Blueberry Lemonade - Cocktail Time!

Its news to me but I'll take it -- Vodka Lemonade's are this summer's drink (aside from Sangria of course!!) What better way to say goodbye to summer then to go out with a BANG?



This cocktail is sure to make you the hostess with the mostest (well, at least after a couple of drinks you may think so!)



As you know I don't measure anything and just pour till I think something will taste good, but trust me on this, you wont be disappointed.



Ingredients

• Blueberry Vodka (I prefer Stoli's)


• Lemonade (Crystal light works well)


• Champagne (Cristal if you have it, if not Andre will do :) and this is optional )

Directions

In an 12 oz. glass (a tall drinking glass will work fine) pour 3 oz. of Blueberry vodka (approximately 1/4 of the glass) over ice. Add about 8 oz. of lemonade (just almost to the top). Then top the drink of with a little bit of champagne. Stir if you want, mix if you want, you know your likes, but the bottom line is DRINK!

Hope this summer drink provides you with many a good time!

Happy Belated Birthday to Bryant and Tracy!!

Happy Birthday to Bryant and Tracy! I know you both celebrated in style!

I guess this will be a test to see if you even read The Frugal Foodies...haha

BLT Prime

BLT Prime

Let me start this off by saying this meal was conducted with a method I like to call “eating by observation.” I was feeling a little under the weather at a dinner celebration for Annie’s birthday at BLT Prime, but came to say goodbye (SAD!) and again Happy Birthday.

I did eat some appetizers and saw the entrees so I feel that this gives me the power to review. Plus its my blog, get over it.

BLT (which stands for Bistro Laurent Tourondel) Prime is nestled on a side street off of Park Avenue and when you walk in there is a butchery right there. Literally racks of meat just hanging behind glass. This should give any diner confidence that their meat is top of the line. You don’t put your product out for everyone to see if it’s not up to par.

We sit comfortably at a table for 5 and as I look to my left I realize that in the midst of this nice restaurant there is the menu right on the wall, like calling foodies back to the mothership.

A true foodie, Leah takes the reins of this dining experience and starts to order some appetizers. In the meantime, our server brings us some bread. Oh and when I say bread I mean steaming hot “puffs” that looks like they should be in some sort of trippy book from the 60s (imagine the mushrooms from Alice in Wonderland, slender at the bottom but overflowing at the top.) Not kidding these things are HUGE. You break open the bread and a cloud of steam just rising from the clearly fresh baked puff. Butter is melting so fast over the rough terrain of the bread; it’s all I can do to stop the melting from getting all over me. This was one of those experiences where I had to mentally tell myself to slow down. I couldn’t get the bread in my mouth fast enough. Amazing. They give you the recipe. Trouble.

Then the appetizers come

• Tuna tartar with avocado
• Lobster cobb salad
• Crab cakes
  

This is one of those time when nothing was my favorite. How could I pick when everything was DELICIOUS. Seriously, if I didn’t exert some sort of self-control, my face would have been buried in the dishes and I would only come up for air.

Well since I wasn’t feeling good before I came, the fact that I have very little self control and continued to eat definitely didn’t make me feel better so I left shortly after that, but the good news is I was around for the entrees. Leah and Annie both got the filets and they come with sauces, so they got the bearnaise, chimichurri, and 3 mustard.

Although I didn't eat I can safely say that diners will not be disappointed. Everything from the service to the incredible bread, was magnificent.

BLT Prime
111 E 22nd St
New York, NY 10010
(212) 995-8500
www.bltprime.com/

Craft

Good news foodies, I have been extremely well fed over the past week, which means lots of reviews for you!

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting up with some good friends to celebrate a birthday for Miss Annie. A foodie herself she had picked Tom Collichio’s (yes the Top Chef judge’s) Craft. Craft is the flagship of the Craft brand which extends to include Craftbar, Craft Steak, and Wichcraft (an extraordinary sandwich restaurant that specializes in being awesome)

Annie and her family are my favorite kind of diners, sharers. They believe in ordering what you want, but be prepared to share, and do not order the same as someone else – duh, you’re sharing!
So that is what we did, and basically set the tone of go big or go home.

• Japanese Wagyu Carpaccio




• Hamachi tartar




• Yellowfin tartar




• Frisée & Coppa (my order, by far the weakest. I know, I know.)




• Sweetbreads




• Pork belly ravioli
  

So let’s talk about my favorite, the Wagyu Carpaccio. Um, I never thought I would say that a piece of meat would melt in my mouth, but that is in fact what this delectable little teaser did, simple melted in my mouth and left me wanting more (the sign of a incredible dish, or a fatty, I don t know). There was some sort of salt/cheese mixture on the bottom that just enhanced every ounce of this rare treat. Nice job Scott!

On to the main course…I don’t know why I brought my C game to dinner, but I did and had a craving for bass, going against my better judgment of ordering something unique. Everyone else was on point

• Bass




• Tai Snapper




• Cod




• Aged steak




• Short rib

Basically everyone’s was a winner except for mine. It was by no means bad, but just a little bland (Tom Collichio, I know). The snapper had some berries with that provided the right pop just as you placed the fish in your mouth. The short ribs were so tender and flavorful I could have eaten the whole thing. The steak, oh the steak, talk about melt in your mouth. Aged for days, that sucker was ready to be cooked and devoured. The cod was fantastic as well.
Honoring Annie’s birthday we had the tart and chocolate soufflé with a special “Happy Birthday Annie” decorated across the top :)

Overall, a true dining experience with everything from the wine to the company. Thanks to Annie and her family!!

Craft

http://www.craftrestaurant.com/
900 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
(212) 461-4300

Happy Birthday Annie!!

Happy Birthday to my dear friend Annie, who has provided me with many culinary experiences!! Be looking for new posts soon!!

So High Tech...

Foodies, please note that I have added an RSS feed to my blog so now you can always find out the latest Frugal Foodies news but just adding to your iGoogle page.

I promise to update constantly now that I have my life back in order! Thanks to my loyal readers!!

Restaurant Review - Blackbird's Chicago

I know its been a while. Dear Foodies, please accept my sincerest of apologies. I've done some traveling in our time apart and one of my trips was to the Second City, (honestly its kinda becoming first to me...) Chicago.

Having only been once in my life on a high school art history trip, I knew that Chicago would be a whole new experience. I was correct. I was basically visiting the city for the first time.

The whole trip was amazing, but I think what stood out the most was the incredibly dining experience I had at Blackbird.

This restaurant is definitely not for the faint of heart. You walk in, and enter this railroad style restaurant where you can see everything; the kitchen, bar and basically the whole dining room (I would say a 50 person capacity). Minimalism is definitely a theme. The walls are stark white as are the tables, the servers are dressed up much like the patrons, you can barely detect them in the crowd. Its a little crammed but having lived in New York for this long, I barely even notice anymore.

The Food. Oh the food. I can honestly say that out of the 20 or so items on the menu there was one component in each dish where I had no clue what it was. We started out with Endive Salad (endives, crispy potatoes, basil, dijon, pancetta and poached egg), which was really beautifully presented, wrapped in the crispy potato, then the server came table side and like a surgeon carefully dissected the salad and chopped and tossed together. After this I knew coming here was the right decision, who goes through all this trouble for a salad. People who are on the top of their game, that's who.

Here is what we order for the rest of the meal:

• Crispy confit of swan creek farm suckling pig with local soybeans, baby artichokes, preserved lemon and pork rinds


• Slow-roasted alaskan halibut with grilled cipollini onions, royal trumpets, cripsy pancetta, asparagus and miso


• Braised rack of lamb with fresh chickpeas, spring radishes, pickled feta and lovage

Overall, this could be one of the better restaurants I've eaten at in my life. There is just something you have to respect about every component that is on the plate. Each dish was thoughtful, creative and most importantly DELICIOUS!

Be aware though, go with a hefty wallet, such fine dining does not run cheap, but it was completely worth every penny.

Blackbird
619 W Randolph St
Chicago, IL 60661
(312) 715-0708
www.blackbirdrestaurant.com