Often enough we can come across friends, colleagues, neighbors, and even fellow PTA members that possess an espresso coffee maker. The times have been changing with the fast paced lives of people when everyone seems to be in a hurry and less time is spent on living and tea rooms and more instead on the town’s coffee shop. Way before the coffee shops started to mushroom, there were a few espresso coffee makers sold in the common market. Getting a hold of these machines would be at coffee exhibits and conventions only.
During those times preparing for a cup of espresso (and for coffee drinkers a cup of espresso is just a couple of sips) takes long and can be a messy process. Everything is done manually from the boiling of the water to the grinding and tampering of the powdered beans. Preparing this would mean having knowledge on what it takes to be a barista.
As more and more people have enjoyed true gourmet and specialty coffee, there are many models of espresso coffee makers out in the market today. There are some models that practically do everything and all the user has to do is to plug the espresso coffee maker and a perfect brew of espresso will be ready in just a couple of minutes.
Semi – automatic Espresso Coffee Maker
For espresso coffee lovers who want to have total control on the taste, flavor and texture of their espresso – this machine is just for you. This type of espresso machine is not fully automatic and mainly for the reason of controlling the outcome and taste of the espresso.
For budgeted espresso lovers who want to own a piece of espresso machine this is the right model for you. The price range for these models is from $100 – $1,000 depending on the brand and model. These models do not give a mediocre brew. It basically still has the same outcome as the automatic ones except for the fact that you‘ll just have to perform some of the tampering.
Fully Automatic Espresso Coffee Maker
Top of the line espresso machines are these models with some having prices that go as much as $4,000. These machines are the fully-automated-press-the-button machines and all the coffee aficionados just have to sit and relax for his espresso to drip unto the cup.
These models come with a standard LCD screen where in you can program the thickness and the quantity of the espresso. The volume of the espresso can also be programmed in order for it to fit exactly on the cup without spillage.
The price range for these models would start at about $300 and could go as high as $4500. So it’s a good idea to check out first the basic models before jumping onto the more complicated ones so as not to lose that hard earned money.
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The History of Chinese Cuisine
In China, food and its preparation has been developed so highly that it has reached the status of an art form. Rich and poor, the Chinese people consider that delicious and nutritious food is a basic necessity. There is an old Chinese saying “Food is the first necessity of the people”.
This art has been cultivated and refined over hundreds of years. Legend has it that the culture of Chinese cuisine originated in the 15th century BC during the Shang dynasty and was originally introduced by Yi Yin, it’s first Prime Minister.
The two dominant philosophies of Chinese culture both had extreme influences on the political and economic history of the country but it is less well known that they also influenced the development of the culinary arts.
Confucius emphasised the artistic and social aspects of cookery and eating. The Chinese don’t gather together without involving food - it is considered to be poor etiquette to invite friends to your home without providing appropriate food.
Confucius established standards of cooking and table etiquette, most of which remain to this day. The most obvious example of this is the cutting of bite-sized pieces of meat and vegetables during the course of the food preparation in the kitchen, rather than using a knife at the table which is not considered to be good manners.
Confucius also encouraged the blending of ingredients and flavourings to become a cohesive dish, rather than tasting the individual components. Harmony was his priority. He believed and taught that without harmony of ingredients there could be no taste. He also emphasised the importance of presentation and the use of colour, texture and decoration of a dish. Most importantly, cooking became an art rather than a task to be endured and certainly he was instrumental in promulgating the philosophy of “live to eat” rather than “eat to live”.
On the other hand, Tao encouraged research into the nourishment aspects of food and cookery. Rather than concentrating on taste and appearance, Taoists were more interested in the life-giving properties of food.
Centuries on, the Chinese have discovered the health-giving properties of all sorts of roots, herbs, fungus and plants. They have taught the world that the nutritional value of vegetables is destroyed by over-cooking (particularly boiling) and in addition have found that things with a great flavour also have medicinal value.
Home cooked Chinese food is extremely healthy, even though much of it is fried. This is due to the use of polyunsaturated oils (used only once and discarded) and the exclusion of dairy products. In addition the inclusion of animal fat is minimal because portions of meat are small.
This art has been cultivated and refined over hundreds of years. Legend has it that the culture of Chinese cuisine originated in the 15th century BC during the Shang dynasty and was originally introduced by Yi Yin, it’s first Prime Minister.
The two dominant philosophies of Chinese culture both had extreme influences on the political and economic history of the country but it is less well known that they also influenced the development of the culinary arts.
Confucius emphasised the artistic and social aspects of cookery and eating. The Chinese don’t gather together without involving food - it is considered to be poor etiquette to invite friends to your home without providing appropriate food.
Confucius established standards of cooking and table etiquette, most of which remain to this day. The most obvious example of this is the cutting of bite-sized pieces of meat and vegetables during the course of the food preparation in the kitchen, rather than using a knife at the table which is not considered to be good manners.
Confucius also encouraged the blending of ingredients and flavourings to become a cohesive dish, rather than tasting the individual components. Harmony was his priority. He believed and taught that without harmony of ingredients there could be no taste. He also emphasised the importance of presentation and the use of colour, texture and decoration of a dish. Most importantly, cooking became an art rather than a task to be endured and certainly he was instrumental in promulgating the philosophy of “live to eat” rather than “eat to live”.
On the other hand, Tao encouraged research into the nourishment aspects of food and cookery. Rather than concentrating on taste and appearance, Taoists were more interested in the life-giving properties of food.
Centuries on, the Chinese have discovered the health-giving properties of all sorts of roots, herbs, fungus and plants. They have taught the world that the nutritional value of vegetables is destroyed by over-cooking (particularly boiling) and in addition have found that things with a great flavour also have medicinal value.
Home cooked Chinese food is extremely healthy, even though much of it is fried. This is due to the use of polyunsaturated oils (used only once and discarded) and the exclusion of dairy products. In addition the inclusion of animal fat is minimal because portions of meat are small.
The History Of Alcohol
Thoughout recorded history there has always been alcohol in of some variety,think of this, when you are sitting on a Friday night with your vodka and coke or Pernod and lemonade, does it ever cross your mind how exactly the drink came about. Below is a history of some of the more popular drinks that are enjoyed today such as vodka, gin, Pernod and cachaca.
Pernod
Pernod is an aniseed-based spirit that has been enjoyed in France for approximately 200 years as an aperitif and a zesty cooking ingredient. During the Babylonian era aniseed drinks were known as elixirs with unique qualities to cure a variety of stomach and digestive dissorders. It has long been recognized that when you combine wormwood and aniseed plants it contains certain healing powers and has been known to have mood-altering effects.
Cachaca
Cachaça is made from raw sugar cane and the major difference is that the lighter rums are more commonly made from whats known as molasses, (A thick syrup produced in refining raw sugar and ranging from light to dark brown in color) this is a by-product from boiling the cane juice to extract as much sugar as possible. It is made from fresh sugarcane juice that is fermented and distilled.
Cachaça is Brazils national spirit and the key ingredient in the classic cocktail caipirinha, the history of Cachaça goes back nearly 5 centuries when plantation owners began serving Cachaca to their slaves after seeing that it increased their vigor. Over the next lot of years better Cachaças were being distilled and soon people started drinking it in colonial Brazil while having dinner at home. Shortly after this slavery was banned in 1888, when Brazil was declared a modern Republic.
Gin
Gin The first confirmed date for the production of gin is the early 17th century in Holland, although claims have been made that it was produced prior to this in Italy. In Holland it was produced as a medicine and sold in chemist shops to treat stomach complains, gout and gallstones. To make it more palatable, the Dutch started to flavour it with juniper, which has medicinal properties of its own.
British troops fighting in the Low Countries during the Thirty Years' War, were given 'Dutch Courage' during the long campaigns in the damp weather through the warming properties of gin. Eventually they started brining it back home with them, where already it was often sold in chemists' shops. Distillation was taking place in a small way in England, but it began on a greater scale, though the quality was often very dubious. The new drink became a firm favourite with the poor.
In 1730 London had over 7,000 shops that sold only spirits. Abuse of alcohol by the poor became a major problem, which was tackled by introducing The Gin Act at midnight on 29 September 1739, making gin prohibitively expensive. The Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole and Dr. Samuel Johnson were among those who opposed the Act since they considered it could not be enforced against the will of the common people. They were right.
Riots broke out and the law was widely and openly broken, the Gin Act was finally repealed in 1742 and a new policy was introduced with the help of distillers: reasonably high prices, reasonable excise duties and licensed retailers under the supervision of magistrates. In essence this is the situation which exists today. Since then many companies established themselves as well-to-do manufacturers and the gin became the drink of high quality.
Vodka
Vodka is a drink which originated in Eastern Europe. The name stemming from the Russian word 'voda' meaning water or, as the Poles would say 'woda.' The first documented production of vodka in Russia was the end of the 9th century, but the first known distillery at Khylnovsk was about two hundreds years later as reported in the Vyatka Chronicle of 1174. Poland lays claims to having distilled vodka even earlier in the 8th century, but as this was a distillation of wine it might be more appropriate to consider it a crude brandy. The first identifiable Polish vodkas appeared in the 11th century when they were called 'gorzalka' originally used as medicines.
During the Middle Ages, distilled liquor was used mainly for medicinal purposes, as well as being an ingredient in the production of gunpowder. In the 14th century a British Ambassador to Moscow first described vodka as the Russian national drink and in the mid 16th century it was established as the national drink in Poland and Finland.
Since early production methods were crude, vodka often contained impurities, so to mask these the distillers flavoured their spirits with fruit, herbs or spices. The mid 15th century saw the first appearance of pot distillation in Russia. Prior to that, seasoning, aging and freezing were all used to remove impurities, around this time (1450) vodka started to be produced in large quantities and the first recorded exports of Russian vodka were to Sweden in 1505. Polish 'woda' exports started a century later, from major production centres in Posnan and Krakow.
Types produced included: acorn, anisette, birch, calamus root, calendula, cherry, chicory, dill, ginger hazelnut, horseradish, juniper, lemon, mastic, mint, mountain ash, oak, pepper, peppermint, raspberry, sage, sorrel, wort and water melon.
In the 18th century a professor in St. Petersburg discovered a method of purifying alcohol using charcoal filtration. Felt and river sand had already been used for some time in Russia for filtration.
The spread of awareness of vodka continued throughout the 19th century, helped by the presence in many partdrunkennesss of Europe and Russian soldiers involved in the Napoleonic Wars. Increasing popularity led to escalating demand and to meet this demand, lower grade products were produced based largely on distilled potato mash.
After the Russian Revolution, the Bolsheviks confiscated all private distilleries in Moscow. As a result, a number of Russian vodka-makers emigrated, taking their skills and recipes with them. One such exile revived his brand in Paris, using the French version of his family name - Smirnoff. Thence, having met a Russian ŽmigrŽ from the USA, they set up the first vodka distillery there in 1934. This was subsequently sold to a US drinks company. From this small start, vodka began in the 1940s to achieve its wide popularity in the Western World.
Following the Russian Revolution in 1917, a number of Russian refugees took their skills and their love of vodka to many parts of the world.
In the 1930s one such exile emigrated from Russia via France to the United States bringing with him the formula to one of the leading Russian makes of vodka.
Through his dealings with another Russian emigre the first vodka distillery in the U.S. was set up in the 1930s. Although not particularly successful at first, this enterprise was sold on again to an entrepreneur who eventually made a hit in the 1950s with a vodka-based cocktail - the Moscow Mule. Vodka did not see a great boom in popularity in the West until the 1960s and 1970s when many more brands were launched in the USA and the UK.
The timing coincided with the cultural revolution in these countries - the 'swinging 60s.' With a more affluent younger generation and a generally more relaxed lifestyle and the emphasis on adventure and experimentation - vodka's mixability led to its huge and ever rising popularity.
Vodka cocktails are almost as numerous as those of gin and are seen in the same exclusive circles and stylish bars the world over.
Pernod
Pernod is an aniseed-based spirit that has been enjoyed in France for approximately 200 years as an aperitif and a zesty cooking ingredient. During the Babylonian era aniseed drinks were known as elixirs with unique qualities to cure a variety of stomach and digestive dissorders. It has long been recognized that when you combine wormwood and aniseed plants it contains certain healing powers and has been known to have mood-altering effects.
Cachaca
Cachaça is made from raw sugar cane and the major difference is that the lighter rums are more commonly made from whats known as molasses, (A thick syrup produced in refining raw sugar and ranging from light to dark brown in color) this is a by-product from boiling the cane juice to extract as much sugar as possible. It is made from fresh sugarcane juice that is fermented and distilled.
Cachaça is Brazils national spirit and the key ingredient in the classic cocktail caipirinha, the history of Cachaça goes back nearly 5 centuries when plantation owners began serving Cachaca to their slaves after seeing that it increased their vigor. Over the next lot of years better Cachaças were being distilled and soon people started drinking it in colonial Brazil while having dinner at home. Shortly after this slavery was banned in 1888, when Brazil was declared a modern Republic.
Gin
Gin The first confirmed date for the production of gin is the early 17th century in Holland, although claims have been made that it was produced prior to this in Italy. In Holland it was produced as a medicine and sold in chemist shops to treat stomach complains, gout and gallstones. To make it more palatable, the Dutch started to flavour it with juniper, which has medicinal properties of its own.
British troops fighting in the Low Countries during the Thirty Years' War, were given 'Dutch Courage' during the long campaigns in the damp weather through the warming properties of gin. Eventually they started brining it back home with them, where already it was often sold in chemists' shops. Distillation was taking place in a small way in England, but it began on a greater scale, though the quality was often very dubious. The new drink became a firm favourite with the poor.
In 1730 London had over 7,000 shops that sold only spirits. Abuse of alcohol by the poor became a major problem, which was tackled by introducing The Gin Act at midnight on 29 September 1739, making gin prohibitively expensive. The Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole and Dr. Samuel Johnson were among those who opposed the Act since they considered it could not be enforced against the will of the common people. They were right.
Riots broke out and the law was widely and openly broken, the Gin Act was finally repealed in 1742 and a new policy was introduced with the help of distillers: reasonably high prices, reasonable excise duties and licensed retailers under the supervision of magistrates. In essence this is the situation which exists today. Since then many companies established themselves as well-to-do manufacturers and the gin became the drink of high quality.
Vodka
Vodka is a drink which originated in Eastern Europe. The name stemming from the Russian word 'voda' meaning water or, as the Poles would say 'woda.' The first documented production of vodka in Russia was the end of the 9th century, but the first known distillery at Khylnovsk was about two hundreds years later as reported in the Vyatka Chronicle of 1174. Poland lays claims to having distilled vodka even earlier in the 8th century, but as this was a distillation of wine it might be more appropriate to consider it a crude brandy. The first identifiable Polish vodkas appeared in the 11th century when they were called 'gorzalka' originally used as medicines.
During the Middle Ages, distilled liquor was used mainly for medicinal purposes, as well as being an ingredient in the production of gunpowder. In the 14th century a British Ambassador to Moscow first described vodka as the Russian national drink and in the mid 16th century it was established as the national drink in Poland and Finland.
Since early production methods were crude, vodka often contained impurities, so to mask these the distillers flavoured their spirits with fruit, herbs or spices. The mid 15th century saw the first appearance of pot distillation in Russia. Prior to that, seasoning, aging and freezing were all used to remove impurities, around this time (1450) vodka started to be produced in large quantities and the first recorded exports of Russian vodka were to Sweden in 1505. Polish 'woda' exports started a century later, from major production centres in Posnan and Krakow.
Types produced included: acorn, anisette, birch, calamus root, calendula, cherry, chicory, dill, ginger hazelnut, horseradish, juniper, lemon, mastic, mint, mountain ash, oak, pepper, peppermint, raspberry, sage, sorrel, wort and water melon.
In the 18th century a professor in St. Petersburg discovered a method of purifying alcohol using charcoal filtration. Felt and river sand had already been used for some time in Russia for filtration.
The spread of awareness of vodka continued throughout the 19th century, helped by the presence in many partdrunkennesss of Europe and Russian soldiers involved in the Napoleonic Wars. Increasing popularity led to escalating demand and to meet this demand, lower grade products were produced based largely on distilled potato mash.
After the Russian Revolution, the Bolsheviks confiscated all private distilleries in Moscow. As a result, a number of Russian vodka-makers emigrated, taking their skills and recipes with them. One such exile revived his brand in Paris, using the French version of his family name - Smirnoff. Thence, having met a Russian ŽmigrŽ from the USA, they set up the first vodka distillery there in 1934. This was subsequently sold to a US drinks company. From this small start, vodka began in the 1940s to achieve its wide popularity in the Western World.
Following the Russian Revolution in 1917, a number of Russian refugees took their skills and their love of vodka to many parts of the world.
In the 1930s one such exile emigrated from Russia via France to the United States bringing with him the formula to one of the leading Russian makes of vodka.
Through his dealings with another Russian emigre the first vodka distillery in the U.S. was set up in the 1930s. Although not particularly successful at first, this enterprise was sold on again to an entrepreneur who eventually made a hit in the 1950s with a vodka-based cocktail - the Moscow Mule. Vodka did not see a great boom in popularity in the West until the 1960s and 1970s when many more brands were launched in the USA and the UK.
The timing coincided with the cultural revolution in these countries - the 'swinging 60s.' With a more affluent younger generation and a generally more relaxed lifestyle and the emphasis on adventure and experimentation - vodka's mixability led to its huge and ever rising popularity.
Vodka cocktails are almost as numerous as those of gin and are seen in the same exclusive circles and stylish bars the world over.
The Many Uses Of Adjustable Swivel Bar Stools
When you think of bar stools, the first stools that might come to mind are wooden bar stools, kitchen bar stools, or adjustable swivel bar stools. Many of you out there thinking of buying bar stools usually only have a one tracked mind when you see a bar stool. A bar stools can be multifunctional and not for the way it was primarily designed. Here are some examples of using one type of bar stool for other purposes; this will often end up a better fit.
Artists using bar stools are built to seat painters, sculptors, and architects as they ply there trade. These types of bar stools are manufactured with adjustable height gauges to accommodate any size of artist. Unlike standard bar or counter stools, these stools are not designed to be fully sat in, but instead for a mixture of sitting and standing. They allow for a lot of changing between standing and leaning when into there work.
Now, imagine this a busy cook in their kitchen at home. Cooking often entails 1st mixing and preparing the ingredients, then baking or roasting. This takes a lot of standing up and sitting down, working at one place, then moving to get more ingredients or make sure something in the oven is cooking well. Wouldn't an adjustable swivel bar stool be a perfect match for this kind of action?
Now think of bar stools that are mainly manufactured for use at bar counters, breakfast bars, game halls, or high restaurant tables. This type of adjustable bar stool can also be used in your living room with more traditional pieces of furniture like designer chairs or a plush sofa and also don’t take up to much room.
Finally, folding stools are extremely versatile. Made primarily to be lightweight aluminium for carrying to isolated places, they are used by painters looking to canvas pleasant pastoral scenes. They are also favourites among hikers, campers, and anglers, those people who would be constantly on the move in the open country side and like to rest, make camp or fish.
These stools have multiple uses, from parties in the garden, where transitory seating is needed, to being used in your hobby shop or garage. They can sit lower than other types of stools, so reaching things closer to the ground is more fitting.
Artists using bar stools are built to seat painters, sculptors, and architects as they ply there trade. These types of bar stools are manufactured with adjustable height gauges to accommodate any size of artist. Unlike standard bar or counter stools, these stools are not designed to be fully sat in, but instead for a mixture of sitting and standing. They allow for a lot of changing between standing and leaning when into there work.
Now, imagine this a busy cook in their kitchen at home. Cooking often entails 1st mixing and preparing the ingredients, then baking or roasting. This takes a lot of standing up and sitting down, working at one place, then moving to get more ingredients or make sure something in the oven is cooking well. Wouldn't an adjustable swivel bar stool be a perfect match for this kind of action?
Now think of bar stools that are mainly manufactured for use at bar counters, breakfast bars, game halls, or high restaurant tables. This type of adjustable bar stool can also be used in your living room with more traditional pieces of furniture like designer chairs or a plush sofa and also don’t take up to much room.
Finally, folding stools are extremely versatile. Made primarily to be lightweight aluminium for carrying to isolated places, they are used by painters looking to canvas pleasant pastoral scenes. They are also favourites among hikers, campers, and anglers, those people who would be constantly on the move in the open country side and like to rest, make camp or fish.
These stools have multiple uses, from parties in the garden, where transitory seating is needed, to being used in your hobby shop or garage. They can sit lower than other types of stools, so reaching things closer to the ground is more fitting.
The History Of The Jelly Bean
Funny as it may sound, but jelly bens do have a fascinating history. Jelly beans have been on the shelfs of our shops for around 100 years and have been enjoyed by young and old throgh out the world. While Jelly beans only made there main appearance in the 1900's jelly beans have been about since the 17th century but where known as Jordan almonds.
Jelly beans became very popular when they started being sold as penny sweets in many stores across the globe.
Back in the jelly bean early days they were sold in a variety of colors and flavors, but unlike the jelly beans of today they were not sold in variety packets, instead they were sold in single colors, a bag of reds or a bag of blues etc. Jelly beans then became very popular during seasonal times (eg summer or christmas) because of the various seasonal colors that were available.
Jelly beans remained the same, with their semi hard shell and soft chewy center until the mid 1970’s. When the Herman Goelitz Candy Co., Inc. revolutionized the jelly bean for ever. This company made the jelly bean into a delicacy by making unusual flavors, such as peach, melon, grape and sour fruit flavors.
The new jelly beans were completely different, they donned a different taste as well as look, and the center was even changed in several flavors from the classic clear jelly to a matching color of the bean.
According to few independant sources jelly beans were the favorite of former president Ronald Regan. Of all the famous people who loved jelly beans throughout the ages Regan was the number 1 fan. During his administration it was quite common to find jelly beans in every almost every room in the white house.
One fact about jelly beans is that many of these little drops of heaven even went into space. One of the space shuttles took up a load of jelly beans for the shuttle crew to snack on while they were up there. I guess that even astronauts need to satisfy their sweet tooth now and then.
The history of jelly beans is not finished evolving as of yet. Every year more and more creative flavors of the jelly bean hit the market. In a few years time there will be a whole new history for people to talk about and record.
Jelly beans became very popular when they started being sold as penny sweets in many stores across the globe.
Back in the jelly bean early days they were sold in a variety of colors and flavors, but unlike the jelly beans of today they were not sold in variety packets, instead they were sold in single colors, a bag of reds or a bag of blues etc. Jelly beans then became very popular during seasonal times (eg summer or christmas) because of the various seasonal colors that were available.
Jelly beans remained the same, with their semi hard shell and soft chewy center until the mid 1970’s. When the Herman Goelitz Candy Co., Inc. revolutionized the jelly bean for ever. This company made the jelly bean into a delicacy by making unusual flavors, such as peach, melon, grape and sour fruit flavors.
The new jelly beans were completely different, they donned a different taste as well as look, and the center was even changed in several flavors from the classic clear jelly to a matching color of the bean.
According to few independant sources jelly beans were the favorite of former president Ronald Regan. Of all the famous people who loved jelly beans throughout the ages Regan was the number 1 fan. During his administration it was quite common to find jelly beans in every almost every room in the white house.
One fact about jelly beans is that many of these little drops of heaven even went into space. One of the space shuttles took up a load of jelly beans for the shuttle crew to snack on while they were up there. I guess that even astronauts need to satisfy their sweet tooth now and then.
The history of jelly beans is not finished evolving as of yet. Every year more and more creative flavors of the jelly bean hit the market. In a few years time there will be a whole new history for people to talk about and record.
The Inn At Kristofer's In Sister Bay Wisconsin Offers A Great Dining Experience
Door County, Wisconsin is a popular destination for tens of thousands of travelers every year. Small villages with populations of less than 500 people swell to large crowds during the summer weekends as people head to Door County for some rest, relaxation, time on the water, and good food.
The Inn at Kristofer’s, located on Bay Shore Drive in Sister Bay, Wisconsin, is a wonderful place to go for a special meal. My husband and I treated ourselves to dinner there during our latest trip to Door County and we were very glad we did. We had a great meal.
The first thing we noticed after being seated was the beautiful view of the water. The restaurant is directly across the street from the Bay in Sister Bay and large picture windows along the front wall of the restaurant showcase the water view.
Immediately after being seated our water glasses were filled and a wedge of fresh lime was added. We were given menus and fresh, warm, multi-grain rolls. The rolls were served with butter rosettes flavored with fresh basil.
The entrée special that evening was grilled quail which my husband ordered. I had the certified Angus filet mignon, and our oldest son, who had joined us on our vacation, chose the Roast Duck with Orange Grand Marnier sauce.
Because we wanted to save room for dessert we skipped appetizers, soup, and salad although the featured soup for the evening, maple butternut squash bisque topped with pecans, sounded delicious.
All three entrees were excellent. The presentation of the plates was pretty and the food tasted as good as it looked. The Angus filet had a Cabernet sauce that was just the right touch with the beef. Homemade garlic mashed potatoes and a garnish of haystack potatoes rounded out the entrée.
The duck was tender, moist, and very flavorful. It was accompanied by fresh steamed vegetables that were cooked just right, and wild rice that contained dried cranberries and nuts.
The grilled quail was, according to my husband, cooked to perfection. He really enjoyed it. It was accompanied by the same wild rice as the duck and a crepe filled with a cranberry sauce, which he thought was delicious as well.
For dessert we split two selections; a pumpkin mousse torte and the crème brulee. The pumpkin mousse torte had a very light pumpkin flavor and was served with a caramel sauce and fresh whipped cream. The crème brulee was flamed at the table with Grand Marnier. The combination of creamy vanilla custard, crunchy caramelized topping, and Grand Marnier was delicious.
Although the Inn at Kristofer’s is not an inexpensive restaurant, it is a wonderful place to go for a special meal whether it’s for someone’s birthday, anniversary, or just to treat yourself. I highly recommend trying it. The food is excellent and so is the service. Although we didn’t have reservations when we dined there, you may want to call ahead and make reservations, especially if you are heading to Door County during the busy summer months (http://www.doorcountycountry.com/food/innatkristoferssisterbay/).
The Inn at Kristofer’s, located on Bay Shore Drive in Sister Bay, Wisconsin, is a wonderful place to go for a special meal. My husband and I treated ourselves to dinner there during our latest trip to Door County and we were very glad we did. We had a great meal.
The first thing we noticed after being seated was the beautiful view of the water. The restaurant is directly across the street from the Bay in Sister Bay and large picture windows along the front wall of the restaurant showcase the water view.
Immediately after being seated our water glasses were filled and a wedge of fresh lime was added. We were given menus and fresh, warm, multi-grain rolls. The rolls were served with butter rosettes flavored with fresh basil.
The entrée special that evening was grilled quail which my husband ordered. I had the certified Angus filet mignon, and our oldest son, who had joined us on our vacation, chose the Roast Duck with Orange Grand Marnier sauce.
Because we wanted to save room for dessert we skipped appetizers, soup, and salad although the featured soup for the evening, maple butternut squash bisque topped with pecans, sounded delicious.
All three entrees were excellent. The presentation of the plates was pretty and the food tasted as good as it looked. The Angus filet had a Cabernet sauce that was just the right touch with the beef. Homemade garlic mashed potatoes and a garnish of haystack potatoes rounded out the entrée.
The duck was tender, moist, and very flavorful. It was accompanied by fresh steamed vegetables that were cooked just right, and wild rice that contained dried cranberries and nuts.
The grilled quail was, according to my husband, cooked to perfection. He really enjoyed it. It was accompanied by the same wild rice as the duck and a crepe filled with a cranberry sauce, which he thought was delicious as well.
For dessert we split two selections; a pumpkin mousse torte and the crème brulee. The pumpkin mousse torte had a very light pumpkin flavor and was served with a caramel sauce and fresh whipped cream. The crème brulee was flamed at the table with Grand Marnier. The combination of creamy vanilla custard, crunchy caramelized topping, and Grand Marnier was delicious.
Although the Inn at Kristofer’s is not an inexpensive restaurant, it is a wonderful place to go for a special meal whether it’s for someone’s birthday, anniversary, or just to treat yourself. I highly recommend trying it. The food is excellent and so is the service. Although we didn’t have reservations when we dined there, you may want to call ahead and make reservations, especially if you are heading to Door County during the busy summer months (http://www.doorcountycountry.com/food/innatkristoferssisterbay/).
Vessia Ristorante makes you feel at home
The reasons we keep coming back to Vessia Ristorante in Irvine (in Orange County, Calif.) are pretty simple.
The food, the service, the room.
It's a special place, but not in that big, showy, ``special occasion'' way. Vessia is casual charm, warm hospitality and reliably tasty servings.
We've shared many meals here over the past five years. When my wife and I moved back to Orange County in 2000, we spent our first New Year's Eve with pasta and piped-in Italian music. Another night, we brought friends, and I devoured the serpintina alla Barese ($22.50) -- thin, not- too-sweet sausage served with grilled polenta and spinach.
It seemed like the perfect place to celebrate my mother's 80th birthday, so we reserved the attached patio. A dozen of us lingered over pastas, fresh coffee and a hazelnut cake. As a joke, I planted a tiara on my mother's head. On the way out the door many hours later, our waiter, our busboy, manager Ismael Ayala and owner Franco Vessia formed a gauntlet of sorts, hugging her, kissing her hand, treating her like a queen.
We've come for more birthdays, for a get-out-of-the- house-the-day-after-Christmas dinner, and, as a special treat, I brought my mother in for lunch last month after a tough doctor's appointment.
It was my first lunch there, and it confirmed what I'd read in almost every mention of Vessia: It's a power-broker's palace by day. By profession and hobby, Mom and I are eavesdroppers, so it was a treat to be seated among name- droppers going on about local and state politics.
Our spying ended when our lunches arrived. Mom had one of the specials, grigliata mista ($23.95). Generous portions of shrimp and chunks of fish lolled in a light wine and butter sauce, surrounded by spinach and artichokes. My salmon ($23.95) was grilled expertly with herbs and served with vegetables and potatoes. We could have opted for a less expensive lunch -- a wide array of sandwiches ($9.95) and salads ($9.25) and pastas ($9.95) -- but it was a special meal, after all.
By nightfall, it's a family place.
The menu ranges from pizzas (from $11.50) to more sophisticated fish and meat specials (in the mid-$20s).
One recent night I met my wife and nearly 2-year-old son for dinner, but we were filled with a bit of trepidation.
Sure, Vessia is more casual than its white tablecloths would indicate. Still, a 2-year-old boy can test your definition of ``casual.''
Not to worry, our waiter told my wife while she waited for me to arrive. ``He'll be fine; he can be himself.'' As he was, with few ill effects.
Our meal wasn't the best we've had here. My cuscinetto ($19.95) -- skinless chicken breast rolled with prosciutto and asparagus stalks and topped with cheese -- was dry, as if it had been prepared as a lunch special and sat all day. My wife's fish special ($23.95) was grilled salmon, and it was fine, though the lemon-caper sauce was too tart.
One miss won't stop us from coming back, and that's where the rest of the mix comes in.
You can feel owner Franco Vessia's hand -- sometimes, quite literally -- guiding you as you step in from the frenzy of a shopping-center parking lot. (The center is undergoing extensive renovations, and the road leading directly to the restaurant is temporarily closed.)
As you round the small lobby, traverse the snappy little bar and light into one of the earth-toned booths or tables, you look up to an open kitchen.
It's contemporary, casual, comforting. A light aroma of roasting garlic flows into the room.
``I've tried to establish a neighborhood restaurant, a place where people feel comfortable,'' Vessia said between the lunch and dinner rushes earlier this week.
``We tell our people to always recognize the regulars, and for people who aren't regulars, treat them like they are, so they become one.''
He has a few tricks he's picked up along a restaurateur route that began when he and his mother cooked at a small trattoria in a Chicago suburb. After it closed, he worked for Hyatt, which transferred him to Los Angeles in 1981. He did more time in corporate restaurants, at a Harry's Bar, since closed, in Century City, before eventually moving to Irvine to open Prego.
After a dozen years, he jumped to open his own house in a spot where previous restaurants had mixed luck over the years.
He and chef Gino Buonanoce worked with Vessia's mom to develop recipes to highlight Italy's regional cuisines.
He joined the Chamber of Commerce and made friends among the politicians and the administrators at City Hall. He opened his bar on Mondays to let locals be ``bartender for a night'' -- the little stories and photos on the Web site are a laugh.
He works the room.
``I know when people go out, they want to go to a place where they feel comfortable, like they're a part of something,'' he said.
The food, the service, the room.
It's a special place, but not in that big, showy, ``special occasion'' way. Vessia is casual charm, warm hospitality and reliably tasty servings.
We've shared many meals here over the past five years. When my wife and I moved back to Orange County in 2000, we spent our first New Year's Eve with pasta and piped-in Italian music. Another night, we brought friends, and I devoured the serpintina alla Barese ($22.50) -- thin, not- too-sweet sausage served with grilled polenta and spinach.
It seemed like the perfect place to celebrate my mother's 80th birthday, so we reserved the attached patio. A dozen of us lingered over pastas, fresh coffee and a hazelnut cake. As a joke, I planted a tiara on my mother's head. On the way out the door many hours later, our waiter, our busboy, manager Ismael Ayala and owner Franco Vessia formed a gauntlet of sorts, hugging her, kissing her hand, treating her like a queen.
We've come for more birthdays, for a get-out-of-the- house-the-day-after-Christmas dinner, and, as a special treat, I brought my mother in for lunch last month after a tough doctor's appointment.
It was my first lunch there, and it confirmed what I'd read in almost every mention of Vessia: It's a power-broker's palace by day. By profession and hobby, Mom and I are eavesdroppers, so it was a treat to be seated among name- droppers going on about local and state politics.
Our spying ended when our lunches arrived. Mom had one of the specials, grigliata mista ($23.95). Generous portions of shrimp and chunks of fish lolled in a light wine and butter sauce, surrounded by spinach and artichokes. My salmon ($23.95) was grilled expertly with herbs and served with vegetables and potatoes. We could have opted for a less expensive lunch -- a wide array of sandwiches ($9.95) and salads ($9.25) and pastas ($9.95) -- but it was a special meal, after all.
By nightfall, it's a family place.
The menu ranges from pizzas (from $11.50) to more sophisticated fish and meat specials (in the mid-$20s).
One recent night I met my wife and nearly 2-year-old son for dinner, but we were filled with a bit of trepidation.
Sure, Vessia is more casual than its white tablecloths would indicate. Still, a 2-year-old boy can test your definition of ``casual.''
Not to worry, our waiter told my wife while she waited for me to arrive. ``He'll be fine; he can be himself.'' As he was, with few ill effects.
Our meal wasn't the best we've had here. My cuscinetto ($19.95) -- skinless chicken breast rolled with prosciutto and asparagus stalks and topped with cheese -- was dry, as if it had been prepared as a lunch special and sat all day. My wife's fish special ($23.95) was grilled salmon, and it was fine, though the lemon-caper sauce was too tart.
One miss won't stop us from coming back, and that's where the rest of the mix comes in.
You can feel owner Franco Vessia's hand -- sometimes, quite literally -- guiding you as you step in from the frenzy of a shopping-center parking lot. (The center is undergoing extensive renovations, and the road leading directly to the restaurant is temporarily closed.)
As you round the small lobby, traverse the snappy little bar and light into one of the earth-toned booths or tables, you look up to an open kitchen.
It's contemporary, casual, comforting. A light aroma of roasting garlic flows into the room.
``I've tried to establish a neighborhood restaurant, a place where people feel comfortable,'' Vessia said between the lunch and dinner rushes earlier this week.
``We tell our people to always recognize the regulars, and for people who aren't regulars, treat them like they are, so they become one.''
He has a few tricks he's picked up along a restaurateur route that began when he and his mother cooked at a small trattoria in a Chicago suburb. After it closed, he worked for Hyatt, which transferred him to Los Angeles in 1981. He did more time in corporate restaurants, at a Harry's Bar, since closed, in Century City, before eventually moving to Irvine to open Prego.
After a dozen years, he jumped to open his own house in a spot where previous restaurants had mixed luck over the years.
He and chef Gino Buonanoce worked with Vessia's mom to develop recipes to highlight Italy's regional cuisines.
He joined the Chamber of Commerce and made friends among the politicians and the administrators at City Hall. He opened his bar on Mondays to let locals be ``bartender for a night'' -- the little stories and photos on the Web site are a laugh.
He works the room.
``I know when people go out, they want to go to a place where they feel comfortable, like they're a part of something,'' he said.
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