Simplicity Quotable Quote – Bruce Lee

One does not accumulate but eliminate. It is not daily increase but daily decrease. The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity.
–Bruce Lee

Weird Week In Review - Mar. 28

In case you missed last week, here is your one stop review of all things from WeirdGuy blog. Have fun!

4 Things That Will Change Your Life

Hilarious “Cat Man Do” Video

Networking, Character, and Competency Still Matter

Rethinking Life and Relationships With Web 2.0

Quotable Quote - Cicero

Blogging, The Long Tail, And Leading vs. Following

Quotable Quote - Plato

How To Make Bananas Foster

Related Links
- Weird Week In Review (Mar. 21)
- Weird Week In Review (Mar. 14)
- Weird Week In Review (Mar. 7)

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How To Make Bananas Foster

This is one of my favorite desserts and is always fun to make for dinner parties! It often “wows” the guests if you light the mixture table-side. Enjoy!

clipped from www.wikihow.com Bananas Foster is a dessert that originated in New Orleans, Louisiana (US). It’s fairly easy to make and very impressive to watch, not to mention delicious. The burst of dancing flames will dazzle the audience, caramelize the bananas and tantalize your guests, while pleasing the eyes and “astonishing” the taste buds all in one shot! Two bananas 1 cup of brown sugar 1/2 stick of butter 1/8 of a cup of spiced rum: one shot 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract/essence Vanilla ice cream Peel and cut bananas lengthwise and in half, then set aside. Remove the ice cream from the freezer and allow it to soften. Set burner to medium to high heat Place the butter into the saucepan, stirring continuously to prevent burning. Add 1 cup of brown sugar to the melted butter and stir constantly, this should be allowed to cook and caramelize for about 3-5 minutes. Once the brown sugar and butter mixture is the consistency of warm maple syrup, turn the burners to low. Add the banana slices. Coat thoroughly and allow bananas to soften. Add the vanilla extract. It may seem overpowering at first but it will mellow. Once the vanilla smell reduces add the spiced rum to the mix. Allow 10 seconds to simmer before lighting the mixture. Let the mixture burn itself out and pour the warm bananas foster over the ice cream. While fun to watch, the flames actually add nothing to the taste or texture of the final dish. So if you are scared: Don’t. It will taste exactly the same. Add additional flare by sprinkling a mixture of sugar and cinnamon over the flames. It will create a sparkling effect.

Angel’s Thai Cuisine

Angel’s Thai restaurant in Olympia, Washington leaves much to be desired. While the menu certainly has a wide variety, the prices are consistently steep for what you get. $10 for a salad! $12 for the average entrée! Surprisingly, the items that were not overpriced were the drinks.

I had green tea to drink. The tea came quickly. When the waitress brought it she set the cup and pot down without filling the cup. She simply left. Not to wait on another table — it was not a particularly busy night — but to go back to the open kitchen to talk to another waitress.

No extra-mile service here.

I let it sit a moment while I added a few notes to my Blackberry. By the time I tried my tea, it was lukewarm — not hot.

Blehk.

The menu had pictures of most entrées. It was difficult to tell the size of the decorative dish, but for $12 it should have been a larger portion.

The food came out quickly. It should have, with only 3 of the 22 tables in the establishment occupied. I had the spicy Pad Kee Mow. The food was hot and had a good blend of spices with beef, vegetables, and flavorful noodles. Unfortunately, the taste was tainted by the prices, cold green tea, and poor service.

Only once did the waitress come by to ask how my meal was. When it was obvious I was done, there was no offer for dessert, coffee, or refill on tea. As for the tea, it could have been because I had left so much of it untouched — perhaps the waitress didn’t think I wanted more.

It is unlikely I will visit here again. I will be surprised if this establishment survives another year without making some significant changes to customer service.

Recommendations
Attention to detail - make sure food is right before bringing it out to the customer and make sure that what is advertised is what is delivered.

Wait staff training - be professional and attentive, take the initiative and up-sell and suggest menu items.

Lower prices - knocking off $3 alone would be huge.

Rethink the kitchen - with the kitchen being open it can be frustrating for a customer to see their waitress goofing off in back when they need water refilled — put up a partition.

Nava

By E. Brown

Another of the fine Buckhead restaurants is Nava. With the weather getting warmer, Nava is a great place to go by yourself or with friends. Hang out or relax at the fountain-side patio and don’t think about the worries of work.

You’ll definitely want to check out the interior of Nava. The design is open and inviting Southwestern. The faux pueblo look with wood columns and ceiling add a rustic feel.

The menu is what you would expect with all the Latin fair. However, there are some unique flavorful twists within the menu if you’re adventurous and open to new dishes such as:

Starters
The Barbecued Rabbit Tostada
The Masa Crusted Oyster Chalupas

Main Courses
The Mustard Mojo Rubbed Duck Breast
Or the Suncorn Crusted Georges Bank Merluzza

But, do not worry if these sound too exciting for your tastes. Nava offers other chicken, steak, and salmon dishes as well.

Whatever your dinner choice, be sure to leave room for dessert. I love bananas, so my fave is the Roasted Banana Enchilada. Chocolate lovers will want the dark chocolate B&B Cube. If you like something light with citrus, try the Rasberry Creme Brulee or Sorbet sampler.

Nava — another one of Atlanta’s eating treats. Check it out.

Blue Pointe: Amer-Asian Fusion

By E. Brown

The Buckhead Life Restaurants are amongst the best in Atlanta. One of the more hip, cool, “d.i.n.k.” and “swingle” places to go is Blue Pointe — a fusion of East meets West. Located in first floor of the Pinnacle Building in Buckhead, Blue Pointe is a happening place for lunch or dinner. It is also a fun place to go out for those special occasions with someone you love.

If you’re a people watcher you’ll enjoy the dinner scene. The decor of the restaurant is very modern with hints of the Orient. People come to see and be seen but that ambiance does not take away from the meal. Chef Doug Turbush has done an exquisite job of preparing a “feast for the eyes” before it hits the mouth — very Asian in presentation. And why shouldn’t it be? Chef Doug spent time in Thailand pruning his culinary skills.

For dinner I had the Garlic Crab Spring rolls as an appetizer. The entree was the Wok Charred Rare Tuna Steak on a crispy Somen Noodle Cake and it was out of this world!

Downside: The restaurant is not exactly family-friendly and things can quickly get pricey depending on what you order. All that said, I still highly recommend eating here if you are new to the Atlanta area, on business, or just passing through.

Dailey’s At Night

By E. Brown

Dailey’s holds a soft place in my heart for several reasons. 1) It is the place I celebrated my true loves birthday before we were engaged. 2) The management goes out of their way to make sure your experience is special, and 3) The food is excellent!

Opening in 1981, Dailey’s was converted from an old warehouse and it has been a dining hot spot ever since. Located in downtown Atlanta, the restaurant is within walking distance of several hotels.

The atmosphere is typical of a converted warehouse — open and spacious, yet the decor and furnishings are comfortable and close. You’ll have no problem focusing on your companion for the meal, and going with someone is a must. When eating with two or more you can try many dishes and tastes. You’ll be hard pressed to find a bad item on the menu.

For appetizers I recommend Dailey’s Escargot and the California Strudel. The strudel is unique–a blend of cheeses, spinach, and ham baked in a phyllo dough.

For dinner I like the Seared Ahi Tuna and the Grilled Pork Chop. Although, the Pepper Crusted Swordfish is also hard to beat. All of these will keep your mouth watering for more. But, don’t fill up too much because you have to leave room for dessert!

One of the more famous aspects of Dailey’s is their Dessert Bar. The sweets I have enjoyed are listed:
Gran Marnier Cheesecake- New York style cheesecake flavored with Gran Marnier, topped with homemade whipped cream and served with fresh fruit.
Black & White Cake- Three layer chocolate cake layered with whipped cream and chocolate mousse filling, wrapped with a semi-sweet chocolate shell.
Hummingbird Cake- Three-layer southern spice cake with bananas and pineapples frosted with a cream cheese frosting and chunks of pecans.

So, next time you’re in town for a meeting or conference or just looking for a special place to celebrate a birthday or anniversary you have to go to Dailey’s. Their service is “second mile” even into the night.