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Mi Mexico

search4greatfood — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:04:41 +0000

We arrived via a bus into the small town of Mahahual, Mexico, which is just south of the cruise port Costa Maya. We were ready for a cold beer after the journey and headed to the first place we saw that had a sign out inviting us in. The sign happened to also say $1 beers-to-go and that was what we were looking for to quench our thirst. While we were getting our beers and the stand, we started talking with the owner, Fernando, of the property and asked where the best restaurant in town was for some great local food. He pointed across the street and simply answered – “mine.” But he continued and said he was closed for the holiday, but he recommended a place called Nohochkay, means Big Fish, at the end of the beach. We talked a bit more about tequila and such, and he invited us back for a Tequila 101 before we left town, we said we would take him up on it. With a few cold beers in our hands, we were off to Nohochkay for some great local food. We walked up to a cool thatch roof building directly on the sand in front of the beautiful Caribbean Sea and got a table. Fernando had recommended the ultimate tacos and we decided to check those out. There were four choices on the menu – fish (which was grouper that day), shrimp, squid and blue crab (unfortunately out due to season). I decided to start with a plate of their homemade guacamole and a fish and shrimp taco. The guacamole was creamy and delicious and was quickly devoured by the table. Before the tacos were brought over, a man came by and asked how everything was so far and introduced himself as the owner, Jaime. He also brought a couple of his homemade hot sauces, made several times a day, that he said made the tacos the best around. One was a habanero base with garlic and white wine added. It was hot but had a great flavor to it. The other was a red sauce made from chipotle and tamarind, that was one of the best sauces I have ever tasted. We pressed him for the recipe, but he politely refused with a few jokes. But he did offer to put some in our water bottles for us to take home, free of charge. This was already becoming an instant favorite. Then the tacos came.

These were hands down the best tacos I, and the rest of the table concurred, had ever tasted. The seafood was cooked perfectly and every flavor was pronounced. Everyone ordered a second round. I decided to try the squid so I could try all the ones available. It didn’t disappoint. Jaime stopped back by the table and let us rave about his food and the quality of the ingredients. He motioned for us to look at his neighbor’s building, which was the equivalent of a seafood-packing house. He told us that every morning the boats come in right off the beach and supply the seafood house, which he gets to pick out what he will be serving that day on the menu. Location, location, location. We started asking about his other entrees and this sent him back to the kitchen. Instead of explaining he later said, it would be better for us to try. Out came a round of conch tacos, on the house, that were unbelievable. With a full stomach, we gratefully thanked our host and decided to head back to Fernando’s for the Tequila 101 seminar. When we got back we told him about the experience and he said he was glad, everyone loves Jaime’s place. Then he left his beer stand and walked across the street and opened his restaurant for us. A couple of his buddies were in there eating, I believe dishes created by Fernando himself, and they smelled and looked delicious. They were eating a traditional Mole sauce over cheese enchiladas. Now for the tequila tasting. We sampled about 6, maybe 7, tequilas and learned a great deal about them, agave, mescal, the region known as Tequila, etc. The difference in some of the tequilas was amazing and not being the biggest fan of Tequila before this, I started to turn my story. All thanks to the friendliness of Fernando. I can’t wait to get back and visit my new friends in Mexico and eat their Great Food, it was a trip worth repeating several times over.

At the camp

search4greatfood — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:52:56 +0000

Old traditional Florida seafood restaurants don’t get much better than this. I was out fishing in Mosquito Lagoon doing some research for an upcoming documentary and we had heard a lot of people pointing us in the direction to stop at JB’s for lunch, which is on the river in New Smyrna Beach, FL. When we reached the docks, the place was already getting packed for the lunch crowd, which was about a quarter before lunch. We grabbed a table and decided to start with the oysters. The server simply responded, “Can you shuck them?,” which we all could so we responded with an affirmation. Good thing, because they bring out a bucket and dump them on the table and you have to if you want to eat them. We found out that these same oysters come directly from their leased oyster beds that JB’s owns from the same river we just left fishing. They had a great salty brine to them and were quickly devoured. The guide that we were with recommended the soft shell crab sandwich, so that made my decision easy. You have the choice to have a Cajun or regular fry coating, so I went with the Cajun seasoning to kick it up a notch. We also ordered a basket of their Cajun onion straws to share too. The food came out rather quickly, or maybe it was due to the oyster shucking we were hacking away at, thinking we were quicker than we actually were. Either way, the timing of food delivery was great. The sandwich was substantial in size and served with a nice sized portion of fries. The onion straws also were brought in a big basket, enough for the whole table. The crab was hot, full of meat and absolutely amazing. Excellent recommendation and made me wanting more. This was an excellent sandwich served in a great riverside restaurant by real nice folks. I’ll be back here, hopefully sooner rather than later.

High Marks

search4greatfood — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:05:18 +0000

I came here looking for some awesome furniture to put in our house. Instead, I found an awesome BBQ plate to put in my belly, thanks to the kind people at Carter Brothers (www.carterbrothersbbq.com) in High Point, NC. I knew two things were going to happen when my wife arrived in High Point, she would talk me into going to this BBQ place that she loved when she went to college here and we wouldn’t find any furniture. Then again, who in their right mind would want to shop around after getting a big plate of BBQ? So, first thing we did was go straight to Carter Brothers and grab a seat. It’s a simple place, which mirror most Carolina BBQ restaurants, and offers take-out or dining service. Both meals come from a semi-cafeteria style serving area behind the counter. So it’s ready when you are. Luckily, both sides were ready to get it on. My wife could have ordered her meal in her sleep – Chopped BarBQue Sandwich with hush puppies and BarBQue slaw (big difference here over the regular stuff). I checked out everything and decided to go with the Chopped BBQ Pork Plate, regular size with fried okra, tater tots and hush puppies. The meals came almost as quick as we ordered them, hot, fresh and ready to be devoured. I messed around with the two sauces – a reddish vinegar based one and a hot sauce. The vinegar base was excellent on the pork, look and taste, while the hot sauce proved to hit the spot for the tater tots. This is great BBQ and the sides taste great too. I am not typically a fan of hushpuppies of any sort, they act as a filler to me when there are a lot better things around that could be sampled and digested. My wife was adamant that I try one, which I did, and actually liked them. Actually it was more than that, I actually found myself eating them. These are damn good hushpuppies. The Carter family’s BBQ is a part of life in this part of North Carolina, I have since found out that they are top choice for a lot of weddings as the preferred caterer for the reception. Maybe there is something to this North Carolina living that I need to figure out. One thing I recommend to the readers of my blogs, figure out how to make a stop in High Point, NC for a taste of great BBQ Carter Brothers Style.

Carter Brothers BBQ

Time to ‘Shine

search4greatfood — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 02:46:59 +0000

It was our final night of a three-day trip in Austin, TX and I was ready for a change of pace from all of the BBQ. A fellow foodie friend recommended we stop into Moonshine, that we would not be disappointed. Sounds cool, I thought and after checking out the website, www.moonshinegrill.com, we decided to hit it up. The ambience was very cool, old school brick building with cool art hanging everywhere. We were grabbing an early dinner so we could get a jump on the night out and visit a few of the well known drinking establishments. This proved to be a wise decision as Moonshine became very crowded, very quickly shortly after we were seated. An appetizer dish jumped right out at us – the Moonshine “Corn Dog” Shrimp. The dish was essentially what it said, long shrimp in corn dog breading. Neither of us had seen this before and thought it was the right way to go, which was confirmed by the waitress that it was a very popular way to start any meal. They were excellent. The shrimp were served with a honey mustard blueberry dip, which sounds odd but complemented the shrimp quite well. Someone in the kitchen knows what they are doing. The same friend that recommended the place also recommended two entrees – the Jalapeno Hanger steak and Texas Flat Iron. These two cuts of meat are some of my favorites, so it was now decision time. Instead of one or the other, I ordered the Jalapeno Hanger while my business associate ordered the Texas Flat Iron both coming with sides of choice. We also decided that we had to wash this all down with a few Shiner Bocks, passing on the namesake drink Moonshine (not exactly) that was blended with peach. The steaks arrived quickly and they looked and smelled great. My steak was served sliced, something that I have found typical with a Hanger steak, and doused with Jalapeno Scallion butter. I also ordered the veggies and Pimento bacon mac-n-cheese as sides. The Texas Flat Iron came out with a blue cheese butter and port wine sauce and it tasted great. We swapped a few bites of each steak to make sure we took in the full experience. This was an excellent recommendation that I am glad to pass along to all the readers of my blog.

Sliced and diced to perfection

In the Briar Patch

search4greatfood — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:53:44 +0000

Br’er Rabbit may have known about this secret long before others, but getting away to the Briar Patch is definitely a treat. I met some business clients the other day for breakfast here and was excited to see they had a board out front with a number of specials, all that looked inviting. The restaurant is a cozy place with about 40-50 chairs and great outside seating, we opted to sit inside due to the morning cold. The coffee was great and the server was prompt in getting our drinks and to take our order. One of the specials caught my eye outside and asked for her to go over them again with me. She obliged and there it was, Hash Benedict. The dish was made up of a fresh corned beef has they make there specifically for this dish to replace the ubiquitous Canadian bacon. Still served on an English muffin, covered with poached eggs and smothered in delicious hollandaise sauce. The dish was also served with their home fries. The meal looked great when it came out and it was excellent. The hash made a great replacement for the ham, especially with the addition of the freshly chopped veggies in the hash, which included peppers and onions. The couple that joined me enjoyed their breakfast as well, one ordering a scramble of sorts that looked great and the other getting the fruit pancake medley, which was covered in fresh fruits. They attested that their breakfasts were also great and we chatted awhile. We stayed in the amount of time two breakfasts would be served and the server never was irritated and tried to rush us along. The Briar Patch has Great Food at a great quaint place on Park Ave in downtown Winter Park, FL. It’s real close to Rollins College and great shopping, so it makes a wonderful place to stop, relax and recharge. Enjoy!

Hash Benedict with home fries

Eat at Joe’s

search4greatfood — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 02:18:13 +0000

I can’t remember the number of times that John Madden mentions Joe’s Stone Crabs during any broadcast of a Miami Dolphins’ game, but it was enough to remember that I had to eat there. That time finally came this year. My wife and I, along with a number of other business associates went there to dig in before they closed for the season. There really shouldn’t be a menu, there’s one thing you have to try, and that is the stone crab claws. I was dead set on ordering them, that was at least until the waiter mentioned a special. The special was for the best of the crab world – King Crab legs and Stone Crab Claws. I love crab, but my wife is truly addicted to it. Her eyes sparkled at the opportunity to get two of her favorites in one sitting. We both ordered the special and prepared ourselves for what was to come. Very few words can describe this experience. We both describe the meal like this – you need to try it for yourself. It was part of the reason why I am glad I do this blog, this is Great Food! And if you don’t believe us, Google John Madden and listen to any Miami Dolphin game where he did the color, he’ll recommend it too.

The Special

Launch into Florida food

search4greatfood — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 02:06:06 +0000

My mom and I were down in Florida near where the shuttle takes off from in a town called Titusville. You have to plan to be in this area. And I’m about to tell you why you should. Two reasons everyone should make a trip to Titusville, FL – 1) to see the space shuttle launch so close you can feel it and 2) go to Louis’s BBQ. Louis’s is a place to get a true Florida southern meal. We started off with an order of fried green tomatoes. These tomatoes are the reason we are here. A client recommended this restaurant to me and he told me these fried green tomatoes were without a doubt the best he has ever had. They are now the best I have ever had as well. There was not much batter to speak, just a lightly seasoned coat that was clearly hand done in-house. They came with what tasted like a sour cream ranch dipping sauce that was great. The pork highlights Florida BBQ, and we didn’t want to veer off that with our lunch decision.

I ordered a chopped pork sandwich and my mom ordered a sliced sandwich, both on garlic toast. We both had to order fried okra as one of my sides, but I added mac-n-cheese as my other while my mom got a bowl of collard greens. We both agreed the sliced pork was our favorite, but we enjoyed the chopped as well. The fried okra was in a beer battered style coat that left them crunchy and tasty. My mac-n-cheese side was creamy and cheesy, the way it should be. The collard greens had several oohs and aahs, making them a hit with my mom. We were tempted to order a slice of cobbler, but after the generous portions we decided it would be best to not fall asleep at the wheel once we pulled out. Great food is served here with a friendly staff in a rustic clean restaurant. Come see the shuttle launch and eat some out of this world food.

A place called Pepe’s

search4greatfood — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:09:50 +0000

As I posted the photo of the hamburger sandwich (see Louie’s Lunch post) on Facebook, I received several quick replies, none of which dealt with Louie’s. In fact, they were all focused on another local establishment, Pepe’s. Little did I know that one of the most revered pizza joints in the US was just a stone’s throw away. Well, maybe next time. Then luck struck again. On my way back from my meetings in Milford, which finished a few hours earlier than expected and a later flight planned due to the original time of the meetings meant one thing, I had time to find this Pepe’s and check it out. A business associate joined me and we headed into town to find this fabled pizza joint. Once again, a line awaited us. This one only lasted about 15 minutes and I have to admit I was shocked there was a wait, since it was 3p, not the usual lunch or dinnertime. Yet it was packed, and though we had to wait, I realized this is probably a good sign. As we walked in, a monstrous brick oven stared us down, with flames spewing within as it crisped the dozens of pies it held. We scanned the menu and quickly decided the only true gauge of pizza perfection was to order the Pepperoni. The pizza came to the table within 20 minutes and the cheese and pepperoni were bubbling hot and the aromas were divine.

The pizza covered the entire pan and it wasn’t a known symmetrical shape, just the way the dough landed when being tossed and it worked for us. The pizza was excellent and I can see why everyone talks about this place, including why most food critics rate this pie on the top of pizza list for the US. This is worth making a special detour or trip to, you will be glad you did.

A twist of LIME

search4greatfood — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:47:25 +0000

Lime Restaurant & Rum Bar (thelimerestaurant.com) is a newer restaurant to the dining scene in Daytona Beach, located on the beachside strip of Seabreeze Blvd. Upon entering the restaurant, we quickly got a good vibe. There were huge palm-type plants lining the bar and restaurant and cool art all over the walls, highlighted by a huge mural on the wall near the bar. We were greeted quickly and sat at one of the nice booths. The waiter told us to try the mojitos, as they were a house specialty and were all made fresh with each order. The menu had a number of tapas that I wanted to try, so I was lucky that there were four of us. We started with the chicken skewers, tuna and ceviche. It’s hard to pick a clear favorite, but the fresh snapper ceviche in, what else, lime juice and seasonings was excellent. We all decided to go ahead and order another round of mojitos to enjoy the last of the tapas and get ready for dinner. There were a number of entrees that caught my eye, but after talking to the waiter, I settled on the fresh snapper filet. I’m glad I did. I haven’t had a piece of fish that good in a long time. It had an interesting bronzed pan-fried crust to it that tasted out-of-this-world. The snapper was also dressed with mango chutney that complemented the fish well. I give them an added bonus for what happened next and feel it is worth mentioning. The executive chef came out to our table and asked how everything was prepared and any comments on the dish. This was above and beyond what I expected and really added to the experience. Nice job! This is a must visit restaurant when in Daytona Beach.

A history lesson in Savannah

search4greatfood — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:39:10 +0000

Garibaldi’s is in downtown Savannah on Congress Street, home to many well-known restaurants. In here they have something special going on that fits well with most diners. We had a decent size group, I believe it was 10 of us and we were all relaxing from travels and long days of work with a couple cocktails and glasses of wine. This restaurant is a great place to do this. We were seated upstairs, which had what seemed 20 foot ceilings, at a nice round table. I had a couple glasses of Pinot Noir from Walnut City throughout the evening and they were light and not overpowering. The menu had several great options for every part of the meal. I opted to start with a trademark appetizer, the Bloody Mary Oysters. They offer it raw or steamed, and I opted to go raw as the oysters almost always taste better this way. The dish comes with the oysters covered in chopped avocado, jalapeno, tomato and red onion with a soufflé cup of a spicy thin Bloody Mary mix sauce to drizzle atop the oyster concoction. I obliged. It was spicy and had a great bite. All the flavors blended well together, but it masked the oysters flavor profiles instead of enhancing them. Still though, it was a great appetizer that started the meal off nicely. Next, one of the locals that joined us highly recommended the Veal Chop au Poivre. This was easy to accept, as I love a great veal chop and being one of the signature items on the menu I knew I would be in good hands. I decided to not add salad or soup, but the waiter came close by trying to tempt me with one. Maybe if they had she crab soup or crab corn chowder I could have been persuaded. The chop came out as described on the menu – peppered seared in a wild mushroom brandy with mashed potato and haricort vert (I have no idea what this is, but the only thing it could have been were the green beans on my plate). I ordered the chop medium, which was the recommended temperature, and that was exactly how it was served. Delicious. The mushroom brandy sauce was a great sidecar to the veal and I devoured every last bite. Now I am not a big fan of desserts, but had heard a lot about the ones here. The table ordered a few and I sampled them with a spoonful here and there. The one that stood out was a berry basket with ice cream. It was sublime. This is a great restaurant with old southern charm and lots of great choices. Make this part of your next stop in Savannah and you will enjoy it.