Mom's Kitchen

One of the best dinners I have had in a while came from mom's kitchen.
It was a combined effort, mom created the main course, which she called taco purses.
It was ground beef combined with sour cream, stuffed inside crescent roll purses.
She placed it all on a mix of lettuce leaves and topped it with tomato and avocado. The taco purse was delicious and filling!!


Mom also created a cole slaw recipe with Texas flare, combining corn and peppers into the normal cole slaw mix.


I made a salad from Gourmet Magazine that combined cantaloupe, celery, radishes. We drizzled a soy sauce lemon juice dressing over the top. The combo of flavors was interesting. I probably wouldn't make this again, but it was something unique - light and summery.

Nothing beats home cooking when someone else does it!
Thanks, mom!

Dish on the Road: Aloha! from Kauai

Jas and I just returned from our island adventure where we tried so many dishes that "broke da mouth", as they say. :)

Our first night in Kauai, we tried out Tidepools at the Grand Hyatt. Every seat was near the koi pond, so all night long you had a glamorous fish show!
Tidepools served a Hawaiian feast of macadamia nut crusted mahimahi. This was definitely a must try item, and Tidepools gets my vote for preparation, presentation, and environment!!



For breakfast we ate at Ono Family Restaurant, located outside of Lihue. I know that macadamia nuts are feature fare in Hawaii, and this place was no different. I tried the coconut, banana, macadamia nut pancakes complete with coconut syrup. It could not have tasted better. This is definitely a combo I plan to try at home!




One rainy night we were looking for something close to home and made the grand choice of Brick Oven Pizza in Kalaheo. This charming little place was filled with license plates from all over the country. Other ambiance was provided by the red and white checkered table cloths and the delicious aroma of garlic. Brick Oven didn't disappoint. We split a whole wheat pepperoni pizza brushed with their signature garlic butter sauce and a pitcher of coke...it definitely hit the spot after a day at the beach.





For another romantic dinner, make sure and visit The Beach House in Koloa. We started out with cocktails at the bar as we waited on our rez. These were the best (read: stoutest) pina coladas I have ever had!!
The scenery was amazing, of course. We were there early enough to watch the sunset, and as the sun sank into the ocean and the waves lapped the shore, we were in Heaven...
Then they brought out the crabcakes...this is all that was left by the time I got around to the photo.

So good!!





My last mention goes to Hanalei Gourmet. After a day of golf, we were ready to sit down and enjoy something to eat.
The crabcake burger with pineapple aioli hit the spot. It was a wonderful combo of sweet and salty. This location up north was darling, as well...tons to see!

Craft - a Revisit

Last summer Katie and I started our restaurant madness venture...trying new things. Craft was on our list last summer and when we tried their potato puree, we were in love - for real.

We decided to give it a little re-visit last week and see if it lived up to the hype in our mind. Let me tell you - it surpassed our previous love affair.
The entrees at Craft aren't my fav...in fact, they are sometimes non-traditional/weird for my taste buds. But if you skirt the perimeter of the menu, you won't be disappointed. (Also, normally I would link to the menu, but the menu on-line didn't have the same items we tried...you can click here to see what they serve, but let it be known that there is much more available!!)


We sat down and were immediately served sourdough bread with unsalted butter.
This is always a crowd pleaser!
We ordered the breaded mozzarella and were off to a fantastic start. This panko crusted cheese was served with a slightly sweet version of marinara....TO DIE FOR!!!


We then ordered the mushroom and cheese sandwich, chased by the Yukon Gold Potato Puree. The sandwich...eh.


The potatoes...pure gold. In retrospect, we probably should have just ordered two pots of potatoes. Next time we will!!!



#1 Potatoes in Dallas: Craft
Go try them!!

Vitto Italian

One of my favorite places to visit is Bishop's Art District. My favorite restaurant, Tillman's, is located there, a well as some new up and comers like Bolsa!!

Vitto Italian has been there since my first foray into O.C., and we finally decided to drop in and give this Italian place some business.
Let it be known that it is BYOB, which really...is kind of one of my favorite things.

The atmosphere is pretty average....red table tops, Parmesan in a shaker, some cute features inside, but nothing that's going to knock your socks off. That's okay, though, because the first thing they set down on the table will de-sock you!


These little garlic rolls are the real deal. Made with pieces of garlic that will remain with you long after you leave, and covered with butter, you can't resist.

The Mozzarella Tomato salad was so fresh and summery. The pesto was more creamy and less olive-oily than I was used to, but the tomatoes were primo and huge, the basil was fresh, and the mozzarella was delicious!



Katie ordered up the Chicken Limone, which was in a light lemon sauce with fresh steamed veggies and garlic mashed potatoes. The taters tasted just like grandma's...all natural, no preservatives.


I ordered the spinach ricotta tortellini served with a cream sauce. It was passable, but not my favorite. Half came out cold and the sauce had already set by the time it arrived at the table.



That being said, give this funky little dive of an Italian place a second glance.

Chamberlain's Steak House

Emily and I headed to Chamberlain’s Steak House on Monday evening. This place has been around a while, but still continues to receive great reviews. So, we decided to give it a try.
We each ordered our wine. Then, we chose the crab cake for an appetizer. We both agreed that this is the best crab cake that we have EVER had. It was paired with an asian slaw as well as a lemon, butter and cream sauce. The three items together were amazing.


Then, we ordered the creamed corn. This was served in a cream sauce with apple wood bacon. Very good and not as heavy as you would think. The corn had clearly been cut off of the cob, which kept it from getting mushy. Plus, it was delicious to find clusters of kernels together in the mix. Definitely a winner.



Also, we ordered the mushroom macaroni and cheese. This was pretty good, but not the best that we have had. The sauce was a little too runny for our taste.


We ordered our second glass of wine and then ordered dessert. We decided on the bread pudding with pineapple coconut ice-cream. The bread pudding was really dense and buttery. Paired with the ice cream it was amazing.


Overall, I would give this place an 8.5/10.