Our Protagonist cannot live by eating out alone; no, sometimes he must brave his own kitchen to scrounge up sustenance. That is, when he doesn't have time to whip up something gourmet-ish. Case in point; a recent exploration of the eternal question, "Which pistachio ice cream is really the best?" In order to come to a conclusion, a series of highly scientific tastings ensued involving four different brands, two of which were gelati, rather than ice cream: Ciao Bella and Talenti gelati, and Haagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's ice creams. Here are the tasting notes:
Ciao Bella: decent flavor, but a gritty, not smooth texture. Disappointing because of the texture.
Haagen-Dazs: very creamy, but the pistachios were chopped up into minuscule chips; the flavor was so subtle to be virtually non-existent! Not what a pistachio lover would be looking for.
Ben & Jerry's (Pistachio Pistachio): good pistachio flavor and creamy; not as creamy as Haagen-Dazs, but at least it tastes like actual pistachio flavor!
Talenti (Sicilian Pistachio): Wonderful texture, and overwhelming (but in a good way) toasted pistachio flavor. THIS is what pistachio ice cream (err, gelato) should be about.
Hands down, the Talenti was the overall winner; Ben & Jerry's the winner of the ice cream subcategory. Sadly, this was yet another disappointing strike in the other over-arching question, "Is Ciao Bella gelato worth the price?" So far, we have yet to find a reason to buy one of their flavors a second time. Let us know which ice creams you want us to taste-test, and we will put them in our rotation; until then, you can tune in to our next installment; "Which orange ice cream/sherbet/sorbetto is the best?"
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Mozaic
Light Veloute of Green Asparagus with Lemon-scented Goat Cheese Crostini
Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli and Grana Padano with Fresh Sage and Sherry Maple Brown Butter
Braised Petite Veal Shank Tagine and Root Vegetables with Spring Peas, Lemon, Oregano, and Garlic
Morel Mushroom dusted Black Angus Rib Eye with Asparagus Risotto, Cipollini and Mustard Sauce
Spicy Merguez Sausage Couscous with Harissa
Strawberry Almond Napoleon a la mode with Tarragon Ice Cream, Amaretto White Chocolate Creme Brulee
Passion fruit Meyer's rum, Monteimar nuts & coconut sorbets, Gianduja Semifreddo and Tarragon Ice Cream
Chocolate Truffles and Biscotti
This modest list doesn't even include the amuse bouche of a lovely yogurt-y custard with a touch of mango sorbet that began the meal, or the individual ciabatta-like breads that came out fresh from the oven that were devoured with the accompanying oil and vinegar. The veloute was deliciously light, with the lemon scent of the goat cheese providing just the right accent. The ravioli-of-the-long-title was remarkable; but that's easily explained by the presence of the sage (etc. etc.) butter. This simply translates as: pure goodness, i.e. Ravioli in Pure Goodness. This dish is also offered as a full entree, and our Protagonist has already altered his Living Will to include it in his Last Meal. The lamb shank and couscous dishes were served in individual tagines, which hides and cradles the delicious flavors inside to come bursting forth upon opening. One dining partner wouldn't deign to share his rib eye, so our Protagonist will take that as meaning it was acceptable, like the rest of the food. The staff was kind enough to make the merguez sausage couscous off of the Wednesday menu even though it was Thursday, and it was heavenly. Err, acceptable. The harissa was delightfully spicy, and the bowl would have been scraped out with a finger if not out in public. Meaning it was pretty good, average, really. I'm trying, I mean, our Protagonist is trying to pace himself here. The dining partners were amused watching every plate of food becoming dismantled as soon as it was set before him. Our Protagonist had wanted to eat here ever since reading the ridiculous dessert choices last winter; the recommendation of the strawberry napoleon surrounded by strawberry soup, AND tarragon ice cream, AND capped by the the white chocolate amaretto creme brulee...the tears well up in our Protagonist's eyes just recalling it, mourning its passing. Which means it was just ok...Oh, forget it, I can't help it! Move over, scribe! The whole meal was [expletive deleted] fantastic! Or Fantastastic like I tried to write just now. Then came the truffles and biscotti, which you bit into and thought, oh, that's nice, and then...oh...wowww...the finish was superb. When have you had biscotti that did that? Be honest, now. The presentation was lovely; the napoleon had to clearly be constructed from just above scratch when ordered, so the long wait for it to appear was easily forgiven. The wines were expertly suggested, and the choices of 3 or 6 oz glasses help you be able to switch between your favorites, or to drink on the cheap if you want. You'll spend your money worthily on the food, believe me. Would it be too soon to make reservations for tomorrow?
[The writer has thankfully been allowed to resume his duties, and apologizes for the preceding outburst. Our Protagonist promises to keep his thoughts more in check and leave the typing to those with more skill. Fantastastic, indeed!]
Mozaic
1377 Main Street
Sarasota, FL 34236
941-951-6272
Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli and Grana Padano with Fresh Sage and Sherry Maple Brown Butter
Braised Petite Veal Shank Tagine and Root Vegetables with Spring Peas, Lemon, Oregano, and Garlic
Morel Mushroom dusted Black Angus Rib Eye with Asparagus Risotto, Cipollini and Mustard Sauce
Spicy Merguez Sausage Couscous with Harissa
Strawberry Almond Napoleon a la mode with Tarragon Ice Cream, Amaretto White Chocolate Creme Brulee
Passion fruit Meyer's rum, Monteimar nuts & coconut sorbets, Gianduja Semifreddo and Tarragon Ice Cream
Chocolate Truffles and Biscotti
This modest list doesn't even include the amuse bouche of a lovely yogurt-y custard with a touch of mango sorbet that began the meal, or the individual ciabatta-like breads that came out fresh from the oven that were devoured with the accompanying oil and vinegar. The veloute was deliciously light, with the lemon scent of the goat cheese providing just the right accent. The ravioli-of-the-long-title was remarkable; but that's easily explained by the presence of the sage (etc. etc.) butter. This simply translates as: pure goodness, i.e. Ravioli in Pure Goodness. This dish is also offered as a full entree, and our Protagonist has already altered his Living Will to include it in his Last Meal. The lamb shank and couscous dishes were served in individual tagines, which hides and cradles the delicious flavors inside to come bursting forth upon opening. One dining partner wouldn't deign to share his rib eye, so our Protagonist will take that as meaning it was acceptable, like the rest of the food. The staff was kind enough to make the merguez sausage couscous off of the Wednesday menu even though it was Thursday, and it was heavenly. Err, acceptable. The harissa was delightfully spicy, and the bowl would have been scraped out with a finger if not out in public. Meaning it was pretty good, average, really. I'm trying, I mean, our Protagonist is trying to pace himself here. The dining partners were amused watching every plate of food becoming dismantled as soon as it was set before him. Our Protagonist had wanted to eat here ever since reading the ridiculous dessert choices last winter; the recommendation of the strawberry napoleon surrounded by strawberry soup, AND tarragon ice cream, AND capped by the the white chocolate amaretto creme brulee...the tears well up in our Protagonist's eyes just recalling it, mourning its passing. Which means it was just ok...Oh, forget it, I can't help it! Move over, scribe! The whole meal was [expletive deleted] fantastic! Or Fantastastic like I tried to write just now. Then came the truffles and biscotti, which you bit into and thought, oh, that's nice, and then...oh...wowww...the finish was superb. When have you had biscotti that did that? Be honest, now. The presentation was lovely; the napoleon had to clearly be constructed from just above scratch when ordered, so the long wait for it to appear was easily forgiven. The wines were expertly suggested, and the choices of 3 or 6 oz glasses help you be able to switch between your favorites, or to drink on the cheap if you want. You'll spend your money worthily on the food, believe me. Would it be too soon to make reservations for tomorrow?
[The writer has thankfully been allowed to resume his duties, and apologizes for the preceding outburst. Our Protagonist promises to keep his thoughts more in check and leave the typing to those with more skill. Fantastastic, indeed!]
Mozaic
1377 Main Street
Sarasota, FL 34236
941-951-6272
Friday, February 4, 2011
Americano the Fourth...
Salsiccia saltata con pomodorini e funghi
Insalate tropicale
Again with Americano! So many lunch meetings here...but at least it was our Protagonist's turn to sample the Salsiccia saltata that had perked his olfactory nerve the last time. It turned out to be very generous, more like a dinner portion, which justified its higher price than the other lunch offerings. The sausage was flat rather than in a casing, and had curled up on the edges from cooking rather like bacon (except much larger!) It was wonderfully spiced and accompanied by sauteed mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. The only disappointment was when our Protagonist would spear what he thought was a mushroom cap, only to discover it was actually a slice of potato! As heavy as this dish was, the potatoes could have been forgone altogether to make room for more mushrooms, instead. The sauce was good enough to require two pieces of bread for supping in order to not leave any behind. The dining companion had the salad with hearts of palm and avocado, but our Protagonist requires more protein to fulfill the definition of lunch. Perhaps the salad will find its way into a dinner selection the next time he (inevitably) returns. Our Protagonist left feeling very full, but high marks were given to the dish, nonetheless; it seems to be a point of consistency at the restaurant, so it is definitely recommended.
Cafe Americano
Insalate tropicale
Again with Americano! So many lunch meetings here...but at least it was our Protagonist's turn to sample the Salsiccia saltata that had perked his olfactory nerve the last time. It turned out to be very generous, more like a dinner portion, which justified its higher price than the other lunch offerings. The sausage was flat rather than in a casing, and had curled up on the edges from cooking rather like bacon (except much larger!) It was wonderfully spiced and accompanied by sauteed mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. The only disappointment was when our Protagonist would spear what he thought was a mushroom cap, only to discover it was actually a slice of potato! As heavy as this dish was, the potatoes could have been forgone altogether to make room for more mushrooms, instead. The sauce was good enough to require two pieces of bread for supping in order to not leave any behind. The dining companion had the salad with hearts of palm and avocado, but our Protagonist requires more protein to fulfill the definition of lunch. Perhaps the salad will find its way into a dinner selection the next time he (inevitably) returns. Our Protagonist left feeling very full, but high marks were given to the dish, nonetheless; it seems to be a point of consistency at the restaurant, so it is definitely recommended.
Cafe Americano
1409 Main Street
Sarasota, FL 34236
941-365-1026
Sarasota, FL 34236
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
C'est La Vie
Croque Monsieur/Madame
Side Salad
Tart Tatin
Carnot
Our food explorations have brought us to a little piece of France in Sarasota, C'est la Vie. There were so many good menu choices, but having to start with somewhere, our Protagonist opted for a typical French lunch offering, the Croque Monsieur. Because our Protagonist is as thrifty as he is adventurous when it comes to food, he opted for the Monsieur version; however, it came out as Madame with the fried egg on top, which meant extra goodness. The sandwich was delightfully crisp (a propos of its name) and smothered in wonderfully melted cheese. Not a single crumb was left behind. The staff was kind enough to only charge for a Monsieur, but future visits will most likely result in springing for the full experience. The side salad was simple, but had a nice garnish of corn kernels and had a simple yet pleasing balsamic dressing. The dessert choices were difficult, as a vast array of choices again faced our Protagonist. In this instance, his dining companion chose the always aesthetically pleasing tart tatin, which never fails to fascinate our Protagonist with its thinly-sliced-and-reassembled apple perched on top. However this was not to be today's dessert choice; rather, it was the last of its kind, hiding in the back of the pastry case. He was told it was called a Carnot, but no reference to such a pastry has been found to date. In any case the taste was just heavenly; a chocolate layer capped by a vanilla cream was finished on top with a meringue and then given a brulee finish. This pastry alone will guarantee a return trip, and our Protagonist is counting the days...
C'est la Vie
1553 Main Street
Side Salad
Tart Tatin
Carnot
Our food explorations have brought us to a little piece of France in Sarasota, C'est la Vie. There were so many good menu choices, but having to start with somewhere, our Protagonist opted for a typical French lunch offering, the Croque Monsieur. Because our Protagonist is as thrifty as he is adventurous when it comes to food, he opted for the Monsieur version; however, it came out as Madame with the fried egg on top, which meant extra goodness. The sandwich was delightfully crisp (a propos of its name) and smothered in wonderfully melted cheese. Not a single crumb was left behind. The staff was kind enough to only charge for a Monsieur, but future visits will most likely result in springing for the full experience. The side salad was simple, but had a nice garnish of corn kernels and had a simple yet pleasing balsamic dressing. The dessert choices were difficult, as a vast array of choices again faced our Protagonist. In this instance, his dining companion chose the always aesthetically pleasing tart tatin, which never fails to fascinate our Protagonist with its thinly-sliced-and-reassembled apple perched on top. However this was not to be today's dessert choice; rather, it was the last of its kind, hiding in the back of the pastry case. He was told it was called a Carnot, but no reference to such a pastry has been found to date. In any case the taste was just heavenly; a chocolate layer capped by a vanilla cream was finished on top with a meringue and then given a brulee finish. This pastry alone will guarantee a return trip, and our Protagonist is counting the days...
C'est la Vie
1553 Main Street
Sarasota, FL 34236-5802
941-906-9575
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Americano Dinner
Guazetto di pesce misto
Carpaccio di manzo con rucola e parmigiano
Culurgiones
Milanese di pollo con rucola e pomodoro
Finally, the chance for our Protagonist to sample the Sardianian dinner selections at Americano after whetting his appetite for two months reading the flyer while passing on his daily rounds! His dinner companions this evenings were regulars who ordered their standard fare; they raved about the carpaccio, which will have to be indulged in on another evening. The point of this dinner was to try the culurgiones, the Sardinian take on ravioli, so the only protein consumed was in the first course, the Guazetto. This was a stew of "mixed fish" in a tomato broth which was nicely spiced and not too salty. The seafood was tender, and the portion was just right. The culurgiones were round rather than square as ravioli, with a rather small pocket of filling in proportion to the size of the pasta. The impact of the dish is more of a small burst of flavor from the filling in conjunction with the marinara, as opposed to to the filling being the main event in many overstuffed raviolis.
Our Protagonist also tried the Pollo, a pounded and breaded chicken breast, but in this meal nothing rose to the level of the seafood stew at the beginning. Except for the arugula salad at the end, in a smooth and buttery olive oil dressing. The choice of olive oil was excellent, and the variety will have to be found out.
The dessert was also of Sardinian origin, sebadas, which are flaky pastries filled with cheese and drizzled with honey. Variations of this dish can be found in the various Mediterranean cultures, which our Protagonist enjoys sampling each and every one. The sebadas provided as nice rounding out to the dinner after the great start. Still not the level of Cafe Epicure, but enjoyable, nonetheless.
Cafe Americano
Carpaccio di manzo con rucola e parmigiano
Culurgiones
Milanese di pollo con rucola e pomodoro
Finally, the chance for our Protagonist to sample the Sardianian dinner selections at Americano after whetting his appetite for two months reading the flyer while passing on his daily rounds! His dinner companions this evenings were regulars who ordered their standard fare; they raved about the carpaccio, which will have to be indulged in on another evening. The point of this dinner was to try the culurgiones, the Sardinian take on ravioli, so the only protein consumed was in the first course, the Guazetto. This was a stew of "mixed fish" in a tomato broth which was nicely spiced and not too salty. The seafood was tender, and the portion was just right. The culurgiones were round rather than square as ravioli, with a rather small pocket of filling in proportion to the size of the pasta. The impact of the dish is more of a small burst of flavor from the filling in conjunction with the marinara, as opposed to to the filling being the main event in many overstuffed raviolis.
Our Protagonist also tried the Pollo, a pounded and breaded chicken breast, but in this meal nothing rose to the level of the seafood stew at the beginning. Except for the arugula salad at the end, in a smooth and buttery olive oil dressing. The choice of olive oil was excellent, and the variety will have to be found out.
The dessert was also of Sardinian origin, sebadas, which are flaky pastries filled with cheese and drizzled with honey. Variations of this dish can be found in the various Mediterranean cultures, which our Protagonist enjoys sampling each and every one. The sebadas provided as nice rounding out to the dinner after the great start. Still not the level of Cafe Epicure, but enjoyable, nonetheless.
Cafe Americano
1409 Main Street
Sarasota, FL 34236
941-365-1026
Sarasota, FL 34236
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Station 400
Curry Chicken Salad Wrap
Cucumber Tomato Salad
Today our Protagonist has decided to express his opinion by a free-association of words that came to mind while eating his Curry Chicken Salad Wrap:
smooth...creamy...warm...crispy...melty...gone
This all-too-soon devoured sandwich was a nice combination of apple, creamy curry sauce, chicken, and warm, melted brie. The accompanying salad was small, but perfectly executed; a wonderful balsamic vinaigrette with kalamata olive tapanade spooned over. Some dining companions shared some of their fried green tomato club; the corn meal breading had an interesting texture, but it tended to overwhelm the tomato itself which should have had top billing. Clearly, our Protagonist in this case chose all the wiser.
Station 400
400 North Lemon Avenue
Sarasota, FL 34236
941-906-1400
Cucumber Tomato Salad
Today our Protagonist has decided to express his opinion by a free-association of words that came to mind while eating his Curry Chicken Salad Wrap:
smooth...creamy...warm...crispy...melty...gone
This all-too-soon devoured sandwich was a nice combination of apple, creamy curry sauce, chicken, and warm, melted brie. The accompanying salad was small, but perfectly executed; a wonderful balsamic vinaigrette with kalamata olive tapanade spooned over. Some dining companions shared some of their fried green tomato club; the corn meal breading had an interesting texture, but it tended to overwhelm the tomato itself which should have had top billing. Clearly, our Protagonist in this case chose all the wiser.
Station 400
400 North Lemon Avenue
Sarasota, FL 34236
941-906-1400
Friday, November 12, 2010
First Watch
Burrito Vera Cruz
Siesta Key Cocktail
Having walked by the specials chalkboard countless times over the last several months, our Protagonist was curious to see if this chain was all it was cracked up to be. An invitation to breakfast seemed the perfect opportunity to find out for himself. Dining just after the doors opened with a regular, he received plenty of suggestions, but settled on the Burrito Vera Cruz, sans wrap. This was more of a scramble in the end, but was very tasty with fluffy eggs, the spicy kick of chorizo, and the surprisingly good Vera Cruz sauce; not once did our Protagonist regret this being poured over his dish, but, rather, indulged in more. The Siesta Key Cocktail was the breakfast-of-choice of the dining partner; while it looked tempting, our Protagonist defines breakfast as featuring eggs in some capacity. Perhaps it can be sampled in the future along with another breakfast offering.
First Watch
1395 Main Street
Sarasota, FL
941-954-1395
Siesta Key Cocktail
Having walked by the specials chalkboard countless times over the last several months, our Protagonist was curious to see if this chain was all it was cracked up to be. An invitation to breakfast seemed the perfect opportunity to find out for himself. Dining just after the doors opened with a regular, he received plenty of suggestions, but settled on the Burrito Vera Cruz, sans wrap. This was more of a scramble in the end, but was very tasty with fluffy eggs, the spicy kick of chorizo, and the surprisingly good Vera Cruz sauce; not once did our Protagonist regret this being poured over his dish, but, rather, indulged in more. The Siesta Key Cocktail was the breakfast-of-choice of the dining partner; while it looked tempting, our Protagonist defines breakfast as featuring eggs in some capacity. Perhaps it can be sampled in the future along with another breakfast offering.
First Watch
1395 Main Street
Sarasota, FL
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