Some post detox chowing down

 Mere hours after I followed the detox diet and ate this kale/beet/bean/caper concoction...

...(and lost 10 pounds, by the way)...

 ...I found myself at Wooster's South Market Bistro with this incredible duck dish with sweet potato gratin and spinach.

 Julia got the fried chicken with sriracha-honey sauce.

The following day, we did our best to burn off these decadent delights by walking around the mall with Rocky and the kids...

 ...acquainting Max with Santa...

...and chasing him around the pet store...

...so that we could also enjoy more grub at Samurai in the forms of steak tartare...

 

 ...and sushi.

But it was Sunday morning when we really got crazy...

 ...thanks to the Feve's pumpkin roll pancakes...

 

...with real pumpkin slivers and cream cheese frosting.

I would have gained all 10 pounds back...

 

 ...if Max didn't help me eat it.

 .

My reason(s) for a 3 week diet/detox

 

Well, it's beginning to be that time again when my festival fans can start coming here for my updates.  It's honestly rather difficult to keep this blog going when in full festival swing...

...and did you hear I will be getting 300 festivals this year?

CLICK HERE FOR THAT INFO

Between the fests...

...the beef tongue tacos...

...the homemade eggplant lasagna...

...the sushi...

...and some of the decadent dishes while in Upstate New York...

...(more upstate)...

...(and MORE upstate)...

...it's no wonder I'm on a 3 week detox/diet!

I'm on my last week of...

...no animal products (meat/eggs/dairy)...

...no gluten...

...no refined sugar (fruit sugar is fine)...

...no alcohol...

...and no caffeine.

Okay - so there HAS BEEN caffeine!

But I've lost 8 pounds in the first 2 weeks and I feel wonderful (I may give some credit to Vitamin D as well)!

I'm looking forward to taking my renewed driver's license!

Talk soon!

- Kristian

Ginko and the Sea (on our plate)

Recently, a friend had asked me if I ever ate at Ginko in Cleveland to which I responded that I hadn't.

He then proceeded to tell me about an incredible mackerel dish he had where they served the entire fish, you picked at the sushi cuts, and then they fried up the remaining fish for you to finish devouring.

A 2-phase dish?

"You would love it!" he told me.

So we made plans to go!

With a babysitter lined up and a reservation made, Julia and I went with our friends (Alberto/Denise) to Ginko and got a nice corner table that faced the bar.

Thanks to a Facebook foodie group, I was advised to get the Otsukuri Omakase (chef's daily selection).  On the car ride to the restaurant, Alberto was considering this as well.

So we sat at our table and discussed dinner strategies...

 ...ordering Pringles topped with spicy scallops and avocado in the meantime...

...and enjoying them immensely...

...and then learning that Alberto's coveted mackerel dish was ALSO being served that evening.

What to do?  What to do?

Waiter: "I can add the mackerel to your omakase dinners with a surcharge."

We agreed...

...and this arrived.

Included in this dish are scallop (flower on left with salmon roe), that crazy mackerel (see the fish head and tail?), prawn (with the sweetest meat), salmon, tuna, white tuna, sea urchin, clam (in the shell on right), freshly grated wasabi, fluke and other fine things...

...and it was incredible!

Fresh, flavorful, exciting and delicious.

It was all those things.

As Julia and Denise enjoyed some rolls...

...Alberto and I ate everything except the mackerel carcass and prawn heads...

...but they returned to us in a transformed state...

...and we greedily ate that as well.

jgh

Wyoming - Day 7 - Chief Joseph, Beartooth and the way to home

 The final full day started with breakfast - but not just any kind of breakfast...

 ...this was an egg and sausage stuffed pancake breakfast with two kinds of jelly (instead of syrup)...

...and it was great!

We were back in the car...

 

...making our way to Billings, Montana via a scenic route...

 

 

 

 

...starting with the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway...

 

...and then catching a higher road called Beartooth Highway...

...where we climbed up to 10,900 feet!

Although the rain clouds blocked the view, it was still pretty cool!

With only a short stop in Red Lodge, Montana (which is dealing with downtown road construction)...

 

...we finally settled in for the evening in downtown Billings.

Originally, we were going to find a place to eat and gamble a bit at the various casinos downtown, but my father wasn't feeling good enough to go out...

 ...and then, at Walkers Grill...

...my brother realized he still hadn't recovered once the food came...

...so I ate most of our tapas plates.

*****************************

The next morning, we woke up super early, caught the shuttle to the airport...

...and, thankfully, didn't fill some of the biggest seat belts ever.

When we arrived back in Cleveland, it was clear that our trip was over...

...all the crazy travel snafus in airports, late night drives, gun fighting, rodeos, mud volcanoes, buffalo, Idaho road trips, beef jerky...

...all done!

But maybe it wasn't.  

Maybe there would be other trips for the three of us.  

Maybe this was simply the first one.

I admit that the idea definitely sounds good to me!

.

Wyoming - Day 6 - Back to Cody

Although alcohol had gotten the better of me the night before, I did manage to go to bed sober and wake up feeling refreshed.

My brother, on the other hand, wasn't feeling so hot the following morning and he passed on going to breakfast in the hotel.

After breakfast...

...we were back in the car...

...cutting through Yellowstone...

...and just enjoying the drive.

We stretched our legs in Shonshone National Forest...

 ...(although Rocky decided to stay seated)...

 ...and then continued on our way beyond mountains...

 .

...and along rivers...

...until we arrived at The Cody hotel.

Unfortunately, Rocky still wasn't feeling too well, so he stayed at the hotel...

...as Dad and I drove into town...

 

...out of town...

 

...and even to the local Walmart where we got Rocky some Jello and saltines.

Dad and I fortunately ate a little better than Rocky, splitting some baby back ribs and a buffalo ribeye at the Rib and Chop House...

 

...and both getting the elk tenderloin at the 8th Street Restaurant at the Ivy Hotel.

Both meals were delicious!

 

 

 

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