Blog - TRR Strategies

Weekend in Vancouver

Ester I. Harrison — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 17:42:20 +0000

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Exploring Australia & New Zealand

Ester I. Harrison — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 17:18:01 +0000

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Forced Minimalism

Ester I. Harrison — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 22:06:06 +0000

by Ester Harrison

Oh, hello there.

How's it been?

Yeah, I admit it. Lately I have sucked at keeping up with my The Roaming Ramekins blog. Why? Mostly due to all of this stuff: move to the new house, new job, an election and other life-changing stuff. You know. I'm sure you are right there with me.

For months now I have been collecting images and stories with hopes to catch up on blog posts this winter break. I was going to write amazing recaps, like one on our trip to LA where we dined at places like Abigaile and Canele, stayed in the cutest AirBnB in Hermosa Beach, relaxed on the beach, and visited Getty Villa and the Broad museums. Or cover the past two Podcasts and Casserole supper meals that included a breakfast night and a Tapas-style meal.

I knew that once winter came I would have two weeks staycation. TWO WEEKS(!) of time to write and update and organize!

But, as the saying goes, "man plans, God laughs."

Three weeks ago my phone broke and all the files I believed I was backing up disappeared with that phone. Where are they? In that great abyss of nothingness where socks go.

After realizing my grand mistake I gave myself a moment to despair. And what did I feel next? Relief, actually. In this age of millions of photos (my phone had at least a few thousand), I often feel overwhelmed. What am I expected to with these. Let's be honest, I am not going to scrapbook. It's not my style. So, thanks to my technological gaffe and the wonder of the universe, I no longer have to figure that out. Instead, I get to deal with a forced minimalism.

What does that mean for you, dear reader? Well, for one thing I'm not going to try to play catch up on several months of posts. I didn't write, I lost the images, life goes on.

Ultimately it means that I have to reanalyze the point of this blog. But that's a post for another day. For now, enjoy the images I was able to scrounge together from social media.

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48 hours in the Twin Cities

Ester I. Harrison — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 17:00:00 +0000

by Ester Harrison

Since my sister moved to Minneapolis a few years ago, I have taken a trip there nearly every 12-18 months. Never too long, but just enough time to experience various parts of the city. On this quick trip, I sat back and let me sister plan the entire weekend. We were there to celebrate her new baby’s (my Godson’s) baptism, so I figured that it would be best to let her make the arrangements.

We arrived late on a Friday night and headed straight to our AirBnB located off of Lake Calhoun. A few moments to settle in and then it was directly to Lake & Irving Restaurant for a nightcap. It was quiet in the Uptown Minneapolis neighborhood, we stayed for a couple of drinks and headed to sleep at our quaint AirBnB.

The next we woke up early and headed off to breakfast at Barbette, where we had a wonderful and varied meal. I had Eggs Benedict with Baby Bok Choy and Lardons, my family had granola, fruit and omelettes. After breakfast it was off to our planned adventure, the Minnesota Harvest Apple Orchard. We were able to taste apple wine, picked apples and had a picnic. It was perfect.

After apple-picking we headed back to wash-up, rest and get dressed up for dinner. That night we had a delicious and hearty dinner at W.A. Frost & Company. We enjoyed copious bottles of wine, mussels and cheeses before we even got to the entrees. Matt had a Moroccan-style braised lamb shank while I enjoyed the most delicious Scottish Ocean Trout with sticky rice, shishito stir-fry swimming in a shrimp and lemon grass broth and topped with a sesame brittle. YUM!

Our lake house AirBnB rental on Lake Calhoun was so lovely that we spent the rest of the night catching up while enjoying a bottle of apple wine. It was the most perfectly relaxing Saturday night.

The next day was a little more rushed as we had the baptism followed by lunch at the Longfellow Grill. A little more catch-up time with the new baby and then it was off to the airport and back to Dallas. 48 hours done very well in the Twin Cities!

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South America Adventure to Chile

Ester I. Harrison — Thu, 12 May 2016 23:56:34 +0000

by Ester Harrison

Sometimes less words are better, and that is especially true when traveling to naturally beautiful places such as Chile. So rather than explain adnauseum everything Matt and I jam packed into two weeks in Chile, I will show you. It was amazing, Chile is a beautiful country. I can't wait to go back.

Cities explored:

Santiago
Valparaiso
Valdivia
Niebla
Santa Cruz
Antuco

Restaurants enjoyed:

Puerto Bellavista, Santiago
Il Siciliano, Santiago
Galindo, Santiago
Fauna, Valparaiso
Restaurante Antucalhue , Antuco
Casa Silva Restaurant , San Fernando
Cerveceria Kunstmann, Valdivia
Viu Manent Winery Rayuela Wine & Grill, Cunaco

Stay:

Many, many hotels in Santiago but I recommend staying in the Recoleta district
Airesbuenos Hostel y Permacultura, Valdivia
Hotel TerraVina, Santa Cruz
Cabañas Restaurante Antucalhue, outside Antuco

Must-do Adventures:

Stroll through the Recoleta District in Santiago and be sure to take the funicular Pio Nono up to Santuario de la Inmaculada Concepción and the Parque Metropolitano de Santiago.
Walk throughout Valparaiso and take in all the street art, be sure to use the funiculars.
Stay at the Cabañas Restaurante Antucalhue outside of Antuco and hike around Parque Nacional Laguna del Laja.
Roam around the cute town of Valdivia and catch the bus to Niebla to visit the Museo de Sitio Castillo de Niebla. On your way back to Valdivia be sure to stop at Cerveceria Kunstmann.
Wine tasting tour in the Colchagua Valley.
- Some great vineyards to visit include Casa Silva, Laura Hartwig Winery, Neyen de Apalta Winery, Viu Manent Winery and Casa Lapostolle Winery

Hudson River Valley Escape

Ester I. Harrison — Mon, 02 May 2016 21:05:00 +0000

During our New York City tour, we had an awesome time eating and seeing so many great things. I love cities more than anything. However, after a while Matt gets a little tired of the concrete jungle. So we decided to take a mini-break to the Hudson River Valley.

I've been dying to visit this area since I first started studying early American Art and the Hudson River School. I could stare at a Thomas Cole painting for hours. So off we ventured in the rainy weather and our Mini-Cooper (car rental win!) along the winding roads of the Hudson River Valley. We began our journey in Madison, New Jersey and drove Northeast on I-87 to Beacon.

Once in Beacon, we stopped at the Beacon Falls Cafe to stretch our legs and have some lunch. I feasted on some deliciously gluttonous Grown Up Mac n Cheese, think gnocchi served in a creamy three cheese sauce, drizzled with truffle oil, and topped with crispy bacon. It's vacation after all, right? We filled up on coffee to help avoid a food coma before conquering DIA: Beacon, a collection of modern and contemporary museum works. The museum, which is house in a former Nabisco box-printing facility, is enormous. However, it is designed in a clear format that lays out galleries by artist rather than theme. When we visited, the collection was primarily a mix of sculptural minimalist works perfectly presented in this massive space. The Richard Serra gallery, with his Torqued Ellipses, was the largest collection of Serra works I have ever.

On the way to or adorable B&B (The Stone House Bed & Breakfast in Hurley) we stopped by the Walkway over the Hudson. Admittedly, the weather was a bit too chilly and foggy to enjoy the great view. However, I imagine this is a great place to visit in the summer and fall, once the trees are turning all those wonderful orange shades.

We finally got to our accommodations and met our host, Sam, who was. After a quick nap (Matt spent the time wandering about the property), we headed off to dinner in Phoenicia at Tavern 214. We heard about this gourmet town from some friends who came here and mentioned that it had a great Farm to Table, organic vibe. They were right! Taver 214 is a self-described Farm to Table Gastropub. The menu changes weekly according to produce and product availability. It was fairly quiet the night we dined there, which made it more enjoyable since it was date night we had on this trip. We started with the Line Caught Yellowfin Tuna Poke, garnished with Apple-Ginger-Sesame Ponzu, Cucumber, Apple Wasabi Crema and served with Crispy Taro. Next we shared Thyme Basted New Bedford Diver Scallops with a
Goat Cheese Polenta, Broccolini, Truffle Mushrooms Ragout, and Crispy Leeks as well as Chipotle Braised Grass Fed Beef Short Ribs served with Cheddar-Scallion Mash, Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas and a Chipotle BBQ Gravy. It all came together with Flourless Chocolate Cake. Perfect end to a day jaunting around the Hudson River Valley.

We decided to spend the most of the day driving up to Woodstock and wandering around the little town in the Catskill Mountains. After stopping in at most of the little stores in the main square, we stopped for lunch at Joshua's Cafe, where we enjoyed a Mediterranean feast of Moussaka, the Super Falafel, and the most delicious London Fog I have had this side of the Atlantic. After walking around a bit more, we stopped into Bread Alone to grab some coffee for the road and headed back towards Kingston where we found a great little record shop called Rhino Records along the main square as well as Ester's Wine and Spirits.

A quick stop back at the B&B to change and we were off to the other side of the Hudson for more sightseeing and dinner. First stop- the Vanderbilt Mansion, where we sauntered around the expansive ground and got some really gorgeous views of the Hudson River at sunset. Then it was off to my favorite stop, The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. After wandering a bit around campus we headed straight to American Bounty Restaurant, another farm to table choice. Dinner at any of the student-run restaurants at the CIA is a treat. Each culinary student goes through a rigorous training in each position at the restaurant, from hostess/host to bartender to waiter to kitchen staff. I was eager to see those efforts at play.

We were early for our reservation, so we enjoyed a whiskey flight and some cocktails at the bar and discovered Hudson Whiskey. I am not a whiskey connoisseur, but I definitely enjoyed tasting these. Once we were seated, our waiters described the menu and the dining process at American Bounty. We enjoyed a three course meal thanks to the fact that we also happened to visit the restaurant during the Hudson River Valley Restaurant Week. While all the courses were amazing, we were blown away by the Crispy Arctic Char that was topped with a flavorful foam and served with black quinoa. After dinner we were invited to tour the kitchen and ask any remaining questions we might have. This was by far one of the most informative and delicious meals we had in New York!

The next day we had just enough time to enjoy one more of our delicious homemade three course meals at the B&B before setting off for Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow to return the car and catch the train down to the city. All in all, this trip only whet my appetite for the Hudson River Valley and I can't wait to return!

SEE:
- Dia: Beacon
- Walkway over the Hudson
- Catskill Mountains
- Vanderbilt Mansion
- Culinary Institute of America

Dine:
- Beacon Falls Cafe in Beacon
- Joshua's Cafe in Woodstock
- Bread Alone in Woodstock
- Tavern 214 in Phoenicia

Stay:
- The Stone House Bed & Breakfast in Hurley
We passed so many cute little B & B's in this area that you can't go wrong. Forego the hotel and hostel for these.

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Southern Hospitality meets the Tri-State Area

Ester I. Harrison — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 21:05:36 +0000

by Ester Harrison

I love the Northeast. There is something about all the history, culture, and architecture that has always made me feel at home. I also appreciate the fact that I can usually get my fill of sights, sounds and tastes when I am there.

Last Fall, Matt and I had planned to surprise a friend in New York for his birthday. But, with all the chaos of his accident and the knowingly frigid temperature in December, we rescheduled for this Spring. We are lucky to have a ton of friends and some family in and around New York City, so staying there is always a bit more interesting and easier on the budget.

Our first stop was booking it from Laguardia to Brooklyn- Bushwick to be exact. I've stayed here before, so I knew my way a little better this time. I truly love Brooklyn. It's funky, and still developing into it's own. It is a good blend of sketchy meets artsy meets hip. While we waited for our friends to get off work we wandered off to find some libations to pass the time. Our choice? Little Mo's was a recommendation that our hosts had, and it was awesome. Specializing in Vietnamese treats meets hipster, I selected the Shorty Rice Bowl and a canned Underwood Rosé from Oregon. 'Nuff said.

After meeting up with our friends and wandering through the Jeppe Heim Please Touch the Art benches at Brooklyn Bridge Park, we ventured to Roberta's for our Texas meets New York welcome dinner. We felt so lucky that six of our friends (traveling from various points in NYC) were able to meet us for out of this world pizza in this well established piece of heaven in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The night ended as any night should, chatting and walking the streets of New York.

The next day we set off for our city adventure to see the Munch and Expressionism exhibition at the Neue Galerie. After spending a couple of hours in the museum soaking in all of the beautiful German Expressionism, I needed some sustenance of the tube-shaped variety. I can't venture to New York City without having at least one hot dog, and this trip was no exception. Friends and family have all laughed at me, but in my opinion the best (must be: all-beef kosher) hot dog in the city is on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. What's the name of the stand? No clue, but I've always found it there.

After strolling through Central Park, it was time to head to the train station for our next adventure. While waiting for our train, we decided to get a last drink and bite near Pennsylvania Station. We were all surprised to see The Pennsy, a new food hall concept located right at Madison Square Garden. A glass of wine from the Pennsy Bar and a Country Ham, Truffle & Cheese sandwich from Pat La Frieda's, and we were off to catch our train to New Jersey.

Our train took us to the sleepy New Jersey college town or Madison, where we were visiting family. We were able to slow it down a bit. We spent the next days exploring Drew University, cooking together (we made a pretty amazing Chicken Curry), playing card games and getting to check out some real estate in the Morristown and Essex Counties. Our hosts are in the market to buy and homes in the Northeast are very different from Texas houses. Sometimes you need a couple of days in the fresh air and large trees to regenerate from the city. From there it was on to our Hudson River Valley adventure, which I will talk about further in another post.

After our road trip in the Hudson River Valley, we said goodbye to our Mini-Cooper rental in Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow and caught the Metro-North Railroad—Hudson line train to Harlem to stay with friends from Texas. After some homemade chicken enchiladas and a board game later we were off to explore the bar and restaurant scene in the East Village. Never would I have imagine the crazy adventure in store for us over the next 12 hours. After getting caught in some serious train congestion and rush-hour traffic we wandered, slowly, down to Cienfuegos. A hip little restaurant featuring shared punch bowls and Cuban delicacies. Next, we met the rest of the group (the New Jersey contingency) and walked over to PDT, a word of mouth bar hidden inside Crif Dogs that features classic cocktails as well as some twisted creations and adult-style hot dogs. Make sure you get a reservation, or you won't get in. From there we wandered back to Harlem, since our flight was in the early hours. Always planning in advance, I set my alarm and figured I was good to go.

Wrong. We woke up late and nearly missed our flight but for some seriously amazing luck. I blame the punch, the Staggerac and the hot dogs, but if I had to relive it- I wouldn't change anything about that day. Except maybe grabbing our bagels on the way out of town.

SEE:
- Brooklyn Bridge Park
- Neue Galerie
- Central Park
- East Village

Dine:
- Little Mo's
- Roberta's
- Pine Box Rock Shop
- Cienfuegos
- PDT: Please Don't Tell
- The Pennsy

Stay:
- We stayed with friends. However, there are so many choices and I always go with Hostelworld or AirBnB in a pinch. Areas I prefer include- the East Village and Upper East Side in Manhattan or Williamsburg and Bushwick in Brooklyn. Check access to subway and dining for the best locations.

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West (of Dallas) Texas Roadtrip: Part 2

Ester I. Harrison — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 18:28:40 +0000

by Ester Harrison

The next morning we woke up in our peaceful room at Rest and wondered over to have a delicious oatmeal pancake breakfast at the main house. After eating, we talked to our hosts, Laurie and Robert Williamson for a while about Dallas, changes in West Texas, and similar interests in farming, art and wine. They recommended that we head about an hour southeast to a tiny town called Eola. What's in Eola? Well, not much, except for the Eola Schoolhouse Brewery and Restaurant. Thirteen years ago its owner, Mark Cannon decided to move from Portland back to Texas and purchased this school house as his home. Sound interesting? Well, Mark is quite the character. We spent some time (okay, a few hours) talking to Mark, eating lunch, getting a tour of the school house all while tasting his microbrewery beers. For a town in the middle of nowhere, it was visited by 5 various groups of people who had headed to that region of Texas for one thing: Mark's famous beers (and I imagine his fun attitude too). We had a hard time leaving, but eventually hit the road back to Valera. On the way we pulled over to catch the last of a beautiful Texas sunset, as you do while in the Lone Star State.

After a few lost hours in Eola, we thought it might be best to head back to Rancho Loma and prepare for dinner at the restaurant. Our drive was calm and we followed a new path back to Valera, even enjoying a scenic Texas sunset just as we arrived back at Rest. Our dinner? The most amazingly sumptuous 5 courses of seasonal flavors. We started with a root vegetable soup teaser. Our next course was a colorful Winter Caprese Salad topped with sundried tomatoes, microgreens and a homemade pesto. This was followed by a creamy, but simple Cacio e Pepe (Cheese and Pepper) Pasta made in house by Laurie. It was exquisite. The main course was the most beautiful Bone-In Akaushi Rib Eye Steak with a Roasted Bone Marrow served with crisp bread and a fresh parsley salad. Goodness was it delicious, and enormous. We took over half of it back to the hotel room with us. And for dessert? A rich Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Cake. We couldn't handle that at the time, so we ended up enjoying it a bit later while stargazing on the Rest outdoor lounge area.

We had a hard time leaving the next day. Not only was our scrambled egg and biscuit breakfast way too delicious, but the fresh air was intoxicating. We reluctantly packed up the car, along with the dozen eggs that Laurie and Robert shared from their hens and headed back to Dallas. If you happen to be in West Texas, make sure to stop at Rancho Loma. I hope that we get back there soon!

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West (of Dallas) Texas Roadtrip: Part 1

Ester I. Harrison — Thu, 17 Mar 2016 16:00:00 +0000

by Ester Harrison

Years ago, I read about a little retreat three hours west of Dallas called Rancho Loma. The articles completely captivated me. I knew that somehow, someday I had to experience this place. Last month, we finally found a rare free weekend and set off west. Using the Roadtrippers app and website to plan an itinerary, I decided to make this a discovery trip of West Texas.

Honestly, I thought there would be very little to see except great expanse between Dallas and Valera, Texas. Boy, was I wrong. In fact, we had a hard time deciding on whether to stop at Dinosaur Valley State Park for a energetic hike, at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center for an animal adventure, or at the Dr. Pepper Museum for a cultural stop. All different types of activities and all 1 1/2 to 2 hours west of Dallas.

In the end we settled upon Fossil Rim. Matt's still convalescing from his accident so any long walking trips are pretty impossible without a wheelchair. But, it was such a beautiful day we knew we definitely wanted to be outdoors. We had both visited Dinosaur Valley in the past and loved it, but we were in the mood for something new. As for the Dr. Pepper Museum, it would have to wait. Also, I'm not a huge soda fan anyway (read: high fructose corn syrup/sugar and carbonation).

Although it is a 2 hour drive through the 9 miles of path (at 15mph tops), it is well worth the time and the cost. The appeal? Along the trail you run into various animals that are protected there. Giraffes, Zebras, Ostrich, Bison, Rhinos, Deer, and Cheetahs, to name a few. And with an optional bag of feed in your car, they are looking for you as much as you are hoping to see them. I am still giddy thinking about the Giraffe that had its head through our sunroof slobbering for some food. The Ostrich and Ram may have gotten a bit close for comfort, my car can attest to that. But, it was so much fun. The whole experience made me feel like a kid again.

From there we continued down I-67 through various towns. Stephenville, Santa Anna, and Bangs, just to name a few. Each town had trademark antique shops, quirky signs, and rustic vibe. Texas is massive and heading out West gives you the largest expanse to drive through.

Finally starving and having very little luck with a phone signal, we stopped in Coleman, Texas for some Tex-Mex at Hidalgo's. Hidalgo's is one of the only restaurants in this town, a fact that I can attest to having literally stopped to ask a gas station attendant what was around. It was pretty packed for a small town, which is a great sign for any restaurant. We were pretty impressed by the service and food. My shrimp and avocado enchilada's rivaled some Dallas options.

Stuffed and slightly tired we continued the dark road to Rancho Loma and Rest, arriving to a welcoming owner and a sky bursting full of stars. After some time counting shooting stars and drinking wine in the Rest lounge area, we returned to our peaceful and modern room and called it a night.

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Road trip: California

Ester I. Harrison — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 17:00:00 +0000

by Ester Harrison

The last time I was in California my family was driving through the massive state in our Silverado Suburban and we, the kids, had commandeered the radio for a reprieve from the classical music by shoving in our tapes of Ace of Base and Meatloaf. Needless to say, it’s been a while. This trip, I decided to make limited plans and travel with only a backpack throughout. A foodie excursion, I feasted at mostly farm to table and local restaurants, the price of which was offset by booking various types of nightly accommodations. From an Airbnb booking in LA to a Bed and Breakfast in Sonoma and a Hostel outside San Francisco, I tried it all.

Los Angeles
My adventure started in LA, a new city for me, but one that came with a reputation for bad traffic, serious shopping and culinary delights. Similar to Dallas in many ways, I found myself at home in LA. While there are many amazing food options in LA, I tried to focus on farm to table concepts. Most the I stayed in a sweet little cottage in Hollywood, which made the perfect launching point for adventures throughout West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Echo Park, and Santa Monica. I traveled by UberPool for the entirety of the trip, except for one tourist laden voyage through Hollywood on a topless van and a ticket on the Pacific Surfliner to San Jose Capistrano, a historic mission town an hour south of Los Angeles.

Eat: Salt’s Cure, Fork in the Road, Bossa Nova, and Foodlab
Stay: AirBnb

Monterey
From Los Angeles I ventured along the Pacific Coast Highway with a good friend who I met at San Juan Capistrano. We drove slowly and took many pit stops to see all the beautiful sights along the highway. Along the way we stopped in Big Sur and Carmel. We finally made it to Monterey just in time for dinner. We stopped at Paluca Trattoria, an authentic and delicious Italian spot on the boardwalk. Although we had planned to continue to San Francisco, we loved Monterey so much we decided to stay the night. This gave us plenty of time to enjoy some drinks by the water before heading to sleep.

Eat: Paluca Trattoria
Stay: Accommodations get booked up pretty fast here. With some luck, I was able to find a great room near the center. There are no hostels, so I used Priceline to get a last minute deal.

Sonoma Valley
Since our Highway 1 excursion took a bit longer than we intended, we headed straight to Sonoma from Monterey. I had booked a nice room at The Gaige Inn in Glen Ellen. We were greeted with an upgrade to their Woodside Suite that opened to the Calabaza Creek. After a sweet Wine and Cheese Social Hour int he Bed and Breakfast common room, we strolled to The Fig Cafe, flashlights in hand. The quiet in this area was a welcome retreat after my three days in dense LA. In the morning we slowly ventured up through the Russian River and Alexander Valleys to the Francis Ford Coppola Vineyard, where we feasted on a wine pairing lunch and enjoyed the Mecanique Tour. On our way to Napa we stopped by the picturesque Chateau Montelena.

Eat: The Fig Café and Rustic, Francis’ Favorites
Sleep: The Gaige Inn in Glen Ellen

Napa Valley
Our short trip through wine country continued with a night in the Napa Valley town of Calistoga. From Geyserville we drove across the 128 and took a tour through the Mt. St. Helena park before heading down to some wineries near our destination. More active than Glen Ellen, Calistoga was the perfect little town for some souvenir shopping and a peaceful stroll. After dinner at the Calistoga Inn, we took it easy and spent the night relaxing. Two days of tasting wines and eating rich foods is surprisingly tiring. In the morning we headed to the Beringer and Honig Vineyards before stopping in Yountville for a luxe lunch at Bouchon. With our stomachs filled and in serious need of coffee, we headed to the city of Napa for an affogato, a special Italian dessert of ice cream with espresso, at Frati Gelato.

Eat: Calistoga Inn Restaurant & Brewery, Bouchon, and Frati Gelato
Sleep: Calistoga Inn in Calistoga

San Francisco and Sausalito
Our last excursion before heading towards San Francisco (and the airport back to Dallas) was a night outside Sausalito, in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Completely isolated from all technology and out in the middle of the woods, this was the perfect place to regroup after such a spectacular trip. We roamed the area, read books, and let our stomachs rest for the night. If you are looking for those picture perfect shots of San Francisco and the Golden Gate bridge, I highly recommend heading to this side of the bay. With an evening flight the next day, we woke up and ventured into San Francisco for a quick tour of the Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39. I'd been to San Francisco before and would likely be back, so I decided to focus on the most important things: Ghiradelli Square and a Clam Chowder bread bowl from Alioto's.

Eat: Alioto's
Sleep: HI Marin Headlands in Sausalito

One thing I discovered in California was that mussels are extremely available and incredibly delicious. I couldn’t get enough of them on this trip. Each dish expertly executed and equally delicious. I feasted on various styles at Salt's Cure in LA , at The Fig Cafe in Glen Ellen, and lastly at Bouchon in Yountville. Though wine country was incredibly fun, I was surprised to actually learn something. During my trip I tried upon two types of grapes which I had previously never heard of and fell in love: Mouvèdre and Pinot Meunier.

All in all I was stunned by California's expansive countryside and beautiful scenery. I have no doubts I will be back for another backpacking trip. What are your favorite spots in California?

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Go: Cozumel, Mexico

Ester I. Harrison — Fri, 17 Jul 2015 21:30:38 +0000

by Ester Harrison

It's bittersweet to think that a month ago I was returning from a fantastic vacation to Cozumel, Mexico. So much has occurred since then that I hardly had time to put away my swimsuits. What with celebrating my husband's birthday, my birthday, and the Independence Day, we've had some kind of celebration nearly every weekend. Which is wonderful- but sometimes you need a Netflix binge. Outside of personal stuff, work has been booming. I've recently started some administrative work for a fun new gastronomic venture in Dallas! All of this excitement means that alone time slowly fades away. But, I couldn't let another week go by without describing the beauty that was Cozumel.

Cozumel was a very welcome "no-stress" vacation. This was our second vacation to a resort, our first being our honeymoon to Puerto Rico. I love planning itineraries, reading about adventures off the beaten path, and finding those hole in the wall restaurants. However, this was not that type of trip. For once, my biggest endeavor was selecting what to pack. It was blissful. Luckily, we traveled with my brother and his family, who had been to Mexico several times before. I was happy to follow someone who knew what they were doing, drink in hand at (almost) all times.

Our resort made is very easy to never want to leave. They had nightly shows, several dining options, and beautiful beaches and pools. Also, even though we don't have kiddos, it was nice to see my nieces and nephew had kids activities. We were able to rent snorkeling gear, kayaks, a catamaran, and go clubbing all within the resort. As someone new to the resort concept, my mind was blown. And did I mention the unlimited food and drinks?!

My favorite activity by far was the day we were picked up from the resort to go snorkeling among the reefs. Reminiscent of our snorkeling adventure from our honeymoon, I was happy to be swimming among so many fish! No, that isn't an exaggeration. Cozumel is a huge snorkeling and scuba diving retreat especially because of this fact. We had no problem finding schools of fish and interesting reefs to swim through. We also saw several eels and a nurse shark, as well as an ocean floor littered with starfish and stingray. The colors down there were so bright, it was hard not to be happy!

Ahh, I'll be daydreaming of swimming amidst schools of fish all day long. Note to self: must learn how to scuba-dive and swim through more schools of fish. What's your favorite vacation spot?

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Two days in Texas Hill Country.

Ester I. Harrison — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 16:40:28 +0000

by Ester Harrison

When you live in Texas, it is very easy to drive just a few hours to experience a completely different atmosphere. It was a rainy Friday, and we decided to book it to Austin for the weekend. Weekender bag in hand, we had planned to leave Dallas in time to miss any traffic. Besides some dangerously torrential Texas rainstorms and a quick coffee break, we made it to Austin in record time. Our objective on this trip was to enjoy the foods and drinks in the company of good friends while exploring the Hill Country.

We arrived around midnight, but were freshly caffeinated and pounced on the idea to go to Ego’s, a local dive and karaoke bar. The quintessential neighborhood bar, you know walking in to Ego’s that you are going to have a great time. And it did not disappoint. The wine is boxed, the drinks are strong, and the laughs are inevitable.

The next day was spent making up for some terrible choices the night before. After kayaking around Lady Bird Lake we went to brunch at the famous Kerbey Lane Cafe. Delicious Tex-Mex was inevitable, but we were most surprised by their seasonal menu.

A quick nap and we were off to the Jester King Brewery. This farmhouse in the middle of nowhere is the perfect Saturday retreat from Austin’s traffic. Nestled between two farmhouses that hold the brewery and Stanley’s Farmhouse Pizza are several picnic tables, where you can enjoy these quirky beers and handcrafted pizzas. Thanks to some rapid moving spring Texas rains, we found ourselves at the Jester King until closing time. Not a terrible situation.

We began Sunday with a quick drive to Wimberley, known for its cabins along the river and some adorable tourist shops. Driving past the crowd in the center, we decided on Kate’s Place for brunch. I knew it was the right choice when we drove up and saw a little herb garden out back. The restaurant is a sunny place with plenty of scenery; we feasted on an appetizer of Ceviche stuffed Avocado and Strawberry Mimosas. With food this good, we shared our entrees of Eggs Benedict (with crab cake), Shrimp and Grits, and the Bagel & Smoked Salmon. I would joyfully drive down to Wimberley just for Kate’s. The restaurant is seasonable, local, and sustainable.

After Kate’s we were ready to taste some wines at the Duchman Family Winery in Driftwood. I first found out about this winery during Savor Dallas. Located on a beautiful and expansive property, the winery (and adjacent Trattoria Lisana) highlight Italian food and wine from various regions. I went home with a bottle of the Aglianico and the Tempranillo. Both deep reds these wines aptly suited for any rich meal, which was perfect because by this point we were ready for some brisket at The Salt Lick in Driftwood.

Things really are bigger here in Texas. This venue has expansive ground with plenty of parking, a wine tasting area, and a giant indoor/ outdoor restaurant space. Make sure you have plenty of time for this stop, because on a sunny weekend it is PACKED. We cheated by snagging a picnic table and ordering two brisket plates to go. A little trick if you love brisket, order the burnt ends, we did and got a tray full. It was amazing and it perfectly paired with the aforementioned red wine.

Some live music and a food coma later, we decided to wake up with a quick dip in Onion Creek before heading back to Austin. The evening ended with a truly breathtaking Texan sunset and some burgers from the Draft Pick to fuel us for our drive to Dallas. We pulled into Dallas exhausted but with wanderlust restored after our speedy adventure.

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Go: Dallas' Arts District

Ester I. Harrison — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 01:14:13 +0000

by Ester Harrison

Last Thursday night Dallas had a well timed break from the unusual Spring rain we’ve been getting. With nearly perfect weather, it was a great opportunity to taste some food and drinks at the Savor Dallas Wine Stroll. This event, probably one of the best attended for Savor Dallas, takes place in in the heart of the downtown Dallas Arts District.

The first venue visited was the Nasher Sculpture Center, a contemporary and modern sculpture museum designed by architect Renzo Piano. Thanks to the weather, Dallas Savor we were able to wander through the beautiful garden and enjoy treats from Hypnotic Donuts, the Dallas Farmer's Market, and Belbosco Fresh Truffles, to name a few. I love anything truffle, so of all these tasty bites, my favorite of the evening was the Fried Quail Egg Crostini with Shaved Italian Truffles. As for the wines, I was most interested in the Texas Wine selection that was available. Local Texas wine is gaining some leverage lately, with more vineyards and varieties popping up every year. Of the selection, I tried the Becker Vineyards 2013 Fascination, a blend of their Zinfandel, Malbec, and Merlot, which was very interesting. I also enjoyed sampling the Duchman Family Winery’s Aglianico wine.

The next stop was a couple of blocks away, at the Meyerson Symphony Center. Unfortunately there were only a few wine samples to speak of, as some had run out by the time we made over there. However, the Meyerson housed all of the liquor tastings. From amaretto to vodka and whiskey to rum there was a variety. The two that stuck out the most were St. Germaine's and High West’s Whiskey Campfire. The smokiness of the whiskey was really unique, while the St. Germaine elderflower cocktail was bright and refreshing. While excited by the liquor options at the Meyerson, I wished that were a few more interesting food options. To be fair, there were cheese and cracker arrangements displayed in a couple of key points, but by when we arrived (an hour into the event), the pickings were slim and the dishware was nonexistent.

Our last stop of the evening was at the Crow Collection of Asian Art. With a line leading out the door and our time running out, I decided to focus my attention on food vendors. Based on recommendation by some friends, we headed in and made a beeline for Kate Weiser Chocolates. I had sampled these treats before and knew that whatever she had prepared would be delicious, but the Key Lime Pie chocolates blew my mind. I’m not sure how she makes such artistic pieces and I don’t need to know as long as they are still available in Dallas! The second recommendation we had was for Texas Spice’s Mac and Cheese. Spicy, rich, and meaty, this was a deliciously complex take on household comfort meal. This tasting definitely left me with a craving to venture to Texas Spice and try more of their menu.

Kate Weiser Chocolates

The night conquered, I was left with a serious craving for a great dessert. One of my favorite recipes is a Rich Chocolate Pot. This is not your light, airy dessert. It is chocolatey, dense and incredibly easy to make. In my opinion, it’s the perfect dessert recipe. Also, it only takes 4 simple ingredients- coconut milk, chocolate, vanilla, and an egg. Try it out and I am sure it will become your dinner party go-to.

Find the Recipe for the Rich Chocolate Pots here.

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Eat: Dallas' Farm to Table Focus

Ester I. Harrison — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 22:06:47 +0000

by Ester Harrison

Hangin in the Garden cocktail with Blanco Tequila, celery, cucumber, jalapeno, lime, ginger, pepper

Savor Dallas is in full swing. This wine and food festival is an annual event that highlights wine, regional cuisine, and area restaurants. Savor Dallas also does a great job of scheduling events around the Dallas attractions such as the Arts District Wine Stroll, the Grand and Reserve Tastings in Fair Park, and Savor the Arboretum. Savor Dallas is an epicurean feast and highly recommended if you like to go to events just to taste many different types of wine and food. I mean, who doesn’t? But, as with most event like this, the tickets do come at a pretty hefty price depending on the event. Usually, the more varieties, the higher the price of the event.

As fun as tastings are, I wanted to try something different this year. I was delighted to see that Savor Dallas added a new event to their usual offerings. The Toast of the Town is a series of lectures that focuses on several contemporary food-inspired topics, specifically those doing with Texas cuisine.

Last night I attended the Toast of the Town lecture on Thinking and Eating Seasonally in Dallas at Lark on the Park restaurant, hosted by Co-Chefs Melody Bishop and Dennis Kelley. This event was an opportunity for Dallas to talk about farm-to-table cuisine in an intimate setting. Set in the upbeat private room at LARK on the Park, we mingled for a bit while the Chefs described the appetizers set before us. The small group feasted on English Pea Toast, Grilled Asparagus with Jamón Serrano, Chilled Snap Pea Soup, Yellowfin Tuna Carpaccio, and a Blood Orange Panna Cotta. These bites were as colorful as they were delicious. My favorite dish of the night was the Yellowfin Tuna Carpaccio which sat on a mound of sticky rice and was topped with salted Texas Grapefruit. It was out of control!

The culinary creations were paired with two selected drinks, a Reginato Sparkling Torrontes and a tequila based cocktail, aptly named Hangin’ in the Garden. Our hosts discussed their backgrounds and how they came to Dallas.

They also highlighted the reasons and process for selecting seasonal produce to create their menus. Melody and Dennis went into great detail about the differences between organic and cage-free, a discussion that is a hot topic right now. Not only was the entire event informative, but it was fun and casual. The Chefs were very approachable and genuinely interested in sharing their knowledge. With their history in California they had plenty of tips and tricks for the group. While I’ve dined at their restaurant several times, hearing about their upcoming menu left me craving some of their delicious food. I am sure that a visit and blog post on LARK on the Park is in my future!

If you happen to be interested in the Toast of the Town series, other events include Food From the Fire! A Wood-Fire Hearth Cooking Seminar & Dinner at Smoke Plano, Appreciating Charcuterie at Hibiscus, and Aesthetics of the Plate at FT33. I’ll be attending Roundtable: The Rise of Modern Texas Cuisine at Texas Spice on Sunday, so stay tuned for a recap of the talk on Monday. For those of you in the Dallas area, Savor Dallas just kicked off so try to get in to one of the many events if you can!

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Two Days in New Orleans

Ester I. Harrison — Sun, 08 Mar 2015 01:34:48 +0000

by Ester Harrison

New Orleans is such an iconic city. I’ve been several times and each time is a different experience. As a southern city on the water, it always makes me think of Palermo, Sicily. A place that I call home. So on my recent trip to NOLA, I decided to go treat it like home and travel without a plan. As just one member of a fairly large group, I knew that there would be no lack of planning or entertainment, and I would just come along for the ride. I let the city (and my friends) take me where they would.

I had a blast.

Live a Great Story sticker on a wall on Frenchman Street.

This is simple to do in New Orleans, as it is one of the greatest cities in America. And you can quote me on that. The sights, tastes, sounds, and smells (even those not so great ones on Bourbon Street) all make up the city whose essence is marinated in traditions. With 36 hours in New Orleans, it was a packed trip and I got the most out of the city. This is perhaps because, in New Orleans it is easy lose your sense of time completely. Forget your watch at home, it doesn't matter.

Most of us arrived late on Friday night, so the first stop was dinner at Deanie’s Seafood in the French Quarter. My meal was a spectacular sampling of some of the region’s classics: crawfish Étouffée, crawfish au gratin, fried crawfish tails and delicious boiled potatoes as an appetizer. While I normally don’t crave crawfish, I basically lived on them the entire weekend in New Orleans, and I am absolutely okay with that. Dinner was a great kick off to an epic and quintessential night on Bourbon Street. (My advice, try it once and then move on to a different area of the city.)

My first morning in New Orleans was an early one, and by the time regrets from the night before were setting in, we were all seated for brunch at the Palace Café in the French Quarter. This Brennan’s restaurant was extraordinary. I'll vouch for any menu that has an entire section devoted to different variations on poached eggs, specifically Eggs Benedict. I am an aficionado of eggs, but the Benedict variety is probably the greatest breakfast food ever created. Essentially you are layering delicious elements and topping it all off with some hollandaise sauce. The Café Eggs Benedict at The Palace Café did not disappoint. A soft and flaky southern cheddar biscuit is loaded with tender “Cochon de Lait pork ‘debris’,” perfectly poached eggs, and tangy tasso hollandaise. For good measure I chose to add sauteed crawfish to the dish because, why not?! Yum!

Cafe Eggs Benedict at the Palace Cafe.

The great thing about New Orleans is that you walk almost everywhere, which is essential when you eat as much crawfish as I had. From brunch we headed to the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. Thanks to a good friend who knew a lot about this cemetery we were able to get an impromptu tour. I've never been on a traditional tour of New Orleans. When I usually go there I wander the city, so having someone in our group who knew about the area was really special and informative. The cemeteries of New Orleans are magical places filled with monumental architecture, rich history, varied spiritualism and a romantic sadness only garnered from hundreds of years of tradition. No trip to this city is complete without a visit to one of these cemeteries.

After the St. Louis Cemetery our trek continued to the New Orleans City Park, which while off the beaten path, is worth the ride on the No. 48, the Canal Street trolley. The expansive 1,300 acre park is an amazing reprieve from the busy streets of the French Quarter. Instead of tourists, the pathways here are filled with old trees hanging with moss. The park also houses the New Orleans Museum of Art, so if your trip allows for it, this is definitely a stop worthy of your time.

A visit to New Orleans would not be complete without stopping by the Warehouse District. So for dinner we ventured out to Mulate’s, an iconic restaurant that specializes in Cajun cuisine in a Dine and Dance atmosphere. Shrimp and Okra Gumbo, another classic, was the meal of choice. With a band playing while we ate, this was a festive and fun way to begin our last night in the Crescent City. From Mulate’s we continued to the artistic Frenchmen Street, where you can enjoy an artisan market and some of the best live Jazz in the city. From there we wandered to the less traveled section of Bourbon Street to find Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar, housed in a building rumored to be the oldest bar in America. A few piano bar songs later and I was ready to begin the long walk back down Bourbon Street to the hotel. Time had completely escaped me and with a trip home the next day, sleep was eminent.

A looming flight in my near future, my final adventure in this city was a walk to the beautiful St. Louis Cathedral and some time to enjoy Jackson Square. It was a nice change of pace to see the French Quarter in near silence on this foggy Sunday morning. Since I was already in the area, I figured I might as well also stop in to Café Du Monde for a Café Au Lait and some of their gluttonous Beignet’s. Right?

36 hours in New Orleans, 4 fantastic meals, no regrets. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that I will be back soon.

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