Posing as a Food Blogger

I apparently am not a very good food blogger.

I love food.  And I like my blog.  But I have completely forgotten to tell you about a bunch of great restaurants that we have been to lately.  And by lately, I mean the past half-year.  Roughly.

But there is no time like the present to remedy this situation.  So hold onto your hats, here we go!

Fogo de Chao.  We visited the Atlanta location, but there may be one closer to you.  This is a Brazilian Steakhouse, where the meat is prepared in the gaucho fashion, and gauchos bring you an endless supply of meat on swords throughout the meal.  You are given a small medallion to set near your plate, and if you turn it to the green side, tons of gauchos will rush to your side to offer you 15 different types of meat.  When you have enough on your plate, you turn the medallion over.  You can eat as much as you like.  There is also a fantastic salad bar.  Lex pretty much ate salami and cheese from the salad bar, but Connor was happy to keep turning his medallion over to get more and more meat.  That kid loves him some meat.  If you've never been to Fogo de Chao, you should try it out.  It is delicious and original.

Maggiano's Little Italy.  We ate at the Buckhead location in Atlanta.  This restaurant was pretty kid-friendly.  They had coloring pages, crayons and a kids' menu.  But it was also a little bit upscale.  We ate stuffed mushrooms, and I ordered chicken marsala.  These are two of my all-time favorites, and they did not disappoint.

Cunetto House of Pasta on the Hill in the Little Italy neighborhood in St. Louis.  We felt so lucky to have discovered this little gem, and all on our own!  It was without a doubt the best Italian food we have ever eaten, and it wasn't even that pricey!  We ordered a salami and cheese appetizer for the boys to eat, and then we had Calamari Fritti, which was served with a very spicy red sauce.  I ate the Petto di Pollo Cardinale, which is a boneless breast of chicken, sauteed in a wine and delicate cheese sauce, and served with peas, prosciutto and mushrooms.  It was heavenly.  Wine and delicate cheese sauce.  I'm a sucker for good sauces.  And cannoli.

Elephant & Castle Pub & Restaurant.  I took the boys to the Elephant & Castle on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.  This place was also kid-friendly, having suitable coloring pages, crayons and kids' menus.  But they did not have a pool table, which Connor has come to expect at many pubs, and he was therefore disappointed.  On the other hand, there were plenty of televisions, and he was able to watch Sports Center on ESPN during dinner, and was therefore placated.  I had the chicken and mushroom penne, which boasts chicken breast, cherry tomatoes, spinach and mushrooms, sauteed and tossed with a whiskey-mushroom sauce and Parmesan cheese.  It was delicious.  Whiskey-mushroom sauce.  The portions were also pretty big, but we had a pretty big appetite that day.  Connor ate his entire kids' meal, and then asked for another, which he also devoured before we got brownies and ice cream for dessert.  Lex ate his entire meal, and then fell asleep sitting up on his chair.  I ate the second half of the meal with him asleep on my lap.

Alright, I think I'm done now.  If you need me, I'll be in the kitchen, making dinner for tonight.