How to Ruin Chocolate Chip Cookies

THCookies Anyone who cooks or bakes regularly should be able to whip up a batch of Toll House Cookies without incident, right?

Today I proved that assumption wrong. UG!

First you preheat your oven to 375° and gather your ingredients:

2 1/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1 Cup (2 Cubes) Butter – Softened to Room Temperature
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
3/4 Cup (Packed) Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
2 Large Eggs (at Room Temperature)
1 – 12 oz Package (Appx 2 Cups) Nestle Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 Cup Chopped Nuts (Optional)

OK, so far I’m good to go! Oven is on & I have everything I need on hand.

I pulled out my baking sheets, lined them with my trusty Artisan Metal Works Silicone Liners, got the measuring spoons, measuring cups and bowls out of the cupboard. Time to make some cookie dough!

Minolta DSC

I measured out the flour, baking soda and salt and put them into a medium sized bowl. Gave that a quick stir to combine and set the bowl aside. No problems with this step!

The butter had been sitting on the counter for a couple of hours and was nice & soft. Into the stand mixer bowl it went along with the brown sugar, the granulated sugar and vanilla. A minute or two of beating and a quick bowl scrape and I was ready to add the two eggs. Everything is going great!

At this point I notice batter isn’t as light and fluffy as it usually is. No problem, the butter just must have been softer than I thought. No problem, time to add the flour mixture – full steam ahead.

This is when the wheels fell off….

I dropped the bowl on my stand mixer and began adding the flour mixture. Just as I lifted the bowl into place to start the mixer I noticed that a blop of the vanilla, sugars, butter & egg mixture had flown off the beater onto one of the cookie sheets.

I defied the rules regarding not eating raw cookie dough (GASP!) and swiped the blop up and into my mouth. UG! WTF? ICK!

Expecting a buttery sweet taste, I was horrified to instead have a mouth full of salty yuck! What in the world had I done wrong?

I glanced around the counters checking off ingredients and came upon an empty Ziplock bag. I immediately realized what I had done wrong.

For the last month I’d been moving the Ziploc bag full of a white granulated substance around in my spice cabinet everytime Iassuming that it was The superfine C&H Baking Sugar that I routinely have on hand. I never thought to check for it to be anything but that, as I often pour the last bits out of the larger carton and into a Ziplock Bag for storage. This time I was oh so wrong! I got a flashback of a day, only a few weeks ago when I had accidentally pushed the metal pouring spout all the way in to the container of Morton’s Iodized Salt. I then poured what was left into a Ziplock bag and went back to what I was doing.

To be fair, I haven’t bought a container of Morton’s Salt for some time, as we’ve changed to salt and pepper grinders when we use salt at the table, so I wasn’t so far off assuming the bag was baking sugar. But UG! I should have tasted it first.

I’d already poured 1/2 of the flour mixture into the ruined butter and sugar mixture so everything had to be thrown away. SUPER FAIL!

Lessons learned:

When putting things into Ziplock Bags, MARK THE CONTENTS & Date.
Always taste mystery ingredients if you’ve failed to follow #1
When in doubt, like I was when I noticed a different consistency, taste the wet ingredient mixture before adding (and wasting) your dry ingredients

I guess there won’t be freshly baked chocolate chip cookies in my house tonight. 😦

Are you on Facebook? You might be interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water. I may not write a blog post every day, but there are daily updates to my This Girl Loves To Eat community at: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Benefits of Red Fruits & Vegetables

redvegetables Unless you’ve been completely cut off from technology and forms of communication with the outside world for the past few decades, you have likely read an article or heard nutritional experts discussing the health benefits of eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

According to the experts at www.choosemyplate.gov, the benefits include keeping your digestive system “moving” and healthy, lowering the risk for some chronic health conditions and lessening the chance of morbid obesity:

Most vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories. Eating foods such as vegetables that are lower in calories per cup instead of some other higher-calorie food may be useful in helping to lower calorie intake.
Since none have cholesterol, eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet may reduce risk for heart disease, including heart attack and stroke.
Vegetables are important sources of many nutrients, including potassium, dietary fiber, folate (folic acid), vitamin A, and vitamin C.
Diets rich in potassium may help to maintain healthy blood pressure. Eating vegetables and fruits rich in potassium as part of an overall healthy diet may lower blood pressure, and may also reduce the risk of developing kidney stones and help to decrease bone loss. Vegetable sources of potassium include sweet potatoes, white potatoes, white beans, tomato products (paste, sauce, and juice), beet greens, soybeans, lima beans, spinach, lentils, and kidney beans.
Dietary fiber from vegetables, as part of an overall healthy diet, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Fiber is important for proper bowel function. It helps reduce constipation and diverticulosis. Fiber-containing foods such as vegetables help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories.
Folate (folic acid) helps the body form red blood cells. Women of childbearing age who may become pregnant should consume adequate folate from foods, and in addition 400 mcg of synthetic folic acid from fortified foods or supplements. This reduces the risk of neural tube defects, spina bifida, and anencephaly during fetal development.
Vitamin A keeps eyes and skin healthy and helps to protect against infections.
Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds and keeps teeth and gums healthy. Vitamin C aids in iron absorption.
Eating a diet rich in some vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet may protect against certain types of cancers.
Red fruits and vegetables containing Lycopene (Red Peppers, Tomatoes, Guavas, Mangoes, Papayas, Watermelon, Strawberries, Red Grapes, Grapefruit, Asparagus, and Purple Cabbage) are said to ward off the damaging rays of the sun that cause sunburn, while their antioxidant properties also contribute to the removal of free radicals that can lead to cancer and heart disease.

My grandma got on the healthy living bandwagon in the mid 70’s embracing Jack LaLanne, making her own yogurt & drying her own fruit, the Cambridge Diet and trying to share her healthy living with my raw ground beef, all things canned-meat eating grandpa. I bet you can guess where that got her….nowhere. Hmmm.

While she was beating a dead horse in her own home, I can say that she did instill in me a love of fruits, vegetables and being pretty healthy. I’m not lying though, I never passed up one of grandpa’s delicacies either: chipped beef, SPAM, and even Vienna sausages. I never claimed to be perfect. 😉

Quick Cucumber Salad

cucsalad I wish I had all day to experiment in the kitchen, but that is one luxury I do not have.

Between my “real” job, the groups/charities I volunteer my time to, my family, my dogs and the few other things I get to do in my free time, I rarely get as much time to create new recipes as I’d like.

Today was another one of those days. You know, the kind with business meetings, tasks on the ever-growing to-do list, a trip to the hair salon, and a few other unexpected things, so I knew dinner time would be rushed as well.

This morning I put 2 frozen chicken breasts in a Rubbermaid container with some of my favorite marinade (Ponte’ Winery Scallion Oil Marinade/Dressing) with hopes that they’d defrost in time and then surveyed the refrigerator for what I’d be able to serve with them.

oxo I really am trying to cut back on the carbs, fat and extra calories in our diets, so a cold salad I could marinate all day would be just the right choice! Plus, I’d get to use my new kitchen tool: my OXO slicer/grater.

Quick Cucumber Salad

1 English Cucumber
2 Roma Tomatoes
1/2 Small Yellow Onion
1/3 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 TBLS Olive Oil
6 Large Leaves Fresh Basil
Freshly Ground Pepper

Using either a very sharp knife or a Mandolin slicer (I use the OXO Complete Grate & Slicer Set), thinly slice the cucumber, the tomatoes and the onion and combine in a gallon sized zip bag.
Stack the basil leaves and roll like a cigar and then thinly slice into narrow strips. Add the basil to the zip bag.
Add pepper, vinegar, and olive oil to the zip bag.
Seal the bag and shake the contents vigorously.
Open the zip bag then push the air out and reseal.
Place the salad in the refrigerator until time to serve.
Before serving, open the zip bag again to allow air to enter, then reseal and shake the salad to mix before place on plates to serve.

Pot Roast That’s Truly Drool Worthy

My Mom made an ok pot roast, but it was never a meal I looked forward to or asked her to make. In fact, if I called home and heard pot roast was for dinner I’d stay at school late for a Del Taco run with the Walnut High School Cayuse Yearbook crew.

She’d grab a 7 bone (blade cut) roast at the grocery store, heat some vegetable oil in a skillet, coat each side of the meat in flour, salt & pepper, then brown it over high heat. After that she’d fill the pan up about halfway with water, reduce the heat to medium-ish, put the lid on and let it braise for about 2 hours. When it came time to serve it there would be boxed mashed potatoes (my Mom didn’t do peel/boil/mash), and peas or corn. My Dad used to smother it in ketchup. Not sure what that said about her pot roast, but in my eyes, if you’re hiding the meat under ketchup it’s a waste of the 2 hours she took to cook it.

I never want to see a meal I have taken the time and effort to prepare covered in ketchup (unless it’s meat loaf or a hamburger…), so I’ve changed Mom’s prep a bit and come up with a pot roast that doesn’t make my husband suggest we eat out instead.

Drool Worthy Pot Roast

3 to 3 1/2 pounds Boneless Chuck Roast (Because they will trim the excessive fat, I prefer to get it from the butcher case instead of grabbing a pre-packaged roast from the meat aisle)
1 can (14.5 oz) Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes (Tonight I used Hunt’s)
6 Carrots peeled, and cut in half
8-10 Small Red or White Potatoes
1 large Onion, peeled and sliced thinly
2 TBLS Olive Oil
3 Bay Leaves
Any Garlic/Onion Spice Blend you prefer (I used Dangold Gourmet Collection Garlic & Onion Spice Blend)
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Cup Beef Broth
1 TBLS Corn Starch dissolved in cold water (about 3 TBLS)
3/4 Cup Bold Red Wine (Like a dark blend or Zinfandel – tonight I used Gnarly Head Authentic Black)
3 TBLS Vanilla Extract
2 TBLS Worcestershire Sauce
3-4 TBLS Prepared Horseradish

Set the pressure cooker to the Brown setting.
Add the Olive Oil and brown the Roast for about 5 minutes per side.
Remove the meat to a large bowl.
Add the onions and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes).
Add the Beef Broth, Vanilla, Wine, Worcestershire Sauce, Tomatoes, and the dry seasonings to the pressure cooker pan and stir until the mixture starts to bubble.
Add the Bay Leaf and Carrots to the pan.
Return the Roast and all of the juices to the pan.
Spread the Horseradish on the exposed side of the Roast.
Close the pressure cooker, lock and set to the highest setting (248° on mine)
Once the pressure cooker reaches the cooking temperature, cook for 1 hour.
When cooking is complete unplug the pressure cooker and allow it to come back to normal pressure (about 10 minutes).
Open the pressure cooker, remove the Roast, Carrots, Potatoes, and Bay leaves.
Turn the pressure cooker back on to the Brown setting.
Stir in the corn starch mixture until it begins to boil and thicken.
Cut the Roast into chunks and serve in a bowl with the carrots and potatoes (smash them with a fork) covered in the gravy. If you have some French bread to dip in the sauce, serve that too!

I didn’t have any potatoes on hand, so we ate ours with some steamed Brussels Sprouts and a can of Bush’s Bourbon and Brown Sugar Grillin’ Beans. The roast came out tender, moist and flavorful and my husband really enjoyed sopping up the gravy/sauce with the chunks of French bread!

The Fridge Isn’t the Best Place to Keep Bacon

This article comes courtesy of Business Insider .

My motto is, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” Well, that and, “If the Baby/Puppy/Parent (lol) is sleeping, DON’T WAKE IT!” Rebecca Harrington of Tech Insider got this one exactly right, so enjoy this great little piece on how to preserve that delicacy which makes just about everyone (sorry to those who don’t eat swine) happy, bacon!

baconrolls I’ve always stored bacon in the fridge. It’s what my mom and dad did.

But by the time I get to the end of the package, that bacon isn’t very fresh anymore.

Turns out there’s a better way.

America’s Test Kitchen chef and food science expert Dan Souza told Tech Insider that the freezer is actually a better place to keep bacon.

“It can help it last longer without going rancid,” Souza says.

Rancidity is what happens when fats start to break down, giving foods an unpleasant taste or smell.

That’s why the freezer is a great place for all kinds of fatty foods, Souza says, from butter to chicken stock.

“It’s dark and cold in there,” he told Tech Insider. “So it slows down rancidity, which is a problem with really fatty things.”

To keep your glorious bacon from going rancid before you can eat it all, it’s best to stick it in the freezer.

But if you freeze it as one big chunk, you’ll never be able to tear a single slice off. Souza says to roll it up and bag it so it doesn’t get stuck together.

You Can’t Hate On This

I’ve spent the past 5 days traveling cross country and back for a college graduation. I loved the trip, but hated the flight schedule and one of the airlines in particular (I’m talking about you Allegiant Air). How in the world does an airline have a plane that departs a 24 hour city (Las Vegas) at 6 AM filled with seats that don’t recline?? MAJOR FAIL! The cost of a one way flight from Las Vegas to Oklahoma City was great ($103 each with the stupid $15 carry on bag fee, $6.59 credit card processing fee, and the various taxes and fees) but the lack of reclining seats for a 3 hour flight is a deal breaker!

Having finally gotten back late Monday afternoon, with a cough, sore throat and ears that ached, all I wanted was a fuss free meal, some cough medicine, and to sleep in my own bed.

Thinking back to when you were a kid, what meal resulted in no complaints ever?

If you were me, that complaint free plate featured a perfectly crisped grilled cheese sandwich. If my Mom wanted to make me really happy she’d serve it alongside a bowl of Campbell’s Tomato Soup she’d doctored up with milk, butter and freshly popped popcorn floating in it.

That’s my idea of heaven!

Knowing the schedule of the flights I’d booked, the likelihood of tornado delays (big thanks to Jim Cantore at The Weather Channel), and that I would be eating huge meals & drinking a lot of wine over the weekend, I had prepped my kitchen ahead of our trip with the essentials.

My perfect grilled cheese

Thick Cut Sourdough Bread – My first choice is Francisco Sourdough
Butter – ONLY real butter, no margarine or anything else
Cheese – If I am in a hurry it can only be Kraft American Singles, but if I have the luxury of time, I like to slice thick chunks off of a block of Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preheat a skillet over medium heat on your stove
Butter one side each, of two pieces of sourdough bread
Place first piece, butter side down, into the pan
Layer either the American or Sharp Cheddar cheese (don’t skimp) on the piece in the pan
Place the second piece of bread, butter side up, on top of the cheese
Cook until you no longer see bubbles around the edges of the bread and a quick peek verifies that you have a crispy, well browned, bottom piece
Using a spatula, flip the sandwich over onto the uncooked side and cook as directed in step 6
Once cooking is complete slide the sandwich out of the pan and onto a plate.
Slice down the middle and enjoy the gooey goodness.

Yeah, that (and a glass of ice cold milk) makes this girl happy!

What’s Up With Matcha?

teaceremony Matcha tea is nothing new. By the 9th Century, the custom of drinking tea, first for medicinal, and then for pleasurable reasons, was practiced throughout China. Buddhist influenced Chinese author Lu Yu wrote The Classic of Tea, a treatise on tea focusing on the Zen-Chan school of cultivation and preparation. Zen Buddhist Monks drank Matcha tea to remain calm and alert during long hours of meditation. His ideas would have a strong influence in the development of the Japanese tea ceremony as it is still practiced today.

The Japanese tea ceremony involves “sabi” and “wabi” principles.

Wabi represents the inner, or spiritual, experiences of human lives: quiet or sober refinement, or subdued taste “characterized by humility, restraint, simplicity, naturalism, profundity, imperfection, and asymmetry” and “emphasizes simple, unadorned objects and architectural space, and celebrates the mellow beauty that time and care impart to materials.”
Sabi represents the outer, or material side of life. Originally, it meant “worn,” “weathered,” or “decayed.” Particularly among the nobility, understanding emptiness was considered the most effective means to spiritual awakening, while embracing imperfection was honored as a healthy reminder to cherish our unpolished selves, here and now, just as we are – the first step to “satori” or enlightenment.

Between 2013 and 2014 there was a 253% increase in sales of drinks containing Matcha, but I can’t help but wonder why? It’s not like people were all of the sudden sitting down to celebrate the traditional Japanese ceremony every time that they drank it, it was (and continues to be) sold diluted, mixed with flavors and preservatives and pre-bottled for drinking on the run.

So why all of the Matcha Hype?

groundmatcha Matcha is a tea rich in catechin polyphenols (the most important of which is EGCG – epigallo-catechin gallate) compounds with high antioxidant activity, that also contains trace minerals and vitamins (A, B-complex, C, E, and K).

Matcha tea has a significant amount of dietary fiber and practically no calories. With its abundance of these vitamins and compounds, it is also said to:

Protect against many kinds of cancer;
Can slow or halt growth of cancer cells;
Protect against cardiovascular disease;
Slow the aging process;
Boost metabolism;
Reduce LDL “bad” cholesterol;
Stabilize blood sugar levels;
Help reduce high blood pressure; and
Boost resistance to many toxins.

This still doesn’t explain to me how something commercially bottled, and (let’s be honest here) containing a much lesser quality and quantity of the desired Matcha tea powder is flying off the shelves…

Body Builders, heath and fitness gurus and those who practice meditation rituals all swear that Matcha is essential to reaching their peak potential because:

Japanese tea leaves (those used to produce Matcha powder) grow in the shade to increase chlorophyll content. These chlorophyll-rich leaves are then handpicked, steamed, dried and ground into a fine green powder;
Chlorophyll is purported to detoxify the body of toxins, heavy metals, poisons, dioxins and hormone disrupters;
Matcha contains three times the caffeine as coffee but without the jittery buzz, instead inducing an “alert calm” due to it’s naturally derived l-theanine, which relaxes without drowsiness;
One cup of Matcha green tea has as many antioxidants as 10 cups of regular tea
A 2003 University of Colorado study confirmed that drinking 1 cup of matcha green tea has 137 times the amount of antioxidant EGCG compared to a conventional cup of green tea;
Matcha green tea possesses antioxidant levels 6.2 times that of goji berries, 7 times that of dark chocolate, 17 times that of wild blueberries and 60.5 times that of spinach;
Matcha, when combined with meditation, contributes to the health and weight loss benefits – reduces cortisol (a stress hormone that drive appetite and increases belly fat), lowers inflammation (tied to premature aging and disease), curbs impulsive eating, lowers blood pressure, and boosts self-esteem;
Matcha green tea contains up to 5 times more L-theanine than conventional green tea and increases Alpha wave activity in the brain. Stress is known to induce the brain’s Beta wave activity, leading to a more agitated state. Alpha wave activity can relieve stress, promote relaxation and even lower blood pressure;
Consuming green tea increases thermogenesis (the body’s rate of burning calories) from 8-10% to 35-43% of daily energy expenditure;
Exercising immediately after drinking Matcha green tea resulted in 25% more fat burning during exercise

Bodybuilding.com shakes their pom-poms for Matcha in their own unique way: “If you’re not drinking Matcha green tea yet, you’re behind the times! Get with the program and try this metabolism-enhancing, stress-reducing, immune-boosting, cholesterol-lowering, teenage-mutant-ninja cancer fighter!”

Health Magazine warns that the taste of Matcha is strong, sometimes described as grassy or spinach-like. This explains why it is often watered down and/or sweetened, and even added to foods to improve it’s taste. To avoid the grassy taste do not add Matcha green tea powder to boiling water. Boil the water and let it sit for 5 minutes before adding the tea.

So, I’m convinced enough by the purported benefits to give this a try. One area in particular that appeals to me is that I have difficulty sleeping at night and it could be due to my consumption of green tea, but not the Matcha variety.

Quality is important if you want the reported results, and quality doesn’t come cheap. High quality, fresh, pure Matcha is expensive. A low price tag can be a red flag for a poor quality product, and, as with anything that is touted as the newest trend, it can be overdone, so ingest it in moderation.

Steak & No Bake Baked Potatoes

It’s a hot, lazy Wednesday evening and I’m not in the mood to cook.

I’m looking for something to make for dinner that:

Won’t take a lot of time;
Will satisfy post-basketball practice hunger;
Won’t heat up the house more than the 89° day did already;
Won’t make a huge mess in the kitchen; and
Won’t interrupt my Girls Drinking Wine time

A quick review of items on hand resulted in a hearty dinner that satisfied my family and, bonus, took minimal effort on my part so I could enjoy a rare mid-week treat of girl time!

I pulled out my handy (practically hands off) go-to kitchen saviors, my T-Fal Electric Pressure Cooker & cast iron skillet and dinner was well on it’s way to being made.

Baked Potatoes & Boneless Rib-Eye Steaks with Garlic Mushrooms

First, get the potatoes started:

Wash 2 Large Baking Potatoes
Put rack and 1 cup of water into the pressure cooker pan
Place potatoes on rack
Brush Potatoes with a touch of olive oil & sprinkle with sea salt
Close and lock pressure cooker, set to cook on high
Once pressure cooker reaches temperature, cook potatoes for 20 minute
When cooking time is done, unplug machine and leave closed until your steaks are done

While the potatoes are cooking:

Heat the cast iron skillet over medium-high heat;
Place 6 slices of bacon in the pan and cook for about 4 minutes per side (give or take) until crispy but not over browned;
Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
Salt and pepper 2 Boneless Ribeye Steaks on both sides & put in hot skillet;
Add about 1 cup of sliced mushrooms, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic salt & pepper to the pan;
Cook the steaks to desired degree of doneness while also stirring the mushrooms while they cook. My husband likes his medium rare, so I cook them roughly 4 minutes per side at medium-high heat.

When the steaks are ready:

Turn off heat and immediately remove steaks from the pan;
Place steaks on a serving plate and mound 1/2 of the mushrooms on each;
Release the remaining pressure in the pressure cooker;
Place potatoes beside the steaks on plates;
Cut the potatoes open, butter generously, crumble 1/2 the bacon inside each potato and top with sour cream, salt & pepper.

La Cave in Costa Mesa, CA

I love cooking, but I love eating out too.

La Cave was one of the restaurants my husband took me to on a date many, many moons ago.

lacave

Are you on Facebook? You might be interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: local restaurant specials & promotions, recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water. I may not write a blog post every day, but there are daily updates to my This Girl Loves To Eat community at: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Great New Irvine Restaurant

konagrilllogo The giant space that the Irvine Improv formerly occupied, next to the Yard House in the Irvine Spectrum, has been vacant for, what feels like, forever! There has been a giant green construction fence with a poster proclaiming, “Coming Soon Kona Grill” and I have been dying for the new restaurant to open. This week my wish was finally granted.

Described in the press as having a “global menu of contemporary American favorites, award-winning sushi, and specialty cocktails – all freshly prepared in a scratch kitchen,” this is a restaurant that sounds like it would be right up my alley.

Their lunch menu was HUGE: A full sushi bar with a very big and diverse variety of rolls (unlike other local sushi restaurants, NOT ALL BASED ON TOP OF A CALIFORNIA ROLL!), creative appetizers, the dish everyone who works here seems to like: Macadamia Nut Chicken, to Spicy Shrimp Tempura, BBQ Chicken Flatbread, burgers, sandwiches, pasta and even steaks. They also have separate menus for Vegans, Vegetarians, Children, and those with Gluten intolerance. Do be prepared when you get the check – it was pretty pricey for lunch.

The restaurant is very open with lots of TVs scattered about so you don’t miss the latest sporting events, 3 big fish tanks, a fully visible kitchen & sushi bar behind glass, fire places, a patio and very well designed bar. Both the General Manager and Manager stopped by our table to check in, chat about the Angel game that was on TV, and even talk about hockey as the GM’s Philadelphia Flyers and my Los Angeles Kings are both currently in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The wait staff was friendly, attentive and efficient and I will definitely be back.

cucumbermojito Did I mention the cocktails yet? They have the traditional cocktail selections, martinis, mojitos, beer, wine, and Sake, but I was really impressed with their variety of specialty cocktails. I went with a very refreshing (very tall) mojito made with cucumber, mint and Effen Vodka. It SO hit the spot that I texted a picture of the drink to two girlfriends who joined me after my business lunch and we threw back a “few.” With happy hour from 3:00 – 7:00 and again from 7:00 – 10:00, this will definitely be a happening cocktail spot!

My only complaint about the restaurant was that, although I checked in for my reserved table and was seated by the hostess, they reported to OpenTable.com that I was a no-show for my reservation. If that’s the only bad thing someone can say about a new restaurant, then I think they’ve got a great shot at making it!

M	T	W	T	F	S	S
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: