Epicurean Night

I think just by looking at the title of this post that most of you can assume that Epicurean night is my idea of a good time. And that it was. Brian and I like to go to the race track near our house with our friends every once in a while to do some gambling. Last week it was Epicurean Night at the race track. Basically, lots of local restaurants came and brought samples of some of their menu items and distributed coupons as a way to advertise. You paid $15 for all you can eat food. And since you all know that I would pay $1500 for an all you can eat buffet, $15 was nothing.

To be honest, I don't remember everything that was at Epicurean night, and none of it was really gourmet, I just felt it would be wrong of me not to blog about an Epicurean Night, being a loyal foodie and all. So since I waited a week to post this blog because I have been so busy doing a whole lot of nothing, I will do my best to describe everything as best as possible. My favorite place was Tea for Two Tearoom. www.teafortwotearoom.net They were handing out samples of two different kinds of chicken salad, a quiche, and four different kinds of cake. FOUR!! Let's just say that the two ladies handing out the samples knew who I was by the end of the night. Don't act so surprised.

The first chicken salad had purple grapes and pecans in it. Now, I'm not really a purple grape person. I'm more of a green grape kind of girl. And don't try to tell me that there isn't a difference, because there definitely is. The chicken salad was delicious, but the crunchiness of the pecans and the sweetness of the grapes brought it to a whole other level. The other chicken salad was a jalapeno chicken salad. I'm also not a huge jalapeno fan, ( I know what you're thinking. How can I be a food critic if I don't like everything? But I can't help my taste buds! And the important thing is that I am still willing to try everything, so there!) but the flavor was very interesting and had a little kick to it. And like I have mentioned before, I like to see creativity.

Now to the important part, the cakes. There was a mandarin orange cake, a vanilla cake, a strawberry cake, and a coconut cake. The strawberry cake was out of this world. And I am not just saying this because I am an obsessed dessert freak that can out eat a rhinoceros. Everyone else agreed. First of all, it was bright pink, so it was just appealing to the eye. The cake was so moist and there was this luscious sweet tanginess of strawberries that just blew me away. There are no words to describe this cake. You just have to take my word and go try it yourself.

Another memorable restaurant was Hasta la Pasta. www.hastalapasta.com Now, I like Hasta la Pasta. A lot, actually. But they served some sort of beef with a piece of asparagus and lemon risotto. I thought I would like the lemon risotto because it was creative and all, but it was so lemony, for lack of a better word. There are only a few places that lemon should be served with: water (even though I strongly disagree with this), seafood, and pastries. Note to Hasta la Pasta: never pair lemon and risotto together.

BJ's brewery. www.bjsbrewhouse.com Many of you have probably frequented this chain restaurant known for its beers and pizza. Guess what they served? Caesar salad and a chicken pasta. Um, I think we all know what Caesar salad tastes like....Thanks BJ's...They did however make a comeback with free pizookie coupons. If you have never tried a pizookie, or worse, don't know what it is, you need to be removed from my blog Google group immediately. Just kidding, kind of. A pizookie is a cookie in a small pizza pan that is served fresh out of the oven with vanilla ice cream on top. It literally melts in your mouth. It's cooked just enough so you don't come down with salmonella, but still has the gooeyness that pairs perfectly with the melting of the ice cream. It comes in flavors like Ghiradelli chocolate, Oreo, chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter, and white chocolate macadamia nut. And yes, I have had them all. You can even get half of one kind of cookie and half of another. Or, they offer a jumbo pizookie that feeds about 15 people. Oh yes, go ahead and challenge me. Oh, and never, I repeat never, let someone convince you to share one. People will try and tell you they are big enough for two. But no, you need to be eating you're own. Okay, sorry about the rambling. You guys know how I can go on and on about dessert. I'm sure you have stopped listening (reading) by now like you're used to doing.

And in closing, I am trying to raise funds so that I can journey to Napa Valley and dine at The French Laundry, a very famous restaurant. www.frenchlaundry.com They offer a nine course tasting menu every night for only $240 a person! Yes, I am kidding, but not about the fact that I want to eat there. I understand that most, if not all, of you will never understand how I would ever be willing to spend that kind of money on a meal. But someday, somehow, I will find a way...