New Years Eve Dinner 2016 at Duexave

FINALLY I’m GONNA POST THIS!!!!!!!!!

So I’ve been backlogged… I have half written blogs up all in this shizz and it doesn’t seem to be coming out (ha! – Sorry dirty mind!) I keep having ideas and then writer’s block… my current obsession with watching Frozen and Tangled and seeing their soundtrack 24/7 isn’t helping either… haha “hashtag dork”… and I also started obsessing (yeah a few seasons… like 6, late) with 2 Broke Girl$ (hastag ILOVEMAXSHEISMYHERO) so yeah.  Work, Disney, iTunes is ruining me…. in a wonderful way.

So let’s catch up on 2017… Let’s start off with my last night of it…. NYE 2016 :) which sadly I had a stomach bug so I threw up all night with my date.  Which was funny cuz my date and I went to watch college football first, and me being over-underdressed  puked a few times at the bar.  My stomach finally calmed down on the way to Deuxave (owned and cooked by one of favorite chefs Chef Christopher Coombs) And while I was being careful with my tender tummy… I am NOT about to throw up any good food… I didn’t eat my usual overstuffed way, but all the food was amazing!!!! I haven’t been in forever!!!

We started off with delicious warm sourdough (great crust and fluffy middle) with a ribboned creamy butter.

Funny story [sidenote] about sourdough bread.  This total bully that lived across the street from me when I was a kid in New Mexico, LOVED sourdough bread. I played with her because 1. She lived across the street from me. 2. She was a bully. 3. She had no friends. 4. I am overly nice even though she did horrible things to me…. etc. etc. ANYWAYS, she loved it, I hated it and she even held it against me. She also forced me to watch Child’s Play which I ran home crying after. I was like 7. Bitch. Her, not me. She also grabbed my arm and bit it once because I said I didn’t want to play with her anymore… #whyineedtherapy [/sidenote]

Then came the complimentary amuse bouches…. All topped with microgreens!!!…

Crap, I forgot what these balls were.. they were fried balls of yumminess though… I think it was crab… When in doubt just shove it all in your mouth (ha!) when in a spoon… especially if shaped in little balls (double ha!)

Some Creamy Lobster Bisque. (HA! The lady next to us even asked for spoons… LOL duh you sip it, it’s a tiny little cup… and if anything just freaking eat your balls and use that spoon… LOLOL.. she complained a lot all night LOLOL!) Anyways.. tasty, thick and rich.

And some duck liver terrine with pomegranate seeds on cute little crostini…. I could never turn down anything duck liver… or things on a crostini.  I admit it. I love the trend… it shall never grow old… anything on toasted bread (preferably buttery… even more buttery and garlicky) will forever be delicious!!!!!

For appetizers (thankfully my date was happy to go with my (get two of everything we would eat so we can try more foods) we got the Wagyu Beef Tartare with Forbidden Rice Chips, Green Papaya Salad, Avocado Puree and Crispy Shallots!

And the Hamachi Crudo with Fennel Dill, Pickled Shallots, Rye Crisps and Smoked Aioli… which is fresh and delicious…. simple and perfect! And gorgeously plated…. and oh oh oh how I love the roe :] Roe roe roe!!!

And then came the seafood plates!  With Seared Nantucket Bay Scallops with Maitake & Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Brodo, Fines Herbs and a Chili Oil….. hehe I always love when they table side pour for you… I had to whip out the camera in time to catch it in action.

Look at those beautiful cute things.  Now, date doesn’t do seafood, but he did for me :] And liked it!!!! —- Although he did pass on the hamachi crudo… still need to ease him into sushi…. (bad experience, supposedly)

And obviously anything with pork belly.. am I right?  Crispy Spanish Octopus(sy) & Pork Belly with Chorizo, Choucroute, Potato, Parsley and Aiji Amarillo.  Octopus on point with crispy ends… and a melt in your mouth pork belly :] NOM!

And then comes our main courses!!!!! Which contained the highlight of the night… Prime Beef Tenderloin & Perigord Black Truffles with Egg Yolk Raviolo, Celery Root and Bordelaise.

This Raviolo was the dish I was waiting the whole night for, especially since Chef Chris posted the instagram online.  Yeah, you should follow his instagram.  I stalk it religiously for amazing food porn and cute baby pics :]

Spiced Long Island Duck Breast & Housemade Sausage with Romanesco, Baby Shitake Mushrooms, Foie Gras & Cipollini Vintrigrette and Persimmon.

Perfectly cooked and I adored the small chunks of all the foie and sausage.  It didn’t overwhelm and the duck was amazing.  You know I’m a duck girl, if there is duck on the menu, I am sure to get it.

We were nearing close to midnight……..

We got complimentary bites nibbles whilst waiting for our desserts…. nervously so, since it was nearing midnight.  They weren’t a hit…. Not to be a party pooper but the other customers around us didn’t seem to enjoy them either…..

And the desserts came…..

“Cafe Chocolate” with Coffee Biscuit, Cardamom Cremux, Caramelized Vanilla Glace…. Super yummy!!!!!!!!…. I loveeeee cardamom in sweet desserts…!!!!

And I, being a lover of Chestnuts, I picked “Chestnuts Roasting On an Open Fire” with Chestnut Cream, Vanilla Meringue, Kalamansi and Banana Glace.  The Ice cream was delicious but unfortunately the citrus inside the ball was just way overpowering so I ended up getting no chestnut flavor. :[

We sipped on glasses of a delicious Rose bubbly the whole night and had such delightful conversations… (I think I might be a bit loud and embarrassing to him) —-and even got to chat with my buddy, Chef Chris for a bit [yes! Hang soon! And I’ll be in for the waffles & foie ASAP]… unfortunately we were rushing to our venue at the W Hotel to countdown to the New Years so I couldn’t squeeze in a pic with him :[ WAA WAA… It’s okay… it’s not like I’m far from this place.  Adore this place!!!!!

 

Strip Club, but wait, first Mexicanoooo in Brooklyn…. Random Dumbo Bar and Strip Club

The night started off……. innocent

We headed to Gran Electrica in Brooklyn to meet up with Jonathan for some yummy mexican… and tequila of course.. and instantly started off with drinks and Guacamole and Chips, SO GOOD.

I also had these leggings on… [not a pic of my legs obviously] But these tights were the talk of the night…

I got some Crab Tostada

Jonathan got plantains.. which came out as an appetizer

My Fish Tacos

J got some Carne Asada which he shared… annnnnnnnd… don’t remember what Jonathan got for a main meal.. tacos?!..

After we headed off to some random Brooklyn bar [in Dumbo] and ended up in one which we were the youngest ones there..  and I was SOOOO over-underdressed….. the one we WANTED to go to was having a private party so WOMP….

A few drinks later… and “faux” 5 hour energy drinks that tasted like grape candy — THEY ARE EVIL, DON’T DO IT, they’re 15 hour energy CRACK – which I shall talk about in my next post. Only me and Jonathan had it, J was smart enough not to. WE WERE UP ALL FUCKING NIGHT… okay back to the story

we ended up at the strip club, FlashDancers….

I feel in love with TWO strippers tonight.. apparently they liked me too… we were inappropriate.. and they asked for me when I left with J ;] To the two blonde, real bobbed girlies that danced with me, if you ever read this. FIND ME. You guys are so hot.  I got free dances, massages and ….. a little more ;] I’m hooked.

Mayahuel, tequila and beers…

My first trip back to NY in over a year and J picked me up from Penn Station the day before Valentine’s Day, I already found my way to a bar, vodka tonic please, we went back to the apt, drank some delicious wine and headed out to Mayahuel, one of his favorite go-to places. WHAT A CUTE LITTLE PLACE.  I adore the decor here.

We started off with the chips with salsa and guacamole.  While I’ll unshamefully flaunt that I make amazing salsa verde and guacamole – which J agrees with me, they’re red smokeyyyyy salsa was SOOOO FREAKING GOOD.  Time to buy some liquid smoke and try making some :]

J ordered a spicy cocktail.. and I definitely ordered something super strong and yummy….

He got chicken and pork tacos… we both agreed the chicken ones were better, the pork was a bit dry… [which isn’t usually the case according to J]

I got the special, a whitefish or some sort of fish ceviche…. there was quinoa, pineapple, sooooo many flavors and textures, sooooo goood….

After a great simple delicious dinner we headed to J’s favorite bar, Proletariat for a few beers :]

<3

Pre Dinner & Cocktails at Oyamel Cocina Mexicana & Jaleo

Got to hang out with my buddy B and his girlie friends…. K and A, the other day..  W and I headed over to Oyamel after I was done with work and they were already finishing up a pitcher of margaritas – I gladly joined in and quickly catched up.

SOOO much tequila <3

We decided to order one of everything off of the 4$ each bar menu. YUM.  PS their chips were SOO much better than the flimsy ones from Los Cuates

Ceviche verde “El Bajio”
Wild Pacific ono with a creamy avocado, tomatillo, green olives, and jalapeno chiles sauce

W loved it, I thought it needed a bit more crunch or spice to it.  Avocados made me happy though.  Eating it with chips helped.  <3

Taco de barbacoa de res
Beef stewed in a Oaxacan-style guajillo chile sauce with pickled catcus paddle

Beefy, a bit dry but tasty.

Albondigas enchipotladas con queso doble creama
Meatballs in chipotle sauce with crumbled ‘double cream’ cheese and cilantro

Soft small balls of meatballs. I’m a meatball snob but these were good.

Shredded Pork Tacos

Pulled Pork and cabbage. My favorite ones of the night. DELISH!

Taco de cochinita pibil con cebolla en escabeche
Yucatan-style pit-barbecued pork with pickled red onion and Mexican sour orange in a house-made corn tortilla

I thought these were a bit dry too :T Meh.

Bathroom

And then we headed to Jaleo for some tapas and the… DESSERT!!!

I remember ordering a regular bubbly but ended up getting served a rose sparkling wine that cost 4$ more but it WAS tasty. Our waiter was kinda pushy with what we wanted to order. Awkward… but B’s rice pudding was FAB!

My flan <3

BATHROOM!!! Freaky…

But no toilet paper so I left them this HAHA

More than just half a dozen oysters… @ Saltwater

Yayyy.. the Detroit blogs continue. Yes I know you’re excited.. that I’m still alive ;D TEEHEE

ANYWAYS — at this point, I’m pretty sure the MGM Hotel Room Service knows me by now and shudders when I call for food. I also usually just pay for it by card so it probably annoys them to death walking up and down, to and fro, but aside from that, I’ve made friends with the food senders hehe.

Lunch was a chopped vegetable salad [capers, tomatoes, celery, greens, feta, pinenuts, etc the WORKS] and this:

Spicy Tuna Tartare with avocado, pickled ginger and sesame wonton crisps. Delish!  Definitely helped with my sushi craving as well…  I can never get enough of raw fish!

The crisps were SO freaking good, DEEE-VOURED. I think I was supposed to eat them WITH the tuna but I inhaled all the creamy tuna first, put the avocado on my salad and then crunched on the greasy wontons.

BTW. I had the truffle chips with blue cheese the other day. SO GOOD, but SO BAD. I got SOOOO sick from them :[ Guess they were too rich and greasy for my stomach to handle. WTF is going on with me and being sick lately? It’s like I got a bug that’ll never leave. That or my tapeworm is the one getting sick hahaha. BTW, see how it says “Seasonal Soup of the Day”? Just for kicks I called them to ask what their soup of the day was… EVERY DAY and it’s always asparagus soup. HAHA. Just say no to stinky pee.

Ok onwards. Workity workity but I had oysters on my brain. CONSTANTLY. So I decided to throw on some clothes and visit the boyfriend at work.

It was pretty empty when I first walked in and plopped myself at the bar. After too much booze the last time I was here, sober dinner it was. Well, snack rather… I ordered a half a dozen oysters… and got so so much more :]

And look, W came out just to shuck some oysters for me personally :]

I’m a spoiled little princess!

I ended up with a dozen GORGEOUS, perfectly shucked, delicious oysters.. and a few raw clams as well :] YUM!

I thought that was it, but W texted me from the kitchen saying that there was another dish….

And then out came these:

If you can’t enjoy fresh radishes with butter & salt, I duno if we can be friends anymore.

Crunchy. Beautiful. Fresh. Crisp. OHHHHH JOY.  I was SOOO HAPPY!!!! My neighbors got radish envy so they got some too :] Compliments of Chef W <3 HEHE. BUT THAT WASN’T THE DISH!!!!! There was another surprise in store for me….

Fresh gorgeous raw tuna on cubes of cheese.. tasted like a mild feta and some crushed/crumbled croutons and EVOO – AMMMMAZE BALLS!

Damn. Now I’m craving radishes….

LA LA LA. Joy!

Small Bites at Blue Stove

I had to go to the eye doctor’s today… After finding out I had spots in my right eye, I’m stuck with glasses for a few days and hopefully it’ll clear up…

Along the way to dinner I managed to goof around a bit…

And then off to Nordstroms for dinner at Blue Stove.  It’s sort of an Americanized Tapas place.  Or more like, all sorts of tastes from around the world… the menu is constantly changing, but they do have amazing constants.. we’ll get into that once the pictures start rolling…

Since it’s restaurant week I decided to order one set of 3 courses w/ wine pairings along with other dishes.  I’ll write “RW Course #” by the dishes that were in the set.  That’s a REALLY good price for 30.12$, app, entree, dessert, ALL with delicious wine pairings. Winner winner chicken dinner.. and yes I had chicken tonight too

As soon as you sit down they give you water, take your drink order and give you some yummy bread to nibble on while you look over the small, but still extensive menu.

bread with olives and evoo

The must have? Their sweet potato fries.. no seriously.

sweet potato fries with cilantro lime aioli

For some strange reason I feel like the portion is a lot smaller than what it used to be?! Or maybe I’m just fatter.. or actually, I think I used to order two servings at a time…. anyways, DELICIOUS.  The fries themselves are seasoned so well you don’t even need to dip it in anything.  I’m not a huge sauce person so I loveeeee them without the dippity – which is also good.

salt & pepper calamari with lemon zest

Not greasy at all… a good amount of tentacles – my fav – nicely breaded, and not heavy. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, not overly fried, and like I said, not drippingly greasy like some places. YUM!  The squeeze of the lemon just adds more pop to the zest.

RW Course 1: mango & apple salad, red belgium endive, great hill blue cheese

I wasn’t sure if I’d like this.  I’m iffy about blue cheese, some I love some I don’t.  But I had some recent GOOD times with blue cheese.. I wanted something light and refreshing to nibble on, crunchy, fruity, sweet and salty… I LOVE SALADS, good salads, so why not?!  Fresh chunks of mango, thin slices of apple…. endives around the plate and chopped up in the salad, tossed in a light dressing and tons of delicious creamy blue cheese…

paired with: pacific rim riesling, columbia valley, washington 2009

The wine went SO well with the salad, and really cut thru the light stinkiness of the blue cheese. IT WAS SOOOOO GOOD, and went SOOO well together. I LOOOOOVE endive, crunchity. Slightly bitter and supppper pretty and fresh MMMM, all the textures, creamy, cheesy, salty, sweet, crisp.. juicy MMMMMMMM I could eat a TUB of this.

And then one of my favs..

cilantro lime chicken tacos

SOOOOO delicious. These are tiny little things, but FULL of amazingness.

And then one of the first things that jumped out from the menu when I looked at it – new additions!!! And the most intriguing one?

bahn mi vietnamese chicken sandwiches

SCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCORE!!!!

It had a nice slice of hot pepper on top.. the bread was fluffy and had a delicious daikon carrot slaw with cilantro and a perfectly cooked chicken… SOOO GOOD

Confession, I ONLY eat the classic super fatty bad-for-you but OH OH SO GOOD Banh Mi. I think the grilled meats and all that other stuff is “fake” HAHAHA…

“The classic version bánh mì thịt nguội, sometimes known as bánh mì đặc biệt or “special combo”, is made with various Vietnamese cold cuts such as sliced pork or pork bellies, chả lụa, and head cheese, along with the liver pâté and vegetables.” – Source

It’s ALL about the headcheese.. okay, so this didn’t have headcheese but it was DELICIOUS, PLUS the delicious lotus root chips on the side. NOM!  I wish there was more filling cuz I ate it all up but even inhaled the bread by itself, the sauces were THAT amazing!

roasted garlic chicken with grilled corn & arugula

This is a classic and I’ve had this dish here since… well it was considered a salad… hahaha now it’s a dish… but still oh so good.. get the dressing on the side cuz they tend to overdress the arugula… but yummy kernals of corn sprinkled thru-out it and delicious tender, slighty fatty chicken with a nice crisp skin.

RW Course 2: pan seared red snapper filets, early spring vegetables, meyer lemon emulsion

paired with: acacia pinot noir, carneros, california 2008

This was tender, with a nice crispy skin…. two small pieces on top of a creamy succotash of asparagus, corn, peas and potatoes…. it was a bit on the salty side but delicious nonetheless.. kinda wish they were meatier.. or bigger pieces, but for some weird reason I was already getting full.. [been having stomachaches] so it ended up being the right size.

And then spur of the moment we added on some tuna.

ahi tuna stack with ponzu & crisp wontons

MMMM nothing like a delicious fresh raw tuna, roughly chopped and stacked up with mangos and lightly dressed greens…  scoop it on top of a perfectly crunchy wonton chip and you’ve got a great asian alternative to nachos…. and dairy free ;]

RW Course 3: butterscotch pot de creme

paired with: ceretto muscato d’asti 2009

I LOOOOVE butterscotch… and I looooove pot de cremes… and while this was no foie gras this was nice, rich, airy but also light… SOOOOO freaking good with the muscato… which wasn’t as sweet – or the dessert was more sweet, but either way they enhanced each other’s flavors incredibly!

And of course, ended the meal with their complimentary mint chocolate sticks.

NOM!

For some strange reason I was super full after this meal… and a bit tipsy… so OBVIOUSLY I’d go shopping in Nordstroms for jeans #fattie – hahahaha DON’T try on clothes after eating makes you feel pudgey.. BUT I still managed to get a new top and two new jeans…. woohooo.. I bought these AWESOME neon sky blue kiddie jeans that turn into capris on me.. for only 44$ YAYYYYYYYY so happy!

Sierra’s for a Fishy Mexicano good time…

I need Mexican, I’ve been craving Mexican… tequila and salsa and chips galore. So, what do I do? I go get Mexican :] My favorite Mexican restaurant around, Sierra’s – AND it’s close to where I live !!!  They have amaaaaazing freshly made salsa, sooo good and chunky, and while not too high on the heat level – which I usually want in a salsa – it’s SOOO GOOD!  I always ask for a few refills :]

As soon as we sat down we got the Freshly-made Chips and their amazing Salsa! Happy happy joy joy – even before I could eat 3 chips my dinner date already ate the whole thing of salsa…

Pink Adobe Margarita on the Rocks sans Salt

Gold tequila, Grand Marnier, Grenadine

This thing is HUGE :] And soooooo tasty – and had a beautiful pink hue to it. YUM! I was tipsy by the time I got to half of it. WOOOOOO

Caribbean Shrimp

Succulent shrimp dipped in Corona beer batter, rolled in fresh shaved coconut, spiced and deep fried. Served with a tangy honey mustard dipping sauce.

These things were HUUUUGE, they were the size of my palm – they’re covered in some sort of amazing corn bread batter and then covered in tons of coconut and fried to happiness.  The sauce was sooo good with a nice kick to it. Bangity bang bang. Only four come out but they’re huge and filling – the shrimps inside or pretty big as well.

Bayou Catfish

Marinated in buttermilk and spices, breaded in cornmeal, this succulent fish is lightly fried, accompanied by our creamy Chipotle sauce

Dinner date got the catfish.  I guess we were both feeling fish tonight.  The catfish was tender, lightly breaded and fried to a nice perfection.  I didn’t like the chipotle sauce but then again usually mayo-based sauces aren’t my thing… Obviously this also came with a little salad, beans, rice and hominy.. Crunchity catfish!

Grilled Red Snapper with Warm Shrimp Salsa

Grilled red snapper filet topped with a sauté of shrimp, pineapple, green chilies and avocado

And I got what I always get, well usually, boring I know.  But it’s SOOOO GOOD!!!!  Tender huge piece of grilled snapper topped off with a “salsa” of huge shrumps, pineapples, I think even maybe some mango, OMG I cleaned this plate.  Licked it and mopped it up with chips hahahaha…. I asked for more salsa and also a side bowl of sliced jalapenos. YUM!

This place is tiny but rocking.  It’s got a really nice homey feel to it and there’s a nice bar area that’s always packed with locals who come in for a drink or three to watch a game.

470 North Rd. Route 117 Sudbury MA

Acadia ME: Jordan Pond House

After a delicious dinner the night before and a good night’s rest… we got up early for…. [okay I didn’t really but my parents did.. I skipped out on brekky hahahaha] well aside from hiking, POPOVERS!!!..  I’ll explain later…

Me and Didi ready to go…

Rocking the leopard shorts and Red Sox hat… and yes that’s Didi’s one of million carriers on my mom hahaha…

It was like a million degrees outside so it was nice going in the center with AC when we bought tickets to go into the park for the weekend…

I also bought a coloring book and crayons

But before we explore… it’s time for popovers.. yes yes yes, the last time I was in Acadia we came here like 3x or something just so I could continuously eat popovers like crazy… JORDAN POND HOUSE!!! One huge complaint tho.. it’s ALL in the open so NONE of the places had AC.. AT ALL!!! Not even the gift shop *dies*

We had to sit outside in the 98 degree heat cuz we had Didi with us.. puppies outside only…

I don’t remember the last time I drank so much ice water… we filled up on ice water – well I just asked for cups of ice since it melted super fast – and iced coffee for me.. iced tea for mommy and daddy…

Making sure Didi wasn’t dying from the heat

POPOVERRRRRRRRRSSSS

YUMMMMMM <3 This makes me oh so happy, it’s SO hot but the piping hot melt-in-your-mouth popover is just amazing. AMAZING!!!

Feeding Didi some popovers :D

Daddy’s Curried Chicken Salad Sammich

I stole some of the curried chicken salad.. and his pickle!!!!.. MMMMM so yummy.. and methinks the chips were Cape Cod chips cuz they were so crunchy and yummy – I hate greasy filmsy chips LAME, these were SO not those – hehehehe…

Mommy’s Walnut/Cranberry Chicken Salad with Mandarin Oranges, Crackers and Grapes

I stole all of mommy’s grapes.. okay not ALL but a lot of them TEEHEE…

My Garden Salad Topped with LOBSTER

Haha they had a lobster salad but didn’t have all the veggies I wanted in it…. PLUS it was cheaper just to add lobster to a salad then get THE lobster salad.. #soasian hahahahahahah…. OK a lot of the reason was cuz I wanted tomatoes and radishes!!!

We walked around a tiny bit, especially around the lake but it got SO hot I just wanted to go back and go to the pool… so that’s what we did.. .parents hid indoors in the hotel in the AC while I changed and went to lounge by the pool…

And of course adult beverages started happening by the pool…

Black Tea Ice Pick

St Germain, Agave, Black Tea, Lemon… it was SO refreshing and delicious… I tanned and played Words :]

My view.. I opted to turn my tanning chair to look out onto the gorgeous lake!

Dinner ended up being at Parkside a few hours later…… yeah I was half passed out by the pool.. it was so hot but it’s so much nicer with the breeze from the lake….

Yes I eat at Chain’s…. even at On the Border & Cheesecake…

Yes yes yes, I do eat at chains.. in fact after going gourmet and going nuts at all the fancy shmancy restaurants, I kinda missed the simplicity, fun and how cheap chains were :] Especially since lately these chains are going a little on the fancy side….

So after a long day of helping my bestie/sis out with cleaning up the house and drinking some yummy wine….

Me noshing on a delicious pair whilst driving to Kate’s house :]

And after Mike, her hubby, came home we all went to go eat together….

Queso? QUESO!!! So On the Border it was :] Mike wanted Queso and who am I to judge? I love a little mexicano and cheese in my life… the more the merrier… [told you I’ve been on a killer Mexican kick]

Now I haven’t been to On the Border in ages.. why? Well cuz I moved so far from it.. but Kate and Mike live right by it so we just hopped on the highway and va-va-voom…. oh the memories… mmm and they’re derrrrricious warm chips and salsa.. oh and of course queso… QUESO!!!!

ULTIMATE LOADDDDDDDED QUESO that is :D

Kate stirs the Queso in the bowl… and picked out all the jalapenos [which I DEVOURED]

Loaded with Jack cheese, Seasoned Ground Beef, refried Beans,, Guacamole, Pico de Gallo, Sour Cream and Jalapenos….

I swear Mike was happier than he looks like here… hehehehe… queso queso queso

Mike’s Enchiladas Platter.…

Okay I know some of them were chicken... not sure what the second kind was *fail*

Kate’s CHIMIIIIIIIICHANGA

Hand-rolled, fried golden brown with your choice of meat, cheese and pico de gallo, then topped with melted cheese. Served with quesooooooo…. methinks she got beef :] I forgot again *double fail*

Kate told me all about how derrrricious these were… hehehe but silly lady ate all her rice and was too full to take more than a few bites of her chimi.. mmmmm the last time I had a chimi was in COLLEGE… ahaha I remember, second floor of union :]

My Citrus Chipotle Chicken Salad

Premium pulled Chicken Breast tossed in fat-free Mango Citrus Vinaigrette with peppers, red onions, tomatoes, corn, queso fresco and crunchy jicama.  Served atop fresh mixed greens.

Of course I go in and get a salad, I’m always feeling deprived of my greens :] MMM veggies..but the picture was SOOOO much more gorgeous than what I got – nonetheless it was still delicious… AND I got a whole bowl of jalapenos to gnaw on with the salad on the side.. OH and extra salsa instead of the dressing – cuz I’m spicy like that ;D

NEXT DAY.. I had to dentist.. and dentist I did, for several hours *lame*

Afterwards, I was STARVED… I hate eating before going to the dentist… but then I ended up being there til like 3 or 4… so STARVED… I was near the Cheesecake Factory and while I had a dinner date afterwards, I decided to get some munchies :] YEP.

Two of my favorite things to get at Cheesecake Factory is…

Thai Lettuce Wraps

Satay Chicken Strips, Carrots, Bean Sprouts, Coconut Curry Noodles and Lettuce Leaves with three delicious Spicy Thai Sauces – Peanut, Sweet Red Chili and Tamarind-Cashew.

And then my go-to salad there: the Pear and Endive Salad

Grilled Chicken, Endive, Radicchio, Arugula, Butter Lettuce, Roasted Pear, Blue Cheese, Candied Pecans and Tomato Served with a Low-Cal Vinaigrette.

Both were delicious, super fresh, the veggies were so crisp and delicious and sweet.. adn the proteins, aka chicken, were cooked to perfection and so delicious….!!!! I didn’t use the sauce for the wraps and it was perfect… perfectly seasoned without the sauce and maybe even on the tad salty side, but delicious nonetheless. ALSO when I got the bread I asked for ONLY the brown bread… MMMM delicious… my favorite.

SEE. I don’t alway eat super expensive and gourmet…. chains gets my mojo going as well ;D More Mexiiiiiicanoooooo coming up RIGHT after, ASAP!

You say Agavé … and I do too…

Everytime I’ve ever been to Newburyport, about 50 minutes away North of where I live in Boston, I’ve taken the puppy with me… weather has been great and I’ve been going on many a short roadtrips lately…

okay she’s 3.5 years old now but to me she’ll always be a puppy :] Hehe… so outdoor seating is a must. When she was younger, and quieter, I used to sneak her inside restaurants in her pink Juicy doggy bags, but now she’s a yappy little fart so outdoor seating is necessary. And the place I always go to to eat? Agave.

First thing was first, it was hot and I was thirsty. Thirsty for adult beverages :]

Prickly Pear Margarita

I specifically asked for a less sweet margarita and this thing was delicious, HUGE… I know it doesn’t look that big compared to my head, but I have a big head and this margarita was HUUUUGE… and delicious. SO good, in fact, it was DERRRRIcious.. yes, the inner fob came out – THAT good!

And then out came the delicious FRESHLY fried tortilla chips [yep still warm, but not greasy] their signature salsa.. and then, SECRET: You have to ask for their green salsa, which is a SUPER spicy and delicious salsa verde!

I had ordered some guacamole but the waitress TOTALLY forgot to put the order in – so sad… but it’s okay, she remembered my ceviche. I ALWAYS crave a good ceviche in the summer.. if I’m having Mexican, I need my lime cooked fish!

Ceviche Acapulqueño

Halibut marinated in lemon juice with chopped onions, tomatoes, Serrano chiles and fresh cilantro, served with avocado and crackers. [a local favorite]

The fish was SUPER tender, SUPER fresh and there was SO MUCH!  The crackers were good, but sort of bland, def not sweet OR salty which goes well with the ceviche, but I ended up saving them for Didi :] I ate the ceviche with the salsa verde, delicious….. there was so much it was barely finished…

Shrimp and Avocado Salad

A colorful and refreshing salad with grilled shrimp, avocado and chunks of mango served over a bed of fresh mixed greens with a honey- lime dressing.

You hear shrimp & avocado and you think OH healthy, light, and diet food – OHHHH NO!  This plate was HUUUUGE… tons of LARGE succulent grilled shrimp – FULL of flavor and perfectly spiced.  A HUGE half of an avocado, TONS of sweet big chunks of mango…delicious, fresh, crisp leafy greens and slices of juicy tomato. LOVING IT!!!

Carnitas

Michoacan style carnitas, shredded pork, slowly cooked in a copper pot and served with chopped onions, cilantro, crushed red pepper, fresh salsa verde and corn tortillas

Life is always better with pig in it. Especially tender juicy pulled pork.. mexicanfied… oh they’re pretty darn cute pre-pulled and post-mexicanfied as well :]

Baja Fish Tacos

Three medium or hard corn tortillas stuffed with baja fish that is floured and very lightly fried served with cabbage, cheese and pico de gallo

SUPER flavorful and very very tender fish…. SO very lightly fried, not greasy at all and covered in light, delicious, soft fluffy cheese…. the cabbage added the perfect crunch factor – and obviously, as you can tell from the photo, that “medium” corn tortillas were asked for.. I actually don’t get medium vs soft.. but whatever, delicious… :]  The fish was beautifully flavored and yummy cheese re-fried beans!

After the meal, we all walked around, took tons of goofy pictures, talked to more ppl with dogs, walked thru the antique barn… [tho got nothing, lots of creepy dolls in there tho ew] and looked at boats. Left just in time, cuz then it started POURING!!!!….

If you’re ever around and looking for something to do, definitely head over to Newburyport for a great day – lots of great fresh seafood, lots of outdoor seating for restos, homemade ice cream, candy shops, little stores [TWO pet stores!!!!] you can picnic, play in the park, go sailing, etc… :]

Oh and drink great margaritas @ Agave

I’ve been on a huge Mexican food kick lately so look forward to many more posts!!!! Sorry I’ve been MIA :] The fun single life, friends, summer, roadtrips and bbqs has been catching up with me ;D