Mesa Coyoacan




Decor at Mesa Coyoacan. The restaurants funky style was featured over at Apartment Therapy. Check out the article after the jump!

  Happy Monday!

     Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. We sure did! We got a few items checked off our wedding To-Do list and had a wonderful relaxing Sunday, which included the BEST Mexican food I've ever had,  hands down! Daryll and I are still day dreaming about it and wondering when we can go back for more. I was on my best blogger behavior and did manage to snap some pics to share before we completely devoured our food.

     Ok, so it was half eaten, so maybe I should reserve "best blogger behaviour" for next time when I actually capture the food before I've started eating it. However, considering the amazingness that was our meal, I can hardly be blamed. The restaurant in question is Mesa Coyoacan in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The style and flavor profile of the food reminded me of both Cafe Frida and Pompano; two other delicious Mexican eateries in Manhattan, however, I found Mesa's food a bit fresher; more exciting and adventurous flavor wise; and  more reasonable when it came to the price. We both got the Jamaican Margaritas (on the rocks salted) which were made with Hibiscus and orange liquor, and shared Guacamole and Tortilla Soup for our starters. The margaritas were great. Very refreshing and easy to drink. I did read a few reviews criticizing their potency, and although they were indeed a bit weaker than other Margaritas I have had (Uh, Blockheads!) they were incredibly smooth and in no way "skimpy" on the liquor. When it comes to Guacamole, Daryll and I are kind of snobbish. We really love the green stuff and try it everywhere I go. This one was incredibly fresh and very creamy (sorry, I hate that word but it is what it is!); not as roughly mixed as some of the "Guac-made-table side" restaurants we have been too. I was also delighted that they did not serve it in the stone mortar, but instead in a smooth bowl. The reason for this is while the mortar might look "cool" or "rustic," it is also very difficult to get all the last bits of guac out of! (We're Guacamole Gluttons what can I say.) So yay for smooth bowls! The Tortilla Soup was nice as well and was a generous portion, perfect for sharing. I especially liked the fresh avocado, tortilla strips and cheese that were added to it right before serving. 
    Our entrees were so satisfying. Daryll cannot stop talking about his Camarones Al Ajillo. It was a platter of smokey, grilled Shrimp that were marinated in Chipotle and lime; rice mixed with fresh corn; black beans topped with Cotija cheese, and fresh avocado. What made this dish perfect for him was that it was served with corn tortillas, so you can make a little taco out of whatever you like. Daryll love making sandwiches out of his meals. He constantly eats half of his breakfast or dinner and then somehow finds bread or a wrap to sandwich the rest, so he was in heaven. The shrimp were truly amazing. I've really never tasted anything like it. This is the only photo I have of his meal. He was stopping for no man, or woman....




Happy Days

  Finally, we get to my meal. I got the Carne Asada Tacos, not very adventurous, I know, but they were super flavorful. D commented that the meat was top quality, and they were garnished with onion, cilantro and a little bit of lime. They also came with this fantastic salsa quartet with mild chipotle salsa; mild tomatillo salsa, which was a little spicy; Medium something or other, which was tasty but pretty spicy; and Habanero Salsa (Didn't try it, didn't want to cry). My favorite though was the CORN. It was grilled corn on the cob with spices, Cojita, lime, mayo, and God's love sprinkled on it. It was so amazing. Sweet, salty, spicy, it had it all. Here is D and my corn that he hijacked. Drunk with Deliciousness.



nom nom nom

So, to sum up. GO THERE.

Anyone been? Anyone have their own yummy restaurant experience this week?

Honeymoon

Secrets Maroma Beach where we are going in July. Yay!

So I had my first Honeymoon dream last night, or more accurately, my first "Mexico/Tropical/Vacation dream as there were many randomers there with us, we kept incessantly taking photos of wildlife (including a camel?) and I barely saw Daryll the whole time. Definitely not what I had in mind for my Honeymoon. Lots of peace and quiet on the beach with a drink in hand is mostly what we will be up to during that week. But the dream did address the fact that I am craving warm weather and SUN! Tons and Tons of it. I can't wait to swim again or even just dip my toes in the water without fear of frostbite, to be able to throw on a sundress and some sandals and be good to go (I used to wear flip flops in Louisiana year round! Le sigh), to be energized in the morning when the sun casts a warm glow through my window instead of wanting to sleep all day under a duvet while it is dark, cold, and wet outside and to crave healthy foods and fruit instead of cheese, meat, potatoes or anything relatively hazardous to my heart, arteries and love handles. Coincidentally yesterday and today are the sunniest days we've had in a very long time and already I feel my spirits lift. I'm going to give myself a month to slim down and shape up before the summer shopping commences and I already have a few things on my wish list for the trip.



J Crew Twist-front bandeau tank. Totally Classic



Also from J Crew. Perfect Beach Bag.



J Crew panama hat. (no trend intended :) )

And finally. The one summer item that I have been hoping for, for two years! The one item I will wear into the ground (the last pair literally broke apart while I was walking because I wore them EVERY DAY for 2 summers) My lovely Jacks...



Jack Rogers. Love, shoe love.



I will more than likely fine similar affordable alternative for all the items above, except for the Jack Rogers. They are the type of shoe that goes the distance with you. Especially during the summer as you can dress them up or down and wear them to almost anything! I was so sad when my old pair broke. Most people have items that tell a story of their lives. These were it for me. I spend many happy summers walking around Nantucket in them, I meet my husband in them and danced like mad in them. Looking forward to having these on my feet again. Any summer buys on the horizon for you? Do you have one item that you splurge on for quality? With so many cute one pieces I am totally sold on the more flattering and classic swimwear. Are you going for the tank as well or will you stay a bikini girl?

Repurposed Wine Bottles



Photo by Kim Fetrow

 I am crushing on these cute cups that I found over on Plastolux. They are made out of cut wine bottles that  were lovingly etched with a sand blaster and some clever templates. Check out the step by step here! They look amazingly easy to do using a cutting kit and etch cream (for those of us without sand blasting access.) Alas, I'm a bit sad that I found these a day too late as we had just tossed a million empty champagne bottles (exaggeration but the mimosas were flowing all morning!) from my bridal shower this weekend. I always hate throwing out pretty bottles and can think of a million uses for these little guys. I am obsessed with the "brush your teeth cup" and can already envision it in the bathroom, while the "chemist" cup would be perfect for cotton balls or Q-tips, or hair ties. You name it! Great idea for votives or vases as well. Oo! At the Plastolux site they also show a set of cups with numbers etched onto them- perfect for you DIY wedding people wanting to combine table numbers and floral arrangements in one elegant flourish! These are probably not the best craft for kids to do, hands on, but they could definitely create their own designs, as well as observe the process. Any ideas on what you would use these for in your own home?

Uh-oh

This post at babble via Frolic is no good at helping me curb my addiction.....bad. bad. bad.

Salt and Fat

          Last weekend we spent Sunday trying out a new restaurant in our neighborhood, Salt and Fat. This Sunday we spent the evening avoiding it. Not because it was bad, but because it was soooo good. I am a bit afraid that this could become a habit of ours, and while the food is delicious and makes our mouths very happy, it will also make our waistlines very sad. Perhaps we became so addicted since we tried a dish aptly named "Crack and Cheese." These were the only two pictures I was able to take of it.....





       As you can see, Daryll approves. What the bowl is missing is the fried potato gnocci, smothered with bechemel sauce and topped with bacon, that it momentarily contained. It was yum. Pretty rich, but not terribly heavy which was surprising. The restaurant has many small plate dishes meant for sharing. They also bring them out one at a time so you can complete one flavor profile before continuing. The next dish we sampled was the "Hanger Steak and Fries." This one really surprised us. The steak was incredibly tender and cooked medium rare. It just melted in your mouth. The fries were perfect, golden brown and salty. We ate it so quick I didn't get a chance to snap a pic. Ooops.

       Last course was the "Fried Chicken."

Fried Chicken at Salt and Fat. It took us a while but we decided that the Ranch sauce was spiked with lemon and Dill.

         Slap your Mama good. The batter was amazing. Salty and spicy without overwhelming the chicken, which by the way had to be the moistest chicken I ever had. (I hate the word moist. Eew. but that's what it was!) Apparently the chef uses a method called "Sous-vide" to maintain the foods flavor and quality while cooking. We quickly realized after this course that we probably picked the heaviest dishes in the joint, but since we were sharing and they were so carefully prepared, we left comfortably full. MMM soo good. It's going to be hard to walk by there now without stopping in for a "snack!" It is very exciting to have a new hip restaurant to go to in our neighborhood.

Weekend Uniform

The original weekend top
Mine is navy and white.

I've got a fever, but no, the only prescription is not more cowbell. I'm pretty sure the only prescription is more Mariner striped tops. I'm so addicted guys, it's getting bad. Like 12 step program bad. I guess the only comfort is that I don't actually buy all the tops I covet, just some. But I feel my resolve beginning to crack. I really want more stripey tops. I've been wearing the one pictured on the left like EVERY weekend since I purchased it (along with the ankle pants I bough from Talbot's as well. Those are also an obsession. P.S. the recent Talbot's spring campaign is very cute! And Julianne Moore is stunning in it.). I rationalized this top since it was a bit different from your typical Mariner fare. I also support my addiction on the premise that these tops are serious staple pieces. A Mariner top, well cut jeans, black flats, trench coat, biker boots- they will be your friends for a long time. Seriously every time I wear these items I instantly feel chic (well minus the biker boots....I am stalking those for my next staple purchase.)
Waa waaaa. Before this post went to press, I recently caved and went a little nuts at H&M by purchasing my new favorite. A RED stripey Mariner top.

 This is the first red one I have purchased, and I've now opened the door to a whole new realm of stripey tops. The possibilities are endless. Please someone affirm my choice in french inspired wear, and don't laugh at me when you see me in the same 2 tops every weekend.