Newelleats

Sweet Breads

I'm what I would like to call an "Easy Eater." A sometimes adventurous, but never picky carnivore who dabbles in vegetarianism, enjoys appetizers more than desserts, and short walks to the bar.

So, if I'm at a Peruvian restaurant and anticucho (skewered cow's heart) is the popular dish -- I'll try it.

With that said, I am also a repetative eater. I order turkey clubs at Dojo, breakfast burritos at 7A, and grilled salmon at Westville each and every time I frequent the restaurant.

New cuisines and flavors are great, but at a recent dinner, this was put to test.

Azul Bistro, an Argentinean restaurant seated on a hip corner in the lower east side, is THE place to take friends, out-of-towners, parents, lovers, and celebrities. For the meat lover in all of us, this South American restaurant will quench your protein thirst.

Here's how to order:
Start with the Eggplant Milanesitas -- thinly sliced, fried eggplant layered between goat cheese with sliced tomatoes on the side. Then, as a second course, go for the Marinated, Grilled and Sliced Sirloin for 2 (Cortada) on the menu. I tend to order it over and over again quite simply because it's the best. The rosemary, thyme, and brandy marinade creates a flavor you'll obsess over for days after eating it. Plus, it is served with a mesclun salad and french fries. I stick to this because it fills me up and never lets me down.

Others I've dined with have leaned toward the Grilled Mixed Selection for 2 (Parrillada Completa). This assortment includes chicken, lamb chops, skirt steak, chorizo, morcilla, and sweet breads. Sweet breads, as some of you may know, is the brain of an animal -- cow, lamb, horse, etc. -- and it is often considered a delicacy in foreign countries.

I'm sure it is dandy and tastes just like chicken! But, I cannot stomach such delicacies. For some reason, watching the "meat" get passed around and tasted by everyone made my stomach turn. Watching D chew on the seasoned brain bite after bite in an effort to say, "Look, I eat it so you should eat it too!" didn't exactly work. As my momma taught me: peer pressure is no reason to do something you don't want to do.

And so, much to the dismay of my fellow diners, no amount of wine and cajoling could get me to taste cranium. I am sorry K, but I have found the line I cannot cross.

The sweet bread eaters

posted by The Future Johnsons @ 3:15 PM