Reviews - Salt of the Earth

salt of the earth

TGW and I went to Salt of the Earth a couple weeks ago, and it was pretty darn fantastic. We had a really excellent time - we got to sit next to the kitchen and watch the food being made, and the service was great. They also have family-style seating (benches and big tables).

I started with their White Whisky, which blew my mind. There are very few drinks in the world that hit me hard like this, and man - it tasted delicious and hit the back of my throat like fire. Loved it.

TGW had an IPA.

The chefs/cooks here are awesome. They even were telling a bunch of the patrons about what the food was, which was really cool.

I liked the silverware...

I then had the Punch, which was fruity and had huge chunks of pineapple in it.

We had the Sea Scallops, which were to die for. Like, holy deliciousness. Buttery, and the crisp (like, literally - I think it was freeze dried) lettuce was wonderful. Everything about this appetizer made me happy.

We also had the snails, which were good - and I liked the sauce quite a bit. However, I found that, like veal, snails are a little too rich for me.

TGW had the Salmon, which was cooked perfectly and even I liked it! I loved the avocado with it - a really great combo.

I had the Flank Steak, which I could eat every day for the rest of my life. Seriously. It was perfectly cooked, and the chimchurri was lovely.

I then had the Bourbon, which I think is one of my favorite drinks ever. It was so creamy and smooth - the egg white really made such a difference. I would go back to Salt just for this drink... well, and the steak, and scallops, and... everything.

For dessert, we had the White Chocolate. It's described as having lavender, honey, argan, and pistachio. I am not typically a fan of white chocolate, but it was really amazing, especially with the sweet honey and pistachios. The lavender was light, but it was there. Definitely worth a try if you like custard-like textures and creaminess. Yum!

I also had their Vodka cocktail, which is hands-down amazifying. There are rose petals in it, and it's like drinking a flower - in a good way! It's just sweet enough and just light enough that it went wonderfully with the dessert, and really refreshed me for the end of the meal.

I would certainly recommend Salt to anyone. It's a high price point, but I really think it was worth it, and waiting many months to go was tough, but I think in the end, it was a great place to celebrate.

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Reviews - Pure and Simple Bistro

We went to Pure and Simple Bistro a couple weeks ago on a whim, and I was pleased to see that it was a good choice. The atmosphere is really comfy (albeit chilly for me), with fresh flowers, and a kind of down-home, low-key decor that I liked.

I had hot tea for a drink, and it was Salada, which I was surprised by, but it was comforting and warm, with a really cute mug and square plate. I'm a sucker for cute dishes.

They serve cool water in a milk jug - awesome!

The shrimp and grit fritters were a spectacular start to the meal. I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed them. The grits offer a different texture than what I expected, but they were flavorful, and the chile sauce was sweet and spicy.

TGW had their Ginger BBQ Chicken, which was delicious. The BBQ sauce on this stuff is spicy and sweet and really rich with flavor.

I had the Seared Ahi Salad, which had fresh fruit (blueberries and strawberries!) and the tuna was perfectly seared. It also had a vinaigrette which was particularly tangy.

For dessert, we had their special ice cream tasters: Bourbon (I think both of us had this as a favorite - amazing), Mint Green Tea (super refreshing, wow!), Avocado (smooth, creamy, and a favorite of mine), Lemon Ginger (tangy and fresh), Balsamic (surprising! I loved it - it was like a creamy balsamic dressing only as ice cream!), and the bizarre one of the bunch: White Cheddar, which took us until the last few bites to figure if we liked it or not. If you're a big white cheddar fan, you'd probably like it, but it was a little too pungent for us, even though it was an interesting taste test!

Pure and Simple was really that - really simple. It has a southern-style menu that's kicked up a notch with some really interesting flavor combinations, it's not too expensive and the atmosphere is comfortable and relaxing, and I really like the feel that these were just people like me running a restaurant. There's something about it that makes me feel like I am at home with my own personal chef! I fully recommend stopping by next time you're out by Cinemark Robinson.

THOUGHTY LOGO © JOHN W. SHELDON 2010. USED WITH PERMISSION. UNAUTHORIZED REPRODUCTION STRICTLY PROHIBITED.

ALL CONTENT WITHIN THIS BLOG AND ANY OF THE ALTERNATE SITES LINKED ARE SUBJECT TO FAIR USE UNDER U.S. COPYRIGHT LAWS. THE OPINIONS AND CONCLUSIONS WITHIN THIS BLOG ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR ONLY, UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED, AND ARE NOT INTENDED TO REPRESENT ANY CORPORATION OR OTHER ENTITY.

Penn Brewery

TGW and I went to Penn Brewery after the Art Museum & Aviary on Friday, and I wanted to do a quick review (I have photos this time!).

I am ashamed to say I've never been to the Brewery before, and now I realize how much of a mistake that was. It was an excellent dinner, and the atmosphere was great. I really liked the brewhouse style seating - large tables with benches - and we were seated immediately. It wasn't too loud, and when we arrived (around 5pm on a Friday) it wasn't super busy and was mostly populated with families. We sat in the restaurant area, but my brief wanderings to the bar showed that it was all a pretty comfortable place.

First, the beer.

Why Icing Should Change

I love cake. I think everyone does, at least a little, because of nostaglia or the taste or the sugar rush, and it's awesome. It's a common denominator. Even if you can't have sugar, there is still a love for that soft, moist food that you eat for a party or nosh on when you're blazed, pour milk over, smell straight from the oven and just love. It's wonderful.

I, as a cake lover, recognise all successfully baked cakes as awesome. Cupcakes, carrot cake, pound cake, angel food, scratch cake, you name it, I love it. Just a little. Even if it has coconut or caramel or zucchini. It's cake!

However, there is something that goes commonly with cake that I absolutely hate:

Icing.