Friday Night, Date Night

The weekend = awesome.

Especially, if you can enjoy it with good friends, family and a loved one.

My fiancee and I had to go back up to Boston for some venue shopping. The pressure was on, and we wanted to get up there on Friday so we can just relax, do everything on Saturday morning and then head down to Nantucket.

We were looking at the Burlington Marriott as one of our places to have a reception. We talked to our good friend who has dined there a couple of times. She told us to try Summer Winter in the hotel. She informed us that the restaurant was amazing, and it was a great place to grab a bite to eat.

We booked it up there (there was literally no traffic at all - which is very odd) and got to the restaurant around 8:30. As we were shown to our table we walked along a windy bar that was perfect to just have a good meal, and relax. We then passed a raw bar, where there was a chef preparing the recently ordered clams and oysters. Perfect. You all know how much I love a raw bar. We sat down in a very quiet place, with great ambiance, and a greenhouse right outside where the chefs pick fresh herbs for the dishes. Amazing.

We opened the menu, and everything looked amazing. As my fiancee was looking over the dinner menu, I was interested in the wine. They have a great wine list, with many different varietals to choose from, from regions all around the world. I figured, Friday night, fun night, date night, wine night. Bingo!

After looking over the menu some more, we came across "Date Night" Prixe Fixe menu.

I am all for trying new things. I have been known to eat some weird things from time to time, but I love trying to culinary creations that take simple ingredients into complex tastes. When I can actually sit at the table and just go "wow" after my first bite, I have found what a little bit of culinary heaven is like. You will see why this was an amazing food experience.

We ordered a bottle of wine. We went with a bottle of Petite Syrah (we were in just that kind of mood - the mood where you just want to have a massive explosion of fruit, smoke and ink - yeh...that type of mood). This particular petite syrah - called "The Crusher". No BS. And let me say, that this wine, DELIVERED the crush. It was massive with cherry, blueberry, tobacco, pepper and ink mouthfeel. It was SO good. When our waiter was pouring it it just looked like blueberry pie coming out. It was that massive.

Don't let the name fool you - it's a petite syrah...

The first course was a grilled peach and prosciutto salad with fresh basil from the greenhouse, hazelnuts with a touch of aged balsamic. The smokiness of the grill on the peaches was amazing. The sweetness of there sugar combined with the smoke was a match made in culinary heaven. The way that the chef used simple ingredients in such different way - was amazing. It was perfect, and refreshing. It got our palettes ready for the main course.

My fiancee ordered the braised short ribs with a creamy garlic polenta. I ordered thin spaghetti with fresh clams and mussels, accompanied with a cream and cheese garlic sauce.

It was ridiculous. I tried my first bite, and it wasn't overwhelming with garlic (even though there were chunks of it in the sauce - which is awesome). The whole dish was very creamy and the pasta was done just right. The mussels and clams were cooked to perfection, and added just the right amount of "sea" taste to the dish. It was just awesome.

My fiancee took one bite of her short ribs. She just goes, "Brad...". I knew right away that she loved her dish.

The short ribs were falling off the bone. The only way to describe the sauce was like a barbecue texture, but it wasn't tangy/overwhelming like it. It was sweet, and had hints of blueberry and pepper. The polenta had deep fried garlic bulbs in it. It added a great sweetness that helped with the dish. It was just amazing. We couldn't get over it.

We finished off the night with a slice of Tiramisu mousse cake. It was so delicate and perfect for the last course. The cake was so light and fluffy, that it really didn't overwhelm our palette and totally make us forget our dinner. Wasn't heavy in our stomachs, and it was a perfect end to a perfect evening.

Light and fluffy - perfect for the end of the meal

We had an amazing waiter named Dave. He was so nice, so caring, and very funny. He was giving us tasting notes on "The Crusher" and told us that it was the waitstaff's favorite wine. He was the type of waiter that you would want again - knew his stuff, VERY friendly, never bothered us and had a great conversation with us at the end.

Oh, and just to let you peeps know out there...the prixe fixe dinner? $35 each.

Thats right.

So...if you are ever in the area of Boston, try out Summer Winter at the Burlington Marriott. Ask for Dave, and share a glass of The Crusher with him. I know we will again.

Cheers!

Lobster: The Poor Man's Dish?

"The World Is My Lobster" - Henry J. Tillman

The food of the rich. The food associated with the upper echelon of Kennebunkport, ME, Nantucket, Cape Cod, and the eastern seaboard. The dish in which some of your parents splurged on when there was a special event. The dish that is set as M.P. (market price) in restaurants - and that scares most eaters from ordering.

Not anymore.

My mom called me last week and asked what I was doing on Saturday. I knew that I was going to be in Boston for a very busy day of venue shopping for my fiancee and my wedding. She wanted to see if I wanted to come home afterward in CT, and enjoy a good meal with good friends. Immediately, my interest was peaked like a dog hearing a doorbell.

"We are going to have lobster" my mom spouted. "Lobster? Mom! With 7 diners, with wine, corn, bread and salad, that's too much!"

"Don't worry" she said, "you can help me pay for it....hahaha.".

"Done deal - you got yourself an buyer!" I was so excited. A great night (weather about 70 degrees, no humidity) and a few cocktails, Jimmy Buffet on the iPod and a night of crackin' and lip smackin' ahead.

We arrived to my house after a very long day. I immediately threw on Buffet and poured myself one of my favorite Mount Gay drinks.

What are we serving tonight? Lobster or...lobster?

I sat down and thought that I wanted to get the debt settled before I forgot.

"Mom, how much do I owe you?"

"Nothing."

"Bulls-it. How much?"

"Nothing...the lobsters were $4.99/lb."

$4.99 a pound.

$4.99 a pound....wait...what? I blacked out for a second. Almost cheaper than gas - 1 year ago.

Amazing...there is some silver lining in the cloud of recession. I was speechless...and very excited. This article I found after the dinner explains why this is happening. You, the reader should really think twice about serving that steak at your next BBQ. Stick with lobster...you will save money, and your guests will think you're king.

I told my fiancee that we have to goto The Lobster Trap on ACK and see how much the M.P. is over there. And then chow down.

A great night with good friends, good food, good grog and hardly breaking the bank. This is textbook definition of a Fancy Funloving Foodie's dream night.

Cheers and get crackin'!

Friday Night Foodie

Sorry that I couldn't write until now peeps!

Hope you all had a good weekend.

I had a great weekend. My fiancee and I decided to make some dinner on Friday night. As you know and saw in my blog about how I look forward to certain meals, Friday night was one of them.

We decided that we were going to mix in the simplicity of pasta, with great flavors of a complex meal. I wanted to go rustic (I love rustic italian - one of my favorite restaurants specializes in rustic italian - and its obnoxious how good it is) and my fiancee decided that it was a great idea.

Simple and complex...oxymoron.

Penne Pasta with a home style sauce (jarred, of course). We grilled grape tomatoes, mushrooms, and garlic + herb turkey sausage.

After the grilling was done - we sauteed some spinach with olive oil, and a little white wine. We added the sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach with the tomato sauce. Mixed in the pasta and served.

Simple and Complex...what?

My fiancee made a arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette and sea salt.

The whole meal was accompanied with a 2008 Chianti.

It was an easy meal to prepare with some very good flavors. Simple and complex.

It was a great night that we shared together. The conversation turned into a hilarious trip down memory lane.

Friday Night Foodie - I look forward to the next time.

Want the recipe? Throw me an email!

Senior Salsa's = Best Burrito Ever?

Bold statement, I know.

I would love for people to post me and tell me what the best burrito ever is. I dare you.

As you, the reader, keep checking up on my blog, you will notice that a lot of my life revolves around food. I often plan for food in advance, just to get my mood and taste buds in the right mind set. I look at a lot of my meals as it would be my last, and I try to enjoy all the flavors that are involved. When I don't have a good meal that I have been really looking forward too, it can change my mood at that particular establishment.

This burrito last night...ridiculous.

My experience has always been with Mexican restaurants where you have a bunch of Margarita's, or Sangria or a ton of Pacifico. You usually load up on a bunch of chips and salsa, and by the time the greasy dish gets to the table, everyone is to full to even eat whatever it is that the restaurant thinks you ordered.

Senior Salsa's in Fairfield, CT is not the case at all. You can eat at the establishment or take out. I chose to take out last night.

I wanted take out last night after my debacle at the driving range. I thought that Mexican food would be in order. I was thinking about this since I got to the range.

I ordered a 'Burrito Grande'. Your choice from fresh grilled chicken or steak. I chose the chicken (my brain told me that was the "healthiest choice"). The Burrito Grande has grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato, onions, cheese, rice, beans, mole sauce all wrapped into a warm flour tortilla. This is no "regular" size burrito either, this is a massive "in your face" burrtio - with fresh tortilla chips included. For $7.99 its one of the most delicious, best bargains in Fairifield. Take that $5 footlong.

Best Burrito Ever?

One of the greatest things at Senior Salsa's is their salsa bar. There is so much to choose from its almost scary. They have mild, medium, hot, chipotle, verde, mole, extra jalepenos, extra cilantro...etc. I actually take a longer time at the salsa bar than I do ordering. It is absolutely amazing. I went with Salsa Verde (which is like a cilantro sauce), extra jalapenos and mole sauce. Just awesome.

At most mexican establishments, you can order what you want. You think you are going to be getting what it is that you ordered. Then a sloppy, greasy, cheesy mess comes out. Of course you eat it, but honestly...how well do you feel afterwards?

Senior Salsa's burrito (and I am sure many of there awesome menu items) is VERY FRESH. The food is spectacular, and not weighed down with cheese, oil or grease. I sat on the couch after eating this "blockbuster" and was completely satisfied. Stomach didn't hurt, and no food coma.

Definently worth my awful driving range display to be rewarded by Senior Salsa's.

Cheers!

Bagel Day - The Most Wondrous Day Of Them All

It's here.
Wednesday.
Bagel Day.
The Most Wondrous Day Of Them All.

Brad Loves Bagel Day

This exact quote came from my friend Steve when he and I worked together. The conversation went like this:
Brad: "Do you know what tomorrow is?"
Steve: "I sure do...it's Bagel Day. The most wondrous day of them all. I tell the kids on the eve of Bagel Day that they have to go to bed early or the Bagel Man won't come."

Classic. Thus "The Most Wondrous Day Of Them All." was born, and a tradition lives on to spout out about Bagel Day. Bagel Day is the perfect day, and I thank my company so much for allowing us to have bagels on this day. Most people have told me that their company does Bagel Day on a Friday. Some people (usually everyone who goes out on Thursday night) say Friday is better for Bagel Day. I enjoy our Wednesday. It is "hump day" and it really break ups the week. Bagels are perfect for the middle of the week. Especially if your a gym person.

This is the day that you can load up on carbs and just go nuts at the gym tonight and tomorrow. Then a rest for Friday and back to the gym on Saturday.

My bagel choice today is a cut cinnamon raisin bagel, toasted, with peanut butter on one side and scallion cream cheese on the other. I know...the scallion sounds weird, but being a foodie, I like mixing weird flavors...plus I am not putting the peanut butter and the scallion cream cheese together, just on separate pieces.

What is your Bagel Day delight?

Happy Bastille Day! - Food, Fun and Friends

Happy Bastille Day! Passez une bonne journée avec la bonne nourriture, des amis et s'amuser!

I love Bastille Day. I can't get enough of it. This is a great day to celebrate if you are french, and an even better day to be with people that care enough about the wonderful french culture.

The french are wonderful people. So loving, so nice, and extremely cultured.

I walked into my first french restaurant for a job about 6 years ago. I was your typical American with a nose up in the air, and an attitude towards the french. I needed the money bad, so I decided to try this french cafe that was in my hometown. I assumed that I would have to swallow any pride that I had left and just "act" nice towards them.

My surprise came about 2 months later after the job, and I was starting to get friendly with my manager. What an amazing person with so much heart, love, and wits. He and I hit it off after a bottle of French Bordeaux and we talked into the night. He soon became one of my closest friends and still talk to this day.

What a gorgeous day in the northeast to be celebrating an amazing holiday. I know I wish I was down at Luc's Cafe (in Ridgefield, CT) enjoying some french culture right now instead of sitting at a desk.

I want to wish all my french friends a very Happy Bastille Day and enjoy this day with croque monsieur, a Ricard pastis and some petanq.

We do not remember days, we remember moments. - Cesare Pavese

The Engagement - Fancy Style

A man turns thirty, wakes up and looks around. All his friends are married or engaged. Some of them even have kids.

Settling down in this case, doesn't mean "bad". Its a good thing. My best friend Jerry lives in Boston with his wife Jessie and they now have two kids (Sophie and Parker). He is so happy, and I love hearing about his daily routine of him with his wife and kids.

Ryan, my other best friend from Portland, OR., now has a daughter as well. We welcomed Ella into the world in the spring, and it just seemed his whole life has changed. For the better.

My friend Kirk is getting married this fall. Can't wait to have a great wedding with many friends, good food, and good grog.

My friend Mike and his wife Maura are a very loving couple that enjoy each other, and seem to have fun doing it.

All the jokes of "getting hitched", "ball and chain" and "tie the knot"...seem to be irrelevant in this fun lover's case. In fact - its the opposite.

I have been with Sarah for 3 years now. I finally proposed to her on Nantucket 7.3.09

(Sarah and Brad ready to tie the knot)

I proposed to her at our favorite place: Brant Point Lighthouse on Nantucket.

Her response was immediately positive with a "Are you kidding me?" scream that came out. She then said "yes!" as I slid the ring on her finger.

Another chapter in my life has opened. This was a funloving experience in a fancy environment.

Cheers!

The First Post

As you have seen from the title, I am a Fancy Funloving Foodie.

What does this mean?

I love food. I live for food. I often think about what I am going to have for meals, days in advance.
I love wine. I live for wine. I try to make sure that I can get the perfect wine, for the perfect price, for the perfect meal.
I love Nantucket. I live for Nantucket. I try to have the pefect meal, with the best wine, on the most wonderful place.

Please, sit back, pop open your favorite bottle, with your perfect meal, and enjoy the lifes work of being a fancy, funloving foodie.