Domain Chandon - Enchanting Napa while pleasing the palate!

Domain Chandon was definitely captivating!  The scenery was like a walk into a dream with a beautiful secret garden.   

The views were really breathtaking!  If it was not 100 + in heat index that day we would have definitely been able to enjoy it even more.

This was by far one of the best wine tours we have ever been on and probably one of the most beautiful wineries we have seen so far.

Our tour came with a thorough explanation of the whole place, the history, their daily routines, and their interaction with the other wineries as well.

The cocktail wine tour was a pretty good deal.  We got all three cocktails plus a education tour for $40, cheaper than just buying the three drinks at the bar in the winery and the tour guide offered us extras to drink!  Can't beat that!

Our first drink was the summer crush.  The basil and lime was a delicious combination.  Very crisp and light, excellent for the hot Napa weather that day.  The best part, other than sipping the champagne was getting the chance to make it yourself.  They teach you how to make the flavored syrup at home and you get to put as much of it as you want.

The second drink was the rising star.  This was our favorite.  Sweet and tart but light enough to drink several glasses.  The sweet cherries and the pomegranate flavor really shines and blends extremely well with the Chandon Brut Classic.

The third drink was the Hibiscus Romance.  This was our least favorite but definitely the prettiest.  The combination was not great, the hibiscus flavor was kind of covered up by the sugar syrup.

Fantastic afternoon spent at the winery.  This is one tour we would go back for.  The tour guide was witty and the drinks were yummy!  By far one of the most memorable and tasty wine tours we have experienced here in Napa.

RN 74 in San Francisco...A foodie adventure

Here we are in San Francisco again!  Great weather, exquisite food, and lots to do.  If you are a food lover....YOU MUST VISIT this grand city of foodie treasures!

Tony chose RN 74 for my birthday dinner.  What a treat and a great choice as well. Michael Mina really out did himself with this place. The atmosphere was very romantic and cozy.  A little bit too cozy if you ask me...it was pretty warm inside.  I think they kept the heat on a little higher since it was chilly outside.  We loved the decoration of the old fashioned train departure/arrival board. It displayed all the prices of special wines they carry. 

We ordered 2 cocktails to start, 2 starters, 1 midi, and 2 entrees.

I forgot that we even had drinks.  I recall that they were tasty and refreshing. I had a special RN74 version of a Pimm's Cup and Tony had a Moscow Mule. 

The appetizer was absolute FOOD PORN 101!  The Uni & Warm Main Lobster Tartine was OMG........Speechless.  Too delicious for words.  The uni was soft yet firm and succulent, the lobster was sweet, creamy and full of body.  YUMMY!  This dish was so good that we almost considered ordering this again for dinner because we couldn't get enough.

The Pate de Foie de Poulet was rich and had a great depth of flavor.  The other components complimented it really well.  The silky pate paired with the crispy texture of the chicken skin, the acid of the pickles, the earthiness of the greens, and the sweetness of the cherries brought it altogether.

Our Midi

Lamb Tartar was awesome!  Wow, great flavors, texture was perfect...what can I say ONE MOUTH WATERING BITE!  If you have never had lamb tartar...YOU are missing out.

Entrees 

Polenta Crusted Sea Scallops and Heritage Pork Loin and Crispy Belly.

The Scallops were very good and large in size.  Cooked perfectly!  The sugars of the scallops were caramelized and wrapped in with the delightfully crispy polenta coating.  The morels and the fresh creamed corn was delicious....wish there was more.  A great dish!

The pork dish was MMMMMMMMM!  Sometimes you think it will be really heavy but if you pair pork well they can be very tasty,  The apricot and the bacon cherry vinaigrette was a perfect combo with the pork dish.  Both the loin and the belly was prepared well. 

What a fantastic evening.  We enjoyed ALL of it!  We would come here again just for the Uni and Lobster Tartine!

RN 74

301 Mission Street

SFO, CA, 94105

The French Room...old elegance - Restaurant Week 2013

The Adolphus is like a step into the past in an elegant way.  We loved the ambiance and the decor thoughout the place.  You can't help but turn your heads to check out all the cool murals, chandlaliers, clocks, vases, and paintings around the place. 

We were greeted and seated promptly.  The atmosphere was quite enchanting.  Our servers were all very polite and gave us explanation of our three courses (not that we needed it) but it was nice to know they knew what they were talking about.

Our starters!

Crab Cake, the best we have had!  You can tell it was packed with big lumps of sweet crab meat and not fillers.  The tomato jam was a great compliment and very tasty.

The Pork Belly with risotto was drool worthy.  Had the rich asian touch with a creamy risotto pairing.  Very similar to what we had at Morimoto Napa, but he paired his pork belly with congee vs. risotto.

Then came our fish entrees.

We ordered the Red Snapper wrapped with zucchini and Salmon with Shiitaki. 

The Snapper had great caramelization on top and paired with silky mash potatoes.

The Salmon was cooked to perfection.  Rare on the inside and crispy on the outside.  The Shiitaki's were seasoned extremely well, we wished we had a whole bowl of it!

Our desserts were amazing! 

We ordered the Grand Mariner Souffle and Key Lime Creme Brulee.  Both were awesome!  The souffle was fluffy and velvety, extremely flavorful!  The key lime brulee was YUMMY!  The key lime flavor definitely stood out and help cut down the richness.  Sugar was crispy on top and lush on the bottom. 

Overall a delicious experience!  We cannot wait to come back and try their regular menu.  For $45 per person vs what they normally charge, definitely worth the try, especially during restaurant week!

The French Room

The Adolphus Hotel

1321 Commerce Street

Dallas, TX, 75202

BRC Gastropub, a nice surprise!

We met up with some friends for lunch and chose BRC Gastropub as our lunch destination.  We were seated quickly which was a major plus considering everywhere else was packed and when we called they told us there would be a 30 min wait...we arrived 5 minutes later and was seated right away. 

To Start we ordered some mimosa, a raspberry cocktail and  another cocktail which I completely forgot so that means it was not that great.  All were very refreshing and a great beginning.

We ordered deviled eggs with fried oysters and a tomaoto basil soup to start.

 

The deviled eggs were very tasty and the touch of fried oyster and crispy bacon paired well with the creamy center of the deviled egg. 

 

The  tomato basil soup was creamy and light, the touch of avocado oil and fresh basil gave it a nice touch.   

Then comes our entrees.  Shrimp with cheesy grits and two poached eggs, and foie gras sliders.

 

The shrimp and grits were filling and made well.  The grits were a bit thick in cosistency but when you puncture the poached egg and mix the grits with it, it match well.  The yoke made the grit extra creamy.  The shrimps were big and lightly fried.  Pretty tasty!

 

The foie gras sliders were YUM!  How can you go wrong? It's FOIE GRAS!!!  The foie gras oils soaked into the bread....DROOL!  The portion was a little small so it was good that we ordered the grits.

 

Overall it was a great place to hang out with great friends on a Saturday.  We would rate this place a 6.5/10 for price, taste, and creativity.

 

BRC Gastropub

519 Shepherd Dr
Houston, TX 77007

(713) 861-2233

Houston Trip...Asian

Dallas, Tx definitely does not have the variety of Asian cusines like Houston does.  In comparison to Dallas, Houston definitely wins in flavor and diversity but Houston still has a long way to go if it wants to match up to the quality of Asian flavors San Francisco has to offer.

Here is our summary of our Asians food this time around Houston Tx. 

Our first night we arrived exhausted and really needed a late night comfort to put us to sleep.   Our choice was limited since it was around 12 am when we arrived.  We headed out to Hong Kong Food Street since it opens until 2 am.  This place offers a variety of common Hong Kong fast and comfort foods.  They offer noodles, stir frys, rice dishes, congee, soups, desserts, milk teas, and honey lemon drink. 

We had seafood rice soup and a brisket flat noodles to put us to sleep.  The congee was very comforting with an abundance of seafood...highlight was definitely the BIG sea scallops they added!  This was pretty affordable at around $6. 
The brisket was made well and of good quality but the flat noodles was not as good as I expected.  I am not sure if it is the quality of the flat noodle supplied here or if it was just not made well. 
Overall an acceptable meal at around 1 am in the morning.

Hong Kong Food Street
9750 Bellaire Blvd
Houston, TX 77036

Crawfish!  Well I forgot to take pictures of this one...*BOO* 
We had crawfish as a snack....4 lbs to be exact.  This one is located in a chinese market shopping center..in the food court, a very ethnic and good food court if you ask me.  You can find boba tea, fresh juices, vietnamese stalls, snails, balut eggs, and more.  We went to go try Crawfish and Beignets.  The Crawfish were pretty good size, service was fast, well seasoned, and they provide you with condiments like mayo, chili, and butter on the side.  At around $5.99lb, a much better deal than Boiling Crab in Dallas.  Flavor wise, Dallas's boiling crab still wins, but quality, size, and price, Crawfish and Beignets win.

 Crawfish and Beignets
11201 Bellaire Blvd
Ste A-05
Houston, TX 77072

Dim Sum time!

 

We tried Arco Seafood.  Not bad...some were still a hit and miss but overall very fresh, because they steamed or fried the dim sum when you placed the order on the sheets.  The fun roll with the fried dough on top was done really well, the skin was very soft and thin, much better than the ones offered in Dallas.  The shrimp dumplings were also pretty good, the filling was plump and filled with shrimp, the only flaw was that the skin was a tad too thick. 

The dim sum still has a long way to go before it can catch up to the standards in San Francisco in terms of variety, flavor, and quality.

 

Arco Seafood Restaurant

9896 Bellaire Blvd

Houston, TX 77036

(713) 774-2888

 

 

Shaved Ice!

Nu Cafe was one of the places we tried.  Very soft shaved ice, we chose mango flavor, but I did not taste much mango flavor.  The fresh fruits and pudding accompanied well with the soft ice and condense milk.  Worth a try if you have never tasted soft shaved ice, but this is not even close to the flavor you can get in Hong Kong, so we were a little disappointed. 

Nu Cafe
9889 Bellaire Blvd
Houston, TX 77036

(713) 771-7771

 

The second shaved ice place was Juice Box.

I personally liked this place more compared to Nu Cafe.  They do not skimp on ingredients, they put mountains of fruits of your choice on your pillow of soft shaved milky ice...and of course topped with ice cream and condense milk.  This was extremely refreshing!  The fresh fruit tea and fresh fruit juices were also delish and worth trying. 

 

Juice Box

9889 Bellaire Blvd

Houston, TX 77036

(713) 484-8085

 

Last but not least...we had to pick up souvenirs for our parents!

Kings Bakery has great baked goods!  Their eggs tarts were very authentic with a buttery flaky crust and a soft egg pudding center...awesome!  Their breads were soft like pillows and very inexpensive.  At around $1 you can get a BBQ pork bun, quite affordable.  We purchased the pinapple bun, pinapple custard bun, and a sweet coconut custard bun.

Kings Bakery
9889 Bellaire Blvd
Houston, TX 77036

(713) 367-6616

 

Overall a fantastic trip! There is still more to come.....to be continued...



Toulouse Café and Bar, a casual French bistro

What comes to mind when you think french food for dinner?  Dressing up, super expensive, fancy, and must make a reservation....well at Toulouse this is not the case. This cute little restaurant is causal, homey, and no reservation needed.  This restaurant is busy, you can hear people talking, laughing, and its a comfortable setting for friends to get together and enjoy come fantastic French cuisine.  This was our first time and what a treat!

We started our night with 2 cocktails...Rossini on the left and Hemingway Daiquiri on the right.  Oh both were so refreshing!  The Rossini had a touch of sweetness from the raspberry but still let the sparkling champagne shine through.  The Hemingway Daiquiri was slightly tart, clean, and prepped your  palate for the food.

We then went on to our starters, lobster bisque and charcuterie maison.
The lobster bisque was rich and velvety.  The lobster flavor came through and you get bites of lobster meat....scrumptious!
The charcuterie maison was pretty fantastic.  The best thing on the plate was the chicken liver mousse. OMG the texture was so creamy and lush, the flavor was a punch of the livery flavor but done extremely well.  They topped the mousse with a sweet jam...*drool*  The duck prosciutto and the lomo was also done well.

We also chose their goat cheese tart and sea diver scallops for our entree.
The goat cheese tart was exquisite.  The puff pastry was flaky and buttery, the creamy goat cheese flavor paired extremely well with the tart and sweet tomato confit, and the basil pesto gave the tart a fresh touch.
Our entree, the sea diver scallops was also delicious.  The tender caramelized scallops were topped with a sweet and savory bacon tomato jam, and underneath the delicate scallops was a bed of spinach with a rich sauce (resembles hollandaise).  The other part of the entree was a meyer lemon risotto which was also a surprise.  The risotto had a really good lemony scent and lemon peel accent to it, it was creamy yet very light at the same time.
Overall another amazing experience.   The food was awesome...didn't really find any flaws.  We would rate this restaurant a 9/10 for flavor, ambiance, and preparation.

Toulouse Café and Bar
3314 Knox St
Dallas, TX 75205

Alounak, Delicious Persian Food at an Affordable Price

We were skeptical going in.  We didn't believe you can possibly find affordable, abundant, and delicious Persian food here in Dallas, Tx.  We were wrong...YUMMY!

This is just a small restaurant with about 10 tables, 1 waitress, and 1 cook who does everything.  Do not let the 1 waitress and 1 cook fool you, we received decent service, and our food arrived quickly.

First came our complimentary beet soup.  The  color was a vibrant purple..very pleasing to the eye.  Flavor wise, it was sightly tart, strong dill flavor, and the texture was grainy because of the crushed beets.  I did not like it very much but my boyfriend liked it.  It was a nice gesture from the chef though.

 We ordered sides of hummus and mast-o-khiar.  Both were delicious, the yogurt dip was creamy and refreshing with bits of dill and cucumber.  The hummus was not over whelmed with garlic like the ones you usually get at Mediterranean restaurants.   Off to a wonderful start!

We ordered the lamb shank, koobideh, and shish kabob.  All were very scrumptious!

The lamb shank was braised to tenderness in a carrot, potato, and onion broth.  The lamb was tender but still kept a good bite to it.  Our favorite thing about it is that they kept the fat, bone, and tendons.  Yum..after tearing off the meat, DO NOT forget to dig the bone marrow...it is amazing!  Our lamb shank came with rice and a side salad.  For $10 bucks, it is a steal!

Our koobideh was also fantastic.  The meat was moist and flavorful.  $8 for a whole big plate of food...how can you pass this up?  The plating was colorful and the smell of the koobideh taunts you.

The best thing of the afternoon was the side of shish kabob.  For $6 you can get a side skewer of shish kabob....man this was awesome!  The meat was so tender and cooked to perfection.  The meat literally melts in you mouth....*drool*

What an affordable meal!  We received mountains of food at a wonderful price...how do they do it?  I have no idea.  The meats were of good quality and handled with care.  We would rate this place a hard 8/10 for it's value, flavor, and quality.

Alounak
7989 Belt Line Rd
Ste 146
Dallas, TX 75248