Food Critic – Page 2 – …on the B.L.

Banana Bread Surprise

April 9, 2018 RaeAnna

Banana Bread Surprise

It’s not a secret I like to eat… or cook… or bake. If you follow along on Instagram, you’ll probably see the ridiculous amount of things I consume by way of my stories. I like food. Nay, I love food. It’s the perfect partner while reading.*

I have always had a soft spot for banana bread. It’s the right amount of sweet and nutty because I fill mine up with nuts. The other day, I was craving banana bread and cheesecake simultaneously. I decided to make banana bread. I wanted to add a little something extra because I’m adventurous like that. You can imagine where this is going… Banana bread with a cheesecake surprise filling!!! “How?” you ask… I’ll tell you because we’re friends!

Ingredients
Banana Bread

3 ripe bananas
⅓ cup butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
¾ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
½ cup crushed nuts *optional* (I prefer pecans but walnuts are great too)

Cheesecake Filling

8 oz cream cheese
1 egg
½ cup sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and butter a 4×8-inch loaf pan.
In a bowl, mix together cream cheese, egg, and sugar until smooth. Set aside for later.
In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until completely smooth. Then on high speed mix butter and sugar into mashed banana until light and fluffy.
Mix in the egg. Add baking soda, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix in the flour.
Fold in the nuts.
Pour half of the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Pour the cream cheese mixture onto the batter. Then pour the remaining batter to cover the cream cheese mixture.
Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for a few minutes. Then remove the banana bread from the pan and let cool completely before serving.
When slicing there should be a layer of cheesecake between the banana bread layers.

I came up with this idea because I have weird cravings, which are absolutely not pregnancy related! I am just a weirdie. It looks like a normal loaf of banana bread until you cut into it.

I explained this recipe to several people. Several were hesitant, but they all tried it. Much to their surprise, I’m a secret genius… I ended up making a few batches because it was so popular!

*Aside from my dog, but she is a given. Assume Beau is the best pawtner in everything I do!

Eateries, Houston

State of Grace

August 31, 2017 RaeAnna

I found out about State of Grace through the Instagram rabbit hole, go figure. The food looked too yummy to pass up. After following them for a solid eight months, I finally made a reservation for brunch. I pulled up to the restaurant to see they have complimentary valet parking. I had no cash to tip – no one should be that dick. I parked on the street, where there was tons of parking.

Walking into the entrance of the restaurant I was taken aback by the beautiful decor. To the front is a round bar, which dominates the Instagram-scape for the restaurant. The bar has tons of windows and a brightness to it coming from the light colors. There are several areas for diners, some more private than others. Gold is a recurring color throughout whether it is darker or brighter.

I would love to tell you I hadn’t looked over the menu repeatedly, but I had. I still had a problem choosing what I wanted to eat because it all looked so good. I was finally able to narrow my order down from the entire menu to two appetizers, two entrees, lattes, and dessert. The burrata was amazing! One of the more creative burrata dishes I have had. The biscuit with proscuitto and jam was absolutely lovely; the kind of biscuit reminiscent of my great grandmothers. The chicken fried steak was phenomenal. The shrimp and grits was bland. Not my favorite, but everything else made up for it. I had to try both the bacon and the sausage… Amazing. The bacon is candied. The sausage is made in house.

The service is truly amazing. They were kind and helpful with suggestions. The server knew a lot about the restaurant and the process. The seating was really comfortable, and once I had stuffed myself, I had a hard time convincing myself to get up.

One of my favorite parts of the restaurant is leaving… This sounds bad, but it’s not. As you walk out, they offer gingersnap moon pies. Ohhhh so good. I would have eaten four or twenty-seven if that had been an option.

I definitely want to go back for Sunday Supper, which they just started. It’s several courses for almost thirty dollars a person. Which really is not bad. I spent more per person on brunch. Although, you don’t have to because I just like to stuff my face when I go out to eat.

It’s a great place to read. There is so much upholstery it dampens the noise level, which would probably be quite high otherwise. If seated in a booth, it is incredibly comfortable to sit back and read while sipping on a coffee.

State of Grace
3258 Westheimer Road
Houston, Texas 77098

Eateries, Houston

Snooze an A.M. Eatery

August 2, 2017 RaeAnna

I am a huge fan of food. I love cooking just slightly less than I love eating, and I love eating just barely less than I love reading. For me, eating and reading are intrinsically linked in my heart. In my humble opinion, the best way to start the day is a hearty helping of nourishment for the body and the soul. Snooze an A.M. Eatery is a fabulous place to do just that! I love eating, so I’m trying to eat my way through the multitudinous neighborhoods of Houston. I am trying my hardest not to repeat, but I failed.

The first time I went to Snooze was in March. A friend was visiting from out of town, and we were looking for somewhere memorable to brunch on a Wednesday midmorning. After some digging through Yelp, Zagat, and Instagram we decided on Snooze. Figuring it was 10:45 on a Wednesday, we didn’t think there would be a wait. Woah. Were we wrong. We ended up waiting for forty-five minutes before being seated. It was worth the wait. I had the breakfast pot pie: yum. I don’t recall what she had, but it was sweet and delicious.

Yesterday morning, I broke my one time rule for restaurants.

I had to be up dreadfully early this morning. After my obligations were fulfilled, I decided breakfast was in order. It was only 8:30, and I was on the south side of downtown Houston, which, with the traffic, is anywhere between twenty minutes and an hour away from my home. Since I was only a 1.2 miles from Snooze, I decided it was a must.

I enjoyed the Benny Duo. Basically, it’s for those indecisive people who can’t choose just one Eggs Benedict. So I had the Bella Bella Benny and the Summer Benny (or whatever it was called). The Summer one consisted of a pesto quinoa patty topped with a poached egg, caprese salad, cream cheese hollandaise, and balsamic glaze. Delicious. The Bella Bella Benny was prosciutto, a poached egg, cream cheese hollandaise sauce, balsamic glaze piled on top of a ciabatta accompanied with a arugula salad. This one was my favorite. I love prosciutto. When on a sandwich, I like it a bit thicker cut. Snooze did not disappoint with their thicker slices. So, so, so good. Snooze also has a load of drinks – alcoholic and non. Since I’m not a drinker and it was 8:30 on a Tuesday morning, I decided to stick with a classic: a hazelnut latte with almond milk.

I love the decor. It’s upbeat 50’s. They play music from all over the decades. There’s not tons of waiting room inside. There is a patio to hang out on while you wait because you will wait. It is known in Houston as one of the best breakfast/brunch spots in town, and it’s true. Snooze is fun, laid back, and yummy. It is also inexpensive! I love splurging, but for the day-to-day life, I prefer keeping it affordable, so I can buy books.

The atmosphere is fun, and the noise is what you would expect of a bopping breakfast joint. I read without a problem. You will not be alone in your solitary reading. I saw a whole bunch of readers ensconced in their books!

Snooze an A.M. Eatery
3217 Montrose Blvd Suite 100
Houston, TX 77006
Daily 6:30am – 2:30pm
713.574.6655
Instagram: @snoozeameatery

Travel, Travel Eats

Eating in L.A.

July 21, 2017 RaeAnna

I love to eat. I mean, I really love to eat. When I lived in France, I tested every patisserie in Aix-en-Provence, the city I lived in. Eating is a major part of my everyday life. You can only imagine how it figures into my travel plans. While I was in California I ate at the obligatory: In and Out and Del Taco of course. I try never to eat places I can eat at when I’m at home.

Sprinkles Cupcakes is a now famous cupcakery. It was founded in Beverly Hills, California in 2005, and since then, has grown into an iconic treat for people across the country. They rose to national fame for their delectable cupcakes, but became an instant hit when they introduced the cupcake ATM. You read that right! A cupcake ATM for those days you just need a cupcake now. If you’re like me, it’s happened more often than I’d like to admit. I actually have a Sprinkles here in Houston, but I had to go to the original to truly reach happiness. I enjoyed a chocolate marshmallow cupcake, which was delightful. I wouldn’t necessarily suggest the Beverly Hills Sprinkles as a quiet reading destination because there are so many people coming and going. It’s an upbeat place, which brings smiles to a lot of people of various ages.

I think part of my trip to Los Angeles was planned around this restaurant… Badmaash. I saw it on Buzzfeed or something on Facebook. I already knew I was going to LA, but I really got excited to go when I found out about this Indian restaurant. I love Indian food, but this takes it to a whole new level! They are known for their Indian mashups. I personally had the traditional comfort food of Butter Chicken as well as the Tikka Poutine. Poutine? you’re thinking. Yes, Tikka Poutine. You are not seeing things. It is an amazing mashup of the Indian Tikka Masala with the Canadian Poutine. They have tons of other mashups, but I’m only one person with limited stomach space. I could rave on and on about this place and their food. The decor was just awesome. The walls had Gandhi wearing different colored sunglasses. I would not suggest this as a reading spot. Though the food is top notch, it’s definitely young, hip, and loud but in a good way.

One of the last places I ate at in Los Angeles was La Brea bakery. It was awesome. The coffee was delicious. The food was delicious. I ended up going home with three loaves of bread because vacation and carbs. Who doesn’t love carbs? I love carbs. As far as reading, this is the best place to read. There are comfy booths, it has a quiet atmosphere. It is more like a local cafe than a bustling restaurant. I would go back in a heartbeat!