Brooklyn Heights Pizza

    Its been about three and half months since my last blog.  Sorry its taken so long to finally find the time to write another review, but as it stands this trend isn't going to change any time soon.  However with that being said, let's get to the review.

    Brooklyn Heights Pizza ( http://brooklynheightspizzeria.com/ ) is a little pizzeria/restaurant tucked away in an up and growing part of northwest Austin in the Avery Ranch subdivision (14900 Avery Ranch Blvd C-700, Austin TX 78717).  Upon entering the the restaurant the first thing you notice are the giant ovens and the pizzas lined up waiting to be fired.  The second thing you notice isn't visual, its the neurons firing from your olfactory receptors binding with the flavor molecules in the air.  In other words...its smells wonderful; garlic, Parmesan, roasted tomatoes, bacon...what more could you want to smell when you first enter a restaurant.   
    Food time!  Brooklyn Heights Pizza has an impressively large menu and it was tough for my sister and I to decide on just a few items for dinner, but obviously we did.  For appetizers we ordered the Garlic Knots: "House made garlic knots stuffed with fresh garlic and fresh mozzarella, served with marinara." 

These were tasty.  The only negative thing I can say about this appetizer is that you should have them before you eat anything else.  The flavor of the garlic and cheese though good, is very slight and can be lost if your tongue has already been coated by any thing else. 
    The other appetizer that we decided to try was the Pepperoni Rolls: "homemade pepperoni rolls with marinara or ranch." 

I wanted to order these to compare them to the ones from Double Dave's version.  The pepperoni and cheese actually shined through as the key component of the rolls instead of the bread, though the bread was as soft and light as the Garlic Knots.  So I would say that I actually liked these rolls better than the ones at DD's (Sorry DD, I still like y'all's buffet).
    Entree time!  We decided to get a large half and half pizza so we could try two different specialty pizzas.  So me being a devout meat eater, decided on non-other than the "Meat Lovers: Italian sausage, pepperoni, smoked ham, Genoa salami and fresh minced garlic."  My sister had the "MauiWowee: smoked ham and pineapple" on her half of the pizza. 

 The MauiWowee was excellent.  Replacing Canadian bacon with smoked ham on a Hawaiian style pizza was a good choice and worked really well the pineapple.  I think I actually prefer it over the Canadian bacon.  But the Meat Lovers portion of the pizza would have been worlds better if not for the garlic on top.  The garlic absolutely masked any of the flavor of the sausage, pepperoni, smoked ham and Genoa salami.  Its a shame too because I wanted to enjoy the combination on what was a superb thin crust pizza. 
    Overall Brooklyn Heights is a must try.  We'll go back again, but hopefully we'll be able to dine in and enjoy the atmosphere and a few libations instead of just placing a pick-up order.  Oh and for the slightly more motivated (and uber hungry), Brooklyn Heights has a pizza challenge that the winner or winners can earn $200 if the entire pizza is consumed within an hour.  All the details are on the website

    That's it for now folk's, so until next time, I wish y'all happy eating. 
-Henry

Blackfinn Ameripub

   Howdy folks, it's been awhile since I've blogged, so please forgive me if I'm a bit rusty articulating descriptions of dishes. 
   Today we will be reviewing Blackfinn Americpub (http://blackfinnameripub.com/) at the Domain.  This restaurant has a nice upbeat vibe of an upscale pub, with the food to match.  My Sister, once again, recommend another knock out of a restaurant...
   For an appetizer we ordered the "Finn Fries: crispy fries tossed in signature blackfinn seasonings and served with bbq and buttermilk parmesan dipping sauces."  The fries themselves were not extraordinary or even remarkable by any means; however the in-house made bbq and parmesan dipping sauces gave the deep fried spuds additional flavors needed to be one or two notches above that of fast food.  Its almost needless to say, but I don't recommend this appetizer.

   Luckily, an appetizer is not what a meal makes.
   My sister ordered the 14 oz. Ribeye cooked medium with the Blackfinn style seasoning topping and garlic mashed potatoes and mac n' cheese as her sides.  She also ordered the Jumbo Lump "Crowned" Crab Cake on the side.  I was fortunate enough to have a bite of the her steak and I have to say, it was pretty darn good.  The steak was very moist and cooked to a perfect medium as well as very tender and not overly seasoned.  I didn't have enough of a piece of steak to deconstruct the "Blackfinn style seasoning."  As for the sides, my sister actually makes better garlic mashed potatoes, but the mac n' cheese was phenomenal.  The "iron skillet Mac-n-Cheese: blend of cheese, cavatappi pasta, bacon, tomatoes and toasted bread crumbs" would be worth ordering again.  The pasta had a nice tooth feel and the blend of (what I could taste) Parmesan, aged cheddar and mozzarella with the additional seasonings complemented one another extremely well.  The Jumbo Lump Crab Cake was good, not the best I've ever had, but by far not the worst.  The crab in the cake was moist and flavorful.  The only things that I can really fault the crab cake was the fact that it didn't hold its shape very well and that corn kernels were used as part of the stuffing.  I've never had a crab cake with corn, but I don't think that it was necessary.

      So it's not everyday that a pub has Chilean Sea Bass.  Surprisingly this one does and that's exactly what I ordered for my main entrée.   "Hong Kong Style Chilean Sea Bass: broiled and served with coconut curry rice cake, citrus finger soy and snow peas."  And I also, ordered a Large Lump Crab Cake on the side.  I'll start by saying that I don't really like coconut, so with that being said, I didn't really like the rice cake.  And before you ask, "Why, if you don't like coconut, did you order it?"  The answer, even though I don't like the taste, I like seeing how ingredients (in general) are used, whether it be something I like or not.  So, to me, the creaminess of the coconut didn't mix well with the rice, it made the rice a tag soggy and I couldn't really taste the curry because it was mainly burnt off when the patties were seared.  Of course the star was the Chilean Sea Bass.  The Sea Bass was, creamy, soft, moist, not overcooked, was wonderfully seasoned, with only a hint of coconut and basically melt in your mouth good.  So if you're looking for a great seafood dish and want something out of the ordinary (at least for around Austin), order the Chilean Sea Bass, its the real deal good.  Oh and the snow peas (when eaten with a piece of the sea bass) gave a nice crunch and contrast of texture without actually taking away from the delicate flavor of the Sea Bass.*

   Dessert:  We couldn't leave without trying Blackfinn's signature dessert, "Blackfinn Hot Chocolate: fallen chocolate [brownie] ontop of [homemade] peanut butter, with [Mexican] vanilla bean ice cream, with a [cream cheese] whipped cream and caramel drizzle."  This was magnificent.  I'm a big fan of peanut butter and chocolate.  I believe that these two flavors are one of the best food pairings known to man and Blackfinn didn't disappoint with this dessert.  The peanut butter was fantasic, probably the best home-made peanut butter I've ever had.  And the brownie was moist and so super chocolatey and sweet that you almost need to chase each bite with a sip of water.  The cold Mexican vanilla bean ice cream, when eaten with the gooey peanut butter and the warm brownie, is...well...just damn near the perfect dessert.  Order this dessert when you visit Blackfinn Ameripub.

  So if I had to give a numeric rating to Blackfinn Ameripub, I'd give it a solid 7 out of 10.  It has a great atmosphere for if you want to watch the game and upscale enough to take a casual date.  The food is above average with an above average menu selection.
   That's it for now folks.   So until next time, I wish y'all happy eating.
-Henry

One Good SPIN deserves another

  Yes, I know that I just blogged on SPIN the other day, but this place deserves another go around.  But, I'll try to make this shorter than the last.  Let's cut to the chase.  The first thing I want to recommend is to sit at the bar, the middle of the bar, so you can watch these chefs work.  Its amazing how fast, calculating and yet almost whimsical they make cooking complex dishes seem.  I recommend sitting front and center because all the chefs (from what I'm told) use to be sushi chefs at other esteemed restaurants before venturing to SPIN and if you've ever been to a sushi bar you know that every once in a while the chefs will give you tastes of other dishes...free.  And the last I checked, getting food for free is good.  Anyway, long story short...sit front in center, you'll get dinner and a show...and maybe if you're lucky some free grub.  So now for the rest of the blog.

   Appetizer:  We ordered the "Gai Tot Nuggest: fried chicken bites in a spicy, salted soy bean and ginger vinaigrette with rhizome and sesame seeds."   In a word....Delicious, two words...mouth watering, in three...well you get the point, its good.  The chicken was nicely breaded and lightly fried and had a nice clean crisp texture.  The nuggets were topped with sesame seeds and rhizomes which cut through what little oil that remained in the batter (A rhizome is...its basically a relative of ginger). Dip the nuggets in the plum sauce that its paired with, you won't be disappointed.

  Tasting Plate:  We didn't have one of these last time.  It was describe to us as "bigger than an appetizer, but smaller than a full plate that is meant to be shared."  So we ordered the "Quail: whole quial marinated with rosemary and lemongrass, seared and served green apple puree, shaved fennel, yellow zucchini, grilled sous vide leek, Thai stir fried kimchi and house boudain panko balls."  The quail had a very flavorful crispy skin and was juicy and not overly cooked.  The green apple puree actually accentuated  the rosemary in the Quail and gave it another dimension of flavor .  The stir fried vegetables weren't extraordinary, but still quite tasty, but the fried boudain panko balls were just about as good as the quail.  My only criticism was that they didn't give us more.  Give the Quail a try, it shouldn't be missed either.

   Full Plate: My sister ordered the "Full SPIN:  Slow roasted brisket, marinade in garlic, lemongrass, rosemary and Thai spices, with seasoned rice and a house chili paste, candied bacon, fried egg, grilled negi, purple cabbage salad and side sauce of ume, Thai chili, mint vinegar and cilantro."  Now from what the Executive Chef told us (that's another plus to sitting at the bar, you can converse with the chefs) the "Full Spin" will be soon off the menu to be replaced with something new.  According to the Chef, the menu is continuing evolving and when new items are introduced, other items are removed.  But I'm getting off topic.  To enjoy the full spin, you need to get a little bit of everything from the plate onto your spoon, at least that's what we were told....again by the Chef.  Well instead of describing every single item on the plate, I'll just describe the combination of all of them in one bite.  It was like introducing your tongue to parade float of flavors that combine the individual intricate tastes to become a unique and awesome single flavor.  So get your FULL Spin on while you still can.

 

   Full Plate (2):  I ordered the "Seared Duck in Pineapple Curry: Duck breast, cured with 5-spice, pan-seared and served with a spicy pineapple curry, kaffir lime, grapes and pieces of pineapple, garnished with Thai basil and toasted bread."  Though this was a still a very good plate, I think I liked the "Belly on Fire" that I had last time better.  The only reasons why I say that is because the Duck Breast, though very moist and perfectly cooked and had a good amount of flavor (when eaten by itself) was lost in the spiciness of the curry.  And the only other criticism I have of this dish is that it wasn't as spicy as the Belly on Fire, even though they both have the same spicy rating (two chilis).  Overall the seared duck with the pineapple curry worked as a dish, I just wouldn't choose it over the Belly on Fire.

  Remember how I said sometimes chefs give you stuff for free....well the Sous Chef did just that...he gave us the "Kabocha: crispy tempura Japanese pumpkin topped with green onions and a side of ajad cucumber sauce."  Ajad cucumber is just pickled cucumber.  Anyway, though I was already pretty full, I "forced" myself to try and finish off the Kabocha.  The pumpkin flavor was very prevalent even after being lightly fried.  I highly recommend saturating your pumpkin into the dipping sauce because the sauce brings out the pumpkin flavor even more and it cuts through the savory aspect of the dish with its acidity.

  Dessert: Read my last blog on SPIN...We ordered the Coconut Pannna Cotta. ... here's yet another pic

   Well since this is the first time I've ever blogged about the same place twice, you should definitely try this place out.

So until next time, I wish y'all happy eating.  

-Henry

SPIN Modern Thai Cuisine

  My Sister, being the smarter of the both of us, recommended SPIN Modern Thai Cuisine (http://spinmodernthai.com/) for dinner, and my taste buds and stomach are elated that she did.  Its been awhile since we've been to a restaurant that all three courses(appetizer, main dish, dessert) were superb.  So basically if you don't want a dinner destination to have great food and ambiance do not read any further...go ahead, I'll wait...3...2...1....and here we go

    SPIN is a small, almost hidden, restaurant in North Austin / South Cedar Park that, upon opening the door, has inviting decor with wonderful aromas that hit you in the face like a flavor sledge hammer.  But what makes SPIN extraordinary is, of course, the food.  SPIN blends traditional Thai ingredients with Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and even French cooking methods that produce flavors that are very pleasing to the palate.

    Appetizer:   We wanted to order the "Gai Tot Nuggets" but they were sold out, so we ordered the "Sweet Corn Taro Tempura: Crispy fried taro and corn fritter in a sweet chili vinaigrette, topped with green onions and crushed toasted peanuts."  The vinaigrette had a sweet, yet tart flavor that blended very well with the crispy fried taro and corn fritters.  We actually found ourselves eating the small crumbs of fried taro and fritters at the bottom of the bowl that were soaking in the vinaigrette without even realizing it.  I highly recommend this appetizer.

   Main Course:  My sister had the "Rib Ping: char-grilled pork ribs with Spin's herb BBQ sauce topped with yellow onions sauteed in butter and balsamic vinegar." The flavors were outstanding!  There are a lot of people out there that can say that their ribs are fall off the bone, fork tender....but I don't think I've ever been to a restaurant that had ribs that are fall off the bone, chopstick tender.  Yes my sister and I (being full Chinese and are very proficient at using chop sticks) found that when picking up the ribs, the meat literally fell off the bone while trying to pick them up with the chop sticks.  The 1/3 rack of rib meat itself had a nice little kick and the BBQ sauce made it even better.  Its not your regular BBQ ribs, but it will not disappoint.

   Main Course (continued):  I ordered the "Belly on Fire: Panko breaded pork belly, smothered in Spin's special curry sauce, with fresh julienne green beans, sauteed cipollini onions, Thai basil and toasted chili."  The pork belly was moist, full of flavor and melt in your mouth with a perfectly seasoned crunchy/crispy crust.  The curry sauce was delicious and had a nice bit of heat.  I found that the entree actually became spicier as I ate, by the time I was done with the dish, my mouth had a nice burn.  The sauteed cipollini onions when eaten with the pork added a nice snap texture on top of the crunchy and crispiness of the panko.  And the fresh (the chef actually hand picks the micro greens in front of you) micro greens add a light touch to the fatty pork. But, again, I would highly recommend this dish, you taste buds will thank you if you do.

   Dessert:  There are only two desserts on the menu, so we decided to get both. 
and the "Fried Ice Crea: scoop of strawberry ice cream rolled in a pound cake and tempura batter then deep fried.  Served with candied pecans, marshmallows and gold raisin puree."  Though the concept of this dessert was good, I think that this dessert could have been better if a thinner batter were used.  Though it still tasted good, the ice cream shell was a little think and therefore absorbed a lot of oil.  At least too much oil to me for a dessert.  The candied pecans and marshmallows, as well as the raisin puree was actually inside the shell.  But if you don't mind an oily dessert, the combo of ingredients melded together tastes decent.

 

  

    Dessert (Continued):The "Coconut Panna Cotta: panna cotta made with coconut milk, ginger consomme gel, candied pecans, preserved lemon, mint and carmel tuile,"  It was just delicious.  I have to admit that I do not like coconut or coconut milk, or coconut water, or coconut flesh...basically anything coconut, so when I say this dessert was fantastic, you'll understand how good it really is.  It was sweet, had a great texture, had a distinct, yet mellow coconut taste (yeah I know, I didn't think something could be mellow and distinct at the same time either) and if you add the ginger consomme...just pure coconut dessert perfection.

   Well folk's that it for SPIN Modern Thai Cuisine. I for one will visit this restaurant again.

So until next time, I wish y'all happy eating.  

-Henry

(Oh and if you're reading this Elysha, I think you and Bart would  really enjoy this place, there are dishes that you and he would be able to have that have some nice heat to them and flavor to them).

Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee French Toast Waffles

I'll make this sort to quick and to the point...
   Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee French Toast Waffles.  Yes that's what I made this morning for breakfast.  I made a homemade vanilla bean batter to make the waffles, and then coated them with a egg mixture that included cinnamon and nutmeg and then put them on a griddle.  I served them with some English style scrambled eggs and that was that.

   If you want the exact recipe that I created, let me know and I'll type it out for you.
Until next time, I wish y'all happy eating.
-Henry

Salty Sow

  Howdy folks, yesterday (Feb 16) my sister and I decided to try dining at Salty Sow (saltysow.com).  I chose this place after looking at the menu and being intrigued by the idea of traditional French cooking techniques being used on local produce and meats.  I know that there are plenty of restaurants that use local ingredients, but we chose this one because I wanted to see what the food from a 28 point out of 30 on the Zagat scale tasted.
   So first things first...on a Saturday night, if you're not willing to wait around for about an hour (our quote time for a table for walk-ins) then I would recommend you calling in for a reservation.  I'm usually pretty good about planning and thinking ahead but for some reason or another I didn't think to call and we waited about 45 minutes for a table.  But I can tell you that the wait was worth it.
   My sister and I started with drinks...I had my usual Long Island Iced Tea and my Sister had one of their signature drinks the "Mr Shaw" which is comprised of Jasmine Green Tea Liquor, Bullet Rye Bourbon, Honey and something else that we don't remember.  My Sister said that her drink was tasty and my Long Island went down smoothly.

   As far as appetizers go we had the "Triple Fried Duck Fat Fries: and the "Truffled Deviled Eggs."  Both the appetizers...or "Hors D'oeuvres" as the menu puts it, were delicious.  The Deviled Eggs were delicious and the truffle oil didn't overwhelm the delicate flavors of the stuffing (which didn't use mustard and a definite plus for my sister and I, whom do not like the flavor of too much mustard).  The Triple Fried Duck Fat Fries were awesome.  The fries were very crispy, while still being soft in the center (not as easily done as one might actually expect) and I contribute it to use of duck fat.  And the cold Bearnaise that accompanied the fries paired very well with the yolk of the "110 minute egg" that was on top of the fries.  I would absolutely recommend both of these dishes.

  

   For entree's we both had the "Beef Shoulder Slow Cooked" with "Yukon gold mashed potatoes, glazed root vegetables and neck bone gravy."  Sadly this dish wasn't that great.  The gravy and the vegetables were tasty and cooked well, but the actual Shoulder (which was slow cooked in what tasted like a red wine) was over cooked...dry.  The fried egg didn't really add to the dish either.  I don't really understand how a slow cooked piece of meat would be dry, but in any case, the flavor was good, I just don't think that I'd order it again.  The actual entree was served in a small metal pot, which was surprising to me.

   For dessert we had the "Bananas Foster Beignets."  I personally didn't like the actual beignet itself, it was way to heavy and oily for my tastes, but the nutmeg vanilla ice cream that came with it was outstanding.  If I could order dessert all over again, I would just order the ice cream, yes it was that good.  It was light, creamy with just enough nutmeg to recognize it was nutmeg. 

  Well bottom line is that Salty Sow has decent food and I'm glad I had a the opportunity to dine here, but I don't think that its necessarily a place that I would routinely frequent.  But I would recommend trying this place out at least once.  

Until next time...I wish y'all happy eating.

-Henry

Pork Sui Mai (Shui Mai/燒賣)

Chinese New Year was this past Sunday (February 10, 2013) and I was really craving some dim sum.  Since Henry was doing a rotation Saturday and I was still sick, I decided to make some instead of going out.  I went with one of my favorites/a dim sum favorite...Sui Mai (Cantonese pronunciation, Shu mai if you're mandarin).  If you read my Wonton blog before this, then you pretty much know how to make this, you just need a few more ingredients and equipment. =)

Extra Equipment:

• Steamer baskets, I used bamboo, but metal works too
• Wax paper, punched with holes to line the steamer basket
• A steamer, I actually have one, but you can use a pot with a lid

Ingredients:

• Ground Pork, 1 lbs
• Shaoxing wine (pretty much just rice wine)
• Light Soy Sauce
• Ginger (about an inch, I just broke off one of the "branches"), diced 
• 1 Green onion, diced
• Salt and Pepper,
• Sugar, about 1 tbsp
• Wonton Wrappers
• Frozen Peas and Carrots (optional)

 Directions:

1. Mix first 7 ingredients together.  I put a splash of wine and soy sauce, probably about one tablespoon each. Just judge it by the color, you don't want it to be too dark and smell too much like wine or soy sauce.  
2. You can form the Sui Mai, two ways.  The first way is just placing the wonton wrapper on top of your four fingers/palm, add a little bit of the pork mixture in the middle and using your four fingers, form a square like basket.  The second way is to make an OK symbol with just your thumb and forefinger.  Place the wonton wrapper on the circle and stuff the pork mixture down into the wrapper.  Shape as needed. 
3. I put four sui mai in the bamboo steamer and place in a steamer or a large pot with a stand and steam for about 5-7 minutes. 
4. You can add the thawed frozen pea or carrot on top like they do in the Chinese restaurants

 And there you have it. Homemade Sui Mai :)

Wonton Soup with Noodles

So I've been sick the past few days and because of that I've been craving comfort food.  Yesterday I decided to make Wontons, which of course means soup, and just to make it more of a meal, I added egg noodles too.

Wontons are super easy.
Ingredients:

• 1 lb Ground Pork
• 2 - Green Onions, diced
• Two garlic cloves, diced
• Salt and Pepper
• Onion powder
• Red Pepper Flakes for kick
• Wonton Skins/wrappers (squares)
• Chicken broth
• Egg Noodles

 Directions:

1. Combine ground pork, salt, pepper, onion powder, red pepper flakes, garlic, and one of the green onions, mix well. Should look like the above picture
2. Place a spoonful of the mixture into the wrapper and seal edges.  My mom always made it with the top gathered at the top, so that's how I did it. You can just fold it and seal the edges if you want.
3. You can cook this in the broth, in fact I would recommend this. Just drop the wonton in the bowling water when they pop up to the top, they're done. 
4. For the broth:  Just add water and chicken broth (however much you want, I probably had 6 cups or so) and add half of the remaining green onion into it
5. Noodles: Just cook according to the package

Put the noodles, broth, and wontons in a bowl, top with some green onions and tada you're good to go

Yummy :)  Bet you didn't realize it was super easy. 

Enjoy!
Julia

Pull Porked with BBQ Sauce

This will be quick...and without pictures.

So Henry and I went out to eat yesterday (as you can see from the review) so by the time I got home I didn't want to cook anything but I knew I needed something for lunch.  I decided to bust out the slow cooker and throw things in there.  Pretty simple.

I bought a boneless pork butt, seasoned it with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, paprika, a little cayenne, some cajun seasoning, garlic, and onion powder.  I let that sit for a bit while I cut up the veggies.  I cut up some potatoes, carrots, and an onion.  I put that in the bottom of the slow cooker so that the pork can sit on it.  I seared off all sides of the pork and put that in the slow cooker.  In a small bowl, I added about 2 cups of water, some ketchup, brown sugar, and paprika.  Mixed that together then poured into the slow cooker.  I set it for about 8 hours on low and went to bed.

In the morning I grabbed the pork from the slow cooker and shredded it with two forks.  It was delicious.  I decided to give a go at making some BBQ sauce.  I started with a little roux, added juice from the slow cooker, paprika, cayenne, a little more ketchup, and some Crown.  Yep Crown =)  I let that cook for a while and add more salt and pepper as needed. 

And there you have it.  I made some pulled pork, which I put on toasted sourdough and added a little bit of sauce and tada!  I had myself a lunch.

Gotta love the slow cooker =)

Enjoy!
-Julia

Noodles and Company

   So I was planning on actually cooking tonight  after I got home from class, but after my back passenger window on my truck decided it wouldn't roll back up, I spent the time taking apart my door instead of actually getting a chance to cook.  Well long story short, my sister and I decided to go out and we decided to try out Noodles & Company (http://www.noodles.com/).

   So Julia ordered the Pesto Cavatappi with the pork (pork because they were out of chicken).: "Curry pasta, basil pesto, garlic, mushrooms, tomato, wine, cream, Parmesan and Italian parsley."  I'd have to say that the pesto was a little tame, but the whole dish was pretty good.  The pork was juicy and well...tasted like pork.  When I think pasta and pesto, I generally don't think pork, but it went surprisingly well together.  Not a bad dish.

    I ordered the Steak Stroganoff : Marinated steak, mushroom sherry cream sauce, fresh herbs, cracked pepper, sauteed mushrooms, egg noodles and Parmesan.  The steak was moist, not over cooked and actually had a decent savory flavor.  The noodles, though aren't in house made, were cooked al dente and the the scream sauce wasn't over powering, but I think it could have used some spicy (maybe some red pepper flakes) to give it a little kick to cut through the richness of the sauce.

   Now my sister and I also ordered and appetizer and in my opinion was the best dish of the dinner.  We ordered the garlic cheese bread.  The melted mozzarella and cheddar (yes cheddar) was perfectly intergrated on the nice slices of toasted baguettes.  Though I'm pretty sure the dipping sauce was from a can, the acidity of the tomatoes cut through the cheese very well ad yielded a more complete appetizer.
  
    Anyway, this was a short blog, because I'm still getting over what ever I had yesterday.  But anyway, until next time, I wish y'all happy eating.
-Henry

Second Bar and Kitchen

  So Julia and I ended the evening by dining at Second Bar and Kitchen (http://congressaustin.com/second/) with Jason and his wife Jen.  We decided to come here because the menu was more diverse than the other place we were looking at visiting (that will be another blog whenever we decided to finally go there).  So onto the blog
   Appetizers/Snacks: Black Truffle Pommes Frites: grana padano, truffle aioli and seard Foie Gras (don't yell at me for adding the Foie Gras)

   I can now say that I've had Foie Gras.  And I can now honestly say that I will never order it again.  If you don't know what Foie Gras is, let me tell you...but before I do, if you really like animals just skip the next few sentences and just go on and read the rest of the blog.  3...2...1...Okay so Foie Gras is french for "fat liver."  Its made from the liver of a goose, sometimes duck, that has been fattened by being forced fed through a feeding tube and when the goose is fattened just enough and then ...well you know.  The Foie Gras was really rich and buttery...way to rich for me and way to fattening for me.  I would tell you what all types of ailments accompanied my ingesting the Foie Gras, but that wouldn't be very appropriate dinner conversation.  Well anyway the Pommes Frites with the black truffle was really good and the truffle aioli wasn't overpowering like it can be.  So I would recommend this "snack"...just without the $14 add on.

  Small Plates: Baked Brie: cranberry mostardo, toasted ciabatta, fried sage
                      Avocado Fundido: avocado, chipotle, grapefruit, crisp tortilla

       I didn't get a chance to taste the Baked Brie because I was too busy digging into the Avocado Fundido.  The dip was creamy, rich and the chipotle gave it a nice kick and balance.  The crisp tortilla chips were at times a little flimsy, but they were well seasoned and tasted great with the avocado dip.  As for the Baked Brie, from the lack of Brie left on the plate, I am assuming that it didn't taste disgusting.  :)

     Large Plates: Vertically Roasted Chicken Breast: mascarpone polenta, braised kale
                        Braised Beef Short Rib: mascarpone polenta, cippolini onions, brandy balsamic glaze
                        Congress Burger: house ground brisket+chuck, shallot confit, gruyere, greens, tomatoes,
                             horse radish pickels add avocado and crisp pork belly
                        Congress Burger: house ground brisket+chuck, shallot confit, gruyere, greens, tomatoes,
                             horse radish pickles add another patty and crisp pork belly

    The Braised Beef Short Rib was fork tender and had excellent flavor.  It was moist, seasoned very well and wasn't too fatty.  The Tabasco onions on top didn't really add anything to the dish except maybe some color and the Marscarpone Polenta wasn't my cup of tea.  I can say the the Polenta was very creamy and if I liked polenta I probably would have enjoyed it more.  So why did I order the Polenta if I didn't like it?  Well originally the ribs came with black truffle grits...I'm not a big grits fan so the lesser of two evils (to me) was the Polenta.  Yes I know, Polenta and Grits are basically the same thing and the only difference is how they are made and the liquids used...but I digress. 
    The Congress burger didn't disappoint.  The patties were juicy, not over seasoned and had a great sear.  And the addition of the crispy pork belly just added another flavor dimension to the burger.  The bun was buttery and soft, but was strangely sturdy enough to contain the meat and condiments.
    From what I understand, the chicken wasn't bad and actually tasted very good.  From where I sat, the chicken looked perfectly cook and very moist.  I didn't hear the orderer of this dish have any complaints so it leaves me to believe that the chicken was very appetizing.

    Dessert Plates: Black Forest Cheesecake in a Jar: heering cherry cream, cocoa wafers
                 Bites: Chocolate pudding pop: vanilla meringue, graham cracker crunch
(Sorry I forgot to take pictures of the desserts, I blame the Foie Gras for not being able to think straight and remember to snap a couple of shots of the food)

    At this point of the dinner I wasn't in the mood for dessert, but that didn't mean that the other three diners weren't.  From their critiques, the cheesecake was thicker than they expected, but still very good.  But the Chocolate pudding pop was not received very well; let's just say that two come in an order and by the time we left there was still one pop left on the table.

    Except for the hour wait for a table (because you can't make reservations for parties under 6) and the Foie Gras, the meal was quite good and I would recommend Second Bar and Kitchen.  Though this place is pricy, there are worse things you can spend your money on.  And I'm more than willing to pay for good food, but with that being said...there are still a bunch of great places that don't require a second mortgage on your house to visit.

So until next time, I wish you happy eating!
-Henry

  

The Noble Pig

So normally I let my brother do the restaurant reviews...but I'll take a stab at it today.  We've been trying to try new places here in Austin and stumbled upon the Austin Eater 38 a few weeks ago(http://austin.eater.com/archives/2013/01/08/eater-38-january-13.php)...so since then we've been chipping away at it.

Today I decided to head to the Noble Pig (http://www.noblepigaustin.com/), it's on the top of the Austin Eater 38 and it was on Diners Drive-Ins, and Dives and big plus?  It's about 10 minutes away from my apartment.

This amused me when I walked in.  I think it says Guy was here. Anyway, onto the sandwiches.  The first one was the Fried Egg, Potato, and Cheddar. Henry wanted to add bacon and I wanted to add sausage.  I enjoyed mine, the bread was toasted nicely, the sausage and potato was seasoned well and overall a nice filling breakfast sandwich.  Henry's is below, he had bacon and told me the flavor was nice but he needed just a little something extra just to add a kick to the sandwich and cut through the flavors, so he added a bit of Sriracha.

So, since we haven't really been home to make anything and Henry had to work today.  I also ordered a few sandwiches for lunch.

First Up, The Noble Pig, which is their signature sandwich...well at least it's the one with a crown on it when you walk in and look at their menu :)

This sandwich was delicious.  It has spicy ham, pulled pork, provolone, and bacon.  The bacon was thin and crispy, the pork belly was cooked really well and the spicy ham gave a nice balance to the other two meats.  I'm not a mustard fan so I asked them to leave that out.  Henry will have to tell you if that added more flavor or not but mine didn't need it.  I only had a little less than half of it but that's because I also ordered another sandwich to taste as well.

Next was the Smoked Duck Pastrami with Russian Dressing and Rye Pickles.  I forgot to take a picture but this was a great sandwich.  I'm not a pickle fan but the acidity definitely fit in with everything and I enjoyed it.  The dressing was nice and a little creamy, the duck was cooked like nothing I've tasted before...in a good way.  Overall I only ate a little bit of this too since I was full...but I will have an amazing lunch and dinner tomorrow :)

I think this place is a must.  I wouldn't mind going again and trying the other sandwiches on their menu.  Oh and they also sell duck fat which I totally am a little excited to cook with.

Well that's my take on the place.  I would definitely recommend this especially if you are not in the mood for a typical sit down place.  There was a line when I went in but it moved pretty quickly.  I think overall I was there a total of 20-30 minutes that includes wait time for the line, order time, and of course wait time for the food.  There is an option to eat there, they have a few tables inside and quite a few on the outside. 

So I guess this crosses another one off the Eater list.  We have now tried 10 (9 we have tried together and one we have tried on our own) out of the 38 places on the list. =)

Happy Eating!
-Julia

Lemon Cake Balls with Lemon Curd.

   So yesterday during lunch, my friend Jason mentioned wanting to pick up some cake balls for his wife.  And he proceeded to say that they are ridiculously over priced.  The next couple of minutes of conversation ended with me saying, "Challenge....EXCEPTED!!!"
   I'm not really going to lay out the recipes or procedures for making these cake balls, because it would make this blog pretty darn long so I'll just post pictures.  :)  But if you really want the recipes that I used, just e-mail me and I'll get them to you.  So here goes...

Lemon cake...

Lemon Custard...

 Forming the Cake...

Melting chocolate...

Final Product...

  Well there you go....I actually made quite a few variations.  Some with the lemon custard as the binding agent, some with icing as the binding agent, some with the lemon custard as the binding agent with a filling of lemon custard pipped inside.  Anyway, this all took about 1½ hours.  I've never made them before and to tell you the absolute truth, I don't really like baking.  But Jason and I'm guessing his wife liked them, so I guess they were a success.

Until next time....I wish y'all happy eating.
-Henry