Monday, April 18, 2011

Worst Experience Ever!

       Saturday night I had one of the most awkward dining experience of my life.  My hubby, friend, and I took advantage of the last day of Morristown Restaurant Week and went to the Grand Cafe.  I looked up the website and there was no dress code listed. I looked at pictures and it appeared to be a nice place so i wore nice dark jeans, heels and a super dressy top, figuring that would be good since there wasn't a dress code. Wow was I underdressed! The waiters were wearing tuxes!!! Plus all the diners were older couples. We were the only people under 40. NOT a good way to start the evening off!
      It pretty much went downhill from there. The appetizers were good. I had some of the best Escargot of my life. (Gratinee of Escargot, served with a Thai Basil-Garlic Butter and a Crispy Scallion Crouton). The hubby loved his Andouille Sausage, served with a Taro Root Puree and Truffle Demi-Glace. I thought the sausage was a little spicy personally. And our friend was pleased with his classic Caesar Salad (which had actual homemade caesar dressing!). But the uncomfortable feeling never left!
       My entree ( Seafood Crepe, served with Scallops, Shrimp, Jumbo Lump Crab and a Saffron Dill Emulsion) was horrible! The seafood was rubbery and so strong I couldn't even taste the Saffron. The guest next to us ordered it also and we could smell it from our table. Hubby wanted to try something new- Sautéed Calves Liver, served with Green Peas, Sautéed Onions, Pureed Potatoes and Crispy Bacon with a Raspberry Vinegar Demi-Glace.  We discovered we don't like liver but it was cool to try!
Tom made the smartest choice by ordering Kobe Beef Hamburger, with Slice Onions, Cucumber Tomato Salad and Homemade Pommes Frites. He was much happier than James or I, especially with his Mango Cheesecake! Hubby and I both had Creme Brulee which was very good but nothing out of the ordinary. 
      All in all, the night was pretty awful considering we were watched like we were going to rob the place. That, and the fact that they seated us right next to the piano player. Verdict? Never going back! I wouldn't recommend it unless you were going with your rich grandparents. Or wanted classic French Food from the 70's.  If you are interested.....
http://thegrandcafe.com/


 See you next time, hopefully with a much better restaurant!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

A Little About Me

Welcome back! I figured you would all like to know a little about who you are reading about! :) Im married and about to turn 29. I was born and raised in NJ, but I have also lived in NY and KY.  My three cats are our babies, but my biological clock is really ticking! I love everything about food whether it includes watching, eating, cooking, baking or reading! 
The funny thing about my food obsession is that it didn't really begin until I moved out on my own for the first time at 19.  Until then, my mother had completely spoiled me and all I could do was make Kraft Mac and Cheese. My boyfriend (now husband) was an enthusiastic cook. Which does not mean that he was a good one! He tries really hard....always has, but he likes to try new things. New as in no one has ever tried them before.  For a reason!  So first he got me addicted to Food Network, then I realized if I didnt learn to cook we'd spend all our money on take-out!  Who knew that litle decision would lead to a complete career change?
I ended up changing my college major from Elementary Education/ Psychology to Hospitality Management/Culinary Arts!!!! So 10 years later with ALOT of cooking experience behind me, here I am! :)
I may work in another department in the Hotel now, but my love for Culinary will always be a part of me! 

Here are some pictures of food I have made. Unfortunately I've never taken many pictures...so that is something I will have to start doing! :)

             Bacon Chocolate Cupcakes:
                Cheese and Fruit Platter:
                          Pineapple Upside Down Cake:
                     Cookie Dough Truffle:
                      Cheese Souffle:
Trio of Milkshakes my old boss and friend CJ and I made
                                First Attempt at fruit carving:
                                   Seabass plateup for work...my first solo tasting:
                        Shortrib plateup for my first tasting:
                            Another cool thing CJ and I concocted for a site visit:
                            Fun decorating cookies with the family:
                           Filet plateup for tasting:
Well there we go my friends! Until next time! Hint: Next Blog will be a review of a local French Restaurant!

Sunday, April 10, 2011

So it begins.....

Hello! My name is Chrissy! One Saturday afternoon, my husband had the best idea while we were trying out a new lunch place. He thought I should start a food blog! I absolutely love to cook and we try new restaurants all the time, so it seemed like a good idea to me! I plan to tell you not only about new restaurants, but also to share any new attempts at recipes with you! I am in NJ so these will be all NJ and NY places with a few thrown in from places we vacation.

With that said I will share with you the Persian Restaurant in Morristown we went to last night!  It is currently Restaurant week in Morristown, so you can find awesome deals right now! My husband, friend, and I decided to try a cuisine we had never had before! Marjan Persian Grill was amazing!!!!!  From the start the service was out of this world! For $25 per person you receieved 1 appetizer, 1 entree, 1 dessert and 1 drink!  We tried Doogh which is a Yogurt based drink with Seltzer. Its super salty! Definitely an acquired taste! I loved that our server was honest with us, saying that only 1 in 10 people like it!! We followed with appetizers. Between us we tried Mast-o-Khiyar (basically a super yummy yogurt dip), Dolmeh (Grape leaves), and Kuku-ye Sabzi ( a herb frittatta...which was a little bland for what it was but still pretty good).  My friend and I both got the same entree- Kabob-e-Barg, which was the most tender filet accompanied by fluffy saffron basmatic rice and a grilled tomato.  My husband went out on a limb and ordered Koresht-e-Fesenjoon. It was unlike anything I have ever tried before!!! The consistency was between a thick stew and a paste. It was made of crushed walnuts, sweet pomegranate sauce, and shredded chicken.  You put it with your rice and it is sweet and savory and simply irresistable! We finished with homemade Persian Ice Cream made with fresh rosewater, saffron and pistachios. I felt the rosewater was a bit too overpowering but the boys loved it! Overall the whole experience was outstanding and I would highly recommend it! Here's the website! http://marjanpersiangrill.com/

So that is it folks! Please let me know what you think of my new blog and if anyone has any questions, I will be happy to answer them! Until next time!!!