A^2 Restaurant Week Review: Seva

Four cheers for Restaurant week! Today for lunch, I was blessed with the lovely Birgit's company to check out the killer steal at Seva on Liberty. Two entrees for $12! Who can beat that lunch time deal?

Seva's entrance off Libery street

Seva was offering a choice of a portabella & goat cheese quiche, an avocado-citrus salad, an artichoke-feta penne, or ciabatta campania. I don't know what that last choice was, but I certainly didn't want to try it out. Nor did I want a salad (even though avocado and citrus did sound good), since I was making one for dinner. I decided on the penne, while Birgit went for the quiche, and we did a mean switcheroo mid-plate. We also shared a side of Seva's yam fries, because dammit, I just love them so darn much. It's that killer sauce that comes with the fries that gets me every time. I think it's probably just some crazy veg spread (like vegannaise) mixed with cayenne, but nobody has ever confirmed the secret ingredients for me. So instead, I just keep going back to eat more...

Seva's famous yam fries with special saucePortabella quicheArtichoke-feta penne

Overall, I wasn't that impressed with this meal. My penne was not very well incorporated with the artichokes and feta (needed some kind of sauce to stick to the noodles), and while Birgit was pleased with her portabella quiche, I found the thick layer of goat cheese much to overpowering for the whole dish. Brad has been saying for years that he thinks Seva is terrible and doesn't understand why anyone goes there, but I always keep giving it a try. Nothing I ever get there is all that mind-blowing (or tastebud blowing for that matter), but have I mentioned those damn yam fries? Our service was also somewhat slow, which since I wasn't in a rush, didn't bother me. I think if either Birgit or I had places to be though, it would have irritated me quite a bit. I guess given the circumstances today, what more could I expect for a measly $6? It was also nice that Ten Thousand Villages was handing out $5 off coupons for anyone who showed a Seva receipt when making a purchase. I probably won't use the certificate, but it's nice to see local businesses capitalizing on the restaurant week action.

A^2 Restaurant Week Review: Bella Ciao

Restaurant week in Ann Arbor kicked off tonight. Since it's the first annual event, I suppose I should not expect the food to be spectacular, nor should I expect the service at any given restaurant to be exceptional. I mean, the first year of anything is bound to cause some chaos. I am however, expecting to have some pretty good meals at a pretty fantastic price (at most restaurants, $12 for a two course lunch, and $25 for a three course dinner), and I'm willing to accept any slight shortcomings that follow. :-)
My first reservation of the week was tonight at Bella Ciao on West Liberty. Bella Ciao holds somewhat of a special significance for Brad and I, as it was the first "nice" restaurant we went to after we started dating. Back in January 1999, our residence hall sponsored a Monte Carlo night at the Michigan League, and before attending that, we went with some friends to a nice dinner. I should probably mention up front, that I don't have much recollection of the food, atmosphere or ambiance at Bella Ciao that night. This means my current review of Bella will be unblemished, as I've got nothing to compare it to. I was slightly disheartened to learn last week though, that Bella Ciao is going out of business at the end of restaurant week on Saturday June 20th. It's being purchased and renovated by chef Brandon John's from Vinology into a new organic/local/seasonal restaurant called the Grange Kitchen. While the alarms in my head are going off for many reasons (does that mean the food will be terrible at Bella Ciao this week? A close-out special of sorts? What about Vinology? Will their food be terrible because their former executive chef is out doing business of his own on his new restaurant? What about this new place!? When does it open, and will I like it??), I tried to put that all aside and have a nice meal. I think it's somewhat fitting however, that Brad and I got one last visit to Bella Ciao, just as we're about to celebrate our 5th anniversary next week.

Bella Ciao as it stands for it's last week

We arrived to Bella at just before our 7pm reservation. The evening was a beautiful summery mix of sunshine, light wind, and minor humidity. While there were several diners on the outside patio tables, we opted for an inside table near the kitchen. It was a bit warmer than I would have liked (especially after I had a few glasses of wine), but I enjoyed the view of the kitchen and it's happenings none-the-less. We planned on ordering items off of the set three-course menu (which we did), but Brad and I were also starving, so we started off the evening by ordering an additional appetizer from the antipasti menu. We went with a platter of mixed prosciutto, Italian salami, and some seasoned kalamata-style olives. I forgot to take a picture, but it was well presented, and was the perfect start with some house bread dipped in olive oil and our glasses of prosecco.
For the first course, I went with the carrot ginger soup, and Brad chose an arugula asparagus salad with champagne vinaigrette. The soup was sprinkled with a liberal amount of chopped basil and topped with what I think was some kind of buttery beurre blanc sauce. While not quite as good as the pumpkin truffle oil soup I had in Paris, it was still a well balanced soup that I liked a lot. I also got a quick taste of Brad's salad, and my mouth was pleased with the small slices of asparagus that paired so well with the spicy arugula. While there isn't a picture of the salad (There's only so many pictures Brad can handle me taking of his food before he eats it!), it is something I definitely think I could make on my own pretty easily.

First course: Carrot ginger soup

While waiting for our second course to arrive, Brad and I enjoyed some nice conversation (mostly about the ridiculous comments the staunchly Republican four-top behind us were making) and another glass of wine. Brad went with the menu paired red, while I went with a white (a vognier if I remember correctly). While Brad's red was spicy, angry, and delicious, we decided that my white was rather bland and mediocre, and actually had a pretty sickly amount of sweet when you looked for it. I'm not a wine connoisseur though, so I finished it either way, because vino is vino!

Wine and conversation

Thankfully, our entrees arrived before my wine was gone. I chose the zucchini blossom ravioli with basil oil, and Brad had the flank steak (highlighted with a brown gravy-like sauce we dubbed "brown blanc") with grilled seasonal vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes. While both meals were really good, I was slightly disappointed with the consistency of my pasta. You could tell it was homemade, but you could also tell it had been made a few days prior, as it was fairly gummy in texture. The filling was divine, as was the liberal amount of sprinkled fresh mozzarella combined with basil oil though, so I forgave Bella for this grave pasta sin. Brad's steak was a perfectly cooked medium and his potatoes paired with a bite of steak were the perfect comfort food. Other than the small amount of salt I needed to add to my dish, we had no complaints, and finished everything on our plates.

Flank steak ala brown blancZucchini blossom ravioli

Finally, we closed out our meal with what else, but dessert! My choice was easy, as I picked the seasonal rhubarb & strawberry compote with puff pastry. Brad didn't really have a choice, as I demanded he get the tiramisu (my favorite) so I could eat some of his. The puff pastry was beautifully presented (extra points here Bella!), and quite delicious on top of it. I genuinely enjoyed every bite. Brad's tiramisu was also good, but he declared it a bit "too strong" and I later agreed as I snuck a bite, that it did have a bit too much espresso. It also was not exactly a traditional tiramisu, looking instead a bit like a tiramisu slice of pie. Once again our plates were clean though, so no major complaints.

Rhubarb Strawberry puff pastryTiramisu

At the end of the evening, we were stuffed and ready for bed. As we drove home reminiscing about "when we were young" and our first time out at Bella Ciao, I can't help but be a little sad that soon it will be gone. Even though our meal wasn't what I would consider "5 star," our service did have perfect timing, the food was good, and the ambiance had some of that old world Italian charm. Brad claimed it was just plain "old," but I was secretly taken by the ceilings draped in cloth. Sort of like the big four poster bed draped in white I always dream about. Either way, I would suggest one last night out at Bella for anyone looking to say a proper "arrivederdci."

Mary, Mary, quite contrary

How does your garden grow?? Pretty well I'd say actually! Here's what my completed garden project looks like.

Zawacki Square Foot Gardens

My garden isn't exactly what I want it to be just yet, but it's getting there. I had to start somewhere this year. :-) My garden boxes consist of:

• Box 1 - Kale, broccoli, chard, and brussel sprouts.
• Box 2 - Carrots, cucumber, zucchini and sugar snap peas
• Box 3 - Sweet peppers, roma and cherry tomatoes
• Box 4 - Hot peppers, spinach, and grape tomatoes
• Box 5 - Perennial foods of raspberries, rhubarb, and asparagus

And that list doesn't even include all my herbs! Which are all doing well except the basil. I've even got a cute little gnome plant marker surveying my lemon thyme from Kristal. And check out my asparagus. It's emerging!! Now I just have to keep up this level of excitement for the next 3 years before I can harvest it.

Little herb gnome and purple asparagus

We also celebrated a milestone here tonight at the Zawacki house. Our first grilling session on our new deck! We went with a simple grilled chicken and asparagus, paired with penne and marinara sauce. It was tasty. It was also fun, as we used our new patio tableware for the first time.

Mister mans the grillExciting outdoor dinner

Now after I'm stuffed to the brim and the dinner dishes are all cleaned up, I leave you with a picture of my new friend Ty. I've dubbed him the deck protector.

Ty the Tyrannosaurus

Summer Steals

Following domestic Stephanie's lead this week, I felt I just had to alert everyone about the summer sale items I found today. I spent the afternoon hitting up Scrapbook Memories in Chelsea (which is going out of business), Kohl's (where everything is always on sale), and Target (which is the perfect place for cheap housewares).
Scrapbook Memories had some good deals, but it was also crazy busy. I think we stood in line for about 20 minutes to purchase items, and we were some of the lucky few who didn't even have to wait that long! I ended up with a few sets of stickers, some much needed small titanium scissors, a microfiber cloth for wiping fingerprints off of pictures, a couple of metallic pens, and plenty of cute papers.

The clouds are my favorite

After heading back to Ann Arbor, I hit up Kohl's. I got a coupon in the mail this week for an additional 30% off anything in the store, and quite frankly, my mister needed some things. I wanted to surprise him when he returned from Virginia with a new bathing suit and an electric toothbrush. He's been begging me for both for months now. What I wasn't expecting though, was finding some fun new flip flops for my man. I'm sure he'll be pleased. My wallet was happy too with them only costing me $8 a piece!

Welcome home presents for my man

My last stop this afternoon was to the TarShey (Target) to check out dinnerware to display on my new patio table. I'm extremely picky about that kind of stuff, so I wasn't expecting to find much. But to my delight, I actually found the kind of thing I was imagining! And I've always wanted to try square plates, so this was perfect. I think the pattern will match nicely with my Henna patio umbrella, which was critical. Now I've just got to find some appropriate sized cobalt blue place mats, and I'm good to go.

Summer retro dinnerware

Pink Peony Pleasure

This afternoon I took the opportunity to enjoy a lunchtime walk through the Peony garden at UofM's Nichols Arboretum, which is in full bloom right now. The weather was a stunning 65 degrees and sunny. It was perfect for snapping a few photos and relishing the lovely fragrance. Enjoy!

Pretty Peonies

While you were out

Brad's gone in Virginia for a few days this week, and I've got the house all to myself. That means a return to the kitchen since there is no outside "work" going on! Tonight I took full advantage and made something new: Orange Roughy Tacos. I know, I know, you're thinking gross right? (I already heard all of your fish taco jokes Seth, so you can just stop while you're ahead). I myself thought fish tacos were pretty gross. I mean, why ruin a delicious bean or chicken taco by putting fish in it? But as is turns out, fish tacos are kind of a whole different taste experience. In a decidedly good way.
I got the idea for these fish tacos from my favorite random food blog, the Food in my Beard. I modified them somewhat, as mango/radish salsa just doesn't tickle my taste buds. I picked up some Orange Roughy that looked good at Trader Joes, and got some limes & avocado's.
Once I got home, first up I prepared the guacamole. I used 2 whole avocado's, 1 big scoop of greek yogurt, 1 large handful of chopped cilantro, 1/2 cup of diced red onion, the juice of 2 limes, and some cut up cherry tomatoes. I know the greek yogurt seems wierd, but it adds a really nice tang to the guac, and it's main purpose is that it keeps the avocados from turning brown!

Guac ingredientsHealthy guac all complete

Next up was the fish seasoning. It was really easy to make, and was just grated lime zest, chili powder, cumin, flour, salt & pepper. I mixed those all together, then patted it on the toweled off fish. I then put the breaded fish into a shallow pan with about 1/2 inch of canola oil over medium-high heat. I cooked the fish on each side for 3 minutes, which was just about perfection.

Breaded fish ready to fryLook at that fish crust!

In order to eat these tacos then, I simply broke up the fish into manageable bite sized chunks on a flour tortilla, sprinkled on some shredded lettuce, then topped with my healthy guac. I sat down to enjoy this new creation on my deck with a nice glass of white wine from my wine tour last September.

The makings of a good mealCompleted tacosA simple refreshing white wine

After dinner though, my desire to be in the kitchen wasn't waning, despite my best attempts to sit down with a book. Instead I turned to the fruit bowl and saw the overripe bananas beckoning me. I realized after I saw them, that I haven't yet written about the AWESOME Chocolate banana zucchini bread I made over the winter, so it was due time. :-)

Chocolate Banana Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
1 cup applesauce
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 tsp vanilla extract
~~~
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup Hershey's cocoa powder

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8x4 inch bread loaf pans
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light yellow and frothy. Add applesauce, brown sugar, white sugar, grate zucchini, bananas, and vanilla; blend together until well combined. Stir in the flour, cinnamon, baking power, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Allow to cool in the loaf pans on a wire rack before removing and serving.

This bread is seriously the most moist & delicious banana bread ever. From personal experience, it also freezes really well. Especially in mini loaf form!

Banana bread ready for the oven

Baked and delicious!

Deck Hiatus

I know I've been pretty quiet lately. It's not for lack of things to write about, but rather, lack of time! Brad and I are in the throws of the deck project and it's keeping us extremely busy. We've spent three full weekends (including the long Memorial Day weekend) and a few random days now working. Who knew it would be so much work? But it's fun work.
The first weekend we spent renting a Toro Dingo to drill nine, 9" wide x 46" deep holes for our beam posts. We used another Dingo bucket attachment to move dirt into my garden boxes. Finally, we rented a cement mixer to mix 21 bags of 80 lb concrete and make some cement post holders!

Drillin' with the Auger

Moving that DirtCreating cement posts

After the cement posts dried for 2 days, the next steps were to start creating the beams that would hold the joists and decking. This point is when Brad's Dad's, expertise was much appreciated. He's been helping us out, and we certainly couldn't do this project without him!

Leveling some BeamsCreating some joists

After the Beams were all leveled and stable, it was time to build the joist framing. For this part, we invited over my brother-in-law and his lovely family to help. Mostly that meant my 3 year old niece Sylvie distracted the boys while they worked, but it was some help we did appreciate, and it's always cute to see my niece ask a million questions about "what are you doing?"

Frogs on the joistsSylvie is "helping"

After the joists were all built, it was time to build some stairs and lay actual deck boards. I would say this was definitely part of the project that I underestimated in terms of time. There's so many intricate cuts and angles and measurements that need to get taken, and I'm just thankful I have people in my life who enjoy doing those things.

Varying degrees of progress

So here we are, Sunday June 7th, and we're still not quite done. We've got some final decking posts to finish, but more importantly, we've got a lot of railings yet to create. In the mean time though, it's quite a useable space, and I couldn't resist putting together my new patio furniture and umbrella! And you can bet your cookies I made everyone eat dinner outdoors ON the deck AT the new patio table while working on Saturday night. :-) Here's to hoping we can get everything at least mostly complete by next weekend, and then we'll be all ready to celebrate with proper drinks and a few friends!

Almost complete!Patio dinner smiles