Brennan's, New Orleans - Brunch

This is Foodie husband's dream brunch. Brennan's, which has been open since 1946 (see website), is known for the set brunch menu. You begin with a starter, entree and then dessert. Yes - they encourage dessert even after breakfast.

We needed something to get us started and ordered their famous Brandy Milk Punch, for those of you that want to watch your figure skip this section - a concoction of half & half, brandy, and topped with a sprinkle of fresh nutmeg. Oh yeah it tasted as good as it sounds.

I started with the Baked Apple in Double Cream - a cored apple baked and then covered with warmed cream, carmel and cinnamon. Very delicious, and for those of you who have always talked about having dessert first - this the place. Other veg options included Strawberries and Double Cream. Hubby started with their signature Maude's Seafood Okra Gumbo. This gumbo is not made with a traditional roux of butter and flour, but is created using okra instead - there are several other restaurants that have stolen this idea and have an Okra based gumbo on the menu.

Our waiter, who has probably worked at Brennan's since it opened (not really), was outstanding - confident, suggestive, and very willing to take the bull by the horns if given the opportunity. I was debating between the two veg options on the menu - Eggs Sardou & Eggs Portuguese. Why debate when you can have both! He took over and offered to bring me one of each - how phenomenal! For my taste buds the Eggs Sardou was too bland, although it had an excellent presentation and overall did not taste bad. Now the Eggs Portuguese on the other hand - creative, tasty, and creole. There is no question, next time Eggs Portuguese will win the debate. I feel that this dish would have even be just as tasty without the pouched egg on top - the sauce and the flaky pastry were fantastic. Foodie's hubby didn't stray too far from the signature side of Brennan's (wait till you hear about dessert) - Eggs Hossarde was his selection - I don't even know if he tasted it, he woofed it down so fast.

Now to the important stuff - dessert. An order of Banana's Foster (Brennan's specialty) and Crepes Fitzgerald were ordered to share. Both were scrumptious. By this point in the meal I felt like I could bust, but why stop eating such luscious plates of food? We both cleaned our plates and seriously debated about picking them up and drinking the sauces left behind.

This is a "must go" in New Orleans. Reservations recommended. I might go back to New Orleans just to eat here - why aren't you an option in Fort Worth yet?

Ranking: 5 Carrots

Court of Two Sisters, New Orleans

Well, for those of you who aren't in the French Quarter "know", this is supposedly one of the "must go" places if you are in New Orleans. Foodie hubby and I decided late one evening to go here for dinner.

The outdoor patio has been painstakingly designed to provide shade during the heat of the day and a glorious nightly vision in the evening. The wait staff was pleasant, but not top notch. The maitre'D was polite to us, but I watched as another couple asked to be seated at a smaller table and you would have thought they asked him to cut off his right arm.

The restaurant is known for the Table D'Hote or the fixed price, 4 course meal. I politely asked if I might substitute the vegetarian option from the a la carte menu and order the 4 courses. They were not willing to work with me at all. I was extremely disappointed that a vegetarian is not allowed to enjoy the other 3 courses unless they are willing to spend an arm and a leg to order them all a la carte. Shame on you Court of Two Sister for discriminating on those of us in the community who do not want to eat a half a cow or a bottom feeder fish.

Now that I have ranted about their equality for all - I started with the Court of Two Sisters Salad (minus the Tasso or ham). The Creole French dressing was beautiful and had that kick. Overall nothing to toot your horn about. I then ordered the Eggplant Napoleon off the a la carte menu and I'm so glad that I did. This dish provided one of the most savory dishes the entire time we were in New Orleans. For the Vegetarian's in the hunt - this dish is well worth the money - I wouldn't hesitate to have it again. I just hope that the Court of Two Sisters opens their eyes to the fact that vegetarians might like to enjoy the 4 course meal as well and add an option to the fixed price meal.

Foodie husband of course ordered from the Table D'Hote. For a starter he had the Turtle Soup Au Sherry. The trick to this dish is the sherry added to the roux. Overall Foodie hubby gets this just for the roux - the turtle is a tougher meat and can take away from the overall enjoyment of the soup. For his entree - Corn Fried Des Allemands Catfish (served with lump crabmeat cole slaw & cajun tarter sauce). The presentation was striking - yes even for catfish. Hubby doesn't enjoy tarter sauce and it was all over the catfish, so this dish was wasted on him, but the cole slaw excellently seasoned.

The final event - Bread Pudding. This dish was traditional through and through. The bread was soaked and stuffed perfectly making the consistency exactly like a thick, moist cake. It wasn't over done, runny or stuffed with any frills. By far some of the best bread pudding eaten by either of us over the years.

Overall, if on a limited budget this is probably not the place you want to waste your money on. If you have the time and resources you should definitely add it to the list - just to say you have been. Would I give it a second try? - maybe if they added the Veg option to the set priced option.

Ranking: 4 Carrots

New Orleans

As some of you might know, we took a mini vacation to New Orleans for a wedding this weekend. I normally would only write about places that most people could access from the Fort Worth area, but I thought it might be nice to give some restaurant ideas for those of you who might be visiting the New Orleans area in the future.

I have to say for those of you who are vegetarians you must search high and low to find a place in the French Quarter. If you are a full on vegan - "good luck" is all I can say.

Foddie's hubby has had a myriad of delightful meals - all of which I am sure are packed with calories, fat and the like. But, who can deny a manly man the great pleasure of a meaty meal. And for those of you that do consume meat - oh the bounties of this area are overflowing with mouth-watering options for you.

Edelwiess

So, Foodie's hubby and some of his buddies went to eat at Edelweiss, and one of the guys wanted to be a guest blogger.  So, without further adue - here it is:

If you go to the Edelweiss Restaurant website you'll see their a whole page dedicated to the celebrities that have stopped by for schnitzel and a chicken dance.  The last was John Wayne (and Mark Davis does not count) and I'm pretty sure The Duke has been riding the great plains in the sky for quite a while now.  I'm definitely sure the restaurant hasn't changed a thing since John Wayne swaggered in and cooled his heels.  But that sense of nostalgia, of a simpler time when men were men and schnitzel was schnitzel is essential to the whole Edelweiss experience.

    It's essential because it's not as good as you remember.  "Hambre Esposo" (Foodie said I had to come up with a name) and his ragtag group of fellow travelers (Or my father law, two brother in laws, Foodie's hubby, and a poor unsuspecting neighbor.) started out a boys night out in the Rhineland.  About half the party had been here before and recalled mountains of food, stines of dark larger, and swiss miss wattresses. Unspecting Neighbor asked me what to expect and all I could think of was "kinda a traditional German Hooters".  That's what I thought of it the last time I was there when I was fifteen. 

    That's not quite what we walked into.  It was dark as we walked in around 7:45 pm on Saturday night, but you could tell it was maybe a quarter full.  The walls were full of pictures of men with big lapels and wide ties and the waitresses serving them had a familiar feel to them. They were familiar because they were still waiting on tables there when we walked in.  The musicans were on a break so as we walked in there was more of an awkward family dinner vibe than Beirgarten.  We sat down, the matronly waitress got our drink orders, and everyone scoured the menu. 

    Everything is traditional. there is schnitzel of course along with sausage plates, steaks, and Beef Rouladen.  Most of the table, including Hambre Esposo, got the Combination Plate.  The plate contains everything you're there for - Jaeger and Vienna Schnitzel, mashed potatoes, saurkraut, one big rib, and spinach. I would have gone through each item and given a description and how I thought it went together, but really one description will suffice. "Eh."  Everything was just Ehhh.  Not bad, but not good either.  There was a lot of it so it had that going for it. 

    It wasn't just that the food underwelmed, but the whole experience had a half ass feel to it. Not that anyone was not doing their part, rather it didn't live up to memories. Those who had been there had stories about eating well and proudly drinking while loudly singing along with the crowd to whatever the band was playing. This time there was no crowd, our beer was kinda flat, and the band seem to play the same song as Bernd, owner/emcee, sang/talk through songs like a German Willie Nelson.  Nothing was bad, it was just not as good as anyone remembered.  A woman got up and played the saw and that ended up being what we talked about as we headed out that night. 

   Do not take this as a slam on Edelweiss. I'm sure that if you go at 5 in the afternoon on a weekday it is hopping and swinging like John Wayne ordered the house a drink.  But that is where this restaurant's crowd ended up, eating early on a weekday, and Hambre Esposo and his band of brothers have yet to reach that demographic.

La Familia Mexican Restaurant

So it has probably been 3 months since we actually at La Familia. Don't mean any disrespect, but you know things come up.

This is probably one of the best "finds" for us with the help of "Hambre Esposo" and his wife (neighbor buddy & wife, also guest blogger). This was a late Friday night dinner after a neighborhood get together. For those of you that have never ventured in and out of the new development on 7th - there are several great little "hole-in-the-walls" (those restaurants that didn't sell out to the man).

Who needs to say more than Margarita on Fire! In a frozen mug comes the closet thing to a Norman, OK great at The Mont - a swirl of frozen margarita and sangria, topped with a sugar cube that has been soaked in tequila and then set ablaze. This tasty drink quenched our thirst and is well worth the visit alone.

For all the "veggies" out there I know you are so tired of going to Mexican restaurants only to be let down by the fact that they cook with lard - lard in everything including the refried beans. La Familia prides itself on using only natural ingredients and NO LARD in anything!!! This is probably one of the first Mexican joints that I have been free to eat the beans. So silly you say - oh no! - who goes to a Mexican restaurant and doesn't want the beans?

There are many veg options on the menu - from enchiladas to quesadillas and probably a few options in between. I chose the vegetarian enchiladas - stuffed with squash, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms and onions - topped with a small amount of cheese and tasty tomatillo sauce. This dish had just the right amount of veggies and a nice spicy kick.

Don't ask me about the salsa and chips - that was several months ago. I can tell you that all entrees come with bean & ham soup or a chicken tortilla soup - a nice little touch. So you ask will you go back? Of course! What a sweet find.

Ranking: 4 Carrots

Lili's Bistro on Magnolia

So this post has been a long time coming. Foodie husband and I went to Lili's last month for our 3rd wedding anniversary that happened to fall in the middle of the week. Yeah, I know not real extravagant, but the food was fantastic.

We have both been to Lili's several times over the couple of years that we have lived in the Southside, but I had forgotten how much I enjoy the creative dishes. Don't be scared - the dishes are little pricey, but for a special occasion or for a once in a blue moon treat - it is definitely worth it.

For an appetizer we shared the Hummus and Pita. Their pita bread is to die for. If you have a carb phobia - STAY AWAY - you can't stop eating it. I love a nice kick added to any meal and the jalapeno drizzle was just the right touch - unique & an added flavor to what can normally be a bland dip.

Hubby ordered the Lili's House Burger, which is topped with their signature Gorgonzola Cheese sauce and has a side of their mouthwatering waffle fries. As most of you know I don't eat meat, but my first comment was, "WOW, that makes me want to start eating meat again!". It looked fantastic, and must have been, because Foodie Hubby ate it all, licked the plate and went home miserable (see dessert note).

I was slightly more perplexed about what I wanted and debated about several items. I finally landed on the Tzatziki Medley which is a split dish of Tabouli and Bulgher and Berries. I have a hard time finding a Tabouli that meets my acidic/tart requirements, but this Tabouli can't be beat. The tart Tabouli paired with the sweet and warm Bulgher and Berries was a nice combination. I debated hard about eating the whole dish and not taking any home, but the following day at work it was well worth having the left overs. It made me want to go back for more that evening.

As I promised above, the stuffed Hubby ordered the Banana Upside Down Cake to go. He was so stuffed he had to save it for the following evening. But in the tradition of Lili's he warmed it up and topped it with vanilla ice cream and continued our anniversary dinner the following evening.

See their website for reservation policies. This is definitely a recommended pick!

Ranking: 5 Carrots

SENSE-sational- The Foundation for JPS Health Network

Saturday evening Foodie husband and I were invited to attend the JPS Partners for Health benefit at the new Omni Hotel in downtown Fort Worth.  This private benefit is a fundraiser to help the JPS patients unable to afford even basic co-pays for prescriptions and other health care needs during emergency situations.

I thought I would write about this because it is one of the first events held at the new Omni hotel and it would allow everyone to hear what an experience it is just to step foot into this fabulously designed hotel.  If you have not taken the time to "wonder" through the hotel, please do.  They took great efforts to incorporate the Fort Worth decor into this normally posh hotel.

I don't want to spend a lot of time on what the event planner (not employed by the hotel) created inside the space, but do want to mention that we did eat our appetizer's while blind-folded.  EXACTLY!?! What do you say to that?  

The appetizer was Vegetable Beignets with three different dipping sauces - Annatto Seed Mascarpone, Strawberry-Ginger Mascarpone (2nd favorite), and Pesto Mascarpone (Favorite).  Because this course was designed around us being blind-folded - the concept was incredible.  The flavors were fantastic, each sauce was unique and once you looked the plate design was to die for.  I couldn't stop eating.

The entree for all non-vegetarians was Chilean Sea Bass wrapped in French Ham served with roasted fennel and spring vegetables in a lobster bisque reduction.  Foodie's husband (and everyone at our table) could not stop raving about the choice for the main dish.  They wanted to stay away from the traditional steak or chicken - and therefore went out on a limb and created a masterpiece.  The presentation was original, and Foodie's husband ate it all - even the roasted fennel.

The alternate dish for vegetarians was actually vegan as well.  It was almost a lasagna presentation of roasted squash, red bell pepper, zucchini with the roasted fennel and spring vegetables on the side all on top of herbed mash potatoes.  The plate design was unbelievable - I thought my dish looked more appetizing than the standard dish.  Small sprigs of rosemary sprouted from the "lasagna" of roasted vegetables and thyme adorned the plate.  The vegetables were seasoned just enough and cooked to perfection - I would have eaten a plate full of the roasted fennel and the baby carrots if they had put it in front of me.

For dessert they created a Deconstructed Trifle with Flavored Coulis, fresh berries with whipped cream, and assorted garnishes from their pastry shop.  I was slightly underwhelmed with this idea.  The items to create your own trifle were placed on the tables on large trays and we had to pass them around and try not to get into too much of a mess.  On the creative scale this might have been a little overboard.

Overall the staff was fantastic, the food was excellent and I would recommend that anyone go and check out the Omni - even if you don't stay in a room or eat & drink from any of the restaurants.  Bravo - it is like a small Vegas style hotel and conference center in the middle of downtown.