Farmers Fishers Bakers- Georgetown, Washington, DC

When traveling, we eat local, as much as possible.   In Washington D.C., you can't get more local than Farmers, Fishers, Bakers.  Situated right on the harbour, off of K street in George Town, this eatery boasts casual fare from local grain to farm, to fishery.

 They have 24 craft beers on draft and an extensive cocktail menu.  They even have a "Farmacy" with non alcoholic cocktails.  My daughter ordered the Rickey.  Lime juice, jerk soda with a flavor of the day.  Today's was cherry.  It tasted like a cherry mojito.  She kept asking if it has alcohol in it.  I must say a little tequila would have been amazing in this drink.

We ordered the calamari and the onion rings for starters .  The calamari was perfect.  Not a chewy bit to be had.  The onion rings were thick and crispy but the beast part was the sauces to dip in.  One was like a French onion dip and the other was like a spicy honey mustard.  Wow!

The menu is extensive, offering pizza, sandwiches, and tacos, as well as, steaks, seafood and salads.  A bit of something for everyone, even sushi!. I couldn't decide what to order.  They do not offer a kids menu, so my girls ordered the thin crust pizza. ( half pepperoni).  The pepperoni was three dollars extra and they graciously put all three dollars worth on the one half. It was crispy and light on the cheese (my kids love that) and the pepperoni was thick and spicy.  I did not get a photo on this one because they grabbed for it too fast!  My daughter was rubbing her belly because she ate so much and my husband was more than happy to eat the last slice.

My son ordered the crab cake sandwich.  He and I are crab cake connesiours, so I was thrilled he ordered this, because I could have some.  The bun was light and fluffy, the crab fresh with thick chunks and light on the mayo but thick on the kick.  Super good.

My husband opted for the sushi.  Appropriately, he ordered the Chesapeake Bay roll.  Fresh crab with light mayo, lettuce and celery.  It sat on a bed of spicy sauce and topped with fried onion strings.  Surprisingly good for a non Asian restaurant. 

I ordered the Cioppino.  I figured if we were right in the water, I should order seafood.  Shrimp, calamari, mussels and white fish in a tomato based soup with bits of potato and onions.  This was an amazing dish.  I wish I had ordered two because my daughter ate most of my calamari and my son most of the mussels.  After I ate the rest of the seafood with spoonfuls of the decadent soup, my son took a spoon and ate all the remaining soup.  My daughter then took the bread and soaked up the very last drops.  Safe to say we loved this dish!  

We decided before we even ordered dinner that we had to get dessert, when we saw the dessert at the next table. After a battle over what to order, beignets, death by chocolate brownie sundae, key lime pie, or banana pudding, we decided on the bananas foster and the Sooze's chocolate cake.  I love bananas foster because I love caramel and this serving did not disappoint.  It did not come flaming but I got over that because it was soooo good.  My son and I did not let anyone else touch it.  He still has not stopped talking about it! The chocolate cake was torn apart by the girls and quickly consumed.  My poor husband was left empty plated.  

Having over filled our bellies we called it a night.  We were very happy with our meal and you will be too.  Happy eating.

Still dreaming of this meal!- Yerba Buena, Perry Street, NYC

After an awesome matinee, my husband and I walked down the West side along the Hudson heading for a good Mexican meal in the village.  The restaurant we chose, had yet to open.  This turned out to be a great thing.  A quick search of the area and we stumbled on quaint Latin restaurant tucked in the corner of Perry and Greenwich.  Yerba Buena is fusion of Cuban, Peruvian, Chilean, Mexican and Argentinian flavors, tastes and styles.

As with many NYC restaurants the seating is very cozy, with only inches between you and the next table.  No worries because you are so involved in your meal that you don't even notice the people around you.

They have a full bar but highlight their custom cocktail menu.  I ordered the El Manguito, cachaca with mango, ginger beer and lime juice.  I took a sip and loved the flavor and then I was hit with the heat!!  I missed the fact that it also contained poblano pepper!  It was an amazing drink! I loved it more and more with each sip.  

 

My husband was thrilled to see chicharron on the appetizer menu.  Why order guacamole, when you can have chicharron?  This appetizer, called Picada, comes with yucca, tostones, chorizo with rocoto.  Holy Moly was this good!!  The chicharron was crispy, crunchy on the outside and smooth on the inside.  I am drooling just thinking about it!  The Yucca was fresh and salty and the tostones fried to perfection all having a kick from the rocoto pepper. 

Dinner was a culinary masterpiece.  We ordered the house dish, Parillada, a mixed grill popular in Argentina and Columbia.  This Parillada came with rib eye steak, Beef short rib, Bone marrow and Morcilla arepa with three amazing salsas for dipping, Chimichurri, Yerba Buena horseradish and an Aji panca salsa.  The meat was so flavorful it didn't need the salsa but we added a bit and the flavor exploded.  I left most of the ribeye and short rib for my husband and dove into the marrow and Morcilla arepa.  My husband will not go near blood sausage or marrow.  He was missing out!  I could have had only the Morcilla arepa for my meal and I would have been happy.  This meal was definitely a treat, and one you should definitely try on your visit.  We ordered a side of beans and rice that I didn't eat till all the meat was gone.  I couldn't leave that plate.  They offer Chaufa rice, which is a Peruvian/Chinese fried rice.  Wow! My husband ordered the Papas a la provenzal, aka fried potatoes.  He always finds a way to get French fries.  These were awesome.  They were drizzled a tomato salsa which added quite a kick. 

If you aren't full by this point, make sure you get the Churros for dessert!   No matter what you order, I am sure that you will be as happy as we were.  Happy Eating. 

 

An Oasis in the city- Cosmos, Lansing

We now have a new favorite family dining place.  With it's casual outdoor patio, wood fired pizzas,  and amazing staff, Cosmos is the go to for a great night out.  Situated on the corner of Grand River and Larch, Cosmos is a galactic space odyssey on the inside and open air patio outside Bordered by a wooden fence, blocking the busy city out, the patio is an awesome space for relaxing, eating and enjoying a beautiful summer night. 

Cosmos provides a large variety of Michigan local microbrews with a rotating schedule so you can get the a favorite or a new release. They also offer a full bar inside and another in the patio area. 

The menu is simple, but fantastic!  You cannot come to Cosmos and not get the Duck fat fries!  They are to die for!  They come in sea salt and truffle. Careful, the truffle is very addictive.  Perfectly fried to have a crispy outer layer and soft inner layer.  The spicy ketchup (Cosmic sauce) that comes with them adds the perfect kick.  I am lucky to get some when we go with our kids.  They disappear fast. 

If you are looking for a less fried starter, you need to try the Caprese salad with fresh heirloom tomatoes, thick slices of mozzarella, and arugula pesto with a balsamic drizzle.  I could eat it everyday.  They also have 4 different kinds of bruschetta and several other salads and starts like Tempura shrimp and corn fritters.

The pizza menu provides a variety of palate tempting combinations of toppings.  We have tried several of the pizzas but the Chorizo is my favorite.  Chorizo sausage with grilled asparagus, sweet corn, garlic cream, peppers and mozzarella.  Wow!!  I sometimes eat a few too many pieces because it is so yummy.  My husband and son love the Pepperoni with pancetta, and andouille sausage. 

The pizza is full of meat!!! 

I also love the Applewood bacon pie with sundried tomato aioli. If you are not looking for so much flavor variety or you have children, they also offer cheese and pepperoni alone. 

This place is a guaranteed win for all.  We are always happy when we eat here and you will be too!!

Happy eating!

New Orleans food and flare in Old Town, Lansing

For Mommy birthday brunch my girlfriend picked Creole Coffee, the new restaurant in Old Town.  It is a double treat.  By day, it is a tasty brunch and coffee joint, by night the space next door is a hip, jazzy restaurant, Creole.  

Two of us arrived early and we were glad we did!  The place was packed!  It is usually seat yourself but with the amount of people the wait staff was helping to get everyone seated.  While we waited, we got a chance to check things out.  The place is very cool with antique metal advertisements and art on the walls.                        

There is a coffee bar in the back with the selection written, in impeccable handwriting, on a chalkboard.  The large windows in the front make the small area appear more spacious.  

Luckily, we were sat just as the rest of our party arrived.  The menu is fantastic, a mixture of southern goodness and French deliciousness. You can choose from crepes, eggs benedict, and quiche, but also shrimp and grits, and pain Perdue (French toast).  Even the drinks are awesome!  None of us drink coffee, ironic for a visit to a "coffee Company" but they have tea and honey steamers.  

The tea comes in it's own seeping pot with an hourglass timer.  I love this!!!  

My girlfriend got the honey steamer with was infused with rosemary.  It was both yummy and pretty to look at.  The china cup and saucer helped!   

The breakfast items tasted as good as the descriptions suggested.  The beignets were warm, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.  Oh My Goodness, yummy!!!! 

 The quiche had a flaky buttery crust with fresh veggies and fluffy eggs.  I wanted the egg benedict with the crab cake base, but it was so popular that they were out by the time we ordered.  No worries the Tasso ham and spinach eggs benedict didn't disappoint!!!  Spicy and gooey with fresh spinach...yum!!!  The hollandaise sauce is rich, but not so rich that it overtakes the whole dish. Perfect!  
Finally, they serve crepes, but not just crepes, bananas foster crepes!!!  Wow!!!

That is just the brunch!!

The restaurant space, next door ,looked so cool and I spied a cask beer tap, so a few weeks later, when it was Daddy Daughter dance night,  I took my favorite son to dinner.  He has a great palate so I knew he would appreciate Creole. 

Like the cafe side the restaurant is full of character.  The bricks are exposed and the pipes are visible with wooden chairs and tables you feel like you are transported to the Big Easy.   They had four types of beer on tap.  Two local, and two imports, one of which was an ESB!!!  That is the only way to get me to order a non-Michigan craft beer.  Offer an English cask beer!  

Word of warning...they do not have kid friendly drinks such as root beer.  but they serve water in beautiful glass bottles.  
With our drinks our waitress offered fresh corn bread.  Nice!!!

Of course, my son wanted to start with gumbo, so I ordered the lobster bisque.  They were served in the adorable little pots, just the right size for an appetizer.
We wanted to order everything on the menu but needed to narrow it down.  My son asked what pork belly was and once he heard it was like bacon he was set.  We both are huge fans of crab cakes so that was a given and thankfully he likes Brussels sprouts because I was psyched to try them here.  

The pork shank was cooked to perfection, not too greasy as it can be with that much fat but not dried out in the process.  It was served with savory bread pudding that, like savory kugel, translates well from its sweet cousin.

The crab cake was served with a mango tomatillo gastrique that paired really well.   I was glad there was an ample amount on the plate because I did a lot of dipping. 

But my favorite dish was the Brussels sprouts.  Easily a dish in itself for a vegetarian, they were served in a sweet cranberry sauce with pumpkin seeds and crisp flaky kale.   The sweetness of the sauce was a perfect match for the tang of the sprouts.  Yummy!!!  

We almost licked the plates clean.  Of course, we ordered dessert!!!  Having not been with us for the brunch, my son ordered the beignets (I didn't argue, wanting to have them again) and I ordered the bread pudding.  It is served chilled unlike many other places and it works!!!  This makes it less gooey and easy and more like a cake.  The bourbon caramel sauce was amazing!!!  And again I was grateful for the abundance of sauce!  

We left with full bellies and more than happy with our meal.  You will be too.  Happy eating at Creole!

Manga!! Italian cookies and cakes made to perfection! Dolci!

Dolci Italian Bake House is a cottage industry out of Julie Taiber's own kitchen.  Julie took her passion for Italy and is making Italian sweets (dolci)  that are not only amazing, but contain no preservatives and use fresh and creative ingredients.  She makes each cookie and cake with precision and care to ensure their authenticity.

Look at how beautiful these cookies are!  

Her biscotti is baked to perfection.  The lemon cookies are just the right bit of bitter and sweet with an amazing frosting. And the pizelles (the waffle cookie) Oh My God!!!!  

Julie uses spices and flavors that blend to make magic.  

The cakes are always moist and delicate but rich in flavors. 

This chocolate cake is to die for.  I am not really a fan of chocolate cake but I had to have two slices of this one. 

Torta al Cioccolato con Olio d’Oliva

 I am a huge fan of carrot cake and so I was very leery of this cake. 

Torta al Radicchio di Chiogga  

Why ruin a good carrot cake with Raddichio?  The answer:  to make it better! And better without cream cheese frosting! 

But the most creative and fun of all the cakes is the Angel Hair Pasta Cake:

Torta di vermicelli

I absolutely love this cake!!!  It is fruity, nutty and savory.  So yummy!!!  

These cakes and cookies are perfect for family gatherings, group events, treats for your kids, or a great gift for someone special.  

You can find Dolci Italian Bakehouse at:             the Meridian Farmer's market, http://dolciitalianbakehouse.com,            Facebook or instagram.  

You will be so happy when you order from Dolci Italian Bakehouse.  I always am!!  Happy eating!

My favorite pastries and cakes now in East Town Center-Chapelure

Dreams do come true!  Chapelure has opened a second location!!  Now we can get the amazing cakes and pastries in East Town Center.  The new location is absolutely beautiful!  Owners, Tae and Soogee Ahn, have created a space that is modern with clean lines, welcoming and cozy.  Soogee's eye for color and texture created a space that you will want to spend your whole day in. 

 

This is just the setting.  I haven't gotten to the pastries!!  The case is full to the brim with the most delectable treats you can imagine!                       

Just look at this cake!!! 

OH MY GOD!! 

 

Stop by for something sweet after dinner or a movie.

They also have fresh croissants and danish to go with your coffee or tea on your way to work or during your morning adventures.  Stop by for a bit or bite, spend the day with your laptop and a treat, meet your date for coffee, or just order a cake.  Anyway you will be so happy with your visit to the Chapelure in East Town Center!!