Tillman's Roadhouse

I know it has been too long. Most everyone has given up on my blog and I just about did too. Finishing school and looking for jobs has taken up most of my time.

Good thing I had dinner at Tillman's Roadhouse the other night to re-spark my interest.

Tillman's is one of the many great restaurants currently inhabiting the Bishop Arts District in south Dallas. I know when anyone from Dallas or surrounding areas sees the two words "south" and "Dallas" placed next to each other, they immediately cringe. But not I. I'm sure I've said this before but my favorite thing about Dallas is its wealth of great, great restaurants. I've spent a good amount of time in New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas and Dallas beats out all three in the restaurant business. I know that's weird to hear, but trust me it's not easy to say. There are an abundance of celebrity chefs who open their restaurants in these three cities and they are all great. The thing about Dallas is, there is an abundance of independently owned, small restaurants that are doing so many innovative things with food, presentation and atmosphere. Of course there are these types of establishments in the other cities, but I'm not talking about hippy food trucks and Jewish Deli's, although those are both great as well. I could talk about this for awhile but this post is about Tillman's.

We entered the eclectic/postmodern/southwest designed restaurant through the gas lamp and candle lit front porch. The first thing you get a whiff of is black truffle. Or any kind of truffle really. I only say this because I later found out it was black truffle so I now have some insight. We had to wait a little bit for our table which was fine with me because I wanted to hang out in the bar for a little bit anyways. They had old western movies projected up on the wall and tables were all made from tree stumps. I knew from the get go that this was another restaurant who took as much pride in their drinks as they do in their food. Jessica ordered the "87 ways" which is pictured above. I took all these pictures from their website by the way. I have learned that I am a better writer than photographer, plus I got tired of always taking pictures of my food at restaurants. Anyways..I ordered some type of bourbon drink similar to an old fashion and my mother ordered a Sassy something or other that was made with vanilla vodka and garnished with jalapenos. They were all good.

The tablescape was great, a very rustic "down-home" feel. Lots of wood with little medal bird figurines. As soon as we sat down the culprit truffle smell was presented to us in the form of buttered popcorn dusted with black truffle sitting in a giant silver spoon. One of the best "bread and butters" I've had in a restaurant....next to the fried calamari that was brought to our table in Paris, but that's another story. So we finished our drinks and jawed on for a bit while munching popcorn before we even looked at the menu. My mother had been perusing the Tillman's website for about a week, so she basically had the entire menu memorized and had already picked out what she wanted to eat about 3 days before our reservation. The one thing we HAD to order was the trio of fries.

Three different kinds of potatoes with three different kinds of seasonings and two homemade sauces. How much better does it get? Parmesan black pepper kennebecs, chili dusted purple peruvians and smoked salt sweets were all fried perfectly crisp and paired well with the homemade ketchup and horseradish pickle mayo. We also ordered the fried pickles which were equally good. Cornmeal horseradish batter with a spicy tomato ranch. They presented the fries as you see above and the pickles were brought out in a way that made it look as if the paper cup they were in had tipped over and most of the pickles had fallen out on the plate. Pretty cool looking if you ask me. By this time Jessica and my mom were, as usual, already full. But they powered on like champs.

Pictured above is my entree, the ribs and mac and cheese...you know I had to get the mac and cheese. It was pretty good. Similar taste to my own recipe, but there was no crispy top, which was disappointing. The ribs were good. They didn't fall of the bone, but that's the way I like them. They had a good bark and flavor and weren't over sauced, the way Texas ribs are made and how all ribs should be made. My mother ordered the scallops which were made southern style, placed on top of fried green tomatoes and roasted pepper grits. She wasn't too pleased with it but I found it to be quite savory. The scallops were good size and cooked absolutely perfect. The oil that the tomatoes went into must have been too hot because the batter on them was a bit dark and the inside a bit raw, but they still gave a good textural contrast to the dish. Jessica ordered the special. I have to give her credit. Usually it is I who places the best order of the night, but that achievement went to her on this occasion. The special was a butternut squash ravioli with fresh figs, swiss chard and pancetta. This was a complex dish with great flavor..when the chard was left out. I don't know what happened, but it had a very fishy taste and ruined the whole dish. But a bite of the ravioli with the fig and pancetta was heavenly.

Apart from the trio of fries, my mother insisted on this restaurant because of the table side s'mores. So naturally we ordered them. All the ingredients were house made. The dark chocolate bark, the graham crackers and the orange, maple and coffee flavored marshmallows. They brought it all out on a board with some sort of contained fire in a black kettle looking device. They were divine. I don't know if I'll ever want a store bought ingredient s'more ever again.

All in all I am adding this to my list of favorite Dallas restaurants. I've also heard good things about Bolsa and Oddfellos which are all in the area. I will have to try them as well.

Thursday night plans...$1 beer bowling...not really my cup of tea but for some reason sounds unequivocally intriguing.

Also

Frying turkeys for the Baylor/OU game this weekend, maybe a post on how to do that properly.

And my New York Thanksgiving trip is coming up very soon. More to come on that indeed.

Momma had to one-up me

A little Afternoon Snack

When I got back from class this afternoon I was famished. I had some left over Stilton from when I made mac and cheese, so I paired it with some parmesan, salami, nuts, red pepper humus, fig preserves and some crustinis with garlic rosemary butter. I added a relaxing mid-afternoon glass of Blanton's. Nice.

You Can't Script October

The old adage of the MLB marketing team continues to prove true. In fact it almost could have been proven somewhat wrong if the Brew Crew would have won the NL pennant and advanced. Think about this; C.J. Wilson will most likely be the game 1 pitcher for the Rangers (a stupid decision but one that will made made nevertheless), a deciding run in the All-Star game this year, to give the NL home-field advantage, was a homer by Prince Fielder off of C.J. Wilson, if the Brewers would have beaten the Cards, the All-Star game would have been a pretty good insight to the World Series. Pretty farfetched, I know, but who would have thought a St. Louis wild card team would be heading to the series instead of the power pitching of the Phillies? Either way, I know a few people who are upset about the Brewers not pulling it out and I also know one person who is very excited and probably a bit torn over a Cards/Rangers match up.

Nevertheless, I am ecstatic about a Ranger repeat trip to the series. Everyone is already writing off the Cards, which tends to prove devastating for the favored team, so hopefully that will wear off by Wednesday and the Rangers can focus on bringing home a title. It would look oh so good next the Mav's Larry O'Brian trophy.

I also wanted to point out a pretty obvious phenomenon that is kind of a given, but I felt like stating it anyhow. One of my favorite things about the Rangers being in the postseason is the increase in Rangers clothing around campus. And with that increase in Rangers red and blue, comes an increase in laptop and iPad usage in classes. During the ALDS and ALCS I saw more devices in use during class than I have all year. I was lucky enough have an iPad of my own to take to afternoon classes when the Rangers were playing. I saw people who normally sleep or stare at their desk during class, actually alert. I don't know if professors think that there is a sudden urge to want to take down notes or what, but they seem oblivious. The best part is the fact that everyone's device works at a different pace, so there is like a "wave" of subtle emotion that starts at one end of the room and makes its way all the way around within about a 30 second time frame when something good or bad happens. If the Tigers hit a 2 run shot, you could look across the room to someone you've never even met before and, if you make eye contact with them, you both feel the same feeling, and you both understand each other. It is quite a thing.

The MLB postseason is yet another derivative of the Fall season. Last year I went to the Rangers two ALCS wins at the new Yankee stadium. It was an unrivaled experience to smile while obnoxious Yankee fans around us would yell and taunt and then by about the 7th inning, were all leaving because they were losing so bad. Classic.

Anyways, we are expecting a nice cold front to come through tomorrow which will make watching the Rangers in the Series that much more enjoyable. Go Rangers!

Mac and Cheese: A Revelation

I've said it once, I'll say it again. I am a HUGE fan of mac and cheese. I consider myself to be an aficionado of the stuff. There are two menu items that I have taken upon myself to sample anytime I am at a restaurant that serves them. The Chili Relleno and mac and cheese. Both items are fickle in their own respects and I have set out on a journey to find the greatest of each and tell the world about them. Today is all about mac and cheese but just as a side note, the best two Chili Rellenos can be found for a reasonable price at Chuy's (most anywhere in Texas) and for a not so reasonable price at Mesa Grill (I've tried the rellenos at the Mesa in Las Vegas and New York and that damn Bobby Flay is quite consistent).

(I know this next paragraph looks ominous but there are pictures later on, I promise.)

My love for the cheesy creation has grown over the years. Most people list mashed potatoes as their comfort food, the thing they could just eat and eat with no end in site. Well for me, mac and cheese fills that spot. I guess the development of my connoisseurship of mac and cheese was synonymous with my matured taste in fine cheeses. I'd have to say this was developed in the summer of 09 when I was studying abroad in England with Jessica and a few fraternity brothers. I took Jessica to Paris for a weekend getaway and we dined at the Michelin Star rated Le Cinq, at The Four Season's Hotel. This was the best meal I've ever eaten. It included the greatest fois gras I've ever put in my mouth, which in turn made it the best single food item I've ever had. But the revelation came at the cheese course. They wheeled out a large glass windowed cart that I was to make my selections from. Now, Jessica hates cheese. When the waiter opened the door to the cart, she about passed out from the pungent odor that seeped from depths of it, but she was revived when he brought around the after dinner sweets cart and loaded up a to-go box with all sorts of french confections. I'm getting off topic I know but this truly was an experience that I would have made an incredibly long post about, had I been blogging at that time. Anyways..I had already sampled a few finer cheeses before. My parents are big fans of Central Market and their cheese selections. But this experience really got me into cheese. Once you have had the finest cheeses France has to offer, Velveeta and Kraft singles just don't do it anymore.

So, on to the main event. The best mac and cheeses I've had to date or listed as follows. Sorry Dad but I have to say it, my absolute favorite is McCormick and Schmick's. It is of the andouille variety and the taste of truffle oil comes right to the forefront. Bob's comes in a very close second, followed shortly thereafter by Winewood's (check it out if you're in Grapevine, dad's newest place). And finally, Nolita House in New York. This one may have made the list on the sole fact that this place was my haven while living in New York City. Just to get a bit off topic again, I was walking down Houston St. one day around 11:00 am and heard the sweetest sound since arriving in the city. It was the beautifully lazy sound of a couple fiddles, a banjo, a mandolin, and an upright base creeping from an open window of a second floor bar. I walked upstairs to find a PACKED little bar/restaurant type set up that is so typical of NYC establishments. I sat down at the bar, ordered a Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout and was absolutely filled with a feeling of home. The bar maid handed me a menu and as we began to talk she informed me that every Saturday and Sunday they have a "Boozy Bluegrass Brunch". As 3 of my favorite words were placed side-by-side and decoded in the same order in my brain, I realized I would be frequenting this place over my next 4 months in the city. The crowd that visited Nolita House on Saturday and Sunday mornings was a young crowd (20's) who were there to relieve there mid-morning hangovers with menu items such as green eggs and ham, shrimp and grits, and vanilla brandy french toast. The management at this fine establishment was so kind as to grant each patron with a free mimosa or bloody marry with the purchase of an entree. No doubt, my favorite place in NYC.

Along my quest to find the best mac and cheese there is, I decided to perfect a recipe of my own. Unfortunately none of my favorite mac and cheeses are in Waco, so I am forced to make my own.

I start with a classic bechamel sauce (hot milk whisked into a roux) and then add cheese to it. I went with a trifecta of predominately Gruyere, because of its mild flavor, and Extra Sharp Cheddar because it is a good basic cheese. Then I added a decent amount of crumbled Stilton (a blue cheese) to give it a depth of flavor.

I like to have some sort of meat in my mac and cheese. Crumbled bacon works great but so does smoked sausage. I just so happened to have some left over jalapeno smoked venison links, so I went with that.

I didn't get too fancy with the pasta, just went with a classic elbow macaroni.

Now for the absolute key step in any paramount mac and cheese preparation. Spoon your mac and cheese into individual ramekins or gratin dishes. I like to dust the top with a small amount of ancho chili powder and then top with bread crumbs. You can certainly experiment with bread crumbs. I went with prepared Italian bread crumbs because I just happened to have them on hand, but I recommend making your own with sliced bread and herbs. Bake the mac off in the oven until they get bubbly and the top crisps up. In my opinion the crisp top and sides of a baked mac and cheese really make a difference.

There are so many ways to experiment with mac and cheese. If I had some truffle oil that would have definitely gone into it and tomatoes go great with mac and cheese.

So that's that. I tried to get this off before football started but was unsuccessful. Therefore, I come to an abrupt end.

Fall Break

I was going to post about something very dear to my heart this afternoon, but then I realized, it's Thursday afternoon, I have absolutely nothing important going on and all classes are cancelled tomorrow for Fall Break.

So look forward to a pretty enlightening post probably on Sunday and then a little ditty about postseason baseball and surrounding on-campus phenomenon to follow.

And I will leave you with this.

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/colleges/post/_/id/4674286/battle-of-the-brazos-goes-out-with-a-bang

The Ides of March

I saw the next great film of the year in The Ides of March this weekend. This political thriller, starring Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman...the list goes on and on, was the best all around movie I've seen so far this year. The acting, producing, writing, directing, all top notch. Once again I find myself writing about a large release film that has been advertised for weeks, so I won't go too in-depth in explaining the plot. But just to shed a little light on the story, it is a film that takes place in Ohio during the Democratic primary elections and is based, in a very loose sense of the word, on a young, idealist campaign manager.

Anyone who knows a bit about Roman history or Shakespeare can deduce from the title that this is a film about betrayal. "Beware the Ides of March" is a famous line from the Shakespearean play Julius Caesar, the story of Brutus' betrayal and conspiratorial murder of his friend and ruler. Along with the aforementioned plot, this film is very much about betrayal on many different levels. Anyone can assess solely from the trailers that trust, loyalty, and conspiracy are large themes of this story.

The film is adapted from a play written by Beau Willimon. It is George Clooney's newest directing attempt since Leatherheads in 2008. He also, of course, stars in the film alongside a stunning cast that has all the rights to the lead in the "Best Ensemble Cast" category thus far. The very recently busy Ryan Gosling plays the smart and charming idealist campaign manager, and plays it well. I don't feel the need to be redundant or superfluous in saying that Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti were brilliant, it is just something one comes to expect from the two. The cast is rounded out by a few up-in-coming young actors such as Evan Rachael Wood (Across the Universe, look for her to really break out in coming years) and Max Minghella (The Social Network). Oh and of course there is the shark-when-blood-is-in-the-water reporter played by Marisa Tomei, who's name is always heard when Oscar season comes around.

The incredibly long list of producers, including Leo DiCaprio, implemented a score that, coupled with the constant turns in plot, kept the film at a constant tensity cultivating in an ending that was almost expected after the climax is revealed in the middle of the film. Constant back-room dealings and private meetings churn the plot of the story into the political thriller that audiences and The Academy love. It felt to me like two of my favorites from the 2008 Oscar year Frost/Nixon and Michael Clayton meshed into one, making a film that I suggest you see.

So just to review the year so far. Best movies, in my opinion have been; Ides of March, Moneyball, Midnight in Paris and Tree of Life. Looking forward to Anonymous, Take Shelter and The Girls with the Dragon Tattoo. Also I'll probably see some of the more entertaining over thought provoking films like The Raven, Three Musketeers and In Time, just because they look pretty cool. Excited about Tree of Life coming out on Blue-ray.

Sunday Afternoon

Had a great time last night watching my Bears beat Iowa State. Some other really great news is that I woke up this morning to a beautiful sound. Rain.

A much welcomed sight down here. So it got me thinking, what better to make on a rainy day to eat while watching football than a big pot of chili. I've made plenty of different chili variations in my day but my dad has been trying to get me to make his recipe for awhile. I had him text me the ingredients before he boarded a flight to Malaysia and I got it just in time. His side of the family is from up North, so I'm going to just name this recipe Yankee Chili. If any of y'all are reading right now, this one goes out to you.

This is the first recipe that I've decided to post and it's pretty basic. So far all the food that I've made and posted about has been pretty simple stuff but I'm still getting use to blogging and I will definitely be posting some of my more impressive things in the future.

Yankee Chili:
1 large yellow onion
1 bell pepper
3 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno
1 lb ground beef (I used deer meat)
1 can chili (no beans)
2 cans red kidney beans
1 can chopped tomatoes
64 oz bottle V8
seasonings to taste (I used 2 tbsp chili powder, 1 tbsp cayenne, 1 tbsp salt)

Basically you give all the raw stuff a rough chop and saute in veg oil. Add the meat and brown. Add all canned items and the V8. At this point it is ready for consumption but I like to actually cook the stuff instead of just cook the stuff, if you know what I mean. I usually let it sit at medium low heat for about an hour and then add my seasonings. After that I'll let it sit for the rest of the day on low to really soften up the veggies and let the flavors all marry together.

Normally I would have made a big batch of cornbread to eat with it, but I had a bunch of leftover rolls and biscuits so I left the cornbread out. But don't worry, we still managed to Southern this meal up. Jessica made some Texas caviar (great stuff, you can look up the recipe for that online anywhere) and we ate it with Ritz crackers and pimento cheese. Also, as you can see in the picture, we had a bowl of popcorn and M&Ms as well, the greatest pairing of foodstuffs known to man. It isn't shown in the picture but the best way to eat this chili is with some shredded cheddar cheese and a fat dollop of sour cream.

We went and saw Ides of March this afternoon so be expecting that.

The Weight: Gillian Welch and Old Crow Medicine Show

I was shown this video by a fraternity brother a couple years ago. He knew that I was a huge fan of OCMS and thought I mite enjoy the song. In my opinion this is the greatest version of this classic song I've heard and one of the greatest songs I've heard period. The melodies of all the different string instruments combined with the beautiful voice of Miss Welch and the crazy good voices of OCMS make this a phenomenal live tune. Now I'm no music enthusiast and am not going to even attempt to break down this song critically, but I do know a good song when I hear it and this is certainly one of them.

I wanted to make a post about it for three reasons; one, it is a perfect song to listen to on a cool Fall day, two, I just wanted to share it with anyone who hasn't heard it, and three, I am hoping that someone will tell me how I can find this song to put on my ipod. I've looked for this song on itunes and every other resource at my disposal to try and get it on my mobile devices but have had to settle for youtube every time I want to hear it. Anyways, please enjoy.

Monday Night Sliders

With Monday Night Football and the Rangers game on last night I needed something good to eat in order to keep my strength up. Enter venison sliders.

Sunday night I put a package of venison burger meat and a package of seasoned 50/50 (venison and pork to add some fat) in the fridge to thaw for the week. I had class until about 7:30 Monday night so I needed to do something pretty easy. The frozen parker house rolls I had in the freezer gave me a great idea. Sliders.

The way the deer meat is packaged has it already the perfect shape for sliders. All I had to do was slide the packaging down and cut individual patties, the same way I do it for breakfast sausage patties. I cut out 3 patties and seasoned with salt and pepper on each side. I cut up about half of a half of a vidalia onion and tossed it all in a grill pan.

Pretty easy I know but I was starving and wanted to watch the games. While the patties and onions were going, I had the rolls baking simultaneously. This is what they look like.

Towards the end I topped my patties with some sharp cheddar and then the onions and let everything melt together.

I topped all three with onions as you can see, but the best part about sliders is the ability to mix and match. One of them I did just cheese onions and ranch dressing, the second I took out the ranch and did ketchup and a pickle, and the third I replaced the ketchup with mustard.

Paired it with some Zapp's BBQ chips and a Shiner Oktoberfest. Pretty basic I know. This post is just about as simple as the meal, but much like last night I am now short on time. I have a pizza from Shorty's waiting on me and the Rangers ALDS game is starting..well, now. So I bid you adieu.

The Best of Bourbons

As I have already mentioned in previous posts, Fall is here. It's time to finish off the Gin and Vodka in your humble home bars and fill you gullet with something that'll warm your bones in the cold coming months. In order to fully welcome in the season, I felt it was only prudent to talk a little bit about America's own spirit, Bourbon.

For those of you who don't know, bourbon is uniquely American. Unlike other popular whiskeys such as scotch, from Scotland, and various Crown Royal products, from Canada, bourbon is an American made whiskey. The world of whiskey is actually a pretty complicated one and most people don't fully understand what makes whiskeys different. There are many different types of whiskeys and countless variations of such types that could fill a book, and have. Today I'm talking specifically about bourbon.

Now there are some people who know a little more than others about whiskey, but still don't know much. These people tend to think that because bourbons come predominately from Kentucky that in order for a whiskey to be considered a bourbon, it must be made in Kentucky. This is false. For a whiskey to be deemed bourbon, it must contain 51 percent corn in the mashbill, with the remainder being made up of barley, wheat, or rye. It also has to be matured in new, charred white-oak barrels for no less than 2 years. This is what constitutes a bourbon and therefor can be made anywhere. It just so happens that the limestone soil in Kentucky yields rich crops of corn and the water source is fresh and plentiful. It is no consequence that surrounding states such as Tennessee enjoy the same resources and also produce similar whiskeys. As an aside, Jack Daniels is uniquely named a Tennessee Whiskey and is not a bourbon. As our tour guide repeated continuously on our tour of the Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburge, they like to do things a little different down in the holler. Now, although it doesn't have to be made in Kentucky to be a bourbon, the name "bourbon" is derived from Bourbon County in Kentucky and about 95 percent of all bourbon is made in its "home state".

I could go on all day about how bourbon is made but that's not the point of this post. So now that you know a little bit about the spirit, I'll list my top 5 favorite bourbons (in no particular rank or order) for you to stock up your fall bar and try yourself.

1. Woodford Reserve

I wanted to start with Woodford because it is something that many bourbon drinkers would recognize but not the most obvious choice to some. The Woodford distillery is located in "bluegrass" horsebreeding country and produces one of the fastest growing bourbons in the country. The smallest distillery operating in Kentucky triple distills its bourbon, giving it a very clean finish and helping fully develop the fragrant and fruity flavors. Woodford Reserve Distiller Select is the most popular bourbon from the distillery that also offers 3 Master's Collection variations, all four of which have earned countless awards by the most prestigious wine and food experts. Woodford Reserve, like many of the bourbons I'll mention, is prefect neat (by itself) but is also a good mixing whiskey if you aren't use to drinking it straight. It has a complex flavor with burnt sugar on the palate and a peppery oak in the finish.

2. Booker's

Booker's is one of 5 bourbons I sampled at a whiskey tasting at Diamondback's here in Waco. A representative from the Jim Beam distillery supplied the whiskey and the Diamondback's kitchen paired a food course to match the flavors of each. Booker's was my second favorite from the evening. It comes from the Jim Beam distillery in Clermont, Kentucky and unlike at the Woodford factory, is one of many products that are produced there. Although Booker's is produced at a large distillery, it is uniquely different and has a smaller exclusive feel. This is because it is bottled unfiltered and undiluted to maintain its natural barrel flavors. It is part of the small batch collection of the distillery, meaning they are made in limited quantities and are a mix of the barrels from the upper and lower racks of the barrel house. It is a very robust, traditional and classy bourbon, aged between 6 and 8 years. Each bottle is labeled with a hand-written inscription of proof, age and batch number.

3. Maker's Mark

Everyone recognizes the red wax top. Whether you're a seasoned bourbon drinker or just have ever walked into a liquor store, you recognize Maker's Mark. If there is brand more synonymous with the quintessential bourbon, this is it. Maker's Mark is the oldest working distillery in the country that remains in its original location in Loretto, KY. Maker's is a more mellow whiskey using corn, malted barley and red winter wheat. It is distilled twice in copper pot stills and isn't aged for any specific amount of time. The whiskey is tasted no less than five times throughout the maturation process and when the master distiller thinks it's ready, it's poured. After it's poured, the bottled is topped then dipped in the signature red wax. Maker's Mark is medium body with spice and vanilla notes, perfect to drink on ice with a cigar.

4. Blanton's

Blanton's is hands down my favorite bourbon. I love it so much that after years of Makers's Mark being the drink of my fraternal family, I switched it to Blanton's. One, because too many other families in the fraternity claimed Maker's Mark as their drink and two, because it is just that much better. Even before you open the bottle you can already tell you have a great product in your hands. In some cases an extravagant bottle falsely advertises the contents, not in this case. The unique bottle design and metal horse cork stopper were what attracted me to it on the shelf. The label with hand written proof, date dumped, and warehouse, rick, barrel and bottle number (the bottle sitting on my desk right now is number 180) are what lead me to buy it. Unlike the bourbons already mentioned, Blanton's is a single barrel bourbon. This means that the whiskey is poured straight from the barrel to the bottle with no mixing, cutting, or filtering. Each barrel is going to have slightly different characteristics, giving Blanton's an inconsistency that is anything but disappointing. Single barrel bourbons are made in the smallest quantities and the process only dates back to 1984. Blanton's is a full bodied whiskey with a noticeably sweeter palate. The finish is long and creamy and stays with you. I wouldn't drink this fine bourbon any other way than neat.

5. Knob Creek Single Barrel

Many are familiar with the original Knob Creek. The original is a classic small batch bourbon that is perfect for mint juleps in the spring and is part of the same small batch collection as Booker's. This however, is the single barrel version of Knob Creek. It goes through a very similar process as Blanton's and was my favorite bourbon from the Diamondback's bourbon tasting I spoke of in the Booker's section. This is a very new bourbon and has only been on the shelves for a few months. This is a very good single barrel bourbon and I would certainly recommend it.

All 5 of these bourbons are more complex, fine whiskeys that are meant to be purchased in smaller quantities, drank over longer periods of time, and not ruined with mixers. Woodford and Maker's are often used to make cocktails and certainly make a better whiskey drink that well liquor, but I also have a few suggestions for mixing whiskeys. My two favorite bourbons for mixing purposes are the classic Jim Beam and Old Charter and if you're really looking to save some money, Ezra Brooks is a damn fine bourbon for only $20 a half gallon. Hell, it even has a cork stopper.

Friday Afternoon

Fish and chips and a 512 Pecan Porter on the upstairs porch at Crickets. Perfect weather gave way to a perfect lunch, a little practice at the driving range, and now for some Rangers ALDS action. Happy Friday folks.

Moneyball

This week started out pretty busy. With two presentations yesterday and an exam today, I felt a bit down to start the week. But now that I have those things behind me and a fat pastrami sandwich and cream of potato soup from Schmaltz's in my belly, I'm feeling much better.

So before I head off to the SLC for a tense game of racketball with Matthew, I wanted to talk a little bit about the film I saw this past weekend.

Moneyball is the story of Billy Beane's attempt to put together a playoff baseball team with a very short budget. It is based off Michael Lewis' book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. If you are unfamiliar with Michael Lewis, he is a great writer. This is the second film made based on his books, the other being The Blind Side. He has also written a couple financial books such as Liar's Poker (that I'm reading now) and The Big Short. His books are very well written and in Moneyball he managed to combine two of my favorite things, sports and business.

The film begins with a very well put together short narrative of the end of the 2001 ALDS in which The Yankees beat The A's. Oakland had put together one of their best seasons with big time players like Jason Giambi and Johnny Damon. Unfortunately after that season they became free agents and the loss subsequently was the catalyst to The A's loosing them. From there the story unfolds. The A's were a very low budget team and needed to find a way to compete with the teams with exponentially larger budgets. If you watch any TV then you've most likely seen a trailer for Moneyball and if you've seen the trailer then you know the story line. So I won't waste time explaining the entire plot.

Brad Pitt does an outstanding job, as he usually does in character roles, playing the A's GM Billy Beane. With a supporting cast of Jonah Hill, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and others, the acting is certainly not a hindrance on this film. A bit of information I was unaware of until the credits was that Aaron Sorkin aided in the writing of the screenplay. Anything Mr. Sorkin is involved with is usually a winner. Bennett Miller was the director of the film. If you've seen the film Capote then you know his work. An all around great effort was put in by the entire cast and crew to produce a very enjoyable film. It was especially exciting to see Moneyball with October upon us and The Rangers heading to the post season with their second straight AL West title. I would certainly recommend this movie to anyone, especially if you are a baseball fan. It gives a great look into the inner workings of a baseball team but also has some great characters that keep the movie interesting and even incorporates a little humor.

So there you go. I was watching College Football Live while writing this and I have got to say, God these Longhorn Network commercials are so horrible. Everyone has been asking me what my thoughts are on all this conference realignment tom-foolery. I considered posting my thoughts on this blog but I would just be adding another unimportant opinion to the internet that won't make a difference in what happens. But I will voice my opinion on how terrible the UT commercials are. If you want to make a network so that all your bandwagon Walmart fans can watch UT stuff and hope no one asks them if they actually went to the school, that's fine, but please find someone new to run your ad team. That'll do.

Grey Skies and Crisp Mornings

Leaves have begun piling up where my front porch meets the drive way and tailgate season is in full swing. This can mean many things, one of which is the changing of the seasons. I love every season just about as equally as the other with a bit of a preference towards Fall, which in Texas goes straight through December and then turns to Winter for about a month. As much as I love each season, I especially love the grey period when the weather is changing and you know a new season is on the way. This is happening right now and this post is my greeting to the new season. Plus I feel like if I write about it, it will come even faster.

The leaves are starting to change and beginning to fall. Although we are still getting our fair share of upper 90 degree weather, the mornings and evenings are beginning to cool down and golf is becoming an option again. We finally got some rain, which was a welcomed sight. There are a few things that I like to do during this time to get ready for the months to come.

1. A coozie has been placed in the back pockets of my khakis and jeans as well as in the inner pocket of all my blazers and suit jackets. This is to ensure that I always have a jacket for my beverage at all tailgates, formal events, social gatherings and really just anytime I'm having a beverage. For those of you who are thinking, "this is ridiculous", well let me enlighten you; coozies are just a part of my culture. I'm not going to sit here and tell you it's because I'm a frat-star or a prepneck or a southern college student who feels the need to have a coozie on his person at all times because that's just what we do. If you know me, you just know these things. If your looking for a utilitarian excuse, I just don't like holding a frosted cold can or bottle in my hand when its 50 degrees outside.

2. Create a playlist to listen to in the truck. I personally like music that goes with the season. Some examples of music would be your more slow, somber country songs with lots of violin, of course stuff like Mumford & Sons, Old Crow Medicine Show and other bluegrass tunes are a perfect fit for colder seasons. You can never go wrong with some of Dave Matthews' slower stuff. Now, I'm not saying this is the only stuff I'll listen to, but I like to have a "go-to" colder weather playlist to cruise around to.

3. Food and beverage are a key aspect of the seasons, much like fashion, they change with the weather. The best example of this is this restaurant we are dinning at in NY for Thanksgiving http://www.parkavenyc.com/. They change the entire restaurant four times a year to match the season. Pretty sweet. Anyways, I've got the bar stocked with plenty of bourbons and scotches. I cut out most of the seafood and start munchin down red meat and poultry, potatoes, and root vegetables. Fall and Winter are my favorite times to cook. Fire up those ovens and deep fryers and clear out all last seasons game to make room for this years kill. You'll be seeing more on this later on.

4. One of the absolute best things about Fall and Winter is the cold weather. There is just something about that grey skied, visible breath morning that makes you want to toss on some khakis with a button down and sweater and dust off the L.L. Bean duck boots. I love to watch the progression of outfits on campus turn from fishing shirts, seer-sucker, polos, and top-siders to khakis, fleeces, wranglers and boots. Like I mentioned before I do live in Texas, and unlike the rest of the southern states, we don't get the cold weather as early. Unfortunately we are too far west and have to wait on that northeast cold to reach us. But once it gets here it is well welcomed. I've been staring at my duck boots and Baylor sweater vest for weeks and I'm ready for the morning when it is cold enough to sport them for a tailgate.

5. Have a lot of fire starters on hand. Everything about fire is Fall and Winter. And I'm not just talking about a backyard gathering around the fire-pit. I'm talking about everything good that fire provides. The Homecoming bon-fire (Baylor has one of the oldest homecomings in the country, it's a pretty big deal), the random gatherings in the backyard on a Wednesday night just because, the morning warmth when you get back from the deer blind that you've been freezing your ass off in all morning, the fuel to light up my cigar on the back porch on Christmas morning or the many other occasions I chose to celebrate living the good life, and I'm not afraid to admit that I do have a candle in my room, a Woodwick that is definitely a Fall scent. The bottom line is, fire.

These are just some of things I like to do in preparation for the new season. If you know me then you know all the things that I like to actually do during this time of year. For those of you who don't, I would think it'd be apparent from my writing that I like to hunt, tailgate, smoke cigars, drink bourbon and partake in much of the other Fall debauchery that fits my demographic. And for those of you who care to hear about any of that stuff, most of my blog will be comprised of all of the sort in the months to come. My hope is that once this post is published, the 90 degree days will end, the grey skies with roll in, and maybe by homecoming I'll be able to wear something with long sleeves.

Happy Fall to all. Don't mourn the Summer. Embrace the cold and grey.

A Weekend Ruined

There are often times when something is going on or being planned, a social event of sorts, in which I haven't the fondest interest in being a part of. And because I am a very individualistic type of individual, I don't feel the need to do something I don't want to do, in order to "fit in". Therefor, I find ways to get myself out of doing certain things. Usually this involves finding some kind of excuse. Now don't get me wrong, sometimes I do things to please others that I would, under normal circumstances, not be involved in. Although if you ask my girlfriend, she would say these occasions should be exponentially increased...The point I'm getting at is that when I don't want to do something, I find a way out of it. But sometimes, the flip side of that coin occurs and something you really are excited for is ruined by some unforeseen, unwanted event or circumstance. That very thing happened this weekend.

Here's the weekend breakdown that was planned and set on Thursday afternoon. Friday afternoon; head up to Dallas, hit Addison Oktoberfest for a little while, try not to make getting up early the next morning too excruciating. Saturday morning; up at 9:00, College Gameday and Champagne with those who ran the early morning 5K, Oktoberfest all day while keeping up with the games on my phone, rest from 5-6, Grapevine Grapefest from 7-whenever. Sunday morning; have lunch with the crew, cruise back to Waco listening to whichever noon game was on the radio. Solid plan if you ask me. Sure would have been.

Here's what actually happened. Friday morning; wake up around 10:30, head to class around 11:00, stomach begins to ache around 11:10, get out of class, slam Gut Pack from Vitek's around 12:30, doesn't help, get back home, stomach continues to hurt, Gut Pack leaves the body the same way it went in, we leave Waco around 4:00, more Gut Pack leaves the body around 4:30...and you see how this is going to pan out.

To try and refrain from including too many details, Jess took me to the minor emergency clinic around 8 for a sever case of food poisoning that we thought was appendicitis. So Friday night was ruined. I couldn't eat or drink Saturday but managed to wander around the festival and watch everyone enjoy themselves. We didn't go to Grapefest because everyone backed out and that was that.

I would have loved to have written about the beer and brats from Oktoberfest and the different wines and cheeses from Grapefest but unfortunately I didn't have any of either. So...

One More Thing

I love finding new sites, or anything for that matter, that when you look at them you think, "Man, this is for me"

Awhile back I found that in http://www.socialprimer.com/

Well I just recently stumbled upon this site. I guess it's a blog but it has a lot more going on than something like my blog. But it's done through Brooks Brother's which is my favorite haberdasher. Check it out. http://blog.brooksbrothers.com/

Pretty Far Behind

Ok, so I'm way behind on posting. I promised a couple more things from our Key West trip, but that would be so irrelevant 4 weeks retired from the vacation.

To round it out we had a pretty sweet bar/restaurant crawl the final night and our fishing trip was both good and bad. The days that the inspirational author, who resided in Key West, wrote of at sea, are long gone. The 1000+ pound marlin that Hemingway so elegant, but simply wrote about in his books and captured on many of his own trips, are now few and far between. In the last year I've fished Key West and The North Drop in St. Thomas, both during the full moon phase and both of which have historically been the prime spots for blue marlin. Not even a bite, from a marlin that is. Both trips have provided interesting catches, a 70 pound wahoo in St. Thomas and a fun filled day of dolphin schoolies in Key West totaling around 30, plus a couple cuda and an amberjack. But that longing feeling of landing a massive blue is still prevalent every time I step onto a fishing boat.

Anyways. Since I last posted many things have transpired. Most notably Labor Day weekend. This was a joyous weekend filled with much debauchery and fun for all. My beautiful belle and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary in grand fashion. Friday night we attended, along with my father, the slaughtering of 100 year old rival TCU at The Case. Granted, the score does not indicate a slaughtering but that is due to our defense deciding to lay off the gas in the 4th quarter. But up until that point it was obvious who the better team was, and which coaching staff was far superior. The stadium was louder than I've ever experienced and it was truly one of the greatest college games I've witnessed.

Saturday Jessica and I had reservations at 135 Prime, a Waco steak house. I put together a quick bib-and-tucker; blue khakis, white oxford, pink and navy bow-tie, and seer-sucker blazer to celebrate the occasion and to bid farewell to the end of spring/summer clothing. Now, to whom this may concern, Diamondbacks is not the best steakhouse in town. Next time the parents come to visit and your father asks what time he should make the Diamondbacks reservation for, you say, "Why don't we try 135 Prime?" It is a little bit off the beaten path and away from our bubble, but is well worth the drastic risk of driving ten minutes down the road. Also for anyone visiting our great city, please do check it out.

The atmosphere of 135 Prime is a very nouveau riche "home on range" feeling. Dark, earthy colors and animal hides are juxtaposed to crystal chandeliers and framed pictures of early movie stars. We were sat immediately. We each started with a cocktail, Hendrick's gin and tonic for me and a cocktail made from Waco's very own blue corn whiskey and muddled fruits for my stunningly beautiful date. After our relaxation and menu perusing we placed our order. We decided on the Chateaubriand dinner for two. For those who don't know how this works, it is very similar to, dare I say it, what many of today's sodium rich chain restaurants are trying to do to draw in more customers. It is comprised of a salad for each (blue cheese wedge for me, Caesar salad for Jess), an 18 oz. center cut prime tenderloin cut table-side and served with a sauce Bearnaise and two sides (we elected the mac-and-cheese (typical, I know) and the sauteed spinach), and finally a dessert, all at a set price.

The meal was outstanding. Our salads were both very enjoyable. Just the right amount of blue cheese on my wedge accompanied by sweet and spicy raw red onion was the perfect start to the meal. Then came out the steak, which we paired nicely with a smoky Pinot Noir. I know, typically a cab is the way to go here but they were featuring this particular pinot and it just felt right, luckily for us it was perfect. Anyways, the beef was heavenly. Our waiter sliced it up table-side into about six pieces. The only problem with sharing the same side of beef with Jessica is that I like mine bloody as hell and she likes hers burnt to a crisp (Pulp Fiction reference, athankyou), so we met in the middle. Very juicy and flavored just right with a perfect crust. The mac-and-cheese was pretty basic, but that is coming from someone who is very sensitive about his mac-and-cheese. They did make the classic mistake of over salting the sauteed spinach. This was my only complaint of the meal and had this minor mistake not have been made, the entire experience would have been 10 out of 10. We finished with their seasonal creme brule (I'm always pleased to see seasonal menu items). It was a blueberry lemon creme brule and was divine. After dinner I enjoyed a cigar and a glass of Blanton's on the front porch and that, as they say, was that.

We spent the rest of that weekend relaxing. Jessica had kept me in the dark as to what she had got me for our anniversary and made me wait until Saturday. To my utter surprise I received an iPad 2, something I had just ever so recently become interested in. Needless to say I spent a good bit of free time on that during the weekend, especially with college football beginning and the need to get my line ups in for 3, yes 3, different fantasy football leagues. But I also grilled a good bit of venison on Sunday. You can't not grill on Labor Day weekend. Four venison burgers and a couple packages of link sausage filled that void.

So that was that weekend. I know I've been quite behind on postings and may have lost any casual readers, but between 16 hours of class, football season in full throttle, dove season just starting, fraternity rush, my new toy, the 3 books I'm currently casually reading (Liar's Poker, still working on Decision Points, and A Moveable Feast; all 3 great books) along with all my university reading, trying to keep up with the stock market and current affairs, as well as trying to get in my fair share of college life before graduation, I've been a little preoccupied. But dammit I love it! So, this is a nice little update and I hope to keep up with my blog better in the future.

Headin to Dallas this weekend for Addison Oktoberfest, so maybe something on that. Also the movie Moneyball is coming out soon and I'm very eager to see it, so look forward to a review on that in a couple weeks. And a couple of non-conference home games for the Bears, nothing really to shout about, should be easy wins, just waiting for that illusive final game against the farmers before they ship off. Sic Em!

A Quick Movie Suggestion

The other night I went into the living room after doing some reading for class. My roommates were catching up on Curb and Entourage on-demand and they were in between episodes. We have Time Warner Cable and if you're familiar with the provider, they promote their on-demand options in the on-demand menu. To my surprise, one of the films that popped up was one in which I had been very interested in when it was in theaters, but didn't have the opportunity to see.

The film is The Trip. It was a limited release film that was playing for a short time at The Angelica in Dallas, but I was unable to find the time to head up there to see it. It is somewhat of a dark comedy in which most of the humor derives from the interaction between the two main characters. Steve Coogen and Rob Brydon, two English actors, play themselves on a trip through northern England to eat at and review a series of fine dining establishments. Their relationship is one of almost forced friendship through work. Brydon is an enjoyable character who loves his life and makes a living with his talented impressions. Coogen is somewhat of a sad individual who finds his friend to be a bit unnerving, but can't help but seem to enjoy his company at times. Their companionship throughout the film is a classic "road trip" humor filled with disagreements and constant bickering. But this isn't your typical road trip comedy. Insight into each character's lives gives a very human characteristic to the film which in turn develops the characters and the somewhat darker side I spoke of earlier. I also particularly liked it because it revolved around food, and when you combine food and film, you've got me.

Please don't be turned off by it because it's an English film. It is a far cry from the zany British slapstick comedies and is actually incredibly funny. If you like comedies that aren't punching you in the face with one liners and crazy happenstances, but instead make the viewer actually listen and understand human interaction, then you'll find yourself laughing. I recommend you try to find The Trip on-demand or in Redbox or Netflix or whatever your form of "consumers are too lazy to go to the theater or a video rental store anymore" service of choice.

Best and Worst Eats and Drinks in Key West: Part 2

The wealth of cultures I spoke of in Part 1 of this subject extends from the cuisine to the architecture in the area. Victorian and New England styles dominate most of the residences in Key West. People taking these old houses and converting them into businesses is ubiquitous in the Keys. Great idea. One of these fine establishments is The Porch bar. The Porch bar is located in the Porter Mansion which dates back to 1838. The mansion is on Duval St. and we noticed it the first night we were there, but didn't venture in until halfway through our trip.

Spanish moss hangs from an abundance of banyan trees in the front yard that are accompanied by palms and other greenery of all sorts. The roosters who inhabit much of Key West are not absent in this front yard and give a very down-home feel to the place. As for the actual bar, it is situated in the rooms of the house that use to be the parlor and dining room. The motif is a kind of sci-fi modern. Prints of famous scenes from different sci-fi films adorn the walls and the flat screen was playing the new Alice in Wonderland. But don't let this turn you off. The place is full of natural light and the feeling of the old house is still present, if not somehow enhanced by the decorations. They serve only craft beers and fine wines. It is almost like a better lit Gingerman, if you're familiar with the establishment. I enjoyed one of my favorites, a Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout.

The place that got my vote for coolest atmosphere, however, was the Hogfish Bar and Grill. But this is also where my "worst" is found. We went a little off the beaten path to find this local favorite because Adam Richman, from Man Vs Food Nation, made a stop there on his Key West episode. My father was intrigued by their hogfish sandwich, so we went. If you are unaware, the hogfish is one of Key West's staples, along with conch and jumbo pinks (shrimp). It is a very odd looking fish but yields a very flaky, delicious white meat, a meat in which I wish I could have enjoyed...but I'm getting ahead of myself.

We took a seat in the open air restaurant and ordered a couple of the Key West micro brews, Sunset Ale. Like many of the restaurants we patronized in the Keys, this one had no idea of the concept that appetizers are supposed to come out before the meal, not with it. We ordered the fried green tomatoes and three orders of the lobster bisque. The bisque came out first.

Uncharacteristic of a bisque, this one was jam packed with clumps of lobster meat. I have to say, they must have stewed that bisque for two days. The lobster meat was more akin to lump crab meat. It was the most tender lobster I've ever eaten and elevated the bisque to a whole new level. Surprisingly the two best things I had on this trip were both soups. Next came our sandwiches, along with the untimely tomatoes. The tomatoes were some of the worst I've ever had. Way over battered. And the sandwich was even worse. A perfectly fried filet of hogfish sat in a Cuban role with a MOUND of onions, mushrooms, and Swiss cheese. TERRIBLE. First of all, very rarely do you mix cheese and fish, they just don't make very good music. Second, the abundance of other toppings completely killed the flavor of the fish. I gave it a few tries and eventually scraped everything off and ate the ruined filet.

Cool atmosphere, amazing bisque, but next time I'm there, I'm going with the whole fried hogfish if it's on the board.

As for the rest of the eats; we had lunch in Sloppy Joe's because we felt we had to, we had a rather enjoyable experience at Jack's Seafood Shack, and we sampled plenty of the pie in which the area is most famous for. Most of the rest of the food was very good and I would recommend any of the places I've talked about. The Grande on Duval St. makes a damn good Old Fashion but the food was mediocre. Speaking of Old Fashions, soon to come is my recollection of our final night bar crawl.

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Best and Worst Eats and Drinks in Key West: Part 1

Disclaimer: I've never been a huge picture taker, therefor I have never needed a nice camera. I don't have a nice camera so I use my phone. My sister has a nice camera, so some of these pictures are from my phone and some from her camera. This will explain the difference in quality of the pictures.

Anyways

Our family are very big travelers and are fortunate enough to be able to travel the world every year. Last year our big trip was St. John and the year before we took a 3 week tour through Tokyo, Southeast Asia, and Rome and there are always little trips to Las Vegas and New York and California thrown into the mix for various reasons. We love taking these trips because of the many things they afford, most paramount among them, the food.

Key West made its fortune as a shipwreck town. The Keys were a popular spot for ships to stop on their way to wherever from all over. The shallow reefs would cause many of these ships to crash and would then be salvaged by wrecking crews. I recommend the 1942 film Reap the Wild Wind, starring John Wayne, to give you an idea of what I'm talking about. But the point I'm trying to make is that Key West is riddled with all kinds of culinary influences from across the globe with a strong emphasis on their fresh seafood. Here are a couple of the best and worst gastro highlights of the trip.

Let me start by saying that our timing was perfect. First and foremost we narrowly missed this years maiden of wind and rain so elegantly named Irene, but we also arrived on a Saturday which held two implications. The first being that this particular weekend was Key West Lobster Fest. Yup. One of Key West's many weekend celebrations, this one in particular celebrates the fresh bounty of the decadent crustacean that Key West has been blessed with. Let me also take this time to inform those who are unaware of Duval St. about its existence. Like many other great Southern cities, Key West has a main drag filled with all sorts of debauchery. The most popular of these is Bourbon St. in New Orleans, there is Beall St. in Memphis, and Austin has 6th St. Key West has Duval St., a long stretch of open air bars, cigar shops, t-shirt stops, and hotels. And on this particular night, it felt like I was back at Mardi Gras, well, not really as wild, but pretty crowded.

We were staying at the Westin right down the street from Duval. We wandered around for a short while until we fund this. A juicy, little bit chewy as to be expected, grilled lobster tail, Cajun potatoes, corn on the cob, and a sinfully delightful citrus butter for dipping purposes. This was the best street food I've ever eaten, next to a lamb kabob I had in Aix en Provence, France. The irony of eating what would normally be a $40 meal dressed up on anything other than this paper plate, in the middle of Duval St., with a beer in a plastic cup, was amusing. This was the first time I've ever eaten lobster standing up, and it was one of the best I've had.

The second implication of arriving on a Saturday was that the next day was Sunday. Pretty crazy, I know. But on this particular Sunday we ventured down to the pool for a relaxing first full day in the sun. When lunch time approached we walked about 13 steps over to the poolside bar, which just so happened to be attached to the indoor hotel restaurant, which just so happens to serve a Sunday only brunch. We were mindfully unaware of this weekly phenomenon and just as I was getting ready to order a beer and some conch fritters (a Key West staple, they refer to themselves as the Conch Republic, which I always thought was the Bahamas but alas, I'm getting off topic) we were informed of this brunch. So naturally I changed my beverage from a beer to a mimosa (in my opinion the only beverage option when brunching) and set off on my journey. From the outside it looked like your typical hotel breakfast buffet, but appearances can be deceiving.

Sliced duck breast with sesame noodles, tuna tartar, seared tuna, sushi, scallop ceviche, meats and cheeses, smoked fish spread, caprese salad, crab claws, lobster potstickers, truffled gnochi wantons, seafood piallia, seaweed salad, gravlax, ginger garlic ribs and that is just about half of it. This is the list of the items I feasted on and doesn't include the normal assortment of breakfast fare and what was on the carving boards. Once I was finished with the savory, I moved to the sweet. I take a great deal of pride in saying that I tried most of the desserts, all of which were very enjoyable.

My parents favorite criticism of me is that I tend to find anything that impresses me to be the greatest thing ever. I can honestly say that out of all the country club Easter/Father's day/Mother's day/4th of July brunches and buffets as well as the countless hotel breakfast buffets, this is, far and away, the greatest buffet experience I have had. The selection was unlike any I've seen, and the execution was just as impressive.

This hotel restaurant really knows what they are doing because the second greatest meal I had while in Key West was this buffet, the greatest was a dinner we had there on our second to last night.

These two pictures don't do the food justice, especially because like many of the pictures I took of food, I didn't remember to take the picture until after I had already eaten some of it. We started with an appetizer of which was forgettable, but then, the soup course. French onion soup with rosemary roasted onions, garlic infused croutons (brioche I think), and a Gruyere crust. I know the picture looks like it didn't agree with me and came out the way it went in, but that was certainly not the case. Sorry mom and dad, but this was the greatest onion soup I've ever had. The broth wasn't too salty, the croutons stayed crispy in the middle and the Gruyere was a much better option than the usual Swiss. A symphony of flavors and textures.

For my entree I chose the herb roasted chicken. By this time I was sick of eating seafood, so chicken was a welcoming beacon on the menu. An herb roasted chicken breast, with the wing still intact, sat atop a celery root puree with a shallot and roasted tomato pan jus and haricot verts. The chicken was perfectly cooked with the right herbs, the celery root puree (has been my preference over plain mashed potatoes for awhile now) was silky smooth and the pan jus had a flavor that I can only express as divine. The crunchy shallots and verts gave a stark contrasting texture to the rest of the dish to round it out as a culinary achievement worthy of the greatest chefs. Ok, maybe I'm giving too much praise to a simple chicken dish, but given the fact that I had been eating seafood for every meal over the last 8 days made this simple dish that much more successful. At any rate it was damn good.

Notice how the title to this post is Best and Worst...there weren't too many "worsts", but still more to come.

Back To School

Greeting and Salutations

Back from Key West and school has begun. I wanted to throw this quick post up just to say a few things.

The first week of school I usually like to focus completely on that, so the promised posts about our Key West trip will be coming soon but probably not for another couple days. Also, I watched the movie The Trip on-demand last night and thoroughly enjoyed it, so be expecting something about that as well.

What to expect:

I'll be breaking the trip down into probably 3 different posts in order to keep them somewhat readable lengthwise.
The 3 will most likely be our fishing trip and other excursions, our final night bar and restaurant crawl, and some of the best and worst eating adventures.

So I apologize for my tardiness but some interesting posts and pictures will be up shortly.

One More Thing

In honor of "Bow Tie Friday", check out Social Primer's (www.socialprimer.com) Brooks Brothers reversible bow tie summer collection. Pretty awesome and they come out with seasonal patterns throughout the year.

http://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCatSectionView.process?IWAction=Load&Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=1143&CMP=BAC-042811brsocialprimer

A Much Needed Break

Well, it has been an adventurously dubious first week of partaking in something I never thought I'd find myself doing. I believe I have provided a good outlook on what this blog will be composed of and hope my insight has been amusing. However, like most other rich, private school playboys can attest to, life is hard and I am in much need of a vacation.

The original plan was Germany, but I informed my father that my tan needs a good final burn before I am confined to the library and Baylor classrooms for the remainder of the year. Also, the marlin fishing is going to be at its peek during our allotted vacation time. Therefore, my next posting will not come until I return from Key West in a little over a week. However, that post will be full of delightful fishing tales and Florida restaurant reviews.

I hope you get a chance to see the movies I recommended and can make your way to The Cedars Social and maybe even try to cook a steak in a way you've never attempted.

Just as an aside, I am watching the PGA Championship and while I try as hard as possible to give as little consideration to Tiger Woods as possible (he already has enough people talking about him) I had to say something. He just birdied the ninth and the announcer says with sheer excitement in his voice, "Could this be the turning point?!" He is 7 over, 13 shots off the lead, and will almost certainly miss the cut. I feel very sorry for the sports media and misguided Tiger fans everywhere who actually think that this guy is going to return to PGA greatness.