Sometimes things just look and feel super dire at times. Later they might not really be better, but at least you feel better, you know? I know that most of how I feel is internal, and that's totally something I can control. I need to continue to work on my perception and do what I can actually control. Isn't that part of that "serenity prayer" or something?
So I am working on what I can control:
1. Start charting again
2. Start taking my vitamins again daily
3. Tracking my food and cutting out most of the junk
4. Continue my workouts, but add in some yoga for stress relief
5. Continue to apply to jobs and try to stay positive about the process
6. Work on some daily affirmations to improve my self-esteem and outlook
7. Get therapist recommendations from my RE's office
8. Try to do at least one thing a day that brings me joy and focus on the feeling
Here's to finishing 2009 with a brighter outlook.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Lost
I don't know what else to title this post. I'm not even sure what I feel I could or should express. Other than I'm tired. Maybe it's a good thing we can't get pregnant. I certainly don't feel mentally stable enough to handle anything like that. I'm so glad that my unemployed husband can sleep while I am physically sick with stress.
I am *this close* to turning on every light in the house and blasting the stereo.
P.S. I guess I should let my readership know that pregnancy test = negative and spotting has commenced. Not that you had any doubt. Just thought you should know.
I am *this close* to turning on every light in the house and blasting the stereo.
P.S. I guess I should let my readership know that pregnancy test = negative and spotting has commenced. Not that you had any doubt. Just thought you should know.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Stupid Hope
No spotting. No nothing. Two major bouts of nausea last night, just a little today, but that could have also been the speed intervals.
As stupid as it is, I fell asleep last night thinking about my imaginary due date, and how i would have to adjust my current lifestyle. About how I would need to eat more since I am still currently trying to lose a few pounds (I just haven't been motivated). Wondering if I would still be able to attend WW meetings since I have grown so close to a few people there. About how I haven't a clue on what to do if I do get a positive pregnancy test. I figure the first thing I do is go get a digital to make absolutely sure. But then who do I call about getting a blood test? My internist? My RE? I have no clue. Whatsoever.
The sad part is that even though I can't seem to shake the hope, most of this is just an exercise in futility and wasted brain power. But I am keeping my fingers crossed. I don't know if it is my time, but i would be really happy if it was.
As stupid as it is, I fell asleep last night thinking about my imaginary due date, and how i would have to adjust my current lifestyle. About how I would need to eat more since I am still currently trying to lose a few pounds (I just haven't been motivated). Wondering if I would still be able to attend WW meetings since I have grown so close to a few people there. About how I haven't a clue on what to do if I do get a positive pregnancy test. I figure the first thing I do is go get a digital to make absolutely sure. But then who do I call about getting a blood test? My internist? My RE? I have no clue. Whatsoever.
The sad part is that even though I can't seem to shake the hope, most of this is just an exercise in futility and wasted brain power. But I am keeping my fingers crossed. I don't know if it is my time, but i would be really happy if it was.
BFFN
I really think that if I am KU enough to have symptoms, I'm KU enough to get a + Pregnancy Test. I tested this morning with FMU, albeit earlier that I ever said I would, mostly because I woke up nauseous. So four days of nausea and not KTFU. It's probably stress. I'm a little pissed at myself for getting my hopes up, even a little, even though this is the first time in the 20 cycles we have been TTC that I have had any symptoms at all. Lame sauce.
Oh, and to all you hope mongers - Zip it. Seriously. I don't want to hear about how I tested on only 11DPO, or I could have O'd late or any of that bullshit. If these were actual symptoms, I'm sure it would have been a BFFP. I'll be sure to have a nice huge glass of something alcoholic tonight after I blow my weigh in.
Oh, and to all you hope mongers - Zip it. Seriously. I don't want to hear about how I tested on only 11DPO, or I could have O'd late or any of that bullshit. If these were actual symptoms, I'm sure it would have been a BFFP. I'll be sure to have a nice huge glass of something alcoholic tonight after I blow my weigh in.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Aging (not so) Gracefully
Over the weekend, one of our mirrored closet doors lost it's wheel. H was great about getting it fixed, but I had to hold it up while he worked. So I spent about 20 minutes staring at my face from about 6 inches away. Wow - I never realized how old my skin was getting.
It's a sobering thing, staring at your face so closely for so long. I guess I haven't looked at it in a while. I have crow's feet. And my upper eyelids are sagging a little. I guess I need to start up an anti-aging regimen. My gentle cleaner and simple moisturizer aren't going to fix what's already wrong! Plus I have been on the teenager program since running is giving me acne worse than what I had in Jr. High. :/
I guess my shock is because I still feel young. I thought I still looked young. And I probably do, but for how long now that the years have started to take their toll? I already have more gray hair that I care to admit. If it wasn't for those natural "highlights" I would have dyed my hair dark for the winter! But I don't want to be that person that has white roots and dark ends, so I stay in the Blonde range.
I guess I better start researching the miracle wrinkle reducers. Olay Eye Pods anyone?
It's a sobering thing, staring at your face so closely for so long. I guess I haven't looked at it in a while. I have crow's feet. And my upper eyelids are sagging a little. I guess I need to start up an anti-aging regimen. My gentle cleaner and simple moisturizer aren't going to fix what's already wrong! Plus I have been on the teenager program since running is giving me acne worse than what I had in Jr. High. :/
I guess my shock is because I still feel young. I thought I still looked young. And I probably do, but for how long now that the years have started to take their toll? I already have more gray hair that I care to admit. If it wasn't for those natural "highlights" I would have dyed my hair dark for the winter! But I don't want to be that person that has white roots and dark ends, so I stay in the Blonde range.
I guess I better start researching the miracle wrinkle reducers. Olay Eye Pods anyone?
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Silly Body
Why do you torment me? I am 99.9999999% sure there is no possible way I am KTFU. Honestly. So phantom symptoms like nausea isn't going to get me going. No way. I know your tricks. I know this is totally psychosomatic. I can't even be sure I O'd on CD14, so phantom symptoms on supposed 9DPO is just silly.
You know what? I am going to drink wine tonight anyway just to spite you. So there.
You're such a fucker to even try to get my hopes up. My body is an asshole.
You know what? I am going to drink wine tonight anyway just to spite you. So there.
You're such a fucker to even try to get my hopes up. My body is an asshole.
Monday, November 2, 2009
San Francisco!
I will try to touch on all the food we ate while in SF. I am sadly missing some photos, but what else is new?
We landed early in the afternoon and right after checking in, we hit Johnny Foley's, the Irish Pub two blocks away, for an awesome Bloody Mary. Since I was running on Sunday, I figured Friday was my last day to drink before the race!
After the Bloody Mary (and some awesome spicy fries), we headed over to the Expo to pick up our race packets. After that, H and I did a little sightseeing before heading over to Tres Agaves to meet some of the people who came to town to cheer me on. I did not take any pictures at Tres Agaves. First, H got mad at me because there was a slight hiccup in the public transport, so we had to take a cab. Then, by the time we got there, the only two seats left were separated, on either side of a bunch of unruly kids. I was kicked and pushed, had random items put in my drink and on my plate, and ended up paying $90 for the pleasure. The food at Tres Agaves was good, but priced very high. The margaritas were good, but no better than El Callejon and more expensive. I might have been a little happier about my experience if I was able to dine undisturbed. That is all I am going to say about these children, who I normally love, but obviously needed to have their asses kicked.
However, the next morning we were back on the happy track (or at least the reasonably happy track). We hopped on the Muni to the Ferry Building!
Started with some Blue Bottle
And hit the Farmer's Market!
Decided on Tamales for Breakfast!
We ordered one mushroom, spinach and cheese and one pork tamale. Both were good, but not totally amazing. Too much masa. I make better ones. ;o)
Had fresh Blueberry Lemonade as our beverage - tart and sweet and delicious.
Next the whole lot of us hopped on the Muni again and headed down to Pier 39
I took these pics for my 606 LOL
Here are a bunch of buckets filled with bath salts.
Bath salts that had the most yummy flavors. Bath salts that might have looked and smelled like candy. So much so, my cousin decided to have a taste. He looked around, was sure nobody was looking and scooped a fingerful right into his mouth. The look on his face was priceless and I sooooo wish I had a photo. I hope he learned a valuable lesson, and stops sticking his fingers into random stuff.
After that delight, we walked around the corner to the Sea Lion spot. I took a photo of the Golden Gate, as always, shrouded with fog.
And then some more pics of the oversized dogs better known as Sea Lions.
By this time the kids were getting restless and everyone was getting hungry. We decided to hop on a cable car back to Union Square.
Union Square and the Nike Tent!
For lunch, we hit Out The Door, a food court eatery in the Westfield Mall owned by the same people as The Slanted Door, the restaurant I raved about the last time I was in SF. The food did not disappoint, but it was not really the bargain everyone had claimed. I think the food court set up limits you from ordering so many different courses, and you certainly save money since you can't sample the same yummy drinks, but that doesn't really make it cheaper. I ordered the Daikon Rice Cakes and the Vegetarian Spring Roll again and the prices were pretty much the same as The Slanted Door. It was easier wrangling so many people at Out The Door versus The Slanted Door, but it if were just H and I, we would certainly opt for The Slanted Door and their Ginger Limeades tyvm.
So I am totally skipping the day of the race, since I blogged about most everything in my race and TnT recaps. But Monday morning we woke up and wanted to savor some more of the city before heading to our airport in the afternoon.
First we hit Sears for their legendary breakfast. This place is so popular, there is ALWAYS a line. We got in pretty quickly with a party of two and a willingness to sit at the bar.
Another pic of the Cable Car while waiting.
Sears is a small place, although bigger than some.
I like bloody mary's. This one was good, but no comparison to Johnny Foley's, and similarly priced.
We split the Swedish Pancakes and the Eggs Benedict. Both were awesome. No pics for you. Sorry. I ate them too fast.
We walked around, shopped a little, and decided to go for another drink. I had been DYING to go to the Gold Dust Lounge, but H resisted until now.
This place is more than awesome, if you like Dive Bars. The bartender was old school friendly, and made conversation with all the patrons. Think Hooters style, but without those silly nylon shorts. Best of all, Happy Hour is all day long. I had a $3.50 margarita. They also sell $3.50 Irish Coffee and $2.50 Champagne. Awesome. A must stop every time I'm in SF.
Last, we had to hit up Lefty O'Douls. I saw Lefty O'Doul's when I was walking back from the Expo on Friday. I thought it was just another awesome dive to check out. Turns out it was so much more! It's a German Style Hofbrau where they slice your meat right in front of you. H wanted desperately to go to Tommy's Joynt, but I have a feeling this place might be better - maybe only because it doesn't have the TV crowds Tommy's must have gotten.
H got a 1/2 Corned Beef on Rye with lentil soup. Good and cheap.
After this (we were pretty well stuffed by this time) we checked out and headed to the airport. Once past security, we hit the airport bar for a beer.
And this is when I knew it was time to go home:
Japanese Curry with German Knockwurst???? WTF????
We landed early in the afternoon and right after checking in, we hit Johnny Foley's, the Irish Pub two blocks away, for an awesome Bloody Mary. Since I was running on Sunday, I figured Friday was my last day to drink before the race!
After the Bloody Mary (and some awesome spicy fries), we headed over to the Expo to pick up our race packets. After that, H and I did a little sightseeing before heading over to Tres Agaves to meet some of the people who came to town to cheer me on. I did not take any pictures at Tres Agaves. First, H got mad at me because there was a slight hiccup in the public transport, so we had to take a cab. Then, by the time we got there, the only two seats left were separated, on either side of a bunch of unruly kids. I was kicked and pushed, had random items put in my drink and on my plate, and ended up paying $90 for the pleasure. The food at Tres Agaves was good, but priced very high. The margaritas were good, but no better than El Callejon and more expensive. I might have been a little happier about my experience if I was able to dine undisturbed. That is all I am going to say about these children, who I normally love, but obviously needed to have their asses kicked.
However, the next morning we were back on the happy track (or at least the reasonably happy track). We hopped on the Muni to the Ferry Building!
Started with some Blue Bottle
And hit the Farmer's Market!
Decided on Tamales for Breakfast!
We ordered one mushroom, spinach and cheese and one pork tamale. Both were good, but not totally amazing. Too much masa. I make better ones. ;o)
Had fresh Blueberry Lemonade as our beverage - tart and sweet and delicious.
Next the whole lot of us hopped on the Muni again and headed down to Pier 39
I took these pics for my 606 LOL
Here are a bunch of buckets filled with bath salts.
Bath salts that had the most yummy flavors. Bath salts that might have looked and smelled like candy. So much so, my cousin decided to have a taste. He looked around, was sure nobody was looking and scooped a fingerful right into his mouth. The look on his face was priceless and I sooooo wish I had a photo. I hope he learned a valuable lesson, and stops sticking his fingers into random stuff.
After that delight, we walked around the corner to the Sea Lion spot. I took a photo of the Golden Gate, as always, shrouded with fog.
And then some more pics of the oversized dogs better known as Sea Lions.
By this time the kids were getting restless and everyone was getting hungry. We decided to hop on a cable car back to Union Square.
Union Square and the Nike Tent!
For lunch, we hit Out The Door, a food court eatery in the Westfield Mall owned by the same people as The Slanted Door, the restaurant I raved about the last time I was in SF. The food did not disappoint, but it was not really the bargain everyone had claimed. I think the food court set up limits you from ordering so many different courses, and you certainly save money since you can't sample the same yummy drinks, but that doesn't really make it cheaper. I ordered the Daikon Rice Cakes and the Vegetarian Spring Roll again and the prices were pretty much the same as The Slanted Door. It was easier wrangling so many people at Out The Door versus The Slanted Door, but it if were just H and I, we would certainly opt for The Slanted Door and their Ginger Limeades tyvm.
So I am totally skipping the day of the race, since I blogged about most everything in my race and TnT recaps. But Monday morning we woke up and wanted to savor some more of the city before heading to our airport in the afternoon.
First we hit Sears for their legendary breakfast. This place is so popular, there is ALWAYS a line. We got in pretty quickly with a party of two and a willingness to sit at the bar.
Another pic of the Cable Car while waiting.
Sears is a small place, although bigger than some.
I like bloody mary's. This one was good, but no comparison to Johnny Foley's, and similarly priced.
We split the Swedish Pancakes and the Eggs Benedict. Both were awesome. No pics for you. Sorry. I ate them too fast.
We walked around, shopped a little, and decided to go for another drink. I had been DYING to go to the Gold Dust Lounge, but H resisted until now.
This place is more than awesome, if you like Dive Bars. The bartender was old school friendly, and made conversation with all the patrons. Think Hooters style, but without those silly nylon shorts. Best of all, Happy Hour is all day long. I had a $3.50 margarita. They also sell $3.50 Irish Coffee and $2.50 Champagne. Awesome. A must stop every time I'm in SF.
Last, we had to hit up Lefty O'Douls. I saw Lefty O'Doul's when I was walking back from the Expo on Friday. I thought it was just another awesome dive to check out. Turns out it was so much more! It's a German Style Hofbrau where they slice your meat right in front of you. H wanted desperately to go to Tommy's Joynt, but I have a feeling this place might be better - maybe only because it doesn't have the TV crowds Tommy's must have gotten.
H got a 1/2 Corned Beef on Rye with lentil soup. Good and cheap.
After this (we were pretty well stuffed by this time) we checked out and headed to the airport. Once past security, we hit the airport bar for a beer.
And this is when I knew it was time to go home:
Japanese Curry with German Knockwurst???? WTF????
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Team in Training in SF!
I wanted to write a whole separate post specifically about my Team in Training experience in San Francisco, mostly because it was surprisingly awesome. I wasn't so sure - I had heard a lot of different opinions and I wasn;t sure what to expect. I did spring for an Inspiration Dinner ticket for H, much to his chagrin. I think he would have chosen to visit another awesome restaurant in SF.
The afternoon started at 3:45 pm when we met as a team. It was mostly housekeeping stuff, where our table was, what to do the next day before and after the race, and how much money we raised. Sarah spoke most of the meeting.
Then at the end, they passed out candles for us, and we all participated in a moment of silence and lit candles for our Honored Teammates and Honored Angels. Those we have lost and those who were still with us. I had to pinch my arm a few times to keep the tears in check. It was pretty emotional.
After the meeting, I only had a few minutes to collect my H and meet up with some teammates so we could walk to the dinner location together. When we got there, we were totally unprepared for the masses of support team cheering us on!
It was huge. It was deafening. All the LLS and TnT Staff, Coaches and Mentors from every single team was there cheering! Hundreds and hundred of them. It was overwhelming but in a good way! Even my H was impressed!
It also might have been the biggest Inspiration Dinner that TnT puts on, as the Nike Marathon is their biggest event. I asked Gina, who is TnT Alumni, and she said she had never seen an Inspiration Dinner like this.
The food was a decent carbo load - pesto and marinara pasta (with pine nuts as a condiment we could add ourselves! I love me some pine nuts), salad, rolls, and lots of water. H was disappointed there wasn't a cash bar. LOL
The speakers were the best part. Joan Benoit Samuelson, who was one of the co-founders of the race spoke. Super incredible experience. Most memorable quote: "The woman who starts the marathon tomorrow will not be the same woman who finishes it."
Next John "The Penguin" Bingham spoke. He was funny! Lots of jokes that you might not appreciate unless you were not only a runner, but a slow runner. LOL
The last person to speak was a woman (and I suck because I don't remember her name). She was running the event, but was also a survivor of Hodgkin Lymphoma. In fact, against the odds, both of her parents were diagnosed with non-hodgkin lymphoma years before. If you know anything about these blood cancers, you know that there is no genetic link, so the odds of all three of them to be diagnosed are off the charts! Fortunately, all three of them are in remission! Hooray!! Her story was so inspirational, especially the parts of how LLS made a difference to her personally.
After dinner, we took pictures! Here I am with Coach Melissa, our Campaign Manager Vicki, and Gina:
And here I am with Coach Jennifer and Coach Lynn!
The next night was the victory party. I did not purchase a ticket, but I did sign up to get mine just in case. It turned out that Lindsey was going to dinner with a friend, and gave us her ticket. It actually sounded kind of fun, and since we had the tickets, we thought we would go. they did something completely different this year, with multiple rooms, including an 80's room, Karaoke room, game room, photo booths, etc.
The Karaoke room was crowded, never even got a chance to sing! LOL
I did find some of my teammates, and we danced the night away.
I did take one last photo of our inspiration board - the reasons we run: the people afflicted with these diseases.
I would love to do this event again as part of TnT, just because the experience was so incredible. I'm sad to know that not every TnT event is as amazing and huge.
The afternoon started at 3:45 pm when we met as a team. It was mostly housekeeping stuff, where our table was, what to do the next day before and after the race, and how much money we raised. Sarah spoke most of the meeting.
Then at the end, they passed out candles for us, and we all participated in a moment of silence and lit candles for our Honored Teammates and Honored Angels. Those we have lost and those who were still with us. I had to pinch my arm a few times to keep the tears in check. It was pretty emotional.
After the meeting, I only had a few minutes to collect my H and meet up with some teammates so we could walk to the dinner location together. When we got there, we were totally unprepared for the masses of support team cheering us on!
It was huge. It was deafening. All the LLS and TnT Staff, Coaches and Mentors from every single team was there cheering! Hundreds and hundred of them. It was overwhelming but in a good way! Even my H was impressed!
It also might have been the biggest Inspiration Dinner that TnT puts on, as the Nike Marathon is their biggest event. I asked Gina, who is TnT Alumni, and she said she had never seen an Inspiration Dinner like this.
The food was a decent carbo load - pesto and marinara pasta (with pine nuts as a condiment we could add ourselves! I love me some pine nuts), salad, rolls, and lots of water. H was disappointed there wasn't a cash bar. LOL
The speakers were the best part. Joan Benoit Samuelson, who was one of the co-founders of the race spoke. Super incredible experience. Most memorable quote: "The woman who starts the marathon tomorrow will not be the same woman who finishes it."
Next John "The Penguin" Bingham spoke. He was funny! Lots of jokes that you might not appreciate unless you were not only a runner, but a slow runner. LOL
The last person to speak was a woman (and I suck because I don't remember her name). She was running the event, but was also a survivor of Hodgkin Lymphoma. In fact, against the odds, both of her parents were diagnosed with non-hodgkin lymphoma years before. If you know anything about these blood cancers, you know that there is no genetic link, so the odds of all three of them to be diagnosed are off the charts! Fortunately, all three of them are in remission! Hooray!! Her story was so inspirational, especially the parts of how LLS made a difference to her personally.
After dinner, we took pictures! Here I am with Coach Melissa, our Campaign Manager Vicki, and Gina:
And here I am with Coach Jennifer and Coach Lynn!
The next night was the victory party. I did not purchase a ticket, but I did sign up to get mine just in case. It turned out that Lindsey was going to dinner with a friend, and gave us her ticket. It actually sounded kind of fun, and since we had the tickets, we thought we would go. they did something completely different this year, with multiple rooms, including an 80's room, Karaoke room, game room, photo booths, etc.
The Karaoke room was crowded, never even got a chance to sing! LOL
I did find some of my teammates, and we danced the night away.
I did take one last photo of our inspiration board - the reasons we run: the people afflicted with these diseases.
I would love to do this event again as part of TnT, just because the experience was so incredible. I'm sad to know that not every TnT event is as amazing and huge.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Randoms from Dip's Kitchen
Just a couple no-so-creative but oh-so-yummy things!
First we took figs
Cut them in half and stuffed them with goat cheese
Then we took bacon
cut the strips in half
And wrapped them around said goat cheese stuffed figs
Baked them in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes
YUM
And in preparation for Halloween, I made Skittles Vodka! This was the easiest thing on my 101 list, I'm sure. LOL
I gathered my ingredients
And assembled. Now they are going to steep for the 5 days until All Hallow's Eve. I have some sparkling water to mix them with, along with candy eyeball drink stirrers :) I'm so excited!
I might have to make Vodka Gummi Bears too! Whooo! I love Halloween!
First we took figs
Cut them in half and stuffed them with goat cheese
Then we took bacon
cut the strips in half
And wrapped them around said goat cheese stuffed figs
Baked them in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes
YUM
And in preparation for Halloween, I made Skittles Vodka! This was the easiest thing on my 101 list, I'm sure. LOL
I gathered my ingredients
And assembled. Now they are going to steep for the 5 days until All Hallow's Eve. I have some sparkling water to mix them with, along with candy eyeball drink stirrers :) I'm so excited!
I might have to make Vodka Gummi Bears too! Whooo! I love Halloween!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
The Crow Bar
Since our Anniversary and OC Restaurant Week were jutted up against each other, H and I decided to use the opportunity to try something new. We had read about The Crow Bar in a magazine and thought this was the perfect excuse to try it!
Of course, from the moment we decided to go and all the way through the meal, I couldn't help thinking about Sable Crow.
The Prix Fixe menu for OC restaurant Week was only $30 per person!
We started out with drinks: I had the Fox Barrel Pear Cider while H had the Stone Pale Ale. The Pear Cider was very good - traditional cider with just a hint of sweetness and more of a bite than the normal Wyders you usually see! Both were $5 - An OCRW special!
In addition to the OCRW choices, we also decided to add an order of duck fat fries for $8
These were delicious - crispy and rich in flavor, served with a house made ketchup and a truffle allioli.
next came out appetizer trio: a blue crab deviled egg, a grilled stuffed date (chorizo and laura chenel goat cheese filling, with port syrup), and a croquetta (crispy potato dumplings filled w/serrano ham and manchego cheese, with roasted red pepper allioli).
I loved both the date (decadent!) and the croquetta (savory!) but since I am not a crab person, I took one small bite of the deviled egg and gave the rest to H. He enjoyed it.
Next, we had our salads:
H got the ice cube salad with pt. reyes blue cheese dressing, oven dried tomatoes, and bacon bits
While I had the rocket salad with pecorino romano and aged balsamic vinegar.
We shared, and both salads were delightful! The oven roasted tomatoes were so richly flavored and held up very well to the blue cheese and bacon. The rocket greens were spicy and the balsamic added the right amount of sweet and tart.
For dinner I ordered a glass of the "Permutations" Pinot Noir from Victoria, Australia for $10. It was a decent Pinot, recommended by our server. It did not, however, pair well with the entrees we ordered. I should have gone with my gut and picked a spicy Zin. Live and learn, I suppose.
Next we split the entrees:
The grilled cheese of the day: Gorgonzola, prosciutto jam and a fried egg with arugula
And the Mushroom Flatbread: roasted crimini mushrooms, seven cheese sauce, sauteed leeks, white truffle oil, and reggiano.
The flatbread was to die for. Rich and earthy, nicely balanced, crispy crust and simply delish. Unfortunately, the grilled cheese was oversalted. Not sure what part of it was over seasoned, as the prosciutto jam and the egg each tasted fine on their own. Maybe the combination just didn't work as well as the chef had hoped? Very disappointing.
Dessert was chef's choice - flourless chocolate cake - delicious but not exceptional as far as flourless chocolate cakes go.
Overall, it was a really good experience. The Crow Bar calls itself a "Gastropub" and I agree - everything is familiar, just with a nice gourmet twist. I would definitely go back, although I would probably stay away from the server's wine suggestions and the grilled cheese concoction. There are so many items on that menu I would love to try - from the various appetizers to the list of whimsical desserts that look much more fun than flourless chocolate cake!
Of course, from the moment we decided to go and all the way through the meal, I couldn't help thinking about Sable Crow.
The Prix Fixe menu for OC restaurant Week was only $30 per person!
We started out with drinks: I had the Fox Barrel Pear Cider while H had the Stone Pale Ale. The Pear Cider was very good - traditional cider with just a hint of sweetness and more of a bite than the normal Wyders you usually see! Both were $5 - An OCRW special!
In addition to the OCRW choices, we also decided to add an order of duck fat fries for $8
These were delicious - crispy and rich in flavor, served with a house made ketchup and a truffle allioli.
next came out appetizer trio: a blue crab deviled egg, a grilled stuffed date (chorizo and laura chenel goat cheese filling, with port syrup), and a croquetta (crispy potato dumplings filled w/serrano ham and manchego cheese, with roasted red pepper allioli).
I loved both the date (decadent!) and the croquetta (savory!) but since I am not a crab person, I took one small bite of the deviled egg and gave the rest to H. He enjoyed it.
Next, we had our salads:
H got the ice cube salad with pt. reyes blue cheese dressing, oven dried tomatoes, and bacon bits
While I had the rocket salad with pecorino romano and aged balsamic vinegar.
We shared, and both salads were delightful! The oven roasted tomatoes were so richly flavored and held up very well to the blue cheese and bacon. The rocket greens were spicy and the balsamic added the right amount of sweet and tart.
For dinner I ordered a glass of the "Permutations" Pinot Noir from Victoria, Australia for $10. It was a decent Pinot, recommended by our server. It did not, however, pair well with the entrees we ordered. I should have gone with my gut and picked a spicy Zin. Live and learn, I suppose.
Next we split the entrees:
The grilled cheese of the day: Gorgonzola, prosciutto jam and a fried egg with arugula
And the Mushroom Flatbread: roasted crimini mushrooms, seven cheese sauce, sauteed leeks, white truffle oil, and reggiano.
The flatbread was to die for. Rich and earthy, nicely balanced, crispy crust and simply delish. Unfortunately, the grilled cheese was oversalted. Not sure what part of it was over seasoned, as the prosciutto jam and the egg each tasted fine on their own. Maybe the combination just didn't work as well as the chef had hoped? Very disappointing.
Dessert was chef's choice - flourless chocolate cake - delicious but not exceptional as far as flourless chocolate cakes go.
Overall, it was a really good experience. The Crow Bar calls itself a "Gastropub" and I agree - everything is familiar, just with a nice gourmet twist. I would definitely go back, although I would probably stay away from the server's wine suggestions and the grilled cheese concoction. There are so many items on that menu I would love to try - from the various appetizers to the list of whimsical desserts that look much more fun than flourless chocolate cake!
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