Vegetarian No Meat Burgers!!!… and other yummies from the past few days!

Today I tried something new… while I had a beef burger…. oh so yummy, I tried out a special recipe for my mom and her vegetarian friend…. no-meat burgers for them using Beyond Meat product! I prefer Yves non-meats but couldn’t find any at Whole Foods today :[ Bummer.

For 2 Burger Patties:
1 bag of Beyond Beef Beefy Crumbles

1/4-1/2 onion
A few cloves of garlic
Paprika
Salt
Black Pepper
Dried Basil (fresh is probably better and if so, minced)
2 eggs
flour

I first sautéed the minced onion and garlic til caramelized and starting to be transparent and browned slightly. I mixed it with the beefy crumbles. Added S&P, paprika, dried basil and perhaps a few more secret ingredients. I added two eggs and a few pinches of flour to help it bind better – I probably should have added more flour since it was a little too wet. And I grilled them.

For toppings I sautéed onions and mushrooms. Topped the patties with cheese as they were about to be done cooking and put a lid on the pan to melt the cheese. I added a few slices of rings of red onion, sliced tomatoes and some avocado. Some other options (which I put on my beef burger) were jalapeños and cilantro.

And to make the dinner even better.. some kale chips… just kale… drizzled in evoo, s&p I added cayenne pepper… or whatever flavorings you want :]

BTW, this was my BEEF burger haha

Sorry, being “healthy”… even tho the burger was rare *MAD COW DISEASE* haha but I ate my in lettuce wrap….”sort of” ok some of it with fork and knife….

More stuff I made this weekend..

Vegetarian Soup… there’s kale, corn, leeks, mushrooms, onion etc etc… topped with some cheese and cilantro and a “garlic bread” croissant

There were more veggies but I don’t remember

And our pre-Masquerade Harvard Ball dinner

Duck Confit with Leek/Mushroom Risotto and Spicy Broccoli

Just used a tiny bit of white truffle butter, topped with parm and scallions in the risotto, had fresh white truffles.. but forgot to top it… duck confit cooked in lots of duck fat for awhile so super crispy… and then just steamed broccoli with hot pepper flakes :]

Craigie on Main – 8 Course Tasting Menu

The one and only Woo Bear, my favorite NYPD PoPo/Detective/Bodyguard/Bestie came to visit me in Boston and being so busy with work lately we FINALLY got a chance to meet up, rant, chat, laugh and just have a jolly awesome time.  I picked him up from his hotel and even though we got there early they had a table for us already set for us.

Woo Bear & Peep Peep unite!!!!!

AKA

He’s the Gru to my Agnes

I told him we had to go to Craigie on Main.. it’s farm to table and seasonal and just one of my favorite places MUST GO TO EAT AT places in Boston… well it’s in Cambridge but same difference. I adore their open kitchen. And everyone there is SO friendly and awesome. PLUS every time you get the tasting menu you get different and new things it’s NEVER the same.

After careful, not so careful thinking we decided to order the everything 8 course tasting menu.  We started off with a champagne for me and a “manly” scotch drink for him. I think the waitress said it was a scotch rimmed with absinthe?!… I thought it was delicious!!!!

We also ordered a bomb ass bottle of French Burgundy Pinot Noir – mad $$ but soooo worth it

I asked for them to write out the menu for us so I could have it when I went home… obviously so I could blog!!!

And then it began….. as we sipped our yummy drinks, the food started flowing….

Trio of Amuse Bouche

Citrus Cured Striped Bass, Avocado, Red Onion, Pickled Pine Nuts

This was Woo Bear’s favorite… mainly cuz of the avocado he said.  It was good and reminded me of tuna tartare, I think mainly cuz of the color, would’ve never thought it was striped bass – but I guess it was cuz of the citrus cure.  You couldn’t really taste the citrus but it was a good bite.

Razor Clams, Uni Vinaigrette

Texturally wise, this was my favorite of the three. It was obviously clams… and I LOOOOOVE razor clams.. I’ve never had it sliced before and it was amazing.  Need to start taking my razor clams not whole on a shell… hehe…

Smoked Bluefish Rillettes, Hackleback Roe

Taste-wise this was y favorite. It was a beautifully soaked fish… and with the caviar and everything it was pretty divine.

The waitress loved that I had a champagne glass tattooed on me haha..

Sea Trout Pastrami
Winter Chicories, Blood Orange, Pistachio Vinaigrette

I actually expected a smokier tasting salmon, from the looks of it, but the taste was impeccable.  The texture of the salmon was of smoked salmon but it definitely had that “pastrami” kick to it.  With the added crunch of the chicory and pistachio it was heaven in each bite.  It actually would’ve been an amazing salad with more chicory and pistachios but deeeeeelish!!!!!!!

Roasted Sturgeon à la Poêle
Camargue Red Rice, Red Onion Soubise, Beurre Rouge

When the last dish came out we finally finished our first drinks and got to get into the the wine, which paired PERFECTLY, as waitress said it would, with the food… It was salty was soooooo gooooood.  Not sure what the greens were but the rice was just barely el dente and chewy and amazing, I almost thought it was wheat berries…the surgeon [this was the first time Woo Bear ever had it, but I have] was soooo buttery and beautifully cooked.  Like I said, it was salty but it still tasted awesome….

Delicious wine with an amazing friend!!!

Spice-Crusted Striped Bass Kama

Wait. What? KAMA? UM, I LOVE YOU CRAIGIE.   I love Fish Collar Bone [aka Kama]

Even the waitress told me to make sure to take a pic – I think she saw me taking pictures before… and probably assumed since I was asian HAHA

It’s all about this:
the Tuscan Olive Oil, Citrus Vinaigrette

And cuz we were “her friends” she poured it on for us. AWWWWW I felt so loved….!!!! She even said “Of course Tiff, you’re my friend” hahahaha… maybe she remembers me from my past eatings there…. LOLOLOL… I always eat SO much here

This was my piece… Woo Bear and me both picked our pieces CLEAN!!!!!… We ASIAN YO.  We waste NOTHING!!!

House-Made Red Beet Conchiglie Pasta
Boudin Noir Ragoût, Fava Leaves

This was beautiful. Fucking beautiful. BEET PASTA? It’s like taking a veggie I love with a pasta I love and combining the two.  When I first looked at it, I was like UHHH.. meat? blah? WHAT? But it was delicious.   The sauce didn’t overwhelm the beet taste in the pasta and the lava leaves added a nice green freshness to it.   Will definitely try to make a beet pasta in the future… altho I’ll probably make pappardelle or gnocchi.

Slow-Roasted Veal Sweetbreads
Wild Mushrooms, Farm-Fresh Egg, Chorizo Sauce

This may have been my favorite dish of the night, minus the bone marrow later, but I can never not LOVEEEEEEEEEE and orgasm with bone marrow.  But the poached egg was SOOOO beautiful.  The sauce, the mushrooms and of course SWEETBREADS.  I really need to find a place that sells sweetbreads so I can start cooking them.  They’re one of my favorite delicacies.. even more than bone marrow and foie gras cuz I can never find them to cook them myself… and because of that, I ALWAYS ALWAYS have to order sweetbreads when it’s on the menu.. well I guess the same with the other two but still….

And then when we thought it was all over….

Axis Venison Two Ways: Spice-Crusted Leg, Crepinette
Mustard Spaetzle, Hakurei Turnips, Red Cabbage Purée

And obviously we got it with the BONE MARROW!!!!

Can you believe they asked us if we would rather have duck fat roasted carrots OR bone marrow? UMMM… we didn’t even look at each other and Woo Bear and I both screamed BONE MARROW!!!

It was all so freaking delicious….  the crepinette was SOOOOOOOO delicious. It was a yummy venison meatball!!!… and the venison leg, sliced and cooked rare was just SOOO tender and delicious.  I ended up eating the marrow on toast and then the rest of the marrow all over my veal dish and licking it up. The spaetzle was crunchy and divine and while it was from “mustard” it had almost a delicate “cheese” taste to it.  Definitely some of the yummiest spaetzle I’ve had.  The turnips were great.. I thought it was daikon – which I guess is basically a turnip/carrot – and just all of the items combined was ORGASMIC. We had SOOOOOO much bone marrow it could feed a family of 10.

Palate Cleanser
House-made Lime Frozen Yogurt
Basil Seeds

Delicious. Refreshing. YUM.

We got this amazing Bourbon:
Michter’s 20yr Cask Strength Single Barrel 114.2°

At 67$ a glass it better be fucking amazing and it was… smelled like caramel and was soooooo tasty. Yeah disgustingly expensive but also disgustingly delicious.

Dessssert time.. so it was definitely more than just 8 courses….

Moroccan ‘Upside Down’ Carrot Cake
Goat Cheese Sorbet, Dates, Caramelized Almonds

I told them no goat cheese but they gave me some anyways.  I ate it anyways.  But the cake was super dry, even though I loved the look/concept of the cake.  Next time I make carrot cake I’ll have a beautiful slice of carrot on top.  It didn’t go with the goat cheese even tho I tried it together to make it “wetter” and neither did the sauce.  It was kinda sad to see such a fantastic meal end so badly.

Chocolate-Fernet Branca Crémeux
Roasted Lemon Puree, Tarragon Ice Cream

I don’t really think that was what we got… it tasted like mint ice cream on chocolate mousse and crunchy sticks hahahaha…. it was good but didn’t feel like a FULL dessert, like a side to a dessert…

BUT AT LEAST THIS SAVED THE NIGHT

We had a special complimentary Hot Cocoa to warm us up… there was definitely some chilies and cardamum in it <3

Everything was talked about, we definitely spent a good few hours there… and in the end we realized:

Love you Woo Bear. Can’t wait to play again soon!!!!! Miss you dearly already!!!!

Homemade Thai Red Curry with Cod

I decided to go out of my comfort zone and cook Thai Red Curry tonight.  I made Thai curry once….. I think green? Or whichever. and it was meh, it was also in college… and me and my then boyfriend had to taste and tweak the entire time – It wasn’t bad… so glad my cooking skills have improve since then

I Vitamixed all the ingredients… added extra thai chilis, a habanero, extra ginger and extra lemongrass and garlic for more punch I don’t like going by recipes…. I’m a rebel

After the sauce started bubbling [oh I used LIGHT coconut milk for a little more healthy kick] I added in my veggies… chopped green beans, multi colored peppers….. red onion and eggplant…

After cooking for awhile I put in my cod and slowly added in some fresh basil

One for mama, one for me

Spicy, ilght and delicious!!!!!  FULL of veggies and delicious Cod.  Can’t wait to make it for J <3

BTW, Crazy bruins game tonight…. we were leading and then WTF 3x OT!?!?!?!

No worries… we let you win tonight Chi…… so it doesn’t look as bad when we win the rest :]

Miami Day 4 & Joe’s Stone Crabs… and 72oz of Margaritas at Primetime

It’s our last day in Miami…. I don’t wanna leave…

Neither does J.

Time to say bye bye to our beloved free amazing gourmet breakfast buffet at Eden Roc

Note: See all of J’s beloved donuts. Yes he’s a donut fanatic. :]

My last free omelette and bacon

Bye Bye Bye :[

Sad Good Bye

Had the most AMAZING time with the most amazing person.

Bye bye Lobby Bar [Bartender Tommy haha J’s new friend]

SO OFF WE WENT… hiked the beach… first stop, nostalgia…. Wet Willie’s…. we got some blue shocker mixed margarita. SO sweet…. but hey I felt 18 again.

We continued our long walk on the beach… a nice long walk from Eden Roc [Miami Beach] to the end of South Beach at Joe’s Stone Crabs

Woot woot finally got to sit INSIDE. Last time I was REJECTED cuz of dress code. UH. Tube Top and skirt was a NO-NO.

AMAZING BREAD. Pretzel bread and the flatbread crips were the SHIT!!!

One again I was in charge of food and J was in charge of wines….

Delish!…. he got a Chard… I got… uhhhhhh…….. something spicier?!… I don’t remember..

Crab Nicoise
shaken with jumbo lump crab, locally grown tomatoes,
olives, green beans, eggs, potatoes, red onion & herb vinaigrette

Chock full of fresh sexy crab…. amazing crisps… and just UGH delish!.. Even the dressing was SOOOOOOOO divine!!!!….. I loved how they served this in a cup and shook it out in front of us. HOOKED.

We got the SELECT Stone Crab Claws… I’ve had the medium and I’ve had the jumbo [bigger isn’t only better] which were ok, so select was definitely the best choice.

Best last lunch in Miami.

And of course their famous Key Lime Pie.

Demolished. LOVE.

But our day wasn’t over yet. We were determined to get a GIANT margarita on Ocean Drive. So where do we end up? Primetime. Of course :] We could’ve gotten smaller ones but it was 2 for the price of one and I wanted the giant one… so we both got 32oz ones…..

J got the
Aperol Spritz
Aperol Liqueur, Astoria Prosecco and splash soda

And  I got the
Champagne Kiss:
Champagne, Chambord raspberry liqueur blended  to perfection

I was taking pics of us so the waitress offered to help…

Much better..

Bigger than my head.

Tipsy tipsy weeeeeeee… time to head to the airport to drink more….

Miami Day 3… Pool, Cigars, Bubble Bath and Blade Sushi at Fountainbleau

After a super crazy fun night… we just wanted to relax… and cover up from all our sunburns.. of course J took caution and I didn’t…

Ready to beach….

After our free breakfast!!!

That’s a pulled beef  benedict…. OMG….

We also got some cigars for later…

Adult Pool

Beach

Yep I got tanner and burn-ier….

And then it was cigar time.. the “cheaper” one so we can compare

GANGSTA YO

And then I left J to the balcony and a good book and I decided to bubble bath…. not enough bubbles….

CAW CAW CAW CAW

Ok too many bubbles…

Drowning…

UHHH…

I am now dubbed the bubble/foam Queen <3

This is After I let the water out and got out of the tub…

And awesome BF cleaning up my mess hahaha

SO MUCH BUBBLES

This is for you Steve. Stellar Revival shoutout YO. Wait what… yo… way to be so famous and have a FAN OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE….

OK cleaned up and time for my last night in Miami… Mokai here I come….

So first we had dinner at Blade Sushi Bar/Lounge at Fountainbleau… yes yes remember I came here last year? Well we were supposed to go to Hakkasan… but decided that partying after dimsum and Cantonese food/dimsum [omg I’m so craving dim sum tho] would suck [food coma] more than sushi at Blade.

BLINDING menus. Unnecessary

Magical hot towels that grow…

Edamame

I love piping hot edamame… freshly steamed and large sexy sea salt flakes… :]

We couldn’t choose which sake to to buy so our waiter suggested we try a flight first and then choose what we liked most.

Sake Flight

The Sake we ended up choosing… delish! Oh and J called it… we liked #1..  the others were way too sweet…

Octopus Carpaccio
Sweet pepper, Tomato, Red Onion, Cucumber and Spicy Vinegar Dressing

AMAZING. I remember I loved it when I got it the first time and was asked if I was in the food industry/food critic – cuz I guess, people don’t REALLY get the things I do?!

Yellowtail with Yuzu Miso Glaze
Asian pear, Avocado, Micro greens, Yuzu Miso vinaigrette

Amazing… delish yellowtail… yuzu tang… and the sweetness of the asian pear and creaminess of the avocado… this literally MELTED in my mouth. SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO GOOD.

Salmon Sushi and Uni Sushi

You can never fuck up OG sushi. AMAZE.

Geisha Maki
Yellowtail, Ooba leaf, Orange, Asparagus wrapped in Soy paper,  Wasabi, Tobiko, Yuzu Miso Glaze

This was my roll choice. I loved it… jalapeno… light, refreshing.. definitely super fusian…. so Miami.. reminded me of Samba Sushi.

Bleau Maki
Tuna, Yellowtail, Salmon, Avocado, Scallion, Masago wrapped with Daikon, Soy Onion dressing

J’s choice. Also good. It was tasty but WAYYYYY over-doused in that dressing…. ugh.. drowning in it….

And dessert…

A gorgeous Key Lime Tart with pineapple and blackberries

The tart was creamy and also grainy from the sugar. Not sure how much of a fan I was… but it was quite delicious, super sweet…. hey we had a HUGE ASS bottle of sake to finish, we needed to keep on eating until it was gone… and while, yes, if you havent noticed we rarely do dessert, we did it and loved it.

Afterwards…. we decided we were old. We hit up the Lobby Bar… got some scotch, whiskey and champagne… brought it up to our balcony and had our other cigar and drank the night away in the beautiful weather and view. Life is perfect.

Proof that PROOF in DC is worth visiting…

See, same outfit, different meal :] Don’t worry its the same day too…..

Off to visit Brenttttttt, he’s the new Exec Sous at Proof!!!

Starting the meal off with some bubbly is always a plus!!! YAY for W knowing the head Somm.

HAAA!!! Caught him on camera before he could cover his cute nose. I officially adore him in pink!

Flatbread Crisps with this Yogurt Chives Sauce that just reminded me of Sour Cream & Onion.  AMAZE BALLS.  Creamy delight.  I couldn’t help myself and kept inhaling… can I get the dipping sauce to go?!

We also got a bottle of red, if I remember correctly from Oregon?!  I trusted the somm and it was delicious.  Forgot to take a pic tho.. you might catch a glimpse in a photo or two of the glass or the bottle.. maybe..

Ahi Tuna Tartare with Crispy Nori Tempura
hass avocado, wasabi soy emulsion

W claimed this was his favorite tuna tartare EVER.  And FUCK YEAH it’s freaking good.  Fresh chunks of avocado surround tuna mounds seperated by crispy fried seaweed, which were not greasy in the least.  Flavors and freshness to the max without weighing you down. DEEEELISH!

Baby Tomato Salad with Torn Basil & House Made Mozzarella
red onion, arugula, extra virgin olive oil

So fresh and freaking amazing.  You know what makes me super happy and reminds me of summer?!…Ceviches, margaritas and fresh heirloom tomatoes&fresh mozzarella w/ basil salads. SO SO happy!!! My dad only eats cheese on pizza and he’ll eat this. So amazing.  I eat tons of tomatoes… and balls of fresh mozz on a weekly basis during the summer – no wonder I can’t lose no damn weight. JOY!  Any additional greens, onions is just a plus.. OH and of course, delicious fruity fresh EVOO is a must… and a sprinkling of fresh cracked black pepper.

Popcorn Veal Sweetbreads
with Spanish Fried Egg & Poached Veal Tongue frisée, arugula, citrus, olive oil

Sadly it wasn’t as good as I thought.  The sweetbreads were delicious and prepared amazingly but they were cut too small for my liking.. so it was more fried than sweetbreads in each bite.. the veal tongue, I actually like seared more than poached.  The tongue was a bit too bland for me, but super tender.  LOVED the egg and the greens though. Super runny.. just wanted bigger creamy portions to balance out the fried crunch of sweetbreads.  I’m telling you – SEAR YOUR TONGUE, you’ll never go back to poaching!

This dish was my fault, I’m an ass. Hahahaha this was my MUST HAVE on the menu aside from the other stuff that W was planning to order from us.  OOPS.  I just can’t help it. I see sweetbreads and giggle.  Just like me with pork belly, foie and….. well I guess way too may things. FAT.

Oh darn, W hiding his cute face again.. per usual. At least we get a nice view of his awesome tatts.

ANNNND THEN…….

*Surprise* Pork Duo a la Brent

Crispy Porchetta Cured Pork Belly
grilled summer squash, lemon cucumbers, crème fraiche, capers [on the menu] and some Milk Braised Pork with Fennel from the Special Tasting Menu
BOTH were delicious.  Obviously pork belly triumphed because, well DUH, fatty!  But I loooovoed the fennel with the milk braised pork :D I need to try a milk or cream braise at home soon!  Both tender.  Amazing flavors and super fresh, perfectly cooked veggies to accompany.

Honey & Spice Glazed Pekin Duck Breast
roasted yam puree, pomegranate emulsion, grilled scallion

Cooked to perfection and delicious, atop yummmy sweet creamy yams.  I love a good medium rare duck. YUM. SO SO tender…. melted in my mouth and just YUM.  I love a good duck.

Speaking of duck, do you ever get a super gamey gross duck? I think that means the duck goes bad? Cuz I love the taste of duck, duck fat, DUCK SKIN. OMG I’m hungry and I have some leftover duck in the fridge.

SIDENOTE:  I wish I wrote more professional sounding blogs.  I read a ton of other ones that I envy but then I’m such a say what I feel and what goes thru my brain kind of person everything just comes out like brain vomit.  OOPS.  Sorry.  But I’m not sorry. HAHA.

Pan Roasted Wild Striped Bass
sweet corn, zucchini, wild mushrooms, sea peas, sun gold tomato emulsion

This was gonna be my choice if W didn’t help me order. HAHA. He knows me too well and we eat so similarly, except he’s pickier than me.  THIS WAS SO GOOD.  Tender, juicy, flakey beautiful fish atop a plethora of fresh chunks of delicious veggies. MMM CORN POOP. Joy to having Wild  MUSHHHHROOOOMS… The sauce was a bit too saucy/salty but I’m weird like that, I steam or boil most everything at home HAHA – lamz0rs. But that’s probably why I bloat so easily. Whatevz, I stuffed myself silly. YUM.

STUFFED as all hell as we were, we had room for dessert!  Obviously!  I even told our waiter, I have a separate stomach for desserts, NOM.

W got the Warm Peach & Blueberry Cobbler, black raspberry ice cream

And true to his form, he forgot to share til the second and last bite.  But I KNOW he LOOOOVES cobbler so I didn’t mind.. besides, my choice was SOOOO FUCKING, yes FUCKING, amaze balls.

Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake, vanilla ice cream, almonds, toffee

PER. FUCKING. FECT. TION.

ike Stick Toffee Pudding Cake BUT BETTER.  A nice crust, a beautiful sweet creamy caramel.  I want to bathe in this.

A beautiful dinner, glad I finally got to eat the magic of Brent :] YUM.

After BBQ there’s still room for Burgers and Adult Milkshakes at Bourbon Steak Detroit

We are not in Kansas anymore.. this is taking Burgers & Milkshakes to a whole new level.  Although it did make me want an oreo milkshake from Johnny Rockets… nostalgia

After a few hours at the Pig & Whiskey 2012 event out in Ferndale… we went to the pool and then after a shower I slept off the beer and whiskey.  Previously we were thinking of heading to Lodge Diner for some chicken noodle soup but we decided just to head downstairs for a burger at Bourbon Steak.  If you haven’t noticed yet, W and I LOOOOOVE our burgers, especially him.  We sat in the lounge area and got the burger menus. WEEEE… fun!!!!

The menu said up to five toppings but me being me I loaded up on my burger.  It ended up being so big I couldn’t fit it in my mouth :[ HAHA.  Before we even ordered though, we were given some delicious red wine and the signature Bourbon Steak duck fat fries trio. YUM

I got a Market Garden Salad to start… delicious crunchy crostini on top… some butternut squash, pom seeds, red onions, goat cheese and delicious greens.  The dressing was a bit on the heavy side but it was still very tasty.

W and I also split an adult milkshake.  We each got our own half-glass :]

Bourbon Malted, Jim Beam, Salty Caramel

It was super strong and oozed of booze.  W and I could feel it after a few sips.

Dinner is served.

W’s Burger…

Beef, Bacon, Blue Cheese, Pickles, Fried Egg, Shredded Romaine and “Secret Sauce”

My Burger

Beef, Butter Lettuce, Fried Egg, Cheddar Cheese, Pickles, Vidalia Onions, Shaved Jalapenos, Tomato, Avocado… NOMMMMM

Super thick Onion Rings.  They were piping hot.. the crust/breading was on the thick side, I like a lighter crust but it was definitely super tasty!!!

We got another set of Duck Fat Fries Trio.  W loves the horseradish sauce and asked for “a shit ton” of it.  Apparently this is the “shit ton” bowl size :D

Another delicious burger dinner with my burger boy <3  Also the last time having a burger in Detroit hahahaha…

“Are you a Vegetarian?”

And yes I actually got asked that, the waitress only saw me eat the last two dishes and not my starter.. so I guess that’s why, but still… always awkward when I get asked since I’m SUCH a huge meat eater. HAHA. OMNOMNIVORE!

Worked late and then headed over to one of W’s restaurants, Bourban Steak,  for some grub.  I was craving some raw meat and W knows me too well so I sipped my water and the first thing I got sent was delicious RAW BEEF!

This was the closet thing to a tartare they have… MMMMM

Kobe Beef “Kibbeh”

Cucumber Yogurt, Pickled Beets, Grilled Pita Bread

Totally satiated my craving for tender raw meat.  Haha always reminds me of the movie P in the part where eating raw meat turns her evil LOL…. I’m an evil mofo ;]

OK, onwards to my vegetarian part I suppose… SOOOO GOOD and carbo loading <3

Fava Beans and Sprouts on a Crostini, SOOOOOO FREAKING GOOD.  DE-VOURED!

And a yummy panzanella… toasted crunchy croutons with tomatoes, onoins and more sprouts. SOOO GOOOOOOD

I am a happppppppy girl :]

W fed me well, once again :]

A full Tiffie is a happy Tiffie :]

Custom Burgers @ The Counter at the MIA – Miami International Airport

We got to the airport and then thru security really fast.  He upgraded to first class so we got to cut thru the line.  Which was great, since there was SOOOOOO many people waiting thru security PHEW.  We ended up going in the D terminal and had to take the train to E.  Once we finally go near our gates, I saw THIS place and wanted a burger.

FOOD TIME FOR MISS FATTIE :]

Beer for me, Coke for him.

I made my own burger :] Obviously….

Dinner soon arrived… along with my Blue Moon Beer

W got the Old School Signature Burger
1/3 lb Beef, Tillamook Cheddar, Lettuce Blend, Red Onion Pickle, Tomato & Red Relish
… MINUS the red onion ;] He’s not a fan!

French Fries with Tillamook Cheddar

Skinny fries with TONS of cheese on top. Mucho GOOD!

This was my Customized Burger
1/3 lb Beef in a bowl of Organic Mixed Greens.  Imported Swiss, Bermuda Red Onion, Jalapenos, Sprouts, Tomatoes, Applewood Smoked Bacon & Fried Egg

SO GOOD. And SOOOO filling!  Our flights were delayed due to thunderstorming so we got to spend more time together – yay.  I love you Miami, see you again soon.

FINALLY got Top Chef Isabella’s Pepperoni Sauce in me – Graffiato

All dressed up and definitely know where I wanna go tonight… It’s been a long fun day of food and play… but I’ve been craving something….

*SQUEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL*

FINALLLLLLLLLLLLLY got to eat at Graffiato, Top Chef Mike Isabella’s babyyy!!!!

Remember I met him back at Eat + Pray + Heal Japan in NYC last year?!  I’ve always been a HUUUUGE fan of him on both of his seasons of Top Chef and wanted him to win All Stars SO bad. Yep. I want his pepperoni sauce in me.  And OH EM GEE, he remembered meeeeeee :D WOOHOOO!!! SOOOO psyched to finally eat here, been wanting to since the huge hype of Graffiato before it even opened!!!! *dance dance*

Yep. This guy.

Awww what a cutie :D He was smilie and talkative just as I remembered :]  I always get so chef-struck #fattienerd

Ok, back to the food MMMM, check out the menu…

We got seated so that I had the PERFECT view of the open kitchen… I couldn’t stop staring….. it was like a chef’s table without the fancy price tag

Do you see the pepperoni sauce?

Close up!!! It’s blurry and bright but yes it’s in that tub of red <3 YAYYYYYY

My champagne flute was flowing with bubbles from the Prosecco tap. YES PROSECCO ON TAP!!!!! [at least that’s what W told me, blame him if it’s not true hahaha jk] – I need to get this installed in my house!

First up?! W knew what I REALLLLLLY wanted… Isabella’s sauce…. *cough*

Flat Bread & Pepperoni Sauce

SOOOO excited to dip my bread in the sauce…

Up close of the Pepperoni Sauce *orgasm*

It was like liquified pepperoni… HOLY MOLY this was just as amazing as I thought it would be. I can finally check this off of my dreamlist of things I must eat.  I could dip my leather shoe in this sauce and eat it up. WOW, I’ve never used that and always wanted to LOL…

W hiding from my picture taking again… I left my digicam back in my other jacket so everything tonight was from iPhone…. HAHA good thing I’m photo ninja and caught him in the act of covering his face…

Delicious Meat Plate <#

That *points* was my favorite. You’ll just have to try them all to figure out which one I’m pointing at!

Burrata

Honey Glazed Onions, Nigella

This jumped straight out at me on the menu. I. LOVE. BURRATA.  Creamy happy deliciousness melting on my tongue and down the back of my throat.  Delicious with the tangy sweet onions, scallions and just HAPPINESS.  This was amazing and I could eat a tub of this.  Swim thru and just inhale into my lungs.  I. LOVE. BURRATA.

Broccolini

Spicy Pepper Relish, Walnut, Feta

I also love broccolini, I eat it a couple of times a week… and I love feta and walnuts SOOOOOO why not?! The only downside to this dish was that it was cold – I expected it to be hot; It kinda thru me off a bit…

Glazed Pork Cheeks

Sweet Potatoes, Pecans

Tender, juicy, meaty and just melted in my mouth.  SOOOO delicious with the silky sweet potato mash and the crunch of the pecans. LOOOOOVE pecans. MMMMM I should re-create this for a thanksgiving dish this year! SOOOO HAPPPY in my mouth!!

Roasted Cauliflower

Pecorino, Mint

“We’re gonna be farting all night” – W

HAHAHA.. these were yummy..  a little bit overcooked for me but I LOOOOVE cauliflower – YUM!  And no, no farting… hahahaha.. there was a bit of tang to it, definitely

Marinated Octopus

Romesco, Olives, Almonds

Soft, slow cooked, long cooked… Most of the time I eat my octopus with a bit of bite and chew to it… but this was creamy and had delicious flavors…. I missed the chew but adored the flavors that came with it… PLUS.. I’m a sucker for tentacles.. I’m such a texture whore…

Crispy Potato Gnocchi

Wild Mushrooms, Stracciatella

AMAZING!  Toasted and creamy.. MMMMMM I’ve had good gnocchi but mostly BAD GNOCCHI..  These were delicious…. Scrumptious mushrooms… creamy creamy melty and drippy Stracciatella OMG happiness… have you noticed the theme lately? Happiness and happy is being used a lot.

Porky’s Revenge

Sopressata, Pepperoni, Sausage, Tomato, Stracciatella

OMG look at that gooey deliciousness!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAMZING. Meaty, juicy, CREAAAAAAMY ooey gooey sexy cheese… the crust was just as amazing as the toppings – SUCH a great way to end a huge dinner – I can never eat too mucuh pizza. LOOK AT THAT.  I was trying to figure out what was Porky’s revenge – the fact that we were EATING porky OR that we would probably have a fun time on the toilet after eating this. THAT decadent and amazing BUT SO SO SO WORTH it!

W was full and even tho I PICKED the dessert, he didn’t wanna share.. again.. hahahaha

Just kidding :] I ended up eating most of these…

ZeppolesAutumn Spices, Pumpkin Caramel

SOOOOOOOOOO GOOD. Tasted like autumn and Thanksgiving.  I smothered EACH BITE with the marscapone – SOOOO GOOOOOOD!!!!! SOOO DECADENT – I’m an indulger… MMMMM…. Creamy happy orgasm…

Thanks Chef for exceeding my already super super super high expectations for your delicious food! I’ll be back soon :] #stalk!