Ways to Be Sweet On Valentine's Day

III Forks
Chef Jamie's III Forks' Sweet Heart Menu
$150 per couple excludes beverages, tax and gratuity
Choice of III Forks Salad or Lobster Bisque
Entrée: Two 6 ounces UDSA Prime Filet Accompanied by 12 ounces Australian Cold Water Lobster Tail served with duchess potatoes, sugar snap peas, off-the-cob cream corn, vine ripened tomatoes and spring onions
Dessert: Chocolate Lovers Dessert

NoRTH
Valentine's Day Specials
Soup: Wedding Soup $9
Appetizer: Jumbo lump crab cakes with basil & roasted red pepper aioli and aged balsamic $14
Fish: Oven roasted Chilean Sea Bass with eggplant napoleon and smoked tomato compote $29
Meat: Char-grilled Filet of Beef & Jumbo Shrimp with a Port demi-glaze and tomato-basil relish $35
Dessert: Bars of Sin $9

34th Street Café
Chef Justin "Raif" Raiford Valentines' Day Menu "Seal It With A Kiss"
$38 per person with one glass of house wine
Amuse Bouche: Flame Kissed Gulf Oysterw/ Drawn Garlic Butter, Parmesan Chives & Sea Salt
Second Course: Choice of One Lobster and Pernod Bisque or Fall Greens Fig Vinaigrette Candied Walnuts, Duck Confit & Maytag
Third Course: Choice of One Lobster Risotto Steamed Green Beans or Petit Fillet of Beef Rooted Vegetable Gratin Garlic Sautéed Spinach in a Red Wine
Sweets: Chocolate Kiss of Death Molten Tart; or Raspberry Caulis & Amy's Sweet Cream Ice Cream

Blue Star Cafeteria
Chef RJ Slade Valentine's Day Menu Special Prix-Fixe
$38 per person * Wine tasting with meal add $12 pp
Amuse-Bouche: Classic Tomato Basil Soup with Crème Fraiche

First Course: Salad from the Garden, Mixed organic greens from the chef's garden and Boggy Creek Farm with strawberries, local goat cheese, pistachios and blood orange vinaigrette
* Irony Chardonnay (Napa Valley) * Juicy tropical fruit and mineral notes with lively citrus, crisp green apples, rich cream and vanilla
*Second Course(choice of one): Sashimi Grade Sesame Crusted Tuna, Sexy sashimi grade sesame crusted tuna with a spicy orange and wasabi sauce, couscous and roasted organic local vegetables from the chef's garden and Boggy Creek Farm

Beef Tenderloin, Perfect tenderloin with a demi red wine pepper sauce, sour cream and chive mashed potatoes & roasted organic local vegetables from chef's garden & Boggy Creek Farms
* DeLoach Pinot Noir (Russian River) * Nose of ripe raspberries with notes of anise, cardamom, gingerbread spice and rich black cherries
Sweets & Bubbles: White Chocolate Mousse and berry filled chocolate bagsand bubbles for two

Cookie Lounge
For Delivery:
I dozen cookies with personalized Valentine's Day card & balloon: $14
Add flavored milk/32oz: $18
2 dozen classics with Valentine's Day card and balloon: $22
Add 32oz chocolate or strawberry milk: $26.00
Custom dozen with Valentines Package (card and balloon) add $5
In House:
Be Mine Combo: 2 medium/2mix in, 2 scoops ice cream, 2 shaken milks or custom soda$12
Single and Special: 1 medium/2mix in and milk shake $6
Valentine's Day Sundae: Belgian Dark Chocolate with toffee and macadamia nuts, cream Chantilly sprinkled with valentine M&Ms $4

Twin Liquors
Twin recommends the "Truffletini"
1oz Godiva White Chocolate
2oz Godiva Original Liqueur
1oz Ciroc Vodka
Shaken and strained into a chilled martini glass and garnished with a Godiva Milk Chocolate Truffle
Also, visit www.twinliquors.com for recipes like "Framboise Decadent Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Cake" and the "Sparkling Margarita"

Eddie V's Valentine Day Cocktails:
Rose Flirtini
Method: Shake over Ice - Strain
Ingredients: 2 oz Grey Goose Le Citron, 1 oz Lemon Juice, 1 oz Monin Rose Syrup
Garnish: Sugar Rim

Chocolate Valentini
Method: In Champagne Glass, Shake over Ice - Strain, Top with Whipped Cream inside Glass, Sprinkle Chocolate Flakes
Ingredients: 1 oz Three Olives Vanilla Vodka, .5 oz Chambord, .5 oz Kailua
Garnish: Whipped Cream and Chocolate Flakes

Hayashi Modern Japanese Cuisine
Chef Lin's Valentines Menu
Five course omakase $55/person
1. Red Snapper Carpaccio with momiji citrus and organic baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, red onion and cucumber with a hint of grape seed oil.
2. Heart Shaped "I love u" sushi roll with creamy sauce and strawberry sauce, sampling of Virgin Roll and Tuna sashimi with spicy lemon citrus.
3. Cupid Arrow Skewers of Kobe meatballs with spicy teriyaki sauce, mango Chilean sea bass and lucky seven spice chicken.
4. Pan seared Japanese scallops with yuzu tobiko over sliced asparagus, shaved radish, beets, kiwis and pomegranate and chives.
5. Minty Salmon and mango tartar with sweet grapefruit sauce and light meringue foam.
**Hayashi will also be featuring a love potion 140 cocktail, made with a variety of fresh fruits.

Santa Rita Tex-Mex Cantina
Valentine Drink Specials:
Prickly Pear Frozen Margarita ($4.95) or the Santa Rita Passion Rita on the Rocks ($3.95).

Michelle Chooses Yellow

I love yellow and I was really hoping First Lady Michelle Obama would choose the color for at least one of her inaugural outfits. I was really hoping she'd choose a yellow ball gown instead of a yellow inaugural outfit. Despite the great color, I'm not 100% sure about this choice. I don't care for the cut of the coat. It all seems a little cumbersome. I was also hoping for a hat. Women don't wear enough hats and an inauguration seems like a great opportunity.

The sunny lemon-grass-colored ensemble was designed by Isabel Toledo. With sparkle around the neckline, the dress and matching coat of lace layered over wool reportedly were purchased through special order from Ikram, Obama's favorite Gold Coast designer boutique. Its namesake, Ikram Goldman, is often credited with schooling Obama on high fashion.

Again, love the color. Yellow looks great on African-American women. I hope Mrs. Obama will wear this color more often in the years to come. Yellow is the third Chakra. The yellow chakra located at your solar plexus represents 'clarity'.
Yellow is concerned with clarity, well-being, confidence and optimism.

Patty Griffin to Perform Thursday

The Grounded in Music Fundraiser is this Thursday, January 22, 2009 which will benefit under-privileged youth by improving their lives through musical involvement. Musical legend Patty Griffin will headline this 2nd annual VIP fundraiser which will take place Thursday at the Gibson Guitar Showroom located at 3601 S. Congress Ave., Suite G400 in Austin. The event is from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

The schedule for the evening follows:

6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. – silent Auction, cocktails and light food and opening acts

7:00 p.m. - Opening acts to kick off with a performance by students participating in the Austin Grounded in Music program

9:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. - Patty Griffin will perform

The two opening performers:

Nakia - Austin-based, his music is a blend of influences rooted in old-school soul, Allman-Skynyrd rock and his Southern Baptist, Appalachian foothills upbringing. His new debut album, Water to Wine, is already receiving critical praise, but his live shows are where this entertainer truly shines.

Trey Stapleton - Texas born and raised, he has blended country, Americana, and Rock 'n Roll to create his own unique brand of Texas music. His second album, Have a Drink on Me, includes an all-star cast of players and producers and is set to be released in March 2009.

Proceeds from this event will be used to purchase musical instruments for under-privileged youth, provide education in musicianship, teach music theory, as well as offer music-related opportunities outside of performance. $100.00 tickets can be purchased online at www.frontgatetickets.com or by calling (512) 389 0315. The event is open to the public.

Launched in 2007 in Austin, Texas, Grounded in Music is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit corporation whose sole mission is to change the lives of under-privileged children grade four through 12 by exposing them to the possibilities available by choosing music as a career, hobby, or alternative to life on the streets

Get in Shape with Corefit!!!

Personal trainer Ryan Nail's offering three February bootcamps: 6am, 7am or 6pm!
Tne next boot camp starts on Feb. 2nd. Take it from a girl who's trained with Ryan, these bootcamps will get your butt in shape. Don't forget, swimsuit season's not that far away!

Hit his webpage for more information: http://www.corefit.biz/

Bronzed Babelicios!

We’re still in the dead of winter but you can look like a sexy summer siren before it’s time to turn on the air conditioner again. Kate Merrick,the owner of Kate Skin, recently invited me in to try her new tanning treatment called Chocolate Sun.
It's an all-organic spray tan line from California. Because it has no harmful chemicals, it's very good for your skin.

Chocolate Sun also contains vitamins, minerals and natural anti-oxidants. It also has an SPF of 30. So when you leave the spa, you're fully protected from the sun.
The tanner is applied after exfoliation. Each tan is custom blended for the individual client.

But the best part, there's no smell! Sunless tanners tend to have an unpleasant odor. The smell comes from a chemical called DHA. Most tanners use a chemically-derived DHA. Chocolate Sun is different because the DHA is organically derived from natural herbs and botanicals.

“So it’s not going to have that bad chemical smell that normally stays with you for the duration of the tan. You’re not going to have that.” Said Merrick.

What you will have is a tan that looks like it was left by hours spent in the sun without the sun’s side effects or chemicals.

“I don’t think there’s anybody that couldn’t know the harmful effects of the sun. This is such a great alternative year round to be able to maintain color, feel healthy with a tan without the harmful side effects.” Said Merrick.

You’ll want wait about 8 hours to shower after getting Chocolate Sun. Then, keep your skin moisturized to get the maximum life out of your freshly bronzed look.

Chocolate Sun costs 55 dollars per treatment. But, Kate Skin is offering the tan for 35 dollars for first-time tanners through March 21st. For more information, go to www.kateskin.com

Check out the video version of my story on News 8:
http://www.news8austin.com/content/living/fashionably_8/?ArID=229301

Sad News-Flirt Closing

Owner Leah Mize recently shut the doors on her West Campus boutique known as Flirt.
Leah always offered affordably-priced options to UT Austin campus co-eds. I'm sad to see her store go. Leah will sell what's left in her inventory this year at Le Garage Sale.

Wedding Dress Designer Getting Hitched

Austin's own Linda Asaf recently broke the news on Facebook that she's engaged to her sweetie, Robert. She met Robert at the Yacht Club last October.

"After 9 years of hoping I'd meet a fellow sailor, I had pretty much resigned myself that it wasn't going to happen. So, I was perusing the Mallory Cup trophy which is the men's national amateur sailing championship. It's pretty cool because 3 guys from the Yacht Club won it this year. Robert apparently had the same idea and that's how we met!" said Linda. Ah, there's hope for all fashionistas everywhere.

Right now, all wedding details are tentative. You can bet the bride and the groom will be fantastically dressed.
Here's a link to the story I did last year on Linda's wedding dress design business:
http://www.news8austin.com/content/living/fashionably_8/?SecID=92&ArID=201253

Who's the Best Bartender?

Another New Year's Eve may have come and gone, but fans of Central Texas' Hayashi Modern Japanese Cuisine have one more reason to raise a toast this January. Hayashi bartender Justin Lerma, known for dazzling diners with his creative cocktail concoctions, has been named a finalist in Austin's Iron Bartender Championship.

Lauded as the city's top bartending competition, the Iron Bartender Championship finals will take place the evening of Wednesday, Jan. 14, at downtown Austin's trendiest hot spot and lounge, GRUV, at 101 W. Fifth St. This fantastic mixology display, in which Lerma and co-finalist Brian Bourgeois of Kenichi will whip up some of their most unique and tasty cocktails, is the culmination of an extensive 15-week tournament aimed at identifying Central Texas' best and most creative bartender.

Sponsored by Republic National Beverage Co. and hosted by longtime Austin bar patron Jeffery Davis, the Iron Bartender Championship will be judged on a set of strict criteria by a panel of discriminating experts.

Lerma is one of several distinguished bartenders regularly mixing things up at Hayashi Modern Japanese Cuisine, an upscale restaurant serving modern Japanese cuisine located in Cedar Park at 1335 E. Whitestone Blvd., and in Georgetown at 1019 W. University Ave. For more information about Hayashi or bartender Justin Lerma's involvement in the Iron Bartender Championship, call (512) 986-7176, or visit www.HayashiGrill.com.

Paint Your Face!

A makeup artist told me a little trade secret a few months ago. She said instead of buying makeup brushes that cost anywhere from ten to $20.00 at places like Sephora, I should instead buy paint brushes at art supply stores like Michael's or Hobby Lobby. She said the brushes are all manufactured at the same places using the same materials. So, this weekend, I went to Michael's and looked for the sizes and shapes of makeup brushes I needed on the paint brush aisle. Guess what? They had them. Even a big blush-type brush that I now use for applying bronzer. There was a thinner brush I use for applying lip liner, an eye shadow brush and a blunt-ended brush I use for my eye liner. I spent about ten dollars on four brushes.

Buying Jeans No Longer Worse Than Swimsuit Shopping

I have to admit, shopping for a new pair of jeans makes me feel about as great as seeing my cellulite staring back at me when I try on a swimsuit. Well, until now.
I spent my morning with Loree Lindgren of Hem, a jean boutique just behind the Tavern off of 12th street in Downtown Austin, trying on jeans. Let me tell you, these ladies know how to make a woman look and feel fantastic in jeans.

I walked in, she took a look at my shape, asked me my size and pulled six pairs of jeans from the racks and shelves there at Hem. Um, my back side has never looked better! I wanted to buy all six!!! Hem carries more than 50 different lines of jeans.

“You said you’re kind of curvy so you’re going to want to go with something that’s a little bit higher, not high rise or anything but you don’t need something low either.” Said Lindgren. "If you’re going to do one great pair of jeans, go dark. This is going to be a much dressier look.”

Loree also told me to keep pocket placement in mind.

“I always say go for a slightly larger pocket nothing over but as long as it’s hitting you in the right spot it’s actually going to flatter.” Said Lingren

Because jeans will stretch, buy them a little snug at the top of the leg and at the bottom of your rear end. If you find a pair of jeans that fit every where but in the length or the waist band, buy the jeans and get them altered.

“Especially us women who are curvy, can’t be afraid of alterations. By tailoring it you're creating a pair of custom fit jeans. If you’re talking a little gape in the back it’s really an easy alteration to take care of.” Said Lindgren.

“We always say wash them first before you get them tailored if you can especially a darker jean that hasn’t been through the washing process because it is possible they’ll shrink up a little bit.” recommended Lindgren.

The most important way to ensure a great fit is an open mind.

“As long as someone has an open mind and is ready to try something maybe a little different than they have in the past, it kind of opens up the possibilities and there you’ll find a great pair of jeans.” said Lindgren.

To care for jeans wash them inside out in cold water and wear them often between washings. To freshen a pair of jeans, throw them in the freezer overnight. The freezing temps kill the bacteria..

Hem is located on West 12th street just behind the Tavern. They carry jeans for both men and women. In women sizes they carry from size double zero up to size 18.

For more info, go to www.hemjeans.com
Be sure to watch my story on Hem: http://www.news8austin.com/content/living/fashionably_8/?ArID=228623

Art Bra Calendar Signing Next Wednesday

Zax Pints and Plates
5:30-8:30 pm
Benefitting the Breast Cancer Resource Center