This was my first time to Spencer’s but it won’t be my last. Nestled up again the San Jacinto Mountains, the setting is beautiful and I can only imagine what it would be like at night seeing that we were there to enjoy a late lunch. Outside on the patio under the trees is by far the best seat in the house – it’s no wonder they won the award for Best Outside Dining:)

The menu is American with hints of Asian and Mediterranean influences. Being a hot afternoon I chose the Baja Shrimp Salad. It came with roasted corn, avocado, tomatoes and tortilla strips with a lemon tequila dressing…yum! I added a squeeze of lemon and a dash of salt…DE-lish!

Dot’s Delicatessen – Seattle, WA

April 2, 2012

American, Deli, Seattle

Urth Caffé – Beverly Hills, CA

February 29, 2012

American, California Cuisine, Los Angeles

2 Comments

Urth Caffé – Beverly Hills, CA

A favorite of mine and a must every time I go down to BH, I love Urth Caffé and I always order the same thing for breakfast – the Urth Parfait. It’s SO good! I totally think of Entourage every time I eat there…and keep thinking I’ll run into E or Vince Chase but nope. Back to the food…everything is so fresh and tasty. My mom once ordered the quiche and I swear, it may have been one of the best I’ve ever tasted. They have to use a good amount of cream because the texture and flavor was like none other. One thing I’m dying to get next time are the Eggs Verde – two soft poached organic eggs over a bed of arugula, roasted corn, baby tomatoes and poached asparagus spears tossed with peppercorn dressing, garnished with cracked pepper and chive oil served with toasted whole wheat bread. Seriously?! Sign me up!

The Coterie Room – Seattle, WA

February 24, 2012

American, Northwest, Seattle

2 Comments

The Coterie Room – Seattle, WA

In the former Restaurant Zoe space, The Coterie Room is a breath of fresh air. I love everything about it. From the white subway tiled open kitchen to the distressed wood floors and lone yet stunning chandelier, everything is perfectly balanced here including the food. Chef Brian McCracken (a fellow Seattle Prep alum alongside my husband) has outdone himself yet again! A nominee by Food & Wine for ‘People’s Best New Chef’ he’s proving that he’s deserving of the attention.

Our meal was outstanding from start to finish. I would order everything I had again in a heartbeat. My fish was a special of the night so chances are it won’t be on the menu next time but it was outstanding. I am now a huge fan of Turbot…a fish I didn’t know much about before this dinner. And my husband’s duck leg confit was seriously the best duck confit I’ve ever had…absolutely amazing!!!

The only thing I wish I had done differently is order the “six pack of beer for the kitchen crew” for a mere $10…totally worth it. Having worked in a kitchen myself I can tell you the first thing you do once your shift is done and the kitchen is clean is crack open a cold one by the walk in and dish about the night’s events. It’s the perfect cap to the evening…and then you wake up the next morning and it’s a brand new day. Next time!

Endive Salad dressed in a tarragon mustard vinaigrette with candied walnuts and aged gouda (I held the gouda although I’m sure it’s great)

Poutine – braised pork shoulder gravy, fried Beecher’s cheese curds and tender herbs

Market Fish of the Day – Turbot over a parsnip puree and roasted brussels sprouts

Duck Leg Confit – crispy pan seared duck leg with buttered farro, arugula and a mission fig conserve

Chocolate Caramel Tort – covered in an orange ganache with candied hazelnuts

Brilliant!

Spago (lunch) – Beverly Hills, CA

February 13, 2012

American, California Cuisine, Los Angeles

2 Comments

Spago (lunch) – Beverly Hills, CA

Although this is somewhat of a duplicate I thought it was deserving and different enough seeing that it was lunch this time, not dinner. Spago is one of my favorite spots in BH that never disappoints. On a recent trip down to the land of sun and skinny beautiful people ~~who walk like they’re someone but aren’t~~, we dashed from the airport straight to lunch to celebrate my mother-in-law’s birthday. Wolfgang himself even made an appearance which was warm welcomed. It should not surprise you that the first thing we ordered was a round of tuna cones. I really can’t be more enthusiastic about them. I’ll spare you my thoughts…just order them!

Next we all split the House Smoked Salmon Pizza with shaved onions and dill créme fraiche and salmon pearls (aka salmon roe) – too big for one person and plenty to split amongst five as a starter. Similar in concept to the Smoked Salmon (and Sturgeon) and Blinis but the pizza itself has more substance to it. Not a light dish in the slightest but delicious in every bite.

For my main course I was sold on the Japanese BBQ Salmon Salad with cucumber, avocado, pickled vegetables, seaweed, butter lettuce and ponzu. This was SUCH a good choice! I will go back and eat this over and over if I can.

Because of the birthday celebration we had to indulge in a little dessert so the birthday girl chose the Candy Apple with honey poached fuji apples, salted pretzel puff pastry, apple cider caramel, and Tahitian vanilla ice cream…whoa…talk about the perfect ending. This was so much better than I could have imagined it to be. Well done Sherry Yard! It’s not wonder she won “Outstanding Pastry Chef of the Year” by the James Beard Foundation.

Dick’s – Seattle, WA

February 10, 2012

American, Seattle

2 Comments

Dick’s – Seattle, WA

Ask anyone from Seattle and I’m sure they’ll all say that they love Dick’s. Unless of course they’re transplants, in which case they might say that the fries are “soggy” or that the burgers “aren’t anything special”…well, they’re wrong! Especially at 1am after a night of drinking:) No but seriously, Dick’s burgers are something I grew up eating and still love to this day. They’re old school with their greasy bun, greasy fries that turn the bag translucent and soft drinks with shaved ice. And the prices!!! Come on…you can’t beat them! The most expensive burger on the menu (the Deluxe) is $2.70. Fries…$1.50. And you have to get the tartar for dipping! It’s not like your typical fish & chips tartar…it’s a little sweet with hints of pickle. It’s perfect and I don’t share, just ask my husband:) If I’m feeling like something special I get the Special which is a burger with the tartar on it. SO good! Just be sure that you have cash…that’s all they take.

I know this cheeseburger might look wimpy but it’s not! It’s simple, made with fresh ingredients and will leave you wanting to come back for another one.

Oh the fries…how I love them so much! They’re made daily with fresh potatoes and are devoured quickly:)

Keedy’s – Palm Desert, CA

February 8, 2012

American, Diner, Palm Desert

ABC Kitchen – New York, NY

February 2, 2012

American, New York

2 Comments

ABC Kitchen – New York, NY

Located in the basement of ABC Home (I didn’t get the chance to go there so it’s on my list for next time), ABC Kitchen is home to Chef Jean-Georges, winner of the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant of 2011. The space is very urban with all the exposed beams and air ducts as well as the mix of materials…wood and concrete with splashes of decorative lighting. The menu is well rounded offering a mix of seasonal ingredients all the while staying just small enough to not be insanely overwhelming. Our reservation wasn’t until 10pm (welcome to New York!) and was still packed and lively. Definitely a different city in comparison to Seattle but we already knew that:)

We started with the Line Caught Tuna Sashimi Marinated with Ginger and Mint. Nice clean flavors…I could have eaten a lot more of this:)

We had to get the Pretzel Dusted Calamari with Marinara and Mustard Aioli. I’ve never seen such a thing but in all honesty…it was so understated that I was barely able to detect the pretzel. Good and cooked perfectly but didn’t strike me as anything “different”.

Special of the night: Truffle pizza…yes please!!! Anyone who has had fresh truffles before knows that they’re much more subtle than the overly intense flavor of truffle oil. I love both but think you have to be careful with the oil. A little can go a long way. These on the other hand…keep ’em coming!

I love, love, love brussels sprouts and always get them when they’re on the menu. Roasted with garlic and rosemary, these were fantastic! Lived up to my expectations for sure.

My husband and I split the Akaushi Cheeseburger with Herbed Mayo and Pickled Jalapeño. With all the other food we ordered this was the perfect thing to split. Packed with flavor, this wasn’t disappointing.

To end our already indulgent meal we decided on the Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sundae with Candied Peanuts & Popcorn, Whipped Cream and Chocolate Sauce…wow! I would definitely order this again. Although we hardly put a dent in it this was incredible! I loved the hot and cold, silky and crunchy, salty and sweet…it was everything you could ask for. Yum!

Eltana – Seattle, WA

January 27, 2012

American, Seattle

2 Comments

Eltana – Seattle, WA

New to the Capitol Hill area, Eltana is the place to go when you need a bagel fix. Made fresh right there, the bagels are hand-rolled and wood-fired giving each bite the most deliciously mild smoky flavor. There are sweet and savory spreads (aka cream cheese) to choose from, from honey almond to fava bean mint as well as different kind of bagels.

I opted for more than just a bagel for lunch…their Shakshuka which is an Israeli pepper and tomato stew that they put two poached eggs in…SO good! I would definitely go back again for that. And it’s rather healthy (minus the bagel and cream cheese on the side:))

Shakshuka – Israeli pepper, tomato and egg stew

*Our friend Justin Kane Elder made the wall sized crossword shown here. I haven’t participated but every week there’s a new crossword puzzle that you can get a copy of and do while you enjoy your food. Something different and fun!