Category Archives: Dining

Guilty Pleasures #6 – Apryl Lyttle

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

I saved this post for last for several reasons, but mainly because part of what pal Apryl says here has been echoed by The Hubs and several of my friends who were asked to share their thoughts. To quote one friend, “Food is NOT a Guilty Pleasure for me in any way because I apply no moral value to food. It is simply fuel and I don’t feel guilty about eating anything.”

Apryl writes a VEGAN food blog and you can follow her HERE. If you have been following along, you know that I am an omnivore committed to the consumption of flesh, but I will tell you that the chocolate chip cookies in her recipe archives are SO good, had she NOT told me they were vegan I wouldn’t have believed it. Because I adore her so much I am even girding my loins to eat in a vegan restaurant <gasp>. I said I would do something new at least once a month for my 50th year and that might be on the books for April.

So, my dear friend LeAnne asked me to write something about guilty pleasures. I had a hard time with this piece because I don’t allow food or eating to make me feel guilty. I do, however, realize that I have a guilty pleasure when it comes to food, and that’s EATING OUT.

I was raised by poor people, so eating out was always an unnecessary expense, or a treat. It was also a luxury that we could rarely afford, and I still have a hard time warranting it when we go out to eat. Even though we live comfortably now, I always seem to find myself looking at a menu item and thinking “I could make that for the whole family for less than half,” etc. Frugality steps in and spending a week’s worth of grocery money on one meal still hits my head sideways. I’m working on getting over that.

The flip side of being raised to believe “going out is only for special occasions” is that I always feel super special when I go out to eat. I love being around other people, enjoying food, cocktails and the like. I love the amount of time and attention I can give to my family, rather than fretting over the meal, wondering if everyone likes it, and so on. I like that there are no dishes to do afterward (though Sean usually does the dishes if I cook). I like experiencing the flavors that the chefs bring to the table, and potentially learning new ingredients to incorporate into my cooking.

Lately, my most favorite indulgence has been boozy brunches. There’s something LIBERATING about day drinking, and brunch food is my favorite type of food. My favorite brunch spot is Terrace Pointe Café at The Wynn. They offer fantastic brunch food on both traditional and vegan menus, and they also have a $22 bottomless mimosa and bellini option. It’s perfection. And true to Steve Wynn’s taste, the restaurant is stunning. I recommend it to every one of my tourist friends, as it’s truly an experience.

Terrace Point Cafe Mimosa - photo by Apryl Lyttle

Terrace Point Cafe Mimosa – photo by Apryl Lyttle

I’ve also been trying out new spots near my home in Summerlin as well. Mercadito at Red Rock was a great spot, where we dined on the patio on a beautiful Saturday. The food was good, but my favorite thing there was the V-9 cocktail, which was a delicious cocktail of tequila, pineapple, super greens, ginger, and lime. I felt like I was a little good, a little naughty. Tequila for breakfast? Yes please! I’m also looking forward to trying the brunches at Elements, Honey Salt, Marche Bacchus, and Embers.

V9 Cocktail at Mercadito

V9 Cocktail at Mercadito

What’s your favorite guilty dine-out pleasure? I’d love to read comments.

For those of you celebrating holidays this weekend – I wish you wonderful food memories and peace and joy.

Guilty Pleasures #4 – Maureen Kelly

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

Maureen Kelly is a brilliant friend and makes one of my high school pals, Luca, very happy – every day. More importantly she works in women’s health for Planned Parenthood in Ithaca, NY. Maureen is an avid baker, an adventurous eater and fun drinking partner. I asked her to share her Guilty Pleasures and she graciously agreed to do so.  Enjoy!

So, LeAnne is one of those Forces of Nature. You know, the kind of person who you know of, before you actually meet and you hear about before you’re ever lucky enough to share a drink or a meal with them.  That’s LeAnne and exactly how I got to know her and I’m so fortunate to call her a friend. I am delighted (and profoundly honored and humbled) to be invited into the Good for Spooning blog-world to share my own little riff on guilty pleasures.

So here’s the thing.  I’m not one for a lot of withholding or putting off or not doing because of guilt. I’m not sure if that’s just my over-reaction to the more rigid religious upbringing my folks lived through or perhaps a core element of my being.  I’m thinking it might be the latter. I’m a pretty pleasure focused gal. I see too much shame, fear, secrecy, worry and denial in the world and am pretty well acquainted with the fleeting nature of life (and careers, and relationships, and friendships) that my own brand of pseudo-Buddhism leads to a pretty here-and-now kind of life. And that approach is rather evident in my love of good food, good drink, and a deep love of cooking.

The one challenge this presents is picking but one guilty pleasure to share. So, I’m not going to.  I’m going to go with two of the top guilty pleasures swirling around in my life right now.

One.

Okay. I’m rather fond of nice steak. Really, quite fond. I’ll be honest; I’m a bit of steak-seeker. And I’m pleased to report I’m taking a break from my seeking because I’m pretty set. I found something really special in Manhattan.

You may well know of it, if not, and you’re a carnivore, you really must. (Don’t be fooled by the pull of Peter Luger to Brooklyn, stick with this.) Keen’s Steakhouse at 72 West 36th Street (between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue) was founded in 1885 by Albert Keen.  (You’re going to want to read more bout the storied history of this this place. Click the link above).

Yes, the mutton chops are certainly a thing, but please, walk with me to the Chateaubriand Steak for Two, with Three Sauces. This piece of meat exists wholly as a Guilty Pleasure. And my, does it deliver. It’s price is steep, the mass of perfect top end meat is outrageous how it melts, you will be full, you will be more than sated, and you will need to go back. Oh, and if you’re also a drinker, be sure to try the New York Sour as well. It completes the meal.

Two.

About that New York Sour. I am a committed whisky girl. I go so far as to gift myself a Whisky Advent Calendar every Christmas from the fine folks at Master of Malt. Did you do advent calendars as a kid? They were these excellent thin cardboard calendars that you opened a door for each day leading up to Christmas and it revealed a delightfully small, waxy, tasteless, ill-formed chocolate that when you’re 8 is an utter thrill.

Maureen's Whiskey

As a Big Girl, the whisky calendar operates on the exact same principal but the door you open reveals a dram-a-day of the finest whiskies around.  This year yielded an Isle of Jura 16 Year Old (Diurschs’ Own), a Macallen Amber 1824 Series, and a fine dram of Timorous Beastie. But my newest whisky Guilty Pleasure is right out of Japan. Hibiki Suntory Whisky. Yes. A Japanese whisky that really must be tried. The company started producing whisky in 1923 and has really done something special. It’s blended with malt whisky from Yamazaki and Hakushu and grain whisky from Chita and it matures in plum liqueur barrels. Don’t know if I need to say anything more about it. It’s some smooth sipping, excellent with a stir, and a fine Guilty Pleasure I hope to keep around for a bit.

Life’s pretty short to not do it right.

Cheers.

 

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.

-Virginia Woolfe

I Won a Raffle!

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

The next time someone asks you, “Hey, do you want to buy a raffle ticket? You could win __________.” Just say yes and buy the ticket. John and I did exactly that and won Chef Chris Palmeri of Naked City Pizza cooking for us and 8 friends in OUR kitchen.

It took a while to coordinate because of all of our busy schedules but we finally got it done. Originally it was supposed to be Palmeri and Chef Christian Dolias, but Dolias JUST got a great job working as Sous Chef for Todd Harrington at Yardbird Southern Kitchen at the Venetian. It’s an incredible opportunity for him and many congratulations. Poor Palmeri had to do everything himself.

A couple of challenges about this dinner:

  • Who to invite? We have so many friends who love to eat, so it was hard to choose. It was a weeknight, so that had to be kept in mind (a few of our friends work REALLY early in the morning). I had no control over the menu, so anyone with dietary concerns (vegetarian, gluten intolerant, picky eater) had to be taken off the list. A couple we love to dine with were out of town. We decided on my closest friends Lynn and Laurie, friend Jeff, dear longtime friends John & Holly and new friends and neighbors Melvin & Virginia. (FYI – Melvin is a Chef at Della’s Kitchen at The Delano). And our only son Jack was in town for spring break, so he was able to be in on the action.
  • Friends Laurie and Virginia

    Friends Laurie and Virginia

    Friend John M shows off his appetizer plate

    Friend John M shows off his appetizer plate

    Chef Melvin, his lovely wife Virginia and dear friend Lynn

    Chef Melvin, his lovely wife Virginia and dear friend Lynn

  • Can I really NOT be in my kitchen? Yes, I know he’s a pro, but it’s MY kitchen. I can’t tell you how difficult it was to have someone else in my kitchen and me NOT help them or be The Chick in Charge. Friend John M had an equally hard time with it when I kicked him out of his usual viewing/helping location.
Chef Chris Palmeri in my Kitchen

Chef Chris Palmeri in my Kitchen

  • Not knowing the menu was dramatic for me. I didn’t know how to set the table. I didn’t know what utensils or serving pieces would be needed. It made me nuts.

Dinner was served family style and the table settings were simple. It was like a holiday or celebratory dinner in any Italian family. Hubby John and I felt transported back to our youth in New York. The menu was as follows:

  • Charcuterie, cheese and relish tray with olive oil and bread

    Charcuterie, Cheese and Oysters in the background

    Charcuterie, Cheese and Oysters in the background

  • Oysters Rockefeller
  • Sautéed Spicy Frogs Legs

    Spicy Frogs Legs

    Spicy Frogs Legs

  • Gemelli Pasta with Braised Short Rib Bolognese

    Gemelli with Short Rib Bolognese

    Gemelli with Short Rib Bolognese

  • Bay Scallops with Mixed Mushrooms and Arugula

    Bay Scallops with Mushrooms

    Bay Scallops with Mushrooms

  • Turtle Cheesecake with Mixed Berry Compote

    Turtle Cheesecake with Mixed Berries

    Turtle Cheesecake with Mixed Berries

 

Enjoy the pics. We enjoyed the meal, the camaraderie and the thought of knowing we helped out in a fundraiser for a  fellow culinarian with health issues made everything even better.

Next up? Another in the series of Guilty Pleasures from a guest blogger. Be sure to subscribe by hitting the button on the right so you don’t miss a single issue. On Tuesday evening you will get an email with links to all the blogs from the past week. And of course you can follow along with Instagram, FB and Twitter.

Guilty Pleasures #2 – Guest Blogger Rev Kane of Ministry of Happiness

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

I have known Rev. Kane for a LONG time…let’s not talk about how many  years. When asked to guest blog for me, he jumped right on it, even though he is in the final stages of preparation for hiking the Appalachian Trail. What a guy! Keep up with him and his adventures by following his blog Ministry of Happiness. All of the NON-food pics were taken by Rev. Kane. He is a much better photographer than I am!

When the queen calls you answer and I’m honored to be guest blogging at Good for Spooning, a little different fare than my normal posts at the Ministry of Happiness, but not so far off the map as guilty pleasures are inherently things, that at least in the short-term, make you happy.

Given that LeAnne has decided these posts should center around Lent, I figured as a recovering Catholic that I would address my favorite part of Lent, Mardi Gras.  I love New Orleans and more pointedly I love Mardis Gras.  For me, it has everything to do with parades.  You see I never got the whole parade thing, not even as a child.  Parades in my hometown were quite frankly pretty lame, but even the Rose Bowl and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parades bored me to tears.

So the first time I made it to Mardis Gras, I was not excited about the idea of a Mardis Gras parade but what the hell, I walked up St. Charles into the neighborhoods and got ready for the parade.  Soon, as will happen during Mardis Gras, I had made a whole slew of new friends, particularly once they found out I was on my own.  Drinks, snacks, hot Po Boy Sandwiches were quickly dispatched to me, hell one guy and his partner even invited me to join them on their krewe’s float the next night.  Now, they pay thousands of dollars for that honor and I passed, they were sure once I was costumed no one would care, I wasn’t so sure.

Bacchus? Pan? Generic Satyr? Part of one of the Mardi Gras Floats

Bacchus? Pan? Generic Satyr? Part of one of the Mardi Gras Floats

Then the parade started and it was gleeful madness, the floats were amazing, funny, political, ridiculous depending on the krewe running the parade.  Beads, coins and much nicer gifts flew from the floats, gleeful madness transitioned to joyful chaos, it is impossible not to get thoroughly caught up in the action.  Wonderful people, food, drink and madness, THIS is what I always thought Mardi Gras was always about.  Unfortunately so many people think Mardi Gras is bourbon street, flashing boobs and drunken crowds, it’s not, for me it’s all about the parades.

So in many ways New Orleans is one giant guilty pleasure for me but given I have issues with my blood sugar, I’ll focus on those specific guilty pleasures my doctor might actually beat me for indulging in while I’m there.  Let’s start with the worst offence, the beignet.  I grew up in an Italian family and fried dough with powdered sugar was a huge treat the morning after homemade pizza.  Café Du Monde, cliché, sure but the beignet’s and the people watching are just magnificent.

The original Cafe Du Monde

The original Cafe Du Monde

beignet

As someone who cuts carbs I don’t eat a lot of rice, but great news, the rice in jambalaya is carb free!  Right, but now do I stop eating bowls of full of crawfish, shrimp, sausage, and chicken, sure there’s more grams of carbs in a bowl than I normally eat in a week but it’s soooo damn good!  It’s ok, you can always go to the church on Jackson Square [St. Louis Cathedral] and confess your food sins.

St. Louis Cathedral - Jackson Square

St. Louis Cathedral – Jackson Square

The one saving grace about New Orleans guilty pleasures is that the city and especially the French Quarter is a marvelous place just to walk.  As someone who does a bit of photography I love the cemeteries in the city and so you get to burn off all of those lovely carbs with really long walks, but you should always bring a box of pralines with you in case of food emergencies, or to just immerse yourself in a wave of crunchy, sweet goodness.

NOLA Cemetery

Pralines

Now my final guilty pleasure provided by the Crescent City is a double pleasure, first it’s so delicious and secondly I usually bring it with me on the plane ride home and fill the cabin with its smell.  Given how little they feed us on planes these days I’m surprised I haven’t been beaten within an inch of my life.  But my leaving New Orleans tradition has become a full muffuletta from Central Grocery.  For the uninitiated a muffuletta is a 10 inch diameter sandwich filled with layers of marinated olive salad, mortadella, salami, mozzarella, ham, and provolone.

From the TheThrillist.com’s article on the 5 best muffulettas in New Orleans:

You can’t reasonably discuss muffulettas (or at least discuss muffulettas with as much reason as such a discussion might allow) without paying consideration to the original. Invented here in the early 20th century to feed hungry Sicilian farmers selling their wares in the French Market, CG’s muffs can be ordered by quarter, half, or whole, but be warned: the sandwich is approximately the size of a tractor tire. And be prepared to wait in line. It’s worth it.

Muffuletta

So, I know it’s just passed us by, but happy Mardi Gras, happy Lent, and have a happy day my friends ~ Rev Kane

Guilty Pleasures with Guest Blogger Jack Notabartolo

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

In an effort to keep you entertained and keep myself sane, I have asked a few folks to write FOR this blog instead of me. Sister Nancy did it a while back and now I am going to have a series of folks share their guilty pleasures through the Lenten Season. First up my one and only son Jack! He’s a junior at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona.  Enjoy!

I am not the usual writer of this blog. My name is Jack Notabartolo, and I have several unhealthy food addictions. These are the foodstuffs that I positively adore, but I kick myself every time I eat them. Needless to say, they are quite a pain, considering that I am trying to lose a bit of weight.

You probably have a few as well, those little voices that call out to you as you’re driving down the highway, the inexplicably delicious fast food places that whisper to your taste buds “Eat me” as you’re driving by. But I’d like to devote this little bit of time to talk about the guilty pleasure foods that (mostly) aren’t from Jack in the Box or Taco Bell.

One that shouldn’t come as any sort of surprise to anyone is candy. Everyone loves candy, save for diabetics and crazy people, but there is one that just calls to me above all others.

Charleston Chews.  And I’m not talking about the big, mondo-sized bars that you could probably use to beat a small child to death, I’m talking about the Charleston Chew Minis.

Charleston ChewsWhen we lived in Texas, my mother and I would often go to the movies, and considering how expensive the… everything was at the theaters, the old one and I would go on a “Walgreens run” and sneak our own confectionaries into the theater in her oversized purse. It became a ritual for us. Weekend came, we would sneak in our treats, and feast while we watched movies that we decided on diplomatically. And “diplomatically” in our house meant “with a lot of cross-talk and unnecessary argument”. Either way, it was a great time for us, and one that I’m sorry has faded away. Still, whenever I’m in a pharmacy, I have to actively avoid the candy aisle otherwise I buy a box or five.

Another guilty pleasure of mine (that breaks me almost every goddamn time I go near) is Roberto’s Tacos. Fortunately, I don’t swing by the nearest Roberto’s that often, only when I’m getting an oil change. But when I do…

Carne Asada fries

Carne asada fries. They break me without fail. Even though I know they’re so horrendously bad for me, I order them whenever I swing by the Fabulous Freddy’s right down the street for car maintenance or a wash. This time, I came home with not only the fries, but their machaca breakfast burritos for my mother and me as well. I can feel them going to my thighs already.

Finally, there’s the coup de grace. The evil overlord of all food. The devil at the crossroads. The Don Vito Corleone, making me an offer I simply can’t refuse. Jack in the Box’s Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger, hold the mayo, with curly fries and a shake. This has been the go-to for my mother and I whenever we have an hour or two to kill during the lunch hour and nothing with a higher taste-to-healthiness ratio (not that hard, despite the tastiness of the burger). She’ll send me down the street to snag a couple of burgers and some greasy-ass fries when she’s at her nail appointment and can’t possibly get away on her own. I always feel bad because I get the bacon and shake, and she doesn’t.

But that’s the point of a guilty pleasure, isn’t it? It’s something that we eat, that makes us feel horrible about ourselves, that we don’t even care about until after it’s gone, until it’s out of our hands, beyond our control and stuck in our stomachs. I suppose it’s reasonable to enjoy our guilty pleasures every now and then, though. Because it’s just food. Food that is meant to be eaten, despite the fact that it is probably horrible to us despite our best interests. I will refrain from using “YOLO” in this situation, but the message still applies. Life is far too short to not eat your guilty pleasure food.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

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Valentine’s Day is Amateur Night

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

Many people call New Year’s Eve “amateur night”, but not in this house. Here Valentine’s Day is for amateurs.

I know there are lots of people out there that think a romantic dinner out on the town on VDay is the way to go, but other than last year’s trip to San Francisco and eating at RN74, we haven’t dined out on VDay in ages. There are a LOT of reasons for that, but basically it’s because I don’t want to deal with the crowds and all the OTHER people. (Moment of Truth – On most days I can’t stand OTHER people, I only like MY people, especially when OTHER people are driving…). Because this has been a trend in my house for more than 10 years, I was really happy to see that Bon Appetit jumped on my bandwagon in their February issue this year with an entire section starting on page 17 about staying home and cooking together.

Each year I have made a surprise dinner for John (and Jack when he was home). It was always something we don’t normally eat at home, or something extravagant I had never cooked before. Lobster Thermidor was the biggie. When you are used to simply steaming or grilling a lobster, this seemed to take all damn day! Now I know why it is so expensive when you order it in a restaurant. This year, because VDay falls on a Saturday, there is even MORE reason to dine at home if you live in a big tourist city like Vegas. We set a fancy table, with crazy napkin folds and one year I even MADE the table runner and napkins. We’ll be using them again this year.

Panettone French Toast with Strawberries. Don't judge, the pic was taken with my old camera.

Panettone French Toast with Strawberries. Don’t judge, the pic was taken with my old camera.

Because John will be home and there is little or no way to really surprise him, I enlisted his help. As you know, if you have been following along, we love craft beer here at Casa Nota and to this end, I gave John the menu items and asked him to create a beer pairing to go with each course. Here are the courses, and yes, if I remember pics will be posted to Instagram:

  • Braised Oxtail Tortelloni (bigger than tortellini) served en brodo and yes, I am making my own pasta
  • Mixed green salad with Lemon Vinaigrette (and maybe a poached egg)
  • THIS Oyster and Scallop Pan Roast stew from Andrew Zimmern
  • Cajun seasoned Duck Breast with Andouille gravy and dirty rice
  • Salted Caramel Budino

Yes, it’s rich. Yes, it seems a little like overkill, but this is the only day of the year when I cook to this level of extravagance. Keep in mind those recipes will be cut in half and we’ll have some leftovers.

What beers would you choose? Skip the wine suggestions – John doesn’t enjoy it and I can’t enjoy it (sulfites dammit!).

Wanna see what and where I am eating? Follow me on Instagram or Twitter. And while we’re on the subject of Valentine’s Day, I LOVE it when you share my blog and share my page on Facebook. FYI – that’s a pretty broad hint to do both! In fact, invite your friends to follow along and subscribe to this blog – you’ll get a once a week email with ALL the posts from the previous week in one digestible mailing.

Happy Valentine’s Day – may everything you eat be spectacular!

 

The 10 Best Things I Ate in 2014

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

Thanks to all of you for following along with me on this ride. If you have been enjoying this blog all year, some of these pics will look familiar. If you are new to Good for Spooning, be sure to subscribe by adding your email address in the space to the right. Also, you can follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter. All @Good for Spooning.

It’s time for my annual list of awesome things I consumed.  Many of them are available to you NOW, there are only a few on this list that aren’t available regularly and only one that you will never get to enjoy.  But DO enjoy this list. All photos provided are by me personally. In no particular order, here we go…

Northwest Seafood and Coconut Soup at Etta’s Seafood in Seattle. Salmon, clams, mussels, shrimp, calamari with house sambal.  Yes, it’s from Tom Douglas.

The best thing we ate on the entire trip! A Thai spiced fish stew at Etta's.

The best thing we ate on the entire trip! A Thai spiced fish stew at Etta’s.

Fried Quail at Hakkasan in the MGM Grand – this was on the menu during Restaurant Week for Three Square. It is not a regular menu item, but shows up from time to time.

Crispy Fried Quail with Five Spice

Crispy Fried Quail with Five Spice

Bacon Jam at Carson Kitchen – yeah – there is no pic of this because we ate it too fast.  Just go, and get it and thank me later.

Spicy Cold Noodles at Mama Ji’s in San Francisco – thank goodness the noodles themselves are icy cold because the sauce that goes on top is SPICY and HOT. Definitely a do-over the next time we eat there!

Cold Spicy Noodles at Mama Ji's

Cold Spicy Noodles at Mama Ji’s

Prime Veal Chop at NYY Steak in Coconut Creek, Florida – This was so much more than I expected in a simply prepared veal chop. Dry aged 21 days and absolutely perfect.

And Whitey Ford's retired number was on my plate!

And Whitey Ford’s retired number was on my plate!

Charcuterie and Sausages at Lowbrau and Block Butcher Bar in Sacramento – I don’t have enough nice things to say about this. Lowbrau and Block are connected and sister stores.

Charcuterie board from Block Butcher Bar

Charcuterie board from Block Butcher Bar

Spicy Andouille sausage at Lowbrau

Spicy Andouille sausage at Lowbrau

Beef Tasting Dinner at STK – Chef Stephen Hopcraft pulled out all the stops for this fantastic meal. Having a “take it or leave it” attitude about beef in general, after eating this, I now have a MUCH better appreciation for cow flesh.

Our beef selections included all natural, grass fed and prime filets.

Our beef selections included all natural, grass fed and prime filets.

Three different types of filet mignon with sides.

Three different types of filet mignon with sides.

Porchetta at the Swine & Wine dinner at MTO – The Sunday Suppers at MTO are always a surprising mix of Chefs working inside a theme.  This was obviously a pork-centric meal and this porchetta was a stand out.

Porchetta waiting to be sliced at MTO's Swine & Wine

Porchetta waiting to be sliced at MTO’s Swine & Wine

And my top two faves this year, drumroll please….

The Fried Chicken at Yardbird in Miami – it’s opening in Vegas later this month and I can hardly wait! I will be able to eat this fried chicken any time I want. (Moment of Truth – Fried Chicken would be on the short list of “last meals” for me).

Just look at the little captions

Just look at the little captions

The Chefs to the Max Dinner – RX Boiler Room – Twenty Four Chefs together created a once in a lifetime meal as a fundraiser for critically injured food writer Max Jacobson. Each and every course was superb.  Bonus for me? Because I volunteered my time, I was allowed full access to photograph the Chefs at work and this is my fave pic of the night, taken during the pre-shift briefing. Can I tell you how fun it was to see Bobby Flay taking pics of other Chefs at work like any old fanboy?

The Chefs were just as giddy as I was I think.

The Chefs were just as giddy as I was I think.

Sneak Peek at Yardbird

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

I have a lot of friends who are in the food industry in one fashion or another and happily I get invited to some really great outings, but RARELY do I get to eat somewhere before food writer Friend Al Mancini does.  THIS time I can say, “Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner” with glee because I was able to preview some of the fantastic menu items coming to Yardbird Southern Table and Bar (Opening at the Venetian in December) before anyone else in town!

Chef and Friend Todd Harrington, along with Chef and Friend John Courtney are both training in Miami at the original Yardbird. I passed through on my way to a cruise ship and Chef Todd treated Hubby, Sister Nancy and I to a fab lunch with signature dishes and cocktails that blew my socks off. Julian took really good care of us and I know all of Las Vegas will get the same royal treatment. He has been with the company for years and is coming out to train the new staff. When you are served, you get a little “history” lesson on Yardbird and what makes the dishes so spectacular. Hint – it’s the home cooking secret recipes that have been table tested for generations.

First of all you need to know that Fried Chicken is my Kryptonite.  (Moment of Truth: Ask anyone who knows me about my chicken problem.) When Todd told me about the chicken I had to take a seat because I nearly swooned – brined for a day and then secret recipe seasoned and pressure fried…in lard. Be still my beating heart. It’s kind of their “thing” and once eaten I understood. The meat is moist and flavorful all the way to the bone, not just the skin.  Then of course there was the “BLT” with fried green tomatoes, and the deviled eggs…oh shit, I could go on all day!  Just look at the pics and checkout the Miami menu here.

Deviled eggs with "redneck caviar"

Deviled eggs with “redneck caviar”

Fried Green Tomato BLT - see the pimento cheese and the bacon?

Fried Green Tomato BLT – see the pimento cheese and the bacon?

BBQ Ribs and house made pickles. See that pickled okra? It had my name on it!

BBQ Ribs and house made pickles. See that pickled okra? It had my name on it!

Just look at the little captions

Just look at the little captions

The ever popular Mac & Cheese

The ever popular Mac & Cheese

Crunch & Munch Bread Pudding

Crunch & Munch Bread Pudding

Banana Cream Pie with white chocolate ice cream

Banana Cream Pie with white chocolate ice cream

Not shown are the amazing biscuits and house made jam, grilled farmer’s cheese with watermelon, shrimp & grits and a few cocktails.  Once Yardbird opens you are seriously going to want to check it out if you enjoy southern style food at all.  For me, the best thing is that everything is meant to be shared, and the portions clearly reflect that idea. Think about sitting down to eat at Aunt Sally’s table where the plates were passed to everyone…get the picture? There were 3 of us at the table and trust me, we were more than sated and there were leftovers. May I suggest you bring friends and wear comfy clothes the first time? You will want to try everything.

If you follow me on social media, you may have seen some other pics.  Want more? Subscribe here, and/or follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @GoodforSpooning

A Hill Country Wedding and Four Kings

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

My recent whirlwind trip was precipitated by two celebrations – a wedding and a landmark birthday. Travel for almost any reason is a good thing, but when you get to travel for a celebration it’s even better. “My Friend Brian”, dear Friend Nanette’s son, married his sweetheart Krystal in charming Texas Hill Country style and Mom turned 70 on a weekend cruise out of Miami to the Bahamas (read a little about that here).

When I was growing up in New York, there was only ONE WAY to have a wedding “The Right Way”. You start with a ceremony at a church, proceed to the reception hall after pictures. Then there is an open bar cocktail hour, toast by the best man, dinner, cake and bouquet/garter ceremonies and then dancing and more drinking. Clean, simple and in that order every time. Thankfully that mold has been broken!  Now there is so much more variety and happy couples can truly express themselves and make their wedding more about THEM and less about traditional trappings. In a gorgeous outdoor setting amid trees at Ruby Ranch, a converted hunting lodge one used by LBJ, I was treated to a Hill Country wedding and I am honored to have been included.

The Bride and her attendants wore cowboy boots beneath their dresses and there was a completely relaxed atmosphere among the bridal party and the guests that I have NEVER seen before. What a pleasant surprise to feel relaxed at a wedding instead of keyed up and stressed out! Of course at every wedding something goes wrong, but when it happened here, there was laughter, not tension. And then there was the food.  If you know me AT ALL, you know that my least favorite type of cuisine is BBQ (I despise the sauce and most of the traditional sides) and no respectable Hill Country wedding would be complete without it. I will say Bill Miller’s smoked sausage was much better than I remembered. But the CAKE was the star of the food show here. Usually wedding cakes are all form and no function. They LOOK great and taste like shit. Not so here! Letty’s Sweets made a wonderful cake for cutting and light, moist, delicious cupcakes for everyone to enjoy. The buttercream was so LIGHT and filled with flavor it was nearly a revelation.  All my best to My Friend Brian and Krystal for many happy years together.

Brian and Krstal changed into something more comfy for the cake, dancing and singing portion of the evening.

Brian and Krstal changed into something more comfy for the cake, dancing and singing portion of the evening.

My Friend Brian (2nd from the left) and his attendants waiting on the Bride's arrival

My Friend Brian (2nd from the left and brother Daniel 3rd from left) and his attendants waiting on the Bride’s arrival

The Newlyweds

The Newlyweds

And then there was more… Every Wednesday my pals in San Antonio bowl in the morning and then have lunch. The happiest change in the routine is that every now and then a new place opens and there is more variety. So is the case with Four Kings. I can’t say enough good things about Sandra and her team. Each and every thing I had was exceptional. House roasted meats for sandwiches, from scratch baked goods (including their sandwich breads and rolls) and homemade soups that made me wish I was there more than once. I rarely want to go back to Texas (you all know how much I love the west coast and Vegas), but this little lunch spot made me yearn for another trip soon.  No website as yet, but you can follow along with them HERE!

Owner Sandra putting the finishing touches on a sandWISH.

Owner Sandra putting the finishing touches on a Bahn Mi sandWISH.

Sliced roast beef on a pretzel roll, grain mustard aoili, caramelized onion marmalade, spinach, and Colby Jack cheese served hot.

Sliced roast beef on a pretzel roll, grain mustard aoili, caramelized onion marmalade, spinach, and Colby Jack cheese served hot.

Pimento Cheese

Pimento Cheese

Homemade rolls - YUMMM!

Homemade rolls – YUMMM!

You Can’t Go Home Again

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

Recently, as you know if you follow along on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, I was traveling. When I return to a city where I have found great grub, I feel it is a moral imperative that I revisit those dining locales to relive the good times had there.  Sadly, sometimes the memory is better than reality.

In San Antonio for a wedding (more on that soon) I found myself itching to go to Pappadeaux.  I have had so many great meals there that I went by myself and sat at the bar to enjoy a fantastic lunch. I ordered a local IPA, Crawfish Bisque, and a Seafood Cobb Salad.  I SHOULD have quit after the soup. When I order a SEAFOOD Cobb Salad, I expect the SEAFOOD to be a starring attraction. Sadly this was not the case. There were four pathetic shrimp and two ounces of crab (two ounces if I am being generous). There was however plenty of bacon and egg.  Oddest of all, there were big slices (think lengthwise on a mandoline) of cucumber and “julienned” carrots that were the size of carrot sticks mixed into the greens. Did I just order the wrong thing? Has corporate dining ruined one of my fave chains (and make no mistake, it IS a chain, even if they aren’t nationwide)? Have my expectations changed?  Any or all of these questions can be answered with a YES and be correct.

Crawfish Bisque

Crawfish Bisque

 

On a bright note, my car seemingly on auto-pilot, found the 410 Diner on Broadway in San Antonio and it was EXACTLY as I remembered. Not fancy, but great value for good diner food.

Then it was off to Nassau, The Bahamas.  We three sisters and our spouses took Mom on a cruise to celebrate her 70th Birthday.  All in all a good time was had (barring a tweaked twerk muscle, a pulled hamstring and a thrown out back, and no, I am NOT among the walking wounded). Because we are SO rarely all together (I live in Vegas, everyone else is in FL) any time together is special. I didn’t choose the ship, the itinerary or the port we sailed from, but when I realized Nassau was on the route I was excited.

Several years ago when John and I cruised through the Bahamas, we went in search of authentic Bahamian conch dishes and we found them at Twin Brothers. When we walked in, we were the ONLY tourists in the building, just my style! The conch fritters were crisp and golden on the outside and light as air inside studded with amazing chunks of conch. The conch chowder was fragrant, spicy on the back end and again studded with conch. And don’t even get me started on the mystical wings. Those wings were slightly flavored with coconut and dusted with seasonings after frying so they were both sweet and spicy. And the spice built as you ate wing after wing. I dreamed of them for years and tried to recreate them in my kitchen with little success. Let’s just say those wings are a thing of the past, but the conch dishes were just as good as I remembered. The biggest let down for me is that Trip Advisor (very much like Yelp! for travelers as far as I am concerned) found Twin Brothers, with a proud declaration in the window. There were no locals left, we were surrounded by tourists. While the chowder and fritters were excellent, the wings were bland with no mystique to them and I was surrounded not by the good people of the island with their beautiful lilting speech, but by the very people I was seeking escape from by walking into town. I am happy for THEM and unhappy for me, because one of my fave places is now off limits to me.

Conch Fritters

Conch Fritters

I have to wonder if my recollections are in some fashion flawed or if you really can’t go home again. Am I guilty of memories being better than reality or have things changed THAT much?

Next up? More on Texas, a Hill Country wedding and time spent with friends in bars in Texas.

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