My husband and I are coming up on our 1-year anniversary.  On our honeymoon, we went to the Wisconsin Dells.  After the snowy travel there, the problems with the hotel door buzzing, having to switch rooms, and not yet being able to relax, we were wondering if we had made a bad decision.  Perhaps we should have gone on the cookie-cutter Puerto Rico honeymoon everyone else does, maxing out credit cards and compartmentalizing our stress.  The Dells was supposed to be laid back.  We didn’t even bother booking the hotel ahead of time – that’s the kind of people we are, and the kind of honeymoon we wanted.  We ordered room service, some burgery buttery fatty thing that made us not hungry, but it wasn’t until the meal at Field’s later that night that the heaviness of what we just did – getting married – finally sunk in.

The night started when we pulled up to the building, wondering if they were open.  Apparently that day they opened late, and as I walked to the door to check out the hours display, the lights turned on like a bacon of hope.  Beacon of hope.  So we went in.

The restaurant was dim, romantic, and empty.  The fireplaces were already lit, and we requested an outside view.  From across the lake, we could see a camp, and in feeling the warmth of the fireplace, it felt very homey.  We ordered red wine, salads, and soup.  My starter soup – Alaskan Crab – was a meal in and of itself.  I love crab soup, only having had it a few times in my life.  When I saw it on the menu, I knew I had to try it.  My husband and I slurped slowly while talking, sitting side by side as we always do.  We started to feel like a married couple.

I remember ordering steak, which I rarely have.  I was coming off of being vegan, and steak was a big deal for me at the time.  This steak was sprinkled with bleu cheese and marinated in red wine.  It was tender enough to rock in the cradle and coo loving words to.  Every bite was like a word building a sentence, the meal becoming a chapter in a book.

We were feeling complete.

After nearly two hours of slow chewing, talking, holding hands, we ordered dessert wine and a creme brulee sampler.

So good.

Then we went to our hotel and talked about how now, officially, because of that meal, we were on our honeymoon.

I highly recommend Field’s Steakhouse in the Wisconsin Dells.  We’re thinking about going to Wisconsin just to eat there for our 1-year anny.

Click on Image to View PDF

Note: the email is incorrect. Please use – redgabled@gmail.com

I’ve vowed to work 23 Sundays at the steakhouse.  I’ve made it though four and I want to hang up my food-spattered apron.  How is this different from culinary school?  It’s not.  My expectations for school were high and then, once my education commenced, I hated it.  I hated it until sometime between week 5 and week 10.  Something clicked, something changed.  Sometime in April or May, I got the hang of it, built my confidence, and became relatively comfortable.  I just have to muscle through; tough it out.  Eventually, I will find my stride, even here.

I woke up Sunday morning earlier than my usual 11 am – on purpose.  My weekend hours are limited these days and I’d prefer to feel that at least some of my Sunday is my own.  I managed French-pressed coffee on the patio, a brisk walk around the neighborhood, breakfast and a 30-minute workout (my thighs are on fire today).  Then, I began my slow march to the restaurant.

My head, my stomach and every limb on my body would prefer to stay home and relax the day away.  I don’t need the money nor am I being forced to work.  I don my chef’s whites, sharpen my knives and sweat through my Sunday because I need experience.  It’s a multi-part process – and Culinary School was merely the first step.  I need to tough it out and learn how this cooking thing works in the real world. 

My sous chef teacher is a mere 21 years old – and not much of a teacher.  I think working in a kitchen requires an ego – and each chef and cook has a large one.  It’s amazing cooks and egos can all fit behind the hot line.  They’re condescending with confident male machismo – I wilt a bit around them.  Their egos give mine a good beating.  The servers, in contrast, are gum-chomping, fluffheaded bitches.  They’ve convinced themselves they could work the kitchen – they just prefer not to as they might break an acrylic nail.  This was an exchange I had last night:

Server 1:  A customer said the short rib shepherds pie was dry. They didn’t eat it.

Me:  I thought it was a bit dry too. (note: I obviously didn’t make the dish)

Fluffhead Server:   (chomping gum) It was made with short ribs…

Me:  Yes, I know, but usually shepherds pie has gravy with it.

Fluffhead:  (with teenage condescension in her eyes) But it was made with short ribs…

Me:  You can add sauce to the short ribs so it’s more like a real shepherd’s pie.

Fluff: But this was short ribs…

I’m not sure if she was trying to say that short ribs are inherently dry or, because this wasn’t a true shepherd’s pie, it didn’t need to be as moist.  Perhaps during line-up, Big D told her the shepherd’s pie was made with short ribs and this was all she could keep in her fluffhead…

Customer: How’s the shepherd’s pie?

Fluff:  It’s made with short ribs.

Customer: Do you recommend it?

Fluff:  It’s made with short ribs.

Customer:  How large is the portion?

Fluff: It’s made with short ribs.

Customer:   Can I have an order of the shepherd’s pie but without the peas?

Fluff:  It’s made with short ribs.

At the end of the night, Big D gave me my paycheck – $175 for three grueling nights of work.  I just keep telling myself – I need the experience.

Firelake Restaurant thrilled me again this weekend. Our family met to celebrate my dad’s 51st birthday. For someone who said, “I’d like to go a nice steakhouse for my birthday, maybe Outback,” I think he was more than pleased with my classier, delicious choice.

As usual, their menu showcased their commitment to careful design of elegant meals made from local resources. Dad, being the adventurous person that he is, almost immediately went for the elk steak. Ryan and I went for our favorites from last time (buffalo ribeye for him, strip au jus for me). My sister, feeling adventurous (despite her recent ’bout with roommate induced food-poisoning) decided to be adventurous and try buffalo after Ryan’s prodding of the amazingness. Traci took my word on the strip steak. Kelle settled for a lamb loin. Since we were in the corner and close to the preparation area, we were able to watch part of the fire-roasting process as we chatted. It was mouth-watering. Luckily, their cranberry bread was enough to tide us over until our meals arrived. But of course, in true family tradition, once the food was on the table, everyone had a few bites of everyone’s food. The winner: Dad’s elk steak.

The wine, a Malbec, was also an excellent choice. Our server was kind enough to help me through my lack of red wine knowledge and came out with a great choice. (I’m working on expanding my horizons, but I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m not a huge connoisseur when it comes to wine.)

Overall, Firelake Restaurant once again fit the bill as one of my favorite restaurants in the City of Minneapolis.

A+ in my book!

Do you ever get a craving for steak? Not just any steak. I’m talking old school steakhouse kind of steak? Well, I got that craving last Sunday and started thinking about where I could get a good steak in the SCV. I considered Cammaranos because of their Tweet about their 44oz steak but I was weary. Would it be worth $65? Yikes! Then I considered Strada because I had an amazing steak there once. However, when I drove by, I saw that they were closed for a private party. Fail.

And that is when I remembered our little gem in the SCV…Backwoods Inn. I have not been to Backwoods Inn since I was 10 years old? Maybe younger. I know people that rave about this place, but a quick search on Yelp didn’t make me feel to great about this decision. However, I was already in Canyon Country, and who knows? Even when its bad, it turns into an adventure, right? Revisit old childhood haunts and such.

All I remembered from my childhood as I walked to the door was that there was sawdust on the floor and booths. So when I walked in I was pleasantly surprised to see the clear view of the kitchen! I saw men cooking steaks! Right in front of me. I was too busy taking it all in, if not I would have taken a picture.

The place is…um…how do I saw this? Old fashioned? Stuck in time? Time warp? Woah. It was kind of awesome. We were the only ones seated in the section near the bar for a bit. And then, everyone started arriving and they all seemed like they were regulars because they knew the waitress by name and everything! The place was clean. Very clean. Much cleaner than I remember. And it has all sorts of memorabilia behind glass cases.

The menu is pretty intense. So many choices! All the cuts of meat are on this menu!

And! Look Larry! Soft drinks are only $1.50! Score!

That’s an inside joke…

Under appetizers, they say that their onion rings are famous or something along those lines, so we just had to try them. They were good. The best? I don’t think so, but I ate them…

They also say that their bread is awesome, so we ordered a basket of that. The bread was good! I loved it! Nice and buttery awesomeness!

So far, so good! I got to pick either soup or salad with my steak and I totally went with the cream of potato soup. I love love love potato soup! This totally tasted homemade. If not, I want to know where I can get a can of this ASAP.

And now! The main dish! I present to you the Porterhouse steak with loaded bake potato. This potato was awesome. It really was! Twice baked or something. Awesome.

My steak was just what I was craving. Juicy, perfectly cooked medium steakyness. And no, I did not eat all of that by myself…that would just be silly, right? To eat that whole steak? All by myself…um…yeah…I wouldn’t even imagine eating all of that by myself…or would I…

Ok, it wasn’t Jockos, but it wasn’t Sizzler either. It was closer to Jockos than Sizzler. Does that make sense? Ok, let me try again. It was legit steakhouse steak in Canyon Country. I did not have to drive for 3 hours to get a good legit steak. Plus, the ambience totally added to the place. I know its not for everyone, but I found it amusing. I totally escaped the SCV for a bit.

I left happy. I know that I will definitely be back to try their Broasters Chicken that they advertise because it looked really good! And if I’m ever craving a steak without wanting to leave town? I would definitely consider this place! It has been here since 1968, and has definitely stood the test of time!

Foodie group dinner soon! I’m telling you! It’s going to be hilarious!

Backwoods Inn

17846 Sierra Hwy
Canyon Country, CA 91351-1637
(661) 252-5522

I found this nifty site  50 to 1 a couple of days ago.  Each submission must tell a story in 50 words or less.  I have many short poems and with a little revision, was able to submit something worthy of publication on their site. 

I initially wrote the poem while taking a CPR certification class required for my teaching credential.  It was a long day, but I got lots of writing in. 

Vision

Yesterday I spent four hours getting CPR certification at the Y. Tonight I’ll eat at a Japanese steakhouse with a distinctly American name. A man will choke on a filet mignon. I’ll use the Heimlich to save his life. His wife will thank me. And I’ll get a free meal.

It is with great pleasure that I present to you this amazing “copycat” Outback Steakhouse coconut shrimp recipe in all its sweet, succulent, crunchy glory! This is one of my daughter’s absolute favorites out of all my secret restaurant appetizer recipes! She especially loves how fun it is to make. And the dipping sauce is incredible! I trust you’re going to love this recipe!

Outback Steakhouse Coconut Shrimp – Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs. large, raw shrimp
• .5 cup all-purpose flour
• .5 cup cornstarch
• 1 tbsp. salt
• .5 tbsp. white pepper
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 cup ice water
• 2 cups shredded coconut (short shreds)
• oil for deep frying

Dipping sauce:

• .5 cup orange marmalade
• .25 cup Grey Poupon country mustard
• .25 cup honey
• 3 to 4 drops Tabasco pepper sauce
• Mix ‘em all together!

Outback Steakhouse Coconut Shrimp – Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Peel, devein, and wash shrimp. Dry with paper towels and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients, except coconut.
4. Add 2 tbsp. oil and ice water. Blend well.
5. Add ample amounts of oil to deep fryer or deep skillet. Heat to 350 degrees.
6. Spread a thin layer of coconut on a plate.
7. Dip shrimp in batter, then roll in coconut (add more coconut as necessary).
8. Fry in hot oil for 4 minutes, or until light brown.
9. Drain shrimp, place on baking sheet, and bake an additional 5 minutes.
10. Enjoy with that incredible dipping sauce!

And there you have it! Your very own Outback Steakhouse coconut shrimp recipe to make in your own kitchen and put some hearty smiles on some thrilled faces. Enjoy!

This recipe is part of my growing Outback Steakhouse Recipes collection. I sincerely hope you enjoy it. I also have many other secret “copycat” restaurant recipes for you to try. I assure you they’re just as much fun to make as they are to eat!

Go to http://SecretRecipeWorld.com now! You’re going to LOVE this!

Related : Fun Drink Recipes Food Processor Recipe Sugar Cookie

Nothing beats going to a steakhouse and get some filet or bone-in ribeye. New York City, I believe has the most amount of good quality steakhouses in the country, maybe even in the world. Our goal while living in NYC is to try as many as we can until our cholesterols reach a certain level. Jason was able to get a reservation couple days before our parents arrived to visit. Alan loves steak, his favorite place is Abe and Louise in Boston. We go there to celebrate every occasion including graduation, birthday, and engagement; and we all get the same thing every time.

Anyway, going back to the BLT Prime. The place has very modern decor, and the servers are all dressed in black. I almost wonder if they have a criteria that you have to be certain weight, height and look to get a job here. The waiter we got was very friendly and attentive, both the parents and us ordered the porterhouse for two. For appetizers we got tuna tartar, and the parents split a caesar salad. Both were very refreshing. For entree sides we got spinach, mushroom with green beans and potato wedges with bacon. The portions are small but delicious. For the porter house, they gave us 4 type of sauces (one of them is oil and chives i think, very different but not too much flavor, you kinda have to mix it with the other sauces). Oh, a complimentary  item of the restaurant is their signature hush puppies. The thing was HUMONGOUS, and DELICIOUS, I think i finished the whole thing because it tasted so good. The porter house for two was HUGE as well, cooked to perfection. One thing that made the meat so tender was how all their meat were aged (I think). We fully enjoyed our meal there and would recommend the steakhouse to anyone who loves steak as much as we do. There is one little disappointment was that the wine selection was pretty expensive. The cheapest glass of wine they had was $12 or $14. But till no complaints with the food at all.

For those of you who do not know, Shula’s Steakhouse at the Alexander Hotel (5225 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL) is a fine dining restaurant themed after the undefeated season of the 1972 Miami Dolphins. They are the only team in NFL history to have accomplished such a feat. That will probably be the nicest thing I will ever say about the Dolphins.

Although this restaurant is located in the Alexander Hotel, it is located way back, where one must make a five minute walk to get to the entrance of the restaurant. We were seated promptly, as there were only three other groups that were at this steakhouse. Service was obviously excellent.

The football menu for the steaks was a creative idea, although a little too touristy for my taste. There were many sizes and types of steaks, one including their 48oz Porterhouse steak. Anyone who finishes one of those goes onto the hall of fame. Although, I thought it should be a 72oz steak since the restaurant is themed after the 1972 Miami Dolphins. I asked the waiter, and the 48oz really does not signify anything.

We started off with bacon covered barbeque shrimp, which surprisingly was succulent and the bacon and sauce complemented the crustacean well. We ordered the 22oz. Cowboy steak (which is a bone-in rib eye steak) and the 14oz filet mignon with a side of sautéed spinach. The meal was not anything spectacular.

Overall, this is one of those restaurants where the décor and service will wow you, but the food is generally bland.

I spent the morning chopping assorted vegetables for a rustic minestrone soup.  This afternoon is my first shift at the steakhouse and my chopping skills have become rusty.  A little practice never hurts. 

Reviewed 23 October 2009

Last night we arrived out our hotel in Dallas after a whirlwind of site visits and market surveys in Houston, Dallas, and Plano texas. We stayed at the Renaissance Marriott in Dallas just off of Stemmens Highway. When we checked in, we were all beat from a hard day of travel, manager interviews, and property visits. So, nobody really felt like going “out” for dinner.

In the lobby of the hotel is a steakhouse-type restaurant called T-Bones. At first, the sign looked like it simply said “Bones” and we incorrectly assumed it was the same owner as Bones Chop House in Atlanta which is a great steak house. Unfortunately, T Bones didn’t come close…

The menu was short and simple… ribeye, filet, and New York steak, a roasted chicken, and a pork chop. In classic steakhouse style, everything was a’la carte. We were promptly seated at a nice table against the wall with a white table cloth. The dining room seemed small. We were looking at the back side of the bar that faced out into the hotel lobby.

Our waiter looked like Saddam Hussein after a liberal application of Grecian Formula 16. He was Mexican and had such a thick accent that it was difficult to understand what he was saying. He seemed flustered and overworked. The service was terrible…

We sat at the table eating bread for 20 minutes before he came to take our order (he didn’t bother coming by early for a drink order). We ordered cocktails as we ordered our meal but, they didn’t arrive until well after the salad course and after I reminded him that we were still waiting for our cocktails.

The timing and ordering was out of whack in general… Our salads came well before our appetizer with the cocktail course coming between the salad and appetizer course. The drinks were, however, huge… my martini was served in a topped-off 9 ounce martini glass.

The salads were mediocre. I ordered a standard iceberg wedge salad. It was a small wedge of lettuce swimming… literally swimming in a pool of blue cheese dressing and flung with bacon bits. There were a couple of crumbles of blue cheese added and the whole thing was served in what seemed to be a small porcelain ice cream bowl. Mike also ordered the wedge but with a house italian dressing. It was covered with some unidentifiable green puree on top.

20 minutes or so after our salad course came our appetizer. Buffalo Lettuce cups. These were three cups of iceberg lettuce that were filled with ground buffalo seasoned with ginger. Typical PF Chang type chinese lettuce wraps. They were tasty, but, served with a total lack of finesse.

For the main course, Mike ordered a baked half-chicken. It was baked until it fell apart. I didn’t much care for the seasoning. It was a little too “dessert” like… Hints of something closer to holiday pie rather than herbes du Provence. Steve ordered a ribeye, charred medium rare. It looked thin, burnt, and unattractive. For such a thin cut of beef, they did, however, manage to keep it just between medium and medium rare which is not normally the case with a thin slice of beef.

I ordered the bone-in pork chop. The flavor wasn’t bad. It had a hint of mesquite smoke… But, it was cooked past the medium rare that I ordered and was very dry. A good cut of bone-in pork chop really should be closer to medium rare than medium… the risks associated with undercooked pork disappeared generations ago and this really is the best way to cook a chunk of quality pigflesh.

I ordered mashed potatoes for the table, but, the waiter told me they were out. So, we changed to baked potatoes. Strangely enough, my pork chop was served on a bed of mashed potatoes with a dry baked russet on the side. The mashed potatoes had a gleen to them as if they had been plated a long time before the plate was served.

We also ordered a side of roasted corn. The chef was a little overzealous trimming the corn from the cobs as big, woody chunks of cob seemed to be mixed in with the corn. It was well blackened and roasted, but, not a great side due mostly to the woody texture.

We didn’t even bother with dessert. Coffee all around that they served with a small tray of cinnamon sticks, whipped cream, and shaved chocolate. That, I thought, was a nice touch…

All in all, this was a typical hotel lobby dining experience. I was just expecting more, mainly due to thinking that this was related to Bones in Atlanta. The service was bad, the timing bad, the food mediocre. But, we didn’t have to drive any more! definitely a plus!

Da es das favourisierte Lokal meiner Mutter ist, sollte ich mich längst an den Anblick gewöhnt haben, aber an manche Sachen gewöhnt man sich eben nie…

Ich schaue auf den “Empfangscounter” des besten, mir bekannten Steakhouses Hamburgs und dort steht - wie so oft - der junge Adolf Hitler. Braune Haare zum zwar ungegelten, aber stengen Seitenscheitel gestriegelt, der passende zweifingerbreite Bart prangt über der Oberlippe.

Und wie jedes Mal frage ich mich, ob das die passende Frisur für einen stellvertretenden Restaurantleiter (denn das ist er ja von Beruf) ist und ob man da als Friseur oder Chef oder Mitarbeiter nicht mal was sagen sollte.

Oder auch als Kunde? Und wie jedes Mal ziehe ich in Betracht mit voller Seriösität und Monotonie zu sagen: Ihnen ist schon bewusst, dass Sie wie der junge Adolf Hitler aussehen, oder?

Kneife aber.

O post de hoje vai pra um dos restaurantes que mais gosto de ir, o Outback. Já o conhecia pelo sucesso no Rio de Janeiro e em São Paulo e fui descobrindo que quase todo mundo já tinha ido, menos eu. Até que uma excelente notícia veio de São Paulo: o Outback viria para Salvador e inauguraria no Iguatemi.
Depois de muita espera pude constatar o que realmente era verdade: O restaurante é simplesmente maravilhoso.
Se você chegar e a fila de espera estiver grande, você pode ir fazer suas compras pela alameda próxima e ser avisado quando sua vez chegar. Como? É só colocar seu nome na lista para receber uma senha que funciona como um sensor. Quando sua vez chegar, ele apita e é a hora de você se dirigir ao Outback.
O lugar é super confortável. Luzes baixas e decoração feita com peças em madeira garantem um ambiente calmo para conversar com os amigos ou família.
Uma coisa porém, tem que ser dita. Não vá para o Outback esperando pedir uma carne e reclamar porque o feijão ou a farofa não vieram de acompanhamento. Para quem tem contato com a cultura, os Australianos não são fissurados no típico prato brasileiro. O que pra eles é o acompanhento, para nós é o complemento: A batata. Que por sinal, é uma das maravilhaaaaaas do Outback.
No cardápio tem de tudo. Frutos do mar, massa, sanduíches, frango e a especialidade: Carnes.

Sugestões:

Entrada – Pão Preto (que não está no cardápio e vem acompanhado com manteiga)
-Blooming Onion (Uma cebola gigante frita que vem acompanhada com molho picante)
-Grilled Shrimp on the Barbie (Camarões grelhados servidos sobre o original pão australiano e acompanhados com o saboroso molho Remoulade)

Prato Principal: -Ribs On The Barbie (Costela de porco defumada e grelhada, regada ao molho da sua escolha)
-Aussie Grilled Picanha (Picanha preparada na grelha e temperada com sal grosso)

Sobremesa: – Chocolate Thunder from Down Under (Deliciosa montagem de Brownie com sorvete de creme, coberta com calda de chocolate, chantilly e raspas de chocolate).

Obs: O site oficial do Outback disponibiliza a seus clientes o cardápio para download.
Fonte: www.outback.com.br

Big D owns a steakhouse.  I worked for Big D eleven years ago, before he became a steakhouse guy.  Last Friday afternoon found me sitting in the restaurant discussing the steakhouse with him.  The reality of my culinary situation is that I need experience.  A true, proper restaurant kitchen is a mystery to me – and daunting.  Starting Sunday, I’ll be working in the steakhouse every Sunday 3 to 9 pm.  Big D is letting me cut my teeth with him.  He’s a good guy.

But, frankly, I’m not looking forward to this.  My day job is exceedingly stressful and weekends are my respite.  I loath giving up my peaceful Sundays for more work.   And, this is a new experience for me… rather than a challenge, being the newbie has always made me uncomfortable.  I don’t do well out of my element.  However, I’m taking a deep breath and stepping forward.  Thi is my “continued education” – the next step to becoming a fully formed chef.  I’ve given myself six months – the same amount of time I was in school (sort of) – and then I can quit.  Just as in school, I’m counting it off in “days” – it’s 23 days, to be exact.

The first churrascaria I ever went to was the Fire of Brazil in the old Alpharetta location. It was a business dinner and I enjoyed it. Afterwards I took relatives there, and what clinched the experience was taking my family once on a Father’s day. On Father’s day they offer exotic meats (kangaroo, ostrich, venison, duck, alligator) and my daughter to this day has not stopped talking about the food she had there.

We went to the Perimeter location on the weekend of my daughter’s birthday. She became sick on her birthday and we couldn’t eat anywhere, but the day after she was well and specifically requested going to Fire of Brazil. We spoke of going to Fogo de Chao, but frankly, I wasn’t sure of being able to get there on a whim, I generally dislike the drive into the Buckhead area, and Fire of Brazil was what the birthday girl asked for.

The restaurant is good looking on the outside, but my wife finds it a little cramped compared to the old Alpharetta location. Seating is around a “wood” fire (stone logs fired by natural gas, probably) and near the windows they have a salad bar. I tend to raid the salad bar for palm hearts, smoked salmon and anything else interesting. The mussels were interesting this day, so I got a few of those.

For those who have never been to a Brazilian steakhouse, or churrascaria, these are places where the meats are cooked on a rotisserie. The meats are then taken off the heat, while still on the skewer, and moved by staff called passadores from table to table. You are then asked if you want some of the meat, and if you do, a thin slice is usually cut off for you. The slices are thin so you can sample a wide variety of meats. For someone like my daughter, whose tastes run to meats, this kind of eating is a little bit of heaven. There is a fixed price ($41.50/person on this day) and you can eat all you want.

New York strip

Flank steak

The meats were running hot and cold this day. The New York strip was a deep red and full of flavor. The flank steak was good, and sausages were tasty. The sirloin with garlic, on the other hand, was a little flat and tasteless. There was a spicy chicken that everyone seemed to enjoy, and my daughter the carnivore was doing her best to get her share. My mother-in-law was with us; this was her first churrascaria and she hadn’t gotten half way through her salad before the meat started arriving. She usually took the same foods my wife would choose.

About halfway through serving the meats, side dishes arrived. They were a heaping bowl of white rice, a thin bean “soup”, and fried plantains and yucca fries.The beans were tasty, but I can make kidney beans at home. The plantains my wife described as “interesting”, and said she preferred Cuban style maduros. The yucca fries were dry and starchy and otherwise an ordinary side. They would be better as a side to a good burger, in my opinion. Yucca fries at FLIP would be a lot of fun.

Towards the end of the meal, a passadore came and asked if we wanted anything else. I asked for lamb and my wife asked for turkey. They hadn’t served either in their first pass through. Lamb is my favorite meat in these kinds of steakhouses, even on Father’s day. There is a flavor in lamb that I can’t get anywhere else, and I believe is associated with lamb fat. The chunk of lamb I had was a little chewy, but delicious.  My wife was quite happy with her turkey.

Beef ribs, Fire of Brazil style.

leg of lamb. delicious!

At the end I raided the salad bar one last time, to make sure I had all the various kinds of salmon they served. It turns out their salmon salad that day was delicious.

Service: I had no problem with table service at all. Drinks were filled, there were no lulls in people coming to the tables and asking if we needed anything. The meats did have a pattern. They would begin with chicken and sausage, proceed through their meats, and then pause. It’s in the pauses that the passadores ask if you want anything in particular. I’ve always taken this to mean, “Is there one last meat we can get you, so that you’ll be happy?” but it could be taken as, “Is there one last thing we can serve you to get you to leave?” In a business where small perceptions in quality of service are the major differences between the churrascarias, that’s a perception Fire of Brazil needs to guard against. Otherwise, I had a great time here.

Verdict:  One of our favorite steakhouses. A little cramped compared to the old Alpharetta location. Highly recommended.

Fire of Brazil
118 Perimeter Center West
Atlanta, GA 30346
(770) 551-4367

Vevay, Indiana

No wonder it was voted Budget Travel magazine’s #4 coolest small town in America!

Ohio River view from our hotel

me, before the Media Celebrity Grape Stomp

My first trip to Vevay (pronounced Vee-vee) was on August 29, 2009. I — along with a stuffed animal version of FOX 41 mascot Snow Fox– represented our Louisville TV station in the Swiss Wine Festival parade and competed in the Media Celebrity Grape Stomp for Charity. Unfortunately, weighing the least and having the smallest feet, I came in dead last among nearly 20 stompers from the Louisville, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis media markets, producing only three cups of grape juice in two minutes! That’s the first time I’ve ever claimed last place in any competition. But it was a really fun and relaxing day, full of good food and nice people.

Best Western Ogle Haus Inn lobby

I didn’t have time that day to explore the rest of the town because I had to go straight to work after I finished my part in the festival. So my husband and I went back just over a month later, on October 12. We stayed for just 24 hours, but it felt like the most luxuriously long vacation we’ve had in a while. Things are slower paced in small towns like Vevay, so we had enough time to see almost everything and take it all in. We stayed in a huge, very nice suite with his-and-her vanities and an elevated whirlpool-jet hot tub with steps outside the tub at Best Western Ogle Haus Inn. I know, you’re thinking, Best Western… nice? It was unexpectedly charming, set on the Ohio River (which divides Indiana and Kentucky). The hotel used to be owned by Paul Ogle, but now it’s run by Best Western, which renovated it in 2006. Vevay also has several lovely bed & breakfasts in historic mansions.

Danner's Hardware in downtown Vevay

Vevay, IN is the birthplace of American commercial winemaking, so you’ll find wine tasting opportunities, like at Ridge Winery Tasting Room. You’ll also -find shopping and dining on a small scale in downtown. We spent a morning and afternoon taking an easy stroll down just a few short blocks, stopping into such quaint shops as Edelweiss Floral & Gifts, Signatures, The Mercantile, and other stores that sell antiques and Amish goods. Danner’s Hardware is Indiana’s oldest business still in its original location. Julia Knox House is a historic mansion converted into a gift, furniture, and accessories shop. Be sure to pay a visit to the Switzerland County Historical Museum and “Life on the Ohio” River History Museum and ask for the guided tour; you’ll take a very interesting step back in time, back to when the Swiss settled the area.

As for food, I highly recommend the steak tacos I had for lunch at Los Bandidos, a new Mexican restaurant with staff just as friendly as the other shopkeepers we encountered in this tranquil town.

Plus, Belterra Casino Resort & Spa is just seven miles from Vevay, in nearby Florence, IN. There you can find such gems as Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse and upscale boutiques. And take a ride on a zipline at Dagaz Acres in Rising Sun.

Expenseasteak.com is a genius micro site for Maloney & Porcelli’s a NYC steakhouse that has found an interesting way to get you to eat there: make the company pay for it.

This stunt from NYC agency Walrus goes beyond digital marketing in a page that’s both clever and charming. You simply have to enter the total of your Maloney & Porcelli’s bill and it will give you a pdf with a series of realistic looking receipts that add up to the exact amount you spent.

What better way to break through the mold then to have a humorous approach to the recession.

It’s advertising at it’s best, but I wonder if anyone has dared to use the fake receipts, especially with the amount of buzz the web page has gotten.

Lemon & Dill-Herb Salmon

Don’t you get hungry just looking at it?  I do and I actually got to eat it.  I wish I could go back tonight.  This photograph is of my entree at Prime Parc Steakhouse – the restaurant I went to after an afternoon at Mall of Georgia.  Mmmm, mmmm, good.  What you see here is the Lemon and Dill-Herb Salmon with Jumbo Asparagus and Creamed Spinach.  The salmon is on the menu as pan seared but I’m not a big fan of seared fish so our helpful waiter suggested that he could have the chef prepare it medium well.  Perfection!  It was all tender and juicy on the inside but crispy edges just the way I like it.  My taste buds just kept wanting more.  The sides were just as satisfying.  I’ve been trying to eat healthier so I picked vegetables and these had a wonderful flavor that didn’t make me regret that decision.  Even though we started dinner late (we closed down the mall that night) I could tell that they had been busy because my mom got the last chef’s special of the day.  That was also mouth-watering.  Imagine thin tenderized steak wrapped around crumbly white cheese and other ingredients (I can’t remember everything) accompanied by potatoes au gratin and fried cinnamon dusted butternut squash.  It would have also had shrimp and crab but she had to decline since she’s allergic.  My group thanked me for the suggestion as we savored our plates – someone even called Prime Parc a ‘hidden gem’ in Atlanta.  Now, here are my thoughts on the steak, which I sampled from my brother’s plate: Expertly prepared, tender, juicy and incredibly flavorful.

The atmosphere lives up to the ‘upscale dining experience’ they claim to have.  You enter through a large revolving glass door to be greeted by a friendly hostess, beautiful large paintings on the dark walls, and live music by the bar.  A look-through fireplace separates the bar and the second dining room.  Each booth is very private, enclosed by clouded

Chef's Special

glass.  And the food was presented so creatively, everything from the spheres of butter on little square plates that came with the hot bread to the arrangements of each entree.  Prime Parc has a nice balance though – it’s a classy steakhouse but it’s not uptight.  We had four children in our group, from 2 years old to 9 years old, and I didn’t get that “I hate dealing with kids” impression that I get at some places.  I definitely highly recommend Prime Parc Steakhouse and I look forward to returning myself.

http://www.gibsonssteakhouse.com/

When my in-laws said they were coming to visit I scrambled to find a good steakhouse. They’re French and very serious about their red meat. So I asked a friend and native Chicagoan what the best steakhouse in Chicago is and he replied with absolute resolution: Gibson’s.
We arrived to a packed house the night of our reservation. In fact, we could barely get in the door and had to fight our way to the bar for a pre-dinner drink. (According to our waiter it was a “slow” night). And let me just say that I can absolutely see why Gibson’s has a reputation for being the unofficial headquarters of the Viagra Triangle. It is also obvious why this established, speak-easy like stop on the restaurant tour has become a favorite for locals, tourists and visiting celebs. There are photos of visiting V.I.P.s all over the walls, but conspicuously missing are pictures of President Obama and Oprah.
Even without the blessings of two of the most influential Chicago natives in America today, Gibson’s doesn’t seem to be suffering. It has a tried and tested feel that is both comforting and exciting.
I hate to say that while the food was good it wasn’t fantastic. It certainly wasn’t bad, but one of the steaks was undercooked and in general I would expect more oomph out of a restaurant with a reputation for being among the best in Chicago. And there are a lot of steakhouses in Chicago. We’re surrounded farmland around here, people. And Midwesterners love their beef…almost as much as the French.
We had a lovely bottle of Cakebread Cabernet with our meal….OK we had TWO bottles. I find that when you have good wine, good company and good food it’s best to make a meal last as long as possible. It was this thinking that led us to order a dessert that typically serves 14 people. That or copious amounts of wine, but the 4 of us did our best to put a dent in the crumbly, crunchy Carrot Cake.
The greatest thing about Gibson’s is the service. I have experience in the food service industry (I was a bar manager and server in college), so I know how difficult it can be to deal with the tipsy idiots at your table who swear they can finish the Mt. Everest of desserts even when you try to warn them against it. Our server was attentive, funny, knowledgeable and went out of his way to make our experience the best he possibly could. That alone is reason enough to patronize this restaurant if the great atmosphere and chance to experience a famous Chicago restaurant is not.
The important things to remember about Gibson’s: make reservations at least 3-4 weeks in advance, keep an eye out for celebs (or just a potential Sugary Daddy/ Cougar) and order a really good bottle of wine….or two.

RATING: Four giant Carrot Cakes