A HOME away from Home - HOME Cafe, St Clair

HOME Cafe, St Clair, Trinidad

Well I'll never be a stranger
And I'll never be alone
Wherever we're together
That's my home. 

Billy Joel – You’re My Home 

 Home is not just the physical structure or place. Home is a feeling – a sanctuary, comfort, happiness, belonging. It is a place you yearn to be, and as I type this, I truly yearn for my home and everything that comes with it and which brings so much comfort at the end of a long day, a long week.

I luckily also had the chance to experience HOME – the HOME conceptualised by fashion goddess and Project Runway winner, Anya Ayoung Chee. On the gastronomy side of HOME, is HOME Café – a warm, open space where friends meet and catch up, wind down and rock from side to side with laughter together.

That is exactly what my circle of sistren (Kerwin duBois does not have a monopoly on the circle) did last weekend at HOME Café where not only did we enjoy amazing food, but where we truly felt that feeling that is HOME courtesy Anya and her mum, Michelle, and the excellent care and service from the HOME team, who made our Saturday lunch/ girls’ meet-up so special.

Menu – great price point and a nice variety of options. I am looking forward to experiencing a HOME breakfast now that I am embracing this 2015 Saturday morning breakfast concept more often. Baby steps.

Ambiance – very homey, pun intended. Clean, clutter-free open space, naturally lit and quiet. Very much a café vibe and very laid back.

The food – but of course, the food. I was impressed with my main, the Thai Red Curry w/ shrimp because I love me some Thai curry. Missed the coconut rice/jasmine rice, but it was delicious all the same. The dessert, though at first I thought it would be too much at first, was gorgeous. Not usually a fan of mousse but the triple chocolate mousse was amazeballs. I ate it all. My pants are tight this week.

HOME's House Salad - fresh and flavourful

Cream of Broccoli Soup at HOME

My girlfriend substituted fresh salmon for smoked salmon in this Pasta Carbonara

Thai Shrimp Curry - loved this!

At HOME with this Triple Chocolate Mousse. Hard to resist this one.

Loved it. Would do it again.

HOME Café, Scott Street, St Clair | Email cafe@home.co.tt for reservations or drop by 8-10:30am for breakfast and 11:30am-3:00pm for lunch

Read more »

Flatbreads + Aioli Restaurant = Lunchtime Awesomeness

There are a few things that separate a good restaurant, from a great restaurant. Spectacular service. Fantastic food. Ambiance. Parking (lol - having had someone hit my car which was parked on the street, while I was inside eating, makes this very critical for me these days).

But seriously, one other thing that keeps me going back to any restaurant is when the establishment 'keeps it fresh' and by this I mean, you are not eating the same pasta dish for a year because the menu is in a chronic state of paralysis.

And this brings me to Aioli, located in Ellerslie Plaza in Maraval, which is still my fave restaurant. With the lunch menu being revitalised earlier this year, Aioli is keeping it fresh once again. Every time I go, there is something new, and something different for me to try, and I appreciate this, and I bet the Aioli-ites appreciate this as well. It is also a great way to entice new and emerging Aioli-ites and entice they did, when I was invited to join a great gang of foodie types, to try out Chef Johnny's brand new flatbread menu. 

The menu was created for the lunch time crowd, those busy corporate types like myself who want a great lunch experience but in half the time; and really, it's perfect for just about anyone who likes great food and anyone who loves a bit of adventure with their food.

The flatbread menu we tried yesterday, which is reasonably priced in my opinion,  consisted of:

Margherita - homemade marinara sauce, buffalo mozzarella, fresh purple and green basil. For those who may still be a bit hesitant, and need a little nudge, a margherita flatbread is a good introduction, until...

Garden Flatbread - zucchini, eggplant, yellow squash, cherry tomatoes, Humboldt Fog Cheese, homemade marinara sauce, Villa Manadori Balsamic. I loved this, primarily because the balsamic gave it that something special. For the meat lover like myself, this 'something special' made this veggie option a winner!!

Sardinia - Mozzarella cheese, buffalo mozzarella, micro basil, thinly sliced garlic, homemade marinara sauce, marinated white anchovies. Not much of an anchovy lover, but this was a great little flatbread. For me, the garlic...the garlic...the garlic. This was a wonderful blend of flavours - anchovy meets garlic. Amazing.

Chorizo di Funghi - Baby bella mushrooms, spicy Spanish chorizo, mozzarella cheese, homemade marinara sauce. I love chorizo, so this was bound to be good. Add the baby bella mushrooms and I was a happy flatbreader.

Shrimp and Manchego - Grilled shrimp, mozzarella cheese, Manchego cheese, fresh cilantro, meyer lemon. - Wonderful flatbread for the non-meat eaters, with that lemon zing giving the taste buds a real sucker punch.

Blue Steak Flatbread - Grilled sirloin steak, blue cheese, roasted garlic, caramelised onions. No wonder it's listed last on the menu. This is the king of the flatbreads - a real OMG moment. Seared ever so delicately with a blowtorch, the steak, combined with the blue cheese, with the caramelised onions and the roasted garlic - the highlight of the afternoon. Words cannot describe this epic creation and I loved it, and will hopefully be loving it some more, and then some more again.

And when we thought it could not get better, a special treat, and when I say special, I mean special. As a notorious pork lover, the introduction of the Carolina styled pulled pork on hops, served with a Cajun aioli, cole slaw and breaded and fried ochroes sent the table into a bit of a frenzy. This dish is trininista-certified for awesomeness - a platinum standard for anything pork! While it is actually NOT a menu item, I hope the response will get it on the lunch menu in the very immediate future.

The only bad thing about yesterday is that once again, I had to go back to work after the last morsel was consumed. 

Keeping it fresh - that is what it's about. Keeping the experience new every single time. I appreciate that and Aioli continues to do it extremely well. Cheers.

Read more »

All Italian Fine Wine and Foods - All Italian, All Good

While I did go to Italy earlier this year, I did not need to fight up with getting a visa, nor did I need to get on a plane to experience a little taste of Italy earlier this week. Instead, through the graciousness of our hostesses, TriniChow and Learning Patience, I took a second trip to Italy with just a quick drive around the corner to All Italian Fine Wine and Foods, for a wonderful evening with some amazing local bloggers at a T&T Bloggers' Lime.

Nestled neatly on Rust Street, Port of Spain, just next to Paprika, All Italian is run by the warm and accomodating Francesca and Ossie and is a wine lover's paradise, with a wonderful assortment of Italian wines. But while it may indeed seem that way, man (and woman) cannot live on wine alone and this gourmet shop also offers an assortment of cheeses, pastas, sauces, coffee (hubba hubba) olive oil and treats. A visit to this cute little shop is just what Santa recommends for the holiday season, especially if one has friends who are foodies. If you have a taste for a specific type of wine, Francesca and Ossie are well placed to recommend some amazing choices for you - the assortment is vast and you have your pick of your whites, reds and Prosecco. You have your picks of just about everything actually - everything needed to create an evening indoors for yourself and friends, or to make a friend or relative very very happy.

It was a great combo of great wine, great bites, and great convo with some awesome bloggers.

All Italian Fine Wine and Foods is located at 15A Rust Street, Port of Spain. Tel: 683-4162.

Biscotti!  Biscotti!

Wonderful assortment of pastas

Pasta pasta pasta at All Italian Fine Wine and Foods, 15 Rust Street, Port of Spain

Wines and the perfect bits and bites

Prosecco at All Italian Fine Wine and Foods

I do accept gifts. December is birthday and Christmas month.  Lovely gift idea!
Wine, coffee, sauces, pasta. This is amazing!

A delectable assortment of desserts available at All Italian Fine Wine and Foods

Read more »

Italy meets Trininista: A night at Buzo Osteria Italiana

Buzo Osteria Italiana, Port of Spain, Trinidad

Since I have been back home, I have been trying to check out some of the places that had opened while I was away, or just places I had not had chance to patronise yet.

Last night, the girls and I went to Buzo Osteria Italiana, located on Warner Street in Port of Spain. Everyone else had already been but I was going to pop my Buzo cherry. I had heard many good things and believe me, I love Italian food, so I was very excited (and how awesome that Italy is on today in Euro 2012!! woot woot!)

And I was not disappointed. The restaurant's ambience is amazing. Very modern, very chic but not pretentious. My type of place and for a moment, I forgot I was in Trinidad. There is also a great outdoor area where most of the smokers had settled for the evening but even with the disgusting cigarette smoke, it was really cosy and fresh in look and feel. The out of Trinidad feeling was compounded by the stellar service from the wait staff. So used to horrendous and just plain BAD service from local establishments, I was really pleased to not have to sharpen my tongue to answer back anyone last night. I loved that our waiter, Shannon, had an honest opinion of what he would recommend. I hate going to places where the wait staff are just like lumps who tell you "everything is good". Excellent service.

And the food? Oh the food, my lovelies. Let's just say it was as good as it looked. Five stars!

Torcelli with Italian sausages, porcini mushrooms in a light cream and tomato sauce

The lamb...in a mint sauce

The sexy looking salmon

Panacotta and the most decadent chocolate souffle

Read more »