The Dexterous Diner has a new home!!!

Ive moved up and out!  Thanks blogger it's been fun. You can now find my blog here thedexterousdiner.wordpress.com

Keep your mouths happy and your wallets full
<3 DD

Copyright © 2012 Christine Van Arsdalen. All Rights Reserved

Tuesday 6/5.. be there or be hungry!

Attention central Jerseyians!! This Tuesday, Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza in Edison will be hosting a 4 course craft beer dinner.  Tickets for the event are $30 and include a four course meal and beer pairings from Flying Fish Brewing Company. Bring your friends and enjoy some good food and a night out; because any time pizza and beer get together it's a good time. For all you Dexterous Dining fans, I will be there signing autographs (just kidding). But seriously, I will be there and so should you! 

If you're interested, here's the det's: Anthony's is located at 80 Parsonage Road, across from the Menlo Mall.  To purchase tickets call Coop at (732) 744-1500. 

Keep your wallets full and your mouths happy!
<3 DD

Copyright © 2012 Christine Van Arsdalen. All Rights Reserved

Wednesday’s Wine of the Week

Almost every week around Wednesday I venture into my local liquor store, Steele’s Wine Cellar, in search of my wine pick.  Located in the tiny town of Montgomery NJ, this liquor store, or wine store as I like to call it, has wines for all shapes, sizes and budgets.  This is pretty big considering I live in the sticks of NJ where your neighbors are cows and the most exciting thing to do is go to Shop Rite or the ONE local bar.  The best part is they’re not afraid to give you a recommendation, and I have yet to have them recommend a bad bottle.  So this morning I walked in before work.  I know, going to a liquor store in the morning is frowned upon but hey it’s 5 o’clock somewhere right?  Being almost late for work, I asked the owner, Justin,  what he thought about a bottle I had being staring at for a good five minutes ( I am not a morning person; thinking before 10 am is like trying to put a square beg in a round hole).  The bottle, a Chilean Wine called Chono Sauvingon Blanc, had a description that was a bit out of the ordinary.  Generally when a wine is described hints of blackberry and minerals I run in the other direction, but given the recommendation from the owner, and my lack of time I paid and was on my way.  I busted the bottle out later on with the home-made Tacos Al Pastor and Gauc my mom and I made (we like to be adventurous with our culinary endeavors).   It was a great pairing with the bold and spicy flavor of the Mexican food.  When I tasted it, I almost fell off my chair.  It probably would have taken all the kings horses and all the kings men to put me together again. The blackberry the description boasted was actually very subtle and gave it just a little bit of sweetness that offset the minerally taste.  I was also pleasantly surprised when the minerally taste that they described wasn’t the usual kind of sour flavor that makes your face pucker like you just did a tequila shot, but a nice rich bodied undertone.  There was also subtle hints of citrus and guava; it had a very well rounded flavor; kind of like the nerdy jock of wines.  I must say it put a cork in my qualms with minerally white wines, and proved that Chile produces way more than good looking men.  Don’t get me wrong, if I could have both I would probably die from sheer joy, but this bottle alone is enough to make Eeyore smile.

Keep your wallets full and your mouth happy
<3 DD

Copyright © 2012 Christine Van Arsdalen. All Rights Reserved

Wednesday’s Wine of the Week

 I can honestly say that this week’s wine wins the award for most fun to say and best back story.  In fact it was its name, Tussock Jumper, that made me want to buy it.  I mean you can’t walk past a wine named Tussock Jumper and not buy it; it sounds like something drunk people yell out a party, i.e. a good time.  To top it off the label had a sheep with a sweater, which I came to find out was the sheep behind the wine.  According to the story Tussock Jumper was a wine loving sheep who wanted to use only native varietals. Naturally since they seemed to have a quirky and slightly ridiculous sense of humor like myself, I had to find out what this wine was about.  The color of it was probably the lightest of ever seen, it was barely yellow.  At first sip the wine reminded me of candied bacon, possibly because I had just devoured a bacon cheeseburger (don’t judge I like my beef), but it had a sweet yet slightly smoky taste.  On second sip I tasted more of a fruity mix.  It was tropical with a hint of pear, tangerine and kiwi.  Of course it had my attention of this point so I had to keep drinking.  I mean if I had stopped at two sips I wouldn’t be able to tell all of you how it tasted.  So after 3 sips it kind of grew on me like that bag your mom gets you that seems fugly but then goes with most of your outfits.  I will definitely be buying a bottle again.  It seems like a great bottle to eat with a carton of lo mein while sitting around with your friends.  Anyone who wants to try a wine that is one of a kind I suggest you try this one!

Keep your wallets full and your mouth happy
<3 DD

Copyright © 2012 Christine Van Arsdalen. All Rights Reserved

Happy Hour at Ruth’s Chris

                This Friday I found myself in King of Prussia PA hunting down a dress for my sister’s graduation.  Surprisingly it was not as easy to find a dress as it thought it would be, but that is beside the point.  What started as a potential disaster ended up turning into a blessing in disguise. Thanks my sister’s inability to properly use Google we ended up at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse.  Normally, I would steer clear of the upscale pricy steakhouse (yes that was supposed to be a pun) but their $7 happy hour makes it affordable for the underpaid college graduates of America like me. Their menu has mostly beef options, but they also have a few seafood choices.  While this might not be the best choice for a vegetarian for those of us of the carnivorous persuasion it’s a dream come true.  One of the best choices on the menu is USDA with fries burger for $7. Talk about a deal, that’s like fast food prices.  Spoiler alert: I didn’t order the burger; while it was tempting, I was saving my weekly burger allotment for the next day.  My sister and I shared spicy lobster bites, seared Ahi Tuna and Osso Bucco ravioli. The ravioli were a bit of a splurge at $13 (they weren’t on the happy hour menu) but they were with every penny.  These tender veal filled pockets were smothered in a light and buttery Osso Bucco sauce.   It was a delicious play on the classic Italian dish, keeping all the flavors of the veal dish while incorporating the comforting starchiness of pasta.  The lobster bites were fried and covered in a spicy cream sauce.  I never would have thought fry lobster but thank Neptune they think out of the box.  The coating was light and had a kick that was a nice complement to the sweetness of the lobster.  The tuna was sushi grade (is there any other grade) and deserves an A+.  You could really taste the freshness of the fish; it had a light sear and a slightly salty and acidic sauce that tied it all together.   Top that off with a pomegranate martini and you got a fiesta; or at least a finger licking good feast. 

Keep your wallets full and your mouth happy 

<3 DD

Copyright © 2012 Christine Van Arsdalen. All Rights Reserved

Wednesday's wine of the Week

This week’s wine is kind of a mutt, much like me.  Like its title, Ensemble, it is a symphony that both incorporates and highlights different varietals; a real crowd pleaser for fans of white wines.  It combines the best qualities of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, which happen to be two of my favorite types.  This wine is nothing but net so to speak.  It doesn’t have that sort of metal aftertaste that can be found in some wines (that taste that gives you the "ick this is hard to swallow" face; it starts clean and ends clean like a swish.  The flavor isn’t muddied or distorted, just fresh and fruity. In fact you can taste a unique orange note that most other white wines don’t have.  As far as wines go, that’s about as rare as finding Waldo.  Of course you can also taste the usual suspects; peach, tropical fruit etc. but it does it with a twist.  It really breaks the mold of traditional whites, giving you a surprise orangey aftertaste at the end of every sip.  Yes, I am aware it is no stick on tattoo from the bottom the cereal box, but it is still pretty exciting.  One sip and you’ll be riding on the good ship lollipop.  That doesn’t mean you’re going to drown in a sea of sugar, the sweetness is more of a subtle note that compliments the other flavors.  Somehow, it reminds me of my personality in a bottle; a unique, original, sweet, crazy mix that no one has ever seen before.  I know that may sound intimidating, but rest assure that I am somewhat perfectly normal.  Surprisingly, I think this wine would go best with spicy foods or Asian Cuisine.  It has a light, bright (insert 90’s toy jingle here) flavor that would provide a nice compliment to bold flavors.  If I haven’t sold you yet I should mention that this party in a bottle only cost about $13.  So go try it people, you know you want to!


Keep your wallets full and your mouths happy!
<3 DD














Copyright © 2012 Christine Van Arsdalen. All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday’s Wine of the Week

    Today I stopped in my local liquor store in search of a wine my sister had recommended.  While to my disappointment they didn’t have what I was looking for, they had something just as good.  It was one of those moments where you can hear Mick Jagger in your earing singing “You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes well you might find you get what you need.”  I would like to thank the rock God’s for giving me what I needed.  There I was standing amidst hoards of wine and this bottle caught my eye; mainly because it was one of the few bottles that had a description below.  Clearly my selection process is very complex.  At any rate I liked the description, so I decided to give it a whirl.  It was love at first sip! My mouth was filled with a fruity bright and slightly figgy flavored surprise.  Before I get ahead of myself, I should probably mention that this wonderful wine is entitled Sean Minor Sauvignon Blanc and a bottle of this pure deliciousness will only cost you about $15.00 depending on the store.  So getting back to singing its praises like a Sunday church choir; there is a strong grapefruity note to the body give it a bold crisp aroma.  The after sip is where the real party happens though.  As the citrus wears off your left with a deeper more rich finish with notes of melon and fig.  It leaves you with a very smooth and delightful taste in your mouth. This bottle really packs a big punch for its little price tag. Like Jessie J says “it’s not about the money.”   To me it seems like it would fantastically with a rich fish like a tuna, a slab of pork, or a peppery arugula salad; I guess you’ll just have to buy a bottle and try it on for size.   Happy drinking folks!

Keep your wallets full and your mouths happy!
<3 DD

Copyright © 2012 Christine Van Arsdalen. All Rights Reserved.

Tapas Tuesday’s at Mediterra

                One of my favorite Tuesday night spots is a fantastic place in Princeton NJ.  At first glance you may think it is just another "hoy faloy" place with food so small you have to fill up on the bread basket.  Like the rest of Princeton, the front of the building is dressed to impress.  Big glass doors, outdoor stone patio, the works.  However if you venture inside you will find that they have surprisingly affordable options for those of us with shallow pockets. While they do have a great basket of bread, they also have $2 tapas with the purchase of a drink every day of the week.  Now I know what you’re thinking, $2 tapas is probably fried cheese and buffalo wings; but these tapas include things tuna tartar, salmon ceviche, and meatballs (aka abondigas, my favorite Spanish word because it’s just so darn fun to say).  But wait, there’s more! Act before 6pm and their entire tapa menu is just eight quarters.  Unlike most places where they put their cheapest options on special, every single tapa is just $2. Yes I know I sound like one of those annoying car commercials that keep saying the same thing; but this deal is so good no amount of repetition can do it justice.  There aren’t many things you can get for that cheap any more.  In today’s market it’s like the fabled penny candy your grandparents talk about; lots of choices, little price tag. 

Needless to say I went on a tapas spree. My sister, my mother and I ordered the tartar, ceviche, clams, and abondigas.  Being a lover of all things raw, including steak and eggs (GASP), I was incredibly excited about the tartar, ceviche, and the clams.  And rightly so, it was so good it made me want to jump up and say “OLE!” or do a tap(a) dance.  You could really taste the freshness of the fish.   It was light and delicate and just kind of melted away like a snowman in the sunshine. They all had a light citrus drizzle which gave the dishes a little kick. It was like a little flamenco dance in your mouth. I have had these dishes about 10 times and I still adore them!  What can I say; I’m a glutton for punishment (by good food).

The abondigas (come on just try saying it out loud; you know you want to) were surprisingly light and fluffy.  I’ve had meatballs that would be better used for batting practice or meatball fights, but these were light little succulent balls of beefy goodness.  They were cheesy and slightly salty and smothered in a tangy sweet tomato sauce; so delicious I was convinced they secretly had my grandma working in the kitchen.

The three of us also split a Pumpkin Crusted Cedar Planked Branzino entrée.  It was flaky and salty and nutty and delicious.  Not to mention the portion size was huge.  It may take two to tango, but it took 3 to eat the dish.  So after 3 hours we were so full I needed to be rolled out like the meatballs.  And then there was the bill, which would seem more ominous if most of our meal hadn’t cost $2.  The grand total... $75 with tax for 3 people including  beverages; which comes to $25 per person. We all left the restaurant with very happy stomachs and baccounts that night!

Keep your wallets full and your mouths happy
<3 DD

Copyright © 2012 Christine Van Arsdalen. All Rights Reserved.

Wednesdays Wine of the Week

                 In a wine of the week first I am writing about a wine while sipping it.  Talk about multi-tasking! Not surprising it is a white wine (I am clearly not much of a red wine drinker), that is rather crisp with a grapefruit finish.  It cost me only $11.99 at the liquor store.. added bonus.  It has a classy taste without the classy pricetag. So what is this mystery wine? It goes by the name of Ecco Domani Pino Grigio.  Even the name sounds good, like an exciting afternoon through the countryside on a Vespa in Italy.  It tastes like one too, very refreshing, light, and just a hint of playful sweetness.  At the risk of hurting other wines feelings this may be my favorite wine of the week so far.  I had it this evening with salmon burgers (that I made myself!) and it was a great compliment to the flavor of the fish.  I would also like to add that I make a phenomenal salmon burger, but don’t ask me for the recipe I don’t use them. To me cooking (and drinking) should be expressive and interpretive. It should bring out your personality and passion. Cooking is meant to be done with feeling, recipe’s are just too rigid for me J.

Like my cooking, this wine is a combination of different elements that sing when they are put together.  It is a mix of tropical fruit and grapes and citrus that engulfs your tongue in deliciousness.  It’s bright and lively like a 5 year old girl that won’t shut up yet surprisingly smooth.  I give this wine a gold star!

Keep your wallets full and your mouths happy

<3 DD

Copyright  © 2012 Christine Van Arsdalen. All Rights Reserved.

$5 ‘Appy Hour

This past Thursday I visited one of my favorite spots for happy hour.  Located in Montgomery NJ, Tusk restaurant offers a phenomenal happy hour spread.  For $5 you can get pot stickers, sushi, calamari, nachos, pretty much everything but the kitchen sink.  Top that off with a $2 draft and you got what my grandfather calls a smorgasbord! For those of you who aren’t Danish that means so much food you have to un-do the top button of your pants and hope no one notices. $25 and 2 drinks later I was stuffed to the gills full of delicately fried calamari in a sweet and tangy sauce and 12 hand rolled fresh sushi rolls which I split with my friend.  You may think because the price is discounted, the quality of the food goes down.  Think again!  The food was delicious and portion sizes weren’t shrimpy by any means.  At the end of the meal we were both full AND had food leftover.  After we split the check in 2 the meal, drinks, and tip only cost me $14.00.  Considering one app on the regular menu will run you about the same price, I’d call that savings even Scrooge McDuck would be proud of.

 Like I said in my previous happy hour exposé, you don’t have to travel halfway across the ocean like Marlin looking for Nemo to find good deals. Restaurants all over the place offer a selection of appetizers or small plates for a discounted rate at happy hour. Check out happy hour specials in your area and get saving!

Keep your wallets full and your mouths happy

<3 DD

Copyright  © 2012 Christine Van Arsdalen. All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday's Wine of the Week

Avalon Sauvignon Blanc
   
 I had the fortune of trying this wine during Restaurant week at BYOB restaurant.  It was a very nice compliment to my delicious lobster feast.  I originally stumbled upon this bottle by accident.  See one of my favorite ways to find good wines is by asking, I know thats a little tough for some of you stubborn people out there.  My own father would rather drive around for a half an hour trying to find the right way rather than asking for directions.  Like hello if you had just asked you could have been there a half an ago instead of wasting your gas.  At any rate, as I said before, I like to walk into a liquor store and say "Hi I need a good bottle of wine that costs around $10."  You would be surprised at how many good ten dollar bottles of wine they suggest. So I brought the bottle home and my whole family fell in love.  My parents went out and bought 3 bottles... it was that good.

    Ok now that i've rambled on like a grandma in her rocking chair talking about "when I was a kid", I can get back to present day.  So as I was saying, it is definitely a great wine for seafood.  The wine itself tastes like like a summertime breeze.  It is light and crisp and tropical fruity and somewhat citrusy.  It has just a hint of sweetness which is balanced out by a light minerally flavor.  Some people have described it as grassy, however not being a cow, that does not sound very appealing.  Rest assure that being some who has tasted grass (I was an active child) this wine reminds me nothing of it. I'm assuming that they are referring to the slight minerally taste, however,  I find it to a have nice earthy note that provides a nice foil for the fruity flavor. It's kind of like a freak show, there's a lot of weird things going on, but they work together nicely to make one fantastic result ! I promise you, this is a very well balanced and delicious bottle of wine. The best part is most places sell it for $11.99, so you can buy it in bulk. Happy drinking folks!

Keep your wallets full and your mouths happy
<3 DD



Copyright  © 2012 Christine Van Arsdalen. All Rights Reserved.

Jersey Shore Restaurant week at Shipwreck Point

                This Saturday I dined a Shipwreck Point in Point Pleasant NJ.  Having eaten there before I already knew the meal would be delicious, and man did they deliver!  For $30 you got to choose from 3 different appetizers, entrees and desserts; all of which looked tempting.  For my meal I selected scallop crudo for my appetizer, seared duck breast for my entrée and chocolate Chambord cheesecake for dessert.  I was drooling like a dog waiting for a bone before I even got my appetizer.  They brought out delicious bread with homemade butters and sea salt from Normandy while we waited.  How cool is that French Salt! it made me feel all sophisticated like a should be sipping champagne under the Eifel tower.

       When I got my appetizer it looked so good I almost shoved my face in the bowl.  However being that I was in a fine dining establishment, I used some restraint and took a bite instead of embarrassing myself.  The scallops were amazing, probably the best I’ve had.  They were tender and juicy and sweet.  They were so soft they just melted in my mouth.  Those scallops were so good that if God had a favorite food, that would probably be it.  My sister and dad had lobster bisque with a hint of crème fraiche which was equally as delicious.  

      When my entrée came out I didn’t think anything could be as good as the scallops, however I was wrong.  The duck was cooked perfectly and had a crispy skin that was to die for; which is saying something because I am a duck lover with a very discerning palate.  I don’t think I have ever said “mmmm” as much as I did while eating the duck.  It was nice and juicy, full of flavor and had a side of mashed sweet potatoes that were also delightful.  After that meal I can definitely see why Elmer Fud spent all those years trying to hunt Daffy Duck, he knew how good he tasted. 

      The icing on the cake was the dessert.  When chocolate and raspberries get together, you know it’s going to be good. When you throw cheesecake in the mix it’s like getting ice cream cake on your birthday when you’re a kid, the best thing ever! The chocolate really came through, leaving you with just a hint of raspberry.  The cake was light and fluffy as a cloud ... absolutely divine. I definitely had my cake and ate ALL of it too.  As a whole it was probably one of the best meals I’ve had.  And to top it off, it was only $96 for 3 people.    That’s like meeting your idol and winning the lottery all on the same day.  I left the restaurant one happy, and full girl.  I will definitely go back to Shipwreck Point soon!

Check out the broke girl on a budget for another review http://brkgrlonabudget.blogspot.com/

Keep your wallets full  and your mouths happy!

<3 DD


Copyright  © 2012 Christine Van Arsdalen. All Rights Reserved.

Happy hour- not just for drinks!

Anyone who has a job looks forward to the end of day where they can unwind, kick back, and enjoy a drink.  It’s like being a kid waiting for the bell at the end of the day, once it rings you’re off like a shot. They don’t call it happy hour for nothing!  Even those of us who thoroughly enjoy our jobs need a little R and R at the end of a long day.  I used to think happy hours were just for cheap drinks until I turned 21 and discovered they were so much more. It was like Aladdin plopped me onto to his magic carpet and showed me the world of happy hour.  Since then I have been all over the country sampling what happy hour has to offer.  In my travels I have had some amazing food that I normally could never afford.  Don’t get me wrong, the drinks are great too, but I am and always will be a food lover.  I started out small going to places like Applebee’s and Chevy’s.  Once I discovered that certain locations of chains give a free buffet (check your local restaurants for availability) I pretty much ate out every day.  All you had to do was buy a $2 beer and you could fill up on pasta, pizza, tacos, sandwiches.. the list goes on.  I was over the moon and stuffed to the gills.  And so, my love of happy hours was born.
Soon after I decided to branch out to the places I could only go to with my parents.  (Don’t judge I was a college kid)  The first place I tried was in Wayne, PA called White Dog Cafe.  My sister convinced me that even me, a person of little money could afford to eat here.   If you could see my face when I looked at the menu you would have thought I was a kid who got a puppy on Christmas or Charlie Bucket when he walked in the Chocolate Factory.  They had steak tartar, tuna tartar, farm raised beef sliders, mac and cheese, salads, pretty much anything you could possibly want to eat, all for 5 dollars. The portions weren’t  so small even a mouse would turn them down, they were actually really big.  Needless to say I was stuffed at the end of the meal and had only spent $ 22 including drinks and spend my 5 pm there at least once a month.
   After that day I made it my business to find happy hours like that. Surprisingly, there are a TON of places that have a great happy hour menu.  I have been all over the place and have managed to find a great place wherever I go.  Most recently I went to a new place that opened in Toms River, New Jersey called Aqua Blu.  For those of you who haven’t figured it out yet I am a born and raised Jersey Girl who spent her summers near Seaside NJ. NO, I am NOT a Guido.  I haven't been near a gym in years, the only tan I get is on the beach, and I have flat blonde hair.  Getting back to the point, it was a place that I heard people raving about.  Though the menu was a bit out of my price range, I did a little digging and found that they had a happy hour menu.  Let me tell you, the food was as good as people said it was.  I had fish tacos that were not only delicious, but not over cooked as they can be, and mac and cheese that made my mom’s taste like it came from a box (sorry mom!)  After two generous portions of food and 2 glasses of wine, I was only set back $20.  My stomach and my bank account were very happy!

So, all you dexterous diners, I have vowed whenever I find a diamond in the rough I will share it with all of you. I am aware that while this may sound good, it is not very helpful if you are not on the east coast. While I do get to places other than New Jersey, you can also find great happy hours near you. I post some on my twitter @dexterousdining; however sites like http://www.happy-hour.com  will give you a list of happy hours in your area.  You can also check the website or facebook of a restaurant, sometimes they post their specials there.  Believe it or not there is even an App for that (not very surprising there’s an app for everything).  So you have no excuse not to find one.  Get out there and get happy!

Keep your wallets full and your mouths happy
<3 DD

Copyright © 2012 Christine Van Arsdalen. All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday’s Wine of the week

Simply Naked Pino Grigio

After all the hype I have seen in the past weeks I decided to try a bottle of the wine that is EVERYWHERE!  Yes even communication majors like myself sometimes fall for advertising, shocking.  After all the hype and hoopla it was under my skin as Frank Sinatra says. It was stuck in my head like a bad 90's song.  My curiosity got the better of me and after some consideration, I decided to try it.   Tracking it down on the “Simply Naked” website I discovered it was at my local liquor store, so I went to pick up a bottle of the Pino Grigio.  Much to my delight, the bottle was on sale for $7.99 which pretty much sealed the deal.

 Well I would just like Baccus for bringing this wine into my life.  Don’t let the name fool you, it may be naked but it is definitely not bare of flavor.  In fact it is quite the opposite.  The flavor of the fruit really shines through giving it a crisp clean taste.  I must admit I was a little skeptical; there are very few wines that I have had that were not made in an oak barrel. I mean come on wine without oak is like peanut butter without jelly, is still good but it can’t be as great right? Wrong!  I definitely ate (or drank) my words after trying my first glass.  The fact that it was “unoaked” as they put it gave it a very refreshing and bright body.  You can pick up the notes of melon, passion fruit and peach with just a small hint of citrus, and surprisingly a little bit of spice.  This is definitely a great summer wine, perfect for sipping on a lazy afternoon.   But as they say on Reading Rainbow "you don't have to take my word for it."  Go try it for yourself!

Keep your wallets full and your mouths happy
<3 DD

Copyright © 2012 Christine Van Arsdalen. All Rights Reserved.

Restaurant Week

Spring is a magical time of year.  The flowers bloom, the bees buzz and restaurant week comes around. What is restaurant week? It's a week where even the most expensive places become miraculously affordable for us budget conscious people.  Cities select a week or two weeks where participating restaurants offer a discounted 3 or 4 course menu.   I have eaten at Le Bec fin, one of the most pricey places in PA and spent only $35. Yesterday I had a menu of mussels in a lobster broth, steamed fresh NJ lobster, and key lime pie for $30. The broth on the mussels was so good I licked my plate so clean Jack Sprat would be proud.  Not to mention that the lobster was probably the best I have ever had.  It melted even before it got to your mouth.  And the key lime pie was to die for.  Normally you can’t even get half a lobster for $30. Talk about having your cake and eating it too!  If that isn’t amazing, I don’t know what is.

Restaurant week is a foodie’s paradise! You can eat like a king on a serf’s budget and can hop around from place to place trying succulent entrees and scrumptious appetizers.  Nosh on tartar and caviar while you wait for your duck and foi gras. Try NYC’s trendiest places for discount prices, thats like drinking a fine wine but paying for beer.  Restaurant weeks aren’t just for big cities, they’re everywhere, so visit good old google and check out the date for your area.  Find one near you and get hungry!

Keep your wallets full and your mouths happy 

<3 DD

Copyright © 2012 Christine Van Arsdalen. All Rights Reserved.

Wednesdays Wine of the Week

Layer Cake Chardonnay

“Whats in a name”.. . a good wine! Much like last week’s cakey named wine, this bottle is fantastic!  It is a bit of a hidden treasure, it’s not at every liquor store you have to do a little searching to find it.  Don’t worry it’s not as hard as finding Waldo but I promise it is worth the trek.  I would walk to Guam for it!  The bottle itself cost around $10 (sometimes on sale!)  but tastes like a million bucks.  The flavor reminds me of a lemon merengue pie; light and creamy yet has a crisp citrus note.  There are hints of guava and pineapple laced throughout, giving it a fruity yet tangy body.   Much like a lingering kiss it is soft, yet zesty enough to leave you wanting more.  It’s the kind of wine that makes you feel like you’re running barefoot through an orchard in the middle of the summer or diving headfirst into a wave.  Either way it’s invigorating, sweet, surprising, and intoxicating (literally).  It’s so good even the “Most Interesting Man in the World” would toss aside his Dos Equis and become a wino.  Good pairings include seafood, chicken, pasta; the standard lighter fare.  That doesn’t mean can you can’t drink it by itself.  I like to unwind with a glass, close my eyes and enjoy the sweet sweet symphony of flavors.  Try it for yourself and soon you too will love it as much as Sonny the Cuckoo Bird loves his coco puffs.

Keeps your wallets full and your mouths happy!

<3 DD

Copyright © 2012 Christine Van Arsdalen. All Rights Reserved.

Wednesdays Wine of the Week

It's finally here, my first pick for Wednesday's wine of the week!  So what's my first big pick..the very aptly name Cupcake "Angel Food".  This wine really is divine, it's so good it's almost sinful!  Not only can you find a bottle for about $14 (a plus for any win enthusiast on a budget), but it has a sweet refreshing taste.  This wine really mimics the taste of an angel food cake;  you can taste that light and delicate slightly lemony vanilla flavor in every sip, it's cake with a kick!  For those of you expecting me to say it has a floral aroma with a fruity body (which it does), this is not that type of wine review.  Who knows what that even means anyway, I mean really what does a "floral aroma" really tell you about the way it tastes.  At any rate, for me this wine was love at first sip. I have not drank a different kind of wine in over 2 weeks, it's THAT GOOD! It makes a great pairing with pretty much anything. Food and "Angel Food" go together like Bert and Ernie or Scooby and Shaggy.   So far I've had it with pasta, shrimp, chicken, in the bathtub, on my couch; in the words of fergie "I'm addicted and I just cant get enough!"It's the kind of wine that is perfect for sitting outside on a spring day, sipping on a sailboat or pretty much anything.  So all you lovers of wine, or cake, RUN not walk to your nearest liqour store and pick up a bottle of this angelic wine, and experience heaven on earth.

Keep your mouths happy and your wallets full!
<3 DD

Copyright © 2012 Christine Van Arsdalen. All Rights Reserved.

Brunches are a girls (or guys) best friend

  Forget diamonds, brunches are a girls new best friend.  Sure diamonds are pretty, but nothing makes you happy like a good breakfast.  They say it's the most important meal of the day, so why not start your day off with a bang?  Of course brunches have more than just breakfast, you can also sample a delicious array of meats and sandwiches and soups, oh my!  But wait there's more!  No really, there is.  You can pretty much find anything your litte heart desires at a brunch.  And the best part is, you''ll leave with a full stomach and a full wallet. Most places have a pre-fixed price that covers either a buffet or a sampling menu.  If you don't see a pre-fix don't panic, even the most posh place in town has a more affordable brunch menu.  So for a small fee, you can eat to your hearts content, or your stomach fills up.  Keep in mind this is not your parent's buffet. There's no powdered eggs or burnt bacon, I'm talking about fois gras french toast, cottage cheese waffles, omelets made to order, fresh locks, steak tartare...need I say more?  There is literally someting for everyone.  You can eat them here, you can eat them there, you can eat them anywhere; "in a car or in a tree, they are so good so good you see".  Ok so maybe not in a car or a tree, but like green eggs and ham, brunch is good pretty much anywhere. So get out there, go exploring and find your favorite brunch spot.  I promise it will be one delicious journey!

My home-made brunch- Poached eggs over grilled asparagus with fresh basil pesto and crustini!

Keep your mouth happy and your wallets full!
<3 DD

Copyright © 2012 Christine Van Arsdalen. All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday’s Wine of the Week

Most of us think a good bottle of wine comes from an obscure winery in a tiny village in a country like France or Italy, and has sat around for years until it has become the best bottle of wine we have ever tasted.  While I’m sure those wines are outstanding, they are also something that us mere mortals will never get our hands on.  Instead we go scrounging around the liquor store for a bottle that doesn’t make us feel like we’re drinking our money away; for me that is a bottle that costs around $10.  Now you may be thinking I’m drinking dishwater wine, however wine from a box was something I outgrew in college.   Since my "tap the bag" years, I have discovered, much to my liking, that you can enjoy a ton of wines that that are “fit for a king” without spending like one.  These extraordinary wines come in all colors, and have more flavors than Baskin Robbins.  Red, white, pink, oaky, citrusy, floral; you name it you can find it. All the possibilities make you feel like a kid in a candy store. However, if you have ever been in a candy store you’d know there is a TON of candy, so it is hard to make a decision.  Don’t panic, this is where I come in.  Once a week I will share with you, the lucky few, a wine that will tickle your taste buds and stroke your wallet.  Wines that are not only budget friendly, but will fill your senses. So get excited people, next Wednesday I will reveal my first pick!

© 2012 Christine Van Arsdalen. All Rights Reserved.

The Dexterous Diner

We all know today's economy in a word STINKS, especially for a girl like me.  I am one of the unfortunate few who recently graduated from college.  Though normally that would seem like an exciting step in the right direction, it left me with the daunting task of finding "A Big People Job."  While I have since found one, let's just say the pay is less than desirable.  I, like most college graduates, went out into the world expecting to make "the big bucks," only to be slapped in the face by the cold hard truth.  So I settled for $12.00 an hour, not much of an improvement from my high school days.  Now, you're probably reading this going "what in God's name does this have to do with food."  Well, being a woman who has a discerning palate, my recent financial situation left me in a bit of a predicament.  I am the type of girl who likes to eat well. Some people call it being a food snob, I call it knowing what's good. At any rate, my former love of the "finer things in life" had become more like a love of the things I can't afford. That being said, I still LOVED good food.  So, I was faced with question, how can I eat the things I love without breaking my very small bank?  It was then I discovered Happy Hour's, these magical things where even the finest of restaurants offer affordable options.  I was shocked and pleasantly surprised to find that I could savor Tuna Tartare with a soy reduction and spend only 5 bucks. Since then, I have honed my skills as a "savvy shopper" so to speak, traveling around eating at some of the best restaurants and spending as little as possible.  My dollars have stretched through several states and time zones. I have decided to write share my eating know how with the rest of the food loving, underpaid citizens of the world. It is my hope that any one who reads this blog will gain the tools to become a dexterous diner like myself, or at least a new spot to get a good meal.


Keep your wallets full and your mouths happy
<3 DD

   Copyright © 2012 Christine Van Arsdalen. All Rights Reserved.