FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

A Quick Dallas Trip

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I had a whirlwind of a Dallas trip last weekend.  After Austin rush hour traffic died down on Friday, I hopped in the car and headed to Dallas for the CBS Baking Show open casting call.  I woke up bright and early to the tune of Juliette squealing and laughing and got to work in the kitchen.  I baked a mini pie for the casting call and a full sized pie for Ginnean for being a wonderful hostess.

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After the casting call, Ginnean, Juliette and I met up with our friend Phil for lunch in my old neighborhood (Uptown).  Bowery Tavern had some serious curb appeal and lured us in.  We sat down and I immediately had an I-just-survived-another-audition-what-am-I-thinking-kind-of-excited glass of prosecco.

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The incredibly adorable Juliette entertained us with napkin peek-a-boo and serious smiles while we waited for our food.

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I ordered the buffalo chicken salad with grilled chicken in lieu of fried.  And when the salad arrived I was beyond impressed by super green greens and an overall beautiful bar salad, especially since this salad only set me back 6 bucks.  If I were still an Uptown resident, I’d definitely hit up the Bowery Tavern for lunch on the regular.

The Slow Down

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I’ve spent most of the past few months on the road and last week was no exception.  My team headed to Dallas for a national meeting at our corporate headquarters.  We toured job sites, discussed strategy, and spent time bonding.  It was busy, busy, but I enjoyed it.

We were able to sneak in some delish food at the hotel restaurant, Media Grill, where I ordered a hefty hunk of swordfish.

And on our way home, we made sure to stop for snacks in the Town of West.  My boss and I are both Czech, so this pit stop gave us the opportunity to talk about random memories from our childhood.  If you live in Austin or Dallas, you’re well aware that this is the place to pit stop when driving between the two.

The kolaches (similar to danishes) were fresh out of the oven, which made them even more irresistible.  My boss stocked up on his favorite, the poppyseed.  I couldn’t help but reach for the pumpkin cream cheese.  Perhaps I just needed a cold front to roll in before committing to the fall pumpkin craze!

And this morning I braved 40 degree weather and walked to Austin City Hall to meet my co-workers for the Austin Heart Walk.  Austin is such a pretty city to walk through, I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect morning to welcome me back to town.

Afterward, I walked back home, sneaking an unexpected 5 miles into the morning.  My roommate and I headed to Magnolia for COFFEE and some breakfast.  I sighed.  The last of my back to back obligations were over.  I can rest again, bake again, enjoy Austin again.

Busy Bee Weekend

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Saturday was jam packed with the good stuff.  I woke up bright and early with a task from my favorite 5-year old cousin:  Star Wars Legos.  We poured millions of teeny tiny pieces on his bedroom floor and went to town.  I didn’t think we would actually be able to put the thing together, but Nick always ended up knowing exactly where the hard-to-find pieces were hiding.

After finishing up QT with the cousins, I headed to brunch with Phil and Ginnean & Co.  The three of us were big time brunchers when I lived in Dallas, so our time together at Penne Pomodoro felt much like it did back in 2008.  Well, with one happily welcomed addition!

From brunch I headed straight to the mall to meet Nathan.  Meeting Nathan to go shopping always goes somewhere along the lines of meeting at Barney’s for a quick hello and then going our separate ways so we can power shop in our respective departments.  We each found a few gems (mine will be posted in tomorrow’s Cure For The Common Monday) and headed home to get ready for dinner.

We swooped up Morton and Jonathan for our reservations at Oak, a new hip spot that the boys have been dying to try on a non prix fixe occasion.  We slurped on some amazing cocktails while we waited for our table and then ordered, what seemed like, everything on the menu.

Nathan and I started out with the Potato Dumplings and then split the Rhode Island Monkfish and Rack of Lamb.  Oh.  My.  Goodness.

Everyone at the table passed around bites of their deliciousness and, I have to say, that EVERYTHING exceeded expectations.  The one clear winner at the table was the Moroccan Octopus & Pork Jowls, but I would be beyond happy ordering anything we sampled again.  And then there was dessert…  We ordered everything but the bread pudding and were amazed with each and every sweet treat.  Oak may be my favorite dining experience in Dallas to date!