Tag: special occasion

Valentine’s Day Beef Wellington

Well Dined | Beef Wellington

This year for Valentine’s Day we decided to stay in, and we both agreed that I should make Beef Wellington – a very special occasion dish of filet mignon and mushrooms wrapped in puff pastry.  You can find many recipes out there for this dish, but mine has some secret weapons to keep the puff pastry from getting soggy, the beef from getting overcooked (look at how nice and pink it is, even after 20 minutes in the oven), and to add extra flavor.  It is not difficult, but it is time consuming with many steps – which is why it is a special occasion dish (plus it’s soooooooo rich).  So read on!

Well Dined | Beef Wellington

First up, sear the filet.  (I made 4 servings because it would use a whole package of puff pasty – I have never had good luck with refreezing it.)  You want to get a nice sear on all sides, including around the edges, but don’t cook the steak all the way.  Remove the filets to a plate and allow to cool a bit, then cover and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.  This step is what will keep the beef from overcooking in the oven. (more…)

Inn at Little Washington – Birthday Surprise

You guys – I have a computer again!  Yay!!!  We are still in the process of settling in, but I at least have a place to post from now.  Right before we moved was my 30th birthday, and I was kind of bummed because I had wanted to do a big trip to New York but the timing with the new house meant that we couldn’t.  Jasper told me that he was going to plan a smaller trip to a surprise location, so right in the middle of packing we hopped in the car and head to… The Inn at Little Washington!  What a great surprise!

Well Dined | Inn at Little Washington
Welcome Cocktails

It also worked out nicely as a pre-anniversary trip because it was almost to our 5 year wedding anniversary!  I can’t even believe it – time flies!

Well Dined | Inn at Little Washington

We arrived just in time for afternoon tea, which was lovely.  Both the sweet and savory bites were delicious and I love that they make all of their own accompaniments.  I had a delicious caramel tea that I ended up buying from the store because it was so good. (more…)

Bourbon Steak (top 100 – 2010, 2011, 2012)

We had been meaning to try out Michael Mina’s signature restaurant, Bourbon Steak, for quite a while, and when we finally did we were not disappointed – except by the steak.

We started out in the lounge, where we perused their massive and innovative cocktail list.  I had the 1919, with aperol, grapefruit bitters, prosecco, and a sugar cube – a perfect aperitif.  There were many more drinks on the list that I would love to try as well; we might have to come back for an evening at the bar. (more…)

Anniversary Dinner

A few weeks ago, we celebrated our 2nd Wedding Anniversary!  We went on a lovely trip to Texas over the weekend, but our actual anniversary fell on a Tuesday.  We had plans to eat at some very nice restaurants on our trip, so we decided to stay in on our anniversary and have a nice home-cooked meal.  I made steak with compound butter, spinach and Gruyere souffle, and vanilla bean panna cotta with mixed berries. (more…)