FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

Drink. Well.

July 6, 2013 by Kristin

Drink Well Austin

After a day full of completely Austin activities (Greenbelt, Tacodeli, Barton Springs), my pal Billy suggested we all head north for dinner.  Drink Well was the first place he suggested and, just as he was about to describe how great it was, I said “done.”.  Drink Well had been on my list since one of their bartenders won a bartending competition that I attended last year.  I felt embarrassed that a year had passed.

Drink Well Pickled Eggs

Our party of four arrived sometime around 7:30, carpooling from downtown.  It was a 6.2 mile trek that most of us weren’t used to, after all.  We found an open spot at a community table and quickly befriended our neighbors.  Our new friends watched our belongings while we hopped up to the bar to order cocktails and dinnerness.

Drink Well Beet Salad

I started with the Pisco Inferno, pickled eggs, and beet salad.  The cocktail, tasting both light and complex, arrived in a tiki cup, which felt appropriately like vacation.  I discovered that if eggs are on a menu, I’ll order them (even if my dinnermates subtly tilt their heads with a look of confused disapproval).  And the beet salad was a wonderful starter salad, I’d order it again.  But, next time, I’d order it in addition to a carby main course.  Upon finishing this salad, I had order envy to my left and to my right.

Drink Well Ratatouille on Rye

Billy and Molly went with the Ratatouille on Rye, which arrived with good lookin’ salad between each half.

Drink Well Gnocci

And Anna, whose order I envied the most, had the sweet potato gnocci.  I stole a bite.  This will be what I order next time.

After another cocktail, absinthe this time around, we decided a cheese plate and homemade chips were necessary.  We snacked, bopped around to the 80s jams that were gladly filling the space, and discussed how much we loved Drink Well and how we would be coming back again.  Soon.

Filed Under: restaurant reviews Tagged With: austin, cocktails, dinner, drink well, north loop

Foreign Cinema

June 12, 2013 by Kristin

Foreign Cinema San Fran

We went out with a bang on our last foodie adventure in California!  We sat at a cozy, little table at Foreign Cinema and began to analyze the menu.  What was special?  What couldn’t we get in our respective hometowns?  What hadn’t we already experienced on this trip?

Foreign Cinema San Fran 2

Although my mom can get seafood a plenty in Florida, I’ve been struggling to find oyster-seeking friends in Texas.  My eyes lit up when I saw Plateau de Fruits de Mer.  I saw her see me and then say something like, “well, I’m sure this is Pacific seafood that wouldn’t be as fresh near me.”.  Moms are the best.  We ordered it.

Mom Daughter San Fran

We ordered the plateau, zucchini soup with porcini, dungeness crab gratin, and chocolate pot de crème.  And everything, to the very last drop, exceeded any positive word I could manage to dig up from a thesaurus right now.  So I’ll leave it at that, indescribable in the best way ever.  Just like the time spent with my mom, how fitting.

Filed Under: restaurant reviews Tagged With: best restaurant, crab gratin, dinner, foreign cinema, plateau de fruits de mer, pot de creme, san francisco, seafood

Cafe La Haye

June 8, 2013 by Kristin

Cafe La Haye 1

After a long day of wine tasting, my mom picked me up and we headed to dinner at Cafe La Haye.  We parked smack dab in the center of Sonoma Square and walked only a block or so before arriving at this super quaint spot.  Crisp white linens and subway tile laced with local art – we were into it even before menus arrived.

Cafe La Haye 2

The restaurant was described to us as “REAL farm to table, fantastic food!” and it met every expectation that came from that description.  My mom and I were both drawn to the seafood heavy specials board and ordered solely from that list.  Seared dayboat scallop with corn ravioli and creamed spinach, grilled ahi tuna with sauce gribiche, frisee, artichoke and peppers, and Alaskan halibut with smashed yukon potatoes and lacinato kale.

Cafe La Haye Tuna

Every dish we had was pretty spectacular, but my mom and I both agreed that the scallop starter took the prize.  There’s something about creamed spinach that we’re both very much drawn to.  And if you mix a favorite with carb and seafood, well you’ve got yourself a winner in the Vrana book.

Cafe La Haye Halibut

We were both so happy with our first meal in Sonoma and highly recommend this place to future visitors.  Another trip to Sonoma is already on my list and dinner at Cafe La Haye will be another must as well.

Filed Under: restaurant reviews, Travel Tagged With: ca, cafe la haye, dinner, farm to table, seafood, sonoma

Zucchini & Tomato “Lasagna”

April 17, 2013 by Kristin

Zucchini and Tomato Lasagna

Purchasing a mandolin slicer and making zucchini lasagna are two things that have been on my list for an unbelievable length of time.  And I’d like to say that I purchased a mandolin slicer this weekend which allowed me to finally whip up zucchini lasagna, but that’s totally not the case.  In reality, I bought the slicer about five months ago and it took five months to remember to put these five ingredients on my grocery list.  I used to be much better at lists…

Mandolin Sliced Zucchini

My intention for this recipe was something extra simple that involved lots of fresh stuff and minimal packaged stuff.  Oh!  And to make something that sorta kinda resembled lasagna.  My intention was not slicing off the top of my middle finger, which most definitely happened.

Zucchini Lasagna 1

FoodFash Zucchini Lasagna (Yields 4 servings)

3 large zucchini, sliced lengthwise on a mandolin slicer

3 large tomatoes, sliced

15 ounces part skim ricotta

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup fresh, chopped basil

1-1/2 teaspoons garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  In a medium bowl, mix ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, and basil.  Add the garlic salt and pepper, to taste if you prefer.  Once the seasoning is added, mix in the beaten egg.  In an 11-ish-inch round pan (I used this one), layer the bottom of the pan with sliced zucchini.  Gently spread 1/2 of the ricotta mixture over the zucchini and then top with 2 layers of sliced tomatoes.  Spread the remaining ricotta over the tomatoes and then top with a final layer of sliced zucchini.  Sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese.  Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until cheese is golden brown.  Let cool for about 15 minutes (until liquid sets) before serving.

Zucchini Lasagna 2

I was a little nervous when I pulled the super bubbly pan out of the oven, but once the cheese cooled everything held together quite nicely.  And as far as the taste, I couldn’t believe how much this dish satisfied my lasagna craving.  I’ve been eating the leftovers this entire week and my only complaint is that it only made four servings!

Filed Under: lifestyle Tagged With: dinner, healthbuzz, healthy, recipes, vegetarian, zucchini and tomato lasagna, zucchini lasagna recipe

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