13 Gypsies - February 25

13 Gypsies

Price: $ ($2.00-$11.00)

Location: Historic Riverside District

Website: http://www.13gypsies.com/default.htm

 I have been wanting to go to this place for months now and I finally was able to go tonight and I am so glad that I did. This little neighborhood restaurant is so different and unique. They serve mainly Tapas which basically means small entrees. The inside looks exactly like what a traditional Mediterranean restaurant should look like. They have daily specials and dessert menus but have a pretty solid menu full of delicious options. And what I did not know and wish I had known is that it is probably necessary to make a reservation because they get busy quickly. 

 My mom and I went and ordered three things to split between each other. First was the Roman Gnocchi that is made from semolina which is course, purified wheat middling used in making pasta. If you like cheese you will absolutely love this dish. The gnocchi is mixed with Parmesan cheese, cut into rectangles and seared on both sides then served with a peppery mushroom sauce topped with more cheese. The gnocchi was so creamy but a little crispy on the outside and it soaks up the mushroom sauce which is good enough to lick off of the plate. 

 Second was the Fresh Chorizo and Pears which was unexpected yet unforgettable. They give you two chorizo patties which is handmade, spicy sausage that is seared to give it a light crust on each side. The pears are also seared, in honey I believe, and I don't know what else but they are firm yet soft and have just the right amount of sweetness. It is also served with dates and those were good as well; very sweet. I had never had dates before this but they were pretty good I must admit.

 The third dish we ordered was the Escargot and Basil which I was not too fond of. I have had it a few times and I loved it but this dish really didn't impress me. I may just have high expectations when it comes to escargot but these seemed too chewy for me. The seasoning of the basil and garlic was good but I personally was not a fan. 

I went a little overboard thinking about how all of the dishes were so affordable and decided to get dessert. We shared the Tres Leches cake, a sponge cake soaked in evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream, and it was so good. It was delectably moist and swimming in a pool of sweet milk and cream. If any of you decide to visit here, and if you're lucky enough that they have this on their menu that day, I would definitely recommend it. And I am sorry about the picture, we dove into and I forgot to take the untouched photo.

"Domo Arigato" - February 12

Domo Crepes Etc.

Price: $ ($3.00-$9.00) Lunch Menu

Location: 813 Lomax Street

Website: http://www.domocrepesetc.com/

 This just happened to be a last minute place me and my boyfriend went to. Originally we planned on going somewhere else and it was closed. We drove around looking for other places and decided on a sushi place but as we were walking to it, I saw this little cafe across the street and immediately changed direction. I've never noticed this place before but I won't forget it now. As soon as we walked in we were greeted and asked to sit wherever we liked. The interior layout was small but the atmosphere was very relaxing and laid back. And I apologize for the low camera quality on all of these pictures. I forgot my camera and had to use my phone.

 They serve breakfast, lunch, dinner and desserts and serve all kinds of coffee; including imported, and even Cafe Royale which is alcohol based coffee. They serve all fresh ingredients and their vegetables are farm fresh. Nothing comes pre-packaged and they make everything from scratch, including the dough they use to make their flats and crepes. I ordered their organic raspberry tea for my drink and I usually don't like raspberry tea because most places make it way too sweet but this one was exceptionally good. 

 I tried something today that I have never had before: prosciutto. I had what was called the Tomato Basil and Prosciutto Flat. They served their freshly baked whole wheat flat, baked in a stone-hearth oven, and topped it with juicy tomatoes, sliced olives, garlic, salty prosciutto and creamy mozzarella cheese. You could immediately tell that the dough was homemade. It was crunchy but gooey at the same time. The juiciness and warmth of the tomatoes combined together wonderfully with the salty strips of prosciutto. The olives provided a little extra earthiness to the whole dish which was delicious. 

 I also ordered one of their specials for the day: the potato and bacon soup. It had big chunks of soft potatoes and huge pieces of bacon mixed together with onions and heavy cream and topped it with a dollop of sour cream, which I supposed to be organic being that it's texture was slightly different. I've never seen pieces of bacon that big in a soup before which made me happy because who doesn't like extra bacon? And they brought it to our table with a little bowl of their whole wheat flats. 

 Whenever my boyfriend sees steak on the menu, he automatically goes towards that. He had the Firecracker Steak Crepe comprised of sliced steak, mushrooms, peppers, garlic, onions, chili sauce and mozzarella cheese with mushroom bechamel and sriracha hot chili sauce drizzled over it all. It looked good but I could smell the hot sauce from across the table and decided not to mix that with my awesome meal. 

  Even though I was full after eating all of this, I couldn't resist. I ordered a dessert crepe. The Berry and Creme Crepe. They set it in front of me and my eyes widened. I'm exaggerating slightly but it looked so good. They had their own flat press to make the crepes, which they made fresh with every order. This one was a sweet and creamy combination that had strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries in it with a scoop of ice cream on the side drizzled with raspberry syrup. I was so full but I couldn't stop eating it. The tartness of the raspberries and blackberries along with the sweetness of the strawberries and blueberries was divine. The warmth from the crepe melted the ice cream a bit and the crepe soaked up the creamy melted ice cream and it all went together perfectly. My day was made from this dish.