Life* á la mode

April 2, 2010

On the Food Train

Filed under: Foodie,Live to Eat,Local Biz — Ms. Tabitha @ 8:31 am

Nashville Lifestyles gave us their top restaurant pics of 2010 today and just looking at the list makes me drool.

  • 1808 Grille – The Husband and I had our anniversary dinner at this Hutton Hotel restaurant last year and we loved it.  Great ambiance (albeit a tad dim) with a more sophisticated crowd and if you’re dining at the restaurant valet parking is complimentary.  If we can swing it, we might go back this year and maybe even spend the night at the Hutton.
  • Allium – LOVE Allium.  We’ve dined there for dinner and for brunch (you must order their popovers, ohmuhgod) a couple of times and it’s slowly becoming our go-to for date night.  It’s supposed to be “French fusion” and while I’d like to think I have a sophisticated palate I’m not that familiar with French cuisine and the only apparent “fusion” to me is the fact that it’s food with a French influence in American portions. So either go hungry, or be prepared to split the portions if you want to maintain your waistline. Or take the rest of it home.
  • Basil – Have yet to go.  Any of you eaten there? What’d you think?
  • Capitol Grille – I know this is a Nashville institution of sorts but I haven’t eaten there for any meal other than breakfast (which we did by default the morning after our wedding since we stayed there). It was only ok. And pricey.
  • City House – One of the restaurants on our “Must Go Soon” list.
  • Eastland Cafe – sister restaurant to Park Cafe, the mac n cheese isn’t as good as the original. However, their mussels appetizer is delicious and I much prefer its layout to Park Cafe’s.
  • Flyte - I’ve only had their appetizers and happy hour fare but I do like it. Another one on that list for a full-on meal.
  • Miel - We had dinner here for my birthday, it was ah-may-ziiing.  I had the seafood bouillabaisse and The Husband had their steak.  Fabulous presentation, the restaurant’s layout allows you to see the chefs at work which is such a fun concept and if you order coffee with dessert, it comes in a French press.  So you drink it at your leisure, and you don’t have a server constantly coming up to you asking if you want more coffee or hovering waiting for the check to be settled.  SOLD.
  • Miro District – On the list
  • Porta Via Italian Kitchen – I’m clearly not on the up-and-up on Italian restaurants here, is this any good? Anyone know?
  • Smiling Elephant – YUM. My only complaint is that I asked for native hot and I got mild. I hate it HATE it when you go to an Asian restaurant and you ask for spicier than normal options and they don’t seem to believe you.  I will try again soon.
  • Sunset Grill – Nashville staple.  For some reason everytime I order their stir-fry I get the runs.  My mistake here is that I order stir-fry and not one of their better dishes like their voodoo pasta or whatever special they have.  Better yet just go for their dessert and late night menu.
  • Suzy Wong’s House of Yum – If this is as good as all the other places Arnold Myint owns/runs  (PM, Cha Chah) then you can expect it to be good.
  • Tayst - Y’know… the two times I’ve been it wasn’t bad at all. But it’s been a while, and now they boast natural ingredients and are green and what not so I need to go back.
  • Whiskey Kitchen – The Husband’s eaten there, I’ve only stood there wondering why we couldn’t get a table when there were several just sitting empty.  The Husband does recommend their sliders and I’m hoping to get to eat there sometime soon. Maybe if I didn’t go on a Friday night…

That’s the Kay West list I believe, and the rest of the article has readers’ picks (best brunch, seafood, late night, Indian to name a few) and Nashville Lifestyle staff picks that include Patterson House and PM among their choices.

These are all wonderful restaurants, there are some that I would have added but it also appears that this list is comprised of the newer places in town.  I have my favorites that I find myself returning to a lot, and there are so many to choose from.  I love food, and I love to eat so I’m thrilled that Nashville has such an array of fine dining.  Now let’s work on getting an Ikea here or something.

February 28, 2010

Sunday Funday

Filed under: Baking,Dessert,Foodie,Live to Eat — Ms. Tabitha @ 10:46 pm

My goal this morning was for today to be a productive day and by geebus, it was. Except for the fact that I left a whole half pound of roast beef at the grocery while self-checking out and packing my wares into my canvas bags but it’s ok.  I’m ok. Because I SUCCESSFULLY MADE FRENCH MACARONS!!!!!

I ended up following the French meringue recipe from Hisako Ogita’s book “I Love Macarons.”

Mine weren’t as pretty, but now that I have more confidence in executing the technique from the book, I plan on being a lot more adventurous with color and fillings.  Because I didn’t have time today to make buttercream, I  sandwiched nutella in the shells.  Seems to work – the flavors complement each other and his recipe isn’t as almond-y as some other macarons I’ve tried.

Notes for next time:

  • Add more color – it really does fade during the baking process but it’s really cool because when you look at its cross section, the intended color still shows and is contrasted by the outer shell.
  • Get two smaller baking sheets that both fit into my oven so I can bake the whole batch at once.
  • Be more firm with the mixing so they’re puffier.  Mine are still rather flat in comparison to Hirako Ogita’s.

Macarons really are an acquired taste.  I think it all depends on the filling – it can’t be too sweet.  These are such light, fluffy yet chewy treats that just one or two will be enough to satisfy even the sweetest tooth. I still think they’re perfect for weddings or showers though, either as part of the desserts or as favors.

Until next time!

February 27, 2010

Frenchy

Filed under: Foodie,Live to Eat,Uncategorized — Ms. Tabitha @ 2:22 pm

Those of you who follow me on Twitter have seen me tweet about how cupcakes are slowly (finally?) taking a backseat to other tasty delights.  One sweet treat I foresee becoming more popular for special occasions is the macaron or French macaroon.

These macarons are from Paulette Maracons in California.  Her flavors range from Colombian Coffee to passion fruit, with each flavor a distinct color or look.  SO pretty!

Some time this weekend, I’m going to attempt this recipe I found from David Lebovitz.  It seems to be the simplest one I can find, that isn’t all doom and gloom with warnings like a lot of others I’ve seen.  I’ve already attempted this once when I was trapped at home during a tornado watch and because it was quite humid that day and also my first attempt at a pastry that’s not easy to make, they were flops. Major. Flops.

I love to bake.  I’ve had a ton of fun baking cupcakes and 2009 was the year of homemade cupcakes and frosting recipes for me.  This year, I think it’s time to branch out, not just with my baking projects but also my dessert eating habits.  The only place in town you can get macarons are from Provence bakery and I’m not even sure how often they offer them.  Those of you who live in New Orleans or who are going to visit soon, make sure you go to Sucre, another amazing pastry place. I’m tempted to order a box from them!!

I’m looking forward to macarons catching on here in Nashville.  They’d be perfect for wedding or party favors, or just to have on display – they’re gorgeous little things!

Picture source Curious Mess blog

November 26, 2009

Mérci | Xie Xie | Grazie …

Filed under: Famiree,Foodie,Live to Eat — Ms. Tabitha @ 11:01 pm

Thanks.

Today’s my favorite day of the year.  More than my birthday or even Christmas.  Thanksgiving has always been an enjoyable holiday that signifies time with people I love, lots of laughter, and reminders of things for which I should be grateful.  My in-laws and the families we spend Thanksgiving with have been through a lot together, both good and bad.  For them to welcome me with such open arms from day one, well, I couldn’t ask for more.  It’s why Nashville has so easily become such a home for me – I was loved from the moment I moved here.

My contribution to this Thanksgiving feast is small, usually one dish (it used to be deviled eggs) and I like to bake so dessert is a natural choice.  This year I attempted The Smitten Kitchen’s Cranberry, Caramel and Almond tart.

It started easily enough – my game plan was to make her Unshrinkable Tart Shell.

tartshell

It shrank.  I think it’s because I didn’t chill the dough before rolling it out and used the alternate method.  Never again.  How do I know this is why? The last time I made this shell following the exact instructions, it didn’t shrink.

Then I made the filling.  First batch of caramel was burned. I obviously don’t know my stove very well and whatever I thought was “medium low heat” was still too hot and instead of going through the stages of “straw colored – gold – nutty brown” it went from white to “I think this is straw” to “holy crap it’s molasses.”

I added the cranberries and almonds.  Again, it didn’t look like her pictures where you could still see the caramel and it didn’t look overly nutty.  Oh, I have to mention that by this point it was 10:30pm the night before Thanksgiving and I wasn’t about to go run out for more sugar/heavy cream/frozen cranberries.  So I looked at her pictures, looked at what I had in front of me, muttered an expletive and shoved it in the oven.

25-30 minutes later:

TG2009_3

Now, it’s not as pretty as The Smitten’s tarts, but it still looks pretty good for a first attempt.  And, since only 2 pieces were left after dinner today, I think it definitely tasted much better than it looks.

(more…)

March 30, 2009

New Blog added to Blogroll!

Filed under: Live to Eat — Ms. Tabitha @ 12:18 pm

Nashville native Ariel lives in NY and seems to love food way more than I do. I’m happy to share her blog, Nosh and Tell, which promises to be full of great restaurant reviews and fun recipes!

Go have a visit!

January 8, 2009

The Spice of My Life

Filed under: Everyday,Live to Eat — Ms. Tabitha @ 9:50 am

Food, glorious food! When I was little I remember visiting my mom’s sister in San Francisco. Her husband is American and isn’t completely sold on Singaporean food, but to his credit, he will try something once.  The visits grew in frequency and I started noticing that my aunt would fix her husband and sons American food (cut up spaghetti… burgers…) but would make something that resembled the food from home for herself and I used to think, well that’s odd American food’s awesome why isn’t she eating it?

Fast forward to today. I’m 30, I’ve lived in Nashville for the past 7.. 8 years and boy do I miss Asian food. The flavors, the textures, the smells and the comfort.  Yes, mac n cheese words from time to time to serve its purpose as comfort food but there’s nothing more soothing, more stress relieving than to have food I know. Even if it’s instant noodles from home that my mother shipped to me, it still makes me happy.

The NY Times have the best restaurant and food reviews and I love that they not only feature the exclusive restaurants all around Manhattan, they also give equal coverage to  the holes in the walls all over New York. Today, I found an article that got me drooling all over my keyboard. The picture shows an Indonesian girl feasting on mee soto, or soto ayam and my taste buds did this dance in my mouth and oh boy, I’m a little home-food-sick right now!!!

If there’s any reason for me to move to NYC, it’s for the variety of Asian cuisine that’s available there. Nashville, I love you, but show me some love – let’s up the standard on ethnic foods here. PLEASE.

And if any of you live in New York, you must MUST go try the restaurants mentioned in the article out!

March 17, 2008

Home Cookin’

Filed under: Live to Eat — Ms. Tabitha @ 1:42 pm

Food is a huge part of the Life*a la mode style. If money (and metabolic rate) were no object, I’d eat out all the time at the best restaurants this town has to offer. Alas, turning 30 and my pants getting tighter, it’s time to assess my diet and dietary habits.

The Husband proposed we plan each week’s dinners to encourage us to stay home more, thus eating a little more fresh and healthy and, in the long run, save us money. I’m all about healthy, and I’m all about saving money from eating out  and having it to use on other necessities (Momma needs that pair of Kors wedges she saw at Macy’s dangit).

There are websites online that will help you plan your weekly meal. However rather than a site making me pay to tell me what I should be eating each week I’d rather be able to look for these recipes based on an ingredient – greens, or fish, or beef etc. Actually, I’d rather be able to find a blog because it’s free. These other sites all charge subscription fees and I can’t see myself enjoying everything they tell me to eat.

What do you, dear reader, do for your own home-cooking planning?

March 5, 2008

MSG – it’s a good thing

Filed under: Live to Eat — Ms. Tabitha @ 2:11 pm

Well, not REALLY but it’s not the worst thing, contrary to what a lot of people think. I used to watch my grandmother cook and she’d put a tiny pinch of the stuff into her food and it tasted amazing. Of course, she was such a good cook she didn’t always need the MSG but it alwas enhanced.

The problem arises when a cook uses too much of it, and that sends diners into dizzy spells and nausea and even heart palpatations. It’s not a condiment or a spice people, it’s like a tiny dab of perfume – used sparingly it compliments; too much and it’s, well, too much.

I found this article about MSG (it basically defends it) really enlightening and I hope it educates people a little more and proves that there’s nothing to fear about MSG. To reiterate what I said above, one of the chefs quoted in the article has this to say about MSG (or as I knew it growing up, Ajinomoto):

“Too much MSG and you get that harsh, acrid taste,” said Mr. Pelaccio, who uses an empty barrel of Ajinomoto-brand MSG he found on the street as a plant stand in his Chinatown apartment. “But get it just right and that dish will sing.”

Mangia!

February 17, 2008

Red Pony

Filed under: Franklin,Live to Eat — Ms. Tabitha @ 12:39 am

The husband treated me to dinner tonight at Red Pony restaurant in History Downtown Franklin. Kudos to him for being imaginative and giving us a chance to experience something other than our usual haunts (Mirror, Park Cafe…). We don’t make going to Franklin a habit – the drive isn’t THAT bad, but we have plenty of great restaurants in Davidson county to not always want to drive more than 10 minutes.

I wish I could say that it was a fantastic time to be had at Red Pony, but I’d be lying. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed the dinner – the wait staff and the atmosphere and the quality of food we had somewhat made up for us having to wait practically an hour. The Husband made our reservations were for 9pm thinking we could avoid the dinner crowd. We arrived 5 minutes to the hour, not expecting too much of a wait. “We anticipate at least a 15 minute to half hour wait because we’re an hour and a half behind in schedule.”

Fine. We can wait 15 minutes.

Or… y’know… 30 minutes. I mean we’re already out here…
45 minutes pass, a woman walked up to the hostess and went off at her about how she had reservations for 8:30, and it’s been more than an hour and that “This happened the last time I came here who is being accountable for this mess and why does this keep happening?”

Good question. My question is, why does this woman keep coming back?! And for a restaurant that typically has a wait, they don’t have a lot of seating available.

Anyway, we finally got to a table at 9:45 and as we sat, a gentleman who must have been one of the owners or managers, came by and shook our hands and apologized profusely for the wait. Apparently a very large group stayed far beyond the anticipated time (that group was about 24 people strong, they sat right by us and left, finally when WE finished) so appetizers are on the house as a thank you for our patience. Well! That was nice.

Our server was attentive, quick and great with the recommendations. And they kitchen was very quick to get our food prepared so we didn’t have to wait long at all. The Husband had the monk fish with monchego mac n cheese, and I had the shrimp and grits (green onions, wine sauce, garlic cheese grits and fresh mushrooms and applewood bacon). For our appetizer, we ordered the “saganaki” which is a small block of cheese that they set ablaze and squeeze a lemon wedge over. The result is this crispy outer layer over some very yummy, creamy cheese with pita bread. Overall the dinner was lovely. The husband mentioned a review he saw on Citysearch for the restaurant where someone complained that the portions aren’t big enough. Honestly? They were plenty big. We split the appetizer, we polished off our entrees and felt totally satisfied. We didn’t feel like we overate at all, and it was all so tasty we knew we were paying for quality. The portion sizes there are, in fact, NORMAL. They are human sized. They’re not Chili’s portions by any means and seriously? That’s a damn good thing.

After tonight, we decided we’d rather go to a restaurant where our reservations actually mean something. Sure, it’s not their fault that the large party stayed long, but isn’t that typical of larger groups for dinner? Shouldn’t someone have anticipated it and not oversold their reservations? The food was really good but nothing special and but not anything anyone should have to wait 45 minutes to an hour for. And let’s face it – this isn’t New York or L.A. where the restaurant is so uber-fabulous that you’d put yourself on the wait list for a week just to get in. C’mon… it’s downtown Franklin. It’s Tennessee. We’re not that fancy.

We miiiight go back, but not for a while and not on a Saturday night. It really is a nice place – the atmosphere’s bustling and quite hip and not something you’d expect to see in Historic Downtown Franklin. You can have private events on their deck, and they have two bars, one on the main floor and one on the second floor where there’s also a lounge. The kitchen has a huge window for you to see the cooks at work and the tables, chairs and untensils are quite art deco looking which brings a cool, modern compliment to the normally country feel of the shophouses in Franklin’s main square. The people who work there are young, energetic and genuinely nice, which makes for a more pleasant experience. Nothing worse than having to wait and then deal with pissy servers all night.

So, I’m not going to write the Red Pony off. My suggestion is to go on a week night, especially if you live around the area and it’s convenient. DEFINITELY make reservations (there were people who walked in and had to wait almost 2 hours. And they did.) and if you do go on a weekend, just be prepared to hang out at the bar for a while. Or just don’t arrive there already starving.

In the spirit of restaurant reviews, I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Red Pony Restaurant • 408 Main St, Franklin, TN • 615.595-PONY • www.redponyrestaurant.com

Powered by WordPress