Eat Like a Rabbit

After our post nearly three weeks ago about our amazing trip to Paxia, our friends and photographers, Jim and Garrett, went to Paxia the next day (Friday). They had the same server we did and had the same incredible experience.

However, we went back with Garrett on Sunday night and had a slightly different experience. It actually took about 30 minutes to get our chips and salsa. I learned that only one basket of chips is complimentary. Any more than that is )I believe) $4.99 a basket. That price is a bit steep in my book--even for the best chips and salsa in town.

Garrett ordered the black bean soup to be split between the three of us, and the waitress brought us three spoons. We decided it was a good idea to have two extra bowls, too. She had told Garrett the soup was good. It tasted like a black bean dip. Good, but not earth-shattering. The same lack of thought replayed when the family-style rice and beans were delivered without serving utensils. We either used chips or our silverware before we ate with it.

The guac and salsa were again top of the ladder. We would go there all the time if only those were good.

The first time I heard of Paxia, I was getting off of I-4 and saw a guy dancing around with a sign saying it was the best Mexican restaurant in Orlando. The next time I heard of Paxia was less than a week later when I was researching the restaurants participating in Eat Local Week sponsored by Slow Food Orlando. Tonight we chose to dine there mainly because I couldn't remember any other restaurant on our list and it was close by--because it was getting late (like 5) and I was very hungry. Boy, was I glad it was the only one I could think of!

Let's start with our entrance into the restaurant. This is only the second restaurant I've ever seen that actually tries to sit people in the windows first so that the place looks full. Of course, by the time we left, the place was full so it didn't really matter! But, it's a wise marketing move. The greeter who seated us was the first person at any restaurant we've been to this week to completely explain the concept of Slow Food, and he did so in great accurate detail.

Back in the middle of August, I stopped off at Target to pick up a chocolate cheesecake for a going away party at the office. I figured I was the pregnant one and therefore they had to eat what the pregnant woman wanted. Luckily, everyone was pleased with my choice (or at least pretended to be.) As I was pulling out of the shopping center, I noticed a Jason's Deli and remembered I had a gift card in my "card wallet" for dining there. I decided I'd been eating out so much, which was not in our budget originally, I would use the card to get a free lunch. Luckily, my little wrap only cost about $6; so, I have leftovers on the card to be visiting again over the next couple months--taking advantage of the vegetarian soup selection and salad bar.

We were having a hard time finding a place to dine in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida for dinner. We passed a sign for Carlos and Pepe's near our hotel. It boasted being "World Famous," and the reviews Paul read said the guacamole was tops. I was getting quite hungry, so we decided to stop.

The restaurant was very popular. It seems to be a very large restaurant with many tables, even outside and in a bar, and few tables were empty. The staff was quite polite.

Ordering from the menu proved to be trickier than expected. There were very few vegetarian items on the menu--mainly limited to the salad, quesadilla, and vegetable fajitas. Paul asked if he could have a burrito with just beans, and waitress said that wasn't on the menu. So, he ordered the Caesar cause the waitress said the dressing was without anchovies and I ordered the spinach quesadilla. Paul also ordered the guac with a side of flour tortillas.

We went out to Qdoba last Tuesday night with Travis and Patty, friends that work with Paul, but Patty and I knew each other long before we were married. They loved it and said they would go back. The great thing was that Qdoba has "Taco Tuesday" where chicken and beef tacos (crunchy or soft) are just $1 each. Paul asked the servers, and they agreed to make the vegetarian ones $1, too. (Why not? After all, the veggie ones are cheaper to make than the meat ones.) Paul had salsa, beans, cheese and lettuce on his, but it looks like guac would have cost extra.

For that reason, I stick with the burrito. Since beans are a texture not too favored right now, I just had rice, cheese, guac, pico de gallo, and a green medium salsa. Qdoba is always yummy. (Although, it always seems to taste just a little better when we're eating it in an airport coming to or from Italy, but that's another story.)

My fairly limited research doesn't say how long this great $1 taco deal is good for, and I did see a tweet from twitter that suggests the deal may be on another day of the week in another city. So, give your local Qdoba a call.

I recognize that Father's Day was some time ago, but as is evident with all my posting, it's been hard to bring myself to talk about food extensively without making my stomach upset.

So, the brunch idea was misleading because there wasn't a variety of breakfast and lunch dishes. It was simply a collection of lunch dishes served closer to breakfast time (starting at 11:00). I also thought the selection wasn't so balanced and wide enough for the price. And, I think it seemed like a way to dispose of leftovers. We were only the second guests dining at the cafe soon after it opened for brunch. The salad, soup, fruit, and desserts were self-serve, but the hot items were served for you. The buffet was all-you-can-eat, which meant you got to go back for a new plate. None of us had room for more than the first trip. Also, the $9.95 price for the buffet did not cover any drinks.

Firstly, I would like to thank all the people who have emailed or commented their congratulations in the blessing of God giving us a child. It is wonderful having such a supportive network of friends and family. We are getting increasingly excited. Although, I have been getting flack from certain friends for not being more excited. However, when I jump out of bed in the morning not from the propulsion of the great energy gained from a good night's sleep (in fact, quite the opposite), but from the need of my stomach to see the inside of the toilet first thing. . .it's kinda hard to be jumping around for any reason.

A few weeks ago, I excitedly clipped a $1.50 coupon for a Kraft Salad Dressing out of the newspaper. I'm not obsessed with using coupons, but if there's a coupon for something I really want, I'm gonna use it. The salad dressings were $1.58 at Walmart, which meant I would pay just $0.08 for my bottle of Peppercorn Ranch Salad Dressing. Sadly, Walmart was out of my preferred store-bought dressing. But, I came across this new Green Goddess dressing, which rang a bell because the vegan restaurant, Dandelion Cafe, uses a vegan dressing by the same name. I took a chance, and was glad I did.

Jose's is located just one exit from the Jackson Airport. We ate there right after we landed from a delayed flight. That being said, we likely are biased on the food because we were so hungry, but we thought it was really good!

Today, National Public Radio's Weekend Edition Sunday announced the winner of its garlic recipe contest. Two of the three finalists were fish recipes. The final recipe was for a hot sauce. Although the chefs and journalist reviewing the sauce ate it with chicken, the actual sauce is vegetarian! The chicken was not part of the sauce. In fact, the hostess on the radio this morning ate the sauce with a chip. Congratulations to William Maxwell of Vandalia, Missouri, for submitting the winning concoction!

For the actual recipe and to see a video review of the three finalists, visit this link on NPR. The video review even had recommendations for vegetarians. For example, potatoes absorb a lot of flavor. Always remember to compensate for that.

One day last week, our office had a free lunch delivered by a drug rep. The menu was Tijuana Flats, a chain Mexican restaurant started by some local college kids that has done incredibly well with its fast food and HOT sauces with funky names. I was very impressed with the amount of food delivered because we are a large office and generally the amount set aside to allegedly serve 50-60 people only feeds 40 or less. So in case you were looking for a casual catering recommendation, this is my vote. Naturally, the salsa isn't special, but it's fresh. The same goes for the guacamole.

This was surprisingly a great and easy recipe. I found it in the same Better Homes and Gardens as the recipe for the fruit cake topping. When I saw the photo and the recipe in the magazine, I knew it would be easy to create a vegetarian variation and had foods that my family would eat. However, when I poured the soup our of the pot on my stove and into bowls, I became nervous that it didn't look so good and might taste horrible.

Paco's is a small restaurant on Fairbanks Avenue and should almost have a downtown Orlando address instead of a Winter Park address. With its size and mismatched table linens and chairs, it might be hard to imagine how the restaurant could be celebrating 27 years and consistently have a line of hungry patrons waiting in the small entrance. The easiest answer would be really good food and really good service.

Nachos don't normally come under the heading of excellent food for the body. But maybe it's just the way they are put together. When done using fresh ingredients, there isn't too much you can say against them. That being said, if it were served with a salad or had a salad on top of it, it would look perfectly appetizing and healthy.

For an all-girls mini party, I needed a simple mid-afternoon snack to be more of the main dish for a small group. I already had some crackers made of a variety of seeds--flax, poppy, sesame,etc. The crackers have a great and unique flavor. I simply wanted something to add to them. I then selected a plain, but well seasoned hummus and a medium salsa as dips.

We're big fans of Mexican, and generally don't mind a visit to Taco Bell when it's good. However, since Taco Bell has come out with a line of products in grocery stores, we prefer to do Taco Bell at home. We use the vegetarian blend refried beans and on occasion their medium taco Sauce. Most of the time Paul likes his Cholula sauce instead. It has a stronger vinegar taste.