Best Brunch In Philly : and maybe everywhere else ( review of Lacroix )

So this Thanksgiving break I went with Justin to visit family in the King of Prussia, PA and, of course, did a little bit of foodie research before hand. Whenever I go traveling I check beforehand to see if there are any unique/amazing breakfast brunch buffets in the area. It is actually surprising rare to find brunch buffets nowadays-in fact the majority of the places that serve brunch or breakfast in the DC metropolitan area are a la carte. The 97th Aerosquadron in College Park used to be a nice choice for a weekend brunch buffet (but it closed after a rumored flood) where, for a decent price, you could watch planes take off from the small air park while enjoying a personalized omelet. Tony and Joe's in Georgetown is one nice brunch buffet choice that focuses on fresh seafood but perhaps lacks a bit in creativity and is definitely hard on the wallet. Cuba Libre does offer an all-you-can-eat tapas brunch menu on the weekends but I have not yet had the opportunity to try it. Otherwise there is a serious lack of quality brunch buffets in our capital and I am sincerely hoping that will soon change.

Lucky for me, however, I was able to fulfill my brunch buffet lust in Philadelphia where the beautiful Lecroix at the Rittenhouse serves a unique and creative brunch. The meal does cost quite a bit of money but Justin and I were fortunate enough to come across a wonderful deal they had going on their facebook page (which quickly sold out). I was especially impressed with the Rittenhouses' menu and blog reviews. 

 

 

The restaurant itself was a bit hard to find. It is on the second floor of the Rittenhouse hotel and the restaurant gives diners a beautiful view of one of Philly's nicest downtown parks.  I definitely felt like I was dining in a very nice, fancy venue and that I was in for a real treat.

What I like the best about the Rittenhouse is that their buffet mostly consists of 'small bites'. Their appetizer table is set up so that each appetizer is just a small dish or bite in and of itself. I like how this compact presentation is not only aesthetically pleasing (as opposed to slopping food from a trough onto your plate and letting it mingle with all your other selections as is done with so many other buffets) but it allows you to try a wider variety of dishes without making you feel too full or too guilty.

My favorite appetizers had to be the shortbread jalapeno biscuits with avocado mousse filling, mini croissants stuffed with cheese and proscuitto (the buttery flakiness of the croissant was simply admirable-I even got seconds of this one), the Mediterranean style yogurt shot glasses topped with granola and nuts, and the vanilla beignets in an apricot honey. Various salads were on the same table as the appetizers and though I love a good creative salad I just didn't think the flavors really hit home with me for some of these. There were a few misses such as the parsnip coffee soup (but coffee isn't really one of my favorite things), or the soggy waffles that went with the chicken and waffle salad but overall I thought this appetizer table was quite impressive and really represented seasonal foods.

 

The raw bar was a sophisticated addition to the buffet. The raw oyster had numerous 'condiments' and there were at least three different kinds of caviar. Justin loved the shrimp cocktail and there was one piece of sushi that really had some big flavor in it (I just wish I knew wish one it was!!).

In an innovative turn of thought the main courses were situated in the kitchen area where a whole open room was dedicated to the entrees. There were still some small bites in this locale (mini kitchen made egg-McMuffin-like sandwiches and a tureen of bread pudding) but was mostly family-style from serving dishes and skillets. My absolute favorites in this arena had to be the hoison glazed short ribs with soba noodles (the flavor was spot on and the short rib was so tender it was practically falling off my fork), the duck confit, vanilla faro with stewed apples and coconut (I MUST learn to make this-I really wish I had asked them for the recipe before I left), and the brussel sprouts (who knew they could taste so good). I absolutely died and went to heaven in this room the food was so good. I did get a piece of Belgium waffle that had been under the light a bit too long (the fresh fruit that came with it was delightful though), the potatoes were mediocre and my peanut butter pancake was a bit dry but I do recognize how difficult it is to keep these kinds of things fresh when it is a buffet and everything else was so amazing that these minor trifles were negligible in the overall scheme of things.

Of course there was a meat carving station in the kitchen and I was really impressed by how each of the three meats at the station were perfectly cooked and came with their own sauce. I am very particular about my meat and the duck, beef and lamb were all beautifully tender and flavorful.

There was also a chacuterie station in the kitchen and Justin and I combined our pickings from here with the cheeses and crackers (a pumpkin flavored bread stick!) we pilfered from the cheese station which was located right outside of the kitchen.

I was completely blown away by the dessert course. The 'small bite' set-up came into play once again and Justin and I indulged in 11 (I am so ashamed) of these small delicacies. No-we did not take one of everything, we left one or two there at the table...Plus, we were so full at this point that we were only physically able to take a small taste of each (so yay for small bites and sharing). You will note Justin had 6 of these tiny pieces of art on his plate while I only had 5 (haha its all about the small victories). What I appreciated the most about these desserts was the quality. Care was obviously taken with each one and the majority of them were very light and the perfect end to a meal. These desserts must rotate on a weekly basis because they are not set on the menu. The absolute winners: were the mango coconut and pineapple mousse and the honey cream puff. By far the best cream puff I have ever had in my life and I have a passion for puffs. Pictured you can see the mini pumpkin pie, a rich chocolate mousse covered in caramel and heath bar bits, and a panacotta. On Justins plate there was a lemon cheesecake, a wonderful creme brulee (I couldn't stop eating it), a heavy chocolate cake, a white chocolate mousse with an alcohol soaked cookie crust, and a apple cake that tastes just like your grandmother made (though it certainly doesn't look like it).

There was a whole separate area in the kitchen dedicated to a chocolate fountain. Lacroix mixed things up a little with some fun chocolate fountain dippers like rice krispy treats, marshmellows (taste like their made in-house due to the way they melt in your mouth), cinnamon buns, brownies, churros (a bit too dry for my taste), doughnuts (again a bit dry), fresh fruit, banana cake and more.

There was a fruit station and a muffin and toast station in the restaurant but Justin and I were too full to partake.I never even found the liquid nitrogen dessert station.

The service was impeccable. Every time Justin and I got up to get more edible tidbits we arrived back at our table to find it nicely reset and ready for another pleasant go-round. 

Just writing this post makes me hungry and full all at the same time. I would absolutely go back to Lacroix-this was one of the best brunch buffets I have ever had in my life and I fully recommend it. I am absolutely going back the next time I am visiting my family.

OC Kabob in Salisbury : A hidden gem

I absolutely love Greek food. I even worked as a waitress at a Greek restaurant (Vasilis Mediterranean Grill in Gaithersburg) which served excellent Greek fare. I have been to Greece and eaten some fabulous gyro's, moussaka, pastichio, and more in my time so I like to think I have a good idea of what good Greek food is.

Sometimes I get this really strong craving for tzatziki sauce. I just love that wonderful condiment. I have made tubs of tzatziki myself at home so I can pile it on sandwiches and dip vegetables in its creamy goodness. So it wasn't unusual for me to start craving some tzatziki sauce after I saw OC Kabob on 13 in Salisbury. I didn't want to go to this new Greek place alone so when Justin came to visit a trip to this new Greek find was required.

The outside of OC Kabob is a little off putting I must admit-it looks suspiciously like a bar and not a place to grab a good pita wrap. Once I walked inside OCK my suspicions were somewhat allayed. There are small personal touches that make the place feel homey and comfortable. The mediterranean lamps and bright framed cloth patterns made you get the feeling that this was a family owned place that tried to produce good greek food.

I was more than surprised and pleased when our personable waitress came by our table and set down a complimentary basket of fried pita along with a wooden bowl that was filled with chickpeas, onions and spices ready for mashing (wooden pestle provided) and dipping. I really enjoyed with appetizers-so much so that I was almost full by the time we received our entrees.

I of course got the gyro (lamb and beef meat filling, lettuce, tomato, tzatziki sauce served on a warm pita) which came with a side of nicely done fries. The gyro was overflowing with meat and I could barely finish half of it-even with Justin's help. Justin ordered the kafta kabob. This was basically ground beef mixed fresh herbs and subtle spices served with a chicken broth flavored couscous, grilled vegetables, a fresh side salad and some warm pita slices. We both really liked the meal. The tzatziki was nice and light-I think they used sour cream instead of Greek yogurt. I especially liked their pita bread which was very fresh and just the right texture.

A very interesting twist to the night was the appearance of a belly dancer who belly danced her way around the tables to some upbeat Mediterranean music.

Unfortunately OC Kabob is only open for dinner but I definitely will take other friends who come to visit me in Salisbury though I must say that Vasilis will always be number one in my Greek food eating heart er stomach.

OC Kabob
SALISBURY, MD
327 E Main St. Salisbury, MD 21801     ph#  410-749-1969

Hello Cupcake Review

So there was an awesome deal for Hello Cupcake on LivingSocial (spend $18 get a $36 certificate) so Justin was nice enough to get it for me <3 and also go to DC and the cupcakes themselves. The bag and box the cupcakes came in were really cute. I thought they looked nicely decorated but not stunning or anything. Now I have reviewed a lot of cupcake places on this blog and I regret to say that Hello Cupcake is just not a top competitor. The yellow cake cupcakes (vanilla) were dry, had a very strange texture and just were mediocre at best. The chocolate cake cupcakes were even worse. These cupcakes were tasteless-pretty much no chocolaty flavor and a waste of hard-earned calories. Justin loved the icing on all the cupcakes though and I thought the icing was pretty good too.

The best Hello cupcake, by far, was the banana cupcake topped with a thick chocolate buttercream icing (called the chocolate chimp). They had obviously used real banana to make the cake part (always the way to go) and it went fabulously with the thick rich chocolate icing. In a close second was the peanut butter banana cupcake (peanut butter icing, banana cake bottom-called the velvet Elvis), and in third place was their carrot cake cupcake with creamcheese frosting. I did really like the strawberry icing topped lemon cupcake but the texture of the cake part once again didn't wow me-I was impressed by how strawberry the strawberry icing was. Bet you they used strawberry jello in the mix for flavoring.

Unfortunately there were no fillings in any of these cupcakes which would have def elevated them a notch or two. All in all I would go back for their banana cupcakes but leave the rest for other unsuspecting customers.

Hello Cupcake

Contact

Dupont Circle
202.861.2253

Capitol Hill
202.544.2210

info@hellocupcakeonline.com

Butternutsquash Pie Recipe

So years ago when I was on a retreat some friends picked up a few different pies on the way to the cabin and we feasted on the different pies that night (yeah-they were all finished in one night haha). I clearly remember loving the butternut squash pie-something I had never had before. It was a million times tastier than pumpkin pie and I wanted to recreate my lovely butternut squash pie eating experience with the free squash I got from the farm. I made the pie three ways-one with a traditional pie crust, one in muffin tins with the same pie crust and one with a graham cracker pie crust.

 I got a ton of compliments on this pie and it was the filling that really made it. The squash is so naturally sweet it gives the pie a wonderful honey like flavor.

I roasted the squash myself by halving it, scooping out the seeds in the base, basting it with maple syrup and sticking it in the oven at 400 F for about 45 minutes. 

I based my filling off of a recipe from the Farmers Daughter blog but tweaked it a little for myself:

• 1 cup squash puree
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 beaten eggs
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pie dough for one 9-10″ crust
• Preheat the oven to 425 F
• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl
• Pour the filling into pie crust
• Let the pie bake for 10 minutes before turning it down to 300F for 50-60 minutes

Specific Gravity Pizza Update

So I had to try Specific Gravity Pizza's carry out option-and of course on a Monday since that is half off pizza night so made the call last Monday and went to pick up my pizza. I felt a little guilty because it was just me so all I ordered was a small General Tso's pizza and nothing else. Technically they aren't supposed to do half off for specialty pizzas just the make your own but the guy on the phone was generous and said he's figure something out for me (which really meant yes I will do it for you because Specific Gravity employs some nice people-I really do like their friendly waitresses).

So I went inside to pick up my pizza and I realized there is NO carry out area. I had to hunt a server down and got shuttled to two other people before I got someone who could take care of me (the waitress stationed behind the bar). I was standing there awkwardly for at least ten to fifteen minutes just staring at my pizza (I could see it sitting up at the food window) just waiting for my credit card to be swiped. Sigh. Honestly next time I am just going to do sit in but the carry out was worth a try.

The General Tso's pizza was unique to say the least. It was drowning in crispy wonton strips and drizzled with the same delicious asian style sauce they use on their Asian wings which I enjoyed immensely on my last visit to SGP. The cheese tasted like fresh ricotta and the crust was nicely done-as usual. The chicken was the same shredded chicken they use on their chicken cheese steak pizza and I was a little dissapointed because I had been expected crispy bread pieces of actual General Tso's chicken to be scattered across the top, gleaming enticingly with their scintillating sauce. Alas this was not to be. I was similarly dissapointed in what I believe to be once frozen broccoli gracing my pizza.

I still enjoyed my SPG pizza but it did not beat the pepperoni, tomato sauce and tons of fresh hand cut fries on top version that makes SPG one of my favorite places in Salisbury. Maybe next time I will go with my classic choice or perhaps the blue cheese steak special will be calling my name...

Vegetarian Eats

Despite my love of meat I don't always need to have it on my plate in order for me to consider my dish a 'complete' meal. There are plenty of vegetarian options for everyone (meat lover and non-meatlover alike). One of my favorite veggie dishes has got to be balsamic portobello mushroom sandwiches. All you have to do is put your portobello mushrooms in a pan (usually starting with the gill side up) whose bottom is just covered with balsamic vinegar. I usually add a few tablespoons of water to thin the balsamic out so its not too strong and then sprinkle spices atop my mushrooms (red pepper flakes, thyme, oregano, garlic powder and salt and pepper). I put the heat on high, cover my pot, and let the balsamic come to a boil so that it steams my portobello while reducing-thickening the balsamic water mixture into a sauce. After about five minutes you can flip the mushroom and following another five minutes it is done. So quick and easy! Some wonderful toppings for this sandwich is some sauteed red peppers and onions, fresh tomato slices, lettuce, a goat cheese spread for the bread and a bit of honey mustard slathered on. So easy and quick! On average you can get a big portobello at the grocery store for around a dollar while if you go to a restaurant for one of these sandwiches you can spend $12 or more on a similar sandwich at a place like The Oval Room in DC. Of course a nice foccacia bread would be an amazing addition to this sandwich but I only had some wheat on hand and it worked just fine.

I also recently had dinner with my vegetarian friend Emily and we created a beautiful vegetarian meal together. I had some free white eggplant from the farm who I cut it into slices and used a new breading technique (eggs were not available so we improvised) coating the eggplant in flour first, dredging it in olive oil and then covering it with panko bread crumbs. We let this cook in the oven for about 25 minutes at 375 and then ten more at 400 (topping it with some goat cheese the last five minutes to get it beautifully melty). Emily cooked asparagus right in her convection oven with some lemon and spices. She also cooked some cauliflower in the microwave (right in the bag) and then put it in the blender with some almond milk, butter and garlic so it was almost like a mashed potato consistency. I thought this was a great vegetarian meal and the eggplant almost melted in your mouth it was so light and silky smooth.

I am sure I will have more vegetarian recipe ideas posted again soon-and some non-vegetarian ones as well. <3

Dim Sum In Silver Spring Maryland

I love to go out and try a variety of different foods without having to spend a lot of money which means I love dim sum. Sometimes I just get this awful craving for a good pork bun and it just won't go away. There really isn't any way to satisfy that craving without searching out some dim sum so when I had this craving and my friend suggested a group outing to Oriental East in Silver Spring I was all on board. Now there is one thing you really really need to know and stick to when you go to Oriental East on weekends for their dimsum lunch-arrive before 11! I don't care what you need to do to get there by that time but get your ass in the door before 11 or you will be stuck waiting an hour and a half for a mediocore (but unquestionably cheap) dim sum meal. Sigh. Unfortunately that happened to me. My ride was late so we arrived after 11 and they were handing out paper slips with numbers to people who came in and let me tell you it took an hour before any numbers were called-at all.

On the plus side Oriental East has fabulous pork buns and I mean fabulous. The bun itself had just the right texture and the bbq pork filling was sweet yet savory. Please stay away from the sausage buns though-Justin whole heartedly agreed with me that these tasted like cat food. The sweet buns were quite nice andI couldn't even get near the little custard egg pies because they would be gone before the cart reached our table. Service was incredibly slow and there wasn't much variety on them. The shrimp dumplings were barely edible (no one wanted to finish them though). The wide rice noodles with brown sauce were a favorite and crispy fried pillows of dough filled with shrimp weren't half bad. If I were to go back I would do it on a week day-I never thought I would opt for going to a dim sum place when they are less busy. Usually you want to go to a dim sum place when it is crowded for more variety and freshness but this is not the case with Oriental East. Everyone one should still be happy when you get the check though-it is a good deal but then again not worth the wait.

tofu

awful sausage buns

shrimp dumplings and rice noodles

sweet buns