DINNER: Jamie's - Sandra's Take

Jamie's Broadway Grille's Web site

I'll make this short and sweet. I know Jamie's is a Sacramento institution. I am aware it was recently featured on the Food Network's Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. None of that made my maiden dinner experience at Jamie's good. Ray, Lisa and I went for our third dinner club night out. The restaurant is a true, legitimate dive. I loved the relaxed atmosphere and the friendly (some drunk) patrons. I was excited to try their seafood since that is the only meat I eat. I had a choice between an encrusted halibut dish and the mixed seafood special. I opted for the mixed seafood. That was a mistake. It came in a bowl of oily, greasy red sauce poured all over the seafood. I couldn't taste anything but the sauce. It had some sort of crispy herb on top. I don't know why. I have never heard of crisping herbs. I tasted one but I couldn't taste what it was, it just tasted fried. The vegetables and rice on the side were fine if uninspired. To top it off, the dish was expensive. If I recall it was about $28. On a positive note, the bartender was nice and our server was very entertaining. I would NOT recommend the seafood special to anyone though.

DINNER CLUB RECAP: Autumn Vegetables

Fall is hands down my favorite season. In California it comes and goes in the blink of an eye so I was so happy to host dinner club when it looked and felt like fall outside. I decided to have a meal of autumn vegetables and I planned my meal to take advantage of the fact that Trader Joe's is selling bagged, cubed sweet potatoes and butternut squash. For our dinner I made roasted fall vegetables, lentils and mashed sweet potatoes with a hint of banana. Dessert was eggnog pumpkin raisin bread pudding. Our beverage of the evening was hot spiced mulled wine. The vegetables were easy, very colorful and really delicious! I combined a peeled and cubed butternut squash with a peeled and cubed sweet potato and three cubed Yukon gold potatoes in a lightly oiled baking dish. I set aside two seeded and diced red bell peppers and one quartered red onion. I dressed all of the vegetables with a quarter cup of olive oil mixed with 2-3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, 3 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary, 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme and salt and pepper to taste. I placed the baking dish of root vegetables in a 450 degree oven for about 35 minutes stirring occasionally, then I added the onion and bell pepper in and baked another 10-15 minutes stirring frequently. The mashed sweet potatoes were Rachel Ray's recipe that you can find online. I modified it by substituting stock for milk and reducing the amount of liquid. It was very good but if I make it again I will cut the amount of butter and banana in half. The mulled wine was made by adding 1 cup of sugar to 3 cups boiling water, add a sliced lemon and or a sliced orange, 6 cinnamon sticks, 6 whole cloves, half a gallon of Carlo Rossi Burgundy wine and nutmeg. Reduce to a simmer once you add the wine and let it simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes before serving. Happy Autumn!

LUNCH: 58 Degrees & Holding

58 Degrees & Holding's Web site

Every now and then, Suzanne and I hit up 58 Degrees & Holding for a weekday lunch. It's a hidden gem for the lunchtime crowd. Rarely is there more than a couple other patrons -- making for a cozy, private experience with attentive service. You can have a long, leisurely meal without worrying about them needing to turn the table, or you can request fast service if you're in a rush. 58 is one of my favorite places, but it is typically too packed for happy hour (I just can't enjoy a fancy glass of wine and apps while standing and looking around for a table to open up) and dinner. Small plate sampling is my favorite way of eating, and that's 58's specialty. The trio of bruschetta provides a variety of tasty options and the charcuterie and cheese plate selections are equally as scrumptious. I've never had a plate at 58 that I didn't demolish -- the inspired salads offer lovely flavor combinations and the entrees are always perfectly seasoned and delicious. And I will give any place snaps for offering half glasses of wine, as I like to sample beverages as much as I do food. Check it out for your next midtown lunch!

DINNER CLUB RECAP: Pulled Pork Sandwiches

This DC was inspired from our recent trip to Hawaii (pronounced, as any 1 week tourist will tell you, Hawaii-E). Yes, it did start with a few Mai-Tais, and no, it was not really based on any Hawaiian recipees. We started with bacon wrapped water chestnuts in a sweet soy glaze, fresh fruit and cheese appitizers. For dinner we had a pulled pork sandwich made with a pork roast slow roasted overnight in a slow cooker then shreadded with onions and BBQ sauce. Topped with chedar cheese and fresh coleslaw (a squeeze of tangerine juice mixed in with the cole slaw dressing made it taste, well, fruity, like I put a squeeze of tangerine juice in it). The side salad was a chopped salad with papaya & cucumber. Dessert was a pineapple upside down cake with whole macadamia nuts. I forgot the ice cream, so we each got a thimble full. "Less is more". That's what I told everyone.

DINNER: Jamie's, Ray's Take

Jamie's Broadway Grille's Web site

Nothing says mediocre food like a dark dive bar. Jamies lived up to the challenge. The beer was good, and, the second beer was good too. The food, well that was awful. I ordered an open faced chili cheeseburger. Hard to mess up right? Dive bars make good hamburgers, right? well, no, apparently not. Although the chili was good, the plate consisted of an overcooked hamburger patty buried in a pile of chili with two small pieces of garlic toast. I would have thought a hamburger in a dark dive bar would be a safe option, I guess you should stick to the food found in your Bloody Mary or hefeweizen. On an upside, I found street parking.

Lounge on 20

Lounge on 20's Web site

Lovely lovely lovely compared to my last post on Jamie's. What can I say? Totally different caliber of cuisine. The wine we ordered was out due to a Sac Foodie event that packed the place up; we weren't thrilled with our replacement option. I think the waitress could tell we were disappointed, so all of a sudden the wine sommelier showed up. He recommended another Pinot Noir that turned out the be excellent. Kudos on the part of the restaurant to try to make up for a snafu. We ordered small plates: dates wrapped in bacon, the beet salad, the yellowtail carpaccio, and the beef sliders. All very tasty- LOVED the dates. A bit pricey, but a very fun evening with my fella!

DINNER: Jamie's Broadway Grille, Lisa's Take

Jamie's Broadway Grille's Web site

So, for our 3rd Dinner Club Night Out, we chose Jamie's because it was recently featured on the Food Network and is a local favorite. I hadn't been in years, so was looking forward to having a cocktail and some comfort food. What I got was a lot of heartburn! Ouch! My first impression was that Jamie's is extremely lively and fun, but it was packed. We barely found 3 spots at the bar to have martinis, and then had to wait for a table to open up. I was jazzed by their menu board, which appeared to have some interesting options. The bartender was pretty cool, but told us that a lot of items go quickly, so we should order soon. She did put aside the last order of the chili hamburger Ray wanted, but before we ever got a table, the entree I was absolutely ravenous for was wiped off the slate. Lamb stew. It sounded lovely. Needless to say, by the time we got a table, even the renown clam chowder was sold out! I kind of felt a little annoyed that I could not have what I wanted, and ordered, along with Sandra, what I thought still had a lot of potential- a seafood combo plate with scallops, opakapaka, prawns, and crab. You all know I love a good cioppino or bouillabaise, and I think this combo plate was attempting to be "similar" to a cioppino with its own twist. Unfortunately, it left me feeling not so great. It was dripping and oozing with some sort of mystery tomato oil/sauce. I mean, dripping. The combo plate was just a big bowl of oily goo ladled over fish. It was topped with fried basil and some sort of shavings that I first thought were lemon grass, but then we decided maybe some sort of green/white onion shaving? It's still a mystery. Anyhow, the fish was cooked fine, but the oily goo just didn't really inspire me nor do I think I will go back to eat. Sorry Jamie's!

DINNER CLUB RECAP: Miscellaneous Meal

For this one, I whipped up a random array of dishes I thought would be Dinner Club-worthy -- no theme, just stuff I thought folks might like. App number one was a fontina and roasted red pepper pizza on a cornbread crust. The other app was black-eyed peas croquettes with a barley malt dipping sauce. The entree plate had a scoop of barley casserole and a slice of a sweet potato and goat cheese frittata --separated diagonally on the plate by a baby bok choy with an umeboshi and gomasio vinaigrette.For dessert I made peanut butter and chocolate cups, served in ramekins. I was pretty happy with how everything turned out considering I didn't have any real inspiration for it.

DINNER CLUB RECAP: Fall is Finally Here

After what seemed like the longest summer ever, the leaves are finally on the ground and it's time to break out the sweaters and hot cider. My dinner club was inspired by fall flavors. I started with a caramelized apple and onion bruschetta with melted brie as my appetizer. The bite of white wine vinegar really brought out a unique taste in the apples, but there still was a hint of sweetness. For dinner it was squash, sage, and ricotta cannelloni served with an arugula salad with sweet potatoes and feta. I grilled the butternut squash the night before and I think that helped the smokey flavor settle in a bit. One thing that I really liked about this dinner was that it was made with all fresh ingredients and relatively low fat. No oil, butter, or cream. Always a plus, especially when heading into the holiday cocktailing season. For dessert, I made my first-ever pineapple upside down bundt cake. I think I might have over cooked the cake just a tad, but having the extra juices from the pineapple seemed to have saved the day. All these recipes were certainly keepers for this fall season!

COCKTAILING: Frank Fat's

Frank Fat's Web site

RIP OFF! M-F are 1/2 off ALL martini specials at the bar at Fat's. I've gone several times. This past time the bar was packed and we asked if we could go ahead and sit at a table and still get the 1/2 off specials. They said yes. We sat down. After 6 very weak special martinis, we were charged $48 instead of $24. Unfortunately or fortunately, someone else had already picked up the tab for us by that time, but either way. We got ripped. There was firm agreement by many at the bar that the male evening bartender is quite the jerk (unless he knows you and you drop fat lobbyist cash). I will not go back anytime soon.... Be forewarned.

DINNER: Roxy's

I'll make this short, but Roxy's is a fun and fancy western-themed restaurant on Fair Oaks Blvd. Thursday night they have special burger and brew specials. I got to make my own lamb burger with very yummy and diverse condiments! Don't know how much vegetarian fare is available, though. This place is very meat oriented since the owners own Lucky Dog Ranch. Most of the meat is from their ranch or other local places. I will go back!

DINNER CLUB RECAP: Vermouth and Cream of Onion Soup with Scallops and Caviar

I have to say, I'm not sure what inspired me to make soup for our last dinner club... Ha ha ha. Just kidding. I love soup. Our menu was inspired by the Soup Bible and also by Taylor's, in a sense. I started out with a simple brie appetizer that our friend Laura makes. I'm not sure if it was exactly the same recipe, but for mine I poured brown sugar on top of the round brie, stuck in the microwave for a couple of minutes, and then poured split almonds on top. Always yummy. Then for the main course, I made a vermouth and cream of onion soup topped with seared scallops, black caviar, and chives. On the side was a gruyere and pear panini on rye. The drink of choice was a caper berry martini that I made up after eating caper berries for the first time at Taylor's restaurant. Dessert was easy no mess moose chocolate ice cream with strawberry sauce and chocolate covered oreos. I have to say that I really enjoyed the soup but it was a LOT of work and stress. I'm going low maintenance for my next DC!! So look out guinea pigs!

DESSERT: Hot Italian

I am a huge fan of sweets. I will pick sweet over savory 9 times out of 10. I usually choose frozen yogurt over ice cream but since our first dinner club night out to Hot Italian in July, I have been back twice for gelato. The first two times I went to Hot Italian for gelato I ordered the caramel salato and that is still one of my favorites. On my last trip I wanted to try something new. My sister and I sampled a few flavors before choosing one we wanted to order. The fig tasted incredibly exactly like fresh figs. It was uncanny really. I didn't think the cannoli tasted like cannoli but my sister did and she really liked it. The girl serving us handed me a sample of her favorite, Ferrero Rocher, even though I didn't ask for it nor was it on the list of flavors I was considering. I normally have vanilla tendencies rather than chocolate. It's not that I don't like chocolate because I do, it's just never my first choice. I am so glad she nudged me to try this delectable chocolate flavor. I was immediately sold on the rich chocolaty, hazelnut goodness of it. Being the creature of habit that I am I ordered half caramel salato and half Ferrero Rocher. Try it, I promise you will like it. If you don't they have a bunch of other flavors and you are sure to find one you will love.

DINNER: Taylor's Kitchen, Bernadette's take

Taylor's Kitchen's Web site

I cannot believe I didn't know about this charming, lovely, little place. We've shopped at Taylor's Market every once in a while, but I never even noticed the restaurant right next door. What a find! The menu at Taylor's Kitchen is interesting and current, the food itself is delicious. The decor is perfectly pleasant and the service is excellent. Its plates are not embellished or styled, but that's probably because it's more of a substance over style place. I loved the Humbolt Fog cheese, although each selection on the cheese plate was delectable. The Housemade Stinging Nettle Tagliatelle was wonderful (Ray ordered it, too); it appeared to be just a bowl of green noodles with a sausage crumble here and there -- but it tasted so much better than it looked. Lots of garlic and some fennel, I think. The beet salad was one of the best I've ever had (and I always order beet salad if it's on a menu). The Andrew Rich Pinot Noir that was recommended by our server was a huge hit, too. I enjoyed the panna cotta dessert, but it was the only thing I'd rate as "good not great." I cannot wait to go back here (our first-date anniversary is coming up, John ... hint hint). So, sorry Land Parkers, your hidden gem is becoming more widely known!

DINNER CLUB RECAP: Healthy Fare

I can't control myself at Dinner Club. I always eat too much. And I feel super stuffed (guilty and fat) afterwards. So, I decided host a healthy dinner club: nutritious and low-fat (which means no cheese! a big deal on a vegetarian menu!). We started off with baked sweet potato chips and raw broccoli with a non-fat yogurt and fresh herb dip. The salad course was a watermelon-tomato-mint-red onion dish dressed very lightly in olive oil. The main course was 100% buckwheat soba noodles and green onions with an Asian-style dressing. I also served Pumpkin-Chia seed muffins at the table. For dessert I brought out more muffins; this time my Banana-Nut muffins and some fresh berries. (Yep, lots of muffins but I'm very proud of my whole grain, sugar-free muffins). The meal wasn't totally guilt-free though, I did serve alcohol ... this IS Dinner Club, after all.

DINNER: Taylor's Kitchen, Wray's Take

Taylor's Kitchen's Web site

This place is a hit. Excellent food, service and atmosphere, with a clear focus on fresh, high quality ingredients. The five of us started with antipasto and cheese plates. Both were very nice and went well with a sparkling wine picked out by our resident bubbly-aficionado, Sandra. I shared a beet salad that tasted like the beets were ripped from their home mere hours before. I chose the Stinging Nettle Tagliatelle with Italian Sausage, Kale, and Pecorino Toscano. To be honest, I am afraid of whole grain or green pastas. They usually are dry, chewy, or taste like something my brother would serve me when he had to baby sit me as a kid. But, despite this being a green pasta, it was outstanding! And, no, no stinging nettles ended up lodged in my tongue or esophagus. Our waiter directed us to a very nice wine that seemed to go pretty well with everyone's entree, and his overall service was attentive and sharp, without being overbearing. For dessert, a panna cotta and cappuccino. I left happy, fulfilled, and only slightly lighter in the wallet.

DINNER CLUB RECAP: Sandra's September 2009

I am late in posting this but better late than never. I did a Central American/seafood theme this time. For appetizers I served shrimp cocktail and crackers topped with a dollop of either sour cream or El Salvadorian crema, smoked salmon and capers. For our starter I served chilled avocado soup topped with chopped shrimp and cucumber. The main dish was home made (literally with my mother in LA and brought up to Sacramento) pupusas served with salsa and Cacique crema Salvadorena. I served two types of pupusas, queso con loroco and shredded pork. Our drink was a little random for the theme but I tried it over Rosh Hashanah when I was in LA and loved it. It was Jewish Rosh Hashanah pomegranate honey cooler that I made with 1 cup POM juice, honey and one bottle of white wine. Dessert was the Princess cake from Ettore's bakery to celebrate Wray's birthday. Since I have been asked about the soup recipe here is how I made it. I sautéed a minced white onion and 2 seeded and minced Serrano chilies for about 15 minutes, added 3 or 4 minced garlic cloves and salt and sautéed another 2 minutes. I let those cool overnight. The next day I made the rest by placing 4 ripe avocados in a food processor along with 4 cups of veggie broth, 4 Tbsp lemon juice and the now cooled onion/Serrano chili mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. I also added a little sour cream but I don't really think it needed the cream. I let it chill for about 3 hours but longer would have been better. If I had to make it again I might use half broth and half water. There are lots of ways you can play with this recipe. The topping/garnish was 8 oz. medium chopped cooked shrimp, 1 peeled, seeded and diced cucumber, 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro and lime juice mixed together. If you make this ahead I would chill the soup with the avocado pits in it and lay plastic wrap in direct contact with the soup to avoid air getting into it and turning the soup brown. The pupusa recipe is top secret. ;)

DINNER: Taylor's Kitchen, Sandra's take

What a charming little neighborhood restaurant this is! I loved the amusing rotating ceiling fans that are literally two small fans rotating on a long blade. Our Lucien Albrecht sparkling wine paired nicely with our four cheese plate. My favorites were the Humboldt Fog and Point Reyes Blue but I am partial to both of those so it was an unfair fight. The Carmody cow's milk cheese was a nice cheese I have never tried. It's nice to know I can go next door to Taylor's market and pick some up if I want to. The appetizer plate of caper berries, almonds, roasted yellow peppers and little cheese stuffed peppers (or were they tomatoes?) was not memorable except for the outstanding little stuffed red things. I think they were red peppers of some sort. The warm crusty bread and herbed olive oil were yummy. I ordered the nut encrusted Walu fish special with mashed butternut squash puree (served in place of traditional mashed potatoes) and baby green beans. The fish was absolutely delicious but ever so slightly overcooked around the edges. The portion was generous. The butternut squash was rich, sweet and savory at the same time. I wish I knew how to recreate it because I would want to make it all the time! It is the perfect fall side dish. Our endearing server Andrea suggested a nice Andrew Rich 2007 Pinot Noir that I enjoyed. Dessert was buttermilk panna cotta drizzled with honey and topped with blueberries. OMG, it was soooo good! Please order it if you go. It was thick and rich without being heavy or oily so it was creamy yet light at the same time. My only issue with our dinner is what I learned today googling Walu fish. Apparently it is known to cause an extremely unpleasant gastrointestinal issue if you eat too much due to the oils in the fish. I think restaurants should either not serve it or warn diners of this unpleasant side effect. I can't imagine a polite way to do that though. I was lucky that I had no such side effects. I guess I have an iron stomach. Overall I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a great meal in a charming and cozy setting.

EVENT: Eat Your Art Out

Our long lost dinner club member Katie and her BF Paul were in town last weekend. I thought it would be fun and appropriate to get dinner club together and go on a food and drink crawl to support a good cause. I have been to both of the past Crawl for the Cure events and thought they were tremendously fun for the participants and great for local businesses and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This year there are going to be a lot more crawls benefitting different foundations. We went to Eat Your Art Out supporting the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission. The basic idea is that various groups of 10 or more "crawlers" walk to the 18 participating downtown/midtown eateries for a bite to eat and a drink at each location. We hit 13 out of 18. Not bad at all! We started at Brew It Up, moved on to Lucca, then hit Azul, Mulvaney's, L Wine Lounge, Zocalo, Hot Italian, Nishiki, Mochii Yogurt, Sapporo Grill, 3 Fires Lounge, Grange and Sofia. Most of us skipped Beach Hut Deli, Rubicon, Yogurtagogo, Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates and Temple Coffee in the interest of time. The highlights for me were Lucca's zucchini chips, Azul's guava sangria, Zocalo's interesting horchata with tequila drink, Hot Italian for their piping hot pizza made just for us and decanted Peroni, Sapporo Grill's amazing jade bar and gorgeous interior, Grange's figs with goat cheese, Sofia's decadent bread pudding and everyone's favorite Mulvaney's for outclassing and outshining everybody else. They were in a league of their own with baby heirloom tomatoes and homemade mozzarella cheese made right in front of us by their in house pasta maker and citrus-y sparkling wine cocktail served in champagne flutes. They had interpretive dancers in the adjoining dessert room too! An honorable mention goes to Brew It Up for their interesting white unfiltered looking beer. A dishonorable mention goes to 3 Fires Lounge for bad service and a bad vibe overall. We walked out as did a friend of mine in another group for reasons unrelated to our reasons for leaving. This was such a fun way to spend an afternoon and a chance to go to places I have never been to. There are more crawls coming up so if you love food, drink, fresh air, fun and supporting a good cause, check out www.crawltix.com for upcoming crawls.

LUNCH: CIA Greystone Napa, CA

On a recent Friday, my sister and I decided to spend the day in Napa. We decided to lunch at the Culinary Institute of America Greystone restaurant because I have always been curious about what goes on inside what appears to be a castle in the Napa valley. The inside of the restaurant was nice but looked like one you would find anywhere in CA. We settled on the patio instead for the views of the valley. To be honest I was slightly disappointed with both the patio and the view. It was a beautiful day though. The only con to sitting on the patio was that as the sun went down, the umbrellas did little to protect us from the blazing rays. We lunched on oysters on the half shell with a pink wine sauce, sweet corn soup, Pimientos de Padrones, gnocchi and two desserts. The oysters came from Hog Island Co. in San Francisco. The soup was creamy, sweet and divine! Apparently it is made with very little cream but is reduced with the corn cob and the silk from the corn still in the pot to give it a silky finish. The pimientos, or small peppers, were pan fried and served with almonds, tomatoes, shaved parm and pesto. This dish was also very good. The ricotta and spinach gnocchi were very flavorful, very large scallop sized dumplings served with lots of fresh veggies and a tomato type sauce. I was surprised at just how flavorful the gnocchi were given that the sauce is what usually provides the flavor. Dessert was a major flop. The Mexican chocolate soufflé was heavy on the egg and light on the chocolate with tasteless, drippy crème anglaise. The only positive thing I can say is that it was very spicy and cinnamony. The pizelle ice cream sandwiches tasted bland. The wine samplers were a nice option. If you decide to try this restaurant you must try the sweet corn soup and gnocchi if they are on the menu. Skip dessert though.

DINNER: Taylor's Kitchen, Lisa's Take

Taylor's Kitchen's Web site

Our 2nd dinner club outing was a lot of fun. I won't write too much about what I think the others will say, but there were some pros and cons. The pros: the service, atmosphere, and decor. What a great romantic neighborhood restaurant! I was digging the sink in the bathroom, and the 16-ply toilet paper. I'm not kidding! Ok. Maybe not 16... The waiter made a great wine recommendation, and the beet salad was fantastic. We all agreed that it was much better than Pearl on the River's beet salad. My minor disappointments in what was otherwise a great setting: the cheese plate was very drab looking; just a sprinkle of an herb or oil would have made it look stellar because the toleme cheese was stellar. Also, my pappardelle was extremely extremely salty salty salty. If and when we go again, I think the smart thing to order, from a sister restaurant of the butchery next door, would be a meat entree or the special fish entree. Duh on my part. Overall, the menu introduced me to a lot of new flavors and ideas for our next dinner club. I've never tried toleme cheese, nor caper berries or panna cotta. So, I really applaud Taylor's Kitchen for having an interesting menu and a diverse wine menu.

LUNCH: Capitol Dawg

I wanted to get out and about today and try something new, so Ray picked me up for lunch to go to the Capitol Dawg. Who knew there were so many varieties of hot dogs out there? I had to try something traditional, so went with the Prop. 51 Chicago dog, grilled, with mustard, green relish, onions, tomato, kosher dill pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt on a poppy seed bun. Ray went with the Los Angeles Deftones Dawg, which had mustard, chili, american cheese, and onions. The sweet potato fries were the biggest hit, though. I'd have to say we can probably cook better hot dogs/sausages, but it was a fun 1/2 hour and the hot dogs all had such fun and crazy names and toppings! For vegetarians: they have vegetarian dogs that yelp reviews have rated high. Location: next to Jack's in midtown.

DINNER: Zelda's Pizza

The thing I love about Zelda's pizza is the pizza, of course, but also the slow-paced nature of the whole scene. It's funny that a lot of Yelp complaints for this restaurant rail on the slow service, but I think that's all part of the fun of going there! Anyone who knows me, too, knows I'm not all that patient when it comes to waiting. but, here, it's almost like it forces me to slow down and actually enjoy the time and people watch. Also, the $1 bud drafts and other $3.50 beers are quite the deal. The halloween and xmas decor year-round is great, too. Definitely a dive bar with great deep dish pizza. Love the crust.

DINNER CLUB RECAP: Seafood Boil!

When the hubby and I were trying to decide on last week’s feast, we kept coming up with “been there, done that” ideas. Then, out of no where, we were hit with the idea of a good ole fashioned crab boil: complete with plastic table clothes and eatin’ only with our fingers. The Mr. took the laboring oar on this dinner, but I did help out by baking the corn bread muffins. We started with lump crab cakes over a bed of mixed greens and a warm toasted fennel seed dressing. The crab cakes were pan fried then warmed in the oven. They turned out perfectly. Then the boil began: we patterned our meal from a recipe that we had recently caught on food tv. Corn, potatoes and artichokes when in first, along with dozens of lemons and spices for seasoning. Next went in shrimps, tiger prawns, and Alaskan king crab legs. We did have some clams from whole foods but they didn’t seem quiet right so we decided against serving them. Sticking with our theme –after covering our dinning room table with several plastic table clothes, we poured the food on to our dinner room table. Then it was time to dig in! Home-made mojito’s and wine washed the meal down. I think my fav had to have been the crab legs. They were steamed perfectly, with just the right amount of lemon and spice. I also really digged the corn on the cob. To round out the evening, we served a home-made banana cream pie. It had the traditional graham cracker pie crust and topped with whipped cream. It was made with whole wheat flour and I’d say the nuttiness of the flour added to the dessert!! A bonus to this wonderful meal – we just peeled off the table cloth and viola! the dishes were done!

DINNER: Plan B

Plan B's Web site

After a long awaited date night, we finally booked a sitter for Saturday night to make it happen. Chris picked the spot - a hip little french joint just around the corner from our house called Plan B. This place was AMAZING. From the decor to the service to the food - 5 stars all the way (even when the guy who was a few scotches in knocked over our almost empty bottle of wine while walking to his table on to my almost finished fish plate special - within seconds two servers cleared my plate and brought me an almost full portion of the special!) It was such a wonderful dinner I almost can’t even remember what we ate. Oh yes, after ordering cocktails (margarita and a champagne split) we started with the butter salad with walnuts, Roquefort and sun-dried cherries. This was simple and delish. Our waiter (who was 100% french, accent and all) was excellent with suggestions. Knowing that this place was famous for their mussels, we asked which dish was the best as they offered six different mussel plates. He recommended the nantaise (butter, shallots, and creme fraiche) without hesitation. This was wonderful - I could have drank the sauce alone. The mussels were fresh tasting and not fishy. The dish also was the perfect size, plenty for two, even three people. The dish was accompanied by pommes frites which were seasoned with oregano. No need for catchup with all this yummyness going around. I ordered the fish special. Honestly, I cannot even recall the two types of fish — they were two that I had never heard of before – but we aren’t talking our standard salmon, halibut or ahi tuna here. So light and with a texture that I would have never thought of. Again our waiter highly suggested this special (and I usually go for the fish special, anyway) and being he was so right on with his other suggestions how could I refuse. Chris had the lambchops which he said were to die for. I took several fork-fulls of his side of ratatouille and thought it was excellent. Our waiter also made an excellent wine selection - a pinot noir from the Alexander valley. We didn’t grab dessert because we were off to catch a movie. This place is a neighborhood gem and I really hope it sticks around. It’s got that kind of downtown trendish feel, so you can get all glammed up if you choose to, but since its nestled between the neighborhoods of Arden Park and Willhaggin, it doesn’t have that crazy pick-me-up clientele. We both decided that we would be coming back, both for dinner and/or also for a night cap on the way home. These guys know their wine and food. Now go and enjoy! Go!

LUNCH: Pearl on the River

Pearl on the River's Web site

Despite the fact that I live around the corner from Pearl On The River, I hadn't been -- until this week. I met an old friend for lunch at Pearl, a cute spot next to Chevy's on Garden Highway. I like the warm, chic environment and was impressed with the menu. I, however, was not impressed with my roasted beet salad -- the beets didn't seem fresh, and were dry. The barely dressed greens weren't much better. I can't believe they charge $9 for that plate. (I should have heeded Lisa's warning and tried something else.) I also sampled the clam chowder that arrived in cute slanted bowls, it was pretty good. The chicken sandwich was delicious, though, and accompanying fries were perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I'd like to go back to Pearl for dinner or for happy hour (didn't get a chance to check out the wine list). But overall, I'll agree with Sandra's opinion -- it's not amazing, but it's a worthy option. I'd choose Pearl over Chevy's or Crawdad's any day.

DINNER CLUB RECAP: Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Work has/had been really stressful, so I was looking for an easy yet yummy dinner club recipe. My mom served us a comfort food enchilada casserole at the beach/Pajaro one weekend, and I knew I had a winner. Enchilada casserole is essentially fresh bean and cheese burritos (you can make your own or use frozen- I made my own), layered with a can of mushroom soup, cheddar cheese, olives, milk, and canned jalapenos, and then baked (chicken was layered on the nonvegetarian side of the casserole dish). I served mine with a ton of cilantro on top, fresh chopped tomatoes from the garden, sour cream, and salsa. Kind of like having mac and cheese as a comfort food but more spicy and, obviously, a bean-inspired dish. My side dish was a mexican fruit cart-inspired mixture of mango, cucumber, jicama, and pineapple, with lime juice and tajin fruit seasoning (spicy mexican/lime salt). My dessert was not mexican themed, but more an idea I had gotten from being easy (in my mind). I bought Eggo French toast (the kind that they precut in 4's for the toaster), and toasted that. On top, I spread Nutella and chopped peanuts. After, I gave everyone the option of maple syrup or chocolate sauce. Most chose the chocolate sauce. I sprinkled that on top, as well as organic blackberries from the Wed. farmers market. I thought the maple syrup was fantastic! You guys missed out! It was like breakfast for dessert! I would recommend trying down the road.

DINNER: Hot Italian, Wray's Take

Overall, a fun place with good food, if you order the right pizza. I thought the place was a modern spin on a traditional pizzeria that leaves a good impression. I liked the open air feel, large tables, unique menu choices and gelato counter within reach for a cool & creamy dessert. The collection of black plastic forks on the wall was intriguing, but has left me with a secret desire to tape up KFC sporks on my next visit. Overall the pizza was good; thin crust that focused on the toppings. My favorite of the DC selections within reach was the balsamic fig and prosciutto pie. With that said, I definitely thought some pizzas we had were much better than others, and I don't think I would plan a night out revolving around this place. Better than Zeldas? Uh, that's questionable. The fact that I remember the wall-forks more than the pie probably answers that question.

DINNER CLUB RECAP: Wray's Tofu Pad Thai and Green Curry Shrimp

Thai iced tea was a nice accompaniment to the hot and spicy tofu pad thai and green curry shrimp. Everything I served this week was based off recipes found at http://www.importfood.com/. Spicy Pad Thai: Fish sauce, sugar, tamarind concentrate, tofu and sriracha sauce (rooster sauce) gave this pad thai a nice authentic taste. Fresh ginger, been sprouts, cilantro, and lime juice really added a fresh kick to this relatively easy and spicy side dish to the main green curry shrimp entree. Green Curry Shrimp: Large shrimp and fresh shallots lemongrass, garlic, ginger, lime, and cilantro really gave this a great flavor. Mixed with the green curry paste, turmeric powder and coconut milk over sticky rice gave a rich and flavorful dish. Thai Iced Tea: think green tea flavored sugar sludge drizzled with condensed milk. All over ice. What's not to love about that? I thought this went well to counter the spicy pad thai and green curry. To keep with the lime theme we had key lime pie for dessert. Claire loved the shrimp! (Sorry no cheese this week).

LUNCH: Buckhorn Grill

Buckhorn's Web site

You go to Buckhorn for the tri-tip. Or something else meaty. I just ate their portabella sandwich. Not impressed. Nor have I been impressed with their salads. So, vegetarians beware (although the mashed potatoes are delicious - how can they not be with all that butter and salt?). Buckhorn Grill is a tasty spot for carnivores who need a quick bite.