The other day, I forget what I was talking to Bryan about, but I told him that food consumes my thoughts like soccer and music consumes his. This is a very accurate statement because I remember I was at work thinking about how I was going to make potatoes that night while I was working away at my desk all.freakin.day.
Tonight, as I lay in my bed, I was thinking about all the different recipes I have tried making at home and the meals I have eaten in the recent past that have made me want to tell other people to try. So instead of promising that I will constantly be updating you on recipes and restaurants (because we both know that keeping on some kind of blogging topic/schedule is not my forte) I will just say that you should keep looking here if you want my opinion on food. Like I said before, food is always on my mind, so I will always have something to say about it.
Let me start off by listing off some of the most amazing things I have eaten, or my favorite things to make, or just favorites cooking topics in general (in no particular order).
FAVORITES
1) Best place I have eaten (so far)- Four Olives in Manhattan, KS http://www.fourolives.biz/
Bryan and I ate here for the first time on Valentine's Day 2010. He has a good friend that works there as a bartender that let him know of a cancellation for Valentine's night and we were able to be squeezed in. This restaurant books up quickly for special nights like 2/14, so you have to book early. The restaurant itself is tucked away in a small shopping center on the west side of town, so you hardly know it is there unless someone you know has been there or you have had to make a u-turn in their parking lot.
The interior has a glass encased wine cellar in the middle of room with tables around it. I am envious of this wine cellar because it is something that I may never have, but would really enjoy in my own home. While they do have tables you can sit at throughout the restaurant, and a newer addition has been added on recently, we sat at the bar. When most people think of sitting at a bar to eat, they think of people who are too impatient to wait for a table or people who eat alone or just want to watch a game on television. However, this was different. Maybe it was because we knew one of the guys behind the bar, but it did not feel like we were actually sitting at a bar in a fancy place. The bartenders are your waiter for the night and they are all very friendly. If the chance comes up they have to make an exotic drink with fire, you are in the front row to see if they singe their arm hair!
Besides the great food (which I will tell you about later) it really is a great atmosphere. For being so quaint, you don't feel like you are being stuffed into a small room, and you feel like you are some place very special.
2) Favorite Specialty Food-Lobster Ravioli with Crab Meat Sauce- Four Olives- Manhattan, KS.
My mouth is watering just thinking of this dish. The second time we went to Four Olives was for Bryan's birthday in 2010. We had just finished watching the Kentucky Derby and as a birthday present to him, I took him to one of our favorite places (see above paragraph). The first time we went to Four Olives, we had ordered off of a Prix fixe menu (meaning you have a choice of options that the chef has decided to cook that day. Generally those are your only options.), but this time, we were able to order from the regular menu since it was not a busy day like Valentine's Day. While everything looked wonderful, I decided on the Lobster Ravioli with Crab Meat Sauce. Bryan, on the other hand, went with the duck.
When I was younger, I was not a fan of any type of seafood. I don't know if it is because I was never pushed to try it or we did not have it that often, I just thought I didn't like it. As I grew older and my tastes matured, I found that I love salmon. While salmon is not the only fish out there, it is by far, my favorite fish. So for me to order lobster and crab in the same setting is kind of remarkable. Boy was I glad that I did order it though! The ravioli was baked just right and the ratio of lobster to cheese was balanced perfectly. The sauce was not overpowered with too much tomato or too much crab. At the bottom of my bowl, I realized that there were little black marks. I never asked, but I wondered if they used some kind of ink for an octopus to dye their noodles. That would have made the dish even more interesting!
3) Favorite Salad-North Coast Salmon Caesar Salad-Red Rock Canyon Grill-Wichita, KS http://redrockcanyongrill.ehsrg.com/sites/default/files/menus/redrockcanyongrill/Wichita.pdf
This is recent favorite. The last time I was in Wichita was to celebrate my sister's birthday whiles she was back for Spring Break. To my knowledge, this is one of her favorite places to eat in Wichita. I had not been since my sophomore or junior year of high school, so I could not understand why she wanted to go there so badly.
While they are known for their rotisserie chicken, I decided to spring for something I thought would be a little lighter on the stomach and ordered the salad of my choice. To my surprise, the salad was light, but not small by any means of the word. The piece of salmon that topped the salad was big enough for its own meal. While I could have easily eaten all of this dish, I decided to take some home so I could enjoy it a second day.
Before eating this particular dish, I had never heard of a remoulade sauce. Immediately after I began to eat my meal, I decided that I had to go home and try to make this sauce for myself. My in-laws were coming the following weekend, and I thought this sauce we make for a great addition to any meal I made. In the end, I never cooked at home that weekend, and I still have yet to try and make the sauce.
If you decide to go to this restaurant, I would suggest skipping on the chicken (it is dry no matter how they make it) and get this meal or the steak with bleu cheese. This version of their steak is actually not on the menu, but they will make it for you if you request it.
4) Favorite Place To Eat Outside of Kansas- Alice's Tea Cup- New York, New York- http://alicesteacup.com/
Thank goodness someone I know moved to New York so I would have a reason to find them and eat with them somewhere other than fast food while in New York. This past December, Bryan and I went to New York so he could audition for some opera programs, and while we were there, we met up with my former roommate, Adam Luke. Adam was kind enough to take us out to dinner, which also happened to be his place of employment.
Alice's Tea Cup is for anyone who enjoys the whimsicleness (I know that is not a word) of Alice In Wonderland or enjoys food and tea in general. The decor is wonderful and makes you feel like you really are inside the children's book. Luckily for me, I had taken a children's literature class at Kansas State the semester I graduated, and we had read Alice In Wonderland, so it was neat to be there so close to having read the book. Usually when you walk in, they will sprinkle fairy dust on you and make you feel like you are a character while you eat there. The color are bright and the smell of the place is sugary and fluffy at the same time.
Since Adam worked there, we asked him what he suggested we eat. He ordered us some scones (pumpkin, mixed berry and chocolate chip) with cream and jam. We also ordered our own pots of tea (mine was Silver Needle Jasmine which I instantly fell in love with) and then our meals. I had the grilled steak salad. While eating steak on a salad seems counter productive, this was the best mixture of warm meat on a pile of vegetables that I have ever had. The dressing itself was something to remember. Never before had I thought to order a sweet chili vinaigrette.
As soon as we got home from our mini vacation, I told everyone who wanted a Christmas list from me that I wanted the recipe book from this restaurant. Now I make scones that are softer than anyone you have ever eaten before. My co workers have been able to sample those and some Oreo creme filled cupcakes from their recipe book.
Now that it is 1 o'clock in the morning, I feel like it is time for me to go to bed. But if I cannot sleep due to thinking about food all night, I will definitely be writing something tomorrow. However, as I stated before, I am not good at keeping up with writing regularly, so come back on another spontaneous day and hopefully I will have more food insight to share with you.
Until then...
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