Braised pork tostadas - A. MAZ. ING!

Just had to break my self-imposed blogging sabbatical to post about this amazing dish we had recently on vacation in the San Diego area. We just needed a 3 pm snack to tide us over to dinner, and stopped at Iris Food & Spirits in Del Mar. On the recommendation of a local, we ordered the braised pork tostadas. It may not be the most photogenic thing...

...but MORE than made up for it in deliciousness! 

Those mini-tostadas are no chips out of a plastic bag: these babies were clearly just-fried, perfectly crisp with just-enough oil. The toppings are simple but perfect: tender, slightly smokey kalua pork, topped with sweet, sweet carmelized onion (with just a hint of wine, maybe), fresh cilantro, and -- according to the menu -- "buttermilk sauce." Which I'm guessing had some adobo sauce. 

Lovely contrast in textures and flavors: crisp/shattering of the tostada; candy-sweet onions playing a perfect counternote to the smoky, meatiness of the pork; just a hint of heat in the flavorfull sauce.

This was one of those meals where discussion came to a sudden halt after the first bite. "Wow," was about all we could manage to mutter. And after the food was gone, we immediately began plotting how to replicate this delicious dish at home.

Iris website

How to eat healthi(er) at Jose Pepper's

(Oh, and a restaurant review.) 

Yes, it is possible to go to a Mexican restaurant and not blow your healthy eating, balanced-carbs plan. Here's my strategy:

1. Count how many chips you eat. Notice I'm not telling you how many to eat. In the past, I've always either decided ahead of time to eat no chips whatsoever (my rare approach), or decided ahead of time to not eat "too many," but then go ahead and do it anyway (my more common approach). Today, I decided I would just count chips as I ate them. I hadn't made up my mind what number I was going to stop at, but the mere mindfulness of counting slowed me down considerably. You might try this and see if it helps. YMMV.

2. Skip the white flour and white rice. I love their fish taco, but it's so packed with flavor, you really don't need the tortilla. (And picking it up to eat it is REALLY messy!) So I just remove the little taco prop that it comes served in, lay the tortilla out flat, and eat the content off it as if the tortilla were the dish. Neater, cleaner, saved some white carbs and some fat, with no sacrifice in flavor or enjoyment!

3. Get veggies instead of rice and beans. I love this about Jose Pepper's: that you can even get vegetables as a side is great, but these actually taste good! A mix of broccoli, cauliflower, summer squash and (tiny shreds of) carrots, they're generously seasoned and cooked just to crisp-tender.

4. And -- do I really need to say this? Skip the little ball of cornmeal and honey! That's nothing but a sugar bomb, and if you never taste it to begin with, you can do a head-fake on yourself and just imagine that it tastes really awful!

As to a review of the restaurant itself... The one we frequent is on 13th Street near the Warren Theater in east Wichita. We go there almost every Sunday for lunch, and although they're always busy, we rarely have to wait long for a table. The staff is always friendly and on top of things. They also have a gluten-free information sheet available on request.

Jose Pepper's website.

Where to eat in Wichita: Fizz Burgers

I have to confess, when Fizz opened in my neighborhood and I saw the signs, I was so appalled at the logo that I had no interest in trying the place out! I mean, tell me that this doesn't look like it actually says "Pizz"!

Plus, that pistachio green color -- one of my favorites, but not one I want to associate with burgers!

Luckily, though, my hairdresser Annie (who works a few doors down) told me that they had really good burgers. So my husband and I tried it out, and it was instantly our new favorite casual spot. (The hubs still insists on calling it Pizz, though. Ha. Ha.)

They do have great burgers, but they also have a great chicken sandwich (try it with avocado, bacon, and garlic aioli) and good salads. I love the chicken tortilla salad; in fact, it's the inspiration for my own make-ahead Tex-Mex salad. (Sorry, no pic yet. Another one of those days when I was so hungry, I was halfway through the salad before I realized it!) In addition to the greens and chicken (alternately, you can order it with pulled pork), there's avocado, cheddar cheese, black beans, tortilla strips, red onion, and a very tasty dressing. 

But what Fizz is probably best loved for is their fries. They have some great traditional skin-on fries (my favorite kind!), shown here in a pic from their website with what looks like a mushroom and Swizz burger.

But what really puts them on the map is their sweet potato fries! (Did you know that sweet potatoes have a lower glycemic index than white potatoes? Crazy, huh?! Plus, they have a ton of Vitamin A.) I've tried s.p. fries at number of restaurants, and I definitely like these the best. They don't have that weird tang that you often get, plus they're not crusted with unnecessary sugar and/or cinnamon. You can also ask to have your order half-and-half: half regular fries and half sweet potato fries.

They have six different dipping sauces you can order with either kind of fries: Garlic Aioli · Roasted Garlic · Smoked Pepper Mayo · Ranch · Pecan · Ketchup · Spicy Ketchup. And they'll gladly bring you a bit of however many you want. But with the sweet potato fries, you gotta try the pecan sauce! It's a little sweet, but not overwhelmingly so.

Oh, and they also offer dozens of different unique soda pops in bottles. Wine and beer, too. Dessert is available: cute little cake pops. I've never tried one, but I gave my sister one and she said it was "the best!"

Locally owned. Open for lunch and dinner Mon. - Sat. Closed Sunday. :(

Fizz website

Places to eat in Kansas City: Mestizo

We've made two visits to Mestizo in the last month. That alone should say something. The first visit was actually mixed, but there was enough good to bring us back. And I'm glad, because the second visit was more positive.

This relatively new addition to the KC restaurant scene is located in Leawood at Park Place (a collection of shops, restaurants and condos at 117th and Nall, just north of the AMC Town Center). You'd have to go looking for it. Unless you just happen to be strolling around this chi-chi mecca of high-end consumerism, you wouldn't happen across it. And if you go in for appetizers, drinks, and a large meal, it's going to be pretty pricey. But we just went for a light late lunch both times, and so we got out for under $15 per person.

Let's start with the salsa. Our first visit there, we were quite underwhelmed by it. It was okay, but didn't taste garden-fresh, which is what you'd expect from the expectations set by the menu. It tasted like the bulk of the sauce came from canned tomatoes. But that was April, and maybe they were short on good local tomatoes so they resorted to canned. This time, however -- midway through May -- the salsa lived up to our original expectations. It had both a sweetness and a pleasant kick (mind you, this comment from me, the spice-wimp), and the sweetness tasted like it came from homegrown t'maters, not from Heinz, or added sugar. A salsa-dipped chip did benefit from a little extra salt added at the table, as the chips are served pretty much saltless. (But I'd much rather have a dish lack salt than be overly salty.)

Other than lacking salt, the chips are great. They somehow manage to be both thick and light -- perfectly crispy.

On our first visit, we ordered guacamole, but none of us (and there were four that time) were impressed. We didn't even finish it, even though it was fairly small. It had a strange note in it; almost tasted mustardy to me. ($9. Sheesh!)

On my first visit, I ordered the "chipotle chicken" -- a simple salad topped with glazed, grilled chicken breast and a tamarind vinaigrette. The chicken was a little over cooked but still enjoyable, and the salad dressing was unique, with a bright, citrusy flavor. ($10.)

On our first visit, the two guys ordered two different kinds of tacos: one ordered grilled mahi-mahi, and the other, crispy pork belly. On our second visit, my husband, having tasted both the first time, ordered a mixed serving of both. (Two tacos, $9.)

The fish tacos, served with avocado slices and mango salsa on top:

Pork belly may sound weird, but these were bite-sized chunks of tender pork with a pleasantly crispy exterior. They weren't strongly smoked, but there was a hint of bacon-y flavor to them.

My husband's assessment of the two: He likes them both, but prefers the pork belly. ("I like El Patron's fish tacos better by a long shot," he says.)

Both kinds of tacos were served with a side of "drunken beans." No one liked the beans. My sister's fiance thought there was an "off" taste to them; I thought they just tasted bland.

The star dish, in my opinion, was the pepita-crusted scallops. My sister ordered it on our first visit, and I ordered on our second. (Her serving had three scallops, mine, only two. Perhaps measured by weight?) The scallops were perfectly done, sweet and tender, and served atop a creamy corn picadillo. Dictionary.com says that picadillo is "a traditional Latin American and Spanish dish of ground meat, onions, tomatoes, raisins, olives, and spices," but this one had grilled corn, small pear tomatoes and bits of jalapeno in a creamy, sauce that tasted of ancho chile to me. The slightly spicy, slightly smoky sauce was a great counterpoint to the sweet scallops, was contrasted nicely with the salty, crispy crust of finely chopped pepitas on top. Nothing to criticize! ($12.)

Our one main complaint about Mestizo: the atmosphere is just a little too slick, a little too chic. (It should be noted that both of our visits were mid-afternoon. Perhaps the decor feels more right after dark.) My husband also was a bit put off by the sterile, styled-ness of the plating.

In a "Welcome" note at the top of the menu, owner Aaron Sanchez says that the menu was inspired, in part, by family meals "freshly prepared by my mother, Zarela." And that kind of love for the flavors and the food came through in the dishes we tried, but I wish it would have also come through in the decor. The restaurant shouts STYLE, and feels like a corporate concept, not a homespun gathering place.

Mestizo website.

Places to eat in Kansas City: Eggtc.

Found another great breakfast place in KC! It's been there for several years, but we only discovered it recently.

Just a few blocks south of the Plaza on Main Street, Eggtc. is next door to Minsky's Pizza (same owners). On weekend mornings, expect a wait. And expect good food!

As is so often the case, I ordered an Eggs Benedict (on whole wheat toast, to make it a smidge healthier).

Tender, juicy, flavorful ham; not too thick, not too thin. The egg perfectly done. Nice job!

They offer nine different kinds of omelettes, plus a "build your own" option. With eight kinds of meat, seven kinds of cheeses, 16 different vegetable choices, and a partridge in a pear tree... (sorry!) ...you ought to be able to find or create something that suits your fancy. My friend ordered an omelette off the menu: Apple and Goat Cheese omelette, with walnuts and onion chutney. Not my cup of tea, but she enjoyed every bite.

I didn't snap a pic of her husband's plate, but he ordered the "Salubrious" omelette -- isn't that a great name? It's not often a menu item has you pulling out your smart phone to look something up on dictonary.com! (Salubrious means "conducive or favourable to health; wholesome".) It contains Monterey Jack and Swiss cheeses, asparagus, black olives, mushrooms and red onions, topped off with red onion chutney.

They also serve frittatas, crepes, breakfast sandwiches, breakfast pizza, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, waffles, french toast... you'd be hard-pressed to find a breakfast favorite that's not offered here.

There were eight of us at the table; I don't remember what everyone ordered, but I do know there were no empty plates at the end! It's a wee bit loud, but the service was prompt and friendly.

Definitely recommended!

Eggtc. website

Places to eat in Wichita: Tanya's Soup Kitchen

Tanya's Soup Kitchen is more than soup: there's sandwiches and salads, too. Everything (except the bread) is made fresh on site, and the dishes all strike a nice balance between the creative and the comfortably familiar. Nothing is run-of-the-mill, but nothing is frou-frou, either. It's nice for our gluten-sensitive friends that they offer gluten-free bread options, and the staff seems to understand the accommodations that need to be made for such folks.

The interior is sunny and open, with a casual cafe vibe. You stand in line to order, and your food is brought to the table.

Today I enjoyed the "Ella," shown at the top of this post. (That's a small. You can also order large.) It's a chicken salad with cashews, dried cherries, and fresh herbs on mixed greens, with your choice of dressing. The dressing on the chicken is very light; no gloppy mayo here. I went with the herb vinaigrette; it was nice and light, with a perfect balance between sweet and tart. The herbs complemented the blend, but no herb was so prominent that it overwhelmed the flavor.

I also got a "small" soup...

...which would be a "bowl" in any other restaurant! Today, I opted for their creamy tomato dill soup. It's so popular, they offer it every day, year-round. And I can see why. It's delish! It's also quite sweet. I'm sure there must be some sugar in there, so for health's sake, I didn't eat the whole thing. But I would have liked to!

Their salads are reasonably priced -- ranging from $3.50 to $7.00 for a small, $4.50 to $9.00 for a large -- but personally, I think their sandwiches are a little overpriced; $9 for whole; $7.75 for half.

Overall, a quite enjoyable lunch!

Tanya's Soup Kitchen website

Places to eat in Kansas City: Slice Deli & Bistro

On a recent short trip to Kansas City, we decided to try some place different for breakfast. I read about Slice Deli on Urbanspoon: it was rated 95%, and reviewers raved about how great the sandwiches are, and about how they smoke and roast all the meat on site. And given the name, I was expecting something bistro-ish. So we went with high hopes.

Which was a mistake.

Now, given all the positive reviews, I'd be willing to try it again at lunch time. And if you go in with realistic expectations, it would be just fine. (Except for the coffee. More on that in a minute.)

First the atmosphere: The space is bright and clean, with toys and games available to play while you wait. But Slice is adjoined to a convenience store, with a large open doorway between the two, and there is no change in ambiance from one to the other. "Deli" is an appropriate description. "Bistro" is not.

My husband and I both ordered "The Beater:" two eggs any style; two slices of bacon, sausage or ham; hash browns and toast. I thought the sausage and eggs (which I ordered over medium) were perfect. The hubs considered the sausage overcooked. The toast came without butter -- and without an offer of butter from the waitress -- and there was none sitting out. The hash browns were perfectly adequate.

I'm not a big coffee drinker, but my husband is. Big coffee snob, really, if we're going to be honest here. He grinds locally-roasted Sumatra beans every morning, and perks it in a French press. Get the picture? He described the coffee at Slice as "the worst coffee I've ever had anywhere." Given that ringing endorsement, I didn't try it, so I can't give the alternate opinion. If coffee is coffee to you, you might think it's perfectly fine. If you're a coffee connoisseur, you might want to skip it.

So the bottom line is: go for lunch, go in with reasonable expectations, and if you're picky, skip the coffee.

Places to eat in Wichita: Le Monde

I've been to Le Monde three or four times -- well, at this location, anyway. Years ago, there was a Le Monde downtown, but I don't know if that was the same owners.

The West Street one looks like it was a fast food joint in a former life, but it's been updated on the inside and out with a homier look.

The menu offers a mix of Americanized Euro-ish favorites: quesadillas, ravioli, chicken moutarde; and the Lebanese offerings which are (happily) commonplace in Wichita: hummus, fattoush, and schawarma. The entrees are dominated by pasta offerings: eight, to be exact.

Homemade biscuits are served free while you peruse the menu. Although delicious, they seem a little out of place with the Euro/Mid-Eastern slant of the menu: they taste just like my grandma's shortbread (American farm food), and the ones we were served this time tasted like they'd just come out of the oven.

I usually get the fattoush salad with chicken, but today I was in the mood for something different, so I ordered a gyro. I've never had one before, so I have nothing to compare it to or to judge how authentic it was. But it was yummy! The seasoned ground beef (and/or lamb?), tasted sort of like breakfast sausage. A good thing, in my book. The tomato and tsaziki sauce was the perfect complement, adding a contrast without overwhelming. The pita bread was soft and puffy.  My daughter was scared off by the tsaziki (yogurt and cucumber sauce), but after she had a taste, she didn't want to give it back to me. It's served with a generous side salad of your choice -- my choice: fattoush, of course!

When she ordered, she stuck to what she knew: chicken schawarma. (Or schwarma.) This dish is pretty common in Wichita. The base of it is hummus -- which I can be fairly picky about, since I have a pretty rockin' homemade version. Then that is topped with chicken schawarma and, usually, some grilled onions, pine nuts, olive oil and/or paprika. Le Monde tops theirs with pickles (housemade, I think), and fresh tomatoes. 

The chicken is tasty, but not remarkable. I give their hummus a thumbs up. And yes, I know I've already said that the pita bread was great, but it bears another mention! I wish they'd serve pita for the free appetizer, with some zahtaar seasoning and good olive oil. But then again, I'd probably just fill up on that! So maybe it's a good thing (for my waistline) they don't.

Places to eat in Kansas City: Beer Kitchen

The Beer Kitchen in Westport is another of our favorite spots in KC. In the past, we've enjoyed their lunch/dinner menu, including various salads, burgers, Mac & Cheese or Fish & Chips.

This time, we were visiting a little earlier in the day and looking for brunch.

Both the hubs and I are big fans of a classic Eggs Benedict, so we're always on the search for good ones. We still miss the EB at Reverse Grill and Jack Gage, which are both now closed.  :(

But luckily, Beer Kitchen also has a brunch menu on the weekend, so my husband tried it. It comes with a side of "brunch potatoes" - chunky cubes of potatoes, crispy-brown on the exterior. The verdict: good hollandaise, potatoes nicely done, but the poached eggs were a little under done, with the whites being just a tad runny. But he wasn't in a complaining mood, so he didn't send them back.

I ordered a "Turkey Turkey" sandwich: smoked turkey, turkey bacon, avocado, tomato, chipotle cheddar and chipotle aioli on grilled sourdough. Being the spice wimp I am, I was concerned about the chipotle component of this sandwich, but the waitress assured me it wasn't spicy at all, so I ordered it as is. I should know better! It was just a little too spicy for me, but again, not bad enough to not finish.

Other than the spice factor (which wouldn't be an issue for most people), the sandwich was delish. I especially liked the toasted sour dough: it was the absolutely perfect balance of crunchy outside and just-chewy-enough inside. Unfortunately, it didn't photograph well, so no pic.

Even with these two small complaints, I would recommend Beer Kitchen without reservations. This was probably our fourth or fifth visit, and they have been consistently good.

They are open seven days a week: open at 11 am on weekdays and 9 am on the weekends. They close anywhere from midnight to 3 a.m.; check their website for details.

Beer Kitchen website

On Urbanspoon:


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Places to eat in KC: El Patron

Places to eat in Kansas City: El Patron

El Patron Cocina and Bar is a locally-owned Mexican restaurant, but it's not your standard mexi-gringo fare. My sister is a local and she first clued us in to this gem; we've been back multiple times and are never disappointed.

It's definitely off the beaten track, as far as restaurants go. It's in a somewhat industrial area, and I would never have picked it out, just driving by. It's even a little hard to find when you are looking for it. (The gray arrow in the photo at left points to the El Patron awning.) But it's worth the hunt!

The interior is a refreshing break from the ubiquitous chunky-wood-painted-neon-colors you find in so many local cocinas. It feels more like a bistro, with exposed brick walls displaying original art.

My favorite -- and what I almost always order -- is the fish tacos. As you can see in the photo below, they have a much more generous serving of fish than Seasons 52. You can get them on corn or flour tortillas, topped with cabbage, avocado, and pico, and they come with a side of mango salsa. What I love about them is that the balance of all the flavors is just exactly right: you can taste the fish but it's not overwhelming, and you get just a small hit of the pico, without it dominating the dish.

But on this visit, my husband wanted the fish tacos, so I decided to order something different, and went with the tacos al pastor: tender chunks of pork, marinated in a "secret recipe." It's a very, very red sauce -- prepare to get messy! -- and though it contains pineapple and orange, don't expect anything like a teriyaki. It's a slightly sweet sauce with cinnamon being the most dominant note. It was nicely flavored; if I were a fan of cinnamon with meat, these would be fantastic. But I'm not, so I wasn't wild about them. Understand, though, that it is just this matter of personal taste that is my only complaint. They were still delicious!

My husband and son have also ordered steak and shrimp -- Arrachera con Camarones. It's a marinated skirt steak, served with sauteed shrimp and caramelized onions. Garnished with charred jalapeno, beans, rice and guacamole on the side, served with flour tortillas. They've both ordered it more than once, which tells you that it's good! (This photo is from the El Patron website; I didn't get a good shot of it.)

So if you're willing to venture beyond the Plaza and Westport, check this place out!

Located at: 2905 Southwest Blvd. (which is not the same as Southwest Trafficway)

Hours: open for lunch and dinner, M - Sat.; dinner only on Sun.

El Patron website.



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Places to eat in KC: Beer Kitchen

Places to eat in Kansas City: Seasons 52 on The Plaza

Seasons 52 is a high-end restaurant chain that just opened a location in Kansas City's Country Club Plaza last year. As the company website says, they feature a "seasonally-inspired menu and award-winning international wine list." As our server explained it, the whole menu changes seasonally, then there are a number of features which change week to week.

The decor feels sort of like a nice hotel lobby. Elegant, pleasant, but lacking soul.

Our server was perfect. Friendly and sincere; knowledgeable and helpful without being pushy.

My daughter and I split the Tiger Shrimp Penne Pasta with "market vegetables in a lemon-basil sauce with Parmesan cheese," to quote the menu. The shrimp was nicely done and the vegetables were perfect, but I couldn't taste lemon or basil in the sauce. In a cheaper restaurant, the dish would be perfectly acceptable, but given the location, the ambience and the prices, I expected to be wowed. I wasn't.

My husband ordered the Blackened Fish Tacos. They were beautifully presented, but as you can see, none too generous with the fish. His take on the flavor was similar to mine regarding my pasta.

On to dessert! (I don't know who first came up with the idea of serving tiny desserts in restaurants, but it is genius!) I ordered Lemon Pound Cake, and it was finally the calibre I was expecting: a perfect balance of sweet and sour. My daughter ordered Mango Cheesecake, which she said was good but lacking much mango flavor. My husband ordered the Pecan Pie with Vanilla Mousse, and it was so sweet he didn't want to finish it.

I always hate to give bad reviews, probably due to that mantra driven into us all in childhood: "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything." But unless someone else is picking up the ticket, I won't be back. It's not horrible; really, it's not! It's just not much above good.  :(

Seasons 52 website
Hours: Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week



You might also like these places to eat in KC:
El Patron
Beer Kitchen in Westport

Restaurant review: Pacific Coast Pizza

One of the foods I miss the most while living a balanced-carb lifestyle is pizza. Eating pizza with whole-wheat crust alleviates some of the guilt, but until Pacific Coast Pizza opened up a couple years ago, there was no place in Wichita that served it.

Happily, that has been remedied. In addition to a traditional white crust, they also offer a "rosemary wheat" crust. I haven't asked for specific nutrition info, so I'm not sure it's 100% whole wheat, but it looks and tastes like it, and that's enough for my conscience, once in a while!

They offer a wide variety of pizzas, from classic to pesto-based to vegetarian to "Pacific Coast Style." There's also the "build your own" option. (Find the menu here.) My favorite is the San Andreas: rosemary wheat crust topped with red sauce, low-fat mozzarella, roasted chicken, red onion, mushroom, roasted red pepper and pineapple.

Their strength is definitely their pizza. I haven't tried any of the pasta, sandwiches or wraps, but pass up the salads. The "Caesar" is just a normal salad with what tastes like bottled Italian dressing, with some Parmesan sprinkled on top. Don't expect much from the atmosphere: what little decor there is consists of beer brand signs. There is a patio, so on those precious few days when Kansas weather makes sitting outdoors comfortable, that's a nice option.

It's located in Sienna Plaza, on the northwest corner of 37th Street North and Rock Road, and parking is never a problem.

Good place to eat in San Diego: Prado Restaurant in Balboa Park

The restaurant that earned two visits in a four-day vacation.

After a couple hours walking around in Balboa Park, enjoying the Japanese Garden very much, and (to a lesser extent) the Art Museum, I was flagging and in need of a little snack or caffeine. We had heard about Prado, the only restaurant on the grounds there. Since it was in a touristy spot, and without competition, we kinda figured it would be A) poor quality food, B) way overpriced, or C) both. We were pleasantly surprised to find that it was D) neither. It's not cheap food, but for the quality and the ambiance, I do not think it's at all overpriced. (You can find the menus at the bottom of this page.)

The complementary appetizer is a crispy cracker/flatbread, that comes in poppyseed and parmesan, accompanied by a bit of bean dip that is rather like a thick hummus, but with herbs. Quite tasty, and a welcome departure from bread and butter.

We were originally going to split an appetizer, but then I spied a wedge salad on the menu, and had to have that. Eric hates bleu cheese, so he ended up ordering a three-skewer trio. One mini-kabob, each with a nicely-done piece of meat and three appropriate sauces: steak with chipotle honey, chicken breast with cashew curry, and shrimp with mango ginger sauce. They were all tasty (I did take a tiny bite of each; Eric's so nice to share!), and just the right size for a mid-afternoon snack. I loved my wedge salad! It was simple and classic, but done just exactly right. Instead of one behemoth wedge of lettuce, there were four petite ones, with ripe, red, diced tomatoes and crispy bacon in the center of the four, and bleu cheese dressing drizzled generously over all. (Forgive me; no pics. We were hungry!)

So we were originally planning on one appetizer; now we were up to two. But as soon as we saw a gorgeous dessert go by, we knew we couldn't stop there! The dessert that seduced us was their flan, which is the photo at the top of this post. Confession: I shot this photo on someone else's table, without their permission. Just pointed my camera over there and clicked once.

What a lucky shot, huh?! That tells you how gorgeous the dessert and the sunlight was! We were seated on their lovely outdoor terrace.

And the waitress was happy to take our picture.

Back to the flan... It's speared with a shard of sugar glass, and accompanied by a nest of shredded phyllo and fresh berries. Although we were enticed by the flan, the waitress described it as more like a cheesecake in texture, and we'd already been there, done that. (See my review of El Callejon in this post.) So instead we ordered the tres leches cake.

But it was not just cake. Below is the architectural marvel that is this dessert: a pistachio meringue base, filled with caramel bananas, topped with tres leches cake, topped with vanilla bean ice cream -- and all that is topped with a thin slice of crispy-fried plantain.

I hate to say this... As beautiful as the tres leches dessert was, it wasn't my favorite. It's not that the dish wasn't well executed; it certainly was! It was just too sweet for me. If you eat a lot of sweets and/or you love tres leches, you might find this dish fantastic. But since I'm fairly accustomed to very little sugar, I'm more sensitive to the taste and actually prefer things that aren't so sweet.

Still, we were so happy with our first experience there that we decided to go back for dinner a couple days later.  That evening, we were seated indoors, so I tried to be very inconspicuous about my photo-taking. That coupled with the fact that it was very dim indoors, means that I don't have any pictures of the indoors or our entrees. The decor was the very definition of eclectic -- for example, the room was lit mostly by a hodge podge of mis-matched table lamps, and they had several lighting fixtures that consisted of vessels made of antlers, filled with multi-hued glass orbs. Yeah, it sounds a little weird, but it really worked with the whole of the decor.

Eric ordered... hmm, I'll have to get back with you on that. I don't remember the exact dish. It was something steak, I believe, and quite tender. I ordered the crabcakes; they are meant to be an appetizer, but I wasn't terribly hungry, and plus, I was saving room for dessert, round two! (I appreciated the fact that the waiter didn't try to upsell me; when I said I wasn't that hungry, he graciously suggested the appetizer section.) I usually don't order crabcakes, because it's just so hard for any version to live up to the best I've ever had, at Cafe Sebastienne in the Kemper Museum in Kansas City. But these stood up on their own. They come with a spicy sauce, which I asked for on the side, but I did use a fair amount of it. It was not too overbearing for this spice wimp, and added a just-right punch to the delicate cakes.

So, on to dessert! I ordered the dessert that really caught my eye the first time I looked over the menu: pumpkin creme brulee! Although it was the least attractive of all the desserts we ordered (or spied), it was the tastiest, in my opinion! The custard was perfect -- silky smooth, hinting of pumpkin, cinnamon and cloves, and peppered with vanilla bean specks. The brulee was nicely crunchy. What I really think could be nixed on the dessert is the "cinnamon chips." I can't imagine how they're made, but they look like bacon, and tasted like cinnamon-y burnt sugar. I have nothing against bacon! Just not so much on my pumpkin dessert. (Chef, if you wouldn't be offended to take suggestions from an everyday cook, I would drizzle the serving dish with something caramel, sprinkle the pumpkin seeds over that, then let the creme brulee stand on top of that in unadorned glory.)

Eric had the "Triple Chocolate Threat." Although my photo didn't come out so great, it was a beautiful presentation, and a delicious combo. The menu describes it as: chocolate cookie crust, dark chocolate baked custard, dark chocolate ganache, and salted caramel ice cream.

So, as you can see, we thoroughly enjoyed our two visits to Prado in as many days, and would recommend it to anyone.