The Meal to End All Meals

While today marks my one year anniversary of living in Dallas, I still only know a few people and, working 7 days a week, I don't get out all that often. Luckily, I've let myself be talked into visiting my friend who works at Top Knot on multiple occasions, to varying degrees of wild success. I've never been one to mind sitting alone at a bar and striking up a conversation with the people around me, which is what inevitably happens at TK, with the delicious small plates being easily shared between newly-made acquaintances. 

The last time I visited, a chef from Barbados, John, who was in town to work in the kitchen of TK and Uchi Dallas, sat next to me. He asked about what I was eating, which was all amazing, and we ended up sharing plates and chatting for a couple hours. He then invited me to join him for dinner the next night at Uchi. I've heard only amazing things and have never been, so I immediately agreed.

What followed was one of the most stunning meals of my life. We ate more than what is pictured below, and I left feeling satisfied and not overly full. Most of the dishes were almost too pretty to eat... but after a minute or two of staring we got over that fairly easily! The restaurant itself is beautiful, with rich woods and an open kitchen giving it a casual feel, even as you eat like a king. We sat at the sushi bar, with Q as our chef for the night. Because John had spent a couple days working in Uchi's kitchen, he had seen a lot of the dishes and made sure we tried as much as possible.

Desserts pictured first, because why not! 

Above is the peanut butter semifreddo and pictured below, the fried milk. Both were amazing and mixing the two (thanks to our server's advice) made them even better!

Scallop sushi, courtesy of chef Q. Simple yet delicious (and I'm not usually a fan of raw scallops).

Pitchfork roll - wagyu beef, crispy leek, avocado, and yuzu kosho

A beautiful bite when you add a squeeze of lime.

Ham & Eggs - pork belly, yolk custard, espelette

Anything from TK or Uchi involving pork belly needs to be consumed.

Bacon steakie - pork belly (because, yes!), radish, citrus, herbs

The combination of the citrus, herbs and pork. . . so rich yet light at the same time, I have no idea how they do it, but it was glorious.

Pictured above: gyutoro sushi - 72 hour short rib over rice. Described by the server as "steak butter," this was one of the best bites of food I have ever had in my life. Rich, smooth, balanced. I could have eaten 10 more.

Pictured below: hama chili - baby yellowtail, ponzu, thai chili, orange supreme. Tied with the gyutoro for the best part of the meal. The orange supreme and lightness of the fish, with a little salt to bring out all of the flavors, was an amazing combination. Each bite was refreshing and again, if someone had brought 4 more dishes of this out, I would have been in heaven.

We also had (before I realized I should be taking pictures of the beautiful food) the Uchi salad (hydroponic baby romaine, edamame-jalapeno dressing) and machi cure (smoked yellowtail, yucca crisps, almond, Asian pear - to be eaten like nachos), delicious, finger-food appetizers. The only dish of the night we both agreed wasn't our favorite was the duck nabe (mushrooms, farm egg in a flame-roasted bowl to make the rice crispy), which was a little on the spicy side and missing some of the depth and richness of the other dishes. Also I loathe mushrooms and no amount of duck and rice could cover up that taste for me.

I now dream of this meal. If I can ever get back and have another dinner at Uchi, I would die a happy girl. I love food, but my dining experiences thus far haven't been close to this. To eat such breathtakingly delicious food in such an unpretentious atmosphere, where the staff dazzle you with their passion for their restaurant through their food and drink knowledge, is to be converted into a true food lover.

Little Guy in the Big City

My sister told me a few weeks ago about a random conversation she had with Carson a month or so back. He'd been playing and came running up to her, his little voice upset-sounding and shaky.

"Mama, remember that one time I spent the night at Aunt Amy's?"

"Yes, why?"

"Why haven't I done that again???"

Adorable and heartbreaking all at the same time. I obviously had to fix the problem when I heard about it, so he came over for another sleepover. Our sleepover theme song (R. City and Adam Levine's "Locked Away") came on the radio four times over the course of our various drives around the city, and then again after I dropped him off at home. The universe must have known we needed good music to jam to. That or radio is awful these days and that's why I don't listen to it anymore :)

We took another crack at visiting Klyde Warren Park, since I finally figured out that we went to the opposite side of where the children's play area is located - as luck would have it, the children's part of the park was closed for maintenance! Running around and splashing in the small fountains, while unpopular with the mothers trying to get their own children to behave, proved to be wildly hilarious and fun for us, so the trip wasn't a complete bust. Carson loved to be in the flight path to the airport, too, pointing with excitement each time a plane would pass overhead. 

We stopped at a proper playground for some swinging, tag, and pretend archaeology, then came back to my apartment ("Aunt Amy, why is your apartment so small?" "Aunt Amy, why is your bed in the middle of the room?" - the joys of a studio and an inquisitive mind). Our gourmet dinner included the finest bottled water money can buy and frozen pizza (Tombstone, delicious), and then we retired to watch some pre-sleep Netflix. The Little Engine That Could ended up being semi freaky - I don't recommend watching through to see the "Nightmare Train" before you and a 5-year-old try to fall asleep... 

We started off the next day by going to our favorite (closest) breakfast place, Denny's!

When our sleepover extravaganza was complete, I took Carson back home and had a nice long chat with my sister, which of course included the beans being spilled about the Nightmare Train's scariness. After I left and headed back to the city. I was very much looking forward to a nap.

Welcoming Spring

I looked up one day last week and thought, "So winter is over, I guess?"  It's like it never even happened. I went from totaling my poor, sweet car last winter to not wearing half of my wardrobe because it was too warm for heavy sweaters and boots. I don't think I even put on a heavy coat once this year, which is unfortunate because, as much as I loathe winter, there are some great things to wear when it's cold out. But, I'm obviously having no trouble adjusting to being in 80-degree-weather in March.

Glasses: Old Navy

I've been diffusing my hair lately while it's in the process of growing out again - I'm loving how it gets curlier and curlier every year

Dress: Old Navy

Shoes: Target

Chambray shirt: H&M, apparently. . .  I say apparently because I dug this out of the trash after a roommate threw it away because she'd "gotten a new one." I'm not above dumpster diving in the name of fashion and recycling!

The weather around my apartment can't decide what it wants to do - there are leaves everywhere like it's fall but my car is coated in neon green pollen! 

Highlighting one area of my body that doesn't need training - my 13-years-of-playing-soccer-calves :)

Now I just hope my neighbors don't mind that I'm cooking with windows open and dancing around the apartment while loudly playing some Jenny and the Mexicats - warm weather and good tunes make my heart quite happy. 

Through It All, Grace

It's difficult to know where to begin with something like this, something that's so important to me. Best just to begin.

My sister is my best friend.  With her being 10 years older, I adored her growing up.  I still do. I can still taste the perfume and hairspray when I think back to standing in the bathroom while she and her college friends got ready to go out. I was in awe of her; my beautiful, funnier-than-anyone-I've-ever-known older sister. When she became a mother, it was like watching someone slip into a pair of vintage jeans - the style is a classic, worn a million times, but this pair was meant just for her. Max was born, and she was meant to be his mom.

Max changed everything. I've been around kids my entire life, but I'd never been an aunt before. Here was this tiny being, this little guy who so closely resembled a wrinkled, old man, and he was ours.  He was mine to love.

Max got older and his sweet, hilarious personality began to develop. He loved elephants and he called them "eldedah" until he lost his language around the age of two. That's when he was diagnosed with autism.

The experience of Max's diagnosis and his subsequent journey have increased my capacity to love; I have infinitely more empathy and compassion than I did before. Max makes me a better person.  The experience has changed us all and brought us into a community of fighters, warriors, parents who will go to the ends of the earth for their kids.  My sister is one of these people. 

Some days are ugly.  Some days will bring you to your knees.  But it's in those days that I see she has become the person she was always meant to be - fierce, courageous, stronger than she even realizes. She would move mountains for this child, for this community, for the chance at the best life possible for her son and each person affected by autism.

Through it all, my sister stands.

And it's those times that make the good days that much sweeter. Days that are so beautiful your heart rips into a thousand pieces.  His laugh that makes it all worth it.

You look around and know, this is what matters. This is what is important, and this is where I can invest my heart and my best work.  I have seen my family pull strength from untapped places.  I have encountered some of the most remarkable kids I've ever met, whose capacity for love and life is bottomless, regardless of their ability to communicate with words. We have hope.  Now we are working toward something more.

My sister and her mother started Eldedah as a tribute to Max and his love of elephants.  Eldedah is creating tee shirts, a portion of whose sale will be donated to organizations that tangibly assist families within the autism community with money for services, appointments, tools, resources, etc.  It's one thing to be aware of autism, but that's no longer enough.  The goal now is to do something to substantially benefit this community and make a positive impact. 

That is what Eldedah is all about. Helping Max reach his fullest potential.  Helping this beautiful, amazing community.  Sharing our story and opening our lives to people so that maybe, even at its smallest impact, people might be a little bit more compassionate toward others; a little bit more open minded about other people's differences; a little bit more aware of the beauty in life's little victories. And at its basest level, they're some pretty kick-ass shirts.  

It is an honor to be involved in this passion project of my sister and her mother.  To be a part of working toward the betterment of this community that we are linked to. I am nowhere near a talented enough writer to sufficiently describe the pride I have in my family and Eldedah. The pride I have in this community - the remarkable siblings; big sisters, little brothers; mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, grandmothers.

There's still more to do.  Come along for the ride.

In anticipation of the official website launch, shop Eldedah on Etsy and follow Eldedah on Facebook and Instagram (@shopeldedah) to keep up with the latest news and styles!

El Dia de Julieta

I love Mexican culture.  Ever since I studied in the Yucatan in college, I've listened to Spanish music and attempted to recreate the dishes my host mom made me during my stay (if you're making quesadillas with anything other than queso Oaxaca, you are seriously missing out).  Luckily, getting settled in Texas has given me greater opportunities to be exposed to Mexican culture and language, and to hang out with my new friend and personal Mexican liaison, Rudy.  Even luckier for me, Rudy shares my great love of Mexican pop music, so we got tickets for this past weekend's Julieta Venegas concert at the House of Blues (thanks for the tickets, Craigslist David)!  We got dolled up, had brunch at Villa-O (served by the lovely bartender Daniel), hit up Dish Cedar Springs for its last day, and roamed around until it was time for the show.  There's nothing I love more than exploring the city on a beautifully warm February day, something I'm quickly growing accustomed to and loving over the typically snowy, freezing Michigan days I'm used to.

Loving lacy, padding-free bras these days - my attempt at embracing my pre-pubescently sized chest :D

When your hair makes you nothing but mad, slap it on top of your head in a messy bun!

Necklace: Urban Outfitters (on sale, yay)

Top & Sweater: Silence and Noise (my favorite, go-to brand for flowy, comfy gloriousness)

Julieta Venegas is a goddess; she sings, plays the guitar, piano, and accordion.  The energy at her show was phenomenal, and, though my Spanish skills have waned, I've listened to enough of her music to sign along a bit.  It was my first trip to the House of Blues in Dallas, and it lived up to my memory of the brand from Chicago - a small enough venue to feel close to the performer but not so jam-packed that dancing wasn't possible.  The crowd was jovial and friendly, singing along for every song, my personal favorite being "Me Voy" and "El Camino." 

Now I can't wait for March's Natalia LaFourcade show, and my next batch of quesadillas!

In Search of Cider Mills.

I hate the cold.  Dread its arrival each year with a piece of me so deep in my core I can't believe I've only ever lived in Michigan and Chicago my entire life and not fled to warmer climates sooner.  Surprisingly, this year I'm happily welcoming this cooler fall weather, maybe from homesickness or the love of a good oversized sweater/boot combination.  My only issue now, and it's become a major one, is that no one in this city knows what a cider mill is.  What planet am I on??  I'm having a hard time imagining a fall where I won't get an opportunity to throw on said oversized sweater/boots and crunch across the grounds of a gorgeous apple orchard, slowly sipping on some freshly pressed cider and eating a warm, cinnamon sugar donut.  The search is on to satisfy this need.  Cider mills in Texas:  come out wherever you are!

Scarf:  H&M

Boots:  Clarks

Jacket:  Quinn, Francesca's

Jacket and sweater:  Loft

Leggings:  H&M

Shoes:  Sperry

Sweater:  Forever 21

Vest:  Meijer (A Midwestern staple - I miss Meijer terribly)

Biggby chai latte gone wrong.  

Visit Shelley, the owner at the Biggby location in Allen, TX, to get a little taste of Michigan goodness.  The beverage options are amazing if you love coffee and tea (chai latte all the way!) and Shelley and her family are absolutely lovely.  If I can't find a cider mill, I'll settle for a trip to Biggby for a chaider and some talk of home  :)

Date Night

When I moved into my apartment, my 5-year-old nephew informed me that he would grace me with his presence for "one sleep," as he put it, so last night I finally had a night off for him to do just that.  He had his little wheely suitcase all packed up with a couple of his favorite stuffies (Captain Cuddly the polar bear and Buckey, the tiny beaver in a red sweater), and his backpack all set for school today.  I was excited to have a small house guest for the evening!

Our night's adventuring began at Klyde Warren Park because I saw online that they had a "Children's Park," but I think we went at an off time (Wednesday evening, around 6PM).  I didn't see anything kid-related to really do, besides jump in some sprinklers/fountains, an activity in which we sadly could not partake because we had to go to dinner and didn't bring changes of clothes (good planning, Aunt Amy).  We ended up strolling around and commenting on the lack of fun kids' activities, raced on the grass a bit, then went on our merry way to dinner.  Next time I would bring a ball to kick/throw around on the grass or go when there was a scheduled activity.  The park is definitely lovely and in a fantastic location, nestled between the downtown skyscrapers, but it's a little bit of a letdown for a nephew who likes to climb on things and play with toys.

I resorted to Googling a good place to take Carson to eat and stumbled upon an article from the Dallas Observer, which recommended The LOT in East Dallas as one of Nine of Dallas' Best Places to Eat With Your Kids.  A bit more rundown than the pictures in the article made me think and a little lacking on the service side of things (I had to go to the hostess stand to ask for a server to come by), the sand off the patio was a nice area for Carson to play and meet other kids while we waited for our food.  He loved his grilled cheese, fries, and lemonade and my chicken salad on a croissant was decent, though it could have used a bit more stuffing to even out the salad to croissant ration.  I highly recommend the waffle fries!  I would go back again to sample their beer selection and other food offerings, but I'd make sure to sit far away from the sandbox and crying children if I was sans-nephew.

Continuing our theme of driving all across the city in rush hour traffic, we went to Dish in Preston Hollow for a dessert of vanilla ice cream and warm chocolate chip cookies.  Orange juice was also requested by Carson, which made for a slightly off-putting palate combination, if you were to take his face as an indication of the state of things.  Had we been feeling entirely lazy we could have gotten delivery from the wildly delicious Tiff's Treats, which has amazing cookies and an ice cream cookie sandwiche that I would eat my weight in if given the opportunity.

Our evening ended in pj's and bed, with a few episodes of Curious George to round things out.  We woke up early this morning (hearing, "Aunt Amy, where did Captain Cuddly go?" at 6:30 this morning was a cute way to start the day), got clothes on for picture day, and headed off to Denny's for breakfast.

The apartment seems overly quiet now, after spending such a great afternoon and evening with Carson.  His non-stop chatter about everything we saw and his vivid imagination make me glad to be close enough to spend time with him like this.  I'd consider our first "one sleep" a raving success, and to liven up the apartment, I'll now be playing our evening's theme song on a loop ("Aunt Amy, can you please turn this up??").   :)