Craft and Kraft

Craft is one of my favorite restaurants in New York City.

Kraft Mac & Cheese is one of my favorite foods.

The only thing that makes them different is the K and the C...just kidding.

Craft is a wonderful restaurant from chef/owner Tom Colicchio of Top Chef fame.  It has a great atmosphere -- low-key but elegant.  Really delicious food with fresh ingredients.  It's generous portions that you share in the middle of the table.

The whole menu is a la carte...so you pick a couple fish or meat dishes, plus some sides (that come in great copper pots), and appetizers if you like -- and wait for it to arrive.  It's the perfect place for a celebratory meal, a post theatre meal (even though it's not in the theatre district), or a random Sunday night dinner.  Also visit Craft Bar and Craft Steak for other really good meals.

# of dishes: 4.5 out of 5 dishes

What can I say about mac & cheese. I love it. I could eat it once a week, but I don't. My favorite is probably the Three Cheese shells, but i'll eat any kind -- any day.

I've tried to make homemade mac & cheese, but it doesn't come out as good as Kraft.

If anyone has a recipe for me to try, please share!

# of dishes: 3.5 out of 5 dishes - it's hard to compare mac & cheese to a real restaurant....

2 of NY's finest: Per Se and Daniel

From start to finish, every bite/sip at Per Se was delicious! I'll say off the bat that I give it 5 out of 5 dishes. Wonderful lunch.  I definitely have to mention that we ate (my mom and I) in the Salon part of the restaurant and not the main dining room.  It's the same food, but you can order a la carte, instead of the $275 prix-fixe meal. Lunch in the Salon area is served Friday/Saturday/Sunday from 11:30 am - 2:00 pm.  We arrived at 11:30 am and were the only ones there; only 1 other table filled up while we were there. And by table, I mean couches with coffee table like tables in front of you. We got the best table in the house - by the window overlooking Columbus Circle and Central Park. (see photo).  The staff was great -- friendly, but not too friendly, and very helpful with anything you need.  The menu changes daily -- our selections ranged from $28 - $46, with a variety of options: salad of spring onions (mom's choice), beef (my choice, see above photo), foie gras, pasta, sturgeon, lobster, and pork belly. You are told that you can order as many (or as few) courses as you want.  After we ordered, we were brought 3 different amuse bouche items -- all equally delicious. First, we each had 1 tiny cheese puff that had tons of flavor; then, we each had a cone of salmon tartare, followed by a good portion of warm celery soup, served with a beautiful presentation -- see photo -- where you can also see my $19 glass of Riesling which was delicious, and their pretty water glasses that look like plastic, but are thin glass.

We also had a beautiful bread basket with butter from Vermont.  Then our main course arrived. My beef was perfectly cooked as the chef recommends it - medium rare (my favorite anyway), with white/green/yellow asparagus and a 'pain perdu a la moelle' on the side - which I learned is french for: bone marrow french toast. Every bite had amazing flavor!!  My mom's salad was equally good, but very light -- and a very pretty dish as well.  After my beef, I decided we should try the Cheese Plate as well, which was sooooo good.  A selection of 4 cheeses (pata cabra, tilsiter, berkswell and asher blue -- I saved the daily printed menu -- I did not remember all of the cheeses from memory).  It was served with 4 little dishes with: orange blossom honey, onion marmalade, candied pecans, eggplant caponata -- and 2 selections of new types of bread. LOVED it. And, we still had room for dessert, of course. Was there any question?? We shared a 'Brownie and Malted Milk' dish that was a chocolate brownie with pecan 'marquise,' with caramel ice cream. It was a very pretty dish, but I didn't love it.  At least they also brought us a tray of other mini chocolates/candies to try, plus sent us away with a package of shortbread cookies with chocolate inside -- with 4 cookies in it -- for each of us. It was a fabulous long lunch, overlooking the park, and I can't wait to go back another time. While I left full, I wasn't too full at all. I was ready for a great afternoon at the theatre seeing Memphis! (highly recommend it; great new Broadway musical).....5 out of 5 dishes, definitely!! 

And now on to Daniel, which was another great dining experience in New York with my mom (not on the same day though). While I really really enjoyed it all, I must say I wasn't overwhelmed by it, and I do rate my lunch at Per Se higher than dinner at Daniel. Maybe I'm not comparing apples to apples, but I am comparing the flavor in the food, the staff/service, and the little touches that each of them made.  We ate in the Lounge area of Daniel, but it's not really very different from the main dining room, except for 2 things: you can dress casually (there was a man in jeans), and you have the option to order 1 or 2 courses, instead of the 3 course prix-fixe in the main dining room. While I still ordered 3 courses, my mom had 2 -- however, they brought her some soup during my appetizer -- so she 'didn't feel left out,' they said.  The Lounge area is a good size and our table was a 2-top where I sat on the bench with my mom across from me. Comfy pillows were there for me to use, and they offered my mom a mini ottoman for her purse - nice touch.  After ordering, we were brought a 3-tiered tray with amuse bouche to try. One was lobster, but I can't remember the others -- must not have made an impression. My first course was crab wrapped in delicious golden delicious apples  -- see photo above. While it was a pretty dish and tasted very good, it didn't have as much crab flavor as I would have liked. The bread they served tableside was also good, but not amazing.  On to the main course -- my poached chicken was really good -- flavorful and moist -- and a big dish - more than I was expecting. My mom loved her dover sole as well - well flavored and interested ingredients, it came with fava beans, onions, arugula and pink peppercorn sauce.  On to dessert, my favorite part of the Daniel meal.  I ordered the chocolate peanut butter tart and it was fabulous - I can still taste it.  Photo below..I wish I could have it again right now. My mom ordered coffee ice cream, which was good, but nothing too original, except for the pretty serving dish; plus they brought us another dessert from the menu to try -- rhubarb tart, which was just ok. I guess if you love rhubarb, you might have liked it more than me. Then they brought us AWESOME mini madeleines to try -- I probably ate 4 or 5 of them. Then they brought us a tray of petit fours with more wonderful bites of deliciousness. Then they brought a 4-part tray tableside and we got to choose 1 more piece of chocolate to try.  I was in chocolate heaven and was really full by the time we left.  A great experience with very good food and excellent desserts.  # of dishes: 4.5 out of 5 dishes.

Sweeney Todd at Signature Theatre

It's hard to tell in this photo, but those are 'body bags' hanging from the ceiling. To end the show, they came out of the ceiling -- several of them around the theatre -- and scared me! 

I'd never seen Sweeney Todd before -- not the show or the movie, and I didn't know the music either.  Rebecca hooked me up with a ticket (thank you!) and I was glad to go -- since I love seeing shows at Signature Theatre.   They do GREAT productions with talented casts in intimate settings (they have 2 theatres, which each hold a few hundred seats). Back to Sweeney Todd.  I enjoyed the cast overall, but the music was just okay.  A few songs stuck with me and were fun to watch, but for the most part, it's forgettable music in my opinion.  It's a show with lots of blood and gore, which isn't my favorite. 

# of dishes: 3.5 out of 5

However, I'd like to say that most productions I see at Signature (located in Shirlington) are 5 out of 5.  For example -- their production of Les Miserables was awesome. 

So great to see that big of a show in a small setting, with VERY talented cast members. I went on my birthday (well worth the ticket price, approx. $50) and went again when I was offered a free ticket.  I'd go again tonight if it was playing.

Iron Chef America

I am a big fan Iron Chef America on the Food Network. 

If you've seen it, you know why. It's fast-paced and fun to watch the chefs create what looks like great food. It's also a challenge, so you find yourself hoping one chef takes the prize over the other. If you haven't seen it, I'll briefly explain what it's all about.  It's a 60 minute food challenge where 2 chefs go head-to-head to make 5 dishes in 60 minutes, all which showcase one specific ingredient.  At the beginning of the show, they announce the 'secret' ingredient and the chefs quickly get to work. However, I've heard that they do tell the chefs 3 possible ingredients before the show so they can somewhat prepare.  Once the ingredient is announced (such as: squash, ricotta, potato, beef, fish, asparagus....), it's a fast 60 minutes of great cooking.  It's always one Iron Chef (there are 6 of them, as pictured above) vs. the Challenger (top chefs from around the country). Each chef has 2 sioux chefs helping them out.

I really enjoy watching them at work, chopping, frying, blending...all with the announcer announcing (cause that's what an announcer does) what is taking place to us, the audience.  I like all parts of the show --- watching them cook and watching the judges taste the food, and hearing who wins the battle, as they call it.  I don't love Iron Chef Mario Batali.  Cat Cora and Bobby Flay are my favorites to watch.

After the 60 minutes, the chefs have 5 dishes plated and ready to be tasted.  The 3 judges taste each of the 5 dishes and give immediate feedback to the chef....then they fill out a scorecard and a winner is crowned -- based on points given for taste, plating and originality.  Most of the dishes are usually beautifully plated and look delicious.  Yes, the show makes me hungry. 

You can read more about the show here: Wikipedia: Iron Chef.   Check it out if you've never seen it before!

My Guacamole 'Recipe'

I used to hate guacamole, but now I love it.  I've recently learned that Whole Foods has great, ripe avocados, and I made some delicious guac with them.  Here is my recipe, which isn't really a recipe, but an adaptation from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (best.cookbook.ever):

Guacamole:
Avocados (2 or3)
Red onion  (1/4 of a small onion)
Cilantro (1/4 cup or estimate)
Lime Juice  (1-2 tablespoons)
Garlic (1 clove)
Salt (to taste)

Put all in a bowl, mix it together, and add more of whatever you think it needs.  Not much of a science to it.  Sometimes I put tomatoes in it, too. Dip your chip and enjoy!  (side note and wish: I wish they sold cilantro in smaller bunches, or pre-packaged, like they do for mint/basil/chives -- because I hate chopping it, and I also hate wasting most of it, which usually happens...).

Use this recipe for Cinco de Mayo on May 5!

Homemade Pizza Co. & Flippin' Pizza

Homemade Pizza Co. -- recommended to me by Stacy last month, and I've had it twice.  It's a chain that is in Illinois (think pizza town Chicago), Minnesota, and now the DC area with 5 locations.  

I know, these photos are probably making you hungry for pizza. You pick it up and it's wrapped in plastic, and placed on parchment paper, which is the key to making it crisp up perfectly.  Bring it home and cook it up when you are ready (approx. 10 min) -- I loved the thin crust and their sauce. I've tried the Meisian (tomatoes/basil), the BBQ Chicken, and Pepperoni.  I loved them all.  Just be careful you don't burn it, like we did slightly.  If you open an account on their website, you will get coupons emailed to you -- at 4:00 pm on Friday, just in time for the weekend.  Great ingredients, great pizza. I realized I had been passing by their store in Arlington for months without noticing it...it's located in a small strip of stores on Lee Highway near Glebe Road, but the word Homemade is so big, and Pizza Co. is small, I never noticed it.  It's located right near a bakery, a wine shop, Starbucks, and some other shops. They also have good salads and chocolate chip cookies -- which you also bake like a pizza in your own oven -- we even cut it up in slices like a pizza.  why not?  It was really good, too. Prices are a little high, but I think it's worth it. 

Flippin' Pizza -- New York pizza by the slice. enough said. We don't have enough 'pizza by the slice' in this area, and I'm really glad this opened near us in Falls Church.  It's a tiny store, with 2 tables out front, right on route 7, and some tables inside. The name of the place is fun to say -- 'want some Flippin' Pizza today'?? -- and the price is right. They have a good selection of pizza -- i like the white pizza with basil/ricotta and of course the pepperoni.  Jeb likes that they sell beer -- specifically miller lite.

# of dishes for Homemade: 4 out of 5

# of dishes for Flippin': 3.5 out of 5

Sou'Wester in the Mandarin Oriental

The opera Porgy and Bess was excellent...and the cast party at Sou'Wester restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental in DC was a great follow-up.  I didn't get to try every dish that was offered, but what I had was very good.  Perfectly made (and large) hush puppies with honey butter on the side. (for you northerners -- hush puppies are a savory starch based food made from cornmeal batter that is deep fried or baked in small ball or sphere shapes - wiki definition).  Also on the menu -- Chicken and dumplings.  Risotto with broccoli tempura. And of course dessert: mini red velvet cupcakes, apple crumb bars, pecan tassies and turtle brownies. Each one was about two bites, so I had to try them all -- and they were presented very nicely, all on a cutting board looking wood slab and passed around.  A delicious celebration of a wonderful production and cast! 

# of dishes: 3 out of 5 -- but I'd like to return for a full meal to give another rating

Guest Blogger: Hubby's Take

I don't really understand the whole cupcake phenomenon.  Why would you put cream cheese on a perfectly good baked product?  I want sugar icing on my sugary bread - Betty Crocker style - and to stand in line and then pay $3 for that seems absolutely absurd.  On the other hand good ice cream is worth waiting (and paying) for....

22 Minutes of Comedy

I thought I would share my current favorite sitcoms. They might be shows you don't watch right now, but I'm recommending that you check them out one day.  I think most sitcoms are actually approx. 22 minutes and since I watch most of them from DVR, commercials are excluded and it's a nice way to spend 22 minutes...well, 22 x 5, or 6, or 7. 

1. My favorite sitcom right now is definitely How I Met Your Mother.  I first heard about this show when I was at the US Open in NY and they were handing out DVDs with the pilot episode, just a couple weeks before it premiered in 2005. It's VERY funny.  Now in season 5, we still don't know who Ted's wife is, but I think we will by the end of this season.  Neil Patrick Harris as Barney is the best part of the show, but each character is funny in their own way.  I especially love when they add some singing to the show, as they've done this season. I own most of the DVDs for the show - if you want to borrow them, let me know.

2. Rules of Engagement is my second favorite right now. It's really funny with a random cast of characters. I never used to like David Spade, but he's good in this show. Kate Hudson's brother Oliver plays the guy in the engaged couple from the name of the show, but the best character is definitely Patrick Warburton (think Puddy from Seinfeld) as Jeff, who is married to unknown Megyn Price, and their comedy as a married couple tends to mirror my life at times (Jeff scalps his ticket to a musical because he doesn't want to go with his wife. Boo hoo. That's why I don't even ask Jeb anymore if he wants to go. I'd rather go with friends who actually want to go.)  CBS keeps threatening to cancel the show and airs other shows in its time slot, but Rules keeps returning unexpectedly for 1/2 seasons -- and I'm glad it does.

3.  Gary Unmarried is another great show on right now.  It doesn't get much attention, and sometimes I think that Jeb and I are the only ones who watch it (along with 1 colleague of his).  Jay Mohr is really funny, and although he spends a little too much time with his ex-wife, I guess that is part of the show.  Paula Marshall as Allison is hilarious -- apparently she's been in many sitcoms since the early 90s, but I hadn't seen here before this show.  Rob Riggle from the Daily Show is on sometimes as Jay's brother. Check it out.

4.  Two and a Half Men comes in at #4.  Give it a chance, it's really funny.  We've practically watched young Jake grow up on this show. I'm not a big fan of the older Jake, but Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer are great.  An enjoyable 22 minutes, very good writing.

5.  I'll have to give Big Bang Theory the last spot in my top 5.  I didn't think it was going to be funny when it first aired, but it's really good, week after week.  I love the theme song, too -- and love that it's the Barenaked Ladies singing it.

I know there are other great comedies on right now, and you're probably wondering why I didn't put The Office, 30 Rock, or Modern Family on my list. Unfortunately, I haven't watched those shows too much, just once in a while. I'll have to catch them on DVDs some time.  That's it for now.  I give all these shows a rating of 5 dishes. I look forward to watching them every week...along with all the other tv I watch!

Georgetown Favorites

The first day of spring! A perfect afternoon in Georgetown in DC...over 70 degrees, lots of runners/bikers around. Before I spend tonight at the opera for the opening night of Porgy and Bess, I enjoyed a fun afternoon on and around M Street with my husband.  A quick lunch at Cafe Tu o Tu, a sweet snack at Georgetown Cupcake, a haircut at Camlai, and a drink (and March Madness) on the waterfront at Sequoia!

CAFE TU O TU - http://www.cafetuotu.com/ - my friend Jude introduced this great cafe to me last year. They have delicious, fresh salads, sandwiches, paninis, wraps, and more.  My favorite salads are the Strawberry Salad (spinach/feta/parmesan/dried cranberries and of course strawberries) and the Spinach Avocado (yes, spinach and avocado, plus blue cheese crumbles and goat cheese). They have a Salad/Sandwich combo for a small salad (but a good portion of it) with a half sandwich - it makes for a great lunch. I love the Chicken Caprese Panini, but everything I've seen come out of the kitchen looks really good.  There are 4 tables out front and a few inside and upstairs. You order at the counter and they bring your food to your table -- then they clear it for you.  Friendly staff and good prices -- approx. $10 for the combo and a drink. 

GEORGETOWN CUPCAKE - http://www.georgetowncupcake.com/ -

I have loved this place since it opened.  Some people think it's overrated, but I disagree. The icing is soooo good and the cupcake itself is dense and light at the same time.  I can still taste the one I had a couple hours ago -- the chocolate icing was totally melting in the hot March sun. I could eat another right now, but too bad I don't have one. My favorite is the basic choc. icing with vanilla cupcake. Classic.  Jeb tried the Lemon Berry today -- and I had a bite, just so I could dish about it.  (research)  The berry icing was a little sweet and very pink, but the cupcake part had a good hint of lemon in it.  When I usually go, I get a few extra cupcakes for later, but today I didn't.  They are a little pricey for a cupcake, but I think it's worth it -- $2.75 each, $15 for half dozen and $29 for a dozen. They're now located at the corner of M and 33rd St - a great bigger new space compared to where they were before, even though it's just around the corner. There's also another location in Bethesda Row - still called Georgetown Cupcake, not Bethesda Cupcake, as was the rumor that they were going to open other locations around town with the area name - Dupont Cupcake, Kalorama Cupcake, etc. Also, if you are a 'fan' of them on facebook, they post a free cupcake flavor daily, but they only have 100 to give out. I tried to get today's flavor - mint cookies 'n creme, but they were out of it.  They now have gift cards too (hint hint).  We had some specialty ones made for Sarah's baby shower last year with light blue icing and they did a great job - and were delicious of course!

CAMLAI - http://www.camlai.com/ - a quick plug for the place where I get my haircut. I highly recommend David at Camlai -- reasonably priced (although they said prices are going up soon), a nice small salon with 3 hairdressers. They also offer massages/facials, but I haven't tried them yet. David was recommended to me, so I'm passing on the recommendation....

SEQUOIA - http://www.sequoiadc.com/ - The best food on the Georgetown waterfront. Stopped for a drink before heading home. Beautiful day to look at the water, watch basketball on the bar tv (watch 10 seed St. Mary's upset 2 seed Villanova). I didn't eat there today, but their food is decent -- basic sandwiches/salads/pizzas. Nothing to write home about, but you can't beat the view on a nice day in DC.

# of dishes for Cafe Tu o Tu: 4 out of 5

# of dishes for Georgetown Cupcake: 5 out of 5

(no rating given for haircut or sequoia)

Charleston - in Baltimore

I had a wonderful meal at Charleston in Baltimore recently, to celebrate Sasha's birthday along with her parents, April, and Meri. Every bite was awesome...especially my 2nd course tuna tartare, shown in the photo.  It was tuna, cucumber and chive - with some caviar and a potato chip on top. I'm not a fan of caviar, but most people at the table tasted it...some liked it, others thought it was too salty. The restaurant website is: http://www.charlestonrestaurant.com/ - check it out!

It's a tasting menu, where you choose 3-6 courses, and the price includes dessert -- not included in the number of courses you choose.  I had 3 courses (plus dessert of course), which was plenty of food.  I was scraping the plate/bowl on each course.

I started with a cauliflower/leek/potato soup that was creamy and soooo good.  Then I had the tuna, followed by buffalo tenderloin (cooked medium rare, per their recommendation) with polenta, oyster mushrooms and crispy shallots. I can still taste it. It was one of the best meals I've ever had.  We also had good red and white wine, plus an assortment of good rolls and cornbread, plus a great dark chocolate ganache dessert, with ice cream that was melting by the minute -- don't worry, I still ate it all.  They also gave you a very good amuse bouche, about 5 bites of creamy mushroom soup - not the most creative amuse bouche I've ever seen, but definitely delicious - and I don't usually like mushrooms. And, along with the desserts we ordered, we received 3 plates with 4 more types of desserts....we definitely left the restaurant full! I must thank the Oshrine's for introducing me to this fabulous Baltimore restaurant.  I have read about it for years in the Amtrak Arrive magazine...they frequently have adds for it and articles about it and the chef (who has 4 restaurants in Baltimore), but I'd never been.  I'll definitely be going back!

# of dishes: 5 out of 5

Belgian Chocolate

My name is Dori, and I'm a dark chocoholic (preferably 60% or higher). So, when my friend and former opera co-worker Jen K. brought several types of dark chocolate back from Belgium for many of us, I was thrilled. I enjoyed the 72% choc. bar she brought me, as well as everything else I tried...except for 1 of the Zaabar chocolate flavors in the 4-pack she gave to Eileen. Actually, I must be honest and say that I didn't get two of the flavors -- apparently they were SO good, they were gone before I was able to try. Bummer. On to the mint and clove flavors. You'd think you couldn't go wrong with anything that they put into the chocolate. Well, you can. From the fun packaging, you'd think it was going to be amazing. It looks just like a pack of notecards you might buy in a pre-made folder, where you open it and the cards are on the left and the envelopes on the right. In this case, you open it and there is chocolate vacuum packed on the left AND right.
It says -- in 8 languages -- that it was packed immediately after production and that this technique is the only one to guarantee the perfect food values, natural flavours and freshness of the product its lifetime. Wow, chocolate has a lifetime! I love it. The packaging box mentions that they have combined flavours of remote spices, herbs, flowers, and fruits, all with pure happiness of a rich and fine chocolate. Huh??? It also says to "open, feel, taste, and escape in the world of Zaabar."
Enough about the packaging. Back to the actual taste of the chocolate The mint flavour (might as well stick with the european spelling) was pretty good. It definitely tasted like a mint leaf in your mouth, instead of the mint flavour we are used to, such as a thin mint cookie, Junior Mints, or mint choc. chip ice cream. It was pretty good. However...when you try the clove flavour, it's quite a different feeling...I escaped into a world of unpleasant chocolate. As my friend and co-worker Sam said, "it tastes like a pack of cigarettes." Even if you are a smoker, I don't think you would enjoy it. To me, the clove flavour was like shrimp...I want to enjoy it, but I just don't. There is just something about it - with shrimp, it's the texture. With the clove-flavoured chocolate, it was really the aftertaste...which stays with you for way too long. So, if anyone would like to have the package of 8 small squares of the clove flavour, let me know and it's yours! While I'm on the topic of chocolate, I will say that godiva dark chocolate is my favorite -- and Jen K. kindly brought me some of that when she attended my gathering to watch the Oscars.
# of dishes for MINT chocolate: 3 out of 5
# of dishes for CLOVE chocolate: 1 out of 5

Visit to Volt Restaurant

My first blog post! Very exciting. As I was spreading my excitement recently about going to Volt Restaurant, several friends asked me to let them know how I enjoyed it afterwards. So, after a delicious meal at Volt, I decided it would be fun to start a blog to share my thoughts with whoever wanted to hear (read) them. Since I enjoy food a little too much, most of my posts will probably be about food and restaurants, but I will also share my thoughts on other topics, like TV, movies, museums, or whatever else I think of as time goes on. We'll see how it goes. Volt -- it was a wonderful meal and a great afternoon in Frederick, MD. I wasn't thrilled about the 45 minute drive, but thought it would be worth it. I was right. There were 6 of us -- me, Jeb, April, Jen T., Diane and Mike. A good six-some -- and all fans of Top Chef's Bryan Voltaggio - chef/owner at Volt. Volt is located in downtown Frederick -- a cute area of shops -- and I'd never been there before. We arrived and waited in the bar area for a few minutes for our table. Mike and Jeb got a drink and when our table was ready, the waiter took their drinks to the table on a silver platter - no joke. Every bite of the meal was delicious and I highly recommend it. Lunch was a $20 price-fixe for 3 courses (a couple dishes had surcharges). The Saturday lunch is basically the same as the dinner menu (just cheaper); Sunday lunch is a brunch.
My first course was the goat cheese ravioli with mushrooms, squash, sage brown butter. Creamy and delicious.

The bread selection was also top-notch -- i love warm bread at a restaurant. They came to the table with a selection of biscuits and bread -- and they came back later to see if you wanted more. Yes, please! 4 of us had the ravioli and 2 had the tuna tartare dish - really good as well. Main course -- it actually took a while to arrive. My only disappointment of the meal. I do enjoy a relaxing meal, but it took a little too long. My hanger steak with potatoes was really great - perfectly cooked, and a trio of sauces in the potatoes -- sweet raisin, chive and red pepper, plus some good veggies on the side. Others chicken, fish, and burger were equally well-flavored and really good. Good sized portions, too. Desserts -- this was my least favorite part of the meal, unfortunately, but still pretty good. Only 2 choices -- Textures of Chocolate, where the chef created a pretty dish, but not a very good tasting dish (in my opinion; others loved it) -- various textures of chocolate on the plate -- cocoa powder, fudge, ganache, ice cream, and a crisp. The other was a white chocolate goat cheese cheesecake, which tasted better than I expected, with apple sorbet. The meal ended with a muffin to take home, which was just ok -- when I ate it about 3 hours later.

We also got to meet Chef Bryan and take a photo with him! He was very friendly. All in all, a great afternoon and delicious meal at Volt.

# of Dishes: 4 out of 5