Just a few blocks away from my house is a cute little pizzeria and bar called Rikki's Pizza and Pasta. It moved in when McKenzie River Pizza moved out, and in all that intervening time I never gave the restaurant much thought. I recently gave it a shot with my wife for lunch and found that it has some very interesting items on the menu that I've been missing out on. It was a little early in the day for beer, so unfortunately I can't comment on the alcohol options, but the food was great. There is an entire post below about their take on artichoke dip. They also have other appetizers that I'll have to try some time, like what they call "dry ribs" which are basically bite sized ribs in a spicy seasoning, as well as a lobster dish.
It was tough picking out my meal because there were so many good things to choose from. The salads all sounded amazing and used ingredients that the standard restaurant would never think to throw in. Even the normally hum drum sandwiches all had a twist that drew my attention. In the end I settled on the Angry Lobster Pasta. It's a tomato based pasta but done extra spicy, with asparagus and lobster cooked in. The word "magnificent" only just about covers it. Megan had Florentine Ravioli, which also definitely a winner.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Our Second Wedding Anniversary Part II
We went to check into the hotel where we stayed for both our honeymoon and first anniversary, the Townhouse Inn. We originally chose it because it was one of the few hotels in our town that has a room with a jacuzzi for a decent price, and since then it's just become tradition to stay each year. We forgot that their check in is at 3:00 PM instead of the more standard 2:00 PM, so the room unfortunately wasn't ready yet. We headed off to Hastings, which is probably my favorite store, to waste some time looking at books and movies. A guy I knew from middle school was playing an acoustic show live in the Cafe, but I'm not particularly a fan of his style of music so we didn't stay and watch.
Returning to the hotel we noticed a sign saying there would be renovations that might affect our stay. After checking with the desk they assured us the pool and sauna would still be available. This is a big deal for us, because bringing family over for swimming is part of our anniversary tradition. We got settled in and went out for a preliminary swim and hot tub stay as we had some time to spend. The hot tub felt great after all that walking earlier! We were pretty tired from all we had done already, so we took a short nap before getting ready for dinner.
We had planned on eating at the newly opened Macaroni Grill because we both were in the mood for some great pasta, but there was a very long wait and we hadn't got reservations, so we went off to Jaker's instead. Their soup and salad bar is something that we love to indulge in every now and again. They hand make their own croutons and cut them very thick, and have several amazing soups like the lobster bisque. Megan got the salad bar (and I picked off her plate every now and again!) and I chose the lobster linguine. There's just something awesome about mixing lobster with pasta, especially lighter Alfredo or wine based sauces. It can be good with a heavier tomato based sauce, but that takes a little more effort to pull off well. Jakers is one of the few places in town that offers Guiness on tap, which we both love. I had a Guiness and Megan had a Beltian white with a slice of orange, which we both shared with each other. Stuffed to the brim, we went back to the hotel and waited awhile to let our stomach's settle before bringing our guests over for swimming.
Megan was planning on making a rum cake for our gaming session this week, so we had a lot of extra Captain Morgan's Tatoo and Bacardi 151 around, which we took many shots of before and during hot tubbing. Yeah, yeah, the sign says not to drink and then get in the hot tub, but trust me on this one, it's one of the great pleasures in life. It was incredibly hot out, so moving between the relaxing hot tub and the chilly pool was a great time!
Returning to the hotel we noticed a sign saying there would be renovations that might affect our stay. After checking with the desk they assured us the pool and sauna would still be available. This is a big deal for us, because bringing family over for swimming is part of our anniversary tradition. We got settled in and went out for a preliminary swim and hot tub stay as we had some time to spend. The hot tub felt great after all that walking earlier! We were pretty tired from all we had done already, so we took a short nap before getting ready for dinner.
We had planned on eating at the newly opened Macaroni Grill because we both were in the mood for some great pasta, but there was a very long wait and we hadn't got reservations, so we went off to Jaker's instead. Their soup and salad bar is something that we love to indulge in every now and again. They hand make their own croutons and cut them very thick, and have several amazing soups like the lobster bisque. Megan got the salad bar (and I picked off her plate every now and again!) and I chose the lobster linguine. There's just something awesome about mixing lobster with pasta, especially lighter Alfredo or wine based sauces. It can be good with a heavier tomato based sauce, but that takes a little more effort to pull off well. Jakers is one of the few places in town that offers Guiness on tap, which we both love. I had a Guiness and Megan had a Beltian white with a slice of orange, which we both shared with each other. Stuffed to the brim, we went back to the hotel and waited awhile to let our stomach's settle before bringing our guests over for swimming.
Megan was planning on making a rum cake for our gaming session this week, so we had a lot of extra Captain Morgan's Tatoo and Bacardi 151 around, which we took many shots of before and during hot tubbing. Yeah, yeah, the sign says not to drink and then get in the hot tub, but trust me on this one, it's one of the great pleasures in life. It was incredibly hot out, so moving between the relaxing hot tub and the chilly pool was a great time!
Our Second Wedding Anniversary Part I
My wife and I just celebrated our second wedding anniversary, and we couldn't be happier! The second year seemed like it flew by a lot faster than the first. We wanted to do something special for our anniversary to celebrate having just quit our jobs, so the first order of the day was to walk to the Farmer's Market and enjoy the sites there (see posts below for that story!). After making several circuits around the market and buying everything we wanted we moved on to exploring the downtown area on foot. Our town isn't a major metropolitan area by any stretch of the imagination, but we still have quite a few fun shops to check out down town. The store In Cahoots For Tea is a favorite of ours, with all of their tea related items and variety of mustards, jams, and foreign candies. They frequently stock chocolate bars from England and even have the Scottish carbonated drink Irn Bru. Just next door is Candy Masterpiece, which actually makes the majority of their candy right there. Although I'm a sucker for truffles, we were still a little full from all the food at the Market and wanted to make sure we had room for lunch, so we skipped out this time.
We headed off to Gibson Park to get some anniversary photos to share, but it was starting to get too hot out and the mosquitoes were coming out in force, so after a brief time there we moved on and plan to return back in a few days to get some better pictures. After a few more quick stops downtown and some sight seeing we headed off to the bus station to head back home briefly. Our bus system doesn't have very many routes that people use frequently and they have found themselves low on funds, so they are stopping bus service on Saturday's going forward. It's a real pity since we were planning on using the bus more often now that we work from home and don't need to drive every day. Lucky for us the bus we took actually goes right by our house, so we hopped out and got all of our stuff together for our hotel stay.
Before checking into the hotel we took my wife's brother out with us for lunch at Boston's. She had been given a gift card for the restaurant by her co-workers as a going away gift that we made good use of. I wanted to branch out from the standard artichoke dip that my wife loves so much and try the boneless buffalo wings, but I also wanted to have a seafood appetizer at our dinner choice later that night. Since my wife hates seafood I figured a good compromise would be to have the artichoke dip and then get a sampler platter at dinner later that had seafood on it. Boston's had some new seasonal items, so I went with the Alexander's Great Gyro, which came with a Greek salad. Putting a new twist on an old favorite, they cut the pita bread into wedges and stuffed them with "gyro meat" (when a menu says gyro meat instead of lamb they mean thinly sliced beef seasoned to taste like lamb), tomatoes, and onions. They ditched the traditional feta cheese and cucumber sauce, and instead provided a Tzatziki dipping sauce. Megan had the Florentine calzone and Matt went with the flying buffalo calzone, which is one of Boston's best menu items.
We headed off to Gibson Park to get some anniversary photos to share, but it was starting to get too hot out and the mosquitoes were coming out in force, so after a brief time there we moved on and plan to return back in a few days to get some better pictures. After a few more quick stops downtown and some sight seeing we headed off to the bus station to head back home briefly. Our bus system doesn't have very many routes that people use frequently and they have found themselves low on funds, so they are stopping bus service on Saturday's going forward. It's a real pity since we were planning on using the bus more often now that we work from home and don't need to drive every day. Lucky for us the bus we took actually goes right by our house, so we hopped out and got all of our stuff together for our hotel stay.
Before checking into the hotel we took my wife's brother out with us for lunch at Boston's. She had been given a gift card for the restaurant by her co-workers as a going away gift that we made good use of. I wanted to branch out from the standard artichoke dip that my wife loves so much and try the boneless buffalo wings, but I also wanted to have a seafood appetizer at our dinner choice later that night. Since my wife hates seafood I figured a good compromise would be to have the artichoke dip and then get a sampler platter at dinner later that had seafood on it. Boston's had some new seasonal items, so I went with the Alexander's Great Gyro, which came with a Greek salad. Putting a new twist on an old favorite, they cut the pita bread into wedges and stuffed them with "gyro meat" (when a menu says gyro meat instead of lamb they mean thinly sliced beef seasoned to taste like lamb), tomatoes, and onions. They ditched the traditional feta cheese and cucumber sauce, and instead provided a Tzatziki dipping sauce. Megan had the Florentine calzone and Matt went with the flying buffalo calzone, which is one of Boston's best menu items.
Comparing Artichoke Dips
A lot of the restaurants in our area offer what is fast become a staple to any appetizer menu - the Artichoke cheese dip. There are a lot of variations on this dip, most containing spinach as well but some of the more adventurous have ingredients like crab or lobster. Some use differing cheeses, although most stick with Parmesan or a combination of Parmesan and heavy cream for a thinner dip. One of my all time favorites was a crab artichoke dip we tried out at the Pike Brewery in Seattle.
The restaurants Bostons and Applebees have consistently good artichoke dip, although they are pretty basic and don't buck the mold. Both have spinach and Parmesan cheese and bake a layer of cheese on top of the dip itself. Both are served with standard fried tortilla chips. It's all around satisfying stuff, but nothing too amazing.
A pizza and pasta parlor just a few blocks from our house called Rikki's has the best artichoke dip in the area. They ditch the spinach and go for a different blend of cheese as well. If I had to guess I'd say there was some cheddar and mozzarella in addition to Parmesan, but the menu didn't divulge which cheeses were used. The dip has more of a liquid consistency than is standard, and also has larger chunks of artichoke. Instead of tortilla chips the bowl of dip is placed directly on top of thin pizza style bread that is covered in Italian seasonings. Kudos to Rikki's for thinking outside the box and coming up with an outstanding dip! They have a lot of different items on their menu that aren't seen in many other restaurants around town, so expect a post all about it!
The restaurants Bostons and Applebees have consistently good artichoke dip, although they are pretty basic and don't buck the mold. Both have spinach and Parmesan cheese and bake a layer of cheese on top of the dip itself. Both are served with standard fried tortilla chips. It's all around satisfying stuff, but nothing too amazing.
A pizza and pasta parlor just a few blocks from our house called Rikki's has the best artichoke dip in the area. They ditch the spinach and go for a different blend of cheese as well. If I had to guess I'd say there was some cheddar and mozzarella in addition to Parmesan, but the menu didn't divulge which cheeses were used. The dip has more of a liquid consistency than is standard, and also has larger chunks of artichoke. Instead of tortilla chips the bowl of dip is placed directly on top of thin pizza style bread that is covered in Italian seasonings. Kudos to Rikki's for thinking outside the box and coming up with an outstanding dip! They have a lot of different items on their menu that aren't seen in many other restaurants around town, so expect a post all about it!
The Farmer's Market Part II
The Farmer's Market has just about everything you could imagine, from hand cream made locally to barbecue sauces and locally processed lamb. The best part of the Market is undoubtedly the food. There were tons of booths that just sold food, and the majority of the merchants selling other items also had a few baked goodies just for good measure. Our first food stop was the pork on a stick. It's the biggest food attraction at the Market and with good reason. It's not hard to find either because they season and cook all the pork on a set of giant grills that sends a big smoke cloud up and the entire area around it smells wonderful. The pork itself is absolutely delicious and cooked just right with some parts tender and juicy and others crispy. While sampling the pork we walked around the Market checking the prices and items available so we could make our purchases on a second walk through once we'd seen it all. There were several areas where musicians were plying their trade, so we were serenaded by violins, fiddles, and choirs.
The next most iconic food at the Market is the Indian fry bread. There are a lot of booths to choose from that serve this, and many of them are raising money for local charities or groups. Each one offers something a little bit different and usually charges a different amount, so with a little looking you can get the best price. The vendor offering the cheapest fry bread had a big line when we walked by, so we moved on to a smaller booth a little ways on a paid an extra 50 cents to get it it sooner. All of the booths offer toppings like honey or powdered sugar, and this one also had a maple mixture similar to frosting that we added on. Fry bread is incredibly messy with toppings on, so we sat down in the nearby garden and attacked with forks and knives rather than eating with our hands while walking.
We were worried about getting too full as we were still planning on going to lunch at a nice restaurant in just a few hours but we wanted to sample more of the culinary offerings, so we settled on a small treat for our final goodie. Our decision was made when we saw a vendor with several tables of baked goods that had strawberry rhubarb struesel that looked too good to pass up. We split a single struesel and we were not disappointed! That same merchant had an interesting looking ample dumpling that we will be trying out next time we hit the Market.
The next most iconic food at the Market is the Indian fry bread. There are a lot of booths to choose from that serve this, and many of them are raising money for local charities or groups. Each one offers something a little bit different and usually charges a different amount, so with a little looking you can get the best price. The vendor offering the cheapest fry bread had a big line when we walked by, so we moved on to a smaller booth a little ways on a paid an extra 50 cents to get it it sooner. All of the booths offer toppings like honey or powdered sugar, and this one also had a maple mixture similar to frosting that we added on. Fry bread is incredibly messy with toppings on, so we sat down in the nearby garden and attacked with forks and knives rather than eating with our hands while walking.
We were worried about getting too full as we were still planning on going to lunch at a nice restaurant in just a few hours but we wanted to sample more of the culinary offerings, so we settled on a small treat for our final goodie. Our decision was made when we saw a vendor with several tables of baked goods that had strawberry rhubarb struesel that looked too good to pass up. We split a single struesel and we were not disappointed! That same merchant had an interesting looking ample dumpling that we will be trying out next time we hit the Market.
The Farmer's Market Part I
Saturday was my second wedding anniversary and the first day after my wife and I had quit our day jobs to work exclusively from home as freelance writers. To start out day out we decided to do something that combines several of our favorite activities by walking down to the local Farmer's Market. We have been unable to make it to the Market yet this year because our work schedules never allowed the time and we definitely missed it! Every since our Seattle trip we have also been taking a long walk each day to train our legs for our Europe adventure next year, so we walked all the way there and took the bus back. Our local bus service has bucked the nation wide trend of increased public transportation and has actually had lowered usage, which has caused the bus system to stop offering it's service on Saturdays. Luckily this was the final Saturday that they would be running their normal routes so we were still able to take the bus back home.
The walk down was very nice as we have just hit our warm season. We left very early to make sure we could get home before it get to the projected ninety degree high. Mosquitoes are a problem in our area because of the river nearby, but a little bug spray made it more tolerable. The Market was very busy and we frequently saw people we knew who were either selling things themselves at booths or just perusing the various wares. Despite it's name, the Market isn't just limited to produce or meat. Lots of locals sell a variety of crafts like jewelry, soap, candles, and tie dye clothing. The various coffee shops were also there in force, offering many hot and cold beverages for all the thirsty shoppers.
While we were making our first circuit through the Market we found a bead jewelry booth that was offering free bead rings to anyone. My wife and I picked some out on put them on the ring finger of our opposite hands so it was like we had two wedding rings. Very appropriate for our anniversary, and they will be fun reminder of the great time we had this year!
The walk down was very nice as we have just hit our warm season. We left very early to make sure we could get home before it get to the projected ninety degree high. Mosquitoes are a problem in our area because of the river nearby, but a little bug spray made it more tolerable. The Market was very busy and we frequently saw people we knew who were either selling things themselves at booths or just perusing the various wares. Despite it's name, the Market isn't just limited to produce or meat. Lots of locals sell a variety of crafts like jewelry, soap, candles, and tie dye clothing. The various coffee shops were also there in force, offering many hot and cold beverages for all the thirsty shoppers.
While we were making our first circuit through the Market we found a bead jewelry booth that was offering free bead rings to anyone. My wife and I picked some out on put them on the ring finger of our opposite hands so it was like we had two wedding rings. Very appropriate for our anniversary, and they will be fun reminder of the great time we had this year!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
The Oreo Cookie Faux Pas
A terrible tragedy happened at our weekly gaming session this last Monday. My brother in law committed the worst of all food related sins - the Oreo Cookie Faux Pas. You may not have had the misfortune to experience this particular gaffe, and if so consider yourself among the lucky few who have not been exposed to the terror. The Oro Cookie Faux Pas is paradoxically spawned from one of the most beautiful things you can do with Oreo's. Yes, I speak of the mythical quadruple stuffed Oreo. Everything starts out as sunshine and lollipops as you remove the stuffing from one double stuffed Oreo and layer into a second double stuffed, creating a massive tower of Oreo stuffing.
But what fate awaits the remaining two ends of the cookie discarded in favor of the delicious stuffing? The considerate folk will eat them, or at least throw them away if they really don't want them. And the not so considerate ? Well, they commit the faux pas of returning the cookie ends to the Oreo bag, so that the next person to reach their hand in comes up not with an amazing feat of cookie engineering, but instead gets the most horrifying experience of all, an Oreo with no filling.
Educate your friends and family about this terrible practice, so that we can together rid the world of the Oreo Cookie Faux Pas.
But what fate awaits the remaining two ends of the cookie discarded in favor of the delicious stuffing? The considerate folk will eat them, or at least throw them away if they really don't want them. And the not so considerate ? Well, they commit the faux pas of returning the cookie ends to the Oreo bag, so that the next person to reach their hand in comes up not with an amazing feat of cookie engineering, but instead gets the most horrifying experience of all, an Oreo with no filling.
Educate your friends and family about this terrible practice, so that we can together rid the world of the Oreo Cookie Faux Pas.
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