best slice ever

I tried a new-to-me slice at Ian's yesterday and it is my new favorite. I am not sure exactly what was on it, but from what the pizza guy told me and from what I could see and taste, it had a kalamata paste for sauce, diced tomatoes, garlic, maybe roasted red peppers, and pecorino romano cheese. Wow. The salty of the pecorino with the meaty kalamata and the juicy diced tomatoes: pizza trifecta.

Everyone at work (and the greater Madison area) is more than sick, so I washed it all down with some vitamin water and was feeling quite healthful by the time my lunch hour was over.

hearty breakfast

This morning I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at Cafe Soleil and it was amazing. I sipped on a big, soupy bowl of latte and crunched down the hearty breakfast sandwich. I am in love. The breakfast sandwich has two fried eggs, ham, bacon, gouda, hearty whole grain bread and is served with a side of sweet salad that contains shaved carrots and apples. mmmm.

Shoppes on the move

Little Luxuries is vacating their space at 214 State at the end of February and moving down the block to the former home of Puzzlebox at 230 State. That is a great space and I think LL will be a nice fit. I do worry about Patricia Shoppe around the corner at 137 W. Johnson, though, because some of the jewelry lines are the same, I am thinking of La Vie Parisienne in particular. But Patricia Shoppe is more of a boutique and Little Luxuries is more of a gift shop, and I currently visit both and will continue to do so.


What I am really excited about, though, is the new store (possibly called anthology?) at the former space of Twee and Luliloo at 218 State. The windows are covered with beautiful papers and collage art and I have been waiting for a store like this downtown. They plan on selling handcrafted papers, fabrics, art supplies, yarns and potentially artisan goods. Cool! Can't wait.

Sambarific

Chimichurri part deux: Samba Brazilian Grill. Ole! And then some. As referenced in my Cabana Room review, the remodeled Avol's is stunning. Samba is far more impressive than the Cabana Room (as distinguished as that is), with even more polished wood, colorful draperies and glass accents, a stage with live music, gauchos shaving meat and more magnificently presented sides, salads, cheeses and cured meats than a person can dream up.

I sampled octopus salad (wow!, I wish I had eaten more of that), a marinated shitake salad, seaweed salad with a sesame paste, pasta with cubed meat, heart of palm, delicious cheeses, fresh fruit, olives, and on and on. Too much really. And mashed potatoes. And saffron rice. And Cuban style beans. And cheesy biscuits that I would have compared to a gougère (I ate between 4 and 6; I stopped counting after 3). And meat. As long as your color coated table tower is showing green, the meat just keeps coming. Bacon wrapped sirloin. Parmesan crusted pork. Honey glazed pork. Duck. Lamb. Rack of lamb. More beef. Changes nightly. I may have to go again tomorrow! And the chimichurri. It tastes so divine with the beef. With everything. My mouth waters just thinking about it. I may have to wander down to Gotham to get a bagel with chimichurri cream cheese, for a quick fix. I wonder if there are medicinal uses for chimichurri? If I consumed a tbsp daily, would I ward off any ailments? I would be willing to give it a go...

For an easy chimichurri recipe, please visit Recipezaar. To learn about my new favorite drink, the caipirinha, and cachaça, a national product of Brazil, visit the appropriately named Cocktail Times.

Pour some sugar on me!

Been scoping out Sucre, the new French patisserie where McDonald's used to be on the square. It is fancy! The stark white interior with a splash of color reminds me of the glass restaurant, fresco, on top of Overture. Can hardly believe it used to be McDonald's. The transformation is complete, and I daresay, miraculous.

On my first visit I ordered a fluffy gibassier pastry infused with orange, anise, almonds and olive oil. I love croissants, and this had the same flaky, eggy, buttery, doughy deliciousness. At $2.95, it wasn't a bargain, but it was a real treat. And looking at the gorgeous tarts and pastries and the menu recommending wine pairings, I wished I could spend the whole afternoon there, sampling and hanging out.

On subsequent visits, I have sampled the carrot cake (very glamorous parchment wrapping and perfectly moist and nutty cake), the Sacher Torte (never been to Vienna, but if there is an entire hotel serving this ganache coated, chocolately masterpiece, I am adding it to my list) and a couple of fair to middling lattes. The lattes are very competitively priced for downtown and the milk is organic, a big bonus in my book, but there are some kinks to be worked out there.

I have noticed in the pastry case that items can be boxed and beribboned "to go" for an especially exquisite presentation gift and some chocolates are making their way into the rotation as well. I anticipate spending a lot of my empty calorie allotment here, and happily.

Read local reviews.

(Not the Copa) Cabana

I love white bean paste. And I love Brazilian food. It is without surprise then that I love the Cabana Room, the lower level restaurant and bar located in the Samba complex that is the remodeled Avol's Bookstore on Gilman. The space is gorgeous: brightly colored, lots of polished woods - and the food is fantastic. I ordered a grilled mushroom and pepper wrap with goat cheese and white bean paste. It was sweet and savory, full of nutty garlic flavor and delightfully chewy. Add a side salad with crisp greens and a mango vinaigrette, and I was happy as a clam. Even happier when one of my dining companions wished to swap sandwich halves, and I was able to sample the grilled cheese with pesto and tomato Cubano, which is a sandwich brick pressed on a grill, not unlike a panini. It was cheesy and fresh and a perfect complement to the wrap. The only problem is that I would like to have half of each every time I visit and I may not find someone willing to swap! Can't wait to try more.

Maharani à l'ouest

I did not know that Swagat, at High Point and Old Sauk Road offered the same lunch buffet as Maharani! I knew they were owned by the same folks, so it makes sense. Man, that is a great buffet. The lentil donuts, the chicken tikka masala, the mango sorbet. It's all there. And delicious.

Fair is Fair

I love Alterra Coffee. I love that their coffee is wind-powered, uber eco-friendly and they are Fair Trade certified. I love the way a latte tastes when made with Alterra Coffe, I love Voltaire's Passion, I love that I can get it at Sentry Hilldale, the best grocery store in town.

But the only place that I know of that sells Alterra downtown is Barriques Market in the old Loraine Hotel at the corner of Fairchild and W. Wash . And that place is kind of a mess. It is not entirely clear where the line to order starts - sometimes it is to the right, sometimes it is down an aisle, the space is entirely too cluttered, and while I can forgive both of those things, it is also SLOOOOOOOOW. But the lattes are awesome, and I love Alterra, and it is convenient, so I will certainly keep going there.

And thank you to EmWi for the gorgeous photo that I lifted from flickr. Isn't it pretty?