and they were filling it with seasoning as we walked by. We had to stop and watch. (WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTO)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-EGDPYBrXa6CxlV8cww8mBUbjr2nNaheHXpQ6OLCXlT6Lwc283ai7N0eplr4-WNl5jhL_6i7cdCILOpazp0BM4_3fA-jYBp756VmriH2fsaL8fglZLCmR3gRhynL1Uw1sh3oBBetveA/s1600/IMG_2234.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623397418787706674" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-EGDPYBrXa6CxlV8cww8mBUbjr2nNaheHXpQ6OLCXlT6Lwc283ai7N0eplr4-WNl5jhL_6i7cdCILOpazp0BM4_3fA-jYBp756VmriH2fsaL8fglZLCmR3gRhynL1Uw1sh3oBBetveA/s640/IMG_2234.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="478" /></a> As an animal-lover AND a food-lover, I am always torn by these kinds of situations. Part of me felt like "aw, poor piggy" and the other part of me (namely, my stomach) was saying, "yum, delicious piggy!" Quite a conflict of interest. Of course we had to try this piggy, served on a bun, and boy was it good! I again covered it in BBQ sauce, pickles and cole slaw and went to town.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOh9iPfRIEYF95HVmmdQ_mjQHfnAaUXtIOk8nHkKlvXjfhqSUNWkhk5yMhl_9vUqD0DZZaz61wxU_5yOp5SfAh9lLq4TDPoMU1bEJ8PHT1qq0DZ69QmavYvSUJxtbpbDkHscSFmDZJl38/s1600/IMG_2242.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623637519283346466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOh9iPfRIEYF95HVmmdQ_mjQHfnAaUXtIOk8nHkKlvXjfhqSUNWkhk5yMhl_9vUqD0DZZaz61wxU_5yOp5SfAh9lLq4TDPoMU1bEJ8PHT1qq0DZ69QmavYvSUJxtbpbDkHscSFmDZJl38/s640/IMG_2242.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>Next up, Baby-Back Ribs from <a href="http://www.17thstreetbarbecue.com/">17th Street Bar & Grill</a> out of Murphysboro, IL & Las Vegas, NV.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8q0oWMfQQTMKHWwoweuEzc4jyaM33lUHL-EXdbHIeXKW1ZevSujIukuCONRG-NMgSvrMI8FCoriCxQAoP5qgTFXL1MLCbCt-HtuiSbHiiuRxFeNuA00JrH50KZez-c5l6TPcyijLUKE/s1600/IMG_2247.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623399480014089778" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8q0oWMfQQTMKHWwoweuEzc4jyaM33lUHL-EXdbHIeXKW1ZevSujIukuCONRG-NMgSvrMI8FCoriCxQAoP5qgTFXL1MLCbCt-HtuiSbHiiuRxFeNuA00JrH50KZez-c5l6TPcyijLUKE/s640/IMG_2247.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>These ribs were fatter and meatier than the ones we had earlier, but also very tasty. At this point I was covered in BBQ sauce, licking my fingers and starting to get a little full. It was as if I learned nothing from my multiple Austin food comas and decided to just keep going. Probably not the best decision, but oh well. All for the love of BBQ!<br />
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We moved on to New York's own <a href="http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/" target="_blank">Dinosaur BBQ</a> for Pulled Pork Shoulder. I had been trying to avoid getting any NY BBQ since I live here and can get it anytime, but since I haven't made it up to Dinosaur in Harlem yet, I figured I should give it a try.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpCJKC_j-tfsBhXhlvfkQChMJmbjBmudKBzfyY_mDJQHOmRQ3TpVNCCwPvaLUHUaV6KgdSkCuu9duoGk5CtwYLdso4ogMnpj3aJqPa8SYe5cN20qSz61JoYolfXw1If0p4inQLnJ-QEc/s1600/IMG_2251.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623400366443111970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpCJKC_j-tfsBhXhlvfkQChMJmbjBmudKBzfyY_mDJQHOmRQ3TpVNCCwPvaLUHUaV6KgdSkCuu9duoGk5CtwYLdso4ogMnpj3aJqPa8SYe5cN20qSz61JoYolfXw1If0p4inQLnJ-QEc/s640/IMG_2251.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>This time, the main course came with a side of baked beans instead of cole slaw and these beans were TO DIE FOR. They were loaded with bacon, and honestly, what isn't made better by the addition of bacon?! These beans were out of control good. The pork shoulder was definitely awesome, but these beans! I wanted to drink them with a straw they were so good. My mouth is watering just remembering them.<br />
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I was almost ready to stop there, but then I thought to myself, "Just. One. More. Rib." and went for one last dish. I can't say this was a wise decision, but the Big Apple BBQ only comes around once a year so I got the Baby Back Ribs from <a href="http://www.pappyssmokehouse.com/" target="_blank">Pappy's Smokehouse</a> out of St. Louis, MO.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-NAgUmpVKa-iZssFZNtELdooBMioOfBNlID03J6L3hwB-Q-P63tSckEzqDq4G853vcQqvF87NZAgYGybFNJ2Oojf4FsHtRleZH9ep6q8DzPYGe_jZ8p26Pkeu6ChAIAQJ1eBlvl8a_c/s1600/IMG_2254.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623402310818899170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-NAgUmpVKa-iZssFZNtELdooBMioOfBNlID03J6L3hwB-Q-P63tSckEzqDq4G853vcQqvF87NZAgYGybFNJ2Oojf4FsHtRleZH9ep6q8DzPYGe_jZ8p26Pkeu6ChAIAQJ1eBlvl8a_c/s640/IMG_2254.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>These ribs were really good, fall-of-the-bone tender and the sauce was tasty. As the beans were not as good as Dinosaur's, I decided not to fill up on them so I could finish the ribs. By the time I took my last bite, I was in very serious need of a nap and once again, I cursed the BBQ gods for making me eat so much dang BBQ.<br />
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I think I've gotten my fill of BBQ for the rest of the year, but I know that all I have to do is walk by <a href="http://jazzstandard.net/blue/index.html" target="_blank">Blue Smoke</a> or <a href="http://www.hillcountryny.com/" target="_blank">Hill Country</a> and I'll be ready for another gluttonous feast of pork and beef.<br />
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What's your favorite BBQ in the country? Have you ever been to Big Apple BBQ? What do you think?<br />
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Let's Eat!<br />
-The Fabulous FoodieRachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-38613192449246533822011-06-28T16:54:00.004-04:002011-11-16T23:38:11.330-05:00Farewell to MetrazurAs a frequent visitor of Grand Central Station, I'm personally sad to see Metrazur go. Andrea Strong recently asked me to write up the announcement for the closing of this restaurant on <a href="http://www.thestrongbuzz.com/" target="_blank">The Strong Buzz.</a> Here it is:<br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">“Goodbye Metrazur”<br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJOatT_vOzn9pTU7ZUUCJvTPhB716Tn4flMeosVQznzSc-JIemWww7ez6BiugPvb8qXWx2AIDwDHq18GyKabcZ_I-AblpSfQ8H0xOiEB80l3omYRJCODcZvuJhijNUG89LIT9uTmF5IY/s1600/invite_aba_metrazur_logo.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623377554474354802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJOatT_vOzn9pTU7ZUUCJvTPhB716Tn4flMeosVQznzSc-JIemWww7ez6BiugPvb8qXWx2AIDwDHq18GyKabcZ_I-AblpSfQ8H0xOiEB80l3omYRJCODcZvuJhijNUG89LIT9uTmF5IY/s400/invite_aba_metrazur_logo.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 117px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 354px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">It’s always sad to say good-bye to a restaurant that was a staple in the culture of New York City. After dinner service on July 1st, we must bid a fond farewell to Charlie Palmer’s Metrazur, located in the spectacular East Balcony at Grand Central Station. Named for a commuter train that once ran along the Cote d'Azur en route to Monaco, Metrazur has served seasonal American cuisine overlooking the beautiful and historic Grand Central Station for the past 11 years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">To thank the loyal patrons of the restaurant, Palmer will be offering a special Farewell A La Carte menu to guests in place of their Lunch 27 and Dinner 49 menus beginning Monday, June 27th and running through the restaurant’s close on Friday, July 1st. This special menu will include the most popular dishes from years past, including Ahi Tuna Tartare ($16), Pork Tenderloin ($26) and the Roasted Heirloom Beet Salad ($14).</span><br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">In a note sent to the patrons of Metrazur by Palmer himself, he thanks them for their many years of support, welcomes them to dine at his flagship restaurant, Aureole, and urges them to be on the lookout for his upcoming ventures in New York City. Says Palmer, “When I stand at the top of the staircase and look out into the terminal, it's like cooking in the center of the world."</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Au revoir Metrazur, you will certainly be missed!</span><br />
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<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Metrazur is located in the East Balcony at 404 Grand Central Terminal. For reservations, call 212-687-4600.</span><br />
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<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Aureole is located at One Bryant Park (at 42nd Street). </span></div>
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Let's Eat!<br />
-The Fabulous FoodieRachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-34036015471107716972011-06-21T21:43:00.007-04:002011-06-29T09:59:04.897-04:00The Strong Buzz Guide to Summer!Now that the weather is warming up, Andrea Strong asked me to write a piece on some of NYC's seasonal offerings. From Greenmarket menus to street fairs, here is my latest <a href="http://thestrongbuzz.com/" target="_blank">Strong Buzz</a> round-up!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Strong Buzz Guide to Summer: The Best Eats From Blue Crabs to Greenmarket Tastings (and where to get them all)</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">We New Yorkers endured a long, brutal winter and a chilly, rainy spring—we’re in serious need of a little relief. Sure, sunshine and warm temperatures are a solid start, but what we’re all really craving is an al fresco meal (or ten). Most restaurants roll out the sidewalk tables the moment the thermometer reads above 60 degrees, and to celebrate the beginning of the outdoor dining season, The Strong Buzz’s Rachel Barbarotta has compiled a list of the best places to go for summer’s amazing seasonal fare, everything from blue crabs to Greenmarket menus.<br /><br />IF YOU DON’T MIND GETTING YOUR HANDS DIRTY: Back Forty<br />Where: 190 Avenue B (at 12th Street), 212-388-1990, www.backfortynyc.com<br />When: Tuesday nights through the end of August (except 7/5) plus Wednesday 8/31 and Friday 9/2 - $40 per person.<br />On the menu: Back Forty will provide the mallets for a true Chesapeake Crab Boil including Spiced Blue Crabs, Buttery Potatoes and String Beans along with seasonal desserts and pitchers of Sixpoint Crisp Lager for an additional $15. Don’t worry if you’ve never cracked open a Blue Crab with your bare hands, the staff at Back Forty will show you how it’s done and provide plenty of towels to clean it all up. If you don’t mind getting a little messy in the name of sweet, succulent crab, this is definitely the place for you!<br /><br />FOR THE GREENMARKET-OBSESSED: Tocqueville<br />Where: 1 East 15th Street (at 5th Avenue), 212-647-1515, www.tocquevillerestaurant.com<br />When: Now through Columbus Day - $39 for lunch, $55 for dinner and $30 for wine pairing<br />On the menu: In an age where we can find any restaurant menu online, it’s quite unusual when even the chef doesn’t know what he’ll be serving tomorrow! Tocqueville’s Chef Marco Moreira takes the Greenmarket trend to heart by creating fresh and inventive new dishes every single night. Chef Marco is leaving the fate of his menu to the offerings of his local Greenmarket, only featuring ingredients that he can find on that given day. This will guarantee the freshest dishes and a true taste of the summer season. Last year’s offerings included such creations as Fried Green Tomatoes with fluffy sheep’s milk ricotta and green tomato jam and Grilled White Peach Cobbler with sweet corn gelato and fresh blueberries. If sweet corn gelato doesn’t scream “seasonal ingredients,” we don’t know what does!<br /><br />IF YOU WANT TO EAT ON YOUR FEET: Hester Street Fair<br />Where: Hester Street (at Essex Street), 917-267-9496, www.hesterstreetfair.com<br />When: Every Saturday from 10am-6pm<br />On the menu: Some of the best things about New York City in the summer are the street fairs. Those who drive may disagree, as traffic is often re-routed around them, but the Hester Street Fair is not only one of the hippest street fairs in all of Manhattan, but it also boasts some of the best food. With everything from New Orleans-style sandwiches and treats from Cheeky Sandwiches to fresh offerings from Lower East Side hotspot The Fat Radish, there is truly something for everyone. And who doesn’t love checking out unique jewelry and clothing while munching on an Empanada from La Sonrisa?<br /><br />BEST FOR DATE NIGHT: Park Avenue Summer<br />Where: 100 East 63rd Street (at Park Avenue), 212-644-1900, www.parkavenyc.com<br />When: Sunday evenings throughout the summer - $35, 3-course Paella Menu<br />On the menu: At a restaurant that thrives on the concept of changing their menu with the seasons, Park Avenue Summer is the perfect spot to celebrate the warmer weather. Park Avenue Summer will offer a three-course Hamptons Paella Menu paired with Lieb Cellars Rosé on Sunday evenings for the duration of the summer. For an authentic paella experience, the classic Spanish dish will be made in the dining room in a 4-foot paellera and will be loaded with summery ingredients like Maine lobster, native corn and mussels. The regular menu will also include other summer favorites such as Swordfish Nicoise with Haricots Verts and Mediterranean Branzino. While this certainly isn’t a meal you’ll have to crack open with a mallet, the elegance of Park Avenue Summer is a true delight.<br /><br />IF YOU LIKE TO DRINK YOUR VEGETABLES: Trestle on Tenth<br />Where: 242 10th Avenue (at 24th Street), 212-645-5659, www.trestleontenth.com<br />When: Select cocktails (four at a time) from The Drinkable Garden menu will be on circulation for brunch, lunch and dinner throughout the summer<br />On the menu: When you were little, you used to feed your vegetables to the family dog under the table. And while you can’t quite remember the exact day when you decided you actually liked Brussels sprouts, you never thought you’d be drinking them through a straw! To celebrate the season, Trestle on Tenth opened their newly renovated outdoor patio and simultaneously announced their brand new cocktail menu including drinks made with fresh vegetables! Whether you prefer the Belle of the Ball with vodka, red bell pepper, mint, grapefruit juice, lemon juice and yellow chartreuse or the 20/20 with house-made carrot-infused Tito’s vodka, fresh carrot and lime juice, we promise not to rat you out to your mom!<br /><br />Bring on the sunshine!<br /></span><br />Let's Eat!<br />The Fabulous FoodieRachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-67601898637065652912011-06-10T14:50:00.016-04:002012-02-16T21:19:41.428-05:00Eating My Way Through Austin: Days 5 & 6Why do I keep doing this to myself?! It's now June 11th and I've been home from Austin for 5 days. I went to NYC's <a href="http://www.bigapplebbq.org/" target="_blank">Big Apple BBQ</a> today and, again, ate my weight in BBQ food and, again, am in a serious food coma. But, that's a story for another post, as I still have to tell you all about my last 2 days in Austin!<br />
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I woke up last Saturday morning feeling better than I felt on Friday night and ready for the final day of the IACP conference. The day started with a Social Media seminar followed by food blogging panel. I was really excited for the panel because it was with some big names in the industry--Lisa Stone of <a href="http://www.blogher.com/" target="_blank">BlogHer</a>, Elise Bauer of <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/" target="_blank">Simply Recipes</a> and Kalyn Denny of <a href="http://www.kalynskitchen.com/" target="_blank">Kalyn's Kitchen</a>. The panel was great, and I was so happy to meet them all after.<br />
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Next up was a lunch provided by the IACP, a good variety including Shrimp Skewers, Roasted Veggies, Blueberries, Broccolini and Scallops with Israeli Cous Cous.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6ZXqOHiJiTWsWBgCr5MpwTiVCy23lsUwf_5hlirMUBIlhwxmmdOC3F-1gbdPS_bBC0_qsQCMmm4cJFvzJHybz_QqKiQOHe4Q-SOqp_O8DJm2-6JSHTiutwViOYyFJed14KkkA35qsh0/s1600/IMG_2140.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617132239557305522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6ZXqOHiJiTWsWBgCr5MpwTiVCy23lsUwf_5hlirMUBIlhwxmmdOC3F-1gbdPS_bBC0_qsQCMmm4cJFvzJHybz_QqKiQOHe4Q-SOqp_O8DJm2-6JSHTiutwViOYyFJed14KkkA35qsh0/s640/IMG_2140.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>Immediately following the lunch, I attended my final session, a cooking demonstration with New Orleans' own John Besh! When Patrick and I were in New Orleans visiting Aunt Kath last January, we ate at Besh's wonderful <a href="http://www.domenicarestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Domenica</a> restaurant and I was so excited to see him in person. We got to taste his Shrimp Creole, and it was so good!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgABv3KE0pqf7C8zJZ47f2sl5cHErZDHy3YS2A6RZi23Ytyf16r4aeon3v1_XSr3mKIPZXcdiWwloAdXgsn1jZD7Ybpw8awFbZdhXoMDgvVYvJetAgSkvwehevGSw5pS59YvuzM9NJwYiY/s1600/IMG_2146.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617129788982814130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgABv3KE0pqf7C8zJZ47f2sl5cHErZDHy3YS2A6RZi23Ytyf16r4aeon3v1_XSr3mKIPZXcdiWwloAdXgsn1jZD7Ybpw8awFbZdhXoMDgvVYvJetAgSkvwehevGSw5pS59YvuzM9NJwYiY/s640/IMG_2146.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>Besh's demonstration ended a little early so I was able to catch the end of a panel called "Marketing your Food Brand in the New Age of Engagement," where I met Janet Helm of <a href="http://nutritionunplugged.com/" target="_blank">Nutrition Unplugged.</a> I ended up having a few drinks with her later that night and was happy to have made such a great foodie connection.<br />
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When all the sessions were over, Kristen, Marie and I decided to explore downtown Austin a little and do some shopping. I picked up some great new earrings, and then we stopped by Ethan's restaurant, <a href="http://congressaustin.com/second/" target="_blank">Second Bar + Kitchen.</a> We had initially planned to only get a glass of wine, but Ethan brought us out his Buffalo Fried Pickles with Gorgonzola Dipping Sauce and they were phenomenal. Spicy, salty, savory... we were raving about them for hours after eating them. Amazing!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiysSCQeINS8Y-xCf-21E0xQVTmjNUWhx2eGWF-u4vvXLyoiNhR0LiDTw22iuHvg6A4eo36N0epJr_baveAOr9zdGn9QfuPmK4GacyIFQQikXXBnQnvfxQ8PmNI-JHmO7Ce072Ij_Efn_Q/s1600/IMG_2149.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617133051115126082" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiysSCQeINS8Y-xCf-21E0xQVTmjNUWhx2eGWF-u4vvXLyoiNhR0LiDTw22iuHvg6A4eo36N0epJr_baveAOr9zdGn9QfuPmK4GacyIFQQikXXBnQnvfxQ8PmNI-JHmO7Ce072Ij_Efn_Q/s640/IMG_2149.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="476" /></a>The delicious white wine was the perfect chilly beverage to wash down the spicy "frickles" (fried pickles.) They were really great.<br />
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That night was the big Pig Roast event on Boggy Creek Farm. All we'd really had to eat were the fried pickles and we were all starving! A coach bus took us on the 10-minute ride out to the farm where yet another BBQ feast awaited us.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gZQVGvyS8xza0Zs_vPQaCpqKZMh2py6OgHpS2kboZ47wUnStkbwrEOicYgND3I62z7Y85DavObF6nRCo-DnGu0aee_9U20AJ7tprAfzDu9Lxv3djmHgJgsNgV_KTCF74IlG_ZHtGBz8/s1600/IMG_2151.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617133758673600082" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gZQVGvyS8xza0Zs_vPQaCpqKZMh2py6OgHpS2kboZ47wUnStkbwrEOicYgND3I62z7Y85DavObF6nRCo-DnGu0aee_9U20AJ7tprAfzDu9Lxv3djmHgJgsNgV_KTCF74IlG_ZHtGBz8/s640/IMG_2151.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>It was very hot and sweaty on the farm, but we were so excited to eat some good food.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcEfGrchGzh6-Bg5xcPfptlXRZ4XnYjnt8fP-2gBW2PjZUtYfX8pVf9xsH9Uv6fnnjLK-Ubura4TXsTaB_GbUpj1ZcT2U-VEK6vYZGcgOKrcpMMbH0qa4AxRgClQ3Y0LuZfpemIQtGgYU/s1600/IMG_2152.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617134581821734946" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcEfGrchGzh6-Bg5xcPfptlXRZ4XnYjnt8fP-2gBW2PjZUtYfX8pVf9xsH9Uv6fnnjLK-Ubura4TXsTaB_GbUpj1ZcT2U-VEK6vYZGcgOKrcpMMbH0qa4AxRgClQ3Y0LuZfpemIQtGgYU/s640/IMG_2152.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="478" /></a>I didn't want to overload on food again, so I ate a lot less this time around, but everything there was really great. I had some of the feral pig (that was caught in the wild), a few ribs, some incredible brisket and cornbread. We sat around a small table on the farm, sipping refreshing cocktails and eating fresh, amazing BBQ food.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBR7s01tBwNeyr2wInaAHLrLKUgvIToYE-i4FaRj6yB8wRIb1c9JET3G7S42l_QwT58p9gR8XlvDs6NW4MTrIq5t3zjWLdxWIhDQeZ5Na2IMdRAQBYYhWBGEdaswsL_F2Fse5dif9fW24/s1600/IMG_2154.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617134994274834594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBR7s01tBwNeyr2wInaAHLrLKUgvIToYE-i4FaRj6yB8wRIb1c9JET3G7S42l_QwT58p9gR8XlvDs6NW4MTrIq5t3zjWLdxWIhDQeZ5Na2IMdRAQBYYhWBGEdaswsL_F2Fse5dif9fW24/s640/IMG_2154.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>It was glorious! But due to the 100-degree heat and the flies that were starting to buzz around us, we decided to head back to the hotel and get ready to go out to the local bars for the night. We had a lot of fun!<br />
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Perhaps too much fun. We woke up the next morning not feeling so great, and for our last morning in Austin we wanted some great breakfast food. Marie had to leave to catch her plane, but Kristen and I weren't flying out of Austin until later that night. My friend Rev suggested we check out a place called Guero's, and since I trust his food opinion over most, Kristen and I went. It was exactly what we were looking for! Fresh tortillas were being made right in front of us and all the food looked so good.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2zK8B6F64eHOqKH_18cQ9ZNpXiBPyqIcTcFyvL8RhORgi7JQXzyvNQ7qYCVQsOCvLH_u7kILU1PQ2UWXoBuIR5zt4FY9gEY1s8FjEmvDBQa5XxwHMn04OjlTCPbWqxtQ9kbOdNb6KSM/s1600/IMG_2174.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617136112207183602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2zK8B6F64eHOqKH_18cQ9ZNpXiBPyqIcTcFyvL8RhORgi7JQXzyvNQ7qYCVQsOCvLH_u7kILU1PQ2UWXoBuIR5zt4FY9gEY1s8FjEmvDBQa5XxwHMn04OjlTCPbWqxtQ9kbOdNb6KSM/s640/IMG_2174.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>I ordered the Migas with Chorizo and a side of Guac. It was just what the doctor ordered! This was a great final meal in Austin, both delicious and full of amazing local flavors.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNovaBdQ2hgwN-hb5lxTHZpD5xjdVCwTcvzm0WHfNY4lMLljbiDLoAmJsVReJPG1FbaO2SPGKU_t1BkiqBlBsSDaJ4jRhyeSHCgQyDclJROOawiDSdQEUw1qHoYtUdgDN0xUhn-pmoHvE/s1600/IMG_2177.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617136829053689794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNovaBdQ2hgwN-hb5lxTHZpD5xjdVCwTcvzm0WHfNY4lMLljbiDLoAmJsVReJPG1FbaO2SPGKU_t1BkiqBlBsSDaJ4jRhyeSHCgQyDclJROOawiDSdQEUw1qHoYtUdgDN0xUhn-pmoHvE/s640/IMG_2177.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7ZKCXtI8PLYiOkzzUnMpPvj8X6mLggQBW7XIfRBR3beUNxk1VMLjeikuqtdCS6NXSMwWRHhkOGuLm_Jrtuzp4NnWCApQkgIyvI2h0tALwrMYPJSxA1TVtYKJKDyVY9VDq9EM26RgGb8/s1600/IMG_2183.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617137012779038498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7ZKCXtI8PLYiOkzzUnMpPvj8X6mLggQBW7XIfRBR3beUNxk1VMLjeikuqtdCS6NXSMwWRHhkOGuLm_Jrtuzp4NnWCApQkgIyvI2h0tALwrMYPJSxA1TVtYKJKDyVY9VDq9EM26RgGb8/s640/IMG_2183.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>Using Rev's infamous "Left-Hand Grab" (LHG) to show off my breakfast!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCu6wwfgyvDyAT9Y-CQCUUXasK3FsEXeG0u7WMkO807WmMeNV21CVYC9HJejPcoRCv5P2Sb5WQqrH_PBXv9hHzPfUmwqkI0CjWXa5ruBLZrGdhyphenhyphenj7TKJ4CwkNXnuZoKcdLIdq9xJ0WUc/s1600/IMG_2184.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617137151961300898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCu6wwfgyvDyAT9Y-CQCUUXasK3FsEXeG0u7WMkO807WmMeNV21CVYC9HJejPcoRCv5P2Sb5WQqrH_PBXv9hHzPfUmwqkI0CjWXa5ruBLZrGdhyphenhyphenj7TKJ4CwkNXnuZoKcdLIdq9xJ0WUc/s640/IMG_2184.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>Overall, I had a wonderful trip to Austin. The food was amazing, the culture was awesome and the IACP conference was incredibly rewarding and wonderful. I made some great new friends and strengthened some friendships I had made before the trip. Next year, the IACP will be in New York City and I can't wait to show all my fellow foodies around the city I know and love. Thanks to everyone who made my 6 days in Austin so fabulous! Looking forward to making many more great memories with you all.<br />
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Let's Eat!<br />
-The Fabulous FoodieRachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-82885256569226263192011-06-07T09:14:00.020-04:002012-02-16T21:20:04.523-05:00Eating My Way Through Austin: Days 3 & 4[Note: The first part of this post was written Friday evening, 6/3. I had to stop writing because I was SO full that writing about food was making me feel ill. Piece was finished on 6/6.]<br />
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The ironic thing about this post right now is that I'm literally writing it while in the middle of the most ridiculous food comas I have ever been though in my entire life. I'm literally propped up in bed feeling so full that I can't even imagine ever eating again. But I have to tell you about the eating adventures I've had over the past 2 days in Austin!<br />
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First of all, sleeping in late on Thursday didn't allow me to have a breakfast even close to as awesome as at Juan in a Million the day before. It was a lot worse, in fact. It was a bagel from Starbucks (blech!) I scooped out the middle and toasted it well, then spread cream cheese all over it, but even that amount of description is too much. It was nothing special at all.<br />
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My morning session was with Shauna James Ahern better known as <a href="http://glutenfreegirl.com/" target="_blank">Gluten Free Girl</a> and I have to tell you, it really was fabulous. She has been blogging for years about Gluten-Free living and I found her to be funny, approachable and incredibly sweet. This was one of the sessions I enjoyed most, and I met many other food bloggers during this session that was called "Blog to Book." I was also delighted to see <a href="http://asweetandsavorylife.com/" target="_blank">Marge Perry</a> in this session, who was my Food Writing teacher at the <a href="http://www.iceculinary.com/" target="_blank">Institute of Culinary Education</a> and the one who told me to join IACP in the first place.<br />
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When that session was over, I had just about 15 minutes to grab the free lunch before meeting with Lynn Woll, Sr. Director of International Marketing of <a href="http://allrecipes.com/" target="_blank">allrecipes.com</a>. As part of IACP we could choose to meet with a "mentor" for 1/2 hour, and I chose Lynn because she had marketing in her title and allrecipes.com is HUGE. Lynn was incredibly nice and we chatted about my career path, her career path and a few other things for the 1/2 hour. I chowed down on my lunch, some hummus and some chicken breast, but again, nothing special. These were really just rushed meals eaten quickly so I could speed off to the IACP events, including a demo with Jacques Pepin and Amanda Hesser of <a href="http://www.food52.com/" target="_blank">food52.com</a>, both of whom I admire and was excited to see.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkzMBJRCrsIc_0xcpuH7MRufWIu4WHLqiTNUILuY-fOcpZdxym8yElNejYlxUsY6MZ2zEUgCueQJ04Y5ITvZkPq07OA2HwB4uRswspMryJRoxi1cYdeKSmhjPO69Wq65tgBWxgoSiPKE/s1600/IMG_2102.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615497399399851842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkzMBJRCrsIc_0xcpuH7MRufWIu4WHLqiTNUILuY-fOcpZdxym8yElNejYlxUsY6MZ2zEUgCueQJ04Y5ITvZkPq07OA2HwB4uRswspMryJRoxi1cYdeKSmhjPO69Wq65tgBWxgoSiPKE/s640/IMG_2102.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>Jacques was adorable, Amanda was a great moderator/interviewer and we got to taste some of Jacques' food! Delish.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeFFpyd9Opm1Tp1cWK9EuMEjyDcc5L7pvT5uOiWWlxiWP9cBARliULDf7QpskOBRrpWK2AlSUhfYNgiBHaQvf1CUGJzGhBM7hFfl5Ru1OcJQSmycD5TroKqvBlXLfdPMgMZ2juRZarmno/s1600/IMG_2114.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615496724330567202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeFFpyd9Opm1Tp1cWK9EuMEjyDcc5L7pvT5uOiWWlxiWP9cBARliULDf7QpskOBRrpWK2AlSUhfYNgiBHaQvf1CUGJzGhBM7hFfl5Ru1OcJQSmycD5TroKqvBlXLfdPMgMZ2juRZarmno/s640/IMG_2114.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>The real treat came for dinner that night. The IACP had planned one fancy night with a reception planned at the famed Driskill Hotel followed by an awards ceremony at the Paramont Theatre. I had been planning to go to both, but Rev (Burger Conquest) asked around and some people told him that the reception was great but recommended to skip the awards ceremony. Since Rev's friends Julie and Ethan live in Austin, we made plans to meet them for dinner after the reception.<br />
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The Driskill Hotel was beautiful, everything I had been hoping it would be. The event was elegant and all the cocktails were made with vodka so I was a happy girl. We didn't want to eat too much at this event, so we only had tiny tastes of the offerings: duck (my favorite!), squab and venison. Yum! All three pieces of meat were very good, but the venison was definitely the best of the three.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62tmihAGnMCyX5HUCv2i-IFKfpw7gTCQ_q1OeStJbqqx2DzCKVZfM5bLSm2Hm9kCMkwKO3jUUm9Ve0OOTdF8xH_u16Zd6aYK8FXZjKxXwNbjciFnGcJxEP8OyOBnj4wAZ6n5r9WrmzYo/s1600/IMG_2090.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615496255243274114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62tmihAGnMCyX5HUCv2i-IFKfpw7gTCQ_q1OeStJbqqx2DzCKVZfM5bLSm2Hm9kCMkwKO3jUUm9Ve0OOTdF8xH_u16Zd6aYK8FXZjKxXwNbjciFnGcJxEP8OyOBnj4wAZ6n5r9WrmzYo/s640/IMG_2090.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>After a few cocktails and some lively chatter with fellow IACP members, Rev and I took a walk to a restaurant called <a href="http://haddingtonsrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Haddington's</a> in downtown Austin.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpaG7ky67PR7vRzXR3K3xYCl93XWb1MK4rsT5oFOyePHnJ0uTjgqeeQfbLCK73jeaG34yGdnmxJ4JwgJ0LvVMl2PWD9zftWf-_RGqvLp398x0DkMetbQCb_FeRZetM9omPjyM3OKk5__I/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-06-07+at+11.58.55+AM.png"><img alt="" border="0" height="358" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615508106954452626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpaG7ky67PR7vRzXR3K3xYCl93XWb1MK4rsT5oFOyePHnJ0uTjgqeeQfbLCK73jeaG34yGdnmxJ4JwgJ0LvVMl2PWD9zftWf-_RGqvLp398x0DkMetbQCb_FeRZetM9omPjyM3OKk5__I/s640/Screen+shot+2011-06-07+at+11.58.55+AM.png" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">(photo courtesy of Haddington's</span>)</div>
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Julie and Ethan were there when we arrived, so we sat at a table for 4 in one of the small side rooms in the restaurant. Since Ethan is a chef (Second Bar + Kitchen), we let him order us some appetizers. He got us the Duck & Foie Gras Meatballs, the Sweetbreads and the Tomato & Burrata Salad. Unfortunately, he found a tiny piece of metal in the salad so we had to send it back, but the Meatballs and Sweetbreads were both addictively good.<br />
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As if Foie Gras in my meatballs wasn't enough, the waitress then brought out four small shot glasses filled with a mysterious yellowish substance.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGt3ztufJI2iSkEUkRc5-z1__iPDgj8EzlEycOFRP9XFYHIoMGnqtzujExII3BLp3mJWlW0LHparLsHoaJQ5D9hZgVVTd4YmlYtlM5hu97wcNhTaYfBbHTl_gb0MxRNTEAreyPO9w5Sg/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-06-07+at+11.05.37+AM.png"><img alt="" border="0" height="456" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615497601110113122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGt3ztufJI2iSkEUkRc5-z1__iPDgj8EzlEycOFRP9XFYHIoMGnqtzujExII3BLp3mJWlW0LHparLsHoaJQ5D9hZgVVTd4YmlYtlM5hu97wcNhTaYfBbHTl_gb0MxRNTEAreyPO9w5Sg/s640/Screen+shot+2011-06-07+at+11.05.37+AM.png" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>She explained it was Foie Gras Egg Nog, and I was instantly turned off by the thought. But, being me, I took a sip anyway just so I could tell you all about it, and my initial reservations were confirmed. It was truly disgusting. I've never liked any drinks that are creamy or rich before, so adding something as heavy as Foie Gras to the flavor was a major turn-off for me. Rev and Ethan both liked it, Julie and I did not.<br />
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We had a great time at the restaurant. This was my first time meeting the two of them, Rev & Julie have been friends for years, and I found them both to be incredibly fun, delightful people who were great dining companions. Throughout the meal I sipped on a crisp, light Sav Blanc and decided that an entree of Sea Scallops would pair with the wine quite well. I was right. The Scallops were huge, light and very flavorful.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKu5LvYpilwhxyazAa62ExTwT9UcZRLV-D2tqt_LLDRUrlE7nM8cNW3N-UN2T2SEC02G4b8Z7a2umbiSXq9g7xwcnSu7pmnqw1PqG5V-27ULpdof3E0lHbAjhWVUNW3dH5-oq-T32y_Ks/s1600/IMG_2096.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615497799294066306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKu5LvYpilwhxyazAa62ExTwT9UcZRLV-D2tqt_LLDRUrlE7nM8cNW3N-UN2T2SEC02G4b8Z7a2umbiSXq9g7xwcnSu7pmnqw1PqG5V-27ULpdof3E0lHbAjhWVUNW3dH5-oq-T32y_Ks/s640/IMG_2096.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>I tried Rev's steak (he ordered the Steak Frites) and thought the steak was also very good. Cooked just how I like it (which as you know by now, is bloody) I thought the seasoning was perfect and the meat was tender.<br />
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Ethan ordered a few desserts, Sticky Toffee Pudding and Cocoa Panne Cotta, neither of which I had any interest in, but those who did eat them said they were good. I got myself my usual Espresso and was truly satisfied by the meal. Julie was incredibly generous and paid for the meal (thanks Julie!) and off we went. I decided not to go out that night since I had a full IACP day on Friday, so I went to bed that night with a full tummy and a happy feeling that often comes after a good meal spent with great people.<br />
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Now on to Friday, the day of the food coma I mentioned earlier. Again without time to grab a decent breakfast, I went to my morning IACP sessions and dreamed of lunchtime when Rev and Julie were planning to take me to Smitty's, a BBQ joint about 30 minutes outside of Austin. As soon as my sessions were over I met the two of them a few blocks away from my hotel and we piled into the car to head out on our BBQ adventure. Rev is somewhat of an authority on both Austin and food, so I was going to trust whatever he told me. And while I had only just met Julie, something told me she also really knew her stuff.<br />
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After a 40-minute drive out of Austin, we arrived to a cute, old-fashioned town called Lockhart. It looked like the towns in old western movies and I was instantly charmed. We pulled up to <a href="http://www.smittysmarket.com/%20target=">Smitty's</a> and I could hardly contain my excitement. What kind of BBQ heaven awaited me inside? I truly couldn't wait to find out.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbeGROe4CDG0bYcFq6JUZcY_JrHL3VGaCkyoQMKQv5p1-5MAnqHJHWljl7QCaKwYvj2v2JIJ0VXHJ1tfJwqOu5ia7PMfU9gWzN81WFOkzghkVDEWO4KZyYenkS6vuctV27rF7xVW245M/s1600/IMG_2118.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615498497673413074" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbeGROe4CDG0bYcFq6JUZcY_JrHL3VGaCkyoQMKQv5p1-5MAnqHJHWljl7QCaKwYvj2v2JIJ0VXHJ1tfJwqOu5ia7PMfU9gWzN81WFOkzghkVDEWO4KZyYenkS6vuctV27rF7xVW245M/s640/IMG_2118.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm a big fan of Texas, don't get me wrong, but dang, it's HOT! It was up around 100 degrees almost every day I was down there, and for me, that's really just too hot. When we walked in the front door of Smitty's, I was expecting a blast of AC, which is what happens anywhere else you walk into in Texas. But not Smitty's. It went from hot outside to an absolute inferno inside. It was so hot in there I almost couldn't breathe! I then realized the cause of the intense heat: the smoker. All the workers stand around the smoker to sell the meat and I'm telling you, I just about passed out. We ordered pork shoulder, brisket, pork ribs and a hot ring (sausage) with about 6 slices of white bread. I was in hog heaven! Pun intended.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SH3-5cjiyBLQ1GK2MLUqKVv0YH1ZcXzXygQzQ_HeROJM0N2XTx1H398UfcBktTTGOQy7yOxpVd90RGMCmNVqnM364YL9szUAleuPBqQVaOwtN8epzCeDwFzAcc0gpzEmuj13_nNtEYQ/s1600/IMG_2120.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615498731590559378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SH3-5cjiyBLQ1GK2MLUqKVv0YH1ZcXzXygQzQ_HeROJM0N2XTx1H398UfcBktTTGOQy7yOxpVd90RGMCmNVqnM364YL9szUAleuPBqQVaOwtN8epzCeDwFzAcc0gpzEmuj13_nNtEYQ/s640/IMG_2120.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2LoXEd6x34DaOdOzIdJfKn0Qte3vAiTsdu7xX8Q4XdPnTapivn13vd4CJGl5c9HuMFaJVM5mXOS5Od50NJAmsNbTV6XVTe0kxzkFgc9hBrCchyphenhyphenQppNYlfx8VejTu8LBru6n_RQIaexI/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-06-07+at+11.05.57+AM.png"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615498893420521010" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2LoXEd6x34DaOdOzIdJfKn0Qte3vAiTsdu7xX8Q4XdPnTapivn13vd4CJGl5c9HuMFaJVM5mXOS5Od50NJAmsNbTV6XVTe0kxzkFgc9hBrCchyphenhyphenQppNYlfx8VejTu8LBru6n_RQIaexI/s640/Screen+shot+2011-06-07+at+11.05.57+AM.png" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>We took our food into the dining area which was thankfully a chilly 68 degrees and ordered iced tea and pickles (for Julie & me) and beer and cheese (for Rev.) We took our meat over to a big picnic table, took the usual photos of our food and went to town on the huge pile of pig. It was nothing short of incredible. The ribs were absolutely phenomenal. The smoky flavor permeated every inch of the meat and I couldn't get enough. Trust me, the brisket and pork shoulder were great, but these ribs! Out of control good.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHVuBrT8wr052sG4O0DjtWrQeRHjC6SqZRsp3b32btWkx8O5oERq4qRTNktF6HR1iBS4atKgpFk3RE4hLmOpgwDAaIsZnl5YhIIwq88yFebch5Yl3LeTZMx4D5OBb4ATHY9d7swCNcWQ/s1600/IMG_2122.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615499084655285506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHVuBrT8wr052sG4O0DjtWrQeRHjC6SqZRsp3b32btWkx8O5oERq4qRTNktF6HR1iBS4atKgpFk3RE4hLmOpgwDAaIsZnl5YhIIwq88yFebch5Yl3LeTZMx4D5OBb4ATHY9d7swCNcWQ/s640/IMG_2122.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>Once we finished all the meat, I made the ill-advised decision to go back out into the smoker and order two more ribs. The kind people of Smitty's gave me two very generously-sized ribs and as I carried them back into the air conditioning, I knew I was making a poor decision eating more but how often am I in Lockhart, TX at a BBQ joint like this? I carried on.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3Tka4M-tsqDeTS52QhLtCBtwsvTyWiKt2cry028wvTOWL3EJrUwfulqJkjD2n2ru1kpmPtnuZmdMkSwk70bspgiyrNdRwjKR74VvE4j0Nx99ZQKeW7ARR_LvpaHM46WZNBOFkWAevU4/s1600/IMG_2125.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615499424063772994" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3Tka4M-tsqDeTS52QhLtCBtwsvTyWiKt2cry028wvTOWL3EJrUwfulqJkjD2n2ru1kpmPtnuZmdMkSwk70bspgiyrNdRwjKR74VvE4j0Nx99ZQKeW7ARR_LvpaHM46WZNBOFkWAevU4/s640/IMG_2125.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhns9QSkLuM5urvl47t1xHt-zZ7MSsrTN3pG0VRInry5Qtq-1SStq0AdIMcj1zzFzstZtIEcfXI-8P10ePlg5d06xTNc0s_HFF-_syly0Z6fFT4cjJqmluOmJNvB6k5H7aYLZJnEycn8AQ/s1600/IMG_2126.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="477" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615499605487428786" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhns9QSkLuM5urvl47t1xHt-zZ7MSsrTN3pG0VRInry5Qtq-1SStq0AdIMcj1zzFzstZtIEcfXI-8P10ePlg5d06xTNc0s_HFF-_syly0Z6fFT4cjJqmluOmJNvB6k5H7aYLZJnEycn8AQ/s640/IMG_2126.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>Speaking of ill-advised... now I'm not usually an ice cream person, but at a mere $1 per cone, I couldn't resist. Julie and I, who are both lactose intolerant, each had an ice cream cone, knowing full well what it would do to us. Oops.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihDkX2fptAgmKdvLwAa983lKObrCTRXRDtJwLb3hCcc6BxFKmZCB0zIcq361mFh4vC9EY3lnBGE169LCmPOGLkMVa4V0ckRjRbID2iw2fLFMspHQr8ZHbFa1rMvLeTrKqaKyiaAi8isSE/s1600/IMG_2127.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615499723828486114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihDkX2fptAgmKdvLwAa983lKObrCTRXRDtJwLb3hCcc6BxFKmZCB0zIcq361mFh4vC9EY3lnBGE169LCmPOGLkMVa4V0ckRjRbID2iw2fLFMspHQr8ZHbFa1rMvLeTrKqaKyiaAi8isSE/s640/IMG_2127.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="478" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkd0grXlCYYx0myJZ_C733p3r_lmtA7ptLI0h0CylHIos5sbiOj7kVLQjR3P9XirRSvRSdjHkCT8jMKV2215NMxxTGLjgc8pZ5QSd-EZM2JHHJDx7RWdU7K55NIxTP5O7kqdeg97lyZ8/s1600/IMG_2128.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="477" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615499866218469634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkd0grXlCYYx0myJZ_C733p3r_lmtA7ptLI0h0CylHIos5sbiOj7kVLQjR3P9XirRSvRSdjHkCT8jMKV2215NMxxTGLjgc8pZ5QSd-EZM2JHHJDx7RWdU7K55NIxTP5O7kqdeg97lyZ8/s640/IMG_2128.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>We finished our ice cream, got back in the car and drove back to Austin for the rest of the IACP panels. I can't deny it, I was FULL. I sat in the back of the room wanting to be upstairs in my bed. I had eaten way too much. And to add to it, I had dinner plans with Patrick's cousin Brian and his fiancé Tanya later that night. As I said before, oops!<br />
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A full 4 hours later, as Brian and Tanya were picking me up for dinner, I was still incredibly full from lunch. I had been hoping I'd get hungry again, but no such luck. We drove 20 minutes from the hotel to a place called <a href="http://www.countyline.com/%20target=">County Line BBQ</a>.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIYnC33JD70tXAmDSaJmOOpvtWkoOJlwlbjUBcsIymUssVDh4vNjPV7Dh27U5IlXBi59LJR12gjrs8LpLUM_tMgmJzfCKD8MZgwmOdG_NrX80U17GXn3pzvyXsor5fQGXrDM_74GICQ8/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-06-07+at+12.02.24+PM.png"><img alt="" border="0" height="377" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615509019657669938" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIYnC33JD70tXAmDSaJmOOpvtWkoOJlwlbjUBcsIymUssVDh4vNjPV7Dh27U5IlXBi59LJR12gjrs8LpLUM_tMgmJzfCKD8MZgwmOdG_NrX80U17GXn3pzvyXsor5fQGXrDM_74GICQ8/s640/Screen+shot+2011-06-07+at+12.02.24+PM.png" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">(photo courtesy of County Line</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">)</span></div>
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While it is a chain restaurant, I'd heard good things and they apparently had the "best bread ever" according to several reputable sources.<br />
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I ordered the Lite Plate with BBQ Chicken and a Beef BBQ Rib, Cole Slaw and a Salad.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmtwDPRLkMCwy26uDo69yuAAfKwCvdFIIGqLerZp63k-RvKfqMlbr3MbF6RClgP2sg6dkinLOyTl6vRFrPNu2pzUErrNp-euV32AW4J2v_EIEJJS6mIuDmtKSlhPPKUQ7Kx8EUlx400I/s1600/IMG_2131.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615500257367810306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmtwDPRLkMCwy26uDo69yuAAfKwCvdFIIGqLerZp63k-RvKfqMlbr3MbF6RClgP2sg6dkinLOyTl6vRFrPNu2pzUErrNp-euV32AW4J2v_EIEJJS6mIuDmtKSlhPPKUQ7Kx8EUlx400I/s640/IMG_2131.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>We also ordered a loaf of the famous bread, which was as good as everyone told me it would be. The loaf had to weigh at least a few pounds, and it was warm and delicious.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRsloAyXSkGcyhOlzRVHeZ71FyRNhv_ERmaSnY-3rBFX01cHD8dIcWuDnUPsTWwHzTjNX-jaj3hqigQqYmZRVWJO7p812VACxy8Cst4B2hrNSxHbFccFO6bVpd7je6GeGaKQm8Ah8Ynzk/s1600/IMG_2130.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615500094890149346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRsloAyXSkGcyhOlzRVHeZ71FyRNhv_ERmaSnY-3rBFX01cHD8dIcWuDnUPsTWwHzTjNX-jaj3hqigQqYmZRVWJO7p812VACxy8Cst4B2hrNSxHbFccFO6bVpd7je6GeGaKQm8Ah8Ynzk/s640/IMG_2130.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>I stuffed myself to the point of no return, which put me into the food coma I was in when I began writing this post. When they dropped my back off after dinner, I tried to meet some people out at a bar and I literally couldn't do anything but moan and clutch my stomach. I had clearly eaten too much, and it was time to go to bed. I went back to the hotel and called it a night. It was a true food coma, but it was absolutely positively worth it.<br />
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Have you ever eaten too much of one kind of food? What kind was it? Did you regret it, or was it worth it? Leave me your comments, I'd love to know I'm not the only one.<br />
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Let's Eat!<br />
-The Fabulous Foodie</div>Rachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-3897680920713008922011-06-02T18:03:00.027-04:002012-02-16T21:20:25.524-05:00Eating My Way Through Austin: Days 1 & 2How unusual for me, two travel posts in a row! I really don't travel very much but this spring has found me in several interesting locations with great food so NYC will have to wait! Plus, when I'm in New York my life is so crazy that I've rarely had time to write (tragic!). I'm currently in Austin, TX for the <a href="http://www.iacp.com/" target="_blank">International Association of Culinary Professionals</a> National Conference hanging with fellow foodies and bloggers. This is my third day here and I've already had quite a few adventures.<br />
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I traveled down with Kristen Hess, the <a href="http://theartfulgourmet.com/" target="_blank">Artful Gourmet</a> and we met Marie Asselin at the airport. Marie's food blog is <a href="http://foodnouveau.com/" target="_blank">Food Nouveau</a>. I met both of these lovely ladies at the Regional IACP Conference in New York this past winter and we all decided to travel down here to Austin for the National Conference. Marie and I were going to be roommates for the trip to Austin and I was so excited! Another friend who came down for the conference is Rev who you all know better as <a href="http://burgerconquest.com/" target="_blank">Burger Conquest</a>. So many great people are down in Austin this week!<br />
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We all got in just before 11pm on Tuesday night and decided to go out on 6th Street for a few drinks after checking in at our hotel. Little did we know that our night would end with Pickle Back Shots! In general, the bars on 6th Street were pretty dead for what Kristen & I are used to in NYC, but the drinks were super cheap ($6 for Ketel Soda?!) and it was fun catching up with the girls. When I asked them if they'd ever heard of Pickle Back shots and they hadn't, I knew I had to get us some. I asked the bartender at the bar we were at where I could get some, and she directed us to a bar just up the street. We walked a few blocks to the bar she recommended and asked that bartender for Pickle Backs. What we found out was that this bartender LOVED the shots and usually had them on hand, but since they are so rarely ordered, he stopped keeping pickle juice. "Do you ladies want me to run to the corner store and grab some pickles?" he asked. "How long will that take?" we asked him. "Only one minute!" he replied. And off he went in search of pickles.<br />
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He came back after I pointed out that something like this would NEVER happen in NYC and poured us some lovely pickle back shots.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7F1SEhZ7QBkduRNOTEtQUu9JTH0knDGcEpvzuhEjkSXJHQobQ5fj9rOIQlOspPzL5CbNweZogLtGy_v3T3fyUOMCBoHhhyphenhyphenIKZtIc4ubGYQCL5kG-O-oxNHs-2o77VssSLIDGbzS9l0x4/s1600/IMG_2028.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613979870851634882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7F1SEhZ7QBkduRNOTEtQUu9JTH0knDGcEpvzuhEjkSXJHQobQ5fj9rOIQlOspPzL5CbNweZogLtGy_v3T3fyUOMCBoHhhyphenhyphenIKZtIc4ubGYQCL5kG-O-oxNHs-2o77VssSLIDGbzS9l0x4/s640/IMG_2028.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>4 to be exact, including one for him. And do you know how much they were? $14! 4 shots for $14? Insanely cheap. We went to bed after 2am feeling wonderful and excited about the days to come in Austin.<br />
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We woke up the next morning and went to check-in for the conference. Here I am with my official IACP badge!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNV4j04ZMaY1RQa7RmQhsWz5ayUt38gsqwS0scuP30Ti7wKGH3v1KaX1QRSHGYruAva9ZnQvmHS7eU6MdmP95zJnrzWPAdTweNHSGmDbyAdYNqdaNhF61ogOqJthlz3sjCDy7oRe8YwU/s1600/IMG_2033.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613996297825785890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNV4j04ZMaY1RQa7RmQhsWz5ayUt38gsqwS0scuP30Ti7wKGH3v1KaX1QRSHGYruAva9ZnQvmHS7eU6MdmP95zJnrzWPAdTweNHSGmDbyAdYNqdaNhF61ogOqJthlz3sjCDy7oRe8YwU/s640/IMG_2033.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="478" /></a>After we were done with the registration we decided to get breakfast at a spot called <a href="http://www.juaninamillion.com/" target="_blank">Juan in a Million</a>. A few people had recommended their breakfast tacos, so I suggested we try it. We met up with another fellow IACP member, Nikki Gardner, whose food blog is <a href="http://www.artandlemons.com/" target="_blank">Art and Lemons</a>, to go get some grub. We took a quick cab ride there and the place was so adorable!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZsABKUQtFiy0a_dspL3WjcMbjAp52WW5sbPMKDaHz5-eO7mthng8RmevHe0Y5surqtOWx4zWafQlxv9AN1X5jCcQIS-7YEVxNQTg-6GvVYeK8CkGqC3mDSM9UoFjrrhiGaKpnOb5N3A/s1600/IMG_2044.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613980313382133490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZsABKUQtFiy0a_dspL3WjcMbjAp52WW5sbPMKDaHz5-eO7mthng8RmevHe0Y5surqtOWx4zWafQlxv9AN1X5jCcQIS-7YEVxNQTg-6GvVYeK8CkGqC3mDSM9UoFjrrhiGaKpnOb5N3A/s640/IMG_2044.JPG" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>We got a table for 4 and began to look over the huge menu. I knew I wanted tacos so I ordered the Chorizo with Egg Breakfast Taco, the "Don Juan" taco (A secret combination of potato, egg, bacon and cheese in a deliciously hot tortilla, according to the menu) and a side of guacamole. Little did I know I had just ordered enough food for all 4 of us on my own!<br />
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I just read that Man vs. Food's Adam Richman visited Juan in a Million for the Don Juan taco challenge in which he had EIGHT of the massive tacos. I couldn't even finish one!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1rxWdhOp7ed40a-rM8IqOMwpGSDp94cFmPyWoajXeVa2vL6ET4YGwSgUJZHyaQ6reOn4AN_vpVkf_xEwLpZM2-RhOsLTc6qEo9Aw3DiBLTsdXhiqSJq3qX6XnFQoUYaR06nI5RRHPNyg/s1600/IMG_2036.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613982204439752594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1rxWdhOp7ed40a-rM8IqOMwpGSDp94cFmPyWoajXeVa2vL6ET4YGwSgUJZHyaQ6reOn4AN_vpVkf_xEwLpZM2-RhOsLTc6qEo9Aw3DiBLTsdXhiqSJq3qX6XnFQoUYaR06nI5RRHPNyg/s640/IMG_2036.JPG" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>This was one massive taco and even though it was truly delicious, I barely made a dent in it. <br />
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The Egg & Chorizo taco was also really good, thankfully much smaller than the Don Juan taco, and I was actually able to finish it.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5usGFTsVpcNiP7obxRp0Qb-4k4HxzTPCL6TU-ArDlEjoEUghQ84DxcL95jBLliVvfXZfG5teynLeq4X_lPmyNtLagd3YStMBzh1TGShvNWPCIBaUtIU_14en3acnK46_-0e5khke58bs/s1600/IMG_2037.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613982664233408642" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5usGFTsVpcNiP7obxRp0Qb-4k4HxzTPCL6TU-ArDlEjoEUghQ84DxcL95jBLliVvfXZfG5teynLeq4X_lPmyNtLagd3YStMBzh1TGShvNWPCIBaUtIU_14en3acnK46_-0e5khke58bs/s640/IMG_2037.JPG" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>I (of course) asked to have cheese added and I enjoyed that the chorizo was ground up to maximize the flavor.<br />
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The guacamole was also a huge portion and needed a little something to make it great, namely a few squeezes of a lime.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJgXFm80YkY5YlHfJtmj_hOOQyDGCz0BJn7Id3U0O60ZLFCjh-36V6bHOZ1yIHCcnMTRbdw13sdLiYRCPqf-pTd3obgrNrxU3jnyPw7qN3iY2bD2addMoqn5QRDizRGcWIHo_5LoZ07JA/s1600/IMG_2034.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613983877190718162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJgXFm80YkY5YlHfJtmj_hOOQyDGCz0BJn7Id3U0O60ZLFCjh-36V6bHOZ1yIHCcnMTRbdw13sdLiYRCPqf-pTd3obgrNrxU3jnyPw7qN3iY2bD2addMoqn5QRDizRGcWIHo_5LoZ07JA/s640/IMG_2034.JPG" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>I enjoyed putting it all over my breakfast and scooping it up with some crunchy tortilla chips.<br />
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After breakfast we were lucky enough to meet Juan himself, a sweet man with a clear passion for his restaurant.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJUG4phsYSe1YX2GVCwsQXlX71Fs6j1DUFXJ7OpGPfzH_7SNeqACXxpP96xyV6OzQ3YPdFdb62nNoGL92jDis6UnSxqfdFVE5XrpIeoIpDCOPpKPCG6dEsCJP8fjHryAyLfe0CQXrG9Y/s1600/IMG_2041.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613984291658436754" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJUG4phsYSe1YX2GVCwsQXlX71Fs6j1DUFXJ7OpGPfzH_7SNeqACXxpP96xyV6OzQ3YPdFdb62nNoGL92jDis6UnSxqfdFVE5XrpIeoIpDCOPpKPCG6dEsCJP8fjHryAyLfe0CQXrG9Y/s640/IMG_2041.JPG" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>Thanks for everything Juan, our breakfast was great!<br />
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Without realizing it, I skipped lunch that day because I was so full from my huge breakfast. I had a few interesting panels that day, including The Craft of Food Writing. That night, there was an opening reception party held at a museum in Austin with food and drinks from a bunch of local restaurants. My favorite dishes of the night were:<br />
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1. The Chorizo-Stuffed Medjool Dates from <a href="http://www.astiaustin.com/fino/" target="_blank">FINO Restaurant Patio & Bar</a> (with a lovely mix of veggies on the plate as well)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj6kMXaoQ9Yn-s_Bl17KAJYSfNyg07LSMAGFgvStXH9VfnS56bJS938AevJVUvSEzW-iyYrvkofLCp0njVKNocS1xBOGM5euu1dtqIagizx2mW6ssXJzs0kMSiSQONmAz5HSEnJzvE3vE/s1600/IMG_2064.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613984963601731202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj6kMXaoQ9Yn-s_Bl17KAJYSfNyg07LSMAGFgvStXH9VfnS56bJS938AevJVUvSEzW-iyYrvkofLCp0njVKNocS1xBOGM5euu1dtqIagizx2mW6ssXJzs0kMSiSQONmAz5HSEnJzvE3vE/s640/IMG_2064.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>I went back about 5 times for just the dates, they were absolutely incredible.<br />
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2. The Beef Short Ribs with Shishito Pepper Jam and Burrata Cheese from <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/second-bar-kitchen-austin" target="_blank">Second Bar + Kitchen</a> (and I was lucky enough to have dinner the next night with the chef, Ethan Holmes, but more on that later)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWsycAKG2jN0MeAkjP_zWtKzMV8rhDou8HFLSWZwBsSPs2O0Sf09JcBWHSxHUNFdngzGZhWp8X1r-Enk_ewoFQHH1mODNZplgglCaIyzG-WpcNSdIhOlz-ag6hquT6BZ3TOaX1d3rdf8/s1600/IMG_2067.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="477" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613985946194434002" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWsycAKG2jN0MeAkjP_zWtKzMV8rhDou8HFLSWZwBsSPs2O0Sf09JcBWHSxHUNFdngzGZhWp8X1r-Enk_ewoFQHH1mODNZplgglCaIyzG-WpcNSdIhOlz-ag6hquT6BZ3TOaX1d3rdf8/s640/IMG_2067.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a><br />
3. The Japanese Hamachi and Big-Eye Tuna from <a href="http://www.eddiev.com/" target="_blank">Eddie V's Prime Seafood</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnnBxOvhazkvYSKKP6-76NS9zjtjnLqr2t_aY8JYI2FPjEaYEs4JYY-OiYtx5_8EwcExsM6aFiQMviixoXHy-1e_Wy9roNAjOlHiJhe4d1QQGkBGKwX0LwuALOGZvS8OWuJufZsmrpts/s1600/IMG_2068.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613986542460200018" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnnBxOvhazkvYSKKP6-76NS9zjtjnLqr2t_aY8JYI2FPjEaYEs4JYY-OiYtx5_8EwcExsM6aFiQMviixoXHy-1e_Wy9roNAjOlHiJhe4d1QQGkBGKwX0LwuALOGZvS8OWuJufZsmrpts/s640/IMG_2068.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a><br />
4. The Green Chile Pork Tacos from <a href="http://www.eddiev.com/" target="_blank">Roaring Fork</a> (also owned by Eddie V's)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZREMSnc4KmFItxvVmyoYyL2w1PIPHCPhZZ1TeuYXSSICA1erjlsZFcs9ba4UPot11WNgSWr9HoWRsfItwGks-V9mbK3XvxrGW3ktUSyPOZo3O6cjZULQlEsvuq1c7JmzzXYVeAORfJEw/s1600/IMG_2079.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613987409829165106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZREMSnc4KmFItxvVmyoYyL2w1PIPHCPhZZ1TeuYXSSICA1erjlsZFcs9ba4UPot11WNgSWr9HoWRsfItwGks-V9mbK3XvxrGW3ktUSyPOZo3O6cjZULQlEsvuq1c7JmzzXYVeAORfJEw/s640/IMG_2079.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a><br />
5. Honorable Mention to the Fried Quail Egg Benedict from <a href="http://www.therkgroupaustin.com/" target="_blank">Catering by Rosemary</a> because while I didn't love the way it tasted, it was by far the most beautiful, colorful dish at the party.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSuKaS60f1UuZ8L4l4ZFgUKfXyuh4nqnBuWTq3Gth2TKNE5-ZWr1PT283Q8Ihs1-pLYIqg6191YmM_cqugnrO75e2-sgZuJySgsdybb7K4Q1AT1t3t-JogrEfI59fMm3US6Hpl9WfJLo/s1600/IMG_2078.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613988015711806370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSuKaS60f1UuZ8L4l4ZFgUKfXyuh4nqnBuWTq3Gth2TKNE5-ZWr1PT283Q8Ihs1-pLYIqg6191YmM_cqugnrO75e2-sgZuJySgsdybb7K4Q1AT1t3t-JogrEfI59fMm3US6Hpl9WfJLo/s640/IMG_2078.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a><br />
I went to sleep that night VERY full, and looking forward to the many more eating adventures to come in Austin.<br />
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Let's Eat!<br />
-The Fabulous Foodie<br />
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PS- One non-food thing I forgot to mention is that I got to hold a baby armadillo and pose with a bull! The armadillo's name was Matt Dillo and he was AWESOME. I don't know what the bull's name was, but I was really scared of his sharp horns!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNYMXgOZ7GxepBrzXsbPdqe7Jj2cb2ZqiBPpstshcWkdrAU3b9EVg82kQs1MehXrf8sUrUXg8HOEOfPiyYwsNiYypZctPig7OlxqCvsdTYbDgbqa6clq-EVZBhyBxT3YhZNlwBUXObc6s/s1600/IMG_2072.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613996844765144098" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNYMXgOZ7GxepBrzXsbPdqe7Jj2cb2ZqiBPpstshcWkdrAU3b9EVg82kQs1MehXrf8sUrUXg8HOEOfPiyYwsNiYypZctPig7OlxqCvsdTYbDgbqa6clq-EVZBhyBxT3YhZNlwBUXObc6s/s640/IMG_2072.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="478" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3yZfNAddR6i-PJAmZb6HXX86WjqzzxP-BJd_MW-IvvaNN4IK1x-t5DcxCeOCMWyqhcennrEdX-uewP2z7ta3hEqfyP4Tb0-H3OysGY1jeXlLgBKNLxErcnwSWM9_EeOr5igbJw-Kiqk/s1600/IMG_2075.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613997021456645938" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3yZfNAddR6i-PJAmZb6HXX86WjqzzxP-BJd_MW-IvvaNN4IK1x-t5DcxCeOCMWyqhcennrEdX-uewP2z7ta3hEqfyP4Tb0-H3OysGY1jeXlLgBKNLxErcnwSWM9_EeOr5igbJw-Kiqk/s640/IMG_2075.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>I love animals and it was so fun to play with them!Rachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-60806337814904992892011-06-02T15:11:00.000-04:002012-02-16T21:11:44.251-05:00Welcome to MiamiWhile New York City food is definitely what I know best, I sometimes travel outside of the city and when I do, I love to write about the food I find. A few weeks ago I traveled to South Beach with Jill, Stevie and Jen for a quick girl trip getaway. I knew most of our daytime meals would be eaten next to the pool, I was intent on finding us some awesome dinner spots for our Friday and Saturday night dinners. We had originally planned to go to <a href="http://www.bartong.com/restaurant/" target="_blank">Barton G.</a> and <a href="http://www.wishrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Wish</a>, but once we got down there and talked to a few locals, we changed our minds and made brand new reservations. More on that later.<br />
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As I expected, we ate lunch every day at our hotel, <a href="http://www.loewshotels.com/en/Miami-Beach-Hotel" target="_blank">The Loews</a>, by the pool. The restaurant was called The Nautilus and we actually had some very good meals there. For our first meal, I had a Turkey Wrap with bacon and avocado.<br />
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Jen and I shared it, and they served each half of the wrap with a hearty portion of fresh fruit. Yum! My favorite thing I had poolside though were the fresh fish tacos and I had them several times over the few days we were there.<br />
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Light, flaky fish was paired with fresh veggies to create the perfect taste of the sea. I also had a great Shrimp Cesar salad that was not too heavy, which was great since I was eating it while wearing a bathing suit.<br />
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Maybe everything tasted better because we were in sunny South Beach, but we all really enjoyed sitting in the sun and eating these fresh dishes.<br />
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The stand-out meals were definitely our Friday and Saturday night dinners. Friday night we ended up at <a href="http://www.redthesteakhouse.com/southbeach.html" target="_blank">Red the Steakhouse</a> at the recommendation of the bartender at Emeril’s (who made a mean blue-cheese stuffed olive dirty martini!) I had heard <a href="http://www.mylesrestaurantgroup.com/" target="_blank">Prime 112</a> couldn’t be missed, but he assured us that the food at Red was just as good and the service was much better. We headed to the restaurant with our stomachs growling and boy was I happy I brought my appetite!<br />
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We started with 8 oz. of Buratta Cheese that was absolutely divine.<br />
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Rich, creamy and nutty in flavor, the cheese was perfectly balanced with the ripe tomatoes and sharp balsamic drizzled over the top. Heaven! Since Jill eats her steak charred (don’t worry, I’m working on it), Stevie, Jen and I decided to share the Surf & Turf between the 3 of us because it was a ton of food and because all 3 of us eat our steak bloody. The steak came with a heaping portion of crab leg meat and it worked out perfectly because I mostly wanted steak, Jen mostly wanted seafood and Stevie wanted a little of both. The portion was enormous, as was the price tag, but when the 3 of us split it it made sense.<br />
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The steak was cooked to our liking and the buttery crab meat was so tender you could cut it with a spoon.<br />
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I got Jill to try a piece of our steak and even she admitted it was pretty good.<br />
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We ordered some sides to go with our main courses and those were fabulous as well. The dish that really blew me away was the Potatoes au Gratin. Soft potatoes covered in ooey gooey cheese made for a decadent dish. I wanted to lick the plate clean!<br />
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We also got a side of broccoli and spinach and while there was nothing too spectacular about them, they were also quite yummy.<br />
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We sipped both white and red wine and enjoyed a leisurely 3-hour meal before retiring to the bar to claim our free round of drinks (thank you FourSquare!) My friends may make fun of me for being a Social Media nerd, but free drinks? I didn’t hear any complaints.<br />
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Saturday during the day we stopped by <a href="http://www.sushisamba.com/index.cfm/id/7/id2/15.html" target="_blank">SushiSamba</a> for happy hour and to munch on some sushi. The drinks were chilly and refreshing and the sushi was fresh and flavorful. Between the 4 of us we shared a Seaweed Salad and several rolls. We sat around, people-watched (something Manhattanites LOVE to do), sipped our cocktails and enjoyed each other's company. It was lovely.<br />
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We made the call to have our Saturday night dinner at <a href="http://www.gansevoortmiamibeach.com/philippe/" target="_blank">Philippe Chow's Philippe</a> because the menu looked absolutely incredible. I was still craving Peking Duck after my <a href="http://the-fabulous-foodie.blogspot.com/2011/05/adventures-in-china-town.html">Adventure in Chinatown</a> with Patrick, and I was determined to have some. We had a round of drinks at the Gansevoort's <a href="http://www.gansevoortmiamibeach.com/stk/" target="_blank">STK</a> before our late 10:30pm reservation. A few of us were craving cucumber drinks, so as soon as we sat down at our table we ordered some Cucumber Martinis which were downright yummy. Then we ordered a few more, and a few more. But who's counting? We're on vacation!<br />
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We decided to share the famous Chicken Satays prepared in Chef Chow's Famous Cream Sauce per Stevie's recommendation and the Pork Soup Dumplings (my fave). I admit I was expecting the satays to be nothing spectacular but boy was I wrong! Stevie, I'm sorry for doubting you. They were fantastic! The sauce was like nothing I had ever tasted before. The chicken was hot and tender. If you find yourself at Philippe, GET THE SATAYS!<br />
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The Pork Soup Dumplings had a very nice flavor and the dumplings themselves were the perfect consistency. I don't like when the outer layer is too thick, and these were great. Soup dumplings are just so good!<br />
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We then got the Chilean Sea Bass with black bean and garlic, also good. I would say this was my least favorite part of the meal, but not because it was bad. It was just something I thought I'd be able to get anywhere else. The fish was very fresh and flaked apart easily but I wouldn't recommend the fish if you're dining there.<br />
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Now, on to the Peking Duck! I was so happy we all decided to order it because I really wanted to experience the chef slicing it up table-side. And what an experience it was! He brought out the full duck and it was just beautiful.<br />
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He then began to slice it up to create a plate of the most succulent meat I have ever tasted. He cut the duck with a masterful precision and I found the whole process to be fascinating.<br />
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And then, we tasted the duck!<br />
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Served with pancakes and hoison sauce, this duck was absolutely out of this world. Savory, packed with rich flavor, tender... everything it should be. We ended up having to order more pancakes because we couldn't stop eating! We polished off every last piece of the bird and were absolutely stuffed.<br />
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If you are at all interested in Peking Duck, I highly recommend you order it. My mouth is watering just remembering it! I will definitely have it again soon.<br />
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We had a great trip, and the food was definitely memorable. Do you have any favorite places in South Beach? Where do you like to travel?<br />
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Thanks to the girls for making the trip so great!<br />
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Let's Eat!<br />
-The Fabulous FoodieUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-73158364191032631592011-05-19T15:47:00.012-04:002012-07-08T20:42:37.965-04:00Adventures in China TownThere is a television show on the Food Network that Patrick and I are both obsessed with called <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/the-best-thing-i-ever-ate/index.html" target="_blank">The Best Thing I Ever Ate. </a>Every episode has a different theme like "Grilled," "Between Bread" and "With Bacon." On a recent episode, the theme was "In a Bowl." Guy Fieri's choice was the Hand-Pulled Noodles with Beef from <a href="http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/tasty-noodles/" target="_blank">Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles</a> in China Town NYC and the dish looked amazing! I am a sucker for good noodles, and Patrick and I decided while watching the episode that we had to go.<br />
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This next part of the story is mildly embarrassing for me, so please, no judgement. I personally had no idea that Dim Sum was typically only served between the hours of 11am and 4pm. I thought "Dim Sum" referred to the small dishes served and not to the meal itself, which is apparently equivalent to brunch. Since we were already planning to venture down to China Town, I suggested we also go have some Dim Sum. Seeing as we didn't even leave the apartment until after 4pm, I had no idea that I was setting us up for a Dim Sum disaster.<br />
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I'm somewhat of a Twitter nerd, and decided to reach out to some of my favorite foodies for Dim Sum recommendations. One of them, <a href="http://www.bravotv.com/bio/kelly-choi" target="_blank">Kelly Choi</a> former host of Top Chef Masters and current host of several local NY food show, has responded to me on Twitter before and this time was no different:Thanks Kelly!! Her first reco, <a href="http://www.goldenunicornrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Golden Unicorn</a>, had come up in several of my Dim Sum searches so we decided to go there.<br />
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We took the R-train down to China Town and emerged from the subway smack in the middle of a neighborhood that we were both incredibly unfamiliar with. Thanks to the map on my iPhone, we found Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles with no trouble at all. And what luck! Golden Unicorn was only one street away! We were excited, and we were hungry.<br />
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We walked into the noodle shop and I was shocked to see that it was tiny! Less than 20 seats, and almost all of them were full. They sat us across from each other at a table for 6 in between a couple and another girl. We opened the enormous menus and decided on the Pan-Fried House Special Pulled Noodles with Chicken, Beef & Shrimp (for an astoundingly cheap $6.50!) and the Dumpling Soup for $6. This was shaping up to be the cheapest meal we've ever had in New York City!<br />
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What we quickly realized was that the other 3 people at our table were also there because of Guy Fieri's recommendation on the Food Network. We spent the meal chatting with them and they were all so nice! We compared favorite restaurants in New York and talked about the food we were eating and just had a lovely time in general. When our food came, it looked and smelled amazing and we couldn't wait to dig into the noodles. The pan-fried dish was awesome, the noodles were the perfect consistency and packed with great flavor.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmU9QTvZHv-zwfCShSn6m17C0Y6fX6jCgR8FjhZ8yY7kkG2d0nSr1uYAssy_82bPw8ZOvWeCdBdgDgAoilb2YW4ty-NgsrDzJ5446rr8hyphenhyphenc0bFMzs6r3x04B1Cp4khx-Bf2Llrz1987_0/s1600/IMG_1577.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608539866023533698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmU9QTvZHv-zwfCShSn6m17C0Y6fX6jCgR8FjhZ8yY7kkG2d0nSr1uYAssy_82bPw8ZOvWeCdBdgDgAoilb2YW4ty-NgsrDzJ5446rr8hyphenhyphenc0bFMzs6r3x04B1Cp4khx-Bf2Llrz1987_0/s640/IMG_1577.jpg" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>I loved the shrimp, chicken and beef mixed throughout and the plate was empty before we could say "Dim What?"<br />
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Then the soup came, piping hot and smelling like heaven. I know it's a silly word to use to describe food, but the noodles were beautiful!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVmgskiEuTlO0hFisyvI1ZlvVeMF4AADwaVKqctfmU2Kz9L7Rjz55HYG94Q1tyQ2M4aIr8yjg_oZzzogJTC2WWIEbzaFiGgQHiR7ghyphenhyphenBTA8urTth2qPWHDm22Vn1fECUFHCpT0TcO9AA/s1600/IMG_1578.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608544735939904562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVmgskiEuTlO0hFisyvI1ZlvVeMF4AADwaVKqctfmU2Kz9L7Rjz55HYG94Q1tyQ2M4aIr8yjg_oZzzogJTC2WWIEbzaFiGgQHiR7ghyphenhyphenBTA8urTth2qPWHDm22Vn1fECUFHCpT0TcO9AA/s640/IMG_1578.jpg" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;" width="478" /></a>It was SO hot that I burned my mouth a few times, but it was a small price to pay for the amazing soup. By the end of the meal we were so full we could barely move, but I still had my heart set on "Dim Sum" so we paid our very cheap bill, said good-bye to our new friends and set off to Golden Unicorn.<br />
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We walked through the front door and were surprised to learn we needed to take an elevator up to the restaurant. When the doors of the elevator opened, we walked into a bright room that was partly set up for a wedding reception with several large tables off to the side for non-wedding patrons. We sat at a table for four, by ourselves this time, and this was when my Dim Sum hopes and dreams were crushed. The menu looked like a normal Chinese menu and I saw no mention of Dim Sum. Uh oh. I sort of knew that I was wrong about the Dim Sim timing, but my fear was confirmed when I asked our waiter who told us Dim Sum was 11-4. Oh well!<br />
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Although we were stuffed, we ordered Pork Dumplings and Moo Shu Pork to share. The dumplings were good, pretty standard.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMukAjLGsKvB6eH5u1xFbHO7QKRQsn1pUdR0DUeudaV1PkvWr2tNJClheyea0RB-jqCCNP5mwAhOM9sGUsNUqS2ryYiijpFSgUJGl8VfA2fPjkNl2FuXa_uWi_DehABkT6prtRglLUw0E/s1600/IMG_1586.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608550340165167554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMukAjLGsKvB6eH5u1xFbHO7QKRQsn1pUdR0DUeudaV1PkvWr2tNJClheyea0RB-jqCCNP5mwAhOM9sGUsNUqS2ryYiijpFSgUJGl8VfA2fPjkNl2FuXa_uWi_DehABkT6prtRglLUw0E/s640/IMG_1586.jpg" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>When I was little, my grandma (DD) and I always used to order Moo Shu together. Something about the way they come to your table to prepare it makes me love it that much more.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgPCYQeLNR_EemnsQQifvV7Mw_hP7vE69LfMEcz12eKj3-MM2Po9v192ZS9qGBA60dzgHowJn8jOlemfI6Tb0MbwFWoVUFj4_dCTqis2Y8kpjq6f1k0FzC37XUzcUxwtnhnxWkeL_iG0/s1600/IMG_1582.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608550764091013426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgPCYQeLNR_EemnsQQifvV7Mw_hP7vE69LfMEcz12eKj3-MM2Po9v192ZS9qGBA60dzgHowJn8jOlemfI6Tb0MbwFWoVUFj4_dCTqis2Y8kpjq6f1k0FzC37XUzcUxwtnhnxWkeL_iG0/s640/IMG_1582.jpg" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>The pancakes were fluffy, the hoisin sauce tangy and sweet and the filling was excellent.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamOWqtdjEpjE8ClKJ7Laxoqn4XIX4e3gt1f2lQh9rp3XI-UYQC74QQW7ZQaJwCzXd0PvRe4c5YsjCJmry8uGoTn65kiYdzInKB_Pmx5HxhfjCTw0RBqTMPISRsTSw3tmq2dTRFLRogEI/s1600/IMG_1584.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608551038647462674" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamOWqtdjEpjE8ClKJ7Laxoqn4XIX4e3gt1f2lQh9rp3XI-UYQC74QQW7ZQaJwCzXd0PvRe4c5YsjCJmry8uGoTn65kiYdzInKB_Pmx5HxhfjCTw0RBqTMPISRsTSw3tmq2dTRFLRogEI/s640/IMG_1584.jpg" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>I was quite happy with the food, but still sad that we didn't get to experience Dim Sum. We will definitely be returning to China Town soon for a true Dim Sum experience!<br />
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Have you ever been to Dim Sum? What is your favorite dish? Let me know so I can order it next time.<br />
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Let's Eat!<br />
-The Fabulous FoodieRachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365927886808626014.post-75901089352682257622011-05-16T09:06:00.008-04:002012-07-08T20:44:27.355-04:00Maryland Does CrabsYou know the saying: "Crabcakes and Football... that's what Maryland does!" Turns out that I can vouch for at least the first half (and will not say anything complimentary about the Ravens even though Patrick and his family are huge Baltimore fans.) When I went home to Maryland with Patrick for Easter, I made sure to get my fill of delicious Maryland crab. His mom (hi Mrs. Patty!) makes incredible crab cakes unlike anything you could get in NYC and we make a point to get lunch at his hometown crab spot, <a href="http://www.reterscrabhouse.com/" target="_blank">Reter's Crabhouse.</a><br />
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We met some of Patrick's friends there for lunch over Easter weekend and they all got Softshell Crab sandwiches.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiA69ke_aDghGADeIsZtfKSDmmU1fGG07BjEGSkXTIx1MKfIKRvbhmHr1iScIZ9XlBGecVFZtacY4WEsrC6d9ApRwul8cIjS6KRypoHwVXtxx6AEDHg84LoFz2PtpqdEnGOldUqyPixcM/s1600/IMG_1542.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607312047014356642" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiA69ke_aDghGADeIsZtfKSDmmU1fGG07BjEGSkXTIx1MKfIKRvbhmHr1iScIZ9XlBGecVFZtacY4WEsrC6d9ApRwul8cIjS6KRypoHwVXtxx6AEDHg84LoFz2PtpqdEnGOldUqyPixcM/s640/IMG_1542.jpg" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>Although these looked delicious, I knew I had to order the full crabs that you pull apart and hit with a mallet! It's so much more fun that way. They had Jumbo crabs available that day, so I ordered two and prepared myself for the huge mess I knew I'd make.<br />
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Patrick taught me how to get all the meat out of the crab during last year's visit to Reter's, but he still had to help me this time. Here is my lunch, covered in Old Bay seasoning (of course):<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgASh8kb3aD6TyMa4puQq38ssUPheSgGFCYFcFofGrGdUTALLkAU-XOsthZkA1g7V0uO013YsBj30qBs_C6DiW_3GAMwxndEDxNdDkODcYIitC6-19I-kaK7rwjieg686t7U-0koYd4SJo/s1600/IMG_1540.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607310579302240018" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgASh8kb3aD6TyMa4puQq38ssUPheSgGFCYFcFofGrGdUTALLkAU-XOsthZkA1g7V0uO013YsBj30qBs_C6DiW_3GAMwxndEDxNdDkODcYIitC6-19I-kaK7rwjieg686t7U-0koYd4SJo/s640/IMG_1540.jpg" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>The first step in eating these suckers is to pull off the claws, crack them open by any means necessary and carefully pull out the meat. Then you pull off the legs, one by one, and remove the tiny pieces of meat from each one. Now comes the hard part. There is a flexible piece of the shell that resembles a tail that you pick up and use as leverage for opening the entire body, which you then crack in half. This is where it gets gross. There is some gunk inside this part that needs to be removed, and because my boyfriend is wonderful, he does this part for me. Not that I couldn't do it, he's just very sweet and knows that it grosses me out a little. It's important to note that whenever I eat lobster, my dad does all the dirty work for me (even though I'm 26). But when it comes to Maryland crabs, Patrick's my man.<br />
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Once you get the body cleaned out, the real fun begins. Mom, I know I've already lost you at this point and you're probably gagging at your computer. <br />
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You then use the mallet to break apart the shell and you are rewarded with giant chunks of succulent crab meat. Once the entire crab is clean of meat, you are left with a lovely pile of broken shells to show for all your hard work.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRg_apE5Q5dXFDX46NDo-Q4q-i7NRNHLUbg0o6ZsdAD-PCsG117WQA5YMIJqxUB4Ksom6nVZOpPhmMksFTBt54wQyTMh0wEpUftaQc5T5-RNdPZaqMp4TImhXm4RCCOxB55cWj3JKRX2k/s1600/IMG_1543.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607311848084468210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRg_apE5Q5dXFDX46NDo-Q4q-i7NRNHLUbg0o6ZsdAD-PCsG117WQA5YMIJqxUB4Ksom6nVZOpPhmMksFTBt54wQyTMh0wEpUftaQc5T5-RNdPZaqMp4TImhXm4RCCOxB55cWj3JKRX2k/s640/IMG_1543.jpg" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>The crabs at Reter's are awesome, and I look forward to going there every time I go home to Maryland with Patrick. I also crave his mom's crabcakes and secretly hope she'll read this, come visit us in New York and bring her amazing crabcakes!<br />
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I leave you with a picture of Patrick's family's dog, Finn, because I love him and he's amazing.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY7efv1b3VJx1MPTBsKeCNfJEzY6cYBF5NDLG4lGhlo_UFpmMeRT_Dc5CWDaGsODqR8tnmv0phxrKraucMsVRGMkBHRymkFphyphenhyphendYbwofeLo-VVqdHT3c6ISRq8d7Ch7Nm9eac7GobyS60/s1600/IMG_1545.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607312573149564338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY7efv1b3VJx1MPTBsKeCNfJEzY6cYBF5NDLG4lGhlo_UFpmMeRT_Dc5CWDaGsODqR8tnmv0phxrKraucMsVRGMkBHRymkFphyphenhyphendYbwofeLo-VVqdHT3c6ISRq8d7Ch7Nm9eac7GobyS60/s640/IMG_1545.jpg" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>Hi Finn!!<br />
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Let's Eat!<br />
-The Fabulous FoodieRachel Joy Barbarottahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404411633931920633noreply@blogger.com2