SearsuckA!

So Searsucker was uh-mazing. My full little tummy is still thanking me and I can't wait to go back. From start to finish, it was a great night. The service was wonderful and extremely helpful. And even when there were a few stumbles, they swooped right in and made amends. Fantastic.

Do you know what else is fantastic? Duck. Fat. Fries. I wish I could eat those every day.

The other starters were pretty darn good too - spicy calamari, "carb-less" crab cakes, these incredible cheese biscuits (that had an airy-croissant texture to them) they put on the table, and of course, short ribs. yum yum yum.

It was difficult choosing an entree. There were so many enticing options! Ultimately, I went with the duck that had a pomegranate/pistachio sauce.

D is for duck AND delicious

We also ordered some roasted curry cauliflower and grilled asparagus on the side to share. 

It was all amazing. Seriously. I want to go back. 

We had a great time. Lot's of laughs and scheming/planning. (We better be going on a trip to Alaska). And because it was Taco Tuesday, National Margarita Day, Sammy's birthday, and really...an S2L outing, we made a stop at La Puerta for margaritas and you guessed it, chips and guac (as if we weren't already full).

Some snapshots of the night:

Steph, Des, Sammy.

Group Shot!

Love it.

It's your birthday, here's some tequila!

George and Ron

Oh Fabio

Burgers were my downfall

So sad to see you go. So yesterday I FINALLY caught up on all the episodes for Top Chef All-Stars. I know Fabio is not the most recent to go, that would be fellow Italian-heartthrob Angelo, but to me, it's fresh.

I'm glad I finally watched all the to-date episodes. Top Chef is one of my all-time favorite shows. This season however, took me a while to get into. It was almost...boring. I think it's because the playing field is so elevated. There haven't been many epic fails, and everyone is friendly for the most part (ahem, Marcel). It's like Summer Camp. Watching most of them yesterday (while cleaning and entertaining Tino) got me back into it. Especially as the contestants are dwindling and the finale approaches. Also, having Anthony Bourdain as a permanent judge was an excellent move. I LOVE me some Tony.

Speaking of Top Chef, I'm super excited to be visiting one of my favorite Top Chef contestant's restaurant tonight. Brian Malarkey! Searsucker! It was my bosses birthday yesterday (happy birthday Sammy!) and since we were all out of the office yesterday for President's Day we are celebrating with dinner tonight. Another perk of working for a start-up - we're like a big family. Probably because we work in such close quarters, are relatively small, work long hours sometimes, and all appreciate the art of a good happy hour ;) So accordingly, birthdays do not come and go without notice.

Will obviously have a post tomorrow about the experience.


P.S. Am I the only one still on the Top Chef train? Is it not cool anymore? (not that I care, just curious)

P.P.S. If you aren't yet burned out on thing Top Chef, make sure to follow Fabio on Twitter. (@fabioviviani) He's hilarious!