Tag Archives: restaurant

A Whole Latte Shaking Going on with NesCafe Dolce Gusto

Posted on by Run DMT
11

Monday evening, Kelly and I joined some local foodie bloggers for the NesCafé Dolce Gusto FeedUp at Restaurant BT in South Tampa.

Having dined at Restaurant BT before, I was chomping at the bit to sample her NesCafé Dolce Gusto dish:  Shaking Beef (Bo Luc Lac).  Chef BT demonstrated how to prepare the dish, which is featured in the NesCafe Dolce Gusto- The Dinner Party Primer.

Shaking Beef (Bo Luc Lac)

Ingredients

1 lb filet mignon steak

4 cloves finely chopped garlic

2 Tbsp Oil or butter

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp fish sauce

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 vine ripe tomatoes

2 cups watercress

1/4 red onion, finely sliced

1 Tbsp Cognac (Courvoisier optional)

Directions

  • Cut steak into bite-sized cubes, place in a bowl with garlic, soy sauce. red onion, fish sauce, sugar and pepper.  Mix well.
  • Heat a large, heavy-based pan until very hot. Add oil or butter until brown.  Add beef cubes and toss by shaking the pan.
  • Turn meat with tongs until brown and seared on the outside but still pink in the center.
  • Add congnac and toss before removing from heat.
  • Slice tomatoes and arrange on plate to make a decorative base.
  • Arrange watercress around or on top of tomatoes and watercress.
  • Place the beff in a mound on top of tomatoes and watercress.
  • Served with jasmine-scented steamed rice.

The tender bite-sized filet mignon melted in my mouth.  It was simply divine and our evening was off to a very satisfying start.

After a few more appetizers and desserts with a Vietnamese flare, we sampled the NesCafé Dolce Gusto.  These coffees target a demographic audience of 25-35 year olds in attempt to tap into the Keurig market.

I often drink Starbuck’s Via in a pinch, on the go or while camping and the NesCafé Dolce Gusto is very similar product.  As compared to Starbuck’s Vanilla Via, the Dolce Gusto Vanilla Latte Macchiatto has a milder taste.  For my sample Dolce Gusto Vanilla Latte Macchiatto, I chose to go a little lighter on the cream and froth, so it needed a bit more sugar, but it was still very smooth and tasty.

Since I don’t like my kitchen counters cluttered with a bunch of small appliances, the NesCafé Dolce Gusto Piccolo is the perfect compact size.  Plus, it is very easy to operate.  No barista training necessary.

Although I am a Vanilla Latte kind of lady, there are a variety of other NesCafé Dolce Gusto Flavors, including regular brew coffees, cappuccinos, espressos, hot cocoa and iced teas.

And by the looks on all the bloggers’ faces, it gets everyone’s seal of approval.

 

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Now link up and see what If I Could Escape and Gone Bananas are serving for this week’s Friday Food Fight.



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For Folk’s Sake

Posted on by Run DMT
4

No man may be island, but Ella’s Americana Folk Art Café definitely sets itself apart in a sea of usual Tampa dining standards. Situated in heart of Seminole Heights, the red brick-colored building stands out as blatantly as the Seminole Heights Baptist Church.

Upon walking along Ella’s bowling ball edged path and stepping foot into the restaurant, its eclectic sensibility is evident by the art in the yard and its collections hanging on the walls.

Even the bar is a work of art.

In true Southern style, we were welcomed by everyone from the hostess, the bartender, the chef, the owner and lastly our server.  With his recommendation, we started our meal with hummus pesto spread drizzled with a balsamic reduction and served with warm soft pita.

Rumor has it that Ella’s organic Angus beef burgers are bar none.  My oldest daughter tried The Boring minus the toppings as she didn’t want them getting in the way of the meat.  I stole her beer-battered zucchini fritters so she wouldn’t have to subject herself to another veggie in the way of her burger.

Hubby ordered The Stuffed, a half-pound organic raised Angus beef patty stuffed with caramelized onion, gorgonzola and bacon served on a bed of arugula.  A name very fitting for this burger since Allan could only finish half of it.  So, I helped myself to his sweet potato waffle fries.

Even with food made fresh daily and all natural, organic ingredients, I steered away from the Angus beef burgers and ordered The Good, which may seem silly with menu full of interesting twists on soul food favorites.  But I couldn’t resist a homemade veggie burger and my decision didn’t disappoint me.  With a chickpea flour base, Ella’s veggie patty was chockfull of whole beans, such as black bean and garbanzo.   I made The Good even better and healthier by ordering a side salad to accompany my burger.  Besides, I needed to balance out the fried foods I pinched off my family’s plates.

Plus, my guilt-free meal allowed me to indulge in a true Southern summertime classic, Peach Cobbler.  Bourbon soaked peaches served warm with homemade vanilla ice cream was a sweet ending to a fantastic meal.

We’re planning another visit to Ella’s Americana Folk Art Café very soon, especially for Soul Food Sunday or a Friday night for the live music.  But we’ll certainly visit again in cooler weather to enjoy our meal on Ella’s darling outside dining deck which spotlights another work of art, a huge old oak tree.

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A Beautiful Thing

Posted on by Run DMT
17

PhotobucketI’ve expressed my love for all things Italian on this blog many times before so it should come as no surprise that hubby took me for an Italian meal for my birthday.

At Bella’s Italian Café, we enjoyed a delicious three course meal starting with Bella’s Famous Chopped Salad, a finely chopped chicken breast, crumbled bacon, diced tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, red cabbage, gorgonzola, ditalini pasta and romaine all tossed in a dijon vinaigrette.

Although we should have split our entree, we each ordered the Salciccia Al Forno , Italian sausage tossed with penne pasta, mushrooms and ricotta in a creamy tomato sauce, then topped with mozzarella and baked.

 

Of course, we made sure to leave room for dessert and selected Tiramisu (a classic Italian dessert with layers of lady fingers, zabaglione – Marsala flavored custard, espresso whipped cream and mascarpone topped with whipped cream and warmed chocolate sauce) to top it off.  Much like restaurant’s name, our meal was simply beautiful.

 

Whereas others would be tired of eating Italian food, this past week we’ve been piling on the cheesy pasta dishes.  Per my request, Iron Chef Allan concocted a baked penne casserole and it was better than I hoped for!  This stringy cheesy layered mess really satisfied my craving.

Iron Chef Allan’s Baked Penne

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 cartons of Pomi chopped tomatoes

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 cup fresh basil , finely chopped

1 tsp dried oregano

Kosher salt

Ground black pepper

1 lb pasta

1 lb shredded part skim mozzarella

3 cups whole milk ricotta

1/4 cup grated parmesean

1 egg

Directions

Prepare penne according to al dente directions on box.

In a saucepan, soften onions in olive oil for about 10 minutes.  Add garlic to onions and cook for about 1 minute.  Add tomatoes, 1 Tbsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, red pepper flakes, basil and oregano.  Simmer for about ten minutes or until warmed through.

In a large bowl, mix ricotta, mozzarella, egg, parmesean, 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper with half the tomato sauce.  Pour mixture into a 9 x 11 baking pan.  Top with remaining sauce, mozzerella and parmesean cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown at 350 degrees.

 

Now link up and see what If I Could Escape and Gone Bananas are serving for this week’s Friday Food Fight.


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Mia Bella Pasta

Posted on by Run DMT
13

Bella’s Italian Café is one of our favorite Tampa restaurants.  I dream of their homemade pastas and specialty sauces, especially Bella’s Roasted Tomato Cream Sauce.  But eating out every time I get a craving simply doesn’t fit into our budget not to mention what wouldn’t fit into my pants!  So when I spotted the Monterey Pasta Company Raviolis on sale at our local supermarket, I decided to create my own little Bella’s dinner at home.

 

We’ve tried several varieties of these Monterey raviolis and they are all delicious, but for my Bella-like dish, I selected the smoke mozzarella and artichoke.

Then, I let my creativity juices flow (with the help of Iron Chef Allan).  I dabbled with a little of this and a lot of that and VOILÀ!  A beautiful Bella-like dish emerged!  The smoked mozzarella raviolis and this sage sauce were a perfectly delicious combination!

Run DMT’s Sage and Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped finely

4 garlic cloves, minced

26 oz chopped tomatoes (Pomi Chopped Tomatoes or Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes for a smokier flavor)

4-5 pieces of sundried tomatoes chopped finely

1 tsp dried sage

1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

On a low heat, sauté the onions in olive oil until translucent.  Add garlic and cook until soft.  Stir in tomatoes and spices and cook for about 5 minutes.  Then, slowly stir in cream until well combined and warmed through sauce.  Remove from heat and serve over your favorite pasta.  I recommend the thicker chunkier pastas such as rigatoni or penne.

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Even though Karen is back in the States, we’re continuing to fling foods at one another. Link up and see what If I Could Escape and Gone Bananas are serving for this week’s Friday Food Fight.

*Also submitted at*

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Sister, We’re Two of a Kind

Posted on by Run DMT
3

Sometimes, my sister and I will call the other out of the blue and sing lines from Miss Celie’s Blues in a soulful voice.

 

 

Although my sister and I are very close, we don’t talk as often as we would like.Life just seems to get in the way, but a much needed Girls Night Out quickly becomes our quality time together. After hearing my about my pathetic birthday story, she offered to buy me dinner Wednesday night at any restaurant of my choice.Having never dined at The Capital Grille, I chose it for our destination.

 

The food was fabulous, but the company was even better!We spent the evening sipping wine and swapping stories to bring each other up to speed with all the latest news. With a wedding planned for March 2009, Simone shared loads of wedding details and I ate it all up like a side dish paired with my Kona Crusted Sirloin.

 

Simone and I pose for a photo opp at The Capital Grille

Simone and I pose for a photo op at The Capital Grille

 

“My Sister, My Sister, tell me what the trouble is. I’ll try to listen good and give the best advice that I can give.” (Monie Love, It’s a Shame 1990) I adore my sister. Like any best friend, she will drive to the end of the earth to shower you with her love and support. When she enters a room, her beauty and confidence radiates and all of her admirers happily bask in her glow. Simone has always been beautiful, but over the years, she has evolved into a remarkable woman. Above all, she loves my children and I feel truly blessed to have a sister like Simone.

 

We share jokes which span decades and only we understand. Allan calls it “The Simone and Denise show” and advises everyone to simply sit back and enjoy ride.  Growing up, Simone and I would try to make our mom laugh. If we could make Mom giggle, then we knew it was funny. I see the same relationship developing in my daughters and it pleases me to know that my daughters will share the same sisterly bond as me and my sister.

 

Oh Sister, have I got news for you
I’m somethin’
I hope you think
you’re somethin’ too.
(The Color Purple, Miss Celie’s Blues, 1985)

 

It's always the same Hollywood pose for Simone and me.

It's always the same Hollywood pose for Simone and me.