Out with the Old and In with the New

Don't Big Box Carytown  Ben and Jerry's couldn't do it.

Cafe Rustica

We went back to Cafe Rustica a couple of weeks ago. It had been quite a while. Mainly because we were afraid it would be packed. But on this evening we had dinner early. And even though we had the chance to sit at a booth, we still opted for the bar.

We started with a lovely Cab Franc from Chinon.

From past visits I remembered some killer desserts. So, in hopes of a still-delicious dessert menu, I had a pork tostada appetizer.

The pork had been cooked to pull-apart tenderness. Fresh salsa-style veggies topped the pork along with  Mexican crema. Great flavor. And very filling.

Hubby ordered the seafood cakes with crab, shrimp, and scallop and served with roasted potatoes. He thought the sauce overpowered the seafood, but the cakes themselves were tasty.

Dessert, for me, did not disappoint - grilled pound cake with lemon curd, whipped cream, and fresh berries. So, so good.

Hubby had the chocolate tart with a walnut crust. He loved the chocolate, but did not like the crust. Being more of a chocolate purist, he said the walnuts distracted from the chocolate.

A home run for me in the eats department, not so much for my spouse. He is still willing to go back, he just made some poor choices for his palate this time around.

A Beautiful Day at SOJ

Slightly less humid today, thank goodness. And lots of delectable goodies.

Onions, poblanos, and Juliet tomatoes form Amy's (they also had figs)
Fresh chicken breasts from Ault's
Garlic and parsley from Root Force Collective
White potatoes from Pleitez
Tea from Koralee
Iced coffee from Blanchards
Duck egg and pork belly tako from Boka
Barbeque from Big Daddy's
Fresh pasta from Cavanna's
Carrots from Victory Farms

If you have photos of any of the markets, post them here.

Northside Grille Bar

Cheers.

Hey Good Looking

Some kind of rum, lemonade, and maraschino cherry concoction my spouse came up with. But damn good looking!

Stare all you want.

SOJ Pics

Wasn't Saturday a lovely day? So pleasant. So cool. We had another marvelous time at the market. Breakfast was a Thai Chicken Tako topped with a fried duck egg Mmmm.

If you have photos of any of the local markets, post them here.

Where Do You Suppose My Hubby Wanted To Go For His Birthday?

Acacia, of course. And we had to sit at the bar (not because the dining room was crowded, but because it's our favorite place to sit at Acacia). And, lucky us, our favorite bartender was there, even though he was supposed to be off.

We had to try a new craft cocktail. For hubby, a Mai Tai with three different types of rum!

For me, bourbon with plum puree and Strega.

I never tire of watching the bartenders here ply their craft. They are very knowledgeable and strive for perfection. This is an art form that stirs all of the senses. Alas, I wax poetic...

For wine, we ordered a bottle of 2008 Torbreck Woodcutter's Shiraz from Barossa Valley. Full bodied, with a touch of spice.

We shared the smoked mozzarella and heirloom tomato salad. We have had this salad before. It's good. Get it while they are still offering it.

For entrees, I had the duck breast stuffed with apple and wrapped in applewood smoked bacon and served with cheesy polenta. All good. Every time I order this dish, I rave.

Hubby ordered the sauteed flounder and he raved about it. For me, I've said it before: I am not a huge fish fan. And I never eat flounder. My better half (at least on this night!) insisted that I try it. Oh ny god!!!!! Superb! If I had known, I would have ordered the flounder. Perfectly sauteed with just a bit of crisp browning and no chewy fishiness at all. I was mightily impressed.

Since it was hubby's birthday, we had dessert. He had a grown up root beer float.

I had the almond financier with cream and cherry compote.

Yummy, yummy.

For the past few years whether it was my husband's birthday or mine or our anniversary, we have not had good luck going out to eat. We hit the jackpot this time and it was at the bar!

Tastebuds Is Always Good

If you have not tried Tastebuds, get off your tuckus and go eat there!

Last week after a trying day at work, I announced to my hubby: "I don't feel like cooking. Where are you taking me to eat?'

While hot, it was not 105 degrees, so we walked to Tastebuds. While the little bar chef urged martinis, we opted for a French 76 and a Dark and Stormy. Finally, a chance to sit back and unwind.

We probably frustrated our waitress because we just needed to relax and think about our next plan of attack food and drink-wise. And since Tastebuds offered reasonably priced and tasty reds and whites, we needed to decide on eats first.

Finally, we chose the red Cotes du Rhone.

For dinner we began with salads - a Tuscan white bean and arugula for me and spinach, goat cheese, and pickled onion for the other half. Both very enjoyable.

For entrees, I selected the Pork Adobo Taco appetizer. Very spicy and hearty. Hubby had the Margeurite pizza with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil.

Imaginative cuisine at reasonable prices. We ate and watched the shadows play across the wall.

Go eat here.

The Bar at Lemaire

Seriously, eat here. It took me almost a year to do so. Shame on me. We went at 5 PM on a Sunday. Not crowded, so no reservations needed. We could wear shorts and we could order the 3 course prix fixe for $30.

We started with drinks - White Wine Sangria

and a Southside Cocktail

both contained herbs grown in Chef Bundy's urban garden. The bartender and waitstaff were pleased to talk about the urban garden and show various other herbal cuttings. A nice touch.

We then ordered a 2005 Napa Valley Franciscan Merlot. So yummy!

First course dazzled us with Cream of Vidalia Onion Bisque with Applewood Smoked Bacon, Jumbo Lump Blue Crab Meat, and Chives. We were in heaven. This has to be the quintessential Southern dish - sweet onion, smokey pork, and crab.

For the second course hubby ordered Sustainably Raised Loch Duart Salmon with Carolina Gold Rice Pudding, Grilled Fennel, Arugula, Pine Nuts, and Sauce Gaspacho. Yes, he loved it.

I had Buckhead Certified Angus Petite Filet with Roasted Garlic-Buttermilk Potatoes and Green Tomato Chow-Chow. The filet was so tender and perfectly cooked to medium rare. What really knocked me out was the chow-chow. While not a tomato fan, these cut up green babies along with cabbage had been bathing in a lovely vinegar brew that woke up my tastebuds. I actually ate chunks of tomatoes and raved about them! So far, Chef Bundy has been the only person to accomplish this formidable task.

The first and second courses were proportioned just right. If one is going to eat three course, smaller sizes should be the rule. But we had more wine to drink, it was early, and hubby decided to have a cheese course before dessert. He ordered the Tillamook Cheddar (only $3 for one cheese selection). It arrived with four hearty slices, a variety of crackers, and seasonal fresh fruit. He really liked the fresh raspberries.

For dessert we both ordered Butterscotch Brulee. And this course turned out to be larger than anticipated. Very nice brulee with just a hint of butterscotch.

We had a lovely time. Our food was superb. And the service most excellent. Lemaire may become another regular bar destination for us.