Américas River Oaks - Houston

The only reason I originally went to Américas - River Oaks was to get my sister to shut up!  She had been raving for over two weeks about this happy hour she attended with some of her friends.  My mouth dropped when I stepped inside the restaurant.  All I could think about is if they put that much energy and detail into the food as they did with the interior, then this place has to be wonderful.  And it was!

 Américas River Oaks is one of the newest additions to the Cordúa family of restaurants.  Award winning chef and restaurateur, Michael Cordúa teamed up with Chicago Architect Jordan Mozer’s vivid mind to create this Latin fusion eatery.  The whimsical rain forest inspired décor and Cordúa’s brilliant combination of North, Central and South American cuisine gives the patrons a true “New World” experience.

I managed to work my way through the first part of the menu over several "working sessions" with friends and family—a hard job but someone has to do it!  Here are some of my sister and my favorite items:

Américas River Oaks

Ceviches + Taquitos
There are four (4) ceviches to choose from and if you can’t make up your mind you can do a “Flight Tasting” of all four (4).  They are all very tasty and are on the lighter side so you won’t feel guilty for indulging in the happy hour drink specials.  Danielle particularly loved the Salmon Ceviche.  It is smoked salmon with lime, pineapple, jalapeno, and toasted sesame.  It is a large serving so there is plenty to share with friends.  Your ceviche choices are:

• Ahi Tuna
• Salmon
• Crab & Shrimp
• Mixto – gulf shrimp, market catch, red onion, chili and cilantro



Salmon Ceviche



You also have four (4) taquito choices or you can have all of them if you order the Taquito Tray.  The Plantain Crusted Shrimp Taquitos were the hit with my group.  It is difficult to describe them with words but imagine a plantain fried shrimp with cilantro slaw, pico de gallo and avocado.  Mmmmmm.  Your taquito choices include:

• Soft-shell Crawfish
• Bacon Wrapped Quail
• Plantain Crusted Shrimp
• Beef Shortrib

Shrimp Taquitos

Salad + Soup
If one of your New Year Resolutions involves watching your figure then you might want to try something from the Salad and Soup section of the menu—the ceviche isn’t too bad either.  There are four (4) salads and two (2) soups:

• Mixed Green Salad
• Caesar Salad
• Crab Carprichosa Salad
• Organic Quinoa Salad
• Cubana Soup
• Chupe de Langosta

Crab Caprichosa Salad

The Crab Caprichosa Salad was my party’s choice.  It has fresh avocado, tomato and mozzarella with HUGE chunks of lump crab meat.  The icing on the cake is the grilled chimichurri bread.  Don’t worry, if the bread falls outside of your diet repertoire then pass it on to a friend because I am sure they will enjoy it.


Small Plates
This is honestly my second favorite spot on the menu next to dessert of course.  So many selections you can make a meal just on these options:

• Empanadas
• Potato Crusted Calamari
• BBQ Pork Arepas
• Lobster Corndogs
• Angel Wings
• Smoked Lamb Lollichops
• Corn Smoked Crab Fingers

The Empanadas, Lobster Corndogs and Crab Fingers are my faves. The empanadas are chicken in an avocado mousse, spinach and cheese in a risotto sauce, black bean and chorizo in cilantro dressing and beef with huancaina sauce.  You can sample all four or create your own combination.  The Lobster Corndogs are so adorable.  You get seven “dogs” presented in a big wooden die with corn poblano dipping sauce.  The Corn Smoked Crab Fingers are served with yucca cake with red pepper lemon butter.  Don’t be afraid to use and lick your fingers after trying these dishes.

Empandas, Crab Fingers, Lobster Corndogs


La ñapa
Américas gives you a little something extra with their awesome Plantain Banana Chips with the three dipping sauces.  All three (3) sauces represent a different part of Pan-America.  The white sauce is called Huancaina.  It is a famous Peruvian fresh white cheese sauce with aji Amarillo—a Peruvian chili.  The green sauce is my personal favorite. It is from Argentina and is called Chimichurri. Made from olive oil, fresh chopped parsley, white vinegar, garlic and basil and is typically used on grilled meat.  There is some question to the origin of the name but one absolute is that this sauce is good!  The red sauce is a Mexican red pepper chili sauce.  It’s not super hot but it has just enough spice to make it quite enjoyable.

Plantain Chips w/ Three (3) Sauces

Dessert
There is no secret that dessert is my favorite part of ANY meal.  There is no exception here.  The menu boasts many traditional Latin desserts.  I didn’t have a choice but to try The OriginalTM Tres Leches for two reasons:

1. The name of the tres leches is trademarked!  If they went through that much trouble to protect the name of a dessert, it is worth a try.
2. The menu says “everyone should experience it at least once”

I tried it once and it was so good.  I have tried a lot of tres leches in my life and Cordúa’s Tres Leches is the BEST!

The Original Tres Leches

If you haven't made a visit to Américas River Oaks yet then I urge you to hurry up and get there.  The happy our is perfect if you want to grab a quick bite and it is very filling.  You can also check out one of their regular wine dinners and their Sunday Brunch.  There are two locations in the Houston area: River Oaks and The Woodlands.  I have to thank Danielle—my sister—for forcing me to try Américas. It was very much worth her raving AND there was zero exaggeration on her part. 

Americas River Oaks

 Epicurean Girl’s Conclusion: 4 VIPs
Américas gets a rating of 4 VIPs.

The Holiday Nutcracker Tea - Mandarin Oriental Lobby Lounge

As I stepped off the elevator onto the 35^th floor and entered the Lobby Lounge, I felt like it was Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaum house.  I had been “patiently” waiting for over a month for my chance to take part in the afternoon tea at the Mandarin Oriental.  Just as Alexander Dumas revised E.T.A. Hoffman’s original story about “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice” and Marius Petipa had the brilliant idea to choreograph this revision into the original ballet; the Mandarin Oriental New York took the idea of a holiday tea and turned it into something magical—The Holiday Nutcracker Tea! 

Holiday Nutcracker Tea @ Lobby Lounge

Act I: “Savory Sandwiches”

The Nutcracker Tea takes your traditional holiday tea favorite delicacies and with the Mandarin’s innovative touch turns it into an experience you will not forget.  For my hardcore tea connoisseurs, there is no need to fret because the Mandarin still has their famous sconces, Devon cream and marmalade.  The four sandwich selections are super delish: cracked pepper turkey, watercress, smoked salmon and egg salad.

Yummy Sandwich Tower

My personal favorite was the White Truffled Egg Salad.  Amazing is not a good enough adjective!  Words that come to mind are miraculous, stupendous, and wondrous.  But seriously, if something has truffle in its name then it has to be good!  I am not going to lie, I had a special guest with me and had she not finished her sandwich just as fast as I had, I might have pulled the old bait and switch!  My second favorite was the Cracked Pepper Turkey.  The sweet onion jam and the cranberry-walnut bread were the perfect combination.  I had to pace myself because I knew I didn't want to miss out on the treats from the “Land of the Sweets”.

Intermission

The tea selection is very thorough.  You have many choices: greens, blacks and herbals from the Mandarin’s Tealeaves Tea collection.  Trying to keep with the Christmas theme, I decided to go with the Peppermint Tea.  It was perfect!  I was in my own world sipping my tea and looking out the window at the AMAZING panoramic view of Central Park and the Columbus Circle Holiday Market.

Lobby Lounge Tea with a View

Act II: “Sweet Delicacies”

Enter the “Land of the Sweets” where the Sugar Plum Fairy will reward your taste buds with sweet celebration dances:

·         The Linzer Star Cookie Dance

·         The Fruit Cake Dance

·         The Coconut-Spiced Chocolate Snowball Dance

·         The Caramel Toasted Pecan Pie Dance

·         The Waltz of Eggnog Panna Cotta

This had been a night of firsts for me because believe it or not I had never had fruit cake or eggnog!  Why didn’t someone force me to try these holiday staples sooner?  Probably because they wanted to hog all the fruit cake and eggnog for themselves!  That isn’t very merry—but if you asked me to share my fruit cake or eggnog panna cotta at the tea, I would have to pause before I would make myself share my Christmas cheer! 

Linzer Cookies, Fruit Cake, Coconut-Spiced Chocolate Snowball, Caramel Toasted Pecan Pie, Eggnog Panna Cotta

ENCORE

My Nutcracker Tea was everything a girl could hope for!  I left very satisfied but wanting to return for more.  The only thing that would have taken this tea to another level would have been if one of my fellow guests would have performed the infamous Pas De Deux, but that might have been over the top!  You still have time to partake in the Nutcracker Tea because it doesn’t end until January 1, 2012.  You DO NOT want to miss this.

Lobby Lounge View of Central Park

Epicurean Girl’s Conclusion: 5 VIPs

Mandarin Oriental’s Holiday Nutcracker Tea gets our highest rating of 5 VIPs.

Montes Wine Dinner at Del Frisco's of Charlotte

We all have fantasies and one of mine FINALLY came true!  I have always wanted to have a ménage a trois!  I will set the scene for you—me, Montes Wine and Del Frisco’s—two of my loves coming together for one night in Charlotte.  A girl just simply couldn’t ask for more.  When I first learned about the dinner I had to get a sneak peek of the pairings.  One has to be prepared for such things.  I was willing to starve myself for a full week in preparation for all the eating and drinking I intended to do.  A mouth watering four course dinner along with an appetizing reception was set for the Montes Winery Dinner at the Charlotte location of Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse.

Montes Wine Dinner @ Del Frisco's

I & II

The foreplay was a Lobster Chopped Salad with Sweet Corn paired with Alpha Chardonnay.  The salad was delish!  I could have just eaten the lobster and been happy.  The Montes Alpha Chardonnay is a nice soft and creamy wine from the Casablanca Valley which is the perfect complement to the lobster salad.

Montes Alpha Chardonnay & Montes Alpha M Pairing

The second act was Pork Belly with Diver Scallops over a Cider Reduction paired with Epicurean Girl’s personal favorite Alpha M.  As you might recall from her “love letter”, it is very hard to take just a sip and then walk away unaffected.  Whoever had the idea to serve this wine with this dish is a GENIUS!  I had a partial blackout with this match!  We were also served “Aurelio’s Selection” of Napa Angel Cabernet Sauvignon which was extremely good and added a bit of the traditional cabernet qualities.  I would put it up against any Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons out there.

III & IV

The Espresso Rubbed Filet Mignon was EXCELLENT.  I forgot about proper etiquette and left nothing on my plate.  My excuse is that I traveled all the way from New Orleans so I have every right to take advantage of this unique opportunity!  I was expecting a cabernet for this particular pairing but the combination of the Montes Folly Syrah and the steak was a pleasant surprise.  Of course, the filet was seasoned to perfection as only Del Frisco’s knows how to do.  Senor Montes introduced his “Aurelio’s Selection” Star Angel Syrah which comes from Paso Robles, California and it was really wonderful.

Montes Folly & Purple Angel Pairing

The final course was my climactic moment.  I always say I can start a meal with dessert and end it with a good wine.  The Chocolate Ancho Chili Strudel was perfection!  It reminded me slightly of the strudel dessert at Del Frisco’s Grille in New York.  It was very light and didn’t make me feel like I was weighed down.  The Purple Angel was the pièce de résistance!  This is my personal favorite and I really don’t care what Epicurean Girl has to say because this Carmenere is my lover—my love letter is coming soon! 

Conclusion

I just have to thank Montes Winery and Del Frisco’s for fulfilling one of my fantasies without me even having to ask for it!  I guess I still have three wishes left.  If you haven’t attended a wine dinner at one of the Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouses yet then I am telling you that you must sign up on their website—click here—to stay in the know of the Del Frisco’s happenings.  I also highly recommend for you to try out all of the Montes Winery wines because they have something for all palates. 

Montes Wine Dinner @ Del Frisco's Charlotte

Gourmand Girl’s Conclusion: 5 VIPs

Montes Winery & Del Frisco’s Charlotte both receive our highest rating of 5 VIPs.

Suka - The Real Mad Hatter's Tea Party

Dive down into the rabbit hole with me to experience the “real” Mad Hatter’s Tea at Suka located comfortably at the Sanderson Hotel in Soho.  Can you think of a better place for me to visit to write my first review about tea other than London?  This place is phenomenal.  This is NOT your basic traditional British tea with just scones and tea sandwiches.  The only thing that would have made this visit even better is if Prince Harry would have joined me for tea!



The Infamous Lips

My first thought when I made my grand entrance into the Sanderson hotel was “what twisted and beautiful mind came up with this concept?”  I mean, seriously, big red lips greet you at the door!  I knew when I saw them that I was going to LOVE this place.  The tea theme was even better: Mad Hatter’s Tea Party!  What girl—and let’s be honest, guys—hasn’t had a day dream about going to that fantabulous tea party with Miss Alice.  I should not have been surprised since Sanderson is part of the Morgan’s Hotel Group and one of their goals is to “create an engaging, one-of-a-kind customized experience”.  The second you step into the beautiful courtyard garden, you are immediately transferred to another world.  I promise you will not be disappointed after you hop across the pond like I did to experience your very own fairytale world.

Suka @ Sanderson Hotel

Don’t worry, there won’t be a riddle like the one the Hatter asked Alice.  Who knows “why is a raven like a writing desk” and after you experience the tea, you really won’t care.  What I can tell you is that you better bring your appetite and you will not leave the tea party with the same attitude that Alice had when she left her tea party.  Here is just a taste:

Chocolate Opera Rabbit’s Clock

You won’t want to be late for this very important date with the delicious chocolate and coffee layered sponge cake.  As a chocolate lover this little piece of heaven was so good and light that it LITERALLY melted in my mouth.  There really is no reason to say more.

Chocolate Opera Rabbit's Cake

“Eat Me” and “Drink Me”

Unfortunately the “Drink Me” potion will not cause you to shrink—trust me I tried—but it is more than delicious.  The “Drink Me” potion comes in a cute little brown bottle and is an amazing concoction of passion fruit jelly, coconut panna-cotta and “exotic foam”.  As usual, I am not sure what all these items are but when they come together pure magic happens. 

The Queen of Hearts Strawberries and Cream Mousse “Eat Me” Cake just might make you blow up if you keep eating them.  It is hard to just eat one.  I must admit that I did steal a bite from my sister’s plate when she wasn’t looking.



"Eat Me" Strawberry Mousse Cake & "Drink Me" Potion

The Lollipops

I know I probably should have saved the lollies for dessert but I started with them!  I was like a kid in a candy shop.  The Blueberry Lollipop not only will turn your mouth blue but it will also turn your mouth from hot to cold!  I do not know the secret behind it but it sure was a lot of fun trying to find out.



Blueberry Lollipop & Hazelnut Praline Ice Cream Lollipop

How many licks does it take to finish the Hazelnut Praline Ice Cream Lollipop?  Just one!  Although the actual mouth time is not very long the aftermath goes on for several minutes.  I am not sure of the secret behind this sensation, but if I had to guess, it would be that they put pop rocks on in the lollipop which causes it to tickle the back of your throat

British Tea Traditions

If you really want to have the traditional British tea experience, don’t worry because they still have finger sandwiches and scones to fill that void.  You have a full spectrum of choices when it comes to these yummy sandwiches.  The Rainbow Coloured Finger Sandwiches come in four flavors: Ham & English Mustard, Smoked Salmon, Cucumber & Black Pepper and Egg Mayonnaise Cress.  I thought there were only a few types of bread, but they managed to find: saffron bread, green spinach bread, beetroot bread and regular brown bread.  The manager told me that they did not use food coloring.

Rainbow Coloured Finger Sandwiches

You also have two scone choices with clotted cream and jams.  I am still not exactly sure what clotted cream is but let me assure you that it is better than French butter!  I could have made a meal on the scones alone.

Traditional Scones with Clotted Cream & Jam

The Tea 

If you are a fan of Harney & Sons then you will love Suka’s tea selection.  Just know if you prefer one lump or two!

Harney & Sons Tea

If you are in London or are planning a visit to London, I highly recommend stopping by the Sanderson Hotel for the Mad Hatter’s Tea.  Even if you don’t have time for tea you should still just step through the doors to at least experience the lips or to swing in the glass bubble.  Enjoy a drink at the purple bar or just ride the mirrored elevator.  You will not leave disappointed, I promise. 

I would like to give a special thank you to Jenna Levy for helping me setup a special tea for 18 lovely ladies from the United States.  We had a fabulous time darling!

Epicurean Girl’s Conclusion: 5 VIPs

Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea @ Suka gets our highest ratings of 5 VIPs.

Dos Caminos - Day of the Dead Cooking Class

Typical "Day of the Dead" Table Setting

First – I would like to begin with saying I am honored to be asked by the fabulous Epicurean Girl to guest blog and take part in this experience!  Things are slowing down a bit, and Thanksgiving has just past, and it is the official start of the “Holiday Season” but, for me the end of October has always been the start of the Holidays.  Since I was a young wild child, wandering the wide open spaces of central Indiana – I have loved Halloween.  Now, when I finally graduated from Trick or Treating - I learned all about Dia de los Muertos from both my Spanish classes and my potentially too frequent patronage to all of the local Mexican Restaurants and fell in love with the celebration, food and culture. Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead is a celebration in Mexico to celebrate the lives of those past. The celebrations take place in the cemetery and involve a lot of eating!  I could not have been more excited than when I was asked to come to the Day of the Dead Cooking class at Dos Caminos on Park Avenue. When I moved to NYC a little less than a year ago, Dos Caminos was the first Mexican restaurant I tried, and I don’t see any reason to visit any other—it will be my last!

Corporate Executive Chef Ivy Stark welcomed us into a festive and warm setting, full of foodies ready to learn some celebratory cooking – a stark difference to the freak October snow storm brewing outside. We learned how to prepare an entire celebratory Day of the Dead feast, about the traditions of the celebration, and my favorite – all about the art of Mole making.  Not only did we get to enjoy this delicious food, but were also the lucky recipients of the brand new Dos Caminos cookbook, “Mexican Street Food”. I have begun experimenting with the recipes and my mediocre cooking skills are already more refined!

Chef Ivy Stark hard at work

We learned to make Pomegranate Sangria, Chocolate Atole with Mezcal Crema, Bocoles with spicy Butternut Squash, Short Ribs with Mole Negro and the Day of the Dead staple, Pan De Muerto.  I paid extra close attention and jotted down notes with the intent of going home a recreating a feast for my roommates – although so far, all that ambition has only translated into weekly pitchers of Sangria.  I'm still amping up the courage and time to try and make my own celebratory Mole!  Here are a  few of my favorite things I learned:

Mole Negro

The highlight of the afternoon was watching Ivy make Mole.  Mole is a celebratory food that differs from region to region, with much pride taken in its preparation.  Mole Negro is specific to the Oaxaca region of Mexico.   Not only was it one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted, but the preparation is an art in itself.  Now, I must say, as a Mexican Cuisine Connoisseur, I am ashamed of two things:  First, I have always been scared to try Mole.  Second, I was that girl who thought it was a chocolate sauce.  Here are a few of the tricks I learned of the Mole trade:

1.    It is NOT a chocolate sauce – Mole is mixture of savory flavors

       including chilies of different varieties.

2.    Toast everything – tortillas, bread, nuts, spices, plantains and

       chilies...o my!  But, don’t let the chilies burn, they will become

       bitter.

3.    The blender is the modern day “matate” and is completely

       acceptable for use in Mole making.

4.    If you aren't going to use lard, don't make mole.

5.    The frying of the sauce is very important – you let it cook for

       hours, it gets darker the longer you cook it.

6.    Once you try Mole, you'll never go back – easily a top favorite

       food of mine now!

Pomegranate Sangria

To quote Ms. Ivy Stark, “Any good celebration – in the US or Mexico – needs a little bit of booze”.  And this celebration had just that.  As a Sangria lover I can whole heartedly say, I have never tasted anything better.  The recipe calls for specifics, but for me in recreating things, I like the staples and to get creative.  What makes this Sangria so different, is the pomegranate.  It's great especially because now, Pom Juice and Pomegranates are easily accessible.  All you need is some fruity red wine (Rioja was used in this case), Pom Juice, Brandi (rum, vodka, OK both), triple sec and cut up fruits like pom seeds, oranges and grapes. The secret though is to let it chill for AT LEAST 4 hours or even better – up to 48 to let all the flavors soak up and blend.

Pomegranate Sangria

Bocoles

I also enjoyed learning about the Bocoles, this was a fun recipe that I can absolutely see myself recreating at home. The corn masa and black bean cakes were delicious and stuffed with a butternut squash mixture. Topped with watercress springs and jicama it was a great addition to the whole meal.

Bocoles

Chocolate Atole

My favorite sweet treat of the day was the Chocolate Atole, which fittingly is a common afternoon snack or breakfast drink, especially when it is cold outside.  Made with cream, milk, Mexican chocolate and Mexican cinnamon among other things, it is a thick, chocolaty and great tasting and smelling treat all on its own.  But to add that little celebratory kick – adding Patron XO and a Mexican Churro makes it extra delicious.  Tequila makes everything better, especially when we had to venture back out into the October snowstorm!

Chocolate Atole

Midwest Girl's Conclusion

Overall, I had a great time learning more about the Day of the Dead festivities, through the celebration foods. Muchos, Muchos thanks go out to the group at Dos Caminos, especially Ivy Stark, for welcoming me and putting together such a great gathering.  I can't wait to continue putting my cooking skills to the test with these great recipes in addition all of them in the brand new Dos Caminos cookbook, “Mexican Street Food” which I think is a GREAT holiday gift for anyone who likes food in general - so everyone! I am quickly becoming a Dos Caminos regular, and so should all of you!  I encourage everyone to stop by any and all of the four New York City , the Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale and Atlantic City locations.  Now go out and celebrate!

Festive