Countdown to Gluttony

We are going to New Orleans again this year for the WSOP Circuit event in May (well, that's what the BF is going for, I'm just along for the ride) and I'm getting ready to get my eat on. I've been scouring the Chowhound boards trying to decide which places I want to try this time. Last year, it was pretty much just the 2 of us, but this time, my cuz and her hubby are joining us for a long weekend. I still think about the crab cakes with eggplant tapenade and feta that I had at Emeril's restaurant NOLA, so we might have to go there again. I'm also still traumatized by the chocolate cake with pink lemonade sauce I had at Stella!, which was just wrong on so many levels. I should have followed my instincts and asked for that sauce on the side, so it didn't totally ruin my dessert experience at what was otherwise a lovely meal at a great restaurant. What drugs was the chef on when he decided to pair a pink lemonade sauce with chocolate cake??? It smelled and tasted like vomit. I could barely even choke down a few bites of the cake, which means it was really bad, because I will eat just about anything that's chocolate. So, we are definitely going to Cafe du Monde for beignets and coffee and I'm sure the BF will insist on Acme for his fill of oysters. I'm thinking about Parkway Bakery for po' boys, because I've read a lot of good things about that. We're also going to try Rambla, which is the restaurant in our hotel. I am a big fan of tapas, so I'm looking forward to that. Last year, we ate at Mr. B's and my BF was a big fan of the bbq shrimp, so I'd like to find a new place to try this time with bbq shrimp that will measure up. Bib and all. I want to do a great Sunday brunch too...I've seen good things about EAT for brunch, but I'm still doing my research!

Big fat FAIL!

We went to dinner at Nora's Wine Bar the other night and I was determined not to stuff myself until it's painful. We always order way too much, plus I drink lots of wine from the fun machine dispenser thingy ("enomatic system" is the proper terminology, but I prefer to call it a thingy). This time, between the 4 of us we ordered a caesar salad and eggplant cakes (with extra tomato chutney of course) to start. For our main courses, we got the seafood and couscous, which is my favorite, a mushroom and spinach pizza and the Alaskan ling cod. I tried a couple bites of the cod, but hardly had any of that. Basically, I had slice (and an extra tiny piece I can't even classify as a slice) of the pizza and some seafood and couscous. I hardly even had any couscous and I didn't even eat the whole piece of bread slathered in tomato and garlic goodness that comes with it. Plus, being the designated driver, I only had 1 glass of wine. I was doing so well. Perfectly content and full, but not crossing the line to pain and the need to be rolled out of the restaurant. Then a couple other people we know sat down to chat and apparently dessert was ordered. Bollocks. It's not like I can pass up the warm flourless chocolate cake. That would just be rude. Plus, the people who joined us insisted on buying us another glass of wine, and I couldn't be rude and turn that down either. I just drank a couple sips and gave the rest to the BF, who happily obliged since I was driving his ass home. I only had a couple bites of the cake, but then miraculously ANOTHER chocolate cake appeared because the other dessert we ordered (some kind of fruit tart) was gross. That's why I don't allow fruit in my dessert. It just messes shit up. Anyway, by the time we get up to leave, I'm feeling like I'm about to burst. We get home and I proceed to curl up in the fetal position and rub my tummy as to avoid puking. Damn you Nora's! Why do you always do this to me???

Don't people eat on Mondays???

After a long round of golf today, we were starving and decided to hit Cafe Deia for a very late tapas lunch. We get there and lo and behold, the door is locked. Closed on Monday. WTF? I guess I'm spoiled by living in Las Vegas, where most places are open every day and usually open late. If a restaurant has to have a day off, I suppose Monday is a logical choice, but it always seems to happen that the place I want to eat on any given Monday ends up being closed. We even drove by a sign on the street advertising Cafe Deia's happy hour Monday thru Friday. That is absolute bollocks. We ended up at Frank & Fina's Cocina across the parking lot for some Mexican food. Needless to say, I am uncomfortably stuffed. Damn those chips & salsa they keep bringing out. Still warm and crispy. I can't go to Mexican restaurants when I'm super hungry because I end up eating way too many chips and then scarf down whatever carb-heavy tortilla laden meal I've ordered and by the time my brain catches up with my stomach, I'm about to burst. It's all Monday's fault!!!

Free lobster and warm chocolate cake

I decided to actually drag myself out on Saturday night to have some dinner with the bf and some friends at Sedona. At least it was less crowded than Town Square would have been, which was our other dinner option. I hate crowds. Anyway, we normally hit up Sedona on Tuesdays for half-price wine night, but apparently Saturday night is free lobster night (with the purchase of a $25 or more entree). There was a giant birthday party going on and I don't think I've ever seen the place that crowded. Probably because we never go on Saturday night. I spotted a birthday cake out in the patio bar area....so tempted to try and blend in with the crowd and sneak a piece! Instead, I had the pepper-crusted ahi with eggplant mashed potatoes, accompanied by my *free* lobster tail. Free food is awesome. I did share it with the bf so I would have room for dessert. This may be the first time I have ever ordered dessert at Sedona--normally I'm so stuffed from the tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich plus my entree that I need to be rolled out of there. We all shared the warm chocolate cake with chocolate ice cream. Berry sauce on the side, because I don't like fruit fucking up my dessert. It was yummy, but small. Next time, I'm ordering my own....

I dreamt about birthday cake. What's wrong with me?