#DeltaLakeHouseWeekend

We've been to Pennsylvania and back!

Like so many vacays, I'm home, happy and ready to crash. The post vacation vacation. But I'll try to quickly summarize a great weekend with the Deltas.

Pre-Delta reunion, Ross and I spent a night in Philly. We had a room on the Delaware River and with great access to the city. We took a meandering walk into Washington Square where we had a delicious and picture perfect fancy date night at Talulah's Garden, a local farm-to-table style restaurant. Later Ross said it didn't get more "Cheryl" than that with its outside garden dining in the middle of an east coast city, slightly fancy meal and boutiquey wine menu. After dinner we walked through Independence Hall, eye-spied the Liberty Bell and had a good night's sleep. Friday morning was more meandering and Starbucks for breakfast before heading out to see the Deltas.

Emal's family hosted us at their BEAUTIFUL lake house. Friday, our first night together, was our late night up. Saturday us early birds started with breakfast and then Ross took one of the girls kayaking (or she took him, who knows).

Then this wonderful thing happened: time slowed down. Yes, it was the longest day of the year but minutes just seemed to double in length. Normally when that happens it is because you are standing in line somewhere, or the water won't boil or whatever. Never does it happen when you are having fun. But it did and our lazy summer solstice day together seemed to last wonderfully long.

We went boating, discussed the meaning of life, discussed much less meaningful things in life, caught up on each other's kids (human and four-legged), families, love lives, careers, and all kinds of things. A late dinner on the deck and then s'mores around the campfire. It sounds like an overly idealistic summer day but Delta's honor, it happened.

We all crashed a little bit earlier Saturday night and then Sunday enjoyed a big bacon and eggs breakfast together.

Ross and I hit the road after breakfast, headed back to Philly, flew to Austin, lost and recovered both a piece of carry-on luggage and our car (you'd never know we were seasoned travelers) and then returned home to our sleeping baby and very-happy-to-see-us pup. And like I was kinda secretly hoping, Cade woke up briefly before it was time for us to go to bed so we both had the chance to hug and kiss him; bonus points that his wake-up led to sleeping in this morning.

Hashtag courtesy of Anna...which is appropriate since she and Ben had the original hashtag wedding back in 2011.

More Reason to Love Starbucks

As if I needed more reason.

Their CEO published an open letter requesting people not carry guns into their locations.

Second amendment...enthusiasts...are giving the company flack. But I ask you - what CEO in his right mind would invite the public to carry weapons into their locations? The only logical examples I can think of are the gun and/or sporting industries. Otherwise...why? Why would you want weapons in your place of business, around your employees and customers?

As Howard Schultz says, this is a request, not an outright ban. So he's not infringing upon personal rights.

If the "Starbucks Appreciation Days" hadn't occurred and hadn't implied that Starbucks had an enthusiastic stance on the laws, this probably never would have happened. And gun carrying Americans could have continued to carry their guns inside with them while grabbing a latte. Overwhelmingly in a responsible fashion.

I'm with Schultz. I respect the right to bear arms, and though I may not always agree with it in states where open carry is permitted, so be it. But you can still request people not bring it in to your home or place of business.

I will happily be drinking a $5 coffee* this afternoon while working between appointments.

*Actually I purchase so much Starbucks that today's coffee will be on them. Don't ask how much I spent to earn that perk.

Hakuna Matata

I meant to blog about it sooner but baby and work have taken precedence. Anyways - better late than never right?

On Tuesday, the hubby and I had a big date night out. We started with dinner at an Italian restaurant in Central-ish Austin that we like, Gusto. Tasty tasty tasty! We pulled out the big guns with a shared appetizer, entrees and even dessert (well for me, coffee for him). Usually we're entree-only people so a full three courses felt fancy and luxurious.

Then it was off to Bass Concert Hall down on UT's campus for The Lion King. Back way before Christmas I had seen discounted tickets to the show via TravelZoo and had jumped on them. I'm so glad I did! Having been in my prime Disney movie years when the movie came out, it was practically a quote and sing a-long for me. According to Ross, I was a little enthusiastic/loud with my rendition of Hakuna Matata. But how can you not be? Ross is just a little too old to have seen the movie when it first came out...actually he's never seen the whole thing through. The quote anticipating moments I enjoyed were lost on him but he liked the show nonetheless.

It may come as a shocker to y'all, but Broadway shows are not in his top 3 or even top 10 list of things to go do. Originally he was really along for the ride for my sake. But he liked the show more than he was expecting and said he'd likely attend another musical theatre production with me throughout the course of life. I consider that a big win.

Boats & Alligators

That's right. Boats and alligators. In the same blog post. And in Orlando, in the same hotel.

On Sunday I flew to Orlando for a 2 day biz trip. The conference was at the swanky Gaylord Palms Resort (my first time at a Gaylord, an experience in and of itself). It was a huge complex of hotel rooms, restaurants, conference rooms, pools, shopping and more. And since there was nothing anywhere nearby, it's a good thing all of your whims could be met within its walls.

In the center was a large atrium that housed an indoor rainforest-Everglades thing. In which there were baby alligators (and turtles).

Because you know, that's normal for a hotel.

And then there was this side atrium area, Key West themed, that had a pool posing as an ocean/gulf and in that was a boat. Inside. A boat. And you could eat there. Which I did (food = mediocre).

Again, because you know, that's normal for a hotel.

Mucho Gusto

It's been a while since I wrote a restaurant review I feel. But lucky for you (and for me) the hubby and I discovered a tasty little Italian place earlier this week.

We were celebrating some good work I had done at the office so it was my pick. Our qualifiers were moderate price point, not a chain, outside of downtown and per the hubby's request, Italian. I poked around on Yelp and came up with a brand new place, Gusto Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar.

It's in the Rosedale neighborhood of Austin (which I find has all kinds of places I like) which meant central-ish but without the inconveniences of being smack in town. When we got inside we found this place to be cute, cute, cute! A kinda funky, art deco motif with murals on the walls and plenty of warm colors. It was about 75% full so no wait for a table. We sat at a high top in the wine bar-ish area. I say "ish" because while we were close to the bar, I didn't feel like I was sitting "in the bar;" it still had a restaurant feel.

I had a delicious glass of chardonnay, Ross had an iced tea and we split the antipasti appetizer. The whole appetizer was good but I especially loved the green olives (I ate all but one and only stopped at that point because Ross called me on not saving any for him). For my entree I had the chicken wrapped in prosciutto with a side of mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach. DELICIOUS. It was dressed in a tasty cream sauce and the portion was just right. Ross ordered the Italian job pizza which included sausage, mozzarella cheese, goat cheese, red peppers and onion. Very tasty gourmet pizza indeed.

The service was pretty good too. When I asked the waiter about the menu, specifically would it change seasonally, even though he didn't know the answer he was very quick to bring me a comment card to give all my feedback through.

Our total bill, with tip, was $55 so from a price stance, also pretty good. Definitely someplace you could go monthly if you were so inclined.

VERDICT: We're going again. Wanna double date?

Restaurant Week: Flemings

It's Austin Restaurant Week!

We inadvertently went to Restaurant Week last year for Nancy's birthday. It was delicious. So this year we purposefully and checked out Fleming's.

Stiletto Martini
This fun red raspberry martini was the breast cancer awareness drink. It was vodka with a delicious berry puree. It was really fresh and fruity.

Fleming's Salad
Candied pecans, cranberries, garden greens and cherry tomatoes. So yummy. I almost licked my plate. I really especially enjoyed the sweetness from the pecans and cranberries.

Filet Mignon
Fleming's is known for its steak so all six of us ordered the filet. Mine was cooked perfectly and it was delicious. Plain, simple good steak. No fluff, no flair just high quality steak. Now I'll admit it wasn't as good as the steak at El Arbol but that was the Zeus of steaks. You can't expect every good steak to be Zeus.

Mashed Potatoes
They were the side for the filet (duh) but were so outstanding they deserve their own paragraph. I had the blue cheese mashed potatoes and WOW. You expect a steak to be good. You expect mashed potatoes to be mashed potatoes. But these mashed potatoes were so far above anything you expect from mashed potatoes. They were rich, flavorful and spectacular. I might go back just for those.

Cheesecake
Mmm tasty. It was plain cheesecake with a berry sauce and it was good. So good in fact I am going to have Ross' slice tonight. (For what it's worth he doesn't like sweets so I'm not thievin' this; I'm making sure we don't waste food.) I did learn though that when it comes to cheesecake, I prefer bells and whistles. This is good cheesecake, but for me, the Cheesecake Factory chocolate chip cookie dough and key lime pie cheesecakes are better.

Verdict: Good date night and if you get the mashed potatoes, great date night.

Science of Tex-Mex, Part 2

A mere 8 months after landing my sweet Convio job, we finally went to Fonda San Miguel to celebrate!

Last night we went with 3 other couples to taste this Tex-Mex haven. Here's my review.

Margaritas: I had a house on the rocks and a frozen mango margarita. Both were excellent but of course, very different. I am usually a frozen rita girl but I do know that on the rocks is a little more of an art form. It tasted very fresh, very strong and very good. The mango margarita was a little more typical but again, the mango flavor was very fresh. Yum.

Queso: I love our friend Jon. I said "Should we get chile con queso or queso asados?" and Jon's answer was a very definitive "Both." God bless that man. So we had both. They were more of a stringy solid queso than the normal gooey dipping queso. But tasty. I like that both had peppers and onion in them. I also liked that they were served with a side of tortillas. Ross actually passed on chips and tortillas with queso, taco style.

Camarones Adobados: This was my entree. It was 6 or 7 jumbo Gulf shrimp over corn tortillas filled with sauteed peppers and onions and smothered in a black bean sauce. It was really really really good. I'm always a little hesitant to order shrimp away from Houston - I was so spoiled with shrimp caught that morning and on my plate that night - but this meal sounded too good. And it was really some of the best, freshest tasting shrimp I've had in Austin. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was driven in on ice that morning. It really didn't taste like it had been frozen at all. Delicious.

Other Entrees: I tasted some of Jen's (Ryan's date) sour cream enchiladas. The enchilada was good but it was the sauce that rocked my word. It was so sour creamy!! Ross shared his guacamole with me and it was great. I usually make and like really lime heavy guac but this was distinctly not limey. It was so avocado-y and delicious. I practically licked the plate to get it all. Jon and Chris both had the pulled pork tacos and said they were fantastic. I don't think there was a speck of food left on any of our plates when the meal was over.

Atmosphere: This might be one of the best parts. It's such a colorful and surprisingly for a Mexican place, tastefully decorated restaurant. I really loved all the ornate art and furniture.

Price: The four couples just all split the bill in half. With the exception of Patty (who is preggers) we all had at least one but mostly two drinks each. We split two orders of queso and all had entrees of course. It came out to about $60 per couple plus tip. Now we had a big enough party that they included gratuity but I really liked that both on the initial bill and on each of our credit card receipts for signing, it very clearly broke out the meal cost and gratuity. Unlike so many places, I really felt like Fonda San Miguel wanted you to realize you were already paying gratuity. They didn't try to pull a fast one on us which I appreciated.

It isn't someplace I'd go to mid-week for quick Tex-Mex dinner with the hubs but for a group on a special night out, it was a blast. It also got a lot of hype from Texas Monthly and other review/ratings groups. Maybe a little too much hype to be honest. I do think that it made a very good case for dispelling the idea that the best Tex-Mex places are cheap holes-in-the-wall. Those are definitely good, but high end Tex-Mex, also pretty damn good.

My final verdict is do again, with friends and plenty of time to soak in the experience.

El Arbol

A couple months ago there was a LivingSocial deal to El Arbol. At first I didn't think anything of it but then one of my coworkers said it was the best steak in Austin. That, my friends, is a bold and lofty claim. There's a lot of damn good steaks in Austin.

I couldn't resist.

outside patio (stolen photo)

Last night we went, and holy cow, it was outstanding. First the location is great. It's off of 35th Street so more central than we usually venture but not downtown so getting around is easy. There's an enormous tree on the patio (I'm guessing for which they named the place) and all these lovely japanese lanterns hanging from it. But this is Texas and as you know from my multiple weather posts, it's hot so we sat inside. Indoors had a kinda funky eclectic decor.

We started with pulled pork on bruschetta with a side of arugula for our appetizer. Very tasty. The sauce had almost a mustard flavor.

Since it was the best steak in town, Ross ordered the flat iron steak. I went with the escolar which I had never had before. (Like a tuna but a white fish.) Wow. I mean just wow.

The steak melted in your mouth. It was perfectly cooked with a little dark pink in the middle, just the way I love it. There was a side of chimichuri sauce which Ross loved, I personally preferred it as plain, unvarnished meat.

Now the fish, goodness it was good. It was on a bed of corn and gnocchi with a little tangy cream sauce. Every bite was better than the last. I nearly licked my plate it was so good.

We ate like kings.

We called both of our moms after the fact to tell them how good it was so we can go with them again one day. The only caveat I'll give is that with our LivingSocial deal the price was fine but I think under normal circumstances, it would be a special occasion place. The meal described above (plus 1 glass of wine) was about $65 pre-coupon. At least for us, that's not an every week price point.

Next time you are in Austin, let's go to El Arbol. You can be our special occasion.

Shorts

Not shorts like the kind you wear (sometimes below your butt apparently), but shorts like short stories or random short updates. Because nothing monumental is happening but I have some shorts I can share.

• Tuesdays with Morrie: I devoured this book. It was GREAT. If you have not read it, I highly recommend it. It reminded me of two things. 1) my grandma because she is also old and smart about things that really matter and 2) Sydney/Age because when I was in Sydney and Age's dad was sick, both things really put perspective on what matters. The answer to that is rarely "making more money" or "finishing this grad school application." It was more often "spending time with my roomie...and going with her to DMB" and "experiencing the coolest place I've ever been to." Tuesdays with Morrie was a good reminder that we often worry ourselves about little things that don't really matter and instead we should put energy into people, relationships and experiences. Oh and Morrie lived in West Newton and taught at Brandies which is where Dr. Jane just became a doctor so I enjoyed that part as well.
• Greece: I believe it went like this
  Ross: Going to Athens is going to be amazing. [turns on World News]
  Diane Sawyer: Rioting in Greece! No longer just an inconvenience for tourists, the riots are escalating...
  So now we're brainstorming where else we might like to go in Europe next year, just in case when it comes time to book, Greece isn't lookin' so hot. I think Spain is topping our list but if you have suggestions, lay 'em on me. My only requirements are 1) must be Europe and 2) I don't want to go to one of those freezing European countries. I've had my relationship with snow and freezing weather thankyouverymuch.
• Canada: I talked to Brenda the other morning about our Canada trip in August. Did you know up near Toronto it stays light until nearly 10 p.m. in the summer!? That's amazing. I'm so excited. I can sleep when I'm dead; right now, I'm seeing Canada! (Well OK not now now but you know what I mean.)
• Vivo: We had dinner there last night with Jack and Nancy. It was outstanding. The queso was fab. We suggest you go.
• El Arbol: We just bought a LivingSocial deal to go here. I've heard its the best steak in town and I'm ready to find out.
• Painting with a Twist: For my birthday, Mom & Dad got me a gift certificate to go try this out as a date night. If you aren't familiar, it's a painting class where a local artist walks you through how to paint a specific piece. And you bring snacks/wine with you to enjoy. Ross and I are going next month and are painting the 360 bridge which is also the bridge we took our engagement pics in front of.

What we'll be aiming for. I'll personally be happy if mine
just resembles a bridge in general.

Last meal

Two blog posts in one day - I know, hold on to your hats y'all.

To wind down my evening I was doing a little Texas Monthly reading and there was a food feature with little sidebars about famous Texans' last meal wishes. (Fried was a common theme, as in fried chicken, fried chicken wings, chicken fried steak...why anyone would fry a steak is beyond me but alas, I digress.)

As a person who loves food (seriously, YUM) it got me thinking about my last meal. I think mine would be as follows

• Lobster bisque
• Brenda & Mike's ceasar salad
• Guacamole and Chuy's jalapeno dip (with chips of course and don't ask what kind. "Chips" as a stand alone always refers to tortilla chips, duh.)
• Salmon stuffed with shrimp, crab and lobster (I really dig crustaceans; perhaps I should become a crustaceanian)
• Some kinda mushroom and artichoke side dish
• Filet Mignon
• Asparagus
• Pumpkin bread
• Cheesecake Factory chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake
• Chardonnay
• Mexican Martini

That's a big meal. And I can't say it all goes together. Who mixes guacamole and pumpkin bread? It's like Thanksgiving and Cinco de Mayo had a baby.

But I really like food and all those items sound DELICIOUS. It might take me three hours to eat but if it were my last meal, I'd like to give it my best shot.

What would your last meal consist of?

Go Crazy

Tonight was one of my three days to go crazy on what I ate. I mostly did. I had Mexican food for lunch and dinner. Delicious. OMG so delicious.

The downfall to having healthy friends is if you decide to go crazy you either a) eat all the shrimp queso by yourself which is rarely a good idea or you b) don't eat shrimp queso. I went for the less destructive option of not eating shrimp queso.

However despite the lack of shrimp queso, I had a great night out. Nichole, Brittany and I celebrated the beginning of Nic's vaca. I cannot tell you how jealous I am of Nichole and her hubby's week vaca to Jamaica. I wanna go to Jamaica. They are snorkeling, hiking through waterfalls, getting massages and having a private four course beach dinner.

Tell me you don't want to do those things. I dare you. Liar. You want to do them all. Just like I do. I hope Nic and hubby have an excellent time. They deserve a good vacation after all the hard work they've put into making this dream trip a reality. We should all be so lucky as to work so hard and honestly and be rewarded so wonderfully.

Here's to Nic and her Jamaica vacation!

More Food! NoRTH

"...just like an independent. See? 'Chain' doesn't have to be a dirty word."

- Texas Monthly

In Austin we're big fans of locally owned places. While I must admit that Team Black is not the best at being regular patrons of locally owned establishments, we do try our best for special occassions or dinners out where the motivation is more than "I don't wanna cook. Where can we grab dinner cheaply?"

Tonight we did a Valentine's Day double-date to NoRTH, a modern Italian place near my office which until Googling, I mostly assumed was locally owned. However, it is not but the Texas Monthly quote above kinda says it all: chain does not necessarily equal bad. (And you know my feelings about Texas Monthly: love.)

NoRTH, one of a small chain in the western part of the country, served us delicious Italian food tonight. I ordered the scallops with wild mushroom risotto. My first risotto experience, inspired by the many risottos on Top Chef, and it was excellent. I can confidently tell you this was one of the best Italian meals I've ever had.

The scallops I had in NYC were good, but it was really the fuschia puree that took the cake there. Here the scallops were delicious...possibly in a slightly undercooked way (it was much more appealing than it probably sounds). They literally melted in my mouth. And the risotto was so mushroomy! Yum!

I was also pleased with the calamari, bruschetti trio and the wine. The second and slightly more expensive glass of wine proved to be worth the price as it was definitely better than the first (and no, not just because it was the second; it was a full hour later).

If you are in north Austin and want a nice Italian place, let me be the first one to recommend NoRTH in the Domain.

Best. Lobster. Ravioli.

In Boston, my fav restaurant was/is the Altantic Fish Company. They put lobster in everything, most wonderfully surprisingly the ravioli and mashed potatoes.

Tonight at my TriDelta reunion dinner (where I failed to take a single picture) at Maria Pia, lobster ravioli was on the menu. Obviously, I had to have it.

Oh. My. God. It was the best, most lobster-y ravioli I have ever had. I believe it was only about 5 pieces of ravioli but they were large and each one was jam packed with lobster.

Usually things made with lobster, in my experience, are mostly everything else and very light on the lobster. Not these bad boys. You could tasted every ounce of lobster and it was amazing. It was honestly better than any lobster ravioli I ever had in Boston (or anywhere else).

In addition to fantastic lobster, I had lovely company at dinner. I saw Erin who was TriDelta president when I rushed, Suzie who was one year ahead of me and Kristin who is/was among the members of my pledge class who I was attached to the hip with throughout college, most especially senior year.

They are super fun ladies and it's so very interesting to hear the direction life has taken all of us, yet to still be able to have such an easy, comfortable dinner together, almost like we never left college. Erin works for the NY Post and is getting married this summer. Suzie is a fancy fancy corporate lawyer in Manhattan. Kristin is a physician's assistant in Jersey. And of course, you know my married-in-Austin-nonprofiteer-at-heart story.

A great last night in the Big Apple. I've learned so much at my workshops and am looking forward to getting back to Austin and implementing it all at work. Oh yes, and I'm looking forward to getting home to my hunky hubby and perfect pup. They are totally the best.

New York, Here I Am!

Yesterday I flew to NYC for Social Media Week. From a work perspective, its going very well. We hosted a panel today that I thought went off without a hitch.

Other than work stuff, there's two things I want to tell you about: misc random stuff and my dinner out with my cousin, Alan, and his girlfriend, Alex.

Random Stuff

• I should have stuck to my guns when this past summer I decided to quit Newark Airport. Sigh, maybe I'll have learned my lesson now, one power outage later.
• The evening news anchor on ABC here in NYC has some serious Texas hair...like bigger than most Texans. You go girl.
• I forgot and since getting here, have remembered what always made NYC "not my city." You can't see the sky. Have you seen the Texas sky? Its huge. Alan agrees, the Texas sky is bigger than any sky. But in New York, skyscrapers get in the way and you can't see it. Strange since I KNOW the sky is up there someplace.
• I also forgot how much I love being in a city and just walking everywhere. Even in the cold temperature, I've loved walking everywhere all the time since I arrived. I've not set foot into a cab since I made it to my hotel and I'm loving it. I plan on doing the same thing tomorrow.
• So much I've forgotten since leaving Boston, and among the list the glory of a cold sunny day. I remembered that I liked these but I forgot just why and how they felt until today. Something about the seeming paradox of cold and sunny just really does it for me. (Note: possibly not a paradox to everyone but in Texas it is cold or sunny, rarely to never is it both.)
• A Starbucks on every corner. We have a lot in Texas but the walking city gives whole new meaning to "a lot."
• The sound of trains running regularly. I don't mean the train whistle like I could occasionally hear from my old Austin apartment, but the regular vibration and noise of a steady subway or commuter rail. I'm staying at a very comfortable hotel but being just about a block outside the heart of Times Square, the subway is present and is a pleasant reminder of the exciting, bustleing city all around me. I love the energy it suggests!
• AT&T blackhole. Very poor cell service apparently because the whole city has iPhones and the network can't handle this. I remember this happening in Austin...for one weekend, ACL. Not every day life. As Ross said, this can't be good for business.
• Seeing the scene outside my window as the back drop for multiple mainstream news shows, including Nightline which just came on my TV.

I think that covers random.

Now dinner with Alan.

My cousin Alan (from the Lowe side) lives here in NYC and works in the film industry. He's kinda a big deal; his name shows up in film credits. Since we don't see each other all that often, we made certain to grab dinner while I was in town and I was able to meet his mystery girlfriend, Alex. (I call Alex the mystery girlfriend because 5 years into their relationship I still had not met her but in fairness, she does live in NYC and I'm in Texas; kinda far. Further, Alan's parents swore she existed so perhaps I should have believed them.)

Alan met me near my hotel and led me through the NYC maze a few blocks to a swanky restaurant in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Yes, that's right, the Met, iconic NYC museum. The Modern was fa-ancy. Anthony Bourdain and the whole Top Chef crew would have been impressed. As you might guess, it was a very sleek modern decor, not too fussy, lots of straight clean lines.

The menu suggested ordering items from each of the menu's three pages but our trio decided something from two of the three pages would be sufficient.

Before I tell you about the magnificient food, let me tell you, Ross and I don't really do fine dining. We're your typical glutenous Americans and we like our plates heaping with mashed potatoes or dripping with cheesey enchiladas. However, we rarely finish the full meal when we're out so really, would probably be fine with the petite portions of fine dining. But all that said, the food at The Modern was magnificient but I can't resist commenting on the presentation.

My first course was a DELICIOUS wild mushroom soup with ravioli. The soup was rich but not necessarily thick, just dripping with flavor. The ravioli were fried which surprised me. I'm not sure if I was supposed to put them in the soup but the looked like they would taste off the charts good if submerged in mushroomy deliciousness. I was right. Funny element: I got three ravioli. Three. Who serves three ravioli when they are half dollar size? Stupendous restaurants like this do.

My second course was, in true Cheryl seafood loving fashion, the grilled scallops. They were brought out to me with a little garnish of spinach and cabbage. Um, yum. And then just as I'm devouring it with my eyes waiting for my fellow diners to be served their food, the waiter fills the (oversized with an comically large lip) bowl with...are you ready...fuschia puree.

Fuschia.

When have you ever had fuschia in your dinner? I never have but holy cow, I could do it again. It was outstanding! And I can't use any word besides fuschia to tell you how it tasted. That describes it perfectly.

Once done with my scallops (again, three), I was feeling fairly content in terms of food consumed and quite dandy overall in terms of quality of food. I start to wrap things up when Alex tells me that this place is known for it desserts and that of course dessert isn't even a question: we are having it.

I figure, what the hell, why stop with fuschia doused scallops, bring on the dessert. It's not every day that this Texan visits NYC. In that true spirit, I ordered the cheesecake.

My cheesecake with mango sorbet was delicious, interesting and citrusy. But what I wish I could share with you is Alan's dessert. I don't really know what it was but it included chocolate and caramel and was named Something Something "Dome." His personal tribute to the Astrodome. It was served on a white rectangular plate. Chocolate dome (literally) on one end, scoop of ice cream on the other and drops of chocolate syrup and squares of gelatin carefully dotting the middle. Dotting the plate. I thought you only saw that on Top Chef!

I took out my phone and took a picture.

Call me provincial but this fine dining experience just made me giddy with New York-ness. It was so outside of my normal every day lovely Austin life that it actually transported me into the chic urban environment that is the Big Apple. And it was FUN.

I had a great time, not only eating and giggling over perfect, thoughtful presentation, but also chatting with my cousin and getting to know his girldfriend. We talked about everything and nothing at all, vacations, work, parents, weather, etc. The normal chatter of people who know each other well-ish and are having a great two hour plus meal.

An excellent night out in the City indeed.

The Science of Tex-Mex, Part 1

The History

It's amazing how a blog post about nothing, just because you are dying to write, can lead to a whole new blog post about one of the most important conversations in Texas: Tex-Mex.

Or as Texas Monthly calls it, Mex-Tex.

First, Tex-Mex v Mex-Tex. According to Texas Monthly, which as best I can tell coined "Mex-Tex" the difference is in emphasis. Many moons ago, the food was more Americanized...or Tex-ized if you will. Recently though, the Mexican influence has come on strong and it's more authentic. I suppose with all the buzz I hear about "Interior Mexican food" I can see this. But for the purposes of this blog, and really, somewhat out of principal, we're going to stick to Tex-Mex as our venacular.

Rules of Tex-Mex, as proven by much research

1. If you are north of say Dallas, or maybe we can be as liberal as to say Wichita Falls, it isn't Tex-Mex. On the same note, if you are in Australia, it is also not Tex-Mex. It is a well-intentioned impersonation. No grudges against those places or anything, just don't think that because you went to someplace called "Maria's" in Cambridge that you know what Tex-Mex is. (Conversely, going to Red Lobster in Austin does not mean I know two things about Maine lobster or New England clam chowder.)
2. Chips and salsa should always be free with your meal. If someone tries to cheat you out of this, leave immediately. Complain to the BBB. It is simply unacceptable to call an establishment Tex-Mex (or Mex-Tex for that matter) and not provide free chips and salsa. In fact, two forms of salsa, rojo and verde, are preferred.
3. "Queso" is not, I repeat NOT, melted Velveeta. At the very minimum it should be blended with pico de gallo and at it's best will include either beef (carne) or chicken (pollo, pronounced po-yo not polo). It's principal purpose is for chips but it is acceptable to add it to any element of your meal.
4. In any good Tex-Mex place, the English is spotty but that should be fine because as a seasoned Tex-Mex eater you know all the Spanish you need, even if you're foreign language in high school was Mandarin.
5. The best Tex-Mex places are mildly sketchy looking, hideously decorated, cheap cheap CHEAP and individually-owned holes in the wall. Example: there was this taco/burrito place next to the laundromat back home in Seabrook, and while I never would have gone in there alone as a petite white high school girl, give me a linebacker from the football team as my escort and I could have eaten those tacos all day and still gotten change back from my $5.

I firmly believe in Rule Number Five. Too many experiences have proven this accurate as heck for me to not believe it. However, the whole premise for this post is a questioning of Rule Number Five and our upcoming experiment.

The Question


From AustinEater.com

 In the December 2010 edition of Texas Monthly, which is possibly the best magazine on the planet, the feature story is the 50 Best Tex-Mex (er, Mex-Tex) Restaurants in Texas. I've read other Texas Monthly "best of" features and have yet to be steered in the wrong direction. I may be a lady of little faith but I have faith in Texas Monthly.

The feature included Fonda San Miguel, an Austin locale, as one of the best, in fact as one of the five best in the state. I've heard from several Tex-Mex conissuers (ie native Texans) that this place is caliente and they feel great amor toward the eatery.

But it's also expensive, kinda trendy and in fact, gourmet.

This directly conflicts with Rule Number Five! (Though it is still locally-owned.) So can it be true? Can a pricey gourmet Mexican restaurant really stand up to the many hole in the wall locales I've spent the past quarter of a century lusting after?

The Procedure

Admittedly we're skeptical but very curious. That's why when I got this wonderful new gig, I decided Fonda San Miguel was going to be my celebration location. When I get my first paycheck at the end of this month, we're going to drop a chunk of it on what better be the best Tex-Mex to ever cross the threshold of my mouth.

Though I have not fully determined the variables to be considered during the procedure, here's what I'm considering thus far

• Salsa
• Margarita
• Queso
• Tortillas
• Caliente-ness

It's my own little science experiment and I have to say, I'm much more excited about it than I ever was about any of the science experiments I displayed on red tri-fold cardbord in elementary school.

A.M. Adventure

In all the excitement of the new truck, Ross' firefighting gear didn't make the transition between garage and truck. So at 6:25 a.m. today, I loaded my sleepy self and his gear into my car to trek up to Georgetown (ie 15 miles each way).

Normally, I would not be jazzed about this drive and admittedly, when I started it, I wasn't. But in my PJs, I decided to power this adventure with Starbucks. I pull into the drive through and via the intercom thingy, Josh asks for my order. I'm giving him my order, "tall caramel frappaccino, 2% milk and no whip--" when I hear "what!? Drive thru? You always come inside!" the voice of my favorite barista, Chantal. That girl is so good, she recognized my voice/order and jumped in on it.

When I explained that I was wearing yoga pants and bedazzled flip flops and was in no condition to be seen by the public, she laughed, empathized and gave me possibly the best frappaccino ever. Have I mentioned that I love Chantal?? She's fabulous! (Dear Starbucks people, give her a raise or at least a bonus. She's earned it.)

Also on my early morning drive there was a lovely bright orange and pink sunrise. Coupled with my delicious liquid breakfast, it was a pretty excellent early morning drive...and it means I'm up and home early enough to watch most of Good Morning America. Not so shabby.

To Food Yet Not To Food

As part of our new year's resolutions we went out to eat on Saturday. I'll admit, it wasn't anyplace unique. But if I told you the surf-n-turf commercial from Outback Steakhouse featuring LOBSTER TAILS didn't entice me, I'd be a big liar. Usually I'm a little bit of a lobster snob and only want to eat it on the east cost. For the right price though, I can be bought.

My Official Review
My official review of Outback Steakhouse begins with the steal of a deal on the Gold Coast margarita. As a Texan, I'll shoot ya straight - I've had better margaritas. But rarely better for under $3.25. For that price you must be a happy hour coinnesuer. $3.25 all day every day is pretty stinkin' good and the rita wasn't bad either. Summary: suggested. The Bloomin' Onion surely went straight to my hips but it was tasty doing so. I'm not sure what the delicious dip was made out of but delicious it was. Summary: do it, but with more than just one other person, if you want to maintain your girlish figure that is. And finally to the main attraction: steak and lobster. WOW. The 6 ounce steak was delicious. I gave Ross a bite and he strongly encouraged me to eat everything else on my plate and leave that for him. I gave him 3 more bites but kept the rest for myself. It was GOOD. The lobster was also pretty good. I didn't even require the usual dipping butter. Well-seasoned though if you are a true blue New Englander, possibly a little over-cooked. However, again for a chain restaurant in Texas that specializes in Aussie grub and for $14, I have no complaints. None.

Not To Food
That was the "to food" part. The not to food part is this: I want a good diet and exercise tracker. Suggest one please! I like WeightWatchers but I'm not on so serious of a slim down plan to pay for it. Really, I just have a couple Christmas pounds to shed, nothing I can't do by eliminating a little wine and a few frappuccinos. Anyways...suggestions are welcome.

Bring On 2010

I really love the Windows Live Writer that lets me blog with super easy formatting. One day I’ll really figure out the photo inclusion function. I mean Blogger is one of the biggest blogging platforms and Windows is king so the two are bound to start working together better one day. However, that is just a sidebar. What I really want to share are my new year’s resolutions.

1. Team Black will eat at a new restaurant every week. They may not always be fancy restaurants but we really enjoy eating out and I really enjoy trying new places. We already have a few picked out – Gumbo’s for Valentine’s Day and the Salt Lick for my birthday. Along with our new restaurant trying, I’m going to attempt to blog a review each week. I’m not sure if it could ever happen but I would really love to be a restaurant critic or travel writer. This will be my not so silent attempt to get started.
2. I will use my reusable grocery bags. Instead of just leaving them in the car when I go to HEB, I'll use 'em. I will, I will, I will.
3. Team Black will pick up their own crap. We both have bad habits of leaving cups, clothes, etc all over the house. In 2010 we will not do it (as much). PROMISE!
4. I will go to the gym 4 times per week. I decided to remove the old “to lose 10 pounds” resolution and focus more on working out than weight. I may attempt to eat healthier but I’m not going to beat myself up over it. Now if I happen to shed 5 pounds of belly blubber before bikini season, well…no objections.

Besides eating out with me and picking up his crap, Ross’ new year’s resolution is to be working full-time as a firefighter. I have full faith. In fact, I think he’ll have that by June. As part of the efforts, he’s going to start on his driver’s certification and has revamped his work out regiment.

I’m thinking 2010 might be a good year for Team Black. Happy New Year!