A Real Devil's Food Cake

If you are looking for one of the most sinful, inventive and delectable desserts, go no further than Capital Hill. Tango is a Spanish restaurant with Latin inspired cuisine that is very fun and delicioso. 

While I must give a quick shout out to the "Cheap Date", a Medjoohl date wrapped in bacon with pickled red onion and balsamic reduction, it's really the El Diablo dessert that takes the cake. "A bittersweet cube of sinfully rich, dark chocolate graced with cayenne, spicy almonds, cocoa nibs and burnt meringue finished with a tequila caramel sauce." My mouth is watering as I write this. The "cube" is a delecate no flour chocolate cake that is light and moist, almost like a mousse. Then you get this surprise "kick" from the cayenne that has been baked into it. It's on top of a burnt meringue that helps cut some of the sweetness from the cake and mouth watering tequila caramel sauce. Sinful chocolate, tequila and caramel...yes please! 

Brix Wine Cafe

Last night I enjoyed a delicious dinner at a trendy restaurant in Kirkland called Brix with my husband. I had been here once before a few years back with a friend and wanted to bring my husband and try it again since I enjoyed the food immensely. During my last visit I enjoyed a very tasty Sangria (definitely try it), calamari that was extremely flavorful and delicious flatbread pizza. 

Let's just get straight to the food since that's what I find the most fun to write about or read myself. My husband and I shared their three cheese & cracker plate as an appetizer. We picked three cheeses out of their menu of about six or seven. Two of the cheeses (one cow and one goat) were amazing, very buttery and good flavor, but not too strong. The third which was a white cheddar was good, but nothing special. (Keep to the cow, goat or blue cheeses.) 

For dinner I had what turned out to be one of my favorite salmon dinners ever. (I must quickly insert that my husband and I make a pretty good barbecue salmon at home with fresh trout or salmon like Steelhead or King Salmon he has caught.) I chose the salmon last night because it was Wild King (my favorite of the salmon), and the sauce looked delectable. It was a maple mustard sauce with caramelized bacon. The salmon was cooked medium and under it was creamy polenta, sautéed spinach and shoestring onion rings on top. The salmon was wonderful all on its own, but each bite was amazing with the sides it was accompanied with. It was both sweet and savory and melted in my mouth with wonderful textures and flavor. Sadly as wonderful as my dinner was, my husbands was a little bit of a let down. He had the chicken pot pie and said the chicken was dry, potatoes too firm and while the broth was tasty, there was not enough. I was disappointed for him, but it won't stop us from going back and having him try a different entree on their menu. 

We decided to complete our dinner with dessert and coffee. Things quickly turned around for him as we enjoyed their warm chocolate brownie complete with vanilla bean ice cream and semisweet chocolate sauce. The brownie was surprisingly very soft and baked to perfection, very close to a molten cake. I appreciate the chocolate sauce was made with semisweet chocolate to help cut the sweetness, but what always cuts the sweetness for me is a good cup of black coffee and their French press was amazing! It ended a perfect meal for me.

A few things about the restaurant itself. The staff was very attentive and friendly. Seating is a little cramped, but the noise helps for more private conversation. When you walk in you are greeted with faint smells of red wine which I enjoyed. I could almost taste a good Merlot. Parking can be a problem, but with my good luck we got a spot right up front. It's in a fun new retail area with the lake not too far away.

We had a very nice evening and look forward to visiting Brix Wine Cafe again soon.

CHRISTY'S TIPS

*My husband is always asking how I pick out the best food, so here is my tip in selecting good food at any restaurant: Read the entire menu item, not just the title of what it is. Read specifically what type of protein it is; is it Coho Salmon or King, is it a tough cut of meat or more tender, is it penne or linguine pasta, etc. Pay attention to how it is cooked; broiled, roasted, pan fried. What kind of sauce does it have and what is in the sauce. It's all in the details. Match the details up with your personal taste and you will probably have success. Don't be afraid to ask your server questions too!

Taco Tuesdays at Rubios - Yummy!

In California one of my favorite places to eat dinner with my parents is a placed called Rubio's. It's not a fancy or upscale restaurant like I'm sure most of you think "my favorite" would be. It's a place that makes delicious fish tacos for $1.50. Yes, you read me right, only a buck fifty! It's become a very fun tradition for me to do with the family when I visit. During my visit in November my daughter enjoyed her first one.

Their original fish taco began in 1983 and every Tuesday starting at 2:30pm you will find them serving them up. The taco is wild Alaska Pollock, hand dipped in their signature seasoned beer batter and cooked to crispy perfection. They top it with their Rubio's white sauce, mild salsa and fresh cabbage. (Mmmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.) They serve it on a warm stone-ground corn tortilla and garnished with a lime wedge. They also have a salsa bar you can help yourself to.

If you ever find yourself passing a Rubio's on a Tuesday be sure to stop in and order a few of their fish tacos!

That is fried goodness!!!

Koral Bar & Kitchen

For date night this week my husband Joe and I dined at Koral Bar & Kitchen in Bellevue thanks to a deal on LivingSocial. The restaurant is a newer addition to downtown Bellevue and offers a casual and warm dining experience with very flavorful food. 

We had made reservations and were seated promptly when we arrived. Our server Kristin was very fun and helpful with the menu. She brought me a delightful glass of Cabernet to start off the meal with.

For our appetizer Joe noticed something new on their menu we had not tried before and since we are adventurous diners we started our dinner with "roasted marrow bones, crispy crostini and a parsley-caper salad". We are very glad we tried it, but I don't know if it's something we would order often. It's very buttery and rich, but a little unctuous for us. If you are a person that likes to suck the fat off your bones you will very much enjoy this. I thought of my mother as I was eating this because after a family barbecue of my Dad's famous babyback ribs you will find my mom sucking the flavor and oil off the bone.

For dinner I ordered the housemade Gnocchi which was bursting with flavor and prepared very well. Gnocchi is an Italian dumpling and when cooked right is very soft and melts in your mouth. Executive Chef Bradley Dickinson prepares it in a herb butter sauce with heirloom tomatoes. Joe ordered the center-cut filet mignon with a herb demi glaze. The filet was extremely tender and packed full of flavor. Joe enjoyed savoring every bite and said it was one of the best filet's he's ever had. I'm not one to order filet mignon (being a rib-eye girl myself), but I do believe I would return to Koral Bar & Kitchen specifically for their filet mignon.

Here's what sealed the deal for us though. One of my favorite desserts is chocolate mousse and they have "chocolate mousse for two". For fun they serve it in a huge bowl with two spatulas - no joke. The mousse is luscious and decadent and they serve it extra thick with whipped cream that is not too sweet. We were in heaven and felt like kids again eating with spatulas. Thank you Koral Bar & Kitchen for a wonderful and delightful meal last night.

Beats a Red Robin burger!

I'm actually a fan of Red Robin burgers, but the burger at Earls takes it to a more sophisticated level and tastes so good it's making my mouth water thinking about it. The certified Angus beef is full of flavor and cooked to perfection. It is garnished with melted cheddar, dry cured bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, mayonnaise and mustard. All the necessities! What really sets this burger apart though is their house made bun. It's warm, soft and buttery and holds all the delicious burger together. It's served with either a salad or fries, but go for the fries. They are delicious skinny cut fries that aren't too greasy and just enough salt to satisfy your craving.

The service at Earls is very friendly and warm. Our server was very attentive and accommodating and when one of my friends had a tooth reaction to her dinner the manager came over to see if she was alright and if they could get her anything else. My friend was fine, but it was a very appropriate gesture for the manager to come over. They also comped her entire tab which was very kind.

The atmosphere at Earls is different than other restaurants in Bellevue, but definitely still carries the sophistication you expect of Bellevue. Once inside Earls you almost feel like you have three types of seating to chose from. The bar is fun and comes alive at night. They play the games on the big flat screen TVs and the seating is very group friendly. Another part of the restaurant has a more retro 1970's diner kind of feel and the other part of the restaurant has more of an elegant sophisticated feel. This place is great for large parties because not only can they accommodate them, but it doesn't make the rest of the guest feel like the large parties are dominating the restaurant. There is a very large and long fireplace in the restaurant and all the window seating overlooking the main street in downtown Bellevue can slide open so you almost feel like you are sitting outside on the sidewalk. I also love the all glass wine room.

Earls is a very fun place and I look forward to returning again and trying something else on the menu. I have a feeling I will specifically go there to get the burger though.

Never made it to Whistler...

My husband and I were headed to Whistler for a weekend stay at the Westin for some R&R and fun. We were very excited since Joe's mother came to stay with Morgan while we went on our mini vacation. When we got to the Canadian border Friday evening we were randomly selected to pull over and be "checked out". We went inside the building where a lot of people were waiting as well. At first it didn't seem to be any big deal. A few people were being asked questions here and there or being able to return to their vehicles. But then one guy was being questioned a bit more critically it seemed and another couple got separated and were being interrogated by the border patrol like they were criminals. The lady was crying hard when they were done with her. This was turning quickly from an inconvenience to something a little more scary. They called Joe up (alone) and had two officers stand around him as they had him show he had no weapons on him and then they asked him a bunch of questions. Obviously from the background check Joe's past came up from almost 20 years ago. The officer was not very kind in his questioning and even went as far as to insinuate Joe could be a terrorist. Joe replied with "Officer, I'm a combat veteran and faithfully served my country, I'm NOT a terrorist.". (I was so proud when I heard about the conversation later.) They had Joe sit down after quite a lot of questions and asked me to come up. My heart was racing, but I kept telling myself this is crazy! We haven't done anything wrong, we just want to go into their country and spend money. They searched me and my purse, asked me if we had reservations someplace and then told me to sit down. After a few hours of being there we were finally told we could not enter Canada. It was very disappointing and almost unbelievable. Later we read about how you can be allowed in the country again (if you have a record), can you guess how? Pay them money! $1000 to be exact. LOL! No thank you! We will use that money to get Joe’s record expunged. Which we actually had been working on anyway so he can have his rights back. Now he is motivated more than ever – even selling off some of his hunting gear and if you know Joe, you know that is HUGE!!!

So we didn’t end up going to Canada, but the reason I put this on my blog as Christy’s picks is because we called the Westin to let them know what happened and even though the deal I had bought was paid for already they refunded our money. It was a huge blessing. We have stayed at the Westin in Whistler before and really enjoyed the hotel and all the amenities they offer. Check it out if you ever book a trip there.

We ended up going to the Semiahmoo Resort which was close by, but there isn’t much to brag about there other than they were very sympathetic to our situation and upgraded us to a suite for free. Sadly I can’t recommend this place though. If the beds were comfortable maybe for a very quiet get away, but the beds and pillows were very hard. The sheets were old and scratchy. The whole resort is a bit rundown and desperately needs a face lift. There is not even a cute town nearby to check out. The two towns are ghost towns because of the economy. The resort food was okay, except the Seafood Mac and Cheese was to die for! Their staff is very friendly and accommodating as well and we did have a nice couples massage during our stay.

It was definitely a disappointing trip. Had we known ahead of time we would have selected a different destination, but you live and learn.

 

 

 

Divine Dinner at Barking Frog...again!

Grilled Foccacia & Prosciutto di Parma Oregon Smoky Blue Cheese, Toasted Hazelnuts, Fig Jam, Grape Syrup

Seared Ahi & Pork Belly Shitake Mushrooms, Napa Cabbage, Fingerling Potatoes, Cipollini Onions, Soy Miso Beurre Blanc

Once again the Barking Frog in Woodinville, Washington and Chef Bobby Moore delivered an impressive dinner and wonderful dining experience. Last night my husband and I celebrated our seven year wedding anniversary and Joe knew right where to make reservations. We sat at our favorite table and were served by our favorite waiter Brian. To start with I had Brian recommend a sparkling Rose' wine. It was beautiful. Not too sweet, but not overly dry with a hint of fruit. For my starter I had the grilled foccacia which was so creative and delicious. The combination of grilled foccacia with the sweetness of the fig jam, the tangy taste of blue cheese and the saltiness of the prosciutto was perfect. For dinner I ordered the ahi tuna with pork belly. While ahi tuna is a favorite of mine, I had never had pork belly before. It did not disappoint. Chef Bobby and his staff blew my taste buds right out of the water with this creation. The ahi tuna was cooked perfectly and made the most amazing combination paired up with the pork belly. But the sauce was what brought it all together. Wow! We decided to skip dessert, but we did enjoy their French Press which they deliver with chocolate, cinnamon sticks, brown sugar and real whip cream. Who needs dessert when you have all those treats to put in your coffee! If you want to read more about this restaurant check out my post in August 2011. I talk a lot about the atmosphere you will find at the Barking Frog.