Last Night

Tonight was my last restaurant week dinner because of other commitments this weekend. I couldn't think of a better way to end restaurant week than at Meadowlark. We started with a bottle of Letitia Pinot Noir which was wonderful. I had the Beets and Frites (don't forget to have the caper mayo...it's my favorite)! I had the Grilled Sirloin and Fresh-dug Potato Gratin with Homegrown Tomatoes and Chard. It's was wonderful! To complete my meal, I had the Oatmeal Cookie with Ice Cream. I didn't share! Although, I did manage to steal a bite of my friends Lemon Chess Pie...which was also delicious! All in all, I had an excellent week dining out!

I'm already looking forward to Restaurant Week in 2008!

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Restaurant Week Wednesday

I have a love/hate relationship with restaurant week. I can normally go into my 'usual' restaurants on a Wednesday night a get a table without a problem. Not tonight. My choices were the back room or the bar.

Let me start by saying that I love Pacchia! I eat there at least twice a week. One of my favorite things on the menu is the Sweet Potato/Eggplant appetizer. I can eat that and a salad and be happy! Tonight's iteration was fine...but it was sorta lukewarm. I've definitely had it better. The second course of the restaurant week menu was the Fifth Street Salad which is one of my favorites. I chose the pork as my entree and was again disappointed. The pork was dry and didn't seem to have much flavor. Nothing like the fabulous pork I had off the regular menu last Saturday.
While tonight's meal was a little disappointing...I still came away happy. And I'll be back because it's just part of my love/hate relationship with restaurant week.

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Day Two: Cest Tout

Tuesday was Restaurant Week Day Two for me...spurred on by the posts in Mark Fisher's Uncorked blog, I headed to Cest Tout. And like the others, I wasn't disappointed. I started with the Cream of Tomato soup...okay, those of you who know me know that I really started with a glass of wine, the Fetzer 5 Rivers Pinot Noir, and it was the perfect place to start. My main course was the Linquine with Bay Scallops and Sundried Tomatoes with Lobster Sauce. The Peach Melba was a perfect light finish to my meal.

Wednesday: Pacchia

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It's Monday and it is Restaurant Week in Dayton OH

I love restaurant week. I think because it gives me an excuse to go out to dinner every night of the week! (Some would argue that I don't usually need an excuse!)

Tonight I went to my usual Monday night dining out spot. Monday is apparently a slow dining out night here is Dayton and so there are only a few places open regularly on Mondays. Coco's was perfect because it is a 10 minute walk from home.

I'm not usually a big salad person but I can never get enough of Coco's regular salad with blue cheese dressing. I can't figure it out. I selected the Tilapia dinner entree rested on a sun-dried tomato, asparagus and goat cheese risotto cake finished with a lemon vodka buerre blanc. I finished the meal with the Strawberry shortcake which was lovely.

Based on the comments in Mark Fisher's Uncorked blog at the Dayton Daily News, I'm definitely going to have to add Jay's and Cest Tout to my restaurant week destinations along with my already planned trip to Meadowlark on Wednesday.

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Just Last Week

I was in NYC on business! I'm really getting tired of traveling but GREAT food keeps me going!

It was my first (and won't be my last) trip to Craft! The menu is a list of foods then you ask your server about the foods and they tell you how it is prepared that evening! I started with Crispy Fresh Bacon and John started with Smoked Sturgeon. We shared New Zealand Venison, Potatoes Gratin, and Fava Beans. It is great because there is plenty of food to share at the table. We also go to taste Sweetbreads (okay...so I didn't taste them), Thai Red Snapper, Roasted Baby Carrots, Potate Puree, and beet salad.

The food was fabulous! We had a very lovely wine (one of these days I'll get better about writing all of this down)!

John also stopped at craftWich which is a little sandwich shop in Bryant park and is part of the Craft group. He didn't stop raving until he left NYC. (Yes, he took advantage of my business trip to "share" a hotel room so he could spend time in NYC. So while he was off gallivanting around the city, I actually had to work!)

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Tasting Menu Kick

So, I've been on a tasting menu kick! This is where the chef prepares a special menu of "small plates" and you can get the optional wine pairing to go with it. The wine pairings are usually specially selected and are the perfect accompaniment for the food. It seems a waste to order the menu and not get the wine that goes with it.

John and I love to visit Salt Lake City, Utah. Metropolitan is one of the restaurants that we've been to more than once. Lucky me! I was in Salt Lake City in February 2007 on business!

Here is what I got to "taste"

• Sashimi Quality Tuna with Shaved Fennel Dressing in Herb Oils ans a Spicy Marinade
• Potato Crusted Mediterranean Rouget with a Mung Bean Saffron Rissoto, Rose-Olive Sauce and a Parmesan Cloud
• Organic Colorado Rack of Lamb with Homemade Sheep Milk Ricotta Gnocchi, Fresh Sage, Zucchini-Mint Puree and Lamb Jus
• Sicilian Blood Oranges with Fromage Blanc and Blood Orange Sorbet
• Warm Pineapple Meringue with Molten Pistachio Core, Pineapple Gelee and Sorbet

I don't have a list of wines but suffice to say they were excellent!

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While I may not have been posting...I've been eating!

Okay...so I haven't been very good about keeping this blog up-to-date. That is NOT to say that I haven't been having EXCEPTIONAL meals! Unfortunately, I haven't been doing that great a job documenting them either.

I did want to take a minute to share some highlights so I can get rid of some of the paper I'm carrying around.

Manressa (Executive Chef: David Kinch)
I remember a lovely risotto, suckling pig, and pineapple souffle with meyer lemon cream! John had scallops with watercress, John Dory with indian spices, ans squab. I remember the Chef creating something special for John because they were out of what John ordered. And Chef came out and apologized (although there was really no need) in person. John's special dish was WONDERFUL!

We had the tasting menu with wine pairings. The wine parings were fabulous. They matched the foods PERFECTLY. Here are the wines that we had:

• 2001 Cellars de Camp Targona, Cava D'abbatis, Catalunya, Spain
• 2004 Amador Foothill Winery, Late Harvest Semillion, Sierra Foothills
• 2003 Jean Leon, Terrasola Blanc, Catalunya, Spain
• 2005 Domaine Maestracci, "E Prove," Vermentino, Corisca
• 2004 Chateau D'Epire, Chenin Blanc, Savennieres, France
• 2004 Roero, Arenis, Piedmont, Italy
• 2003 Rousset, Crozes-Hermitage, Rhone Valley, France
• 2004 Borthwick Vineyard, Pinot Noir, New Zealand

We were lucky to get the reservation! I found it on OpenTable.com! Oh and by the way, Manresa is not for the faint of heart...the bill may be able the same as your first mortgage payment! But it is so worth that once in a blue moon trip!

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