http://www.bravotv.com/holiday/photos/holiday-gift-guide

Or check out FN’s store for celeb chef gear. I really like Rachael Rays spoons that clip onto pots and pans & Bobby Flay’s new line.

A cute gift for foodie’s with kids (and I want these myself): Head Chefs by Fiesta Products. We had them at Every Day w/ Rachael Ray, they were so fun.

Anyway, happy holidays and new year! Look out for posts in 2010!

Allyson: No foams! If you want to give the flavor, give us the flavor. Don’t give us the essence of the flavor. Plus,  foams are wet and slimy.

Alex: No main sauce shmears. A drizzle of raspberry or chocolate sauces for the dessert course is fine, but when it comes to meats and starches, don’t tease us with a light spread on the plate. Just pour it on.

Alex: Don’t hover with the water pitcher. It’s nice to get refills, but when a server or busboy replenishes a few sips every seconds, its just creepy.

Allyson: Don’t lurk to take my plate as soon as you think I’m finished. It makes me feel rushed; I don’t mind it sitting there for a minute or two

Allyson: Don’t turn food into artwork – it’s food. For more explanation see Tom Colicchio’s Diet Coke commercial.

Allyson: No live lobster. If you work at a steakhouse, its one thing to let the customer choose the cut of meat he or she wants by bringing it out on a tray. But it’s a whole other and wrong practice to bring out a live lobster and say, ‘This is the lobster we are serving tonight.’ I’m talking to you Morton’s steakhouse. I was scarred by it.

Allyson:  Bring out dessert trays . Customers will be more likely to order one or more, which benefits the restaurant. And the display helps the customers because desserts that sound appealing on the menu sometimes aren’t visually appealing, or vice versa.

Allyson and Alex: Be mindful of open kitchens. If customers can see the kitchen from their seats, chefs should appear to be the most hygienic people on the planet. They shouldn’t sneeze and go back to work. And we wanna see hand-washing! And staff members who have flabby, pale and pasty legs shouldn’t wear shorts. That’s a rule for life

Allyson: No fly zone. If your restaurant’s windows are open, make sure flies aren’t coming in. Both dead flies and buzzing flies are unappealing

Allyson: No long convos. Managers, it’s nice to make sure everything’s okay, but don’t engage me in a 20-minute convo.

Allyson and Alex: Waiters, don’t kneel or sit next to me on the table. Craig Dickman agrees.

Keep it Tasty,

Allyson and Alex

I think the overall fav was the pumpkin-cheesecake cupcakes (from EDWRR). The sweet potato fries (our own concoction), stuffing (from FN) and mashed potatoes (from mom) were also a big hit! Here are some mouth watering pics from the feast:

Our 20 lb. turkey - stuffed with garlic, onion, fennel and coated in sage butter.

Mushrooms stuffed with our shitake/butternut squash stuffing.

Cranberry sauce with orange zest/juice and almonds.

Chile Rice - made with white rice, scallions, cheddar cheese and serrano peppers --- very spicy!

Hush puppies and sweet potatoe fries coated in brown sugar and spices.

Crumbly skillet cornbread, drizzled with honey and butter.

Mashed Potatoes and shitake/butternut squash --- never try cutting upa butternut squash. IMPOSSIBLE!

The full spread (minus the goose contributed by Chris)

Everyone loading their plates up.

Friends enjoying the feast.

The pumpkin-cheesecake cupcakes.

More friends enjoying the festivity.

Keep it tasty!

Allyson & Alex

Allyson got her usual favorite –  turkey on whole wheat with lettuce, mayo, mustard and pickles. She’s loved Potbelly’s since she first discovered it in middle school near the Regal Cinema in Rockville, Md. The way the warmed mayo and mustard melt together over crispy, toasted bread, added with fresh turkey and light, fresh, crispy lettuce, combines for the perfect bite. And no flavor overpowers another. It’s like a make your own sandwich with the freshest ingredients, the perfect toasted-ness and the right portion size. The sandwich also holds together well–a great, compact sandwich. But, the sandwich should be eaten right away because when it’s not warm, it loses its essence.

Alex ordered the Italian in an attempt to conjure up memories of her favorite cold cut Italian hero in the world: the Super Italian with peppers and mushrooms from Leo’s Latticini (also known as Mama’s) in Corona, N.Y. While Potbelly’s doesn’t come close to Mama’s creation, it sure beat Jimmy John’s Italian sub. Potbelly’s version on the classic comes with four cured pork cold cuts: mortadella (kind of like bologna but more awesome), capicola (spicer, more briny ham), salami and  pepperoni. There’s also provolone cheese, and lettuce, tomato and hot peppers upon request. The crunch of the roll and peppers, paired with smooth mouth-feel of the meats and cheese, results in a pleasing textural contrast. The meats are properly seasoned, though Alex would prefer them to be thicker cut. And the provolone should be sharper, in order to stand out among the rest of the sandwich components.

Jimmy John’s has a more diverse menu with flavorful, original sandwiches, but Potbelly’s sandwiches have character and are a more classic, homestyle take on hoagies. Jimmy John’s is satisfying, but Potbelly’s really makes us say “ooohhh.” Na na, na na.

Look out for part 3 of the showdown, for which we take on Jason’s Deli.

Keep it tasty,

Allyson and Alex

We wanted to order common sandwiches so we can match them up against other restaurants’ versions.  Allyson ordered the Luna Club on French Bread. She said it was good overall, especially because the bread sustained all the sauce — mayo and avocado spread. However, she said she couldn’t taste the avocado until the end. But it was the perfect balance of mayo–not too overpowering but still tasty. Unfortunately, the perfectly crispy and not-too-fatty bacon overpowered the turkey cold cuts. The provolone cheese was also masked a bit by the rest of the ingredients. And there was a bit too much lettuce, but the portions of tomato and cucumbers were fine, adding the right crunch for a pleasing textural balance. All in all, she said it was a decent hoagie — better than Jimmy John’s wheat bread sandwiches.

Alex ordered The Vito, an Italian combo featuring salami, provolone, capicola, lettuce, tomato, vinaigrette and her addition of hot peppers, all placed between thick-cut wheat bread. The soft, airy wheat bread made this typically heavy hero much lighter and easier on the stomach. It also held up well to the ingredients. Alex is an Italian cold cut sandwich fiend and Jimmy John’s version wasn’t a strong enough fix. The cold cuts were sliced to thin and a bit soggy. Their porky, salty, briny, spicy flavors were also masked by the lettuce and tomato. She also would have preferred a sharper provolone.

Michele ordered the Totally Tuna sandwich, which came with celery, alfalfa sprouts,cucumber, lettuce, tomato and onions. She said it was good, just a bit soggy. And she doesn’t like onions at all, so that topping was a bit of a disappointment.

Check back later for Sandwich Wars, Part 2!

Keep it tasty,

Allyson and Alex

There’s no doubt this restaurant belongs in College Park, decorated with Terp team’s memorabilia adorning the walls, and multiple big, flat screen TVs playing games, as well as uber-cheap happy hour prices for beers and cocktails.

We were seated right away at a window booth, but don’t expect that to happen on a UMD game night – you can have up to an hour wait when the Terps are playing and an even longer wait for service.

We started the meal off we an order of $3.00 Corona Lights (and one Land Shark for Shakes). And then of course, the must-have appetizer at Varsity, its crab dip.

The crab dip came smothered in melted, slightly browned cheddar cheese and was served with enough sour dough to satisfy five hungry stomachs. What stuck out to Alex was the amount of lump crab meat; it wasn’t all mushy and crushed up like at Adele’s on campus,  there was actually a texture. Allyson had been building this crab dip up for months – and from a Marylander’s point of view, if you’re raving about crab dip, you know it’s damn good. While the sauce was creamy, it wasn’t overpowering, and there was no b.s. going in there with crab (forget artichokes, corn, etc.). Just plain old crab, smothered in cheese and creamy-goodness, with a few herbs for some seasoning. Alex found herself compulsively scraping the plate throughout the meal until her spoon scratched the bowl. Allyson, at one point, abandoned her pizza just to use the crust for more crabby delight.

Even though our waiter barely said a word, we got our orders in and they arrived promptly. Megan ordered from the special 50-cent wings, though she was forced to get 10 wings because there is a $5 minimum. The Honey BBQ wings were standard, well-cooked but nothing extraordinary. She accompanied her meal with a side of Bay Fries – and was surprised when the only seasoning was Old Bay, the rest of us knew that was coming. They were thin, crispy and tasty but extremely pungent, almost sneeze-inducing from all the Old Bay. It was work finding the perfect fry that wasn’t too smothered in this special Maryland tradition, but once you found it, it was golden.

Laura ordered the Varsity burger, a half-pound black Angus patty topped with cheddar jack, smothered in BBQ sauce, onions and baked ham. She was disappointed because she assumed the ham would be more like Canadian bacon than deli-slice cold cut meat, which was the reality. But overall, she was satisfied with her choice. We still think her happiest moment was discovering they serve Land Shark Lager, a favorite from her time in London.

On to us. Allyson ordered the Southwestern Chicken Pizza. The dough was that perfect mix between a thick crust while maintaining that thin-crust crunch. The cheddar and mozzarella were melted perfectly but slightly drowned out by the pizza’s other great toppings: chicken, chili base with beef (instead of tomato sauce), onions and beans (the beans were not on the menu!). Because she’s a “punk” as Alex says, AKA can’t deal with the heat, she left off the jalepenos, in fear of not being able to taste anything while her tongue is on fire. The pizza still packed a little kick from the chili base and was loaded with different flavors and textures in each bite. It is a lot to eat though for one person, so you’ll definitely have leftovers (or crust for more crab dip).

Alex ordered the Italian Cheese Steak. She’s usually apprehensive ordering an item labelled “cheese steak” in eateries other than Pat’s or Tony Luke’s in Philadelphia. But she was pleasantly surprised (notice our trend?) with the Italian Cheese Steak, which paid homage to the boot with the addition of sauteed onions, mushrooms and peppers, as well as provolone cheese, which she actually prefers over the more traditional whiz. The provolone was sharp and creamy, yet did not overpower the meat. The thin, chopped pieces of rib-eye were tender and juicy, but still retained a crispy exterior. Unlike her favorite cheese steaks in the town that Rocky runs, this one was not served on a crusty, airy Italian hero roll. The roll actually contrasted the dish’s name, for it was more of a combination of a soft hot dog bun and a kaiser roll. However, it held up to the toppings nicely and she really has no complaint about the bun, other than it wasn’t what she was used to. The other downer was that the menu promised tomato sauce would grace her cheese steak’s presence. It failed to RSVP.

Michele joined us a little late (poor working girl) but it didn’t take long for her Sliders to show up. Technically calling this appetizer a slider is as MISTAKE. As Adam Kuban says on the A Hamburger Today blog, “People, a slider is something very specific. It is not just a mini hamburger. It’s a thin, thin slip of beef, cooked on a griddle with onions and pickles piled atop patty.” Varsity may have saved themselves in the description, calling them “four mini-hamburgers” but to us with a critical eye, they are just wrong. Anyway… The “sliders” were neatly presented with opened buns and perfectly placed little squares of American cheese. Seeing as it was one of the first meals she’d eaten in weeks due to illness, she seemed to enjoy them well.

Our experience at Varsity Grille was like Detroit playing the Redskins… everyone expects the Lions to tank, and guess who rises to the top? (Yes, that hurt Allyson to say). In a college town with not too many worthy dining options, it’s always a big win when we stumble upon an establishment worthy of a return. And one that makes us unafraid to try new things off their menu.

Atmosphere – young and sporty, very casual

Service – speedy but impersonal

Price – Very affordable, most dishes are between $10 and $12, and there are lots of specials every night, from bar to food

Food – 4 out of 5 (We think that was a first for us)

Keep it tasty, holla

Allyson and Alex

Mike V. held strong with his deconstructed ceasar salad. Toby’s one complaint was that his dressing didn’t explode as described. But Mike V.’s skills and looks are explosive enough for us.

And Jen, who was so nervous during the whole episode that she wouldn’t be able to deconstruct and was even avoiding Tom in the kitchen, actually got top props in the winning group. Her deconstructed lasagna was simple with a fresh tomato sauce, homemade pasta and Parmesan crisp that Padma described as capturing the classic homemade crust of the original dish.

Kevin was the obvious winner when Penn said the dish made his mouth was burn in a good way and that it was better than any mole he’s ever had. His deconstruction obviously captured the original flavors and was plated beautifully as well. But, Kevin has a huge leg up in the competition anyway being  James Beard Award winner – too bad he’s up against some stiff competition.

This season has been filled with weird moments: Padma telling off every loser in one episode, Tim Love’s hillbilly friends in the desert chowing down on too many ceviches and Wolfgang Puck throwing a doughnut at the wall. Tonight was no exception. Penn made a borderline sexual harassment comment when Padma claimed to have had bulls testicles before. Penn replied with, “I bet” and everyone else completely ignored the accusation of bestiality as Padma smirked and said these balls were much larger. Cut back on the alcohol Bravo. Or don’t, we love the extra comedy.

Ashley’s slow rise to the top is a little unnerving, but we think she’ll crash again – we hope. Our dream team going all the way to the top include Jen, Mike V., Kevin and Brian.

Keep it tasty and watch next weeks episode!

Allyson and Alex

All photos for Top Chef posts provided by BravoTv.com

We are so hyped for this Wednesday’s episode, airing on Bravo at 10 p.m. We can’t stop talking about it, so here’s what we think will happen and what we wish will happen.

Allyson’s Prediction: She thinks the commercials are making a big deal out of the other contestants complaints about Robin; they are saying she can’t cook and is hiding behind her cancer. But, she may do something to win the judges favor, rather than flop.

What Allyson wants: Ashley should go home. Even though she won last week, she’s been on a down-hill slide. Plus, she’s just annoying. In her wildest dreams, Jersey Mike will be kicked off. His remarks about a woman being inferior in the kitchen and his overall ego are just too damn obnoxious. However, he is a talented chef–especially in Greek cuisine. So we probably have a lot of him coming our way.

Alex’s Prediction: Alex thinks Laurine will go home. She complained about Robin in the preview, which may be a foreshadowing moment. Plus, her food’s not that great and she’s not at all interesting to watch. Why is she there in the first place?

What Alex Wants: Ron, the large man who braved the high seas from Haiti to the U.S., needs to go! He’s got a great story and Alex sympathizes with his past struggles, but c’mon! Who makes ceviche in the desert?!

Of the two dueling brothers–both of whom are terrific chefs and probably on their way to the finals–Michael is the most outgoing one. But not only that–he is gorgeous! We are rooting for him just to keep his face and his tatted hot bod on our screen for weeks to come. Not to mention, he’s one hell of a cook.

Leave your comments–who do you think should go home?

Keep it tasty, and watch the show tomorrow!

Allyson and Alex

The exterior of the building is kind of tattered, but walking in is a pleasant surprise. The decor is that of any standard Chinese restaurant: pink linen table cloths, large round tables, lacquered wooden chairs and plenty of space. Not to mention the random Broadway instrumentals going on in the background. Seven Seas is not a dining destination for most Terps. Many of the diners were well-above middle age, with their families or on dates. But we added some youth to the scene.

We started our dining excursion with the standard round of drinks. A mediocre Strawberry Daquiri for Allyson that lacked any robust flavor either in fruit or alcohol; a “Seven Seas Secret,” a blend of “fine rum” and 7 juices, that was actually pretty generic tasting without much pop – definitely not the mind eraser it claims to be. Megan ordered the Blue Hawaii, a sweet tropical blend that was Alex’s favorite. Marianne ordered the Pina Colada, which was excellent as far as coladas go, a fine balance of pineapple juice and coconut.

But away from the alcoholism… Alex decided to gross everyone out at the dinner table with her order of Five Flavor Intestines off of the Authentic Chinese Menu Appetizers. Seven Seas publicizes this secret menu online, but unless you specifically ask for it the menu remains hidden behind the hostess’ station.

Alex had no qualms pretending she spoke Chinese to our befuddled waiter who did not believe a girl like her would seriously want to order intestines. The offal appetizer appeared as a series of springy, curly transparently white pieces of innards. They were doused with a burnt orange colored sauce that made the dish. It was sweet, sour, tangy and spicy all at the same time. However it did not mask the subtle flavor of the intestines, which tasted faintly of pork, yet had a smoky aftertaste. The texture is cartridgey and chewy, which can be hard to get used to (ask Allyson, in an effort to prove her parents wrong about being a picky eater she boldly took a bite, and never will again based on texture alone. It feels exactly as expected from intestine: chewy, crunchy and slimy). Overall for Alex, it was a clean interpretation of the nasty bits.

Allyson ordered a Tuna Sushi appetizer, which again shocked the waiter that she would want sushi and not a roll – all this questioning got a little annoying. The tuna was fresh and flavorful, accompanied by a few slivers of spicy ginger and even spicer wasabi.Combine all three with the sticky ball of rice and you get an ideal morsel. They also didn’t skimp on portion size, giving nice long and thick filets of fish.

Dinner began with Marianne’s Vegetarian Roll platter. Brought out with the appetizers, she had to wait a moment for the rest of us to get our meal. The veggie rolls included avocado, cucumber and mystery vegetable-stuffed pieces. We debated the mystery and ended up with either caramalized onions or eggplant – not very definitive hypotheses. She said the rolls were good, but the side seaweed salad didn’t satisfy her taste buds, nor ours. We left the entire plate of sickeningly seasoned overcooked seaweed sitting on our table.

Megan thought she went boring when ordering the Sesame Chicken, but oh was she wrong (say in porn-star voice). This classic Chinese-American dish was done right by Seven Seas, especially in an area that is lackluster in excellent takeout staples. The chicken itself was not overly breaded but still had that perfectly crispy crust with a small layer of air between the crust and the meat. After the lovely crunch, the meat itself is all white and moist (Allyson gags at the word, but not the juiciness of the chicken). The sauce was not too sweet nor overly gloppy, yet still clung to the chicken with its cornstarch-laden thickness. The chef allotted the perfect amount of sauce to make each bite savory and marinated well into the chicken. The broccoli on the side was steamed nicely and added an extra crunch to the dish.

Allyson ordered the Seafood Pan-Fried Noodles to mixed results. Craving scallops and shrimp, it seemed like the perfect combination of seafood, veggies and crunchy-thin noodles. The noodles were crispy and nicely marinated in the white garlic sauce, and the shrimp and scallops satisfied her palate. However, the scallops were a little skimpy, flimsy and thinly cut. And the cod-fish (we’re guessing cod, the menu lists it as “fish”) was overcooked, chewy, fishy and tough for most pieces. However, Alex enjoyed the flavor of the cod, saying it was a mild flavor that took on the sauce, which hid any fishy quality in her opinion.

Alex again tried from the authentic menu, ordering the Shredded Pork in Hot Sauce, which actually had more bean curd than strips of pork. However, the meat minority was superbly juicy and fully absorbed the chili-garlic sauce. Even the bean curd (aka tofu) tasted almost meaty, enhanced by the awesome sauce. Her one criticism of the dish was that she wishes there were more textural varieties. The scallions were sauteed to the point of limpness and the dish could have used an addition of crunchy chilis for a more balanced-mouth feel. While Allyson’s tongue craved something to quell the spice of the sauce, for Alex and all spicy-eaters, the spice was right.

There are probably hundreds of dishes we didn’t try at Seven Seas, the menu is huge and overwhelming, especially when you include the authentic one. But despite a few lows, the high points were significant enough to make us want to return. Of all the Chinese/Japanese (it is a combo-pack) restaurants in the area, this seems the most authentic.

Service – poor, our waiter was inattentive, absent and absentminded when it came to asking for drink refills or the check.
Atmosphere – good for large groups, yet still quiet enough for an intimate meal, informal.
Price – Very fair, drinks were only about $4 and most entrees are $10-$15
Food – 3.6 out of 5

Keep it Tasty,

Allyson and Alex

Photography by Allyson Dickman, Videos by Alex Rush

P.S. We began this post at 10 p.m., it is now 11:13, because of Allyson’s spelling inadequecies … and that’s probably not even spelled correctly.

Ledo Restaurant Move Downtown Becomes Official

Taste of Terps at Ledo’s