Happy Birthday, Courtney!

I love celebrating with people on their actual birthdays (Tom, Mom, Dad, etc. you definitely come to mind. Kristin, this year you and I need to whoop it up together in style!) 

Last year on August 14th, it was a real treat to be with my sister Courtney--especially since I see her least of all--on her actual birthday! Her friend Molly put together this fabulous celebration & incredible feast at Bacaro in Providence. The pictures tell a great story, though this accounts for only about a third of the whole meal, it was amazing! 

Salumi Board at Bacaro (Providence, RI)

Soul Sisters Courtney & Molly enjoying a fresh corn pizza!

Delicately Fried Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

Lavender Fois Gras 

What party is complete without Pork Belly?

Incredible Salad Courses

Talented Chef Brian Kingsford with John & Courtney

What a super fun Celebration! 


Happy Birthday, Courtney! I love you so much! 

xo Carrie 

The Kitchen: Denver, CO

Tom and I spent some time in Denver, and The Kitchen wins my vote for favorite local restaurant. We walked by this beautiful building in LoDo (Lower Denver) a few times and couldn't wait to go inside! 

For my fellow architecture fans (especially Uncle's Van W. and Richard T.), the Sugar Building was designed by architects Gove & Walsh in 1906 and is "notable for its Sullivanesque arrangement of windows between vertical piers and terra cotta foliage forms." It's a lovely building and the first floor restaurant is spectacular! Regrettably, I didn't get photos of the chic interior but my food photos hopefully will not disappoint.

Peeking in the window and checking out the menu. In the background is a wonderful raw bar with Alaskan King Crab and six daily oysters varieties.  

Fortunately we had a small window of time on Sunday afternoon, which was the perfect occasion to relax and soak in this wonderful culinary experience. We started with the Goat Gouda Gougere:

These melt-in-your-mouth cheese fritters were so fresh and delicious. I'd give anything for the recipe. They paired perfectly with the tomato bisque, as recommended by our server, Katie.  

Then I ordered the Bacon, Cheddar, and Fresno Quiche. I admit I had to ask what Fresno was because I didn't want any surprises, but it's really similar to a jalepeno pepper and since I love heat, this was fine with me. Honestly, this was the best quiche Tom and I had ever tried until we started making it ourselves. The eggs must have been laid that morning and someone there knows how to make the best crust ever. Unfortunately, you can't tell how fluffy or delicious this dish was in real life, even the greens were amazing dressed in a simple olive oil and lemon juice.

Tom ordered the Char Grilled Colorado Lamb Burger with red pepper relish, garlic fries and greens. I don't eat lamb, but those were the best fries I've ever had. Tom was thrilled with his burger and although he often orders Colorado Lamb when we're out in general, it was a real treat for him to have it locally. 

I'm a fan of several things that The Kitchen has to offer. One: an open and well planned industrial but comfortable dining space. Two, a menu so enticing that we had a really hard time deciding. Three, an open style chef's kitchen where you can see what's going on, but you're not staring into it or hearing all of the kitchen clamor. Four: a knowledgeable staff who goes to great lengths to share their passion in addition to educating their guests. For example, Tom ordered hot tea and Katie told us about the brand they serve called Teatulia. We expressed interest, and she told us the story about how the Teatulia company owns their own organic tea garden in Bangladesh and they control the entire process. Tom and I drink a lot of tea and we were thrilled to learn of this special brand. (For my tea fans Kathy S.  and Jill C. check out this wonderful Colorado brand, http://www.teatulia.com) and last but not least, the Fifth thing I judge is the quality of the bread. The Kitchen might just serve the best rustic bread we've ever had, complete with farm fresh butter and Maldon Sea Salt Flakes: 

You really have to give a lot of credit to a place who thanks their suppliers and local farmers for their quality contributions in addition to expressing gratitude to their dining guests. I am disappointed that we didn't try the Sticky Toffee Pudding with House Made Vanilla Gelato (only because we could barely breathe) but we did have a Nathan Miller Buttercream Truffle as a sweet finish to a delightful Sunday afternoon meal! 

I just can't say enough wonderful things about The Kitchen. We hope to get back there sometime soon, especially for one of their Community Nights, and maybe even to try the Boulder location too. Special thanks to our server Katie, for helping to make this an unforgettable experience! 

The Kitchen

1530 16th Street Denver, CO 80202 (303) 623-3127

http://thekitchencommunity.com/

Open Daily 11AM-close

-Carrie 

Thai Food

We have been on a major Thai food kick lately! Our favorite local place is called Thai Palace and it's located in a totally unassuming strip mall in Bradenton, Florida. The interior is completely decked out in Thai decor, the staff is very attentive, and the food is fabulous! We always order the Tom Kah Soup, the Thai Spring Rolls, and a Green Curry: 

Thai Palace: Tom Kah Soup

Thai Palace: Fresh Spring Rolls

Thai Palace: Green Curry

Thai Palace

4756 Cortez Road West

Bradenton, FL 34210

941.761.9100

http://www.thaipalacebradenton.com

It's a bit of a drive to Thai Palace and so we thought, why not try to create a few of these dishes ourselves? We started with the Fresh Spring Rolls and they were much easier than we had anticipated. Of course access to an Asian grocer is key, but you can also usually order some of the hard-to-find ingredients online.

Our Homemade Fresh Spring Rolls 

SPRING ROLL RECIPE:
To make the Spring Rolls, you can find most everything at your local grocery store. Some of the trickier items may be the Rice Paper Wrappers (this pack below was $2.19 for 25 wrappers) and a few of the sauce ingredients including Sambal Oelek (this bottle was $1.99 at the Asian market on 301 if you're a local). So please be sure to source those ingredients first before making this dish, or be prepared to improvise. Believe it or not, the most challenging item to find was fresh mint this time of year. We have our own basil growing out back so that was easy, but if you can find actual Thai Basil, that is even better. Sometimes the Asian grocers sell it frozen. 

Spring Roll Wrappers

Fish Sauce (from Whole Foods)

Sambal Oelek

Ingredients (makes 6):
6 spring roll wrappers
2 ounces of rice vermicelli (we use brown rice vermicelli from Whole Foods)
6 Boston lettuce Leaves (chopped)
3 carrots (peeled and finely shredded) 
Fresh Thai Basil leaves
Fresh mint leaves
Fresh cilantro 
Any combination of the following:
*Cooked Shrimp (peeled and deveined) 
*Cooked Tofu
*Cooked Chicken

1) Boil the rice vermicelli for 3-5 minutes or until al dente, but do not overcook! Drain noodles and put on the side. 

2) Take a large frying pan and fill it with hot water. Carefully and quickly soak one spring roll wrapper and place it on a cookie sheet (or other workable surface). The wet wrapper will be extremely sticky! 

3) One at a time, fill each wrapper with a layer down the middle containing the cooked rice vermicelli, lettuce, shredded carrot, basil, mint, and cilantro (you may chop the herbs if you wish) and then add any combination of the cooked shrimp, tofu, and/or chicken. 

4) Tightly roll in the sides (like a burrito) and place the finished spring roll seam side down on your plate or serving dish. Use one wrapper per spring roll. Repeat process for all 6 Spring Rolls.


Fish Sauce:
Mix together the following and serve on the side as a dipping sauce: 

2.5 Tablespoons water
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek
1/2 teaspoon sugar
4 teaspoons fish sauce
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice


Hoisin Peanut Sauce:
Mix together the following and serve on the side as a dipping sauce: 

2 teaspoons chopped peanuts
3 Tablespoons hoisin sauce


Bon Appetit! 

Please tell us about your favorite local Thai restaurant or add your Thai recipes in the comment section below! 

-Tom & Carrie 

Louie's Modern

Sarasota's newest dining hotspot is Louie's Modern, located at 1289 North Palm Avenue downtown. This is definitely the place to be seen! I'm blown away by how metropolitan Louie's is, while still maintaining a very comfortable atmosphere and appealing to diners of all ages. It's the perfect addition to our town! 

We started off with a few appetizers: Lamb Meatballs, Salmon Hushpuppies, and Smoked Trout Deviled Eggs. You will have to imagine them since we were so hungry we forgot to take the photos! Portions were relatively small but the quality was excellent.

Carrie ordered the Virginia Beach Sea Scallops from the Gluten Free menu. They were perfectly grilled in the wood-burning oven and served with some delicate asparagus on the side. A truly guilt-free dish, but totally delicious! 

Trying to maintain our healthy choices, I ordered the Kale Ceasar with a piece of grilled Scottish Salmon. The salad was beautifully done and the dressing matched perfectly. I finally felt like I was getting some real nutrition from my Ceasar! The Salmon was lightly grilled and it balanced the kale just right. 

Our friend Peter ordered the Half Chicken which looked like the most perfect chicken you had ever seen. He claimed it was a little on the dry side and the sauce was rather bland. I guess looks can be deceiving! (This was featured on the Gluten-Free menu). 

 Our friend Susan ordered the Curry Roasted Cauliflower. She enjoyed the meal and creative flavor combinations.

How could I forget? The wood-grilled Wild Mushrooms as seen here:





The space is really innovative and it's worth pointing out that there are several areas within Louie's, including the main dining room, outdoor seating, the coffee lounge, and the very popular cocktail bar, in addition to a separate event space for parties and corporate gatherings. Carrie has been here a few additional times and would like to add this it's a great place to go out with the girls! 

Louie's Modern
1289 N. Palm Ave Sarasota 
941-552-9688 
www.louiesmodern.com


Br: 7AM Full Coffee Bar and breakfast snacks
L: 11:30AM-3PM
D: 4PM-Close

-Tom

Maison Blanche - Longboat Key, FL

We feel extremely lucky to live in close proximity to destination restaurant, Maison Blanche, on Longboat Key.  Not only has acclaimed Chef/Owner Jose Martinez received a very coveted Michelin star, his progressive French restaurant is also very highly ranked on the Zagat survey, and Martinez has received nominations from the James Beard Foundation too. We generally reserve Maison Blanche for special occasions because the venue is incredibly chic and sophisticated, and the menu warrants a celebration. One thing we love most is how welcoming and comfortable the restaurant is, but most of all, we go here for the divine French cuisine! Here is our report from a recent visit:

Amuse Bouche

Amuse Bouche: Corn and potato creme, served chilled with leeks and olive oil. 
TOM: "I don't usually like anything chilled, but overall it was really nice."

CARRIE: "I absolutely loved the mix of olive oil and potato flavors, I could start every meal this way. Delicious!"

Blue Crab Salad

Evening's Appetizer: Blue Crab Salad, featuring hints of apple in a savory curry sauce. 

TOM:  "The perfect balance of flavors and textures created a wonderful medley between the sweet and salty crab."  

CARRIE: "I've never tried anything close to this combination of flavors, and it was beyond amazing."

Asparagus Soup

Asparagus Soup:

TOM: "Luscious, smooth, and velvety green."

CARRIE: "I thoroughly enjoyed this warm and satisfying complex soup. I love how our waiter served it too--from a pitcher poured over the vegetables. So pretty!"

Red Snapper

Entree: Pan-seared Red Snapper over lemon potatoes with thyme.

TOM: "Delicate and moist--the way I think Snapper should always be served. It's done just right."

CARRIE: "Tom ordered this dish and I liked it so much that when I tried a bite, I asked if we could please trade. I've never done that before!"

TOM: "I wanted Carrie's Seabass anyway, so it was the perfect situation....we tried to be inconspicuous when switching plates, which is not easy in a sophisticated French restaurant. Our Parisian waiter Jerome was excellent and found it entertaining when he caught on." 

CARRIE: "It's also hard to take photos in some of the nicer restaurants like this, but I called ahead and they were exceptionally gracious." 

Mediterranean Seabass 

Entree: Pan seared Mediterranean Seabass over Baby Spinach and capers. 

TOM: "This is my all time favorite dish in the entire Southwest Florida region. It is simply amazing. You must order it 'crispy' though, with the skin on, which totally melts in your mouth and adds tremendous flavor."

CARRIE: "I originally ordered this dish but Tom really wanted it, and I wanted his too, so win-win! We were both ecstatic and marveled at each and every bite of our entrees." 

Interior View 

Overall the setting is a very comfortable, beautiful, billowy white atmosphere with gorgeous orchids and candles. The tables are spaced nicely with embracing leather chairs and room to have a comfortable conversation. Tom also loves the napkins, as they are very luxurious. And the mini French baguettes of course! It's those little things--and the big things too--like the incredible staff and flawless French fare, that makes Maison Blanche one of our all-time favorites!

Le Pain

 Love the inviting tented white entrance

Bon Appetit! 

Welcome to Maison Blanche: 

Location:

2605 Gulf of Mexico Drive

Longboat Key, Florida 34228

Reservations: 

941.383.8088

Visit:

http://maisonblancherestaurants.com

-Tom & Carrie 

The Table Creekside: Sarasota, FL

When most people think of Phillipi Creek, they think of sitting outside eating peel-and-eat shrimp and enjoying some good old fried seafood. This blog post will change the way you think about Phillipi Creek. The Table Creekside offers up some of the finest seafood in town in a very upscale chic atmosphere. We met our friends Ashley and Peter Burroughs here for dinner and enjoyed listening to some relaxing "chill" music in the super swanky lounge area before moving to our seats in the beautiful dining room.

The Table is run by the supremely talented Chef Pedro Flores who pushes it to the limit with his daily creations known as "Chef Selections". After speaking with him briefly, Chef Flores informed me that this is his very favorite thing about being a chef! Our group raved over every single dish. Hats off to Chef and his talented team who took amazing care of us. We were blown away by The Table experience!

Tonight's amazing soup special was the Key West Chowder. It ended up being more of a stew in my opinion but boy was it tasty. Loaded with seafood and just enough kick!

Peter and I decided to share the grilled Beef Tenderloin Skewer served with Argentinian chimichurri sauce. Lightly grilled to a delicious medium rare and extremely tender.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if I see fried oysters on the menu I just HAVE to order them. Here is The Table's version, called Crispy Oyster Flamenco. These oysters are very lightly battered and served with a key lime aioli and banana pepper mignonette. "A total explosion of flavor!" - Tom. "Impossibly soft and crispy at the same time" - Peter.

Tonight's entree winner goes to Ashley. She ordered the Shrimp Surinam: sweet jumbo shrimp sofrito with Jerusalem artichoke, served atop English Cheddar Gruyere mac and cheese with truffle essence. These shrimp were the best Gulf shrimp I have ever tasted and I am definitely ordering this dish next time!

I persuaded Carrie into ordering the Lobster Cabonara. Fresh 1-1/4 lb Maine lobster removed from shell served atop fresh pappardelle in a decadent cheese sauce with peas, homemade pancetta, and a soft poached egg. What's not to like here? She absolutely loved it!

Peter order Chef Pedro's special creation of "The Trio". It included fresh American Red Snapper on top of yucca risotto with two large New England diver scallops served over braised veal confit. This dish really had it all!

I ordered a more traditional option with the Grilled Organic Grass Fed Veal Chop. What a chop it was, served with truffled mash potatoes and roasted asparagus!

As stuffed as we were, we still managed to order one dessert. The tarte tatin!

In one word, everything was "flawless". We will be back! Thank you Chef Flores and thanks to Ashley and Peter. What a great night we had at The Table!

The Table Creekside

5365 S. Tamiami Trail

Sarasota, FL

941-921-9465

www.tablesrq.com

Sun-Thurs 4-10pm

Fri, Sat 4-10:30pm

-Tom

Indigenous: Sarasota, FL

If you have yet to experience this new Sarasota favorite, it's definitely time to try Indigenous for yourself. Chef Steve Phelps is incredibly passionate about using only responsibly harvested ingredients. Being a fishermen himself, Phelps has a distinct nose for freshness!We had an amazing experience here recently with friends Jill and Joe Creevy.

Jill started out with the Butternut Squash Soup. She described it as "simply divine" and said that it was "unexpectedly served chilled with a tantalizing swirl of fresh cashew pesto. This soup had me thinking about it for days!"

Carrie went wild over the Wild Mushroom Bisque with Truffled Rye Croutons and can't wait to go back for this complex yet comforting soup!

Joe ordered the Beet Salad, which was a special addition to the evening's menu. What an incredible combination of flavors including celery root, blue cheese, strawberry citrus vinagrette, daikon radish, and cucumber. He let me try a taste and I am going out on a limb here to say the yellow beets are far superior to the bright red ones! Joe said, "The dressing blended nicely with the sweetness of the beets and the tang of the radishes." We hope this dish will be a regular addition.

I ordered the Arugula salad, and very confidently I will say it was the best one I have ever had! The arugula was grown less than 100 miles away. Topped with roasted mushrooms, shaved fennel, apples, dijon tarragon dressing, and a few slices of tomme cheese, the flavors could not have been any more spot on. I order Arugula salad every time I see it on a menu and this one was the dream for me!

Now for the entrees. Carrie's Red Snapper was harvested from the deep waters of the Middle Grounds, only 120 miles due west from Sarasota Bay. This dish was my favorite of the evening. Perfectly cooked, lightly seasoned, and fresh as can be served over cheesy grits and green beans.

Joe and I both ordered the Arctic Char which was a close runner up to the Snapper. Char is very similar to salmon but much more delicate and milder in flavor. It was pan-seared and served with a parsnip and potato mash. Delicious!

Here is Jill showcasing her entree of Jumbo Gulf Shrimp and Red Peas. These Sea Island Red Peas are from Charleston, South Carolina. They are an heirloom legume famous for their very bold sweet flavor and creamy texture. The dish is finished off with poblanos, smoked onion, corn bread croutons, and tomato veloute. This dish is a menu staple!

And how could we forget dessert? As a table, we shared the pot de creme and the apple raisin brioche pudding. Both were excellent, but the bread pudding took the prize for me. It was served with maple caramel sauce, rum brown sugar ice cream, and pecan powder!

Overall, this was a fantastic experience. Great friends, delicious food, and a fun night out in a beautiful and comfortable setting in downtown Sarasota. We hope your visit to Indigenous will be just as wonderful as ours. Thank you so much to the flawless team at Indigenous and to our friends Jill and Joe for sharing in the fun!

Indigenous

239 S. Links Avenue Sarasota

Dinner is served Monday through Saturday, starting at 5:30PM

941-706-4740

www.indigenoussarasota.com

-Tom