Parrot Eyes

As I drove over to the island this morning to get my nails done (at Venus Nails and Spa with Jenny of course!), I was next to a white vehicle with a Parrot Eyes sign on the side...it stuck in my mind when my appointment was finished and I was feeling hungry!  See, advertising does pay :-)

This is only my second visit to Parrot Eyes.  I don't know why I don't go more often.  It's really tasty, well-priced, and what a lovely view on this gorgeous day!  It wasn't crowded, and most people were sitting out on the deck.  I didn't feel like being around a crowd - so I sat inside.  The staff are very friendly and attentive at Parrot Eyes - my drink order was taken immediately and I was provided a menu with the daily specials pointed out.  All within moments of being seated.

The specials are every day, I was told...and they are just $5.00.  Well, you can't beat that!  There was a taco plate, an enchilada plate, a pasta plate...and some others which didn't stick in my mind.  The first time I went there was last Fall - and I had a Cobb salad.  I remember it being very good.  Today I selected the $5.00 enchilada plate.  Very basic - no substitutions - 2 cheese enchiladas with a beef chili sauce, rice and beans.  I was almost surprised at how good they were!  Heavy cheese on top (just the way I like it) - the chili was good - and the tortillas thin and tender.  Excellent!  The ice tea was good (you may recall, I'm picky about my iced tea) - fresh and tasty.  The outstanding item on the plate, though, was the bowl of beans.  I had expected the typical refried beans...but these charro style beans were exceptional...with onion and bacon and quite spicy!  The rice was just so-so but when I added it to the brothy beans...frankly, I could have made a meal of those two items together.  The rice toned down the spice a bit - and it was just a perfect side!  I cleaned my plate and walked away full as a tick for a total of $7.52 plus tip. What a great deal.
 
I've driven by with the consideration of stopping on other occasions, but they were awfully crowded (Summer time).  I bet I won't wait another year to stop in!  Fall and Spring are likely the optimal times for locals to swing by - I'll leave it to the tourists for summer time fun!




Parrot Eyes on Padre Blvd


This is a fairly new facility, I'll add.  Very nicely done.  My photo didn't turn out so well - I'll try to get a better one...or better yet - look at their very nice website.  Their original business of recreational watersports has been around longer than the restaurant.  I remember it from when we used to vacation here.  My nephews reported they stopped in for a meal there and greatly enjoyed the tropical atmosphere.  I particularly liked looking out the huge windows at all the pelicans and bay views.  It's on the canal side that leads into the Laguna Madre.  There is a gift shop, pool tables, a bar/nightlife scene...lots to make folks happy.  I definitely recommend it whether you are a local, a Winter Texan, or a tourist!

SPI FLIP FLOP FOODIE RATING:

3 1/2 – Pretty Darn Yummy - I feel my flip flops wanting to head back from time to time!

Eating with Gusto!

My niece and her husband were visiting the island this week.  It was soooo windy all week that they only got one good day on the beach.  I think they enjoyed the after-festival viewing of the sand castles from Sand Castle Days and just hanging out at their hotel.  We had dinner together at Gabriella's on Tuesday evening and enjoyed talking smack with our jovial waiter.  We plowed through the delectable calamari with marinara sauce in under 5 minutes.  I need to teach the teen how to truly "share" a shared appetizer!  He ate most of it, the piggy!  Holly and I both had Bowtie Pasta Carbonara - it was awesome.  The intensely flavorful asiago cheese has just the right bite for the rich creamy sauce.  Big pieces of bacon didn't hurt either as well as thin bite sized pieces of chicken!  Really, it was about perfect.  We both took leftovers home (and I greatly enjoyed mine for lunch the next day).  Her husband had Pasta a la Tonno which featured a flaky yellow fin tuna over linguini with a creamy pink sauce - sun dried tomatoes, fire roasted red peppers, garlic and mushrooms.  It looked delicious and he cleaned his plate - so I'm guessing it was!  The teen had, surprisingly, a new dish (for him) - Shrimp fra Diava - which was a big pile of onions and peppers and Gulf shrimp over pasta with a white wine sauce.  He put a good sized dent in the dish but did say the sauce tasted too much like alcohol for him.  I think he would have been happier with a buttery garlic sauce - but I was glad he tried something new!  After the salad and bread and small antipasti plate, we had no room for dessert.  It lived up to my expectations again!  Gabriella's has a new website which I've linked here.  My complaint is that you can't see the entire menu at a reasonable size.  Hopefully their web master will get that fixed.  My old eyes can't handle that small print!  They are also now on Facebook - so "like" them here!

On Thursday we had scheduled to go to Louie's Backyard for the sunset and buffet when I saw this photo appear on Facebook!  Instead of Joe vs the Volcano...it was TONY vs the PadreRitaVille Nacho Volcano!!!

Photo by Holly Monnich

They went for a late lunch and thought they were "just getting an appetizer" when they saw what Cathy and Micheal have to offer.  It really can't be beat!  I messaged them that we could forgo dinner if desired - but they said no "you only live once" and they would meet us there before sunset!  They enjoyed watching several of the island's sand sculptors carving pumpkins at PadreRitaVille and got to meet a few as well.  I'm glad they had a good time.  I couldn't believe they still wanted dinner - but I was glad.  I haven't been to the Louie's buffet in a good while and was looking forward to it.

The evening was so windy, though, we sort of "waved" at the sun going down and scurried into the inside dining area.  We gorged on crab legs, prime rib, fried shrimp, a spicy shrimp scampi sort of dish, (I had salad I might piously add), baked potato, corn on the cob, barbecued ribs, boiled shrimp...and I don't know what else everyone had... unbelievably, we ordered a huge piece of chocolate cake for dessert.  With 4 forks though - we shared :-)

We stayed for over 2 hours and I bet they were glad when we left!  Although, I will say, we didn't eat the whole time.  We chatted and told old family stories and just had a great visit.  Service was great - they weren't crowded and our table was kept cleared and our drinks filled.  That's always a plus! 

They left this morning and are safely back in Austin.  I miss them already.  They are fun people.

As a side note, the teen was very social - he knew people working there (from school) and went out on the deck and met another person he knew out there.  It's nice to see that he's settled in so nicely here.  It was a good move for us.

Anyway - thanks Holly and Tony for the good times - and the great photo of the Nacho Volcano.  It's fun to dine out with other foodies!

Cap'n Roy's

One of our family's "go to" dining spots on the island is Cap'n Roy's at 1313 Padre Blvd. ....everyone has their favorite and it's a frequent choice when we talk about grabbing a bite to eat on the island.  I tend to go for the Mexican food offerings, my husband goes for the seafood, and the teen either goes for a burger or fried shrimp.  No one has ever had any complaint about their food - and I don't think we've ever not 100% cleaned our plates!  Last time, I had the enchilada plate - beef enchiladas specifically.  I ordered chips and salsa for the side - and they are big freshly fried 1/2 tortilla sized chips and a cooked style salsa.  Only complaint is the bowl isn't big enough :-)  I always need more.  I have also had, on a cold dreary day, a revitalizing serving of excellent carne guisada.  Delicious.  My husband loves the grilled shrimp tacos or the fish tacos with the fumi salad.  And we never fail to seek out their booth at the annual Shrimp Cook-off in Port Isabel.  They always have an award-winning concoction of goodness to sample.  The teen - he loves, loves, loves the big old half pound burger with fries.  Their fried shrimp is always a good call - with french fries and the delicious tart fumi salad (a vinegary yet sweet slaw - really pairs well with fried food).

The only complaint I have is having to do a u-turn to get there when coming from the bridge.  But, that's no biggie to get to a guaranteed good meal.  If they are busy, there's lots of stuff on the walls to look at - old photos, big fish, other nautical "stuff".  It's a small joint - but that's the way I like it.  The prices are reasonable, the waitstaff are courteous and friendly.  It's a great island spot!

SPI FLIP FLOP FOODIE RATING:

3 1/2 – Really Yummy - I feel my flip flops wanting to head back from time to time!

PadreRitaGrill - Revisited!

My friend and I were in dire need of adult conversation and some time out of the house... so, we decided to hit PadreRitaVille for lunch Tuesday.  I suggested it in an email last week, and I baited my hook with a link to the Island Breeze article last week that had me salivating for most of the menu items mentioned.  She, being weak, like me, succumbed rapidly.  Yay! 

Today finally arrived and we hopped in the car and headed out to lunch.  I was nearly giddy with happiness!  I didn't even need to think about looking at the menu... but I did.... in great detail.  I knew, going in, that having to decide between a volcano of nachos and the Tuesday lunch special, Shrimp Scampi, was nigh impossible...but I managed.  Up until the last minute it was going to be the special and then I had a quick step switch to the Nachos.  My friend got the special so I can speak to both.

My 1/2 order of supreme nachos were delicious - I had beef this time since I had chicken before.  The chips were delicious, generous dollop of guacamole (freshly made) on top and fresh salsa, jalapenos, and sour cream on the side.  Piled high with beans, cheese, onion, (skipped the tomatoes), and a LOT of nicely-seasoned ground beef....overall, excellent.  I couldn't eat more than half of the half order.  It was an extremely generous serving.  The $6 lunch special my friend got was deemed very good (and I challenge you to find a lunch like that for the price anywhere else on the island).  It started with a mixed lettuce with tomato and red onion side salad.  The entree was served on a large, very attractive, pewter fish-shaped platter filled with pasta topped with shrimp and a tasty garlicky butter sauce; broccoli on the side, and garlic toast.  (there were other side choices, she chose broccoli)   My meal, with iced tea was in the $15 range and my friend's was $8 before tip.  She had a generous mug of freshly made French Roast coffee and said it was delicious.  I opted for iced tea and it was as good as I remember (despite the waitress topping it off with raspberry tea instead of regular tea - I'm not a raspberry tea fan - I didn't have the heart to tell her at that point).

I'm sure restaurant owners wish people would stop taking pictures of their food with their cell phones - I read an article in Bon Appetit magazine that said so - but I feel irresistibly compelled when something is so exciting to me that I think the whole world needs to see it!  I held off because I kept imagining my mother giving me the stern "big eyes" if she saw me.  I had my camera in my purse, but by the time the food was in front of me, I was starved and just dug in.  It was delicious.  Unfortunately, that leaves me - again - with no pictures from PadreRitaVille!

The follow-up visit was as good as the previous visit.  There was a slight mis-step in both of our orders arriving "not as ordered", but it was taken care of pretty darn quickly.  We weren't overly concerned because we were gabbing.  The shift manager checked in a couple of times and apologized for the beginning mis-step.  No problemo.  Regardless of the few service bleeps, I continue to totally enjoy the food here.  Really nice.

I want to come back for dinner - the "steak night" special has been luring me for a couple of weeks now.  However, I'm finding now that school is back in session, homework is abundant, and eating out on a week-night is just not feasible unless there is a special occasion (like no homework for the teen or a parade).  I also know I need to keep trying new places...but, by golly, I just want to go back to PadreRitaVille so I can try some more of their menu.  It all looks soooo good!

If you haven't made it by - you MUST go...  'nuf said!

UPDATE 1/3/2014
My son and I had a delicious lunch here on a gorgeous January day on the island.  Excellent prices for delicious food.  I continue to love PadreRittaGrill! (note name change)

Here's the slightly edited update from my Facebook page:

"Yummy lunch at PadreritaGrill Spi with Ian Hook. Outstandingly creamy and delicious Tomato Basil Soup with a plentiful and diverse Salad Bar for me. Generous Shrimp Po'Boy with fries for him. Mine was great and he said his was really good. (high praise from the usual shoulder shrug)  All for a reasonable price. "

SPI FLIP FLOP FOODIE RATING:

4 – Lip smackin’ - good quality – flip flops will definitely be parked under their table again!

Blackbeards' Restaurant



Photo Source: Google Images



The first time I went to Blackbeard's on South Padre, over 10 years ago, we went for lunch at the end of the lunch rush on one of our early family vacation trips down here.  I fell in love with their fried shrimp po-boy.  It was so basic and simple...and so very delicious.  The next time we came down to the island was in February and we came to celebrate our anniversary and use up some Southwest Airlines tickets that were going to expire.  We had no idea it was such a winter-Texan haven and laughed about being the youngest on the island.  That time, since we were without children <hooray> we went to dinner at Blackbeards' and, while a little more crowded on this occasion, we were in such good spirits we didn't care.  We ordered drinks, we took our time, we were just glowing with the happiness only a parent of teens and pre-teens can relate to, on the exciting event of a week-end free of responsibility.  I selected Stuffed Shrimp - a delectable concoction of Gulf shrimp stuffed with a crabmeat dressing ...perfection on a plate.  There was so much on the plate, I couldn't even begin to put a dent in it.  It was superlative (or maybe I was intoxicated with Cosmos and Happiness).  Whatever it was, we went home happy. 



Photo Source: Blackbeards' Website



We made Blackbeard's a regular stop on our trips down to the island...until an unhappy meal in 2005.  You know how it is when you bring a crowd to a restaurant you've been raving about and on that particular day, it unfortunately sucks?  That's what happened to us.  After waiting in the unbelievable crush of a July dinner rush, having our food be nothing like I had raved about, my son getting sick afterwards...well, we just didn't go back again.

My sister and her husband and sons always rave about Blackbeards' and it is a "must have" when they are here on vacation...my brother-in-law gives his highest regards to the flounder particularly.  So, when we were down in April 2008, looking at real estate after our big decision to leave Austin, we decided it was time to give Blackbeards' another try.  My son had the red snapper - loved it.  I had fried shrimp - loved it.  I think my husband had the Shrimp 3-ways - loved it.  What we didn't love, was how crowded the tables were next to each other.  We couldn't talk, it was so loud and the wait staff could barely get through the tables without bumping our chairs.  We decided we didn't want to deal with that when there were so many other places we could go on this lovely island that didn't involve feeling like we were rubbing elbows with the tables next door.

Then, winter of 2010, the teen and I were driving along, scoping out a place to eat dinner when I swung right into the Blackbeards' driveway - which was half empty (or half full if you want to focus on optimism).  I thought, I miss Blackbeards' food - and since it wasn't crowded...

Photo Source: Blackbeards' Website

Sure enough - I had a lovely evening in one of the back areas where we were able to converse and I enjoyed a steak with shrimp and a lovely broiled fish for the teen.  Blackbeards' Restaurant had returned to my good graces. 

What I learned from this, is a lesson I've learned well since moving to the lower Laguna Madre...whether it is on the Island, or in Port Isabel...avoid eating out for dinner in July....go out on week nights only during most of the summer... and learn where the crowds are going to be and when they are going to be - and don't go there.  Lunch, during the summer is "a good thing".  It fulfills my need to dine out with minimal crowding (especially if you go to lunch as soon as they open).  Avoidance of crowds - THAT is what I've learned.

Photo Source:  Google Images

September and October are two of my favorite months at the coast.  Unhindered by those much-needed tourists and the beginning of a slight cooling in the atmosphere.  This is the time of year that moves me to euphoria on the island.  It's time to schedule a night out at Blackbeards' Restaurant again!

SPI FLIP FLOP FOODIE RATING:

3 – Pretty Yummy - I feel my flip flops wanting to head back from time to time!

Marcello's Italian Restaurant

Source: Google Images

After enjoying the small-town big event of the Port Isabel Homecoming Parade, we decided to avoid the immense traffic jam (people wandering the street, talking, no hurry to get out of the way) by eating dinner out before heading to the big bonfire.  Marcello's Italian Restaurant is on the corner of Hwy 100 and Tarnava on the Lighthouse Square and we were parked close by...win-win situation!  I've been to Marcello's several times and have always enjoyed it so we headed in for dinner and air-conditioning. 

It is an iconic family-owned restaurant and, at this time of year, filled with locals enjoying an evening out.  I like the atmosphere, which includes background music, subdued lighting, oil lamps on the table, white linens, and cloth napkins...kind of old European in atmosphere - nothing like the chain ambiance of the Olive Garden type of Italian restaurant.  Soothingly relaxing after the blaring horns of every police car and fire engine in the area leading the parade!  We were seated at my favorite table in the restaurant - square in front of the window looking out at the lighthouse.  Perfect!

Today, being the first day out to eat all week, I enjoyed the slight delay the apparently unexpected post-parade rush caused for the waitstaff.  Our waiter was great and handled the influx with friendly aplomb, expressing appreciation for our patience.  Our food actually came out quite promptly.  We started off with the included salad (mine with a wonderfully tangy tomato vinaigrette) and a generous basket of lightly toasted Italian bread with a dipping bowl of Marinara sauce.  I was in the mood for something fairly basic so ordered whole wheat spaghetti with meatballs and Marinara.  The teen ordered their seafood lasagna.  I was afraid he would not be hungry after plowing through most of the bread basket.  (We generally eat fairly early on school nights and it was 7:40 when we got to the restaurant - he was starved.)  I tried some of his seafood lasagna and boy was it good!  It was in a white sauce and completely covered with stringy delicious cheese.  I could identify crab and some shrimp in my one bite - the teen wasn't able to identify anything else, but did declare it was very good.  It was such a generous serving that he couldn't eat it all (especially having filled up on bread and Marinara!). 

My meal was all that I could ask for in a plate of spaghetti and meatballs.  Meatballs so big I could only eat one (I think there were two on the plate - under all that delicious Marinara) and a literal bowl of pasta sufficient for multiple servings.  We could have easily shared either dish.

In the past I've enjoyed their cheese ravioli in shrimp and lobster sauce - rich and decadent.  Last year when my family was here, we dined at Marcello's, and everyone loved their meal.  Good stuff - reasonably priced.  Our dinner tonight was $36 with non-alcoholic drinks and a tip.  For a nice dinner, that's a good price in my opinion.

I'm tired and pleasantly full (thankfully I only ate half the dish) and ready for bed.  The evening was so pleasant, we completely forgot about the bonfire!  We swung by on the way home and at least saw it, despite missing the actual activities...not sure what you do at a bonfire...but we were so stuffed and ready to fall into the post-pasta-induced slumbers, that we both said "okay - saw it - let's go home"...and we did.

Marcello's is a place we will go again and again...when we need a nice night out and want to stay on the Port Isabel side of the bridge.  It's definitely mangia bene!

SPI FLIP FLOP FOODIE RATING:

4 – Lip smackin’ - good quality – flip flops will definitely be parked under their table again!

Marchan's White Sands Motel, Marina, and Restaurant

(See update at bottom of post)

A friend of mine sent me an email asking me to review Marchan's in Port Isabel.  I thought "oh dear" because I had only eaten at Marchan's once and I wasn't overly impressed.  While the view was very enjoyable, it was crowded, the items my husband and I had were unmemorable, the service was slow...I never went back.  That, however, was over 18 months ago.  My sister and her husband and sons think Marchan's has the best breakfast tacos in the area but I'd just never made it back after my one lukewarm trial.  If I mention it, my husband gives a quick "nuh uh", as in no way.  So, this morning I decided, as I was on my way to the island to check out the storm damage and scan the area for breakfast options, to instead make a quick u-turn and go to White Sands Marina/Motel, the home of Marchan's instead.  It's a scenic little place - the old fashioned drive-up-to-the-door motel geared to fishermen.  The marina has a gas pump and a bait stand and it is where my sons always go to meet Captain Jack Barton for their fishing excursions.  The restaurant is fairly nondescript from the outside but does have a great water view of the Port Isabel deep water canals.  Always lots of gulls and pelicans lurking about - so, scenic in a non-South Padre kind of way.  (Not touristy is what I mean by that comment)  The one time we went it was filled to the brim with locals and gritty looking fishermen (and fisherwomen) and it was a lot bigger on the inside than I expected.  Definitely a locals joint.

Anyway, I pulled in to the restaurant parking area and it looked like there was only one other car there besides mine.  It is a Wednesday morning, the first week of "off season" and past the time folks stop in on the way to work or on the way out to fish.  Perfect...I was in the need of a little quiet and I had a book.  I was open-minded and ready to relax.  Boy, am I glad I made THAT decision!

The server told me to sit anywhere so I took the table in the middle - the only other patron was on her cell phone and obviously just finishing up.  I ordered coffee and perused the menu.  The coffee was good and the cream was not skim milk (that's a good thing) and was in an icy cold little stainless pitcher.  I like half and half in my coffee and I despise when I ask for cream and I get skim milk.  I'd rather skip the coffee if that's the way it is.  So, off to a good start.  One of the first things I noticed was a plaque on the wall from Coastal Living magazine naming them one of the Best Seafood Dives.  I thought that was a good sign!

They had a good menu selection - basic breakfast combos (eggs, meat, potatoes, and toast), breakfast tacos in burrito-sized tortillas, omelets, migas, breakfast gorditos (a kind of Mexican pocket bread) are the items I remember off the top of my head.  The server brought my attention to the dry-erase board for the specials of the day - biscuits and gravy for $1.99 and sausage and egg taco for $2.50.  Once I'd confirmed the taco with sausage and egg was not involving chorizo (not my favorite), I decided to order that and had cheese added for an extra 50 cents.  My sister's family said to order the breakfast tacos...I assumed they knew what they were talking about!

While I waited for my food, more patrons arrived - 2 older fishermen on the last day of their fishing trip, a couple of older ladies who were obviously local and known to the server, an older couple who looked like they had just rolled out of bed...I like to people watch as much as I like to see what they order :-)  My food came out fairly quickly and it was a gigantic taco filling up a 12 inch ironstone platter.  My waitress brought a squeeze bottle of obviously freshly made salsa and a squeeze bottle of catsup.  Diner style - love it.  The taco was so huge there was no way to pick it up daintily so I went for the open face method.  I squeezed a bit of salsa to the side to make sure it was to my liking - it was quite good - had a burn but not vicious.  I hate it when the burn destroys my taste buds and i can't taste my food.  So, I gave the taco a good slathering of salsa on half of it and got to work.  It was DELICIOUS.  The ground sausage was tasty and not greasy and still in good sized chunks.  The cheese was cheddar and melted to stringy deliciousness.  The eggs were fluffy - not too wet and not too dry... just right.  The best though... the tortilla.  It tasted freshly made and had been lightly grilled - just the way I like it.  I ate and ate and just couldn't finish it.  I was starving when I arrived but I couldn't eat more than 2/3 of it (see picture of what I couldn't handle).  Normally one takes pictures of the just served food.  Truly, though, when I thought about doing that I though "hmm, it just looks like a taco" so I blew it off.  At the end of the meal though, I was so in love with it, I needed a photo to remember it by!

Then, the good part - my total bill was $5.25 - more food than I could eat and a good cup of coffee - for $5.25...wow!

Just goes to show you - always try, again, a restaurant everyone says is wonderful - even if your first try is not so wonderful.  Now, I'll have to go for a lunch and a dinner...but maybe not Sunday lunch like we did before...when it was packed and rushed.  Marchan's reminded me of the places my parents took us for breakfast when we travelled.  It's old school - nothing fancy - far from it.  The boats coming and going, the pelicans swooping in to land (less than gracefully), and the people chattering all around will keep you entertained - and now I know, the breakfast is DEFINITELY worth returning for!

Side note - I saw someone's biscuits - they were open faced and grilled - just like at Grapevine Cafe.  Is this a Rio Grande Valley thing?  Or have I just missed out on this concept?  I'm still inclined towards fluffy biscuits - but thought I'd mention it since I saw it on a plate going by!

SPI FLIP FLOP FOODIE RATING:
2.5 – A satisfactory meal –I’d try it again

Updated Rating Due to Below:
1 – Okay – but I’ve definitely had better – not sure that I’d return

December 19, 2010 UPDATE

We had some errands to run in Port Isabel at the noon hour and my son asked if we could eat lunch "at that place we go fishing".  I asked "Do you mean White Sands - where you meet Captain Jack?"  He replied affirmatively and I said, "the restaurant there is Marchan's - you want to go there?"  He again said yes, so in we rolled. 

At 12:30 on Sunday I was surprised to find only a few tables filled and the water front area wasn't even open.  Huh.  So, we took a booth with a decent view of the water from afar, commenting on how smooth the bay was after days of choppy, windy weather.  Our waitress was really nice, prompt, and friendly.  I ordered Carne Guisada plate with corn tortillas and the teen ordered a burger and fries as usual.  Our food came out really quickly.  The menu said mine came with a salad - but there was just beans and rice (both were dry) but the carne guisada looked good and I didn't really care about the salad so I didn't mention it.  The tortillas were flour instead of corn - but oh well - I wasn't in a complaining mood and I didn't instantly see our waitress so I just started with what I had.  The teen and I were having a lively conversation and I didn't want to upset the flow (it's rare that we have a lively conversation at a restaurant - but this one had no background noise - so it was possible to converse!).  All was well until I bit into a twig of something...I thought maybe it was from some thyme or some other herb (not that I could see ANY visible herb in the sauce).  Two bites later, something else felt funny in my mouth and I pulled out "something" - again, favorably thinking of the cooking process, thought maybe it was part of a dried chili pod.  THEN, two bites later...a big piece of plastic was pulled out of my mouth...and that was the end of that.  I let the waitress know when she brought my check - by pointing out the items on my napkin.  She looked appalled and snatched it up and said she would let the kitchen know - that was absolutely NOT okay.  She then brought me a revised bill with the carne guisada plate charge removed.   Fairly disappointing meal but excellent and appropriately responsive waitress.  Here's a photo of the two bigger "items" in my food.  Diners beware!  I know that "stuff happens" in kitchens - but really - 3 different ickies???

Items found in my Carne Guisada Plate