A Tradition

Tradition

Play Freebird! Play Freebird! It’s as traditional as that is to hear at a rock concert.

Freebirds is ‘like’ a Chipotle. Now, the only concept being it’s a make your own burrito place, but the concept here is my first foray into it. I first “met” Freebirds when I was a Freshman in college. This is probably where I should have learned to pull away from the table….and not gain the Freshman 15…twice over.

That said, as a treat, this is well worth the wait, calories and trip up to College Station, TX. I’m a “regular Freebird” sized girl, although they have Monster and Super Monster sizes. A spinach tortilla with their rice and traditional monterrey Jack cheese is good for starts. Add steak and black beans, all of the “Freebies” (pico de gallo, tomato, lettuce, red AND white onion, jalapeno (fresh = SEARING hot!), some of their death sauce or bbq for the more milder tastes and  then add the extra expense of guacamole and you have burrito perfect. A good cold beer added will make this one happy girl! It’s huge. Think about a coke can around give or take and about 1.5 coke cans tall. It’s a meal!

This is traditional comfort food after a bad football game at it’s best. You must try it – these are fresh ingredients, done up properly in a way that doesn’t taste like the mish mash that Mission Burrito sometimes tends to turn out. The selections are much more plentiful than the mainstream Chipotle.

They’re locations have expanded tons, so look for one in your Texas major city! Try it – it’s a change from the regular mexican food, it’s a good funky time to be had with friends!

Freebirds - http://www.freebirds.com/home.htm  - 979-485-8829

Rating: Spoon & fork – this is still fast food, the selection is limited, but it’s better than Chipotle could ever imagine! Gig Em!

Unbelievable

 

On an adventure to San Francisco, I was treated to lunch at the Chez Panisse Cafe. It seems to be advertised as the lesser of the two experiences – versus the dinner restaurant downstairs – but I cannot imagine how that can be. This meal sits towards the top of my lists of things I’ve consumed.

I continue to be amazed at that ability to turn out fantastic dishes without the overpowering use of gravies, butters, cheeses and creams that dotted my experiences in San Francisco. Being from the South, you’re just used to having something “play the heavy” on a dish – no matter where you are, even in salads.

I started the day off with a garden salad where lettuce, if you can even comment on lettuce, actually tasted like lettuce! Gasp! I know. Who writes about leaves? I do. The entire salad actually tasted as if it’d been picked by someone and run up those beautiful mission-style stairs and placed on the plate as quickly as it could be.

I had this beautiful dish of fresh beans and onion with grilled squid.  I’m still trying to figure out what that was. My friends know me as the one who always tries to recreate the dish later. That broth was amazing, there’s just no doing it over. It’s not me giving up, it’s allowing perfection to be held by the chef. The squid was grilled and charred marks were perfection. Chewy in a good way, not like a garden hose on a plate. It had a pairing with an aioli that allowed the buttery-ness to project the salt of the sea in the seafood, but not provide an ocean of grease to swim in.

Now, as if I couldn’t dedicate more emotion to a plate, I ordered apple tart. Which should really just simply say “elation” on the dessert menu and leave no room for description. Apple tart simply dresses down this dish. There is some beauty in “tart” when it’s made of puff pastry so light and airy, filled with simple slices of apple and dressed with a simple syrup of apple and blackberry. The hint given here is that a few blackberries dot the dish. But the need for sugar is nil, the fruit holds court against the light crust and when it comes to finishing a meal, this couldn’t have done better.

Chez Panisse – www.chezpanisse.com - (510) 548-5525 - Reservations are a must. Do not try otherwise.

Rating: spoon, fork & knife + champagne flute – a memory to behold.

Road Trippin’

Go ahead and laugh when I say “Car Seat for a Dog”. But that said, I’ve used this car seat for three of my animals and it’s never ripped, shredded or even been a pain to use! They all LOVE it. They can see out the window, and I don’t have to subject myself to whining much like small children!

It’s safety harness keeps them strapped in safe, which means that if I were in an accident, Ralph Thomas isn’t flying anywhere. It’s easy to put in any style of car and adjusts to just about any placement that you require. (I’ve even been able to put it on the back of a seat when there wasn’t much room! (Although not suggested by the manufacturer)

Ralph can move around enough to be comfortable, sit up and stand to see out the window even more. But he’s definitely in enough that he’s not going to cause damage to himself, or the car. Plus at the end of a long day, he’s able to lay down and nap! Sometimes the dog park is just too much!

Amazon.com can get you the Outward Hound Car Seat for $29.65 and that includes their free super saver shipping! It comes in small (which I use) and medium. I highly recommend this product.