How to Spot Good Champagne
Bubbles Give a Clue

If the sparkling champagne has big bubbles, it's not the best champagne. That usually means that carbon dioxide was injected into it to make the bubbly effect that we love. Champagne with little bubbles are preferable. This means that the bubbles are formed naturally from oxidation.

-Advice from wine expert from Trinchero Family Estates

Harrah's Supports Local Farmers, Atlantic City Country Club & HBO's Boardwalk Empire

Farm to Table Dinner at Nero's Grill in Caesars

Caesar's Atlantic City hosted Farm to Table on Thursday and Friday. This exquisite culinary feast featured food from local New Jersey farms.

On Thursday evening, our culinary adventure began at Nero's Grill at Caesars. Here's what we ate:

First up to bat is Amuse Bouche: Smoked Duck Breast, Apricot paint, Pistachio, Pea Tendrils and Olive oil powder (above right).




Appetizer was Seared Cape May Scallops, Jalapeno Creamed Corn, Basil Essence with lemon emulsifier. (left)




Spetacular entree: Walu (from Hawaii), Broccoli Rabe, Clams and Tomato Broth. This was my first time eating Walu. Walu is in the barracuda family and has the texture of a tender steak. Declicious. (right)




Triple Dessert: Triple Cream Tiramisu, Warm Chocolate Cake and Apple Cider Cheesecake (left)

Breakfast at Atlantic City Country Club

On Friday morning we ate at the Atlantic City Country Club, a former private golf club founded in 1897. It is owned by Harrah's Entertainment and now open to the public. The club is most famous for being the birthplace of the golf terms "birdie" and "eagle." They will soon be famous for their great food.

Check out what I ate for breakfast: Petit sirloin steak with scrambled eggs, pineapple and strawberry.

The club's Tap Room Bar and Grille (we had window seating with a gorgeous window view of the golf course and premises), and the lake

Lake, golf course and locker room and lockers of some famous folks who have come to tee off at the course

HBO's BOARDWALK EMPIRE

This is a pic of the Boardwalk Empire display at Caesar's Atlantic City. (based on the HBO series)

Check out a clip below of the series which storyline is set in Atlantic City.

GNC Dish in New Orleans PART II: New Orleans Cooking Experience, Lower 9th Ward, Brad Pitt Homes

Make it a point to visit New Orleans! If you didn't get a chance to READ PART I of the New Orleans post, CLICK HERE to get up to speed. Here are a some highlights from Part II of the trip.

While in NO I took a half day cooking class with chef Janice "Boo" Macomber. The great thing about this class is that students do more eating than cooking :). We made Roux from scratch, BBQ Shrimp, Dirty Rice Jambalaya and more. In addition to feasting on the three course meal with dessert, you will also tour the property which is also a bed and breakfast. While touring the property, the hostess tells the fascinating history of New Orleans, Creole culture I highly recommend taking this class if you go to New Orleans.

Here Boo talks about her favorite fish while cooking the first course BBQ shrimp. Culinary note: BBQ shrimp has nothing to do with BBQ.

Here's a pic of the BBQ Shrimp, Chicken Sausage Gumbo and Boo's Dirty Rice Jumbalaya w/ground beef and smoked sausage and bananas foster fired up with some rum.

And now time for dessert.

Boo makes some Banana Foster

...Then she FIRES up da Banana Foster

LOWER 9th WARD TOUR with Lower 9th Ward Neighborhood Council President, Vera McFadden and actor Brad Pitt's homes through his Make It Right Foundation

Start of tour..

....Trees all over the place

Driving past what used to be Vera's mother home which had to be demolished after Katrina

Up close at the levee. The levee is only a few feet away from the Lower 9th neighborhood.

Symbolic Art in the Lower 9th

Actor Brad Pitt's foundation, Make It Right, is building 150 homes in the Lower 9th Ward
Here are a few of them.

Missed Part I of TheGritsnCheeseDish in New Orleans?
READ NOW

New Orleans Part II: Coming this Week

Goood Morning!,

Hope everyone had a great Labor Day Holiday weekend! Part II of my New Orleans trip is coming this week. Thank you for stopping by The GritsnCheesedish! In the meantime to catch up, you can click here to read Part I.

Below is a hilarious clip of Chef Janice Boo Macomber from the New Orleans Cooking Experience dismissing me from my cooking duties. I almost squeezed lemon seeds in her BBQ shrimp! Thanks to my fellow NOCE class mate, Attorney Winston B. Collier from Arkansas for being willing to work my little ole hand held Cannon for this clip while I cooked! I got a lot of mileage out of that camera. I must admit these little Cannon cameras rock!

VIDEO: Click the pic to watch the comedy go down!

Have a good day and good eatin'!

-Monica