While on a recent trip, our very own Rebecca Hughes stumbled upon a goldmine of a dining experience, the details of which were just too good not to share…

After running the Chicago Marathon the day before, Rebecca was ready to indulge a little, and Tru provided just that. After being escorted through empty room after room, she finally found her table in a high-ceiling area with windows adorned in heavy black and white drapes. It worried her that you couldn’t see out until it was explained that it’s more importantly, so that you can’t see in. “You have to eat at Tru to understand what it Truly is.”

After ordering off the impressive Prix Fixe menu, Rebecca felt safe her selected first course and entree were on their way, but as an exciting, progressive French restaurant, Tru proved her wrong.  

She received her two planned courses, yes, but it wasn’t until eight surprise courses later, she realized what this restaurant was all about: lasting impressions.

Above, Rebecca’s entree of Maine lobster, saffron tagliatelle, broccoli and tomato.

Cheese Gougeres, Carpaccio, Langoustine, out of this world entrees, Raspberry Rhubarb Foam to start, then a rolling card of bite-sized dessert cards to select by hand (who knows if you’ll draw Macaroons or Rum Cake!). Finally, the evening closed with two perfect truffles that come accompanied by instructions on how to eat them. Yes, instructions on how to savor the chocolate infused water that makes up their succulent interior.

I don’t even have time to break down the wine selections and attentive service this restaurant provides, although it is worth mentioning that over the course of the evening, Rebecca’s table was serviced by at least 7 different staff.

Executive Chef, Anthony Martin, seems to be cooking up an impressive and inspiring new way to dine and entertain. Next time you’re in Chicago, pop over for a meal you can Truly savor!

Tru Image from TheNibble.com and Forbes Travel Guide:

The happy couple wed on June 26th, then celebrated the occasion with a rockin’ AFE bash at The Gremillion. Luckily Brooke Schwab was there to help capture the moments and memories.

Audra’s color scheme of yellow and gray set the look for the evening (and the tone!) Turns out the color duo translates to a meaning of “genuine optimism.”

The decor made the space pop…and the food wowed.

Already the owners of apparent style, Audra and Paul are now also the proud owners of a lifetime of happiness and “genuine optimism.” Congratulations on your 3-month anniversary Sunday!

Although mimosas and bellinis are the fizzy drinks to coin the trick, both are unfortunately reserved for daylight drinking.

At A Fare, we found a one-two-punch addition that transforms our trusty and true champagne into an elegant evening beverage. Just add your favorite liqueur and a sugared rim!

It gives you just a hint of flavoring and a look that is more than sleek…

And oh so subtle… 

We recommend a splash of peach, pear or elderflower. Perfect for these hot days (and nights!)

The down side: You literally can’t move after two courses, let alone three or four! I’m not joking when I advise you to bring a friend to help wheel you out to the car.

The up side: We’ve done some preliminary scoping for you and can tell you 1) Polo’s dessert of English Truffle and Benjy’s Honey Glazed Duck Breast are phenomenal and 2) some restaurants are offering the same set prices for 4 course dinners and 3 course lunches! Upping the Restaurant Week ante!

Inside Benjy’s, Rice Village

Enough said, enjoy your savory weekend of fare exploration!

We’ve been working around the clock to design the perfect specialty beverage, passed hors d’ oeuvres, first courses, entrees, passed desserts and more!! All within the confines of a completely kosher menu. It hasn’t been easy, but the end result will hopefully knock our client’s socks off.

Wish us luck!

How do we keep our energy going when time is ticking away faster than we can crank out proposals? My Fit Foods!

We have to give a shout out to our friends down the street for keeping us fed with their microwavable, all-natural meals!

We, of course, would prefer to cook ourselves or to taste some of the inventive recipes brewing in our AFE kitchen, but sometimes all you have on your hands is 2 minutes before an event! My Fit Foods warm in 1.5 minutes, leaving about 30 seconds to eat. A perfect fit for our on-the-go lifestyle!

My favorite is probably the chicken and veggies:

MmmMmm…thank goodness a health conscious company jumped on the fast-food train, saving us time AND our figures!

We smoke ours completely in-house, which has given us the freedom to create items such as smoked duck and apple saffron crepes, smoked trout and red wine slaw tacos (below) and the best beef and tuna carpaccio in town!

Smoking meat originated as a method of  preserving protein-rich foods, due to the dehydrating  property of smoke, but in today’s world of refrigerators and freezers, it is more a process of preparing delicious and cultural delicacies!

Smoked meat is great for these summer temperatures; a refreshing alternative to a steaming hot piece of steak right off the grill. Plus the smoke enhances flavors like you wouldn’t believe (and I’m not just saying that because of my BBQ-lovin Texas childhood) … So jump on that smokin hot band wagon and order some!

Yes, we’re talking Houston’s Restaurant Week! Check out the list of participants and menus here, and I guarantee you won’t want to stop by the grocery store any time soon. They might as well deem August as city-wide “Eat Out Month!”

The good part? You don’t have to feel guilty having dessert with every meal. The better part? Restaurant Week runs from August 1st-21st (obviously more than a week).  And the BEST part? $5 of every dinner, $3 of every lunch and 100% of in-store donations will benefit Houston Food Bank, helping put an end to Houston hunger.

What sounds good to us? Canopy’s Spicy Cucumber-Avocado Soup, Feast’s Crispy Roasted Pork Belly, Ouisie’s Table’s Grilled Bison Burger, RDG’s Wood Grilled Skirt Steak, *17’s Smoked Black Pepper Panna Cotta and Ruggles Grill’s dessert since they have a list of 20 to chose from as opposed to 3!

This is the perfect opportunity to visit that new restaurant you’ve been meaning to try or frequent an old favorite, because each location is serving up some of their favorite appetizers, entrees and desserts especially for you!

Go ahead and map out your plan of attack. You know you’ll see us around!

A Fare Extraordinaire likes to provide breakfast buffets with enough scope to appease everyone at the table. We typically can obtain this goal by ensuring we put out 1) something hot 2) something light and 3) something sweet.

Something hot: Chicken Apple Sausage, Wild Mushroom Frittatas, Snapper Cake Eggs Benedict, Gingerbread-Blueberry Pancakes, we really like to go all out in this category. The easier route? Whip up a few fluffy biscuits (and drizzle with honey butter for a bit of pizzazz)!

Something light: our favorite “something light” is build-your-own parfaits! Our crunchy homenade granola, pitchers of skim milk, yogurt and an array of ripe seasonal fruit. Every diet-sticken woman’s dream!

Something sweet: we love our pastry chef’s raspberry pecan curls (below), cinnamon pear muffins, iced cranberry orange scones…mmmm.

Just add fresh-squeezed OJ and you’ve got yourself a delectable breakfast (or lunch or dinner, for that matter). Bon Appetit!