Rolled Food Part 2: Rugelach

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I was on a “roll” with rolled food…get it?  On a “roll”?  So I decided that I would follow stromboli with rugelach.  Ok, anyway…I have never made rugelach.  Traditionally this dessert is made with apricot jam, but I am not a fan of apricot, so I used raspberry jam and walnuts.  No raisins.  I adapted this recipe from Ina Garten’s rugelah recipe from the Food Network.

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I enjoyed making these cookies.  I liked rolling up the little wedges and liked the size and rich flavor of these lovely little cookies.

This recipe is easy.  The only hard part was rolling out the dough, and that won’t be a problem if you’ve ever rolled out dough before.

 

 

 

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Rugelach

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/2-pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 9 tablespoons
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup raspberry preserves
  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, for egg wash

Cream the cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the salt, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and mix until just combined. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured board and roll it into a ball. Cut the ball in quarters, wrap each piece in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

To make the filling, combine 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and walnuts.

On a well-floured board, roll each ball of dough into a 9-inch circle. Spread the dough with 2 tablespoons preserves and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the filling. Press the filling lightly into the dough. Cut the circle into 12 equal wedges–cutting the whole circle in quarters, then each quarter into thirds. Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge. Place the cookies, points tucked under, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush each cookie with the egg wash. Combine 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on the cookies. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack and let cool.

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Rolled Food: Stromboli

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This recipe is from Big Red Kitchen.  I saw the Stromboli on her blog and immediately got hungry, so this is what was for dinner a few days ago and last night.  I like the idea of food rolled food.  The layers created by rolling dough around delicious filling are wonderful!

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The first time around I made the spinach Stromboli.  I cut the dough in half instead of thirds, so I should have baked it a little longer than suggested.  The baking time should be increased to at least 35 minutes.  I used a pound of fresh spinach, sauteed it with a little olive oil and minced garlic.  Provolone and a little shredded mozzarella are layered first, then the spinach is spread on top.  The flavor of the spinach was good, but I would use a little more spinach next time and just a bit more cheese.  I liked that the flavor of the spinach was not overwhelmed by cheese, so be careful not to overdo it.  spinach1

I served this with jarred marinara sauce…don’t judge me!  I have a great recipe for marinara sauce, but sometimes you have to take shortcuts to avoid spending all day in the kitchen and doing endless amounts of dishes.  Ok, I’m a little lazy.  So sue me!  I am no Martha Stewart.

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The second attempt was provolone and salami.  I learned from stromboli # 1 that while you shouldn’t over stuff the stromboli, it is wise to make sure that you put enough filling inside so that when you roll it up and bake it someone doesn’t get stuck with a big end piece of dough and no filling.  

salami1I layered 10 pieces of the provolone on the dough, topped it with 12 slices of salami and sprinkled it with some shredded Parmesan, Pasta Sprinkle from Penzey’s and some garlic salt.  

 

Ben and I liked the provolone and salami better than the spinach mostly because it was baked more completely.  I also cut my vents a little deeper so the cheese came out and got all melty and crusty.  I sure do like baked cheese.

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The bread dough recipe is simple and good.  I was able to refridgerate what I had left over for 4 days and it was still yummy and easy to roll out.  I would think any pizza dough would work.  If you use this recipe, obviously you wouldn’t shape it into loaves but just roll it out after it has risen 

 

Simple Crusty Bread (Adapted from “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day,” by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François, Thomas Dunne Books, 2007)

Time: About 45 minutes plus about 3 hours’ resting and rising

1 1/2 tablespoons yeast

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

6 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, more for dusting dough

1. In a large bowl or plastic container, mix yeast and salt into 3 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees). Stir in flour, mixing until there are no dry patches. Dough will be quite loose. Cover, but not with an airtight lid. Let dough rise at room temperature 2 hours (or up to 5 hours).

2. Bake at this point or refrigerate, covered, for as long as two weeks. When ready to bake, sprinkle a little flour on dough and cut off a grapefruit-size piece with serrated knife. Turn dough in hands to lightly stretch surface, creating a rounded top and a lumpy bottom. Put dough on pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal; let rest 40 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough or refrigerate it.

3. Place broiler pan on bottom of oven. Place baking stone on middle rack and turn oven to 450 degrees; heat stone at that temperature for 20 minutes.

4. Dust dough with flour, slash top with serrated or very sharp knife three times. Slide onto stone. Pour one cup hot water into broiler pan and shut oven quickly to trap steam. Bake until well browned, about 30 minutes. Cool completely.

Yield: 4 loaves.

I would highly recommend reading the Big Red Kitchen blog for more detailed instructions and advice about making a perfect stromboli.  I will make this again.  It was pretty easy and very tasty.  I think this is one of those recipes that you have to learn how to make perfectly by doing it a few times.  So, roll up some dough around some yummy filling and enjoy!

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Turkey Picadillo

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I like being able to cook dinner without any time constraints.  At times, I truly  enjoy preparing a meal that has more than just a few components and takes me more than a few hours to complete.  Call me crazy!  I don’t have kids (if we don’t count the puppy) so I’m able to do this every now and then.  With the ability to make a laborious dinner, I chose to make turkey picadillo last night.  The entire meal took me a measly 30 minutes from start to finish.  The only extra thing you have to do is hard-boil 2 eggs, which I think could be omitted.  The flavor was nice, sweet and savory at the same time.  The addition of golden raisins is very good; a little burst of sweetness!  It is also very versatile.  I ate it over baby spinach and my husband had it wrapped in flour tortillas.  The original recipe recommends wrapping the filling in lettuce leaves.  I think this would also be yummy on top of tortilla chips, as a tostada topping, over white or yellow rice, and maybe even folded in to scrambled eggs with some queso fresco.  Mmmm…I think that is what I will do with the leftovers tonight. picadillo1 I used a mixture of lean ground beef and ground turkey.  I also added about 1/2 cup more of the crushed tomatoes.  Other than that, I didn’t change a thing about this recipe from FineCooking.  I served the picadillo with black beans and roasted zucchini and squash.

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  • 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1-1/2 lb. lean ground beef or turkey
  • 1/3 cup dry red wine
  • 1 small yellow onion, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes 
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped
  • 6 Tbs. chopped pimiento-stuffed green olives
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
  • flour tortillas or lettuce leaves for wrapping

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the meat with the edge of a spoon, until done, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, onion, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine is almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and raisins and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has almost evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with 1-1/2 tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the chopped eggs, olives, and cilantro.

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Death by Chocolate Cookies

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These brownie like cookies are decadent and delicious.  A perfect partner for a cold glass of milk.  The chocolate cookie is packed with white chocolate chunks and buttery macadamia nuts.  

 

 

 

Once baked, the cookies have a crackly top and moist fudgy centers.  I chopped the white chocolate into fairly large chunks, so there a nice big pockets of creamy white chocolatey goodness in each bite.  

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I used dry roasted and salted nuts which is a good c0ntrast to the sweetness of the rest of the cookie.  Be careful not to overbake them or they will be too hard once they cool.

I might try these with milk chocolate chunks and pecans.  I’d think any combination that you enjoy would work with the chocolate batter as the base.

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  • 8 ounces semisweet chocolate
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup white chocolate, chopped
  • 2 cups macadamia nuts, chopped

Melt chocolate in a saucepan over low heat.  Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add chocolate and beat well, then add eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined.  Stir in the flour and powder.  Add the chocolate chunks and nuts.  Drop by tablespoons (or use an ice cream scoop) onto a baking sheet.  Bake @ 350° for 10-12 minutes.  Cookies should be puffed and just set.  Let cool completely on a wire rack.

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Cinnamon Roll Recipe

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I would have posted this earlier, but we just got a new puppy and she’s making things a little interesting at our house!  Here she is…

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Yes, she is a cutie!  She is a handful, but also very fun.

 

 

 

 

 

Kanelbullar (Cinnamon Rolls)

Ingredients

Rolls

  • 150 grams butter
  • 2 1/8 cups milk
  • 50 grams fresh yeast OR 25 grams dried yeast
  • 120 grams caster (superfine) sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp crushed cardamom seeds (3/4 tsp ground cardamom)
  • 630 grams flour plus 30 grams to roll out the dough

Filling

  • 150 grams butter, softened
  • 430 grams caster sugar
  • 75 grams ground cinnamon

Glaze

Preheat the over to 425°F.  Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the milk and warm to 99° F.  Put the yeast in a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer).  Add the warm milk mixture to the yeast and whisk lightly.  Add the sugar, salt and cardamom.  Mix in the flour a little at a time.  Knead the dough until it is smooth and detaches from the side of the bowl, 10 – 12 minutes.  Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

NOTE: I mixed the dough in a stand mixer and used a dough hook.  Let the dough hook knead the dough for about 8 minutes.

For the filling: beat the butter, sugar and cinnamon until smooth.

Empty the dough onto a baking board sprinkled with the reserved flour.  Divide the dough in half.  Roll out each into a large rectangle.  The two rectangles should be the same size and shape.  Spread filling onto one rectangle.  Gently lay the other rectangle over the filling and press lightly so the filling adheres to the top layer of dough.  Cut the dough into strips using a pizza roller.

Small rolls: cut strips about 1/2 inch wide, twist and knot, then place in a paper cupcake liner.  Place the liners on a cookie sheet.

Large rolls: cut wider strips, twist and knot, then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment. 

Cover rolls with a towel and let rest for 20 minutes.

Glaze the buns with egg wash and sprinkle with pearl sugar (if you have it).

Bake for 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your buns.  Let them cool on a wire rack…Enjoy!

These can be reheated, but are best when eaten fresh and warm.

 

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Kanelbullar…

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Also known as cinnamon rolls to all you non Swedish speaking people. If I had been more on top of things I would have made these on Kanelbullar Dag (Cinnamon Roll Day) October, 4.  Oh well, January 30 will just have to do.

I got this recipe from a Swedish cookbook that my sister bought for me in Sweden a few summers ago.  Thank the Lord that they were selling it in both Swedish and English.  I do not read or speak much Swedish, so I would have been in a heap of trouble trying to bake in Swedish.

Despite the book being in English, I still managed to run into a little snag due to the cultural differences.  For example, many of the measurements are in grams.  No problem!  I will use my trusty food scale.  

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Another snag.  Who uses deciliters?  The Swedes, that’s who!  So, I had to test my math skills (and use an online converter) to convert to cups then to grams.

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The dough came together nicely, and smelled wonderful thanks to the cardamom.  

After flouring my counter I split the dough in half and rolled it out.  It rolled easily and didn’t give me much trouble as far as sticking goes.

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The filling was pretty crumbly, so I will probably melt the butter, or at least soften it more next time.  That way it will make more of a paste and less of a crumb mixture.

When I ate these in Sweden they were so adorable.  Instead of the typical American cinnamon roll which is slathered in icing, these rolls are simply twisted and knotted, then sprinkled with sugar.  I had a little bit of trouble with the twisting and knotting method.  The filling kept falling out onto the counter, again, I think my filling should have been less crumbly.  So, my knotted rolls weren’t as cute or as neat as the Swedish rolls.  

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I made half of the rolls using the twist and knot method.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 The other half of my dough was rolled out, spread with the remaining filling, then all rolled up…more like an American roll I guess.  cinn6Then I cut the log into 1 1/2 inch slices and placed them in an 8×8 inch greased pan.  I left a little room in between them so that they had room to spread and rise during baking.  I was able to fit 9 rolls in the 8×8, so I used the remaining dough to see how they fared in a muffin tin.  The baking time varied a bit in the 8×8…maybe 5 minutes longer or so, but the muffin tin took about the same as the twisted rolls.

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The verdict.

If you would rather do without the supersweet icing, then these rolls are for you!  The focus is on the bread, which is soft on the inside with a nice crisp crust.  The filling is delicious and adds just the right amount of extra sweetness to the rolls.  The only complaint is that the filling that escaped made a rather sticky mess on the bottom of each roll.  This is not a problem for me since I like the flavor and crunch of caramelized sugar.  Be careful of the baking time, or this caramelized goodness will become burnt nastiness!  This mistake was made on just one batch of rolls, but the rest were great.  

Here is a great shot of one roll rising above the rest.  I will type up the recipe soon!

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The Daring Bakers: Tuiles

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This month’s challenge is brought to us by Karen of Baking Soda and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf.
They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

Last night I was perusing food blogs and came across a recipe from a past Daring Bakers challenge…Oh No!!  I forgot about the challenge!!  What’s a girl to do?  I can’t miss another challenge since I missed the Yule Log in December.  I checked the site and realized that I still had another 48 hours or so to post.  A sigh of relief.  Also, I had all the ingredients required.  So, this afternoon I began the challenge of the tuile.

The challenge required some type of tuile cookie paired with something light.  There were various batters recipes given, even a savory one!

I chose to make the plain tuile and piped some chocolate flavored batter onto a few of the cookies.  I didn’t make a stencil.  I just traced some circles onto the back of the parchment.  

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I also free-handed a few hearts, stars and ovals.  I had some strawberries and bluberries on hand, so I made a quick salad with the fruit and some vanilla sugar.

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tuile4The combination of the cookie and fruit was lovely.  A little whipped cream would have made it extra special…but would have defeated the purpose of a lighter and healthier dessert.

I like these sweet, crisp cookies as a garnish or a way to deliver another sweet treat.  I plan to make the savory ones next time.

Here is the recipe!

Following is a recipe taken from a book called “The Chocolate Book”, written by female Dutch Master chef Angélique Schmeinck.

Recipe:
Yields: 20 small butterflies/6 large (butterflies are just an example)
Preparation time batter 10 minutes, waiting time 30 minutes, baking time: 5-10 minutes per batch

  • 65 grams / ¼ cup / 2.3 ounces softened butter (not melted but soft)
  • 60 grams / ½ cup / 2.1 ounces sifted confectioner’s sugar
  • 1 sachet vanilla sugar (7 grams or substitute with a dash of vanilla extract)
  • 2 large egg whites (slightly whisked with a fork)
  • 65 grams / 1/2 cup / 2.1/4 ounces sifted all purpose flour
  • 1 table spoon cocoa powder/or food coloring of choice
  • Butter/spray to grease baking sheet


Oven: 180C / 350F

Using a hand whisk or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (low speed) and cream butter, sugar and vanilla to a paste. Keep stirring while you gradually add the egg whites. Continue to add the flour in small batches and stir to achieve a homogeneous and smooth batter/paste. Be careful to not overmix.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up. (This batter will keep in the fridge for up to a week, take it out 30 minutes before you plan to use it).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with either butter/spray and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. This will help spread the batter more easily if using a stencil/cardboard template such as the butterfly. Press the stencil on the bakingsheet and use an off sided spatula to spread batter. Leave some room in between your shapes. Mix a small part of the batter with the cocoa and a few drops of warm water until evenly colored. Use this colored batter in a paper piping bag and proceed to pipe decorations on the wings and body of the butterfly.

Bake butterflies in a preheated oven (180C/350F) for about 5-10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Immediately release from bakingsheet and proceed to shape/bend the cookies in the desired shape. These cookies have to be shaped when still warm, you might want to bake a small amount at a time or maybe put them in the oven to warm them up again. (Haven’t tried that). Or: place a bakingsheet toward the front of the warm oven, leaving the door half open. The warmth will keep the cookies malleable.

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Snow and Spinach Lasagna

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We had snow in Amarillo!  The high yesterday was 21…today it’s going to be 50.  Gotta love 30 degree temperature swings!  I made a spinach lasagna for dinner.  Cold weather calls for warm, filling food.  The recipe is at the bottom of the post.

snow4  This is my “Oh my goodness!  It snowed!” face.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Taken from the front porch.

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Poor ice covered tree in the backyard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Spinach Lasagna

  • 1 pound lasagna noodles
  • extra-virgin olive oil 
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced 
  • 1 1/4 pound fresh spinach
  • 3 zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick
  • 1 pound low fat cottage cheese
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • 4 cups lshredded part skim mozzarella
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne 
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
  • 1 large egg, beaten 
  • 4 cups tomato sauce

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Boil lasagna noodles 6-8 minutes. Drain.

Heat the olive oil and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat until the garlic begins to brown. Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper and cook until spinach is wilted and cooked down.  Remove spinach to a plate to cool.

Add a teaspoon of oil to the same pan.  Add zucchini, season with salt and pepper, and saute until zucchini is soft, 5-8 minutes.

Mix the cottage cheese, cream cheese, parmesean, 2 cups of the mozzarella, egg, cayenne, and cooled spinach in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

Cover the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch casserole with a thin layer of tomato sauce. Cover with 3 of the noodles, top with a 1/5 of the cheese mixture and about a half cup of tomato sauce.  Layer 1/4 of the zucchini over sauce.  Season lightly with salt and pepper. Repeat to make 3 more layers. Cover lasagna layers with remaining noodles, sprea remaining cheese mixture on top, top with remaining tomato sauce, sprinkle mozzarella on top. Bake, uncovered, until the lasagna is hot and bubbly, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let lasagna stand for 10 minutes before serving.

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Basa with Tomato Caper Sauce

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Ben and I ate this meal a few nights ago and we both agreed that it was tasty.  It’s fairly healthy, and I also found the recipe to be quick and easy.  A quicky, easy, healthy and tasty meal!  I served the fish with whole wheat cous cous, also quick, healthy and easy.  I’ve started cooking my rice and cous cous in low sodium, low fat chicken broth instead of water.  It makes for a richer flavored side dish without adding a lot of fat or calories.  

The orginal recipe called for halibut filets, but at $19.99 a pound I needed a replacement fish.  The nice guy at the fish counter suggested basa.  It is quite a bit thinner than a halibut filet, so I had to adjust the cooking time.  I only seared the fish for 2 minutes on the first side, then baked it for  about 5 minutes.  I got this recipe from Fine Cooking.  I highly reccomend this cooking magazine over Gourmet or Bon Appetit.  There aren’t nearly as many ads, so your time is much better spent.  I don’t think that there are quite as many recipes, but they usually give you a basic recipe and then give you tips on making variations on it.  So, really, there are an infinite number of recipes!!

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Seared Roasted Halibut with Tomato Caper Sauce

 

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 Tbs. capers, rinsed and chopped
1-1/2 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano
1-1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 lb. thick skinless halibut fillet (or other mild white fish, like cod), cut into 4 even pieces
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced

 

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F.

In a medium bowl, mix the tomatoes, capers, oregano, vinegar, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper.

Season the fish with 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper and dredge it in the flour, shaking off the excess. Heat the oil in a 12-inch (preferably nonstick) ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the fish, evenly spaced, and cook without touching until it browns and releases easily from the pan (check by gently lifting one of the corners), about 3 minutes. Flip the fish, sprinkle the garlic around it, and cook until the garlic just starts to brown on some edges, about 30 seconds. Pour the tomato mixture around the fish and transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast until the fish is just firm to the touch and opaque when you pry open a thicker piece with a paring knife, 3 to 6 minutes.

Let the fish rest for a couple of minutes and then serve with the tomato mixture spooned over it.

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Zen 721

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After a successful work day, Ben and I decided to celebrate with a dinner out.  There aren’t many options for “fine dining” here in Amarillo, but we’ve  located a few of the better, locally owned restaurants.  I feel a bit guilty about already having dined at 2 of the nicer establishments.  Maybe we should have waited for an especially special occassion for a fancy dinner?   We should know where to take and where NOT to take guests.  Afterall, I have to get people to visit Amarillo a second time.  Second rate dinner doesn’t help to ensure second visits!  Therefore, I will make the excuse that I’m doing this for others, and a little bit for me.  Ok, so anyway…dinner.

Downtown Amarillo reminds me of downtown Waco.  It’s growing, and it has a lot of potential.  The older buildings are neat so I hope that more businesses decide to open there.  Zen 721 is downtown on “the strip” as one local put it.  It is an Asian inspired restaurant.  They serve sushi, but we didn’t try any tonight.  

We ordered the Rock Shrimp Tempura as an appetizer.  It was an impressive dish.  Not minimal in presentation.  I wish I’d taken a picture!  It looked like a fancy plate of chili cheese fries, but it tasted much better.  Tempura shrimp and green beans over a bed of spring mix drizzled with a spicy unidentifiable sauce, grated carrots garnished the top.  I first thought the carrots to be grated cheddar cheese, which made the cheese fry comparison even more convincing.  Thankfully, it was not cheese.  The tempura batter was crispy and the ratio of batter to shrimp and to green bean was nice.  Yummy and enough for 4…at least.

Ben ordered the pepper seared strip steak served with broccoli, sauteed mushrooms and scallions.  Served rare just like he’d asked, the steak was fanned beautifully on the plate and it was good.  The pepper was a strong and identifiable flavor, but not overpowering.  The vegetables were also nice, and didn’t seem to be drowned in butter, oil or sauce.  

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I had the mahi mahi special; a seared mahi filet served a top mint Israeli cous cous and sauteed asparagus.  The menu claimed that this dish was drizzled with a coconut vanilla sauce, which intrigued me.  I could not taste either ingredient in the sauce, but the dish was delicious nonetheless.

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The restuarant is long and narrow with tall ceilings.  There is a bar that seats maybe 15 people with a few tall tables near the front.  The dining area has roughly 10 tables, some seat 4 and others 2.  There is also a curtained off room near the back which is lounge-like containing a small red sofa and a round 8 top.  Nice for a private little evening with a group of friends.  The bar and dining area are separated by a tall screen wall making the dining room seem more intimate.  The decor and lighting is simple.  Nothing to distract from your meal or your company.  On a thursday night at 8 the place was almost full.  There was a table near us that was empty, but other than that it was well attended.  We did not have to wait for a table, so that was refreshing.

The CZ Rating is as follows, on a scale of 1-10-

Ambiance: 8

Food: 7

Service: 8

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