barley. that's right.

So, yes, it's summer. And yes, I made "risotto." And yes, it's with barley, which makes it even more wintry to me. But I couldn't help it. And does it really matter if it's cheesy and buttery? Cheese and butter cancels everything out and makes it okay to eat whenever and wherever.

Matt's mom was touting the benefits of barley the other day. I love barley, but I hardly cook with it on my own. So, on a mission to incorporate it into our diet, I, well, managed to incorporate it into our diet four days in a row this week because I made a lot of it. And we kept eating it. It's not just boring ol' barley. It's fancified, with European butter, cheese, herbs and mushrooms. It's a perfect first course, main course or side.

Cheesy, Creamy Mushrooms and Barley
(adapted from a recipe of Rick Tramonto, chef at Tru in Chicago)

8 cups low-salt chicken broth
6 tablespoons European butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 cups pearl barley, rinsed, drained

2 cups of portobello or your favorite mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Bring the broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and cover it to keep warm. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until tender, about 6 minutes. Add the barley and stir until coated with butter, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of broth; simmer, stirring often, until the broth is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Add salt to taste throughout the cooking process. Add the remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, allowing the broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until the barley is tender but still firm to the bite. The barley should be creamy, and it all should take about 45 minutes.

When barley is almost done, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper to taste, and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, herbs and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the barley, and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with more grated cheese if you desire cheesiness.

summer pie

First pie of the summer, done and done. I make one, and then it's like a domino-effect. There are a couple of slices of the blueberry pie left in the fridge and a container of sour cherries (thanks to Matt's mom) waiting to sacrifice themselves to the buttery goodness. And yes, I sacrifice myself, too, because the other day, right after getting back from the gym, I found myself going directly for a slice of the blueberry pie.

Blueberry Pie
(makes one 9-inch double-crust pie)

Homemade all-butter pie crust
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
3 pints blueberries
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of the dough to a 1/8-inch thick circle, about 13 inches in diameter. Brush off the excess flour. Lift the dough and place in a 9-inch pie plate, being careful not to stretch it. Press it into the corners and trim the dough so that the overhang is about 1/4 inch. Turn the overhanging dough under itself to form a rim and crimp the edges. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Whisk the egg and milk to make an egg wash and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the blueberries, lemon juice, sugar, flour and cinnamon. Spoon into the chilled pie crust and dot with the 2 tablespoons of butter.

Roll out the remaining dough the same way as earlier. Brush the rim of the bottom pie crust with the egg wash and place the piecrust on top. Trim the edges to about 1/2 inch over the pan and crimp the two edges together. Chill the pie in the fridge for about 15 minutes, or until firm.

Brush the pie all over with the egg wash. Cut four slits in the center of the pie. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and bake until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling, about another 40 minutes more. You may want to place a baking sheet on the lower level of the oven to catch the juices. Let the pie stand for at least 30 minutes before serving. This is important, otherwise you might have a mess! Serve warm or at room temperature, with ice cream if you desire.

holiday afternoon

Fourth of July began with a morning stroll on the High Line, once an elevated freight railroad on the west side of Manhattan, and now a lovely park.


There's no waiting for a train here, we must forge on, Matt!


Who are you people sailing on your sailboats in the Hudson? Forget this High Line, can we hitch a ride?


The meatpacking district looks like a movie set.


I was careful not to step on the third rail.


Ooh! I want to commute on this thingie.


A pretzel croissant from the Birdbath bakery cart carries us to the end of our journey.


Time to disembark and head for lunch.


Which involved delicious muddled lemonade and limeade at Ed's Lobster Bar in SoHo.


And fresh and scrumptious lobster rolls and fries. Happy fourth!

happy 4th

Happy Fourth of July! Hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

le goodness

Life is promising when it's filled with butter. And when the butter is sprinkled with sea salt and it's all so creamy and scrumptious, you know your meal is going to be ree-dic-u-lous. My sister and I were at Daniel Boulud's DBGB restaurant last week. And I couldn't stop eating the butter.


Oh yes, it came with soft and fluffy and delicious bread. But the butter, my friends! The butter. What's next? Meat. Lots of it. Links, bangers, saucisses, wieners, whatever you please.


And my sister was pleased by her choice of the chipolata sausage with egg, hash browns and frisee salad. Maybe it looks like a simple meal here, but it was packed with a stunning amount of, how do you say? Delicioso. And if every diner in New York served these so-called hash browns, it would be a stunning feat of potato. Stunning.


Along the same plane of stunning feats was this. The Piggie. A 6-ounce beef patty topped with Daisy May's bbq pulled pork, jalapeno mayonnaise and Boston lettuce on a cheddar-cornbread bun with mustard-vinegar slaw. What?! Pork on top of my beef? Slathered in holy juiciness? I loved this. And what I loved was that this was the perfect size burger for me. It was packed to the brim with flavor, it was drippy, it was spicy, it was intensely smoky, and yet, I somehow managed to eat the whole thing without dying.


The french fries. Pretty, pretty. Yes, yes.


I eat you. I eat all of you.

vermont jaunt finale

The time has finally come for Andy and Bina's wedding! We gathered lakeside at Shelburne Farms for a lovely ceremony, and the rain actually held off.


Here come the boys! With Jesse hightailing it down there as fast as he can.


You made it, Jesse, don't worry!


Gene, on the other hand, is pacing himself.


Dean, Matt and Tim up next. Make it pretty, boys.


Everyone was oohing and aahing as Andy approached in his gorgeous colors.


Bina the bride! With the parents.


And then they were married. Yay! Marriage.


Time to eat some delicious foods.


We gathered by the lake as Tim performed his own special ceremonies...


...and enjoyed some cocktails, of course.


Mmm...yes, cocktails. I believe we do declare.


Uppp...come back here with that.


Why so happy?


Ah hah. The boys apparently needed a break from their shoes. So tough walking in flats, eh?


We mock you and your pain.


No loud breathing in and giggling during the ceremony! We heard you!


Why can't you guys pull it together?


Michael and I run off for more libations, and I listen to his evil secrets.


Tim, it's a long night.


Making it back in time....


...to hear the teachings of Yogi McCarthy.


Wait, am I hungry? Do I want what's on Rob's plate?


Quick, a portrait while the night is young and craziness hasn't set in.


Some general milling and enjoyment takes place.


Matt is suspicious of Yogi McCarthy's teachings.


Andy performs for the crowd.


And the crowd approves.


Oh! My ladies are here!


We head in under the tent. But this tent comes with many, many amenities.


Like some rosemary sourdough bread.


Hello, lover. Stick with me.


And a delicious salad.


Tyrone and Kristin rock table Ginsberg.


As do Tim and Linda.


Dinner arrives in the form of chicken...


...and vegetarian.


I like how everyone has their own method of fake sitting.


But it's time for sparklers!


We head out into the sunset.


Set, sun! Set, I say!


Michael and I enjoy our sparklers like tame, normal people.


But some plotting begins.


First, Matt sets the mood and Tim captures the beauty.


Yogi prepares to do some magic.


And magic he does.


Oh, but wait, folks! He's just beginning.


Linda has been enchanted by the yogi...


...to do her own tricks. We call this one fire crotch.


Show's over, boys.


Yeah! Chest bump it in, brother brother.


But, tricks aren't over. What can we possibly do with this sparkler?


Matt...gets things started.


And somehow, the trick here is to...prance over the sparkler.


Kristin does it most gracefully, with wine glass in hand.


And it continues! As the crowd enjoys the spectacle we have created. Oops.


Time to head indoors to celebrate.


And have more libations.


Indescribable things took place on the dance floor.


All with the help of Rob's awesome dj-ing.


Some things were quite lovely, like Any and Bina's first dance.


We approve!


But then...some things happened.


Tim shows Michael...


...the proper moves.


The boys do some heavy lifting.


And the bride and groom don't seem to enjoy it too much.


Released from the burden of lifting heavy chairs...


...Tim and Matt are doing unspeakable things.


Like their special and much requested motorcycle dance.


Now this...is also motorcycle dance. But with a different passenger pickup.


I guess the passenger made it to his destination.


You did good.


Tim is affected by some sort of Matrix Ninja dance.


What is happening over there?


Another popular crab dance. It's too much fabric!


I call this, collusion dance.


Andy the groom, rockin' out in first position.


Did you know your husband could do ballet?


Michael's confused as to what to do about this child.


But Tim shows Michael how to forget little girl.


Crab dancing to "Can't Touch This."


What the...I don't know if this is a dance or some sort of CSI crime scene search.


Tim puts the special moves on the special lady...


...does some sort of mating call...


...and repeats.


Whatever this holy ritual is, boys, it must end now.


By the end of the night, we were making Barbie shoes out of orchids...


And indulging in cupcakes.


Congratulations, Andy and Bina!

vermont jaunt, part 2

After our trips to the two wineries, I realized I was running on scone alone. So we decided to leave the island and search for edibles. And in South Burlington, we saw a sign. Burgers, Hot Dogs, Chicken. Hey, I like all three of those things. And then we saw another sign. Lots of plump and overweight folks, streaming in and streaming out. Hey, that's gotta mean this place is full of greasy deliciousness! And it was. And the line was long. We feared it was going to be like the Soup Nazi, but we fared pretty well.


One or two, one or two, one or two...I couldn't decide! One chili cheese dog it was. The cheese is tucked there on the inside of the bun. And this was pretty satisfying...the chili was not as thick as I like, but it did a good job. Matt was considering asking them if it was all-natural cheese or cheese product, but Michael and I worried that would cause a minor scuffle, so we persuaded him not to.


And he avoided the cheese altogether, opting for a chili dog with jalapenos. He asked for both ketchup and mustard on it, and then quickly backtracked, asking only for mustard. Just in time! The server behind the counter said, "Ahhh, you were about to water down my chili! I make it every day...75 pounds a week!!" Holy chili.


Michael got the cutest little burger, and he proclaimed it "how a Big Mac should be."


Cup, pint or quart of fries. I wonder if you can supersize to a gallon. The fries were good, a little soggy and nothing to dream about. Sadly there were a lot of little runty brown bits in Matt's order.


But enough of that...we had to get ready and go to Andy and Bina's sangeet! A night of music and dancing, at The Old Lantern in Charlotte.


What are we going to eat next? I wore my big pants.


A buffet of Indian appetizers...samosas, pakoras, tandoori...


We lounge outside for awhile because it finally stopped raining! And the evening was a lovely one. That big ol' barn was hot, so it was nice to get some fresh air.


And then we heated ourselves up again with some spicy Indian food.


Tim's got the whole glamour pose down: chin down, eyes up.


Michael's having a private moment. What dialogue do you hear in your head?


Gooooooool! Doesn't it look like we're on a soccer field?


But sweet Jesus, what is this!?


Matt and Tim don't know it, but they're doing the dandiya raas dance and apparently love it.


Tim goes all Danielle a la Real Housewives of New Jersey. He takes his stick dance seriously. Who is this guy? Let's crucify him.


Aw, but the boys are just having a good time! Enjoying themselves and their sticks.


Uh, spoke to soon! Tim makes his moves.


Matt wards it off, but Tim plays bashful.


Oh, but might I?


And...he does.


And, once again, they seem to love it.


I, on the other hand, am loving my Indian sweets! My favorite is the Laddu.


More stick moves with Andy the groom.


The boys take a moment to shake off what they've just done.


Linda and I carry on.


The boys really try and pull themselves together. Hear no evil. Speak no evil. Make some evil.


Time to cluster together on stage! That only means its time for Trippindicular!


Everyone, make sure your backs are turned at ALL TIMES, except for Andy's.


Tuning? Or Playing?


Playing or tuning? Apparently the mass likes to stay huddled in the corner or pressed up against the wall. That's Andy on guitar, Matt on bass, Kristin and Tyrone on keyboards, Tim on machine, and Michael on keyboard as well, yet he has chosen to press himself up against the opposite wall to shake things up a little.


These were the thoughts in my head: I think they're going to start now. But why would they be crouching? And what is Tim fiddling with on the floor? Somebody, turn around! Why is Michael tuning all the way over there? Pull it together! Let's get going! And scene.


Soon enough, it was time for The Specimen! Do U Damage!


We approve this message!
Me: Wait, when's Trippindicular starting?


None of us got this memo.


The next morning, we head over to Shelburne Farms to get acquainted with some animals.


Off the road, or on the road? Off, or on? Which looks better?


So peaceful! So pastoral! I want.


Let's move it! Michael scolds us with his iced coffee. Is iced coffee pastoral?


Danger!! Oh no...where are they?


Oh God, there they are!


Here they come!


These, not so much.


They quickly surround Matt. I think they want that iced coffee.


I crouch down cautiously and am immediately pecked.


Rule this kingdom of chickens, boys!


Aggggghhhhh!!


I've fallen, and I can't get up! Actually, she's just pregnant. Just chillaxin'.


Sweet, sweet Marigold, all silky and chocolatey. Also, chillaxin'.


Marx the calf. Working on his manifesto, I suppose.


Matt lures him over to check his documents...


...and I give him some massages and rough lovin.


Marx returned the favor with slobbery licks on my arm. Ew.


Now this thing...this thing was stalking around, all angrily and stuff. Probably because he had to wear that thing on his head all day.


Jeebus, are you near? Get me outta here!


We wander over to a shed to see if there's some action. Nope. Just some meandering.


What the? This prompts us to get into some Sean Connery dialogue.


Make us some cheese, lady! And "do a good job!"


Oh! Uh, thanks.


Herb garden. Mmm...no surprise there.


We do a little hike to the highest point, and voila!


Such bounteous beauty! With the main house in the distance.


Fine, if we must leave this wonderful retreat...


It will only be for food. At the Farm Stand, we order an array of sandwiches that were all outstanding.


So outstanding, that we need a wagon to take us away.


And we will eat our sandwiches on your wagon. Pull us away, we say! Pull! Heave, ho!


And the kind lady pulled us away.

Next: A finale, Andy and Bina's wedding at Shelburne Farms!

vermont jaunt, part 1

There we were, in Shelburne, Vermont, to celebrate Andy and Bina's wedding, and the first thing that greeted us was hunger. As we drove along Shelburne Road, we passed Pizza Hut, Olive Garden, Friendly's, Uno's...but then we saw it. Pauline's Cafe. It looked so quaint, so local, so possibly either very good or very bad. The first sign was the plate of warm, eggy popovers that arrived, along with some soft rolls. Yum.


I decided to try Pauline's crab cakes: sauteed Maine crab cakes served with orange pesto beurre blanc. I was scared...what if it was horrific? But, a huge, pleasant surprise: they were excellent and I loved that saucy sauce. So fresh.


Matt was going for no such dainty thing.


Both he and Michael had the Laplatte River Angus burger: local, naturally raised Black Angus beef topped with Shelburne Farms cheddar, lettuce, tomato and a homemade roll. And they loved it and it was very clear...it was a FOUNTAIN of juiciness! I watched as Matt took a bite and burger juice splurged forth from all angles. A little primal and freakish, but definitely a sign of scrumptiousness.


And just because, why not have dessert after lunch? Maple creme brulee. Lovely, not too sweet and cloying, although a little cold in some spots. A nice maple hit to start the vacation.


Let us pose in front of these cute country curtains.


Hey now, brown cow.


Off to Shelburne Farms in the rain so the guys could do a quick rehearsal.


Dry and...stable-y in the Coach Barn.


The tents getting set up for the reception. Is this an elfin reception? So low!


Ah ha! I spy one of the elfin guests, doing some OCD things in this little space. Okay, that's just Liam. Finding his special nook.


Later that evening, we ventured to Starry Night Cafe for the rehearsal dinner, which started off with a delicious concoction of strawberries and vodka. Fresh! Li-batious. More?


A sweet little ornament.


Shall we carve our names into some wood?


Michael presents this idea to Andy, while Jesse...zones in on something else.


We all take a solemn vow not to fill up on bread. But so warm, so cuddly!


Quick! To the bruschetta!


Elfin want some bruschetta, too?


Spanikopita! I was hoping you'd show up.


Tim shows his approval.


Risotto ball! Hello, sweet fried delight.


But Michael is entranced by something else.


And that is Mr. Pulled Pork Sandwich. Yes, please.


Hmmm...what'd Andy do?


Ah, yes. Lime green shoes!


The lovely couple make some lovely toasts.


And then the salad arrives. Local beet salad with green beans, grilled fennel, toasted hazelnuts, mixed greens and a blue cheese vinaigrette. Heaping!


What else?


An exquisitely cooked and sublime grilled Black Angus NY strip steak with sour cream and chive mashed potatoes, wilted spinach, spring vidalia onion jam and a red wine sauce. LOVED this beyond my meatiness dreams.


Too bad Matt missed out on the meatiness with his sesame-seed encrusted seared organic Scottish salmon with warm cannellini bean, braised fennel and roasted tomato salad with black olive tapenade.


Delicious coffee and nice big bowl of it.


Tis the season! I loved this strawberry rhubarb crisp with housemade vanilla ice cream. Although I wish there were a little more crisp, who cares when there's rhubarb!


Linda loved the carrot cake with organic maple cream cheese frosting, and scolded me for foisting the rhubarb on her. Sorry, I'm a rhubarb pusher when it's around.


The night continued with more toasts and more...toastiness.


Michael lurks in the shadows.


And Jesse pontificates on elevators. A sweet evening.


The next morning, our first order of business was...The Christmas Loft. Because it had an animated New England Christmas village!!


I'll take two loaves and a roll, please. Oh, you don't speak? I'll take three then.


Oh, Christmas village. Why weren't you a major in college?


No more time for holiday cheer. We must head for something more appropriate, like Dakin Farm.


Like stuffing ourselves with meat and cheeses.


And maple syrup, of course. This store had all sorts of delicious things.


Oh, and more maple syrup.


And some frightening things, too, like this honeycomb behind glass full of bees! BEES!! Quick, let's get out of here. And where is the so-called farm? We were ripped off. This is no working farm. Just a store. With delicious goodness none the less, but...


Confused, we head to the barn to do some inspections. Matt confirms this is no working farm.


So off to the vineyards we go! Shelburne Vineyard, that is.


Time to get down to business. Bring us your wines!


And we will taste your fine specimens.


And I will show my child your craftsmanship for he will be a future vintner.


Tim check this one for quality!


I hear quality!


Everyone has their own way of wondering when this tour will end.


End it does, and we are a happy wine-y family.


We part ways with Tim, Linda and Liam, and Matt, Michael and I get some sweet sustenance at Village Wine and Coffee.


Carrot muffin?


Did I make the right decision?


I don't know, because this strawberry cream scone was RIDCULOUSLY yummy! So soft and perfect.


We depart the wonderful little building and head to South Hero on Champlain Island...


...to visit another little winery. Vermont's first.


Snow Farm Vineyard. The whites were by far much better than the reds, but nothing was too spectacular. And we all had very different opinions. So we took a glass out into the grass to pontificate.


Matt found one of the red wines to have the essence of GHERKIN. And we all agreed on that. I think it horrified the wine guy. Matt enjoyed the Riesling the best, and I did, too.


Michael enjoyed the popular Snow White 2007 Estate Wine, a blend of Cayuga and Seyval. But Matt thought it tasted like rotting who-knows-what. I completely disagreed and found it flowery.


I went for this crazy Rose Red 2007 estate wine. A blend of Seyval Blanc and Leon Millot. It was weird at first, but grew on me, and sort of tasted like Sangria. By the end, I enjoyed it. We spent the afternoon relaxing and enjoying the wonderfully quiet and peaceful island, and discussing how wines should not taste like pickles.


No, this most certainly is not Napa.

To be continued...

a trip

I'm in Vermont for a long weekend to celebrate our friends' wedding. Hopefully there is plenty of time for cheese!

quick cool

It's unusually cool outside for this time of year, but my apartment is unusually warm because the roof is right above us, absorbing the heat and harnessing it for God knows what. So, a little something cool in the kitchen was necessary, and a quick gazpacho immediately came to mind. But man cannot live on gazpacho alone. Unless I'm eating it in Torremolinos, or somewhere on the Costa del Sol. But, my apartment is no Costa del Sol, so perking up the "gazpacho" with a little sauteed shrimp will do in lieu of Mediterranean excitement for now.

Quick "Gazpacho" with Shrimp
Serves 4
(adapted from Everyday Food)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt and ground pepper
6 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 small red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped, jarred roasted bell peppers
1 1/2 cups tomato juice
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
optional: a few dashes of hot pepper sauce

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add half the shrimp and cook until browned on both sides and opaque in the center, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining shrimp.

In a food processor, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, cucumber and the roasted peppers. Process until combined. Add the tomato juice and vinegar and process until smooth or to the texture you like. I like it a little chunky. Add a few dashes of hot pepper sauce for spiciness. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

i want...

I'm not one for grocery-store cupcakes, but Citarella is no grocery store and its cupcakes are no tasteless and dry confection. Every time I walk into that store I find it so difficult to slowly back away from the bakery counter with my hands up. Not only are its cupcakes pretty, but they are one of the most moist and delectable ones in the city. Really. And this strawberry cream cupcake is beyond. Like a Ding-Dong from heaven with its cream center, graced with a dollop of pure strawberry, this cupcake has strange and wonderful effects on me. And I recommend them for you as well.

be careful what you wish for

Remember how the grown-ups around you were always warning you of the dangers of spoiling your appetite? Don't eat this, don't eat that, you'll ruin your dinner! We're about to eat, you don't need that now! Good Lord, who knew eating was so dangerous? That we constantly have to watch what we ate before we ate? If I want to have a snack before dinner, well then I very well will, I thought. Too bad I didn't know the word amuse bouche when I was nine years old. I would've flung it around like shiny Michelin stars.

Turns out, my indignant attitude about pre-eating before eating isn't always best. Because the other night, at Cookshop, I ate too much before, um...eating.


First, it began with the bread basket. No surprise there. It ALWAYS begins with the bread basket; that's my "dark and stormy night." But look at this bounteous bounty! Who could resist that? And there was some heavenly herbed butter. Except it was whipped creme fraiche and addictive.


From there, we moved on to pizza. As an appetizer. And this was so ridiculously good: DiPalo's mozzarella, guanciale, thyme, chili flakes and grana padano. Irresistible. Really, we just graduated from the bread basket to more doughy goodness. A+


Then we asked the waiter to bring the side of spiced fries and mayonnaise as our appetizer as well. I love how it already comes with mayo! No special request necessary.


And just to throw in a little something here and there, a snack of fried hominy. Just a snack, you know, to snack on while we're waiting for more food. After noshing and grazing our way lazily through all this, I realized I was full. Full! Oh dear. And my main course hasn't reared its main coursey head.


Ro's main dish of the heritage breed baby chicken with a lemon and thyme pan sauce came with...another dish. This doesn't bode well. It was a cardune (artichoke stalk) gratin. And it was big. It was cheesy. It was a hot scrumptious mouthful.


I was a little nervous for my main course, because it sounded like...two main courses. Courtesy of the word "duo" in the title. Hudson Valley Rabbit Duo: grilled leg and house-made sausage served with farro with English peas and fried parsley. Excellent! I actually managed to eat up all of the grilled leg, which was succulent and wonderfully flavored (sort of Indian-inspired to me), but I wasn't so crazy about the sausage. And thank goodness for that because my jeans reached another dimension.


Lauren goes and orders two dishes. Okay, albeit they were soup and salad. But they were large plates. Chilled potato-sorrell soup, creme fraiche and Grinnel caviar. Lovely.


Bibb lettuce, buttermilk green goddess dressing, blue cheese, bacon and chives. Gotta love a green goddess.

And there was no room for dessert, needless to say. When you start with fries and pizza and end with the salad, well...I guess I should've listened.