Saturday, November 24, 2007
Pan Fried Steak with Brown Butter and Pine nut Romanesco
We simply pan fried the steak in a bit of olive oil and butter, after marinating it in steak seasoning and worcestershire sauce for about a half hour. The recipe for the romanesco is below.
Brown Butter and Pine nut Romanesco
-2 heads romanesco
-1/4 cup pine nuts
-2 tb butter
-salt and pepper to taste
Break the romanesco into flowerettes and season with salt and pepper. Place in a glass pan, cover with foil and roast on 375 for about 30 minutes, until tender. In a small pan, melt the butter over low and add the pine nuts. Cook until both butter and pine nuts are a golden brown. When romanesco is done roasting, toss in the brown butter and pine nuts.
-2 heads romanesco
-1/4 cup pine nuts
-2 tb butter
-salt and pepper to taste
Break the romanesco into flowerettes and season with salt and pepper. Place in a glass pan, cover with foil and roast on 375 for about 30 minutes, until tender. In a small pan, melt the butter over low and add the pine nuts. Cook until both butter and pine nuts are a golden brown. When romanesco is done roasting, toss in the brown butter and pine nuts.
And, embarrassingly, we topped off this mean with some (delicious) Kraft Mac 'n Cheese.
Labels: beef, dinner recipes, homemade, romanesco
Breakfast at Terrace Pointe Cafe, Wynn Hotel, Las Vegas Nevada
We were actually pretty pleased with the quality of the food at the 24 cafe in the Wynn. Also, the service was pleasant and the food arrived about 5 minutes after we ordered (we'd informed them that we needed to be out quickly since we had a flight to catch).
Steak and Eggs $15
A better than average steak, perfect eggs but sub-par, gooey hash browns.
Bagel with Lox $12
Kind of expensive for a bagel, but the lox portion was generous and the ingredients were fresh and tasty. Interestingly, caper berries were used instead of capers.
Terrace Pointe Cafe
Wynn Hotel
Las Vegas, NV
Steak and Eggs $15
A better than average steak, perfect eggs but sub-par, gooey hash browns.
Bagel with Lox $12
Kind of expensive for a bagel, but the lox portion was generous and the ingredients were fresh and tasty. Interestingly, caper berries were used instead of capers.
Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 1
Service: 2
Food: 1
Decor: 1
Service: 2
Terrace Pointe Cafe
Wynn Hotel
Las Vegas, NV
Labels: Decor: 1, Food: 1, restaurant, review, Service: 2
Friday, November 23, 2007
Dinner at The Buffet at The Wynn Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
We went to an early dinner at The Buffet at the Wynn, which we heard was one of the best buffets in Vegas. Also, all weekend they had a special Thanksgiving version of the buffet, which had a variety of meats and all the Thanksgiving classics. Overall the buffet was pretty good and we definitely ate too much. The price per person was $50.
Udon Noodles with XO Sauce, Crab and Asparagus
This was a surprisingly tasty dish. The noodles had a great chew that you usually don't see udon, which usually becomes very soft in soup.
Prime Rib (good but not great), Rack of Lamb (juicy and flavorful), Veal Shortribs (tender), Venison (not as good as expected), Pumpkin Gnocchi (starchy and flavorless), Mussels (got scared of eating mussels at a buffet, so didn't try them), Cheese Ravioli (good), Roasted Veggies (tasty) and BBQ Chicken Stromboli (better than it sounds)
Prime Rib (good but not great), Pizza (strangely no sauce, but the crust was thin and crunchy), Clams (ok), Cheese Ravioli with Mushroom Sauce (pretty good)
King Crab Legs (with seconds of stuff named above)
You really can't go wrong with endless crab dipped in chili sauce and drawn butter.
Corn Flan (gross), Clam Chowder (ok, but too much starchy), Udon Noodles with Crab (very tasty, as described above), and California Roll (standard)
Ramen
Pretty standard.
Homemade Coffee Ice Cream (very creamy and delicious), Key Lime Pie (tart and tasty), Chocolate Chip Cookie (too hard and dry), Chocolate Tart (too sweet), Fruit (standard)
The Wynn Hotel
Las Vegas, NV
Udon Noodles with XO Sauce, Crab and Asparagus
This was a surprisingly tasty dish. The noodles had a great chew that you usually don't see udon, which usually becomes very soft in soup.
Prime Rib (good but not great), Rack of Lamb (juicy and flavorful), Veal Shortribs (tender), Venison (not as good as expected), Pumpkin Gnocchi (starchy and flavorless), Mussels (got scared of eating mussels at a buffet, so didn't try them), Cheese Ravioli (good), Roasted Veggies (tasty) and BBQ Chicken Stromboli (better than it sounds)
Prime Rib (good but not great), Pizza (strangely no sauce, but the crust was thin and crunchy), Clams (ok), Cheese Ravioli with Mushroom Sauce (pretty good)
King Crab Legs (with seconds of stuff named above)
You really can't go wrong with endless crab dipped in chili sauce and drawn butter.
Corn Flan (gross), Clam Chowder (ok, but too much starchy), Udon Noodles with Crab (very tasty, as described above), and California Roll (standard)
Ramen
Pretty standard.
Homemade Coffee Ice Cream (very creamy and delicious), Key Lime Pie (tart and tasty), Chocolate Chip Cookie (too hard and dry), Chocolate Tart (too sweet), Fruit (standard)
Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 0
Service: 0
Food: 1
Decor: 0
Service: 0
Las Vegas, NV
Labels: buffet, Decor: 0, Food: 1, restaurant, review, Service: 1
Burger Bar in Las Vegas: Best Burger in the West?
When we go to Vegas, we always make a point of going to Burger Bar, Hubert Keller's (of Fleur de Lys) burger joint. Burger Bar's schtick is that they have about 60 different a la carte burger toppings and 5 kinds of meat. This time we tried to make the most decadent burger we could and I think we succeeded.
Foie Gras, Bacon and Mozzerella Burger $25
Although this was an expensive burger, it was totally worth it. It was decadent and delicious. What always surprises us is that the piece of foie gras is so generous.
Foie Gras, Bacon and Mozzerella Burger $25
Although this was an expensive burger, it was totally worth it. It was decadent and delicious. What always surprises us is that the piece of foie gras is so generous.
Labels: burger, Decor: 1, Food: 2, restaurant, review, Service: 1
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Dinner at Ducca, San Francisco, CA
Alexis just got a job offer, so we went out to celebrate at Ducca, a place that's been on our list for a few months. It ended up being tastier than expected.
Venison Carpaccio with Carmelized Cauliflower, Apple and Pomegranate $13
Although the venison was a bit thicker than one would expect for a carpaccio, the flavors were delicious.
Salumi Patter with Pickled Veggies $14
The pickled veggies were the stronger component of this dish; they were delicious. The salumi was nice, but not special.
Pan Fried Quail with Chestnuts, and Brocollini in Balsamic Reduction $16
Although a little sweet, overall, this was a very tasty dish. The quail was cooked perfectly and the slices of nutty chestnut added a nice contrast to the bright flavors of the sauce.
Halibut Cheeks with Cuttlefish and Garbonzos $22
This was a very tasty dish, although the garbonzos didn't add much. The halibut cheeks were firm, almost like a scallop and were quite wonderful in the rich, tomato-based sauce.
Bucatini Pasta with Fresh Sardines and Caramelized Fennel $12
This half portion was just right. This dish was good, but was overpowered by the excessive fresh dill.
Tiramisu Semifredo $8
This deconstructed and fresh take on an Italian classic was good, but not amazing.
Venison Carpaccio with Carmelized Cauliflower, Apple and Pomegranate $13
Although the venison was a bit thicker than one would expect for a carpaccio, the flavors were delicious.
Salumi Patter with Pickled Veggies $14
The pickled veggies were the stronger component of this dish; they were delicious. The salumi was nice, but not special.
Pan Fried Quail with Chestnuts, and Brocollini in Balsamic Reduction $16
Although a little sweet, overall, this was a very tasty dish. The quail was cooked perfectly and the slices of nutty chestnut added a nice contrast to the bright flavors of the sauce.
Halibut Cheeks with Cuttlefish and Garbonzos $22
This was a very tasty dish, although the garbonzos didn't add much. The halibut cheeks were firm, almost like a scallop and were quite wonderful in the rich, tomato-based sauce.
Bucatini Pasta with Fresh Sardines and Caramelized Fennel $12
This half portion was just right. This dish was good, but was overpowered by the excessive fresh dill.
Tiramisu Semifredo $8
This deconstructed and fresh take on an Italian classic was good, but not amazing.
Ratings:
Food: 2
Decor: 1
Service: 2
Too New for Health Code Violations?
Food: 2
Decor: 1
Service: 2
Too New for Health Code Violations?
Labels: Decor: 2, Food: 2, Italian, restaurant, review, Service: 2
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Spicy Black Bean Turnip Greens and Ground Turkey with Bok Choy
This is a simple dish of chopped, steamed bok choy that we seasoned simply with a quick ponzu of soy, Splenda and rice vinegar.
This is a quick weeknight meal that freezes well for later use.
-1 lb of ground turkey
-3 tb garlic black bean sauce
-2 tb soy sauce
-2 tb chili garlic sauce
-2 bunches turnip greens
-2 packages shirataki noodles
-1 onion, quartered and thinly sliced
Sautee the onions in the soy sauce until soft. Add the ground turkey and the rest of the sauces and cook until browned. Add the noodles and stir to coat in the sauce. Add the turnip greens and cover. Simmer for a few minutes, until turnip greens are soft. Stir everything to coat.
-3 tb garlic black bean sauce
-2 tb soy sauce
-2 tb chili garlic sauce
-2 bunches turnip greens
-2 packages shirataki noodles
-1 onion, quartered and thinly sliced
Sautee the onions in the soy sauce until soft. Add the ground turkey and the rest of the sauces and cook until browned. Add the noodles and stir to coat in the sauce. Add the turnip greens and cover. Simmer for a few minutes, until turnip greens are soft. Stir everything to coat.
Labels: bok choy, dinner recipes, homemade, turkey, turnip greens
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Mustard-Apple-Sage Pork Loin with Green Salad
We had some Thanksgiving ingredients left over and since pork and apples go well together, and we had a pork loin in the freezer, this dish seemed like a good use of everything. Giao found it a bit too sweet, but he doesn't really like sweet with savory. We served it with a fresh green salad.
-2 tb whole grain mustard
-1/2 dry white wine
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 handful fresh sage leaves, chopped
-1 lb pork loin, cut in bite size pieces
-1/2 onion, diced
-3 apples, peeled, cored and diced
Mix the wine, salt, pepper and mustard together and marinate the pork pieces for at least 1/2 and hour. Sautee the onion in a bit of olive oil. When becoming translucent, add the pork and sautee until cooked through. In another pan, sautee the diced apple in butter until brown and soft. When pork is done, add the apple and sage and stir to combine.
-1/2 dry white wine
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 handful fresh sage leaves, chopped
-1 lb pork loin, cut in bite size pieces
-1/2 onion, diced
-3 apples, peeled, cored and diced
Mix the wine, salt, pepper and mustard together and marinate the pork pieces for at least 1/2 and hour. Sautee the onion in a bit of olive oil. When becoming translucent, add the pork and sautee until cooked through. In another pan, sautee the diced apple in butter until brown and soft. When pork is done, add the apple and sage and stir to combine.
Labels: apple, dinner recipes, homemade, pork
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Snack at Jillian's, San Francisco, CA
Spinach Dip $8
Usually we just eat wings at Jillian's but this time we went for the spinach dip and it was a good decision. It was creamy and bad for you, yet packed with spinach, making you feel just a bit better.
Labels: Decor: 0, Food: 1, pub food, restaurant, review, Service: 1
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