Table Ten Po'Boy

Bread to the sandwich is what the first scene is to a movie. If the first minutes of a movie find you trimming your toenails, you probably won't appreciate the rest. Likewise, if a sandwich comes stuffed between two slices of government subsidized carbohydrate foam, you'll probably hope that a friendly bear steals your picnic.

The bread that encased my Po'Boy at Emeril's Table Ten in Las Vegas was so good that I may not have noticed if they forgot the filling. 

The bread's texture was perfect: a light crunchy crust with a featherly light interior. Good gracious. I'm going back. 

P.S.: The fries only look gigantic because I used a crazy wide angle fisheye lens to take this photo. 

Nam Kao Tod

If you ever visit Las Vegas, my instructions are as follows:

1. Visit Lotus of Siam
2. Order the Nam Kao Tod (crispy fried rice)
3. Savor the Nam Kao Tod

I couldn't get enough of the texture and the flavor. Just look at it! Doesn't it look exciting and new? I can't even look at it without feeling hungry. I'll be back.

Winning at the Great American Beer Festival

In terms of professional recognition, are there any honors higher than those awarded by peers? For brewers in the United States, the largest peer judged competition would have to be the Great American Beer Festival. Hundreds of breweries enter thousands of beers to be judged in a blind tasting by judges carefully picked from the beer industry.

If you've watched similar industry competitions, like the Academy Awards, you might imagine evening gowns, tuxedos, and drinks that call for an extended pinky finger. At GABF, folks are a bit more down to earth, even if they feel every bit as excited. Check out these winners:

The folks who wear the medals are hot stuff, yet all you really need to meet them and try their beer is a ticket to GABF. Isn't the beer industry great? High five!

A Taste of Ethiopia

Some foodie friends and I recently shared a meal at Taste of Ethiopia in Pflugerville. We shared huge platters of Ethiopian food, ate with our hands, and participated in a traditional coffee ceremony with freshly roasted coffee and frankincense.

This was my first experience at an Ethiopian restaurant. I'm eager to have many more. 

Art at New Belgium

Beer themed art fills New Belgium's brewery. I have a theory that most folks would be happier working in an environment filled with art rather than a more plain environment, even if art-free means more expensive fixtures and finish. Since New Belgium has both art and really nice buildings it doesn't really prove my theory, but people working here sure seem to enjoy life.

This lenghty light fixture made of beer bottles fills a stair well at New Belgium. I'm not sure if my photo has the same effect, but the actual installation stopped me in my tracks. I really like the sense of motion it conveys.