Tag: dining

The Day of Love

This year we decided to skip the crowded restaurants and just enjoy a home-cooked meal for Valentine’s Day. We were shopping at Sprouts on Friday night and discovered they were selling Lobster Tails for $4.99 each, and it inspired us to cook up a Seafood Feast!

We were pretty excited that we actually pulled this off! One of our favorite meals ever was a “Seafood Feast for Two” at an incredible restaurant in Seattle. We tried to replicate it in this meal. Basically, we got two mini-lobster tails, 4 crab legs, a dozen shrimp and a tilapia fillet to share. Add fresh asparagus and a baked potato and – voila! – that’s a serious seafood restaurant classic!

One thing that was kinda funny was that once we got the Lobster Tails home, we realized we didn’t know how to cook them. Thanks to the FoodNetwork.com, Ed grilled ’em up just like a pro.

And finally, it just wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day without a sweet ending. We got these Petits Fours from The Great Dane Baking Company, the same place we got our wedding cake. Awww!

Another Amazing Evening in Food and Wine!

Tonight was the highly anticipated Winter Truffle Tasting Menu & Wine Pairing Dinner at Brittany and Wade’s house. We are going to try and recap this incredible evening as best as we can, but we are buzzing off not only the delicious wines that were paired with every course, but also from the incredible food and company!

As usual, Brittany artfully set the table to impress. We were celebrating her birthday tonight … and nothing could be more appropriate than the way she played close attention to every detail!

Love the chandelier plates!

For those of you who don’t know, Wade is an incredible chef. No formal training, he is fueled by a passion for delectable tastes, a close study of all things food, and a sharp artful eye! Anything he’s made for us has been simply divine, and tonight was no exception. If it wasn’t for Wade, I wouldn’t know that I liked guacamole, olives, cream-based soups or truffles! Reid was also there to do the wine pairing, and honestly, I tasted the 4 best wines I’ve ever had tonight! Thanks to Reid, Ed & I are definitely sculpting our wine tastes!

On to the good stuff …

Appetizers

Prosciutto de Parma with Truffled Honey

AND


Strawberries and Cream
Paired with: Domaine Allimant-Laugner Cremant D Alsace (Sparkling Wine)

I knew the night was off to a good start with this opener! Prosciutto? Strawberries and Cream? Bubbly??? Enough said!!!

First Course

Caesar Salad with Black Truffle Cacio de Bosco Crisp
Paired with : 2007 Chateau Guiraud Bordeaux Blanc Sec (Sauvignon Blanc)

The presentation on this dish was lovely. The onion ring around the salad, the gorgeous truffle crisp on top … and that crouton on the bottom! Everything about this was impressive, and the wine was my favorite of the evening.

Second Course

Potato Leek Soup with Fresh White Truffle (and Cauliflower puree!)
Paired with: 2007 Broglia Gavi

I wish I would have gotten a better picture of this soup! I have never enjoyed creamy soups before, but I ate every last bite of this dish – right along with everybody else! The texture was wonderful … it coated your mouth with a comforty-warm feeling, and that crisp white wine refreshed and reset your palette each time. Probably the most impressive pairing of the evening, this course got many compliments!

Third Course

Linguini with White Truffles and Chanterelles
Paired with: Domaine Pierre Guillemot Sabigny-Serpentieres

Again, this photo does not do this dish justice. This was Ed’s favorite of the evening. It had a hearty satisfying flavor without being overpowering or heavy. This was my favorite Red Wine of the night!

Fourth Course:

Braised Short-Rib over Black Truffled Mashed Potato with Brussel Sprouts.
Paired with: 2005 Chateau Belles-Graves Lalande-de-Pomerol

There is no way we cold possible tell you how savory and delicious this short rib was via internet. Literally, the meat shredded on contact. We could’ve had seconds … and thirds … but we respectfully restrained. Simply put, this was delicious! And, I love me some Brussel Sprouts! (This dish also has a fancy special kind of ginormous mushroom with it, but I cannot remember the name)

Desserts

Assorted Belgian chocolates and adorable Petit Fours from the Great Dane Baking Company! Paired with Vanilla Haagen-Daas Ice Cream with Truffled Honey on top! Decadence!

This night was one for the books, and we feel so lucky to know such great friends with such talents!

Our chef and wine expert:

The birthday girl with the chef:

We are extremely happy guests!

Happy Birthday, Brittany!!!

More pics here:

Winter Tasting Menu and Wine Pairing

Tiempo para la parilla!

Argentina is known for many things, not least of which is its beef. And there’s nowhere better to eat your Argentinian beef than at a parilla, or grill, as we English speakers call it.

Luckily for us, our hotel is only a few blocks away from one of the best parillas in town, La Dorita. This unpretentious grill is muy autentico, with a bewildering array of available cuts of beef all grilled up to perfection. It attracts people from all walks of life – we saw families, stylish hipsters, seniors, businesspeople…anyone and everybody.

Here’s Ed with his bife de chorizo, not to be confused with Mexican sausage, but rather the Argentinian term for sirloin. Now THAT’S a hunk of meat!

And here’s Carrie with her half portion of bife de lomo, or what we call tenderloin. Can you believe that’s a half portion?!?

But one of our favorite things at La Dorita wasn’t even the food, as delicious as it was. It was this steaklover’s take on The Last Supper. It was hanging on the wall next to us. Oh yes.

Why break bread when you can chow bife and drink malbec with 12 of your closest pals?

We love Portland.


This past Labor Day weekend, we finally made it to Portland to visit our dear friends, Rebecca & Jody (You may know Rebecca as our very talented friend who made our wedding cake topper). They have a BEAUTIFUL mid-century modern home in Portland, and were the best hosts we’ve ever had the pleasure of staying with. They had a full weekend planned for us with lots of sightseeing, and they even made us breakfast every morning! Thanks for the pumpkin pancakes and home-grown veggie scramble, you two!

We were a little concerned about the madness of Labor Day weekend travel at LAX, but we just had to grin and bear it. Vacation time off is limited, so when a “free day” comes along, we just gotta take it! However we were pleasantly surprised* – it was an absolute GHOST TOWN at 5:30pm on the Friday evening of this holiday weekend! Here’s the proof:

*Okay, maybe we were slightly freaked out by the fact that it was so empty, like What the heck is going on?, but after we got over that, the pleasantly surprised part settled in …

Portland is a pretty great place. Lots of young folks just like us, a real artistic vibe, and a general concern for things like locally grown foods and independent businesses. No McDonald’s on every corner in Portland! As soon as we got off the plane, Rebecca and Jody drove us downtown, so we could visit the famous, Voodoo Doughnuts. They are known for some pretty wacky creations (check the menu!) – including their famous Maple Bar, topped with a giant piece of bacon. We went for the kitschier variety – Ed got the Captain Crunch doughnut, and Carrie opted for the Fruit Loops. Sweetness overload!

There are so many fun foods to document about Portland, but we’ll cut to the chase and get to the pictures! Feel free to click the “Portland” link under the photos too, if you want to check out the entire album.

Some favorites:

Rebecca & Jody at a local Cafe

Ed’s heart attack on a plate – Scotch Eggs. Huh?

Portland is known for their beers – and here, they feature a Beer Float! Ed says they taste great.

Vietnamese cuisine is pretty popular in Portland, and we couldn’t be happier. This is Jody after his giant crepe arrived at the table!

Now for the pretty stuff. On Sunday, we took a full day to just drive and enjoy the gorgeous Portland Scenery. We had to admit, for two city people like us, we were pretty enamored with Oregon’s green. We’re typically not the nature-y type, but we definitely fell in love!

Beautiful views on our way up to The Gorge

One of many waterfalls, peeking through the green.

Crazy for trees!

Self-explanatory.

After all of the falls, our grand finale was to visit Timberline Lodge, a historic ski lodge at the top of Mt. Hood. The place was amazing. It’s also the lodge you see in The Shining. We didn’t see Jack Nicholson, but we did see SNOW – on the last day of August! It was pretty cool.


To wrap up our trip, we flew home 1st Class – just by pure luck! Our trip was courtesy of Delta (thank you, Frequent Flyer miles!) and on the way home, they just happened to put us in 1st class!

We admit it – we are happier in 1st class. :)

All in all, it was an amazing trip. Thank you, Rebecca & Jody for being such fantastic hosts! Check out the album for more beauty …

Portland

An Amazing Evening in Food and Wine!

Last night was an amazing experience. We were fortunate enough to be invited to a very special dinner at our dear friends, Brittany & Wade’s house. Wade is a self-taught gourmet chef – no kidding – and he prepared a SIX COURSE DINNER (his “Summer Tasting Menu”) for us. To add even more amazement, Wade’s friend, Reid (also a serious expert), paired six different wines for each course.

We cannot even relay how incredible this was! Everything from the presentation to the sophisticated flavors were just top-notch. No detail was left unattended to – Brittany has great taste and she had the table set beautifully with gorgeous placemats made of exotic feathers, pretty ribbons tying up the silverware, and cool chandelier plates. It was truly a collaborative, creative & artistic evening!



Perfect ambiance. They even printed menus!

First course: Mozzarella Caprese
Heirloom Tomatoes with fresh Buffalo Mozzarella & organic Basil.
Paired with Roderer Estate Brut Rose

Unfortunately, we completely spaced and did not get a picture of this course. :(

Second Course: Gazpacho Cucumber Colonnades and Bruschetta

Chilled Heirloom Tomato Soup topped with Basil Cream.
Paired with 2006 Anselmi Soave “San Vincento”

Check out that presentation!

Third Course: Lil’ Caesar

Baby Romaine, Anchovy Fillet and Aged-Parmesan-Reggiano Crisp
Paired with 2005 Cuvee “La Jouline” Sancerre

Wade’s such a pro that the beautifully crafted Parmesan crisp on top is even handmade!

Fourth Course: Halibut and Crab Turett

Halibut, Snow Crab claw, Roasted Fennel with Red Bell Pepper Sauce over Quinoa.
Paired with 2006 Francois Chidaine Montlouis Sur Loire “Les Tuffeaux”

This was INCREDIBLE. Carrie’s favorite dish of the night (although it was difficult to choose!). The Snow Crab claw on top was awesome, and that wonderful handmade Red Pepper sauce was all made by Wade, from scratch!

Fifth Course: Olive Oil Poached Salmon with Citrus

Citrus-marinated Salmon with Confit of Navel Oranges, Caviar and Pea Shoot Coulis.
Paired with 2005 Georges Dubeuf Fleurie Beaujolias

Also phenomenal. Wade gets his sushi-grade fish fresh at the Sunday Farmers Market at the Long Beach Marina. This salmon melted in your mouth. We regret not taking a photo after he personally served his handmade pea shoot coulis around it. The colors in this dish were beautiful – the bold color of the salmon, bright citrus beneath and a green pea sauce made it fantastic to look at.

Sixth Course: Peach Sorbet

Served in halved Orange
Paired with 2003 Royal Tokaji.

Perfect way to end the evening!

We were extremely happy guests!

Our wonderful and talented hosts.
Thank you-Thank you-Thank you, Brittany & Wade!!!

Reid and Hilary – Reid was the genius behind the INCREDIBLE wine pairing. We are inspired and hope to learn much more from him.