The Accidental Lunch

My co worker and I had decided to partake of one of our favorite establishments, Stella's on Jefferson Ave, for lunch the other day. Their wonderful basil mayonnaise spread on 7-grain bread and paired with some locally grown tomatoes and perfectly cooked bacon caused excessive salivation and was greatly anticipated. Even better, once we arrived it there was an empty spot right in front of the eatery. As C pulled her car onto a side street to turnaround and nah the spot, she was balked by a produce delivery truck. Somehow, as the truck passed us, we knew our spot was gone. And we were right, forcing us to further down the road to park.
And so, as we walked down the road to Stella's, we passed a restaurant we had often passed before and had noted that we wished it was open for lunch. Imagine my surprise that today, it was! After a few moments of discussion, we decided to end our lunch journey here, at The Grey Goose.
The interior was much roomier than Stella's. While often willing to endure bumped elbows and scooting chairs at Stella's, it did keep it from being my first choice most times. It was refreshing to not have to apologize 50 times on my way to the table.
The walls have been painted a pleasant hunter green color that offsets the dark wood nicely. The bar was the centerpiece of the room and decidedly so. The tabletops seemed to be a dark granite surrounded by a wood frame. Very soothing and comfortable.


The wait staff was pleasant. The young lady that waited upon us was polite and friendly. After in us the specials, we ordered one each from her.
C's choice had been the BBQ Chicken Pizza. Normally, this pizza is heavily laden with barbecue sauce and sweet peppers or pineapples in an attempt to make it tasty. This pizza did not rely upon this old standby however.


The sauce was so light as to be almost nonexistent. Rather than overpower the delicacy of the very thin, crunchy, airy crust, it complemented the tenderly grilled chicken and vegetables. The cheese was a beautiful creamy concoction that melted smoothly over the ingredients of the pizza and bound them together. The strongest item on the pizza was the banana peppers. These had actually been a substitution for the jalapeño peppers originally placed on the menu. I think they should have been the original choice. The peppers added a delightful sweetness offset by the slight heat. All in all, a wonderful pizza priced reasonably at 15.95.



But, as good as the BBQ pizza was, I am still in love with my choice that day. I like meat. And I really like meat on my pizza. But I decided to take a chance on the special - a White Pizza. A white pizza is typically just cheese, basil, and balsamic vinegar. Easy to mess up of the ratio or quality of ingredients is off, but delectable if done correctly. The Grey Goose chef knows how to make a white pizza. The crust was the same as the BBQ pizza but seemed to shine even more in this one where the flavors were so subtle. The slight tanginess of the cheese was so good the pizza would have been wonderful with just it and the crust. But, the chef insisted on using pesto and vinegar. Thank God he did. The pesto was very mild and earthy. At first I was concerned it was so mild the vinegar would overpower it. But, my fears were put to rest with the first taste. The balsamic was sweet, but not to the extent you find in store bought balsamics. It brought out the earthiness of the pesto and the olive oil in it. It showcased the tanginess of the cheese. The balsamic vinegar was the star of this dish.
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Cajun in the Bluegrass

If you get the chance, step into the unpretentious, tiny, shanty-like Bourbon & Toulouse at Chevy Chase in Lexington. Whenever my coworkers are debating where lunch will be eaten, all it takes is for one person to pipe up and say "Bourbon & Toulouse" and all are in agreement.
And when you arrive, spend time perusing the giant chalkboard menu. The multitude of choices may be overwhelming. But, remember you can get a 1/2 and 1/2 plate. And when you can't decide between more than two choices, be aware that you will return and can sample further items later. Once you have tasted your first plate, there will be no doubt.

My suggestion for your first plate is the Southwest Étouffée with Crawfish. The étouffée sauce has a velvety texture that belies the sneak-up-on-you blend of spices blended into it. While downing each mouthful, you will be aware that there is some heat in your meal. But you will be fooled into believing it is so mild your cat would gladly sup upon it. This allows you to enjoy all the flavors without being overwhelmed by spice. But beware. Your nose will begin to run and your tongue will become tender. Even still, it will take you a few minutes to realize you have succumbed to a sneak attack. And you will surrender gladly.
Not to forget the crawfish. Please! Do not forget the crawfish. The tender and so very NOT rubbery texture of the Creole staple is amazing. A shellfish that melts like butter, literally. The slight sweetness of the succulent flesh fights it's way through to shine as well as complement the rich sauce covering crawfish and rice for a delectable meal that attempts to bust your gut as you convince yourself you can clean your plate.



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Carbon build up and what a new stove can do

I had a fourteen year old gas stove that liked to billow a nastily odiferous smoke every time I used the broiler.  A little toast in the morning?  Only if you liked that smoked.  Some roasted asparagus?  Not very appetizing when the house stinks like burning mouse hair.  In fact, for a while, that's what I thought it was.  That a small mouse had climbed up into my old stove and died.  But when the smoke would not stop even after I had scrubbed the oven and the little body should have been completely incinerated, I decided it was something else. 

After talking to my dad, I discovered the stove had been installed improperly so may years ago and he had just "dealt with it" because the company from which he had bought it went out of business shortly thereafter.  So, he made sure he didn't let the broiler become too hot.  It was finally decided that there was probably some carbon build up in the hoses connecting the stove to the gas tanks.  After letting them stew for a day because they didn't want to buy a new stove when they are supposedly coming home to reclaim their house in a few more years, I decided I couldn't deal with this stove until they did and I was going to buy another.  Fortuitously, they decided they didn't want their house to burn down before they came home and called me up to tell me to get a new stove.  So, I did.

New stove and microwave

I got a new microwave also as the old one had lost a handle and was falling out of it's cradle.  I was told to just take it out and buy a countertop as Mom planned on redoing the kitchen when she came home, but I need a vent above the stove.  I believe it will help preserve the cherry cabinets a bit longer also.

Well, it was installed this morning and the poor husband had to deal with the installer complaining about having to stay while somebody brought the conversion kit (for propane) that he had forgotten.  The guy had been here before for work on our shower and had not impressed much with his attitude then.  Then he had to deal with the incessant chatter of the microwave guy.  But, hopefully tonight's dinner will help assuage any ill will he may have toward my new appliances.  I love appliances.  I have little moments of climactic joy when I am in appliance stores, especially kitchen appliances.  The next dream purchase is a $2400 refrigerator. 

Anyway, the virgin stove and microwave have lost their maidenheads to stuffed peppers and roasted cabbage.  The peppers were awesome!  First time I have used this recipe with ground pork and sweet Italian sausage.  I think it made a difference to microwave the peppers for a few minutes before broiling them and stuffing and broiling again.  No smoke!  The roasted cabbage has been better.  I think my failure to mix the salt, pepper, and sugar before sprinkling led to an underage (as opposed to overage) of sugar.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't the best I've made.

Stuffed Peppers and Roasted Cabbage