Dario's Brasserie: My personal dining adventure.

Dario's Brasserie

4920 Underwood Avenue
Omaha, NE 68132
(402) 933-0799

www.dariosbrasserie.com

Eric and I had planned on doing dinner out on Saturday night, but really not sure where we wanted to go. I spent much of my day at work perusing local restaurant menu's and stumbled upon Dario's website. Dario's is a lovely little french restaurant in the heart of Dundee. Eric and I don't often do french cuisine... in fact, I can only recall eating at one french restaurant in the eight years we have been together, and that was when we were on vacation in St. Lucia. In the mood for something completely different, Eric and I decided to head there for dinner.

I had read on a review online that reservations on weekend nights were a good idea, so I did call ahead to reserve a table for us at 7:00. Dario's has a lovely little patio for out door dining, where Eric and I had preferred to sit, but it was full already by the time we got there. So we were ushered indoors and sat at a small table toward the back of the restaurant, where their bar and waiting area are. (view from my seat is above) 

We started by looking at their very impressive beer menu. With three full pages on their menu and another 2 pages of seasonal selections they have pretty much any international beer you can imagine. I went with one of their fruit beers (peach Lambic) and Eric tried one off their seasonal menu. The had special glasses for each beer to best bring out it's flavor.

Then onto our meal. Eric wanted to try the escargots. This is something he has tried before and really enjoyed. I have never tried it, and was honestly very scared of the whole idea of eating snails. However, I did manage to let him talk me into it. 

The escargots are served in a bleu cheese and garlic gratinee, which helped it to look less threatening. Eric dove right in, and went right to telling me how good they were. It took me a minute to get the first bite in. I picked up one of those little suckers and blew on it (it looked hot) and stared at it, and put some more of the cheese sauce on it. Then I did the thing where you almost put it in your mouth, but then pull it away, over and over again. Finally, I did it. I put it in my mouth and chewed. It did not taste bad, and I had to say that out loud and tell myself over and over that it did not taste bad. The idea of what was in my mouth was still was very hard for me to get over. I ate a second one, and it started to taste a little better. By the third and last one I ate, it tasted good and I didn't have to think about it so much as I chewed. The cheese sauce was delicious and definitely helped me out a lot, we sopped up all of what was left over with our baguette. The actual snails themselves where very tender and not chewy at all, which made eating them that much easier for me. All and all they really weren't bad at all, and I was pretty proud of myself for trying something so far out of my comfort zone. On to dinner...

I tried the Lamb Steak; grilled and served medium rare with fresh mint oil and rice pilaf. It also included a side of veggies. My first few bites of this dish were really good. The lamb was super tender and seasoned very well so that it had a lot of flavor. It really just melted in your mouth. The veggies and rice pilaf were good, but really nothing too special. I liked the mint oil... at first, but as I continued to eat I started to feel like there was just too much oil on my plate. By the time I was finished, I kind of felt like I had just drank a bottle of olive oil. Which is really too bad, because the first few bites were so delicious. 

Eric had one of their specials for the evening. It was a ground beef/ground lamb mixture stuffed with fetta and other cheeses, served on pita bread over a cucumber salad with yogurt dressing and a side of fries. He LOVED his meal. The meat again was seasoned very well with lots of flavor, and the melted cheese that it was stuffed with was to die for. The fries were fantastic, and I stole several of them from his plate (as a side note, you can get an order with two dipping sauces as an appetizer... and you should if your meal doesn't come with them!). Eric really loved everything about this dish. He felt all those different elements really came together to make one outstanding meal, and was very satisfied with the out come.

So, there you have it. All and all I felt it was a good experience, and I'm sure we will be revisiting the brasserie (Their brunch menu looks delectable!). I got the chance to try something that I would have never been brave enough to try on my own, and lived to tell the tale. Hopefully, this will encourage me to be even more daring in my eating adventures.

Artichoke Chicken with Roasted Potatoes

This is yet another recipe from my "29 Minutes to Dinner" cook book. I've been trying to cook more on week nights, so that cook book gotten a lot of use lately. This is a great dish if you want a restaurant quality meal at home in not a lot of time. Of course it took me longer than the 28 minutes the book said it would, but still was pretty quick and surprisingly easy. I need to try some more challenging meals here soon, or you guys are going to get bored with me. :)

Artichoke Chicken with Roasted Potatoes:

Potatoes and Chicken:

• 3 small red potatoes
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tsp "Rosemary herb seasoning mix" (this is just dried rosemary, salt and pepper that pampered chief will sell to you with a nice big mark up.)
• 2 tsp olive oil, divided

Artichoke Topping

• 1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts
• 2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 oz parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp mayonnaise

1). Preheat broiler on high. Meanwhile, cut potatoes into quarter. Place potatoes, water and salt into micro-cooker; microwave on hight 6-8 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.

2). Meanwhile, for artichoke topping, chop artichokes and parsley. Grate parmesan cheese. Set aside 2 tbsp for later use; add remaining cheese and mayonnaise to artichoke and parsley.

3). Flatten chicken to 1/2 in thickness. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with 1 tsp of seasoning mix.

4). Add 1 tsp of the oil to a stainless skillet (do not use nonstick cookware); heat over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until simmering. Meanwhile, add remaining 1 tsp of the oil and remaining 1 tsp of seasoning mix to potatoes; stir to coat.

5). Place chicken and potatoes, cut side down, into skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes or until chicken is golden brown. Turn chicken and potatoes over; cook an additional 3-4 minutes or until chicken is golden brown and centers are no longer pink.

6). Remove potatoes from skillet; set aside and keep warm. To finish chicken, spread artichoke topping evenly over chicken; sprinkle with reserved cheese. Place skillet as close to possible to heating element; broil 4-6 minutes or until topping is deep golden brown. Carefully remove skillet from broiler. Serve chicken with potatoes. 

(cooking on my stove top)

Not much to report on in changes to the recipe. I followed it almost exactly, except for I used fresh rosemary instead of dried. Also, I used 4 potatoes... and really should have used the 3 they recommended. It was very hard to get them all in my skillet, and even harder to turn them over once they were in there... But they still turned out okay. It truly tasted like something that came out of a restaurant, which made me very happy.

This dish turned out really well and helped to show me how far I have come as a cook. I've really wanted to try this recipe for a while, but I think I was always a little afraid of it. I guess I just thought it was a lot more complicated than it was. All the cooking I have done lately has really helped to boost my confidence in the kitchen. Normally when cooking chicken I flip it a million times and have to cut into the middle just to make sure it's done. This time I managed to flip it at just the right time, not burn it AT ALL, and get it to perfect doneness with out cutting into it (and letting all those lovely juices go to waist). When it was all said and done I was pretty proud of this dish. It looked beautiful and tasted amazing. What more could you ask for?

 Actually, thinking about it now. I think the artichoke topping would be good on a nice cut of steak too... hum, may have an experiment for the future. 

To my readers:

First off; Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for stopping by and peaking at my blog. I recently received some very positive feed back about the blog and was SO happy to hear that people were actually reading it. Since I get almost no comments on my page, it was very nice to know that it was being appreciated. Thank you!

Second; I am desperate for suggestions!! Know of a great place I haven't tried yet? Have some crazy recipe you always wanted to attempt but never got around to it? Curious about the questionable restaurant that just opened up down the street from you? PLEASE! Let me know. I am 100% sure that there are so many amazing places that I don't even know about yet. Google can only get you so far people. So please help me out and give me some tips. Feel free to post them here, or send me an email if you don't want the word to read it. 

Thanks again to those patient few who are reading my blog. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your support.

-angi

A personal favorite: Spicy Broccoli Frittata

This is a recipe that I just love. Again, I will list the recipe exactly as it is written. However, this is a great recipe to personalize, add and delete things, and really make it your own. I have made this frittata several times over the last couple years and I always make it a little different. But no matter what I do it is always turns out wonderful.

Spicy Broccoli Frittata:

Recipe from The Pampered Chef Cook Book "29 Minutes to Dinner"

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 8 eggs
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 green onions with tops
• 2 plum tomatoes
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 - 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese divided

1). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk cream until smooth; gradually add eggs, water and mustard and whisk until smooth. 

2). Slice green onions and thinly slice tomatoes.

3). Place butter and pepper flakes into skillet; heat over medium heat 1-2 minutes or just until pepper flakes begin to brown. Immediately add broccoli and onions; cook 1-2 minutes or until onions begin to soften.

4). Pour eggs into skillet; cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until eggs are almost set. Top evenly with half of the cheese and tomato slices; sprinkle with remaining cheese. 

5). bake 12-15 minutes or until center of egg mixture is set but still moist and internal temperature reaches 155 degrees. Remove frittata from oven and let stand 5 minutes (temperature will rise to 160 degrees). Serve immediately.

(This is what it looks fresh out of the oven)

And that's it! I know this recipe sounds a little intimidating at first (at least it sounded that way to me), since cooking eggs is a little bit of an art. But this recipe is a great way to get yourself comfortable with the idea of cooking eggs.

 As I mentioned before, this is a great recipe to change as needed. I pretty much stuck to this recipe this time except for the cheese. Mozzarella, in my opinion, is FAR to tame to make this recipe something special. In fact... I have never used ONLY mozzarella cheese in this recipe. This time I used a little bit of "mexican blend" cheese, and then added in a touch of gorgonzola. Then after cooked, topped with a bit more gorgonzola... because I LOVE bold flavored cheeses. That was the only thing I changed (other than I unintentionally forgot the dijon mustard. It still tasted fine). Eric LOVED the gorgonzola, and said it really made it pop. I had to agree. The one thing that is always surprising about this meal is how filling it is. Eric and I can never finish a full frittata, we always have left overs. So another reason why this is such a great meal.

As I mentioned, I have made this recipe quite a few times. Some fun substitutions that I have tried include adding artichoke hears, and changing up the cheeses. Sharp white cheddar is a great sub for the mozzarella. Give this recipe a shot, and doctor it up to fit your tastes. Then let me know how it went. I would love to get some feedback from someone... ANYONE who actually tries one of these recipes with me.

Twisted Fork Grill & Bar - WOW!

Twisted Fork Grill and Bar 

1014 Howard Street
Omaha, NE 68102
(402) 932-9600

Like we do most Thursday nights. Eric and I decided to go out to dinner. I had a craving for a burger, and not necessarily wanting to go to a "burger joint". I thought we'd give Twisted Fork another try. We'd eaten at Twisted Fork once before when it had first opened, but since it'd been a couple years, I thought it'd be a good time to go back. 

First of all, I LOVE they way the interior is decorated. It's got such a fun eclectic style. Plush red velvet and crystal chandeliers, mixed with the rustic feel of a lodge complete with animal heads on the wall. It just makes me happy.

We had to start our meal with an order of the fried pickles (something I order anytime I see it on a menu). These have already received rave reviews on yelp.com, and are totally worth a try. Their pickles are home made, which really makes all the difference. The pickle itself was so crisp, tangy and flavorful The batter was nice and light, so it didn't out shine the pickle. Served with a great horseradish dipping sauce, these fried pickles are super tasty!

For my main dish I order the "Black and Blue Burger" with a side of their blue cheese mashed potatoes. My burger was a seasoned blackened patty, with the same horseradish sauce from the fried pickles, and of course topped blue cheese crumbles. My burger was good, very good. However, it so out shined by everything else we ordered, I don't have much to say on it (more on that in a minute). The mashed potatoes were my favorite thing on MY plate. I couldn't stop eating them. The blue cheese made them delightfully salty and rich. They were SO good!

Eric ordered the "Chile Relleno". This dish was truly the star of the evening. Eric took one bite and slowly let out a  "Wow". I took a bite, and had the same reaction. This was a very different and interesting take on a classic mexican dish. Of course it had poblano pepper (but roasted, not fried), topped with grilled chicken, radishes, red pepper, toasted almonds, raisins, and apricot. All of this was floating on a wonderfully delicious cheese sauce. There really are not words to describe how good this dish was. Every thing about it was spot on. The flavors of the sweet and savory were in perfect balance. Each bite was a different experience full of amazing tastes and textures, but it all flowed so beautifully together to make one outstanding dish. Served with rice and beans... but not just any beans mind you. These were the best beans I have ever tasted. They used black beans that must have been cooked in some bacon or pork fat, and they were delicious! Eric said then and there that this was a dish he would come back for, and that he would probably never be able to order anything else from Twisted Fork again.

I would have to say that our trip to the Twisted Fork Gill was a outstanding experience. Hats off to the chief that came up with that recipe for the chile relleno. It was one of the most complex and delicious dishes I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. I have a feeling the next time Eric and I make a trip to the Twisted Fork Gill, we will be ordering at least one Chile Relleno, but I am excited to see what other amazing dishes they can produce. If you get the chance, GO! And by all means, let me know what you order and what you think. I need to know what else to try!

**Thanks to yelp.com for the pictures! Again I was too chicken to use a flash and draw attention to myself, so I didn't get any decent pictures. One day I'll grow a pair and get some good picture of my own!**

Urban Wine Company: A fantastic surprise!

Urban Wine Company
1037 Jones St
Omaha, NE 68102 
www.urbanwinecompany.com


Sorry it has taken me so long to get this posted, but it was such a great evening, I really wanted to share it with you all.


Last Thursday night Eric and I were trying to decided what to do for dinner, and I remember I had a gift certificate to Urban Wine Company (Thanks Sunny!!). Since we had never been, we figured this was a great opportunity to try it. We walked in having really no idea what to expect (other than that there would be wine). The atmosphere was great, and had a very "hip" wine bar feel to it. We walked toward the back and found a nice little table in the corner. Walking through  I noticed that there was soy sauce and little bowls on every table and started to wonder "is this a sushi place?". Turns out, yeah it kind of was. 


We order a couple glasses of Pinot Grigio, and of course some Edamame to get things started. Then took to their huge menu. They did have a nice selection of meats and cheeses to order. Hot and Cold plate dishes, and a variety of Flat Bread Lavosh. We decided to stay on the sushi side of the menu and the way they served it was really nice. They brought out each nigiri/roll that we ordered separately, so it gave you a little time to savor each piece on it's own. Here was our meal:


First was the "Dragon" roll.

(Tempura shrimp, cream cheese, Unagi, Unagi Sauce)  This was the first time Eric and I had tried Unagi (fresh water eel). It was the piece on top of the roll. I did like this roll I think a bit more than Eric did. The texture of the Unagi turned him off a little bit, and he felt it was a little too fishy tasting. I still thought it was pretty good, and was glad I at least gave it a shot.

Next two pieces of our nigiri came out. The "Hamachi" (Yellowtail) and "Hotate" (Spicy Scallops).

These two were probably my favorites. The spicy scallops were fantastic, and actually spicy (even by my standards). They were super tender and just melted in your mouth. Really delicious. The yellowtail was my by far my FAVORITE piece of the evening. Which I found to be amazing, because it wasn't doctored up at all. It was simply that beautiful slice of fish over rice, and was SO good I could hardly believe it. I could have eaten 20 of them. It was really just stellar!

The next to arrive at our table was the "Dynamite" roll:

(Asparagus, cucumber, avocado, scallop/claim garlic sauce) This was by far Eric's favorite dish of the evening. He absolutely LOVED the garlic sauce. Me, not so much. For me the sauce really said Italian more than sushi, and so it was kind of a turn off for me. Eric really loves garlic though, and he really, really loved this roll. I'm sure next time we go we'll have to order one just for him. 

Last to arrive was their Spicy Tuna nigiri:

(Baked tuna, spicy crab, jalapeno, cilantro) Oh my goodness this was good! This was my other favorite. The second I put it in my mouth it reminded me of Mexican food (my all time favorite). The spicy crab and baked tuna was delightful and the jalapeno added the perfect amount of spice. Wow, was it tasty! Wish I had one of those little guys in front of me right now.

So that was our meal, and it really was spectacular! We were more than full when we left, and couldn't stop raving about the food. It was a great surprise, and now that we know what to expect,  I hope to have a second visit there very soon. I noticed on their website that they have a wine club, so maybe I'll hit that up to get discounts.  :)

PS: Sorry the pictures aren't so great. I don't like to draw attention to myself by using the flash. Also, sorry to review two sushi places in row. Promise, the next one will be something completely different.

Past with Tuna and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Sorry to put up two pasta dishes in a row, but I really felt the need to share this recipe. As I mentioned before Eric is trying to watch his weight, so I thought this would be a good recipe to try. It's super simple and light, but amazingly flavorful! 

Rigatoni with Tuna and Sun-Dried Tomatoes:

Recipe from "29 Minutes to Dinner" from Pampered Chief

• 8-oz uncooked rigatoni pasta
• 2-oz parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
• 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 pouch (7.06oz) chunk light tuna

1). Bring salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

2). Meanwhile, grate cheese. Pat tomatoes dry using paper towels. Slice tomatoes and chop parsley. Cut lemon into wedges; set aside.

3). Heat oil, pressed garlic and pepper flakes in skillet over medium-high heat 1-2 minutes or until garlic turns golden (do not allow to burn). Immediately stir in tuna and tomatoes; cook 2-3 minutes or until tomatoes are tender. Add pasta, half of the parsley and half of the cheese to skillet; toss gently.

4).  To serve, divide pasta among serving plates. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and cheese. Serve with lemon wedges.

And that's it! You will be blown away by how flavorful it is! When I made it for Eric he couldn't stop raving about how good it was. I really didn't change much of anything on this recipe. I used a different pasta because it's what I had at home, and I added lemon juice to the skillet with all the other ingredients. Strangely, I even felt really confident making this recipe. I really didn't measure anything, just through it all in the skillet, and wasn't constantly second guessing myself. It took no time at all to make (even for me!), and was really a great weeknight dinner. Plus, it's also very inexpensive to make. So I have a feeling this is going to become a regular dish at our house.  :)