CHEF STACEY BETH

GREEK VILLAGE CAFE

2009-03-30T14:35:00.000-07:00

GREEK VILLAGE CAFE

Last weekend I went to Greek Village Cafe with my friend Emily. It's never very crowded everytime my friends and I go, which is disappointing because in this economy I don't know how they will end up staying open much longer. So if you live in Henderson and want some excellent Greek food, you should go!!

My friend and I started with a hookah and the trio of dips. We mixed mint and mixed fruit together and it was sweet and refreshing. You pick any three dips you want. We picked hummus, a spicy cheese dip and babaganoush (the eggplant spread). They were all really good and served with warm, fresh tasting pita (unlimited). My friend ordered the meat balls. They are lamb and beef meatballs, I've had them before they are very good. I had the gyro salad which was a Greek Salad topped with schwarma meat (lamb) and tzatziki sauce. It was really good.

9550 S Eastern Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89123
(702) 463-7300

LINDO MICHOACAN

2009-03-25T11:26:00.002-07:00

LINDO MICHOACAN

I went to Lindo Michoacan Sunday night with a friend. It was the perfect ending to a perfect lazy sunday of frozen yogurt and movies. I saw I LOVE YOU MAN. It was so funny! So then we went to Lindo Michoacan on Desert (there are 3 locations in Las Vegas and then Viva Michoacan which is awful in Henderson). We both got margaritas. I got mine with patron silver and grand marnier on the rocks with salt. It was a huge serving!!! Most authentic Mexican places servce a big margarita!! They also serve warm chips with a salsa that is hot hot hot and a bean dip to neutralize the salsa. It was so great.

We also started off with an order of the guacamole which they make fresh in front of you. It's one of the best guacamoles I've ever eaten and they give you a large portion.

Our meal came with a traditional tomato soup with skinny noodles. It was a really solid and delicious tomato soup. Beats the hell out of campells!!!

My dinner date wanted to try something traditionally Mexican so we started with the grilled cactus appetizer topped with grilled meat. It looks like green peppers but was a lot thicker and has a weird flavor. I didn't like it at all. My friend thought that it just tasted like green peppers. I disagreed.

Our served recommended our entree called pollo sarandeado estilo tia ester which is grilled chicken basted in a sarandeado sauce (tomato and spices) with dried chilis, Mexican spices and mayo. It was really great. It packed a ton of flavor and wasn't too spicy. It was served with refreid pinto beans and Mexican rice, as is every entree.

They have a huge menu and a lot to choose from. I would definitely go back!

www.lindomichoacan.com

KAIZEN SUSHI: FEATURED ROLL

2009-03-25T11:26:00.001-07:00

AVOCADO TRAIN ROLL:

I don't need to write much about the places I've already been to, unless I have something really good and unique that I feel I just have to tell you about. Which is why I am featuring the avocado train roll which had soft shell crab, lobster salad, white fish, crab and spicy mayo then drizzled with eel sauce and topped with avocado. Then at the end of the roll is a little ball of avocado stufed with the same ingredients without any rice or seaweed. It's a very cool presentation and and has great flavors and textures.

HASH HOUSE A GO GO

2009-03-25T11:22:00.000-07:00

HASH HOUSE A GO GO

I went to Hash House a Go Go this weekend with a friend. I had to try the famous fried chicken and waffles!! We shared a farm scramble, the you pick 3 mix in options, so it was scrambled eggs, chicken, avocado and cheddar. It was WAY too buttery and had a cheddar overload. It came with a biscuit and home made strawberry jam that was fabulous and soooo yummy. The potatoes were amazing, I don't even like plain potatoes and I thought these were SO GOOD!!!!

My favorite pick was the sage fried chicken and waffles platter, which is pictured above. The fried chicken had an excellen taste, but wasn't really crispy enough for my taste. It was served over a BACON waffles. Yes, they bake the bacon right into the waffle, how brilliant is that? It was served with fried leeks which were outstanding and then drizzled with a maple caramel reduction that had a little kick to it. I think the sauce would go well in one of my stir frys. This was a unique and delicious meal. I'm in no rush to go back though. They give you portion overload and this isn't the kind of food I would typically recommend anyone eat more than a few times a year. It's bikini season, I think I'll eat my waffles without bacon from now on.

http://www.hashhouseagogo.com

BOTERO

2009-03-25T09:50:00.001-07:00

BOTERO

I went to Botero at the Encore (part of the Wynn in Las Vegas) for the second time this past weekend. It wasn't as great as I remember, but my dinner date was also not as into the restaurant and food as I was so that could have ruined it slightly for me. We both agreed that the service was PHENOMENAL!! I started off with the Orange Blossom cocktail which was really light, refreshing and not too sweet. I'm not exactly sure what was in it, but it did have a lychee. I love those lil Asian pears.

They bread was warm and tasted fresh. I like the olive loaf, my guest prefered the french bread. We started off with two appetizers. The first was the crudo tasting with tuna in avocado and soy, halibut in spicy tomato, salmon in a lemon sea salt, and hamachi in tangerine puree. I really like the dish. I love the fresh, slinly sliced raw fish in a light viniagrette. My dining partner hated the leafy green stuff on top and thought everything just tasted bland and like it was in oil. It doesn't pack a ton of flavor, but it is a nice contrast to the huge steak you will devour in your second or third course.

We both LOVED the other appetizer which was fried frog legs in a lemon butter with a fennel salad. I thought the frog logs were delicious and the lemon butter was really great. The fennel salad tasted like cole slaw gone bad. My guest liked it, but not me!! We had both never had frog legs before. Yes, they do kind of taste like chicken. They were really good. I would order these again.

We both ordered steaks for dinner. My friend got a New York Strip cooked medium rare with the peppercorn seasoning. He didn't like that you had to dip the steak into the sauces. I of course ordered the petite filet. I'm too tiny to order a different cut of meat unless someone wants to share with me. I ordered it chimmichurri style and rare. It was served to me medium rare. It was pretty disappointing. Still a great cut of meat, but it wasn't what I ordered and I didn't feel like waiting for a new steak. It was pretty surprising that for $38 for a steak and they couldn't seem to cook it properly. I still kind of enjoyed it, but filets, in my opinion should ALWAYS be RARE.

We skipped dessert. We were going out to some clubs that night and didn't want to make ourselves sickly full.

The thing I love most about Botero is the way it is cleverly decorated and designed around the artwork of Fernando Botero, who is famous for painting these adorable short fat people.

I've been to Botero twice now and I won't feel a need to go back for a while. There are a lot of great restaurants in Las Vegas I still haven't tried yet and I am moving to Los Angeles. Anyone have any recommendation in LA?

CARNE VINO

2009-03-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

CARNE VINO

www.carnevino.com

Carne Vino, by Chef Mario Batali is the newest Italian restaurant in the Palazzo Hotel (Las Vegas Strip). It is absolutely amazing!! A PERFECT meal!! I enjoyed (almost) every bite. I went with a friend and we sat at that bar. I had a really great drink with some kind of bourbon amd home made ginger ale off their cocktail list and then I had a dirty martini with three olives. They used real olives. None of that pimonto bullshit. Why do other places do that? It is SO GROSS. They didn't give me a plate for the olives though. We started with two appetizers and then we ordered two pasta dishes. We ordered one dessert and were given another one on the house. The bread was delicious and served with two kinds of butter. I try not to eat it because I want to enjoy the other food, but I just couldn't help myself.

The first appetizer we ordered was the grilled octopus with with potatoes, puntarelle and chiles. It had great flavors, was good perfectly and really delicious!! It was rich, yet a little light at the same time. This was our favorite appetizer. The other one was the tuna crudo, it was sliced from the leanest to the fattiest tuna over a home made pesta sauce which was really light and flavorful and would be great on a pasta, but it didn't add too much excitement to the tuna. It was extremely fresh fish with a great flavor all on it's own though.

Our favorite pasta dish and overall dish of the evening was the cannelloni with guinea hen and leeks. Cannelloni is a delicate rolled pasta. Some cheese was baked on top and it was in a really light sauce. It was amazing! We didn't enjoy the ravioli di stracotto. It was basically a duck liver ravioli with acero balsamico. The pasta tasted undercooked. It was hard and had an grainy texture. Since this was a fine dining Italian restaurant, we felt weird complaining because we weren't sure if that's how it was supposed to be served. Most of the time Ravioli is soft and kind of breaks apart easily with a fork. I also thought the sauce tasted a little bit like dirt. It didn't have a nice flavor.

For dessert we ordered the honey glazed carrot cake. OH MY GOD!!!! The cake was served with walnut mascarpone gelato. It was so dense, moist and had great flavors. This was hands down the best carrot cake I've ever had. It was drizzled with honey and was just simply fabulous. The extra dessert they brought us was their most traditional Italian dessert, the chocolate bamboloni. These are little balls of fried dough with candied pecans and bourbon caramel dipped in a rich chocolate sauce. They were pretty good, but I liked the cake a lot more.

I would go back to this restautant again. They also have a pre-theater menu that will get you in and out in time for Jersey Boys, which I saw on Broadway and is a terrific show (by the way)!!

COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH

2009-03-17T13:01:00.001-07:00

COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH:

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, the cocktail of the month is the

IRISH CARBOMB

a deadly mixture of Jameson and Guiness then you drop the shot of Baily's into the mixture and drink fast (before if curdles!!)

Please drink responsibly tonight and NEVER drink and drive.

I will be celebrating @ Fado's on Eastern tonight in Henderon. See ya there!!!

DAILY GRILL

2009-03-16T22:11:00.000-07:00

I went to Daily Grill with my cousins in Studio City. We went around 6:00-6:30 on a Saturday and the place was packed! The hostess was a little frazzled. She gave me a children's menu. I was offended. We started off the meal with a shrimp cocktail and some bread. The bread was really good and fresh and the shrimp were anything but. They were giant!! My two toddler cousins ordered the chicken pot pies off the children's menu. I thought it was kind of a weird thing to have on the children's menu. I never ate that as a child, but they really liked it. I had a bite. It was really creamy and had a lot of flavor, but I thought that the button mushrooms had NO PLACE being there and of course ate around it. EW! I ordered the oven roasted garlic chicken. It was a half roasted chicken marinated in garlic honey jus and it was really good, but the portion was HUGE. I was able to pick my two sides. I got steamed spinach which was bland and broccoli which was even blander. It was more than enough food for me. There are multiple locations across the US. The restaurant has a really varied menu which is good for picky eaters and large parties.

ttp://www.dailygrill.com

OVERLAND CAFE

2009-03-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

OVERLAND CAFE

www.overlandcafe.com

I went to overland cafe for a nice Satuday Brunch with my friend. I ordered the Norwegian Smoked Salmon platter off the cafe specialties menu aka THE ULTIMATE JEWISH BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS. The platter was around $11 and I got so much food!! It was a very hungry hypoglacemic girls dream. The platter came with sliced tomatoes, toasted bagel, cream cheese, red onion and scrambled eggs with smoked lox mixed it. It was delicious! I love bagel and lox and the eggs are always a great addition and a nice way to add protein to keep you fuller longer. I'm not crazy abou the area though is there was nothing particularly special about this platter. You can get it anywhere that has a decent breakfast/brunch menu to be perfectly honest. However, if you are in the area and are hungry it is worth checking out. The place was pretty crowded. One thing I will say is that I was VERY disapointed that they didn't have wheat bagels. Only onion and plain. Wheat toast just would not have been the same so I got an onion one. The cakes in the counter looked amazing. I rarely order a slice and this day was no exception. They looked awesome though so if you have a party to go to and are asked to bring dessert you may want to stop by and pick up the carrot cake. Unless it decievingly looks great and is really dry on the inside. Isn't that always soooo disappointing? Has anyone gotten it?

SADDLE RANCH

2009-03-16T17:40:00.000-07:00

SADDLE RANCH

I went to Saddle Ranch late on a Saturday night with a few friends. Saddle Ranch in not your typical western bar, for starters it's in Los Angeles! It was really fun and the food looked great, so I will have to go back and eat. They have an extensive menu (brunch, lunch, dinner and COTTON CANDY!!). Some nights they have line dancing, live music, and can be rented out for parties. I went on a typical night with nothing going on. The place is decorated in a western theme and is really cute. It's not a cheesy theme restaurant. Saddle Ranch even has a mechanical bull that you can ride (after you sign an insurance waiver of course) and of course I rode it and no you will not see pictures posted anywhere thank you!! It's a fun place to go and I will definetly be going back to eat. The brunch menu looks out of this world.

http://www.srrestaurants.com/

GODDESS SALAD

2009-03-16T13:29:00.000-07:00

To make my

GODDESS SALAD

you will need:

1 cup of spinach

1 cup of finely chopped romaine lettuce

1 packet of white albacore tuna

1 half diced vine tomato

salt and pepper to taste

3 tablepoons of seeds of change brand seven grain mix

GODDESS dressing like Annie's or any generic brand

**goddess dressing is a tahini dressing (a bit sour) with lemon, herbs and spices)**

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy a quick and healthy lunch!!

BOTTLE POP AT BOTTLE ROCK

2009-03-15T15:47:00.000-07:00

I went to Bottle Rock in Culver City with my friend for happy hour. We enjoyed a reduced price cheese plate, caprese salad and a glass of the malbec and Cline red zinfindel off their happy hour menu. We were served a selection of 3 cheese (chef's selection) with some bread. It was really good. I particularly enjoyed the brie. The blue cheese we were given ( I am not sure of its variety) was a little dry but had a nice flavor. The salad was amazing. The mozzerella melted in your mouth. My friend did not like this. She said it was too soft. She is probably used to less fresh and fine mozzeralla, but everyones taste buds are different. I would like to go back and try more substantial dishes next time!

www.bottlerock.net

MARRAKECH MORROCAN

2009-03-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

MARRAKECH- LAS VEGAS

I went to Marrakech Morrocan restaurant in Las Vegas Nevada a couple of weeks ago with a group of 7. It is located just off the strip in a shopping center on 3900 Paradise Road. The alcohol is pretty cheap relative to other restaurants I've been to in the area, there is live belly dancing and a delicious 6 course family style meal. They also provide substitutes for no extra charge if you are a vegetarian which is really nice! It was a great meal and a really fun atmosphere. We ate with our hands for most of the meal which was kind of weird at first. They started off the meal by asking us to wash our hands tableside with this rose water stuff. It smelled really fragrant and good.

For the first course we had shrimp scampi in lemon, wine and garlic sauce. Our veggie friend had the same dish with mushrooms (EW). It was really good. They served it with "traditional Morrocan bread" which was just like the Traditional Jewish Challah bread.

Our next course was a delicious lentil soup with rice, lemon and spices which we drank right of our of the bowl!!

After our soups, we enjoyed a hummus course that was accompanied by beets, olives, carrots, cucumbers...etc. It was soooo good. First of all I have never enjoyed beets so much, but the hummus was REALLY great as well. I wish more places served a plate just like this. I'm tired of the traditional pita and hummus pairing.

The next course we had was the beef kabob which was marinated in 7 Morrocan spices and it was poking out of a pineapple with a birthday candle one it. It was cooked and seasond perfectly, but I don't understand why it came with a birthday candle in it. My friends and I all thought that was soooo odd. Oh well. It was really tasty.

The main course was a cous cous platter with cornish game hen in a raisin and vegetable sauce. The hen was tender and juicy and the vegetable melted in your mouth. It was just the right amount of sweet and it was really delicious. I enjoyed this course a lot too!! We were given forks for this course.

The dessert was served with Morrocan mint sweet tea. It was fabulous. I loved it. The dessert was just ok. I was hoping for something a little more refreshing and light. The dessert was a phyllo pastry dough stuffed with nuts, fruit and sugar. It was topped with more powdered sugar than should ever be legal and cinnamon. It was okay. It would have been nice to get some fresh fruit with some home made whipped cream on the side or topped with honey and nuts. The sugar was so over powering that it made me totally dehyrated.

I really couldn't pick a favorite course but you can probably tell which one I liked the least. I would definetly go back and I think it's a great place if you are going with a large party. You shouldn't being a picky eater here because there will not be very many alterntives for them to choose from. Below is the website for more information. There is another location in Los Angeles and apparently a few across the US. They must be owned by different families because they are not advertised on the Las Vegas location's website.

http://www.marrakechvegas.com

A VERY HAPPY HOUR AT RA SUSHI- FASHION SHOW MALL

2009-02-28T17:16:00.001-08:00

A VERY HAPPY HOUR AT RA SUSHI- FASHION SHOW MALL

Last night I went to Ra Sushi at 6:30 for happy hour (which ends at 7). They have a menu of speciality cocktails, sake, beer, appetizers and rolls that are all half off. I ordered two cocktails so that I could get the special deal, one over rocks and a martini (I drank the one with ice that would melt first and then had the martini second, pretty good plan if you ask me). I had a geisha punch with was vodka, soda, giner and grenedine. The drinks were refreshing, but not strong. By my second drink was the pamatini which was a mixture of ketel citron, pama liquer, and grapefruit juice. I added and extra shot and it was perfect!!! haha. For dinner I ordered a spicy tuna roll and a Las Vegas Roll. The Las Vegas roll is one of their most popular rolls. It is a deep fried tuna avocado roll with cream cheese topped with spicy crab mix and a taro root chip. One of my friends ordered the Spinach Gyoza. They were pan fried dumplings and really good and served with a garlic ponzu dipping sauce. The meal was very inexpensive considering how much food and alcohol we ordered. I was very impressed and would def go back for another happy hour.

Check out my last RA SUSHI Post for even more information

http://chefstaceybeth.blogspot.com/2008/12/tonight-i-ate-at-121.html

TOP CHEF FINALE

2009-02-25T23:25:00.000-08:00

TOP CHEF FINALE

Congratulations to Hosea. Carla, Stefan and Hosea were partered up with runner ups from season’s past to cook a three course meal that defines who they are as a chef and generally to cook the best meal they’ve ever cooked in their life. Hosea chooses Richard who I live and really thought should have won last season. Stefan picks Marcel and then calls him a “twat”. Haha. HOW NICE! Actually, Marcel is my favorite contestant on this show ever. He deserved to win and he should really be back on every season, if he hasn’t already been because I can’t get enough of him. He is so talented, funny and really doesn’t care if you like him because he knows he’s badass. Carla was paired up with Casey. After deciding on their menus, the chefs are of course thrown a curve ball. Since they are in New Orleans, they each get a slice of king cake and whoever has the piece with the baby gets to pick their protein of choice to make an appetizer. Hosea gets the baby and chooses red fish, he gives Carla crab (and it bites her) and gives Stefan alligator. What an asshole. He could have give him something a little easier to work with. He’s a dirty player and he whines a lot.

Hosea’s first appetizer is a blackened red fish on a corn cake with creole remoulade and micro cilantro. It looks and sounds awesome, which I hate to admit because I really don’t want him to win. The judges liked the dish. Stefan made an alligator soup which the judges loved it. Fabio was brought back as a judge; that was nice of them to bring him back. He really doesn’t have the credentials of any of the other judges, but whatever. Carla’s appetizer was a shiso soup with blue crab and chayote thai salsa. It looked really good and refreshing. Stefan’s first course was a smoked salmon and halibut carpaccio with micro green, citrus vinaigrette and caviar. It was a gorgeous presentation and looked amazing. Carla’s dish really made me hungry. She seared a red snapper over saffron aioli, braised fennel and grilled clam. Hosea’s was my least favorite and not because he has the kind of face that makes you want to punch him but because it honestly didn’t look as nice as the other ones but it still sounded incredible and I’m sure it tasted really great. He prepared a tuna, hamachi and black bass (which I love) sashimi with fennel oil, citrus and fried tempura bits. Carla’s dish seemed to be the favorite. Tom felt that Stefan’s salmon was overpowering and halibut and everyone felt that Hosea’s dish was a bit bland. Stefan prepared pan seared a squab (a lot of this used this season), braised cabbage, schupfnudeln, foie gras and grape jus for his second course. Carla made a sous vide New York strip steak with seared potato rod and merlot sauce. Hosea served seared scallop with foie gras on pain perdu, apple preserves and foie gras foam. I’m allergic to apples…and Hosea. The judges loved Carla’s sauce, but felt her meat was tough. They thought Stefan’s dish was really good and cooked amazing. Gail really liked Hosea’s dish. I love foie gras and scallops. Carla ends up overcooking her soufflé. She still has a dessert, but doesn’t feel it is complete. Stefan chose to do a dessert for the third course; he made stracciatella ice cream, chocolate mousse with vanilla syrup and a banana lollipop. It looks amazing. Carla’s dessert was an apple tartlet coin with blue cheese and walnut crumble. I like the idea of savory and sweet here. Hosea did not make a dessert. Which is fine since the judges have two other sweet treats to enjoy after their meal. Hosea’s venison looks really good. He pan seared it with a chestnut and celery root puree with wild mushrooms. Take away the mushrooms and I’d eat it!! They didn’t love Stefan’s dessert or Carla’s. Hosea won it with his venison. I really think Stefan should have won. Oh well. I wonder who will get fan favorite. Any guesses????

CHAI TOWN!

2009-02-24T09:36:00.000-08:00

When the weather gets cold, I like to warm up with a steamy, foamy chai tea latte. So which is best, Starbucks or Coffee bean and Tea Leaf? What I really want to find out is..

WHICH CHAI?

The Starbucks Chai has got a lot of spice to it. It's more punchy than sweet, but still creamy and delicious. A 12oz non fat Chai Tea Latte from Starbucks is 150 calories, has no fat, 6 grams of protein, and a whopping 32 grams of sugar and 33 carbs!! They don't offer a reduced sugar or sugar free version which is a shame.

The Vanilla Chai Tea Latte from The Coffee Bean is smoother and creamier than the Starbucks version. It is the perfect sweet afternoon pick me up. I order mine with the NSA (no sugar added) vanilla powder and skim milk. The 12oz version of this has 100 calories and 10 grams of sugar.

This is the clear winner on both taste and for your waisteline. The excess sugar of the Starbucks version is proven unnecessary because this one is sweeter and has less sugar!

Go out and get one today! With the calories and sugar you save, treat yourself to a biscotti while you're at it. YOU DESERVE IT :-)

KAIZEN SUSHI

2009-02-24T08:47:00.001-08:00

KAIZEN SUSHI

Located across from the Hard Rock Hotel at 4480 S Paradise Road, Suite 900, Las Vegas, NV 89119.

702-641-7772

open Sunday-Thursday 5:30pm-4:00am and Friday and Saturday 5:30pm-6:00am

Sunday-Thursday after midnight enjoy two for one drink specials!

I went to dinner at Kaizen with my friend, her dad and his business partner. I don't remember exactly what we ordered. We all ordered a bunch of rolls and shared, which is really fun and I tried eel for the first time. I loved it. I will definitely not be afraid to order rolls with eel from now on, which really expands the menu options for me.

We started off with an order of edamame, it was a huge portion. It was very impressed with how generous the serving was. We had an order of the rainbow roll which was good. It is the same at every sushi restaurant, but for those of you who don't know it is a california roll with fresh slices of fish on top. My personal pick was the ROCK AND ROLL which is tuna, salmon, white fish, avocado and crab rolled inside cucumber. There was no rice. It was hard to eat, but really light and a bit citusy, not heavy like some of the other rolls, so it was a nice contrast. The SPICY TUNA ROLL was just that, spicy! No vegetables, just tuna and siracha sauce with a little bit of mayo to balance out the heat.

I didn't taste this roll because I was too full, but the table ordered a BAKED SALMON ROLL it looked really good and the other guests really enjoyed it. It was baked salmon on top of a roll filled with cream cheese and avocado. I really enjoyed the FRIED SCALLOP ROLL. It was really good, I just wasn't expecting it to be orange!

My favorite roll of the night had to be the LAS VEGAS ROLL

which is deep fried eel, tuna, avocado and cream cheese it was really good!

I would go back to Kaizen again and recommend it to out of town friends, because it is just off the strip and isn't an expensive cab ride to get there.

www.kaizen-sushi.com

COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH:

2009-02-23T21:40:00.000-08:00

COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH:

ALMOND JOY

Available at Blue Martini

This sweet treat is a mixture of three olives vanilla vodka, bacardi COCO rum and chocolate liqueur, served with a chocolate and coconut rim. Be careful this may seem like a sweet and innocent cocktail but it will knock you on your ass! Enjoy, slowly and with caution.

Blue Martini is a cool local spot in Las Vegas's Town Square area, with tons of shops and other restaurants. The flat breads and spinach dip are amazing, but my favorite dish to order when I'm looking for something a little more substantial is the whiskey chicken, which is now served on skewers next to dirty rice and two dipping sauces. The food is reasonably priced, but martini's start at $12.00.

Runner up for cocktail of the month is the Mexican City Mule from DOS CAMINOS at the Palazzo Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. This mixture of absolut ruby red, ginger and lime is refreshing and just the right hint of sweetness. It is definitely meant be be drank on a warm summer day around 4:00pm. It also is really easy to make. I think it will be a hit at your next BBQ. UGH!! Is it summer yet?!!!

DO IT YOURSELF POPCORN

2009-02-23T15:18:00.000-08:00

MAKE YOUR OWN POPCORN

Hello popcorn lovers! Last night my friend taught me how to make my own popcorn instead of using the prepackaged bags. The advantages are undeniable. First of you all can control the amount of salt and butter used, second it is A LOT cheaper and fresher and finally, no added chemicals (to preserve the popcorn or to add color). It's so simple to make!

1. take 1/4 a cup of kernals and pour them into a brown paper lunch bag

2. spray with olive oil spray or butter spray (like a pam)

3. roll bag closed at the top, don't go too far down and put in microwave for 2 minutes

4. you will know the popcorn is ready when it takes about 2 seconds between pops, so pay attention!

Shara likes to add butter spray and salt, which is the basic way to eat it, but I like to get creative. Here are some more topping ideas....

1. butter and salt

2. parmesean cheese

3. melt 30 choc chips in microwaves for a minute then add in some caramel sauce, mix together and pour over popcorn

4. add some mini reese's pieces and shake them up in the bag so that they melt over the popcorn pieces.

How do you like your popcorn? Write me a comment and tell me the creative way you enjoy this salty snack!!

DENVER RESTAURANT WEEK

2009-02-21T15:29:00.000-08:00

DON'T MISS DENVER RESTAURANT WEEK GOING ON NOW UNTIL MARCH 6TH.

http://www.denver.org/denverrestaurant/default.aspx

PINK TACO OTRA VEZ (again)

2009-02-17T07:36:00.000-08:00

PINK TACO OTRA VEZ

Last night I went to Pink Taco with about 11 of my girlfriends. It was really fun, but you could tell the server was not happy to have us and I felt she had a bad attitude. If I were a server I would be happy with a table that size who ordered shots, pitchers or mararitas and sangria. It took forever to get our order in, the server wasn't friendly, and paying the bill was an absolute disaster, but besides that it was a really fun night. It's all in the company you keep, right? When we went to pay our bill, the waitress refused to accept 9 cards, even though we just wanted to split it evenly. She got the manager, who told us that they usually only accept 5 cards, but that he would do it (they had no other choice, I wasn't going to spend $8 at the most expensive atm in Las Vegas to take out money to pay for a meal when I have a credit card). What annoyed me most is that when we were seated it was pretty obvious we were all going to be paying seperate (because we were a group of 11 girls, not like couples or anything where maybe the guy could be paying and we weren't all young girls with one older look parent type person) so if you only accept 5 cards, is it really that difficult to say at the beginning of the meal, we only accept 5 cards at a time, or write it on the menu? They write that they will add 18% gratuity on the menu, and that consuming raw or uncooked foods in unhealthy, so why can't they also add, LIMIT FIVE CREDIT CARDS? This is 2009, everyone is going paperless, even cabs accept credit cards now a day, its perfectly reasonably to expect people to prefer to pay this way.

I ordered the PINK TACO PLATTER. The taco platters cmes with refried beans, rice and three tacos. The pink tacos are corn tortillas with pinto beans, arbol salso (which is kind of pink in color), grilled chicken, pickled onions (so that they end up being dyed pink) and avocado. They were so good. I also ordered the su casa margarita, which was about the size of my head. It didn't taste very good, I had a hard time drinking it, and it wasn't the same as the one I had ordered last time, so it means they gave it to me wrong this time or last time. I am going to guess this time, since the server was really not paying attention to us at all.

One of my friends ordered the chicken quesadillas. SHE HATED THEM. She took a few bites and couldn't eat anymore. She said she didn't like the flavor at all. They looked pretty good, but I trust her opinion. I'm not really a quesadilla person, so I probably wouldn't have ordered this anyway.

Two of my friends split the PINK TACO PLATTER. I am going to have to get this next time I with someone else who is in a sharing mood. It was a lot of food and gave you great variety which is good. The platter has two chicken skewers, two carne asada skewers, cheese quesadillas, guacamole, two corn tamales, rock shrimp and ribs all for under $25.00

Check out PINK TACO next time you are in Vegas or Los Angeles

www.pinktaco.com

2009-02-16T09:24:00.000-08:00

It's time for ANNAPOLIS RESTAURANT WEEK

February 16-20 2009, so if you didn't take your honey out on Valentine's day, there's still time to redeem yourself!! Head to Greystone Grille for a juicy steak and nice glass of wine or to Lemon Grass for some excellent thai food and the can't miss fried stringbeans. If you like fondue check out Melting Pot; the dessert and cheese are never disappointing and most chains like this never offer discounted prices. I hear O'Leary's has some of the best seafood in town and Ruth Chris is always consistent if steak is what you're after. Annapolis is an adorable waterside town with lots to do and tons of cute shops, so if you have time to walk around you

should.

http://annapolisrestaurantweek.com/

Get some famous fish and chips at FADO's IRISH PUB which is a chain, because I have eaten at the one in Vegas where it is trivia night on Wednessdays! Grab some friends and get some great food and beers and have a fun night. Don't miss the corn beef rolls (appetizers). They are delicious little finger sandwichs. Log on to find a location near you http://www.fadoirishpub.com/annapolis/menu/food/dinner

Check out THE ROCKFISH RESTAURANT for seafood and marini's. They have a really large menu so there is something for everyone and they are a green restaurant. Way to be socially responsible guys!! They are the only EPA certified green restaurant in the area. They operate by wind power and they recycle.

WHAT I'M LOVING NOW

2009-02-15T22:47:00.000-08:00

WHAT I'M LOVING NOW:

SOY JOY BARS

I am loving the berry Soy Joy energy bars I get from Whole Foods. It's a sham I can't find the strawberry flavor anywhere. I hve go to try the raisin almond and mango coconut one of these days as well. I can't eat apple since I am allergic and they use all natual ingredients. I also don't eat any chocolate flavored health food. When I want chocolate or dessert- I WANT THE REAL THING. I don't want some healthy treat with chocolate flavoring that are never as good as just a nice hunk of rich dark chocolate. Am I right or am I right? Plus chocolate would NOT be right for the texture of these bars. These bars are a great before or after the gym snack or 4:00pm pick me up. I wish they were a tad bigger, I usually eat a handful of almonds with them too so that I can stay satisfied and stop snacking until dinner time. One bar is 130 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 17 carbs, 12 grams of sugar, 3 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protien. They are also gluten free which is great for those of you who can't eat wheat. They are delicious and all natural. http://www.soyjoy.com/ you should also log on and print a 1 dollar off coupon when you purchase 5, and why wouldn't you purchase 5? The good news about these bars is they are already the most inexpensive protien bars of their kind on the market right now. Most retail for $1.50-$3.00 (sometimes MORE) but these are just .99 cents! Good for your tummy and your wallet.

BRIO TUSCAN GRILLE

2009-02-15T20:55:00.000-08:00

BRIO TUSCAN GRILLE

I spent a lovely Valentines day with a few friends at Brio Tuscan Grille in Town Square Las Vegas. It was an 80 minute wait, but my friend got there to put his name in and we walked around the shops to kill time. We started off the meal with 4 bread baskets and tons of olive oil and basalmic. We all could not STOP eating it. It was so good I also had a cocktail, I forget the name but it was citron vodka, grand marnier, lemonade and muddled raspberries. It was freshing, but weak. It was really tasty because it wasn't too sweet and bitter. I would have had about 5 more if I wasn't driving!! For dinner I ordered the roasted chicken and butternut squash risotto. It was good for what it was and I didn't expect it to be any different. I was hungry and I enjoyed every since thousand calorie of that meal. The chicken was tender, the sauce was creamy, maybe a little too much butter and cream (my stomach hurt for 15 minutes afterwards). There was just the right amount of garlic, a lot, just the way I like it. The crispy bacon tasted like way to salty bacon bits, the basil was good, but not that fresh and there was a ton of parmesean cheese in it. It was a great dish for a chain Italian restautant and I enjoyed the meal. Our waiter was a little spastic, but pretty attentive and good with filling up the water glasses. I'd go back, but wouldn't go out of my way. I also wouldn't order the risotto again. It

was good, I'm just not sure my stomach can handle that much cream and butter.

http://www.brioitalian.com

COMPANY AMERICAN BISTRO

2009-02-15T20:36:00.000-08:00

COMPANY AMERICAN BISTRO

The last time I ate at Company American Bistro I was supremely disappointed!!! I was looking forward to eating at this place since the celeb packed grand opening and when I finally went the meal was so AWFUL and the service was even worse our 6 person multi course meal ended up getting comped!!! It was probably one of the worst dining out experiences I'd ever had. When I talked to others, they all seemed to love it, so I had to give it another chance, not to mention this week I was already at the Luxor for the SI Swim Magazine release party, so why not give it another shot? I ordered a hangar one lime on the rocks, my drink of choice and always impressed when restaurants carry this deliciously smooth lime vodka! I also decided on two small plates over one regular sized entree. I ordered the yellowtail sashimi with sweet chili soy,blood oranges and cilantro. It was fresh and refreshing. An excellent combination of flavors and textures. I also ordered the miso glazed japanese eggplant which were out of the world delicious, should have ordered two orders. Even though this dish came out about 20 minutes after the rest of the food (which was annoying, maybe this restaurant really needs to work on timing) it was one of the best vegetable dishes I've ever had. My friend ordered the sliders which they said tasted good, but were a bit smaller than expected. We also had an order of the Shichimi Fries which were thin, crispy and spicy. I only like potatoes with a lot of flavor, so these were pretty good. If you love fries then you will think they are GREAT. We sat at the bar tables/couches. The staff was friendly and attentive, perhaps a little two attention we had three people who made the rounds to check on us and it was a little over whelming. Next time figure out where my eggplant is instead of asking me how my empty plate of yellowtail is. The redeemed themselves with this trip and I would go back again. Maybe on of these days I'll get around to trying dessert.

OSAKA IN HENDERSON TAKE 2

2009-02-15T20:15:00.000-08:00

OSAKA TAKE 2

I went to Osaka last Monday with some of my girl friends. All Las Vegas Athletic Club members recieve 50% off the bill when they present their gym cards. For 4 hungry girls to eat tons and tons of sushi the entire bill ended up coming to $52. NOT BAD!!!! :-) I ordered the 777 roll (pictured above) which is shrimp, scallop, tobiko, and cream cheese topped with avocado, albacore and a galic "yum yum sauce". I felt that there was way too much sauce, but that once I transferred it to a separate plate I was able to enjoy it a lot more. I also had the white tiger roll which is shrimp, avocado, and cucumber topped with seared white tuna and a spicy mayo sauce. It was spicy and delicious. I loved it. I also ordered the cucumber salad in a vinegar vinniagrette with cucumber, seaweed and crab mixed together. This was not on the menu, but something that all sushi restaurants apparently offer. Thanks for that tip Emily! The second time was just as good as the last. I think I like this place better than I LOVE SUSHI (another great Henderson sushi spot).

URTH CAFE (MULTIPLE LOCATIONS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA)

2009-02-15T20:04:00.001-08:00

URTH CAFE

I went to the Urth Cafe in the Downtown Arts District of Los Angeles. There are 4 locations in Southern Cali total, so I recommend you find the closets on to you and go there immediately. Get yourself a honey lattee stat. The mixture of steamy, frothy milk, espresso and honey was absolute perfection. What a great way to start a morning! I also enjoyed the egg sandwhich served on hot toasted delicious bread with mayo (who would have ever thought, right??), avocado, chilis, roma tomatoes, and lettuce. It was an unexpected combination of flavors, but turned out to be really great and not nearly as weird as it sounds. It was SO FILLING, I could only eat half and it was served a a side salad of mixed greens with a light dressing. The menu is huge and has a ton of choices and a lot of healthy choices which makes me love this place even more.

log on to http://www.urthcaffe.com/ for infomation about their exotic coffees and teas and the location nearest you!!

Happy Latte. Yes, the really serve their lattes like this! They mix it up with other designs, but they definitely don't serve you any ordinary lattes. My friend got a green tea one. It looked fabulous, but breakfast was at 7am that morning and I needed the caffiene!!!

O BAR & KITCHEN - LOS ANGELES

2009-02-15T19:29:00.001-08:00

(The famous Waygu Beef Burger)

O BAR & KITCHEN

O Bar & Kitchen in the O Hotel in downtown LA's financial district is delicious and a great spot for a date. The menu offers tapas, large plates, desserts, a really long amazing list of cocktails and an extensive wine list. It is on the first floor of the trendy O Hotel. I went with a friend and sat at one of the tables. The restaurant is long and skinny with one long row of tables. My friend and I shared some appetizers and tapas and they just kept getting better and more delicious with each dish. There was no room for dessert, which is a shame. I will have to go back ASAP. We ordered the petite meatballs with spicy tomato sauce on grilled bread. It looked like a mini open face meatball sub. It was really good. Just that would have probably been filling enough for me. The broccolini was out of this world. I have never enjoyed it so much. It was prepared with garlic and chili, simple but packed with tons of flavor! We got the crispy calamari that was accompanied by two sauces; 1. a creamy spicy chili mayo and 2. a cilantro basalmic dip. It was really good and a huge portion. The spicy ahi salad served over mixed greens, shaved vegetables, with an avocado creme fraische on a papaya dam chip. It was really light and refreshing. I enjoyed it a lot. I also ordered myseld a cup of the tuscan white bean soup. It was so good!!! I'm not a soup person, but every time I am in LA and order soup somewhere it's always so great. I really do need to order some soups more. I think my problem is that more substantial dishes always sound so amazing and I don't want to waste my time and get full on soup. But apparently, I am wrong. The white bean soup had shaved crispy serrano ham and basil pesto in it. The meal was great, the service was so-so the energetic friendly bus boy made up for the dull and neglegent server and they played great music. I would definitely go back and recommend it.

The O Hotel is located at 819 S. Flower Street

213-623-9904

www.ohotelgroup.com

This is a picture of their fireplace. How cool is it. It comes out of these crystal rocks and divides the hotel and is so elegant and chic!

HILARIOUS NEW SITE

2009-02-09T14:20:00.000-08:00

You must check out http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/

The hilarious new blog that shows pictures of the unhealthy and gross food combinations people come up with. Check out the corn dog pizza and deep fried Mars bar!! Something is seriously wrong with America!!

WACKY PRODUCT ALERT

2009-02-09T08:55:00.000-08:00

BACONNAISE

http://store.baconsalt.com/Lite-Baconnaise-_p_51.html

Baconnaise is a bacon flavored mayo made for sandwichs, salads, burgers and fries. It's a guilt free bacon-y treat! Or so they say. I wouldn't know because I find this product to be extremely weird!! I guess it could be delicious on fries and a burger. It's also vegetarian, 30 calories per tablespoon and kosher! If you dare to try some, please let me know how it is.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS VALENTINE'S DAY

2009-02-06T10:48:00.001-08:00

KAMA SUTRA LOVER'S PAINTBOX

http://www.kamasutra.com/giftsets/paintbox.lasso

What are you doing this Valentine's Day? Try one of Kama Sutra's gift sets for a great evening of sensual fun! There are many unique kits available if chocolate isn't your thing. HAVE A HAPPY VDAY!!!

Also available @ Zappos!!

TOP CHEF REPORT

2009-02-04T22:48:00.000-08:00

TOP CHEF REPORT

log on to bravotv.com now and vote for the winner of the fan favorite.

And then there were six… Eric Ripert (love him) guest judges the quick fire challenge which is a 3 round fish filet challeng. Round 1 is sardines. They are given 5 minutes to clean and butterfly their 2 sardines according to Eric’s example. Eric chose Leah and Fabio as the best and Carla and Jamie as the worst. The two worst are eliminated. The next round is an artic char (I hate salmon). Leah and Fabio are eliminated from round 2. Hosea and Stefan have to kill and skin a live eel. Stefan won the quick fire challenge. Eric invited the chef to Le Bernadin, his restaurant, for lunch the next day. I smell a challenge coming.

Le Bernadin is a fine seafood restaurant that focuses on minimal ingredients, but is anything but simple. The chefs begin their lunch with a sourdough encrusted red snapper with a tomato basil consommé. Next, the chefs taste baked mahi mahi with miso and matsutake mushroom sauce. Next the chefs eat a baked lobsert with asparagus and hollandaise sauce. The next dish is an oil poached escolar with potato crisps in a red wine béarnaise sauce. The next dish is a za’atar spiced monkfish with black garlic. The next would probably be my favorite. It was a sautéed black bass and braised celery with Serrano ham peppercorn sauce. I love black bass and it looked amazing. Everything was presented beautifully. The chefs are to recreate the 6 dishes that they just tasted. Stefan gets to choose what he wants to make since he won the quick fire. The rest have to draw knives. Hosea criticizes Stefan to taking the easy way out. Like he wouldn’t have picked the lobster? Bullshit! Jamie picks the black bass. This was her least favorite dish. She doesn’t like celery and thought braising it was “a little weird.” The chefs are given two hours to practice before actually cooking.

The judges taste the dishes head to head, Eric’s vs the Cheftestant. Fabio did a good job with the sourdough snapper. They thought that Leah’s mahi mahi was overcooked and that the flavors were off. They are very impressed with Stefan’s dish. Carla did a good job recreating the escolar. Hosea’s monkfish is up next. Jamie is worried that her celery is too salty. The chefs agree. They also think the bass was cooked well.

Stefan is the winner. He wins a book and a trip with Ripert and also gets to go with him the to the Pebble Beach food and wine festival. That’s awesome. Jamie, Leah and Hosea were in the bottom 3. Jamie is eliminated. Next week they will narrow it down to the final four.

UNTIL NEXT WEEK...

U-SWIRL YOGURT

2009-01-29T09:32:00.000-08:00

U SWIRL FROZEN YOGURT

I went to U-Swirl last night for some dessert. It is self serve frozen yogurt and then the weigh it! I like it because you can mix as many flavors as you want and add your own amount of toppings. I hate when regular froyo places only give you a small amount of toppings. They have 16 flavors and all kinds of toppings to choose from. Pretty much anything you can imagine. Last night I mixed snickerdoodle, peanut butter and oreo. I topped it with caramel, cookie dough, marshmellow sauce, peanut butter and butterfinger pieces. I ended up squirting the peanut butter all over myself (I think it was stuck and came out of the side). It was a total mess, but it was TOTALLY WORTH IT. AND WORTH EVERY CALORIE. Frozen yogurt has a lot of sugar, so please don't be fooled that this is a healthy treat. But if you top it with fruit like my other frozen yogurt buddies, it can be a lot healthier than the way I eat it. haha.

http://www.u-swirl.com/

OSAKA - HENDERSON

2009-01-29T09:06:00.000-08:00

OSAKA

http://www.lasvegas-sushi.com

I went to Osaka, in Henderson, last night for dinner with a group of girls. We sat at one of the low tables where you had to take your shoes off. I started with a tea. They were really good about re-filling it. On some of the basic rolls they allow you to order half which is good because two rolls is a lot, but one roll is never filling enough. I ordered half of the CAL-VADA roll. It was a cali roll with shrimp in it. The rolls were plump and big. I hate when they are really small and skinny. I also had the virgin roll, which was one of the specialty rolls. It was tempura shrimp, avocado, cream cheese and cucumber inside and it's topped with tuna, crab and eel sauce. It was really good!!!

They have half price late night specials. It's off the strip. I would definitely love to go back ASAP.

TOP CHEF REPORT

2009-01-29T00:16:00.001-08:00

Carla's Crayfish and Andouille Gumbo Over Stone Ground Grits

TOP CHEF REPORT

Welcome to another week of my TOP CHEF report. Scott Conant is the guest judge for this week’s quick fire challenge. He just got a three star NY Times review for his restaurant. The chefs will play football squares to match up the food group and the key ingredients that they will be cooking. The key ingredient is Quaker Oats for everyone. The winner of the quick fire challenge will no longer be winning immunity, instead they will win an advantage for the elimination challenge. Stefan had dairy he made a banana mousse with Quaker Oats and oat almond petit four. Fabio, who had vegetables, coated eggplant with the oats, deep fried it and put a corn and parmesan salad in the middle of the eggplant. It didn’t look very appealing, and Scott laughed at it. Carla had nuts and grains. I add walnuts and raisins to my oatmeal and it’s delicious and makes it a more satisfying meal. Carla made pecan and Quaker Oat crusted tofu with an oatmeal and lentil salad. ??? Kinda strange… Scott liked it though. Jamie had fruits. Instead of doing a dessert she made coconut and oat crusted shrimp with a nectarine salsa and avocado crème fraiche. Very creative and it looked delicious. Does anyone else think this Scott Conant is sexy? I do. Oh did you just see him smile. DAMN. Hosea made wiener schnitzel because he had meat. It was accompanied by a warm potato salad and mustard sauce. Looked great to me. Leah picked seafood. She prepared a Quaker Oat crusted branzino (which is a Mediterranean sea bass) and mussel with escarole and bacon. Jeff had to make a poultry dish. He made a Quaker Oat crusted chicken paillard with grits and fried zucchini. I think Jeff is a hottie too. Scott chose Leah and Fabio as the worst dishes. He also noted that Jeff’s dish was too heavy. Scott really enjoyed Jamie, Carla and Stefan’s dish. He chose Stefan as the winner. He is very talented. Hosea is pretty jealous of him.

The chefs are instructed to go to the stew room for their surprise. They are given chef coats with the #5 (for season 5) and their names, like a jersey. The challenge is called the TOP CHEF BOWL. The challengers will be chefs from seasons past. The lineup includes Andrew D’Ambrosi (season 4), Josie Smith Malave (season 2), Andrea Beaman (season 1), Spike Mendelsohn (season 4), Camille Becarra (season 3), Nikki Cascone (season 4) Miguel Morales (season 1). Each chef will have to go head to head against a past season’s chef and they will have to cook regional cuisine from the team that they are assigned to. I can’t believe they didn’t have the Ravens, I’d like to see them try to make a crab cake better than the ones at G&M. Stefan chooses to go against Andrea and picked the Dallas Cowboys. Smart move. She’s a vegetarian chef. Jeff and Josie will both be cooking food based on the Miami Dolphins. I think they are both from Miami. Fabio and Spike have the Green bay Packers. Hosea and Miguel have Seattle Seahawks. Leah and Nikki, who are both from NY have the Giants. Jamie and Camille both have San Francisco 49ers. I know Jamie is from there. Carla and Andrew have the Saints. That seems like an easy one- crawfish!!

The chefs are only given 20 minutes to actually cook their food, but are given two hours to plan and look through the given ingredients. Did Hosea almost set Leah on fire?? Carla is kind of growing on me. Can anyone guess who is going to win the $10,000 bonus fan favorite prize? Maybe Fabio? Please write your guess in my comment section. I’m curious to know who you all like. During challenge day the audience is made up of past contestants wearing their favorite jerseys. Two chefs will cook per round head to head. The judges will note on who scores a touchdown (or wins the round) which is worth 7 points. Then 5 fan tasters will vote on her gets the field goal (which is worth 3 points). Very creative challenge. Nikki and Leah go first. Nikki made chicken livers with onions and goat choose on challah bread. I love challah bread. MMM it looks good. Leah seared a NY strip with creamed corn, snap peas and an arugula salad. Leah scored the touchdown and Nikki has the field goal. Any chef from season 5 who loses will be up for elimination. Miguel and Hosea are next. They are talking some serious smack to each other while cooking. Miguel made a cedar plank salmon with noodles and mushrooms. I hate salmon and mushrooms, so that’s a loser for me right there. Nice presentation though! Hosea made a crispy salmon roll with ginger blackberry sauce. It looks good, but I think I see some mushrooms in there. UCH. They look like adorable eggrolls. Hosea wins the touchdown and the field goal! Carla and Andrew go against each other next. Andrew is an entertainer and very funny. He’s a got a great personality. Andrew made a crayfish crudo with a spicy lime vinaigrette. He definitely got New Orleans down, but is that something you want to eat while you’re watching football? It is very creative and presented well. Carla made a crawfish and andouille gumbo over stone ground grits. Carla scored the touchdown. Way to go Carla. Andrew got the field goal though. Andrea and Stefan are the next to compete. There is some flirting action going on for sure. Andrea made a tex-mex chili with fried corn chips and a guacamole coleslaw. Stefan was ambitious and did two different meats over two salads. He roasted pork over a coleslaw and NY steak over a corn salad. It’s making me hungry. Andrea took all ten points because she was the fan favorite; the judges were split. I’ve never seen Stefan’s head so red and he just called himself a douchebag. Okay…. Camille and Jamie cook next. Camille made miso sweet potato mash with mustard crab meat and salad. It looks awesome and I love sweet potato and crab. Jamie made a crab cioppino with olives, basil and toasted sourdough bread. It also looked really good. The judges are split, but the fans pick Jamie so she gets the full 10 points. Josie, who competed against Jeff, made a warm rock shrimp ceviche with papaya. Is it even ceviche if it’s warm? Jeff also made a rock shrimp ceviche with a sangria sorbet. It was a beautiful presentation and looked so refreshing and delicious. The judges picked Josie and so did the fans. She received the full ten points. Good for her. I think Jeff may be going home. Fabio is the last to compete and if he loses then team season 5 will lose. Can Spike win it all for the allstars? Why isn’t Jill wearing a Ravens jersey? I don’t like you Jill!!! Spike made a five spice venison with port reduction and micro herb salad. Fabio also made venison with a mustard sauce and mache salad with cheddar. Fabio overcooked the venison. Spike won the touchdown, but Fabio won the field goal. The home team won 37 to 35. Close game chefs!!

Stefan, Fabio and Jeff are on the bottom. Why did Jamie turn her headband down like that? She looks like a moron. Sorry, I know this is a foodie blog, but those who know me, also know I am a fashionista. Carla won the challenge. She won two super bowl tickets. Are you kidding?? That’s AWESOME.

Jeff is eliminated. Fabio overcooked the venison, but whatever. UNTIL NEXT WEEK and can’t wait. Chef Ripert will be guest judging.

PINK TACO

2009-01-28T09:44:00.000-08:00

PINK TACO

I went to the Pink Taco in Las Vegas (The Hard Rock Hotel) for dinner last night. I went with a friend and we sat at the bar tables. Our server came over right away with chips and took our drink we orders. We both ordered the mi casa su casa margarita on the rocks with salt. The chips came with three kinds of salsa which was really nice. Sure beats the hell out of bread and butter! I ordered the Carne Asada (steak) tacos. The taco platters (below) come with rice and refried pinto beans. The meal was really great and satisfying. The meat was seasoned well and tender. I would definetly go back. It was simple, good, Mexican food.

www.pinktaco.com

yes!! They serve pink margaritas!!!!

I believe they have happy hour from 4-7, half off appetizers and 2 for 1 margaritas.

V-NO THURSDAY 1/29 BALTIMORE

2009-01-27T09:24:00.000-08:00

Head to V-NO WINE BAR in Fells Point this Thursday 1/29 for a free wine tasting event! All featured wines will be 10% off!!

www.v-nowinebar.com

BEST BITE: SUSHI TO GO

2009-01-26T15:25:00.000-08:00

HARA SUSHI

12222 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90025

810-820-1021

www.harasushi.com

Hara Sushi, in Brentwood, may look like just a tiny hole in the wall, but it's proof that looks can be decieving. My friend and I planned on dining in, but the wait was really long, partly due to the small space, but mostly because the sushi is delicious, fresh and CHEAP! So, we ended up ordering in. Had we called it in we wouldn't have had to wait half hour, but it was worth the wait. I hear if you go on the weeknights you will have no problem getting a table or spot at the sushi bar. My friend likes to sit at the sushi bar when they're not busy, because the chefs will give you a lot of attention and let you try random things.

I ended up way over ordering and have dinner and lunch for the next day :-). Because we ordered so much we got a few free miso soups and an order of edamame. I also got a spinach salad. It was really good. I like it when it's bright green. I ordered the bundy roll with spicy tuna and shrimp inside topped with a crab mix. The sauce came on the side. I really liked that for some reason. I also ordered the Ginza roll which was good, but I liked the other roll a little bit better. The roll had spicy tuna and avocado inside and was topped with albacore and japapeno. Clearly, I like it spicy!!

LA SCALA CHOPPED SALAD

2009-01-25T15:21:00.000-08:00

LA SCALA BEVERLY HILLS

http://www.lascalabeverlyhills.com

434 N Canon Drive, 90210

310-275-0579

(another Location in Brentwood)

La Scala Beverly Hills has been a Hollywood staple for over 50 years and after eating there I know why. Their food is simple, class and consistent. They don't try to over do anything, but just make the food well, which is what keeps people coming back. I sat outside at the Beverly Hills location on a a nice hot sunny day (did I mention this perfect 80 degree day was in January?). Our server was friendly, warm and attentive. My friend and I each ordered a cup of the cream of corn soup. It was one of the best soups I've ever had. I'm pretty hard to please with soups, I'm not a huge soup person. It was delicious. I wish I had ordered a bowl or that it wasn't a special, because now I can't go back and order it again. Then, I ordered the famous Jean Leon chopped salad with tuna. The girl I was with ordered turkey. They looked exactly the same. The salad is lettuce, mozzarella cheese, tuna, chick peas and their secret dressing chopped. You could pretty much eat it with a spoon. The waiter garnished my salad with fresh parmesean cheese and ground pepper. They also served us bread, which was really good. I was pleasantly full afterwards and really enjoyed my meal. I will definetly go back and hopefully next time have time to shop in the area.

I decided to recreate my own tuna chopped salad at home. It was pretty easy and satisfying. I chopped lettuce, tuna, mozzarella, parmesean, pepper, and tomatoes. I mixed them really well and then added italian dressing and fresh ground pepper with a pinch of sea salt. It's an easy, delicious, healthy and inexpensive lunch. Maybe you don't want to pack it and up and bring it to your office though!

LOS ANGELES RESTAURANT WEEK

2009-01-25T12:24:00.001-08:00

(DOLCE ENOTECA E RISTORANTE)

LOS ANGELES RESTAURANT WEEK

I wish I were in LA this week for restaurant week. January 25-30 and February 1-6.

http://dinela.com/restaurantweek/

(MAISON AKIRA)

PHILLY RESTAURANT WEEK

2009-01-25T12:00:00.000-08:00

PHILLY RESTAURANT WEEK

http://www.centercityphila.org/life/RestaurantWeek.php

January 25-30 and February 1-6

Cooking Demonstrations at La Cucina at the Reading Terminal Market, 12th & Arch Streets, in conjunction with City Paper. Noon – 1pm.

1/26: Time with Chef Josh McCullough
1/27: Le Castagne with Chef Brian Wilson
1/28: Roy’s
1/29: Rum Bar, Chef Adam Kanter
1/30: Lolita, Chef Marcie Turney

Chefs will prepare, demonstrate cooking techniques and sample item. Free, but limited to 25 people.

(upstares at varalli)

THE VIEW 1/27/09

2009-01-24T10:53:00.000-08:00

WATCH ANDREW AND SPIKE FROM TOP CHEF ON THE VIEW THIS TUESDAY 1/27/09

The boys will teach viewers how to make delicious recipes that will keep your stomach and your wallet full!! Plus they are prettty entertaining to watch and Spike is very sexy!!

ATTENTION BAILTIMORE: IT'S TIME FOR RESTAURANT WEEK

2009-01-23T08:44:00.000-08:00

(Togarashi Crusted Sea Bass w/ Sauteed Edemame, Braised Baby Bok Choy and Carrot Ginger Burre Blanc from FIN STEAK AND SEAFOOD)

Hey Baltimore! It's time for

RESTAURANT WEEK

Go out and enjoy tons of lunch and dinner specials all around Baltimore and check online to see which restaurants are doing wine pairings with their meals. Don't let the Raven's loss last week get you down, go out and drink and dine your sorrows away by eating some of the best that Baltimore has to offer. And if you haven't been... you must check out MEZZE, MELI or Kali's Court. If you've been...then be adventerous and try something new!!

Happy dining!!!!

www.baltimorerestaurantweek.com

(rack of berkshire pork with a red wine reduction, grilled peaches and a fennel and arugala salad at Cinghale-Osteria)

JINKY'S CAFE - SANTA MONICA

2009-01-22T08:49:00.000-08:00

JINKY'S CAFE IN SANTA MONICA

I went to Jinky's Cafe with two girlfriends after a nice relaxing day at the Santa Monica beach. It's located on 2nd street and if you are not careful you will walk right past it like we initially did because it is kind of tucked away on a corner and you enter from the side not the front. It's a cute little place that is open for breakast, lunch and dinner and has a nice (but small) outdoor seating area. I wasn't in the mood for breakfast food, otherwise , I would have ordered it. The breakfast looked amazing and they serve it all day. Next time I go, I will make sure it is for brunch. I ordered a salad and was surprised but how large and varied the menu was. So many of the salads sounded delicious. I ended up settling on the Sherman Oaks Delight. The S.O.D was a mixture of spring lettuce, grilled asparagus, caramelized walnuts, cherry tomatoes, dried cranberries and goat cheese. I added chicken and avocado and orderd basalmic on the side. The dressing was some o the best dressing I'd ever had and the ratio to goodies in the salad and lettuce was perfect. Sometimes restaurants tend to skimp on the extras which is what really makes the salad delicious. Don't you agree?? My friends shared fries and a chicken sandwich. One of them really likes honey mustard with her fries and they gave it to her with no extra charge which is nice. However, it looked and felt like hair gel. It was GROSS!!! The server agreed it was a little weird, but it was all they had. It was like nothing I had every seen. The girls agreed the sandwich was good, but messy. The menu also said that the fries were handcut, but they looked, felt and tasted a lot like the oreida frozen fries I was served as a kid. I wouldn't surprise me if they were. Anyways, it was a good lunch and I would go back!

For more information check out http://www.jinkys.com/

There are 3 locations in SoCal (Sherman Oaks, Santa Monica and West Hollywood)

TOP CHEF REPORT

2009-01-21T22:46:00.000-08:00

(Hosea's sashimi)

TOP CHEF REPORT

Since I last left you, Top Chef has gotten a new judge, British food critic Toby Young and has lost Arian, Eugene and Melissa. Tonight is everyone’s favorite episode…RESTAURANT WARS. Stephen Star is introduced at the quick fire challenge as the guest judge. He owns Budakhan and a few other successful restaurants. The quick fire challenge is a “tasting” challenge. Stephen will pick the top two chefs who will be the executive chefs in their “restaurants” for the elimination challenge. The chefs are given 30 minutes to prepare their signature dish. Carla’s cuisine of choice is rustic American, she made a cod seared in tomato oil with Italian salsa and a mache green salad. Stephen felt it lacked salt. Hosea would like to open a seafood restaurant, he prepared shrimp with morel mushroom, cream sauce, garlic potato puree and poached asparagus. Stephen said it was “very good”. Leah prepared a tempura poussin with dashi, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar and sautéed mushrooms, it was Philippine inspired. Stephen said it was “tasty”. Stefan called his cuisine Euro-American, and he fried white asparagus with trout, an asparagus salad and white asparagus soup. Stephen said everything was very good. Jeff grilled salmon with sunchoke and artichoke puree, grilled corn and asparagus salad. Stephen said it was mushy, that’s not good! Radhika, of course was inspired by Indian cuisine, she pan seared a cob over butter braised corn, spinach and chorizo with cream sauce. I think I would like to eat this dish the best. The cod looked perfectly seared and cooked. Radhika is growing on me, but I’m not sure she’s assertive and creative enough to be top chef. I will say she is talented and cooks consistently well. Stephen liked her dish and said it was well seasoned. Jamie’s dish looked really good too. She made Chilean sea bass with creamed corn, bacon, peas and garlic scape. This is something I am going to have to try at home ASAP. Stephen said it was refreshing and good. Fabio was pretty ambitious with his Mediterranean lunch menu. He made a tuna and swordfish carpaccio, roasted vegetable salad and a filet mignon sandwich. Stephen said it was a little too salty. Fabio was offended that Chef Star referred to his filet mignon sandwich as a cheese steak sandwich. Stephen picked Jeff and Fabio as the bottom two. The two chefs that were chosen to be the executive chefs are Radhika and Leah.

Radhika chooses Jeff, Jamie and Carla. Leah picked Stefan, Hosea and Fabio. I think Leah’s team is the stronger team, but anything can happen during restaurant wars! The teams are given $5,000 to spend at Pier One to decorate their restaurant. Then, they go back to their apartment to plan their menus. Leah is having trouble taking control, even though she is the team leader. Stefan is pushing her around. Radhika is giving too much control to Jamie, she is supposed to be the leader, so if she sits back and let’s her team take over, she will be on the chopping block if their team loses.

After the teams are done planning their menu, Hosea and Leah get a little too comfortable on the couch. They end up kissing, even though both of them are supposed to be in committed relationships at home. Who’s excited for the reunion show now??? MEEEEE!!!!!

The next day, Hosea regrets the kiss and Leah feels weird about it. The tension is upsetting the other two team members. Radhika and Carla go to whole foods for the team and Jamie and Jeff go to the restaurant depot. Stefan and Hosea go to Whole Foods, while Fabio and Leah go to restaurant depot. After shopping, the chefs begin to set up their restaurants and prep and cook their food. Leah’s restaurant will be called SUNSET LOUNGE. They will serve an egg roll, sashimi two ways, short ribs, coconut curry bisque, seared cod, chocolate parfait and a panna cotta. I think it sounds awesome. They have Fabio at the front of the house, which I think is a smart move since he is personable and outgoing. Radhika’s restaurant will be called SAHANA. They will be serving a curried carrot soup, grilled scallop with a chickpea cake, braised lamb shank, seared snapper, baklava, chocolate cake and frozen yogurts. This menu also sounds really great. I can’t decide which one I’d rather eat at. Three desserts is really ambitious. Radhika has chosen to be at the front of the house.

Hosea and Leah’s minds are both elsewhere and it’s really tense in the kitchen. They are both feeling really guilty about cheating on their significant others (which they should). Leah picked a cod with a lot of bones, which is going to shred the fish and might ruin the dish. Carla’s frozen yogurts keep falling and she is nervous that she will be sent home because of it. Stefan is also having trouble with his dessert. His panna cotta won’t freeze and set.

It’s time for service. I wonder how these random people get chosen to taste the food. I would love that opportunity. Jamie is upset with the waiters. She feels they aren’t paying attention to detail and that food isn’t being brought out. Sahana serves naan bread, which is really good traditional Indian flatbread. The judges go to Sahana first. The judges like the carrot soup, scallops and chickpea cake. The lamb looks gorgeous and I like cinnamon on meat. The judges liked it a lot. They didn’t love the snapper, they felt the tomato water added too much liquid to the plate. I agree. I had watery fish!! The desserts didn’t really turn out right. Carla might be going home if they are the losers. I think I would like the fig frozen yogurt. They forgot to give Tom a spoon. One of the guests said that the yogurts tasted like lotion. Uh-Oh that can’t be good. Radhika’s restaurant had a wait. She wasn’t prepared for the amount of people that came to her restaurant. Guests commented that she wasn’t friendly and really flustered. Tom said was disappointed she was in the kitchen so much. He made a point for them to leave to prove that she wouldn’t even be able to say goodbye to them because she was never on the floor. It’s a good thing their food was good. Fabio is charming at the other restaurant. He is outgoing and attentive to the guests. The judges felt he was warm and fabulous. This restaurant served an amuse bouch; the eggroll. It was really cute!! Unfortunately, Tom didn’t think it was a good eggroll. They thought the soup was just okay, and that the sashimi needed salt. The short ribs look excellent and the judges think it’s good and well cooked. The cod was under cooked and the sauce was too sour and salty. Sunset’s desserts looked really good, and the judges were pleased. The chocolate looked awesome; I wish I could be eating it right now. They made a mint, mango and chocolate lollipop to refresh the palate after the meal. The judges are pleased with Stefan, so I think he is safe.

The judges like Sahana’s food better overall, but had a better experience at Sunset and the desserts were much, much better.

The Sunset Lounge team is called to the judges table first. They are the winners because of Fabio’s service and Stefan’s desserts. Leah is told her cod is the worst dish of the evening and would be going home had they not won. Stefan is announced the winner. He has won a suite of GE appliances. What a great prize!! This means that Radhika’s team is the losing team. Radhika didn’t actually make any dishes. I think this team lost because of Radhika and desserts (Carla). It is between the two of them for sure. Carla admits to not being happy to what she put out. I think Carla might be a little crazy. She said she was sending out love with her dessert to make it more delicious. Jamie defends her and the failing freezers. Tom is disappointed that Radhika didn’t take charge of Carla and tell her to change her idea. She admits to not being a leader and put everyone on the same level. Radhika didn’t follow through or pay attention to detail. Radhika is asked to pack her knives and go. And then there were seven…. Until next week....

(Stefan's Panna Cotta)

NEW YORK RESTAURANT WEEK

2009-01-18T09:52:00.000-08:00

(Butter restaurant)

Hey New York

WINTER RESTAURANT WEEK IS HERE

Enjoy meal specials January 18th-23 and 25-30

at participating restaurants

log on to http://nycgo.com/restaurantweek/

for more informaiton

(Craftbar)

KETCHUP IN WEST HOLLYWOOD

2009-01-17T20:59:00.001-08:00

KETCHUP IN WEST HOLLYWOOD

I have been wanting to go to KETCHUP (owned by the Dolce Group) for quite some time and finally went this past Friday. I went with a group of nine girls and had a really fun and enjoyable evening. I arrived with two of my friends and we met up with a few more girls in the bar area (the bartenders were hotties). I ordered a Belvedere Dirty martini, a lot of the girls ordered wine. They have a pretty extensive wine list, which is unexpected since they are kind of an upscale comfort food concept restaurant. They also have a really impressive specialty cocktail list.

I loved the Decor ; a red and white theme. It was very fresh, modern and original. The Atmosphere was sexy and trendy. We sat at a large booth, the table was white and we sat on a large white leather couch (pretty comfortable). Red round lights hung from the ceiling and the artwork was "ketchup" themed (duh!).

Second after we were seated our friendly waiter came up to the table to take the remaining drink orders and to let us know he was obsessed with our table. Who wouldn't be obsessed with a group of nine well dressed, attractive ladies? (right??) We also but in two orders of the "3some" which is an order of three different kinds of fries and 5 different ketchup dipping sauces. The fries were okay and I only liked two of the ketchups, I tasted wasabi in one of them and it left an awful taste in my mouth. They served us skinny fries (they were kind of cold), sweet potato fries (the cinnamon was a nice touch, but I've had WAY better) and regular fries (maybe they had a little garlic on them, they were nothing memorable). During our appetizers the shot girl came around and offered us a complimentary sample. Yes, I said a shot girl, this was unique. I'd never seen a shot girl come around in a classy restaurant before. It is a good way to try some of their speciality cocktails though. We all ordered the raspberry martini to make it easy on her. Pauly shore came over and chatted our table up too. The shot was okay, but I didn't see a raspberry martini on the menu so I am not sure how it was really relevant. I ended up ordering the Don Julio martini (or at least I think that is what it was called). It was tequilla, citronage and triple sec. It was a little to tart and sweet for my taste. I think it had sour mix in it, even though it says it doesn't on the menu. They brough out a bread basket, the butter they served was not good, and the bread they served were those hard breadsticks (who doesn't love those) and burnt soft pretzels which I actually liked.

For dinner, I shared two appetizers and one entree with my friend. We shared the KOBE sliders. They were two mini cheeseburgers, with kobe beef, cheddar cheese, pickle, bacon and homemade ketchup. The homemade ketchup tasted like thousand island dressing and I thought the pickle was a nice addition. I don't usually put pickles on my burger. The bun was really good, soft and fresh. The burger itsself was good, but nothing special, just a typical slider. It was a good burger though, perfectly cooked and not too greasy.

I really enjoyed the drunken scallops. They were perfectly cooked and I loved the bacon/ale sauce they were cooked and served in. They were absolutely delicious!! They were accompanied by lobster mash which was innovative and tasty! It was a creative side that packed a ton of flavor without being over bearing. It was a rich a creamy dish, but not too heavy. It was a perfect balance of texture and flavor and made my taste buds extremely happy. :-) It was also a gorgeous presenation.

We also shared the mini crab cakes. They were served in a spicy mayo sauce and they were disappointing. I am from Maryland so it really wasn't something I should have even bothered with. The cakes were ALL FILLER, NO MEAT and fried. This is not how you make a crabcake.

We skipped dessert since we were going out to CoCo Deville (a really fun time!!!) for some more cocktails and dancing. The bill wasn't too high. I think it was a pretty reasonably priced meal. You should expect to pay at least $40 a person, and they actually require it if you are a group of 9 or more. Lonnie Moore, one of the owners came over to the table and was very friendly and chatted with us for a bit. He's a very nice guy. I tried a bite of my friends mahi mahi and thought that it was kind of bland. She didn't love it either. There is definetly a wide range of choices and they are also open for lunch. Log on to www.dolcegroup.com for more information and info on their other great restaurants.

LITERATI CAFE

2009-01-16T14:48:00.000-08:00

LITERATI CAFE

www.literaticafe.com

12081 Wilshire Blvd.

Brentwood, California

310-231-7484

I walked to Literati Cafe in Brentwood with my friend who lives on Mcclennan Drive. The weather was 80 and sunny with a cool breeze, a.k.a A PERFECT DAY! When we got to Literati Cafe it was packed. We had to wait about 8 minutes before we were able to order. The price was kind of high for lunch, but this is Brentwood, it was pretty standard and expected. I ordered the Cobb Salad (pictured below). It was pretty good. It had turkey, bacon, blue cheese, tomatoes, avocadoes, eggs tossed together in romain lettuce and then chopped and served with a blue cheese vinaigrette. I love when salads come chopped because they are easier to eat and viniagrette made the salad a bit more light. We sat outside. The patio area is small, but really nice. My friend didn't get her food until like 10 minutes after I received mine. My salad probably came out about 5 minutes after ordering. She ordered the greek salad with grilled chicken. The grilled chicken is cajon style and she really like it, but said the salad itsself was kind of bland and nothing special. She also said it was hard to eat because of all of the long leafy greens. They served bread and butter with the salads, they bread was really good and fresh and the butter was half melted (which I think is the perfect way to serve it). Overall it was a good, but not great lunch.

WHAT I'M LOVING NOW

2009-01-16T14:35:00.000-08:00

WHAT I'M LOVING NOW

YORK SUGAR FREE PEPPERMINT PATTIES

I love these York Peppermint Patties from Hershey's! The sugar free ones are awesome. Unlike, a lot of other sugar free alternatives, these actually taste like the original. They are also the same size, a lot of times the only difference between the "healhier" junk food is a smaller portion and higher price, but not these. They are the perfect sweet, minty ending to a meal without un-doing your whole day of eating right and staying active. 3 pieces had 80 calories and 3.5 grams of fat. I would stick with one per after meal since they do have 28 grams of carbs.

http://www.hersheys.com/products/details/sugarfree/

Log on for more sugar free options!

SAN DIEGO RESTAURANT WEEK JANUARY 11-16

2009-01-11T09:32:00.000-08:00

(Featured: 1500 Ocean at the Hotel Del Coronado)

SAN DIEGO RESTAURANT WEEK JANUARY 11-16

Hey Charger fans, it's time for winter restaurant week! So go ahead and celebrate your win today by dining out at one of the amazing participating restaurants. http://www.sandiegorestaurantweek.com/

During restaurant week, chefs from a few of the participating restaurants have partnered up with Girl Scouts of San Diego Imperil Counsil and will be creating desserts incorporating your favorite cookies!!!

I was browsing some menus online and if you make it to 15oo Ocean I would definetly order a SUNITINI if I were you (Tommy Bahama rum, Cointreau, pama liquor, lime juice and OJ).

Happy dining and GO CHARGERS!!!!

TOFU-RIFIC STIR FRY

2009-01-10T23:37:00.000-08:00

TOFU-RIFIC STIR FRY

Every new years, people always resolve to eat better. I don't make resolutions myself, but I would like to kickoff 2009 by eating right and providing healthy, delicious recipes to help other reach their goals. I thought it would be fun to try cooking with tofu. I've had tofu in miso soup, but I've always been to afraid to cook with it. I also want to branch out and eat more vegetables. I use a lot of broccoli so I am going to start cooking with other vegetables (except mushrooms of course). I have recently started cooking with peppers (and even dicing up some yellow ones and adding them to my chinese chicken salad http://chefstaceybeth.blogspot.com/2008/12/new-product-alert_17.html). I didn't even think I really liked peppers that much, until I taught myself how to cook them. Peppers are great because they don't have a lot of sugar or carbs, but they keep you full for a long time. So I hope you enjoy my COLORFUL stirfry. It's pretty simple and easy to make and tastes great, so great that I made it for dinner two nights in a row!!

You will need:

Firm Tofu

Brown rice

Peppers (bell peppers any colors or use all three)

Carrots

Peas (canned, frozen or fresh)

Brocolli (I used fresh, but you can you frozen)

Teriaki sauce

1. Cook rice accordingly and set aside

2. slice peppers, carrots and tofu (into cubes)

3. steam broccolli, I do this by taking a handful, placing them in zip lock bag with water and microwaving them for 2 minutes and then straining

4. heat olive oil in a pan and stri in carrots and peppers (they will take longer to cook than the tofu and peas)

5. stir the for about three minutes, then stir in rice, tofu, peas and broccoli

6. Stir in teriaki sauce (I like to start in the middle of the pan and make a circle so that its even and doesn't burn)

7. ENJOY!!

MISS SHIRLEY'S CAFE

2009-01-10T23:05:00.000-08:00

MISS SHIRLEY'S CAFE

I went to the Miss Shirley's on Cold Spring Lane (one recently opened in downtown Baltimore) with a friend for lunch. They also have an amazing brunch (expect to wait on a Sunday) and some of the best sweet potatoes fries I have ever had. They serve them with two a flavored ketchup and an aioli dipping sauce and they are un-skipable!! I ordered the "can't beet this spinach salad" and it was pretty unbeatable. I don't even really like beets that much, at least I thought I didn't, but this salad was delicious and out of the world. I really enjoyed it. The salad had red and yellow roasted beets, pear slices, pumpkin seeds, goat cheese, red onion, over spinach with poppy seed balsamic dressing. I ordered it with grilled chicken, which was perfectly seasoned and warm and without mushrooms because I hate them (and found three in my salad). It also came with a piece of flatbread on top that was really good. My friend ordered the side by side (below). You can order half a soup and half a sandwich. She ordered pumpkin soup which looked awesome and a tuna salad sandwich. They don't toast the bread and they don't really give you much tuna. It's pretty expensive and it's basically bread. I love Miss Shirley's though and have never been disappointed with anything I order. I always leave full and happy. Check it out http://www.missshirleys.com/pdf/menu.pdf

BURGER BALL @ GOOD STUFF EATERY, D.C.

2009-01-10T16:48:00.000-08:00

BURGER BALL @ GOOD STUFF EATERY, D.C.

Spike Mendolson's, a top chef season 4 favorite, restaurant GOOD STUFF EATERY will be open 24 hours 7 days straight in honor of inauguration (OBAMA!!!!!). The excitement begins January 16th. If you are in the area please eat here and support his new restaurant.

For more info check out

www.goodstuffeatery.com

YES WE CAN, OOPS I MEAN PECAN!

2009-01-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

YES PECAN!

"YES PECAN!" An Inspirational Blend! Amber Waves of Buttery Ice Cream With Roasted Non-Partisan Pecans.

If you decide to indulge in some “Yes Pecan” in Scoop Shops during the month of January, Ben & Jerry’s is donating the proceeds to the Common Cause Education Fund.

Common Cause is a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization founded as a vehicle for citizens to make their voices heard in the political process. They are committed to honest, open and accountable government, as well as encouraging citizen participation in democracy. Their Education Fund conducts research, education, and outreach activities. Check out http://www.commoncause.org to take action.

Find “Yes Pecan” at a Scoop Shop near you!

In addition to the flavor in Scoop Shops, for every person who joins Common Cause or donates $1 to the Common Cause Education Fund, Ben & Jerry’s will also donate $1. Visit our Facebook page to learn more.

MERIDIAN 54 IS THE NEW RED FISH

2009-01-06T18:30:00.001-08:00

MERIDIAN 54 IS THE NEW RED FISH

845 S. Montford Ave

Baltimore, MD 21224

www.meridian54.com

I went to Meridian 54 tonight with a friend for dinner. They are also open for lunch and dinner. Meridian 54 recently re-opened and has been the third chef at the old red fish spot in the past 5 years (there could even more a few more than that). Red Fish has definetly has a lot of trouble getting it's act together. However, they have completely redone the concept and menu and are under new management and yet another new chef, so I decided it was time to give this place a chance. I am pretty desperate to find a new restaurant opening in Baltimore. Since the economy is so terrible, a lot of long standing favorites are closing.

When we got there we decided to sit at a bar table since the dining room and bar were both REALLY EMPTY. I don't like to be the only person sitting in a dining room and at least there were about 4 other people sitting at the bar. I didn't really like our server, who also doubled as the bartender. I thought she over explained things (I'm not a moron) without being asked and was really slow. They were also out of the first two wines my friend and I tried to order. I ended up getting a glass of merlot which was just fine. My friend did have a dietary restriction (kosher) and the server was very good about checking the ingredients and didn't seem to be annoyed at all, even though we sent her back to the kitchen about 3 times.

We started with the Pita Plate ($5) which was great. For a little money you got a ton of food! The plate came with unlimited pita and a trio of dips, hummus, olive tapenade and tomato tapenade. The tomato was my favorite. I thought that hummus was a little dry and that the olive was really good.

For our entrees I ordered the Arugula and Sweet Potato Salad ($8) and added on rare steak ($4.50). The salad was REALLY GOOD it had toasted cashews, blue cheese and a sauvignon blanc vinaigrette dressing. The steak, however, was over cooked, bland and chewy. I should have ordered chicken! I was really craving meat though. My friend ordered a pasta dish with penne, peas, sundried tomatoes and a cream sauce. It was kind of bland, but she seemed to like it.

We were too full to get dessert. Everything was really reasonably priced and they had a big menu, which might be why their food overall was just okay to good. They don't seem to focus or specialize one anyone thing or do any one thing specifically well. Overall it was a pleasant evening. I wish them luck.

TODD CONNER'S

2009-01-06T10:58:00.000-08:00

TODD CONNER'S

700 South Broadway
in the Heart of Historic Fells Point
Baltimore, MD 21231
410-537-5005

www.toddconners.com

We went to Todd Conner's for the late game this Sunday. It serves the normal bar fare with some upscale dishes. I've eaten here before and never been thrilled and this time was no different. We sat at the bar. The bartenders are friendly and attentive and make an AWESOME Irish coffee. I've never had a bad Irish coffee, but it was perfect on a cold day where I was tired from the hard partying of the previous Saturday night!

I ordered the Thames St Turkey Wrap with bacon, swiss, lettuce, tomato and ranch dressing. They gave us chips while we were waiting, they were herbed and served warm and were irresistable! I also got a side of pasta salad with my sandwich. The pasta salad was pretty bland. The sandwich did the job, but definetly not dying to go back and probably will never be craving one. The wrap felt kinda stale and chewy and the turkey was bland and sliced too thick for my personal taste. There wasn't much bacon on it and the ranch was a bit watery. It was just okay, but a decent size and filled me up. They have all sorts of games, specials on various nights and trivia night so I would definetly go back for the fun and atmosphere, but not just simply for the food.

WINTER RESTAURANT WEEK

2009-01-05T18:36:00.001-08:00

(Sripraphai Restaurant New York)

WINTER RESTAURANT WEEK

Looking for deals this winter? Check out the dining deals in your town during WINTER RESTAURANT WEEK.

Washington, DC beginning in mid-January http://www.washington.org/restaurantwk/

New York Restaurant Week January 18-23 and 25-30 http://nycgo.com/?event=view.nav&section=dining

Baltimore January 23-February 1 http://www.baltimorerestaurantweek.com/

Stacey recommends: Flemmings, Jack's Bistro, Meli, Tio Pepe, Roy's, Ryleigh's Oyster

Philadelphia January 25-30 http://www.opentable.com/promo.aspx?m=13&pid=95

Boston to be determined http://www.restaurantweekboston.com/

Denver February 21-27 http://www.denver.org/denverrestaurant/default.asp

Los Angeles January 25-30 and February 1-6 http://dinela.com/restaurantweek/partners.php

For more deals near you check out Open Table

http://www.opentable.com/promo.aspx?pid=156

Want to recommend a participating restaurant in your city? e-mail staceytabor@gmail.com

Thanks!

THE OCEANAIRE SEAFOOD ROOM

2009-01-05T05:37:00.000-08:00

THE OCEANAIRE SEAFOOD ROOM

www.theoceanaire.com/

I went to Oceanaire with my parents Saturday night. Oceanaire is definetly one of my favorites. They are consistently delicious, give great service (I always sit at the bar), keep some classic favorites on the menu, but update the fresh fish selection and preparations to keep things interesting.

Every day they have an awesome happy hour special at their Baltimore location (I am not sure if they do it at other locations) from 5pm-7pm and from 9pm to close at the bar. They have about 8 menu items to choose from at drastically reduced prices and a red and a white one on special as well. My parents and I decided to order 4 things and share. I ordered a glass of the campanile pinot grigio a tart and crisp white.

They served us an amusee to start. It was a rockfish cevichee. It was wayyyy to citrus-ey!! I did not like it. It was sour and tart and had a really bad fishy flavor. Good thing it was just one bite right?!! I love the bread there, they serve you a huge, fresh loaf and the butter is melted and delicious. They also give you a cold vegetable plate to start (this is standard of every meal). We ordered the lobster flatbread, fried calamari, beef tenderloin, and cajun shrimp. The lobster flatbread was perfect. It wasn't too cheesy and overbearing. It didn't have much lobster on it, but it was also under $13, so I wasn't expecting a lot of it! The fried calamari (below) is my favorite calamari in the world. It is hands down the best calamari I have had anywhere, and it never disappoints! It is covered is a spicy sweet chili glaze with Asian slaw mixed it. It is so great! They have us a really big portion for $7 (way below regular price)! I loved the cajun shrimp. It was prepared in a red cream sauce with cajun spices and the shrimp were grilled. The sauce was so good I couldn't resist dipping some bread in it! The beef was pretty good, it was served medium rare with goat cheese and natural jus. It had great flavor and was well seasoned. This is not the place to order meat, but since it was a small portion, it balanced out the rest of our dishes.

I never get dessert at Oceanaire. They have those chocolate mints which are the perfect ending to a meal without leaving you sickly full.

HAVE A COCKTAIL AT: MELI

2009-01-03T09:03:00.001-08:00

HAVE A COCKTAIL AT:

MELI

www.kalismeli.com

Meli is one of my favorate places to eat, but it is also a great place to go for an after dinner cocktail and/or dessert since they do have an amazing selection of desserts, specialty coffee drinks and unique cocktails. The place is gorgeous with an orange and brown color scheme. They have a really cool downstairs lounge and they have started Jazz on Sundays. They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and you can't go wrong anytime you go.

Last night I ordered the HONEY BEE LATTE, which is a dessert coffee drink. The honey bee latte is a regular lattee with bailey's and a honey liquer mixed in and served with one of their traditional Greek cookies (they have tons of delicious cookies!!) It is creamy, rich and delicious, but a dessert in itsself, so if you are watching your calories don't also order dessert.

GREEK CHICKEN OVER LEMON ORZO

2009-01-03T09:02:00.003-08:00

GREEK CHICKEN OVER LEMON ORZO

For the chicken you will use the same recipe as the http://chefstaceybeth.blogspot.com/2008/12/5-alarm-spiced-chicken-with-tzatziki.html

The only difference is that you will cut the chicken into cubes.

For the Pasta you will need:

1 cup of orzo

1 cup of spinch

6 olives diced

1/3 cup of sundried tomatoes

2 tablespoons of butter

feta cheese

half a teaspoon of minced garlic

half of a lemon

1. cut chicken into cubes and season

2. sautee chicken with olive oil over medium heat until fully cooked

3. boil water and cook orzo for 10 minutes

4. then strain and put in a bowl

5. melt garlic and buter together

6. sautee spinach and sundried tomatoes until spinach is wilted

7. mix together, feta, spinach, sundried tomatoes, olives and orzo and squeeze half a lemon into pasta

8. plate orzo and place chicken on top

9. serve, eat and ENJOY!!!

STUFFED PEPPERS

2009-01-03T09:02:00.001-08:00

STUFFED PEPPERS

I made these stuffed peppers vegetarian style last night for dinner as an appetizer (for two). If you want to make this a meal, make both sides for yourself and add some kind of cooked ground meat to the mix (turkey, beef or chicken). Anyway you make 'em, they are healthy and flavorful; a sneaky way to get all your veggies!

What you will need:

1 medium red pepper (you can use green or yellow if you prefer)

1 can of stewed tomatoes

1/2 cup of whole wheat quinoa

1/3 diced white onion

pepper

feta cheese

pine nuts

olive oil

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. slice and clean pepper (as shown)

3. boil quinoa for about 10 minutes or until transparent and then strain extra liquid

4. stir in half a can of stewed tomatoes, a handful of pinenuts, tablespoon of olive oil, feta cheese, diced onions and add pepper to taste (I like alot!)

5. scoop mixture into peppers until overflowing

6. bake at 375 for about 1 hour (should be a little charred), let sit for 15 minutes before serving

7. ENJOY (over and over again)

G&M RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE

2009-01-02T15:43:00.001-08:00

G&M RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE

www.gandmcrabcakes.com

G&M have the best REAL MARYLAND crabcakes. Those of you who are not from Maryland, may never understand. G&M's crabcakes are soooooo good, that Oprah orders them and has them shipped to Chicago (she used to live here). G&M is located "near the airport hon" and is kind of in the middle of no where, "off the beaten track", but is a Baltimore staple. My family orders carryout when we go and we always order the crabcake sandwich (12.95). You get a jumbo lump all meat crab cake on a kaiser roll with your choice of sides. My parents love the cole slaw from there, I'm not really a fan of cole slaw in general. I opted for a side salad which costs $2 extra and I got a handful of wilted lettuce with some stale croutons. The crab cakes are always consistently awesome and I recommend you check if out if you've never had one before. You won' be disappointed!!

EVOS

2009-01-02T15:33:00.000-08:00

EVOS:

I went to Evos with my friend before we went out on New Years. It was fast, cheap, easy, healthy and filling (the perfect meal before a long night of partying!!). I hate eating out at real restaurants on new years; the portions are smaller, prices higher, they run out of everything and service takes 3 times as long. New Years is ammature night and I prefer to avoid those crazy crowded scenes as much as possible, especially when I'm hungry!! Evos is a healthy fast food chain. All of the meat and cheeses they use are hormone and antibiotic free. I ordered air fries, which are baked not fried french fries. They looked and had the same texture as regular fries. The trick is a special confection oven that makes them crispy without the addition of oils. They offer 4 different kinds of ketchup which is always fun, I like options. For dinner I had the spicy thai chicken wrap for dinner. It was made of grilled chicken, spicy peanut and chili pepper dressing, long grain rice, mixed greens, crispy rice noodles wrapped in a spinach wrap. They had 4 different kinds of tea to choose from when you ordered a fountain drink. They were offered hot, but I filled my cup up with ice and made mine iced. It was a perfect amount of food and everything tasted great. I would totally go back. Log on to www.evos.com for nutritional info, menu and locations.

MY ROCKIN' NEW YEARS EVE

2009-01-02T12:09:00.000-08:00

HAPPY 2009 EVERYONE!!

I hope everyone had a fun and safe (drama free) new years eve, like I did!

I went out with some co-workers from the green pubishing company I work part time for out in Vegas. I also brought a girlfriend along as my date and then met up with some more girls I knew who bought general admission tickets inside.

My group started at the Palm's Place hotel lounge ROJO's. http://www.palmsplace.com/eat/rojo.php

Palm's Place is the suite hotel to the Palm's. ROJO's the their hotel cocktail lounge. It's a sleek and sexy lounge and the perfect place for a pre-outting cocktail. Since the strip was closed, it was really the only place to safely park and cab over to the strip. After one cocktail we got into a cab and made out way to the ENCORE HOTEL http://chefstaceybeth.blogspot.com/2008/12/encore-encore.html

As soon as we got to the ENCORE HOTEL, we met up with the head of PR and were walking straight in to XS (it was opening night!!) www.XSlasvegas.com and to our cabana! It was awesome. The picture below shows the inside. It was so pretty. The theme was brown and gold with some other colors mixed in and yes, everything was in EXCESS! I heard from an insider the club cost twice as much tao beach. This tibit was no suprise since it is 4 times the size and a lot more glamourous and luxurious. This is going to be THE DESTINATION this March for day and night. The whole club centers around a pretty pool which has a bar in the middle. There are two levels of cabanas that circle the pool and are all VIP/bottle service tables. This winter they have heat lamps all over so that you aren' cold. Not many people were hanging outside. Which I actually liked.

The inside of the club also has tables that you can purchase for the evening with bottle service. There are tons of stripper poles and stages for club goers to get up and dance. Don't you just hate when the bouncers tell you only the club dancers are allowed to get up and dance? NOT AT THIS CLUB :-). The dance floor is kind of small, but it opens up to the outside and faces the pool, which was great because then you don't get too hot when you're dancing. There are two stages on the dance floor where they do have hired dancers. The brunette one that night looked bored out of her mind. She totally sucked. They should fire her ASAP and get someone twice as hot with better moves (bangin body though). It was pretty hard to walk around the club since it was so packed but overall I had a really great night. I was outside for midnight, where we could see the fireworks from the strip! I am 22 and still amused by fireworks! I hope everyone had a just as fabulous new years eve as I did. Here's to a wonderful 2009! CHEERS!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2008-12-31T11:16:00.000-08:00

TOP CHEF REPORT: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

2008-12-28T23:15:00.000-08:00

TOP CHEF REPORT:

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Top Chef doesn't return until January 7th, but you can still get your weekly

fix and catch up with your favorites from season's past.

SEAON FOUR

Stephanie Izard (winner):

Is working on opening another restaurant, after she closed her Chicago restaurant to go on to the show. It is set to open sometime in the Spring 2009 called "The Drunken Goat."

Richard Blais:

Is currently living in Atlanta with his wife and newborn son Riley Maddox. He has started a consulting company called Trail-Blais. He is operating HOME which is a farm to table restaurant (I love these kinds of restaurants, may I recommend FARM in Bloomington, IN and Woodberry Kitchen in Baltimore, MD). The menu is modern, southern style cuisine. He also owns consulting company, Trail-Blais. His most recent project is developing a modern hamburger concept called "FLIP." He also competed on Iron Chef America, but lost against Mario Batalli in a chick pea competition.

Andrew D'Ambrosi:

Twitters under the name bravotvchef along with Spike. They are on the East Coast and totally spoil the show for us West Coasters, so don't read their updates if you are on pacific time.

Nikki Cascone:

Has a line of hospitality major wear coming out soon. She will be making front of the house and back of the house uniforms. She is also working on opening a new restaurant which will be a lot of seafood and light fare.

Ryan Scott (hottie):

Has taken over as chef/partner of Mission Beach Cafe in San Francisco.

Spike Mendelson:

Has just opened a new restaurant in Washington, DC called "Good Stuff Eatery." It's focus is comfort food, burgers, fries and milkshakes. http://www.goodstuffeatery.com/. I hope to check this place out when I go home later this week. I will of course write about it.

SEASON THREE

Hung Huynh (winner):

Hung is the executive chef at SOLO on Madison Ave, in NY which is a Kosher Mediterranean-Asian restaurant.

Casey Thompson:

Is now living in San Francisco working with Fischer Winery in Napa. Casey caters dinner parties and pairs the courses with their meals.

Brian Malarkey:

Continues to work at Oceanaire Seafood room where he is the exceutive chef and managing partner at the San Diego location.

Tre Wilcox:

Is a private chef in Dallas focusing on contemporary European cuisine. He is also a spokesperson for Chantal cookware.

Micah Edelstein:

Owns her own catery company, The Wandering Chefs in Boca Raton, Fla. She is also working on a children's book titled "Silly Tilly Cooks Fusilli."

Dale Levitski:

Is dating Jack Mackenroth from Project Runway. He has opened up Town and Country restaurant in Chicago.

SEASON TWO

Ilan Hall (winner):

Hall moved to Los Angeles recently to open "Gorbles", named after the area in Scotland where his father was born. Hall decribes his food as, "Jewish food date raped by bacon." Hmm, so he is opening up, what will be a much less successful Jerry's Deli. The place is set to open by New Years of this year, but it hasn't opened yet (it doesn't even have a website up yet!). I met Ilan about two years ago at a wine and food event in Virgina and he cooked me the worst mussels I've ever had! Good luck with your new restaurant!

Marcel Vigneron (runner up):

I am personally still bitter about Marcel's loss. He was so funny, entertaining and truly talented. Before the show Marcel was living and working in Las Vegas at Joel Robuchon, one of our top rated restaurants. Since, the show, Marcel has had no trouble making headlines. A few years ago a female viewer struck Marcel in the face with a beer bottle in a club, which required him to need alot of stitches. He was also pulled over for a DUI in Lagana Beach this past August. It's not all bad for our runner up, he is currently working as a sous chef at THE BAZAAR in the new SLS HOTEL in Beverly Hills, CA.

Betty Fraser:

Okay, so I was totally on team Marcel and can't stand Betty. I think her trash talking was totally unproffessional. Since the show Betty has continued to run her restaurant Grub in Los Angeles, which was nominated for "best morning after brunch spot" in January 2008. Has anyone eaten here?http://www.grub-la.com/menu.html

Cliff Crooks:

Cliff has a real chance of winning before assaulting contestant Marcel and getting himself kicked off of the show. He is currently in NYC working at Blue Water Grill which was on Zagat's most popular New York Restaurants this year.

Michael Midgley:

Michael was one of my favorites. He was so charasmatic and hilarious! He currently owns Midgley Catering http://www.midgleycatering.com/ in California. Take a look at his website, the food looks awesome.

Mia Gaines-Alt

After eliminating herself (I think she would have been eliminated that episode anyway), Mia has closed her restaurant in Oakdale, CA. It is rumored that she was not paying rent and the building was foreclosed. After the closing of her restaurant, Mia moved to Hawaii and now works at Hotel Molokai.

Sam Talbot:

Is off the market (sad face)! Sam married model Paola Guerrero at City Hall this past November in New York. Since the show he has opened The Surf Lodge in Montauk (The Hamptons), NY. http://www.thesurflodge.com/restaurant.html He has also signed on to be the executive chef of a new restaurant for the Mondrian Hotel (opening late 2009 in Chinatown).

SEASON ONE

Harold Dieterle (winner):

After winning top chef he has gone on to open Perilla Restaurant in New York City http://www.perillanyc.com/ in May 2007.

Stephen Asprinio:

In the Fall of 2007, Stephen opened Forte di Asprinio in West Palm Beach, Fla, an Italian restaurant. http://fortepalmbeach.com/. He has also the estate sommelier at the Livemano and Caselvento wineries in Tuscany, Italy. www.livemano.it

Tiffani Faison:

Runner up Tiffani is currently the executive chef at Todd English's brasserie RICHE in New Orleans. In May 2007 Tiffani cohosted a Greek Isles culinary cruise for "Olivia", a lesbian lifestyle and travel company. Faison also won the $20,000 prize during the December 2007 holiday special.

Dave Martin:

Dave is currently living in New York where he is busy with his new restaurant Crave on 42nd. He also teaches at the Culinary Loft in Soho. He is currently working on opening a new restaurant called Bandolero, which has a Latin American/Southwestern and New Mexico fusion restaurant.

Lee Anne Wong:

Lee Anne is currently working as one of the culinary producers on the fifth season of top chef. She sources and styles the various ingredients for various challenges (UM awesome f-ing job!!!). Lee Anne also blogs about top chef and has a podast and webcast called "The Wong Way to Cook." Wong was also a chef consultant in 2007 for the movies Mostly Martha and No Reservations.

WINE-ing WITH STACEY

2008-12-28T22:51:00.001-08:00

WINE-ing WITH STACEY: Moscato

Dessert Wine

Tonight I went to a friend's house for a dinner party. One of my friends brought over a bottle of MOSCATO from Trader Joes. MOSCATO is a sweet, syrupy dessert wine that is slightly darker in color than your traditional white. It's name comes from the two varieties of grapes used; the muscat blanc and muskat canelli. The particular version we drank was the 2007 Late Harvest MOSCATO from the Paso Robles region of California. This win was very good; it had honey, nectar and floral notes and flavors. I could only drink a little bit of this. I am not really much of a sweet drink gal, but I did enjoy trying something new. This wine retails for under $15 and tastes expensive and the bottle is gorgeous. It would make a great hostess gift.

Always drink responsibly and enjoy!

MY TOP FIVE FAVORITE CHAINS

2008-12-27T23:13:00.000-08:00

MY TOP FIVE FAVORITE CHAINS

In a new city and looking for some familiar food? Here are some of my favorite, never fail chains.

Menus and prices may be slightly different throughout the US, but you can pretty count on these place to be consistent.

PF CHANGS

http://www.pfchangs.com/

PF Changs is afforadable and there is something for everone on the menu. They also accommodate large parties. I also appreciate that they offer brown rice and some healthier options. I personally love the Kung Pao chicken and eggrolls. I don't think I have every ordered dessert here, I am always too full.

The Oceanaire

http://www.theoceanaire.com/

The Oceanaire Seafood Room always has great, fresh seafood. I enjoy sitting at the bar in Baltimore. They have small flat screen TVs and always have the game on, which isn't common on a fine dining restaurant. I love the calamari there. They also always have a nice selection of oysters to choose from and a good scallop entree on their menu. They have change menu quite often, but some things, like the calamari are staples.

Roy's Hawaiian Fusion

http://www.roysrestaurant.com/

I love love love love love Roy's!! It is so good and I always get such great service. I love the spicy crabcakes and the butterfish entree. Both are staples, at least in Baltimore they are. It is hard to find good crabcakes outside of Baltimore, so I am not sure how many locations offer those. I always get the chocolate lava cake when I go. They make a really great one. They have the pineapple marinated vodka martini cocktail. I always think those things look really pretty on a bar. Most places don't actually pour from the cooler and neither does Roy's, but they still mix up a pretty good pineapple martini.

Flemming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar

http://www.flemingssteakhouse.com/

Flemmings steakhouse is definetly the best steakhouse chain that I have been to and they have the largest wine selection of them by far. If you go to the one in Baltimore, request Don as your server. I always get a rare filet, which is always cooked perfectly and well seasoned. They have pretty good calamari too and an excellent selection of desserts. Their sides are family style. You should definetley go for the asparagus and the mac n cheese (trust me it's good).

Nobu

http://www.noburestaurants.com/

Skip the sushi at Nobu, it's nothing special. I have been to two different locations and both of them have been just perfect. The fish is so fresh and amazing. I love the black miso glazed cod and the yellowtail jalapeno sashimi (pictured above). I would also reccommend ordering some tuna, it is so bright red and gorgeous it's hard to resist.

TONIGHT I WENT TO (12/26)

2008-12-27T22:45:00.000-08:00

TONIGHT I WENT TO: THE GRAPE

I met two girlfriends at THE GRAPE in the Town Square Las Vegas shopping center Friday night. I arrived at 8:30 and the place was probably half full with a few people sitting at the bar. The place as you can see below, is really pretty and has a great, warm atmosphere. My friends and I were seated at one of the high tables in the back, which I prefered since their was a jazz band playing in the front righ corner of the restaurant and it would have been too loud if we had been sitting so close. The music was good. They played some familiar covers and the sound faded into the background nicely. My two friends each ordered peach bellinis and I ordered a glass of the Rancho Zabaco "Heritage", Sonoma Zinfandel (2006)($11). It was a medium bodied wine that had a little spice, but also some sweet fruitiness to it as well. It was very nice and warmed me up on a chilly night (yeah, a chilly night in Vegas does exist!). Since I had not eaten dinner I ordered the Asian chicken sliders ($10). The sliders came out pretty fast and were really tasty and satisfying! The sliders each consisted of a mini chicken breast with lettuce, tomato, dijon mustard and an asian BBQ sauce which was tangy, spicy and sweet. We also ordered the chocolate fondue for two ($15). The fondue platter was served with strawberries, pineapple, banana, peanut butter blondie (my fav), toasted marshmellows and graham crackers (to make smores), pound cake and rice crispy treats. When the chocolate was first served to us it was luke warm, so we let it sit under the candle for a few minutes before digging in. Everything was good and the prices were really reasonable. I would love to go back again and I recommend it. The restaurant was having some computer issues that evening, but we didn't have to wait too long for our check.

For more information, locations near you and franchising information log onto yourgrape.com

SANTA FE CHICKEN SANDWICH

2008-12-26T13:55:00.000-08:00

SANTA FE CHICKEN SANDWICH

I love this sandwich. It beats a PB&J anyday. It has tons of flavor and is easy to make.

You will need:

Sub Roll (I used an onion one, but any will do)

Chipotle Mayo

Sliced deli chicken or turkey (I like boar's head)

Slice of Mozzarella Cheese

Avocado slices

Tomato slice

a handful of spinach leaves

salt and pepper (to taste)

1. Slice roll and lightly toast

2. Spread a thin layer of mayo on one side and lay slice of cheese over it

3. toast again until cheese is melted

4. Slice avocados and tomatoes

5. place avocado on bread
6. Then place spinach leave on top (do them second so they have heavy things weighing them down)

7. Place tomatoes on top

8. Then put deli meat on top of tomatoes and use salt and pepper to taste

10. Top with other side of roll and ENJOY (with some chips or something of course!)

SPICY THAI CHICKEN AND VEGGIES

2008-12-25T09:48:00.001-08:00

SPICY THAI CHICKEN AND VEGGIES

I love thai food and it is so easy to make at home. It is quick, simple and delicious. The more veggies you use the more complex this dish will be since you want everything to cook at the same time. If you think this might be too much to handle, you can always stir in frozen mixed vegtables. I think this dish would be good with beef, shrimp or scallops, but I am going out of town and wanted to get rid of the food in my fridge, so I used chicken last night!

For this dish you will need:

Chicken (already cut into cubes)

Broccolli

Edamame

Sweet potato

Corn (canned just makes it so much easier)

Spinach

Noodles

Butter

Olive Oil

Coconut milk

Chili Powder

Crushed red peppers (do not add these in if you don't like spicy)

Red Curry Paste (sub for a yellow or green version if you don't like spicy)

1. heat olive oil in a large frying pan

2. sautee chicken

3. in a small frying pan, heat 1 teaspoon of butter

4. sautee spinach until wilted and set aside

5. steam broccolli, drain and set aside

6. boil edamame, drain, de-shell, set aside (you may also use frozen shelled version)

7. bake the sweet potato for 45 minutes at 400 degrees in the oven, the slice it into cubes and set aside

8. boil a large pot of water and cook noodles of your choice, drain and set aside when ready (I use brown rice noodles)

9. stir over medium heat 1 cup of coconut milk, 1 full tablespoon of curry paste, 1 teasspoon of crushed red pepper and 1 tablespoon of chili powder

8. stir until completely mixed

10. After the chicken is completely cooked, stir in the vegtables and noodles for about a minute or less

11. slowly stir in sauce, the more you use the spicier it will be

12. ENJOY!!

This is what the dish will look like before you ass the sauce. Look at all those colorful veggies! You can totally be adventurous with this dish and add in peppers, mushrooms (even though I hate them) zucchini, squash...etc

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2008-12-24T14:31:00.000-08:00

HAPPY HANUKKAH

2008-12-23T19:46:00.000-08:00

Go on and eat some latkes and jelly donuts!!

ENCORE, ENCORE!!

2008-12-23T12:00:00.000-08:00

ENCORE, ENCORE!!

Steve Wynn does it again, and we're glad he did!! The Encore hotel opened last night. I was lucky enough to be an invited guest, so I was in the hotel for the ribbon cutting and Steve Wynn's speech. At 8pm the hotel was open to the public and high rollers from all around the world were the first to place their bets! It was very exciting. I went with two others. We started in the hotel lobby bar. It had gorgeous red decor and a really cute small plate menu that also boasted an impressive cocktail list. I had a glass of champagne. one of my friends has scotch. They had a really extensive list if you are a scotch drinker. After drinks, we decided to walk around and make our way slowly to Botero, their steakhouse. I wasn't excited about going to a third steak house for the third night in a row (if you read my LA blog you would understand), but this was WOW. It was the most amazing meal of my life, well, so far. There was nothing wrong with anything. The service was incredible and food impeccable. Everything was perfect! The food came out pretty quickly between courses. Normally, I wouldn't like this, but I understood. It was their first night of service and they were fully booked. It was better to receive my food slightly fast than to go hours between courses. I think on a normal night they will get the timing better. It wasn't too fast. I didn't feel rushed or anything, but I prefer to eat slower when I go to fine dining restaurants. They had a really impressive wine list. I ordered a glass of red when my steak came. They also had alot of scotches and other spirits to choose from. I ordered a hangar one lime on the rocks to start. Which is my cocktail of choice if it is available. The decor was stunning. There was a huge fountian and statue in the middle of the restaurant and also an amazing open view to outside. The them was black and white without being too black and white. They splashed in some orange, green and brown so that it was easy on the eyes. The paintings were unique and fun to look at it. We each picked an appetizer to start. I picked the seafood crudo. It was a selection of raw fish (so fresh and amazing that I even ate salmon!) prepared different ways. The salmon was in an olive oil, citrus garlic marinade. The tuna was topped with extremely small diced mango and avocado. It's an obvious combo, but it works. The yellow tail had jalapeno peppers on it with mixed greened and the hamachi had some sweet glaze on it. We also ordered the Dungeness crab angiolotti. The pasta was light and fluffy. The textures went really well together. They were rich, without being overbearing. It was creamy and light and the crab just dissolved in your mouth. Our third appetizer was the parmesan gnocchi with a sweet tomato sauce. It melted in your mouth. It was amazing. It wasn't too dense, and it was cooked perfectly. You taste how fresh it is. They brought us out bread with olive oil. I tried the cranberry variety, it was fresh, warm and delicious. Our steaks came out. I ordered the 8oz filet, rare. You can choose between 3 preparations: chimichurri, peppercorn and traditional. I ordered mine chimichuri style. It was well seasoned, but didn't overpower the taste of the meat, which was phenomenal!! I was cooked perfectly. The steak knives were the sleek silver kind that I think are just so sexy and classy. I barely needed to apply any pressure with the knife, it just sort of sliced its self. It was perfect and delicious. I couldn't have asked for a better steak and it went perfectly with my wine, which I wish I could remember what I had. I am pretty sure it was the only merlot by the glass. After dinner we ordered two desserts. The first was the cheese cake sushi roll. The outside crust was fried so that it was thin like seaweed. Next to the dish there were thin slices of pineapple that looked like ginger. The chocolate dipping sauce looked like the soy sauce and then there were red dots of strawberry puree accenting the dish. It was a perfect bite if you combine everything together and how innovative and refreshing! It was really good. We also ordered mini jelly donuts with a caramel peanut butter dipping sauce. I loved the dipping sauce, but the donuts were really nothing special, but they were still pretty good. The meal was perfect. I would definitely go back and if you are visiting Vegas MAKE A RESERVATION NOW!!!! We walked around the hotel a little bit. They have a Chanel store with one of a kind haute couture Chanel items. They a few upscale boutiques, one for clothing one for shoes. They also have the second Manoli Blahnik store in the US in this hotel. They have a huge rock and republic store. I think it is their second or third store. Their Rolex store i the only licensed Rolex store, which means that it has every model in stock! Everything about this hotel is so luxurious and the decor is really sexy, modern and bright. It is not cheesy Vegas at all. Steve Wynn has done it right. It is simply elegant, and beautiful.

http://www.encorelasvegas.com/

LOS ANGELES (PART DUEX)

2008-12-22T18:50:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES (PART DUEX)

I guess I just couldn't stay away! I went back to LA again this weekend to visit with some friends. I got in on Saturday and I went to lunch at Chin Chin with three other girls at their West Hollywood location. Later that evening I went to The Parlor in Santa Monica to watch the Ravens kick the Cowboys ass! We ordered some light appies, since we had a late dinner reservation. After the game, I met up with even more of my friends at STK in West Hollywood. Later that night we partied at Kress in hollywood for an Afflication tee shirt company party. On Sunday I went to brunch with two of my friends at Jerry's Deli in Studio City. Later that evening, a group of us went to the Magic Castle in Hollywood. What an experience that was. If you have been to Southern California, please comment on your favorite restaurant or bar so that I can visit it next time I am in town. I always have the best time when I go to LA! :-) Thank you Allison for making my last two trips so amazing and fun!
Chin Chin

I drove from Vegas to LA and arrived around 1:00pm. My three friends were already hungry and ready to go! We wanted to go to Ketchup in West Hollywood, but they are only open for lunch during the week so we walked to the next closest place, Chin Chin. Chin Chin is you guessed it, Chinese food (and dim sum)! It is not your typical carry out Chinese food, as you can probably tell from the pictures about, however, the prices were really moderate. There are four locations in Southern California and one in Las Vegas. Chin Chin has been open since 1983 with a focus on healthy, fresh, made to order Chinese food. We sat outside at the West Hollywood location. It was nice out and they had a heated patio. There was great people watching. This place is usually a celebrity magnet. We sat at the table next to Lonnie Moore (Millionaire Matchmaker) and JJ Torregiani (Paula Abdul's on again and off again boyfriend) both co-owners of the Dolce Restaurant and nighlife group. They were with two other guys, that I am going to assume are also part of the Dolce Group. Two of my friends ordered the mango boba or bubble tea. It was a mango smoothie with a tea base and tapioca balls at the bottom. I did not like it. The texture was really weird and I didnt like the flavor of the tapioca very much. The mango smoothie alone would have been nothing special. Two of the girls shared dumplings, fried rice and the shredded chinese chicken salad. They loved everything. The other girl ordered the orange chicken with brown rice. I love when restaurants allow you to order brown rice. I ordered the lemon grass pad thai it had chicken, scallops and shrimp in it. It was so good! The dishses were an average price of about $12. I would definetly go back there again! The service was pretty good.

8618 Sunset Blvd.West Hollywood, CA 90069Phone: (310) 652-1818 Hours: 11 AM - 10:30 PM

http://www.chinchin.com/

The Parlor

I went to watch the Ravens vs the Cowboys at The Parlor in Santa Monica. Since I knew I had late dinner plans, I didn't want to eat, but by 8:15 and two drinks later, I knew I had to eat something. I ordered the thai chicken skewers and sweet potato fries. I LOVE LOVE LOVE sweet potato friends and they were goooooood ones! It was the perfect amount of food because I was still a little hungry for my later dinner. The bar was packed. It was hard to get seats right away. The food was pretty good and I was impressed the menu had more than just the regular old bar food options of chicken fingers and cheese burgers. It was a really fun sportsbar atmosphere and I would definetly go back to watch more games if I ever moved there. 1519 Wilshire Blvd.Santa Monica, CA
http://www.theparlorsm.com/
STK
We went to STK after the Parlor. The place was packed. We ended up having a table of about 9 people. The girls were pretty full from eating earlier, two of them shared the slider burgers and ordered the Parmesean fries. It looks like french toast when it was served because it was in large fried squares with white powder on it. It was a really cool presentation. I had a little bit of my friends steak. It was good quality meat. We skipped dessert. I had a dirty martini with blue cheese olives. I love blue cheese stuffed olives, they are amazing. Anyways, everyone seemed to really enjoy their food. STK is usually a place for celebs to be seen, but no one famous was there that night, which is good, because it would have been an even bigger mob scene had one been there. STK is extremely expensive. It is good quality meat and an awesome atmosphere though. I would love to go back and eat more than I did.
755 N La Cienega BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90069(310) 659-3535
STK is owned by THE ONE dining group. They also own Kiss Fly, Coco Deville tenjune, ONE and Bagatelle. They have locations in CA, NY and Las Vegas. Their new restaurant FSH will be opening soon.
http://www.stkhouse.com/
KRESS
We got to Kress around 12:30. The Kress serves food, but we were there for the nightlife part. I think this place is 5 levels. One of those is a roofdeck which I hear is really fun in the Spring and Summer. We stayed in the basement lounge the whole night. It was really fun. The music was awesome, but the dance floor was kind of small. We still danced alot! It got reallllllly hot down there. I wish they would have had more air conditioning. The club was packed, but not too packed. Pauly Shore bumped into my friend and he was so obviously wasted it was hilarious. We had a really fun night. We stayed til close!!
6608 Hollywood Blvd. http://www.thekress.net/
Jerry's Deli
Jerry's Deli has the best matzo ball soup I have ever had and the best place to go with a hangover. Jerry's Deli has 9 locations in SoCal and 3 locations in Miami. I have been to to 3 locations so far. Jerry's Deli offers a full cocktail list, espresso drinks, soups, salads, sandwiches, fried appies, hamburgers, breakfast items and so much more. The portions are huge!! I ordered the california omlette and asked for it scrambled. It was eggs, provolone, avocado and chicken. It was really good, but you could taste the butter!! The other two girls got matzo ball soup which I tried and it was amazing. They got curly fries, which were so good. I haven't had those since 5th grade. They also each got the corned beef sandwich. Jerry's is known for their lean cornbeef and I highly recommend that you order a sandwich. At the end of the meal I got a giant cookie. it was chocolate chip with peanuts. I ate half of it and then slipped into my food coma until dinner. Catering and online ordering is available. Do not skip the dessert case up front.
http://www.jerrysfamousdeli.com/cgi-bin/cNc/showPage.plx?db=jerrysmenu&pid=1
The Magic Castle

A group of 8 of us went to the Magic Castle in Hollywood for dinner and some magic shows. The decor was cheesy and it was so random. I mean a huge castle/mansion in the middle of Hollywood. The Magic Castle is a club for Magicians and Magic enthusiasts. It also houses the Academy ee Magical Arts. The castle has been operating since 1963 and has housed some of the most famous magicians around the world. It was definetly a unique experience, and you have to be a member or be invited by a member to be able to go so the exclusivity part made this experience even more unique and fun! We ended up getting seated for dinner around 10:00pm. I would describe the menu as old man steakhouse. I mean their signature dish was the "steak milton" a steak with hollandiase sauce on it! The probably haven't changed the menu since the place opened.We ordered chicken lollipops (the new trend in chicken wings, moving the meat to the top of the bone before deep frying so that it looks like a lolly and is actually easier to eat). They were really good. Our waiter was really funny and nice and the service was pretty good. The food was over priced as expected and mediocre. I split the mixed grill with my friend. It was lamb, steak and chicken. Everything was dry and poorly seasoned. Clearly the food isnt't the main attraction. After dinner we went to our first show. We saw Ed Alonzo perform (Max from Saved by the Bell). He was really funny and definetly had a dirty sense of humor. I was picked to be his magicians assistant for a trick. I had to pick a card of an animal. I picked a duck. The I had to strap him into a straight jacket. The he escaped for the jacket and pulled out a duck. It was pretty crazy. I was just really excited that I got picked to be the magicians assistant. Last year at the Penn and Teller show at the RIO is Vegas I tried so hard to get picked and they picked 6 volunteers and I never got picked. Oh well. If this writing stuff doesn't work out, I think I may have found a new career. (kidding). We also saw another performer, AYE JAYE. My friend Allison and her boyfriend got picked to go on stage at this show, so that was exciting! After the shows we were allowed to wonder around the mansion. They had all of these old pictures and props every where so it was really cool to see. We also ran into Dax Shepard (Employee of the Month) and Kristen Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshall). It was a really interesting and amusing evening. I had a really great time!

Oh and don't skip the dessert!!

http://magiccastle.com/

WHO IS TOBY YOUNG?

2008-12-21T16:17:00.001-08:00

WHO IS TOBY YOUNG?

Toby Young, author of How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, will be joining the cast of Top Chef as the newest judge. Young is a British Journalist, but doesn't seem to be a food expert like all of the other judges and guest judges that appear on the show. He is extremely sarcasitc, dry and blunt which will make for some entertaining comments I am sure! He worked for Vanity Fair in the early 90s and is famous for saying "those who can't write, teach. Those who can't write, write about themselves" Toby Young has made a career out of this. Check out http://www.tobyyoung.co.uk/ for more on his work.

TOP CHEF REPORT

2008-12-17T23:17:00.000-08:00

(pictured Hosea's Smoked Pork Tender loin)

TOP CHEF REPORT

Welcome to this week’s Top Chef report. I am currently writing you from my bed in Las Vegas. Sitting here with a glass of merlot because I AM SNOWED IN! Can you believe it? We got 6 inches today.
Today’s quick fire challenge is a one pot wonder. I love these. They chefs get 45 minutes to create their meals. They brought in Martha Stewart to judge it. She’s awesome! I don’t think she’s a top chef, but I think she’s the master or entertaining and sweets. Jeff is making a potato risotto which sounds really interesting and good. I love Fabio; I think he has such a cute personality and charm and he seems pretty talented. I think he will make it far in this contest, maybe even go all the way.
Martha really likes Hosea’s pieaya, Jamie’s scallop and Arianne’s beef over cauliflower puree. She didn’t like Jeff’s risotto, Eugene’s Korean stew and Fabio’s polenta. She thought the mushrooms were too gray and unappetizing. She picks Arianne as the winner. Jamie is so F-ing jealous it’s crazy. Focus on your food girl and do your best. The people that play it safe never make it to the finale keep taking those risks and make some good food!
The elimination challenge is a 250 guest holiday party. I love holiday party episodes!! It always gives me such great ideas for entertaining in my own home. The Harlem Gospel Choir come singing into the kitchen in the middle of Padma’s instructions on the challenge. The chef’s are asked to draw knives; the 12 numbers correspond with one of the 12 days of Christmas! How creative. The chefs have to make a dish inspired by the number they have picked. I am very excited for this challenge; it is so creative!!
Hosea has the pipers smoking and he smokes up the entire kitchen! What a mess. On the day of the elimination challenge, the chefs discover that someone had left the fridge open. Radika’s duck and Hosea’s pork are totally ruined. They are able to get more product and all the chefs chip in to help them. They find the extra meat in the top chef kitchen. Nice teamwork!!
Michelle Bernstein and Natasha Richardson are the guest judges for the elimination challenge. Stefan has 12 drummers drumming and made a chicken pot pie with “drum” meat. Very creative. Padma and other guests really seemed to enjoy it. They were really tiny and precious! Radika has a partridge in a pear tree, she did a braised duck with pear chutney. Chutney is Indian food Radika… Carla had two turtle doves. She did mushrooms caps because they kind of look like turtles. I hate mushrooms. Some people felt it was too salty. Gene had five golden rings. He made a poisson cru with pineapple ring and gold Yukon potato chip. I don’t think that chip had any business being there. The judges didn’t love it he may be going home tonight. Fabio had nine ladies dancing. He used crab cakes and made “dancing crab cakes”. The judges thought it was dense and not very good. Poor Fabio. I like him. Jamie had seven swans a swimming. She made a crudo of sea scallop in vichyssoise with lemon agrumato, leeks and micro greens. That is quite a mouthful! Michelle thought that the scallops were raw. Other guests said that it was too slimy. Two raw dishes? Come on Jamie. Step up your game or go the F home already! You have such a shitty attitude I don’t even enjoy watching you! Melissa had eight maids a milking. She made gorgonzola and NY strip steak on sourdough crostini with cranberry vinaigrette. All the judges taste is cheese. This is not looking good for Melissa either. It seems that they are disappointed with a lot of dishes. If I had to guess this early on I would say Gene is getting the axe, but you really can’t tell. Leah had three French hens and made a braised Guinea hen with butternut squash puree over puff pastry. It looked really good. Natasha didn’t like the puff pastry party. Arianne had six geese a laying and had 6 different deviled eggs. Tom thought they were good, but not impressive enough. Hosea had the eleven pipers piping and made smoked pork loin with chipotle mashed potatoes and apple brandy jus. They judges liked it a lot. He seems to be getting a lot of ribbons. This is how the guests vote! He might be the winner. Leah gets jealous of the girl hitting on Hosea. It is rumored that they are having a romance. Who knows, they could just be flirty. As of now they haven’t been shown much together in that way. Jeff has made ten lord a leaping. He searted halloumi and kasseri chesse (I love halloumi cheese!!!) with roasted beets, pears, mint and spices. How is this lords a leaping?? The judges really liked it and he seems to getting a lot of votes to.
Radika, Stefan, Jeff and Hosea are the top four chefs in this challenge. Natasha picks Hosea as the winner. He wins Michelle’s book. She gives it to all of the chefs for helping him. Gene, Melissa, and Jamie are in the bottom three. They criticized Jamie for her scallop being too raw and slimy. They told Melissa that they couldn’t taste her meet enough because it was over powered by the cheese. They told Gene his dish was too sweet. He old got 8 guest votes out of 300. He is really stubborn at standing by his dish. I think Gene has a good chance. Elizabeth’s least favorite was the scallop. Natasha thinks that Gene has a shitty attitude. Tom was disappointed overall and wants to talk to all of the chefs and tell them that they need to step up their game. Tom enters the waiting room and sits down to talk to the chefs are how disappointing and bland their food was. He wants them to focus on doing something amazing and over the top. He decides not to send anyone home as a “holiday gift”. WOW! I guess this happens about once a season.
UNTIL NEXT WEEK

NEW PRODUCT ALERT

2008-12-17T18:08:00.000-08:00

NEW PRODUCT ALERT:

DEL MONTE NO SUGAR ADDED MANDARIN ORANGES

Del Monte no sugar added mandarin oranges half only 6 grams of sugar, 40 calories and all of the taste of the original.

mix together with grilled chicken, spinach, sliced almonds, avocado and asian dressing for a delicious light and healthy asian chicken salad!
(pictured below)

I love Kraft's light asian toasted sesame dressing!

TOP CHEF REPORT

2008-12-17T09:16:00.001-08:00

TOP CHEF REPORT

(pictured lamb with carrot puree and wilted kale)

Welcome to TOP CHEF REPORT (12/10/08). Sorry it is so late! I was in Cali!! The quick fire challenge is the "name that ingredient" game. Daniel and Hosea face off first. They each taste a sauce and name as many ingredients in it. The sauce is shrimp and lobster bouillabaisse. Hosea wins. He names 4 ingredients. Jeff loses to Arianne. Thank you Carla! I was waiting for someone to say cream!! Stefan beats Arianne in the second round. He guesses 7 ingredients in the Thai Green Curry. All the girls seem to think Stefan is an asshole. I like him alot, what do you think? The final round sauce is a Mexican Mole Sauce. Carla is out on the first try! Peanut butter? Really? I think she is so annoying! It's between the baldies Hosea and Stefan and Hosea wins! There will be immunity for this challengeThe Chef's pull knives that say either "old" "new" "borrowed" or "blue". They Chefs are responsible for Gail Simmons' bridal shower. I think Jamie needs to stop whining and complaining please!!! Fabio, Leah and Melissa are on the blue team. Daniel, Carla and Gene are on the new team. Gene is really into sushi, can he make anything else? Jeff, Hosea and Stefan are on the old team. I think that is a great team, they are all 3 of the most talented chefs on the show. It Will be exciting to see how their dish turns out. Arianne, Jamie and Radika are on the borrowed team. They are doing an Eastern spiced lamb marinated in yogurt, vadauvan carrot puree (I will have to google this spice later), wilted kale, and cucumber raita (this will need to be googled as well). It doesn't sound like a very strong menu. I wish Radika would stop doing Indian food like she said she wasn't going to do in the first episode. She doesn't want people to think she can't do anything else, but I get the feeling she can't!!. The new team's menu consists of a surf and turf sushi roll (ummm WTF, really?....interesting I guess?), frisee salad with won ton, peach miso BBQ sauce (what is this going on exactly?) and a yuzu sorbet. I still can't stand Carla. I'm sorry, I just don't know why! The blue team's menu is really simple they are going to make a Chilean sea bass ( you know how I feel about this dish, its either perfection or a disaster and they bought theirs from a super market, so it was probably previously frozen, but I hope it turns out good, roasted corn puree (yum, if done right) and swiss chard. The old team menu is tomato terrine wrapped in eggplant (sounds good to me!), carpaccio with tomato sorbet and a gazpacho. I think they might be on the chopping block for using too many tomatoes. I don't even think tomatoes are that "old". I mean those tomato, basil and mozzarella salads with balsamic are in every yesterday these days. That dish is so "NOW". I am getting heartburn just thinking about all those tomatoes to be honestTom comes in and we learn there is no such thing as a blue food. How interesting. I did not know that. I mean I have seen blue lollipops, but those are artificial! I don't know if Tom was amused by their "borrowing" rationalization. Tom doesn't seem excited about Gene's deconstructed sushi. I've had deconstructed chili that I love and was fun to eat, but I don't know about sushi. Gene turns his failed rice into a chili pepper sticky rice which I think is really interestingOld served first. The loved Jeff's sorbet, but felt the terrine was a little bland. Daniel adds shitake mushrooms with Carla's salad without asking. She was annoyed. I guess I would be too. New serves second. The beef with peach BBQ sauce looks good. That's a pretty hard dish to F up though. The women don't really understand how to eat it and the shrimp was cold. Leah is so cocky, it's really annoying. I think she is safe for this week though. Wow that carrot puree is HOT YELLOW. The something borrowed lamb dish looks really pretty! They finish plating at the last second. They think the lamb is well cooked and delicious and love the flavors and spices. Everything went together. Gail was very happy with it. I think these girls may be the winners. The Chilean seabas was served last. They were the blue team, so they encrusted it in blue cornflower. VERY CREATIVE. They thought it was delicious, but didn't really have bold flavors. It didn't look like anything specialThe old and borrowed courses are the two favorites. They loved Arianne's lamb. She got off to a rough start, but is really proving herself. I think she may have some talent, but does she have what it takes to be a top chef? Arianne won another elimination challenge. Jamie is PISSED!!! She is talented, but not that great. I mean she did serve a raw egg on live TV. Stop drinking your haterade Jamie and focus on your food. Your attitude STINKS! I am glad that Daniel admitted to putting the mushrooms in, which is good. I am glad he didn't throw Carla under the bus, even though I think she is pretty annoying. There is no way the blue team is in last place. Their dish seemed much better than that sushi mess. The judges were disappointed that Carla didn't speak up about the mushrooms. I think that Gene is going home. His dish was the worst and he was the leader and made most of the main componentsTeam blue is safe. I knew they would be. Bye bye Gene... I think he is just young and inexperienced. I was wrong. Daniel was sent home. It was just a matter of time. He didn't really stand out.

Until next week...

LOS ANGELES

2008-12-15T09:38:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES:

This weekend I took a trip to visit some friends in Los Angeles who live in the Brentwood/Santa Monica Area. They were AWESOME hosts and took me to some really cool places. Here is where I went...

BRAVO CUCINA ITALIANA

Bravo is located in the Third Street Promenade in downtown Santa Monica. This place is an outdoor mall with tons of shops, restaurants and street performers. It is really close to the beach and a seems like a really nice and fun area. I went to Bravo with 2 of my friends. Two of us each got a class of the Blackstone Merlot ($8) which I love because it's cheap and I know it will be consistently good. My friend and I also got the Molto Bene Salad which was romaine lettuce with chicken, feta cheese, olives, tomatos and a honey vinaigrette ($14). Our other friend got the chicken marsala. It was served with roasted potatoes which looked awesome and a side salad. I am not a fan of mushrooms, actually I despise them more than anything on earth! However, he said that his food was really good. We sat outside on their heated patio and the waitstaff was friendly and attentive. We were given free dessert cards so we ordered the chocolate ganche cake and tiramisu to share. The tiramisu was excellent because it actually had alot of coffee flavor and I find alot of them to be sort of bland. The choclate ganache was nothing special and hard to eat. It completely fell apart when I stuck my fork into it and wasn't even that good, however, I have no self control when it comes to desserts so of course I nearly finished it! :-)

Check out http://www.bravoitalian.com/menu/ for menu and locations

ROCK SUGAR PAN ASIAN KITCHEN

My cousin took me to eat at Rock Sugar Pan Asian Kitchen in the westfield mall. The place is gorgeous. It is owned by the Cheesecake Factory group and you can totally tell. It definetly has that corporate chain feel and lacks alot of originality. We went for lunch, so we sat outdoors and it was really nice. When you walk in their are alot of cocktail lounge tables. It looks like it could be fun to go with a group get a cocktail from the unique list of cocktails and sit there for a little either before or after dinner. My cousin and I shared 3 dishes. When you first sit down they give you crispy rice crackers with a red mild chili sauce/dip. It is very good. Kind of like the Asian version of chips and salsa. We shared the cilantro grilled shrimp over mixed vegtables (which is a special). It was good because the outside was really charred and gave the shrimp a nice flavor. The shrimp were sort of small in size however. We also had the crisp calamari which is marinated in coconut milk and served with a chili dipping sauce. It was great. The sauce wasn't as spicy as I would have liked, but it was still good. The third item we shared was the Singapore Hainan pork which was served with sweet onions peas and chili sauce. The pork was pulled and really good and really tender. The sauce tasted like a spicy curry sauce. I love curry sauce, but if you don't then this dish is not for you. We didn't order dessert, but I saw some being passed around and they looked awesome. This is definetly a 3 after meal mint kind of meal! haha. Alot of different flavors and spices going on! The most unique thing we saw, was that they kind of valet your leftovers for you. They gave my cousin a ticket and keep the leftovers that people wish to take home in a cabinet upfront. They do this so that the table in clear between courses. I think it is kind of nice.
For more information and to find a location near you visit http://www.rocksugarpanasiankitchen.com/

PINKBERRY
I LOVE PINKBERRY! Who doesn't? It is only on the west coast, but if you live near one I strongly recommend getting over there ASAP. My friend and I were able to walk to the one near her and since it was a gorgeoous day out we did! I ended up ordering the green tea yogurt with pom seeds, bananas and yogurt chips. Please keep in mind, this is not healthy. It may be healthier than regular icecream but it doesnt have alot of sugar!
Log on to http://www.pinkberry.com/ for nutritional info and locations near you

ROBATA BAR
I really loved it here! The concept was Japanese fusion ala carte. They had sushi and raw dishes available, but my friend and I decided to order the skewers. They recomment 4 skewers per person including one fish and one vegtable. The skewers are ordered off of the robata yaki side of the menu. We got a gyu (aged ribeye) skewer which I ordered rare, because I think that's the only way to order meat that's not a burger. It had alot flavor and was pretty tender. The skewers are served with 3 dipping sauces a sweet ponzu, a spicy mustard and another more mild creamy one. I hated the spicy mustard. It tasted like mustard and wasabi mixed together. If you like wasabi you will like it. I think wasabi is hot for no reason without acutally enhancing the flavor of a dish which is why I don't like it. Spicy on the other hand, I can handle because it adds a flavor to the dish. The other skewers we got were the tsukune which was chicken meatball with teriaki sauce (amazing), suzuki which is chilean seabass (which I am always nervous to order since it will never be fresh, since it's from Chili it will be previously frozen 80% of the time you order it. It is also extremely easy to over cook) the final skewer we got was the nasu the japanese eggplant with sweet miso (Japanese eggplant is alot smaller and not what you would expect if you are used to eating regular eggplant, it is more dense). The meal was absolutely perfect. We sat at the bar, because I belive you get better service than if you sit at a table and I prefer to do whenever I am eating with just one other person. The cocktails were just as good as the food. We each ordered 2 cocktails the green lotus (white lotus vodka, green tea extract, ginger and cucumber) it was light and refreshing and the kyoto rose martini (belvedere vodka, white tea Bulgarian roses and garnished with a rose petal) it was mildly sweet and pefect for an after dinner drink. I think this would be a really cute date place since it is imtimate and had a sexy atmosphere and requires you to share dishes.
www.robatabar.com

After dinner we went to Busby's Restaurant and Bar for late night dancing and cocktails. It was a young fun crowd and they played great music! I was happy I got to go to a fun local bar while I was in town. www.busbysonline.com 3110 Santa Monica BlvdSanta Monica, CA 90404(310) 828-4567

SPANISH KITCHEN

We came to Spanish Kitchen for some late night snacks and cocktails. I ordered the steak tacos with a crispy shell. They came out about 2 minutes after I ordered them. They really have their act together over there! I got a patron silver margarita with salt. It was perfect amount of sweet and sour and tasted like they used natural ingredients and for the 12 bucks I shelled out for the drink, I wouldn't expect anything less. The three tacos were small, but reasonable ($9). They were nothing special, but did the job. They served chips and salsa. The chips were warm and the salsa was good and spicy, just the way I like it! It was a fun place to hang with a large group. Apparently it is a celebrity hotspot. Luckily it wasn't on the night we went. It was still crowded but I'm sure it would have been totally different scene had a member of the HILLS been there.

Check it out. www.thespanishkitchen.com826 N La Cienega BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90069(310) 659-4794

THE BELMONT

We went to the Belmont After Spanish Kitchen. They are owned by the same restaurant group and also serve food, but we didn't eat there. The food looked really good especially the salad with the seared tuna on top. I still have my Maryland license, which caused me some problems. The bouncer couldn't have been more of a douche bag. He looked at my ID and told me it looked "shady". I know that I look like I am young, so I decided to be patient with him and said "if you think it's fake you should ask a police officer to scan it I understand you probably don't see many MD licenses" He asked another bouncer to look at it, who was probably more dense than him and had no idea whether or not they would let me in. He told me my options were to 1. leave 2. he needed a second opinion. I said okay and then he stood there for about 5 minutes looking at my ID telling me how shady it looked. I said well if my options were to leave or have a second opinion can you please go get your second opinion. Apparently this is attitude in LA. Not in the east coast, but in LA this is attitude and this loser on a power trip told me to leave. My friends were pretty insistent I was getting in this bar and I kind of like a challenge. It would have been nice to get in just to be like ha I'm 22 and you're a f-ing moron! So I asked to see the manager, who looked at my ID and said he think it might be fine, but then asked me to sign a paper and match my signature. So I was in the clear, the manager said I was fine and could come in and then walked away. Then, the bouncer still didn't want to let me in. He said I was rude, I apologized, he said my ID looked fake, I said well 2 other people said it was fine and then walked right in past him. It wasn't much of a happening bar scene. They had hangar one vodka which I really enjoy drinking on the rocks so I had one of those and then we decided to leave. I would love to go back and try the food, but as for a bar, there really wasn't much appeal. Everyone was basically seated and there were so many tables and chairs everywhere (that were empty might I add) that it was hard to walk around. At the end of the night Frank the idiot bouncer apologized for embarassing me and keeping me help up for 20 minutes and then called me hot. I smiled and told him to have a good night. Gotta love LA!!

http://thebelmontcafe.com/

747 North La Cienega Boulevard . Los Angeles, CA. 90069 310.659.8871 tel

SAY YEAH TO FAGE (pronounced FE-YAH)!!

2008-12-09T19:18:00.000-08:00

SAY YEAH TO FAGE (pronounced FE-YAH)!!

Fage Greek yogurt is 100% all natural yogurt and it is one of the healthiest foods you can eat!

It is made of just milk and yogurt cultures has 90 calories per container, no fat, 7 carbs, 7 grams of sugar and 15 grams of protein!!

You may find it difficult to eat this one it's own since it is slightly bitter, so here are some healthy ways to enjoy Fage!

Yogurt topped waffle:

You will need:

1 container of fage

1 whole grain waffle

diced strawberries

a handful of almond slivers

honey (any kind you like!)

1. Toast the waffle

2. Top with 1 container of fage, strawberries and almonds

3. drizzle with honey and ENJOY!

This is a simple, quick and healthy way to enjoy breakfast.

Salmon and Onion Quiche

You will need:

2 containers of fage

6 eggs

1 9 inch pie crust

diced smoked salmon

onions
1. mix together 6 eggs and 2 containers of fage

2. stir in onions and salmon

3. bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes
It should looks like the picture below and is perfect for sunday brunch. Serve with mimosas!!

Tzatziki
you will need:
1 container of fage
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1 half teaspoon of minced garlic
diced and thinly sliced cucumbers
Mix all ingrediants together and enjoy!
Serve with Pita with my 5 alarm spiced chicken http://chefstaceybeth.blogspot.com/2008/12/5-alarm-spiced-chicken-with-tzatziki.html

5 ALARM SPICED CHICKEN WITH TZATZIKI AND A GREEK SIDE SALAD

2008-12-09T19:04:00.000-08:00

5 ALARM SPICED CHICKEN WITH TZATZIKI AND A GREEK SIDE SALAD

***Warning: this dish is SPICY!!***

You will need:

chicken breast

tzatziki yogurt sauce

1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

black pepper

diced tomatos

romaine lettuce

diced onions

diced cucumbers

olive oil

basalmic dressing

a large frying pan

1. Dice tomatoes, cucumbers and onions

2. mix together with dressing, pepper to taste and a handful of romain lettuce for the side salad

3. mix together all 5 spices
4. coat both sides of chicken with the spices

5. heat olive oil on the stove in the pan

6. pan sear chicken 2-3 minutes on each side or until fully cooked

7. serve with pita and tzatziki sauce

ENJOY!!

SOUTHWESTERN SALAD

2008-12-08T20:46:00.001-08:00

SOUTHWESTERN SALAD:

You will need:

Chicken

Lettuce

Beans (pinto or black)

Grapes

Diced Tomatos

Salsa

Taco Seasoning (find it in exotic foods isle)

Cheddar Cheese (shredded)

Tortilla Chips (optional)

Guacamole (I like Wholly Guacamole 100 calories packs, its the perfect serving)

1. slice chicken and cook in skillet with olive oil and taco seasoning until fully cooked

2. strain all liquid from beans and heat 2-3 tablespoons for about 45 seconds in microwave in a small dish

3. layer 2 cups of lettuce, beans, salsa (as much as you like), guacamole on a plate

4. place chicken on top of lettuce etc sprinkle grapes and tomatoes around the edges

5. sprinkle with cheese (I use 2% cheese to make it more healthy)

ENJOY!!

ULTIMATE VEGGIE LOX SANDWICH

2008-12-08T13:02:00.001-08:00

ULTIMATE VEGGIE LOX SANDWICH

You will need:

Lox (smoked Salmond)

Bagel of your Choice

Tomato

Spinach

Onion

Cucumber

Slice of Mozzeralla Cheese

Plain Cream Cheese

Sea Salt or Kosher Salt

Pepper

1. Lightly toast bagel

2. spread cream cheese on bagel

3. put a slice of mozzerlla on the bagel

4. lightly toast again

5. add tomoato, spinach, cucumber, onion slices and piece of smoked salmon

6. salt and pepper to taste

7. enjoy it open faced!!

NEW PRODUCT ALERT

2008-12-08T12:48:00.000-08:00

NEW PRODUCT ALERT:

SNICKERS ROCKIN' NUT ROAD

Snicker's newest limited edition dark chocolate candy bar is filled with almonds, caramel and marshmellow flavored nougart.

It is delicious!

At 240 calories per bar, 11 grams of fat and 27 grams of sugar, make this candy bar a two parter.

TONIGHT I DRANK AT (12/5)

2008-12-06T13:37:00.000-08:00

TONIGHT I DRANK AT:

LAVO LAS VEGAS

3327 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV‎ - (702) 791-1800‎

inside the Palazzo Hotel

www.lavolv.com

Tonight my friends and I went to Lavo Restaurant Bathouse and Nighclub for a Hennessy Promotion.

I drank a Hennessy sidecar with Hennessy, Grand Marnier and Lemon Juicy with a sugared rim.

It was delicious and refreshing!

Great music a the upstairs club part. The downstairs is a restaurant and lounge.

KITCHEN GADGETS

2008-12-05T09:43:00.001-08:00

KITCHEN GADGETS:

PLYLONES-USA

Available at http://www.pylones-usa.com/

or their five retail locations located in NY.

Pylones USA adds colors and a little wackiness to everyday kitchen, home and office products!

Check out these featured kitchen items and then log on to browse through so much more!

These make perfect stocking stuffings for that special chef in your life!

I love these salad servers! What a conversations starter.
This cat and mouse timer is too cute!!

I love smaller oven gloves because they make it so much easier to hold on to what you need. The standard ones can be so large and can slip off easily! This froggy one is just adorable! I also like the piglet one as well!

NEW PRODUCT ALERT

2008-12-04T19:42:00.000-08:00

NEW PRODUCT ALERT:

NINTENDO DS PERSONAL TRAINER COOKING

Personal trainer chef is an interactive cooking program that works with your Nintendo DS system.

This software takes you from the grocery store to the table with recipes from simple to hard.

You begin by selecting your meal. This program will even give you nutritional information and how long it should take prepare it.

They offer a "world map" guide, so you can pick from your favorite cuisine, for example, Italian.

Once you select your dish, you can view ingredients, then the steps and then cook your meal.

The program allows you to go at your own pace, you simply press next when you are ready for the next step and it has great pictures to use as a reference.

You cans save you meals on the software so you can go back and make your favorites over and over again.

Check it out at http://personaltrainercooking.com/

This game costs about $20 and is only compatible with the nintendo DS gaming system.

2008-12-04T09:03:00.001-08:00

FOOD TO GO: An Airport Food Court Guide
Baltimore Washinton International (BWI)
Welcome to my newest segment, the food court guide. Today I traveled from BWI. It is important to research your food options before you travel so that you can make smart and healthy decisions. I hope my guide will make it easier for you to make the right choices.
If you are flying out of terminal A or B then your options are...
Arby's personally I'm not "thinkin it". To cut calories and fat don't get cheese on anything! The super roast beed and grilled chicken cordon bleu sandwich are two of the healthiest sandwich options. If you are craving a salad go for the martha's vineyard salad with the lite ranch dressing NOT regular! STAY AWAY FROM THE MOZZARELLA STICKS WHICH CONTRAIN 56 GRAMS OF FAT PER ORDER! The worst sanwich options are the roast beef and swiss market fresh and the chicken salad with pecans sandwhichs. The sante fe salad with ranch dressing is a salad you want to stay away from. It has about 780 calories, 52 grams of fat and a ton of sodium!
Au Bon Pain. If you are going to eat here you should order the thai peanut chicken wrap, medium jamaican black bean soup or a small yogurt with granola and blueberries (but keep in mind this has alot of sugar so you should watch the rest of your sugar intake for the day. You should aviod the turkey and swiss sandwich, chicken vegtable stew and almond croissant.
Auntie Anne's. You can save about 400mg of sodium if you order your pretzel without sodium. Sodium can bloat you especially when you are traveling and may not be drinking as much as normally. The jalapeno, original without buter and blue raspberry dutch ice are the best picks at this place. The whole wheat pretzel 7 grams of fiber, but contains more sodium. The mocha dutch ice and glazin raisin pretzel are the worst choices and ALWAYS BEWARE OF YOUR DIPS! Avoid butter and cheese sauce!
California Tortilla. When ordering mexican try to avoid too many chips, sauces, refried beans, cheese and meat. Go for grilled chicken and extra salsa to add flavor. I ordered the mango burrito bowl. It contained black beans, chicken, lettuce, tomatos, rice with a sweet mango salsa. It was delicious! Try not to eat the entire portion, they tend to be large.
Charlie Chang's and Panda Express. I was happy to see that Charlie Changs offered edamame and seaweed salad, two very healthy options and some sushi (I wouldn't eat it personally, but there is nothing wrong with it!). When ordering chinese you want to stay away from fried items or things that tend to have alot of sauce. Brocolli and beef (brown sauce) tend to be good options. Go for steamed vegtables, shrimp, white meat chicken. You want to avoid kung pao anything! Orange chicken and sesame chicken. The eggplant and tofu in garlic sauce is also surprisingly unhealthy, it has a ton of fat and sodium. It's hard to get something extremely healthy at these places, so just remember, everything in moderation!
There are a few places to go get coffee. You can go to Java City, Mayogora, or Starbucks. When ordering espresso drinks ask for sugar free flavor syrup, skim milk and never never get whipped cream and you shave off tons of calories, fat and sugar! You should try to avoid all pastries, especially if they are full fat (they have have up to 30 grams of fat per muffin). Try to choose some granola, or bring a packet of instant oatmeal (they can add hot water for you if you ask nicely). Eating complex carbs will keep you full so that you won't be temped to eat the on-air snacks. Avoid the word creme in any of you drinks. Did you know that a cup of regular coffee actually has more caffiene than those espresso drinks? It also has about 50 calories per cup before adding any sugar or cream.
You can get pizza at Mamma Ilaro's Pizzeria or Villa Pizza. Look for thin crust and veggie pizza. Stay away from deep dish, Italian meats and extra cheese. Garlic or cheese bread has absolutely no health benefits and won't keep you full and satisfied for long so try to avoid the extra bread. Plain spaghetti with tomato sauce might be your best option, even though they cook it in butter.
McDonald's. The best picks here is the original quarter pounder without cheese, mayo or special sauce. Stick with ketchup and mustard only. Also go for the asian salad with grilled chicken, 6 piece mcnuggets or the egg mcmuffin. Stay away form the premium grilled chicken club, caesar salad with crispy chicken and croutons, filet o fish sandwich and the hotcakes (pancakes). Avoid the big mac sauce which adds 190 calories and 9 grams of fat per tablespoon.
If you are in the mood for a Maryland crab cake, head over to Phillips. I would rate their crabcakes a 3 out of 10, so if you are actually in Maryland, head downtown and research where to get your best bite. It does have a nice bar area with TVs. If you have a long wait, it's a great place to sit, plus it's near the bathrooms!
Quiznos. Order the small honey bourbon chicken sandwhich on wheat bread, or the black angus or tuscan turkey (without cheese) sandwiches. Avoid the honey mustard chicken sub, prime rib cheesesteak, and the turkey ranch and swiss. Try to avoid chips, cookies and mayo at this joint. Be aware of the flatbread salads. They are already premixed with fatty cheeses and bacon. Just because something is a salad, doens't mean it's healthy!
Head over to the Silver Diner if you have time to sit. They also offer many to go options. They have a tomato mozzerlla salad and hummus and pita. Go buy some carrots and eat the hummus. When eating breakfast, just remember, everything in moderation. Portions are often very large in diners. Try to have just one piece of bacon if you can't resisit, ask for eggwhites and no cheese! Try to avoid the salt shaker, we tend to dehydrate more easily when flying.
Subway. Order a 6 inch, unless you are really hungry. I get double turkey, no cheese, on wheat, with lots of veggies and vinigar. Try to avoid cheese, mayo, tuna salad, meatballs, and turkey salad. The healthiest soup at subway is the roasted chicken noodle soup, the worst is the wild rice and chicken soup.
Vino Volo Wine Bar. A great place to get a glass of wine, but limited food selection. Cheese plates have a ton of calories and fat, but sometimes it is worth it to splurge on good cheeses, so if you are really in the mood, I say go for it!
Zona Mexican Grill. Try to order only one margarita since they have alot of calories and sugar. Avoid tortilla, anything fried and keep the chips to a minimum. Go for frajitas and eat them without the tortilla! This place is also a nice place to sit and watch TV if you have some time before your flight.

If you are traveling through gates C, D or E here are your options...

Auntie Anne's Pretzels.

Bill Batemen's Bistro. I love the crab pretzel here! Not the healthiest restaurant, but good food and cool atmosphere.

The Green Turle. A local bar. Fried food, typical bar food.

Mama Ilardo's Pizza.

Manchu Wok.

Mcdonald's

Potbelly Sandwhich works. Go for the turkey on wheat without cheese. You can order all sanwichs skinny, which means no bread. It's a great option!

Quiznos Sub.

Ram's Head Tavern.

Starbucks.

Subway. This one is 24 hours!

Wendy's. Order the ultimate chicken grill sandwich with a side salad, small chili and 5 piece crispy chicken nuggets and a baked potato. Stay away from the roasted turkey and swiss frescata, chicken club sandwich, cheeseburger and fries.

Plan ahead and snack smart!

NEW PRODUCT ALERT

2008-12-03T22:56:00.001-08:00

NEW PRODUCT ALERT:

SPLENDA MIST

Portable and pocketsizce this mini spritzer of splenda is perfect to keep in your purse or on your desk! 1 spray = 1 teaspoon, which is all you need and it tastes just like regular splenda. Each bottle promises 170 sprays!
Get it at your local grocer or order it from the Splenda online store.
http://www.splendidlife.com/category/getsplenda.do

TOP CHEF REPORT

2008-12-03T22:24:00.000-08:00

(Arianne's winning beefsteak tomato salad)

TOP CHEF REPORT:

Rocci Dispirto guest judges on this weeks top chef. The chefs begin with a breakfast quick fire challenge. They are asked to make a breakfast amuse bouche. Rocco did not like Daniel and Fabio's dishes. Fabio did not use bacon, which Rocco mentioned he loved. He loved Stefan's take on the huevos rancheros , and Leah and Jamies mini open faced sandwiches. He picked Leah as the winner. He gave her a copy of his new book "Rocco Gets Real" and she also earned immunity.

For their elimination challenge, the Chef's have to prepare a cooking spot to air on the Today Show. When the Chef's are shopping Fabio jumps behind the counter and cuts his own piece of fish! Then Gene and Hosea follow. I have never seen the contestants do that before. It was interesting. Alex is the only one who decides he is going to do a dessert, he thinks this will set him apart and he might be graded less harshly if it its as good. He is going to attempt a rose creme brulee. That sounds really hard to make for a cooking demo on live television. Very ambitious of him! Carla kind of annoys me a little bit? What about you?

Arianne makes a beefsteak tomato salad. Leah makes a frisee salad with a fried duck egg and bacon. She served her egg raw. BIG MISTAKE. Alex runs out of time while making his creme brulee! The judges are disappointed with it. Jeff makes a malfouf roll with shrimp. I think he used some pretty complicated words for a morning televison show. The judges looked pleased! Fabio's tuna and carrots looks delicious!! Danie makes a skirt steak that seems popular with the judges. Stefan's soup was popular. Melissa's dish was too spicy for Tom. Leah, Carla and Radika all ran out of time. However, Leah's dish sounded great!

Lucky for Leah that she had immunity. The judeges were disappointed with how nervous she was. They had mixed feelings about Carla. They loved Daniel's personality, but did not like how much smoke he created while cooking. They thought Stefan's soup was really great and they thought it was so smart that he swapped out an already ready soup to serve. I agree. They thought his personality was a little dull. They thought Arianne hit a homerun, looks like after a rough start she's headed for the top!

Melissa, Alex and Jamie were the bottom three. No surprise there. Jeff, Fabio and Arianne were chosen as the top three. Jamie seems to have a really bad attitude and is a sore loser. I am getting a little tired of her.

The top three are woken up at 2am and brought the to morning show where they will do their 2 minute cooking demonstrations and the hosts will judge them live on TV.

On the today show Kathly Lee, Merideth and the other girls are asked to taste the three and chose a winner. Kathy Lee spit out Jeff's shrimp. Arianne is chosen as the winner. Rocco presents her with a tool kit. A gift I would love love love to have!! Arianne will also be presenting a dish on the Today Show for 5 minutes. What a great opportunity for her!!

Alex was eliminated for his inability to produce a creme brulee. His upcoming wedding was a poor excuse for why he was not focused.

Until next week...

BEST BITE: BAGELS

2008-12-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

BEST BITE: BAGELS

The BEST BITE bagel was found at BAGELS PLUS in Queens, NY.

5720 Woodside AveWoodside, NY 11377
(718) 639-7784‎

If you are in the area you definately need to check this place out!

Looks my be decieving since the place is so small and kind of in the middle of no where, but it is one of the best bagels I have had. They have many different bagel sandwhichs, paninis, deli, and breakfast selections to choose from.

I ordered a scooped out whole wheat everything bagel toasted with honey turkey, lettuce, tomato and honey mustard. It was perfect, delicious and satisfying!!

It took less than 5 minutes to make, the staff was friendly and it was under $5!!!

They didn't skimp on the meat, but it wasn't stacked insanely high like NY is known for either.

I was also happy they offered the POM teas because I love those and they used boarshead deli meats and cheese which I think is the best brand!

Go grab yourself a sandwich. It's worth the train ride if you are living in the city.

TONIGHT I ATE AT (12/1)

2008-12-01T18:52:00.000-08:00

TONIGHT I ATE AT:

RA SUSHI

http://www.rasushi.com/

I ate at RA SUSHI in Baltimore (Multiple Locations). I went with three other people and we decided to order a bunch of rolls and other things to share. We ordered two seaweed salad for the table. It was great. I like it when it's seasoned perfectly, not watery and is bright green, which it was! We also shared a pot of "miso hot! soup" for the table. It is spicy miso soup (definetly clears the sinuses!) with tofu, green onions, shiitake mushrooms, boy choy and shrimp simmered in a spicy misco broth ($6.95). We shared four rolls, one of them was the lobster shrimp roll. The inside of the roll was lobster, cucumber and avocado topped with shrimp served in an asian pesto sauce. ($12.50)

We also had the "Ra-cken shrimp". The rock shrimp were fried and served on a bed of mixed greens with a creamy ginger teriaki dipping sauce. ($10.75)

We also had a New Zealand roll that has smoked salmon, cream cheese and mango inside topped with a scallop, kiwi and sauteed pine nuts and cashews. The roll is drizzled in a eel and mango tobiko sauce. ($12)
This is the Viva Las Vegas Roll. The roll has kani kama and cream cheese rolled in rice and seaweed then it is tempura battered and deep fried. The roll is topped with a spicy tuna and crab mix. The roll is finished with a spicy lotus root chip and drizzled with eel sauce and spinach tempura flakes. It is one of my favorites! ($13)

The last roll we got was the tootsy maki. The tootsy maki is crab mix, shrimp and cucumber rolled and topped with crunchy tempura bit and drizzled with a sweet eel sauce. ($8)

There wasn't a single bite of food left so I think we really enjoyed our meal!

Everything was delicious and perfect, even though our hostess wasn't too friendly at first!

You probably want to call ahead on a weekend, it can get pretty crazy on the weekends.

Go with a group and get a fish bowl drink (a gigantic drink to share literally served in a fish bowl!)