Brunch at Krazy Kat's, November 8, 2009

Here's our entrees, clockwise from top left:

Croque Madame; French Toast; Mixed Seafood Grill.; Lobster Hash.

They tasted as good as they look!

Brunch at Krazy Kat's

Sunday Brunch at Krazy Kat’s
November 8, 2009



Krazy Kat’s (http://www.krazykatsrestaurant.com/) is located in a renovated blacksmith shop on Route #100 in Montchanin Village - Brandywine Valley in all its glory. We dined in the vaulted sunroom which was bright and airy with excellent acoustics. In contrast the main dining room provided a dark and intimate ambiance. Hostess service was a bit spotty, but we all found our table, and Kleenex hopefully was replenished in the ladies room.

Brunch at Krazy Kat’s is à la carte - nary a sign of a Hotel DuPont type buffet. Instead they offer a diverse and imaginative menu. We ordered two appetizers and four entrées which we split four ways, the servings were ample allowing each of us to fully enjoy each dish. We also had drinks and coffee. Our attentive, but not hovering, waitress, Laura, advised that their Bloody Marys were spicy, but the bartender was able to mix drinks that fit our tastes from fiery to bland - and I hear tell the Mimosa was fine. The coffee was rich and full bodied without a hint of bitterness, perfect for my taste.

We began with a Smoked Pear and Arugula Salad with goat cheese mousse and port cranberries, dressed with hazelnut oil and honey balsamic syrup. For us this was the best dish of the meal - the combination of flavors and textures was a delight to the palate.

Our other appetizer was Smoked Salmon and Potato Latke Torte with caviar and tarragon crème fraîche. This was a richly flavored, lush dish with generous amounts of salmon and caviar. The torte was crisp on the outside
and soft inside. At least one of us found the torte a bit mushy, however it also has its ardent supporters.

For entrées we chose:
Croque Madame: A breakfast sandwich made on brioche with Gruyére cheese, grilled ham, béchamel, and sunny-side-up egg, served with a bright and colorful salad. A wonderful preparation of this dish, the flavors subtle, bread crisp, and the salad a bright counterpoint.

French Toast: This week's special was made with cinnamon swirl brioche and served with rum-plum compote, caramelized walnuts, and syrup. We used this delicious dish as dessert. Although very good, I can't imagine something so sweet as my main course.

Maine Lobster Yukon Hash with poached egg, hollandaise sauce and caviar. Very tasty with tender lumps of lobster in great hashed brown potatoes. The caviar added a sweet note of luxury.

Seafood Mixed Grill: The fish this week were tuna, salmon and scallop served with fingerlings, haricots verts, and fennel-chive butter. The fish was perfectly prepared; the potatoes and beans delicious. The tuna was from a cut of dark meat and for some a bit too pungent. For others of us it was fine.

Lorraine treated us to the final note of our meal, Spanish Calabacita figs hand filled with whiskey flavored ganache then hand dipped in dark chocolate - made by John & Kira's of Philadelphia. Beyond words -definitely the embodiment of luxury. (http://www.johnandkiras.com//)

We thoroughly enjoyed our brunch and highly recommend Krazy Kat’s to anyone wishing to indulge in well-prepared food that satisfies all the senses. We particularly appreciated the beautiful presentation of each dish, the lovely atmosphere, good service and generous portions. On a practical note, this extravagance only cost us $33.00 a piece including a 20% tip.

Brunch - the word evokes a sense of leisure and luxury, so far away from an ordinary life of breakfast and lunch. The DDDs endulged in this lovely world at Krazy Kats, an exquisite setting for such a luxurious experience. Krazy Kats is a renovated blacksmith's shop nestled in the rolling meadows of the Brandywine Valley, the decor is a sophisticated mix with many renditions of Krazy Kats scattered about. We ate in the vaulted sunroom which overlooked pleasant gardens and a pumpkin display. The review of our interesting meal will follow.

White Gazpacho and This Months's Dining Plans

November 1, 2009

During dinner last month we mentioned a White Gazpacho, this piqued our interest and the very next morning I happened to be looking at my September issue of Martha Stewart’s Living magazine, and there was a whole article on Gazpachos one being a recipe for the white Gazpacho with the almonds as was mentioned by Linda. Lorraine went on line looking for gazpacho recipes as well. Linda noticed that the recipes that Lorraine found had a white gazpacho recipe too. So we each decided to make it. Since I have never had it before I thought my husband and I would try it before sharing it. Must have been good he had two bowls. But the true test would be to have the person who had the “real thing” critique it. So with that in mind I marched a bowl down to Linda’s house and another over to Lorraine’s. Wishing Nancy lived closer so I could have bestowed some to her as well. Next time I will plan this better, and take her a sample to her as I leave from work. It will be interesting to see what they think. And I am looking forward to tasting Linda’s recipe. Nothing like putting the pressure on - - or am I just asking for a free lunch?!

Heading into the holiday season we are all so busy, but not too busy that we are not going to plan our next restaurant ventures. We decided that these two months we are going to focus on Sunday buffets. Seems that the group is into a descriptive animal theme, so we are going to do the buffet at Krazy Kats in November and the Blue Parrot in December.

Watch for future review on the best gazpacho recipe. If one of the recipes is a hit then we will post it.

New experience - Tapas Bar and a show

October 21, 2009
Our plans tonight are dinner at Orillas Tapas Bar and Restaurant and a show at the Delaware Theatre Company.

Eating at a Tapas Bar is a first for all of us Divas. We were not sure of what to expect. ... a Tapas Bar.
Humm. Well, not to keep you in suspense...The DeDiningDivas enjoyed Orillas tremendously and highly recommend it. Be sure to bring friends and plan on staying for awhile. The atmosphere is warm, burgundy, dark brown and black accents. Has a nice Spanish flare ever so appropriate and inviting. Our first impressions were that the acoustics were distracting however; as the night continued we did not seem to have any trouble hearing the waitress or one another. Expect to have fun trying bits and bites of just about anything and everything. Don't be afraid to try something different. We learned that at a tapas bar you order as you go. You are not expected to put your whole order in at once. So we started with...

Drinks, of course, they had varieties of sangria's. Each of us had a different type of sangria. One citrus, one white and one herbal sangria made with Cava, the Spanish sparkling wine, plus one margarita. All good and satisfying.

We started off with...

Lulas
Crispy calamari with Caribbean cocktail sauce
The calamari was wonderfully breaded and fried to perfection. Well received by all. The cocktail sauce made with horseradish and slightly sweet, went well with the dish. This was a hit with everyone. We would have ordered seconds but wanted to try so many of the other items

Albondingas de Bacalao
Salt Cod fritters with pesto
There were three of these and a reasonably decent size for an appetizer. For one Diva, she was quite surprised that it was not salty at all and found it quite pleasant. This dish was good but not a stand out with the group.

Pan Con Tomate
Toasted slices of rustic bread brushed with roasted garlic and fresh tomatoes with Manchego cheese
The toast was very nice with the just the right blend of tomatoes and garlic. Of course, with food comes discussion, there were three pieces of toast, not small mind you, but we felt that a tapas bar food is shared with friends. Usually friends come in pairs or more and that perhaps it would make more sense having an even number of pieces of each tapas. The pieces do not need to be as large as they were, but in even numbers would be appreciated.

Next came...

Chorizo al vino
Chorizo in red wine
Not too spicy, wonderful sauce and flavor, the chorizo seemed a little dry, however, very tasty. We all felt that the mustard sauce did not add anything to the dish. Additional research found that the Spanish chorizo is, in fact, dried, where as the mexican chorizo is not.

Alcochofas con Jamon
Artichokes sautéed with Serrano ham
An OK dish…nicely proportioned with ham and plenty of artichokes. Some of us liked it; others thought it was a bit vinegary. Seems this was a matter of taste.

Next was a dish our waitress recommended... this one was a hit with everyone.

Spinach a la Catalano
Sautéed spinach, pine nuts, raisins and apples
This was the hit of the night. Don't pass this one up. It was wonderful. Just the right blend of bitter, salty and sweet. Will order double of this the next time!

No, we are not full yet... but while we were waiting we talked about... what else, food... Ever hear of white Gazpacho? made with almonds? One of the Divas remembered it from her travels to Portugal. Thought all gazpacho was made with a tomato base... seems this is not the case. We are going to have to look up a recipe for this when we get home.

...next came...

Pulpo con Papas
Marinated octopus with fingerling potatoes
All of us have eaten octopus and like it, but were a little surprised how this was served. It was baby octopus obvious by the tentacles with an olive marinade that went quite well with it. The texture was solid and seemed a little tough. The potatoes were blue fingerlings and were good but nothing special. Not a favorite with the group. But would not give it a thumbs down. Just was not what we expected.

Gambas al Ajillo
Shrimp sautéed with garlic and piquillo peppers
This dish was very salty; shrimp was cooked to perfection and seemed to be brined. Again, there were
only three pieces making it a chore to have to divide.

Albondigas a la Barcelonesa
Meatballs with peppers, roasted onions and tomatoes
They must have been listening to our conversation..... there were FOUR meatballs! These were very good with an interesting blend of spices. Bread for dipping and cleaning up the sauce would have been nice.

It is not difficult to linger over tapas for two hours as we did. It would not have been difficult to stay a few more hours and continue to eat as the Spaniards do, well into the late evening enjoying the company of good friends. www.orillastapasbar.com/

Off we go to The Delaware Theater Company, to see 'Fire on the Bayou'. Fun, familiar and a remembrance of what happened in New Orleans in 2005. Wonderful upbeat music, colorful and entertaining. It made you smile, get up and dance and sway to the music, peppered with the chronology of what was happening in New Orleans in 2005. It did bring back the memory of the reports that you heard in the news when Katrina hit New Orleans and it was presented to the audience in first person. Well written, choreographed and sung. Highly recommended for those who like jazz and like to be moved by the music. If you haven't seen this one you should. It will be playing at the Delaware Theater Company until November 1. www.delawaretheatre.org/

Dinner at Orillas, followed by the Theatre

The four Diva's had dinner together Wednesday October 21st at Orilla's Tapas Bar Restaurant. It's on lower Market St in Wilmington. Then we went to see Fire on the Bayou.

We liked Orillas’s a lot. The dishes provoked questions among us about Spanish and Portuguese foods. Fire on the Bayou at Delaware Theatre Company until Nov. 1, was a great treat. Tickets are still available. Go if you like jazz, singing and dancing with a storyline. The audience hollered and clapped through much of it.

Details and discussion will follow. We will post a formal review, with our consensus shortly.

Dinner at Orilla's; A play at the DE Theater Co.

Tomorrow, the Divas will be going out for our second dinner.  We will be eating at Orilla's Tapas Bar & Restaurant in Wilmington, then going to the Delaware Theater Company to see "Fire on the Bayou".  We are really looking forward to this evening out!

On a personal note, I bid a loving goodbye to Sheba, "the luckiest dog in Delaware", who has gone to join her other loved ones in a better place.