Fogged In

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Maybe I have a case of amnesia, but I don’t remember Galveston island ever experiencing fog like it has for the past few days!  It does make for a good weekend to be indoors, but that’s not really unusual for us.  We spend most our weekends behind our laptops writing college essays, researching this and that or cooking.  When the sun did peak for a few hours today, we headed out for a walk, if only for a little while. 

As we walked, Matt’s mind thought of what to do with the pound of ground beef in the fridge.  What better than meatloaf? Meatloaf was not always my favorite growing up, in fact it’s a joke between my parents and I.  Dad would make meatloaf nearly once a week, no kidding.  That combined with the fact he put everything but the kitchen sink in his meatloaf, made for an excruciating experience–I hated eating it.  However, in Dad’s defense, I was once recorded on video stuffing my face with a piece.  From what I can remember–I really enjoyed it.  Guess that week Dad found all the right ingredients!  

So fast forward 20 years and I’m married to a meatloaf maker…Here’s the Chef’s version, sans évier de cuisine (without the kitchen sink)!

onions, leeks, celery, orange bell pepper, spinach, garlic with tomato paste glaze

Highway of Dreams: Destination is…

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It finally arrived, that one piece of correspondence that would have either brought The Traveling Pear’s life to a road block (which we  naturally would have found a detour around) or propelled it further down the  smooth sailing highway of making dreams a reality. 

That correspondence came in the form of an email; an email that was read more than once to make sure it was real.  Both Matt and I received the same one.   Here it is again…for posterity:  

Dear Elissa:

I am writing to let you know that you have been admitted to The American University of Paris.  Congratulations and welcome to AUP!  Your acceptance packet will be mailed from Paris; it should arrive within two weeks.  Please let me know when you’ve received everything.  Many important documents, primarily visa information, will be included.  To get an early start on the visa process, you can begin working on the Campus France application, which is found at www.usa.campusfrance.org.  Of course, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me. 

Let’s just hope the highway we’re on, the one leading to the Student Visa, isn’t under construction.  Wonder if I need the Garmin? Nah, I have a pretty good sense of direction and my copilot is good with keeping it real.

The Sweet Side of Galveston

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Yesterday, while we were out and about we decided to head over to the East side of Galveston in hopes that  Mosquito Cafe’s next door bakery was finally open (it’s been months since we ventured that way).  Sure enough, it was!  It’s called Patty Cakes Bakery and it’s adorable!  Matt’s mother (Patty) would have a fit, considering she’s a baker too and loves Mosquito Cafe and their baked goods!

The smell of butter and sugar starts here!

Immediately upon opening the door of your car (yes the aroma coming from the building is that intense) you’re hit with the heavenly smell of butter, sugar and bread!  My heart seriously skipped a beat.  Once inside your senses are on overload. 

There’s a counter full of pastries, cakes, cookies and tarts.  Baked bread and other goodies line the back wall.  It took us literally 10 minutes to figure out what we wanted because all the choices looked so amazingly tasty! 

 A little girl of about 3 years old was going gaga over all the pretty cupcakes and pink heart-shaped sugar cookies–tugging on her mother’s arm and saying “I want this one mommy, and this, and this”….. I think she ended up getting one of everything.  Lucky little princess!

How can you resist these precious swans?

 

I'll have the rest thank you!

 

cinnamon twists right out of the oven

So what did we decide on?  Matt was hoping to find his favorite lemon cake, but I think they were out, so he opted for the coconut cake. 

he nibbled on it before taking the photo

Since I can never pass up a cupcake, I decided on the European Vanilla cupcake (yes I know my infatuation with anything European-couldn’t resist).  I’m glad I did because it was filled with Bavarian cream (an added bonus).  The little bundle of goodness was so enticing, I ate it before Matt could take a picture…oops!

So if you are on the East end of Galveston and in need of a sugar fix–you know where to go.  They even have treats for your 4 legged buddies!

Bring Fido home something sweet too!

Patty Cakes Bakery 704 14th Street Galveston TX  409.762.2537

Going Greek

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Today was such a beautiful day!  Temperatures finally reached a comfortable range.  Very reminiscent of a day Matt and I had in Paris last spring when we grabbed a bite at our favorite walk up gyro bar in the 6th. The place is literally the size of a closet-street standing dining only! In fact, you just walk up to a window, order your gyro and step back.  This gave us the idea to head over to Olympia Grill.  It’s our way to get a little of Europe without the jet lag.

Though we haven’t visited Greece YET, Olympia Grill gives us the feeling we have.  Even though Olympia expanded their enterprise to include a location on Harborside, our favorite is the Seawall location.  Simply because it’s cozy and intimate–and we know the employees. Charmed at the door with a friendly smile, we always find our seats at the bar open and inviting. The atmosphere is so…Greek!  Surrounded by a decor of Greek goddesses, the Acropolis and Kriticos family pictures (owners), your visual senses are definitely aroused.   A mixture of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean tunes play lightly in the background to compliment the decor.    However, the best aspect besides the food, is the Greek television shows playing on the TV’s spread throughout the restaurant.  You never know what you’re going to see, if you know what I mean.  So when in Galveston, check out our number 1 pick for good eats–Olympia Grill, you won’t be disappointed!

So what are some of our favorite  menu items?  The mighty Zeus Sampler of course!

Little sampling of Greek goodness!

Hummus, Tzatziki, Skordayia, Melitzano Salata, Yolandji Dolmas, Feta Cheese and Kalamata Olives served with pita bread.

Food of the gods?

The Gyro Pita —Matt always orders this with a Mythos beer! But then again…it’s one of the many items they do best.

a classic

 

We’ve pretty much tried all their menu items, these just seem to be our top choices.  The desserts are wonderful too, especially their baklava.

Olympia Grill  4908 Seawall Galveston, Texas  409.766.1222

Oyster du Jour

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Hello fellow oyster lovers….It’s oyster season!

Matt stopped by Katie’s Seafood Market this weekend and picked up two dozen oysters–which had been hours before, filtering the waters of Galveston Bay!  They’re nothing like the oysters from the pristine waters of the Pacific Northwest, but when you get a craving, they’ll do!

So here’s what the Chef came up with:

Oysters Rockefeller

 

Oysters with Champagne-Vinegar Mignonette

beautifully delicate