We were each brough 3 tasting glasses of wine, a Sauvignon Blanc, a Provence Rose, and a Bourgogne Rouge.  The pours were pretty generous, somewhere in the neighborhood of 2.5 to 3 oz each. Then a beautiful plate with three light bites was delivered, as well.

Each bite, we were told, had been expertly paired with one of the three wines.  The first wine, a Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, was delicious.  It was crisp and had a really nice mineralistic quality to it.  It had been paired with a tuna tartare that was made with sushi-grade tuna; it was outstanding.  The tartare was very clean with just a hint of ginger, lime, and fresh scallion.  It was served with a freshly fried wonton strip, which made the perfect vehicle for getting the tuna from the plate and into my mouth.

The second wine was a Provence Rose.  Now a Rose is never my wine of choice, so I was a bit sceptical.  I swirled, I sipped, they scored…it was excellent!  It had a bright acidic bite that balanced out the deliciously fatty and rich salmon pâté it was paired with.  The pâté was served with a bit of horseradish crème fraîche and a perfectly toasted crostini.  The wine and pâté were a match made in heaven, and I was a bit sad when both were gone.

Last, but certainly not least, was the Bourgogne Rouge.  The wine itself was a treat, full-bodied without being heavy, great mouth-feel with a lingering velvety finish.  This had been paired with a mushroom spring roll that was sitting on top of the most delicious tarragon-ginger sauce.  The spring roll was very tasty, but the sauce…mmmmmm, the sauce… it was freekin’ amazing.  I honestly scraped every bit up off the plate and into my mouth.  Had we not been at the very swanky Cafe Lurcat, I would have unabashedly licked my plate!

This, my noshing friends, is the Holy Grail of Naples bargains during the summer.  All this for just 10 bucks seems almost impossible…yet it’s there for the taking.  Cafe Lurcat plans to hold one of these events on the last Friday of every month during the summer.  The next one is scheduled for Friday, June 29th.  Be sure to make your reservations..but not before I do!

This time, however, I decided that in the name of research I was going out-of-the-box…at least a little.  Now, I couldn’t change-up my soup. That would just be crazy talk…their Tom Yum soup is so incredible that my mouth begins watering in anticipation as soon as we walk in the door.  The spicy lemon-grass broth is full of fresh vegetables, and I think it’s the perfect way to begin my Thai meal.  Also, we love to snack on a bowl of edamame while we wait for our entrées…couldn’t give that up either.

Entrée time though, I went for it!  Rather than my usual Panang Curry or Pad Thai, I ordered the Swimming Angel.  When it arrived, I was blown away… the presentation was beautiful.  Almost too pretty to eat, but I dove right in. Chicken and shrimp sitting atop a bed of steamed broccoli, red peppers, and tomatoes, all sitting in their own little pool of peanut sauce. The chicken was thinly sliced and very tender, and the shrimp were perfectly cooked.  I was expecting the dish to be on the heavy side due to the sauce, but the crunch of the broccoli and the freshness of the tomato really balanced the richness of the sauce.  And the sauce…mmmmm…it was creamy, salty, spicy, and sweet, all at the same time.  I happily dragged every item on my plate through it, hoping to sop up as much as possible in each bite.

My only complaint…since it was something we’d never ordered before, everyone in the family wanted to try it, and it disappeared much too quickly from my plate.  Note to self…the next time I go out-of-the-box, I’m going in alone!

We sampled food from almost all of the booths and these were the highlights:

The NY Strip Crostini with Truffled Cream Spinach from the Waldorf Astoria’s Strip House was amazing.  The richness of the seared beef and creamed spinach paired well against the toasty crunch of the crostini.  It combined several classic steakhouse flavors into one tasty bite.

The Lump Crabmeat Waldorf Salad from Aura, also at the Waldorf Astoria, was another hit.  This was so delicious and refreshing.  It had all the creaminess that we typically associate with a Waldorf salad, yet their play on the ingredients turned it into an upscale treat. Flavorfully dressed crab sat atop a thin julienne of granny smith apple and celeriac that had been lightly tossed with creme fraiche.  The rich taste of the crab was perfectly balanced by the fresh crunch of the apple and celeriac.  Mmmm… I fully intend to head over to Aura and have a full-sized portion of this baby!

The Greek Gourmet offered a fantastic baklava.  The flaky phyllo dough was packed with walnuts, honey and a warm cinnamony-clove flavor. On over at Texas Tony’s BBQ Shack the ribs were finger-lickin’ good.  They had the perfect smoky-sweet flavor and the meat literally fell off the bone.

My two favorite bites of the day…and the one’s I’ll be dreaming about until we meet again…

The Bison Chili from Agave - thick, delicious and packed with flavor.  It was spicy enough to let you know that you were eating Southwestern food but not hot enough to mask the layers of flavor that this chili was built upon.  It was rich and meaty, and I’ll be having a bowl of it for dinner sometime very soon!

The Baja Ceviche from Truluck’s was insane.  It truly was the single best thing that I ate all day, and I know that it will be my summer go-to item.  It was intensely flavorful and refreshing and the combination of flavors made it impossible to just eat one bite.  I’m not at all embarrassed to admit that I ate two entire portions while I was there and took another two home with me…OK, I guess that’s a little embarrassing.  The ceviche was chock-full of halibut, grouper, sea bass and shrimp.  It was easy to detect the usual suspects of citrus, garlic and cilantro, but the sauce also contained several flavors that I just couldn’t put my finger on…probably because I inhaled it so quickly.  It had a slightly spicy tomato-y bite that was off set by the cooling scoop of guacamole that was served on top.  When I called Truluck’s to do a little follow-up bloggers research, they would only confirm the types of fish they used and tell me that the ingredients in the ceviche marinade were secret.  Hmmm…guess I’m going to have to eat it a few more times to crack the code.  Ahhhh…it’ll be rough, but someone’s got to do it.  Anyone want to go to Truluck’s with me?

Last Friday was one of those days.  I was out with my friend Lynne at Seasons 52 and she suggested that we try the Strawberry Basil Fusion.  This delectable concoction is served martini style: icy cold and straight up.  My favorite thing was that they mixed up more than could actually fit into my glass and left me with the shaker, and all of its icy contents, for refills.

The main ingredient in the drink is vodka.  Now this is not any old vodka, mind you.  This is Prairie organic vodka that has been hanging out and soaking with fresh, plump, flavorful strawberries for an entire week.  Once their week-long interlude is over, the berries are carefully pressed so that all of their vodka-licious juices are captured.  This delicious vodka infusion is now ready for business! To create the Strawberry Basil Fusion, the vodka is muddled with a bit of agave nectar and some fresh basil leaves.  The herbaceousness of the basil cuts through the sweetness of the strawberry infused vodka and produces such a refreshing and delicious drink that you need to remind yourself to sip slowly because you are actually drinking a cocktail.

When I reached the bottom of the shaker, I resisted the urge to suck on the ice chips by ordering myself another.  I know that my love affair with this drink can’t last forever…Season’s 52 frequently changes their vodka infusions based on what is…ahem…in season.

The kitchen space behind the retail store is really nice.  Everything is brand new and high-end. There’s even a camera and two large video screens over the chef’s station, so you can watch everything he’s doing.  Four magical creatures (also known as kitchen assistants) had prepped our stations and even done all of our mise en place in advance, so all we had to do was listen to Chef Adam, follow his directions… and drink our wine.  As each recipe was completed the kitchen assistants swooped in, whisked away dirty dishes, and replaced them with anything we needed to complete the next dish.  If only that could happen when we were at home…

First we made a delicious vinaigrette with Dijon mustard, champagne vinegar, and fresh tarragon. We used this to dress a Frisse, Roquefort, and Toasted Walnut salad.

We rolled out a sweet pastry crust and made a Strawberry and Rhubarb Tart.

Potatoes were cut and prepared for roasting.

 The highlight for us was the Mushroom-Cognac sauce that we made for the pan-fried ribeye steaks. It was easy, quick, and absolutely delicious!

Chef Adam was fun, informative, and kept things moving at a lively pace throughout the evening.  It was the type of experience that both kitchen newbies and seasoned home cooks could enjoy, and I’m happy to report that both Jenn and I picked up a few tips that we will definitely use.  We thoroughly enjoyed the cooking… and, of course, eating the meal that we had prepared.

On a side note…they give you a coupon for 10% off of anything you purchase in the store, however, you can’t use it on the kitchen assistants!

Boasting toppings like s’mores, raspberry lemonade, and chocolate pretzel, you can see how difficult it would be to choose just one or two.  However, I feel compelled to tell you about my personal favorite, the bacon-topped, maple-frosted donut. Now, I know many of you are out there thinking, “Bacon topped donut, that’s weird.” But, c’mon, you know how yummy it is when your bacon and pancake syrup accidentally collide on your breakfast plate.  Well, here it’s no accident!  It hits all the right notes of that salty/sweet combination that I adore. 

So, the next time you’re in the mood for your own little piece of heaven, check out Peace, Love and Little Donuts, for a little gas station gourmet.

We were warmly greeted by the owner, Trish Berruet and led into a dining room that was elegant without being pretentious.  The menu had so many tempting items that there was some serious negotiating that went on before any firm decisions were made. “Well, if you get this, then I’ll get that, so we can taste both of them.  When the first courses came out, it became clear that there was no mere mortal running the kitchen but rather a classically trained French chef… direct from France.  I can’t even begin to understand what sort of magic executive chef and owner Marc-Jean Berruet was mixing up in his kitchen, but what he produced were sauces so velvety and sublime that they lingered on both the tongue and the memory for quite some time.

We were delighted to see that the portion sizes were not the typical, microscopic French offerings.  Each course was generous enough that several of us didn’t finish our entrées, in an effort to save a little room for dessert.

Mussels Special

Gratin de Crepes aux Fruits de Mer

My mussels appetizer, which was a special that evening, arrived in a light and tasty bath that included white wine, lemon, garlic and fresh thyme.  They were fresh, perfectly steamed in the broth and absolutely delicious.  Jenn’s seafood crepes were equally yummy.  Shrimp, scallops, crab and grouper wrapped in a thin, tender crepe then blanketed in Mornay sauce and topped with Gruyere cheese…divine.

Tournedos de Boeuf aux Echalottes

Escalope de Veau au Citron

Entrées arrived beautifully plated,  but the proof would be in the taste.  I had chosen the Tournedos de Boeuf aux Echalottes with a schallot and  Xerez vinegar sauce, while Jenn had selected the Escalope de Veau au Citron… a very fancy way of saying we had filet and veal scaloppini.  The food was amazing…totally earning it’s fancy French names.   Both the filet and the scallopini were so tender you could cut them with a fork, and the sauces, oh the sauces…Chef Marc-Jean has it goin’ on. I easily could have licked my plate, but the fact that I was surrounded by friends made the idea a bit, well…awkward!

Crème Brûlée

While our appetizers and entrées were outstanding, there was one dish that I just couldn’t let go of…and the embarrassing thing was that I wasn’t even the one who ordered it.  One bite of their crème brûlée, and I was a gonner.  Seriously, it was the best I had ever tasted…and (she says while slightly embarrassed yet oddly proud) I’ve eaten more than my fair share of crème brûlée.  After four days of obsessing over it, I began to wonder, “Was it really as good as I thought?  Am I romanticizing its memory? Was I influenced by the wine I had consumed?”  Well, I knew I had to take matters into my own hands and do what any neurotic foodie…ahem, I mean diligent food blogger would do.  I went back to L’Etoile to eat it again.  I’m delighted to report that it proved itself to be unquestionably delicious.

It arrives flaming, which I must admit is quite an entrance.  Rather than a hard, glassy shell that is produced by topping a brûlée with white sugar, the chef finishes his brûlée with turbinado sugar, creating a softer texture and a more pronounced carmel flavor.  The custard itself is phenomenal: dense, smooth, and creamy.  It’s something that you won’t easily forget.  The first night we passed it around the table so that everyone could have a taste.  On my return visit, I greedily hogged almost the entire thing, allowing my husband only a bite or two.  They offer both the traditional vanilla bean and a coconut crème brûlée, and having had both, I can honestly say either one is a winner.

So if you’re in the mood for a little French decadence or even just an unforgettable dessert, get yourself to L’Etoile.  I’ll be the one in the back corner awkwardly licking my crème brûlée dish!

Today, however, all the stars aligned, the universe smiled upon me, and I took a bite of something, actually three somethings, that were simply sweet perfection.  I’ve been to every cupcake bakery in Naples, and this was the first time I’d struck gold on every count.  Let me be clear, Deniece at The Naples Cupcake Company knows what she is doing!  This was no über sweet kid’s party cupcake…this was the real deal, the cupcake all grown up.  Dense, moist cake…the kind that usually only a grandma achieves, topped with a perfect ribbon of deliciously creamy, but not overly sweet, frosting.

   The Angel Face features a rich, moist, vanilla cake.  You know…the kind that sticks together when you pinch it, and you can smell the pure Madagascar Bourbon vanilla even before you take the first bite.  The cake is paired with a super light and fluffy vanilla cream cheese frosting.  It is, quite honestly, sweet simplicity and pure vanilla heaven!

The Brown Eyed Girl – Holy Hannah, the icing on this baby was to-die-for!  Imagine a deliciously decadent buck-eye…mmmm, you with me?  Now, imagine that buck-eye  all whipped up and aerated.  Slather that atop a moist and light, yet chocolaty cake.  The use of Guittard chocolate in the baking adds a layer of depth to the flavors and helps to pack an intense chocolate punch.  As if that weren’t enough, nestled in the top of the frosting is a miniature peanut butter cup.  Fluffy, light, creamy, peanut buttery and chocolaty…the flavors are perfectly balanced, resulting in a cupcake that is everything a chocolate peanut butter lover could ever wish for.

I’ve saved my ultimate favorite for last…the Lady in Red (pausing for a moment of silence).  This, my friends, is no ordinary red velvet.  This is the supreme ruler of the red velvet empire.  Gone was the usual crumbly, bland, red cake and in its place is a dense, moist, and delectable creation.  The cake, by itself, has incredible flavor.  The Guittard cocoa used in the batter really comes through and provides an unexpected chocolaty note that works beautifully.  The crowning glory, of course, is the deliciously light and fluffy cream cheese frosting.  It would be easy to want to lick the frosting off and not worry about the cake…but don’t do it…that would be a huge mistake!  The frosting and cake compliment each other so well, that eating one of these babies usually results in eating another.  I would suggest buying a dozen, just to be safe!

So, the next time you want an instant trip back to childhood or need something fabulous for an event, check out The Naples Cupcake Company online or at the Vanderbilt Collection location of Toast.

Carrot Cake Pancakes

The carrot cake pancakes were seriously good.  Thinly shredded carrot and soft cinnamon-soaked raisins all surrounded by fluffy pancake batter.  It had all the right flavors, without the dense heaviness that the cake batter can provide.  The pancakes were sweet and moist enough to give the illusion of carrot cake but hopefully weren’t as fattening. They were dusted with a bit of powdered sugar, probably in an effort to keep things light and breakfasty, yet I couldn’t help thinking that a warm, sweetened cream cheese drizzle might have been the way to go.  The pancakes disappeared quickly, especially as soon as my kids got a taste of them…and I sat, feeling a bit smug about the fact that I had gotten them to eat both fruit and vegetables at breakfast without a single complaint!

Easter Eggs Benedict

Although my breakfast was delicious, my husband’s Easter Benedict stole the show.  A crisp English muffin, a bed of lightly sautéed spinach, a slice of tomato, and two perfectly poached eggs sat below a velvety layer of light and lemony hollandaise sauce.  For research purposes I had to take a bite or two, however, he started getting protective of his plate when I went back for bites three and four.  The freshness of the  spinach and tomato married beautifully with the rich, lemony flavor of the hollandaise.  The result was a perfectly clean plate and a desire to return to taste the dozens of other menu items that caught my attention.  French toast made with banana bread?!?  I’m in!  Well, at least I will be, as soon as I work off the last eight days of decadence!

-Jean

Our best bites?

The Ceviche

Well, the ceviche was delish! We barely came up for air as we pushed each other’s forks aside vying for the last bite. The shrimp were fresh, citrusy, and perfectly marinated…and we were tempted to ask for a second order.

The Lomo Saltado

The Lomo Saltado was also a hit.  The char-grilled flavor of the beef paired beautifully with the slightly salty soy based sauce, onion, tomato and crispy fries.  This beautiful mix of flavors sat alongside a pile of white rice.  Yup, you read that right, French fries and rice on the same plate…carb lovers dream!

It was a tasty way to spend the evening and a great start to our Noshing Through Naples adventures!