Adventures in eating: from home cooked meals to local cuisine. If food is your passion, then come with me on this journey to explore wonderful Oklahoma food as well as great eating spots from my travels. Just remember, taste is relative!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Happy Marriage
My wife, Cayley, and I were married July 11, 2010, exactly two years from the day we first met. The time we have spent together has been incredible and I have learned so much from her about life, love, and especially myself. I will not presume to know anything about how to make a happy marriage as every couple has a different dynamic. The only people I can speak for is myself and my wife. The world is riddled with testimonials of failed relationships where the couples slowly drift apart, losing what was once most precious to them. They talk of losing the excitement, how it used to be when they were dating, or how the lack of quality time together was their eventual demise. Cayley and I decided early on that we would set special time aside just for each other so we could keep the flame of passion burning. This time usually comes in the form of our evening dinner. Once we both return home from our respective jobs we meet in the kitchen and discuss our days while prepping and cooking our meal. We have both begrudgingly learned to concede the role of "head chef" about every other night as we are both are very headstrong in the kitchen. Having a hobby that I can share with my wife every single day is the greatest gift of our marriage so far. The other way we set time aside for ourselves is in the form of our weekly lunch date. Every Friday, I pick Cayley up from work around one o'clock and we go on a lunch date. Most days it is to our favorite little Mexican restaurant just around the corner from her workplace called Señor Tequila which is where we went today.
Once we are seated in our comfy little booth, positioned beneath one of the many beautiful paintings of blue agave fields that adorn the restaurant, we are promptly greeted by our server who waits on us each week. The usual dance of water glasses, chips and salsa, and our favorite, their phenomenal white queso, ensues while we peruse the menu. For me, this is a formality, as I always order the same meal every week. I do, however, pretend to browse the menu so my wife won't feel rushed. My favorite meal at Señor Tequila is the beef chimichanga with white queso. After many months of ordering this dish and leaving half of my rice and most of my beans on the plate at the end of my meal, I asked if I would be allowed to order the chimichanga a la carte and they happily obliged. Today I was particularly peckish so I ordered two beef chimichangas. The perfectly seasoned tender beef, green peppers, and onions came wrapped in a heavenly deep fried house made tortilla and was smothered in their creamy and salty queso. Please forgive the attached photo. I was halfway through gobbling my first chimichanga when Cayley asked if I was going to pictorially chronicle my meal, as I often do on facebook, before I ate it all. Embarrassed, I slowly put my utensils down and snapped said picture. Even though the dish looks a little one-note, it will take your breath away. Note of warning: If you don't handle greasy food well or if you are on a diet, do not, I repeat, DO NOT order this dish. On the other hand, if you are looking to go into a food coma from delightfully deep-fried goodness, look no further. I hope I have piqued your interest and that you will try this wonderful little hole-in-the-wall for yourself. Just remember, taste is relative!
Location:
Edmond, OK, USA
Thursday, September 29, 2011
The Garden Hound
Those of you who know me know that I have an addiction to a local restaurant called Mutt's Amazing Hot Dogs. I mean, what could be better than assorted meats in tube form? All kidding aside, if you are in the mood for seriously gourmet hot dogs, then this is your place. I am truly addicted to this establishment. Only two people have earned the fabulous honor of being bestowed with a t-shirt claiming that the bearer had consumed all twenty-seven of their gourmet dogs, and yours truly is one of those two. If you are a food snob who is huffing at my love for these hot dogs, I will pause and silently lament for you and what you are missing. Pause... Ok, so tonight I decided I would go for a vegetarian option and have the Garden Hound which is a falafel dog topped with incredible vegetarian chili and optional chopped onions and cheddar cheese. I know, I know, why would I go to a hot dog restaurant and have a vegetarian dog? Well, for those of you who are falafel lovers, Mutts makes a great version. This deep fried chickpea based dog has just the right amount of spice and the veggie chili is amazing. If you are a first timer to Mutts, then I will always suggest their Duck Fat Fries which are hand cut french fries cooked in, yep, duck fat. Decadent doesn't even come close to describing them. There is an option for adding truffle oil to the fries but as truffle is not my wife's favorite flavor, tonight we opted to eat them au naturel. One order is enough to easily feed two to three people. My wife went for the Primanti dog tonight but as I was busy with a veggie dog and duck fat fries, alas I cannot comment on it for tonight. I can only assume it was as wonderful as the first time I tried it. All in all, Mutts is a fun filled, retro themed, family oriented, friendly staffed establishment that will remain one of my very favorite Oklahoma restaurants. I hope you try them out and love them as much as I do. Just remember, taste is relative!
Location:
Mutts Amazing Hot Dogs
Blast off
I don't like mayonaise... except when I do. This statement pretty much sums up my outlook on life. My name is Nick, and I am a strongly opinionated Italian-American man who is married to an amazingly patient and wonderful woman. I form my beliefs from experience but am never too close-minded to change them. When I am not cooking meals at home with my wife, I am out sampling local cuisine; always looking for a suprise.
I decided to start this blog because my wife, Cayley, and I are extreme food enthusiasts and I have enjoyed making, tasting, and talking about food since I was a little ankle biter clawing at my mother's legs in the kitchen. I knew how to make a red sauce, what my grandma would call gravy, before I could multiply. This is, by no means, a complete history of my life or any kind of credentials for writing this blog. This is merely a brief look into why I love food as much as I do and why I decided to start a blog. I hope you journey with me as I chronicle my life in food. Who knows? Maybe you'll find something you enjoy. Just remember, taste is relative.
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