School! Good Food! Career! SO MUCH!

Well, I'm done with Banquets, I finished up last Friday to be exact. I'm taking the time today so I'm not just head deep in my Wines book all morning to write and catch up. Oh and yes, I start Wines Studies today and I spent a great deal of the weekend review what I read over Thanksgiving break, doing my highlighting and sticky noting and printing of power points and notes. SO MUCH INFORMATION! But I am looking forward to the class. I don't really know much about wine and the process and history of wine interests me alot so I think it will be a very fun but challenging class (lets just hope I don't lose my mind or my brain explodes or something). But soon I'll be able to make awesome wine pairings and what not it will be cool...hopefully.

Things here at school are pretty good, I passed my costing practical (woo!), made it through serving graduation with 30 other students (for serving 200 people, 30 people is alot). I've just been crazy busy working, studying, doing all that college stuff. But I do have a restaurant review for you all!

Me, my friend Morgan, Jesse and Martin all took a trip up to Red Hook (past Rhinebeck by 3 or 4 miles) to go eat at an Italian restaurant suggested by one of my Chef's called Mercato's. Let me say, this was a great meal and we were all very, very pleased!

They gave us grilled bread with garlic oil and it was so perfect.

Morgan got the penne with a spicy, creamy tomato sauce and smoked pancetta.

Jesse got the farro pizzichi with butternut squash, mushrooms, mozzarella bufala and just a simple butter sauce with fresh herbs.

Martin got the special for the evening which was bucatini with sardines, Marsala soaked raisins, pine nuts, braised fennel, roasted garlic in a simple tomato sauce.

I got ricotta ravioli just in a simple, fresh tomato sauce with Parmesan Reggiano.

Morgan got mint chip gelato for dessert.

I got panna cotta with cherry balsamic vinegar and black mission figs.

Jesse got affogato which is gelato and espresso.

Overall the meal was amazing and I would go back there again and suggest if you get the chance go. It's very decently priced we all got pasta and a dessert and spent about 20 or so on ourselves. So I'd highly recommend it.

Like I said everything has been good for the most part around here. I've spent alot of time figuring out this next step of my career considering I graduate in 4 months! I want to follow through with getting my BS in Hospitality Management so I'm working on college applications to NYU and Boston University to maybe starting next fall and I might be going out over New Years to visit my Sous Chef from extern to check out the Inn at Dos Brisas so we will see! But I've got to go get ready for class so I'll be writing some reviews for Wines class very soon!

-Garrett