Saturday night Michal and I decided to go out to dinner for seafood, because when you’re in Maine, it’s just wrong to eat anything else, so we put on some non-scrubby clothes, and hit the town.

I know from this blog it seems as though I never wear make-up and am always in running shorts, but I assure you I am quite girly (note the pink top).

We decided that we would park in town and then walk along Marginal Way which takes you down into Perkins Cove.

Once we began the walk on marginal way, the views were incredible…

When we arrived in Perkins Cove, we ate at one of favorite restaurants, Barnacle Billy’s.

I’ve been eating here since I was a kid, and the food is always straight off the boat and delicious.

Before being seated, Michal enjoyed a cold beer in the lounge, and I sneaked a photo which captured his content state.

Is there anything better than enjoying your first cold beer on vacation?

When we finally sat down for dinner, I already knew what I wanted–Billy’s homemade Gazpacho Soup with JUMBO shrimp….

You can’t find shrimp any larger than this. They were so big that just 4 left me feeling full (and usually when I eat shrimp my stomach is a bottomless pit).

Michal had their stuffed shrimp dish which looked just as incredible.

But you want to know what the best part about dinner was?

The view.

When I first started this blog, I had one rule:

“I promise to never write about nothing, like my 16 year old self would.”

But after rejoining the blogosphere, it’s the same old mind games. You become acutely aware of ordinary things, and suddenly your leftovers seem sort of interesting…

Turkey simmered in fire roasted tomatoes, paired with sauteed kale and wild rice; topped with cheese.

I think I’ll call this dish…

“Happiness–even on a Monday”

Pigs head, pork belly, lambs throat, and bone marrow are just a few of the things you can experience at the culinary adventure that is Roberta’s in Brooklyn, NY.

Although I had my fears about the menu, it turned out to be a REALLY fun night.

Michal and I were the first ones to arrive at the restaurant (we were meeting 5 others to celebrate my friend Jesse’s birthday), so it was the perfect opportunity for me to take some interior shots of the awesomely eccentric decor, which I would describe as “warehouse chic.”

Once everyone arrived it was about a two hour wait to be seated (this place was packed!), so if patience is not your virtue, be sure to make reservations if you are a large party.

Being that there is an awesome bar and outdoor lounge in the back, waiting to be seated actually turned out to be a great socializing opportunity, and with all the laughs before dinner, I didn’t even notice the wait.

After being seated, we decided to just order a hodgepodge of items off the menu to share. Our picks were the following:

• Braised Tripe (cow stomach)
• Sweet Bread (lamb and calf neck/pancreas)
• Seared Scallops w/ Pigs Head
• Two orders of the combo meat and cheese plate (from what I can remember there was prosciutto, blue cheese, soft brie, candied walnuts and cherries)
• Good Girl Pizza (Kale, Pork Sausage, and Garlic)
• Rosso Pizza w/ Anchovies (tomato, oregeno, garlic)
• Calzone Tony (stuffed with mozzarella, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, pesto sauce)
• Bone Marrow, but they ran out.

As for what I ate, I sampled the candied walnuts, sweet cherries, seared scallops, calzone, and I had quite a few slices of anchovy pizza. Presentation was nice too. I tried to get shots of the food, but the lighting was so dim, that I sort of gave up half-way through. I did manage to salvage a few close-up shots of the anchovy pizza, but please keep in mind they do not do the food justice…

As for cost, we dropped about 25 dollars per person (not including drinks), but I’m pretty sure we spent on the higher end of the Roberta’s price range. In the end though, who cares about the price when you get to have a fun night out with great people.

All and all, Roberta’s is definitely worth trying, and a great place to hold a birthday party for your favorite hipster friend

My friend Mike is really passionate about cooking, and for the past three years now, he’s hosted an annual dinner party for his friends. Throughout the night you’re served a total of 6 courses, and with the help of his friend Liz (a classically trained baker), they serve an extravagant line-up of food to around 30 people! It’s quite an undertaking, and certainly not for anyone who can’t handle high stress situations, but for anyone who is truly passionate about cooking, this is such a fantastic idea for something to do with a group of your closest friends.

Mike asked that each person pitch in just $15 to cover the cost of food and place settings (and trust me when I say that didn’t even begin to cover his costs). He puts a lot of time into turning his apartment into a mock New York Italian restaurant, complete with candles, printed menus, and waiters (a.k.a his most loyal friends and family members).

The courses were as follows:

First Course:
Fontina Risotto Cakes with Fresh Chives

Second Course:
Pasta Fagioli

Third Course:
Sauteed Shrimp with Pancetta on Creamy Polenta

Fourth Course:
Wrapped Pork Tenderloins with Pistachio Pesto and Sweet Potato Puree

Fifth Course:
Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Salad (Liz used organic basil from a local farmers market)

Finally Dessert!:
Almond Praline Cake with Mascarpone Frosting, Espresso Creme Brulee, and Limoncello.

I wish I had taken better pictures of each course, but the lighting was really dim, and plus I was super hungry, so when a plate came out I usually just started eating. My favorite moment of the night though was when Liz whipped out a blow torch to make her Espresso Creme Brulee. So bad ass!

I got home from the dinner party at around midnight, and boy was I exhausted. Between the race in Manchester, walking around Middletown, and eating some serious good eats, my body was ready to shut down. As tired as I was though, I was incredibly happy with how my Saturday had panned out.

What a perfect first day of spring.

Hi, and welcome to my first entry in The Tiny Adventurer.

Tonight doesn’t really involve any adventures,  but tomorrow is a jam packed Saturday which includes a 3.25 mile race in Manchester, lunch at a vegan restaurant named ION, and then a 7 course dinner party being hosted by my friend Mike. I’m pretty excited to ring in the first day of spring with all these exciting activities.

Tonight Michal and I just lounged around in our pajamas, and cooked a nice pre-race dinner of “burgers and fries,”  but  as you’ll see below we made a few healthy modifications.

We made the fries from scratch out of sweet potatoes, and they came out incredible….

Sweet Potato Fries Recipe (serves 2)

What You’ll Need:
2 large sweet potatoes
1 egg white (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp olive oil (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wash sweet potatoes thoroughly, and then peel them (removing the skins is NOT required, and I typically leave one with skin and one without to give the fries some variation in texture).  Slice the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch  to 1 inch sections. In a large bowl or zip lock bag, combine the sweet potato slices, egg white, paprika, and cinnamon. Mix until the potatoes are coated thoroughly. Cover a baking sheet with tin foil, and then coat it with cooking spray (don’t forget to do this or else the fries will stick to the pan!). Spread the fries out onto the pan, and then place them in the oven. Cook for 15 minutes, and then take out the pan to flip the fries and move them around a bit. Put them back into the oven for 15 more minutes (some ovens might take longer), then remove them from the oven and enjoy.

I highly recommend this as an inexpensive dish to serve at any occasion, and if you have a spice cabinet, the variations of this recipe are endless.  And on a very important side note, sweet potatoes are a super food with a very long list of health benefits, so this is one of the best ways to satisfy a savory food craving without breaking the bank or doing damage to your health.

For the burger portion of our dinner, I had a turkey burger which I made from scratch, while Michal opted for two veggie Boca burgers. We used the George Foreman to grill them, and then topped them with suateed mushrooms and onions, pepper jack cheese, bib lettuce, ketchup, and whole wheat toast. I’ll end this entry by leaving you one more picture of Michal holding our very satisfying and budget-friendly dinner.

Alright, time for bed now, but hopefully this will be the first of many more entries to come!