Date Night with the Roommie.

Went out to Tryst (a local Gastropub) a few weeks back to use a Living Social coupon I had. It has a good variety to its menu and its specials are ever changing, so you aren't going to be bored too easily if you enjoy it enough to frequent often. The only thing you will want to take into account is that their menu online doesn't match up with the menu they offer, so if you see something you really want, then you will definitely want to call ahead. And also, take it from me, if you are wanting to get an inside table and it's a Fri/Sat night, then call for a reservation.

http://trystdelray.com/

They have a good selection of craft beers and if you tell them what beers you typically fancy, the guys/girls at the bar will help you out with a sample or two of whatever they recommend and you can take it from there. I told the guy I liked Blue Moon and he recommended their Funky Buddha, which is a locally brewed beer...so we both ordered it. They come in a few sizes, and naturally, I ordered the larger one. (No jabs here please). I wanted to order some apps with Pork Belly but sadly Pork Belly wasn't even on the menu at all, so you definitely want to call ahead if you are craving something in particular. So we ordered their Bone Marrow that comes with fig jelly and some toasted baguettes, and we also ordered their Chinese Pork Ribs that came with a sauce of hoisin and toasted sesame and cilantro.

The beer was delicious! The Bone Marrow was good as well, I mean, you can't really go wrong with grease and fat and a bone...if you think you can, then you clearly don't know what life is all about (kind of kidding). I'm not one who enjoys figs but the jam was a good compliment to the heaviness of the marrow. The Pork Ribs...a little tough to be honest. I think somewhere in the early cooking process they were cooked to perfection, but then when dinner service rolled around they were cooked too long. The sauce saved the dish in my opinion, without it, the dish would have been rough to finish.

For main entrees, I ordered their Bolognese and the roommie ordered their Sea Bass. I ordered the Bolognese for the pork and beef mixture and because I enjoy a good Bolognese (usually minus the peas, but in this case, they were done perfect). Next time I go, I will probably avoid the Bolognese...let me explain, it had a little too much cream and I don't handle cream well to begin with. It was extremely heavy and even though I am a big eater, I couldn't even get through half. The Sea Bass was great, it was cooked to perfection and was tender yet firm. The Bass sat on a tomato coulis (which is basically a thin tomato pureed sauce) and some greens.

Overall, food was good, and service was great but we did sit at the bar so I can't speak for the service on the floor or outside for that matter. Would definitely recommend it, but like I said, call ahead to confirm any specials or particular dishes, reservations if you want to sit at a table, and if you have a coupon such as a Groupon or Living Social, then use it...it's not the cheapest place but has good food and beers.

"Bolognese" Kimmie Style

Almost always, whenever Publix has a sale on Morningstar products (such as a Buy 1, Get 1), I jump on it. In this case, I went and purchased a few Morningstar Crumbles packages, mainly because if I am feeling froggy, I mix it up with some sauce and Quinoa or use it in stuffed peppers, etc. But in this instance, I wanted to make a Bolognese of sorts.



As you can see, I have a Mirepoix of sorts. I guess you can say it was more Louisiana style because I substituted a bell pepper for the celery. I'm not a huge fan of celery, only when making chicken stock. So I have a white onion, bell pepper, carrot, and half of a Hungarian Wax Pepper (seeds included). I also have Gluten Free/Wheat Free pasta (which, surprisingly, I found at Walmart for $2 and change) and a package of crumbles.

I did cook the Mirepoix in some extra virgin olive oil in a large saute pan and set aside, and then cooked the crumbles for a bit. Seasoning wise, I usually add rosemary, cumin, salt (not much), pepper, and oregano to the crumbles. It usually gives it a breakfast sausage like smell. I then combined the ingredients together, cooked for a bit and added some spaghetti sauce. I used the Heart Healthy sauce by Prego, I did not make my own sauce this time. I cooked the "bolognese" for a little over an hour, if you cook it too long the crumbles tend to break down and become a little mushy.

Ingredients (added while the mixture was cooking):
 - Soy Sauce
 - Fried Garlic
 - Worcestershire Sauce
 - Tomato Paste
 - Sriracha

Notes:
 - I did enjoy the Gluten Free/Wheat Free pasta. It cooks rather fast, but you do need to watch it and stir frequently because the pasta does stick together. It's a lot healthier for you too, if you are craving pasta but not wanting to dive off the deep end.
 - Overall it was good, obviously you can tinker with the ingredients used, but for a quick "meat" sauce, not bad.