Travaasa Spa - Austin

I joined my friend, Diana, and two other ladies for a day and night at Travaasa Spa on Lake Travis last week-end.  It was a special birthday for my friend and her oh-so-thoughtful husband treated her and 3 of her friends to a very nice evening and day of pampering.

The girls are ready to hit the road - Diana had no idea
what we were doing or where we were going.  It was
a successful surprise!

I was not focused on photos so I have a mix-up of pictures from her camera, my camera, and my cell phone!  The resolution is low, but it is what it is!

We were transported to the spa by a driver in a very nice black Suburban (or some other brand - but you get the gist).  We enjoyed a bottle of champagne as we were enroute to the spa...woo hoo! 

Our driver opening the champagne

We checked in and were driven to our accommodations in a golf cart and after checking out our fabulous rooms, decided to head to the bar for a drink!

One of our extremely comfy rooms!

After being side-tracked by the view from the patio, overlooking the Cypress Creek arm of Lake Travis, we were escorted to the bar by a staff member who was recommending a special cucumber drink. 

On the restaurant porch prior to dinner.

We ended up with a concoction (not the cucumber drink) that knocked my socks off...not in an alcoholic way, but just the best drink I have ever had in my life (and let me tell you, in my younger days, I have had a LOT of drinks!).

The birthday girl and our bartender

I can't even remember what the bartender called it, but I carefully watched everything he did.  Since I don't know the name, I'll call it the Travaasa Lemon Drink...that's how we all referred to it at the table as we ooohhed and aaahhhed over the fabulous flavor.

Very entertaining bartender!  We would have enjoyed
having him join us for dinner I think!  Or maybe it was the
cocktail talking :-)

Here's what was in it:

St. Germaine Elderberry Liqueur
Fresh Lemon Juice
Gin
Sweet and Sour
Topped with Champagne and
A Lemon Twist, squeezed until the lemon essence floated on the liquid.

Served in a Martini glass... it was AWESOME!!!

We would have continued with those I imagine, but he used the last of the St. Germaine's Liqueur.  So, we moved on to the Cucumber Cocktail.  It was refreshing...and had I drank it first, I would have likely enjoyed it immensely.  Unfortunately, it was a slow second to the fabulous first drink.  Being the rare drinker that I am, I was already slightly tipsy from the champagne and the cocktails.  I was ready to focus on dinner!

I was feeling pretty darn happy by this point!

Being a spa, the menu incorporated full nutritional value of each item.  We were on an all-inclusive package so we could choose pretty much what we wanted...so we all had appetizers, main meals, and dessert.  Of course!  We started with bread and olive oil with a peach vinegar...delish!  I loved that they used so many local sourced and organic products.  Made it all the more special!

Sharon perusing the menu

We all selected the same appetizer - it sounded so delicious.  Good choice - it was just the perfect size and the flavor was pure delight.  Due to my somewhat tipsy state, I don't remember everything that was listed on the ingredients...but the gist was Butter Lettuce Cups (3 on the plate) with a morsel of filling including grilled portabella mushroom chunks, ginger, and I don't know what else.  It was just delicious and we all ate every bite.  I don't think anyone had anything to say that wasn't pure positivity!

Butter Lettuce Cups - you pick them up and eat like a taco.
Absolutely delicious!

My friend, Sharon, and I selected the grass-fed Texas Wagyu New York Strip (described by the waiter as the same style of beef as the Japanese Kobe - the cows were treated and fed the same, just here in Texas).  The sides were itty bitty Brussel Sprouts from  Oak Hill Farms, a small serving of poblano scalloped potatoes, and a sauce of ancho aioli.  I ordered my steak medium and Sharon wanted hers "pink on the inside".  Mine, in the center, veered closer to medium rare, but that was okay.

The potatoes were decadent - I would kill for that recipe!  I am not a brussel sprout fan, but these were so tiny and deliciously and lightly prepared that I ate every bite of them.  They smelled NOTHING like brussel sprouts (I hate the smell normally).  Awesome sides.  The flavor of the beef when I put it in my mouth was simply outstanding...perfectly seasoned, eye-rolling delicious.  Then I chewed and I chewed and I chewed...and my (and Sharon's) steak was so tough we could barely swallow.  She had to spit out several pieces into the bar napkins (bless her heart she was trying to hide it, but it became apparent that something was wrong).  Now, mine, on the end where I started was not THAT bad - and I was taken in by the flavor of the meat.  But, I couldn't eat the middle of the steak at all.  I stopped trying when I shook the entire table trying to slice through it - that tough.  Very sad.  Thank goodness that this $36 piece of meat was in the inclusive plan - if I'd had to pay for that out of my pocket I would have been pissed.

Normally, I would have complained - but it was my friend's birthday and I didn't want to do anything to rock the happy boat we were riding on thanks to those great cocktails, the awesome environment, and the bonhomie of good conversation with good friends.

Diana and Melinda had a preparation of Pan Seared Gulf-caught Black Drum served over kale and topped with roast oyster mushrooms with an herb beurre blanc.  Both agreed the kale was not tasty at all (not bad tasting, just not flavorful) and was tough to chew.  I tried a bite of Diana's and I had to agree. The black drum and the oyster mushrooms were outstanding and perfectly prepared.  One would hope that everything would be awesome in a destination resort restaurant of this calibre.  Pity.

We all selected the same dessert - which was declared 100% fabulous by all four of us!  It was listed as pound cake with almond paste, fresh strawberries, and a ganache topping.  The portion size was perfect and it was not highly caloric.  Very, very tasty.  A perfect ending to the meal.  We sat there for two hours eating and talking.  Absolutely wonderful dining experience (sans the meat and kale issues)!

This was delicious - just the right size.
White plates in a dark restaurant...
just don't photograph well and
no matter what I did, I couldn't make
it look better.  BUT, it was good!!!

We sat on our patio and drank another bottle of champagne until nearly midnight, listening to the cicadas in the trees and enjoying a peaceful and star-lit Texas Hill Country night.  We retired to our two rooms and climbed into supremely comfortable beds with exquisite sheets and a glorious down comforter.  We slept peacefully under a whirring ceiling fan with a chilly air conditioner.  Heaven!

The front porch - one room on the right and the other on the left
made it feel like it was all ours.

The next morning, after showers in the gorgeous bathroom, and coffee on the patio (they provided Texas Coffee Traders Breakfast Blend in the rooms) we walked up the hill to the restaurant for brunch.  We sat on the patio overlooking a gorgeous valley and the lake.  It was cool and lovely...so spa-like!

The balconies were lovely in the morning - overlooking
hiking trails and nestled in the tree tops

We all selected omelets for breakfast.  Diana and I had more coffee and Melinda and Sharon had freshly squeezed orange juice (they said it tasted freshly squeezed, so I assume it was). 

Sun in our eyes as the sun rose...but still a lovely cool morning
for breakfast on their patio

Diana had a spinach and cheese omelet and the rest of us had ham and cheese. With a side of chunky breakfast potatoes (perfectly prepared) and a side of delicious whole grain toast for me and apricot and pecan scones for the rest of the girls - we had an enjoyable hour preparing for our day and ridding ourselves of any lingering hangover effect!

My usual - I dug in before realizing I hadn't taken a photo...
oh well...

The girls said this scone (Apricot and Pecan) was outstanding.
There was apricot jam on the side as well.

View from the breakfast table

We walked over to the spa and got the tour of the pool area, locker rooms, and boutique before Sharon and I were in line first for our awesome facials.  O*M*G - that was an incredible experience.  I have had many a spa massage, manicures, pedicures...but never EVER have I had quite that luxurious of an experience.  I felt like a limp piece of linguine after that!  My aesthetician, Cat Cat, had the hands of an angel...with just the right pressure for the arm and hand massage I enjoyed while my white clay mask was doing its thing...whatever kind of pack she put on my eyes completely obliterated the puffiness...I was so renewed!  Sometimes people come out of facials looking like someone has beat them up.  I felt like I glowed!

View from the pool area

At infinity edge of the pool

We met up with the girls and enjoyed a sample of all the appetizers pool-side (no photos - my brain was mush and I didn't even consider it) since we'd had a late breakfast.  The beautiful infinity pool overlooked that same fabulous view of Lake Travis and the canyon leading down - you felt like you were in the middle of no-where...when you were, in fact, not far from the intersection of Volente Road/Anderson Mill Road and RR 620!  Wonderful location.

Sharon and I nibbled, drank sodas, cucumber water, and were lazy as we waited for Diana and Melinda to complete their treatments.  We nixed the pool as we didn't want chemicals to touch our beautifully treated faces!

Then, we slowly made our way to the Welcome Center where Diana's husband was waiting to pick us up.  What a fabulous experience!  Thank you Gerald for including me in your wife's birthday celebration.  It was a memorable experience!

Poached Chicken Summer Salad

Poached Chicken Summer Salad

Much to the dismay of the teen, Pizza Friday has morphed to Salad Friday!  He is not a fan.  I am fine with his making pizza for himself if he desires - but he has to clean up - and pizza from scratch is a messy endeavor for him.  He generally takes a different path :-)

This Friday night I had some cubed boneless skinless chicken breast leftover from a mid-week batch of home-made chicken nuggets. The plan was to saute them and use them as my salad toppers.  However, I'd been reading a bit about poaching and it prompted me, at the last minute, to try poaching these chunks.  I read that the trick was allowing the chicken to cool in the cooking liquid, allowing it to maintain its juices until service.  I often have a complaint that poached meats end up dry...which seems odd, but it is what I experience.

This is how I prepared the chicken ...and I didn't measure so these are all approximate...sorry.  I also am very aware this is not traditional poaching - purists please don't ding me.  We are rarely pure in my kitchen.

Poached Chicken Chunks

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chili and garlic paste
3/8 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
About 1 cup of chicken broth
1 large boneless, skinless breast,
        cut into medium to large chunks

Heat oil, chili and garlic paste, and sesame oil in pan, stirring to evenly distribute the paste.  Add chicken chunks, turn to coat.  At this point, I was going to saute and then the light bulb went off to add liquid and poach...so I added the chicken broth.

I brought the pot to a low boil and immediately reduced heat to simmer.  I put a lid on because my pan was shallow and I didn't want to lose all my liquid before the chicken was cooked through.  When it appeared "done", I removed from heat, removed the lid, and allowed to cool.

I tasted a piece and was pleasantly surprised at the tender moistness of the chicken chunks and the mild flavor with just a hit of heat at the end.  Perfect for a salad topper where I don't want to have the taste of the chicken overpower the fresh taste of the salad ingredients.

My husband's salad is the one with halved cherry tomatoes.  I laid down a bed of lightly chopped baby spinach mixed with chopped iceberg lettuce.  I circled his with the cherry tomatoes.  Tomatoes are always so colorful and pretty - but I can't stand fresh tomatoes (childhood trauma).  I know, by smell and appearance though, when they are good.  These looked delicious.

I peeled, quartered, and diced 1/2 English Cucumber and divided it between the two salads, I cleaned and sliced 3 green onions, tops and whites, and sprinkled half on each salad.  I had already boiled 3 eggs and had them peeled and cooled.  I quartered them...and since hubs got more of the chicken and tomatoes, I got the extra egg (only seemed fair).  My avocado was partially brown, so I diced what was good and split between the two salads.  I topped each salad with chicken chunks (I ended up cutting each piece in half because they were a bit large for bite size) and topped with reduced fat Feta Cheese crumbles (one of the few cheeses where I cannot tell the difference between the traditional product and the reduced fat product).

My salad - extra eggs and no tomatoes - yum to me!

We both ate every bite of our salads - if I can say so myself, it was really dynamite!  The slight heat of the chili and garlic paste was delicate and flavorful and allowed all the Summer Salad flavors to shine through.

In this photo you can see flecks of the garlic and chili paste...yum!

Another excellent Summer Salad!

Bon Appetit, Y'all!!!

Baby Shower Cookies

Cookies for Baby Ivy's Baby Shower...for my sweet niece Jennifer!

My niece, Jennifer, is having a baby!!!  She's having a late-life baby and it always seems extra special to get one of these little gifts from Heaven when you aren't expecting any more.  My sister and her wife are giving her a baby shower this week-end...and while I will be in town, I had already made other plans before I knew about the shower...and no way can I fit two things in one time frame.  Since I'm going to miss Baby Ivy's Shower, I decided to make some cookies and leave them for the party.  That way I'll be there in "cookie spirit".

I tried my hand at stenciling for the first time with royal icing.  I learned a lot during the 3 day endeavor!  I had watched some YouTube videos on the subject but I would have been a wiser baker/decorator if I had reviewed them prior to getting started!  All I could focus on was trying to get a flat layer of base for the stencil.  Then I ran out of pink icing and decided to try stenciling on a bare cookie.  Might have gone okay if I'd not used flood icing.  Duh.  Way too thin.  Still, it was a good learning opportunity and they weren't intended to be "the good cookies" anyway.  I also learned USE THE 1.5 TIP for writing ding dong (and thicker icing)!!!  Anything larger and looser just spread in a most unattractive manner!

I baked late Tuesday night, laid down the base coats and the ones I wanted to do wet-on-wet Wednesday, and then MADE myself wait for Thursday morning to ensure a good dry base to use the last of my 20 second icing to use for the stencils.  I saved back 6 cookies, thinking I'd just freeze them when I came to realize I wasn't going to have enough pink to base coat them...then I had the bright idea to do the bare cookies.  As I said above - learning experience!

All-in-all, it was a good lesson.  I stopped and looked at  Sweetopia's video (which I'm linking here) which helped me realize what I'd done wrong and which gave me a good hint for adding some 3-D effect by piping on top of the stenciled design.

Of course, I wanted to use an ivy stencil because the little sweetie will be named Ivy...no cookie stencils of that type to be found but I discovered a really long stencil meant for borders at Hobby Lobby for a reasonable price.  I grabbed it and cut out a small piece that worked nicely for the large cookies.  I used an Ateco Double-sided Square Cutter Set.  I decided on the second largest size...and then made a few of the smallest size as well for some bite size cookies.

I'm happy with the cookies - and know I learned a lot from the process.  I'm eager to utilize some of the other stencils I have on hand and maybe acquire some more.  This was quite fun once I got the hang of it!

As usual, I used the World's Best Sugar Cookie recipe and Royal Icing recipe I obtained from a class at Central Market in Austin many years ago.  I flavored the icing with both Pure Vanilla Extract and a bit of Almond Extract.  I didn't really intend to decorate with white, so I used real vanilla...maybe not the purest white, but it was okay.  I'm really liking that combination of flavors these days.

Below are photos of the various stages of the process...including the good and the less-than-stellar!

base coats and some wet on wet

The small bite-sized cookies before highlighting with disco dust

These are the ones I tried first - not so great...

I tried some highlighting and decorative accents...helped a bit.

These were done with properly thickened 20-second icing.
Much more crisp outline and only needed
a bit of embellishment to get the look I was going for!

I think I had been scared of my new PME 1.5 and 1.0 tips I got from Karen's Cookies... but after this experience, I'm loving them!  Getting even dots and controlled writing were soooo much easier with these awesome tips.  Thanks for reading!

Bon Appetit, Y'all!!!

Photos from Lana Stokes snatched from Facebook.  Wish I had been there - the food and decorations were awesome.

The cookie and cake table - I love the decor!

The cookie plate

The food table - isn't this cute!
I love the baby buggy watermelon display for a centerpiece

I don't know who made this adorable display of
fruit skewers interspersed with profiteroles and
homemade chocolate sauce for dipping.
I'm truly sorry I missed trying those!!!

Bay Trout en Papillote

Bay Trout and Gulf Shrimp en Papillote over Orzo Pilaf

We finally got the last of our children graduated from high school...hallelujah!  It has been a week-end filled with family, food, and activities.  One of the activities was a bay fishing excursion for the teen with his big brother, Jay, and Captain Jack Barton, their favorite charter captain in the Lower Laguna Madre.  They caught their limit of bay trout as well as a bunch of catch and release.  This was Jay's graduation gift to Ian.  It's not often he gets a private charter and it's a big deal when he does!  Jay's a good big brother.

Our Saturday night dinner being proudly displayed by two of my boys.
They are the fishermen in the family!

A double-spotted Red Fish (Red Drum) was just under the size requirement for keeping so that one was gently returned to the bay by my oldest son.  It was his first Red so I asked if he got a photo...he said, no, this was Ian's day.  (I love my Jay - what a big heart)

A trophy-sized trout was the teen's excitement of the day.  It, too, was catch and release because they already had their limit in the ice chest.  They were fishing for the pure joy of the catch...and the satisfaction of release.  That big trout will live to breed and make more fish for us to catch and eat!  Hello big beautiful fish!  I'm sure he's thinking "put me the heck BACK in the water Mister!"  Photos and a quick return to the bay resulted in a wonderful moment on the graduation fishing trip.  I told him he would likely not remember all the money he's getting for graduation (although he's HAPPY to be getting it!) but he will never forget the trophy trout he caught the morning after he graduated from high school.  The teen said "it's the memories that will count". That's right, boo... you've got it!  Two big life events within two days!

My Mom is here with us and she is not a big fish fan and she hates shrimp - she asked "do they smell fishy?" when I was sorting out the 20 pieces of trout filet.  I told her "no, not at all - smells like the ocean" and took the plate over to her to sniff.  She was shocked that there was zero odor of fish.  Yep - when they have been swimming around a couple of hours ago, there isn't anything much better or fresher tasting!

I got busy in the kitchen - I made a cake for our dessert, prepped veggies, and got everything organized.  Then I made eight "packets" of trout on a bed of Orzo Pilaf and topped with a few pieces of large Gulf Shrimp (also right off the boat that I saw had been docked between the time we went out to breakfast and the time we returned).

Here's how I put it together:

Bay Trout en Papillote

Prepare Orzo Pilaf by slightly under cooking Orzo pasta (rice shaped pasta) per package directions - just under cook by about 2 or 3 minutes because it will cook again in the packets.  Strain and return to pan.  Add butter, chopped scallions, and pressed garlic cloves to cooked pasta.  (I used about 1/4 cup butter, 5 small cloves pressed garlic, and 4 scallions) Add some salt, pepper, and onion powder to taste and a squeeze of lemon juice.  Stir, cover and set aside.

Peel and devein enough shrimp for 3 or 4 pieces per packet and keep chilled.  Clean trout, ensuring no bones are in the filets.  Mine were bone-free!

Prep thin slices of lemon (about 3 per packet), several sliced scallions (I prepped about 4 or 5 white and green parts), and torn basil leaves.  Set out some pre-softened butter, lemon pepper, and Pinot Grigio.  Have large squares of parchment paper ready.  Have a stapler or metal paper clips on hand as well as large baking sheet(s).

Fold the parchment over to form a triangle and run your finger over the base of the triangle to form a crisp fold.  Open the triangle with the top point towards you.  That portion will be the base of the packet and you will build the ingredients on that surface.  Spoon 2 scoops of orzo pilaf against the center of the folded edge of the parchment - level it (don't pack) with the back of the spoon.  Lay a piece of trout filet on top of the orzo.  Place 3 or 4 pieces of shrimp on top of the trout.  Sprinkle with thinly sliced scallion and some torn basil.  Top with three very thin slices of lemon.  Sprinkle with lemon pepper.  Add a dollop of butter (I used about 1 Tablespoon) and sprinkle about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons Pinot Grigio wine over the top of everything.  (I used flipflop Pinot Grigio)

This one was made for my Mom without shrimp - she doesn't like it.
Who doesn't like shrimp?

Seal the packet by bringing the top of the triangle down over the ingredients.  Start at one end of the bottom of the triangle and start rolling the paper tightly inward.  When you get to the edge of the ingredients, turn and continue on around the entire packet.  I like to staple or clip the ends because I have had one unroll on me before.  This is what it looks like.

Position both oven racks near center - but leave one "level" between so that the packets don't touch the rack above when they puff up with steam. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place 4 packets per baking sheet into oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

I watch to see when the shrimp turns pink.  If you are uncertain about doneness, you can poke an instant read thermometer into the fish through the paper to be certain.

The cooked fish is served "en papillote" - in parchment - on a plate.  Each person gets to cut into their packet (warn them of steam if they are piping hot) and peel it back and eat it.  It's almost fun to watch the different ways people work into their packet.  I cut mine down the center with a knife.  Other people unfold the packet, some try to tear it open, and some "fork it" and tear it with the fork.  I always find it a fun meal to serve.

You can really put any kind of fish into these wonderful packets.  I use the Orzo Pilaf as a base because the teen does not like rice but loves pasta and the orzo looks enough like rice to work really well in the packets.  Simple loaves of toasty french bread, steamed broccoli and steamed squash were all that was needed to make a complete meal.  We all inhaled our meal, except my middle son, Will.  He very meticulously made his appreciative way through the packet!  We toasted the graduate with a nice bottle of Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio and thanked the fishermen who caught our meal.

We finished the meal with the less-than-gorgeous cake I made.  I made a first attempt at doing a frozen buttercream transfer...and it was too big for the cake and I had to cut it down...and then I had too much frosting (it was over an inch thick on top) and as the buttercream heated under the lights it started drifting down the sides. I also learned I can't write backwards easily!  I watched many different YouTube tutorials and I now see why certain things needed to be done a certain way!  Oh well, lesson learned - I will try it again - I have lots to learn about the technique and it's kind of cool.  Everyone enjoyed the Milk Chocolate cake on the inside and declared the frosting delicious.  My tongue was a very unattractive blue all the rest of the night.  That's the problem with dense colors...but I wanted it to be the colors of the Fighting Tarpons of Port Isabel High School!

Bon Appetit, Y'all!!!

Where Have I Been Eating?

I haven't written restaurant reviews in a while, so I'm going to summarize a few of my most recent visits.  In a small town, and on a small island, locals find themselves going to their favorites... so I make myself try out new spots instead of getting into the rut of the old favorites, whenever I can (I know, hard job, right?).  However, I've noticed that as Summer approaches, my restaurant reviews are, once again, being viewed regularly and visitors to the blog like to know the current status of my favorites.  So, here are the most recent outings for the past 4 weeks or so... and I'll apologize in advance for the lack of photos.  If I'm not going with the intent of reviewing, I don't drag the camera along.  I tend to snap with the cell phone if I think I might want to write about it later.  I hesitate to do that because quality and lighting are so poor...but, at least there are a few.  The other "bad thing" I do is forgetting and then taking photos of half eaten plates of food...but I reckon something is better than nothing.  Scroll on by if it grosses you out.

Ted's Restaurant - May 31, 2012


Breakfast at a great locals favorite.  We really enjoy this spot where locals and tourists alike flock on week-ends (less crowded week-days) - good basic food, at a reasonable price - only open for breakfast and lunch.  Mr. Flip Flop is watching his carbs so this was a big splurge for him to add hash browns and toast to the day's offering!  He had a Western Omelet and by the way he inhaled it, I assume he thought it was quite good.  Don't laugh...we were so hungry our photos didn't happen until we'd both chowed down on our breakfast!

I had Migas with two corn tortillas, salsa, and refried beans with some chips.  It was not the best plate of migas I've ever had, but the salsa helped it become a very good breakfast.  Again, half eaten photo.  So, sorry!

Manuel's Restaurant - May 29, 2012


Brunch today - which means Mr. Flip Flop had breakfast and I had lunch.  One of the great things about Manuel's is that they cross-over on the meals...I'd been up since 6:30 and already had breakfast...the hubs got up in the 10:00 time frame and was ready for breakfast.  We knew, so long as we had cash (no checks or credit cards accepted), it wasn't Monday (they are closed on Monday), and it was before 2:00....we could make both of us happy going to Manuel's.  I went for the Mexican food - two cheese enchiladas, one taco, beans and rice...and lots of chips and salsa while I waited.  It was yummy...and I didn't think to take photos.

My husband had a low-carb omelet which was quite large - filled with mushrooms, cheese, and other low-carb goodies.  He got a side of bacon to go with it.  He said it was very good and filled him up.  The prices are quite moderate and the food is generous.

Pirate's Landing - May 31, 2012


My big boys arrived in town for the teen's graduation.  They don't think a vacation has begun if they don't stop at Pirate's Landing before heading to the island.  Their goal?  Shrimp Po-boys and Fish Po-boys.  They LOVE them...especially the homemade buns and generous waffle fries.  I had a Shrimp Louie Salad - much like a shrimp cocktail hanging on the edge of a small half head of lettuce and drizzled with Louie Dressing.  Black olives, capers, and way too much pepper topped it off.  There were big pieces of avocado and boiled egg on the side...again, so coated with cracked pepper that I couldn't handle it.  It wasn't what I was expecting and someone had a heavy hand with the pepper mill!  I ate the shrimp, some of the lettuce and scraped off enough pepper from one of the hunks of avocado to enjoy it.  If it hadn't had the heavy dose of pepper, it would have been outstanding.  The teen had a burger with cheddar cheese and bacon...with waffle fries.  No surprises there!  Our service was really outstanding.  I was telling my son's girlfriend, the wait staff at Pirate's Landing are faces I've seen as long as I've been going there.  It is rare we have bad service.  If I do - I know I can talk to someone and they will respect my complaints.  No complaints today!  Six people having sandwiches or salad though, with only one having a bar drink  ($7) and another having a beer...the rest with tea or soda... ended up being an $89 bill before the $16 tip.  So, it's not ultra cheap...but also not ultra expensive.  It used to be a cheap place to eat...maybe not so much anymore.  Still - the portions were so gigantic no one finished their meal.  I'd like to see a smaller lunch portion, or a half sandwich offering, and a lower price.  They used to do that :-(

PadreRitaGrill - May 25, 2012


I stopped in at PadreRitaGrill (and no, I didn't mis-spell - they are changing the name after a run-in with JB's lawyers...so practice...PadreRitaGrill!)  after getting my nails and toes done at Venus (on Amberjack - tell Jenny that Debbi sent you).  I've been a fan of PadreRitaGrill since they opened.  I had really good service and decided to avail myself of their really low cost lunch buffet.  I would have been better served to have stopped at the salad bar for $7 - but no, I had to be a piggy.  I added the Friday Fish lunch buffet for $1.88 more.  I love their salad bar.

Their pasta salad is outstanding and I love their soups.  That day, cute little seashell soup bowls were ladled up with a brothy seafood soup - filled with chunks of white fish and shrimp and calamari.

I will admit the calamari doesn't work very well on a buffet - it got a bit rubbery.  However, the taste of the soup in general was outstanding. They also served a meatball soup which I didn't try because I got full so fast.  I also enjoyed the very lightly battered popcorn shrimp as well as the rice with vegetables in it.  The fried fish did not do well on a covered dish buffet - it made the crust soft...and I like crisp. I didn't try the broiled fish, but it was a buffet option as well.  Those 4 things were it for the hot portion of the buffet.

Like I said, though, it was $1.88...and the soup and salad were worth much more than the $7.00 they charge.  Fresh and with a good selection of salad ingredients make me enjoy stopping in for their lunch buffets. Here are a few cell phone photos (sorry about the quality).  We are looking forward to the teen's after graduation dinner at PadreRitaGrill...with the music of the always enjoyable J. Micheal Laferty!

Padre Island Brewing Company - May 30, 2012


We stopped in for a late lunch at Padre Island Brewing Company.  We both ordered the Pesto Chicken Salad over a bed of Spring mix with a balsamic vinaigrette and fresh flat bread  OMG - it was awesome.  I'd eaten there before and seen someone else get it...and they said they always asked for the dressing on the side, so we did the same.  It was just outstandingly delicious.  The chicken salad was not heavy with pesto - mild but well-seasoned - a shredded style chicken salad.  A huge mound of it too!  The best thing, though, was the dressing.  It was an unusually viscous thick saucy consistency.  I don't know how to describe it.  My husband felt sure it had applesauce in it.  It had the best flavor - I could have eaten it by the spoonful.  I dipped my bread, I spooned it over the greens, and I spooned it over the chicken salad.  I begged the waiter to find out what made it thick.  He came back and said the chef refused to give up her secrets.  She said all she would say is that it had Worcestershire Sauce in it.  WHAT?  I would never have guessed that ingredient.  I wonder if the people at Bon Appetit Magazine's RSVP column could wheedle it out of her?  It was just awesome - the entire plate was.  I was so full for the rest of the day, I skipped dinner.  The best thing I ate all week!  Wish I'd taken pictures!  Here's a photo of my friend's dish from a previous visit...looked the same this time!

Windy City - May 25, 2012 (OUT OF BUSINESS 9/2012)


The teen had lunch there while out on a field trip - he had a good lunch - he said "you should go there".  He apparently had the same thing he had the first time we went...so I'll just refer you to the review I did last time... the link is here.  Also, have heard they have a new Beer Garden there...haven't been, but will go soon!  Reported to have a view of the bay...always a favorite for me :-)

Blackbeard's - April 28, 2012


I really didn't want to write this review and almost didn't...but, in the interest of fair reporting I am.
We had the worst service EVER on this visit.  I don't know if it was that it was really crowded...or if it was a server issue, or a hostess issue, or what.  All I know is that the teen and I popped in for a quick bite to eat before going to an event at Paragraph's.  Service was soooo slow, no refills on our drinks (which were nearly empty by the time the food arrived) and I couldn't get any dressing for my main meal salad. I also couldn't get anyone (the hostess) to find my server, and finally I was so mad (and hungry and had drank all my drink and waited endlessly while the teen completely finished his meal and I had no dressing for my salad and didn't do more than nibble a bit of lettuce and a few bites of very dry tuna)...that I hunted down the waiter, asked for the check, got it really quickly, with no inquiry of why I hadn't eaten my meal.  I wrote a lengthy explanation on my credit card bill and didn't leave a tip.  I put my phone number on it, in case anyone had any questions.  No contact.  I won't be going back any time soon, that's for sure.  Sad, because I had just gotten over a bad experience that kept me out of there for several years.  The last two times we ate there both food and service were excellent.  I don't know what the problem was ...they are an island favorite and always crowded during high season.  Maybe the lesson I've learned is "don't go when the parking lot is full"!  Also on the side of fairness, the teen said his burger was excellent despite it having been eaten without any liquid accompaniment...his soda was empty and we tried to flag down numerous people for refills...no eye contact, no response.  (huge sigh)


Wow, didn't realize how much we had eaten out these past few weeks!  Glad I finally had a few minutes to sit down and write it up before it became lost in the haze of Summer! 

Bon Appetit, Y'all!!!