Taverna del Alabardero is reknown by local gastronoms as the best Spanish restaurant in the District. The establishment has over 20 years of experience serving everyone from diplomats to discount diners (I’m talking to you, Noble Restaurant Week Aficionado) with not a sign of having a slow night.

The restaurant has separate menus for lunch, dinner, and brunch, as well as a vegetarian specific menu on request. Offerings are rotated seasonally, so a dish that you declare your favorite could be here one day, and gone faster than a 22 year old’s tax return in May.

It’d seem a number of people (including Jen and I) take Restaurant Week (RW) as an opportunity to dine here, but to be fair, you can’t judge the quality of this establishment purely based on an experience there during that time. To start, the only menus available are RW specific, either for meateaters or vegetarians, but without the option to go a la carte.

Dishes during RW are certainly well executed, with extraordinary presentation and balance. Jen’s citrus salad wasn’t substantial by any means, but a nice way to start her three course meal.

It’s fair game to say that the owners have the expectation that the people filing in and out the doors are in for more of a bargain than Taverna del Alabardero’s absolute best performance. A sampling of this, a sampling of that, but neither Jen nor I could say the meal was truly memorable.

Their arroz con leche (rice pudding) with clementine ice cream even felt a bit blasé- again, a very good dish by any standard, but a dish without real passion or creativity.

Even the service, by and far, seemed lackluster. The one highight of the evening was having a conversation with Gustavo, the restaurant’s sommelier. The man spoke of true passion for Spanish food and his wine craft, enough that we were convinced to give the restaurant a second try on a regular dining night.

So… we did just that.

Fast foward a few months, and Jen and I (well, maybe just me) are excited to see how Taverna really operates. The restaurant is noticeably less crowded at the bar, but tables remain filled up with large boisterous tables celebrating special occasions, and couples like us enjoying an intimate meal in a upscale but relaxed atmosphere.

To start, Jen decided on one of the vegetarian tapas – the Parrillada de Verduras sobre Gazpacho de Espárragos

I took on the plate of Jamon Iberico (Iberian ham), something that might be a safe bet with any haute coutre Spanish restaurant, but a favorite of mine ever since traveling through Spain a couple of years back. The leg of ham sits near the bar, a massive display of perfectly salted perfection. Served with miniature breadsticks, this plate is a dish best shared between two, unless you have a particularly voracious appetite.

Jen’s order of the fried mushrooms came out spectacularly well – comparable to a vegetarian’s fried calamari with a similar texture but a much lighter taste. These things come out molten-burn-the-shit-out-of-your-mouth hot, so do take your time stuffing them into your face. I thoroughly enjoyed stealing several morsels of these off of Jen’s plate, but the deep fried action just wasn’t really doing it for her.

Not pictured is the Spanish cheese plate, which, even if you’re really into cheese plates, I’d give a pass on when eating here. The fresh chunk of honeycomb to accompany the cheese samplings is a nice touch, but overall, the cheeses just aren’t that great, especially at this price point.

I took a gamble on our server’s recommendation with the Rabo de Toro Estofado a la Cordobesa con Croqueta liquida y Zanahoria al Pedro Ximenez – a fancy name for Boneless Beef Oxtail Braised with Liquid Potatoes Croquette and Poached Carrot in a P.X Sauce, and I’m glad I did. The succulent portion of meat falls with even the gentlest pull of a fork. Bring it through the puddles of liquid potatoes and to your mouth, and you’ll never want to have another meat dish that’s any less tasty for the rest of your life.

How do I put this in no uncertain terms?

I could go back to Taverna del Alabardero right now for a second serving of this dish. I’m drooling on my keyboard as I type just thinking about it. I’ll spend months fantasizing about this dish, only to realize I need deep psychotherapy to get over this dish. It’s good. Really, really, really good.

To top off the meal with dessert, I took another recommendation from the server and ordered the Pisto de Melocotón en Almíbar de Café, Crema Catalana con Bizcocho de Magdalena – a Peach Ragout in a Light Cofee Syrup with Cream Custard topped with a Magdalene, which boiled down to a sweet, creamy soup loaded with chunks of fresh peaches. Good, but in retrospect, something I’d pass on entirely on a return visit.

So how’s the NON-Restaurant Week experience? Well, it’s tough to say. Jen was much less impressed with her meal than I was, although we both agreed that it was a 180 from our first foray there. She did end up losing a fight that the fried mushrooms put in her stomach with cramps and pains afterwards, but that’s more of an effect to her having completed a cleanse a month back and not being able to handle such deeply fried food. The oxtail was a home run with me, which makes me think that Taverna’s a great place to take a carnivore who’s looking for a extraordinarily executed meat dish. The deserts seem to be less inspired, and if you’re a vegetarian, you can make your own judgement call based on their menu online whether or not you’d like to eat here. It’s still nice to know that an upscale restaurant like this does indeed cater to vegetarian tastes to a high degree, where most places would offer a few salads and pasta dishes, and then call it a day.

Service here is inconsistent, at best. Our server and associated staff were very attentive for the first part of the meal. We never once had to ask for refills on wine or water, plates were quickly escorted away at just the right times, and recommendations were for the most part, pretty good. The service rapidly declined towards the end of our meal as the restaurant started to shut down, and we sat waiting for our check for 20 minutes as our server disappeared along with numerous diners around us. I finally flagged down another server who brought us our check, but it left us with an unfortunate sour note to leave on to what was otherwise a pretty good meal.

If you’re looking to try Taverna del Alabardero, the best time to head over is right after work, when their entire tapas menu is 50% off. Prices are otherwise a bit steep, and thankfully, we dined on a graciously provided gift card. I’d likely go back some time to try another one of their meat plates in the future, but I have a feeling if I do, I’d have to go without Jen’s company.

See Taverna del Alabardero on a map here.

Recommended For:

• Courting Fancy Spaniards
• Paleoheads
• Business Jerk Power Lunches

Not Recommended For:

• Obtaining Fancy Lanyards
• Restaurant Week Dining
• First Date Frugalistas

With a name like the Flying Pan in the heart of Hong Kong, the now ancient joke of “flied rice, you plick!” from Lethal Weapon 4 comes swimming up back from the depths of my mind. But all ridiculous jokes aside, it is incredibly difficult to find a good breakfast in Hong Kong. For all intents and purposes, it seems to be the one meal that the city would rather forget. There’s certainly a wide array to cafes willing to accommodate your money in exchange for meats of questionable origins, half-cooked, runny eggs, and all the congee you can eat, but after several frustrating days of disappointing meals, Jen and I turned to the Googles for help.

The one place that came up time and time again as the best place for a more traditional Western breakfast was the Flying Plan. Deep in the heart of ex-pat district in Central, it’s easy enough to find once you board the travelator- a seemingly endless stretch of inclined moving walkways that snake their way over the bustling commerce of the streets below.

The sign for the Flying Pan can be seen as you take the travelator (yes, that’s the official name of it) up the hill, and being situated in the ex-pat community is the perfect location for the restaurant.

Stepping inside past the sliding door (which you have to manually slide open and closed yourself), the familiar diner decor, large plastic covered menus and tiled tables all seem to beckon a comforting feeling of a greasy spoon back home, and being the only greasy spoon in the city that we could find, the restaurant already had a lot going for it.

There are some anomalies here- but all for the better. Copies of various publications are plentiful at the door, including a local version of the Wall Street Journal if you’re into catching up on current events. Omelettes and the house specials come with your choice of an array of freshly squeezed juices such as orange, grapefruit, apple, cranberry, tomato, pineapple, or lemonade. You also get your choice of two sides, including spiced apples (highly recommended), fresh fruit, grilled tomatoes (another favorite between Jen and me), potatoes, baked beans, grits, or a small garden salad, and THEN your selection of white or wheat toast, an english muffin, a biscuit or a bagel to boot.

There’s a copious selection of omelettes to choose from, and I’m a little upset that I never got around to ordering the Kitchen Sink – an omelette stuffed with veggies, meat, and cheese, something that’s quite obviously designed for my inner fat kid. That’s not to say you can’t get by with the other choices, like my selection of the Three Little Pigs, with bacon, snausage,  and ham. You also have the option of ordering an egg white omelette if yolks make you scurred.

Which they shouldn’t, you ninny.

Jen dove right in with the Eggs Sardou – an eggs benedict version sans the meaty awesomeness, but with the addition of artichoke, tomatoes and spimmach. I guess I can give her a pass, being my girlfriend and all.

The food isn’t the most amazing diner food I’ve ever had, but it’s the best breakfast you’ll find in the city at a reasonable price. Service is very good, the space is clean, and you can’t go wrong with any of the options of pancakes, waffles, french toast, or blintzes on the menu. If you’re up for a challenge, there’s always the 4x4x4 Monster Pan – a large platoon of 4 eggs, 4 strips of bacon, and 4 sausage links, served with 4 slices of toast, 4 sides, and your choice of either a large glass or 2 small glasses of juice.

Just enough to fuel a paleohead until lunch.

See the Flying Pan on a map here.

Recommended For:

• Paleoheads
• Zone Dieters
• Vegetarians
• Frugalistas
• Late Night Breakfasts

Not Recommended For:

• Claustrophobics
• Vegans
• First Dates
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Hanging Out, Plotting World Domination

Italian restaurants are a dime a dozen in DC, which isn’t to say that all are created equal. When it comes to competition like that, the capabilities of the kitchen are indubitably of importance, but what about the basics of a meal, the fundamental elements used in every dish?

Restaurateurs will sometimes go above and beyond to ensure their ingredients are of the utmost importance. Acquiring their agriculture locally and thereby supporting local community. Obtaining their seafood from sustainable fisheries. Making sure every steak and sausage comes from pasture-raised, antibiotic meats. Using local, organic dairy vendors for the mountains of cheese used for every plate.

Well, now you’ve got an idea of the lengths Dean Gold and Kay Zimmerman of Dino go through to ensure that your meal is as unforgettable as they can make it. After all, the devil is in the details.

This Cleveland Park restaurant is a long hike from downtown, especially in the sub-arctic temperatures Jen made me carry her via dogsled (Normsled), but it’d easily be a great walk in temperatures otherwise warmer that we encountered in our winter stroll (car and metro options would have been entirely too reasonable). Tables are outfitted with giant dishes of sea salt and bottles of olive oil, perfect to soak your fresh, tableside bread in.

Highlights of our meal included my order of the Uova alla Diavola. Creamy Sriracha achovy aioli, anchovy salsa verde and fresh yolks make for some of the best deviled eggs I’ve had in years.

A wide assortment of cheeses are available from cows, sheep, and goats, all paired with rustic slices of bread, fruit, and candied nuts.

My locally sourced Dr. Joe’s Pekin duck breast with pasta stood no chance to an appetite built up from a good 30 minute sprint uphill, with Jen cracking the whip and screaming “MUUUUUUSH! MUUUUUUSH!” to my lone ears and tired legs. She even noted that I was unconsciously pushing the strips of duck to the side of the plate as I powered through the plate,.

Jen: What are you doing?

Me: Huh?

Jen: Why are you pushing the duck to the side of the plate?

Me: Uh, apparently because I wanted to save the best of this for last.

But really, the duck here is unreal in flavor on a bed of Dino’s finest house made pasta.

The Budino de Pane, or bread pudding, however, was a bit lackluster not only in presentation but substance. Made with barberries and raisins, then served with a scoop of vanilla gelato and and amaretto whipped cream, this was by far my least favorite dish of the night, but with 10 other different dessert choices, I’m sure I can manage to eventually come up with something I like on that menu.

The service is of the caliber of the dishes served here at Dino. Our waiter was friendly and accommodating, great with casual banter and recommendations on the restaurant’s formidable list of selections. Nothing about this place screams “DC HOT SPOT” but rather, an upscale dining establishment that Cleveland Park just happened to be blessed with having in their ‘hood.

What is it about Italian restaurants that make them so plentiful throughout the District? Is it our region’s love for pastas, rich sauces, and abundant selections of wine? Or is it somehow a considered a comfort food among gastronom and omnomnomnivores alike?

Whatever the reasons, it’s refreshing to come to an Italian restaurant that simply, somehow, just does things better than the status quo.

Add in special considerations such as a $39 for three course special every night of the week, and that the restaurant has a number of gluten free options to choose from, I can’t see why I wouldn’t be returning.

Unless Jen suggests we take the dogsled again.

See Dino on a map here.

Recommended For:

• Vegetarians
• Pastafarians
• Frugalistas
• Paleoheads
• Dinner Date after the Zoo

Not Recommended For:

• Indecisivists
• Jersey Shore Casting Call
• Haters
• Gators
• AC Slaters

There’s an old Irish recipe for stew, that goes like this:

Get some meat, some potatoes and a lot of Guinness Stout. Drink all of the stout. Forget about the stew.

That’s not quite the scene at Againn, the favorite drinking tub for leprechauns and gingers within the District. With a wide array of beers, scotches, and even the option to rent your own scotch locker, who wouldn’t want to drown their sorrows or celebrate their…celebrations…here?

Maybe me, with the whole alcohol dehydrogenase thing.

So to set the focus, yes, Againn has a fine selection of alcohol here, and according to a connoisseur of fine, obscure alcohols, “the 2nd best tasting Guiness I’ve had in this country”.  But my love of food is what brought me here, and that’s the story I have to tell.

First of all, this is no place for a vegetarian. Unless you have an unhealthy fascination for potatoes, you’re going to be set with a very, very slim set of pickin’s.

On the bright side, meat in all and every form is in abundance here.  The daring are especially rewarded, with savory flavors, decadent textures, and pub food at it’s finest offering.

The golden tripe here is, as one can expect, tripey, and a delight to your stomach.

The corned beef tongue is ridiculously awesome. Tender and brine cured, served with a peppery arugula, and served with fingerling potatoes and olive oil, I highly recommend this dish. This appetizer is high on substance and presentation, and the corned beef tongue complements the tender fingerling potatoes perfectly.

The sides don’t come up short with flavor either, but beware, even the most paleo-friendly looking ones can bite you inadvertently. My friend ordered the Welsh Rarebit, which as he mentioned as being as true to his childhood as he could remember, and I ordered the Sauteed Kale, prepared with ham, carrot, and to my surprise, breadcrumbs. Ordering a side here is crucial here, as the main course might serve up a bit smaller than you’d like, or as I did.

My friend’s main course orderd the Heritage Pork Belly and Cracklin’. Pork belly, white grits, mustard greens, roasted turnips and strips of pork cracklin’ as fried as Snoop Dogg headlining at a show, this is a pork lover’s wet dream, and not for the faint of heart. What could possibly make this dish better?  You know the answer to that.

Image Credit: Caanan

My main course, the Creekstone Farms Hanger Steak with Maitre’d Butter, Watercress Salad and Chips, was as every bit as good as I had hoped. Steak and butter and a bit of roughage, with a pass on the fries, cooked to a medium rare perfection.

If you’re out to impress a group of serious drinkers for a night out, you can’t do much better than Againn.* The prices are a bit steep for pub food, but the quality of the food is high, maybe just not as high as to justify the price.

Minus a small debacle with the bill, the service is fairly good on a busy night. With a reservation, there is no wait for your seats, and the atmosphere is vibrant, despite the decision of the owners to keep the lighting bill to a minimum. Noise is energetic, but not so loud that you have to scream across the table. And with as much scotch, wine, and beer there is to choose from, maybe that’s not such a bad thing after all.

Let me know if you get around to trying out their stew. I hear it’s delicious.

See Againn on a map here.

Recommended For:

• Paleoheads
• Zone Dieters
• Captains of Industry
• Watching the match. “Awright, ‘arry? See that ludicrous display last night? ‘Fing about Arsenal is, they always try an’ walk it in.”

Not Recommended For:

• Vegetarians
• Vegans
• Frugalistas
• Nyctophobics

* One thing to note is to double check the damage, both when you first get it, and after your server’s run your card. I’m sure it’s entirely possible to accidentally add in a random lemonade that pads your total by a few dollars in between after handing in a Groupon, but I sure as hell haven’t ever had that happen before.

Tampa has a lot of multitude of fantastic things to offer an out of town visitor, but only if you really, really like strip clubs.

If you don’t, that takes out about pretty much anything you’d want to do around the city except to go to a football game and drink.

No, wait, that’s not fair. Daddy didn’t mean that. I’m sorry.

There is Ybor City, which actually stands as a little neighborhood in Tampa that’s well known for its pedestrian only streets on the weekends, and of more historic notoriety, the Columbia Restaurant. This cigar shop/flamenco show/restaurant boasts seven locations throughout Florida, with the Ybor City location being the original, and it shows.  Columbia owns an entire block, split up into a souvenir shop, a flamenco show & dinner restaurant, and a separate restaurant for just meals, all in spacious, quirky rooms. Columbia also happens to be Florida’s oldest restaurant, established in 1905, so a good amount of history and stories goes along with the name.

Jen started with an appetizer of Black Bean Cakes, served with sour cream and guacamole. These hush puppy shaped cakes were tasty, but nothing too out of the ordinary.  A good dish to start your meal and whet your appetite.

I took a chance and went with the ’1905′ salad. The ingredients are almost typical for a Chef’s Salad, but with the tableside preparation and the unique Columbia dressing with elements of freshly squeezed lemon and Worcestershire sauce, I was hooked on this salad.  Worcestershire isn’t exactly 100% Paleo, but hey, neither am I.

Technically Paleo.

Jen’s entree, the Pasta con Trufas “Cristalino” was a plate of pasta pockets, stuffed with truffle and cheese, simmered in a creamy sauce made with Cristalino sparking Spanish wine. Odd, but a nice touch.

My entree, the Filet Mignon “Chacho”, named after the youngest son of the founder, Evelio “Chacho” Hernandez. A center cut filet mignon served with the most amazing roasted potatoes I’ve had in years, then left swimming in a bourbon, shallot, and mushroom sauce.  The server then comes with a shot of Booker Noe bourbon and sets the filet mignon on fire at your table.

It’s at this point I realize that the entire family is probably a string of alcoholics, as it seems like everything is cooked with alcohol.

It’s shortly after this realization does our server tell us the history of the “Chacho”.  It turns out Evelio would come in and open the restaurant in the morning, and immediately get set on making the coffee for the day. He’d go across the street to the bar for a few eye openers, followed by a few more eye openers for good measure. He’d be quite hhhhhhhammered at this point, and the coffee, left unattended and burning, would set the restaurant on fire.

This would happen on numerous occasions, with the same thing happening over and over again, with Chacho repeatedly setting the restaurant on fire.  It happened so many times that, eventually, the restaurant would be threatened to have their insurance revoked if somebody did not stop Chacho from making the coffee.

Chacho has since passed away, but his memory lives on every time a customers requests this dish and has their previous dish set ablaze.

The food is actually pretty good given that I had fairly low expectations of Ybor City.  The service is awesome and very friendly, despite Jen and I hearing at least three glasses being dropped in the span of our meal (none from our server, who never even flinched once). The atmosphere is a little odd, but given the history of the establishment, I’m willing to believe there are some great stories with every wall and tile.  I highly recommend taking a dinner here if you find yourself in Ybor City or Tampa.

See Columbia Restaurant on a map here.

Recommended For:

• Paleoheads
• Vegetarians
• Pyromaniacs
• Business Meetings

Not Recommended For:

• Nyctophobics
• Marriage Proposals
• AA Meetings
• Bears

It’s been a while since I’ve put together a recipe, so here’s a quick and easy one that makes for an excellent meal.

I’ve started to use the above chili garlic sauce instead of habanero or sriacha sauce because it’s got a really nice, light kick to it with a great amount of flavor.  Use it to spice up any recipe you have, and goes great over fried eggs in the morning.  You can find this in just about any Asian/ethnic grocery store for pennies.

I discovered lemonaise a few years ago, but it recently found its way back into my fridge again having found out that it’s completely paleo, and comes in tons of flavorful varieties.  It’s really expanded my options again with eating seafood on a paleo diet, which is always nice having another tool to use in the kitchen.

Caveman kitchen. I’m mostly outfitted with just a firepit and rocks of different sizes for smashing.

Ingredients:

• 6 oz lump crab meat
• 2 tsp Chili Garlic Sauce
• 1/4 lime, juiced
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1 tbsp chili dijon mustard
• 2-3 tbsp lemonaise
• Sea salt, to taste
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste
• Butter lettuce

Directions:

1. Place lump crabmeat into a medium sized bowl, and make a few passes with your hands to check and remove any remaining shell fragments.
2. Squeeze lime juice over the crabmeat. Sprinkle coriander, sea salt, and ground pepper as evenly as you can over the crabmeat.
3. Add chili dijon mustard, lemonaise, and chili garlic sauce.  Using a fork and spoon, gently toss the crabmeat until the ingredients are well mixed.
4. Using the spoon, spread your crabmeat mixture over the center of a butter lettuce leaf, roll up, and devour.

Buddha Bar is part of a growing empire, partly made up of restaurants, and partly made up of a very popular series of downtempo albums released under the same name.  The concept for each restaurant seems simple enough – insert a towering statue of a Buddha, remove all lighting fixtures, add a DJ, serve delicious food.

And guess what? It works!

Mostly works.

Jen and I wandered down to the Buddha Bar in DC after missing an opportunity to eat at the one in Paris.  Weeknights are certainly slower paced, which could be seen as a good thing if you want to hold a conversation and hear your dining partners over the DJ’s selected tracks for the evening.  The music is tasteful and relaxing, never too OONTZ-OONTZ-OONTZ but loud enough for you to know that you’re partially paying to hear some very good music.

Even DJs have to eat.

An Asian fusion theme permeates the menu, with wagyu tenderloin, sea bass, sushi, peking duck, hoisin pork ribs and curry shrimp being only a few of the main course offerings available.  Menu selections are clearly noted with a “V” for vegetarian, although vegetarians (such as Jen) may find themselves less than thrilled to eat here.

Her order of the Vietnamese Spring Rolls were fairly authentic and true to form, but somewhat lackluster for a world class restaurant, and something that could just as easily have been served out of a foodcart for a third of the price.  Not that there’s anything wrong with foodcarts, but that’s another story.

Her main course, the Seasonal Vegetable Tempura, left her with a substantial plate of lightly fried vegetables, but again, left her underwhelmed and uninterested in most of the dish, but taking to at least the tempura fried bok choi and sweet potatoes.

I had better luck with my dishes, starting with a Spicy Tuna Tartar with Avocado that made for an amazing appetizer.  Three separate stacks, one tuna tartar, one avocado, and one vegetable, served with a spicy dipping sauce and a bridge of fried chips, I took no time plowing through the tuna tartar before the waitress hastily made her way over and suggested that “Patrons tend to really enjoy mixing the three stacks together.”  Whoops.

My main course, the Grilled Grouper with Bok Choi and Nam Pla Sauce, was another great dish to follow up my first course.  Something about the preparation reminded me of the fresh fish I’ve had in years past in Hong Kong, which I think speaks to the quality and preparation to the dish.  A good but not oversized portion, I had no complaints whatsoever here, either.

The restaurant itself is very well decorated, and in dim lighting, looks like exactly what it intends to be- a world class drinking establishment that serves authentic Asian food centered around a God and some great lounge music.  Prices are on the higher end for dinner, but not out of the ordinary for a popular dining destination in DC. The service is helpful, friendly, and attentive enough to always be there when your water needs to be refilled, but not intrusive to the point where you’re inviting them to share your table with you.

I’d go back here another time, as I really enjoyed the meal, but it looks like I’ll have to make the return visit without my girlfriend, who’ll not likely be making the trip over with me.

See Buddha Bar on a map here.

Recommended For:

• Paleoheads
• Pescetarians
• Birthday Parties
• Drinks After Work

Not Recommended For:

• Buddhist Monks
• Mermaids and Mermen
• Vegetarians
• OONTZ-OONTZ-OONTZ

Boudros has a brand name that carries some weight in San Antonio, deep in the pants of Texas.  I received the recommendation from a Texan, who suggested I take a stroll along the Riverwalk and try the Texas Bistro out.

The Riverwalk is the stroke of an urban planning/design genious. Take a lazy, peaty river that winds through the heart of the city, and build out as many restaurants as you can to draw in the tourists.  It works, the varying degrees, and a number of places to eat to suit any sort of crowd, tastes, or diet.  Even mentioning that I was going to be eating at Boudros drew gasps of surprise, as apparently it’s got the reputation of being a fancy-Nancy type of place to eat.

Well, let’s clarify this before I get too far into the review… fancy for San Antonio.  Which is to say, as long you’re wearing pants in the 100+ degree temperatures during the summer, it’s fancy.  You should probably leave your ruffled silk shirt at home.

The menu changes seasonally, so it’s hard to say what’s going to be featured on your visit, but this place definitely caters to the meateaters, perfect for a paleohead travelling and trying to stay on the rails of his/her diet.  One thing that doesn’t change, however, is their self-proclaimed famous Guacamole for Two.  It’s good. So good, I stole the recipe and claimed it for my own, which is all the easier to finagle when it’s prepared fresh tableside.  The restaurant only uses one whole avocado to make your guac, so be prepared to order a second batch.  This stuff goes fast.

Served with piping hot corn tortilla chips that are decidedly NAHT  paleo friendly, I had no qualms eating this straight with just a spoon.

I was lucky enough to come in when the kitchen was offering their Braised Short Ribs, my second favorite meat, which comes in only after bacon. Come up with a Braised Short Ribs wrapped Bacon recipe for me and it’s pretty likely my head will explode.

Tender, juicy, and pulls off the bone with no effort at all, how the hell could I NOT be happy with dish at Boudros?  The small side of vegetables that come with this dish does come with a dusting of queso fresco, but that’s good by me.  There are a number of other tempting dishes on the menu, but Braised Shorts Ribs is almost impossible for me to ever turn down.

The crowd here is energetic, so it’s hard to carry a conversation, but I did notice a number of dates and business meatings going on around me, with vary degrees of effective communication that didn’t involve shouting across the table.  Service here is good, but nothing exemplary. The portion sizes are fair as long as you’re keeping in mind that you’re at a bistro and the phrase, “Everything’s bigger in Texas” doesn’t necessarily apply.  There’s no shortage of paleo goodness on the meal, but prices are a bit on the high end for the city.  Boudros is worth a visit if you’re down in San Antonio for a few days and looking for a guaranteed good meal.

See Boudros on a map here.

Recommended For:

• Special Occasions
• Paleoheads
• Zone Dieters
• Staying Classy in the Souf
• MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAT

Not Recommended For:

• Frugalistas
• Vegetarians
• Texas Portions
• First Dates
• Cramming for Finals

This one’s a quick dessert if you’ve got a craving for chocolate.  This recipe has a bit more of a dark chocolate taste, and I pretty much hoovered the entire thing in a few seconds, with a little bit of help from Jen.  It’d also probably make for a really nice chocolate spread, or the paleo-cupcake recipe I’ve been trying to come up with, except with the avocados, it doesn’t have a very long shelf life.  Which means you’d have to eat every last bit of whatever you use it for as a spread within a few hours.

Fine by me!

Ingredients:

• 1 large ripe avocado, chopped
• 2 tbsp dutch cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp honey

Directions:

1. Mix very well in a food processor or using a fork. You can eat it right away, or put it away in the fridge and let it set for 30 minutes.

One of my friends mentioned to me how much he appreciated how I am constantly working on ways to cheat within the rules.  I couldn’t agree more.  So I decided to give a go at making a paleo fried shrimp recipe.  This is another super easy recipe to follow, and with minimal ingredients.  The coconut flour used as batter doesn’t stick perfectly to the shrimp, but it’s still an excellent paleo alternative to using a regular grain based flour.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of large (31/35) shrimp, frozen
• 1 pasture raised egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
• 1/2 cup Avocado Oil or oil of your choice

Directions:

1. Defrost shrimp the night before, or under cold water in the sink.
2. Place the beaten egg in a small bowl or dish.  This egg wash will help the coconut flour stick to your shrimp.
3. Spread the 1/4 cup of coconut flour over a large flat surface, such as a cutting board or plate.  Evenly grind 1/2 tsp of black pepper over the coconut flour, and then 1/2 tsp of Old Bay over the coconut flour.
4. Gently pat one shrimp dry with a paper towel, and then dip the shrimp into the egg wash.  Make sure the shrimp is completely soaked, and then roll the shrimp into the coconut flour, getting a generous coating on your shrimp.  Set each of these aside and repeat until you have about 8-10 coated.
5. Heat a a large pan or skillet over medium high heat for about 5-10 minutes, until pan is hot.
6. Pour avocado oil into your pan, and gently lay each shrimp down into the oil.  You can use tongs or chopsticks, and handle your shrimp by the tail, so you minimize disturbing your batter.  Cook for about 60-90 seconds until the batter has turned a golden brown, and turn over to cook the other side.  Cook for an additional 60 seconds, and remove each shrimp to a plate.
7. At this point, you can start feasting, or prepare another batch of shrimp with the same process above.

Who’d have thought you could have fried food on your diet and still get away with it? I took my shrimp down in a pool of sriracha, but feel free to use whatever paleo dipping sauce you’d like!