eG Foodblog: Zeemanb (2011) - A sweetbread or so north of "Winter&

[Zeemanb]

Bourdain did the whole "Winter's Bone" thing (including nearly killing/paralyzing the author of the book from whence it came) and made Miz-ery look bad enough (not inaccurately, I hasten to add).

I am glad at least that said author is an alum of KU!

Yeah, he did a pretty good sanitized and viewer-friendly look into the outskirts of that culture, but I guess it IS the Travel Channel. I'd like to pick his fixer next time. WHOLE different show.

The one part of that episode I really liked, pretty bittersweet now, was his night in that Joplin bar. That was some good, fun Missouri.

[chileheadmike]

Great Jim's rand Jerry.

Is the Bamboo Hut still around?

[Zeemanb]

Great Jim's rand Jerry.

Is the Bamboo Hut still around?

Man, Bamboo Hut ended up closing last year. Never got to take Meredith there either. Total bummer. It may have beat out Jim's this week if it were open. (FYI for those not from KC- Bamboo Hut was the second oldest restaurant in Kansas City. It was an old roadhouse, all apps were fried stuff, entrees were cheap..garlic steak, fried shrimp, etc., no dessert...if you wanted dessert you'd have another highball.)

[robirdstx]

Great Blog! My husband and I lived in Spring Hill, KS (just south of Olathe) for a few years in the early 80's. I didn't get into KC very often but I do remember visiting the Plaza when my parents came to visit one time. We ate at the Longhorn Saloon and I had my very first Potato Skins. Still one of my favorite foods!

[Zeemanb]

Great Blog! My husband and I lived in Spring Hill, KS (just south of Olathe) for a few years in the early 80's. I didn't get into KC very often but I do remember visiting the Plaza when my parents came to visit one time. We ate at the Longhorn Saloon and I had my very first Potato Skins. Still one of my favorite foods!

Thanks! Yeah, I know Spring Hill...down towards Louisburg or in the general area...I don't make it to that area much but I do make a yearly journey down to the cider mill. The way Overland Park has grown since you live here, Spring Hill is practically 95th and Metcalf at this point, lol. I'm pretty sure KC was an early adopter of the potato skin, that is our type of goodness.

[Zeemanb]

Good morning! And here is my delicious breakfast...one of Meredith’s zucchini muffins and a plum. Very fancy.

Okay, tonight you’re going to get a real treat. We’re going with my parents to The Rieger (Hotel Grill and Exchange, to be exact). Much more about that once I’ve got the food porn, but it only took one visit for us to put it into very heavy rotation along with our three other favorite “date night/out of town guests” restaurants...Bluestem, Justus Drugstore and Lidia’s. I wish there was time and money aplenty to visit all of them this week, but we chose The Rieger...because it is AWESOME, and we haven’t had the new summer menu yet. Plus, my parents love it and that will allow me to maximize the food porn effect. That’s tonight.

I know that if I took you from Jim’s Family Restaurant straight to The Rieger, I may run the risk of forcing some of you to surface too quickly and give you the bends. So I’ll soften the transition a tiny bit. Or make it even freakier. Who knows. Anyway, I do love seeing the different markets when people do their eG blogs. I’m going to my butcher tomorrow and the farmer’s market on Saturday. Other than that we’ve got Trader Joe’s as of last Friday, Whole Foods, tons of Hispanic grocers, huge Asian markets...all of the usual suspects. As far as “unique to Kansas City” food and assorted goods shopping, we DO have one place worth mentioning. It predates the Walmart Superstore concept, but has sort-of that type of one stop shopping appeal. And I guarantee someone from Kansas City has figured out where I’m headed with this, and in their mind they have said...”Dear God, he’s going THERE?...Is he TRYING to make us look like hillbillies?”. Yes, I’m going THERE. And you ARE a hillbilly.

RED-X IN RIVERSIDE MISSOURI! THEY’VE GOT IT ALL! COME ON INSIDE! (I think they rebuilt faster than the Fire Department after the flood of ’93)

Open at 7am 8 days a week!

They’ve got groceries! And an impressively thorough supply of all things Mexican food related!

Need a stogie to enjoy after that stressful board meeting or during a nice round of golf? Step inside the humidor, it is STOCKED TO THE RAFTERS!

Missouri has the lowest taxes on cigarettes in the nation, and Red-X passes those savings on to you!

Faygo is for suburban dandies, in these parts we drink Vess…so many flavors, so sugary sweet, so affordable you can literally drink it like water. I am torn between the orange and the fruit punch. If I’m eating Mexican food, I go with the strawberry, but I am assuming everyone already knows that is what goes best with Mexican food.

Red-X was the first place to get scratcher tickets back when the lottery was introduced to Missouri, and now they have this big department dedicated to your gambling needs…

Need engine coolant? Mole killer? Toilet seat? Done, done and done.

While you’re waiting for them to make your key over in hardware, step a few aisles over and choose from a variety of dollar goods…or perhaps you’re a high roller and would prefer to shop for workwear from Dickies or Carhart……

Okay, all screwing around aside, Red X does have an incredible selection of wine and liquor. Some of the best prices in town, and a level of knowledge and service one would not expect over in little Riverside. I was always amazed at the trouble they’d go to in order to find what you want if they don’t have it in stock, and more than once I’d be looking for a specific wine and was more than willing to spend the money only to have them recommend basically the exact same wine for far, far less.

So there you have it....when I'm not out procuring the finest heirloom tomatoes or Wagyu beef, I'm down at Red X buying charcoal and chipotles. THEIR version of "seasonal goods" is....FIREWORKS!

[judiu]

Good morning! And here is my delicious breakfast...one of Meredith’s zucchini muffins and a plum. Very fancy.

Okay, tonight you’re going to get a real treat. We’re going with my parents to The Rieger (Hotel Grill and Exchange, to be exact). Much more about that once I’ve got the food porn, but it only took one visit for us to put it into very heavy rotation along with our three other favorite “date night/out of town guests” restaurants...Bluestem, Justus Drugstore and Lidia’s. I wish there was time and money aplenty to visit all of them this week, but we chose The Rieger...because it is AWESOME, and we haven’t had the new summer menu yet. Plus, my parents love it and that will allow me to maximize the food porn effect. That’s tonight.

I know that if I took you from Jim’s Family Restaurant straight to The Rieger, I may run the risk of forcing some of you to surface too quickly and give you the bends. So I’ll soften the transition a tiny bit. Or make it even freakier. Who knows. Anyway, I do love seeing the different markets when people do their eG blogs. I’m going to my butcher tomorrow and the farmer’s market on Saturday. Other than that we’ve got Trader Joe’s as of last Friday, Whole Foods, tons of Hispanic grocers, huge Asian markets...all of the usual suspects. As far as “unique to Kansas City” food and assorted goods shopping, we DO have one place worth mentioning. It predates the Walmart Superstore concept, but has sort-of that type of one stop shopping appeal. And I guarantee someone from Kansas City has figured out where I’m headed with this, and in their mind they have said...”Dear God, he’s going THERE?...Is he TRYING to make us look like hillbillies?”. Yes, I’m going THERE. And you ARE a hillbilly.

RED-X IN RIVERSIDE MISSOURI! THEY’VE GOT IT ALL! COME ON INSIDE! (I think they rebuilt faster than the Fire Department after the flood of ’93)

Open at 7am 8 days a week!

They’ve got groceries! And an impressively thorough supply of all things Mexican food related!

Need a stogie to enjoy after that stressful board meeting or during a nice round of golf? Step inside the humidor, it is STOCKED TO THE RAFTERS!

Missouri has the lowest taxes on cigarettes in the nation, and Red-X passes those savings on to you!

Faygo is for suburban dandies, in these parts we drink Vess…so many flavors, so sugary sweet, so affordable you can literally drink it like water. I am torn between the orange and the fruit punch. If I’m eating Mexican food, I go with the strawberry, but I am assuming everyone already knows that is what goes best with Mexican food.

Red-X was the first place to get scratcher tickets back when the lottery was introduced to Missouri, and now they have this big department dedicated to your gambling needs…

Need engine coolant? Mole killer? Toilet seat? Done, done and done.

While you’re waiting for them to make your key over in hardware, step a few aisles over and choose from a variety of dollar goods…or perhaps you’re a high roller and would prefer to shop for workwear from Dickies or Carhart……

Okay, all screwing around aside, Red X does have an incredible selection of wine and liquor. Some of the best prices in town, and a level of knowledge and service one would not expect over in little Riverside. I was always amazed at the trouble they’d go to in order to find what you want if they don’t have it in stock, and more than once I’d be looking for a specific wine and was more than willing to spend the money only to have them recommend basically the exact same wine for far, far less.

So there you have it....when I'm not out procuring the finest heirloom tomatoes or Wagyu beef, I'm down at Red X buying charcoal and chipotles. THEIR version of "seasonal goods" is....FIREWORKS!

DAY-UM! And I thought I'd seen it all...

[Zeemanb]

DAY-UM! And I thought I'd seen it all...

The pictures don't really come close to capturing the true vibe, or the booming crowds when it's busy since that was shortly after 7am. I also left out the city's largest collection of bells and the antique furniture and kitchen dioramas that line all of the windows along the front of the building.

It's one of those places where I'm there so often I forget how different it may be to some people....when my sister in law was in town last summer, she confirmed through word and priceless expression- Red-X is one of a kind!

[moosnsqrl]

DAY-UM! And I thought I'd seen it all...

The pictures don't really come close to capturing the true vibe, or the booming crowds when it's busy since that was shortly after 7am. I also left out the city's largest collection of bells and the antique furniture and kitchen dioramas that line all of the windows along the front of the building.

It's one of those places where I'm there so often I forget how different it may be to some people....when my sister in law was in town last summer, she confirmed through word and priceless expression- Red-X is one of a kind!

You couldn't find any toothless natives to pose at that hour of the morning, huh? It's too bad there wasn't a wine tasting this week during your blog . . . I just love the juxtaposition of wine snobs and Riversidians!

[Zeemanb]

You couldn't find any toothless natives to pose at that hour of the morning, huh? It's too bad there wasn't a wine tasting this week during your blog . . . I just love the juxtaposition of wine snobs and Riversidians!

WOW, I really have gotten rusty when it comes to the refined hootch culture in this town....I forgot all about those tastings!

For the benefit of everyone else- I think they do wine tastings every couple of months, and they don't just limit it to wine, they do different cordials and mixes like Sour Apple Pucker and that type of thing. The building is huge, the parking lot is gigantic, and you cannot get anywhere NEAR the place on a Thursday night when they're doing the tasting. Buy your cigarettes elsewhere THAT night. People parking up on the tops of the flood walls, it is just nuts. And to Judy's point, Riverside is a little bit rustic, I'm not making fun of the place, people are people, but BOY HOWDY do you get a combo running around there. The Silver Oak wine and Silver Wolf vodka crowds do create quite the melange.

[chileheadmike]

I was literally crying reading about the Red X. My Grandpa used to take me with him to The Red X to buy cheap cigarettes in the 60s. It's truly a KC institution.

And if you don't get over to the 'Dotte for some good Mexican food, I am no longer your friend.

[heidih]

Kitchen dioramas?!? I need an education.

[eldereno]

So far, after all you have written and showed us, KC seems like my kind of town!!!!

[Zeemanb]

mike- If I don't make it to KCK Mexican food, it will be because of a larger plan.

heidih- Not sure if diorama is the right descripton, but bascally the entire front side of the building has several giant picture windows spanning the length. Behind each individual window is some sort of dining room or kitchen setup...non-functional, lots of antiques and knick-knacks displayed nicely BUT nothng is for sale...it's just there. And there is no way to approach any of them from the inside, you can only view them from outdoors. Kind of bizarre when you get up next to them.

eldereno- whatever you've seen so far, there's PLENTY more of the same type of thing! Except for Red-X....

Okey dokey...should come as no huge surprise that there won't be a Rieger writeup until tomorrow.....we're still comatose.....

[Pierogi]

A lottery *section*. Oh my word. I've never seen anything like that. Never. Not even close...

Wow. Just.....wow.

That takes the cake.

[Genkinaonna]

Loving the blog! The closest we've got to RedX would be Fred Meyer, which is clothing, hardware, sporting goods, garden, grocery, and lottery, plus wine (state liquor stores only in Oregon) plus the jewelry store that's in all the malls all over the country and electronics. But the wine tastings are pretty small. We've got so many wineries we just go right to the source.

I think you should do another week...just sayin'...

[Mysstwalker]

Awesome blog! I am especially interested because you are giving me some wonderful food ideas. I had a gastric bypass 3.5 years ago and it is so easy to get bored with a protein-focused way of eating. But the hamster is running full-speed on the wheel in my head and I forsee some good stuff in the kitchen. I have to admit, I have a bit of pouch envy that it seems you can manage bread items fairly well *sigh* Keep it coming!

[Zeemanb]

Wow, having actual work expected of you on a Friday just isn't Christian....

No breakfast photo, but I DID have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on Farm to Market "Grains Galore" bread. That bread is practically a meat substitute it is so dense and good.

Genkinaonna- Oh, I might be ready for another week in a year or two, lol. Don't get me wrong, this has been a BLAST and there is more to come....I will depart on a high note. But I'm assuming I can get a big AMEN from anyone who has done one of these when I say...it's like an extra part time job. A fun job where you get to do cool things, but my OCD mind will not let me slide on ANYTHING...I'm a slave to delivering the goods!

Mysstwalker- It is always cool to talk to others who have had surgery but have a true love for food...which I guess you'd HAVE to love food a whole lot to need surgery, lol. I went through phases of eating the same thing until I'd get sick of it and move to something else. A cheese phase, a canned meat phase (seriously), etc. After a while I guess I started to think BIG but cook SMALL. Enjoying the research and planning, the shopping, prepping, serving...and put the old "must gorge, must gorge" energy into all of THAT stuff. It's still tough though, so easy to be lazy... Be sure to update eG as you go along...it's fun to look back at your culinary growth!

[Zeemanb]

You know, I’ve been pretty darn lucky when it comes to dining. Whenever I travel, I do the restaurant research in full prior to even looking at hotels or flights. And it is nice to know that I’m on a message board where that behavior is not only normal, it is expected. Ate at Gary Danko sitting eight feet from George Lucas, got trashed on St. Patrick’s Day in NYC sitting next to Liam Neeson and his friends, first date with my wife was at minibar, watched Mario Batali try to kick the bathroom door in on my mother...I’ve got some big city memories, man. And more than a few half-memories.

If you ever get the chance to hang out with Kim Shook, I highly recommend it. Get that on the calendar. It is beyond fun and engaging. She and I talk a lot about the “country mouse” aspect of dining in foreign towns. When you’re in New York or San Francisco there is this weird, almost apologetic, feeling you can get that stems from the perception that being smaller makes YOUR town and food in some way inferior. A New Yorker who has the ability to take a specific REGION of a country into consideration when choosing between thirty different options somehow makes them Obi Wan Kenobi. Complete envy of having such a dilemma on a Friday night aside, you live where you live, you work with what you have, and when you have the opportunity to eat at the Per Se’s and Manresa’s of the world it makes it THAT much more exciting for the country mouse. THEN, when you are back in flyover country eating your squirrel or possum off of a Civil War era pewter plate, or applying a poultice to a water moccasin bite, you can always look back and say “wow, that sure was some good duck”.

This is the spot where a Fodderwing joke would go, but I cannot think of one. But the obscure reference alone is going to be enough to slay at least one of you.

So as far as REGIONAL eating goes, the Missouri-Kansas corridor has its own particular spirit, and with the focus on seasonal, local, sustainable foods being what it is these days, we do have chefs who are very successful at leveraging what is available to them from our community of farmers and producers. One fantastic example is where we ate last night- The Rieger Hotel Grill and Exchange; a beautifully redone “business traveler” hotel from the early 20th century.

I love The Rieger. I want everyone I love to love The Rieger. If I don’t like you, I hope you never see The Rieger. It opened last November and it took my wife and I one meal to decide that it is one of our favorite spots ever. We found “our server” on the first visit. An exceptionally rare thing to have happen on a maiden voyage. If you know ME, the “MY whatever” is like a religion...I keep a very tight circle...MY butcher, MY mechanic, MY tree guy, etc...my network is formed by word of mouth. Like DeNiro’s “circle of trust” in Meet the Parents...The Rieger went right into the circle. And the thing about it is, chef and co-owner Howard Hanna hit the bullseye dead-on when he pulled the trigger on his vision. Beautiful space, exceptional service with that “pride of ownership” spirit that is at the HEART of what makes me love a restaurant, upscale but feels like home, and food that is executed with a dedication to what our local people can provide. You get food that is familiar to you, prepared well enough to nudge you out of your comfort zone so that you can try the unfamiliar. Howard provides that little bridge with his cooking...you learn to trust him pretty quickly, and you can trust your server to tell you what is good. I can take my wife there on Saturday date night, I can go there with my parents for a relaxing dinner, my dad can take all of his buddies from the gas company and chow down at lunch, no worries when my friend had to bring his 2 year old one day. If I wanted to deserve a big punch in the face I’d say something like “It’s hip AND it’s homey! I’m Sandra Lee’s nephew Brycer!”...but I don’t. So I’ll just say, way to hit the mark, folks. Dead solid.

I would be doing a great disservice if I did not also mention the other “half” of The Rieger. It is Manifesto, a speakeasy type bar located downstairs and run by another of our local geniuses- Ryan Maybee. It gets a ton of press, I hear nothing but good things about their prohibition-era inspired style of drinks, but alas, I’m a total square. Sucks to be you if you’re reading this and fine cocktails are your thing. Because man, they’ve got it going on. Now, I will say that their housemade cola is one of the greatest liquid inventions in history, and the new version of their housemade ginger beer that utilizes green tea is delicious. Back in the day I’d come across the table at you if I saw you mixing anything into a fine bourbon, and I think I feel the same way about the Rieger Kola...you do not mess with something that is already perfect.

Okay, on to the goods, I have punished you enough- We were extremely excited about dinner because this was our first trip through the new menu....

Bread!

House salad with mixed greens, sherry vinaigrette, chicharrones

Melon Salad with pistachio vinaigrette, Green Dirt Farm fresh sheep’s milk cheese, olives, red onion

The addition of olives sounded a little weird, but what's weirder is....totally works.

Chilled Watermelon and Strawberry Soup

The epitome of a dish to eat on a hot day. Accompanied by a battered and fried bay leaf you pull through your teeth like a stuffed artichoke.

Farm Salad with organic greens, local vegetables, buttermilk-herb dressing

What makes this particular salad so great is that it never has exactly the same produce twice.

Charcuterie Plate- foie gras au torchon, rabbit and pork rillette , sweetbread and bacon terrine

Well, it doesn't take a genius to figure out I chose the charcuterie. The sweetbread and bacon terrine is crazy delicious. Punchline for the larger city dwellers....it's ten bucks!

Rabbit Tagliatelle with poached garlic , prune, parmesan, swiss chard

Sometimes when you don't "order right", Howard will correct you by spontaneously bringing over a dish you need to try immediately. I have an extreme allegiance to the bolognese dish from the LAST menu, so I wont' agree with my wife that this was the best pasta dish EVER, but man it was pretty damn good. The mellowness of the poached garlic and prune mixed in there made it work on a few levels.

Gnocchi à la Parisienne, zucchini cream, grana padano

These are made with flour instead of potato, so they have a totally different lightness and mouthfeel. Very addictive, the zucchini cream brings in a kind of pesto flavor and texture.

Seafood Risottoscallops, shrimp, heirloom cherry tomatoes, basil

A very light and summery version of risotto with a focus on the tomato flavor and making the whole thing a little "looser".

Tournedos Alexander- sauce Figaro, heirloom tomatoes, onion rings, basil-mashed potatoes

This is the dish you tell the "fearful of new things" meat and potato eater in the group to order.

Scallops and Sweetbreads with local polenta, oyster mushrooms, swiss chard

This was MY dish...and you know I'm serious about my offal if I'm chowing down on this level of richness when it's 100 degrees outside. This protein pairing worked surprisingly well because the deeper sear on the seafood combined with how (relatively speaking) light in body he keeps the sweetbreads helps them to match up. Throw in the grits, greens and heavily caramelized mushrooms and you have a big winner.

"Family Meal" Bread Pudding

Inspired by the need to use up the leftover bread...sorry about these horrible dessert photos, we began losing the natural light and I DON'T use a flash in restaurants because I don't want to have to answer to God for it later.

Chocolate Bombe

A single serving Baked Alaska with a brownie base and very, very potent mint ice cream (inspired by the need to use up all of the mint stems and scraps from Manifesto).

Polenta Cake with Blueberry Ice Cream (if my memory is any good at all)

Think of the corniest, densest and sweet-but-not-TOO-sweetest cornbread you've ever had....

So that's about it for last night. And whenever I do one of these restaurant blog entries I generally come down here at the end and talk about how I hate food reviews where they feel the need to wrap it up with some smarmy, quippy sentence that ties it all back to the theme at the beginning. Or even worse, tie it back in to the title. I just do one of these numbers....glad that it's Friday but the drive home is going to suck in this heat. Hope there's some good TV or Netflix tonight.

Edited July 22, 2011 by Zeemanb (log)

[C. sapidus]

But I'm assuming I can get a big AMEN from anyone who has done one of these when I say...it's like an extra part time job. A fun job where you get to do cool things . . .

AMEN, brutha! You are doing a fantastic job, by the way, so thank you! I'll add my vote for another week, but right now I have an odd craving for pork . . .

[jayhay]

I just want to say I'm really enjoying reading this Jerry. Love your style!

[eldereno]

Thank you for the enjoyable blog!

[Kim Shook]

Jerry – Crazy week here – I’ve been reading along, but not commenting, so I’ll hurry and post now before the thread closes! Your writing didn’t disappoint at all – I was laughing and getting hungry and THINKING the whole time I read. I’ve loved every bit of this and am so glad that you blogged and folks got a chance to see what you can do (both the food and the writing).

Mr. Kim and Jessica are STILL talking about the coffee that you brought. He’s been lurking and reading and was really surprised that you use a popcorn popper to roast your coffee. I may be in trouble here.

I cannot wait until I can build up a little leave time at work (or maybe quit completely – hope, hope) and we can come out to KC. Will you please make us some sous vide fried chicken (with some grits and Meredith’s perfectly gorgeous Key lime pie) and take us to Jim’s??? That place is SO ‘us’!

"El Comedor" looks astounding – that pick your own pork is just genius!

More bacon jam. Good lord, I gotta make this stuff. I had to laugh at your refutation of the idea that bacon has jumped the shark. Vicious vegan-spread rumors.

Loved the pasta trio at Lidia’s! Why doesn’t Richmond have places like that? I need to move. Every time I follow an eG foodblog, I wonder that same thing.

Red-X is what I WISH Wal-mart was! What a fantastic place. I’d shop there all the time. And the dioramas?? I wanna see those on our trip, too.

Very honored by the mention of myself – and you describe the ‘country mouse’ syndrome very well! ‘Apologetic’ is the perfect word.

How lucky you are to have a place like the Rieger. The charcuterie plate just knocked me over. Since our NOLA trip, I’ve dreamed of pork rillettes! And Gnocchi à la Parisienne is one of my favorite dishes and dead easy to make. Definitely try at home! But the scallops and sweetbreads just had me banging my head on the table. With our two mini-tummies, we could have shared that and fought over the last of that gorgeous sauce with dueling hunks of bread!

I would vote for a second week of blogging, too, but I like you too much to kill you. But…Meredith would probably move home then, wouldn’t she? Hmmm……

[Zeemanb]

Thanks you all, and happy Friday night! Went to the old 'hood to pick up dinner earlier ths afternoon, and the plan tonight is to do nothing but sit in the basement with our gigantic Sonic drinks, catching up on what we have DVR'd. If our viewing habits were a shopping destination, it would make RedX look like Dean & Deluca. If we ever have a kid we'll have to name it Bravo!.

Soo.... between now and Sunday night when I can retreat back to my Applebee's riblets and whatever seafood and cheese sauce covered sausage dish Olive Garden has on special, I know for sure I've got-

Tonight's dinner, which I'll give the nostalgia treatment later.

Saturday morning is my religion- donuts, farmer's market, butcher shop

Viennese dinner with the parents and their friends for my dad's bday tomorrow night.

On Sunday, maybe some brunch or lunch, but for SURE I'll at least attempt a new recipe that will either be really successful or totally miserable. Either way- an entertaining way to end the week!

I guess it's hard to strike a good balance between a real-life week and showcasing your town. Normally we'd be eating at home a lot more, but the blog is a great excuse to eat too much....kind of like a vacation.

At least none of it is as complicated as figuring out which Real Housewives show is my favorite.

[Shelby]

Thanks you all, and happy Friday night! Went to the old 'hood to pick up dinner earlier ths afternoon, and the plan tonight is to do nothing but sit in the basement with our gigantic Sonic drinks, catching up on what we have DVR'd. If our viewing habits were a shopping destination, it would make RedX look like Dean & Deluca. If we ever have a kid we'll have to name it Bravo!.

Soo.... between now and Sunday night when I can retreat back to my Applebee's riblets and whatever seafood and cheese sauce covered sausage dish Olive Garden has on special, I know for sure I've got-

Tonight's dinner, which I'll give the nostalgia treatment later.

Saturday morning is my religion- donuts, farmer's market, butcher shop

Viennese dinner with the parents and their friends for my dad's bday tomorrow night.

On Sunday, maybe some brunch or lunch, but for SURE I'll at least attempt a new recipe that will either be really successful or totally miserable. Either way- an entertaining way to end the week!

I guess it's hard to strike a good balance between a real-life week and showcasing your town. Normally we'd be eating at home a lot more, but the blog is a great excuse to eat too much....kind of like a vacation.

At least none of it is as complicated as figuring out which Real Housewives show is my favorite.

I'm so glad to have you to follow over the weekend

That is, if my keyboard hasn't melted....and, for some reason out of the blue, my husband wants to watch "American Psycho" for the 158th time tonight.......

haha

OH and in case you want MY fave housewives..I'll put them in order:

Jersey

OC

NYC

The rest pale in comparison IMO.

If I had a choice to have dinner with any? JERSEY by far. They kick ass in the eating dept.