The Westin Memphis Beale Street

Many meals have come and gone since my last post.  Alas I’ve been working EV-ER-Y-DAY.  LITERALLY. I’ve been chained to my desk essentially every day, but I did take a quick work trip down to Memphis.  I was hoping I’d get time to look around maybe visit the Lorraine Hotel, a museum or two and of course Graceland.  I should have known better.  14 hour workdays doesn’t really allow for much in the way of museum visits.  At least I stayed at a pretty sweet hotel!  Generally I heart Starwood hotels. Westin only comes second to W hotels.  I checked into the Westin Memphis Beale Street on Monday night.  The lobby is expansive and offers lots of seating space.  The hotel is located directly across the street from FedEx Forum so I imagine it must get pretty busy in there.  My room was standard but well done.

The king bed which I only slept in for about 8 hours between two nights L was extremely comfortable and I wish I spent more time tucked in there.  The floating night stands were pretty cool and the ipod dock was a plus.  The desk is where I spent most of my time. 

The chair was comfortable enough to sit in for 5 hours the night I arrived.  The room is also equipped with an arm chair, but I used it to store the many binders I brought with me so I don’t know how comfortable it was.  It was definitely sturdy though!  The bathroom was very spacious. Initially I was disappointed when all I saw was a shower.

Although the double shower head was a plus.  Once I opened the door all the way, I saw there was also a tub! Sweeet. 

Although I didn’t actually use it, I just don’t think it’s right to have a bathroom without a tub.  The business center was also very nice. They have 3 computers, a desk to plug in your own laptop and a printer! Sorry left my camera in my room so no pictures.

I wish I had more time to relax at the hotel, because it definitely seems conducive to just that. They didn’t have a spa which was a bit of a disappointment but it’s not like I would have had time to go.  I may be returning to Memphis pretty soon and hopefully I’ll be staying here again.  The hotel restaurant was fantastic, but more on that later!  I must say the entire time I was there, all I could think about was this song...

Brasserie Ruhlmann

In this crazy hectic work week that I’ve had – don’t even want to talk about how many hours I billed L - I did have the opportunity to have a quick lunch at Brasserie Ruhlmann.  I’ve noticed this restaurant each time I walk through Rockefeller Center but never thought about going in.  I’m glad the opportunity presented itself!

The lunch menu is pretty extensive.  I had a hard time placing an order because there were a few things that looked great.  I decided to start with the mix green salad.

I’m not a big fan of salads because typically I find that they don’t contain much substance and eating that many leaves exhausts me, then I realize I’m still hungry but too tired to eat.  This one wasn’t so bad.  It contained radishes, red onion and cherry tomatoes.  It was really the mustard dressing that brought this all together.  Salads are best as appetizers because that certainly didn't fill me up.  The best part of my meal was the Saumon a l’oseille.

A pan seared Scottish salmon with sorrel, creme fraiche and whipped potatoes.  The salmon was incredible. It’s been a while since I’ve had salmon.  I figure I know how to make it at home so why order it when I’m out.  I realize now how much I missed it.  The sauce was also really delicious.  I was of course skeptical as I often am of white sauces, but I was a big fan of this one.  Since I had to rush back to work I skipped dessert.  Such a shame too, I was craving crème brulee. 

Hungry yet?

Red Rooster Harlem

After months of anticipation waiting for them to open and weeks of anticipation for Ms. J’s return so I could finally go, I went to Red Rooster.  ::sigh:: Chef Samuelsson definitely made my night when he came over to greet us while we waited for our table.  He also stopped by our table after we were seated.  Red Rooster is beautiful.  The bar area has a couple of high tables where I could certainly see myself eating if I don’t get a reservation or just needed a quick fix of something delicious.  The main dining area is sprawling yet the warm colors make it feel like an intimate setting.  Considering we didn’t have reservations and it was only week 3, I was impressed by how quickly we were seated. 

Although the menu is pretty straight forward, there were several options and I had a hard time deciding.  Eventually, we decided to start with the Corn Tacos and Tostadas Ceviche.

Those little guys are topped with yellowtail, salmon and avocado with a small red onion to finish it off.  The tacos and tostadas were crisp and had some spice to them, which was a welcome surprise.  The fish was properly “cooked” and had a nice tart taste.  My only complaint was that they disappeared so quickly!  Our entrées definitely took a while to arrive, but we had a slight mix up which also played a roll.  Ms. A ordered the Shrimp & Red Grits.

It was an impressive display and certainly didn’t look like any shrimp & grits I’ve ever seen.  The combination of shrimp, basil and sausage was welcomed by Ms. A, but the poached egg was immediately removed.  Ms. J ordered the Hearth Baked Mac and Greens.

The display was beautiful – I truly do love personal sized dishes.  The Mac & Greens are made with Gouda, NY Cheddar and Comte.  Ms. J was not too impressed because apparently there was a lack of salt in the dish.  It tasted fine to me, but she was right about the salt. I didn't get a chance to sample the greens but they looked fun! 

She loved her side of black vinegar cauliflower. I didn't get a chance to try it but she was raving about it.

I couldn’t have been happier with my Fried Yard Bird. 

It was served with White mace gravy, hot sauce and shake.  Shake is a tin of seasoning that is pretty amazing.  The chicken  was crispy but the inside was extremely juicy.  The hot sauce is spread on the plate and I didn’t realize that’s what it was until I dipped into it.  It was incredible. I would definitely buy that sauce if they bottled it up. I was initially concerned that it wasn’t going to be enough, but I was quite satisfied with the portion.  I also tried the black-eyed peas. 

They were well seasoned and a welcome accompaniment to my chicken, but I would have preferred if it was served with a little less liquid.  Of course we had to leave room for dessert.  All the desserts were incredible and I can’t even begin to adequately convey how fabulous they tasted.  I highly recommend that you try as many as you can.  Ms. J ordered the Whiskey Fudge with macadamia nuts.

It didn’t photograph as well as it should have and the portion seemed a little small, but Ms. J made a good choice because it was quite rich.  Ms. A had the Sweet Potato Doughnuts with cinnamon sugar, creme fraiche and vanilla bean ice cream.

Wow sugar on a platter - awesome!  The doughnuts were actually filled with sweet potato goodness.  I would have loved to try more of Ms. A’s dessert, but was too busy enjoying my delectable Black and White Mud.

OMG definitely the best dessert EVER.  If you’re looking for chocolate heaven, this is the fastest way there! I will definitely take a trip to Red Rooster just for another slice. The combination of black and white was made even better with that amazing crust and the sea salt.

I thoroughly enjoyed exploring Red Rooster’s menu, but wish I could have ordered many more items.  Dirty rice & shrimp, red snapper and crab cakes – I’ll be back for you.  Thank you Chef Samuelsson for bringing such a wonderful restaurant into the neighborhood. I can't wait to try brunch!

Hungry yet?

Cafeteria

It’s been ages since I’ve seen LG. I miss her so much! So when she told me that she and her husband would be in NYC for a couple of days, I had to take advantage of it.  The last time we saw each other was in JFK while she was waiting for a connecting flight! I gave her a few options in terms of restaurants and she selected Cafeteria.  I have only been to their former location in Miami so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  It was live in there but the music was a little too loud for my liking.  The place is open 24/7 which is a plus.  The menu had a lot of options but for whatever reason there was nothing that really called out to me.   The complimentary biscuits were incredible.  Pillowy and airy with just the right amount of salt to really bring out the flavors.  Those kept me occupied for some time.

LG ordered the meatloaf.  It was def a heaping loaf of meat topped with an oven roasted tomato relish.  According to LG, the garlic mashed potatoes were amazing.  

Her hubs ordered the Crispy Braised Pork Tacos.

They certainly looked interesting and based on how well he cleaned the plate, it’s safe to say they tasted great.  The Tacos were Sweet Potato Puree, Spicy Jicama Salsa and Shoestring Sweet Potatoes. If not for the pork, I would have definitely ordered them.  I had a nightmare trying to place an order.  I couldn’t decide what to get and unfortunately I think I ordered the worst item on the menu, the Fish and Chips.  To make matters worse, I thought I was improving my meal by ordering the truffle oil parmesan fries, but in the end nothing good came of it.

That’s the best picture I have of my meal.  The fish was three unmanageable pieces deep fried and frankly quite disgusting.  I was definitely disappointed in this meal.  Yet once again, dessert came to the rescue.  LG and her hubs ordered the Deep Fried Oreos which were served with Espresso Chip Ice Cream and a Coffee Shake Shot.

I couldn’t bring myself to try an oreo but I did have a bit of the Coffee Shake Shot. WHOA. Definitely will wake you up right away.  I ordered the Warm Fallen Chocolate Cake with Passion Fruit Drizzle and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.  The cake was amazingly rich and the ice cream was the perfect way to complement the chocolate.  The passion fruit drizzle was lost on me. I thought it was an unnecessary distraction.

Overall, Cafeteria was uneven.  The biscuits were a high point and my entree was definitely a low point.  Perhaps if I was a little more decisive I could have selected a better entree. The desserts were well executed but also had an air of excess, but I guess that’s what dessert is all about.  I suppose I would go back but only if I was in the mood for a particular item on the menu.

Hungry yet?

Eggspectation - Downtown Silver Spring, MD

I'm excited to be doing another guest blog in Lady T's food memoir. This will be a short one, but I have a few more lined up - whenever Lady T is on travel or too bogged down, I'm here to share my DC area food experiences! :-)

If you're looking for a casual but upscale breakfast or brunch egggsperience - try Eggspectation in Downtown Silver Spring. The restaurant theme is "Les Cirques des Oeufs" (Circus of eggs) with related decor and murals creating a fun ambiance. It's also in a great location, with tons of shops and restaurants surrounding - both times I went with Ms. R we never failed to walk over to Borders right after our meal.


Speaking of Ms. R, this time she started off with a mimosa which was actually quite refreshing.










I went for a cappucino - which was also eggcellent ;-)

Ms. C decided to have an omelette and chose a good one - the Chesapeake - which includes crab, onions, green peppers, and red peppers. It was tasty, with potatoes and cantaloupe as sides. I'm not sure about the sweet dipping sauce they gave with it - the omelette might have gone better with ketchup! Overall Ms. C enjoyed it alot, along with her mimosa. I'm not a huge omelette fan, but even I thought it was a good mix of flavors.

Ms. R went for a classic - 2 eggs sunny side up, turkey sausage, and grilled tomatoes. It was very tasty especially if you're in the mood for basic breakfast foods - but Ms. R did seem to hold on to my dish more (as we did our dish tasting rotations).

Lastly, I decided to try something new, the Huevos Rancheros (recommended by Ms. R). Warm soft tortillas, topped with 2 eggs - I had them sunny side up which seems weird but somehow went really well. On top of that came the really good stuff - onions, pulled pork, and peppers, and smothered in Ranchero sauce and cheese. It was DELICIOUS! Very flavorful, and spicy (I asked for hot sauce) adding a texmex edge to breakfast. The crunchy tortilla with refried beans and sour cream was a good compliment, this is a must try!

Overall, eggggcellent!