May Pass the Cook Book Club...Featuring Low-Cal Cuba Libre Granita from Slushed!

A couple of months ago, I signed up to take part in a monthly blogging group called Pass the Cook Book Club. The lovely Kita from Pass the Sushi selects a three or four recipes from one of the many cookbooks in her collection, and participants pick one to cook and share on their blogs on the assigned day. Fun, right?!?!? After two months of last-minute issues that kept me from participating, I was determined to take place this month. We’re featuring Slushed!, which is full of fun, boozy desserts. Since this is Healthy Eating Month around here, I was able to take part by making a couple of tweaks to the Cuba Libre Granita. Instead of regular soda, I used Coke Zero. As the name says, it has zero calories...but it has -- to me -- a more true Coke flavor than Diet Coke.

The only tweaks I made were to add the juice of one key lime to the simple granita mixture. I also added the zest from a lemon to augment the lime zest from the smaller key limes. This slushy dessert couldn’t have been easier to make: mix up a few ingredients in about 5 minutes, pour into a pan, and put it in the freezer. Then, give it a scrape with a fork every so often until it’s frozen. That’s about it. What you’re left with is sort of like a grown-up snow cone. We’re already in the 90s most afternoons here in Texas, so this is just the kind of refreshing treat I enjoy. Let me show you how insanely easy this is to whip up.

Kitchen Sink Frittata...Featuring Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes with Onion, Celery, and Green Pepper

My friends at Red Gold Tomatoes recently sent me two cans of their Petite Diced Tomatoes flavored with Onion, Celery, and Green Peppers so I could share an easy weeknight dinner recipe with you. I decided to use the tomatoes to play a game of what I like to call Chopped: Home Edition, my personal spin on my favorite Food Network show. That’s where I create a dinner using only the ingredients I have on hand in my kitchen. It was hot, my sprained ankle was sore after work, and I was tired. Bottom line: I just didn’t feel like stopping at the store on my way home to pick anything up. Instead, I looked at what was in the pantry and fridge that would pair well with the tomatoes. I created my breakfast-for-dinner Kitchen Sink Frittata using eggs, potatoes, onion, flat-leaf parsley, prosciutto, and cheese  that I had on hand. After it came out of the oven, I topped it with a mixture of the petite diced tomatoes, a bit of my favorite marinara sauce, and some grated parmesan. It was a complete meal in one skillet!

I love frittatas, because they’re so much easier to make than an omelet…to me at least. There’s no stressing out over trying to perfectly fold it…simply sauté your ingredients, pour the egg custard over the top, and pop it into the oven. That gives you a pocket of time to whip up a nice side dish, then all you do is cut into wedges and serve! For this frittata, I served a combination of berries topped with a mixture of strawberry Greek yogurt and strawberry preserves and a sprinkle of granola. It was a simple and healthy dinner that I had ready in just over 30 minutes start to finish.

The Weekend Gourmet Dines Out: A Swinging New York Date Night...Palm One, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and Dessert Tasting at per se

This month's The Weekend Gourmet Dines Out spotlight finds us outside of our San Antonio home base. For this Special Edition, I'm sharing A Swinging New York Date Night from our recent trip to the Big Apple. It started with dinner at one of the most famous steak restaurants in the country. From there, we attended an amazing live jazz performance...and we ended the evening with a memorable post-show dessert tasting. New York is one of our favorite cities to visit, and this date night included all of the things that we love best: time together enjoying delicious food, swinging jazz music, and a sweet ending in a gorgeous setting! 

We started our date night with an early dinner at Palm One, the legendary flagship location of the popular Palm Restaurant Group. Palm One is still housed in the original location, where they've been serving up amazing food since 1926 -- that's more than 80 years, people! We were warmly welcomed and quickly seated by the manager, who introduced us to our server. Our friendly server knew a lot about the restaurant's fascinating history, which he shared with us during our meal. Michael and I were enthralled by all of the fantastic caricatures and murals that cover the restaurant's walls. We saw many familiar ones, including Dagwood and Blondie, Popeye, and Beetle Bailey. Many of the caricatures date back to the early days of the restaurant, when local cartoonists would draw on the wall as "payment" for their meals. The tradition has continued since...as this colorful mural commemorating the restaurant's 80th anniversary demonstrates.

We enjoyed a cocktail and glass of wine while we waited for our appetizer to arrive. We shared the Jumbo Shrimp Bruno, three huge fried shrimp served in a pool of rich dijon mustard sauce. The shrimp were plump and sweet, and perfectly fried. The sauce was savory and rich, with just enough mustard to give it a nice kick. We loved this dish...and we may have even dipped our bread in the excess sauce so we didn't miss a drop!

Next came our entrees...Michael chose the 18-ounce Prime New York Strip, while I opted for the Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes with Chipotle Tartar Sauce and Mango Salsa. We both enjoyed a bit of each entree to create a personalized upscale surf and turf. The steak was cooked perfectly, and was it was so juicy! When a steak is this good, all it needs is a bit of salt and pepper...and a fork and knife. The crab cakes were full of lump crab and little filler, the hallmark of a superb crab cake. The zesty chipotle tartar sauce it was served with reminded me of Louisiana remoulade, and the mango salsa provided a bit of sweet heat. 

We shared a side dish of the best hash brown potatoes that I've ever eaten. They were golden-brown and crispy outside and moist and tender inside...and so unbelievably good that I broke my cardinal rule and dug in without snapping a picture! Classic restaurants like Palm One achieve that status for a reason: they use top-notch ingredients and cook them to perfection...and they do so consistently over the years.
Before we knew it, it was time to jump in a cab and head up to Time-Warner Center for our show. I have to give special kudos to Palm One's General Manager. He personally escorted us two blocks up from the restaurant, where it would be easier to hail an open cab during rush hour...and he even hailed the cab for us. That was an extra measure of customer service that we didn't expect, but we were very grateful to receive! 

After a short cab ride, we arrived at Time-Warner Center, which is located at Columbus Circle, near Central Park South. Inside are tons of great shops and restaurants...and Jazz at Lincoln Center. We had tickets to see Wynton Marsalis & The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra's perform the music of the legendary Duke Ellington. Mr. Marsalis is one of Michael's favorite musicians, so I gave him tickets to this show last Christmas. We've had been eagerly awaiting the show since then...and now it was finally here! We hopped into the elevator and headed to the 5th floor. The Jazz at Lincoln Center complex includes Dizzy's Club Coca Cola, the Ertegun Jazz Museum, and several performance halls. Our show was inside the beautiful Frederick P. Rose Hall, known as "The House of Swing." It was definitely swinging that night! The hall was specifically designed for jazz performances, and the acoustics blew us away. The show was absolutely amazing -- talented performers who love jazz playing their hearts out for a grateful audience. It doesn't get much better than that...but our date night wasn't quite over yet!

We had reservations for a post-show dessert tasting at Thomas Keller's per se, which is conveniently also located inside Time-Warner Center. All we had to do after the show was take the escalator just outside Rose Hall down one level. That made it a really convenient to enjoy the show and a sweet nightcap afterward. I highly recommend per se's five-course dessert tasting as a fantastic way to enjoy this amazing restaurant at a much lower price point. We received the same stellar service and atmosphere at a price that didn't break our budget. The tasting included two sweet amuse bouche, five desserts, and mignardises at the end. Just wait until you see how beautiful each course was!

Wrapping Up Driscoll's Berry Week with Baked Blueberry-Lemon Doughnuts...and a Giveaway for TWO FREE Driscoll's Berry Coupons!!

It's time to wrap up Driscoll's Berry Week with a sweet finale! Sunday is also World Baking Day, so the first thing that came to mind to celebrate both of these fun events was to make a batch of baked doughnuts using Driscoll's sweet and juicy blueberries! I love my doughnut pan, so I'm always looking for fun new ways to use it. When I thought about making blueberry doughnuts, lemon immediately came to mind. It's a perfect combination in my book! I looked around for a recipe that featured light, healthy ingredients and found a great recipe to tweak that features yogurt to keep the doughnuts nice and moist. The glaze combines crushed blueberries, lemon juice, and lemon zest for a pronounced fruit flavor. These doughnuts were love at first bite for me!

To amp up the blueberry flavor even more, I used Chobani blueberry Greek yogurt. The batter is flavored with both lemon extract and vanilla bean paste from Nielsen-Massey. These gems were literally ready for the oven in about 10 minutes. While they baked, I whipped up the sweet-tart glaze. These can be ready -- start to finish -- in just over 30 minutes. They make a great dessert or evening snack...and they're also great for a leisurely weekend brunch. If you love blueberries, you'll go nuts for these doughnuts. My recipe makes 6 doughnuts, but feel free to double the ingredients to feed a larger crowd.

Driscoll's Berry Week Continues...Featuring Spicy Seared Tilapia with Strawberry-Avocado Salsa

Driscoll's Berry Week continues with a healthy entree that's as colorful as it is tasty! I love fruit, but if someone made me pick one favorite? It would have to be strawberries...red is my favorite color, and nothing beats a sweet and juicy strawberry in my book! Driscoll's organic strawberries are my personal favorite, because they're consistently juicy and sweet. I wanted to feature a fun entree that could be whipped up after a busy day in the office, but was fancy enough to serve to company for a nice dinner party. I found just what I was looking for with my Spicy Seared Tilapia with Strawberry-Avocado Salsa!

Seriously, what's not to love about a slightly spicy salsa made with sweet, juicy strawberries and creamy avocado? That's right...nothing! This refreshing salsa could easily be served over grilled chicken breast, but I thought it would pair especially nicely with quick-cook tilapia that's been sprinkled with spicy Cajun rub. I was right! While I cooked up some garlic-flavored rice, it gave me just enough time to make the salsa and sear the tilapia. This gorgeous dinner was assembled and on the table in just over 30 minutes.

This dish definitely has a lot of the "wow factor" that I love! Gorgeous to look at, bursting with flavor, healthy AND quick to make? That's a winning combination for busy cooks, my friends!  You're going to want to make this one...and soon! Let me show you how quick and simple this dinner is to whip up.

Driscoll's Berry Week: Berry-Pistachio Phyllo Cups with Honeyed Goat Cheese

It's Driscoll's Berry Week here at The Weekend Gourmet! I’m a huge fan of Driscoll’s Berries. Their blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are always gorgeous and full of vibrant berry flavor. I’m going to be spotlighting their sweet, juicy berries this week in appetizer, entrée, and dessert recipes. The dishes can be served as a cohesive berry-centric meal if you like. You can also pick a course to feature during the peak berry season this Spring and Summer! At the end of the week, one of you is going to receive coupons for two free Driscoll's items so you can create some of my featured recipes in your own kitchen. More details on that in just a bit…first, let’s talk appetizers!

I wanted to feature an appetizer that’s easy to whip up, but fancy enough to serve company. The kind where all you need is a glass of sangria for your free hand! I found two great appetizer recipes at the Driscoll’s website…and combined the two into a hybrid that I call Berry-Pistachio Phyllo Cups with Honeyed Goat Cheese. Using frozen mini phyllo shells makes the prep and assembly a snap, and the bite-size portions  make it easy to control calories and fat as part of my Healthy Eating Month goals. While the phyllo cups briefly heat in the oven, you have a pocket of time to make the creamy goat cheese filling. Simply add a Driscoll’s blackberry or raspberry, some crushed pistachios, and a drizzle of honey...and you’re ready to serve these lovely bites in less than 30 minutes.

Not only are these phyllo bites pretty to look at, they’re healthy and delicious to boot! I alternated raspberries and blackberries for a nice color contrast, but you can use one berry if you prefer. Both the blackberry and the raspberry versions taste wonderful, so just have fun with it!

Too-Good-to-Be-Lowfat Chocolate Eclair Icebox Dessert...for Mother's Day #SundaySupper

Today's #SundaySupper is all about celebrating Mother's Day. Our hostess is Heather from Hezzi D's Books and Cooks. I'm not able to celebrate with my sweet Mama in person today, but I wanted to dedicate this post to her so she knows just how special she is to me! This post is my way of thanking her for always being there for me! My Mama is Mary Wofford...she's the pretty lady in the black and white shirt next to me in the picture. When I thought about what dish I would share today that reminded me of her, two things came to mind: chocolate and eclairs! Her favorite pastry is a chocolate eclair, and she's never been known to turn down chocolate. It's a trait we both share, actually! I knew that choux wasn't something I was ready to tackle, then I remembered trying an icebox cake version of eclairs at a party a few years back. Eureka!

Since this is Healthy Eating Month here at The Weekend Gourmet, I lightened it up a bit. I used lowfat and sugar-free ingredients to make it less of a splurge thanks to finding a great Cooking Light recipe. The good news is that my Too-Good-to-Be-Lowfat Chocolate Eclair Icebox Dessert tastes so decadent, you'd never know it has much fewer calories and fat than the original!

This dessert does take a bit of forethought. It needs to rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours...overnight is preferable...to allow the graham crackers to soften to an eclair-like  consistency. Don't worry, though...your patience will be rewarded with a dessert that tastes so close to a bakery eclair that you won't believe it!

Caprese Turkey Meatloaf...Featuring Rao's Garden Vegetable Sauce

Hands down, my favorite jarred tomato sauce is Rao's. Rao's, the impossible-to-get-reservations New York Italian restaurant, has a fabulous line of home products! I tried their marinara sauce on the advice of my friend Andie a few years ago, and I was instantly hooked. Yes, it's more pricy than most store brands...but I promise that it's worth every single penny. Sure, I can make a pretty mean homemade amatricianna sauce. But, it's time consuming...which means it's something I only do a few times a year. The rest of the time? Rao's all the way. It's the only brand of pasta sauce I use in my kitchen, and we always have a jar or two in our cupboard for whipping up a quick weeknight meal. I was thrilled when Rao's Specialty Foods offered to send me a couple of jars of their Garden Vegetable Sauce to create an original weeknight meal for you!

I had never seen this flavor on my store shelves, and we really liked it. It's full of chunky veggies like tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and peppers. It's so hearty on its own that you could easily add some penne and grated parmesan cheese for a simple dinner. I decided to use it to flavor a new spin on meatloaf: Caprese Turkey Meatloaf. Imagine all your favorite caprese salad flavors in an individual-sized turkey meatloaf. Since this is Healthy Eating Month, I used 93% lean ground turkey and lots of healthy add-ins to flavor this meatloaf. 

The individual meatloaves were ready for the oven in about 20 minutes. While they cooked, I tossed up a salad and some potatoes to serve on the side. By the time the sides were done 30 minutes later, the meatloaves were just about ready to come out of the oven. I had a company-worthy meal ready in less than an hour start to finish. With Rao's Garden Vegetable Sauce in the meatloaf mixture and on top, it was a double dose of deliciousness!

Jade Monk Matcha Tea Giveaway...Featuring Matcha-Key Lime Yogurt Mousse

Healthy Eating Month continues with a spotlight on Austin-based Jade Monk powdered matcha green tea. If you're like me, matcha always sounded a bit exotic...and the bright-green color gave me pause. Then I had the good fortune to meet the guys behind Jade Monk when I was at TECHmunch a few weeks ago. All it took was one sip, and I was immediately a matcha convert! Jade Monk matcha comes in a variety of fun flavors...all in convenient single-serving packets. You add it to hot or cold water, and it dissolves instantly. Check out the awesome flavors: Palau Peach, Chai Spice, Cranberry Blood Orange, and Lime Blossom. They even have a cool variety pack if you're like me and just can't decide which flavor to try. I was thrilled when Jade Monk offered to send me a box of the variety pack to try out at home. 

We sipped each flavor, either cold or hot...and I even experimented with it in the kitchen. Just wait until you see the amazing mousse I made with the Lime Blossom flavor! But first, I want to tell you about some of the health benefits of matcha. It has 2x the antioxidants of red wine, 15x the antioxidants of blueberries, and 137x the antioxidants of non-matcha green teas. Yep...it's an antioxidant machine flavored with natural ingredients and sweetened with a small amount of organic evaporated cane juice. Each packet is only 20 calories, and it will give you a great energy boost. I love to drink it when I get up in the morning to increase my alertness. Low in calories, an antioxidant powerhouse, and great flavor? Sign me up!

I played around with some of the packets, making smoothies and shakes. Then, I had the idea to create a tangy and not-too-sweet dessert. What I came up with was Matcha-Key Lime Yogurt Mousse. All this mousse takes is a few simple ingredients that come together in about five minutes.

This mousse reminded me of key lime pie filling, but without any guilt thanks to a base of fat-free Greek yogurt and Jade Monk matcha in every bite! You could even eat this versatile mousse for breakfast or an after-work snack to tide you over until dinner.

May Secret Recipe Club...Featuring Perfect Pasta Salad From Barbara Bakes

It's time for another fun Secret Recipe Club reveal...and the blog I was assigned this month is amazing. Barbara Bakes is full of amazing baked goods...if only it wasn't Healthy Eating Month here at The Weekend Gourmet, I would've tackled one of her amazing desserts. Thankfully, she also features savory dishes...and I found a recipe that works perfectly. I was going to a family potluck this weekend, so I was thrilled when I found her recipe for Perfect Pasta Salad. I admit that I love pasta salad, but it can be bland. Thanks to the technique that Barbara featured, my version of Perfect Pasta Salad lived up to its name!

This is more of a technique than a recipe per se...it's totally adaptable for your tastes of dietary guidelines. It makes a huge batch, and it got rave reviews from everyone who tasted it at the party. If that's not a great endorsement, I don't know what is! With Summer parties and picnics coming up, everyone should have this knowledge in their repertoire. 

This recipe allows you to use whatever odds and ends you might have in your kitchen. If you want, you can even make it veg-friendly by using egg or tofu for your protein. Tasty and versatile is always a winning combo in my book!

Cinco de Mayo #SundaySupper...Featuring Festive Tex-Mex Chopped Chicken Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing

This week's #SundaySupper theme is Cinco de Mayo...so we're sharing all of our favorite Mexican-inspired foods and drinks to get your fiesta celebration started! Our hostess this week is my friend and fellow Texan Jen, from Juanita's Cocina...and she knows a thing of two about the big-flavor, spicy foods that I love! Since May is officially Healthy Eating Month here at The Weekend Gourmet, I decided to take a slightly different approach to today's recipe. I wanted my dish to be colorful, flavorful...and also healthy. I think I accomplished all three objectives with my Tex-Mex Chopped Chicken Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing. This salad is a cinch to whip up, it looks gorgeous on the plate, it tastes AMAZING...and it's chock full of healthy ingredients! Who says healthy food is boring?!?!?

The great thing about this salad is that it's pretty adaptable. To make it veg-friendly, simply sub in a can of rinsed and drained black or pinto beans in place of the chicken. Don't like avocado? Swap in some sliced olives in their place. The key is to have fun and adjust for your family's tastebuds. The homemade vinaigrette takes a few minutes to make, but it really gives a great flavor to the finished salad. Let me show you how quick and easy this main dish salad is to make!

Sneak Peek....A Few of Our Favorite New York Eats!

I'm slowly easing my way back into the kitchen again after last week's New York trip, but I promise tohave tons of great Healthy Eating recipes for you starting this weekend! But first, I wanted to share a few of our favorite foods that we experienced while in New York last week. We visited casual eateries...and fine dining establishments -- and everything in between. When we weren't eating, we enjoyed the pretty Spring temperatures and took in some live music performances. All the foods we enjoyed were delicious, but a few stood out...I'll have all the details in our travelogue later this month, but I wanted to share a few teaser pics with you now.

Sweet Treats
We sampled a lot of special treats...and I'll tell you all about them in my upcoming article The Sweet Side of New York. For now, let me whet your appetite! Our first day in town, we visited Laduree to sample their flown-in-from-Paris macarons. I had heard that they're the very best macarons money can buy, and I believe that after our tasting. The shop owner hand-selected a few flavors for us to sample. For now, let me say that the rose macaron was one of the most uniquely delicious cookies I've ever tasted. Sigh...

We also visited a long-time favorite of ours this trip, The Doughnut Plant. These are the doughnuts by which Michael and I measure all doughnuts...for good reason. All their ingredients are made by hand, including the jams and fillings. Quality makes a difference! We met with the manager for a tasting of some of their signature and seasonal doughnuts...and chai latte. The carrot cake (bottom left) was the surprise of this bunch...it was moist and filled with cream cheese filling. Paired with the chai, it got our day off to a perfect start!

We visited Thomas Keller's per se after the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra Show...both venues are located in Time-Warner Center, so it made for a great date night! The $295/person dinner was a bit out of our price range, but they offer an amazing 5-course dessert tasting for $65 in their Salon overlooking Columbus Circle. That price includes two sweet amuse bouche, 5 creative dessert courses, and chocolates at the end. The portions were perfect for Michael and I to share. It was an unforgettable experience that I can't wait to share with you. For now, I'll share my favorite course: Poached Vanilla Meringue with Champagne Mango and Rice Pudding. It was creative and outrageously delicious!

As you can see, it looks like an egg. The "yolk" is mango-champagne coulis, the "white" is a meringue-like cookie...and it rests on a bed of creamy vanilla bean-flecked rice pudding. It was fun, creative...and very delicious. We didn't just indulge in over-the-top sweets, though...we also enjoyed some great savory dishes as well.

Guest Post from Noshing With the Nolands...Featuring Apple Oatmeal Cookies

Michael and I are enjoying our final day in New York today...so my #SundaySupper friend Tara from Noshing With the Nolands is here to share a fantastic oatmeal cookie recipe with y'all! Oatmeal is Michael's favorite cookie, so I'm sure I'll be whipping up a batch of these amazing cookies very soon. Thanks so much for guest posting for me today, Tara!

I am very happy to be here today. I have to say I do enjoy guest posting very much, and when Wendy needed help I was happy to lend a hand. I am Tara Noland from Noshing With The Nolands and have met Wendy through #SundaySupper. As you already know, Wendy has a fabulous site and is a wonderful lady with creative and interesting recipes.

I am always on the hunt for a healthier looking cookie for our daughter's lunch box. Something that I can pop into the freezer in 2 or 3 cookie portions, that I can then grab quickly in the morning. Amber loves homemade cookies and of course you can then monitor what you put in them. With all the peanut and nut allergies that children have I omit nuts for her lunch box but a walnut or pecan would do nicely too in this recipe. I liked that they were a bit different than your usual oatmeal cookie and had the added benefit of the apple. They are a nice soft cookie too, which is helpful as our daughter just got braces put on and is getting used to that.

When you look at the recipe, you may see an ingredient that you are not use to seeing. It is Poudre Douce and it is a Medieval and Renaissance blend of "sweet" spices like cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. If this is not available to you, simply just use cinnamon. I hope you enjoy this cookie recipe, there are still lots of days left to have to fill those lunch boxes so I hope this helps you out. ENJOY!!

Spring Garden Brunch at Tre Trattoria Downtown...

Michael and I recently attended an invitation-only Spring Garden Brunch hosted by Tre Trattoria's Downtown location and Culinaria San Antonio. We enjoyed creative mimosas and sampled many of their signature Weekend Brunch items. The food was expertly prepared by Tre  Executive Chef/Owner Jason Dady. Tre Trattoria offers brunch from on both Saturday and Sunday, which is great for people who may have Sunday plans or prefer going to brunch on Saturday. The restaurant is located adjacent to the historic Fairmount Hotel in Downtown San Antonio. We arrived, dropped our car with the Fairmount valet, and walked next door to the restaurant. Our first thoughts were that the restaurant was open and inviting, with tons of natural light. We entered the private dining room in the back and were struck with how beautifully the long communal table was decorated with flowers, fresh vegetables, and a wide variety of starters.

As we mingled and chatted with other guests, we enjoyed two of their Signature Mimosas:  (1) Tropic Thunder, which was flavored with pineapple and orange juices and a bit of Tabasco and (2) The Mimosa, which was flavored with pomegranate juice and a thyme-infused simple syrup. Both were delicious. By the way...Tre offers four flavors of mimosas for $1 each during their weekend brunch! We were seated, and the starters were passed around the table family style so we could enjoy a bit of each.

All of the starters were delicious, with lots of fresh flavors! While we enjoyed our starters and mimosas, Chef Dady warmly welcomed us. Then, the food started coming out of the kitchen! We sampled a wide variety of Brunch Entrees, as well as their House Cured Bacon and Molasses Pork Sausage. Everything was beautiful and expertly prepared.

We're Off to New York...

Michael and I are so excited...after months of planning, we're headed to New York this afternoon! We're going there to do the legwork for next month's A Food Lover's Weekend In New York feature, as well as two breakout spotlight articles: Romantic New York Date Nights and The Sweet Side of New York! While we're gone, I've got a couple of posts scheduled for you...as well a fabulous cookie guest post from my #SundaySupper friend Tara from Noshing With the Nolands. While we're in New York, we'll be sharing our adventures in pictures via Twitter and Instagram. If you're not following me via these social media avenues yet, here's my info so you don't miss out on any of the fun:

• Twitter: @TheWeekendGourm
• Instagram: WEEKENDGOURMET

Want to see as-it-happens updates of all the great food we're sampling, as well as attractions and other iconic New York sites? Then, make sure you go follow me...select pictures will end up on my Facebook page, but not all. For now, I'll leave you with a few of our favorite pictures from previous New York trips. Can you name all the locations? See you when we get back!!

Note: All photographs are copyright of The Weekend Gourmet. They may not be copied or reproduced without prior permission. 

The Weekend Gourmet Dines Out for April...Featuring Arcade Midtown Kitchen

Our featured restaurant for this month's The Weekend Gourmet Dines Out is Arcade Midtown Kitchen, one of the hottest new eateries in San Antonio. Arcade opened at the Pearl Brewery entertainment and retail complex in February, and Chef Jesse Perez's cooking has been packing in hungry customers since then. The menu is full of seasonal, locally sourced ingredients...and fun combinations of ingredients that feature the Big Flavor that Michael and I love. Add in a great bar with lots of fun original cocktails, and you've got a winner of a restaurant on your hands! Chef Jesse invited Michael and I to come for dinner earlier this month to sample some menu items and share the experience with you.

The first thing you notice when you walk up to Arcade's entrance is that the restaurant is full of light thanks to lots of windows. The decor and vibe is what I would best term casual elegance. The food is upscale, but it's not at all stuffy. Arcade strikes a nice balance between formal and informal, casual and elegant. The servers are knowledgeable and friendly, and the music playing is a nice mix of genres that really sets the mood for a fun evening. You know you're in for a good meal when the logo on the front of the restaurant tells you that FOOD FORTUNE AWAITS!

We were warmly welcomed and seated at a table just outside the open kitchen. I loved being able to watch Chef Jesse and his team make our dinner! We shared an appetizer and dessert and selected two entrees for our meal. We ordered a couple of cocktails and decided to try the Chipotle Shrimp and Seared Pineapple Flatbread for our appetizer. Michael even managed to snap a picture of it going into the open kitchen's wood-fire oven!

The flatbread was full of flavor from the spicy shrimp and tangy pineapple. The addition of queso fresco, roasted peppers, and fresh herbs pulled everything together. The flatbread was spicy, but not overly so...and it was the perfect size for sharing. Next up came our entrees. I selected a seafood dish, while Michael -- ever the beef lover -- selected a steak.

I opted for the gorgeous and flavorful George's Bank Diver Sea Scallops with Green Chile Corn Grits, Pico de Gallo, and Smoked Bacon Salsa. Michael selected the Grilled 12 oz Ribeye with Jalapeno-Lime Rub, New Mexican Mashers, Grilled Tomato, and Smoked Jalapeno Butter. We were both blown away by the complexity of the flavors in both of our dishes.

My scallops were perfectly seared, and the green chile grits were creamy and slightly spicy. The pico de gallo brought a touch of bright freshness, and the bacon salsa was smoky with a gentle heat. It didn't hurt that the presentation was gorgeous and so colorful! Michael proclaimed his steak was seasoned and cooked perfectly, with just the right amount of spice. The smoky chile-infused mashed potatoes were a perfect complement to the savory steak. 

We loved that we were able to look into the kitchen and watch Chef Jesse and his kitchen staff cook. They worked so hard preparing meals that night...it's like a finely tuned engine. We appreciate the fact that -- even though he was very busy -- Chef Jesse came to our table to personally thank us for coming and chat for a few minutes while we enjoyed our entrees.

After our dishes were cleared, our server Sabrina brought over the dessert menu. We decided that the Banana-Phyllo Stack would light and perfect for sharing: layers of crisp phyllo, fluffy cream filling, bananas, and sweet dulce de leche. It was the perfect sweet ending to our meal.

This dessert was a fantastic combination of flavors and textures. It was light not too rich...perfect for sharing for "a little something sweet" to end our fantastic meal! After dessert, we thanked Chef Jesse for his hospitality...and told him we'd definitely be back to try some other menu items that caught our eye. Arcade's location at The Pearl is perfect for both locals and visitors to San Antonio, and prices are very reasonable for the quality of food served. For the menu the evening we visited, appetizers ranged from $7-14, and entrees ranged from $18-24. Amazing food, reasonable prices, and a great location makes Arcade one of our favorite new restaurants in San Antonio!

Disclosure: Arcade Midtown Kitchen provided us with a complimentary dinner to facilitate this feature. All opinions expressed are mine, and all photographs are copyright of Michael K. Garcia. They may not be copied or reproduced without permission.