I have recently started contributing to Local Sugar Dallas! It has been so fun to explore the great places to eat and drink in Dallas and today I’m sharing a story on one of my favorite Dallas coffee shops: Ascension Coffee.
Ascension has you covered for any meal and any time of day, but my husband and I went for brunch! I have two words for you: avocado toast. YUM. I hope you enjoy reading about Brunching at Ascension Coffee!
Hello! I’m back and am excited to share some pictures from a fun dinner that my husband and I went to.
Have you ever been to a beer dinner? Neither had I until a few weeks ago. The story begins when my husband and I went to TJ’s Seafood so that I could write a story about their new menu items. The food was amazing and my husband tried a Ballast Point Brewery beer and thought it was great! I signed up for TJ’s emails (one of my favorite ways to find out about local fun) and the next week, TJ’s announced a beer dinner with pairings of seafood and Ballast Point beer. We were sold.
Here is a little rundown of the delicious food we ate that night.
We started with an “amuse bouche” of a Ballast Point bloody mary with habanero vodka and a cute pickled pepper! I’m not typically a bloody mary fan, but the habanero came through with some great flavor.
Yummy ceviche came second with corn chips and the Longfin Lager.
Next came beer steamed mussels with frites and the Wahoo White Belgian style beer. I love mussels (maybe I should try to make some at home?) and having them as part of the dinner was a serious treat.
This pairing was full of flavors that played off each other: a slightly sweet grilled fish taco with the spicy Habanero Sculpin beer. If you have the chance to try this beer, take the opportunity. It was great with so much unexpected flavor! But if “habanero” is in the name, I guess I should have expected some flavor 😉
The next pairing flipped that spicy/sweet combo with a serrano glazed fish and a grapfruit beer. This fish was new to me- a Baja California Golden Corvina. The owner of TJ’s did a great job leading the dinner and explained that this fish is similar to red snapper and very popular on the west coast. It came with some delicious coconut rice.
Last, but certainly not least, was TJ’s chocolate bread pudding with butter scotch creme and Ballast Point’s Victory at Sea porter. This is a limited edition beer with coffee and vanilla flavors. It was a very sweet combination and an amazing end to the dinner.
We had so much fun trying new food and drinks. TJ’s did a great job hosting the dinner and I would definitely recommend trying a special event like this if you hear about one in your area! It’s an extra fun date night and a great way to branch out from your normal night out!
Hope you have a great weekend!
I have a feeling this weekend will be full of parties for lots of people since it’s the running of the Kentucky Derby and also the weekend before Cinco de Mayo! Whether you’re hosting or attending parties, here are a few ideas for your weekend adventures!
First, the Kentucky Derby
1. A recipe for the classic Mint Julep
Where else to find a recipe for a classic Mint Julep than the Kentucky Derby’s website?! It is, after all, the traditional drink of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby! It’s a simple recipe, but it calls for a step that I didn’t know about: you infuse the simple syrup with mint! If you’re hosting and want to provide a non-alcoholic drink for your guests, why not double your mint simple syrup and use half for a delicious mint sweet tea?! Serve either drink in a short glass, or the uber-Southern Julep Cup. (photo source: The 2015 Kentucky Derby)
2. southern style apps
Thank you, Southern Living for these precious mini- Buttermilk Chicken and Waffles! To be honest, I didn’t know that chicken and waffles was a “Southern” thing until I was 18, but I am happy for the South to claim it! There are few things more delicious than this ultimate savory-sweet combination. This recipe calls for slicing up fried chicken tenders, but if you’re lucky enough to live near a Chick-fil-A, I would go there and buy a platter of their chicken nuggets! (photo source: Southern Living, Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia Degaris Pursell)
Second, Cinco de Mayo:
3. A large-batch tequila drink
If you’re hosting a Cinco de Mayo party this year, free yourself up from having to make lots of individual margaritas and try this colorful and fruity Guadalajara Punch from the Splendid Table! Big batch drinks are great for parties because 1) you have a special drink without mixing individual ones for every guest and 2) you can add ice, which will water down the drink as the party goes on, making it less potent for your guests. (photo source: The Splendid Table)
4) A fool-proof guacamole recipe
I love The Kitchn as a recipe source! Their recipes are creative and well-tested. Try their classic, simple recipe for guacamole. I have a feeling you’ll be making gauc a frequent part of your snack/dinner/appetizer line up, no fancy mortar and pestle required! (photo source: The Kitchn)
5) Some festive decorations
Good ole Martha Stewart has some cute, easy ideas for Cinco de Mayo decorations! Try making this tissue paper fringe into a banner, or if you’re really patient, flags for skewers (do you see that in the picture?!)! A quick and easy way to add color– and who doesn’t love fringe? (photo source: Martha Stewart)
Happy celebrating friends! Thanks for reading!
The Edwards Dinner Party 