Cardenas Vinegar & Olive Oil Taproom is an inspiring Guilty Pleasure

As you know, quality friendships stand the test of time. Two of Thin Mint's best friends from college came to visit this weekend.  The SUNY triplets had a blast reminiscing and laughing.  Everyone turned out just fine and with great kids. Of course any great weekend always includes a variety of Guilty Pleasures. While a late dinner at the Han Dynasty was a spicy symphony that everyone loved, their Italian Market Food Crawl earlier in the day was the real showstopper.  Luckily, Saturday's weather in Philadelphia was spectacular.  It finally felt like spring.

From Kermit's Bake Shoppe on Washington to S. 9th St., the city was alive with with upscale shoppers. After a long lunch at, Thin
Mint and friends, aka The Upstate Hotties, wandered into Cardenas Oil &Vinegar Taproom.  It's an epicurean oasis that rejuvenates the Guilty Gourmand.

The Olive Oils,Vinegars and salts at this premium specialty food store are so amazing. You can spend hours discovering new flavors and savoring every Guiltorious moment. Their Salt Bar will transport you from the famed Murray River in Australia to the Himalayan Mountains to the Crown of Creation Salt from Mediterranean Sea. Laurissa knows her stuff and she will  take excellent care of you.

There specialty products will make your food taste much more flavorful and adventurous. Shopping at Cardenas Oil & Vinegar Taproom is an inspiring Guilty Pleasure.

Bart's Place is a Stunning Palace!

Great things are happening in Philadelphia.  With approval waiting in the wings, The Provence Casino is coming to the City of Brotherly Love.  This beautiful 5 star property is going to reshape North Broad Street in a very good way. One can only imagine how many jobs are going to be created by this exciting project.

With a top flight team in place, the remarkable vision of Bart Blattstein is coming to fruition.

Mr. Blattstein is Philadelphia's Michael Bloomberg. He's socially responsible and definitely has the Midas touch. Not to mention that he selected a fantastic name for his new casino and hotel. We encourage everyone to root for Bart and encourage city officials to fast track this important project.  Philadelphia needs to attract more upscale visitors. Philadelphia needs Provence.

When it comes to sampling, change is your Guilty Ally.

Change is your friend in Guilty Town.  We constantly want to try new recipes, new restaurants, new products and new ideas.  The evaluation process never stops and we love that. From Going Green to decadent sauces, we have a lot to explore.

At the request of vendors around the globe, we are making plans to attend the Fancy Food Show in New York this summer. They all want to be a certified Guilty Pleasure. The prestige and increases sales are their top priority. The Blog requests are getting so time consuming, we will be scheduling extensive interviews for one or two days in July.

Once the press is satisfied, I can't wait to try Sweet Corn Ice Cream.  OMG!!!  Thankfully, Guilty is an excellent interview and an even better sampler.

Thin Mint's Coca Cola Ham is destined for the top of Mt. Guiltmore

Crafting menus is one of the best parts of custom-to-the-client catering.  Each menu is different.  You listen, you research and you create.  It's a very exhausting and rewarding process.  Last evening, Thin Mint put together a terrific action station for a Wedding at the Olde Homstead Golf Club She put together a sensational selection of Guiltorious comfort that has greatness written all over it.

Her client now has a Biscuit Bar with Southern Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits and Jalapeno Chive Biscuits.OMG!  They sound awesome, but the real showstopper are the two toppings that Thin Mint added.  Our Executive Chef went back into our culinary vault and chose two eternal classics. Thin Mint's client will have Chef Bruce's famous Chicago Bears sausage gravy. We have had many chef's over the years prepare this slice of the South and very few do it justice.  We're not sure why, but it's a good test of their cooking skills. No one even comes close to matching Bruce's heavenly creation.  It's incredible.

However, my beautiful bride climbed Guilty Peak with her Coca Cola glazed spiral ham. This slow-smoked Country Ham was worthy of being on Mt. Guiltmore.  The salty flavor combined with the soda's sweetness is the ideal accompaniment to the flaky biscuits. Thin Mint's Guiltness Greatness is always appreciated.

Generation to Generation...Cast Iron Skillets are trusted tools

There's something magical about cast iron skillet.  It's always adds a Guilty touch to cooking.  Scrambled cheesy eggs ith Applewood bacon become a masterpiece. Fried chicken tastes Southern.  Duck fat fries taste like heaven and charred Brussel sprouts become epic. AWESOME!!!

That's all great. but it's not the secret of the skillet.  The real treasure of a cast iron frying pan is that we go retro. It's a culinary portal  Now we are cooking great food just like our parents, grandparents and great grandparents did.  That cultural lineage is pure magic.  Trusted skillets are included many wills.  Children fight over them.  With the right skillet, recipes that are handed down from generation to generation, now taste like they did in 1914.

This particularly true when it comes to making breakfast.  No shortcuts are permitted. Thin Mint and I only go out to for breakfast or brunch at restaurants that swear by the skillet. We particularly like the Green Eggs Cafe in Philly.  They have three locations and their food is incredible.  My mouth is watering for scrambled with cheese, potatoes, peppers and onions, topped with a homemade jumbo biscuit and country style pork sausage gravy in a cast-iron skillet.  What a great way to start the day.

Guilty's Sweet Sixteen

We're not here.  At least not mentally. We're on a beach somewhere in Roatan Honduras.  Our Villa is breathtaking and the Guilty Meter is off the charts.  Come join us on Guilty Island and daydream at lunch.

In honor of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, we are re-posting our sensational Sweet 16 of Villas that we created several years ago.  These exclusive properties have only gotten better.

Guilty searched long and hard to find just the perfect getaway. Finding Tropical bliss was a labor of love and a commitment to our never ending  high standards for the Guilty Pleasures Club.  Fortunately, there were numerous vacation options available with cool island breezes, tropical sunsets and family friendly summertime prices. From St. Croix to the Roatan Island in Honduras to Nicaragua and back again, we found a treasure chest of stunningly beautiful villas that met all of our lofty expectations.  It was an exhausting and successful journey in search of opulence, family adventure and fiscal sanity.


We put together a Sweet Sixteen a fun ranking of exclusive, opulent and eco-friendly Vacation Villas to share with our luxury-minded legions. However, just whittling the list of decadent vacation options down to only 16 finalists was quite challenging.  Let alone, choosing just one.  Of course, as always, Guilty and Thin Mint would not be denied.  Here are the 16 finalists for the first ever Luxury Villa Showdown.  Just like March Madness, our fiercely competitive tournament is destined to become an annual event with stunning upsets and big surprises.

http://www.vrbo.com/347898#photos Ranked # 1.  Incredible waterfront eco-property in Honduras. Passed on this property in 2009, but we're giving it serious consideration this summer.

http://www.vrbo.com/252475#photos  Bequia property ranked # 2.  Just an amazing home.  Airfare was a little high for a family vacation.  Did somebody say use points?  We will.  

http://www.vrbo.com/257646#photos

Ranked # 3. Jamaican 3.5 acre waterfront estate.  We stayed there in 2009.  There was lot's of  Guiltorious Glee in the outdoor shower. The Villa is next to the world famous Round Hill resort.    www.roundhill.com.  Their new infinity Pool at Round Hill was epic. We also loved the Afternoon Tea, but it's time to go someplace different.

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p296694#photos  Ranked # 4.  St. Martin villa on Dawn Beach.  An awesome property.  Love this house, but we have been to the island too many already.

http://www.vrbo.com/143126#photos  Very nice cliff side property in St. Croix.  Ranked # 5.

http://www.vrbo.com/175999#photos  Ranked
# 6  Incredible all-inclusive for 6 people in Nicaragua.  OMG 

http://www.vrbo.com/218687#photos  Ranked # 7.  A fantastic property on Grenada.

http://www.vrbo.com/219216#photos  Fabulous for the money in Nicaragua.  Ranked # 8. 

http://www.vrbo.com/216040#photos Ranked # 9.  A very nice Jamaican property with staff. 

http://www.vrbo.com/40246#photos  Great waterfront property in Antiqua.  Ranked # 10   

http://www.vrbo.com/233134#photos Wonderful oceanfront property in El Salvador.  Very tropical and inexpensive.  Ranked # 11, 

http://www.vrbo.com/52036#photos  Ranked # 12.  Great waterfront property in Negril . 

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p227082#photos  Bonaire property ranked # 13. On the beach in dive central

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p334879#photos  St. Thomas property on the cliffs above the water. ranked # 14. 

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p927563#photos  Ranked # 15 a St, Croix property.  Very nice. 

http://www.vrbo.com/271990#photos  A fantastic  treehouse in Nicaragua above the ocean.  Ranked # 16

The Country Cat is a Guilty classic

We saw the most amazing butchering skills and butcher block food last evening while watching Dinners, Drive-ins and Dives. Chef? Owner Adam Sappington of the Country Cat in Portland Oregon is a legend and his food looked Guiltorious.  Adam and his wife Jackie are definitely members of the Guilty Pleasures Club.

Their pork and fried chicken dishes are legendary. The Whole Hog platter is definitely a game changer. Talk about dedication and love, they cure their Hams for four months.  FOUR MONTHS!!!  Is that a pork lovers fantasy or what? We're planning another trip to the Rose City this summer and the Country Cat can expect multiple visits from Guilty, Thin Mint, Junior Mint and Guilty too. 

We can't wait to sample the Butcher Block portion of their impressive menu:

FROM THE BUTCHER'S BLOCK

Entrées

 

Molasses & Hickory Smoked  Duck Leg 
with Dried Cherry Braised Kale, Butternut Squash Puree, & Sherry 19

Two Pieces of Cast-Iron Skillet Fried Chicken 
with Mashed Potatoes & Gravy 15

Braised Lamb Shoulder
on a Stew of Tomatoes, Fennel & Roasted Garlic with Fried Butter Beans, & Gremolata  18

Red Wine Braised Beef 
with Butter-Braised Potatoes & Wild Mushroom Steak Sauce 19

The Country Cat's Whole Hog
with Brined & Grilled Loin, Roasted Belly & Braised Shoulder 23

Heritage Burger 
with Onion Rings 10
Add: American Cheese, “Judy” Spread,
or Blue Cheese 1.50; House Bacon 2

Sides

Bacon Braised Collard Greens 7

Mashed Potatoes with Sausage Gravy 7

Barbeque Baked Beans 7

Another Guilty Dilemma

A club member is California sent me this unexpected photo.  I am disgusted and excited all at once.  This is definitely a Guilty Dilemma.

Who took a bite of my Guiltorious breakfast?

Up early and fighting off the shivers.  It's 4 degrees out and the wind is howling like a Grey Wolf.  Guilty needs a diversion. Something gooey. Something sinful, Something flavorful. Something decadent. Something Guiltorious. Something with a twist. Fortunately I have our top secret Guilty Database at my disposal.  Of course, I know just perfect perfect antidote to the Artic blast.  It's not your typical morning meal.

I am having a Danish Ham and grilled cheese sandwich for breakfast. The melted cheeses are a Wisconsin Extra Sharp Cheddar and Maytag Beau Cheese.  OMG!  It's a deliciously decadent sandwich that you can savor anytime of day. This gooey Guilty Pleasure lights my fire and warms my soul.

Okay, now who took the first bite?  Anybody see Thin Mint?

Big Melon......Small Hats

I feel for Barry Bonds.  Not because he is scorned and ridiculed as Cheat who put greed above integrity. His use of Steroids and HGH tarnished is statistics, reputation and legacy And rightfully so, but that's not it.

It's the size of his ginormous head that I can relate to.  I have never taken a steroid or HGH.  I barely take aspirin,  Yet my melon is huge.  OMG!  It's almost planetary. As I mature, my head size increases.  It's not something I obsess about, but it does adversely effect one area of my legendary life. Hats and Caps barely fit on my head.  And when do, they make me look even heavier.

Sometimes Guilty's feeling dapper and I want to wear a Bowler.  Not happening!  I would look ridiculous. As you tell, I love wearing a real Baseball Cap.  Not the ones with the adjustable tag in the back.  I want an Old School cap that's fits perfectly on my Guilty Noggin.  My cap size at now at least an eight.  Besides Barry Bonds, only King Kong, a Kodiak Bear, Haystacks Calhoun, NFL football players and myself have this cranial challenge.

Fortunately, chef hat's are adjustable and I look quite dashing in my Provence Catering Chef's coat.