New York, New York!

Getting old is really no fun.  Although it certainly beats the alternative, getting grey hair, watching your metabolism dwindle, and feeling the Grim Reaper getting closer and closer to your doorstep is a real bummer. 

So, I have decided that from now on, I am going to do something really spectacular for my birthday, to take the sting out of the experience.  For just a little bit.

And I'm pretty sure that this has been my favorite birthday so far!

I decided to go to NYC this year.

For the flight to NY, Johnny somehow got first class tickets for CHEAP.   Johnny has a crippling fear of flying, so if there is someone on standby to wipe the drool off of his chin while he is passed out from his free-alcohol-induced coma, it makes things a bit more bearable for him.  So there's that.

When we arrived at the hotel (which I snagged with a 45% discount, thankyouverymuch!), we were informed that our room had been upgraded (!!!!!) to a SUITE (!!!!) because it was my birthday!   YAY!!!!

Dining area to the right, off-camera

I'm pretty sure our hotel room was bigger than Johnny's old apartment in Dallas.

I love this place!!!

So anyhoo, we went shopping in Chinatown.

Ceiling of a tea shop

I got a Faux-kidoki duffel bag!

With Engrish!

We returned to our room and THIS was on the table:

I love this hotel!

BTW, here is the view from our room:

Thursday night, we saw a production of Heathers:  The Musical.  It was pretty much what you would expect for an off-Broadway musical.  The  highlight of the play was the in-theatre bar service, from which Johnny ordered a blue fizzy drink that was created in honor of the play.  

FRIDAY:

Macy's!!!

They were having an in-store floral display thing called The Secret Garden.  So there were flower displays everywhere.  Including this gigantic lady:

I finally got to go to the Magnolia Bakery!  It is completely overrated!  I got a lemon cupcake, and the icing tasted like butter.  Not good.  I think Johnny liked his chocolate cupcake, though.

We went to the MOMA, but it was Free Friday, and there was a line around the block to get in, so we went to the gift store. We didn't get anything, because there was a huge line in there too.  Maybe next time.

For our evening activity, we saw THIS:

The first time I saw Les Miserables on Broadway was in about 1990 or 1991.  I saw it later in Dallas.  I thought the Broadway version was better.  I don't know if my perception of the musical has changed in twenty-something years, or if the play has changed.  This version seemed a lot less subtle, a lot more in-your-face and tended to spell out important themes just a little too much for my taste.  It's still better than any of the movies, though.  But the important thing is, JOHNNY LOVED IT!  I think we have another convert!  Mwahahahahaaaaa!!!

After the play, we went to the Hard Rock Cafe.  Because if I'm gonna be a tourist, then I'm gonna be a TOURIST.

SATURDAY:

We started our day back in Chinatown and Little Italy.  We had missed the Vegetarian Chinese restaurant the first time, so we went back.

Mock Sesame Chicken and Mock Orange Beef!

The staff was super rude and scowly.  The faux chicken had a weird, off taste to it.  The orange beef was delicious.

Next stop:

WE FOUND THE FLUEVOG STORE!!!

I got these:

Aren't they adorable????

Johnny got these:

I CONVERTED HIM TO FLUEVOGS!!!!!

And when you have shoes, you gotta have socks, amirite???

From the Sock Man.  Of course.

SUNDAY (My birthday!!!)

We started off our day with a Quest.   A Quest for Pizza.

We found THIS:

Which looks a lot like my pizza:  

And that's a good thing.

After that, we went to my favorite museum EVER, the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

We saw Art Nouveau...

Guys sketching Art...

Tiffany stained glass...

Creepy art...

This was in a stairwell.  Thanks for the nightmares, Met...

After looking at Art, we went to my favorite sushi restaurant in the whole wide world, Komegashi Too.  Which is in New Jersey. Really. 

The Banana Mama roll and Salmon Sashimi

Ankimo,  a.k.a. Monkfish Liver!  Oishii!!!

LADY M- Green Tea Mille Crepe  

Deliciate green tea Mille Crepe is a sight to behold with no less than 20 lacy thin crepes enveloping the lightest pastry cream, vibrant green tea flavors gently humming in the background. Powdered green tea on top.

YUM!

The best thing about Komegashi is the view:

The view from our table.

We had a great time in NYC and can't wait to go back!

Dear Stephan Pyles: All is forgiven.

A month or so ago, Johnny and I had a (gasp!) less than stellar experience at my favorite restaurant in Dallas, Stephan Pyles.  So I wrote them an email.  They asked me to give them another chance.  So I did.  

I was rewarded with a chef's tasting menu.  And this is why all is forgiven...

To start:  Passionfruit margaritas (??? Mojitos?  Refreshers?  Sorry, it's a little fuzzy.  Hooray for vino!)

These were absolutely delicious.  Sweet, fruity, a bit tangy, with a pretty significant punch in the nose of spice.

(Johnny makes something like this.  Cans of Jumex are your friends, kids.  Mix them with a little mezcal, muddled cucumber, and chili powder.  A pretty good recipe is here.  Just add mango or passionfruit juice.)


Next up:  A trio of ceviches, starting with the Charred Octopus "Diablo" with caviar.

For Lent, Johnny and I have challenged ourselves to be Vegetarian.  But because every vegetarian with tastebuds has The Sushi Exception, we're really Pescatarian.  For the Octopus Diablo, the waiter informed us that the chef usually puts chorizo in the dish.  Which I can completely imagine.   It was very, very Spanish. This dish consisted of octopus, black caviar, and (these are guesses here) roasted red bell peppers, and saffron (?).  The flavor was distinctly Spanish, and this was probably my favorite of the trio.

(The second ceviche was Salmon Veracruzano with Capers, Green Olives and Jalapeños.  Sorry, forgot to take a photo.  Too busy eating.  )

The third ceviche was a Royal Red Shrimp Michelada with Cucumber and Dos XX.

Shrimp, cucumber, and beer.  How can you go wrong with this one?

The answer is, YOU CAN'T.

Every texture and every flavor played off each other beautifully in this ceviche.  The slightly hoppy/bitter beer foam contrasted with the sweet, delicate bite of the shrimp.  Tiny diced cucumber pieces picked up the flavor with a snappy crunch.  It all went together perfectly.


The next item in the tasting menu was Compressed D'Anjou pears, Canela Pear Butter, Aerated Local Blue Cheese, and Charred Purple Kale.

Let me preface this part of my review by saying, I HATE PEARS.  I hate pears with a burning passion that I usually only reserve for certain former state governors-turned-President, and licorice. I hate them so bad.  For me, eating a pear is like chewing on dirt mixed with glass.  I hate them SO.  BAD.

That being said, when I go to a fine dining establishment that I KNOW is total greatness, I will purposefully order something that I don't like (Duck goulash, for example, at Charlie Palmer at The Joule--which WOWED me...), just to see if the chef will change my mind.  

This dish completely changed my mind about pears.  For about ten minutes, anyway.  Which is a lot.

The pears in this dish were not gritty at all.  In fact, they were almost like slices of baked, cinnamony apples freshly extracted from a delicious apple pie.  Without the crust.  Which is just filler, anyway.

The kale was crispy, crunchy, lighter than air, and not at all bitter.  It positively disintegrated in my mouth with each bite.

The best part of this dish, and I MUST HAVE THIS RECIPE, was the tiny cup of pear cider that was on the side. Full-bodied, sweet, cidery, and i could have sworn I was drinking a caramel apple.  Or pear.

Dish #3 was a Tamale Tart, Nova Scotia Halibut, Roast Garlic Custard, Crab, and Smoked Tomato Sauce.

I was on my third glass of wine by this time (Hooray for wine pairings!), but I do remember the halibut being almost buttery, perfectly cooked, and having an almost candylike crust from the perfect sear on top.  Crab is never not amazing, and having it on top of a perfectly creamy custard on a tamale crust just makes it better.   I would definitely get this again if given the opportunity.

Dish #4 was the Georges Bank Scallop, Heart of Palm, Mango Leather, and Black Bean Tacu Tacu.

What is tacu tacu, you may ask?  You can find a recipe here.  (It's a black bean cake.)

Along with pears, I'm usually not a huge fan of scallops.  Cooked ones, anyway.  Scallops are SO hard to cook correctly, and 30 seconds of extra cooking time will yield a rubbery hockey puck.

The scallops in this dish were perfectly cooked.  (I think the heart of palm had a bit of scallop inside, if I'm not mistaken.)  The heart of palm was a bit woody, but that's not a dealbreaker.  The tacu tacu was probably my favorite part of this dish.  Crunchy on the outside, smooshy and tender on the inside, perfectly seasoned, and the flavor of the mango leather played off of it perfectly.  A definite home run.

And now to my favorite dish (actually, my favorite thing in a dish) of the entire evening:

Scottish Ocean Trout, Almond Stuffed Squash Blossom, Sunflower (sprouts?)

This is the best thing EVER, and they need to add it to the menu PRONTO.

The trout was perfectly seared, with an almost candylike crust.  Smoky and delicious, with the sprouts providing a snappy, light foil to the fish's smoky taste.

Atop the fish sat my favorite thing that I have ever had at this restaurant (except for the chicken fried venison WHICH THEY NEED TO BRING BACK).  Sitting atop this fish was a squash blossom stuffed with almond butter (?), dipped in tempura batter, and deep fried.  It was like squash blossom candy.  It was amazing.  The whipped filling tasted like butter or cream cheese mixed with almonds, incredibly fluffy, just sweet enough, and contrasted with the crunch of the tempura batter perfectly.   I need this recipe.  Our waiter tried one and agrees that it needs to be added to the menu.  For the love of Vishnu,  Please add this to the menu, Stephan Pyles people!

For dessert, I had this:

Banana Semifreddo, Blackberry Cremeux, Salted Caramel, Pecan Praline

Oh, sorry, did I forget to mention I came here for my birthday?

Everything was delicious.   EVERYTHING.  Stephan Pyles is my favorite restaurant for a reason.  The food is always perfect, and the service I received on my last visit was nothing short of stellar.  The ONE time that the service was not perfect, and I said something to management, I was expecting MAYBE an apology.  But the restaurant management went completely above and beyond any expectations I might have had, and this is why I will be a returning patron for as long as they are around.

Bravo, Stephan Pyles!

(Now if I could just get that squash blossom recipe...?)

The 2013 State Fair Fried Food Report!

The 2013 State Fair Fried Food Report

Finally!  I finally got a chance to sit down and do my annual State Fair Fried Food blog!  Hooray for me!

Unfortunately, this year's selections aren't as exciting as the previous years'.  There were really no standouts in the best or worst food categories.  Mostly everything was just kind of blah.

But, the BEST thing about this year was that I got to go there with my sweetie-pie, so it was FUN!

On with the show...

"I got burnt up, folks!"

Unfortunately, Big Tex self-immolated last year.  This was a national tragedy.  He had a funeral.  It was sad.  So you can probably imagine how much most of us were anxiously waiting to see what Big Tex II would look like.  So we waited.   And waited.   And then we got THIS:

Big Tejano

This is just WRONG.  No pectoral muscles.  Knee-high puffy boots.  Tacky boots.  With ROLLED UP JEANS.  WTF???  Also, he still has a creepy face, but it's a DIFFERENT creepy face.  And there are those who think he has a bit too much of a tan.  Also, wonky arms.   I'm going to stop here before I start to cry.

(...I'm okay.... I'm okay....  It's just a puppet.....)

(deep breath)

*sniffle*

So to continue with the food...

As good little 2nd- and 3rd- generation Texans, we had to start our Fair Day with a Fletcher's Corn Dog.  They take away your citizenship if you don't do this.  I wish I were kidding.

Note:  ANOTHER scooter lady came up while we were eating our corn dogs, griped about not being able to park at our table, so her daughter told her to get out and walk.  Which she did.  I hate Wal-Mart so much.

Our first foray into this year's Fried Food Festivities was to try the new Spinach Dip Bites.  

Spinach Dip Bites – Creamy and delicious spinach artichoke dip bites are coated with crispy tortilla chips and flash-fried until golden brown. Bites are served with salsa for an additional kick.  

These were actually pretty good!  they had just enough cheese to be creamy and stretchy, and the salsa gave it a kick of lightness.  Nice job, Fried Food people!

The place that had the Spinach Dip Bites also had my favorite Fair food ever, THE STRAWBERRY CHOCOLATE WAFFLE BALL!!!!!  So I had to bring Johnny over to the Dark Side, because he had never had them before.  And this is a shame.

Best.  Fair Food.  EVER.

How's that for Food Pr0n?.

Next up was the Deep Fried Nutella.

Awesome Deep Fried Nutella® – Whipped Nutella wrapped around a extra crispy dough and deep fried. Topped with strawberries bananas MORE Nutella chocolate whipped cream and powdered sugar.

Um....Nice try.

This was phyllo dough wrapped around Nutella (I think).  Covered with a couple of small blobs of Nutella, NO WHIPPED CREAM, and two slices EACH of strawberries and bananas.  (You don't mean it!  TWO whole slices???)  When you pick it up to bite it, it just shatters everywhere.  There's really no filling to speak of, and this was pretty much just a waste of Nutella.  I'd be happier with some Nutella smeared on a banana.  Or just a spoonful of Nutella.  Something.  Not this.


Next up was Deep Fried King Ranch Casserole.

Fernie’s Deep Fried King Ranch Casserole –This stick-to-your-ribs TEXAS SHAPED creation is melted cheese, salty, spicy, goodness that is dipped in a zesty southwestern egg wash and coated in panko bread crumbs.  Deep fried golden brown and crunchy on the outside; steamy and creamy on the inside! Served with a side of red, white, and blue tortilla chips and your choice of our homemade “salsafied” sour cream or cheesy queso.  Each one proudly flying the flag of the Lone Star State and deep fried in the Heart of Texas!

I see Ro-Tel....

This was okay.  It made me want to go home and make my own King Ranch Casserole.  Which I did last Thursday.  And mine was WAY better.  

Also, my deep fried King Ranch Casserole didn't come with cheese.  Just sour cream.Not "salsified" at all.  NO CHEESY QUESO????   What gives, Fernie???  Why you wanna be like that?

Finally, we ended our Fair Adventure with the Deep Fried Cuban Roll.  Which was okay.  Mainly it was a bunch of undeserved hype.

Deep Fried Cuban Roll – A filling of slow cooked pork shoulder, chopped ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and secret sauce is spread onto a slice of Swiss cheese, rolled up in pastry dough, and deep fried.  Roll is served with a side of mojo sauce for dipping.

Boring with not enough gravy. NEXT!

The Butter Sculpture

This year's Butter Sculpture was still in progress when we saw it, supposedly because the sculptor ran out of butter.  I'm not even kidding.

This sculpture is a little more disturbing than previous years'.   I like to call this one...

Big Tex Loves the Little Children...A Bit Too Much..

Creepy....

Why is that baby humping Big Tex's leg????

And this brings us to...

CREEPY CRAP ON THE MIDWAY!!!!

Uh...

That's kinda scary...

OH MY GOD IT WANTS MY SOUL!!!!

*deep breath*

I'm going to conclude this year's Fair post on a humorous note.  To get the scary clown imagery out of your brain, let's watch Johnny on his favorite ride.  You're welcome.

Johnny Rides the Footsie Wootsie!!!

Ahhh...

AHH!!
(What is that kid back there DOING???)

Heehee!

You know it just got good...
(Is that kid being smacked by a fan???)

Johnny is now Jello.  With noodley feet.

See you next year!