birthday bonanza

Sorry for the delay in this post; it has been a pretty hectic week. As I told y’all, my parents came down to Columbia at the end of last week and took Weezer & me out to dinner. We were lucky enough to grab reservations at Solstice for Thursday night. I did a pretty bad job of taking notes and pictures while I was there because we were busy catching up with my parents most of the time. Solstice is one of our favorite establishments in Columbia and we always love making the trek out there.

Solstice is a fairly new restaurant (last couple of years) in Northeast Columbia. While it isn’t the most convenient for us “in-towners,” I know it does a good business with all of the families nearby. It is owned by the same group that runs Mr. Friendly’s in Five Points. Mr. Friendly’s has always been one of mine and Weezer’s go-to nice restaurants and my parents have really enjoyed their experiences when they have taken us. My dad has recently developed a severe case of lactose intolerance and the staff at both of these restaurants have been more than accommodating. We started out with an appetizer of fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese on top. They ended up being just a quick preview of how delicious our entrees would be. The tomatoes were lightly battered and fried in cornmeal, topped with thick, but creamy house made pimento cheese. After this teaser and a couple of drinks, the main event showed up at our table. Weezer & my mom both got the fish special: a pan-seared Kingclip. Nobody had heard of this fish, but it turned out to be almost like a grouper: white, flaky meat that falls apart with the slightest touch of your fork. My dad stuck with the scallops, a safe call for someone with his needs. They left the grit-cake off the plate and replaced it with some extra veggies. I went for the flat iron steak. My steak was cooked to perfection (mid-rare with the center still pink & juicy) and the sides it came with completed the meal well. As if these dishes weren’t enough, my parents insisted on ordering desert. They split the in-house gelato and Weezer & I had the mango springrolls on the suggestion of our waiter. He knew what he was talking about, as within minutes of getting the springrolls, we had taken them all down. The nice cinnamon-sugar coated crusts were stuffed with fresh mango and puree that seemed to melt in your mouth. It seemed like we had just gotten there when it was time to go, but I guess thats what happens when you have great company over delicious food & spirits.

The main event didn’t happen for another two days. On Saturday, Weezer threw one of the biggest & best Fiestas on the East Coast. She rented a margarita machine, picked up a bunch of decorations on our last trip to San Antonio, and even ordered a tres leches cake to fit in with the theme. People started arriving for the party around 3:00 on Saturday afternoon which was perfect timing: The Margarita Man had just dropped the machine off about an hour earlier and our first batch of ‘ritas was just getting frozen. For those of you that don’t know, the Margarita Man provides a frozen drink machine and mixes to help spice up any party. You are provided with the machine, instructions, and how ever many mixes you want and are left to enjoy the rest of the day. The biggest thing is that there is no worries about who is cleaning up the machine the next day; the Margarita Man comes back and picks up the equipment and cleans everything later!!

This was the second annual Fiesta and it was more than twice as big & bad as the first year. We had streamers in the tree, papel picados hanging from the house, cactus & succulent centerpieces, a piñata stuffed full of candy, & a giant Sasquatch statue in the yard near a photo booth with all kinds of costumes. Weezer also had the great idea of having door prizes: we had a contest for how many pieces of candy were in the piñata, and who could get closest in a game of pin the tail on the donkey. The winners got a Bojangles gift card (we were going to do Chic-Fil-A but that would have been a cruel awakening for those hopping to use it on Sunday after the party) as well as their choice of cactus or succulent to take home.

My wonderful Weezer had spent hours that morning making homemade salsas, dips, & shredded chicken tacos and our good friends Hambone & the Corn Queen brought shredded beef for tacos. All of the meats had been marinating for hours so the flavors had soaked in and kept the meat moist. Once the food was put out, people began piling plates with food and a couple went back for seconds (maybe thirds).

After a couple more ‘ritas, a game of ladderball, and some more socializing, the center of all birthday celebrations, the cake, was finally brought out. Weezer went above & beyond when she ordered not one, but two, tres leches cakes for Ally & Eloise Bakeshop which just opened on Forest Drive. In an example of how small the world really is, Ally is actually family friends of Weezer from back in the Lone Star State!!! These cakes were some of the best cake I have had in a while (probably since our wedding actually!). They were light but filling, not too rich, and very moist. People kept talking about how they don’t eat cake at things like this, but once they stuck a fork in that first slice, people were lined up to get their share. Because so many people were full from the tacos & saving room for more drinks, we ended up with 1 whole cake left over. I took about half of the left over cake to work on Monday, and after a few questions as to what was in it (tres leches = three milks, duh), I went to check to see how much was left only to find a tiny little sliver remaining. Obviously the people at work enjoyed it as much as we did!

Again, sorry for the late post with the lack of pictures, but this is all new to me and I promise it will get better. I want to thank my wonderful wife Weezer again for caring so much about me to put such a great party together and to all of our friends who turned out to help celebrate. Weezer knows how to put a party together, so if you every need any advice, she would be glad to help.

Thanks Weezer! I love you!

Until next time…

P-Lop

Solstice

three trips, three weeks

So Weezer, our friend Salligator, & myself just went back to Café Caturra last night. This was the third trip for Weezer & me, but Salligator’s first. She just had her tonsils removed and has been on a diet of mush for the past several weeks, so she was itching to see what the new place was all about.

Weezer and I went with another couple on Friday evening and had a great experience. There was a slight wait, which should be expected on a Friday night at 7:30, but after about 20 minutes we were sat at a high table outside. Both of us tried something new: The pimento cheese appetizer, crab cakes, and prosciutto & arugula pizza. Our friends had the Margherita pizza as well as the flank steak satay & mac and cheese. We shared wine, caught up on old times, and enjoyed the great weather Columbia has had recently. While it was busy, and took a little longer than our first trip, it was still very good service, delicious food, & a hip atmosphere.

Last night was a slightly different experience.  We were seated inside and immediately greeted by our server.  We weren’t sure what we wanted to wet our tastebuds so we took turns walking up to the wine bar to sample some of the whites and try the gouda and fresh bread that was available.  We each ordered our glasses and then began to decide on something to eat.  Weezer and Salligator are both big deviled egg fans, and with the recent surgery for Sal, this seemed like a good appetizer choice.  Not long after we ordered, 4 eggs came out.  Just like the cheese on the salad, the eggs were generously sprinkled with paprika.  They were creamy, with a slight crunch of pickle or relish, and tasted fresh.  The eggs went down quick so then we were ready to order.

Weezer was hungry so she asked about a couple of dishes.  She settled on the veggie lasagna and was planning on splitting the arugula salad with Salligator.  Sal ordered the seared scallops with risotto and I went back to the prosciutto & arugula pizza.  Our waitress returned after putting in our orders only to inform Weezer that someone had just ordered the last piece of lasagna (I guess that means its good!).  She went to her backup:  shrimp tacos.  We began catching up with Salligator, talking about the different menu items we had tried, the family friendly atmosphere, etc. and then the girls food arrived.  The scallops looked great, even though I’m not a scallop fan, and the shrimp tacos were loaded.  The mild, creamy salsa was a great addition to slather on top of the grilled shrimp.  The salad came in a big bowl and Weezer & Salligator began to dive into their dishes while they were still hot.  Their only complaint was that the salad had a little too much dressing, which can be easily fixed by asking for it on the side in the future.  Note taken.  I expected my pizza to take a little longer since it is cooked in a seperate kitchen, is made to order, and cooked in a large oven at the pizza bar.

The girls were over halfway finished when our waitress came back to check on things.  She noticed my za hadn’t arrived yet and told me that they take a little longer to cook and there was a large number of pizza orders at the time.  She then quickly “corrected” herself and told me she would go check on it.  (Side note: if they know the pizza’s take a little longer, why wouldn’t you put the pizza in first and then 5 minutes later put in the other food orders so that everyone can be served at the same time??)  She came back and told me once again that there were lots of pizza orders, she was really sorry, but that mine should be ready in 10 minutes.  I was a little disappointed, but fine with it.  Weezer and Sal had finished their meals and were now just drinking wine and talking to Sal’s parents who were eating outside.  Next thing I know, the table next to us (which sat down a good 20 minutes after we ordered), had a pipping hot Margherita pizza placed on their table.  This was frustrating.  I had been told that my order was just in a backlog of other orders, but then our neighbors got theirs first??  I patiently waited, was told by the waitress how sorry she was again for the delay, and watched the other couple enjoy their entire pizza before I had anything in front of me.  I guess the expression on my face was showing my dissapointment as the manager then stopped by to see how things were.

The owner, James Foley, was very apologetic, genuine, and concerned.  I told him that we had ordered an hour ago, my company had already finished eating, my neighbors had received their pizza, and I still had nothing.  He continued to apologize and began asking me what he could do to compensate us.  I am not one to ask for handouts or try to get things taken off of my bill, so I politely declined and asked him to just check on my pizza.  I told him it seemed as though their was a disconnect and either our waitress forget to put in the pizza when she saw that their was no veggie lasagna, or the pizza bar lost the ticket.  My biggest problem was that no one had owned up to it yet.  He understood completely, did not make any execuses, and was going to personally check on it when my pizza arrived.   He again, offered to make things right and we all told him that was not needed:  It’s a new restaurant, and kinks are to be expected.

As I was enjoying my dinner (the pizza really is divine: hand tossed crust, thin prosciutto, thick mozzarella, and covered with a bed of arugula), James came back to the table.  He told me he had comped the pizza for us and again apologized and asked if there was anything else he could do.  We told him that was more than enough and that we enjoyed the new establishment and just wanted to see it do well.  He asked if he could sit down and we started to talk about the whole Café Caturra concept.

He told us that, unlike what we thought, Café Caturra is not a chain nor a franchise.  Instead, each location is individually operated as its own entity providing customers with different menus made from fresh, local ingredients.  The concept began in Richmond, VA several years ago as just a small boutique coffee shop.  The original location expanded to serve a couple of small plates and the idea spread from there.  After opening several more locations, along with wine and more food,  in the Mond, they took the idea down South to the Research Triangle.  Raleigh & Cary locations were opened and then the Arlington, VA location happened.  According to James, the company has a great relationship with Edens, a property management firm located all over the East Coast.  Edens approached the restaurant about their renovations to Trenholm Plaza and the rest is history.

James was very interested in our opinions of the place.  Weezer & Sal were quick to comment on the family friendly atmosphere and how the large kid’s menu would attract family’s looking for a simple dinner where they could get a drink and their children could enjoy the meal too.  We also told him that the wide variety of menu items made it easy for anyone in a large group to get something they would enjoy.  The wine bar is a nice touch to get conversations going and it looks great as the centerpiece of the restaurant.  James was very sincere, seemed to be making mental notes, and was happy to receive praise about his newest addition.  I continued to finish every bit of the pizza (kind of, I shared some with Weezer & Salligator) and really enjoyed how welcome we were made to feel, even given the delay in food.  We ordered another round of wine and took our glasses outside to sit with Sal’s parents while they were finishing their meal and to take in more of the temperate weather we have had recently.

While there was a snafu this go around, it will not deter Weezer, Salligator, or me from returning, most likely in the very near future.  The genuine concern of management, as well as everyone else who works there, makes up for the human error that can only be expected on occasion.  Later this week, my parents will be in Columbia to take me & Weezer out to dinner.  We are headed to Solstice, one of our favorite Columbia establishments.  After that we are having a Fiesta at our house that will include homemade tacos & dips as well as a cake from Ally & Eloise, the new bakery on Forest Drive.  Look for updates soon! 

Until next time…

P-Lop

(almost) south of the border

Weezer and I just got back from visiting her family for Easter. While it was a quick trip, just Friday to Monday, we were able to pack in all sorts of activities. While there’s no way for me to write about all of them, I do want to share about one of my favorite parts: a food truck “food court” in the up & coming neighborhood of San Anotonio’s Southtown.

The Alamo Street Eat Bar was a little taste of Austin’s hip culture mized with the Latino flare of San Antonio. Weezer and I met up with her brother, Hunna, and some of his friends on Saturday evening to go out for dinner & drinks in celebration of Hunna’s birthday. Since life is full of coincidences, I should not be surprised that the gift we gave Hunna before heading out was a copy of Food Trucks: Dispatches and Recipes from the best Kitchens on Wheels. While none of the SA trucks were highlighted in the great read, it was still approprate for the evening.

The Alamo Street Eat Bar is a fairly new idea in San Antonio. Based at the old Acapulco Drive Inn on none other than Alamo St., the idea came together this spring. A bar is based in the old restaurant building that serves all types of beer and wine to customers of the trucks. Picnic tables and small four-tops are scatted under the old drive inn’s pavilion and on Saturday night a DJ was spinning a combo of indie-hippie-90′s-grunge-rock off his net book under the multi colored lightbulbs overhead. On first glance, this looked like a casual atmosphere that attracts a variety of customers out to enjoy the great South Texas spring weather. One pitfall that we all noticed right away, however, was the 6 port-o-potties lined up towards the back of the parking lot; there was a brick & mortar building on site, so why couldn’t they add a couple of “comfy” potties?? While it wouldn’t pose an issue for us guys, the girls’ experience was not as easy, especially after the sun set and a few cold ones were put away.

Each afternoon, 5-6 trucks roll into the site and park along the perimeter. Three of these trucks are there every day the Eat Bar is open: Tapa Tapa, The Chili Queens, & Chris Cullum’s Attaboy Burgers. There are six other trucks who were granted permits (out of over 50+ applications!), and three of those set up on a given night, rotating with the others. On Saturday night, the additional trucks included The Rolling Pig & Where Y’at Third Coast Kitchen. As you can tell from the unique names, none of the trucks’ menus really overlapped. The variety of items available made it possible for everyone to find something that would suit their palates: hot & spicy, veggie or vegan, sweet treats, and even some novelty items.

After a little socializing and a couple draft PBR’s served out of the old ice house, I started to walk around and check out what was being served that night. I was immediately captured by the Tapa Tapa truck’s specials:

I am a cheese freak, so I’m still scratching my head as to why I passed on the Mac & Chz, but I think I was just intrigued by the still visable scratch-through where they sold out of the Chicken & Waffle Balls the previous night. I placed an order for the Balls and started talking to the owner. He told me he strives to create “high end stoner food” that appeals to all socio-ecomic classes, is fun to eat, and creates conversation amongst those lucky enough to enjoy his food. This location is his second truck; his first is still a roving eatery traveling town and serving up lunch several days a week at the Rackspace headquarters.

He started telling me about how some of the items were made: The watermelon is cut the night before and wrapped in fresh mint leaves to create a somewhat simple syrup. The next day, the melon is sliced, sprinkled with lime salt and fresh mint leaves to bring out all the juices, and then topped with Watermelon Pop Rocks just before serving. The end result is a beautiful combination of sweet, fresh, popping goodness that brings back the nostalgia of childhood which is strange seeing as this was a new creation to me. Mid-convo, I wipped the drool off my chin, rudely blurted “I need that!” and then sat back to learn more from this wonderful innovator. The syrup for the Chicken & Waffles is infused with three kinds of pepper in order to counter the sweetness of the waffle batter: black pepper, cayenne pepper, & pimentón picante (a smoked, spicy Spanish paprika). At this point, my beer was empty, stomach was growling, & my food was ready to be devoured so I took the baskets back to Weezer & sat down to see what it was all about, eating several slices of watermelon on the way…

The Chicken & Waffle Balls were a little different than what I was expecting; but what was I expecting and why did I have expectations?? Lightly seasoned ground chicken was rolled in sweet waffle batter and then deep fried. The finished product was placed in a basket and then drowned in the spicy syrup. It made for a very contrasting set of flavors with the peppers keeping your mouth warm for minutes to come. The balls were a little soft & squishy in my opinion, but maybe thats just because I am used to a large waffle topped with a BIG boneless breast of Southern fried chicken. The heat from the syrup was making me sweat, so its a good thing I ordered the last minute watermelon. The refreshing slices really helped to temper the spice and the whole novelty of the perfectly ripe watermelon ramped up by the watermelon Pop Rocks was amazing. One of Hunna’s friends tried a bite, and before he could even finish chewing, a smile came to his face and he mumbled: “The watermelon is talking to me!” What a perfect way to describe it.

We enjoyed another drink and continued to talk as the Southwest sun set in the distance. Since we had all shared the Tapa Tapa dishes, Weezer and I decided we needed to try something else. We thought about the brisket tacos from The Chili Queens, but opted for Attaboy’s Special Burger. Attaboy was the only truck serving out of a modifed Airstream Trailer that night. As many know, Airstream’s are the epitome of foodtrucks and others at the table were raving about their burgers, so we knew we had to try it out.

According to the girl that took our order through the screen door of the trailer, the special included a seasoned, hand made burger served on top of a fresh, homemade brioche bun and topped with bacon, grilled jalapeños, and a secret cheese sauce. The burger came with a side or regular hand cut or sweet potato fries. Weezer and I (really just me) asked for the japs on the side and requested the sweet fries (duh). I should note that Attaboy was the only vendor to accept plastic, everywhere else was cash only. This was a little disappointing, and the Tapa Tapa owner had also mentioned how he has had to turn several customers away because of it. All these trucks need (and the bar too, for that matter) is a Square. The Square itself is free when you sign up for an account, there is no monthly fee, it gives you the ability to add taxes or tips, and Square takes 2.75% off the top. In order to compensate for the usage fee, some trucks or other businesses just add a “$1 credit card fee,” which is more than enough to cover any fees incurred.

15 minutes later and our piping hot basket was being served through the window of the trailer and we were about to have the experience of a lifetime. Being the gentleman that I am, I let Weezer have the first bite. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and I think she had a hard time passing it off to me; it was THAT good. The cheese sauce was dripping down the side, the meat had a tremendous grilled flavor for the fact that it was cooked on a flat top, and the seasoning in the meat was out of this world, however it would not have been complete without the fluffy freshness of the bread. The sweet potato fries were not orange like you would expect. Instead they were fresh cut sweet potatoes rolled in a very light batter and then fried in hot, clean grease and the outcome was a crispy shell with a soft center. Normally I like honey-mustard or something of the like to dip my sweet tater fries in, but these need nothing of the sort.

Before long, Weezer and I were staring at the white bottom of an empty basket. We both kept obsessing over the strong flavors that were contained in what looked like such a simple burger.

At that point, I was pretty content and we just began to socialize some more with Hunna’s friends. We drank a couple more beers, talked about what every one had, and enjoyed the companionship and great weather of the weekend. Someone mentioned getting a beignet from Where Y’at, but I had other plans: a second helping of Watermelon Pop Rocks. The concept was just so delightful as an appetizer, I needed more for my desert. While I am somewhat sad that I did not get to try the pork wings from The Rolling Pig or the brisket tacos from the Chili Queens, that just means one thing: we have to go back the next time we are out there!

Until next time…

P-Lop

Tapa Tapa

Attaboy Burgers

Alamo Street Eat Bar

wining & dining

Cafe Caturra finally opened! It seems like they have been redoing Trenholm Plaza for years now, and being that we live so close, I have watched the construction progress. After seeing an extended patio, giant firepit, and nice big heaters go up, the chain from Northern Virginia appeared to have a big first week. Just opening on Thursday, it seemed to be hopping all through the weekend.

My wife & I were planning to cook dinner on Monday, but we both got home from work and had the same idea: Cafe Caturra. After the heavy, but quick thunderstorm, we hopped in the car and drove down. We got there early, about 6:15 and they had just finished drying off the outdoor seats. We cut through the restaurant to the hostess stand and were handed two menus and told to sit wherever we’d like. At first we tried one of the high tables outside, but the foot rests were way too low for me or Weezer so we jumped down to one of the regular tables. The whole restaurant is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling folding glass doors which were open on the breezy evening so it almost felt like we were inside. A waiter came by fairly quick with a carafe of water and two glasses. He asked if we were 21 (I know we look young, but when will it ever end???) and then told us about the wine bar. They have 24 wines “on tap” that you can try for FREE!! Yes that’s right: Just walk up to the wine bar inside and ask for a sample of any wine sold by the glass. Weezer had her mind set on the Vinho Verde and then something else caught her eye. She ended up ordering a bottle of the Grüner-Veltliner. Our waiter pulled out this little touchscreen key pad, punched in our table number and then checked the wine we wanted. Shortly there after, a food runner brought us a nice, cold bottle of Gruner.

As we were enjoying the first glass of refreshing white, our waiter came back to take our order. I was still looking through the menu, not because I hadn’t had a chance too, but because I couldn’t make up my mind… everything looked so good! We decided to split the Arugula & Goat Cheese Salad and each order something else. Weezer went with the Griddled Garlic Shrimp and I picked the Chicken Mozzarella Panini with a side of Orzo Pasta. Again, our server just punched the order into his little key pad and went on to the next table. Before we knew it, all three plates were being dropped off at our table by another runner.

Weezer’s shrimp dish looked fairly basic: large, grilled shrimp over a bed of spaghetti noodles. I tasted a bite and it was just like it looked; somewhat bland with a hint of garlic and some other spices. The one good thing was that the shrimp were not overcooked, which is something Weezer and me cannot stand! My sandwich was a lot more appetizing. Thin grilled chicken (again really not too much seasoning) covered in roasted red peppers and melted mozz. The sourdough bread was grilled to perfection with crisp, crunchy edges and a little softer center. My side of orzo included a few cherry tomatoes, but again the seasoning was a little lacking. The salad, on the other hand, was packed with flavors. A large bowl was filled with crisp, spicy arugula and sprinkled with dried blueberries and pecans and drizzled with a sweet vinaigrette. The bonus of this dish was the two little balls of goat cheese dipped halfway into paprika and set on top.

We enjoyed our meal and both joined the Clean Plate Club that night. Our waiter continued to walk around the patio checking on tables and noticed immediately after we finished scrapping up the last orzo and picking out the final blueberries. We were offered desert, declined and were presented with our check.

I put my card down and the waiter stopped back by, swiped my card through his little key pad and told us someone would bring out the tab for me to sign shortly. We waited for a little while, sipping what wine we had left in our glasses, and the waiter stopped by again to see if we ever received the final bill, only to become a little flustered. Now I know it was the first week, so some confusion is expected, but the waiter didn’t realize he had to run inside to get the bill for us to sign. This seems a little backwards, as up until this point, the waiter could do everything without having to leave his service area; no running inside to check on orders or waiting in line behind other servers to enter orders into a computer kiosk… So my only suggestion would be to figure out a way to have the runners also bring out the final bill.

All in all, we had a great dinner for a reasonable price. Since we didn’t finish out bottle of wine, we were given a cork so we could take it home and have a toast on the couch… Many restaurants have rough opening weeks, by all in all, it seems as though Cafe Caturra has learned the ins and outs of opening by trials and tribulations at their other locations. We will definitely be heading back, and with the summer just around the corner (or maybe already here???) we will probably be walking or riding bikes so that we can enjoy the wine bar to its fullest!

We are headed to Texas this weekend for Easter with the in-laws so hopefully I will be updating with some hot & spicy Tex-Mex soon. I didn’t think of starting this blog until after we ate at Cafe Caturra, so you can expect the upcoming posts to include many more pictures and links. Until next time…

P-Lop

Lets do this

So I’m going to start blogging??… Later today, or maybe tomorrow, I hope to post an entry about my recent trip to the newest restaurant in Columbia:  Cafe Caturra.