Two quick highlights:

1) I decided to be adventurous on my entree choice and it paid off.
2) I had the best churros of my life. Yeah, I said it.

The entree I decided to try was the Dungeness crab chile relleno. Wait, Dungeness crab? It was served with a potata-pea puree, dry-cured chorizo and corn crema. The photo looks more like a baked potato, but if you look closer you start to see the big chunks of crab.

It was delicious. I never imagined these ingredients all in one dish. Besides, I’m a sucker for Dungeness crab.

Then there was dessert. Or well, Ryan’s dessert. He ordered the churros which sounded pretty pedestrian until I tasted one. They were so perfectly crispy and airy, yet soft and practically creamy on the inside. Unfortunately I don’t have a photo of it because we were all too busy marveling its texture. That and the conversation soon turned to Trevor’s “corn ice cream” which was um, interesting.

So yup, Barrio was good. Service was a bit slow, but maybe that’s what the extensive tequila menu is for. The tortilla soup is more like an okay chili. But the chile relleno, churros and the short rib quesadilla we ordered as Trevor and Ly made their way up the Hill were all pretty amazing. And yes, the candles there are cool. Thanks William for the recommendation and Ryan for the reservation. Hasta luego, Barrio.

Dinner at Barrio | by jamiey

I started to suspect my new mouthwash, Crest Pro Health, and stopped using it. The discoloration on my teeth started to get better after a few days, but it was still driving me nuts so I started to Google it. And lo and behold, Crest Pro Health is commonly reported to cause teeth staining. What the hell!

Even check out Amazon’s reviews, more teeth staining! Why is this product on the market? A mouthwash that stains your teeth–can they be serious??

I really can’t believe it. Tomorrow I plan to throw out all my Crest products out of sheer disdain for the brand. And pick-up some Colgate.

♥♥♥♥½	♥♥♥½	♥♥♥♥
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♥♥♥	♥♥♥♥♥♥!!!	♥♥♥♥
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So there you have it! Granted I “cheated” a bit by re-reading some Harry Potter, but I’m convinced that’s just plain good for the heart (like red wine, I suppose). That and I noticed I tend to get sucked into series and this year was a cheesy (but fun) Mr. Darcy trilogy, hah.

I’ve listed some rough ratings below each book. But if you’re looking for a recommendation, I’d have to say the best books I’ve read this year are Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Kite Runner, and Empress: A Novel.

Also, what I found also to be helpful for tracking and also motivating is the Facebook Books application, so if you’re a book reader, check it out.

For 2008, I’ve decided to do a book per month again, not so much as a resolution, but more now as just a “practice”. I’ve already completed 3 books, so this year looks promising. :)

“A powerful book… no frills, no nonsense, just hard, spare prose… an intimate account of family and friendship, betrayal and salvation that requires no atlas or translation to engage and enlighten us. Parts of The Kite Runner are raw and excruciating to read, yet the book in its entirety is lovingly written.”

Admittedly I was reluctant to read at first, but although it is largely set in Afghanistan (and its violence-ridden last few decades), the book is not so much about the recent events in the Middle East, but rather uses the scene as a backdrop for the plot’s focus on the relationships between the main character and his father, his best friend, and “making things right again”. It’s a true redemption story, a unique and vivid one at that.

If looking for a new fiction to dive into, do check it out.

Recommended.

Last night, driven by impulse and the prospect of a decadent dessert, Jules, Taylor, and I went out to Chocolati in Wallingford. None of us had been before, but we had heard a lot about it, so this was our chance to check it out. Known for their infamous hot chocolates, we each decided to get one. I picked the classic “house” version, Taylor chose a raspberry-chocolate blend, and Jules went for the dark chocolate.

“Oh my God,” basically sums up what it’s like to have your first sip of a Chocolati hot chocolate. And well, every sip thereafter, really. All three cocoas were devastatingly good. Taylor’s raspberry-chocolate was my favorite, reminding me of Seattle Chocolate’s raspberry cream truffles. Jules’ drink (if you could call it that) was so thick we reasoned that if she let it cool, it would harden in her cup. “I think I can chew mine,” she said between gulps. We left dizzy, our throats lined with chocolate, and ready to crash. It was really somethin’ else.

Currently Watching
The West Wing – The Complete Fourth Season