Food vs. Face

Sweet Nothings - Dayton, Ohio

2012-01-30T15:03:00.000-05:00

During my time off work, I was lucky enough to have a couple of great local confectioners contact me about sampling their goodies. I love goodies! My post-partum body may not agree with me, but I'll get to the gym eventually to make up for it. Too bad no one thought of giving me samples when I was burning an extra 300-400 calories a day!

Last week I got a visit from Sarah Thieben, owner of Sweet Nothings. She brought over a sampling of all of her sea salt toffees, as well as Platinum Brownies, Highlander Grogg Bundt Cake, and Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies. After chatting with Sarah, I realized her story may not be wildly different than a lot of folks who decide to go into business for themselves. She worked a regular 9 to 5 like most of us, found a new passion and pursued it. That said, her take on why she bakes the way she does stand out to me - putting an end to mediocrity. Sarah is a self-admitted perfectionist and texture fanatic, and has owned up to baking dozens of cakes until the texture and taste are nothing short of flawless. I love her theory: "If one is going to indulge, the experience should be so exquisite, the ingredients so good, that it eradicates later regret." After sampling her wares, I can verify that she is 100% not bullshitting about this.

I very rarely pat people on the back for being completely original, but this is one of those rare occasions. All of her baked goods tasted like nothing I'd ever had before. I was most excited about trying the Sea Salt Toffee. The Dark Chocolate Cashew was definitely my favorite.

Huge, whole cashews enveloped in this wonderfully sweet & salty toffee, then topped with a thin coating of dark chocolate. I know some of you are still skeptical about salt in your sweets, but here are two things to consider:
- unless you're baking at home, chances are, every baked good you've ever had has been made with a fair amount of salt.
- Why? Because salt brings out and emphasizes sweetness, dummy.
When you amp the salt up just a tiny bit, it really punches up all of the other flavors.

She also uses sea salt as a feature ingredient in the amazing Platinum Brownies. I'm a big brownie fan, but I'm pretty particular. I don't like them too fudgy or too cakey, and I always prefer the corner pieces. The Sweet Nothings website has a description of these treats that claims to end the eternal debate between fudgy and chewy - and it actually does. Each brownie is a perfect balance of texture, with deep, rich chocolate flavor, a reasonable slathering of buttercream icing in top, and just a hint of pink Himalayan sea salt. Sarah mentioned that she considers it a cardinal sin to make something that looks better than it tastes. So, they're not all tarted-up like a DLM Killer Brownie or those frosting-drowned monstrosities from Ele. They're simple, and they're delicious.

To me, those two were the stars of the show, but the cake and cookies were not to be outdone. The Highlander Grogg bundt cake captures the deep caramel notes and slight booziness of the coffee bean without being overpowering. I had a few bites with my morning coffee, but quickly learned it paired up a lot better with a glass of cold milk.

The Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies were almost too pretty to eat, which is something I've never uttered before. Every time I've heard someone say "That just looks too pretty to eat," I always look at them like they just said "That free money is just too fun to spend!" But, dude...

These cookies were the only item that even slightly hinted at something I've had before. Between the density given by the cream cheese and the touch of almond flavor, these are a little reminiscent of some short breads I've tasted. But, I've certainly never seen a short bread cookie all fancied up in poured fondant like these little beauties. And even as good as they look, they still taste even better than they look.

Sweet Nothings' prices are very reasonable for what you're getting. Sarah is incredibly passionate about supporting other area business and uses all locally sourced items in her baking - so yes, they're more than what you'd pay at Kroger. As far as sweets go, I've paid a lot more and gotten a lot less in terms of quality. I linked to her website above, but that's not the only place you can find her goods. She has a booth at the Webster Street Market most days of the week, and February 13-14, she'll be doing a pop-up bakery inside Get Dressed! Boutique on Far Hills in the Shops of Oakwood. You can even pre-order any items you want through the website and choose "pop up bakery" as the shipping method and she'll have them ready for you. She'll also have some unique items just for those two days.

When I get samples from big vendors, the FTC requires that I disclose that I received the items for free - so I'll do the same thing here. If I receive free product and don't like it, I'll make no concessions about telling you it sucked. Again, I don't get paid for any of this blog business, and free snacks aren't enough to make me mislead my readers. In the same vein, I also want you to know when certain products are well worth the money.

What I'm saying is, do yourself a favor and check out Sweet Nothings. And fellas, if you have a gal or a wife that isn't psychotically obsessed with calorie counting, any of the SN treats would make a great Valentine's Day gift. I'd choose them over flowers any day.

Review Extravaganza!

2011-11-22T11:15:00.000-05:00

Here's the deal, lunchboxes - I should be welcoming a little tiny eater in about T minus two weeks. I have a metric shitload of reviews that need written. At this point, making separate entries for each one is NOT going to happen. So, you're going to get a lot of quick, abridged reviews, without photos. I'd be happy to provide photos and additional commentary if you're curious about a specific place or dish - just leave something in the comments section. Loosen up your Sans-a-Belts, here we go!

Smashburger - Dayton, Ohio (UD)
Hadn't gotten around to trying this place or Five Guys, and there was a groupon-type thing available for around $12 worth of food. Two burgers, one order of fries and one soda was $16. DAMN! A bit steep for what I consider fast food. I can't seem to recall specifics, but their menu was a little limited and confusing - and the staff had no idea what their signature sauce was. I do specifically recall that the restaurant was filthy. The floors were so dirty and sticky that I lost my shoe to it three times. EW, Smashburger. The food itself wasn't bad, but certainly wasn't impressive. Fries were so greasy, they were transparent. I'd choose Tank's any day, for my money. Hell, with the experience we had, I'd probably pick Hardee's over Smashburger.
1 out of 5 sporks!

CJ Chan - Dayton, Ohio
Finally tried this place out for date night after hearing nothing but rave reviews. Situated in a really odd spot, in a tiny shopping center just between the ass-end of Kettering and Walnut Hills, the place has very limited parking and seating (not to mention pulling into the lot at over 2mph can do some damage to your car). We lucked out and gt their just before dinner rush and had a terrific meal. Mr. FvF had sweet & sour pork and I had Mongolian beef - probably some of the best and most traditional I've ever had. Fried pork dumplings were also excellent. Prices were right on point, service was tops and the menu is extensive and impressive. Can't wait to go back.
5 out of 5 sporks!

Rootbeer Stande - Kettering, Ohio
Exactly what you'd expect from a drive-in restaurant. The girls don't wear roller skates, but otherwise it's just as old-timey as you'd expect. Burgers, dogs, and lots of fair-fare (corn dogs, Texas tenderloins, funnel cakes), and nothing over $5, if memory serves. More importantly, the rootbeer is super tasty, and heavy on the sasparilla, which is just the way I like it. My bacon cheeseburger was nice & messy, loaded with toppings, and the Mister's tenderloin was mammoth and delicious. We also split the fried pickle spears and mini corn dogs, which I highly recommend. FYI, they only take cash.
5 out of 5 sporks!

Brunch Club - Dayton, Ohio
Another groupon-type deal. Hadn't been here in years, since it was The Breakfast Club. We met another couple there for brunch and had an excellent meal. Kind of made me wonder why I don't hear more about the place - but judging by the wait for a table, maybe it's the kind of place everyone tries to keep secret. Mr. FvF and I were thrilled to see Chicken & Waffles on the specials board, and even more excited to see that it's on their everyday menu. He couldn't resist ordering that, I had the meat lovers' omelette, and our brunch buds had the eggs benedict and breakfast burrito with sides of potato cakes. Everything was spot-on. I'm not usually a hash brown fan, but theirs were crispy, onion-y and not greasy at all - just perfect. The omelette was fluffy and on par with my favorites from Golden Nugget. Mr. FvF's dish was downright impressive. The waffle was just a waffle like any other, but the super fresh, hot broasted chicken was out of this world. The breakfast burrito was incredibly fresh-tasting for something that was covered in gravy, and I have to take someone else's word that the eggs benedict was very well done also. The service could have been better. Our waitress was a bit slow (cutting her some slack b/c of the crowd), but incredibly clumsy and forgetful. We had to ask for my husband's coffee three times, and she spilled water all over our table right out of the gate. Also, when I ask for chocolate milk "with my meal," that's when I want it. With my meal. Few things irritate me more than letting milk sit for 5-10 minutes, getting warm while waiting for my food. And when are eateries going to get hip to frosty glasses for milk? Every place I order it, it's practically room temperature. As far as price, serving sizes are commensurate with the cost.   Will definitely be heading here again.
4 out of 5 sporks!

McCormick & Schmick's - Beavercreek, Ohio
Sadly, this is from Restaurant week, back in July. Pitiful, I know. We double-dated with another couple - the boys both ordered the cashew-crusted tilapia (regular menu)and sweet potato cous cous, and the gals both ordered off the RW menu - filet florentine, cucumber salad and flourless chocolate torte. The main dishes and cous cous were pitch-perfect, but some of the sides and salads needed a little touching up. The vinaigrette on the cucumber salad was far too tart. A little sweetness would have gone a long way. The boys' cous cous was amazing and finished with Jamaican rum butter, but the risotto that came with the RW specials was, well - nothing special. One of the dessert choices was supposed to be chocolate silk pie with bourbon creme anglaise, but had been changed to the torte with raspberry sauce. It was very good, but could have used a few fresh raspberries to balance the dense sweetness. Service was good, despite our wait for a table when I had reservations and partied of the same size who arrived after us were seated before us. Price points were very fair on their regular menu - most entrees between $15 and $25. I can definitely see us dining here again, perhaps for a special occasion, outside of Restaurant Week.
4 out of 5 sporks!

El Toro - Huber Heights, Ohio
Ew. I won't even go into too much detail here, because it's not worth it. Standard Mexican-fare menu, price points are about the same no matter where you go. I ordered something with shredded beef, which was incredibly fatty and bland. Service was so-so. Again, EW. Would not go back. Giving them one point because my co-workers swear their food was good.
1 out of 5 sporks!

Blueberry Cafe - Bellbrook, Ohio
Best breakfast I've had that wasn't at my mama's house. Excellent service, huge portions and the food was simply outstanding. I went there because I had a hankering for French Toast, and I heard they do it right. Upon arrival, I realized that this place was truly sent to answer a pregnant girl's prayers. On the specials? Banana bread pudding french toast. I almost wish I was making it up, because I want to eat it every day of my life. I think there was unicorn blood in it. Magical. The leftovers - about half a slice, took more than one hand to hold, and Mr. FvF and I split the half piece for breakfast the next morning. Two very small complaints - the goodness that oozed from my French toast got all under my potatoes and eggs, making them more sweet than savory. Boo. And again, with the milk. I asked for it with my meal, and it came out 10 minutes ahead - not all that cold, and just getting warmer. Blueberry Cafe seems to be renowned for their breakfasts, but their lunch menu also looks impressive, as do their Friday night dinner offerings. The place is very tiny, so a wait is likely, but well worth it. They do take reservations for dinner, not sure about breakfast and lunch, though. Price points might be considered on the higher end for breakfast and lunch, but the portions more than warrant it.
4.5 out of 5 sporks!

McDonald's Premium Chicken Sandwiches

2011-09-11T16:17:00.000-04:00

McD's has recently rolled out a new line of premium chicken sandwiches, and they want some FvF readers to try them out for free. Available in original, Club or Ranch BLT, you can get the chicken either grilled or crispy on a new bakery-style bun. Same drill as the last contest: you send me a fan on FvF's Facebook page and you'll get a coupon in the mail for a freebie. Make sure the friends you send let me know that you put them up to it!

Company 7 BBQ - Englewood, Ohio

2011-09-11T15:58:00.001-04:00

You all know how assy I can be about BBQ, having found very little to write home about either here in Ohio, or in our travels. On our recent trips to Kentucky and Tennessee, I wasn't even interested in trying out an of the local barbecue joints, because it seemed it was always a disappointment. Dry brisket, fake smoke flavor, and shitty sides.

About a year ago, a business acquaintance of mine left his post at a prominent local company to start up a BBQ joint with his wife and her family in Englewood. It would be called Company 7 BBQ, after the majority of family starting this venture, who are all fire and EMS workers. I kept in touch for a while and kept promising to make it up there to try it, and letting loose that I had a secret life as a food blogger. Life has a way with making things slip your mind, so come this summer, I still hadn't made it to Englewood to try Company 7. One night that cooking at home sounded too labor intensive, we headed north to check it out, based on the recent recommendation of a friend.

I was hoping to see my friend, but I figured since he was one of the head honchos, it'd be tough to catch him on the floor. Wrong! We hadn't been seated for two minutes before he popped behind the bar and started filling drinks. Come to find out later, the guy who brought our food out and chatted Mr. FvF about Texas BBQ was another owner, his father-in-law. You can tell that the presence of owners and management keeps this place running pretty smoothly. They had live bands on one side, a room full of full bellies on the other, apparently a buffet in the back, a full bar and still a little room to grow. I'm not familiar with the area, so I'm not sure what this place used to be, but the size of it certainly surprised me (insert "that's what she said" joke).

Perusing the menu and the table-toppers presented some info I was happy to see. Something along the lines of "When we run out of a meat - that's it. We won't have any more until the next day, because we smoke it for 18 hours." After deciding that neither of us wanted to pick just one meat, we both got a two-meat combo, which comes with two sides and a cheese muffin. I chose pulled pork and brisket, and the Mister got pulled pork and smoked sausage. We also threw in a last minute order of smoked chicken wings, for little other reason than the price was right. I don't normally care for wings at all, but...

I obviously had no problems polishing half of this order off. They were super crispy, likely smoked then maybe flash fried - and not too greasy. They come naked, because C7 already has six of their signature sauces on the table (no sugar added and painfully hot sauces also made in-house are available for the asking). I didn't use the sauce on my wings, but tried them all via finger-lickin' method (very scientific) before our entrees arrived. Chief Smokey and Lieutenant Tangy were definitely the front runners for me, though they were all pretty good. I was hoping I wouldn't even need the sauces, though. You know the rules. Good BBQ doesn't need sauce.

Mr. FvF got mac & cheese and fries with his. I didn't sample the fries, but the mac was a lot like Stouffer's, which means it was excellent. My current motherly state tells you that I'm already a fan of my husband's sausage (wakka wakka!), but I sampled this one, too. I have some pretty major texture issues when it comes to food these days, so I had a hard time eating much more than one or two bites - but the flavor was spot on.

He's really the expert here, so I'll defer to him for comment. From the desk of Mr. FvF:
It's really good - very sweet & spicy. Close to Kruez's, but not the same as Black's.

The pulled pork was probably some of the best I've had in a restaurant.

Tender, moist*, and wonderfully smoky without tasting overpowering or fake. No Liquid Smoke at Company 7 - just the real deal. There were some beautiful pieces of bark on both of our plates, too. The brisket was sliced, like it's supposed to be. I don't know why some northern barbecue joints have taken to shredding their brisket, but it's not right. It's like serving pizza in squares. The terrorists win!

Anyhow, the brisket was top notch. It had a really nice smoke ring, which I apologize for not getting a better photo of. There were juices still flowing from both servings of meat when our food came to the table, which made for great dipping with the cheese muffin. The cinnamon apples were delicious, but I only managed to eat about three slices before I had to tap out. Even maternity pants have their limits. Speaking of limits, I'm convulsing at the thought of going back so I can try their ribs.

Just over 12 bucks a plate for massive servings of two meats and two sides, and the wings were under $5 - so the prices are definitely right. Service was very good, and it's nice to see the brass working the floor like everyone else there to earn a living. It's a bit of a hike for us to Clayton, but it's absolutely worth the drive back.

5 out of 5 sporks!

*Sorry, Lando!

Fair Food!!!

2011-09-11T15:03:00.000-04:00

Everyone loves fair food, so there's no point in reviewing it. But, I want to tell you about an old love...

...pork tenderloin twice the size of my face.

And a new love...

...deep fried Snickers.

It's probably best that I found myself too busy to attend more than one fair this summer, because otherwise - helloooooooooo, gestational diabetes.

Ramsi's Cafe on the Worls - Louisville, KY

2011-08-31T20:32:00.000-04:00

Forever ago, Mr. FvF and I were in Louisville for Derby City Con. To be diplomatic, let's just say comic conventions aren't really my thing. Good people watching and all, but not exactly boner magic for me. So, I always try to find something to do or a buddy that lives nearby when we're in another city and he's hawking his wares. My old friend Dan had lived in L-ville for a while, so I had him come pick me up and cart me around to all of the record stores and cool shops on Bardstown. After we'd done our fair share of window shopping, he suggested we lunch at Ramsi's Cafe on the World. Having lost the list I made of places we should eat in Louisville, I was still pretty sure this was on there.

I was glad Dan was driving and is highly skilled at parallel parking, because the parking sitch alone would have cause me to shy away from this place. But, we got a close spot, walked in and were seated right away. The restaurant was crowded and bustling, but not in an uncomfortable way. We ordered drinks and Samosas (Indian dumplings with tamarind sauce, super tasty) while we perused the huuuuuge menu.
Since all sandwiches are made on locally-made gluten-free bread, that's the section of the men that my eyes honed in on. It's not just anywhere that ol' angry guts can order a sandwich. I was totally prepared to order the Isabelle Panini, which is basically a Cuban, until our server informed me it was served with SWEET pickles. The hell? Cuban sammiches should only have dill pickles. Never relish, and never sweet. Ew.
So, I opted for my back-up choice, the Panini Caprese.

The sandwich was very good, but I got this overwhelming feeling that I should have made a different choice. It was just a bit too sweet for my taste and didn't really satisfy my savory hankering. The potatoes were decent, but needed a fancy dipping sauce in my opinion. They were well-cooked, but the any effort at seasoning had pretty much been phoned in. My buddy ordered the Southwestern Caesar and was very happy with his choice - but he had a leg up, as a resident. You may balk at the ballpark of $10 per sandwich and side, but the portions are massive. MY Caprese was about the size of a personal pizza, and just as filling. I tried taking the remains back to Mr. FvF at the con, but the goat cheese hadn't kept well on the hot ride to the convention center.

I wish I'd had room for dessert, since that part of the menu is just as diverse and worldly as the rest. I dont want to hold it against Ramsi's too much that I didn't like my sandwich, because I feel like my choice was a bit too vanilla. I probably would have been wowed if I ordered something more adventurous.

Service was good, the place was quite clean and the prices were commensurate with what you're getting. I'll give them a solid 3.5 out of 5 sporks and be sure to give them another try when we go back for DCC next year.

Table Scraps: The Return

2011-08-23T17:49:00.000-04:00

Howdy, my little lunchboxes! A lot of people have been wondering if mommin' has me on hiatus from FvF, but not for another couple months. The lack of posts has little to do with my parasite, and everything to do with err'day life and work. I know, I know - it's hard to believe that this website doesn't have me wiping with dollar bills, but food samples an adoring fans still don't pay the mortgage - although I heartily appreciate both. So, since there's a LOT to catch you up on and little time to do it, here's a recap and some upcoming fun stuffs.

Are the tomatoes from your own garden so good that you're disappointed when eating one in a restaurant? Peter and Laurie at Figlio totally understand, so they're letting you bring in your OWN tomato this week to be used in their Caprese Salad. "Bring Your Tomato to Figlio Week" started yesterday and runs through this Saturday, August 27.

BEERS! Not only is Dayton AleFest this weekend at Carillon Park, but it will also cap off Dayton Beer Week. from their press release: "AleFest will be held from 2 to 6 pm on Saturday, August 27 at Carillon Historical Park. Featuring an expanded selection of draft and cask ales, AleFest offers attendees a selection of over 300 different beers from over 140 different breweries. Many of the exact details for this year's event are still being finalized, but tickets are currently available at finer dining and food and beverage locations throughout the greater Dayton region for the advance price of $35 ($40 at the door). As in the past, tickets get you entry to the event, a sampling guide, 20 craft beer samples and a commemorative sampling glass. Dayton Beer Week, held August 19 - 26. Dayton Beer Week officially kicks off with the "Beer Pride Parade" in the Oregon District on Sunday, August 21 and continues throughout the week with a series of unique events, tastings and dinners held at various locations throughout the greater Dayton region."

Peeled Snacks will be doing some serious sampling of their dried fruit offerings at Costco stores across the nation tomorrow, 8/24. The one in Dayton isn't open yet, but Columbus and Cleveland could get up on this. I've always like dried fruit, but I was a little skeptical when I saw "Organic" and "no sugar added" on the freebies they sent me. However, the stuff is delicious. Will have a full-on product review coming your way soonly.

Speaking of free food, I'll be giving away more freebies from McDonald's. You can call me a sell-out all you want, but I like giving people prizes, and the local indies aren't exactly chomping at the bit to give out coupons. Hopefully, this one will go over better than the last, since it's a sandwich offering and not a salad. I won't boast its low calorie content, because that will probably turn you all right off of it just like the salad. Look out for another Facebook contest soon. Unlike the last contest loot, I promise to get these prizes out in a timely fashion!

I know you guy are probably all, "What the hell, Vizz? You didn't post ANYthing during Restaurant week!" Yeah, it's because I'm busy. Or lazy. You decide. Either way, we only had the time to go to McCormick & Schmick's, which was good, but not stellar. Expect my review of that soon, along with the much-anticipated thoughts on Company 7 BBQ in Englewood*. *According to Dre, always up to no good.

Simple Suppers: Penne alla Arribiatta

2011-07-26T19:55:00.000-04:00

Because of my gluten allergy and lack of interest in finding good g/f pasta, the FvF blog has always been lacking in pasta recipes. About six weeks into my pregnancy, I started having a serious aversion to most meats and was craving starch like a crazed person recovering from Adkins. With my allergies, newfound pickiness, and Mr. FvF's selective palate, I had no idea what the hell we were going to eat for the next few months.

We ate pasta a few times, but it made me so sick that it was hardly worth it. I remembered a friend telling me that the Ancient Grains quinoa blend pasta was so awesome that her kids and husband didn't know the difference when she used it. After scouting all over God's creation for it, we finally ended up going to the Kroger by her house on Dayton-Yellow Springs Road to get a few boxes. Note to Kroger: this product would sell like stupid sunglasses at a Kanye West concert at ALL of your stores, so wise up and get your distro on. I cooked just a smidge of it to check out the texture and loved it. It's a quinoa-corn blend that cooks to a nice al-dente - but you have to make sure not to overcook it, or it will get pretty mushy. The taste isn't any different than regular semolina pasta, nor is the texture when cooked right. Now that I knew I could have pasta back in my life, I was really eager to get back to making my own sauces. First up - penne a la arribiata!

This is one of the simplest pasta sauces to make, and it doesn't require hours of stewing, like a bolognese. It has a super fresh taste, and is a perfect summer pasta dish. Here's what you'll need (serves 2):

Whole peeled plum tomatoes, San Marzano style*

2 oz pancetta, or 3-4 strips bacon, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 to 1 tsp red pepper flakes

1.5 C (dry) penne pasta

salt, pepper, olive oil to taste

Pecorino or romano cheese for garnish

*These are normally only available in large cans, so if you're cooking for two, you'll only need half. San Marzano style also already has basil leaves in with the tomatoes, but if you're using fresh tomatoes, feel free to ass your own freshly chopped basil.

The sauce can basically be made in the time it takes to cook the pasta, so chop your bacon and mince your garlic while you're waiting on your pasta water to boil. Over medium heat, cook your bacon pieces until crisp, then remove them from the pan to drain on a paper towel and clean your saute pan (or just use another one). I like bacon fat just as much as the next gal, but we're not making carbonara here, that's another entry coming your way soon. This dish should have a sassy, fresh flavor and you don't want it weighed down by fat.

Reduce heat to mid-low, add a little olive to the pan and simmer your garlic (and onion if you prefer - but it's verboten in our house), then crush the tomatoes by hand over the pan, adding them as you do. Add the red pepper flakes, re-introduce your bacon and salt & pepper to taste. Sometimes I like to add a little nip of sugar, too, if I'm using canned tomatoes. Bring it down to a simmer and let it hang out for a few more minutes while your pasta finishes cooking. I know, I didn't tell you to do that - but come ON, you guys. I'm not your mammy. I can't do everything for you.

Drain and rinse your pasta, then add the pasta to the sauce and toss it around until it's all coated in spicy tomato-y goodness. Serve with a big heapin' helpin' of shredded romano or pecorino. Parmesan works, too, but spend the extra few bucks on a brick and shred it yourself - not the stuff in the big green Kraft canister, you hillbilly.

Amici's Place - Kettering, Ohio

2011-07-05T21:04:00.000-04:00

So, there's a new deal website akin to Groupon and LivingSocial called Seize the Deal. The first email offer I got from them after signing up was for a joint called Amici's Place in Kettering on Dorothy Lane, where the old Barbie's Bistro used to be. I didn't even know there was a new restaurant there, but apparently Seize the Deal made a bold move and offered the $20 for $10 gift certificate just as the place was opening. Clever, because nothing will hurry me into a new eatery like a nearly-free meal.

It was a bit too hot to dine al fresco, but they do have a nice patio. I'm actually already looking forward to next summer when I'm not making another human and can enjoy one of their signature Limoncellos on that sunny deck. We sat inside, where the tables are seemingly far fewer than outside. I think there were maybe three or four tables and bar seating, which would accommodate half a dozen comfortably. It's small in stature, but big on everything else important, as we soon found out.

I'd already perused the menu online, but once Mr. FvF got to check it out, we decided to get two 8" pizzas - since we never agree about what to get on a pie. The small pizzas are $9 for a specialty and $7 for a build-your-own with three toppings. The front house manager came and greeted us first, asking if this was our first time in, explaining their special bevvies and asking if we had any questions - then another nice fella came to take our order as he brought our drinks. The Mister picked the Buffalo Chicken sans onions, and I opted for the Chicken Pesto, adding bacon (duh). I also asked for one of their craft root beers, which was almost red in color and super tasty.

The food came out quite a bit faster than expected, considering the craft that goes into making a pizza like this, and looked absolutely amazing - not to mention massive. When I think 8 inches in my mind - well, I won't tell you what that really brings to mind - but in terms of pizza, I was certainly thinking more along the lines of one of those crappy Pizza Hut personal pans.

If this pizza was only 8", I'll lick my own elbow. There were eight solid slices, and I could barely finish three. I seriously considered continuing to eat and just making myself ill with it, and I almost had to stage an intervention with Mr. FvF when he was eyeballing his sixth slice. All of the ingredients were super fresh - the kind of fresh that you can actually taste. Crispy bacon, bright tomatoes and long stretches of cheese. Also, not the kind of fresh that gets skimped on just because they advertise fresh and locally grown ingredients that happen to cost more. There was no shortage of toppings on these whatsoever.

The Mister's Buffalo Chicken Pizza didn't look like much, but was pretty killer, even to a gal who doesn't like hot sauce. Heavy on the cheese (including bleu) with a sassy kick and super tender chicken.
The star of the pizzas at Amici's, though, is the crust. Think along the lines of Dewey's, but then imagine if Dewey's had their asses handed to them by someone else. Bubbled and raised perfectly, but not too thick or chewy.

As we boxed up our extra slices and paid our bill, the owner came over and asked how we liked everything. I commended him on the excellent staff and food, and in an uncommon turn of events, actually told him I was a food blogger and would be giving his new venture a rave review. I don't think I've ever done that, but it was very thoughtful for him to come chat with his customers, and I feel that certain compliments deserve better than anonymous internet delivery.

So, stellar service and top-notch food - must be expensive, right? Couldn't be further from the truth. The price points are so spot on, that I'm hoping and praying they'll bring the kind of crowd Amici's need to stay put. I've dined at nearly every eatery that's graced that spot in the last 8 years, and they were all overpriced and unimpressive. I think the steepest thing on their spanking-new menu is a family spaghetti dinner for around $17. They deliver, you can get carry-out, they have a great looking sandwich and salad menu, and they even have breakfast! Still not enough for you? They also host a farmer's market in the adjacent lot on Saturday mornings.

After several months of duds in the Gem City, I'm super pumped to give Amici's Place

5 out of 5 sporks!!

McDonald's brings back the Asian Salad - Facebook Contest!!!

2011-06-28T20:44:00.000-04:00

Some of you might remember last year (maybe the year before), McDonald's added the Asian salad to their menu. When I was on the hardcore dieting wagon, I was eating these things like someone was going to take them away. 360 calories including the chicken and dressing! Then BOOM - they did take them away. I had no idea they were seasonal. Lucky for me, they're back. Lucky for YOU, McD's sent me some freebie coupons to let me eaters try them out.

Here's how I'm going to do this:
The next five people to send me one or more new fans on Facebook get the coupons. Easiest way to accomplish this is by clicking "Share" on the bottom left menu when you go to the FvF Facebook page. Make sure you tell your pals to post on the FvF wall that you sent'em (or you won't win, dummy)!

You may be wondering how to participate if you're not a fan of FvF on Facebook. In that event, I might be wondering what the hell your problem is. Not on Facebook at all? You probably have an abacus or water wheel to tend to, so don't even worry about these delicious salads. There's no better venue for the giveaway than ol' Facebook, considering this page is what likely prompted them to bring it back in the first place.

Dragon King's Daughter - Louisville, KY

2011-06-19T17:40:00.000-04:00

I figured it's high time I post this review since we ate there almost three damn months ago, and are headed back to the L-ville area soon for Derby City Con. After some digging on UrbanSpoon, I couldn't wait to try this place. After GPS-ing it and realizing it was so far off the beaten path, we almost opted for fast food instead because we wanted to get home so badly. But, we persevered, got turned around a time or two, but eventually found it. It's in a little area that reminds me a lot of what the UD strip used to be like before it got all fancy-fied. Just this side of seedy, but fine on a bright sunny Sunday afternoon. Walking towards the place, we noticed all the windows open and Beck creeping out of the speakers as we got closer. We were quickly greeted and served by who I assume was the only server, and he took our drink orders and answered questions about the menu. After I looked over the photos I took, I realized one side of the restaurant...

...looked completely different than the other side, where we were sitting.

The decor didn't necessarily match the culinary vibe, but it also didn't seem freakishly out of place, as this place is probably brimming with hipsters on any other given day.

For starters, we got the Chorizo Yaki Onigiri - a pan-fried rice ball laced with Mexican chorizo sausage & cilantro and drizzled with wasabi mayo. The rice was a tad dry, but the wasabi drizzle helped in that area.

I ordered the Korean BBQ beef (aka bulgogi) tacos. All tacos come in soft corn shells (though you can sub a bed of rice) with three toppings and one sauce. They all pretty much have a sauce assigned to them, but you can switch it out if something else looks better to you. I chose spring mix, cilantro, avocado and wasabi mayo. The marinade on the ribeye was wonderfully sweet and the meat was super tender. The avocados were actually ripe, which is a stretch for a lot of restaurants, and the spring mix that our server suggested added a nice crunchy element.

The Mister opted for the Tilapia Tempura Tacos with avocado and mango salsa. When asked how he felt about his meal, he replied with a muffled "This is fucking awesome!" Good enough for me.

The priciest thing on their menu is around $14 - and our bill came out to around $20 before tax and tip, so the price is right on. The menu is so expansive and interesting, it was brutal deciding what to order. I'm very anxious to go back and try some of their "cooked sushi," with ingredients like chicken katsu and asparagus tempura. Scoff if you will at the idea of cooked sushi, but being a food blogger doesn't mean I like everything, or am even interested in trying everything. I'm not as refined as the judges on Iron Chef - and that's okay by me, because it means I'll never have to eat trout ice cream. So, putting something other than uncooked fish and tasteless veggies into sushi widens my opportunities. I'm really hoping we'll make it back there when we're in town for the con next month, so I suppose you'll have to wait and see what this cooked sushi is all about. Unless of course, you make it there before me - which I highly recommend. Great food, friendly service and a unique atmosphere. I'd eat at DKD on the regular if I were a Louisville resident.

5 out of 5 sporks!

This is just a test: Tim Horton's New Panini Sandwiches

2011-06-01T20:57:00.000-04:00

In case you guys didn't know, Dayton is one of the most revered test markets in the US. We have such a smattering of cultures and tax brackets that we get to try almost every damn thing that food companies want guinea pigs for. The shitty part about that is, if it doesn't do well enough, it doesn't launch and we never see it again.

I remember the torrid affair I had with Taco Bell's Border Fries in the summer of 2004 (Or was it 2003?). Every night that I stumbled out of Walnut Hills, I simply did a u-turn out of their lot and stopped for Border Fries. My day job was very manual and outdoors, so I didn't have to worry about the calories - just the awesome. One night toward the end of the summer, I rolled up to the drive-thru only to find that they'd been replaced with some other unappealing, short-lived side item. If you're sensing some resentment, it's probably because I'm still seething over it like a scorned lover. You never even said goodbye, Border Fries! We could have had something special!! Basically, imagine you were banging Sofia Vergara for an entire summer, then she just gives you the vapors but leaves you Fergie's number - that's how I feel about it.

But, I digress. What I was trying to get around to are Tim Horton's new Panini sandwiches. Not only are they being test marketed right here in the Gem City, they're ONLY being tested marketed here in Dayton.

I think these launched sometime in April, or maybe early May. Either way, it's a safe bet that it was cold and rainy here, which combined with my aversion to most meat, led me here to purchase a grilled ham & cheese. I'm pretty sure all the paninis ring it just over $4, and you can choose from Tuscan Chicken, Pesto Chicken, Chipotle Turkey, Smoked Ham & Cheese and Tomato & Cheese. The first one I ordered was the Pesto Chicken, which was really tasty, but also WAY messy. Not a sandwich that should be eaten in the car, even if the car is not moving. Nice pieces of white meat chicken, and I didn't sense much of the rib-meat filler that most placed use in chopped chicken. The pesto and cheese blended together in a warm, ooey-gooeyness that made it a perfect rainy day lunch.

When I ordered a week or so later, what I asked for was the smoked ham & cheese with tomato, but they chose to ignore that last part. Regardless, it was still a damn tasty sandwich - except for the mayo that was apparently applied with a spackle knife. You can order your 'wich on white or whole grain, and the whole grain is really, really good bread for fast food caliber. It crisps up nicely and it sturdy enough not to give under heavy, melty contents. I have yet to finish one of these paninis, even with the ravenous hunger I've been prone to lately. Considering most sub-par fast food sandwiches will run you at least $4, T-Ho's new paninis are a hell of a value. They lose half a point for not following my order and overdoing the mayo. I would take off another point for switching from Coke to Pepsi products, but that has zero to do with the sandwich.

4.5 out of 5 sporks!

I Got Apps! - Pesto Pinwheels

2011-05-31T20:19:00.000-04:00

I know I still haven't finished my reviews from our Nashville trip in April, but I'm pretty damn tired of writing restaurant reviews right now. Please click here for further explanation of my feelings on this matter.

Instead, I'm going to tell you about some delicious appetizers that I made for Mr. FvF's birthday dinner. Appetizers are one of my favorite categories of foods to eat, but one of my least favorite to make. Basically the concept is taking something that's great in its regular-sized form, then making 100 tiny ones. Pain in the ass, cue sad trombone. You almost have it made, however, when you can basically still make a giant version and just cut it up into smaller pieces.

Enter crescent dough! I always use the Pillsbury Recipe Creations dough, specifically to avoid pressing out all of those funky perforations. This is one of the easiest, quickest, cheapest apps I've ever made, and it could be tarted up in any manner of different ways. Here's what you'll need (makes about 24 pieces):

1 can crescent dough
1/4 C+ basil pesto
4 slices of prosciutto, chopped into bits (salami or very thin ham will do, too)
1/4 C hard Italian cheese, shredded (I used Romano)

Cut the dough into four rectangles, spread each with about a tablespoon of pesto, then sprinkle evenly with prosciutto and cheese. Roll each dough sheet up lengthwise, so that you could cut 6 small slices out of each. But wait, hoss - don't cut yet! All the oily pesto + the butter in the dough + the heat of your fat little paws makes it impossible to slice. Keep the rolls on a cutting board and toss them in the freezer for a few minutes, then get them back out and slice into 6 pieces per roll.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 for about 15 minutes.

Jack's BBQ - Nashville, Tennessee

2011-05-25T21:09:00.000-04:00

The day after the atrocity of Rippy's BBQ, we planned on filling up at on Jack's for an early lunch. We must have hit right at the magical hour, where there were only about 5 people in line in front of us, because they sure as hell piled in behind us. The biggest difference between Jack's an Rippy's besides the food is the atmosphere. Jack's is a bit beat up, wood as far as the eye can see, cafeteria style. In my opinion, the way BBQ should be served if at all possible. You wait in line, tell the guy with the cleaver what kind of meat you want (but don't dilly dally, he doesn't have time for your shit) - and if you're not a dick, you can probably get wishes granted like middle piece, end piece, charred or lots of bark. Then you tell the next employee on the line which sides you want, then another gal rings you up. The cashier also does not have time for your shit - but not because she has a newly developed line of 15+ people to feed, but she's busy taking a personal call.

You'll also need a keen Spidey sense to get a table. If you have someone with you and know what you want, one of you can order and the other can grab a table if one is open. There are only about a dozen or fewer tables in the main room, and more upstairs on the roof.

I got the brisket plate and Mr. FvF got the smoked sausage plate. I got hooked up with the brisket, because dude took a new slab out of the cabinet instead of giving me what was left of the one he'd been working off of. To boot, he asked if I wanted middle or end since I was getting first pick. Pile on the bark, please!!

When I sat down with my plate, another couple actually admired my brisket (I get that a lot), mentioning that it looked much better than what they'd been sliced off just a few minutes earlier. I picked cucumber salad and baked apples for my sides; the Mister got corn and mac & cheese, and we both had cornbread.

I failed to get awesome pictures of the food, but you get the idea. I do wish I could have gotten better light on the brisket, because you could see the smoke ring a mile away. It was so beautiful I almost wept, and it tasted just as good. The perfect amount of seasoning, smoke and moisture. A lot of other places couldn't get away with serving their brisket with nothing but styrofoam plates and flimsy plastic forks (Hickory River, I'm looking in your direction), but Jack's manages to achieve even plastic-fork-tenderness. I think they had 3 sauces - mustard-based, traditional and hot. I think I tried some of the gold sauce and liked it, but for the most part, sauce wasn't required.

I wasn't nuts about the cucumber salad, but I can't remember why (yet another reason to not get two months behind on entries). The apples were super tasty, but it was pretty damn hot out, so it felt a bit too heavy to finish them. But, the brisket portion was more than enough to fill my belly, and I still ended up giving some to the Mister.

Mr. FvF was probably happier with this smoked sausage than anyplace he's ordered it outside of Texas. We traded bites and it was *super* tasty. It wasn't greasy at all, and the skin had that crispiness to it that snapped when you bit into it, which is what sells me on it. The inside was perfectly tender and well-cooked and it had a nice, strong smoke flavor without being too salty or overpowering. He said the corn was really sweet and memorable, the mac & cheese not so much. Cornbread was so-so - a bit mealy for my taste, but not really dry or lacking in flavor.

For about $9 each, this was a lot of food for a fair price. I'm not sure either of us fully finished ours. the couple that commented on my plate was proof positive that an ill-timed visit to Jack's may not yield as perfect results, but we certainly lucked out. They were just prepping for their lunch rush, and nothing had been sitting around for that long. As always, I base my reviews on MY experience, not what someone else has seeded in my head about the place. Service is a bit inapplicable, but if you're looking for bubbly and jovial, you're in the wrong place. Know what you want when you get to the counter. Other than that, be prepared for a short wait in line, getting creative to find seating and some kick ass BBQ.

5 out of 5 sporks!

Rippy's Smokin' Bar & Grill - Nashville, TN

2011-05-16T17:52:00.000-04:00

Yeah, remember how I went to Nashville six weeks ago? Well, I'm finally getting around to telling you about it. I'd gone a few years ago and remembered really liking Jack's BBQ, but not bothering with Rippy's BBQ. A good friend of ours went about a year ago and insisted that Rippy's was 100 times better than Jack's. Despite the piss-poor reviews of Rippy's on Yelp! and UrbanSpoon, I wanted to go back and try both, just to settle the debate.

We got into the 'ville just before dinnertime, so we freshened up and promptly hit the town. Our (shitty) hotel was practically in Printer's Alley, so we were within a close walk of almost anyplace downtown. There was a hockey game happening, so the streets and shops on Broadway were getting crowded fast. I decided we'd try Rippy's the first night because I didn't want to end the trip on a sour note in case it sucked. Good thinking on my part.

It took a while for us to be greeted, and regardless of the fact that we asked for a booth, the waitress sat us at a high-top table right in front of the window. As long as we sat waiting for beverages, we put our order in right away in fear of how long it might take. We both opted for the pulled pork basket with different sides.

The pork was okay - just okay. they sprinkle some kind of "proprietary seasoning" over top of it that perhaps is supposed to make me think it's been dry-rubbed. All it makes me think is, "I wonder if Longhorn is pissed that Rippy's stole their patented Prairie Dust?" Our friend had also raved about the sauce, which I tried in spite of my better judgement. We've been over this, eaters - good barbecue does not. Need. Sauce. I'm willing to try and give a sauce kudos to complimenting the meat when warranted, but this was not one of those times. It had a decent spice to it, but was a vinegary disaster. The Mister didn't care for his baked beans because they had big chunks of onions mixed in. That doesn't mean they were bad, just not for him. Fries were decent, but likely of the frozen persuasion.

My onion rings were mighty tasty, but didn't make up for the sub-par pulled pork, or the diabetes-inducing sugar-laden cole slaw. I'm a big fan of a sweet, dairy based slaw, but this bordered on unrecognizable. Plus it was hot inside and out, and I don't think the slaw had been well refrigerated. Regardless of where it's from - if the slaw's not cold, I ain't the kind of gal to eat it.

Service is to Rippy's what a pleasant experience is to your local bargain theater. They're not mutually exclusive. The water glasses were mostly left empty and our server never asked if we wanted refills on our cocktails. Our buddy had asked us to bring him back a bottle of their ~~barf~~ amazing sauce, which we asked for twice and never got.

2 out of 5 sporks!

Food vs Face-Off: Gluten-free Waffle Thunderdome

2011-05-09T21:28:00.000-04:00

In order to get my warm weather figure back on track, I decided I had to start eating breakfast again to get my metabolism going in the morning. I'm not the world's biggest yogurt fan, have teeth too sensitive for cold cereal in the morning, and refuse to leave myself time to make a proper breakfast. Pile that on top of my body's general disdain for wheat products, and I'm a bit short on options. A few weeks ago when I was passing over the crunchy hippie in Kroger - y'know, that small area between produce and the bakery where you assume nothing tastes good - I noticed more than one option of gluten-free frozen waffles. Van's has bold, clever packaging and caught my eye right away. I'd always known Van's products to be superb to most frozen varietals from my dieting days, so I was amped to try it. And the magic word - SALE. Kroger has pretty much consistently had these waffles on sale for over one month - 2 for $5. I picked up a box of the Van's g/f Blueberry Waffles and decided to give them a whirl.

The next morning, I recalled from leaner times (not with weight, just with money) that frozen waffles never really get warm enough in the middle from toasting alone, so I nuked it for about 10 seconds first. A little butter and some maple sizzurp and you've got yourself a fine breakfast, even for the tenderest bellies. These waffles not only have blueberries in them, but are also sweetened with fruit juice, so it is actually apparent that you're consuming a blueberry product. As for the texture, a gluten-eater wouldn't know it from an Eggo. It's crisp on the outside, soft and chewy inside. In the following weeks I also tried the plain (too plain for this gal, even dressed up) and the apple cinnamon, but neither won my heart like the blueberry.

The photos below aren't mine - I had to steal them from the interwebs because the last thing I'm thinking of in the morning is taking photos of my food for you guys. I need that time to saddle up these sweater monkeys and clean my shotgun. More importantly, I'm pointing out the source because this philistine put peanut butter on a blueberry waffle.

The following week, I was equally tempted by the sales price of another brand - Kinnikinnick. You have no idea how long it took me to type that shit. I grabbed a box of their Brown Sugar & Cinnamon G/F Waffles for just under $3. Out of the box, they were visibly wimpier than the Van's, but I was willing to let that go if they had the flavor and texture on lock. Prepped one the exact same way as the others, nuking it just slightly beforehand, then toasting. Buttered, sizzurped, and dove in expecting a whirlwind of rich cinnamon & brown sugar flavor.

No dice. The hint of flavor was just that - and the texture was all wrong. Was I sleepwalking at Kroger again and picked up some kind of fancy dog food waffles? These were rubbery and spongy, nothing like my beloved, buttery, crispy Van's. That's what you get for buying Canadian, kids.

G/F Waffle Thunderdome: Van's is victorious!

El Mazatlan - Cave City, KY

2011-05-08T17:18:00.000-04:00

Finally got a chance to put my UrbanSpoon app for Droid to great use. Starving, and in an area of Kentucky that's only known for Dinosaur World and Stucky's, I locked in on a price point and shook my phone furiously until it provided a result that sounded good to both Mr. FvF and I. We whipped around the corner to El Mazatlan, which wasn't packed, save for a late lunch crowd.

We were greeted, seated, and had our drink orders taken right away. They had a pretty decent looking menu, and the Mister was thrilled to see Huevos con Chorizo on the menu. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary that really jumped out at me, so I stuck with the old standby - flautas. I know, I know - but I'm a sucker for giant taquitos. We had no more than each smoked a cigarette (Kentucky can be awesome!) before our orders came a'sizzlin' to the table. As usual, I sampled Mr. FvF's and kept all of mine for myself - so I can attest that they were both really flavorful.

Maybe Los Reyes in Kettering can find out where they get their chorizo, considering it actually tastes like something. My flautas were crispy and juice, but not greasy - plenty of well-seasoned meat and I think just a hint of melty cheese in there, too.

Beans and rice were...well, beans and rice. I probably haven't had better, and I've certainly had worse. Large draft beers were only $2, which was cheaper than a soda. Yeah, I know it was just shy of 2 p.m., but I was on vacation, you Puritans. Service was fast, friendly and we got out of there for under $20.

5 out of 5 sporks!

Michael O'Toole's - Columbus, Ohio

2011-05-02T21:26:00.000-04:00

I'll start off by saying that I added and removed the tag "Irish pub" from this post at least six times before just leaving it there. No matter how drunk I was when I got there, this place was no more Irish than my Uncle Mario. The most Irish thing about Michael O'Toole's is the name itself, which is a complete misnomer. I have a feeling that the person who came up with the concept feels that serving pasta and ribs is as authentic to Ireland as clover tattoos on St. Patrick's Day and Celtic tattoos on fat, pasty white folks. If you're a dirty mick, people just deduce your heritage when you spit on cab drivers or your husband openly mocks your drinking problem. At least that's what I hear. At any rate, you don't have to go advertising it, and false advertising is even worse.

That said, they had a good looking beer list, and a decent, yet incoherent menu. We ordered an appetizer sampler, but nothing was really memorable. My entree, the prosciutto and Gorgonzola stuffed chicken was tasty, but small. When I read "whole airline chicken breast" I was expecting a fair amount of bird, but what arrived on my plate was somewhere under six ounces. They left the skin on, which I think is great. There are several different opinions about this, but in fancier-pants cooking, skin-on is the way to go. It retains all of the moisture and a fair amount more seasoning than boneless-skinless. The bird was well-seasoned and you could actually tell what it'd been stuffed with, without having read the menu description.

I didn't get much scoop on the food that the other gents ordered. You see, as much as I always detested Seinfeld, there was a lot to George Costanza's theory about worlds colliding. It's a bit of a push for me to report on dining I did on business trips, but I'm certainly not going to ask my co-workers how their dinner hits their palate. FvF world must stay completely separated from regular work world, as well as in-law world.

Service was okay - just okay. Nothing to write home about, and he wasn't very knowledgeable about their wines or top shelf bar items. The price points, in my opinion, are a little steep, considering portion sizes. The part of the menu that almost made me stroke out was the side orders. Mac & cheese, cole slaw, fries, wild rice, any of them - $5 each. Yeah, American dollars. Shut the front door! Do they have a special decoder ring in them? Are they gemmed with gold bullion? Will they be spoon-fed to me by an oiled-up immigrant? Chewed up by my server and spit back into my mouth like I'm a baby bird? If the answer to any or all of those questions is no, then I can see that we're quite finished here.

3.5 out of 5 sporks!

Char Bar - Columbus, Ohio

2011-04-30T10:52:00.000-04:00

Plans of rummaging all over the Cap City for the greatest food were marred by the late March snow we got both days I was in Columbus for work. At least I was prepared for it, though I can't say as much for my Texan co-worker. The first day of the convention it wasn't too terribly cold, but started snowing just as we left for lunch. I hadn't brought a hat, so I opted for the closest place open for lunch - Char Bar. I really wanted to go to Martini, which was equally close - but not open for lunch. What the hell, Columbus. Arena District eateries - you could have made a stone-cold fortune during this convention, but hardly any of you were open for lunch.

The menu had a fair amount of choices as far as salads, burgers, sandwiches and wraps, and even some fork & knife options. One thing I wasn't expecting was the handful of Hungarian menu items, and I made a snap decision to order the Chicken Paprikash. The food took a little longer than I'd have liked to come out, but it gave us time to get our shop talk out of the way.

The menu didn't note what my dish came with, aside from Texas toast - so I just hoped and prayed that the little dumplings served with the chicken were gnocchi and not wheat pasta dumplings. Either way, I was eating them, because the chicken was gnarly. It had a consistency somewhere between chicken thighs and the overly-processed, mechanically-separated stuff that comprises the "grilled chicken breasts with rib meat" that you find in the freezer section. The sauce was decent, but not on par with other similar Hungarian sauces I've had. I'd love to show you a photo, but blogger is STILL being a dick and only the top third of the photo will upload.

Service was decent enough, but price points were a little out of range for the food you're getting - mostly due in part to the area you're in and your lack of options. Next year, I'll just eat at one of the 20 places *inside* the Columbus Convention Center.

2.5 out of 5 sporks!

First Watch - Fairborn, Ohio

2011-04-27T18:28:00.000-04:00

Before a day of people-watching at Gem City Comic Con, my sister and I decided to grab some brunch and take in some retail therapy to make sure we had enough regular people smell on us that the nerds didn't think we were one of them. I love eggs, so brunch and BFD are basically just excuses for me to order omelettes at non-agreed upon times of day.

First Watch has perturbed me on a few occasions - from their $2/ea a la carte eggs, to their unexplained removal of chorizo items from certain area restaurants, to their comination of chicken into omelettes (one life stage at a time there, folks). Luckily for me, they did offer the mexican sausage-laden options at the Fairborn location. Unlucky for them, they did a shit job of them.

I ordered the Acapulco Express omelette, and Skillz ordered the Grilled Turkey Sandwich. She remarked that her sandwich was damn tasty, but she didn't care a ton for the marinated side salad, due to all of the cucumbers (one of her mortal enemies). But, that's alright, I took care of that for her.

As for my sides - fruit is fruit and if you're seen one English muffin, you've seen them all. I can't say that my omelette was bad - it had a sufficient amount of veggies and cheese, but even upon opening it up like a cadaver, I could only find about a dime's worth of chorizo.

If I wanted a vegetarian omelette, that's what I would've ordered, assfaces.

Price points here are almost in proportion with the menu, which is great if you get what you ordered. But, when you pay almost $9 for a meatless omelette it seems pretty skewed. Service was good, but not outstanding. The wait (even for 1pm on a Sunday) was a bit much, especially considering there is no place for hungry diners to wait, no pagers and no loudspeaker. You just have to meander around in the cold (or heat, depending on time of year) close to the door and hope you hear when your name is called.

Not that I was counting on First Watch to make the cut, but I'm still on the hunt for good, reasonably-priced brunch spots around D-town.

2.5 out of 5 sporks!

Los Reyes - Kettering, Ohio

2011-04-23T12:13:00.001-04:00

Mr. Fvf and I have been going out for dinner much more often than we should lately. My longer hours and more grueling days at work make for a lousy housewife, but also mean finances are fast and loose, and we can basically dine out whenever we please. So - more reviews for you, but bigger front-butts for us. Can't win'em all. One of the many Fridays that I could barely keep my eyes open long enough to look at and dismiss anything in our cupboards, we decided to check out Los Reyes. It's always been hard for us to make it to a meal there. We either completely forget about it, or get pulled in by the tractor beam of Christopher's Restaurant a few doors down. I'd heard quite a few good things and not a single bad thing about Los Reyes, so I figured it was high time to get around to it.

The hostesses were very friendly, but also very in violation of child labor laws. I would be shocked if they were a day over 13. Regardless, we were seated quickly and had our drink orders taken right away. The place was nearly packed, just as much as any other place would be on Friday evening during dinner rush. I obviously wasn't the only one that had either discovered or was hoping for a diamond in the rough.

Their menu did lack a little bit in the "entrees not involving flour tortilla" department, so I stuck with my usual suspects, the flautas (two beef, two chicken).

Mr. FvF went straight for the entree containing the most of his favorite sausage, Pollo con Chorizo.

You'll have to excuse blogger for being a total dickweed today and not letting me align or justify much of anything at all. Due to that, I'm really tired of monkeying with this entry and I'll just give you a very forward opinion. Wasn't impressed. My flautas didn't even come with beans or rice. Almost everything needed more salt, or more seasoning. Must have been the blandest chorizo I've ever tasted, and I'm almost certain that they used flour tortillas for my flautas regardless of what the menu stated. The price was right and the service was good, but the food just wasn't impressive. It wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't great. We'll probably stick with our old favorites next time when it comes to Mexican food.

3 out of 5 sporks!

Bunkers Bar & Grill - Vandalia, OH

2011-04-17T21:59:00.000-04:00

I'm shamefully behind on posts right now. So behind, in fact, that I made Hamburger Helper for dinner just so I'd have time to hammer a few out. Don't weep for me, you guys. And don't front like you never show some 'Helper who's boss. Over the last couple of weeks, I've eaten my way through at least three different cities. But, before that, I tried out plenty of places in Dayton that I haven't gotten around to telling you about. After the boys fell in love with some wing sauce from a local restaurant that they bought at Dot's Market, we decided we had to go right to the source and check out Bunker's Bar & Grill for ourselves.

It was dark outside when we arrived, but not much brighter inside the place. We looked around waiting for someone to seat us, but everyone mostly just stared, so we seated ourselves. Our very put-out waitress got three of our drink orders, and just walked away and left the fourth person hanging. Seriously. We had finished our huge tumblers of soda before she ever came back around for our food orders.

Despite the under $10 shrimp dinner, Mr. FvF decided for boneless wings in their Firecracker sauce, which is a pretty damn spicy Thai chili flavor. I went with boneless wings as well, but in the much sissier spicy garlic sauce. We also ordered the Po'Anna and Jalapeño Bottlecaps to share for apps. It took forever to get out food, and our drinks were never refilled while we waited on the grub.

This was the Po'Anna - shredded potatoes, deep fried and covered in melted cheddar, bacon bits, ranch dressing and chives. Much like Tanya Harding's teen years, this was a white trash party in your mouth. The fried shredded spuds were less like a big mess of hash browns and more like those Tater Sticks that come in a can.

The photo of the chicken chunks is just obligatory - you've seen one, you've seen'em all. I do wish I'd gotten a pic of the real wings, because they were pretty massive in size. The Firecracker sauce was still right up the boys' alley, but still way too spicy for this ol' gal. My "spicy garlic" sauce was slightly above par for the salty disaster that usually awaits me when I order anything garlic. It wasn't spicy, but it was fairly garlicky. Not too shabby. The Sweet & Mild sauce, however, was really interesting. It was very, VERY sweet - like the Cinnabon of wing sauces. I can't say it wasn't damn tasty, though. I always have a soft spot for house-made sauces, but they have a little work to do if their customers want more of a variety than sweet, salty, and balls-out hot.

The price points were so right on, I almost felt like I was stealing...then I realized the service had not only not improved, but slowly gotten more and more non-existent. I considered chalking this up to us being newbs - this looking like the kind of place where they have a lot of regulars. But, then we overheard a table of regulars bemoaning the same server. Overall - decent food, decent beer menu, good prices. But, you all know that a bad service experience will sour me on a place in a hurry. As far of a hike as this was (clear out on 40 in Vandalia), I think I'll just keep buying their Firecracker sauce at Dot's for Mr. FvF and selectively forgetting that Bunker's is a place you can visit.

2.5 out of 5 sporks!

DoubleDay's Bar & Grill - Centerville, Ohio

2011-04-03T19:29:00.000-04:00

I've reviewed Doubleday's before, so I'll keep this short & sweet. I take my mom here for lunch about once a month or so, and we both always get soup & salad. Their house salads are huge with a big, colorful veggie variety, and served with great pumpernickel oat bread. All of their soups are made in-house, and they never have fewer than 4-5 per day. I'm a major sucker for the black bean sausage soup, so I get that every time. Could stand a bit more sausage, but it's so filling and it hits the spot every time. Probably not a good choice for a date night, considering you can lift yourself off to space within about 30 minutes of eating it.

Ma FvF switches it up each time, though. This past time she got the Chicken & Pasta soup, which we both thought would be a broth-based soup on the low-cal side. Not so much.

An amazing, velvety cream base with small shell pasta, spinach, chicken and some other goodies. It was fantastic. The more I go there, the more it makes sense why you always have to wait for a table there. It's not in my top five of all time or anything, but they're almost always a top lunch pick, especially if I'm in the Centerville area.

5 out of 5 sporks!

Izzy's Deli - West Chester, Ohio

2011-03-24T19:11:00.000-04:00

A trip to Jungle Jim's isn't gluttonous enough for me, so we decided to hit Izzy's Deli while we were down that way a few weeks ago. For the longest time, I thought Izzy's was just a company that made really great pickles, until I finally got bored enough to look at the jar, then look'em up online. A sandwich menu half a mile long! Free pickles on every table? Why hadn't anyone told me about this?! Oh wait, my sister had. She raved about the turkey rueben, and how it was loaded with sweet slaw, instead of the dreaded 'kraut that strikes fear into the heart of FvF family women.

Tempting as that was, I went with the Andy Furman - Black Angus roast beef and creamy cole slaw on pumpernickel - and added melted Swiss. Ding ding ding! We have a winner. I only got half a sandwich on my sister's advice, and I'm glad I didn't go for the gusto with a whole. All sandwiches come with a giant potato cake that's bigger than the sammiches themselves. Wait, did I say potato cakes? What I meant was "batter-fried goodness from heaven." The crispy, buttery outer shell of a funnel cake, filled with potatoes, onions and seasonings.

The sandwiches mostly all looked the same, but it wouldn't be a trip to Izzy's if I didn't at least post a pic of their original Reuben. Again, 'kraut sends me running like a kid avoiding a spanking, but I did nibble a bit of the corned beef and it was delicious.

Service wasn't much of a factor in this place. Think along the lines of Skyline. As long as the gal keeps your sodas full, there's not much to think about. They pretty much always have one cook and one server, which wasn't an issue when we went - but I'd imagine it could be a real pain around lunchtime. The prices could have been a bit more reasonable (almost $7 for a half sandwich), but you have to consider you're kind of paying a smidge for local love and kitsch factor. Plus, they have little bowls of free pickles on every table. So, I made sure I ate what felt like at least $2 worth of pickles to balance things out.

4.5 out of 5 sporks!

Simple Suppers: Beef Massaman Curry

2011-03-21T21:24:00.001-04:00

After I had this curry at Pearl Bay, I really wanted to try making it at home. After looking up recipes, it looked crazy simple - I just had to find the Massaman curry paste. I checked with grocers all over town and damn near gave up until one of my lovely readers (Jan, I'm looking in your direction) hipped me to a place right down the road from Chez FvF called Far East Market. It's in the Airway Shopping Center, right by my beloved Big Lots. We wandered around for almost 30 minutes looking for it and finally asked the cashier, who pointed to another half of the store that we didn't even realize was there. They had every imaginable curry paste in all varieties of sizes, and for just over $1 per small can. I can't recall the name, but I've experimented and the one in the yellow can has the best flavor.

To feed two hongry people with one serving of leftovers, here's what you need:

1 small (4 oz-ish) can Massaman curry paste

1 15 oz can coconut milk (I recommend using the light version, hoss)

1 lb sirloin, sliced thin or cubed*

1 large yellow onion, cut into large pieces

2 carrots, coined

4-6 small waxy potatoes, diced on the large side (red or baby gold work best)

red pepper flakes

crushed peanuts or cashews, for garnish

*You could really use about any cut of beef for this, but this is my preference because it cuts cooking time in half. For larger, tougher cuts, cook longer in the coconut milk mixture.

In a dutch oven over medium heat, empty the entire can of curry paste and stir in the thick cream from the top of the coconut milk until blended. Slow stir in the rest of the coconut milk and continue to cook until the fat of the milk starts to bubble and froth. Lower the heat to a simmer and add your beef. Add water little bits at a time, until the meat is just submerged. Let this cook for at least 20-30 minutes. If you have longer, take the time. The longer beef cooks in fatty liquid, the more tender it becomes.

Add your veggies and red pepper flakes (to taste - this curry paste is surprisingly mild, even for me), stir and cook for another 30 minutes or so over mid-low heat. Garnish with crushed peanuts and prepare for the shame of licking your bowl at the end.

Balls-out Lasagna Bolognese

2011-03-15T20:33:00.000-04:00

Damn near a year ago, Serious Eats posted one of the most full-boar lasagna recipes I'd ever seen. Now, this isn't something that I'd undertake just for the Mister and I, especially considering the things pasta does to my insides. But, last month when I was expecting a house full of hongry dudes, it seemed like the easiest way to feed a crowd without going broke. With the notice being a little on the short side, I didn't exactly have time to hunt down some of the ingredients (lamb, veal stock, etc), so I improvised. I had every intention of following the SE recipe (though some of the ingredients made me scratch my head), but time and funds 86ed that idea this time around. I'm sure the full-on version is superior, but making a few substitutions didn't put limitations a seriously delicious outcome. Behold, y'all - the bolognese of the gods.

Here's my improvised version, but feel free to follow the SE link above to the original recipe, too.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
2/3 lb lean ground beef (or lamb)
2/3 lb hot Italian sausage
2/3 lb sweet Italian sausage
1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 carrot, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)
1 rib of celery, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
large pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed Italian plum tomatoes
1 1/2 cups dry red wine (I used pinot noir)
1 C whole milk
2 C chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp minced basil
For the ricotta mixture:
2 C fresh ricotta*
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1 tsp minced basil (fresh)
1 tbsp minced oregano (fresh)

1 box Barilla no-boil lasagna noodles**

1 lb+ fresh, whole milk mozzarella, sliced

3-4 oz aged parmesan, shredded

*SE has a link to make your own, which seems 'tarded easy. Or, look in the fancy cheese case at the grocery and eyeball the ingredients list for something with no preservatives. You should really only see "milk, whey, vinegar."

**Next best thing to fresh pasta. Trust me on this one. None of the work and all of the texture you need in a sturdy noodle. Just soak them in warm tap water before and you're golden.

In a stock pot or large dutch oven, heat your oil and butter until foaming, then add your meats, breaking them up with a wooden spoon as they simmer. This shouldn't take much longer than 10 minutes. Using a spider or strainer, remove the cooked meat from the pot without taking the oil and juices with it. Now that you have a pot full of delightful juices, toss in the onion, celery carrot, garlic, sage and pepper flakes and simmer over low-medium heat for about 10 mire minutes.

Return the meat to the pot, and add the tomatoes, wine, milk, stock and bay leaves. Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat down to low and let it simmer (partially covered) for 2-3 hours. Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool for a spell (you could whip up your ricotta mixture while it cools), then remove the bay leaves and add the heavy cream and basil. Now would be a good time to taste it, and adjust any seasonings accordingly - though you should really only need a little salt and/or pepper. Now is also a good time to exercise restraint and stop eating the bolognese straight out of the pot, or telling your house guests that you're going to take a bath in it.

Now, honestly - layer it however the hell you want. This is a personal preference for a lot of people. My only advice is to make sure you smear at least 1/2 cup of the bolognese on the bottom of your baking dish to prevent sticking, and make the top a nice, thick layer of ragu and cheese. Because, well...it just looks nice that way, so stop arguing and wipe that smug look off your face.

Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes (an aliminum drip pan underneath is always advised), and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

One of my favorite things about cooking a seriously kick-ass meal from scratch is that my husband wants to marry me again every time I pull something like this off. But, so do all of his friends who come over for dinner - so, uhhh, be careful there, tiger.

Butter Cafe - Dayton, Ohio

2011-03-07T22:48:00.000-05:00

Better late than never, I suppose. Mr. FvF and I took advantage of a Groupon offer and finally tried Butter cafe - well, about a month ago. I'd have loved to get this to you sooner, but I've had my big girl pants on, merging and acquiring with the best of them lately for my real job, which has also eaten its way into my evening and weekends.

Anyhow, I'd heard a lot of mixed reviews about the place, so I was anxious to form my own unbiased opinion. They have a lot of free-range, organic and gluten-free options at Butter Cafe, and not just your standard breakfast/brunch/lunch fare. Jelly donut pancakes, coconut French toast kabobs, and even gluten-free waffles. I'd been dead set on trying to g/f waffles (because c'mon, how many places do you have the option?) but a shopping excursion had delayed the late breakfast we planned on until well into lunch time, barely an hour before they closed. In light of that, I was more in the mood for a sandwich. The Mister had the grilled cheese with bacon (remember, no tomato - he's from Indiana), and I had the club on g/f bread. Club sandwiches are one of my seriously guilty pleasures, because the havoc wreaked on the roof of my mouth by that warm, toasty bread is second only to the complete annihilation of my innards by the same foe. But, with the upcharged option of gluten-free bread (Udi's brand, not baked in-house), I could eat all three slices without guilt or crippling fear. I'm not sure what the other options were for sides, if any, but we both chose tots.

Mr. FvF's grilled cheese was pretty standard fare, but he was more than happy with it. My club sammich, on the other hand, was a total mammoth. It towered a good six inches (that's what she said) and its bread overfloweth with fillings. Unlike the Filling Station, Butter Cafe understands that a club is supposed to have turkey AND ham, not make you choose between the two. The ham & turkey didn't stand out, but the bacon was thick-cut, crisply cooked and super tasty. Tomatoes were decent, and leaf lettuce is always welcome in the place of iceberg. The toasted Udi's bread toasted up more firmly than regular breads, leaving you with destruction of both the upper and lower palates in its wake. The tots were good, but could use some work. The seasoning was great, but the potatoes themselves were really dry and gluey. I'm guessing since it was 30 minutes til close, they weren't fresh at all.

Butter Cafe serves soft drinks, but if I remember correctly - they're bottled or canned, which means no refills. Which also means a firm "no thanks." Luckily, they have carafes of cold water on the table and ask you if you're good with water or would like anything else. I'm sure it's tap water, but that's what we drink at home. If I went to the dentist, I'm sure they would thank me for drinking flouridated water, if they weren't so busy yelling at me for pretending I'm too cool to wear a mouth guard to sleep.

The service was good, and the young gal was fairly knowledgeable about the menu - pointing out that they dust the tots with a mixture that does contain gluten, after I'd ordered my sandwich on g/f bread. As our server rang us up, she asked if it was our first time and what we our first impression was, which was thoughtful. I was hoping to go home with some gluten-free baked goods, but the bakery case was empty. Disappointing, but probably for the best. Price points are a bit all over the map, which irks me. $8.50 isn't too shabby for a giant sandwich with tots, but the yogurt parfait clocks in at $6.50 and the cucumber plate (dusted with pepper and parm) is $5.50. Does not compute.

I think I'll give them a solid 4 out of 5, points removed for dry tots and weird price skewing.

Abuelo's - Beavercreek, Ohio

2011-03-01T18:34:00.000-05:00

I've been to Abuelo's twice before this - once impressed, the other unimpressed, regardless of my crippling hangover. the first time was for a friend's going away party and I wasn't paying much attention to the food, but remember it being pretty good. The second time, I switched it up and ordered something with steak and was sorely disappointed. The meat was soft but chewy, not much higher than run-for-the-border grade. I'd always wanted to give it another whirl (avoiding the steak entrees) because, frankly, it's a really bitchin' place inside. It's one of the only Mexican restaurants that genuinely remind me of Mexico, with it's architecture, fountains, statues and lighting. This was the view from our table:

It always throws me off that at such a swank-feeling restaurant, almost every other diner you see is dressed like they got a surprise invite to dinner after a day or working in the yard. I'd already eyeballed the menu, so my heart was set on the stuffed chicken medallions with chorizo, poblanos and queso blanco. With all those great ingredients, it would be tough to make it taste bad - but they really knock it out of the park on this one. The chicken was tender and juicy, stuffed with spicy goodness, coated in (I'm guessing) panko, and somehow not the slightest bit greasy. I'm not normally a big fan of this style of cooking beans, but even they were aces, with little bits of bacon stewed in with them and a nice smoky flavor. I had to force myself stop eating them in order to avoid ruining our romantic evening with a fart symphony. I was also a big fan of the Skinny Margarita on their drink menu, consisting of just lime juice and tequila, with a touch of Splenda. I love margaritas as much as the next gal, but I have two problems with them: Mexico totally spoiled me on good ones, and they're a real waste of calories when using a mix and/or triple sec.

Mr. FvF had the Fajita Chimichanga, because one entree name isn't good enough for him, and he really likes saying "chimichanga." I had a bite of that, and his papas. They were both good, but he agreed we'd probably both be ordering the chicken medallions next time.

The service was as close to perfect as you can get. Our server was friendly, attentive and easy on the eyes. It seems that Abuelo's doesn't hire ugly people, which is alright by me. I always find it easier to digest a meal when Gollum isn't staring me down asking if I want dessert. The price points were so right on, too. I'm a big stickler for the dollars charged not matching the amount or quality of the food served, and it felt like we were robbing these people. My dish was around $14, while Mr's was just under $9, and copious amount of fresh, paper-thin chips with salsa for free.

5 out of 5 sporks!

ele Cake Company

2011-02-20T17:12:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, Mr. FvF and I played it fancy and decided to go out of town to celebrate Valentine's Day. Well, not really. We were in a hotel, but it was just across town because of a freebie I'd won at a Chamber event. And we don't really care much about V-day, we just wanted an excuse to GTFO, turn off our phones and not tell anyone where we were going. We already had dinner reservations at Abuelo's in Beavercreek, but nothing in mind for dessert. So, we swung into ele Cake Company just before they closed and picked up a couple of treats. I already knew he would be getting the Peanut Butter Brownie, layered with PB buttercream and topped to a hard shell of dark chocolate and candy pieces.

But nothing was really appealing to me until I saw this 'beaut...

A salted caramel and dark chocolate cupcake. Now, you guys know how I feel about salted caramel (ass yes!), but I'm not sure I've elaborated on how I feel about cupcakes. Regular cupcakes that someone brings into work for a birthday: fine. I'll probably scrape half the icing off and only eat the top part.
The "gourmet" cupcakes that endless shops have been selling like gangbusters at $4+ a pop ever since Sarah Jessica Parker shoved a Magnolia cupcake into her big horse face on Sex and the City? I'll show you what you can do with those, if you'll kindly bend over. The icing-to-cake ratio is way out of whack, and usually the flavor is only in the icing, not the cake itself. At best, you're looking at 40 cents worth of product and these assholes are selling it down your gullet for just under five bucks.

Well, it seems that now ele has a new line of these fancy treats - I'm guessing to compete with the Gigi's Cupcakes that opened recently in The Greene. This presented me with somewhat of a dilemma. Want salted caramel - which was not only in the frosting, but the chocolate cupcake was filled with it. Do not want expensive cupcake. Do not want to be a lemming to food trends. DO WANT salted caramel!

Naturally, I bought the cupcake. It was okay. Not overwhelming. Not gross. The cupcake itself was surprisingly fresh, considering we waltzed in just before they closed their doors and it could have gone stale in the near 20 minutes they took to ring up the purchase. The salted caramel filling was pretty great, but the icing wasn't doing anything for me. I slid half of it off and back into the box, which Mr. FvF kindly took care of later. It just wasn't that far off from regular buttercream, and I think even my own first attempt at salted caramel frosting might have faired better.

The Mister's brownie was just as tasty, and a much more reliable choice. I've always felt that ele was a bit of a rip-off, and this doesn't really change my tune. The poor gal in front of us coughed up over $60 for an 8" round birthday cake, decorated in buttercream. Tasty? Sure, but I find it hard to believe you couldn't make an equally fresh and tasty cake at home, probably double the size, for under $10.

I'm also of the mindset that people think ele is great because they haven't bothered to try out other local bakeries. From here on out, I'll refer to this as the Thai 9 effect. Sure, it's better than the Kroger Bakery, but it's not the end-all. Nothing I've ever had from ele tops anything I've ever had from Granny C's or Rinaldo's.

Olive Garden - Beavercreek, Ohio

2011-02-16T17:25:00.000-05:00

Okay, so we went to Olive Garden. If you want to get up and leave in a huff now, I understand - but you'll come crawling back during grilling season. Remember the Applebee's incident? This is similar. Mr. FvF will pretty much eat anything that's not nailed down and doesn't have onions in it. So, when someone does something nice and buys him a gift card for food, they probably don't painstakingly think it through as much as they might if it were for me. I mostly got soured on OG because my former boss is vegetarian and made us have lunch meetings there ALL the time. Oh, also - it's kind of gross. There are a handful of things on their menu not solely based around pasta, but I'll be damned if I'm ordering a steak at Olive Garden. I may as well go into Pottery Barn and ask them to make me a slab of ribs. I would normally order something involving chicken skewers and rosemary potatoes, but that wasn't on their dinner menu. I settled for the Stuffed Chicken Marsala.

The Mister got some kind of Pork Milanese with cheese tortelloni. I think sometimes Olive Garden doesn't look up the meanings of words before they use them, because tortelloni is supposed to be a giant, beastly version or tortellini. These suckers were about the size of a silver dollar. I won't even get started on the ridiculous words they make up for their half-assed, unoriginal recipes.

Here's the thing - I can't say anything was bad. Our server was nice and attentive and the food was good, but it all tasted the same. If I took a bite of mine and a bite of the Mister's, I could hardly tell the difference. Here's what gets my goat: the prices. If you're not ordering from the "Classics" pasta menu, you're looking at the $12 and up range, which is ridiculous for food that's been sitting around all day, soaking in a vat of hot water to stay warm. This isn't exactly culinary expertise. It's the same shit Fazoli's is selling, plated up nicely and served with sub-par breadsticks and salad swimming in rancid dressing. Both of our entrées were damn near $15 each. I know we weren't paying for it, but it's the principle. And everyone around us was sitting around with their pinkies in the air like this was their big fancy Saturday night dinner. Have you people ever eaten anywhere else? Do you know that this exact same meal can be made for a family of four for less than $10? People who really like Italian food don't like Olive Garden, and vice versa.

I'm so annoyed by all of this that I really don't even want to rate them. Good thing for you guys, I got lucky last night and I'm feeling pretty generous, so I'm going to give them 2 out of 5 sporks.

Ye Olde Trail Tavern - Yellow Springs, Ohio

2011-02-15T19:34:00.000-05:00

You've probably noticed a trend of fried pickle reviews, and this is no different. The night we headed to Superfly Comics in Yellow Springs for the Adam Warrock in-store, we stopped at Ye Old Trail Tavern to grab a bite. I'd actually made dinner for Mr. Warrock and Mr. FvF, but made mine separate with a Japanese gluten-free (and practically calorie-free) noodle called Shiritaki. Given it's guiltless nutrition facts, I really wanted to love it, but EW. It took ages of rinsing and some par-boiling to get rid of the barf-o-riffic fish smell, and they had a rubbery chew and clumped together like hipsters trapped in Sears. So, I picked the steak and snap peas out of my dish and figured I could grab an appetizer later.

The dudes bother ordered burgers, and my sister ordered the Pesto Grilled Cheese, which I may or may not have forced her into just so I could have a bite. The pickles had a liquid-based batter on them that had quite a kick to it. They were served with a creamy wasabi dip, which I originally thought was the source of the heat. But, even when I backed off of the dip, they still bit back. They were definitely good, but we could have used a more attentive server to keep the water coming.

The burgers looked good, but the patty-to-bun ratio didn't impress me. If there is any excess bun, I really don't think it should exceed 1/8". This was more like 1/4-1/2". But, keep in mind, this place is pretty cheap for a sit-down joint.

The grilled cheese that Skillz got was pretty amazing. She shared a bit with me, which could either be contributed to sisterly love and the instinct to make sure your younger siblings are fed, or that she's afraid I'll hit her in the head with a sleeve of frozen bagels again.

More than likely, it's the latter, which led me to bartering further with her - a fried pickle for an onion ring. That reminds me - restaurants who are crumb-battering your onion rings: What the hell is your problem? No one likes that shit. Beer batter'em or GTFO. Anyway, Ye Olde fry cook is smart enough not to pull that crumb mess with us, and they were delicious.

I don't have a lot to base this on since I didn't have a full meal, but I did get to sample a good bit of everyone elses. Service was so-so, food was cheap and tasty, and full glasses of wine were $4.

4 out of 5 sporks!

Grody-free Gluten-free: Chocolate Chickpea Cake

2011-02-14T17:33:00.000-05:00

I discovered this gluten-free cake recipe on Serious Eats a couple of weeks ago and have been apeshit over it ever since. I know a lot of you are probably thinking, "I'll have to go buy some $6 bag of almond flour or something, and for the price I may as well have ordered some fancy g/f baked goods online!" Calm down there, lunchbox. First, nothing is as good as warm cake out of the oven. Secondly, this cake uses chickpeas in place of flour. I almost always have the stuff on hand to make this cake. A lot of gluten-free baked goods can be mealy and weird, and mostly I'd rather just mill around near the bathroom and have a real piece of cake or a brownie. But, this cake is top notch, and doesn't leave you with a ton of leftovers. It has a brownie-like flavor and a pound cake consistency. Even after 3 days in a Ziploc container, it was still gooey enough to stick to your fingers.

Even for people who aren't looking to avoid gluten but are trying to avoid being a total fat ass, this treat will be right up your alley. I calculated the nutrition facts and left them at work, but if memory serves, a pretty good estimate is about 150 calories, 4g fat, 19g carbs and 3g fiber in a 1/12 serving (about 1/2" loaf cake slice).

Sunrise Cafe - Yellow Springs, Ohio

2011-02-13T16:33:00.001-05:00

It's sad that I'm still doing Restaurant Week shit from almost three weeks ago, but it's really pathetic that I have a good five posts prior to that still needing edited and posted. I'm sure you'll find a way to deal with it, Chubs.

So, our first RW experience was at Dublin Pub, and was mostly assy. For the big-baller event, I wanted to go to Sunrise Cafe. (I always *try* to go The Winds, but am never impressed with their menu.)
Despite the fish offerings, Mr. FvF took one look at Sunrise's menu and he was all, "Ewwwww, that's bourgie. Do not want!" Luckily, my homegirl Carly was into it, so she and I made it a gal-date.

We both ordered the same appetizer - Toasted Sesame Flatbreads with Caramelized Onions, and the same entree - Garlic-Stuffed Wagyu Kobe Sirloin (mid rare), with polenta and roasted carrots. The starter came out quickly and looking great, but it was astonishingly a little too much onion.

Now, considering that I can barely get caramelized onions into recipes because I stand over the stove and eat them with a fork, that's a really bold statement. I will say they were caramelized perfectly, though. Sweet as jam. What I actually liked more was some sort of bacon-infused butter that was in the center of the plate. I ended up scraping off 90% of the onions and smearing it with the pig-buttery goodness, and that took it up a notch. The flatbread was more like a really weak pita, too - not exactly the thin & crispy goodness that I had imagined.

We were both such Motormouth Mabelles that we weren't even halfway through our apps before out entrees were on the table.

The photo doesn't do the steak justice at all. It was beautiful and the chianti-sundried tomato reduction over top of it had a great aroma. It was perfectly cooked, and the garlic stuffed inside it was surprisingly not overwhelming. The only thing I would change is the seasoning. A cut of meat that nice isn't helped by much but a good pinch of salt, but it needed it. The carrots were - well, they were carrots. A bit hard to fuck that up. But, letting them swim in the juices and reduction rendered by the steak dialed them up a notch. I'm not a huge polenta fan, and this wasn't out of the ordinary. It was pretty, but bland. I highly doubt that blending it with ricotta, the Jennifer Aniston of cheeses, helped matters much.

The desserts were both seriously kick ass. I had the chocolate hazelnut flourless torte, which knocked my socks off. It didn't have the sometimes annoying gooey, pudding-like consistency that some flourless treats have. It was dense, rich and so good that I kept eating, regardless of how full I was.

Carly ordered the biggest piece of carrot cake in the Midwest, wearing big gems of candied ginger as a crown. The cream cheese icing was tops, and there were plenty of tiny bits of carrot dotting the body of the cake.

Service was pretty great, too - no complaints. They went up a notch when we realized you could bring your own wine in. They have a somewhat limited wine menu (but at reasonable prices - under $7 a glass), so that's a nice touch. The ambiance is interesting, as with most places in Yellow Springs. Sunrise Cafe is a very quaint, unassuming and tiny restaurant. Older floors and furniture, nifty art on the walls, and the clientele is a mixed bag. Older folks, hipsters, couples - a little bit of everyone, but very comfortable.

THIS is what I'm in the market for when I'm paying $25 for a Restaurant Week meal. No surprises, no tiny portions, and very little of the dumbing-down of dishes that I've witnessed in previous RW week meals.

4.5 out of 5 sporks!

Dublin Pub - Dayton, Ohio

2011-02-05T15:45:00.000-05:00

Twice a year I get excited for Restaurant Week like a kid at Christmas. I make it a point to always make my choices places I haven't eaten before, or haven't been in a long time. I try to pick one high-falutin' place where I normally wouldn't splurge on a meal, and choose one of the restaurants doing a two-for deal.

Normally during RW, you get a 3+ course meal for around $20. The price has always followed the year, so logically, this year it should be $20.11. However, the powers that be decided to change it to $25.11, which a lot of people are pretty peeved about. While I completely sympathize with the rising cost of food, a 25% hike is a bit much all at once. So, for five extra bucks, per person, I'm looking for something pretty high end. Hell, for some of the participants this was an all around price hike. You could probably eat a two, maybe even a three course meal not even ordering from the Restaurant Week menu. But, when you're splitting the five on dinner for two, it doesn't seem like such a gouge. Dublin Pub had by far the most expansive menu options for their two-fer, so we met my sister and her fella there Wednesday night for dinner.

They got there at 5 and grabbed a table, and said there wasn't a soul in the place besides them. But, by the time we arrived just a few minutes after 6, it was uncomfortable packed. Dub Pub has really small, cramped booths anyway - so when they're all full and people have coats hanging everywhere, it's a pain in the ass. To boot, we had a semi-shared booth with some of the most uppity people I've ever seen. While we tried to politely pile into our booth, they huffed, scowled and scrunched together like we were carrying the great plague.

Our server took our drink order then looked sort of bewildered when we ordered from the RW menu. My sister and her beau started with the Black & Tan Onion Rings, and we opted for the Corned Beef Sliders.

The onion rings had a great batter on them, but they used a really potent white onion, rendering them almost inedible. The corned beef sliders were pretty good, but the addition of herbed cheese (something like Boursin, I assume) really helped them out.

Our entrees were taking ages to come out, so we decided to have a smoke. There are a few magical things about leaving the table and/or lighting a cigarette that makes food appear magically. Even though the RW menu notes that the sirloin is only 6 ounces, we all chuckled at the meat-to-potato ratio when my sister and I got our plates.

I had to remind our server that we were supposed to get side salads with our meal, and I was kind of tired of fooling with him. So, I asked the much more attentive bus boy for steak knives when I realized our server hadn't brought us any. The sirloin entrees both came with an herbed butter that was good on both the steak and potatoes. Considering what it lacked in size, the steaks were well-seasoned and cooked nicely.

The gents both ordered the Pub Burger - a burger topped with the Pub Fries (steak fried with bacon and white wine cream sauce) that helped make the Pub a notable eatery. And arteries be damned, more fries were served alongside the burger. This was really great timing considering Mr. FvF was having his blood drawn for a health risk assessment at work the next day. High cholesterol, ahoy! The boys both said there burgers were good, just not remarkable. The famous white wine cream sauce was almost absent from the "pub fries" part of the burger as well, which disappointed them.

Once we finished our meals, our server came back and asked us if we were thinking about having dessert. Yet again, I had to remind him that dessert was part of the meal we had ordered. It should have been brought to the table with little more than asking if we were ready for it. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo of the "Must Be 21 Sundae" because my phone batteries were too run to take a flash pic. Just trust me when I say that booze, cinnamon ice cream, chocolate drizzle and whipped cream are all very good things. We were pretty full, though, so no one finished theirs.

The food wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't outstanding, and DubPub has some serious service issues. The big thing that's saving them here is the bang we got for our buck during Restaurant Week. I won't be too eager to head back, though.

2.5 out of 5 sporks!

Pecha Kucha Dayton, vol 6

2011-02-05T15:14:00.000-05:00

Mr. FvF and I were both honored to be asked to present at Dayton's 6th edition of Pecha Kucha. Wondering what the hell that even means? The official PK website offers plenty of explanation.

I'm guessing there were well over 100 people in attendance (even the mayor!) - their biggest turnout yet. I wasn't exactly prepared for that size crowd (well, at least my knockin' knees weren't), but I got a few laughs and plenty of oooohs and ahhhhs over my photos. Naturally, I also worked in a few dick jokes. Hopefully there will be photos, NOT video (still working on that ferocious 7 pounds), coming soon.

I want to give a big, fat thank you to the PK crew and all of my readers for actually giving a shit about what I do. You guys are the best little eaters a gal could hope for.

Skyline Chili - Kettering, Ohio

2011-02-01T14:43:00.000-05:00

Skyline is still awesome.

5 out of 5 sporks!

BW3 - Troy, Ohio

2011-02-01T13:35:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I made the mistake of not reading the fine print on Groupon and ended up with a $20 gift certificate to BW3 in Troy. The nice part is, I used my Groupon Bucks for it, so free food is still free food. What's a tiny road trip for some free wings? Aside from my mildly retarded GPS, it was pretty easy to get to and find. That reminds me: A traffic circle Troy? Really? At least we got a laugh by yelling, "Look kids, Big Ben! Parliament!"

We didn't think things through very well on this at all, considering we ended up going on a big game day. The only time I seem to find myself near football is when there are large quantities of free snacks involved, so this wasn't exactly a huge departure. We waited about 10-15 minutes for a table before the incredibly apathetic hostess finally seated us. Thankfully, our server was a lot more approachable and attentive.

We ordered some fried pickles as an app, but devoured them before I thought of taking a photo. They were good, but I still have a hard time finding anything that even comes close to the panko & parmesan-breaded pickled at DoubleDays Grille in Centerville. I ordered the Naked Tenders with Spicy Garlic sauce and slaw, and the Mister opted for his usual wings with Asian Zing. If you slathered that stuff all over Sarah Jessica Parker's big ol' foot face, he'd probably still lick it off.

My tenders were good. Cooked well, as it's easy to ruin and overcook grilled chicken (not that I've ever done it, of course). It's grilled chicken with little seasoning - it's not monumental, so there's not much commentary needed here. The Spicy Garlic sauce, however, was FOUL. So salty that I felt my wedding ring tighten after the first bite. even aside from salty, I couldn't keep eating it since I'm allergic to nasty. The waitress gladly obliged my request for another sauce, too. Not wanting to fuss over it, I just picked something totally pedestrian like Honey BBQ, which was also just fine. Nothing to write home about. The cole slaw would have been great if it were dressed a bit more heavily. It wasn't dairy-based, but a sweet vinaigrette, which I've grown pretty fond of. But, you could only taste a tiny bit of it, because the cabbage was almost bone dry.

Mr. FvF loved his Asian Zing wings as much as he always does, and broke a sweat about half way through. If I could get my heat tolerance up just a smidge more, that's what I'd be ordering. I'm a huge fan of sweet chili sauces (Frank's, Bahn Mai, and even the philistine in me wishes McDonald's would bring theirs back), but B-dub's Asian Zing is just too much of a kick in the nards for me at this point.

I'll give it a solid 3 out of 5 sporks. I wasn't impressed, but I wasn't grossed out, either. BW3 probably just isn't my thing.

Tank's Bar and Grill - Dayton, Ohio

2011-01-28T14:26:00.001-05:00

You porkchops must be chompin' at the bit for another entry by now! We're still experiencing technical difficulties at Chez FvF, so I'm rotating between my Droid and the Mister's lappy trying to get some reviews and recipes drafted.

When our buddy Adam Warrock was in town for his show at SPT, we decided to take him to what we consider one of the most "Dayton-y" places of all, Tank's Bar, for lunch. Due to my allergies and fat ass, we hadn't been to Tank's in ages. Having taken the day off from work, I got up that morning and hit the gym, paying my penance in advance for the bacon cheeseburger that I planned on murdering.
I always said I'd save my running for when the cops discovered my meth lab, but perspectives change when you hit 30 and start to resemble a something from a Flemish painting more than something on the side of a WWII bomber.

Naturally, Mr. FvF and I both ordered bacon cheeseburgers, mid-well (this is one of the few areas where we agree on food). He chose the fries, while I opted to sub my chips for their cole slaw, which I'd never tried.

The burger, as always with Tanks, was stellar. A huge, nearly one inch patty that was well-seasoned and cooked perfectly. Toppings all on the side (including pickle chips *and* a spear), with plenty of melty cheese and enough bacon to cover your burger and still have a little nibble for yourself. If I'm going to have bread, it's nice to have choices - so I'm always thrilled to be able to get my burger on an onion bun (they also have white, wheat, and kaiser).
The cole slaw, though, did not wow me. See how dense and creamy it looks in the photo? that's a very accurate portrayal of how it tasted. It was very thick with mayo, almost like a cream-based potato salad. That left the veggies with little to no crunch, and there really wasn't a hint of sweetness to any of it. Next time I'll just stick with the chips and pawn them off on my husband. Our guest got the super-stuffed ham & cheese on rye with chips and was very happy with it.

One thing I wished I would have noticed before we ordered, is that Tank's now serves breakfast all day, every day. Even when I lived across the street, I never managed to make it there for breakfast, so I sort of blew my first opportunity without even knowing it. But, apparently they've been doing this for ages, so it's no fault of the server for not mentioning it. Speaking of which, our server was quick, friendly, and kept our drinks full - even bringing Mr. Warrock an entire carafe of coffee when he ordered a cup. Some diners might see that as lazy service, but I think it's just working smarter, not harder.

A pleasant experience at one of Dayton's finest institutions for lunch. Only a scant half point off for that funky slaw.

4.5 out of 5 sporks!

Whoopie Pies from Cake Mix

2011-01-22T12:16:00.000-05:00

When our friends hosted a Christmas cookie exchange last month, you may remember me telling you that our friend Cindy totally pwned everyone by bringing two kinds of whoopie pies. I was more than surprised when she said the recipe was just cake mix, 2 eggs and half a cup of oil. Naturally, I wanted to try them myself, then pawn them off on the girls at my office because I don't want them staring me in the damn face every time I walk into the kitchen.

I used dark chocolate fudge cake mix, added the eggs and oil, but though the mixture was still very dry. So, after perusing some other whoopie pie recipes, I added about 1/3 C water to make it a bit easier to handle. I dolloped about 1 rounded tablespoon of batter onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper* and popped them into a 350 oven. The timing is the tricky part. The batter is spread so thin that you have to watch it very closely. I took the baking time for mini-cupcakes and cut it in half, at about 15 minutes. That was probably still a bit too long, as the cakes on the darker cookie sheet had a bit of a crunch to them. Not the worst thing ever, but they were more like soft Oreos than full on whoopie pies. So, I'd say about 10-12 minutes would be sufficient. Mine were also a little on the thin side - not fat and fluffy like the ones I'd had at the cookie party. I'm going to have to work on how to remedy this when I try again in spring with strawberry or lemon cake mix.

You might be wondering how to make the filling. Well, you could get all Martha and do it from scratch, but you can also half-ass it with the best of them. I took a can of cream cheese frosting and mixed in about 1/3 C smooth peanut butter. It was all I could do stop just eating it right out of the bowl and keep using it on the pies. The cream cheese frosting would be aces on carrot cake or red velvet whoopie pies, too.

*DO NOT even attempt this without parchment paper. I know - it's $4 a roll, but you'll thank me later.

Greek Pasta with Sausage

2011-01-20T17:32:00.000-05:00

Okay, I've been dying to post this, and I think I have just enough daylight hours to do so (the electric is out in the FvF offices). It's also an incredibly short post, as I found the recipe on my beloved Serious Eats - so I can just link you to the recipe. Mr. FvF agreed, it was one of the very best things I've ever cooked up. I found it pretty difficult to track down cured Greek sausages, so I went with the substitution of sweet Italian sausages.

It's simple, and incredibly rewarding. By no means on anyone's diet, considering the inclusion of pasta, white wine, cheese and sausage - but it's worth every bit of penance you'll pay at the gym later.

Simple Suppers - Thai Pork Lettuce Wraps

2011-01-10T22:40:00.003-05:00

The holidays are way over, and all of the pants in the FvF household are way tight. I'll remind you all that I used to be a real porker and worked like a champ after my divorce to lose almost 30 pounds. I managed not to gain a single pound for nearly two years. I did the whole lifestyle change thing and eliminated most simple carbohydrates. Unless it was donut day at work or something. Don't you judge me!

Anycrap, after my brief match with Prednisone in October, about 8 pounds have crept back on, and I simply am not havin' that shit. So, our lunches and dinners are going back to the lower end of the glycemic index, as to make nice with our waistlines again.

A lot of South Beach recipes don't appeal to me that much, so sometimes I'll take Adkins recipes and cut a lot of the fat out of them. Everyone loves the lettuce cups at PF Chang's, but i don't have the patience to dice chicken or the stomach to put it in a food processor and think it'll ever be clean enough again. I really don't care for ground chicken, either, since I'm allergic to nasty.

1 lb lean ground pork
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
1 tbsp fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups coleslaw mix w(I used broccoli slaw)

1 tsp sesame oil
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp Splenda
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp sesame salad dressing (optional)
8 lettuce leaves

Fresh cilantro and chow mein noodles, for garnish, optional

Brown the pork and onion in a skillet and drain the fat very well. Add ginger, garlic and slaw until the veggies are crisp-tender - continue cooking over medium for about 2 minutes.
Combine the next seven (or eight, if you're using the salad dressing) ingredients in a small bowl and add them to the pan, cooking another minute while stirring.

Allow the pork to cool a bit before serving so that the mixture doesn't completely wilt your lettuce. Because no matter what KFC would have you believe, no one likes hot lettuce.* I used red Boston Bibb lettuce for it's sweetness,but it didn't hold up very well. I think next time I'll try Romaine leaves. Spoon the lettuce into the cups, top with fancy garnishes and get down on this.

*Damn you, Lorne Michaels, for crushing my dreams every time I want to post an SNL clip. Nothing would have illustrated this point finer than the KFC Shredders clip.

SideBar - Dayton, Ohio

2011-01-06T22:07:00.002-05:00

Thanks to the recent goings-on around my office, I found myself in an offsite meeting all day at the Marriott near UD. No one else there knew the area we were in, so it fell on me by default to decide where we'd lunch. No problem!

We were initially going to hit Brown Street and see what we could find, but I wasn't paying attention to where the driver was going, so we quickly ended up downtown. One of my dining companions mentioned she'd had a great dinner at Jay's seafood, but after parking, we realized they weren't open for lunch. The other two aren't huge Thai food fans, so Thai 9 was out. I hadn't been there yet, but figured SideBar was worth taking the gamble on.

It's set up the same way Pacchia was, with the coffee bar entrance to the restaurant. The only problem is, I couldn't seem to find a hostess stand - or a hostess. Regular readers will know it takes me about 60 seconds of waiting to find out how I'm to be seated before just dipping out and finding another place. In just under that 60 second mark, the hostess finished her cell phone conversation and we were seated. Our incredibly friendly server took our drink order and gave us a few to peruse the menu, and explained that they'd revamped the lunch selections.

Once I saw the Pork Churrasco with chimichurri, I was sold. My co-workers chose the white fish, eggplant, and shrimp salad, respectively. The food came out relatively quickly, despite the awkward lingering silences involved with dining with people you don't know very well. I tore into mine like a well-mannered wild animal, slowly noticing I'm always the only one at business meetings to clean their plate.

The pork was well-cooked and seasoned, as well as super tender, and the chimichurri was bonkers with flavor. The veggies were all cooked well, too - just soft enough, but with a little bite left to them. The Spanish style rice & beans, I could have lived without, but I usually don't eat rice anyway. But then, the dish completely won me over again with the fried plantain chips. Nice touch. Plated really nicely, as well.

Unfortunately, my co-workers were not equally impressed with their selections. Apparently the eggplant was mushy, and the house-made vinaigrette for the salad had zero flavor. But, considering I don't know most of these people well enough to pass judgement solely based on their opinion, I can only rate Sidebar on my personal experience. MY food was tops, and the service (aside from the hostess) was great. Pricing was fair, considering the scale of restaurant. So, half a point off for the hostess and half a point for unhappy lunch buddies.

4 out of 5 sporks!

Simple Suppers - Sautéed Chicken with Wilted Spinach

2011-01-04T21:38:00.001-05:00

This is all comprised of shit that we almost *always* have on-hand at Chez FvF. Wicked easy, and the dude loved it. Here's what you'll need:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs, if you prefer)

2 tsp olive oil

2 minced shallots

3 tbsp dijon mustard

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar (white wine vinegar works, too)

1 tbsp butter

7-10 oz fresh spinach

salt and pepper

Trim all fat and weirdies off chicken, salt and pepper both sides. Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet and saute until golden brown (around 4 min per side). Remove from the pan and set aside, either in the oven or microwave so it won't lose much heat. Add the shallots, cook until soft (3 minutes-ish). Be sure to incorporate the tasty brown bits of chicken left in the pan! Stir in mustard and vinegar, cook 1 min. Remove from heat and add butter, stir. Add the juice from the plate where the chicken has been resting, too, if there is any.

Spoon half the mustard sauce over the chicken. With the other half, you can either add it to the spinach in a bowl to make a salad, or you can add the spinach to the skillet and wilt it a bit. I also tossed some pine nuts onto mine, for no other reason than pine nuts make most things better.

Rosemary Thyme Quick Bread

2011-01-02T21:43:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago when old man winter decided to start showing his ass, I realized I'd forgotten to pick up a good loaf of bread to go along with my delicious Tuscan Wedding Soup. I like to avoid driving in snow at all costs, so I figured there had to be a yeast-less recipe out there somewhere for a bread that would compliment the meal. I looked up quite a few, took the base recipe and kind of threw in whatever else I wanted. I ended up with a pretty decent, dense quick bread that accompanied it perfectly. Here's what you'll need:

2 C A/P flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 C milk

You might need:
extra flour for surface shaping

Sift all of your dry ingredients together in a bowl, then fold in the liquids. Brush the top with some olive oil or melted butter. And uhhhh....that's basically it. A lot of the recipes said to flour a counter or board to shape the loaf, but it had pretty much done that on it's own, so I didn't bother. One HUGE caveat - choose a baking sheet with sides. A loaf pan takes too long to bake this in, and when I opted for the regular side-less cookie sheet, I wound up with melted butter and oil run-off all over the bottom of my oven.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes at 425.

Ertel's Winery and Bistro - Batesville, Indiana

2011-01-02T21:24:00.000-05:00

Mr. FvF's lovely grandma has started a new tradition of taking us to a nice dinner the day after Christmas. Everyone loved Ertel's Winery and Bistro so much last year, we decided to make that our designated place. Rural southwestern Indiana doesn't exactly have a plethora of fine dining choices, so it's a good thing Ertel's is pretty legit, or we'd be having Christmas dinner at Long john Silver's.

When we went last year, mostly everyone else has steak or lobster. The Black Forest Pork was calling my name, though, and I wasn't disappointed. But, I'll admit I was a little jealous of everyone else's succulent looking rare steaks when they cut into them. So, I'd promised myself I'd get cow this go'round. We got in and poked around the front area doing some wine tasting and checking out the specials and BOOM - blackened sirloin with whiskey glaze? Decision made.

This is a piss-poor cell phone photo that doesn't even close to doing the meal justice. The potatoes were whipped into submission and buttery as the day is long, and the green beans were nice and garlicky. But the steak - oh, sweet sassy molassey. I started out telling myself that this was the best sirloin I've ever had (by far my favorite cut of steak, anyhow), but this was hands-down the best steak I've ever had in my life. Normally I like my prime cuts to be kept simple - just salt, pepper, and garlic - no fancy glazes or reductions. But, this whiskey glaze was an elite exception to the rule. Smokey and sweet, it complimented the steak so perfectly. I've never seen a cut of beef cooked this well in my life. A flawless bright, warm red all the way through, and practically fork tender.

Mr. FvF had the pan-fried grouper, which I finally found time to ask him about after I finished dry-humping my plate (you can stop wondering what my in-laws think of me now). He said it was top notch, as well - and he is now officially a panko convert. Funny thing, he's lived on or near a coast for the better part of his life, and never really ate seafood until he moved to Ohio. I guess everything that comes out of West Virginia is backwards in one way or another.

Can you believe I went to a winery and I'm talking more about the food than the booze? Well, that part was amazeballs, too. Ertel's specializes in heavily fruit flavored wines, which isn't always up my alley. I like some noticeable currant and berry notes to my reds, and the occasional super-apple-y riesling, but if I liked the taste of Arbor Mist and Boone's Farm, I would have just stayed in junior high. All of Ertel's fruit-based wines somehow toe that very fine line between wine your white zin-drinking mom would like and the $20 Pinot Noir that you only buy on special occasions. The only had two bottles of blackberry left for the season, so I got all up on that before some other sucker could. I mean, I didn't drink all two bottles with dinner. It's Christmas, and Jesus was watching.

Oh, and although it's usually the last thing on my mind there, service at this place is always top shelf. I think if I asked them to chew my food up and spit it back into my mouth like a mother bird, they'd do it.

5 out of 5 sporks!

Golden Nugget Pancake House - Dayton, Ohio

2010-12-28T19:54:00.001-05:00

My good buddy Hump was in town and we wanted to take his friend, a Gem City newb, to a "very Dayton" lunch. I don't mean the very best of what Dayton has to offer as far as dining, I mean more like what would be featured on Dayton's episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. An institution, if you will. With me in Moraine and them in Centerville, a few places I thought of were a bit too far to drive for lunch, so we settled on The Golden Nugget. I lovelovelove the Nug, and had only managed to make it there once since they've rebuilt.

I absolutely adore seeing the same faces waiting tables as the ones I saw 13 years ago, the first time I set foot in this place. For a lot of restaurants, the lack of change - be it menu, employees, or ambiance - can be a death sentence...but not at the Golden Nugget. There's always (let me repeat - ALWAYS) a line, but it moves quickly, so don't be discouraged.

We were seated in less than 10 minutes and had our drink orders taken. Our waitress was, in typical Nug fashion, attentive, super friendly, and not shy to give us a hard time. It's not every day that you can find a menu with a grilled cheese with bacon and tomato, so I went balls out and ordered a sandwich (which I rarely to never do) with cole slaw. My buddies opted for the fried fish sandwich and the grilled BBQ chicken club, respectively.

After just enough tie to chat and catch up, our food came out within about 15 minutes. The fish sandwich was giant...

And at just over $4, the BBQ chicken sandwich was nothing to scoff at.

But my tricked out grilled cheese? Well, just look at all this damn bacon.

Oh, and y'all know I'm picky about slaw - but no worries here. It was a solid, traditional dairy-based slaw, and near perfect. I didn't pick up the check, but my guestimate is less than $20 for all three of us. Service was aces and the food was great. Not surprisingly for a trusty old stand-by, 5 out of 5 sporks!

Simple Suppers - Chicken Tikka Masala

2010-12-28T19:24:00.001-05:00

Let me preface this by saying - and you may want to sit down - but, prior to this, I'd never eaten Indian food before. I used to be a real nervous Nelly about trying new things, but once I got past that - I just never got around to trying it. So, I really haven't a clue how authentic (or not) this recipe is. But, aside from a few spices I needed to pick up, it was something I already had all the ingredients for and seemed easy enough. Here's what you'll need:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup diced onion

1 1/2 tsp cumin powder

1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp to

1/2 Tbsp red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)

2 tsp minced fresh ginger

2 tsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 can petite diced tomatoes

3 chicken breasts,

2 chicken breasts, diced (raw)

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sautee until golden brown. In a small bowl, mix together the cumin, cardamom, coriander, tumeric, cloves, cinnamon, and red pepper fakes. Add the spices all at once to the onions and sautee for another minute. Add the ginger, garlic, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes and bring to simmer, stirring constantly. If the sauce seems too thick, you can add a little bit of water. Add the raw chicken cubes and mix well. Simmer 10-12 minutes, until chicken is cooked.

You can serve this over brown or white rice, and it's pretty damn delicious. I was, for heat sissies, a bit on the spicy side - but the other flavors are so rich, you don't get too overwhelmed.

Note: The turmeric will turn almost anything it touches an orange-yellow color. So, if you refrigerate leftovers, be sure to spray the container with some non-stick spray to prevent hardcore staining.

Lasagna Squash Cups

2010-12-21T16:17:00.001-05:00

Mr. FvF and I have been trying to eat fairly healthy at lunch and dinner to combat all the other carb-o-riffic holiday treats that are finding their way into our faces. Last week, I was craving Italian - specifically, something swimming in a rich bolognese. Other than piling on pasta, there aren't tons of options. Then, I came across a South Beach dieter's blog with a recipe that used zucchini and squash as vessels for fillings, the same way I do my stuffed shells. Then I slapped myself for not thinking of that on my own. I started to choke myself, then I remembered that I'm not Rob Schneider. Even I was skeptical, and I was almost sure the husband wouldn't dig this, but it turned out surprisingly kick ass. Here's what you'll need:

1/2 lb lean ground beef

1/2 lb Italian sausage

1/2 jar pasta sauce

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)

1/2 C mozzarella or Italian blend cheese

2-4 zucchini or yellow squash

(each squash will serve about 1 hongry person)

Brown and drain your meats. Mix in the pasta sauce and pepper flakes and let it simmer for a few. While it's simmering, clean your squash and cut it into about 2" slices. Be sure to keep the cuts straight (not bias). Use a melon baller of baby spoon to scoop out the innards, leaving about a 1/4" on the bottom and sides.
Turn the heat off on your sauce mixture and add the cheese, reserving just a few tablespoons for later.

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, top with some more cheese and pop them back in for another 5 minutes.

I WAY underestimated the amount of zucchini we'd need, so we still ended up having it with a bit of whole grain spaghetti. Spicing up the sauce really goes a long way in not noticing the blandness of the squash.

Antojitos Criollos - Dayton, Ohio

2010-12-19T15:26:00.003-05:00

After a very long day of stimulating the economy on Friday, I wanted to grab a quick dinner with the mister before going Krogering. Ever since hearing about the opening of a new Puerto Rican restaurant, Antojitos Criollos, right down the street, I'd been itching to try it. That spot across from the Eastown Shopping Center has sat vacant for at least 5 years, formerly housing the Mexican restaurant El Rincon.

This tiny strip mall sits so close to the road that parking is a little strange. Easy enough to get into, but difficult to back out of if there's traffic on Linden. We scored the one empty spot in front of the cleaners, but I couldn't figure out why the lot was full when the cleaners, the smoke shop and the restaurant were practically empty. That is, until we entered the restaurant to find what I can only assume are the employees' friends and/or family taking up two huge tables in the front. We walked past them and seated ourselves, since no one else was doing it. A girl who barely spoke took out drink order and gave us menus. The menu was only 2-3 pages, and very limited. The longest list was appetizers, and even most of those were just smaller versions of entrées. The only thing I noticed that looked appealing was the empanadillas, but I turned my nose up pretty quickly at the $12 price tag. The entrées consist of mofongo (mashed plantains w/garlic) and a choice of meat, which I think there were five of. And that's IT. No pollo fricasse, no pasteles, nothing. Again, most of the price points over $10, which really surprised me. I'm known to be a bit of a penny pincher, but I know where to expect higher price points. I can see paying $12 for an appetizer at El Meson, or even The Green Plaintain, but not a dive like this. I don't say dive in a bad sense, either - I love dives. I was hoping for a little hole-in-the-wall with great food and reasonable prices.

But, I do use the words "abomination" and "shit hole" in a bad sense. Once the waitress begrudgingly took our order and brought out our canned drinks (which loyal readers know I think is total bullshit), we waited thirty minutes without a word as to why our food was taking so long. To boot, during that entire thirty minutes, we couldn't hold a conversation because of the ruckus being brought by the two full tables of loiterers in the front, playing cards and yelling like they learned their inside voices in a sawmill.

When another guy gave my husband the "Are you going to be the one to ditch this place first, or are we?" look, we knew it was time to GTFO. We would have just left a few bucks on the table for our drinks and split, but we didn't have any cash. When we finally caught our server again and waited for her to get off her cell phone, we told her we had an emergency and needed to leave, but could pay for our beverages on a card. She didn't look the least bit bothered by losing one of their TWO paying customers, and said "Don't worry about it," and walked away.

I can't give them a rating since we didn't even eat there, but I can tell you we won't be giving them a second chance.

Cookie Party!

2010-12-15T19:48:00.000-05:00

We were invited to a cookie exchange this past weekend - something I'd never participated in before. I can cook up a storm, but baking is a whole different ball game, and I don't feel it's my strong suit. Too scientific. I turned to my favorite trusty food blog, Serious Eats, to provide me with a recipe that was easy and versatile. I found this recipe for a drop cookie dough that you could easily turn into at least three different kinds of cookies, and it made about 50.

The dough was a breeze to whip up and add to, but once I started seeing the results, I realized I should have taken the high road. The oatmeal raisin cookies plumped up pretty nicely, but weren't remarkable in flavor, even though I added some Saigon cinnamon. The chocolate chip cookies, however, turned into a hot mess in the oven and all ran together, leaving me with thin, lifeless treats.

I was more than happy to be wildly upstaged by some of the other cookies at the party, namely Cindy's red velvet whoopie pies. Dang. Double dang! These suckers were amazing, and apparently a surprising cinch to make.

Other cookies present included cinnamon butterscotch, peanut butter chocolate chip, cowboy cookies, toffee chip cookies, oatmeal chocolate chip, sugar cookies, mint chocolate chip, spritzes, chocolate chip with walnuts, peanut butter kisses, and of course regular chocolate chip. One of those host's friends from Columbus played an ace with his banana-peanut butter-chocolate spring rolls, too. Magical! Then of course, there were Good Josh's "Shitty Christmas Cookies."

No, really - the label just out of frame says "Josh's Shitty Christmas Cookies."

Can't win'em all, Pillsbury!

Food vs Face-Off: Fast Food Breakfast Challenge

2010-12-13T19:13:00.003-05:00

Two different hangovers, two different (and new) fast food breakfasts. Which will prevail? Allow me to escort you through the calorie-laden Thunderdome that is our first fast food challenge.

Let's travel back a few weeks. I wasn't quite hungover, because I didn't exactly wake up sober. I had pies to bake and didn't want to ruin Thanksgiving, so Mr. FvF was nice enough to go get me breakfast. Taco Bell was the only place open, so it was as good a time as any to try their new breakfast menu. We couldn't find the menu anywhere online, since this is apparently regional (yay test market!) - so I just told him to order one of anything that sounded good, and we'd have ourselves a pig-out.

First, the Skillet Burrito. Or, as I called it, the answer to all of my prayers. Scrambled eggs, sausage, fiesta potatoes and cheese, all swimming in gravy and wrapped up in a tortilla. I'm normally a bit weirdy about fast food eggs, but these were fluffy, even if they were undoubtedly frozen. Did I mention it's covered in gravy? It was like a coronary bypass wrapped in paper, and it was delicious.

Next up, the Steak & Egg Burrito. Not too shabby. Mr. FvF loved this one. I thought it was pretty okay, considering the thought of "steak" from Taco Bell probably comes from the same place as the Mongolian Beef at New China. It did have a nice smoky sauce, though.

The Jimmy Dean Morning Wrap. A sausage patty, cheese and again with the fluffy eggs. Not impressive, but not gross.

Of course, no fast food breakfast would be complete without something sugary-sweet and made with plenty of lard. Enter, Cinnabon Delights! A bready little concoction, filled with Cinnabon's famous "hot jizz" icing and rolled in cinnamon and sugar. Nothing like Cinnabon, otherwise, though - mostly a donut hole with ooze in the middle. They were pretty delightful, but I was beginning to toe that delicate line of how much you can eat when you're drunk or hungover without horking.

Fast forward to the day after our "company Christmas party." Neither of our companies give enough shits to throw a holiday party for their employees, or they decide that going bowling in an abandoned church camp with no music or prizes and serving jail food would be SO fun. So, we have one of our own, which consists of going to Shag's and watching a costumed Santa drown his sorrows in High Life and talk to hookers.

Mr. FvF promised me another fast food breakfast if I didn't make him stay at the bar until closing time. We had Taco Bell breakfast last week and even my beloved Skillet Burrito didn't agree with me, so it was time for a change. I haven't seen tons of advertising for it, but knew Burger King had some new items on their breakfast menu. Unlike Taco Bell, BK seems to have rolled out their new items nationwide, so you can view the menu on their website.

The Mister stuck with his ol' standby of Bacon, Egg & Cheese Croissan'wiches, but I opted for one of the new offerings - the Breakfast Ciabatta Club Sandwich. Whole grain ciabatta, smoked ham, bacon, tomatoes, cheese, eggs and smoky tomato sauce.

Surprisingly, it actually lived up to what I had imagined. The eggs weren't exactly scrambled, but more like a patty. Yet, not like McDonald's gross, hard and slimy egg patty. I took the first bite with egg for the full effect, expecting to yank them off after that. But, they were pretty passive except for adding some girth to the sandwich. The bacon needed a little help, but BK's bacon has always suffered a bit in that department. The tomatoes were good (season considered), the ham was good, the bread was ciabatta-like for fast food, but not authentic in the sense that you could barely bite through it and it tears up your mouth. The "smoky tomato sauce" wasn't very tomato-y, but it was incredibly tasty and took this Club up another notch. If anything, it reminds me most of ranch dressing and hot sauce, maybe with some smoke flavor.

We also got hash browns, which at BK are tots. I still curse their name for taking away cheesy tots, because their regular ones just don't measure up. I'm sure they might be okay right out of the fryer, but I can never seem to make a sweet score like that. But, if I can have this sandwich, I don't need their damn tots.

All things considered, I liked BK's better. Taco Bell's was certainly better than I was expecting, and I'm sure I'll eat it again at some point. But as far as actual flavor, quality and crave-ability, I'll stick with BK. I've never been a huge fan of the breakfast burrito, and I like a lot of textural differences in my food. So, TB's "everything soft inside a soft wrapper!" just isn't what gets my goat. I only have fast food breakfasts once in a blue moon (obviously, more often around the holidays), so this isn't like choosing the best fast food burger. It'll really come down to what you like.

Pearl Bay - Fairborn, Ohio

2010-12-05T17:40:00.008-05:00

I never thought the day would come that my husband tired of Ticket's Pub and their delicious, carnivorous Greek Hot Plate. We've been known to make several excuses and maybe even get unnecessary hair cuts, just so we could say, "Might as well grab a bite at Ticket's. It'll be too late to cook once we get home." While I still have a Pavlovian response to the words "Greek Hot Plate," the magic seems to have faded for him. I suggested the usual post-haircut dinner there and he suggested trying something new instead.

After signing up for North/East Dayton's Sudden Values, I kept getting coupons for a Thai place called Pearl Bay, which was only about a mile from the salon we go to. Plus, I had a coupon for free crispy Thai rolls. I'm always on the hunt for solid Thai places, and I'm a sucker for a good coupon.

We walked in and the place was totally empty besides a table with two guys. We weren't really sure if we should seat ourselves, but no one came out right away, so we picked a spot. Shortly after that, the super-friendly and adorable waitress came out, apologized for missing us, and took our order for drinks and appetizers. From the outside, you can tell 100% that this place used to be another restaurant, but on the inside, they've done a fine job masking the fact that it's an old Lee's Famous Recipe. With a lot of warm burgundies and golds, the decor is classy without being stuffy.

These Crispy Thai rolls were great! Thinner and crisper than your average egg roll, and there was enough chicken present to taste it. But really, they had me at sweet chili sauce. I'm not above eating that sweet nectar off of a dirty sock. Love.

Our entrees got to the table pretty quickly, which wasn't surprising given their lack of customers. I have to admit, I was starting to wonder if this place was a hidden gem, or had really shitty food and their few customers were college kids who only came to flirt with the waitress.

It didn't take more than one bite to realize my first hypothesis was right.

My Beef Massaman Curry was so magically delicious. Quite a bit spicier than I'd normally go for, but it sounded so good that I was willing to step it up a notch. The flavors were rich and intense, the veggies all cooked perfectly and the beef was very tender. I think our server knew this was above and beyond my normal heat tolerance, so she was an absolute peach to bring me water and making sure it was kept full.

Mr. FvF ordered the Roasted Peanut Chicken at a spice level of 3. He claims that it wasn't very spicy, but that's coming from someone who eats and craves spicy food all the time. I think his dish and mine were probably at about the same heat range. More importantly, he did love it and remarked that it's a good way to get him to eat his vegetables.

Places like Pearl Bay and Bahn Mai really make me wonder why people continue to shell out loads more money to eat at Thai 9 and pretend it's the best Thai food ever. I'm starting to think those people have never had Thai food anywhere else.

5 out of 5 sporks!

Dayton Restaurant News

2010-12-03T16:10:00.003-05:00

I've been busy pushing maximum density lately, which has left me with a whirlwind of Gem City restaurant news to catch up on. First off, a ton of new eateries are opening.

Olive, an Urban Dive will be opening (hopefully) in January, in the former Wympee Restaurant at the corner of Third and Wayne. I'm pretty sure I'm into it. I'll at least try it once, regardless of price points, because these mofos actually raise and chase down their own chickens. That's free range, son.

Company 7 BBQ opened this week in Englewood, founded in part by one of my former clients, Patrick Murty. They're serving up (duh) slow-cooked BBQ, housemade sauces and plenty of other vittles, surrounded by 1920's style firehouse decor. In keeping with their theme, they also give a 10% discount to any first responder (with ID, of course), which encompasses police, fire, EMS and armed service. Respect.

De'lish opens today, across from the Victoria Theater. They'll be serving burgers, pizzas, soups, salads and sammiches, as well as a light breakfast menu. According to Dayton Most Metro, there's also rumors of a Sunday blues brunch.

Oh, and Oink-a-doodle-Moo is open in Kettering now, in the place where even Chipotle couldn't survive because of the shitty parking and location.

I'm not sure if this qualifies as news, but the ownership shift at Pearl Bay Thai in Fairborn didn't change or hurt a thing. Mr. FvF and I had dinner there last night and it was top notch. Full review to come, when I'm not four White Russians into an empty stomach.

Some Coffee Shop - I've heard rumors of a coffee house opening in Belmont. I know how important my opinion is to everyone, and I give you a resounding "ass yes!" on this one. If you live in Belmont or East Dayton, there's no place to get a fancy pants coffee. The calorie-laden garbage that McDonald's served comes out of a machine, so you can't get a decaf. Sure, there's a Starbucks near University of Dayton, but I don't have a beard, a bicycle, a laptop or the feeling that I'm better than you (even though I probably am), so I have no business there. And the one inside Kroger? Get bent.

Attention franchise buyers: Are you interested in millions of American dollars to make and spend? I'm talking "build your own robot army" money. Kettering/East Dayton is completely devoid of a Starbucks and a Chick-fil-a. You're welcome.

Angie's Firehouse Tavern

2010-11-28T19:35:00.004-05:00

With a massive hangover in tow, we decided to check out Angie's Firehouse Tavern last weekend. I'd been meaning to try it since it re-opened in Belmont a while back, but it just became one of those things we never got around to.

We scored rock star parking and walked in to a practically empty scene around noon, seated ourselves (props for having a sign telling us so, so we didn't stand there like morons), and were greeted quickly by our server. I was pleased to see they had Diet Dr. Pepper until she informed me they just changed the tap, but they did have Diet Mt. Dew. Any place serving Pepsi products that doesn't have any other diet options will swiftly lose a $2 soda sale to a Diet Pepsi-hater like myself.

The menu wasn't exactly vast, but there were plenty of options. Still, we both leaned towards burgers. I decided on the Bad Lieutenant, regardless of the images it summoned of a full-frontal Harvey Keitel. BBQ sauce, cheddar and haystack onions? Don't mind if I do! I also opted for cole slaw with mine, and planned on stealing just a few of Mr. FvF's fries. When I asked about the slaw, the waitress told me it actually comes from the Mel-o-Dee Restaurant in New Carlisle, and was dairy-based. I'd heard tell of this legendary slaw from at least three people, so I figured I'd made the right choice. Mr FvF, with his simple tastes, chose a bacon cheeseburger with provolone.

Our food came out pretty quickly, just as the place started to fill up with Steelers fans, who made quite a commotion moving all available tables together and talking about their new-foundteam swag. I was glad we arrived and ordered when we did, otherwise we may have had a substantial wait to get our food - considering I only saw one waitress and one bartender.

I sampled the Mister's fries first - top shelf! They very well could have been frozen, but they had a well-seasoned batter on them and were the perfect crispy/tender combo. Next up, the cole slaw - not so impressed. I guess I can see what all the fuss is about, but daaaaaamn this slaw was sweet. Too sweet for me, without a doubt. I'm sure if Angie's was making their own, they could do 100% better than this. Good, traditional slaw is SO easy to make, it amazes me how easily it gets screwed up. My burger was aces, though. Not an overwhelming amount of bun; the bread to meat ratio was just right. I figured out quickly why our server put so many extra napkins on the table, because we went through every last one. It wasn't too greasy or dripping in the BBQ sauce (another perfect ratio), but it was simply juicy and messy, the way a good burger should be.

Scoring more points was the super crisp, garlicky pickle spear that came with all of the sandwiches. It may not be a big deal to everyone, but nothing puts a damper on my appetite more than a flaccid, neon green pickle. Even worse? No pickle at all. Just ask my sister, who got all in Pan(t)era's ass for forgetting her pickle twice in a row, resulting in two free meals. Score!

Basically, we really enjoyed our visit with one exception. I think it's weird that they outsource a lot of their sides and desserts to other places, albeit local institutions like Mehaffie's and the Mel-O-Dee. If you're going to outsource - by all means, please keep it local. But, for such a small operation, it seems like it would be much more cost-effective and appealing to customers if these items were actually house-made.

4.5 out of 5 sporks!

Simple Suppers - Peanut Beef Satay

2010-11-28T19:21:00.001-05:00

I found this recipe on Yahoo a couple of weeks ago, and my husband and I were both stunned at how good it was (not to mention easy). Here's what you'll need:

1 small yellow or white onion, roughly chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb beef sirloin, cut into 1-2" cubes
-------------------------------
1/3 C chicken broth
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp molasses
1 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced

Once your sirloin is cut and trimmed of fat, put it all in an airtight container or zippy bag, leaving room for the marinade. Then, toss all of the remaining ingredients in a food processor and give it a few pulses until well blended. Pour the marinade over the beef, seal tightly and let it mingle for at least 4 hours, but over night is better.

Heat your oven to broil, thread the sirloin cubes onto skewers and place on a broiler pan prepped with a little baking spray. Broil close to the heat source for about 8 minutes total for a nice mid-well. You could also easily translate this to grilling, just use high heat and cook quickly.

For the sauce, combine the last 6 ingredients and heat in a saucepan until it's warmed through.

Hawthorn Grill - Kettering, Ohio

2010-11-21T15:30:00.006-05:00

For almost a month, I'd been holding on to a gift certificate to The Hawthorn Grill, which I scored for half price at Living Social. We decided to make good use of it one night when our cupboards were bare, before going Krogering. I'd heard great things about this place from people who actually know what food is supposed to taste like, so I sort of had my hopes up (editor's note: never a good idea). Besides, the price points are a bit steep for our budget ($15-25 per entree), so I was excited to be able to give it a whirl for a reasonable amount. I'd also perused their fall menu online, which had plenty of selections that weren't centered around a bread or pasta, plus plenty of familiar stuff for the, ahem - selective eater in the household. Having done that, I already had a good idea what each of us would be ordering.

We arrived at 7pm, expecting a packed dining room since we had to park in the back lot, but only about half the tables were full. We were greeted & seated quickly, and our server came to introduce herself and get our drink order. She was a very friendly young gal that had an air of experience serving in a higher-end environment, which is a compliment. The same can't be said of some high-dollar joints where your server can't pronounce the wines and can be found conspicuously texting between tables. Speaking of Madison Avenue, Hawthorn Grill had a very different atmosphere than what I had expected. Chef-owned restaurants are usually swank while still being easy-going and hip - like Meadowlark, for example. But, we found this to be more of a hip replacement crowd. We were the youngest folks there until a middle-aged couple brought their children with them. Ever get the feeling like everyone is looking at you like you don't belong, regardless of whether or not you actually do belong? Bingo. Welcome to The Hawthorn Grill, home of old Kettering money.

Mr. FvF went back & forth, but ended up going with the Chicken & Pasta (which is what I originally thought he'd order) - Ed Hill Chicken Breast, cheese tortellini, broccoli and Boursin cream sauce. Naturally, I went for the pig and ordered the White Wine Braised Pork, which was billed as pork shoulder, white wine gravy, mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. I also ordered a glass of very forgettable red wine, which was reasonably priced at around $7. When I saw Layer Cake on their list, I was hoping they'd carry the primitivo, but no dice.

Let's start with the photos and go from there. I'll note that these photos are so bad they're barely worth posting. But, this is not the kind of place that one can get away with sneaking a photo, even though I'd brought my good camera. I had to use my phone cam, and the place was very dimly lit.

Below is Mr. FvF's Chicken & Pasta...or is it?

Do you see any tortellini? Broccoli? Cream sauce? You do see chicken and pasta, so they got that part right. There's also some truffle oil, squash, dates or figs (I'm convinced no one knows the difference) and maybe apple.

The problem is, which any woman can verify, that men will usually just start eating whatever you put in front of them, not usually asking questions or considering if their order was right. So, neither of us realized until we left the restaurant that they'd given him the wrong dish entirely. On the way to Kroger I said, "Wasn't that supposed to have tortellini?" My husband thought for a minute, then said, "Yeah. And Broccoli. And Boursin!" I looked at their online menu when I got back home and realized they'd probably given him the Pan Seared Chicken instead. That said, I will tell you that it was beautifully plated and had outstanding flavor. I only had one tiny bite, but tasting fresh pasta makes me curse the gods for my issues with gluten.

Now, on to my dish, and another horrible Sasquatch picture.

Uh, this really wasn't what I was expecting. The plating left a LOT to be desired. Mashed potatoes on the bottom, topped with the veggies, then the pork and gravy. Where have I seen this before? Oh, right! Bob Evans. For $10 less. Everything was so jammed together that it was difficult to taste anything individually. I couldn't tell if the potatoes were any good, or even if the veggies were fresh or frozen. The gravy seemed like your run-of-the-mill beef or pork gravy, devoid of even a hint of white wine. The pork was good. Not outstanding, but good. Kind of hard to mess that part up, though. It was basically pot roast, all tarted up with a steep price tag.

The verdict: The service was great, but the food was not on par with what they're charging and the vibe was downright stuffy. I hope they get some younger diners in there before people start mistaking it for a makeshift Medicare office.

2.5 out of 5 sporks!

Side Dishin' - Corn Pudding

2010-11-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

Corn pudding is one of the greatest and most comforting Southern side dishes to ever grace a table. If you're hard up for sides, or tired of the ol' green bean casserole, toss this amazing dish into your Thanksgiving lineup next week. This particular recipe is adapted from Alton Brown's recipe. Basically, I just removed the (based on the end product, unnecessary) bread, and some of the fresh herbs (rosemary and thyme) because I didn't have them.
Here's what you'll need (serves 4-6):

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
2 tbsp butter
1 14 oz can creamed corn
1 C heavy cream
2 eggs
1/2 C Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 C shredded colby jack cheese
1 tsp kosher salt
fresh ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°. In a small skillet over medium-high heat, saute onions and herbs in butter until the onions are translucent. In a large bowl, mix the onions with all the other ingredients and stir. Pour into a greased casserole dish, greased muffin tins, or ramekins. Bake the casserole for about 45 minutes or until golden and set. If you're using ramekins or muffin tins, start with 20 minutes and keep checking them until they're soft-set and golden brown on top.

P(f)arting is such sweet sorrow

2010-11-15T12:30:00.000-05:00

It is with a heavy heart that I tell you Food vs Face will no longer be working with Man-B-Que. As hurt as I am over the ordeal, and as much as I'd like to take this opportunity to verbally spank them in front of all of their friends on the information super highway, I will not. I'll only say that they are a young and fledgling organization with a lot to learn about how to conduct affairs, and the pitfalls of doing business with friends. I wish them the best in their future endeavors, and hopefully the Man-B-Que tradition can still carry on here in Dayton, without my help.

Thai Stir Fry Salad

2010-11-14T18:52:00.004-05:00

Anytime I get an inkling of something new Mr. FvF discovers that he likes, I try to find a way I can create a meal around it. I can't remember how, but he realized he liked Asian-style sesame, dressing - so I figured I could make a spinach salad of it. But, just any regular spinach salad wouldn't do. Unlike lettuce, green leafies like cabbage and spinach are sometimes even better when they wilt under a bit of heat, so I thought I might try putting a chicken stir fry on top of a bed of it.

Here's what you'll need (serves 2):

2-3 tbsp oil

1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1" chunks

1 zucchini, juilenned

1 carrot, shredded or cut into matchsticks

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 bunch green onions, chopped or julienned

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 cups fresh spinach, or cabbage if you prefer

crushed dry roasted peanuts

chopped cilantro

You could really use about any kind of stir-fry veggies that you dig, like baby corn, peppers or water chestnuts. This is just stuff that I know we both like.

Start the oil over medium-high heat in a skillet, and add the diced chicken. Cook it all the way through (til no longer pink), then add all of your veggies and pepper flakes, stir and cook about another 4-5 minutes until they're tender, but not thoroughly soft.

Serve over the spinach, then top with dressing (we used sesame ginger, but you any Asian-style dressing would do), peanuts and cilantro. As you can see, it plates beautifully - plus it's ridiculously healthy.

Here's my one big caveat, so you don't ruin the dish like I did. DO NOT eyeball the red pepper flakes. I'm pretty sure I ended up getting a lot closer to a full teaspoon on my dish, and it was so face-meltingly hot that I couldn't bare to finish it. You all know I'm a sissy about heat, but even my husband was sweating buckets and didn't finish his, either. Otherwise, this would have kicked some serious ass. I'll definitely be making it again with some different veggies (probably a mixed frozen bag, to be honest - julienning is for chumps) and a measured 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes.

The Pub - Beavercreek, Ohio

2010-11-11T14:24:00.007-05:00

I love my friends SO much that I'll let them make me go to the same shitty place more than once. I like to think that placed in a similar situation, they would do the same for me. I've never decided to go to The Greene, Dayton's fancy outdoor walk-around mall, on my own. Aside from trekking out there to meet one of my favorite authors, my visits have always been at at least somewhat at another person's request or invite.

You see, the first time I went to the Greene, something weird, embarrassing, and life-alteringly shitty happened there. I'm not going to go into detail, but let's just say I think of it as my personal Vietnam. So naturally, I don't like the place too much. Besides, although I love commerce, places like this exemplify my hate part of our love/hate relationship. The food options are really not much more impressive than your regular indoor mall eating options, they're just far more overpriced. They all have $10+ appetizers and outdoor patios and verandas, and if you're a smoker, everyone looks at you like you're eating a live baby. It's all your standard fare of Brios and P.F. Chang's, occasionally a chain restaurant masquerading as an independent, but their decor and prices aren't fooling anyone. Then of course, there are your Fleming's and McCormick and Schmick's, where you don't even know if you're ordering up, because there aren't always prices on the menu. Oh, then there's this nest of turds called The Pub. Not to be confused with Dayton's original and independent Dublin Pub, which happens to have delicious food, stellar service and a staff who know a it's a dick move to review an Irish pub based on ordering the fucking filet. They have steak on the menu at Denny's, too - but that doesn't mean you should order it and base your opinion of their food as a whole on an item that's clearly not within their realm of expertise - but, I digress.

Back to my original point that one of my best gals craves the curry fries at The Pub. I'd never had them, or even seen them - but I assumed they must be worth the trip. This day was all about her, and I made sure to eat a decent lunch so that I wouldn't order much there. I ordered the Cheese Bollocks, large balls of mozzarella, beer battered and deep fried.

Of course I want to say they were terrible, but they really weren't. The batter was on the bland side, but it's still beer batter, filled with melty cheese. Gin got the fries and their soup of the day, corn chowder, which she just said "tasted weird."

I started to post a photo of her curry fries, but frankly, it's not even worth the effort. They're frozen, Oreida-variety, bland, dusted with sea salt and served with red and yellow curry. Granted, the curry is tasty - but by no means worth spending two hours in this place. Why did eating some side items take two hours, you ask? Well, if you're not a dude looking at drool over some almost-bare ass, the waitresses treat you as such. They assume if you're not DTF, you'll be a shitty tipper, so they don't really waste their time. Getting drink refills and putting our orders in took embarrassingly long, and getting our checks felt like it took longer than waiting for the results of your AIDS test. Not only have I done my friend duty by going to this place twice, but I'm going to learn how to make the curry sauces so she never has to waste her money in there again, either.

1 out of 5 sporks

Simple Suppers: Chicken & Noodles

2010-11-07T19:01:00.000-05:00

A while back, Mr. FvF and I stopped into Bob Evan's for lunch and he went on all day about how great the chicken and noodles were. I'd had it before, and it was no match for my mom's chicken and noodles, so I realized I was going to have to whip up a batch soon for him to realize Bob's wasn't all that. This will feed a small army, is fairly inexpensive and WAY easy. Here's what you'll need:

4-6 chicken breasts

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 cup sliced/coined carrots

2-3 stalks celery, chopped

1 32 oz carton chicken broth

1 bag Reames egg noodles (frozen)

salt/pepper (duh)

Blanch your chicken before you start on anything, which will help you multi-task later. Just toss is into some salted boiling water, with a bay leaf, if you like. You can use bone-in or boneless breasts, it really doesn't matter. Usually takes about 25 minutes, depending on thickness, or until it reaches an internal temp of 165. Remove & cool on a cutting board.

Combine the broth and all of your cleaned & cut veggies in a medium stock pot, throw in some salt & pepper, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 40 minutes. While it's simmerin', chop up your cooled chicken and set aside. Add the entire bag of frozen egg noodles to the pot and simmer another 30 minutes. This is a good time to check your seasonings and add more salt and pepper if needed. Add all of the chicken and cook another 30 minutes and check seasonings once more. Boom. Done.

This type of noodle is *very* thirsty and will suck up all the extra broth once you put it away, so be sure to have extra chicken broth on hand for your leftovers.

Simple Suppers: Dorito Dogs

2010-11-04T11:00:00.000-04:00

Danger, danger - high voltage! By voltage, I mean cholesterol. For the most part, I try to cook healthier meals here at Chez FvF. But, once in a while I see something so sinful that I simply must recreate it here at home. Enter: Dorito Dogs. While not nearly the arterial Hoover Dam that BBDs are, these still aren't anywhere near good for you. But, your husband and kids will treat you like you've just cured cancer for at least 6 hours after serving them. Well, my husband is always that nice and we have no children to please, so why do I still make shit like this? Because I can. As the great Roseanne Rosannadanna once explained, "It's always something. If food doesn't kill me, I'll get hit by a bus!"

This is adapted from a Pillsbury recipe (hence the crescent dough), and after making them, I've thought of all kinds of variations that can be made - like andouille sausages and fancy cheeses, and using panko for breading. But, for the basic version, you'll need (serves 4):

4 all beef hot dogs

1 can crescent dough (seamless is easiest to work with)

4 slices American Cheese

1/4 C milk

1 small bag or 1 cup crushed Doritos

Roll the dough out and cut into 4 rectangles. If you bought the perforated stuff, make sure you press into the perfs, so that they seal back up. Place a slice of cheese on each rectangle, then your hot dog. Roll them up like you're rolling a burrito or egg roll, tucking the sides in so there's no leakage.

Once they're snug, brush them with milk, then roll them in the crushed Doritos. Bake for about 20 minutes at 375, until golden brown.

Brunch at the Barnsider

2010-11-01T23:09:00.006-04:00

A few weekends ago, before the great plague fell upon our house, Mr. FvF and I decided to take a trip out to Wasserstrom Restaurant Supply. I'd always wanted to go, and now had an excuse because I needed some pro gear for my Swedish Chef costume. Long story short, the trip was a bust - they didn't have what I needed and everything was ridiculously pricey.

Just before we'd left the house, Dayton Dining posted on their Facebook page that Barnsider was serving a brunch buffet on Saturdays and Sundays from 9a-2p for only $7.99. That's not just a hell of a deal for brunch, that's a hell of a deal for a place like Barnsider - which is normally more of a special occasion restaurant for me. They were still serving, so we drove up the road another mile or two and dropped in to fuel up for the massive day of errands ahead of us.

We were greeted and seated quickly, and had our drink orders taken. The hostess and server were both as sweet as could be, and attentive without being annoying. After all, it IS a buffet, so you only need so much tending to. On par with everything else I've had at Barnsider, their brunch did not disappoint.

Clockwise from top to center:

Pepper, onion & bacon quiche

French Toast Casserole

Double chocolate muffin

Bacon

Maple sausage links

Scrambled eggs

Amish Casserole

Hashbrown Casserole

Other things they had that I couldn't fit on my plate were DIY omelets, coffee cake, fresh fruit, biscuits & gravy, french toast wedges, hash browns, waffles and cinnamon apple pancakes.

The only part that was a slight let down were the scrambled eggs. They simply weren't well seasoned and were a bit overcooked. But, with all of the other dishes available, it's hard to see that as a valid complaint. Baked in a quiche is better than scrambled any day. The casseroles were tops, especially the French toast casserole. I would probably succumb to diabetes for this stuff. It took every bit of willpower in me not to fill up an entire second plate with it. To put it simply, it's the French toast version of bread pudding, with candied pecans on top. The bacon was some of the better tasting I've had in my time (which is saying a LOT), but a bit on the greasy side. As for savories, the Amish casserole was tops, made up of eggs, sweet onion, shredded potatoes and tons of cheese.

I really hope Barnsider keeps this deal going as a permanent fixture, because I can see making a monthly venture out of this, and it's a great excuse to meet friends for brunch on a weekend morning, when schedules are less hectic. Oh, and for those of you with kids - the buffet is only $4.95 for the little ones!

5 out of 5 sporks!

BFD: Cheesy Ham & Egg Bake

2010-11-01T18:03:00.000-04:00

Another installment of Breakfast for Dinner! It's also great for brunch, or of course - just regular breakfast. This is one of Mr. FvF's absolute favorites, mostly because it's heavy on the bread and the epitome of comfort food. It's also great with some veggies in it, like onions, peppers or broccoli, but greens in breakfast food doesn't fly at my house. The awesome part is, it's stuff mostly things that you'll always have in the fridge. Here's what you'll need.

2 eggs, one yolks (or you could use 1 white)

2/3 C milk

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne (or hot sauce)

1/2 C diced ham (sausage crumbles or bacon would work, too)

3/4 C shredded sharp cheddar

4 biscuits (canned or frozen & thawed), cut into quarters

Mix all of the liquids and seasonings, then add the cheese and ham to that mixture.

In a loaf pan prepped with baking spray, place all of the cut-up biscuits along the bottom, then pour the egg mixture over top of it. Bake at 375 for about 35 minutes or until set in the center.

So easy to whip up, and everyone will go apeshit over it. In theory, it serves 4, but we usually end up eating the whole thing between the two of us pretty easily.

Woody's BBQ - Dayton, Ohio

2010-10-23T12:00:00.000-04:00

I used some of my e-Reach Big Deal Bucks to grab up a $20 gift certificate to Woody's BBQ for only $10. Unless I find a helluva bargain, going out to dinner is a relatively rare occasion for us.

I'm not sure why the photos look like still from a David Lynch movie, but eerie BBQ is okay by me, as long as it's good BBQ - and Woody's IS.

Mr. FvF had the Pork Sampler, with BBQ pork, Carolina pulled pork, spare ribs and smoked sausage, as well as two sides. We agreed that he could have some of my chicken if I could try a bit of his pulled pork and sausage. Don't think for a second that all of this meat innuendo missed us for a second. It was such a nice family place, I was borderline surprised they didn't ask us to leave over some of the jokes we were making.

Speaking of "family place," I should go ahead and mention now the only bad part of our experience - some of the customers. There was a gal sitting near the door who, no matter how far apart we were, had a dead-locked stare on me. We got quite a few other stares, and frankly, this happens a lot. I'm not gonna front here, eaters - we're an attractive and striking couple. We're also a mixed-race couple, which will draw some glares in the right/wrong crowd. I also tend to be pretty tarted up no matter where we go, and at Woody's, it seemed like if you weren't sporting mom jeans, loafers and some sort of seasonally-themed cardigan, folks probably thought your date was paying for more than just the dinner.

Anyway, the food: Based on my sampling, the pulled pork was great and the sausage was super great. Having married a former Texan, I'm starting to get pretty picky about what I consider top-notch smoked sausage, especially at a BBQ joint. It was straddling the line between sweet and just a little spicy, and had a perfectly cooked skin that popped when you get into it.

I ordered the Taste of Woody's (heh heh), which includes spare ribs, BBQ pork loin, beef smoked turkey, broasted BBQ chicken, and of course, two sides. Oh, and Texas toast. I wanted cole slaw and onion rings as my sides, and they didn't even up-charge me for the rings. Score. I actually wanted to order a different sampler, but they were out of brisket. This was fairly late in the dinner hours for this sort of place, so I wasn't too miffed about it, since they had plenty of variety in their combo platters.

This, clearly, was a heapin' helpin' of food. Very rarely do I not clean my plate at a BBQ joint, but I know once I saw the plate that I was doomed. 3-4 slices of beef, 3 slices of turkey, a chicken leg and thigh, 2 good-size spare ribs, and a few slices of pork loin.

I tried my sides first - top notch. Perfect creamy slaw, the classic kind that goes best with BBQ. I like some of the vinegar-based slaws, but they don't have much place in a BBQ joint. The onion rings were giant and delicious, even though they were crumb-coated and not beer battered (my personal favorite).

I moved on to the big-ass plate of meats and sampled everything without any sauces. I was pleased as punch - absolutely everything tasted just as it should and stood on its own. All of the meat was very tender and juicy, and had incredible smoke flavor (though I'll admit, I had a hard time telling if it was real smoke flavor). It was a tough call, but my favorites were all surprises: the smoked turkey, the chicken and the spare ribs. I'm not normally a huge fan of turkey, dark meat poultry, or spare ribs - but these were all done SO well. The skin/crust on the chicken was good enough to roll around in, the spare ribs were just as meaty as baby backs, and the turkey had the best flavor I've ever tasted on that particular bird.

Service was great, from the front door until after getting our checks. We were greeted pleasantly, seated and got drinks quickly, and were informed right away about any menu changes or specials. Our food came quickly (but not suspiciously fast, as though it'd been getting the lamp treatment), and the server checked in on us often and made sure we hadn't gone thirsty. They forgot one of each of our sides, but that was remedied in no more than 60 seconds, so I can hardly count that against them. We were offered dessert, but of course, couldn't bare the thought. Before we got up to pay, the manager came around and asked how things were, and encouraged us to sign up for their email list for coupons.

This was major bang for our buck, and I was shocked at how good it was. Frankly, I'd never heard a peep about this place until I passed it and looked it up, and most of those reviews weren't very good. I have zero bad things to say about the place, and you know what that means...

5 out of 5 sporks!

Oakley Pub & Grill - Cincinnati, Ohio

2010-10-20T14:30:00.000-04:00

Wednesday night, I headed to Cincinnati with Tim & KG to see THE Greg Dulli. I rarely talk about my likes outside of food here, but let me make this very clear - Greg Dulli (of Afghan Whigs, Twilight Singers & Gutter Twins fame) is the only man besides my husband that I will love until my dying breath. Not the same way, of course. I love the Dulli in a mildly creepy, obsessive way - not an ironing his shirts and dealing with his mother sort of way.

So, on to the food. I'd done my research on the area, and though there's a Dewey's Pizza *right* there as well, Oakley Pub was voted to have the best burgers in Cincinnati. I can have Dewey's right here in Dayton, but I had to see what the fuss was about with these burgers.

Sadly, it was dark and I'd forgotten my camera anyway, so no pics for you.

Wednesday's special happens to be "build your own burger" night for around $6, but I'd been eyeballing one of their specialties, so I ordered the Soul Burger - a jerk seasoned Angus patty with grilled onions & peppers, bacon, mayo & American cheese. Not being a fan of processed American cheese food, I subbed provolone instead and ordered the "unique slaw" as my side instead of fries.

The burger was LEGIT. It was perfectly cooked (just above medium), spot-on with seasonings and the toppings worked very well. Note to the owners/chef: Why the eff would you serve this burger with American cheese? Switch to a stronger white cheese to tango with the jerk seasonings. I think the bun may have been just slightly toasted, but it worked.

The server explained their "unique slaw" as one with an Asian vinaigrette and show mein noodles, which sounded deeeeeelicious. Well, it would have been if there were more than 1 tablespoon of dressing over all 2 cups of the damn cabbage. This is a small, low-maintenance place, otherwise I would have asked for a little extra dressing from the back. I'm sure I'll find my way back there someday, so I'll know to order that ahead if I do (because frankly, the fries looked weak).

After my visit, it's pretty easy to see why they're winning all sorts of accolades for their burgers. It reminds me a lot of Tank's in Dayton - one of my favorite places in town for a burger. The menu is on the small side, but it's almost like everything is their specialty. Limited seating and no hostess - so if they're full, you're outta luck. There's always things you want to tweak about little places like this - but if you did, they would be just like every other eatery on the avenue.

4 out of 5 sporks!

Bahn Mai Thai Cafe - Centerville, Ohio

2010-10-19T14:25:00.000-04:00

This was the second stop on my free-food extravaganza for the week. I met a colleague here for dinner before a class we were taking. I'd always wanted to try it, and no better time than when someone else is picking up the tab.

My dinner buddy ordered the cashew stir fry with shrimp...

And as much as I wanted to try the Drunken Noodles, I went for the Tamarind Beef.

The portions are huuuuuuuge, considering the price. You could easily order one dish between two people, like most Asian-fare restaurants. I only tried a nibble of the stir fry, since I was trying to avoid the shrimp, but what I had was great. Crisp veggies, light sauce, and beautifully plated.

My tamarind beef was top notch. Tamarind is an odd, sour flavor that not everyone is into - but this gal is into it. I can't withstand that much heat in my food, but I'll put tamarind in everything from sauces to cocktails. I think I ordered my dish on a 1 or a 2, just for safety's sake, but probably could have gone just one notch higher and managed. The veggies were all perfectly cooked, the beef was soooo tender - I encountered not one piece of fat or strange chewiness. I had so many leftovers that there was enough to snack on later that night and take for lunch the next day.

We also ordered some of their award-winning garlic rangoon sticks for an appetizer. They came with a sweet chili sauce, which we all know I'm a sucker for - but the sticks could definitely stand on their own. I'd gladly eat them for every meal, including breakfast.

Our server, Amanda, couldn't have been more pleasant - not to mention helpful. My colleague had never eaten Thai food before, and knew very little about the dishes. Our server was glad to help explain things to her and get an idea of the kind of foods she liked, as to make the best recommendation.

The joint is small, but big on ambiance. Plus, with only a few tables, you won't have to worry about talking over 30+ tables of people during your dinner.

5 out of 5 sporks!

More than just cakes: ele Cake Company Cafe

2010-10-16T14:28:00.003-04:00

Last week I had a lunch meeting in the party room of ele Cake Company in West Carrollton, mostly because they were one of the only places in town letting us use a large private space for free on such short notice.

For about a year or so, ele has been serving lunch out of their cafe, where they previously only served coffee and of course, baked goods. If you're not already in the know, ele was founded by some of the gals who used to work in the Woody's Bakery. At least, I think that's what happened. I had a hard time fact-checking this one, so please feel free to correct me here. ele actually started out as Taste of Elegance in the late 90s/early-oughts, serving up some of the best specialty cakes and baked goods in the Dayton area, most of them showcasing the fantastic buttercream icing that Woody's was known for.

They now have a pretty diverse lunch menu, with soups, salads, sandwiches & wraps, as well as different items like pita pizzas and specialty sides like their 4-cheese penne. I ordered the avocado BLT and the white bean chicken chili. The sandwich was top notch, with the tangy sourdough, roasted garlic mayo and fresh spring greens complimenting the perfectly cooked bacon and fresh avocado. The soup was good, but could have been better. The good news is, there was plenty of white meat chicken used - the bad news is it was mostly all in one piece. I had a piece of chicken breast the size of a massive mcnugget in my soup, and I had to try and break it up with my soup spoon. It could used a bit more seasoning, too. I'm always skeptical when trying soups at a restaurant that I've mastered at home, though. So, take that with a grain of salt since maybe I'm a bit bias.

It's counter service, then they bring your food to where you're sitting, so there's not much to make mention of here. No one seemed to go out of their way to help, but we didn't ask for much, either. Sorry for the lack of photos, but it was a very hurried lunch meeting. Plus, I like to keep Food vs Face as far from "work me" as possible, so you'll just have to deal with it, eaters.

4.5 out of 5 sporks!

Heather's Cafe - Springboro, Ohio

2010-10-16T13:13:00.003-04:00

Earlier last week during the beautiful fall weather, I met some gals at Heather's Cafe on Main St. for lunch. I'd never heard of it before since I rarely make it to that part of town, so I checked online beforehand and saw that they had a decent cafe lunch menu of sandwiches, wraps, soups and salads.

I ordered the BLT salad and chicken tortilla soup, and both were good. The soup was a bit on the spicy side for me, so I didn't finish it due to developing heartburn. The salad was great and had plenty of bacon on it (bonus points!), a nice mix of greens and a wonderful dressing. They also brought a small tray of cheesy triangle breads fresh out of the oven, and those were tops. Garlic-y and lots of flavor, but still small and light enough that we didn't feel guilty polishing off the whole tray.

I couldn't quite tell how much inside seating there is, but the outside seating is ample. Another detail of note is that Heather's serves wine and craft beer, and has tastings throughout the year. You can get more details from their website, which I've linked to above. The only thing that bugged me is that their website/online menu contains a few typos that I would *love* to fix for them. I wrote the owner an email offering my editing services, so I sure hope she takes me up on it!

5 out of 5 sporks!