Truluck's on a Budget

Ever since Sol and I went to dinner at Truluck's in January we've wanted to return. It was one of the best dinners I have ever had. I had a perfectly cooked Filet Oscar and Sol ordered Surf n' Turf. The lobster was huge, but so soft and perfectly cooked. I am not big into lobster like my lady but if it tastes like this every time I might have to go get a higher paying job.

Anyways this blog is supposed to be about this visit, so lets get cookin'. We went last Sunday night for their happy hour. Half price off their bar apps, ALL cocktails and 25% off bottles of wine. If you were wondering why we went, hopefully you're not anymore.

We sat at the bar, our usual spot. We were instantly greeted by our bartender with a smile. She made some recommendations and we were off on our adventure. We decided to start with calamari (Sol's fav) and a ceviche. I dove into the calamari first, best I have ever had. It was served with two dipping sauces: a sweet chili sauce & a semi-spicy mayo, both great accompaniments. The calamari lay over a bed of julienned carrots and hearts of palm. The veggies were cooked nicely. The ceviche was interesting...it had pineapple which I am not sure I liked but it was different.

The bartender said she made a good margarita so I took her word for it, though it was satisfying it was a little heavy on the grandma and a little light on the tequila. I still had 2 :)

Our next round of apps was Hot & Crunchy Shrimp and Crab & Lobster Rangoons.The shrimp was butterflied then breaded in a slightly spicy batter and sat on mango coulis with a thick mango sauce drizzled over top. These were good but I probably wouldn't order them again they were a little sweet and I would have liked a little more spice. The rangoons on the other hand, I'm gonna say it, OH EMM GEE!!!! Phenomenal. A nice crunchy outside with a soft, creamy rich inside and there was a dipping sauce. Another variation of the sweet chili but less viscous than the first and spicier which added a very nice kick to the dish. Also you can see what tasted like a creamy sauce with a little hear drizzled on top. The presentation was great. I apologize about the picture to the right, as taking it was an after thought :)

As you can imagine by now we were stuffed! But the cupcakes were 1/2 off too! We ordered two, one chocolate and one carrot cake. Meanwhile we decided to get some after dinner drinks, sol ordered a chocolotini as for me I asked the bartender what she had up her sleeve. She gave me some choices I had heard before then wide eyed she exclaimed, "Oreo Cookie Martini!" - after about a half a second of debate I accepted. As I hoped she delivered, it was right on the money. The ingredients were: fresh Oreo cookie crumbles from the kitchen and it had White Godiva Chocolate liqueur, White & Dark Creme de cacao, Vanilla Vodka & Cream. Nicely done, she said it was her invention so there you have it, the only place you can get a Oreo Cookie Martini - move over Jack in the Box Oreo cookie shake.

We could only fit one cup cake in our stomachs so we took the carrot to-go.

What a great a great meal at a great restaurant for a great price; $58 for 4 apps, 6 adult beverages & 2 cupcakes. This place has hit a home run on both visits, highly recommended by yours truly.

Bang for your Buck_Amazing Food_Top Notch Service

Quick Hit: Dallas Chop House

After I had the pleasure of attending an event put on by Absolut Vodka, Sol and I wanted to go somewhere else. We were decked out and ready to rock, we finally landed at the Dallas Chop House. We touched down at the bar, always one of our favorite places. The restaurant had an open kitchen feel with a glass window so you could see everything going on. Maybe the coolest part was that I could see the beef aging in a cooler. The bar area was medium sized and had a very nice looking patio that we'd like to try on our next visit.

Though we both decided to give up beer for lent I indulged, however, I must say I have had less than 6 beers in about 30 days, which is VERY impressive for me. Nothing special just a good 'ol Dos Equis.

The bartender put a wooden bowl of fresh potato chips in front of us as we scanned the menu. F.Y.I. the reason bars give you snacks to munch on, usually salty or spicy, is so you DRINK MORE. The chips were quite good, they had fresh cracked pepper on them which gave you an occasional spice and of course plenty of salt.

First course was: "Shrimp Diablo", bacon wrapped shrimp with a poblano sliver over pepper jack grits with a creole something or other sauce. Very flavorful, the bacon had a nice crunch and the shrimp was cooked perfectly. A great take on shrimp and grits, although I couldn't really taste the "diablo", personally I would have liked more of a kick - none the less I would reorder them.

Next, I tried Oysters Rockefeller, my first go at oysters...the presentation was beautiful, 4 half shells with the oyster covered in Parmesan bread crumbs over a bed of spinach and bacon bits. The shells themselves sat over a large plate of rock salt. So there I was wondering why I never gave it a try then I took a bite. The oyster tasted exactly as I always though it would, a little slimy and slightly cooked in this case. Fortunately the overall texture was masked by the slightly toasted Parmesan bread crumbs. I did have a second just in case my half shell was an aberration. It wasn't. Sol and I both looked at the the 4th one, she had already eaten one and I two. She said, "go ahead" and a sighed, "please don't make me". Lucky for me the next appetizer was the best and we had saved it for last.

"American Kobe Hot Rock" - A sizzling round river rock (7" long x 4" wide x 2" thick") with thinly sliced American Kobe and dipping sauce. I had never seen Kobe in its raw state, it was a little startling to be honest, it was probably 50/50 meet & fat, but for those of you that know Kobe that is the marvel of it. The marbling was fabulous and it was just like all of the pictures I had seen. We were instructed to dip the beef in the soy sauce then place it on the rock so that it did not stick. The second it hit the rock it sizzled loud and fast, each side only needed seconds. Then off to my mouth that was savoring the experience before me. It was as tender and flavorful as Kobe is meant to be. It was $10 per ounce for those of you wondering, we ordered two ounces and easily could have had much more. If you are in the downtown area you must stop by the Dallas Chop House for this, lots of fun if you haven't seen this presentation before.

As a last note I tried a glass of Booker's (bourbon), 126 proof pfew! A few ice cubes to cut the harshness of the alcohol. It was very good, a hint of vanilla with sort of an oak flavor. I did enjoy it and it was a nice end to a great sampling of dishes.

Great Presentation_Inviting Patio_Tender Kobe

NYC Part 4 of 4: Shnippers & STK

First off it has been a few weeks since new york so I apologize about the tardiness of Part IV.

Secondly, thank you to those of you that are still reading, that means that you are slightly interested in what I am writing or...your name is Sol.

Our last day in the City was Sunday, it was kind of Bobby Flay day, Bar Americain, one of his restaurants. I can't say I can really give this place a fair assessment because: a)I was still engorged from the night before and my stomach wasn't too happy I had even considered the thought of putting more food it in b) I ordered breakfast (off the brunch menu); and it's kind of hard to judge a good restaurant off breakfast food c) the waiter didn't "wow" us (main reason) & the greeters seemed a little "eh", all 3 of them.

As a note going forward: if I love a place it will not only have good food but GREAT service. Needless to say I won't go into any detail about Bar Americain - yes that's how you spell it.

After a visiting Americain we went to check out Elsa's (one of Sol's best friends) loft on the Upper East Side. Then we were off to Schnipper's, home of the Sloppy Joe Throwdown (Bobby Flay show).

As we walked in it seemed like a GIANT In 'N Out. They had an interesting menu, all american favorites with a bit of a twist, hot dogs, burgers, shakes, etc. Scanning the menu was pointless since I knew what I was going to get months ago as I was sitting on my couch with my mouth watering watching the throw-down. Back at Schnipper's, the Sloppy Joe was as good as it looked on TV. In fact it was so Sloppy I had to go get another bun because there was so much left over. It had that perfect bar-b-Que/ketchup/meaty taste. Just like the cafeteria lady used to make (aka my mom). I have to admit it was much better than I had hoped for. I am glad Flay put this place on TV, otherwise I never would have enjoyed it. Definitely worth the trip & not too far from Time Square for those of you interested.

Later that night...

We found ourselves in the Meatpacking District looking for STK (pronounced Es Tee Kay) the restaurant I had originally planned for on Friday night. Since there was no sign on the outside we walked passed it twice. Eventually we found it & strolled in and went straight to the bar, sat down and looked at the drink list, very niiiice.

Their cocktails were all handcrafted. Meaning, house made bar syrup, house made sour & fresh ingredients. I Love places with this much emphasis on details in their cocktails (see my blog about the Ususal). A few of the cocktails we sampled I listed below:

"white orchid"
ketel one citroen ginger cosmo with canton, white cranberry juice, and candied ginger

"gin fizz"
oxley gin with fresh lemon & lime juice, sliced cucumber (mudled) , topped with soda water

"rediscovered cherry cosmo"
smirnoff black cherry vodka, triple sec, white cranberry juice, fresh lime, dried cherry

"tempest storm"
absolut berry acai, limoncello, muddled blackberries and fresh sour

I won't go into too much detail but to answer your question, yes they are all as good as they look. All had very different flavors and every sip was a good time. Our bartender was amazing. He was an actor (that I recognized) doing Broadway and had just gotten into Harvard, pretty impressive right? We told him we had just gotten engaged and he took care of us which was very nice. He was genuinely happy for us and wanted to hear about it. He knew when to talk to us and when to let us enjoy ourselves. His cocktail recommendations were spot on and he killed it on the food endorsements.

He urged us to try the lil' Big Macs, he said, "every time the a guest orders them at the bar, all the bartenders wish they could have a bite." Done. Send 'em right over. Before that he brought us a pan of bread with a side of chive infused olive oil. It was a green color and a little scary to look at but had great flavor when the bread was dipped in it. The bread was apparently fresh baked by a local new yorker that came in every morning, which made it taste that much better.

 Then came probably the best thing I put in my mouth all weekend, the Lil' Big Macs: Japanese Waygu, special sauce, sesame bun & a white cheese that I couldn't put my finger on.

Japaneese Waygu: basically Kobe beef

Special Sauce: not just your ketchup and mayo special sauce but your good burger special sauce

Sesame bun: Fresh Baked by the same lady who cooks the bread

The first bite was unexplainable, so good, so flavorful and so tender! As I was chewing I looked at Sol, then the bartender, I didn't have to say a word. He said, "I know..." - Sol dug in as well and if we hadn't planned on continuing on for another few cocktails we probably could have eaten ourselves in to a coma. But I will never forget the way that tickled my taste buds. For those of you that keep an eye on the Food Network, I think that was, "The best thing I ever ate..."

Nice & Sloppy_Worth the trip_Find STK...

NYC Part 3 of 4: Quality Meats & S3

As I stated before we were originally supposed to go to a steakhouse in the meat packing district called STK but had to cancel due to our flights getting canceled and losing our luggage, etc. Believe it or not there are 2 good parts to that: 1) We found a great place to go instead 2) We went our last night anyway and had great drinks and an app that was to DIE FOR. I'll get to that in part 4.

Per another recommendation from the concierge we decided on "Quality Meats" not even a block south of snow covered Central Park where I had just proposed to my girlfriend. Good news is she she said yes so honestly anything was going to taste good at that point, but let me tell you...it was outstanding, especially for a last minute reservation in New York.

We started with a comp bottle of sparkling wine as a congratulations from the restaurant (thanks QM!!!) We started with with Seared Diver Scallops that sat in a light cream sauce with candied walnuts & grapes that added a nice salty and sweet combo. We also ordered a Crab Cake with HUGE lumps of crab that came with what tasted almost like a Tabasco red pepper sauce for dipping (see picture below). Home Run on the apps.


For our main course we decided to do something different, well different for us, and get the porterhouse for two, we are both normally filet all the way. As usual the filet side was great, tender and flavorful, you can't go wrong when the beef is aged (right Josh?). Any-who, the sirloin side though full of flavor just gad too many of those un-chewable strands of gristle; halfway through is when we ditched and devoured the better half. Overall, I'd still give the steak a B+. Our side items were scrumptious as well, a Sweet Corn Creme Brule if you can imagine that. I actually considered ordering a second helping of this because it was so good, thank you ELSA. Our other side was Gnocchi and Cheese, it was sort of a play on mac n' cheese, just what I had hoped for. It had a nice crusted top from the broiler and a creamy flavor, the contrast was a delight. I have to say the side dishes almost over shadowed the meat, but I am a carnivore at heart so no matter how good the sides are, the meat will always have my heart. On to the next question, "Would you care for any dessert tonight?" We decided to fore go dessert at Quality Meats and hit Serendipity, something I'd later regret.

I know what you're thinking, "it's so trendy, why there?"...but it was where my new fiancee' wanted to go and who was I to argue? I might as well get used to being agreeable. We ordered a frozen hot chocolate and a Forbidden Broadway Sundae - chocolate Blackout cake, ice cream, hot fudge topped with whipped cream - ate way too much of that.

The one good decision I made aside from finally putting a halt to my food intake was to walk the 20 blocks home. It seemed like a good idea...to walk off some of the binging I had just par-taken in; unfortunately for me it didn't work. I have never eaten so much in my life, I thought I was on an episode of Man vs. Food - and food definitely won this battle. But let me tell you, I put up one helluva fight.

Quality Meats: Aged Beef_Amazing sides_Killer Apps!

NYC Part 2 of 4: John's Pizzaria "No Slices"

Day 2 of New York we new we wanted to get a good slice so we decided to ask the concierge where to go for some good pizza and he DELIVERED! Super good.

We strolled over towards time square/ broadway and walked through this hidden door into a huge restaurant with brick pizza ovens in the dining room. Looking around I could tell these were not tourists that were surrounding us but New Yorkers. Bonus points for the concierge to sending us somewhere authentic and not somewhere that was going to give him a kickback.

We decided on a classic margherita and added some pepperoni. I will throw in the fact that I ordered a root beer. Let's go to tangent-land for a minute. When I was a child, my dad used to take me to this little Italian place for pizza and he always ordered root beer, every week same thing, Large Root beer. So now when I am eating Italian or pizza (and not drinking wine) I get root beer. That is the only time I order root beer at restaurants...kinda weird right?

Time: The pizza arrived quickly since it's so thin it doesn't take long to cook. Now one might think this is an advantage over Chicago style (it takes them around 45 minutes to cook theirs), but I say that 45 minutes gives you time to get more excited and hungrier.

Presentation: The pizza arrived on a pizza stand with hand torn basil and had a great aroma radiating from it. There it was, looking at me, wanting to be folded and eaten, who was I to argue? I am a lover not a fighter so I succumbed to the demands of that wonderful thin crust, authentic, New York Style pizza.

Taste: 'Twas Everything I hoped and dreamed it would be. The sauce was tasty, it started at the front of your palate and the different flavors crept to the back, yes I am talking about pizza. It was easy to eat a few slices without getting stuffed and fun too. It was just good pizza, really good pizza. I saw this guy sitting across from us, a real new yorker he was, with his two kids; he probably stuffed 8 slices into his pie hole (is this why they call it that?). Every time I looked at him he was taking his first bite of a slice.

So the time trial goes to Chicago I don't mind waiting for a culinary experience, though there is something to be said about being able to walk up and get your NY pizza within minutes. Presentation I will say as a whole goes to NY, it seemed more authentic, hand tossed & just in the realm of what pizza was meant to be. Taste, oh the taste. NY has the raw pizza - Chicago has the experience - NY has the flavor but so does Chi-town - Deep Dish, Thin crust, Deep Dish, Thin Crust - How do I choose? I'll just take a poll: If you have had Chicago style from Chicago and NY style from NYC, what is your choice?

I have to throw our dessert in quickly. It was a homemade lemon sorbet served in a hollowed out frozen lemon. This thing was so hollowed out there was no white rind left in the lemon just yellow. Probably one of the coolest presentations ever.

I say: Great Atmosphere_Authentic_Great Pizza

NYC Part 1 of 4: Gottino's

Okay so my surprise dinner was canceled due to weather, we had a bit of an adventure just to get to the city, but boy was it ever worth it. Talk about a gastro-tour through New York.

The first night a friend of a friend recomennded an Italian tapas/gastropub called Gottino's, Enoteca e Sulmeria; so off we (Sol, Felipe, Alberto & I) went. The restaurant was nice and warm as opposed to the snow covered streets. It was about 6 feet wide and it had a true pub feel - but Italian if you can imagine that. It had great mood lighting, slighlty dimmed but lit well enough to see your friends, food and drink (I hate going to places where I can't see those things).

Speaking of drink, I had 2 out of their 3 specialty beers (they only had 3 and they all kicked ass). The first was a amber pale ale, from what I can remember, a bit hoppy but very flavorful. The second was a belgian white, like blue moon, but on steroids...in a good way. I eventually switched to the wine Sol was drinking which was also very good and a nice compliment to the food we were ordering.

The first course was a pecorino cheese with brandied cherries on the side to balance them out. Next was a sheeps-milk cheese with a brie consistency but softer and better for that matter. Its accompaniment was a peach chutney, soooo good. At the same time we had a slow roasted baby pork served slightly chilled....yes it was as good as it sounds. And the last two things worth mentioning were a chunky walnut pesto served on a slightly toasted slice if ciabatta & a spicy red pepper cheese on crostini. I highly recommend this place, a little pricey but hey what do you expect when you're in NEW YOWK!

Great Ambiance_Great Beverages_Great Food

I apologize for not being more specific on the names and exact descriptions, I was counting on them having a menu online and they didn't!!!