Restaurants


Breakfast Flautas
 by

Flautas for Breakfast?! YES.

Breakfast Flautas

I just wanted everyone to know that this is a thing that exists in our world. It’s a dish called, obviously, Breakfast Flautas. Big flour tortillas stuffed with scrambled eggs and cheese, rolled up and deep-fried, served with a massive pile of thick, cool whipped cream and spicy salsa for dippin’. Oh, and a slab of greasy spoon hashbrowns on the side. Ultimate hangover killer. Thanks for saving my life on so many post-party mornings, Linda’s Tavern. You’re a Seattle institution and no trip back to my hometown would be complete without you and your hefty pitchers of mimosas.

(And yeah, I know these aren’t the best quality photos, but they were snapped mid-hangover/re-tox binge in a dark hipster bar, what do you expect?)

Breakfast Flautas 2

 

in Breakfast / Eggs / Restaurants 0 comments
Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad
 by

Brussels Sprout Caesar Salad

Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad

There’s a cute place in Austin’s Manor neighborhood called the Salty Sow. Their slogan is “swine + wine + beer” so clearly I’m on board. (I love Salty Sow so much that I actually wrote a bit about them in an ES post last summer!) This head-to-tail gastropub specializes in all things porky and meaty, of course, but surprisingly one of my favorite things on their menu is a salad! Go figure.

This isn’t just any salad, though. It starts with brussels sprouts, always a winner in my book, and makes them into a take on the Caesar salad, topped with dried cranberries and candied almonds. It’s salty, savory, slightly crispy, and just a tad bit sweet. My mouth is seriously watering just thinking about it.

I loved this salad so much that I begged the recipe out of ’em, and now I want all of you to experience its magic.

Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad

Read More›
in Cheese / Featured / Recipe / Restaurants / Veggie 3 comments
Vitabar Forget-me-not burger
 by

Endless Road Trip Iceland: An Unforgettable Burger

Vitabar Burgers

Here we are, back in Iceland. We’ve talked about cheap and easy hot dogs and we’ve talked about exotic whale meat, so now let’s meet somewhere in the middle: burgers.

Specifically the ones at Vitabar, which is said to have the best burgers in Reykjavik. It’s a pretty divey restaurant/bar and I mean that in a good way. I heard people call it “fast food” but it’s nothing like American fast food restaurants—there’s no drive thru, no neon logos, no franchises. But it is really cheap! Especially by Icelandic standards (as you may recall me lamenting in past posts, going out in Iceland costs a pretty penny).

Getting your grub on at Vitabar is simple. You go up to the register, order your beers, burgers, and whatever sides you want (basically french fries or onion rings) and then they’ll bring everything to your table in just a few minutes. It’s very no-frills but hey, it’s a greasy burger joint, what did you expect? Vitabar is especially known for its Forget-Me-Not Burger, which is absolutely slathered in melty blue cheese and stinky garlic. Your breath will definitely not be forgotten after one of these bad boys. Just check out that monstrosity below. Woof.

Vitabar Forget-me-not burger

The Forget-Me-Nots were really great though! The patties were a little thin but they were flavorful with a nice charred texture, firm enough to stand up to all the sloppy blue cheesy glory. Topped off with a classic sesame bun and paired with a pile of thin, crispy onion rings plus a slightly mysterious packaged “cocktail sauce,” this meal was a bar food lover’s dream.

Also on The Endless Road Trip: Iceland
1. The Best Hot Dogs in the World?
2. I Ate a Whale and I Liked It


For more Iceland travel tips (not to mention cocktails, healthy recipes, and restaurant reviews), check out ES Emily’s individual blog, A Time to Kale, or tweet her @emilyteachout with all your burning food travel questions.

in Food Travel / Red Meat / Restaurants 0 comments
Grill Market Iceland Whale Steak
 by

Endless Road Trip Iceland: I Ate a Whale and I Liked It

Grill Market Iceland Whale Steak

What does whale taste like? GUILT. Sweet, meaty guilt.

I recently took a trip to Iceland and one of its (many, many) highlights was the seafood. While the expected specialty dishes, such as arctic char and langoustine, were incredibly fresh, I want to talk bigger. I want to talk WHALE.

The first night we had dinner in Reykjavik we headed to Tapasbarinn, a dark, romantic little tapas bar (yep, tapas in Iceland! Who knew”) where we ordered the “Icelandic Feast” tapas set to share. One of the first dishes brought out was whale, and I can’t deny that I was excited to try it. I had expected something really blubbery, but it was really lean! I would describe whale meat like kind of like a rich, rare steak. It was absolutely delicious. I don’t have any photos of our food from that first night, because I meant what I said—that place was super atmospheric, but super dark, and I didn’t want to be the a-hole with the flash photography ruining the ambiance.

Anyway, let’s talk. You can’t deny the controversy surrounding the consumption of whale. Whaling is internationally banned, but three countries choose to ignore the ban: Japan, Norway, and Iceland. In defense of Iceland, I only saw minke whale, an un-endangered breed, served in restaurants. Plus they don’t have a ton of natural resources that far north, so I suppose that traditionally they had to take what they could get. Boyfriend Rob and I took a whale-watching tour (recommended!) on the last day of our trip, though, and the guide explained to us that only about 10-15% of whale is eaten by native Icelanders, and the rest is just for tourists. That made me feel kind of bad.

Read More›
in Food Travel / Restaurants 7 comments
 by

Artsy Photo of the Day

gwynnett street

Best use of saran wrap since college prank times.

(Gwynnett Street, Brooklyn: Amuse bouche of lichen chips topped with beef tartare, capers and cremini, mushrooms, floating above the plate) 

 

in Photos / Restaurants 0 comments
« Previous
Next »