Churros in Cincinnati

Everyone needs to get to Cincinnati, go to Nada, and order these churros asap.  I realize this picture looks like it's meat, but it was the right amount of crunchiness/crispiness:doughiness:sugar:cinnamon.  I've had churros from Rick Bayless' XOCO, and they tasted like broken left over morsel chips at the bottom of a cheap vending machine chip bag.  Nada's churros were scolding hot & fresh and reminded me of Cafe Du Monde beignets, but not quite.

Churros: fresh mexican doughnut,
cinnamon and sugar

This was one of the best tres leches I've had.  I usually hate tres leches because of its heavy nature, but this was savory and light.  Oh, and I quickly realized that all things from Madisono rocks.  It is just dreamy...

Tres Leches with 

Madisono's strawberry gelato &

strawberry puree

Madisono will be a stop on my list next time I'm in that area.  It was delish.  I actually had to put my dirty napkin in it so I would stop eating it.

Strawberry sorbet from Madisono's

The cheesecake was like any other cheesecake, but a little airier and of course, lime-er.  I typically like the heavy thick cheesecake, but the airiness was a nice change of pace.  I have no clue what mascerated berries are, and I don't recall any mascerated-ness in this dessert. 

 New York Style Cheesecake with
mascerated berries and lime crema

Did I mention the churros?  I have plenty of other pictures of it...it was like taking pictures of a first born.  Or something like that.

Everything is bigger in Texas

If you want a dessert that's easily enough to share for 5-6, go to Tillman's Roadhouse.  How did I come to learn this valuable lesson?

Let's start with the chocolate cake.  I think they put those little Toy Story's army men knock offs to show you the sheer size differential.  Unfortunately, bigger doesn't always mean better.  You could taste the granules (sugar granules probably) so it wasn't creamy and smooth like you want your chocolate cake and chocolate icing to be.

Chocolate cake

The peanut butter chocolate chip cookie tower with banana ice cream, chocolate icing, and chocolate sauce was equally overwhelming, but in a good way.  I can't get enough of pb & chocolate.  And PS - it refrigerates quite well.  I won't belabor anymore on how it was your average "good pb chocolate chip" dessert.

peanut butter &
chocolate chip cookie tower

The smores.  Um.  Where to begin.  Oh yeah, the history if smores, so I've heard.  This dessert comes with several different HUGE marshmellow flavors: orange, maple and coffee as well as cinnamon grahams and dark chocolate bark.  And a very powerful flame thingy.  I would estimate that this serves 8+.  I'm not a general fan of smores (it's too nauseatingly sweet for me...I know shocker), but the variety and the experience of it is wonderful.  These, too, refrigerate well (they don't give you the flame thingy) and are perfect for the next morning breakfast. 

Smores

The dessert with no identity

Let's just cut to the chase on this post: I would not recommend the food at Bangkok City (the one on Greenville and Yale) in Dallas, Tx.  I have mixed feelings about the dessert though.


Fried Ice Cream


The fried ice cream was just weird and lacked an identity.  Jelly?  Whip cream?  The menu said fried ice cream, not jelly doughnut with whip cream.  Two forks down on this one.  It wasn't a good doughnut, and it was a worse fried ice cream.  If you want a doughnut, go to the Krispy Kreme across the street (literally).

Sticky rice with Thai Custard

This was one of my favorites (at this restaurant).  The thai custard (the mango colored stuff) was interesting, but the sticky rice was yummy.  I scrapped the cherry. 



 

Black Rice Pudding with Coconut Milk

This was the other favorite - I've never had black rice pudding before, but it tastes just like any other color rice pudding.  All in all, average desserts, but compared to the food, it was like a 5 star experience.

Sometimes trying to hard means mistake

Either I don't have a mature taste palette, or...nah that can't be it when everyone agrees with you.

Blackbird in Chicago is a highly rated restaurant with a Michelin star (not Michelin tires).  However, the desserts (and entrees) were just not up my taste bud alley. 

Let's start with The Good:


Sweet Corn Ice Cream

Sweet Corn Ice Cream with Bacon Brioche, Candied Pecan, Basil, and Maple Syrup.  The ice cream was delish.  I bet all yummy, sweet veggies would make a great ice cream, like sweet potato ice cream, beet ice cream, ok I'm out of ideas.  The bacon brioche was nothing exciting (as you may have anticipated since 'bacon' was in the same dish name as 'ice cream'.
 

Chocolae Ganache with Tahitian
Vanilla Gastrique & Parsnip Ice Cream

The chocolate ganache was good as well, but nothing that took my breath away or etched itself in my memory (hence this short description).
 

Pear Sorbet


The pear sorbet was a pleasant surprise.  I expected it to taste like eating a pear (texture, flavor, and all) because to me a pear naturally has a sorbet texture - if that makes any sense to y'all.  But this was really good - It had a mild pear flavor and the other embellishments on the plate helped with the flavor.

Let's move on to The Bad:



Panna Cotta with kentucky
bourbon barrel, candied pinenuts, &
caramelized macoun apples

The panna cotta with Kentucky bourbon barrel, candied pinenuts, and caramelized macoun apples was like listening to a new song by your favorite artist and then the song turning out to be crap.  I love panna cotta.  Candied pinenuts and caramelized macoun apples sound wonderful.  The consistency reminded me of a poorly made or spoiled boba tea drink.  Not my fav.

Passion Fruit Chocolate

This was the passion fruit chocolate.  I only put it under the bad category because it was straightforward and nothing exotic.  Like I could walk into Godiva and get a piece of this. 

And instead of doing The Ugly, I'll go with The Pretty:

Frothy Coffee

I'm not a coffee drinker, but I wanted to capture a pretty frothy coffee drink to end on a nice note :)



Barton Creek has done this one right!

Do you ever wonder if the food at high end hotels, resorts, golf clubs, and country clubs are really worth the price?  I've dined at many high end hotels where I much preferred a $5 burger than the $50 dish they served.  If you are in Austin, Texas, and would like a wonderful lunch buffet overlooking a great view, go to the Barton Creek Resort and Spa, dine at the Hill Country Dining Room, and order the Hill Country Buffet.  I honestly have no clue how much it is because this was part of a business meeting, but I'm sure it's reasonable :)

And sadly, I only have one picture of the dessert, and the best thing (their bread pudding is the most unique and wonderful ever) wasn't even photographed! 

Buffets are meant for me!

I will try to compose myself and not go on and on about the food, but the food is equally great.  The dessert bar is o.v.e.r.w.h.e.l.m.i.n.g.  (I hope the periods show the emphasis I'm trying to place on that fact.)  All of their desserts were wonderfully impeccable - from the chocolate cake to tiramisu to cheesecake to cookies.  Their bread pudding - OMG - is just incredible.  They use pastry bread instead of regular bread (so I'm told...that's how much I was in love with it).  And if you are in Austin next time, feel free to ship me some bread pudding :)

New Watermelon 2.0

I think the new generation of restaurants (or just the world in general) is adding either "New" or "2.0" to everything.  Like Web 2.0.  New Asian Fusion food.  New World Tex Mex.  New American.  and so forth...  I dined at La Condesa in Austin, Texas, and they are one of those "New 2.0"-ers.


Ice Cream

I started dessert with the "oldie but goodie"...or a nicer way of saying it, the classics.  La Condesa has a variety of helados de la casa, or homemade ice cream and sorbets.  The only way you can go wrong with ice cream is if you get a flavor you don't like.  Or if you get non-fat ice cream.  You just can't make ice cream with no fat.  Du-hh!


Watermelon 2.0

Next up was what I call Watermelon 2.0, or more specifically Crema Cocida: vanilla panna cotta, watermelon, agave, quseo fresco, pickled watermelon rind, roasted pepitas.  This is a must-try if you like watermelon!  Watermelon and acidity is my latest fav way to have watermelon...couple that with panna cotta and this is easily my favorite fruit dessert now. 



Eating home cooking on The Porch

I won't get all nostalgic and cheesy here, but home cooking is so calming in the fall and winter time.  There's a wonderful place in Dallas called The Porch, and I think the food tastes like some southern grandmama named LuAnn made it.  And with all great meals, you need a strategy and a plan.  I, unfortunately, did not make either when coming to The Porch, so I did not save nearly enough room to consume the amount of dessert I really hoped for (which may be a good thing because that darn scale of mine is going up too fast!).

What in the jiminy crickets is a Blueberry Butter Pie?

Blueberry Butter Pie

It is this wonderful creation! In all honestly, I'm not sure what it is, but it is the BESTEST pie ever.  I despise apple pies and such, but this tastes nothing like your traditional pies.  It's got a brownie cake type consistency and the ice cream on top is just superb.  I hope The Porch keeps this around all year!



Chocolate Mousse w/
Caramelized Bananas



The chocolate mousse with caramelized bananas was good as well - it tastes just like it sounds.  Not nearly as enjoyable as my butter pie though. 





 

Salted Caramel &
Chocolate Bread Pudding


I think restaurants are finally starting to get bread puddings right because this one was fantastic.  Normally restaurant bread puddings taste like Thanksgiving stuffing to me, but this one was wonderfully buttery, moist, and just the right amount of "chewiness" (if that description makes sense to you, then you know what I'm talking about).



Pecan Pie

The pecan pie was incredible.  It doesn't top the pecan pie with tabasco sauce still, but wow both the crust and the pecan/sugar ration were perfection!

Smores

Oddly enough, I've never been a fan of smores.  The marshmellow makes it too sugary sweet for me.  I recently heard the history of smores.  I personally like my smores with just the graham cracker and a melted peanut butter cup.

If I had to pick only one dessert...I'd definitely pick the blueberry butter pie to go with your dinner!