Saturday, August 16, 2008

Bar Americain

Steve suggested eating at one of Bobby Flay's restaurants. We discovered one a half block from our hotel. It was so cool. Upscale, classy and an absolutely wonderful experience. The waiter suggested a cabernet blend which was robust and full of flavor that lingers. I need to find the name of it so we can enjoy it later.

The basket of bread includes a corn fritter, roll and baguet - all warm from the oven! Yummy!


Gentry said her chicken was the most tender chicken she has ever eaten. We all enjoyed some of her potato chips with bleu cheese dip. Steve had duck with wild rice. Again, it was tender and moist. I had cheese grits with shrimp, bacon and green onions which was great!

We splurged and had dessert. Gentry ordered a Praline Chocolate Cake which was super, super rich! Steve ordered Bourbon Filled Cream Eclairs. I enjoyed both of them. What a fantastic meal to end our trip

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Gallagher's Steak House

After resting in our hotel and waiting for the rain to quit, we walked down the street to Gallaghers Steak House.

Gallagher's was the creation of Helen Gallagher, a former Ziegfeld Follies dancer who billed Gallagher's as "the speakeasy that served steaks," when she opened it in 1927. Then when Prohibition came to an end six years later, the resourceful Mrs. Gallagher repositioned Gallagher's as "the steakhouse that served drinks."

Now in its 71st year, Gallagher's is truly a steakhouse to be reckoned with. Step inside and see the rows of U.S.D.A. prime beef dry-aging in the windowed 36F cooler. The grand circular bar will catch your eye along with the dark, wood-paneled walls lined with portraits of sport and movie stars.

The steaks were "to die for". Plus, the portions were huge so we took our leftovers so Steve could enjoy them for breakfast or lunch tomorrow. I had Lobster & Shrimp Bisque that had an interesting spice of nutmeg or pumpkin. I couldn't quite tell, but it was delicious.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Zinfandel Merlot

I didn’t like this as much as the Zinfandel because it was a bit stark or too much spice. Usually I think of Merlot as fruitier wine, but this one isn’t it. I will say that giving it time to breathe allows the flavors to blend.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Zinfandel Chardonnay

I like this cool chardonnay because it has a blend of fruit and buttery oak. The buttery flavor is mild and does not overtake the wine.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Barefoot wines were on sale for 4.99 so I bought one of each. We tried Zinfandel first and it had a good fruit flavor with some notes of cherry & raspberry.

Barefoot Zinfandel

Immense wine with inviting flavors of ripe cherry & wild raspberry. Aromas of vanilla and spice complement the lingering finish. Perfect with beef, red sauce, pastas, hearty soups and mild cheeses. Zinfully delicious.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Our First Meal Back Home

The moving van delivered all our belongings yesterday…yea! Tonight we had a wine that I bought at World Market. It was actually good for a cheap wine and great with an informal meal.

XS Red 2005

California Cabernet Sauvignon

Fruit forward robust red with blackberry and toasty oak. Delicious with your favorite pizza, pasta or BBQ. As the bottle says, “Sometimes a little XS is a good thing.”

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Our 23rd Anniversary

Much to my dismay, there are no nice restaurants open on Sundays in Moscow, Pullman or Lewiston. What to do to celebrate our anniversary? With our move to Texas just around the corner, we didn’t want to drive far to celebrate.

So, we used some creativity…

After church we stopped at the Moscow Co-op and picked up a loaf of hot, fresh Salted French Bread (yum!) and a bottle of chilled Camas Prairie Chardonnay. Then, we picked up our dog and headed to a park with cheese and meat. We found a shady spot and spent the next few hours relaxing.

The Chardonnay was delicious. Of course, anything chilled on a ninety plus day tastes great. I can’t believe we didn’t try this wine earlier in our stay here in Moscow. Camas Prairie is a local winery that has some terrific reds. Their Chardonnay was buttery with a slight hint of oak….just the way we like a chardonnay.

Later, we drove to Uniontown to see a photo exhibit at the Dahmen Gallery and the Catholic Church. The Uniontown Catholic Church was the first church registered in Washington, back around 1910. Finally, we headed to Eleanor’s for a drink and a bite to eat. Eleanor’s is a quaint burger joint that Steve visited earlier this year.

This wasn’t your normal way to celebrate an anniversary, but I had a blast. Who wouldn’t enjoy a couple of hours with a great glass of wine, a book to read and a husband playing his guitar.