Lunchin' at Boheme Cafe & Wine Bar

Wednesday, October 30, 2013
In New York one of my favorite restaurants was Boat Basin on West 79th and the Hudson. The food was nothing special, but Good God, that view on the water was really something (especially on the first warm day of the year, after having been holed up all winter in your long johns with your mac and cheese and non-sunlight-adjusted eyeballs). I didn't even care that we ate with plastic utensils, it was slightly overpriced, and that the wait would likely always be 3 hours! I didn't care! Because the environment was so awesome it was one of my favorite NYC restaurants, and I always had a great time there.


Last weekend I met up with my mom for lunch at Boheme Cafe & Wine Bar on what might be the cutest corner of Montrose to ever have existed.

Seriously, so stinkin' adorable.

And much like Boat Basin, we ate with plastic utensils. Also, like Boat Basin the ambiance was really somethin'. Inside, the restaurant was filled with mismatched couches and quirky paintings. Outside, the patio was just perfect - filled with gorgeous plants, pretty vases, and brightly colored walls.

Unlike Boat Basin, the food was PHENOMENAL.


I'm sorry, what's that thing hanging up there by the window? Could it possibly be...?


That's right, a wine bottle chandelier, complete with large, bright Christmas bulbs. If you could sum me up in a light fixture, this would be the one.

Oh and did I mention the music? Schmoozy romantic Italian songs. It didn't really fit, yet somehow it fit perfectly. I dug it.


To start, my mom and I shared the Bangkok Fries that everybody has been raving about.

These fries are UNBELIEVABLE. Seriously outrageous. They are topped with minced pork, crispy fried onions, sriracha sauce, YELLOW CURRY MAYO (I know.), crushed sesame sticks, and cilantro. It is a complete explosion of ridiculously awesome flavors in your mouth.

Just be prepared, because even though the menu says they're a "Snack," what it really means is that they could feed six grown adults and be their entire breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the day (maybe even week?).

But of course this isn't all we ordered.

Because in addition to the Bangkok fries, Boheme is known for its delicious thin crust pizzas.

And because truffle is my Achilles heel (along with prosciutto and really any cheese), we ordered the Truffle Mushroom pizza to share.


Have you ever seen a mushroom so beautiful? The answer is no. No you haven't.

Loaded with oyster mushrooms, mozzarella, and truffle-y goodness, this pizza was exquisite. The absolute painful deliciousness of the pizza matched its beautiful exterior, and it was truly a delightful indulgence.

Boheme Cafe & Wine Bar is a quirky, whimsical restaurant with beyond scrumptious food, and I couldn't recommend it more.


Just be warned: Once you try yellow curry mayo you can never go back.

Happy Hour at Haven

Friday, October 25, 2013
Sort of. You see I was in Cove, but I was ordering from Haven. It's confusing.


But before I get into that, I need to get past the EVIL HOUSTON TRAFFIC I dealt with on my way over there (I thought I meant something to you, Fake Siri App) and the fact that I had no cash on me, and it was VALET PARKING ONLY (Even though it was not even 6:00 on a Wednesday and there were practically tumbleweeds blowing through the parking lot), which resulted in me showing up completely frazzled and more than likely downright psychotic-looking, after having had a major dramatic blowout of epic proportions with my beloved hometown.

[pause for steam to let out]

Other than that, I really liked Haven!

I mean Cove.

Okay, so they're both in the same building, and both sort of co-exist with one another. Haven is a ginormous restaurant with a little nook (er...cove) attached to it called Cove. It's all very chic and pretty inside. Even though I told my beyond-patient friend Megan (Ehrm, sorry about being a million years late...) that we were meeting at Haven, she ended up in Cove. And I'm really happy she did, because it was so cozy in there! And we were still able to order off of the Haven Happy Hour menu!

I'm beginning to learn that there is a trend in many nice/r Houston restaurants: They have stupidly awesome and cheap Happy Hour menus. Flemings, America's, Queen Vic, and Oporto all come to mind. And now Haven. Or Cove. Or both!

The HH menu at Haven/Cove is not quite as extensive as other restaurants, but they do have some great noshes for $6 each. Sign me up!


The first thing we ordered was the Pulled Pork Slider Trio, which was RIDICULOUS. Megan and I were shamelessly gushing over the sliders. If a Sloppy Joe fell in love with the most divine barbecued pork you've ever tasted, these would be their little delicious babies. Just phenomenal.

Next up was the Shrimp Corn Dog Trio. And to be completely honest, the dogs were the weak link of the bunch. There was a little dollop of remoulade underneath them, but you really couldn't taste it. They were simply just shrimp in a corn dog, without that extra somethin' somethin' that matched the awesomeness of the other dishes.


We then went on to the Wild Boar Chili Tater tots, and all at once my mediocre experience with the shrimp dogs was a distant memory in  a faraway land. These tots were everything I dreamed of and more. Colorful, flavorful, and stunning. Haven took a standard down-home staple, and dressed it up as something fancier and sinfully divine.

I'm seriously starting to salivate right now just thinking about them.


And the Fried Chicken and Waffles! Er. Mer. Gerd. I can't. I CANNOT. They were absolutely out of this world. Blew my mind.

End result? I definitely recommend going to Cove for Happy Hour and dining off the of the Haven menu. The fancified versions of Southern fried staples will be sure to rock your world. Just be prepared for the valet parking (I seriously want to start a revolt), and have cash on hand!


And don't listen to Fake Siri when she tells you to get on 610 and 59 in Rush Hour traffic! Don't dooooooooooo it!!!!!!!!

Texas Recipes: Chicken Sweet Potato Stir Fry

Wednesday, October 23, 2013
I'm on the verge of getting sick.

Let me clarify what that statement *actually* means in KimSpeak.


You see I have several "ailments": the Always Having to Eat Prosciutto If It's on the Menu Ailment, the Having to Eat M&Ms Two at a Time (One on Either Side of my Mouth) for Balance Purposes Ailment, and the Non-Ailment Ailment. Which is what I'm experiencing right now (I'll spare you any unappetizing details, as this is a post about food).

I'm not particularly competitive, but I AM particularly stubborn, especially when it comes to my health. I can be stuck in bed, with a 109 degree fever, aching from head to toe, and having completely probable delusional visions of living through an episode of Homeland (season 1, OB-viously), but I will still confidently tell you, "I'm not sick yet, I'm just on the verge of getting sick!" Like, just give me another day, and I will tip the scales in my favor! You will NOT get the best of me, Ailment!

So my Non-Ailment Ailment is really just an ailment that I refuse to come to grips with.

On Monday, I received an email from my bf Jason asking what I wanted to do for dinner. Which, after several hours of sending chicken, fish, and veggie recipes his way, I found out that when he asked me what I wanted for dinner, what he really meant to say was, "Hey Kim, the ONLY thing I want to eat for dinner is Salisbury Steak and Macaroni and Cheese. Cool?" And believe me, I am all about a heavy feast of good old hamburger steak and cheesy noodles. But after having just spent a gluttonous, Marble Slab-infused weekend in Austin with my sister Emily, Monday was not the day for Salisbury Steak and Macaroni and Cheese.


WHAT A PERFECT EXCUSE FOR US TO DO OUR OWN THINGS FOR DINNER AND FOR ME TO EAT SOMETHING WITH SWEET POTATOES IN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sweet potatoes, you ask?

You see, Jason doesn't like sweet potatoes.

What. does. that. even. MEAN.


Also, you do realize that my current state of having a Non-Ailment Ailment is due to my making mockery of the cold front.

Kharma, you are a cruel wizard.

Needless to say, we found ourselves checking out at the grocery store - Me with a mound of fresh vegetables, while the yin to my yang held a solitary Salisbury Steak/Mac & Cheese frozen dinner - and I couldn't have been more elated to make my dinner for one (Plus a ton of leftovers for ONLY ME)!


I made this chicken and sweet potato stir fry harvest delight from Women's Health Magazine last year and LUUURVED it, so what better time to make it then now?! I made only a few minor adjustments to the recipe (i.e., making MORE of it).


Look at all of those colors! Aren't they gorgeous??

(Please ignore my clumsy mess on the stove. Unacceptable).

And this dish is the perfect on the verge of getting sick meal because it is just SO flavorful. So on Monday when I was ACTUALLY on the verge of getting sick ("Kim, why are your eyes watering?" "Umm, must be the onions." "And you keep coughing." "Oh, that? Must be the thing where I [mumbles something in audible and trails off]..."), the warmth and glowing flavors of the dish were just what I needed.


And on Tuesday when I was deeper into my on the verge of getting sick-ness and lacked any use of my taste buds whatsoever (okay, so actually sick with the plague), this meal was even more POYYYY-fect because I COULD TASTE IT.

And it tasted lovely.



Serves 5. But if you eat like me...serves 3.

Vacation Days: Disney World (Part 2!)

Monday, October 21, 2013
So yes, I went to Disney World for the SECOND time this year recently. It really is just the. BEST.

Four years ago, I went to Disney with two of my best friends in the whole world, Colleen (who also happens to be my cousin) and Alice Ann. We all now live on different corners of the country, so we decided to reunite once again at The Happiest Place On Earth! Lots of laughter, food, and fun ensued, and I want to share this adventure with you through photos!
 




Middle Row, from Left: Alice Ann, Colleen (screaming and clutching my hand), and me aboard the Scary Dinosaur ride.

 





























All photos were taken with my iPhone and edited on Pixlr. Next vacation up: Vegas in November!!
> Back to Top