We were supposed to go to Save On Meats for lunch on Saturday but I had this feeling that things were not going to work out as planned. Chad had an early morning golf game that ended up going later than expected. I was stressing out about it because I didn’t want to be eating lunch at 2pm knowing full well I was in charge of making dinner that night which needed to be served by 6pm. To make matters ‘worse’ I remembered that the Triple D episode which featured Save On Meats aired Friday night meaning the restaurant was most likely going to be packed.

So, Chad came home and we made our way down Hastings street. We drove by Save On Meats and there were people pressed up against the door. Not a good sign. We parked the car and walked down the block. Yea, we couldn’t even get in the door, and given the timing of our day, there was no way we were waiting around for a meat filled sammich. Not this time anyways.

Luckily both our eyes caught a cute little place along the way called Acme Cafe. We poped in, waiting a couple of minutes and found ourselves a lovely booth.

Chad had the Italian Panini – salami, proscuitto, provolone, banana peppers and basil mayo on a ciabatta panini grilled – with a side of chips and slaw.

I had the Veggie – goat cheese, portobello mushroom, peppers, zucchini, sprouts, sun-dried tomato basil mayo on a ciabatta panini grilled – with a cup of creme of Tomato soup.

The sandwich was so unbelievably good that I purposely only ate half so that I could enjoy it again at home. The soup also hit the spot.

It was the cutest little place. What I loved most was that 95% of the clientel all had DSLRs with them and they were taking pictures of each other, the food, and the decor. Talk about fitting right in!

 I am so glad we stumbled upon this place. It had the most wonderful atmosphere and the food was delicious. I want to spend every Saturday finding cute new places to eat.

 I guess it all worked out in the end!

 
I’ve become smitten with a food blog called Smitten Kitchen. The photos are simple and useful, the recipes are easy to follow, and there is a personal touch to each blog post that I love!

While perusing all their amazing recipes the other day, I came across this one for Corn, Buttermilk, and Chive Popovers. I drooled at the sight of them. I love corn. I love chives. I love things that popover!

I went out the next day and bought all the ingredients needed to put together these delightful little treats. I followed the recipe exactly as stated except instead of using chives I used green onions. I also used a muffin tin instead of a popover tin. While they didn’t turn out 100% like the pictures they were pretty tasty and as Deb mentions in her blog post, they can be a little finicky to perfect. I think my oven had a role to play in the way they turned out. This recipe yielded me 12 popovers in a muffin tin.

The popovers were wonderful but I think the next time I make these I will do two things differently.

1. Actually use chives. I found the green onions provided too strong a taste for my liking in this particular recipe.
2. Mix everything together instead of blending it in a blender. I would have liked the corn to stay whole so that you get pops of sweetness when you bite into them.

Over all, this is definitely a recipe I want to try over again and perfect. It really was quite easy to make, I just need to figure out my oven!

I strongly suggest you checking out the Smitten Kitchen. There are so many great recipes on there I am sure you will find something you will love!

Roasted Tomato Soup with Broiled Chedder! OMG!

I had Korean BBQ for the first time Saturday night. It was so damn good. I mean, really, how could it not be when you have an authentic Korean making it for you.

Pork Belly + Marinated Beef Short Ribs + Lettuce Wraps + Noodles + Rice + Veggies + Hot Sauce = AMAZINGNESS

I love trying new food. I’m not one to shy away from something that is ‘weird’ or unfamiliar. I want to try everything.

What I love about watching the Food Networks is the exposure I get to different foods and cuisines. I have basically created a Food Bucket List for myself consisting of things I want to try, food wise, before I die. Two new additions to that list, Prairie Oysters and Alligator.

While watching Man vs. Food: Carnivore Edition I came across this restaurant in Denver – The Buckhorn Exchange. It is basically a meat lovers dream that serves everything from Buffalo to Elk to Cornish Game Hen. Oh, and you can’t forget the Rattlesnake, Alligator Tail or the Rocky Mountain Oysters! It all looked so good. I need to go and try all these different cuts of meat. It would be an experience of a lifetime. A story to tell.

I’m also big into going to a new town or city and trying out there signature dish. I tried to do as much of that as I could while I was in Italy, having a Caprese Salad in Capri, Cannoli in Sicily and Pesto Sauce in Genoa. Therefore, I need to have a Lobster Roll in Maine, Southern BBQ in Alabama, a Cheese Steak Sammich in Philly, a Boston Cream Pie in Boston, and so on.

With so many different foods in this world to try, I better get cracking. Whats on your Food Bucket List?

The day we went to Fatburger was also the same day we went to Memphis Blues. Apparently I like meat.

I’ve been telling Pa that he should go to Memphis Blues for some good ol’ Southern BBQ for ages, but I knew unless I made him go he probably would never make it there. So for his 50th Birthday we rounded up the gang and headed down for BBQ FEST 2011.

Finally, after watching way too many episodes of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, with a side of Man vs. Food, he was able to try the food out for himself.

The only bad thing about Memphis Blues? I fill up WAY to quickly. I was basically stuffed after this tiny plate of food. If only my stomach would expand when its BBQ time. I love everything they serve.

Enter in MEAT SWEATS.

We ordered the Elvis Platter. It’s basically tradition. I had the Jack Daniels Lemon Aid. Also tradition.

The 8 of us devoured everything leaving very little behind. It was so damn tasty. We were all stuffed beyond capacity but it was well worth it. Going to Memphis Blues just fuels my desire to head South and spend some time in the Southern States. I want BBQ. I want Pulled Pork. I want  Tony Romo in the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium. I want Waffles and Wings. I want rocking chairs on porches. I want cowboy hats. I want Southern accents.

I want to travel for the FOOD!

We went to Fat Burger for lunch. We’ve driven by it 100 times but have never stopped in. We finally had the chance to do so during the long weekend. Chad ordered a regular burger and I ordered the crispy chicken sandwich. I can never leave well enough alone so I added bacon and guacamole to it. That was a bad choice. The guacamole was quite salty and reminded me a little too much of Mexico. Had I ordered it without the extras it would probably have been really good. What I did discover, however, its that I really don’t like burgers. Maybe its a phase, maybe it’s forever. McDonalds Cheeseburgers and Chicken Burgers are about the only ‘Burgers’ that I’ll eat, which is too bad because Chad says hes mastered the art of the home made burger. I just can’t do beef patties anymore. Actually, I just can’t do ground beef anymore. The thought of it makes me cringe.

No Burgers for ME.