Holy Smokes - 10 Years and Where Have You Gone?

 This is one of those strange posts where you look back and think gosh "where did I loose track of time?", "how did I have so much time before and now I don't?", or some other question of your choosing.

I opened some of my old posts as I was thinking through what I'd like to do with my life and thought "this is one of those times where I've enjoyed the permanence of the internet".  It's sad to see some of my favorite places no longer in business, and I giggled as I read through pre-child outings (oh freedom where are you?!?!).  But then I think of all the new places that have opened and I've kept them all to myself.  

Fast forward 10 years - my husband and I have an 11-year old, have moved twice, have seen three very old pets pass away (dog, cat, and fish), have added two new cats and an adolescent dog to our family, and I have recently left my job of 7+ years.  I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing with my life - I could keep a counselor in business for years dissecting my workaholic tendencies and trauma from my last job.  In the meantime I'm coming back to therapy that I enjoy - food, crazy pets, and writing for fun!

For those that keep up or randomly find these posts - I've updated a few of my lists (since it's been a bit).  I'll work on providing a well needed recommendation shortly - can anyone say Maria's Mexican Kitchen.   

After Dinner Drinks and Dessert

My husband and I had our first date night in probably over 4 months.  Seriously ridiculous.  Following dinner we were having hard time deciding what to do - the movie times weren't looking promising and I couldn't talk him into going bowling - so what did we do instead?  We headed to The Modern to enjoy the exhibit and then have some dessert.
We started off with a "after dinner" cocktail - L'etrusco by Pistoletto: Ultimat Vodka, Bailey, Frangelico, Xo Cafe, Expresso.  Chocolate, Cream, Coffee - really?! A grown up Mudslide - yeah I went there.

Dessert was Cinnamon Peaches and Vanilla Ice Cream with Pound Cake Croutons.  I was a little skeptical when it was brought out.  I could tell immediately that they were forcing the peaches into the dish (not quite ripe enough), but the ice cream is made in house and the pound cake croutons were playful and tasty.  I did ask the bartender where the peaches were from and was at least surprised to find out that he had personally purchased them that morning at the farmer's market, although he was unable to tell me the farm he purchased from.  Had those peaches had time to fully ripen that dish would have been fabulous - it needed the extra sugary juicy goodness from the peaches.
Would I do it again - definitely!

Grace - Fort Worth

Our first visit to Grace was probably a little over a year ago right after our little veggie was born.  We had a Groupon and decided, what the heck, we'll give it a try.  Shocking!  The ambiance is posh, but the people are friendly and the chef is fantastic.
The items on the menu don't rotate like some of the other "local" style restaurants, but because the menu is simple and the items aren't ridiculously off the wall, it's easy for them to seem "in season" all year round.  But, it seems that they did learn that not all Fort Worth locals eat just meat and potatoes.  On our first visit the chef was so kind as to create a vegetarian dish from scratch.  With this last visit there was a vegetarian item on the menu (beside the salad).
I started with the Organic Local Greens (from Tassione Farms in Stephenville, TX) - crispy potatoes, Texas goat cheese and beets.  I know, some guys are afraid of those "local greens", but come on - who can resist a Texas goat cheese and beets.  The salad is worth that alone.  Hubby had the Shaved Asparagus.  This comes topped with something they call the "black hole" - it is a sort of egg, bacon and hash bake.  Shockingly tasty, and he said should have been a dish of it's own.
The veggie dish on the menu is a fresh made Five Cheese Tortellini - english peas, ramps and green onion emulsion.  I thought I could talk the chef into making something "off the menu", so I was slightly disappointed when this came to the table.  First bite taken - disappointed no more.  A great "warm" summer dish that was the perfect balance of both light and heavy.  And not overwhelming, so have no fear I had room for dessert.
One of the guests that joined us got the Meyer Ranch All Natural Beef - grass feed, antibiotic free, no growth hormones.  The fat structure in the beef just seems so unnatural from what we normally see, but it so smooth that you can cut it with a fork.  Sauce choice originally was just good 'ol original horseradish, but the waitress talked him into trying the chef's special preparation of Espresso Horseradish.  If you are a true horseradish connoisseur - steer clear of this - the flavor combination is unlike an other, but not in a good way.

Local Organic Greens

Five Cheese Tortellini

Meyer Ranch All Natural Beef

3 diners, 3 desserts - Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake topped with Henry's organic vanilla bean ice cream - Pain Perdu with butter pecan ice cream, bruleed bananas and salted carmel - Chocolate Walnut Milkshake made with homemade vanilla ice cream, Nochelle and dark Creme de Cacao.  I ordered the milkshake - the best combination of liquor and milkshake around (I drank the whole thing), then I tasted both the other desserts ordered and both were top notch.  But, if I had to put them in order 1. Milkshake, 2. Chocolate Pudding Cake, 3. Pain Perdu.  Would I recommend dessert - heaven's yes.

**Oh and please pardon the picture quality - I don't claim to be a photographer.  But I thought I had better get better about including photos of the meals.

Mini Veggie Joins the Group

Oh my I just saw that the last time I posted to this was 2 years ago!  Seriously, I know this must be wrong.  Well how much can happen in 2 years...  My husband and I know have a 1.5 year old - boy if anyone tries to say that having a kid(s) is a breeze, please just smack them.

So, now that we have added a third mouth to this table, I think I will start to cover some items that we make on a regular basis for the little one.  Of course I treat her like a mini veggie - and so far it's been quite a success.  Although not all the extended family members think this is a good idea (and make those opinions well known).

I'm going to have to spend some serious time updating - we have been to San Fran and had some fabulous food - oh my land of restaurants!  Some restaurants in the Southside have changed and opened and some local regulars have made some serious upgrades.  I am horribly awful about taking pictures - so please forgive - maybe it will give you a reason to go try it for yourself.

Tootles.

VegFortWorth

Allow me to make your day all you Veg eaters out there in wonderful Fort Worth. Posted to the iTunes store earlier this week, VegFortWorth gives you a basic list of Veg friendly restaurants in the immediate Fort Worth area. The 3 main areas of interest include Downtown, Near Southside, and the Cultural/Arts District. No genre of food is off limits. While the functionality is simple, easy and balanced - the information is rudimentary. Vague restaurant reviews are all that are available - leaving you wondering if it's giving you a review or helping you find a veg option restaurant. Some restaurants/food options are not veg friendly, so make sure you know your stuff when you go to certain places. Don't be afraid to ask questions of the waiter/waitress and/or make them ask the chef. One HUGE suggestion is to add the menu of the restaurant, or an abbreviated version of their menu with the veg options only. Don't try and review the restaurant - just let people know what they serve, unless you are going to rate all the restaurants on the app. Overall reaction: Fun to have, needs some work.

Rate Your Burgers

Burgers are personal to everyone. We debate all the time about who has the best. Do you like it thick or thin? What about the bun? Do you prefer all the fixings or just the burger, bun and maybe some cheese? Well in the world of veggie burgers it's no different. Do you like black bean patties, portabella mushroom or veggie patties? Do you opt for sauces, cheeses and fixings? What about that bun? Let me help you make an educated decision when it comes to choosing a burger joint that meets the veg requirements of some discerning diners. I don't eliminate one burger over another because of patty style, fixings, etc. I will rate them solely based on taste, quality, and consistency. I usually never have cheese or mayo on a veggie burger - so if it's on the menu with cheese or mayo it get's put on hold.

• #4: The Love Shack: The Boom Boom. See an earlier review for lots of details. This burger is a portabello mushroom that is deep fried and topped with all the fixings. Need I say more.

• #3: Jake's: The Veggie Burger. See an earlier review for lots of details. After lots of thought, I realized that Jake's homemade veggie patty really had it together. This place has potential!

• #2: Spiral Diner: Spiral Burger. Need I say more - Vegan all the way. A homemade traditional style patty topped with all the fixing. This is the most "meat-like" option out there.

• #1: Dutch's: The #7 - Portabello Veggie Burger. This marinated portabello mushroom has all the flavor - balsamic vinegar gives this burger the kick it deserves. I order with no mayo or cheese. You have to give this one a shot.

First Friday on the Greens Returns

This great event for the area starts back up the first Friday in April (2nd). Don't miss out on the food from Chadra (veg options available), drinks and great music.