Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Since we went out on Friday night and were waking up very early (7:30 AM) on Sunday to start watching/celebrating the half marathon, Albert and I decided to make Saturday night date night.  We lined up some quality tv programming and I cooked a meal.  Albert can be tough to cook for.  I wouldn't exactly call him picky, he's just more of a meat and potatoes kind of guy.  Funky sauces: not his his thing.  He'll at least try anything, but I know I have some limitations.  It has become my personal challenge to find meals that play within his preferences while still allowing me to try new things.  Through Pinterest I discovered this recipe for chicken cordon bleu casserole and thought it would be a great place to experiment.

The basic flavors of this dish are chicken, ham, and cheese so I figured Albert would be happy.  I, on the other hand, would enjoy teaching myself a new technique with the sauce.  The sauce is a bechemel, also known as the mother of all French sauces.  It is a cream sauce made by melting butter, adding flour to form a roux, and then whisking in milk, stirring until the whole thing thickens.  I had tried making a roux before and let's just say it did not go well.  So not well, in fact, that I had to throw the whole thing away.  A sauce like this needs to be coddled.  You need to whisk it constantly, never taking your eye away for a moment.  Though I failed miserably last time, I actually mastered it this time.  Just like anything else, once you do it properly the first time, you realize it was never that hard to begin with and will be able to successfully produce the same result again and again.  I pretty much leaped for joy once it worked out for me.  Like a little leprechaun.  

Traditionally, chicken cordon bleu is chicken stuffed with ham and swiss cheese that is then breaded and pan fried.  This casserole takes away the trouble of stuffing and watching the pan by having the ingredients layered in a dish.  Though chicken cordon bleu is a pretty European meal, turning it into a casserole makes it feel very Middle America.  A thick creamy sauce makes this comfort food to the max.  Speaking of that sauce, I recommend using about half of what the recipe calls for.  After pouring half the sauce over the casserole it seemed like any more would be too much for anyone to handle and poured the rest down the drain.  I like rich foods but more sauce than that would put me over the edge.  If you do use all the sauce and like it, I may have an idea where this country's obesity epidemic is coming from.  Also, I didn't have white pepper or dried parsley and it still tasted amazing.  Leaving out the dijon mustard, on the other hand, would be a mistake.

This dish was the perfect one to please both Albert and myself.  For the first time since I've started using him as a guinea pig cooking for him like a caring girlfriend, he fully cleared his plate.  I also got to perfect my technique when it came to the scary roux.  Everyone was full and happy, and we were able to be in bed at a reasonable hour so our early wake up call wasn't so bad.  

Crème Fraîche Pasta

The first time I had crème fraîche was while I was living in France.  Actually, that's the only time I have ever had it because they don't really make it here in the US.  Sure, restaurants dollop some cream over berries and say it's crème fraîche, but it's not the same.  In France, the texture is thicker than heavy cream but thinner than sour cream and tastes buttery.  It comes in a carton like you often see for chicken stock and when I had it, my French mom served it with pasta.  She placed a heaping spoonful of capellini pasta on each of our plates and then passed around the crème fraîche and a plate of smoked salmon so we could each add however much we liked.  It was delicious and impossible for me to recreate when I came back to the US.  Until now.

Whole Foods sells tubs of crème fraîche.  If it sits out of the fridge for a few minutes and you stir it up to thin it out a bit, it is just like what I remember from France.  Since I was going to the yucky grocery store across the street to pick up last minute ingredients to finish off the dish, I wasn't going to buy their [not fresh] smoked salmon.  Instead I picked up some mushrooms and shallots to sauté and used some leftover basil to finish off the dish.  The crème fraîche just adds a thin coat to the pasta so it's not overindulgent like a cream sauce but has a little more substance and flavor than butter or oil.  If you can find, I recommend giving crème fraîche the opportunity to prove itself here on American soil.

I served my pasta with chicken that I cut nugget size, seasoned with red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and paprika, and cooked in oil.  When they're this size, it only takes four minutes to cook the nuggets til they're perfectly juicy.

Calliope

I agonized over the restaurant decision for my Daddy's birthday dinner this year.  I've received high praise for my previous picks of Socorrat Paella and Casa Mono so I didn't want to screw this one up.  If you're smart, you picked up on the fact that the last two birthday restaurants were Spanish, my father's fave.  I decided to make a sweeping departure to French fare this year, knowing that big risks often reap big rewards.  I knew my hunch to change it up paid off when I saw my father eating his meal at Calliope with a big smile on his face.  Huge sigh of relief from my end of the table.

Before I get into the food, I just have to mention the service.  Friendliness like this is what takes a meal from great to fabulous.  We were seated about 15-20 minutes after our 9:30 reservation - no big deal; we were happy to chill at the bar for a few minutes and have come to expect a lack of punctuality in New York.  The staff, however, recognized that even if a wait is the norm, it shouldn't be.  They apologized by bringing us a dozen oysters paired with wine, on the house.  The meal was immediately off to a good start.  They kept the momentum going by checking on our table enough to make us feel wanted without being pesky.

The first app we ordered was the farm salad because I read in the 2013 Best of New York issue that it was the best salad in the city.  Big spears of lettuce were topped with fresh feta (creamier than most) and dressed with dill (I think) and a vinaigrette.  So simple, yet one of my favorite items of the evening.  We also ordered the mackerel with avocado, black sesame, and chile sauce.  This was probably my Daddy's favorite.  It was slightly out of place with the rest of the French food, but still thoroughly enjoyable.  We also ordered an appetizer special of fois gras mixed with pork and served with toast.  Saltier and less smooth than a typical fois gras, it was perfect French country food.  Moving onto the entrees, my Mom ordered roast chicken, my Daddy ate every bite of a veal tenderloin special, and I went with rabbit pappardelle.  "Mmms" were heard around the table after every bite.  The rabbit in my dish fell apart like pulled pork and the herbs lightened up the heavy pasta.  Finally, we had a flourless chocolate cake with vanilla sauce for dessert.  It was very rich and almost put us over the edge, but it's just not a birthday without cake.

It is my humble opinion that mastering the simple dishes (like those of Southern France) is more difficult than executing something complicated.  There are no trendy ingredients to hide behind, no foams or fusions.  You just have to know the perfect amount to use of a given herb and just the right time to pull a dish off the stove or out of the oven.  Calliope has nailed the difficulty of simplicity.

Epicerie Boulud

I broke my toe last Wednesday.  I wish I could say it was a Sandy casualty but, really, it was just me being stupid and clumsy.  When I could no longer walk the mile and a half to work (remember, the subways were shut down), I took a cab...that promptly got into an accident.  I finally made it to work only to find out that our share drive was down.  So, yea, Wednesday was not my favorite.  The silver lining was lunch.  After about two hours at the office I left to get my toe checked out at the emergency med where I was told it was, indeed, broken, but there's nothing you can do for a broken pinky toe but wrap it and wait out the pain.  Fab.  I hobbled til I could find food, which happened to be at Epicerie Boulud aka: Wednesday's silver lining.

Epicerie Boulud is the take-out station/café from Daniel Boulud, of high end French fame.  I ordered the jambon et beurre sandwich (ham and butter with gruyère on a baguette) that tasted just like the ones I used to order in France.  I know it sounds like a hard sandwich to screw up, but you'd be surprised how many people mess it up here.  It comes at a much higher price ($9.50 for something that would have cost half that in France, a solid $3 more than the [bad] versions in other US restaurants), but it's worth it for the fresh ingredients that end up being far more satisfying.  Sometimes the simplest food placates the hunger pains better than anything else.  Since I was eating at about 4 PM, this meal was going to serve as both lunch and dinner so I also got the Moroccan chickpea salad.  I thought $10 was much too expensive for a salad that size until I started eating it and realized how filling it was since it didn't have a lettuce base.  I like hummus but don't usually like whole chickpeas.  My previous distaste was a total non-issue here.  The salad was whole chickpeas on top of pureed chickpeas with tomatoes, cucumbers, and TONS of spices.  I was in love and ate it with a spoon.  I think it was a special, but I would love for them to make this a permanent fixture.

After a terrible day, Epicerie Boulud lifted my spirits and reminded me that Sandy was a mere blip in the middle of what turned out to be a good week.

Side note: This was actually my first broken bone.  Even though it was kind of a wussy one to break, I am oddly proud of it.

 

Circa 1875

Since it's rare that I get to go to Savannah, I try to see all my friends from home whenever I'm there.  That meant dinner and drinks with Danyse was a top priority.  We decided to go to Circa 1875 for some French fare before heading to the bars.  Circa is divided into the bar side and the dining side - both serve food in a bistro setting, but the dining side has white tablecloths and the bar side has a more jovial atmosphere.  Different strokes for different folks.  For us, the bar side seemed more suitable.

We asked for a cocktail list, but they actually don't have one - sorry, Big City folks.  The waiter did, however, tell us he could make anything we wanted and suggested a special cocktail they recently concocted.  It had watermelon juice, gin, and champagne.  Amazing.  The champagne cut the gin nicely and the watermelon juice wasn't overly sweet.  I followed that with a dirty martini because I knew they had blue cheese olives - hand stuffed just an hour earlier - and I didn't want to pass that up. 

Instead of ordering entrees, we ordered a round of salads and three apps for the table.  My salad had poached pear, pecans, and camembert.  Of all the cheeses I've seen on salad, camembert has never made an appearance, but I quite enjoyed it.  We ordered a mixed plate that came with pate, prosciutto, salami, sausage, and three cheeses.  We also ordered the mussels - a local favorite - and the scallops.  Yum yum and yum.  You wouldn't think that starter salads and appetizers would be a ton of food, but we couldn't even finish it all.  The portions are sizable so you really can get away with ordering an appetizer for your dinner.

On top of great food, the service was wonderful.  Some of our food came out a minute early and both the chef and manager came out to offer their [unnecessary] apologies.  With that sort of service backing up the wonderful menu, it's no surprise Circa 1875 has become a local favorite.

Plein to See

Last night was Restaurant Week meal #3 and it seems they just keep getting better.  Plein Sud has received good reviews but managed to fly under the radar.  However, no restaurant is safe from my taste buds so Podz and I headed to Tribeca for some French fare.

If you're an avid Top Chef watcher, you may know that Ed Cotton, who made it to the final three in the DC season, is the chef at Plein Sud.  That may be reason enough for you to check it out, but I need to know the food is going to hold its own - regardless of who is standing over the stove.  Tribeca is not the kind of neighborhood where a restaurant can survive if they are just riding on the coattails of reality tv fame - people just won't travel down there if it's not good.  I am happy to report that you will not be disappointed if you go all the way down to Tribeca for Plein Sud.

The decor was my kinda style.  It was like a fancy farmhouse with knick-knacks set behind mesh wire cabinet doors and a bathroom that fit right into a barn, but in a clean way.  The food was also my kinda style.  I don't like when restaurants put second rate food on the Restaurant Week menu, but I didn't really see that happening here.

The appetizer was probably my favorite course.  Podz got a caramelized onion tart with boucheron cheese (sweet and flaky) and I had an amazing chilled fennel soup.  I know that doesn't sound special but the chantilly cream, pistachios, and poached shrimp really made this soup stand out.  For the entrees, Podz ordered stuffed eggplant and I had the seafood bisque en croute.  The soup was very good with a wonderful mix of fish, but the waiter described it as less creamy than it was.  I usually never have a problem with cream - and they weren't heavy handed - but I had just had a cream soup for the app and two of those in a row gets heavy.  Nevertheless, it was very good.  Sarah picked the Tribeca for dessert, which was caramel on top of peanut butter cream on top of a chocolate crust.  It was like a chilled, creamy peanut butter cup.  One bite was rich enough for me and then I went back to my dessert.  I'll admit, none of the desserts really got me hot under the collar at first glance.  I ended up picking the frozen nougat because it seemed like it would be the fruitiest and I needed the lightest dessert possible after all that heavy cream.  The ice cream was studded with dried fruit pieces and topped with a tangy sauce and orange segments far exceeded my expectations and I lapped it up.

The service was lovely and nobody kicked us out as we waited for the pouring rain to subside after paying our check.  I can see why Top Chef wanted Ed Cotton.  They must have been to Plein Sud.

Critiquing the Critics?

Summer 2012 Restaurant Week kicked of on Monday, so naturally, I hit up my first restaurant on Tuesday.  Lindsay had mentioned always walking by Café d’Alsace all the time but never walking in, so this seemed like the perfect time to give it a try.  The restaurant was very French: wooden banquettes, old French posters, small tile floors.  The décor, combined with the location on 88^th and 2^nd made it very neighborhood-y, which is always a plus for me.

Lindsay and I both started with the soft shell crab in a garlic and lemon butter sauce/broth.  Soft shell crab is one of my favorite summer treats (especially on a sandwich – yum), so it is nearly impossible for not to order it when I see it on a menu.  I thought the crab itself was cooked very well, but unfortunately it was overshadowed by the sauce, which was over-salted.  What a shame.  For the main course, Lindsay got a filet with potato gratin, and I ordered vegetable lasagna.  It was almost like deconstructed lasagna.  It wasn’t so cohesive, more like some pasta and vegetables sorta stacked on top of each other in a pool of sauce.  I will say it was nice to have meatier vegetables like thick zucchini slices and hunks of artichoke hearts and the cheesy crust on top was cheesarific.  It is rare that I think the dessert is the best course of the meal, but here it was.  Lindsay and I both wanted the strawberry crème brulée and the mille feuille with passion fruit so we got both and were not disappointed.  The crème brulée had a hint of liqueur to it that made it stand out. 

I thought the meal was good, and as an Upper East Sider with plenty of friends in the 80s, it is a good restaurant to keep in mind.  However, I have to say I am surprised to find that it was a nymag.com Critics’ Pick.  It was fine, but they don’t give out those check marks to just anyone and I would not have thought this would make the cut.  Maybe I’m missing something?

Bastille Blowout

I kinda wish I was French.  Make no mistake, I don’t wish I spoke French (because I’m already fluent, booya); I wish I actually was française.  I wish I had French friends here in New York so I could pretend I was still living there, but instead I’m eating freedom fries and living an All American life. 

Though I have not made it back to France in quite some time, I did have a very French experience at the annual Bastille Day festival yesterday.  I love a good street fair, but this one puts the others to shame, and not just because it’s only a block away from my apartment.  Instead of the arepas and Egyptian cotton sheet vendors that usually populate the booths, there were macorons, crepes, merguez, mimes, and traditional French folk music.  I resisted the urge to mess with the mime and reminded myself I am no longer 13 years old.  Instead, I took the more mature route of buying a French novel I’m going to try to conquer in an effort to brush up on my French language skills.

If this is the first time you’re hearing of this particular street fair, I’m sorry; you’ll just have to wait til next year.  However, I do encourage you to take advantage of the specials that will inevitably be going on at French restaurants all around the city this Thursday (7/14) as that is actually Bastille Day. 

Vive la France!

 

Bourgeois Pig Out

This is the first 4th of July I have spent away from home.  True, there are tourists in their usual touristy spots (my trip to the Apple Store kinda made me want to poke my eyes out), but all the locals have vacated to the Hamptons.  Since I'm not as posh as all that, I stayed in the city to experience what I have only heard about.  With the majority of the locals gone, the city became my playground and the restaurants became much more accessible.

Finally, all those places I can never get into were just waiting for me to walk in - no reservation needed.  Lindsay and I decided to hit up Bourgeois Pig, precisely because they don't take reservations.  Usually this means taking a chance, strategically picking your time slot, and possibly settling in for a wait to get into the small place.  Coming from 60 blocks uptown, that's just too many variables for me on a normal Saturday night.  But like I said, this weekend is different.

Lets start with the drinks.  I spied some interesting champagne cocktails, Belgian beer cocktails, sangria, champagne punches, and wine.  A drink is a must when you're at Bourgeois Pig because it just adds to the decadence of the meal.  The apps all looked good, but I did not feel like a cheese board was necessary when the main course is cheese fondue.  Lindsay and I split the lobster bisque fondue because the seafood stock looked like it was going to take this fondue to new heights, and it did.  The fondue came with so many different things for dipping that you still feel like you're getting a full meal.  Ours came with toasted French bread, rosemary potatoes, roasted vegetables (cauliflower, carrots, brussels sprouts), artichoke hearts, olives, and cournichons.  Everything was sumptuous - how can it not be when you're enjoying fondue and wine on soft, velvet couches?  I felt like a queen.  Let them eat cake fondue! 

A Modern PB&J

A couple weeks ago, I was watching one of my favorite shows, Modern Family, and was struck with inspiration.  In this particular episode, flamboyantly gay Cam is hijacking a middle school musical and his boyfriend, Mitchell, brings him a pb&j in an attempt to be supportive.  Of course, a crazy gay man won't eat peanut butter and jelly, and we soon learn the sandwich is actually pear, brie, and jambon.

I thought the sandwich sounded so delicious, so when I was at the Union Square Green Market yesterday, I picked up some fresh sourdough and the other ingredients to re-create the sandwich.  So simple and yet such a perfect meal.  Sweet, juicy, salty, creamy - all rolled into one.

It was so good, I made it again today.  Get on this one - you'll love it.

I Vote Ivo

Greg was on the hunt for a new BYOB restaurant this weekend - he had to find someplace special to impress Susan's brother, Nick, who was visiting from New Orleans.  He ended up finding Ivo & Lulu, a French-Caribbean restaurant that would have been great by virtue of their no corkage fee-BYOB policy alone, but it turns out the food was amazing, too.

The restaurant is teeny tiny - just one long table that seats maybe 20 people max, so make sure you get a rezzy.  The menu is made up of mostly traditionally French dishes that have been prepared with funkier Caribbean spices.  It was the perfect fusion.  We decided to start by ordering a bunch of apps and sharing around the table:

• Crevettes: shrimp in a rum, cilantro, and chili butter sauce.  There was plenty of garlic in the sauce and I was glad the waiter kept bringing bread so we could do some dipping.
• Terrine de Venison: Venison pate with truffle oil, rum, brie, and puff pastry.  This was gone in less time than it would take to pronounce the name of the dish.
• Gratin Dauphinois: scalloped potatoes, bechemel, and gruyere.  
• Avocat Grille: Grilled avocado filled with a veggie mousse and topped with shitake mushroom vinaigrette.  This was probably my favorite appetizer because it was so surprising.  I have no idea how I would go about making it, which is sad because it was that good.

There was neither a single complaint nor a crumb on any plate after the entrees, which all come with your choice of cous cous, jasmine rice, or haricots verts:

• Susan and I really wanted two of the dishes so we went halfsies:
• Mergez: This spicy lamb sausage is as common as hot dogs in France but is somehow very difficult to find in the US.  This dish with its nice sweet sauce took me right back to bar-b-ques with my French family.
• Confit: roast duck leg with jerk seasoning and mango marinade.  The duck was cooked perfectly with a nice crust of skin and the perfect balance of sweetness and pepper.
• I also had a bite of Greg's boar and sage sausage with blueberry sauce.  There is something about the pairing of sausage with a sweet berry sauce.  Yum yum.

We had only gone through four bottles of wine and still had one left so we decided to order dessert so we could keep drinking.  I couldn't find a single thing to complain about when it came to the appetizers and entrees, but the desserts were just ok - if I were you I would forgo them and get one extra app.  We ordered the mango mousse (which had a consistency more like flan), the chocolate mousse, and a coconut flan (which was more like a bread pudding) that was on the house.  I don't mean to sound overconfident, but I'm thinking I had a little something to do with our free dessert.  When I ordered the mergez, the waiter asked if I studied French because I pronounced the name of the dish with a very good accent.  That lead to a long conversation all en francais.  It was fun to break out the French and if it had anything to do with our free dessert, I think it's something I may have to try more often.

Avocado Grille and Turine

Confit

Boar and Sage Sausage

Ivo & Lulu is sort of in the middle of nowhere.  It's on the outskirts of SoHo so it's not right in the center of a billion other things, but I highly encourage a visit to this less visited piece of the neighborhood.  It was still close enough to busier areas so it wasn't too hard to find a bar.  We were on our way to Don Hill's or Sway, but the crazy wind and frigid air was making the three block walk too much to handle so we only made it about two blocks to The Emerald.  I had only been to The Emerald once, before my bday party at The Anchor (which is next door) two years ago.  Then, I was there at about 10 PM and it was just your average Irish pub.  Apparently, if you go later (we were there at 12:30), you'll walk into a packed bar full of good looking people who are all enjoying the great music that's pumping.

Great night.  I know Greg set out to impress Nick with his restaurant and bar choices.  I can't speak for him, but I know I was dazzled.

Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler! Part III

Time for the big day!  We only had time for lunch and a little relaxation before time to get ready and be downstairs for pictures so my Daddy chose another famed New Orleans restaurant, Acme Oyster House, for lunch.  Sure, I'd had some oysters on top of my fish on Friday night, but I hadn't come close to getting my fill of this Nola fave.  I got a half and half plate: fried oyster po' boy and jambalaya.  Tasty, but the round of applause goes to the house specialty: chargrilled oysters.  My Daddy ordered this for his meal and I snuck a few.  They toss oysters on the grill and top with parmesan cheese and garlic butter that gets nice and bubbly.  While Daddy picked off oysters, I soaked up the cheesy liquor with bread.  A Steve Zahn sighting after lunch made the afternoon.

Finally!  Time for the main event!  Everyone was ecstatic to party at Greg and Susan's Boogie on the Bayou.  The wedding was beautiful.  Susan wore her mother and grandmother's gorgeous dress for the ceremony and then switched into a sexy lil number halfway through the reception.  Greg, of course, looked nice and dapper.  The band was great and within three minutes, everyone was dancing.  Like the rest of the weekend, the food at the reception was amazing.  Us Southerners do wedding a little differently than you Yankees.  We get all the speeches out of the way at the sit-down rehearsal dinner.  The wedding reception is all about being up and dancing.  Of course, we don't forget about the food, but it's more like a pick-up and perch sorta thing.  That doesn't mean we skimp on the food, it just means we don't sit in assigned seats while we eat it.  There was a salad bar, a station with gumbo, rice, and jambalaya, a carving station (roast beef, lamb chops, turkey, and sauces), and made-to-order shrimp and grits with a tasso cream sauce.  As expected, everyone went nuts at the wedding.  So much so, that the afterparty in the hospitality suite and The Famous Door bar on Bourbon Street didn't last too long before we were ready to pass out.

I was nice and hungover on Monday morning, but not so much that I would miss out on the last New Orleans food item on my list, the muffuletta.  The most famous place to get a muffaletta is Central Grocery, but it's closed on Sunday and Monday, so that was out of the question.  The hotel doorman seemed like a local in-the-know, so I asked him and the old almost-bum he was talking to where they would go.  They directed me to Napolean House, a restaurant and bar a few blocks away.  It's one of those cracked-paint, dark corners type place.  It's not a sandwich to-go kinda place, but I trusted the doorman.  Unfamiliar with the muffaletta process, I ordered a whole, not knowing that a whole is meant for two people.  It was massive.  Luckily Craig was on my plane, so I had a buddy to split it with.  The ham, salami, cheese, and olive spread makes for a salty sandwich.  The muffuletta is one of a kind.  I'm glad I didn't miss out on this last Nola tradition and happy my doorman friend pointed me in the right direction.

Basically, I did it all.  The only thing I missed was Magazine Street, but that just gives me a reason to go back (not that I really needed one).  I am officially obsessed with the culture of New Orleans.  I have always loved France, and this combines their culture with my beloved South.  Savannah may have the market cornered on hospitality, but New Orleans has created its own niche - the perfect marriage of French and Southern language, food, and lifestyle.  I'm so glad Greg and Susan planned this fabulous wedding weekend so I could experience it all, and I am even happier that I was able to be there as the new Mr. and Mrs. Greenberg tied the knot.  Congratulations!!!!

Bagatelle Brunch

Want a party?  Go to Bagatelle for brunch.  I've written about Bagatelle before, but I've never given you the full 411 on brunch.  Believe me, you need to be briefed beforehand so you know what you're getting into.

We arrived at 1:30 on Saturday to celebrate Steph's bday, and I saw a few disbelievers in the group.  I think they were just surprised to see so many sequined dresses in daytime.  They soon realized that lack of moonlight is no reason to slow the party.  The music is pumpin, the drinks are flowing, and everyone is dancing on the chairs and banquettes.  By 2:45 everyone in the restaurant is out of their mind nuts.  And all wearing sunglasses inside.

Let's be real here; you're going for the experience, not the food.  But since we were technically there to eat brunch, I'll let you know how the eating portion of the day works.  Pick your choice of app (3 options) and entree (4 options).  You can also order off the regular menu, but why would you when it is more expensive  and you're already paying an arm and a leg and, as mentioned, you're not there for the food?  I went with the salade bagatelle to start and was very happy with my choice.  It was basically a caesar salad on bibb (my favorite lettuce - and yes, I know it sounds weird to have a favorite lettuce) over the standard romaine.  My only problem with the salad was the chopped red onions.  They were strong and induced the kind of breath that is probably not conducive to flirting in this scene.  I went with the croque monsieur for my main course and was pleasantly surprised.  After living in France, it's very tough to eat a croque monsieur in the US.  On average, I ate 4 of those tasty ham and cheese yummies per week while I was en France, so I think of myself as quite the croque connaisseur.  While not perfect, this one was much more authentic than I anticipated and I gobbled it up partly because I enjoyed it, partly because I knew I should soak up the booze.

Can't tell you how much this 2-course prix fixe costs, but I can tell you that you'll spend a nice chunk of change.  Drinks are $15+, so be prepared to drop $120 per person.  But think of it as a fun, all day activity that you're not going to do every weekend.  Plus, this is your best chance so get your fill of beautiful people and Euros.

Bday girl and fab bf, Gav breakin it down

Brunch in the 'Burg

I was sad my big brother was leaving on Sunday, but we had to squeeze in one more meal before he left, so we met up in Williamsburg for brunch at Le Barricou for some French bistro fare.  The first thing I liked were the fresh croissants on the table.  Way to go, Le Barricou; you had me at hello.

Allison and I shared the cucumber yogurt soup to cool us off.  It was more cucumber than yogurt and the fresh herbs popped.  Cucumber is one of my favorite flavors, which is weird because it's not much of a flavor.  Oh well, I love it.  For my main course, I ordered the merguez and eggs because I love that spicy lamb sausage and it's not easy to find at restaurants.  The merguez came with frites, a small salad, and sunny side up eggs.  I made a little switcharoo because I was feelin poached eggs.  I was very satisfied with my brunch and I believe Matt and Allison enjoyed their croque madames because they looked yummy (pictured below).  You know what else looked yummy?  The pancakes.  A girl at the table next to us ordered them.  Our mouths dropped when we saw the waiter place two one-inch thick cakes in front of her.  I wanted to take a picture but decided that was rude.

The best part of brunch actually occurred when we were walking back to Matt and Jen's apartment after the meal was over.  We passed a shuttered deli that had a fabulous name: Lady Octopus.  Even better was their slogan.  The awning read "good food = happy customer".  I couldn't agree more.  Though I don't think the Lady made such good food since it's now closed.

Alas, the time finally came for Mark to go to the airport, and we were stuck in the apartment waiting out the rain.  Thankfully, we had entertainment.  Lola the Puggle regaled us with her dramatic interpretation of Zagat's.  Matt was a talented ventriloquist, but Lola really stole the show.  In fact, she gave me some good ideas about where we should eat next.

In The Bag[atelle]

I played every moment of this weekend as "full speed ahead," and it felt great.  After a sushi dinner on Friday night with Dave and Dana, the three of us headed to Kings Head for the Vandy/Georgia b-ball game.  UGA lost.  It's basketball - not our strong suit - but don't get used to the feel of victory, Vandy.  Then it was back uptown on our quest for darts.  After our go-to dart spot proved disappointing (they didn't have the actual darts, and staring at a dart board with nothing to throw is decidedly less fun), we went to check out the new Johnny Rockets.  This is nowhere near my first choice for a burger, but when they opened two months ago, they made the top floor a bar, and we figured it was worth a look-see.  $30 of erotic photo hunt, one great mullet, and a grilled cheese later, we were satisfied and headed home.

Saturday I lazied around until about 7 PM, when we headed to Tyler's apartment for some pre-gaming.  A couple hours later, we laughed in the face of the disgusting weather (that lasted 3 straight days) and headed to Meatpacking for a late dinner at Bagatelle.  The food was tasty, my salad in particular.  The endive, jicama, candied walnuts, and cheese was refreshing.  I must admit, it was better than Dave's salad, which was a tad too peppery and slightly overdressed.  I think he liked mine better, too, because his fork kept detouring onto my plate on the way to his mouth.  Dave loved his steak and my gnocci were good, though maybe a little too garlic-y.  In full disclosure, I must admit that my level of intoxication may have altered my perception of the food, so I may have to go back and evaluate without the shots of Patron.  Then again, the best part of the restaurant was the atmosphere.  Bagatelle is a SCENE.  Food tastes much better when you're sitting in the Riviera-esque atmosphere and eating in the company of the Beautiful People.  By the end of dinner we (along with half the people in the restaurant) were dancing on the banquettes.  For as crazy as it got in there, the wait staff was friendly and attentive.  I had a great time and a great meal at Bagatelle, but if you plan on visiting, make sure you know what you are getting into.  It is pricey and loud, which proved to be a great start to my Saturday evening, but not ideal if you're looking for a low-key night.  After dinner we headed to Marquee for a little club action and then it was time for beddy-bye.

And don't just think we spent Sunday just sitting on our laurels.  Well, I did for a little while as I nursed my hangover, but that didn't last all day.  After a little brunch at the French restaurant next door and some McDonalds later in the afternoon (as I said, I was nursing a hangover), Dave, Dana, Simon, and Mrs. Smiles attended a wine and cheese pairing class at a cute cheese shop in CT.  I'd say that capped the full weekend.  Take that, rain.