Monday, January 23, 2012

Restaurant Week(end)

Each day I proclaim, "I'm going to lose those last 10 pounds!" but by noon I'm like,  "Nah, I'm fine with looking like Rembrandt's Bathsheba for the rest of my life." Ain't nothing wrong with a few soft parts, right?

Now that you know what I look like when I get out of the shower [awkward]...let's get on with the story, shall we? This weekend I faced a particularly difficult challenge: Making curtains. Not fancy curtains, mind you. Just 2 panel curtains (i.e. sewing together rectangles of fabric). Still, this project made me loathsome.

My first instinct was to leave town; take a little mini-vacation somewhere...anywhere. Get as far away from the curtains as possible. The weekend getaway idea wasn't entirely practical, so I gave myself a compromise: Stay home and treat myself to a nice meal in celebration of Nashville Originals' Restaurant Week.

Sean gleefully obliged to being my date when I dangled the Bacon Old Fashioned in front of his nose. After all, we hadn't been back to The Patterson House since our anniversary. Here's how we tickled our palates...


FRIDAY
The Patterson House - You'll feel transformed when you enter this gem of a bar, hidden in the Midtown section of Nashville just off Music Row. Once you're invited past the heavy velvet curtains, brothers Benjamin and Max Goldberg will wow you with their eloquent cocktails, homemade bitters and fancy ice. The menu takes a back seat to the amazing drinks, but everything is made fresh and we haven't been disappointed.

HIS: Bacon Old Fashioned
HERS: All Do Respect
Shared: Hummus with Grilled Bread and 1 stolen fried goat cheese ball (thanks, Sherri and Keith!)

Cha Chah - Nashville Chef and restauranteur Arnold Myint consistently serves playfully creative and delicious dishes. I'm a big fan of everything AM, and I knew he would put on a good showing for Restaurant Week.Could I have used RW as an opportunity to try a new establishment? Yes. SHOULD I have used RW as an opportunity to try a new establishment? Probably. DID I? NO. Because I heart Arnold. I want to be just like him when I grow up. Arnold truly enjoys the art of designing a menu, and it shows.

Starters

HIS: Tempura Scallops with Kimchee, Soba Cake and Sesame Soy Reduction
HERS: Duck Liver Pate with Pumpernickel Currant Toast, Cippolini Brittle

Main Course
HIS: Pan Seared Sea Bass with Sunchoke Latke, Beet Puree, Pickled Mustard Seeds, Basil Oil
HERS: Masala Lamb Loin with Curried Parsnip, Charred Eggplant, Cherry Chutney

Postres
HIS: Dark Chocolate Mousse, Bourbon Raisins, Almond Tuile
HERS: Creme Fraiche Cheese Cake with Market Berries

SUNDAY BRUNCH
55 South - Three words: Fried Pork chop Sandwich. (okay, 4 words.) It's probably a dangerous thing that 55 South is so close to my home. Especially on Sunday mornings when I have the occasional hangover and feel like eating my weight in cheese grits and fried oysters. Sorry, 55 South...I just realized I might be trashing up your joint...This is a really nice place, trust me. 
 

Bottomless Mimosas*
Starters: Cheese Grits (Fun fact: yes, fat people order starters with their brunch.)

Main Course
HIS: Pecan Pain Perdu "Lost Bread" - French Bread French Toast Topped with Pecans, Praline Syrup, and Powdered Sugar with a side of bacon
HERS: Eggs Florentine - Poached Eggs over Creamed Spinach and an English Muffin topped with Fried Oysters and Hollandaise (and a healthy dose of hot sauce, added by yours truly)

*We had to make an unfortunate trip to Wal-Mart for the curtain project, so alcohol was a must.


Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Thoghts become Destiny

"Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny."

If you've stopped by before, you know that this blog is primarily used as a forum to share the latest happenings from our suburbanite lives. For example, updates from our most recent weekend would include things like: dinner with Trev & Meg at their new place (and ruining their carpet with red wine), seeing Wicked Divas with the Nashville Symphony, Sean watching football, me hanging out with my Little Sister, baking fresh bread and attempting a coconut cream pie (it failed).

Sometimes I use this blog to share my feelings...like how I might be stressed or feeling blue about something.

Yesterday I almost employed this blog as a soapbox to share my recent distaste with Fashion Bloggers. I don't expect anyone to actually CARE about my feelings towards fashion bloggers (or anything for that matter). It was just a topic that humored me at the moment. And, thankfully, that moment has passed.I mean, what a DUMB post that would've been, right? Reading my blabber about bad outfits...sheesh. I definitely don't want my destiny to be droning on about bloggers (unless it pays well. and if that's the case then sign me up!)

My grandmother was always a negative thinker. She was an incredibly smart woman, but was always the first to lob an insult or launch into criticism. I mean, to the point you didn't want to spend too much time with her because it would make you angry...
I loved her in my own way, but I certainly don't want to be like her. Negativity can be humorous if used in the proper way, but it's also a very dangerous tool. I believe my grandmother spread a LOT of negativity around her world while she was still on this earth...and to her dying day I don't think she ever understood why bad things "happened" to her. I've definitely learned from her. And I need to remind myself more often to change my THINKING for the better.

So, this concludes my peaceful hippie thoughts for the day. The end.