Pinkies Up & Thumbs Down - Entyse Restaurant & Lounge (Ritz Carlton Tyson's Corner)

After years of begging and pleading I FINALLY convinced Gourmand Dad to go to afternoon tea with me after a long day of shopping at Tysons Corner!  I probably should have taken him to a place I have been before but I figured I couldn't go wrong at a Ritz Carlton.  I WAS WRONG!  Gourmand Dad said he would have preferred the children's menu.  Needless to say, it will probably be a very long time before I can get him to join me for another tea.

How could this happen?  I really do not know what where it all went wrong but I have had much better tea experiences.  This was a very average tea which is not common for Ritz Carlton.  I would not recommend this tea but if you still choose to try it here are my thoughts:

AFTERNOON TEA SELECTIONS

• Afternoon Tea - selection of Tea Sandwiches and Sweets ($42/pp)
• Indulgence Tea - selection of Tea Sandwiches and Sweets + Grand Marnier Truffle, Orange Batonette, Chocolate Manadarin Mousse and a glass of Orange Muscat ($48/pp)
• Royal Tea  - selection of Tea Sandwiches and Sweets + Glass of Marquis de la Tour Rose Champagne, Fresh Strawberries accompanied with Whipped Cream and drizzled with Grand Marnier ($54/pp)
• Peter Rabbit Tea  -  Peanut Butter & Jelly finger sandwich, Ham and Cheese with mayo finger sandwich, Chocolate Dipped Strawberry, Peter Rabbit Sugar Cookie and Hershey's Hot Chocolate ($32/pp)

Disappointing Tea

Tea Sandwiches

There are five (5) tea sandwiches and only two of them were worth the calories:

• Egg Salad (this was the best one in my opinion)
• Grilled Vegetable Tart
• Classic English Cucumber (this was the second best)
• Smoked Salmon Rosette (the bread was stale!)
• Smoked Chicken Walnut Cranberry Profiterole

Tea Sandwiches (Egg & Cucumber are the best)

Sweets

I typically get very excited about dessert but this time I was left speechless!  Disappointment is not a strong enough word for how I felt.

The Sweets

• Blueberry Scones
• Opera Torte
• Pistachio Madeleine
• Raspberry Financier
• Lemon Shortbread
• Chocolate Strawberry (best item)
• Seasonal Tart
• Chouquette

Unfortunately, I can not recommend the Afternoon Tea at Entyse Restaurant & Lounge.  This gets a thumbs down!

Super Hero Brunch - Blue Inc. Boston (Boston, MA)

When I first heard about the Super Hero Brunch at Blue Inc., I was so excited.  I was literally counting down the weeks until the inaugural brunch.  I managed to convince one of my girlfriends to join me on a day trip to Boston for this momentous event.  I even considered wearing a costume but I decided to just go as myself, Super Diva. 

blue inc. Boston

Sometimes I am sucked in by all the smoke and mirrors but once the smoke fades and the reflection clears, I get all of my good senses back.  This is what happened to me at the Super Hero Brunch.  It started with a BOOM and ended up just SO-SO.

So-So Brunch

Starters
As soon as we arrived all I could think about was sitting down and ordering Mistique's Mimosa's and the Sausage Egg & Cheese Sliders.


Mistique's Mimosa's
How does a flight of mimosa's sound to you.  Like my girl from X-Men, these transform before your eyes.  At least they are supposed to but I struggled with mine a bit.

It comes with three flavors: blue raspberry, orange and strawberry.  I do not know what I was expecting.  I guess I thought it was going to do something.  My photos are more exciting than the actual event.

Sausage Egg & Cheese Sliders
These were fantastic!  I liked them so much that I ended up ordering seconds after I found some of my other dishes left a lot to be desired.  Give this southern girl a buttermilk biscuit with egg & cheese and grease and I am pretty much happy.  My trainer doesn't like this but it keeps him in business.

Break for Cocktails

One of things I have heard people rave about in some of the reviews of Blue Inc. are "Trish's Crazy Cocktails".  In keeping with the theme of the brunch, I decided to skip Trish's cocktails and try a couple of the super hero inspired libations.  Since I was quite unimpressed with the mimosa's I decided to try something bold so I went with Kryptonian's Delight and the Rainbow Raider.

Kryptonian's Delight
This green demon is made with Tanqueray, green chartreuse, mint, lime and actual kryptonite.  No need to worry, Super Diva is not affected by kryptonite and I also enjoyed this beverage.  1-1.

Kryptonian's Delight

Rainbow Raider
Rainbow sangria.  Cute concept and it is pretty to look at but it was just okay.

Rainbow Raider

Once the smoke settles it is only okay

After drinking all of these smokey concoctions I started to get a little nervous and made a mental note to ask my doctor if it is safe to drink liquid nitrogen!



The Anticlimactic Entrees
The whole "BOOM" factor vanished during my sampling of some of the entree menus.  

Red Velvet French Toast
I was the most excited about trying this dish because of my love for red velvet.  This was the ultimate let down!  The edges of the french toast was good but the middle was extremely soggy and I had to eat around it. 

Red Velvet French Toast...Watch out, it is soggy in the middle!

Crispy Chicken Sandwich
If I could rename this sandwich it would be called "Super Salty".

Super Salty

The "Superman"
Egg, cheese, waffle fries, bacon and sausage gravy all together in one bowl just for you.  You have to have superhuman strength to finish this!  You also have to be able to eat fast because if you let the "Superman" sit too long then you will end up with a bowl of mush!

"Superman"

The End
Unfortunately the super hero in this comic brunch wasn't so super.  As I stated before, the concept is cute and some of the items were okay but overall the entire experience was just so-so.

"The Craft of Cocktails" - Prohibition: Part I (Houston Spots)

Speakeasies--I would have loved to experience the thrill of slipping into one of these forbidden spots to imbibe the forbidden nectar.  I can almost imagine myself running around with Al Capone with my fedora slightly tilted to the side and a cigarillo between my lips.  A bit much maybe but that is the feeling I had when I stepped inside Prohibition "The Craft of the Cocktails". 

Craft of Cocktails Mural inside Prohibition

Located in the Houston Galleria, this 1930's inspired speakeasy is a great spot to grab a much needed cocktail after work or to just enjoy a night on the town with your friends.  They have a piano lounge on the first level with the "Nickel Bar" where magic is created.  There is a sexy-ass club on the second level with the "Penny Bar" to help get you into all sorts of trouble.  I am in love with this space.

The First Level: Piano Lounge & Nickel Bar

The Second Level: DJ Lounge & Penny Bar

With a "mixology track" for their bartenders, you are guaranteed to have a fantastic experience whether it is from an Apprentice, Bar Smith, Bar Chef or Mixologist.  You can tell them apart by their attire but to be honest, you really will not care after your first sip!

Andrew Taake = Awesome

All I know is that Andrew makes memorable concoctions--at least by taste, because I for sure cannot remember the names!  With all of their bar tools and some unique ingredients, the Prohibition team will satisfy your imbibing fantasies.

The Nickel Bar where fantasies come true!

Mr. Taake makes strong and delicious drinks. Here is what I am able to recall:

Old Fashioned

This is hands down one of my favorite drinks.  I really wish I would have worn a fedora so I could look smart while I sat at the bar sipping my old fashioned!

Prohibition's Old Fashioned

Aviation

This classic gin cocktail left nothing to be desired!

Prohibition's Aviation

No Name

I can not remember the name of this drink but I believe it had tobacco tincture in it?!  Or maybe it is just the alcohol talking and that is really cinnamon!  Andrew, hit me up and let me know what this drink is.

Prohibition's No Name Drink - Andrew hit me up and tell me what this is!

Bacon Maria

This is another cocktail that I am not 100 percent sure of; but I am going to call this bad girl the "Bacon Maria".  In my haze I believe this is her name but I could be wrong.  Regardless of what you want to call her, isn't she pretty?!  And, yes that is Texas-size bacon!

Prohibition's "Bacon Maria"--at least I think that's her name!

The Tale of the Sazerac

In the late 1800's, somewhere deep in the French Quarter there was a Haitian immigrant named Monsieur Antoine Peychaud who was quite popular mixing special cocktails with cognac and his secret family recipe for bitters.  Some say that deep in the Quarters you can find some of the OBs (Original Bartenders) who have a secret stash of Monsieur Peychaud's bitters!  The locals grew to love his drinks and named them "Sazerac Cocktail" after the Sazerac Coffee House on Royal Street.

Prohibition's Sazerac

A few years later, along came an American--Thomas Handy--who decided to set up shop in New Orleans and use rye whiskey instead of the brandy for reasons which Andrew can tell you all about.  This became a hit and this renewed Sazerac cocktail came to be.  The end.

Conclusion

With burlesque, food and cocktails; Prohibition brings the Boardwalk Empire experience to the Houston scene.  I will have to sample the food on my next visit which I hope will be soon.

Prohibition "The Craft of Cocktails"