Food Babies

in terms of eating, my food style fluctuates quite a bit, although it's still all cycle-ular (is that a word? i know i've used it in sentences and ppl understand exactly what i'm talking about, but still...). basically i go into a food craze where i can't stop eating (as if i have a tapeworm, but i don't). and then my clothes start getting snug and my feeling of heffer-ness starts pressing down on me, and then i exercise and start eating healthily and less. and then something happens e.g. dinner out w/friends, a bad day, etc. and the cycle starts again. obvious to say, this is not a good way to eat.

with this in mind, let's talk about Restaurant Week. due to funds and time, i didn't go to that many this time around. however, i did go to Blue Water Grill and Park Avenue Winter, both which i've been wanting to try out for some time. i went to Blue Water Grill with Kiks, my tried and true Restaurant Week soulmate. we've been going to Restaurant Week dinners every year since we'd graduated college. that's a 5-year tradition! this was the 1st time we went w/o Bubby, which couldn't be helped since Bubby's moved to South Carolina. sigh...how things change. regardless, it was a perfect lesbian date w/Kiks (tho there were no butches this time, only femmes). the menu they offered this year was pretty impressive. for apps i got the Hamachi Tartar while Kiks got New England Clam Chowder, both which apparently aren't on the regular menu at this time. i love when Restaurant Week menus aren't just a hodgepodge of stuff from the regular menu, but are instead specials. both apps were amazing, although the chowder was a bit better, particularly since it was cold at the time. it had a perfect crouton for the dense, dense chowder. for entrees i got scallops and Kiks got a fish, both were really good, but nothing special. dessert was also pretty typical, a devil's food cake which was better than usual because it didn't taste like those you just buy at the convenience store. the real highlight of eating at Blue Water Grill is to make reservations for the Jazz Room downstairs. the menus are the same as upstairs, except there's a live jazz band playing for you. it's a perfect atmosphere for having a nice dinner w/o all the pretentiousness. the music's not so loud as to drown out conversation, but still a nice filler for those lulls when you're both eating. and if you listen, you'll notice the jazz band playing some interesting choice of songs e.g. Nirvana or No Doubt. the only negative i'd say about the place is the wine list. although there's an extensive collection, it's all pretty pricey. the cheapest glass of wine i could get was still $10.

the setting of Park Avenue Winter is amazing. the restaurant's seasonal, so the food and the setting changes depending on the season. since the menu's seasonal, the Restaurant Week menu was compromised of items that're usually available on the regular menu. i can forgive that in this instance. when we went for lunch, the restaurant was all decked out in white. it felt a little stiff for during the day, but i can imagine it would be pretty impressive for dining at night. Coleslaw and i got the Butternut Squash Soup and the Porcini Ravioli w/Swiss Chard and Gorgonzola Cream as appetizers. the ravioli was amazing and the soup was dense with a slight smokey taste. for mains i got the Filet Mignon Sandwich, which was good, especially with the cherry tomatoes and horseradish creme, although it's presented in a weird way, where it doesn't feel right to just pick it up like a normal sandwhich, but instead to have to eat it w/a fork and knife. Coleslaw got the Crispy Calamari & Carrot Salad w/Roasted Peanuts and Lime Vinaigrette which is perfectly light for lunch, but i wouldn't really call filling. the dessert was the best part of the meal, and i can honestly say i have no idea what Coleslaw ordered because i was so happy with mine. although, i can't exactly remember what it was. however, i do remember it was banana ice cream with some crunchy caramel thing, and then a cakey thing at the bottom of the glass. ok, not a great description but let me just emphasize that it was delicious.to top off these decadent meals, i also hosted a hotpot at my apartment. it was sort of like a last hurrah before the weather turned too warm (although i don't have any problems eating hotpot even in the summer, however, the ingredient are harder to find). ppl brought beer and drinks but what was more impressive was when AMW brought the keg she'd absconded from the even that had taken place at Geraldo's right before my dinner. eventually they had to bring the keg back downstairs b/c Feil Hall has a rule about no kegs allowed in apartments. but not before we filled a whole bunch of Dixie cups full of beer!