The Food Blog Journey

When I began this journey almost 3 years ago, I was in a major food rut.  I was such a creature of habit: I almost always went to the same restaurants, ordered the same dishes, and even cooked the same rotation of meals for lunch and dinner.  I had been doing that forever, and it became extremely boring. So I finally decided it was time for a change. On the way to a caravan in Bartlesville, OK we came up with the name: Karyl's Kulinary Krusade; and the premise:  in 18 months go to 100 restaurants I'd never been to.  For the first couple of weeks it was strictly new restaurants, but I really wasn't going out to eat a ton so I didn't want the blog to sit idle for too long.  I added new recipes, plus repeat restaurants where I would just order something different.  I hit #100 new restaurants last summer, but by that point I had already decided I would keep going for as long as it was still fun.

In the beginning I really just blogged for myself. It was kind of like a personal diary. I created the page, but didn't put much thought or effort into the page design.  But then something happened...a few of my friends were reading it!  I was really pleasantly surprised.  So then I started putting each post on Facebook, which got me a few more readers.  I've also noticed that I have a reader in Russia, one in India, one in China, and a couple other really random places. Weird, but oh well.  Maybe my reviews are helping them plan a trip to the US! On the recommendation of a friend, I also started tweeting the restaurants. Most don't respond, but I have gotten a few retweets and favorites. That's really pretty exciting.  

I've been really lucky, because I have yet to have a horrible restaurant experience.  And even on the few occasions when something negative does happen, I always try to find positives.  The only exception was a place in Minneapolis where our table of 5 left after being completely ignored for about 15 minutes, when the restaurant was almost completely empty. And as we left, the same hostess that sat us said goodbye like she didn't even remember we had practically just walked in.

Recently I found out that my friend April has a blog called uncookiecutter.com.  It's perfect, because she lives in Stillwater so we can work on our blogs together over wine. She has been a fantastic resource for me, and has gotten me in a Facebook network of 300+ bloggers from around the country.  It's been a little overwhelming keeping up, because I think a lot of them do this for a living, and their blogs are REALLY well designed. For me this is just a side thing.  But I'm trying.  

To be honest, I would love to be a food writer/critic.  So I'm hoping/thinking that if I can get this blog where it needs to be, that could be my "in", even if on a small scale.  So now I'm on a mission to upgrade my blog. It needs work. April and I created my Facebook page last night, so I've got to work on that as well.  It seems like every day I find out there's something else I should be doing to get myself out there.  I'll get it all figured out...eventually. 

What I really like about this journey is that it's expanded my food experience so much. I've found dive restaurants that I probably never would have considered otherwise. Restaurant.com and keepitlocalok.com have been great resources, and are also a source of discounts so I don't go broke doing this!  My dad thinks the restaurants should be giving me a free meal since I'm doing a review.  I had to remind him that only happens if you're a pro.  I've been able to use Pinterest to really grow my recipe book, and if I stopped pinning new recipes today, I could still make something new once a week for probably 18 months.

So my journey continues...more restaurants...new recipes...and expanding my social presence.  I better get to work!

Just a Maryland girl in an Oklahoma world!

My Chef's Hat - Avocado, Pancetta & Pine Nut Salad

When I was in Flower Mound last month and we went to lunch, the pizza had really good pepperoni on it.  Then and there I decided, no more bagged Hormel stuff.  I mean sure, it's inexpensive and lasts a long time, but the "real" stuff is so much better.  Sadly, I'm not going to find the good stuff in Stillwater.  So about a week ago I went online looking for an Italian Deli in OKC.  And that's how I found Mediterranean Imports & Deli.  It's on May Avenue, not too far from Penn Square Mall.  

My original plan was to run in and  just grab some pepperoni.  Well, you don't "just run in" here.  They've got meats, cheeses, and dry products from around the world.  Plus a little restaurant.  Almost an hour later I walked out with some authentic Italian dry pasta, pepperoni, pancetta, and prosciutto. Oh, and a piece of freshly baked baklava that was outstanding. I wanted to get some cheese, but I wasn't going right home so I wasn't too sure about it sitting in the car for too long.  Next time. I used the pepperoni on my pizza for lunch, and it was outstanding.  So fresh and delicious, and tons more flavor than the store-bought stuff.

I've never cooked with pancetta before, and honestly I don't even know that I've eaten it more than once or twice.  But I love bacon, and pancetta is basically Italian bacon.  How can you go wrong with that?  I had taken out salmon for dinner, and originally planned to make a side of avocado corn salsa that I love.  Then I looked on Pinterest, just to see what pancetta recipes there are.  There's a ton of them.  One of the first I came across was Avocado, Pancetta & Pine Nut Salad. It looked delicious, so I decided to try it.

Here's the recipe version

And here is my version, with fresh corn and thinly sliced red onion added, and topped with blackened salmon

Wow, this was excellent. Pancetta is saltier than bacon, and the flavor is a little different, but I really like it. And one big plus is pancetta is much lower in fat.  When I cook 2 pieces of bacon there's probably a tablespoon of fat left; with 2 ounces of pancetta, there was less than a teaspoon.  I sauteed the fresh corn in a little of the fat from the pancetta, so it completely absorbed the flavor. The recipe calls for a dressing of oil mixed with balsamic vinegar.  I really don't need the oil at all.  Makes it a little too greasy.  But that was absolutely the only negative.  I devoured the entire bowl in record time.

This dish is definitely going into my regular rotation.  And I'm excited to try some more recipes with pancetta. 

Recipe found on JaimeOliver.com

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#147 - The Hen Bistro - Tulsa, OK

Today I was meeting Bryan & Janet, a couple of suite holders, for lunch.  It wasn't technically a stewardship visit; I just hadn't seen them in a really long time, and I really enjoy spending time with them.  Bryan is the one who keeps me stocked up on my wine for my wine keeper.  And I failed miserably by forgetting to send him a list of what I need.  Won't make that mistake again.

Bryan recommended that we meet at The Hen Bistro.  He's a big foodie like me, so I knew if he recommended it, it would be great.  It's located in Brookside, a very trendy area of Tulsa.  There's so many great shops and restaurants in the area.  It kind of reminds me of a big city.  I really need to come out here more often, because it's a fun place to be.  I just don't very often, because more of my friends live in OKC.   

It's a very cozy restaurant with a very unique layout.  There's 2 entrances, and what I would consider the main door is on the side road.  There's a couple of tables out front, and floor-to-ceiling windows along the whole front wall.  The door leads you into the main dining room, with seating for maybe 40.  You take a couple of stairs up to a small bar area; just beyond the bar there's a small private dining space that seats maybe 20; and before you hit the private space there's another door that leads to another patio with more seating.  It's a super unique space, in that it's in the courtyard that houses some other businesses.  I've never seen anything like it.  They definitely make maximum use of the space.  I arrived before Bryan and Janet, and chose a table inside because it was pretty windy and a little chilly outside.  I really like the big windows up front because they let in so much natural light.  There's also a wall of wine, and as I learned from Bryan, it's temperature controlled. That's really cool. We didn't have any, but he said they have a great selection.

As I mentioned, Bryan is a huge foodie.  So he was giving me lots of recommendations of other places in Tulsa for great food.  And of course he knows the owners and/or chefs at most of them.  Including the owner of the Hen.  It's a good thing I don't live in Tulsa, or else I would weigh 500lbs hanging out with them!

The menu isn't huge, and that works really well for me.  I told them about the food blog, so we decided to get a couple of dishes to share.  My only request was the deviled eggs, because they sounded really good.  So we started with them

These were some of the best deviled eggs I've ever had.  The yolks were whipped, and so light and fluffy.  They were topped with a spicy remoulade and fried oyster.  The remoulade wasn't kidding with the spice, but the eggs toned it down.  The oysters were fantastic.  Lightly fried, and just melted in your mouth. 

Bryan and Janet suggested we split a couple of salads.  Have to admit, that wasn't what I was thinking, but I went with it.

BLACK & BLEU: blackened tenderloin, gorgonzola, avocado, crispy onions, parmesan peppercorn dressing

CRISPY CHICKEN: butter lettuce, tomato, bacon, avocado, sharp cheddar, mustard vinaigrette

CHILLED SALMON: Strawberry, chèvre, almond, champagne vinaigrette

I was really surprised at the size. These were definitely entrée-sized portions.

The black and bleu was the favorite of us all.  The steak was so well seasoned and tender; just enough of a kick.  I absolutely love gorgonzola and avocado.  The onions were red, which is a little different than most restaurants would do.  The dressing went really well, and kind of reminded me of a Caesar dressing. 

The crispy chicken was our second favorite.  The dressing was light, and you really couldn't even taste the mustard at all.  This salad also had avocado, so I was really happy.  I can't figure out how they breaded or battered the chicken, but it was really, really good. 

The salmon was good, but our least favorite of the 3.  I like that it was made with baby spinach.  We couldn't figure out what the cheese was.  I thought it was ricotta, Bryan thought it might have been feta.  Turns out it was chevre.  And fantastic.  I must find some of that stuff at the store.  I really liked the almonds in there, and the contrast of textures they provided.

In the grand scheme of things we didn't eat a ton, because they were salads.  So at first we turned down the offer of dessert.  But when our server mentioned that one of them was cinnamon roll bread pudding, we couldn't resist.  So we shared one

Oh my.  This was absolutely amazing, and tasted just like a cinnamon roll.  The bread pudding was super hot, and the ice cream provided a great contrast.  It's really not a very big piece, but it's a good thing we were sharing because I never could have eaten a whole one.  But I certainly savored every single bite of my share.

Will I go back? Absolutely.  And next time I'm having a glass of wine, sitting on the patio, and trying a few different things on the menu.  And I definitely want to try their other restaurant, The French Hen.

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#146 - Park House, Oklahoma City, OK

Last week I had a lunch meeting in downtown OKC, and they recommended Park House.  I had heard of it, but never been there.  Sold.

It's in a really great location, in downtown between Myriad Gardens and Chesapeake Energy Arena.  I was a little worried about finding parking in the middle of the work day, but there was actually quite a bit available and I found a space less than a block away.  It's a really cool building, with floor-to-ceiling windows around 3/4 of it, and the building itself is kind of like a circle.  There's also a big outdoor patio that wraps the same 3/4 around.  We sat at a table inside next to the window, so it was almost like we were outside.  There's also a full bar and some high-top tables for bar seating.  The whole restaurant is very open and spacious.  It's really a great atmosphere.  It wasn't super crowded, but I'm sure when there's events going on in the area it's packed. They offer valet parking in the evenings, which is key on a big event night.  There's a big open space beyond the patio on the far end of the building, and I found out that in the winter it's an ice rink.  That's awesome.  Never even knew we had one of those in OKC.

There's a pretty good-sized wine list, and I like that they offer half bottles as well as by the glass.  And then I saw that they have warm cookies and milk for dessert.  Love that.  And you can also order a round of beers for the kitchen.  Cool idea, but I wonder how many they get to drink before they cook your food?

The lunch menu isn't too big, so that's good for me.  One of the first things that caught my eye was the halibut fish & chips.  But it's pricier than I would normally do for lunch.  And for some reason halibut is an expensive fish.  But then one of my companions got it, so I went with it too.

Boulevard Wheat Beer Batter, Crisp Slaw, Malt Vinegar, Waffle Fries, House Made Tartar Sauce

I was very pleasantly surprised with how big the portion was; I'm guessing this is the same for both lunch and dinner.  I tried the Cole slaw first.  It's a little creamier than I normally like, but it had good flavor.  The fish was pretty good, but I do wish it had been served hotter--I think it might have been sitting for a little bit.  The batter was light and not greasy, and the fish was good, just a little bland.  Some spicy seasoning in the batter would have added a great kick to the flavor.  I probably should have asked for some hot sauce to add some kick.  The tartar sauce is homemade, and very tasty.  The down side is that I spent so much time talking that it got cold faster than I could eat it.  And once cooked fish gets cold, it's not so good anymore.  The waffle fries were hot and crisp and delicious. And since those were under the fish, they stayed hotter longer. 

Will I go back?  Yes I will.  I mean, warm cookies and milk, and the cookies are cooked to order?  How can you pass that up?!  Besides, I think it will be a great place for happy hour or to enjoy lunch out on the patio.  And they had some other items on the menu that I definitely want to try. 

#145 - Oak & Ore, Oklahoma City, OK

My flight from Maryland got back to OKC at about 7pm.  Since my only other meal had been lunch with my parents, by the time I got to the car I was pretty hungry.  I was tired and knew I wouldn't want to cook when I got to the house.  Nothing on restaurant.com jumped out at me, so I looked at keepitlocal.com and came across Oak & Ore.  I had seen that my friend Chase had eaten there, and he doesn't usually go wrong when it comes to food.  And besides, I was going to get a keep it local discount.  So double win.

The restaurant is in the Plaza District, and hasn't been open for too very long.  I'm so used to Stillwater that's basically dead on Sunday nights, so I was very pleasantly surprised at how crowded the area was.  Not packed, but all of the restaurants had some good activity.  And I even had to drive around a little bit to find parking.  Oak & Ore is on the corner, and they've got a few outside tables that were full of diners.  The inside isn't huge, but is a good size.  The whole right wall is the bar and in the center are 3 long tall tables with barstools around them.  It was open seating so I chose to sit along the left wall, which is a long bench the entire length, and then 2 metal chairs on the other side of each table.  I really like the look of the place, with the exposed ceiling beams and industrial look.  It's a very cool building.

They feature craft beers, and have 36 different types.  They're all listed on the wall behind the bar, on a huge chalkboard.  And the kegs are built into the wall.  My server said the beers change regularly. I'm not a big beer person, but wanted to try one.  I definitely don't like the heavy ales and stouts; I'm more of a lighter, fruity girl.   I really like that they do complimentary tastes, so you can figure out what you like before committing to something.  I saw a lot of people at the bar tasting all different types.  

With the help of my server, I tasted the Boulevard Springbelle and Unibroule La Fin Du Monde. 

Love the little tasting glasses!  They are so cute.  And they give you just a couple of sips in each, which is more than enough to decide if you like it.  They were both good, but the Boulevard tasted just like Boulevard.  So I went with the other one. It's a Canadian beer and is really good. Big fan.

I like this place because the menu isn't very big.  They've got appetizers, salads, and sandwiches.  And one dessert.  I like it.  Keep it simple, and do it well.  And I like that they offer quite a bit of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options.  All of the sandwiches are "knife and fork", so served open faced.  I went with the chicken ciabatta.  The sandwiches come with a wedge salad and chips, or you can substitute them for one of their 3 other sides.  I decided to stick with how it comes.

CIABATTA, GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST, PESTO AIOLI, BACON JAM, CARAMELIZED SWEET PEPPERS, ONIONS, MUSHROOMS, SWISS CHEESE, ARUGULA

The sandwich was excellent.  It was served warm, the chicken was really tender, and all of the parts worked together really well.  I like that the sandwich is open faced, because it allows the inside to be the star.  I love that the wedge salad is included as a standard side.  I've never seen than before, but it's a great concept.  The chips were really good.  At first I was wondering why they just included boring regular potato chips with the plantain chips and taro chips, but then I took a bite and realized they're the kettle cooked.  And was very happy.  It's a really good mix of crunch and taste.

Will I go back?  No question.  The food was really good, and I'd love the chance to try some more of their beers. 

#144 - El Golfo Restaurant, Silver Spring, MD

When I was looking for a place for my parents and I to eat last Wednesday, I considered both downtown DC and closer to their house in Silver Spring, MD.  One of my top options close to the house was El Golfo Restaurant.  Since we ate in DC on Wednesday, El Golfo it was for lunch Sunday. 

Silver Spring is a pretty big city.  It's in both Montgomery and Prince George's County, and my parents live on the Montgomery side, just about on the border.  For as long as I can remember, the PG side has been very Hispanic.  Now it's a huge melting pot of all different ethnicities.  The restaurant is on Flower Avenue, an area I hadn't been to in years.   When I lived in College Park I went periodically, but once I moved to Columbia I don't think I ever did again.

The restaurant is on the corner, and is a pretty good-sized place.  The main dining room is split into 2 sections, and there's also a stage at the very back for live music.  There's also a full bar to the right with a few tables in that section as well.  There were only a few other tables when we arrived, but I would imagine that at night and on the weekends it gets really crowded.  And from looking at the Facebook page and website, they do a lot of big family dinners, parties, and events.  As a matter of fact, it's rated one of the top restaurants with live music in Silver Spring.  I really like that they showcase a lot of different types of music.

The restaurant has both Latin American and Mexican dishes, so the menu is pretty big.  And they even offer a couple of vegetarian and vegan dishes.  You don't see vegan on too many menus.

Of course, chips and salsa came out first

The chips were warm and fresh, and tasted homemade.  The salsa was really delicious.  Big chunks of onion and tomato.  At first I thought it wasn't spicy at all, but as we ate and I dipped to the bottom of the bowl, the spice hit fast.  And my dad's forehead was sweating.  But it was well worth it because the salsa was awesome.

My dad got the veggie fajitas, and my mom got the fish tacos with whole wheat tortillas.

I didn't try either one, but they both said it was good.  My mom's dish was bigger than we expected, with 2 tacos.  My dad's fajitas were piled high with veggies.

Of course I couldn't decide what to eat, and every time I saw a plate go by I looked to see what they were getting.   And then I saw a guy getting a sizzling lobster tail so I looked to see what it was.  I then had no choice but to get the super Golfo fajitas, a combo of steak, chicken and lobster tail.  Yep, lobster tail fajitas.

The lobster was excellent.  Cooked perfectly, tender and delicious.  There's a fish market right around the corner so who  knows, maybe that's where they get it from.  I don't know, but it was awesome.  The chicken and steak were seasoned really well.  Usually fajita chicken meat is dry, but this one was nice and tender as well.

My dad had black beans with his fajitas, and I should have asked for those but I wasn't thinking about it.  But the pinto beans were very good.  I don't think I've ever seen yellow rice with fajitas.  I really liked it though.  It had good flavor.  I only ate one of the tortillas.  They were good, but they take up too much valuable space in my stomach.

One of the reviews I read talked about how slow the service was.  Ours was a little slow, but it was Sunday afternoon and they only had 2 servers on staff.  And it really wasn't bad.  The review said they waited 40 minutes at one point.  Well that's stupid... why would anyone just sit and wait that long without flagging someone down?

I know I sound like an ad or a broken record, but I would have never found this gem if it weren't for restaurant.com.  Will I go back? No question.  I love family owned restaurants, and I would love to go and hear live music one night. 

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#143 - Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken, Washington, DC

A couple weeks ago I was on Facebook, and saw that someone had commented about a place in DC called Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken.  I like doughnuts, but don't eat them very often because I don't want to look like one.  I do, however, have an unhealthy obsession with fried chicken.  And when I looked further, I saw that it was owned by Jeff Halpern and another former Washington Capitals player.  Jeff's mom and my parents worked together at Montgomery College for years, and my mom and I went to go watch him play hockey a few times when he played at Princeton. 

I knew I had to find my way to this place.  The perfect solution was last week, when Kara and I took her kids to DC sightseeing for the day.  We packed a whole lot into the day.  Our first planned stop was National Archives, to just run in and look at the Declaration of Independence.  The line was halfway around the building at 10:30AM.  So that was out.  But we did hit National History, the White House, Air & Space, World War II Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial.  I usually give Kara grief for walking so fast, but it sure came in handy so we could fit everything in.  We probably covered about 5 miles. 

The boys were really hungry after National History, and Astro is on the way to the White House, on G St between 13th and 14th.  So it timed out really well.  I knew it was small, but had no idea quite how small.  It's literally a cubby hole.  No more than 10 customers can stand in there at one time, and if all 10 are in there, it's packed. There are a couple of tables just outside the door to eat, so I'm guessing most of their business is locals who live or work nearby.  It was chilly and windy, but the tall buildings blocked the wind and so it was actually very comfortable to sit outside.  Good thing, because that was our only option.  They also have a food truck, which is probably more popular than the building. And they're getting ready to open another brick and mortar location in Virginia. 

The menu is very limited, but I like that.  Pick a few things, and do them well.  And they do 2 things... fried chicken and doughnuts.  The chicken options are leg/thigh, sandwich, or tenders.  I really like that everything is served in recyclable materials.  As I was deciding, I noticed they have a dumbwaiter to either upstairs or downstairs where they cook the food. And there are about a dozen varieties of doughnuts that rotate from day to day. I really like that they have the different doughnuts displayed on the counter so you can see them up close to help you decide. 

(forgot to take a pic, so borrowed this from online)

Kara got chicken tenders for the boys.  She got a chicken sandwich, which of course is served on a doughnut instead of bread. With the sandwiches you can get your choice of a couple different sauces.  The one thing I did think was weird is that they don't have ketchup. They probably should have it available, since kids usually want it.  And that's what Liam and Spencer had asked for.  I failed miserably on the pictures, so I had to borrow these from online

Of course I got leg/thigh. I'm always going to take that option when it's available.  There's no fries or other sides, but they did have chips.  And Mexican coke.

The chicken was fantastic.  Think there's a little Old Bay in the seasoning.  Whatever it is, it adds wonderful flavor.  It wasn't screaming hot like I usually like it, but it hadn't been sitting for more than a couple of minutes so it was still hot.   The meat was tender and juicy.  Of course it was a little greasy because it's fried chicken. But not bad at all.  At first I was a little disappointed they don't serve fries.  But with doughnuts on the menu who needs fries?  And besides, the chips were delicious.  I'm really a fan of the kettle cooked.

I went with the nutella doughnut.  And of course as I was waiting, the lady behind me asked which one to get and the cashier said crème brulee was the most popular.  I didn't even see that one.  Fail on my part.  But I didn't want to be the creep changing my mind, so I stuck with nutella.


I started pulling it apart before I realized I had forgotten to take a picture, which is why it's smoothed on one end.  These doughnuts are so good. Very light and airy.  I was kind of hoping it would be filled with nutella, but that would have been overkill.  The frosting was more than enough.

I will definitely be back to this place.  Even if all I do is get a doughnut.  It will be well worth it to support Jeff. 

#142 - Panache Restaurant, Washington, DC

I'm so annoyed.  I did this post last Wednesday, and then today when I logged in to take notes on our lunch spot, I noticed that this post was back to draft. And when I looked, the whole thing was gone.  Poof.  No clue what happened. It's never happened before, and luckily it was just this one post and not the whole blog.  So here's my attempt to re-create.

You know how when you live in a touristy area but you never go to the touristy part?  That's the way I am with Washington DC.  I lived in the area for 95% of my life, but it's always too crowded, too much traffic, and just too much everything.  When I was a kid I went with my dad every time relatives came to town. Since becoming an adult, my trips to DC were to the bars with friends in my mid to late 20's.  We had to pick up my mom at Union Station last week anyways, so it was the perfect opportunity to find a good restaurant downtown. There's 100's of them on restaurant.com.  Traffic in DC is no joke, so I tried to find something not too horribly far away.  I went back and forth on a couple of places, and eventually settled on Panache Restaurant. 

Panache is at 17th and Desales St, right in the heart of downtown.  We found street parking about 2 blocks away, which in downtown DC in the middle of the workday is a small miracle.  It's a cute place, tucked in between office buildings, and the color scheme is red.  It's not big, but they sure know how to maximize space.  The entire left wall is several large semi-circle booths, the tables in the middle are is mainly 2 and 4 tops, and then the bar area has 5 high top tables plus seating at the bar.  I never think about making reservations, because you don't need to in Stillwater.  When we arrived the restaurant was packed, so our only option was the bar area.  But that was fine.

Panache is a tapas restaurant, so we decided to get several items to share.  First came complimentary bread

The bread was good, but it would have been even better if it was warm.  It was kind of a flatbread.  The butter was really delicious and creamy, kind of like a sweet butter.

We decided to start with calamari and hummus while we discussed other options

Purée of chick peas, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil & garlic.
Topped with chopped tomatoes & served with toasted pita

The hummus was delicious and very fresh.  Most places it's served room temperature, but this one was served cold.  The bread was really good and served warm, and I really enjoyed the contrast in temperatures.

Grilled squid tossed in salsa verde with fresh parsley

The calamari was really good.  It was served more room temperature, and I've never had it that way.  I'm not sure if that was on purpose or not, but it worked.  I've also never had calamari battered rather than breaded.  But I really liked it, and even ate the crispies that had fallen off while we waited for the rest of our food.  The salsa verde was excellent.  So flavorful and light and creamy.  Our server said it was their version of cilantro aioli.  They should seriously bottle and sell the stuff.  She also brought out a red pepper dip, but we didn't like that one nearly as much.

Next came Escalivada Mediterranean (grilled veggies) and blackened salmon with artichokes

Escalivada Mediterranea (Grilled marinated eggplant, zucchini & yellow squash)

Blackened Salmon filet with pan seared artichoke hearts finished with a pesto cream sauce

I didn't try any of the veggies, but my dad said they were really good.  The salmon was outstanding.  The blackening wasn't spicy at all, just lent a warmth to it.  The only negative was that the piece was really small.  I know tapas are small plates, but I really wish they put more on the plate.  The pesto cream sauce was delicious and not heavy at all.  I dipped my bread in it.  I usually only eat artichokes on pizza, but these were really good.

My mom and I were going to share the shrimp with garlic, and our server said it was a good choice.  And then she recommended the Coquilles St. Jacques (scallops).  And raved about them.  So we switched

Seared diver scallops with a creamy anise sauce

Wow.  These were absolutely fantastic.  Fresh, creamy, and perfectly cooked.  I don't know what anise sauce is, but I could have eaten a lot more of it.  Heck I could have eaten 3 plates of this.  It was that good.

When we originally gave our server the order, my dad asked how she would remember it all since she didn't write it down.  She told him it was easy, since she'd been doing it for 15 years.  So it was really funny when we realized she forgot my French onion soup.  She apologized profusely, and offered to take it off the bill.  But I told her not to worry, because we needed it to get to $50 for the coupon.

Rich beef broth with sweet yellow onions. Topped with toasted gruyere cheese

So good.  The broth was rich but not heavy.  The cheese was melty and gooey and delicious.  The way melted cheese should be.  And perfect for the chilly day that it was outside.

I saw desserts being delivered to a table and they looked really good.  But we were so full. You think because it's small plates that you need to get a lot.  But then it's deceiving.  The calamari itself is a large serving, and since my mom doesn't eat it, it was all up to me and my dad.

This place was really, really good.  Forgetting the soup aside, our server was excellent and friendly.  And I loved the atmosphere.  I think it would be a great place for an after-work happy hour.  I will definitely be back. 

#141 - Stella Modern Italian, Oklahoma City, OK

Today is Easter Sunday.  Although I was raised Catholic and went to church every Sunday as a kid, I rarely go now.  There's honestly not really any reason that I don't.  But I decided to try and change that, beginning today.  There's a Catholic church here Stillwater, but I also wanted to do Sunday brunch someplace fun.  And Brooklyn's is the only place in town that has it, and I've eaten there a bunch of times.  I went online, researched Catholic churches in OKC, and found a really pretty one not far from downtown.  And set about making a reservation for brunch.  A couple places had absolutely nothing available all day.  Not a big surprise, considering Easter is the 2nd biggest eating out day after Mother's Day.  I was going to an early mass so I could eat and get back and go to baseball.  Stella Modern Cuisine came to the rescue with a reservation not too long after mass ended. 

The church I went to was St. Francis of Assisi, about 3 miles away.  I got to the parking lot about 30 minutes early and originally was just going to read for a while until closer to start time, but changed my mind when I saw so many cars pulling in.  Smart move, as it was jam packed.  Literally.  At least 50 people had to stand up in the back. 

I got to Stella about 10AM, and couldn't figure out why nobody was in the parking lot.  It's because they don't open until 10:30.  Originally my plan had been to go by myself, since I had gone to church by myself and knew most of my friends had plans with family.  But last night a group of us had dinner at AJ's house, and Angi offered to come with me.  Of course I'm not going to turn down a brunch date! We tried to go somewhere else for a mimosa while we waited for them to open, but nowhere else was open or had them.  So we just waited in the car for the doors to open.

Stella is in Midtown, across the street from the Ambassador Hotel.  I'd been wanting to try it for some time, but just hadn't made it there.  It's a very cool building.  The entry foyer is round, with the hostess stand and a waiting area.  You can sit at the bar, or at a long row of tables behind.  One side of the tables are chairs, and the other is a long red couch.  I love the big pop of color.  There's a dining area just beyond the bar, and then 2 more main dining areas to the left of the bar area.  We were seated at a table by the window.  There's lots of windows all throughout, providing a ton of natural light.  They make pizzas in a brick oven, which you can watch if you sit at the bar.  One of the features of Sunday brunch is a bloody Mary bar.  I don't do bloody Mary's, but it looked really good.  They had a ton of different things to add to them.  If I drank bloody Mary's I would have been very happy.

Our server brought us out these little carrot cake muffins.

Warm and so delicious.  I'm sure they have to make them all day long, and I love that they're served warm.  It's a good thing they were small, so I didn't feel bad about eating 2 of them.  But that was enough.

We started with a carafe of mimosa, made with Prosecco.  I really like Prosecco, more than regular champagne.  It's lighter, and very refreshing.

I mean it's brunch, so mimosas are required.  And we got our fill of calcium from the OJ.  I love the glasses.  They're such a unique shape.  And I really like the plates.  Very modern and clean lines.

We decided to try the bruschetta

peppered ricotta, leek & salami / roma tomatoes, evoo & basil / bacon & onion jam

I honestly didn't even notice that you get 3 types until she brought the plate to the table.  Angi doesn't eat tomatoes so I ate both pieces of the traditional ones.  Didn't need to, but the bread was so good and the tomatoes so fresh.  The ricotta was fantastic.  So light and airy, and really good flavor.  I'm not usually a fan of salami, but this one was really good.  The onion jam & bacon was excellent.

We asked the server for recommendations, and she raved about the lemon ricotta pancakes.  I had thought about pizza, but then I realized I was planning to make it for dinner.  But the way she raved about the ribeye pizza, I knew I couldn't pass it up.  We decided to get both and split them. 

lemon ricotta pancakes with fresh fruit, bacon & warm maple syrup 

sliced rib-eye, mushroom, balsamic onion, garlic oil, agrodolce, fontina, gorgonzola 

Wow, this was all so delicious.  The pancakes were light and fluffy from the ricotta.  Sometimes recipes go overboard with lemon and you feel like you're sucking on one.  But the lemon flavor was just enough to add brightness to the dish.  Have to admit I was very happy Angi didn't eat the bacon, so I was able to eat it myself.  We didn't get fresh fruit, but we got pear jam with the maple syrup, and it was really delicious on the pancakes.  It was cold, but a great contrast to the warm pancakes and the warm syrup.

The pizza was excellent.  I mean who can turn down ribeye, onions and cheese?  Our server added hand-shaved parmesan cheese.  So much better than anything in a bottle.  The ribeye was rare, which I would normally never eat that way, but it was thinly sliced and seasoned really well.  The whole thing was such a fantastic mix of flavors.

Our server asked if we wanted dessert, but we were both full so we passed. 

Will I go back?  No question.  The food was excellent, the service was great, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere.  They've won the Diner's Choice 2 years in a row, and I can see why.  And there's lots of great things on the menu that I want to try.  Oh, and they partner with Keep it Local, so I got a discount!

 

My Chef's Hat - Thai Veggie Salad

I have this habit...I normally eat pretty healthy, but when I'm out of town or just hanging out with friends, I fall to temptation very easily.  The past 3 weeks were exactly that.  Early in the week I did really well, but then the weekend I kind of went crazy.  So I'm trying to get back to healthy most of the time.  So the other day I was looking for a healthy salad for lunch.  And I went on Pinterest and found a Thai Veggie Salad.  It looked really fresh and light, and I love peanut sauce.  I didn't have a few of the veggies in the recipe, but I had enough and knew I could make a few substitutions.

Here is the official recipe photo:

And here is my version, with grilled chicken added

Yes, I realize it looks nothing like the official photo.  But mine was in a glass bowl, not on a white plate.  Also, I didn't have red cabbage, dried mango or radishes.  I subbed in yellow peppers, and green cabbage.  So I was missing a lot of color.

The salad was really good.  I went a little heavy-handed with the sriracha, so it had more of a kick than I normally get with peanut sauce.  And it was awesome.  The salad was also completely raw, except of course for the chicken.   I liked the raw, but it took so much work to get through all the crunchy.  I think next time I'm going to sautee the veggies and do it as a warm salad. The veggies will still have a crunch, but not quite so much.  And I think warming the peanut sauce just slightly will deepen the flavor.

Recipe found on purewow.com

#140 - West Restaurant, Oklahoma City, OK

Tony always makes breakfast on Sunday mornings for me & Joni before I leave Dallas.  I'm not sure if he does it all the time, but he does it when I'm there, so that is the most important. Breakfast tides me over until I get to OKC, and then I'm ready for lunch. I looked on restaurant.com, but didn't find anything that I really wanted.  So then I went to Keep It Local OK.  It's a website that features discounts and promotions for local businesses throughout the greater OKC area and Tulsa.  The card costs $10 per year, but you can easily make your money back in a couple of months.  And it's completely worth it, to frequent local places.  

After some searching, I decided to try out West Restaurant.  It's on Western Avenue, in a trendy part of OKC with lots of shops and restaurants.  But there was a catch...I didn't have the Keep it Local card...and West doesn't sell them. So I stopped at one place that advertised they do, but they don't.  So I went to another place in Classen Curve, and found one.  At that point I was kind of annoyed, and about to just eat at a place there.  But I decided to forge on and head over to West. Besides, it was only a few minutes away.

As I pulled into the parking lot, I felt completely underdressed.  People were obviously coming from church, or they dress up all the time.  And I was in shorts and a tee shirt--but I had just driven 3 hours. And then I saw a Lamborghini.  But once again, I forged on.   

The restaurant is a pretty good size.  There's a full bar and a few booths immediately behind the host stand.  There's a main dining room, private dining room, and also a wine room featuring a wall of wine.  The color scheme is dark, but there's windows all along one wall, so it lets in a lot of natural light.  There's also a great outdoor patio that wraps around 2 sides of the restaurant.  

It's funny because my server thought she recognized me as a patron who hadn't been there in a while.  Turns out, she used to work at Louie's in Stillwater.  Small world.  

I started with the warm West chips, and added bacon

Homemade chips, topped with bleu cheese and drizzled with balsamic vinegar

These were awesome.  The plate was super hot, so I'm guessing they put the plate of chips under the broiler or something to slightly melt the cheese.  The chips were thick cut and crispy, and the blue cheese was, well, blue cheese.  So I was happy.  The cheese and vinegar are an excellent combination.  I love balsamic vinegar, but they definitely went a little heavy on this plate.  The bacon was okay, but I don't know that it really added a lot to the dish.  And it was an extra $2.  So next time I would leave it off.  I tried to be good, but the chips kept tempting me.  After a little while I pushed the plate away so I wouldn't eat any more.  It's definitely way too much for one person.  It's a great appetizer for 2-3.

I decided to go healthy for my entree, with the zucchini pasta.  I thought about adding chicken, but the server said it was a pretty good sized portion without it, so I skipped it

pomodoro sauce with roasted garlic, spinach, mozzarella, Parmesan

This dish was outstanding.  And honestly, you really don't even know you're not eating regular pasta.  The pomodoro sauce was very flavorful and light.  It would have been really good dipped in warm bread.  I didn't do a good enough job of mixing the mozzarella and parmesan into the the pasta, so towards the end it had kind of clumped up.  But that was my own fault.  I just took it off and ate the remaining pasta.

Will I go back?  No question. The food was delicious, and the service was excellent.  And the patio seems like a great place for happy hour or a long lunch.  Next time I just have to dress the part.

My Chef's Hat - Fried Okra

Never in a million years did I ever think I would be doing a blog post on making okra.  I know I've talked about my distaste in other posts, but in a nutshell, I refused to eat it as a kid because my parents always steamed it.  Resulting in disgusting and slimy.  I finally started periodically eating it once I moved to Oklahoma, because of course here it's fried.  But I always needed ranch and/or ketchup to help the taste.

Since I've gotten more adventurous with food lately, I had decided to do the same with okra. Especially after the owner of the Classic Cafe talked about shrimp & okra fritters.  And Joni said she makes her own fried okra.  Sunday morning before I left Dallas I went to Central Market to pick up a couple things.  Yes, I know it's odd that I go to a grocery store in Dallas. But it's awesome, and reminds me of Wegman's in Maryland.  They have absolutely everything you could want and more.  The prices are really good and they have a great bulk food section.  They also have a lot of specialty items, so I can easily spend an hour or more, just walking up and down the aisles.  I saw fresh okra and briefly considered buying some, but held off.  When I got back to Stillwater I was at Wal Mart, and walked down one of the frozen food aisles on the way to pick up eggs.  And it just happened to be the frozen veggies section.  And I saw a small bag of cut, frozen okra.  So I bought it, and immediately texted Joni to find out how she makes it.

A couple days later I was making salmon, and decided to make some fried okra.  I remembered Joni's directions, but also went onto Pinterest to find a recipe.  And found one for Perfect Fried Okra.

Here is the official recipe version

  
And here's my version

These were delicious!  I was really quite impressed with myself.  As you can tell a couple of them were burned on one side, but that's just first-time error.  I didn't want to deep fry them so I just put enough oil to pan fry.  I had the oil hot enough for the first batch, but didn't let it reheat enough before putting in the second batch so those took longer, and therefore burned a little.  The recipe calls for the cornmeal and flour to be mixed together. I really liked that you soaked them in buttermilk first.  Adds some good flavor and moisture, without an egg.  The recipe calls for equal portions of flour and cornmeal mixed together. But I ended up putting in more cornmeal. The recipe only calls for salt, flour and garlic powder, but I really think it could use some stronger seasoning.  Maybe cayenne or paprika. Something to add a little heat.  And definitely some onion powder.  

I will definitely be making these again.  And once the frozen is done, I'll try my hand with the fresh.  And maybe even try some other okra recipes, but they have to be fried or at a minimum roasted.  Not nearly brave enough to try anything else at this point.


Recipe found on Instructables

#139 - Meso Maya, Dallas TX

Saturday in Dallas on a gorgeous spring day?  Calls for an afternoon at the Truck Yard of course!  But we were kind of confused as to why the demographic was so much younger than it had been the last couple times.  And then we realized--school is in session.  And we had been transported to what can only be described as a big outdoor frat party.  Lesson learned... only go when school is out of session.  But we didn't let it stop our fun or keep us from spending a few hours there.  And luckily we got a table in the shade so we weren't melting.

Eventually we were hungry for some dinner.  We had gotten snacks from the Jack's Chow Hound food truck earlier, but that wasn't going to be enough to satisfy us. Both Tony and Joni checked out restaurants nearby that were on restaurant.com, but nothing jumped out at them.  I put them in charge since they know the area better.  They picked Meso Maya.  It's downtown, not too far from Truck Yard and right next door to El Fenix.  Come to find out it's owned by the same company.  I have to admit I was a little disappointed because I hear so many good things about El Fenix and am really excited to try it, but I also knew to trust Tony to make good dining decisions. The restaurant is pretty big, with a bar area, some bar seating, a large main dining room split into 3 sections, and a large outdoor patio.  The patio looks awesome, and I'm sure it's the place to be on a warm spring or fall day. 

It was packed when we arrived and we had a little while to wait for our table, so we sat at the bar and watched the bartenders work their magic.  I absolutely love the bottle sculpture in the center of the bar. Couldn't tell if it was a sand sculpture or not, but it was really cool and extremely detailed. And it was 3D, with all the crevices and grooves of the labels.  

We only had to wait about 15 minutes for our table, which on a Saturday night in downtown Dallas really isn't bad. We were seated in a booth in one of the main dining areas. The menu is large, but not overwhelming. The first thing that arrived was chips & salsa.

My initial disappointment in not getting El Fenix was fixed by one bite.  The chips were so good. Warm, thick cut, nice and salty. And more of a whole grain chip than you would normally get at a Mexican restaurant. The salsa was excellent. It was very chunky, which was great for scooping with the chips. I'm not sure what they make their salsa with, but the color is much darker and the flavor much more intense than I've ever had. It also had a kick, but not bad.

We discussed guacamole or queso, and went with queso fundido 

Three white cheeses, roasted poblano rajas, grilled onions, dry oregano,
housemade corn tortillas served with your choice of vegetables or pork chorizo

This was excellent. Rich & creamy, very flavorful. It comes with corn tortillas, and those were good too. Homemade of course. And since they were hot I had to put butter on them. Melted butter on homemade corn tortillas?  There's nothing like it.

As usual, I had a really hard time deciding what to get.  It all sounded delicious, and so many of the dishes were very unique.  I finally decided on the budin azteca with beef tenderloin, because our server raved about it

Housemade white corn tortillas layered with melted chihuahua cheese, monterey jack, queso asadero
Carne: seared beef tenderloin cubes, gold potatoes, black beans, arugula, queso fresco, red chili guajillo sauce

This dish was absolutely fantastic.  The layered tortillas were very much like a cheese lasagna.  At first I thought the meat or fish add-ons would be part of it, like Italian lasagna. But it was separate, and I really kind of liked it better.  This way there were distinct textures, not all mixed in together.  The meat was slightly overcooked, but that was the only negative. The sauce had so much flavor.  I made sure to sop up every single bite.  

Our server asked about dessert, but there was no way we could eat more.  I was absolutely stuffed.   So we decided to be good and pass on that.

Will I go back?  No question.  The food was fantastic, I really loved the atmosphere, and the service was excellent.  And next time I want to eat out on the patio.