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Showing posts with label house. Show all posts
Showing posts with label house. Show all posts

Saturday, February 14, 2015

The Weekend Gourmet Dines Out for April Featuring Sea Island Shrimp House

This months The Weekend Gourmet Dines Out featured restaurant is a San Antonio favorite for the past five decades: Sea Island Shrimp House. For seafood lovers in the city, this is THE place to go for fresh Texas seafood. The food is consistently excellent, the prices are reasonable, and the atmosphere is laidback and casual. For those reasons and more, loyal fans have been flocking to the restaurants six local locations since 1965! We love to take visiting friends and family here for relaxing seafood dinners, and everyone whos tried it loves it as much as we do. As a testament to Sea Islands popularity locally, they were selected 2013 Best of San Antonio Winner for Best Seafood Restaurant, as well as being selected San Antonio Express-News Readers Choice for both Seafood & Longtime Favorite Restaurant last year.
Our neighborhood Sea Island location recently had Michael and I out for a Lenten Friday dinner feast so we could try some of their signature menu items and share them with you. We were warmly welcomed the moment we walked in the door -- despite the restaurant being packed with hungry customers. We were quickly shown to our table and given menus to look over. First up on our tasting was one of Sea Islands signature appetizers, the refreshing and light Mexican-Style Shrimp Cocktail. 
Served with crispy tortilla chips, this chunky appetizer features huge chunks of sweet boiled shrimp, chunks of creamy avocado, onion, tomato, cocktail sauce, and cilantro. It is the perfect start to a meal...perfect for sharing. We were just getting started, though. Up next came a duo of fried entree classics: Crispy Catch platter and Fried Colossal Shrimp (my personal favorite). The food was fried up crispy and light...not the least bit greasy.
The Crispy Catch features two panko-crusted whitefish fillets, two stuffed shrimp, and two sides. The Fried Colossal Shrimp includes a half dozen sweet, jumbo-sized shrimp lightly breaded and fried up golden-brown. For shrimp lovers, this is the ultimate: huge butterflied shrimp fried when you order for maximum freshness. We werent done yet...there were still two more entrees coming out of the kitchen: Sea Islands signature Lemon Pepper Fish & Grilled Shimp...and the lighter-option Broiled Catfish Platter. 

The Lemon-Pepper Fish & Grilled Shrimp features Sea Islands house-blend lemon pepper seasoning. The fish and shrimp are breaded, then grilled instead of fried. This unique preparation results in lightly crispy, slightly smoky seafood. We agreed that we wish we had tried this sooner, because its bursting with tons of flavor! For those who prefer broiled seafood over fried, the catfish is seasoned with the same lemon pepper seasoning...proving you dont have to sacrifice flavor if youre trying to cut back on calories a bit. We were getting pretty full, but the manager came to our table with two of their house-made desserts to try.
We shared the decadent and fudgy Chocolate Decadence Cake and the sweet-tart Homemade Key Lime Pie. Both were perfectly made...and a perfect sweet ending to our meal. The cake was very rich, making it perfect for sharing. We especially love Key lime pie, and this version was pretty much perfect: graham crust, sweet-tart creamy filling, and a bit of whipped cream. We walked out full and satisfied, happy to have discovered some new menu items that we hadnt tried before. We snapped a couple of pictures of the restaurants colorful interior and exterior as we headed to the car.
If youre a seafood lover, I hope youll give Sea Island a try soon! Whether youre a local...or visiting San Antonio for a weekend getaway...its the perfect place to enjoy fresh seafood in a casual environment. It doesnt get much better than that! There are six Sea Island Shrimp House locations in and around San Antonio, which makes it convenient no matter which area of the city youre in.

Disclosure: Sea Island hosted our visit to facilitate this feature. All opinions expressed are my own, and all photographs are copyrighted by Michael K. Garcia. They may not be copied or otherwise used without prior permission.

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Monday, February 9, 2015

The Weekend Gourmet Dines Out for December Boiler House Texas Grill Wine Garden

This months The Weekend Gourmet Dines Out spotlight is shining on Boiler House Texas Grill & Wine Garden, located at the Pearl Brewery complex. This popular restaurant is located in the Pearl Brewerys former “boiler house,” which powered the adjacent brewery. To honor the historical significance of the building, many of its original architectural features have been preserved and incorporated into the restaurants design, including two of the three large boilers that powered the brewery more than 100 years ago. The Boiler House describes their menu as "Texas Hill Country Gourmet" paired with wines from around the globe. The large menu features tons of great options that are perfect for taking a group of friends or family and sharing bites as you enjoy some excellent wine. Ingredients are fresh and local, which I can really get behind! Michael and I visited as the holiday season was just starting to gear up, and we were very impressed with the eclectic menu! Theres something for everyone...from carnivores to vegetarians...and everything in between. 
We arrived and were warmly welcomed by the hostess. We were quickly shown to our table and brought two flutes of delicious LaMarca Prosecco from Italy...bubbles are always a great way to start out a meal! Our dinner menu that night was personally selected for us by Sous Chef Gerald Toomey, and our wine pairings were selected by our sweet server, who also happened to be Chef Toomeys wife! Between each course, the chef came to our table to talk about each dish we were tasting. It was informative and gave our entire meal a very personalized feel! We started out by sharing three small plate selections from the Breads, Skewers and Tastes sections of the menu. We enjoyed their signature Quail Poppers with Bacon, Jalapeno and Green Goddess; Chicken Liver Mousse and Charred Red Onion Jam; and Braised Kurabuta Pork Belly with Kraken Run Demi, Pickled Radish and House Mustard. 
The Boiler House is well known for their quail poppers, and they did not disappoint! They were spicy and savory with a ton of Texas attitude. They were paired with Willakenzie Pinot Gris from Oregon. The chicken liver mousse was creamy and rich. We enjoyed spreading it on toasted bread and topping with the sweet-savory onion jam. It was paired with Willakenzie Pinot Gris from Oregon. The pork belly was rich and decadent on a slightly sweet sauce. The pickled radishes and house-made grainy mustard provided sharp contrasting flavors that worked really well with the rich pork belly. It was paired with a fruity Reserve M Syrah from Pays dOc, France. 

We then shared two entrees from the Boiler Cuts section of the menu, one seafood and one venison. First out of the kitchen was the delicious Pan Roasted Salmon with Creamed Bacon Spinach and Pickled Asparagus. It was followed by Texas Hill Country Axis Venison Loin with a Wild Berry Demi Glaze and Whipped Potatoes.
The salmon was perfectly cooked: crispy on the outside and on the inside. It was served on a bed of smoky, rich creamed spinach and a spear of tangy pickled asparagus. All of the flavors worked really nice together. The salmon was paired with a refreshing and light Vicius Albarino from Portugal. The lean venison loin was fork tender and not the least bit gamey, with a fruity finish from the rich berry demi glace. The velvety potato puree was the perfect side dish to this flavorful cut, along with the rich Spanish Clos de Tafall Priorat wine.

 We opted to share dessert and were thrilled when a gorgeous dish of White Chocolate Peach Bread Pudding with Kraken Run Butterscotch Sauce, Sea Salt and Candied Pecans came out from the kitchen. We love bread pudding, and this is one of the best weve had in ages! It was rich and moist, with tons of fresh peaches and a sinful salted caramel sauce. 
Our fruity bread pudding was perfectly paired with a delicious and slightly sweet Lietz "Dragonstone" Riesling from Germany. It was the perfect ending to a fabulous meal! As you can see, we enjoyed all of the wines that we sampled with our meal that evening -- everything from bubbly prosecco to a robust Syrah.
When we visited The Boiler House, it was all decked out for the holidays...with tons of colorful holiday lights and a huge Christmas tree near the entrance. The decor definitely set a festive mood for our visit! The restaurant offers two levels of seating, as well as a large bar that looks into the busy kitchen In addition to dinner, the restaurant also features popular lunch and brunch menus and a lively Happy Hour. Whether youre looking for lots of great small plate options to share with friends...or a romantic dinner for two...Boiler House is an excellent option in the popular Pearl Brewery entertainment complex! When the weather is nice, they also have a great outdoor seating area. We cant wait to visit The Boiler House again very soon to try some of the other menu items.

 Disclosure: We were provided with a complimentary dinner and wine pairings to facilitate this feature. We received no further compensation, and all opinions are my own. Photographs are copyrighted by Michael K. Garcia and may not be copied or otherwise used without prior permission.


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Friday, February 6, 2015

The Weekend Gourmet Hits the Road Featuring New Yorks Upper West Side a Treat House GIVEAWAY!

Today, I’m going to spotlight one of my very favorite neighborhoods in New York: The Upper West Side (UWS). If youve never visited this part of the city, I hope youll plan at least an afternoon visit to explore the area the next time youre in New York. The UWS is a more residential part of the city, where youll see lots of gorgeous apartment buildings, strolling families, and adorable dogs. However, the area also has lots of great restaurants and cultural attractions. A few years ago, we decided to live like New Yorkers for a week and rented a studio apartment on the UWS. The apartment was located on W 85th, just a block from Central Park West and 1.5 blocks from a convenient subway station. We absolutely fell in love with the neighborhood, so we always make sure to spend time in this part of the city whenever we visit New York! During our most recent trip last month, we discovered two fantastic new places to eat…and we also visited one of our favorite bakeries.

We heard about Jacob’s Pickles online and knew we had to check it out: their motto is Southern Food, With a Twist...and they offer craft beer, house-made pickles and delicious comfort food served in a casual environment? Sounds like a perfect spot to me! We arrived and were warmly greeted and shown to our second-floor table…then the food started coming out. First up was a sampling of their house-made Pickle Jars. We tried the Sour Green Tomatoes, Sweet & Spicy Carrots, Candy Red Beets and Special Sours. All were crisp and flavorful...the perfect start to our meal. Next came fried Fried Pickle Spears with Spicy Red Mayo. The spicy and tangy combo was addictive.  As we munched away contentedly, out came THE BEST mac and cheese we’ve ever had, the Mushroom Mac & Cheese. It was rich and creamy, with crunchy melted cheese and a creamy mushroom sauce containing shitake, portabella and king oyster mushrooms on top. It was served with a sampler of some of their craft beers. We would’ve been content to eat this mac and cheese  all afternoon, but more food was heading our way.
We shared a Honey Chicken & Pickles Southern Biscuit Sandwich, which this Texas gal gives an enthusiastic thumbs up! As if the sandwich wasnt amazing enough, it was served with creamy cheese grits that tasted just like the South. Then, we pretty much died and went to heaven when we tried Jacob’s Biscuits French Toast topped with gorgeous strawberries. O.M.G. Bless my Southern heart...French toast made with biscuits?!?!? Genius! We were getting really stuffed by then, but we somehow managed to sample their Fried Oreos for dessert…the batter was crispy and light and the Oreos inside were pillow-soft. They were a decadent end to a really fantastic meal.
We absolutely loved Jacob’s Pickles and have been enthusiastically telling everybody we met in New York and upon our arrival home in Texas that Jacob’s is a must-visit in New York…the food is great, the atmosphere is casual, and the staff is fantastic. We still dream of that mushroom-topped mac and cheese and will use it to measure all other mac and cheese going forward!

From Jacob’s, we walked two blocks up to check out Treat House, which specializes in adorable – and delicious – rice cereal treats. Think of the cereal and marshmallow treats your Mom made when you were growing up...only on steroids! We met owners Chris and Jennifer Russell, who started their shop a year-and-a-half ago, after gourmet treats they made for a charity bake sale were a huge hit in their neighborhood. One things for sure: these aren’t your mama’s treats, my friend! These hand-decorated three-bite treats are made with homemade marshmallows and come in tons of fun flavors, some of which are seasonal. We stopped in to sample their entire treat lineup that day, which included seasonal Fall flavors like Maple Pecan and Pumpkin Spice. All of the treats were great, but my two personal favorites were Chocolate Mint and Caramel Sea Salt. The family-friendly decor reminded me of a cross between a club house and a tree house...welcoming and fun!
Treat House makes a perfect 1-2 afternoon combo with Jacobs Pickles because of their close proximity to each other. On our way out, Jennifer gave us one of their gourmet ice cream bars to enjoy on the cab ride back to our hotel. It was a sweet ending to our fabulous visit! We walked around the neighborhood a bit more, then we grabbed a cab to head back to our hotel in Midtown.

We love the UWS so much that we headed back up a couple of days later for Sunday brunch at the recently opened second location of RedFarm. This Asian fusion restaurant’s original location is in the Village, and it’s wildly popular. After visiting this new UWS location, it was easy to see why. We loved the natural light and open feel of RedFarm and quickly decided to share some small plates and a main dish. We had heard about the Katzs Pastrami Eggroll made with Katz’s famous pastrami, so that was definitely a must try. We also selected the Crispy Duck & Crab Dumplings and the whimsical Pac Man Shrimp Dumplings. All of these dishes were delicious …and perfect for sharing. The egg roll was like a familiar egg roll that dropped by a deli on the way to the table! The crispy dumplings were light and flavorful, and the shrimp dumplings were sweet and full of shrimp.
For our entrée, we ordered the Nueskes Bacon & Egg Fried Rice. It was smoky from the bacon and full of crunchy veggies and soft-scrambled eggs, making it a perfect brunch dish. For dessert, we shared a fantastic Key Lime Pie with Lemon Sorbet. Both components of the dessert packed a refreshing citrus punch. We’re suckers for sweet-tart desserts, so this light dessert duo was the perfect ending to our brunch.
Hint: If you find yourself at RedFarms UWS location, you’re very close to two NY iconic food destinations: H&H Bagels and Zabar’s Deli. Both are fabulous and well worth a visit…there’s no bagel quite like a NY bagel. Then you can go next door to Zabar’s for amazing flavored cream cheese and/or smoked salmon to pair with your bagel! P.S. If you’re a Trader Joe’s fan without a location in your city, you’re in luck: there’s one within a block of RedFarm.
My favorite chocolate chip cookie on the entire planet is also found on the UWS: Levain Bakery. I first visited here on a trip in 2009, and was hooked. I have since converted Michael, so we make a point of stopping by for their to-die-for cookies every trip. Trust me: they’re that good! The lines can be long, but we usually visit in late afternoon and are in and out in 10 minutes. The cookies are HUGE…golden on the outside and cookie dough soft on the inside. Take a look…like I said: To. Die. For.
Hint: Levain is cash only, and each huge cookie is $5…so make sure to hit an ATM before you arrive!

When visiting the UWS, there’s plenty of activities to keep you busy between meals! If youre a lover of the fine arts, you can attend a live performance at the famed Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts -- its the home of the iconic New York Philharmonic orchestra, The Metropolitan Opera and the New York City Ballet. The renowned Julliard School of Music is located on the campus as well. If rock and roll is more your thing, make sure to  visit John Lennon’s Imagine Memorial at Strawberry Fields inside Central Park. Beatles fans gather here year-round to pay their respects to Lennons memory and reflect in this peaceful spot. Its very easy to get to: simply enter Central Park West at 72nd Street and walk a short distance inside the park. 
Finally, if you’re a history lover, the American Museum of Natural History is located at Central Park West and 79th Street. The museum also includes the famous Hayden Planetarium, making this museum fun for kids and adults alike. Conveniently, there’s also a Shake Shack located directly across the street from the back side of the museum. There are several Shake Shack locations throughout New York, but this one is my personal favorite! We love to grab a Shack Burger, some cheese fries and a shake, take it to go...then sit on a bench outside to people watch while we enjoy our meal.
There you have it…some of our very favorite things to see, do…and eat…on New York’s Upper West Side! I know the cereal treats from Treat House had you drooling. You want to try some…cmon, admit it! I’m excited to let you know that Treat House is going to give one of my readers a 12-treat variety pack…with any four flavors of their choice. Theyll even ship them direct to your house! To enter, follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter box below. The giveaway will run through this weekend, and the winner will be announced next Monday. Good luck!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Jacobs Pickles, Treat House and RedFarm provided us with meals to facilitate inclusion in this article. We received no further compensation, and all opinions provided are my own. All photographs are copyrighted by Michael K. Garcia. They may not be copied or otherwise used without prior permission.
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