Thursday, June 26, 2008

You know it's time to blog when.....

your husband makes a comment about how you haven't posted anything new in a week. :-)

So, my dinner at Mesa Grill was delicious. But between the two Iron Chefs, Mario Batali and Bobby Flay, I would choose Mario Batali. A few years ago, we went to Mario's restaurant, Babbo, and had the Pasta Tasting Menu. It was AMAZING. There is nothing like fresh pasta. The amazing thing was that each pasta dish tasted completely different and it was like a whole new experience when they put a new dish in front of you.

At Mesa Grill, DH had: Blue Corn Pancake with Barbecued Duck, Chipotle Rib Eye, and a side of Southwestern Fries. I had: Pear Cactus Margarita, Spicy Tuna & Salmon Tartares, Grilled Lamb Porterhouse Chops with Potato-Celeriac-Anaheim Gratin. The gratin was delicious, but very rich.

Like I said before, it was delicious, but I didn't feel that anything stood out that made it different than any of the other NYC restaurants in that price range or steak house for that matter. This is just my opinion and perhaps I didn't order the right things to highlight Bobby Flay's signature style. The two things that stood out for me was these two:Blue Corn Pancake with Barbecued Duck. This was DH's appetizer and I had a small bite, but I felt that this was keeping in theme with Flay's Southwestern style.
For dessert, we both had vanilla tea and shared the Warm Cornbread Pudding with Spicy Poached Cherries & Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream. I am not usually a bread pudding fan, but DH suggested it. It was fantastic. The outside was like a toasted corn muffin and the inside was warm and soft. Paired with the cherries and ice cream, it was a fantastic flavor combination in your mouth.

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You didn't think I had any knitting to show, huh? I know that I have been obsessed with sewing and quilt making, but I finally wove all the ends in on this sweater when I went to my local Knitting Group last week. I kept putting it off and finally just pulled it out of the basket and took a needle along. It took no time to weave in all the ends while I chatted and sipped on a icy cold coffee drink. Maybe I stumbled on a new thing? Doing my least favorite things during a knitting group meet up helps distract me from the actual chore.When I got home, I was motivated enough to sew on all the buttons, which is another one of my least favorite things to do.I am so glad I finished it. I love the sweater. The yarn is so soft (80% alpaca, 20% merino wool)! Since, I only had one skein of this yarn, I didn't want to waste any of it. I knit the sleeves sort of at the same time. I used the yarn from both ends and would knit one side a few inches and then the other side. This way, I made sure I had enough for both sleeves and was able to utilize all of the yarn.And here she is modeling it! It's still too big for her, but I think it will be perfect for her in the Fall.The sleeves are folded up, so there will plenty of room for her to grow. I hope to go back to Rhinebeck this year to get more of this yarn so I can knit a larger one for her when she outgrows this one. This pattern is really easy. Knit from the top down and no seams.
Pattern: Top Down Raglan Baby Sweater (free pattern)
Needles: US 3 / 3.25 mm & US 5 / 3.75 mm
Yarn: 1 skein of Decadent Fibers "Marshmallow" in variegated greens (315 yds)

33 comments:

Nanette Merrill said...

I'm not saying the food doesn't look good but I'll take that baby and the sweater over it anyday!!!

Anonymous said...

Little Miss Melody looks older! Still sweet and cute as ever!
Looks like she's liking the sweater too.

Danielle said...

How neat is that that you're able to go to restaurants where the chefs are food network stars!?!

I LOVE that sweater!! You're so awesome. It will be perfect for her this fall. She's so adorable, my little girl was right by me just now and was smiling and just looking at Melody's pictures saying oooo baby.

Anonymous said...

Glad you enjoyed a yummy dinner! The sweater is adorable. Melody is the cutest *and* the most well-dressed baby!

priscilla joy said...

sounds like delicious dinners at either 3 of those places. that bbq duck with the blue corn pancake sounds good, although i've never tried duck. man, that dessert looks good! and miss melody is getting so big! her smile is way cute and that sweater is adorable.

Rima said...

This is making me hungry.

The sweater looks great (with or without the buttons...remember the conversation?). I have many friends who bring their least-happy things about their projects to knitting meet ups. That is going to be my new thing too :)

Micki said...

What a sweet little sweater! And Miss Melody seems to be getting even cuter.

Elaine/Muddling Through said...

Melody looks really happy that you finished her sweater. What a great model she is!

Christy T said...

First, the babe just gets cuter and cuter! Second, I went to one of Mario's restaurants in Vegas. I've been wanting and wanting to go back to Vegas to try a Bobby restaurant because I was a little disappointed with Mario's. It was just kinda blah to me which was soooo crazy! I really, really wanted to like it, but it was just *ok*.

Sue said...

Oh she is so adorable. I love the baby cardigan and the green yarn is wonderful. I would buy more too if I were you.

Agnes said...

Taste the food of Iron Chefs! Wow! But I always want to have dinner at Ramsey's Hell's Kitchen ... towards the end of the season, not at the beginning when they always can't finish a dinner service! LOL!

bunbun said...

mmmm...the bread pudding looks divine! glad you had a good anniversary!

and the sweater looks awesome!

Jannie aka Chickengirl said...

Your opinion about Mesa Grill was mostly what I've heard from others. I've never been there but I use to work near there so I would walk by it everyday wondering. Still sounds like you had a good meal! Yum!

Melody gets bigger and bigger everytime you post pics of her! :-)

Jennie said...

Great sweater, the different shades of green are so nice.
I showed my mum your blog, she had fun looking at all the lovely photos & wanted me to tell you =)

Marianne said...

Melody looks so cute in her new sweater ! I'm sure it will fit perfectly when it's fall !

rohanknitter said...

That's a really cute sweater, it looks so soft and I love the variegated color.

Marisa said...

Your daughter is WAY too cute in that sweater. You beautiful babies, and beautiful knitwear as well! This sweater almost makes me want to knit one too. I probably finish a scarf first...

Amanda Jean said...

the sweater looks perfect on Melody. hurray for it fitting perfectly in the fall.

Rebekah said...

That food looks so yummy!

And that sweater is so cute. Melody is such a ham...her smile is so adorable and that first picture of her brought a big smile to my face. That yarn is my absolute favorite that I've seen on your blog (I'm pretty sure I oogle it every time you post a pic). One day I hope to go to Rhinebeck for the show (my dad grew up in Rhinebeck and a few of his brothers still live there)

Anonymous said...

The sweater is wonderful, looks great on her!

Stephanie said...

I love that sweater :) Miss M looks thrilled with it too!

Anonymous said...

The sweater is great! That baby looks wise beyond her years!

Anonymous said...

Mmmm...you've sold me on the pasta tasting menu. I think I've had enough southwestern food myself. And baby girl looks adorable in green.

schrodinger said...

I recently discovered that weaving was a really great activity to do with my knitting group too, it really does take away from the crappiness of the task at hand. The cardigan looks adorable, as does Melody in it.

Laurah said...

I'm loving the colors in that yarn! I'm not a big fan of 'all over' variegated, but that sweater is gorgeous! She's one lucky baby to have such a talented and crafty mommy.

Unknown said...

She is just darling in the pretty sweater you have made. I love the dreamy look on her face in the last photo. What a cutie!!!
~Emily

Marisa said...

Ok, having to comment again...I gave you a little award for being a creative blogger! Of course I had to pick you, one of my fav blogs on earth. Anyhow, thanks again for your amazing work.

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness, every time I look at your blog there is more cuteness. And your quilts are gorgeous!

nova said...

You know how I feel about food, I have an undying appreciation for it in general; but seriously, your baby in that sweater is the cutest thing I have seen all day!

Octopus Knits said...

That all sounds so tasty (especially the dessert!)

Melody looks like she's really enjoying the sweater (and why wouldn't she be - it's lovely)!

teresa fsw said...

Oh dear! Your dessert is calling out to me! The sweater is lovely! I love the different shades of green. Melody looks so sweet in it and she's growing lovelier by the day! ^_^

Anonymous said...

Now I have to go out and find 'Decadent Fibers' - the colors are fantastic - and perfect on your tiny sweet baby! Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Adorable! A perfect fit!