Sensible Stylista: food
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts

Sampling the Prime Rib's Dessert Menu: A Photo Diary

Last week, the fine folks at Live! Casino & Hotel invited me to come get my nom on at their Casino, and I ended up having a ginormous dinner at Luk Fu and an equally ginormous dessert course at Prime Rib.  Luckily, my mom was in town to help me out...not that it made much of a difference, we barely made a dent in the food!  

Regardless, I'm glad I got to try so many different dishes - I'm all about trying new things, and desserts are my kryptonite so this was my idea of a bangin' time.  I'll be recapping my dessert experience at Prime Rib for my latest, but Luk Fu dinner feature will go live next week sometime so definitely check back.
Their spiked milkshakes were decadent, delicious...and limited edition, ha.  The 3 flavors were Birthday cake w/ 3 Olives cake vodka, ultimate s'mores w/ Kahlua liqueur, and salted caramel apple piece with Rumchata.  Sorry guys - I hope they bring 'em back sometime soon though? Let's keep our fingers crossed!  
Next up, their Strawberry Lemon White Chocolate Mousse - a light, refreshing dessert that's ideal for summer. You'll be able to devour this even after the heaviest of meals since it's so airy!  I'm still blown away by the presentation.
Onto the Coconut Vanilla Panna Cotta w/ Tropical Fruit Gelee - this was yet another one of my favorites!  If you're a fan of fruity desserts, this is an absolute must-try.
Anddd the Bailey Lover's Dessert: coffee flavored cake topped with candied bacon and served with Baileys infused ice cream (!!!!)
The classic crème brûlée...
...and another classic: their NY Style Cheesecake, which is to-die for yummy BTW.
And last but not least, their Citrus Chiffon Cake with brandy peaches.  
I was beyond impressed with the presentation of everything, and although it all tasted good, I highly recommend the NY Style Cheesecake, the s'mores milkshake, the Bailey Lover's Dessert, and the Coconut Vanilla Panna Cotta. If you want something rich, go with any of the first three dishes listed above.  If you want something a bit lighter, order the Panna Cotta!  Alright guys, that's it for today. As always, let me know if you guys have any questions.  I hope you all have a fabulous Thursday!
5

City Perch at Pike & Rose: To Die For Bread Boards

A few weeks ago, my bf and I hit up City Perch in Bethesda for dinner, and I'm beyond excited to tell you guys about our nom highlights.  Located next to AMP and iPic theaters, it's a great place to grab apps and/or drinks before heading to whatever show you're there to see.  So without further ado, here's what you should get:
Drinks (range from $9-20): ... I honestly can't remember what these were called, ha.  I believe we got the Mandarin Mule and Norma Jean, but I'm not 100% sure!  Their cocktail menu was extensive so we had a tough time choosing - and now everything's kind of a blur - BUT it all sounded delish.  I'd definitely go back for happy hour (daily 3-6PM featuring cocktails, wine by the glass, and craft drafts) because these were amazing!
Bread Board: I can't even. This was, hands down, the highlight of the evening.  I'd seriously go back to City Perch just to have their cornbread again.  How's this for foodporn? A cayenne + parmesan popover with smoked sundried tomato butter, honey-dipped corn bread with whipped goat cheese drenched in wildflower honey, a butter bun with whipped Trickling Springs butter + sea salt, and an orange sage biscuit served with maple bourbon pecan butter.

...yeah, I may or may not be drooling right now.  If you aren't, I don't even know what to think, ha!  In all seriousness though, everything was ridiculously tasty, but my faves were the cornbread & popover.  I would've happily eaten cornbread all night long, but I had to save room for the various dishes we ordered.
French Onion Soup ($10):  This isn't pictured here, but it's DEFINITELY worth mentioning!  I'm hella picky when it comes to this soup because it's one of my go-tos, but City Perch did a truly solid job with this dish.  Enriched with braised beef short rib, gruyère + white cheddar gratin, the flavors were spot on even after sitting for a good 20 minutes or so while I took these shots.  This baby gets 5/5 stars!
We also tried the "everything" waffle ($16) and the brioche-crusted Maryland blue crab cakes ($18). The former featured Norwegian smoked salmon, dill crème fraîche and salmon roe, and the latter came with old bay remoulade and a frisée + citrus salad topped with yuzu vinaigrette.  I don't eat fish so I didn't get to try the waffle, but I had the crab cakes and they were fine - not bad but definitely not worth $18 to me.
Mac + Cheese ($8):  fun fact, if I see mac + cheese on a menu, I will order it 99.99999% of the time! If I don't, it's either because I'm not feeling well or I'm already food coma'd out.  CP met my (extremely high) standards and left me completely and utterly satisfied!  Made with farmstead artisanal cheeses + bacon crumble, this gooey goodness is all sorts of yum.
Roasted Long Island Duck ($28):  Very impressed with the flavor and tenderness of the duck!  It came with rolls + pickled goodies, which was fine but kind of misleading because the menu said it'd be served with southern-inspired fixings? I don't know about you guys, but when I think of southern fixings, I think mac n' cheese, collard greens or baked beans, but maybe that's just me?  The rolls were good because CP apparently can do no wrong when it comes to carbs, but the pickled stuff was "eh."  I'm still a fan of this dish though!  
Other entrees we tried: the Pan Seared Scallops ($29) and Braised Beef Short Ribs ($28).  The scallops came with roasted brussels sprouts, cipollini onions, bacon lardons, thyme + veal jus, and the beef came with creamed spinach, crispy shallots, and a potato pancake.  

I felt like there was TOO much seasoning going on in general with these two plates!  I would've appreciated a "purer" flavor if that makes sense, like I want my sauce to complement and enhance the natural flavor, not mask it.  I do give them props for cooking the scallops perfectly though - they were seared beautifully.  The beef was pretty good but definitely order the duck if you're craving meat!
We were completely stuffed by this point so we passed on dessert, but I'd be down to go back again - order their magical bread tray and nibble on their mac n' cheese, which is big enough to be an entree by the way! Soooo much yas.  They also validate parking for up to 3 1/2 hours which is AWESOME!  For my non-dmv friends, they have locations in NJ and NY if you're interested in trying their noms.  Happy eating, frands!
2

Food Coma'd Out at Fogo De Chao

Oh man, Fogo de Chao is seriously everything and more.  I wanted to spoil my cousin so I took her here for a nomtastic dinner last week and we totally pigged out.  I go to the one in Baltimore pretty frequently but hadn't been to the DC location yet so I was excited.
We started our evening off with drinks before hitting up the seasonal market table.  I ordered a Strawberry Hibiscus Caipirinha and Kristy got a Mango Ginger Martini.  Both cocktails were delish but hella strong - they definitely don't mess around here, ha.  As usual, the salad bar was impressive.  Their selections included seasonal specialties (ex. lentil quinoa and blackberry & arugula salad), smoked salmon, imported cured meats + aged cheeses, and antipasti.  My faves were def. the roasted beets, marinated hearts of palm & artichokes, peppadew peppers, baby quail eggs, and imported prosciutto.
Then, the real fun began.  We flipped our coasters - they're not really coasters, but I call them that anyway - over to green for meat service.  There were 10 meats available (lamb, pork loin, pork sausage, pork ribs, chicken, prime part of the top sirloin, beef tenderloin, top sirloin, bottom sirloin, rib eye, and beef ribs) and waiters brought them over to us on giant skewers - def. hold out for the filet and lamb!  FYI, if you don't see your protein of choice, ask someone to bring you a specific cut.  
We also got 3 side dishes (garlic mashed taters, caramel bananas, and polenta at no additional cost) with our meal + the most incredible bread ever.  Pao de Queijo is a carblover's dream, like I seriously had six of these before I even touched anything.  No joke!  They're warm cheesy bread rolls that are made with sweet and sour yuca flour and parmesan cheese (!!!!!)

Conclusion:  haul @$$ to Fogo to get your nom on.  The grub doesn't come cheap but you gotta put it all into perspective.  It's all you can eat meat, sides, and salad bar for $56 at dinner and $36 at lunch soooo not too shabby if you think about it.  Prices are slightly different for the weekend so keep that in mind.  Also, if you have vegetarians in the fam, no worries - they offer market table only entrees at lunch for $15 and dinner for $29. Happy eating, frands!

A huge thanks to Fogo for having us!
5

Fine Dining at Citron

As you all know, I'm an avid foodie who loves to try different restaurants in the DMV area, and I'm always on the lookout for gems whether they be fine dining establishments or hole-in-the-wall joints. I don't discriminate - good food is good food, but Citron just so happens to fall in the former.  Their restaurant, located on Quarry Lake at Greenspring in Baltimore County, offers elegant dining in addition to a comfortable bar and lounge. On top of that, there's outdoor seating with a beautiful lakeside view exclusive to guests.  Their menu, crafted by Charles Levine and his talented culinary team, features contemporary American cuisine with a French twist, which changes seasonally to offer the freshest ingredients possible to patrons.
Dinner started off with an array of cocktails and starters.  The impeccably-trained waitstaff brought tuna tartare ($17), black skillet roasted mussels ($16), citron's seasonal salad ($12) and artisan cheeses & charcuterie ($25) for the table.  The cocktails we got were as follows (from left to right): a Sazerac, a Cucumber Lemonade, a Water Lily, and a Booloo.  They were all tasty, but my favorite of the bunch was the Cucumber Lemonade - definitely make sure to order one if you come here because it's one of their unique handcrafted cocktails.  It was super refreshing and complemented the apps beautifully! 
A close-up shot of their charcuterie - it came with a variety of fresh & dried fruits, nuts, olives, breads, and honeycomb.
The seasonal salad was an absolute treat!  Who knew salad could be tasty?  Ha.  It had baby arugula, orange bits, onions, spicy walnuts, biscotti croutons (yasssss), and raspberry vinaigrette.  
If you love mussels, this app is an absolute must-try!  It comes out piping hot, and the presentation's even more impressive in person.
Andddd the tuna tartare.  It comes with spicy tograrashi chips, but I removed them for photos!  Featuring sushi grade tuna, cucumber, radish, haricots verts, avocado tzatziki, and makrut lime vinaigrette, this dish tastes as good as it looks...according to my bf, ha.  I don't eat fish so I didn't get to try this dish, but he downed it within minutes soooo yep!
Moving onto entrees!  Like our apps, we ordered a bunch of dishes for the table and shared it all:  citrus glazed atlantic swordfish ($39), pan seared pacific halibut ($43), 16 ounce marcho farms bone in veal chop ($54), and baby lamp chops ($43).
The veal came with pickled blackberries, baby arugula, charred tomato, wild mushrooms, crumbled humboldt fog, and white balsamic vinaigrette.  
Topped with black currant demi-glace, the lamb chops came with chevre stuffed peppadew and meyer lemon-mint gremolata.
For all you fish lovers out there, here's the swordwish! Glazed with citrus magic, it comes with a summer veggie salad and white quinoa.
And last but not least, the halibut accompanied with a delish chorizo corn cake, fava bean okinawa yams, grape tomatoes, and blood orange salsa.
And finally, my fave part of the meal:  dessert.  I was totally blown away by their key lime & tangerine marshmallow tart.  Filled with layers of key lime + tangerine curd, roasted house-made marshmallow, and rhubarb molasses in a shortbread crust, it was easily one of the best desserts I've ever had.  The spring sampler was also amazing!  For those of you wondering, it came with a mini-coconut custard brulee, a garnet dark chocolate torte, a mint julip petit four, and a jasmine blueberry ice cream cone.  I'd seriously go back for the sweets alone, like I'm drooling just thinking about it.
Anywho, that's a wrap for today! A huge thanks to Citron for being such wonderful hosts.  Definitely let me know if you guys decide to eat here - I'd love to hear your thoughts.  Sending lots and lots of love from Maryland.
0

The BEST Wings You'll Ever Have

Oh man, I can't even begin to tell you guys how much I loved the food at DCity Smokehouse.  My bf used to work at Order Ahead (similar to the Postmates app), and he said that it was one of the most popular restaurants on there in the DC area, BUT for some reason it didn't have the best reviews on Yelp? Soooo, I didn't know what to expect, but after eating their food, I'm a die hard fan...like they should just take all of my money right now because I'd happily eat there every day for the rest of my life, ha.
We met up with the lovely Whitney Stringer and ordered several dishes to share.  First up, the Meaty Palmer ($10).  Holy freaking crap, this sandwich straight up slayed!  It was literally one of the most amazing sammiches I'd ever tasted, and Robby enthusiastically agreed.  It contained turkey, pork belly, avocado, tomato, chipotle aioli, and everything else good in life.  The toast was super buttery, and the meat just melted in my mouth.  Also pictured below: their jalapeno cheddar grits - super yummy and flavorful ($6 for a large).
I'm a sucker for all things cheesy so I obviously had to try their mac and cheese.  The boyf and I spent a good amount of time shooting pictures of everything so by the time we dug in, this baby had (sadly) congealed, but it still tasted nomtastic AF!  The noodles were cooked just right, and the flavor was on point. 
Now onto my fave platter of the night:  the Ribs and Wings Combo ($15).  It came with 2 sides so we went with house pickles and fried brussels sprouts, which BTW were ridiculously tasty - I highly recommend both!  Anywho, the sprouts and wings were both seasoned with their scrumptious rub, and I seriously couldn't get enough of either!  I honestly didn't think wings could taste so good?  They were cooked to perfection, and the crunch of the pickle complemented the texture beautifully!  I didn't get to try the ribs, but Robby said they were ah-maaa-zing and tasted extra smoky (in the best way possible).
The last dish we got was a sammy called The Big Snoop (with an order of spiced fries on the side): half smoke sausage, pulled pork, coleslaw and BBQ sauce.  This was my least fave out of the bunch, but that's not saying much because it was still yummy!  Honestly, nothing could top their wings + Meaty Palmer so it's almost unfair to compare.  I definitely want to try the Tommy Gun (smoked turkey, cheese, crispy onions, bbq sauce and cilantro ranch) and brisket the next time I go.  OH, and make sure you guys get a side of cilantro ranch when you go because it's stupid good.
That's it for today's nom adventure!  I hope you guys enjoyed my latest recap - make sure y'all stay tuned for more.  Remember, I publish new posts each and EVERY weekday so keep your eyes peeled.  Sending lots of love from the DMV! Let me know how you guys like the restaurant if you go.
5

Family Traditions with Gran Reserva



When I was a little kid, I spent most of my time practicing piano with my mom - she was my first teacher and cracked the whip pretty intensely when it came to my musical studies.  I was putting in a good 4-6 hours a day in addition to school, so suffice it to say, my life revolved around tickling the ivories.
I didn't have much free time, but I still took tae-kwon-do with my father, a bajillionth-time world champion.  He's a 9th degree black belt in TKD and has several schools around the US.  He was the first ITF middleweight champion and was proclaimed the "fastest kicker alive."

....sooo yeah, I definitely listened to him when I was being disciplined as a child, ha.  Anywho, I earned a 2nd degree black belt, but father-daughter time didn't stop there!  He was and still is an avid golfer so he'd take me out to his country club to teach me everything he knew about the game.  To be completely honest, I wasn't a huge fan of it growing up - I thought golf was boring and it was always so dang hot outside - but I grew to love our hangs, and now that I'm older, I cherish every moment we spend together even more.
I'm all about hustling and working hard to achieve my dreams, but family will always come first in my book.  End of story.  I feel like it's easy to take your family for granted because they love you unconditionally, but like all relationships, you must treat them with the utmost care, and that means making sacrifices on the daily.

Now, do I think golf's the best thing since sliced bread? No, but I love our age-old tradition, and I honestly look forward to it every time I come home.  I'm not the best golfer in the world, but I can definitely hold my own.  We also enjoy watching championship games together while sipping Gran Reserva!  Mom doesn't usually go out with us, but she'll often join us for a glass of red when we're hanging out in the basement watching tournaments on the big screen.
Before I leave you today, I have a surprise for you guys.  Enjoy a $25 credit on a round of golf at major golf courses nationwide courtesy of Concha y Toro Bran Reserva.  Find a specially marked bottle necker where you buy wine. And you can also enter a great sweepstakes to win one year of free golf - click here to enter!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
1

The Perfect Top for Summer + Wit & Wisdom's Patio Party Recap

I'm all about pretty tops so this was a done deal right from the getgo.  Marled's been a fave brand of mine for quite some time now so I'm beyond stoked to feature them on SS.  I'm not sure if you guys remember, but I actually styled one of their pieces a while back - clicky here if you missed it!  The brand was founded in 2015 by Reunited Clothing, and I've been obsessed ever since.  Their garb oozes femininity and class so if you're a fan of all things chic and elegant, you'll fall head over heels in love with their designs.
I kept things simple for today's OOTD by pairing my new top with jeans and animal print pumps.  I wanted my sleeves to take centerstage so I skipped jewelry altogether.  I did, however, carry my new YSL crossbody!  I purchased it online at Neiman when they were offering peeps a $600 gift card for spending "x" amount of money. I also had credit + cash saved up so I decided to treat myself since it IS my birthday month, ha. 
If you're a fan of statement sleeves, you'll love...
Top:  Marled || Shoes:  Saks Off 5th (splurge vs. save) || Jeans:  Aeropostale || Bag:  YSL
A HUGE thanks to the amazing Sung Shin for shooting these pics for me!  I seriously don't know what I'd do without him - thank god for creative friends who are all sorts of awesome.  Now onto the food portion of today's latest.  I know this is totally belated, but I just HAD to recap Wit & Wisdom's patio party for y'all.
It was seriously the perfect end to a crazy work day.  I mean, cocktails and crab? What more could a girl want?  I got there with my girl Natalie, and we immediately headed to the bar to grab two glasses of frosé.  We sipped on our drinks while browsing the array of noms available!  Their food was (unsurprisingly) on point as per usual - they had fried softshell crab in a magical sauce, refreshing crab lettuce cups, caesar salad, strawberry tacos (sounds weird but t'was amazeballs), fried chicken in adorbs sugar cones, sliders, killer BBQ pork belly bites, panna cotta, and more!
Don't ask me for my fave dish because I can't choose.  Anywho, I can't wait to come back when it's warm out - I'm going to drink and eat to my heart's content.  In fact, the waitstaff at Wit & Wisdom's gonna have to roll me out the door, ha.  Alright guys, that's a wrap for today!  I hope you enjoyed today's post.  OH, and I almost forget - a HUGE thanks to Chrissie Perry for the invite! 
2