The Dish

Plane hopping has been a little distracting the last two weeks, but as a result, some of the food highlights I'm finally getting around to sharing.

NYC

First up, an over-nighter in NYC produced another outing to Landmarc for the steamed mussels with white wine, parsley and garlic. If it was appropriate to pick up the bowl and slurp up all the juices, that's how delicious this dish is. Dessert, of course, was another helping of the famous cotton candy, but this time, the flavor of the evening was Pineapple. Probably my favorite so far. Then off to my first-ever experience at NY Fashion Week, which was fun, interesting and not my choice of shows or fashion, but a great opportunity none the less.

Jose Duran Show...I promise they are real-"live" models

This was probably my favorite dress from the collection

Crisp was for lunch. An upscale-gourmet version of the traditional falafel. I opted for the Parisian. In case you've never had falafel...it's a yummy chickpea-like hushpuppy/meatball looking thing (sans meat). Very tasty but not without the price tag. It is NY though.

Magnolia Bakery finally made it on my list this trip, and it was worth it. They really do make good cupcakes, and my personal favorite was the red velvet. Sweet but not too sweet and a nice helping of icing!

Here's the description:

Red Velvet...the Mae West of cupcakes. Made red with cocoa, a little vanilla and a lot of southern mystery. With its own special whipped vanilla icing.

Sorry, I didn't get a chance to take a pic before I stuffed my face. But, you can check out the website, and drool to your heart's content.

Dallas-Ft. Worth-Weatherford, TX

Being a Texan means I love bar-b-que, and I am picky about it.

The Mesquite Pit might just be my personal favorite and something I don't have all too often, which is probably best. Slow cooked beef over a mesquite pit, pulled, topped on a bun with some superbly tangy and slightly sweet bar-b-que sauce. Just add the corn-on-the-cobb, and I'm in heaven. What to expect...other than good bbq...a low key, no frills atmosphere, with friendly staff and a little on the noisy side, but always the down-home hospitality and just plain good food you would expect. Don't forget to try the cobbler. It's a southern specialty.

The Flying Saucer - Fort. Worth

With over 200 beers on the menu, there's something for everyone. And, if you try all the tasty beverages (please not in one sitting), you'll have a plaque (a.k.a. saucer - hence the name, the flying saucer) adhered to the wall or ceiling commemorating your accomplishment.

I prefer ambers, so I tried out the Breckenridge Avalanche. Thumbs up from me. There was a second tasting, of which the beer was not on the menu, so unfortunately, I can't jog the memory. Too bad too; it was nice with floral notes.

Great patio too upstairs!

Mi Cocina - Fort Worth

Good Mexican food (Tex-Mex). An hour wait on a saturday night, but a few beers in (from the flying saucer), a few more in-hand, and catching up with family, the wait wasn't so bad. The noise was though. Too hard to hear, and way too hard to speak. But fun and good food - fish tacos, enchiladas...our belly's were quite full.

Most of all I enjoyed the whole evening because I was spending time with the hubby and my cousin! Sometimes good food and drink is only that much better when you're surrounded by good company.

Raleigh/Cary, NC

Another over-nighter, with a stop at Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen. A nice little restaurant that has a good wine and beer list, and stays true to it's name, offering classic renditions and inspirations of Southern cuisine. The mashed sweet potato side looked awesome and had only good reviews from those who opted for them; as one would expect, the word was, they were the dessert.

I opted for the Big Easy Gumbo, which was super tasty, and a classic chicken cesar salad. All was good; just needed some lighter fare after my glutenous weekend in Texas.

Well, that about sums it up for now. And on that note, I'm looking forward to being in my kitchen for a few weeks. Stay tuned for what's cooking in the kitchen next...