Piro Brick Oven & Barroom

I really love pizza. I could probably eat it every day since there are so many options, and literally I love them all. Well, except pizza with pineapple. That's still weird.

So a couple of weekends ago when I was craving pizza but still wanted to try something new and local, we decided to hit up Piro Brick Oven & Barroom.

Piro is in the evolving SOMA district, home to other favorites such as South On Main. It's fun seeing this area growing!

Photo Courtesy of www.arkansasbites.syncweekly.com/

 Not a huge space and not jam packed with tables - on a Friday night it was hopping but we were still able to be seated immediately. 

Our table was by this fun apothecary chest, now filled with plants! Which immediately made me want one for our house.

Starting out of course with cocktails - beer for the guys, and white wine for me.

The menu has the usual - appetizers, salads, pizza, sandwiches and dessert. But their spin on each item is what makes the menu special.

I've been once before and ordered the Burrata - a large sphere of mozarella with balsamic reduction, olive oil and sourdough bread - heavenly! This visit we opted for the meatballs, also served with sourdough.

So good! If the bread had been toasted just a little it would have made these a 10/10.

For entrees, the three of us decided to split two pizzas. A good ole' fashioned Pepperoni and the fabulous H.A.M.Cetta. 

Pancetta, smoke chiles, farm eggs, pecorino with arugula and olive oil. You break the eggs up so they coat each slice.

As you can tell, it was several slices into this pizza before we even thought about the pepperoni!

Though the pepperoni was pretty delicious as well.

We didn't try any dessert but several came out of the kitchen that looked delicious. It's definitely going to be on our regular rotation - perfect for a group outing or a date night. Their wine and beer selection is great and the atmosphere and staff were both really pleasant.

Locals, have you tried Piro out yet? If you're not local, tell me about your favorite pizza place!

Anniversary Dinner

EH and I have our third anniversary coming up - Tuesday to be exact! But we decided to start celebrating this weekend.

On Friday, we stopped at our favorite pre-movie spot and then went and saw Home in 3D. Because that's what a couple with no kids in their late twenties celebrating their anniversary do. 

It was really stinking cute. 

Saturday we lazed around the house, had lunch at Burge's, and I got a mani/pedi. Not a bad Saturday whatsoever!

Saturday night, we cleaned up and headed to So Restaurant. It was the first time we had tried this restaurant and I think it's safe to say we'll definitely go back. Our waiter was so much fun, the atmosphere was romantic but not stuffy, and the food was delicious.

We started off with the Fried Green Tomato Crabcake and cocktails. Bullet Rye and Coke for EH, and Frank Family Chardonnay for me.

I have a shameless obsession with fried green tomatoes and this did not disappoint. 

For entrees, EH picked the Coffee Crusted Filet Mignon.

Which was delicious, despite the lackluster plate setting. The cup was filled with fried polenta, topped with a tomato.

I went with what I usually go with if it's offered, and that was duck. 

Perfectly seared on the outside, topped with apricots. So good!

We rounded out dinner with chocolate creme brulee. I'm not much of a dessert person but this was really good. 

After dinner we headed to the Pantry and had another round of cocktails before calling it a night. My perfect date night - great food and cocktails with my favorite person.

Happy Sunday! Are you watching the Walking Dead season finale? I'm both excited and terrified. 

Valentine's Weekend

Another weekend has come and gone! This one was especially great - I love when Valentine's falls on a weekend!

Friday at work I was surprised with a dozen roses, hand delivered by EH. Spoiled, always.

We decided Friday night would be our big romantic night out. EH didn't disappoint - we headed to Cache which I have been wanting to try since they opened up. We started out with cocktails and a crab cake to share.

Terrible picture but trust me, it was delicious.

Cache had a set menu for Valentine's weekend but we were both very happy with our choices. I went with the pork chop (which is a surprising choice!).

Set on top of a pile of risotto and then topped with fresh green beans. It was so flavorful and perfectly cooked. So so good.

EH went with the filet and loaded baked potato.

The green beans were delicious and the baked potato was, y'know, a baked potato. But the steak? To die for. We were both seriously impressed.

We ended the night with strawberry cheesecake which perfectly rounded out our experience with Cache.

After dinner we headed to their lounge up stairs which was...interesting. We only stayed to finish our drinks but maybe it's better on a Non-Valentine's weekend? I'd be interested to hear if anyone else had been upstairs and what they thought.

Hope everyone had a Happy Valentine's Day! If you're like us or our friends in the Northeast - hope you stay warm and safe over the next few days!

Three Fold Noodles and Dumpling Co.

Over the last couple of years, Little Rock has really grown as far as dining choices. Not that there is anything wrong with a chain (looking at you Chili's Triple Dipper!), but there's something more exciting about eating local and unique.

One that EH and I have both been excited for was the Three Fold Noodles and Dumpling Co. 

So on a chilly Friday night we ventured out.

Set in an old bank building, it's a vintage but modern feel that  is pretty popular in the area lately. The old bank vault is still visible and the space is bright, open and airy.

The menu is simple as well - three entree options and the choice between chicken, pork, and vegetarian. Which is refreshing after going to a restaurant and having to choose from a 9 page menu.

We went with one order of dumplings (pork), and one bowl of noodles (chicken).

And the verdict is...it's all pretty good! Nice flavors, nothing overly complex, just the right amount of spice. No bar service which makes it more of a lunch venue in my mind, but we would definitely go back.

Have you been? Any fun new restaurants in your area?

Not So Victorious Dinner (and a PSA)

Tonight's dinner was not meant for the Victory books, I'm afraid. It all started out well - I prepped and got halfway in to the Pioneer Woman's Mustard Chicken recipe before it all went wrong.

I've made this recipe a ton - it's always been delicious and easy and drama free. Unfortunately tonight was the exception to that rule. I made it through the tough part (in my opinion anyways) of cooking the chicken, sauteed the garlic (smelled amazing!) but somewhere between turning off the burner (since I was dealing with bourbon) and pouring the bourbon into the skillet to glaze the pan -- something went terribly wrong.

At the time it felt like the flames were SUPER high and ENGULFING our kitchen cabinets and OMG WHERE IS THE DOG, and WHY CAN'T I FIND THE EXTINGUISHER (hint: because we don't own one), I somehow yelled for Engineer Husband who came running in and we were able to extinguish it.

Hopefully you have never dealt with a stove top fire but here are a few things that we did that you should NOT do:

- Forget that the right pantry aid is baking soda, not flour.

Because this happens.

And then your dinner, which was smelling really good and just about to start the delicious sauce making phase, will look like this.

You can spot the wet towel that thankfully we did not employ tonight as well.

If you DO find yourself in this situation, use BAKING SODA. Which of course we remembered after we had already doused the flames with what I can only guess is an entire bag of flour. 

But it worked, thankfully since our house is intact and we didn't make the fire worse. We were all safe and the chicken that was already cooked was spared and very gently over a low flame worked into another dish so that we could still eat.

So. Please learn from my mistakes. Be super careful cooking with alcohol and if you find yourself in a predicament like me where you're looking for something that you don't own to put out the flames, reach for the baking soda.

Photo Courtesy of ArmandHammer.com

You know you've got a box somewhere! I'm planning on putting some right next to the stove for anytime I decide to cook with booze - which likely will not be for a little while to say the least.

Baking soda.

(Also, in my googling since, it looks like the wet towel would also work but that seems iffy to me since you shouldn't use water. You could also put a lid over the pan and move away from the burner. That sounds like it would work but in the heat of the moment no way would I have been able to find the right lid.)

Or just buy an extinguisher. Or order take out.

Fried Chicken and Flying Saucers

EH and I have been trying to be good about eating at home, but we never turn down an invitation to meet a friend out for dinner.

So on Wednesday we ventured to Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken in downtown. The only other time I have been was with EH on a HOT July Friday afternoon where we sat at the bar overlooking the open kitchen and ate off styrofoam plates and watched the cooks do their thing.

This time we slid into a bench and waited for our friend to arrive. 

Gus's is really casual and offers bottled beer and individual bottles of wine - served in your own plastic wine glass! I love it though - something about the old school plastic plaid table coverings and drinking wine out of a plastic cup sort of sets the stage.

EH opted for an Acadia beer - really good! And I hope I got the name right, I'll have to do some digging.

We started out the night with a Southern staple - fried green tomatoes. Which is not only one of my favorite foods on the entire planet, but also one of my most treasured movies!

 

The tomatoes were perfection and the only thing lacking was the prepackaged ranch. If they came up with something on site it would have taken these over the top. But! Still good. We were happy.

EH and I both don't go out of our way to choose bone-in items so we opted for the chicken strips, though our friend got a plate of wings and thighs and said they were amazing.

I opted for the mac'n'cheese and baked beans - and each meal is served with plain white bread, which of course made me quote another cherished movie all during the meal - The Blues Brothers!

After dinner we strolled down to The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium which has tons of tons of great beers on tap and the UFO Club - which tracks what beers you try in order to ultimately get your name on a saucer hung on the wall. Of course we joined!

You can spot all the saucers up towards the top - the different colors indicate how many you've had. We are at a solid one but you have to start somewhere!

I opted for something light, though I can't remember the name. The choices can be overwhelming so I always ask the bartender for their recommendation. Whatever this was, it was delicious!

 

While EH went for something more dark and brooding.

I tried to snap a picture of our friend's but it was terrible as far as iphone pics go. 

If you need a new casual meal spot or fancy some great beer, I highly recommend stopping by either of these places! Might as well hit up both if you find a parking spot downtown.

Cheers!

Chicken Caesar Salads and a Happy Mother's Day!

It's been an eventful weekend. EH and I ventured out Friday night to meet some friends for dinner at Ciao Bacci, followed by lots of drinks at the Fountain. Though I feel like we are always doing something, it's pretty rare for us to stay up as late as we did. Fun! But we paid for it yesterday.

After finally powering through the dreaded mid-20's two day hangover, Mother's Day we woke up bright eyed and feeling tons better. We headed to EH's hometown to see my in-laws, Grandmother-in-law and Sister-in-law for a Mother's day lunch. It was extra special because my sister-in-law is having her second little girl this Wednesday!!

Back at our homestead, I decided to put together one of EH's favorite dinner dishes. Poor guy did five hours of yard work yesterday, and came home today to do some wood working and now he's finishing up a project for work, so I know he is pretty wiped out.

EH loves chicken caesar salads, so when I read this recipe for homemade caesar dressing from The Pioneer Woman, I knew this would be right up his ally.

So here is what I do, which is really following The Pioneer Woman's recipe word for word.

What you'll need:

• 2 large cloves of garlic
• 4 anchovy fillets (you'll find them near the canned tuna & chicken)
• 2-3 Tbs Dijon Mustard (I get the Private Selection Garlic Dijon Mustard - very grainy and sooooo good!)
• 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Little bit of salt
• Little bit more of pepper
• 1/4 cup grated/shredded parmesan cheese 

 Start by pulsing the garlic, anchovy fillets, dijon mustard, lemon juice, worcestershire, and balsamic. Stop every now and then to scrape the sides.

Once that is good and mixed, turn the food processor on low and slowly pour in the olive oil. Stop to scrape the sides and give it good mix.

Finally, add a little salt and plenty of black pepper and the parmesan cheese. Pulse until it's all good and combined and smelling delicious like you want to smear it all over your face.

Or..until it's ready to pour into a jar and refrigerate for a couple of hours.

When you're getting close to starving, cook up some chicken (I cook mine on the stove top in a whole mess of butter and olive oil). Once they're done, slick them into big hunks and toss with big crunchy pieces of romaine, some croutons (I cheat and buy the bagged kind) and plenty of parmesan cheese and your delicious caesar dressing.

Here's what ours looked like all put together. It looks like a lot of dressing, but once you toss everything together it coats everything perfectly. I hope you enjoy!

And to all the wonderful and fabulous Mother's out there - I hope you had a wonderful day!