Liam's Steak House & Oyster Bar

I remember wanting to go to Liam's for the last two "event" dinners...and Mr. Flip Flop groaned about putting on "real clothes".  We have REALLY gotten into the casual mode over our years at the coast!  This year, I thought "heck, it's the island, wear what you want"!  We sure aren't trying to impress anyone. LOL!  If you have 'em, put on some blinged out flip flops and go on with your bad self.  We saw folks in their work clothes, tropical shirts and shorts, dresses, slacks, etc.  The island is well-known to be a "no tie zone" so no one should let the fact that they didn't bring any upscale clothes with them on vacation stop them from eating at one of the finest restaurants on the island.

The service was outstanding, the food was exceptionally delicious, and while a bit pricey, it was worth every dollar spent.  A great addition to our list of places we will go for celebratory dinners.

We decided to skip alcohol since it was a week-night and his shift Friday was likely to be long and arduous.  So, we splurged instead on an appetizer of Calamari - a beloved favorite.  This dish was outstanding.  Light textured crust and a generous plate of perfectly cooked nuggets of squid tentacles and rounds made us both smile!.  Topping this dish with delicious slices of large green olives lightly dusted with Parmesan cheese was a surprising, yet scrumptious, addition to the plate.  A crock of warm and spicy, chunky tomato dipping sauce was the perfect complement for the Calamari.  Two huge thumbs up.

They also served a hot loaf of French bread with a scoop of soft butter.  Delish!  Best of all, the service was prompt and attentive, but never intrusive,  The table setting was minimalist and lovely (you know I'm always checking out the dishes) with a crisp white tablecloth giving it the steakhouse vibe.  The decor was definitely coastal, centered by a gorgeously appointed wooden bar with several people seated there sipping drinks.  Quiet and "restrained" - which is a nice switch from some of the more hectic environments you sometimes find on a tourist concentric island.

Now, on to the rest of our dining experience.  Mr. Flip Flop ordered the Prime Rib.  It was served with asparagus and a loaded baked potato as well as a bowl of au jus.  There was a small condiment bowl of creamy sauce, but I didn't even notice it until I was looking at the photo.

The angle of the photo above (because I'm leaning across the table while my spouse rolls his eyes at my wasting his time with photographs of his plate of food) makes the really quite large piece of meat look smaller than it really was.

This angle gives a better idea of how thick and meaty this delicious prime rib actually was.  He said everything was very good and he had to bring home part of the slab of meat as it was so big and thick.  I'm sure it was the breakfast of champions before work this morning!  The man loves eating leftovers for breakfast.

Now, I had heard the Cobb Salad was outstanding, so my decision was basically made before I arrived. The only thing I had to decide upon was my choice of beef filet, chicken, or shrimp as one of my toppings.  It was a deliciously classic Cobb so my brain wanted to go with the chicken.  However, those who raved about this salad had specifically raved about the Filet Cobb - so I went with that.  I am so happy I did.  It was too huge to finish but I did put a healthy dent in it.  I also made sure to eat every bite of the tender, melt-in-your-mouth filet, the perfectly ripe avocado, the boiled eggs, and as much of the bacon and bleu cheese as I could.  I was about to pop.  I now know why my lady friends raved!

I will have to say I am glad it was a little dark in Liam's... I asked for my filet to be medium and that's a little more edging towards medium rare in my opinion.  However, it was probably the better service for the meat - it literally melted in my mouth.  Really glad I couldn't see it all that well at the time though!!!

Bottom line...go there.  It was delightful and everything I could ask for (except a view) upon the occasion of my 22nd wedding anniversary!  I give it my highest rating and will be back again soon!  They are a small venue, so reservations are recommended during the busy times on the island.  We fortunately didn't need them  - but it wouldn't hurt if you want to avoid a potential wait!  I didn't see a single soul hurrying through their dinner!  Be safe, not sorry!

SPI FLIP FLOP FOODIE RATING:

5 – OMG – that was an outstanding meal!  I can’t wait to go back 

La Hacienda

REPORTED CLOSED OCTOBER 2015

I waited a week to write this post because I wanted to let the emotion of the day pass me by.  We had not eaten much over the course of the day and were pretty darn hungry when we arrived at La Hacienda on the bay front in South Padre Island.  Greeted by a "how many?" from the hostess - without a smile - we said "4" and she said it would be 20 to 30 minutes...maybe as long as 45 minutes.  No smile and no eye contact.  I said that would be fine because I had heard from friends that the wait could be long despite MANY available tables in sight.  She noticed me looking and said, defensively, we have a lot of reservations and people waiting.  I said "no problem", smiled, and asked where we could wait.  Vague hand signal towards the bar.  Good grief.

We sat out on their beautiful patio and enjoyed the sunset over the bay...a truly lovely location.  Twenty minutes passed, then thirty, then we were counting the five minute marks.  My oldest son, who was visiting, said he was going inside to the bar to get a drink...five minutes later my youngest son joined him...at the 50 minute mark my husband and I followed them in (after listening to every patron on the patio grumble...which was only escalating my irritation). 

I told my son when he finished his margarita, we were going to go ahead and leave.  Right about the one hour mark, the manager walks over and asks if we'd like some chips and salsa while we wait for our table.  I said no, we'd had about enough waiting...an hour.  He looked "concerned" and got my name and came back with the hostess.  We were seated in one of the tables that had been empty at least 20+ minutes and the hostess walked away, without providing silverware or an "enjoy your meal".  If I was her boss, she would no longer be employed at La Hacienda....or at least would be receiving some sincere customer service training.  Her attitude was the talk of the folks waiting on the patio!

Outstanding salsa with roasted bits of goodness...I'd go back
for the salsa alone!

Chips and salsa were quickly deposited on the table and our drink order was taken promptly.  Our waiter was really moving it.  He later told us they had 3 waiters and a cook call in (or not show up) and they were slammed.  I saw only one bus person trying to clean the many tables that were empty but not clean.  At the point of drink orders we had been in the restaurant an hour and fifteen minutes.  Thankfully, the chips and salsa took the edge off.  Unfortunately, I drank my water really fast (feeling dehydrated after the wait) and it took a while to get refills.  I sent my son to the bar to get napkins and the waiter noted we had not been provided the utensil and napkin sets and went to the hostess stand to get some for us.

So - despite the gorgeous location, the lovely decor, and the reportedly awesome margaritas and definitely awesome chips and salsa, I was tired and irritable.  So, moving on to the meal.

We ordered a queso...which never came.  When the meals came, my son asked about it...and they brought some out.  I wish he hadn't bothered.  It was cool in temperature - my son won't eat white cheese queso (which it clearly stated on the menu) and it had a taste of bell peppers...which we are not fond of.  Total waste of money as it wasn't eaten. $7



Seafood Trio Enchiladas - note the right side of the enchilada which
was hard as a rock.  Bummer.

For dinner, I ordered the Seafood Trio Enchiladas - scallops, Gulf shrimp, and lump crab in a seafood cream sauce, sprinkled with 3 colors of bell pepper bits (per the comment above, that was not a happy start for me...but I know how to scrape off stuff I don't like - and I did).  Sides of refried beans and rice.  I ate only 4 bites.  The first bite was rock hard tortilla. I chewed and chewed and chewed...finally got it down.  I know that sometimes exposed tortilla can do that under a salamander.  Still, I didn't expect it and it started my mouth off unhappy.  The second bit was nice and soft and I thought yum...until I bit into a scallop that tasted on the edge of rank.  I thought it was me, so I cleansed my mouth with lemon water and a chip and took another bite.  It was just okay...the flavor was bland and had an unappealing texture.  It cost $16 and I was really disappointed.  No one asked (like the waiter) if my food was okay, since I was obviously not eating my meal.  I filled up on beans and rice...which were outstanding in my opinion, despite complaints from my family that the beans were overly dressed with cilantro.

My youngest ordered a soft taco plate, no vegetables, served correctly - which he enjoyed very much. $10.00

My oldest got classic ground beef enchiladas...he said "they were just enchiladas - nothing special" and he really doesn't like cilantro so the beans were pushed to the side.  He only ate one of his enchiladas.  $12.00

My husband cleaned his plate.  He ordered a Chili Relleno and said it was delicious!  He also raved about the margarita with fresh lime juice.  The Chili Relleno plate was $12.00.

So, I feel the need to try it again...not on a holiday week-end (Sunday before Labor Day) on the night of a big island concert.  I have heard so many good things about the food, I think we must have just gone on a bad night.  I will go again...and I'll report back.

I'm not going to give it a rating just yet.  If so many friends had not raved about the food, I wouldn't be wasting my time on a return.  I think, truly, it was just a bad night.

When I got home, I checked urbanspoon.com ...and they weren't listed.  I reported it as a new restaurant and since it has been added, 3 individuals have checked that they liked it.  Someone reported as of yesterday that the food and service was very good.

Keep an eye out for an updated review within the next month!  I'm looking forward to trying their Tacos Carnitas or Chicken al Carbon...both sound yummy to me.   I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

SHRIMP SCAMPI

In a concerted effort to give my sister, Sheryl, every morsel of shrimp she could possibly want while here visiting the island, we have a list of "places she wants to go" and a couple of places she hasn't been before.  We started at PadreRitaVille so she could experience their big pile of nachos.  We actually shared them and elected to have beef instead of shrimp...but the teen had Grilled Shrimp Alfredo...which was incredibly good...as were our nachos.  She loved the homemade chips.

After a walk on the beach last evening we both crashed in order to get up relatively early and take the teen to his volunteer job at the Sea Life Center and then go to Zumba.  Peter worked us but we really enjoyed it and after recuperating for an hour, taking showers, and picking up the teen, we all went to Pirate's Landing for lunch.  I had a Frequent Diner gift certificate for a free shrimp cocktail so we started with that.  Jumbo sized shrimp - only had 4 on the dish instead of the 6 described on the menu...hmmm.  Sister had her mandatory grilled shrimp salad...and I must say, that was a very generous amount of shrimp on that salad!  Looked great.  The teen had their lunch special fried shrimp basket with humongous steak-type fries and I had their Patty Melt with the same fries - incredibly delicious all around.

After the gorge fest, we stopped at Delicious Seafood aka Dirty Al's Seafood Market and picked up some jumbo shrimp and then, after dropping off the shrimp in the fridge, I gave her a tour of the island since it has been a year since her last visit.  We stopped in at Paragraph's on Padre Blvd and managed to scoop up 5 books and visited with Joni and Griff and the Book-ends.  We drove as far north as possible - but found the road blocked off far short of the usual "end of pavement".  Guess the dunes are still on the road.  We then stopped in for drinks at the newly opened Clayton's Beach Bar and Grill (will write more about that tomorrow) and enjoyed some ocean front deck time - what a great location!

We finally made it home and enjoyed sitting on the couch for a bit and catching up with the news.  

I had planned a couple of meals to prepare at home (to mix in with the eating out) and tonight was Shrimp Scampi night.  It turned out delicious so I finally have a post of something I prepared again.  We had some leftover Dulce de Leche Banana Cream Pie for dessert after a 30 minute evening walk on the beach.  Thursday is "being lazy on the beach day" where we will start some of those books and be ladies of leisure, possibly strolling down to Wanna Wanna for burgers for lunch.  Tonight though, it was Shrimp Scampi, a side salad, and garlic toast.  Simple, really easy to fix, and delicious.  Here's the way I do it!

SHRIMP SCAMPI My Way

Ingredients:

5-6 Jumbo shrimps per person - peeled, deveined, sliced in half down the middle
2 large cloves garlic - finely minced
3 shallots - finely minced
1/4 cup sweet cream butter
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Fresh Basil - to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Whole Wheat Cappellini

Method:

Heat butter and olive oil in large saute pan over medium heat.  Set pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Don't drop the pasta yet.
Add garlic and shallots and saute until softened, but not browning (if so, your pan is too hot - lower the heat).

Add the shrimp to the oil and butter pan and drop the pasta into the boiling water (my pasta takes 3 minutes to cook).  The shrimp will be ready before the pasta is because it is thin if you have halved it long ways.

Pull the pasta with a pasta fork and place it into the pan with the shrimp.  Toss thoroughly.  Add the torn leaves of basil and the Parmesan cheese and toss.  Add a bit of the pasta water if too dry.  Plate and serve.

A very simple and fast meal.  The most laborious part was peeling and cutting the shrimp...and really that wasn't much trouble at all because there were just three of us - didn't need a ton of shrimp.

Served with a tossed salad and garlic toast, it was filling and everyone walked away happy!

We briefly discussed how we might lower the calories...and then shrugged, "nah", why bother...it's just too good.  I guess you could use less olive oil and more starchy water...but really...it's pretty delicious just the way it is :-)

Bon Appetit, Y'all!!! 

Shrimp Boil!

Happy 4th of July, Y'all!!!

My older son's last night on vacation, winding up on the 4th of July - and he wanted a shrimp boil.  Nothing works better for a big old pot of shrimp boil than your turkey fryer!  Clean that puppy out, make sure you have plenty of propane, and a safe place for cooking...you are set!  We stopped in at Quik Stop for a pound and a half of jumbo Gulf shrimp, grabbed some beef sausage links, new potatoes, fresh corn on the cob, and some Zatarain's Shrimp and Crab Boil in a bag from HEB and we were set.

After bringing the water to a boil in the big container that sits on the flame, drop the perforated basket in with the bag of shrimp boil in it.  Bring it back up to boil and then we dropped the pieces of fresh corn on the cob (shuck and clean all the silks... and cut into 3 pieces for each cob) and the cleaned up new potatoes (leave the skin on)...let them boil for about 15 minutes (almost fork tender, but not quite there).  Drop the shrimp (shell on) and the sausage (cut into 2-3 inch pieces).  Boil just until the shrimp turn bright pink and begin to curl - do not overcook.

Using the hangar shaped device, pull the perforated basket and allow to drain...be very careful it is some hot liquid!  Have a large bowl ready with a hot pad or a towel underneath to place the basket in for transport to the table.

Have the table prepped with overlapping sheets of waxed butcher paper.  (If you have a wooden table, you might want to put a couple of towels underneath the paper to ensure the heat doesn't damage the wood)  Completely cover the table with butcher paper...and dump the entire basket of food onto the paper...dig in - use your hands...fun, fun, fun!

We also served some steamed and buttered broccoli on the side and a hot loaf of French whole grain baguette.  A side of melted butter and some homemade shrimp sauce (easy - ketchup, creamy horseradish, and fresh lemon to taste) were served in ramekins.  The only think that would have made it better would have been the addition of crab...unfortunately the only crab we found was Alaskan king crab and a big leg cost about $30+...and it wouldn't have fit in our pot, even as big as it was!!!  We skipped the crab this time.

Again, I tried to take photos about halfway through the chow down...but was waved away by those chowing down...I gave in and put the camera away (not very graciously I will say).  My son tells me I am obsessed with taking pictures of food.   They just don't get it.  I love writing my blog and "seeing" the results makes it all the more appealing!

Oh well - take my word - it is a fun meal, eaten with fingers (and a fork if desired)...and once again, we waddled away from the table.

If you have never done this, you must...easy to do in your kitchen on a smaller scale...just use a big Dutch oven and make sure you have enough pan for all the stuff going in!  It's an incredibly fun, and delicious, meal!  After a day on the beach...it can't be beat!

Bon Appetit, Y'all!!!

PIRATE'S LANDING....THERE'S A DISTURBANCE IN THE FORCE



My photo from Sand Castle Days 2010



We headed over to Pirate's Landing for a Friday night dinner before the hoards of Spring Breakers land on South Padre Island.  We will be avoiding the island restaurants at all costs for the next 9 days as college students descend on the annual tradition known as Texas Week on South Padre Island.  Bikini clad girls, lots of drinking, sunburned bodies...they will be populating every eatery in a 5 mile radius of the beach.  We stay home or go away during that time of year :-)  We are happy to have them...but we don't care to join them (well, the teen might, but he won't).

Anyway, we delightedly hopped into the car and headed to Pirate's Landing in Port Isabel.  I last blogged about it in September 2010....and really didn't think I'd be blogging about it tonight.  However, <imagine the sound of Obi Wan Kenobi's voice>

"I feel a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced."

It isn't Alderaan exploding but....our waiter, Shawn, informed us the complimentary yeast rolls were "no longer" as of April 1st.  NOOOOOOOOOOO.......



This pirate obviously had
a premonition of things to come



I had just ordered my usual Chef Salad and the teen had ordered his usual burger on the same delicious bread that they make the yeast rolls from, and our waiter was obviously finished when the teen piped up "Mom, what about the rolls?" and I said "I'm sure the rolls will come."  I looked up and the expression on Shawn's face was "uh...oh..." and I said "what, not during Spring Break?" and I quickly scanned the other tables...no rolls on any tables.  I'm now hearing the soundtrack from Jaws playing in my head...in full force alarm by now.  He then explained that they would no longer be complimentary as of April 1st but he would get me a basket tonight.

Whew...and then my brain flickered on "well, hell, I'm not coming here any more" (those little voices in my head get real sassy from time to time) ...and then, I thought, "oh, don't be stupid" (I guess that was the "other" voice - the voice of reason). 

We had great service, we had excellent food, but disappointingly, the rolls we had avidly awaited were hard...like they had been left in a warmer too long or had been microwaved to get them warm.  They literally crunched when the teen used a knife to cut them open (normally we pull the tender yeasty rolls apart - but not tonight).  Was this some kind of reverse psychology thing, I wondered?

He ate two, I ate a half...it wasn't worth the calories to eat them - they were that bad.

I appreciate the attempt to make me happy - and tipped accordingly.  However, if I had paid for those rolls, as I assume you will be required to do after April 1st, I would have returned them and refused to pay for them.

That little bit of negativity aside - I ate every bite of my delicious Chef Salad...the ham and turkey were fresh and tasty, good crisp lettuce, lots of bacon, red onion, cheese, black olives, a bell pepper ring (I had them hold the tomato...not a fan).  The plate was a small round plate on top of the previous platter that they used to serve the salad on...I guess everyone is making cuts everywhere.  I understand - and it was actually a more appropriate sized salad because I ate it all and felt full - and I used to leave some on my plate because it was too much.  I'm good with that...and the price of groceries is hitting everyone hard.

I admit to not liking change...unless it is for the better.  I hate to see the loss of the delicious rolls simply because I've been eating them for ten dang years!  Read my first post about Pirate's Landing and you'll see - the rolls are what I first raved about.  Fortunately, the excellent service prevails and the great location and view cannot be denied. 

Of course, I will return...after all I'm a Frequent Diner Card holder...I probably won't hold this against them.  But, I know there are going to be some unhappy Summer tourists...and I immediately texted my older children and my husband informing them why there had been a shift in The Force...in case they had felt "something".  I can't print what my oldest son texted back.  It's just too...ummm...well, let's leave it at "too bad"!

I still give Pirate's Landing the same Flip Flop Foodie rating.  No change there...just a touch of sadness.  I still love their tee shirts!!!  They are a hoot! 

SPI FLIP FLOP FOODIE RATING:

3 1/2 – Pretty Yummy - I feel my flip flops wanting to head back quite frequently!

DADDY'S SEAFOOD & CAJUN KITCHEN

UPDATED 6/22/2013

Didn't realize I had not reviewed the new location.  The previous location closed and they moved to a wonderful spot in the old Garcia's at 1808 Padre Blvd.  The ambiance is supremely superior to their old locale and they continue to have their great daily specials and fresh seafood.  After many visits, I continue to get my red beans and rice fix there for $5 bucks ($7 after 4:00).  Can't beat it!  My son enjoys their burgers and fries and their Shrimp Po'boy.  My husband enjoys many of their blackened fish dishes and also digs the red beans and rice special.  This location change has really upped my appreciation of this restaurant in the Dirty Al's chain of dining.  Good and fresh...excellent service.  Definitely upping the rating to a 4!

Previous Review Below with Updated Rating and Address:

Finally had the opportunity to have lunch at Daddy's Seafood & Cajun Kitchen.  Everyone always ranted and raved about them...but every time I went there it was so crowded in the parking lot, I didn't stop in.  Of course, that's a good sign...but I don't like to wait...so I just didn't go. 

I'm really glad I finally got the opportunity to go!  I had a GREAT lunch plate of red beans and rice...generous serving - filled with spicy and delicious sausage - and two fabulous cornbread muffins (and I do mean fabulous dahlin!).  It was too much for me - but I just kept eating because it tasted so good.  I liked the "kick" of the spice - it enhanced the flavor, while not overwhelming the taste.  Just delicious.

Their online menu says this lunch special is available every day from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. DINE IN ONLY ... and it's only $5.00!!!  There are other lunch specials Monday through Friday...but our friendly waiter recommended this when I asked if their red beans and rice were really good...and he said yes...so I asked "how big is the bowl?" He responded by pointing out the special and said it came with the cornbread and it was delicious.  He was right on target.  A big old glass of Diet Coke for $2.25 and I walked out of there filled to the gills and happy as a clam for under $10 tax and tip included.

I can't believe I waited so long to get there...and I won't take so long to get back!

My friend didn't have such a great experience - they misunderstood her request not to have salt added to her fried shrimp after it came out of the fryer...and brought her grilled shrimp because "they can't do fried shrimp without salt".  I would have complained...but she didn't.  The price for her large plate of fries and skimpy amount of shrimp was a bit much in my opinion....but I don't recall the amount.  She said she loves their fried shrimp and the grilled shrimp was okay.  Just not what she was hoping for.

So, one happy camper and one not-so-happy camper today.

You'll find Daddy's on the west east side of the main road on the island at 3409  1808 Padre Blvd.  So head on over and laissez les bon temps rouler...y'all!

SPI FLIP FLOP FOODIE UPDATED RATING:

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



Bon Appetit, Y'all!!!

Delicious Seafood Market, Inc. in Port Isabel

On Friday I stopped by the Delicious Seafood, Inc. market next to Dirty Al's at Pelican Station.  Last time I was at Dirty Al's, I wanted to buy some of their "Dirty Al's Sauce" to take to my son - and they told me it was only sold in the market next door.  It was closed at the time and I never made my way back during open hours.  With some spare time on my hands Friday, and a desire to check out the seafood market, I stopped in.

First problem was "no, they sell the sauce at the restaurant" in response to my inquiry.  The sell the Dirty Al's fried shrimp breading, the Dirty Al's french fry seasoning, the Dirty Al's fish blackening seasoning, a multitude of Dirty Al's tees...but no sauce.  OK - I'll go there next.

It's a nice little market - has beef steaks (reportedly Choice grade), jalapeno sausage, pork ribs and baby back ribs, fajita meat, and seafood...lots of the seasonings and sauces you might need to cook such things as well.

We chatted quite a while - he (the clerk) pointing out the freezer section with shrink-wrapped tuna steaks, flounder, scallops, and a big selection of other items.  I was more interested in the market case...shrimp, snapper, flounder...that sort of stuff.  He reported that the shrimp was fresh - they had some muy grande shrimp 10-12's and some 16-20's...of which I bought a pound.  They looked really good.

I was looking at the Scarlet Snapper and the flounder fillets (snapper was not frozen, but had been frozen he said) and the flounder was still frozen.  If my fish is frozen, I prefer to buy it that way and thaw it myself.  I'm fine with frozen fish - I just don't want to have had it thawed by the store and then I have to re-freeze it...because most of the time, it goes straight from the store into the freezer at my house.  He pointed out the Basa fillets in front - and said they were really good if I liked a mild white fish.  I had never heard of this fish...it was frozen...and I asked if it all of these were local fish?  Yes, he said, nodding his head vigorously.  He said all the fish were frozen because they were just too delicate not to do so.  I know that is, indeed, the way things are...most fish is frozen, so I shrugged to myself and thought, "okay".  I asked if the Basa was similar to Tilapia- he kind of turned up his nose and said "oh no, much better".  I told him, great, I would try it and took two large fillets which weighed in at a pound total.

I picked up some boneless rib eyes as well...reportedly 8 oz. steaks - 3 in the package - $10.95/pound...totalled a little over $13 total...uh, that math don't add up bubba!  Oh well, we'll see how they are.  Obviously not too thick, 'cause those would be weighing in close to a pound each if so.  However,  $13+ for 3 steaks is great if they are tasty.  (I weighed them at home and they were 1.22 pounds total which could not, of course, be three 8 ounce steaks!)   Really, though,for a week-night dinner, a 6 oz. steak is just fine....my issue is with being told it is something that it is not.  Bad business.

He asked if I was going far - and I said not too far but I would like ice.  I paid - my 3 purchases slightly over $30...nice experience.

I got home and prepared to vacuum pack the shrimp and fish for freezing.  I opened up the bags and found the shrimp not "on ice" but "in the ice"...I had to hand pick out all of the pieces of shrimp.  Gotta say...that's never happened before!


I checked the fish fillets...sure enough...frozen fillets packed in melting ice...and guess what that means.  The ice was stuck to the fish. Boo hiss....

 I had to run the fish under water (which resulted in partial thawing) to release the ice cubes before I could vacuum pack them.  Nice guy, yes, but, someone needs to re-train him.

The good news is that I had to handle each and every piece of the shrimp, and after getting it all packaged up...my hands did not smell like shrimp!  That is a sign of really fresh seafood...it smelled like the ocean...not shrimpy at all.  I sniffed the fish before packaging and it smelled good too...i.e., it didn't smell fishy at all :-)  So, I'm thinking good quality!

Got everything put away and began to wonder about the Basa, since I'd never heard of it, nor seen it in QuikStop where I usually purchase my seafood.  So, I went to the Oracle in the Sky...Google...and entered "Basa Fish".  The first link was to the lay oracle, Wikipedia.  Wiki had interesting stuff to teach me...number one is that the Basa is NOT a local fish...it is a fresh water catfish farmed in Vietnam!  Unsubstantiated concerns about toxins have been primarily debunked in the UK...but it made me leery none the less.  Further info from WiseGeek and other sites indicate it is growing in use...and the controversy continues to "hang around" due to reports of icky farming conditions.  So, since it is mostly farmed in the Mekong Delta area of Vietnam, I checked info on that river...and several sites reported it as one of the least polluted large rivers in the world, primarily fed from mountain snow melt in Tibet.  That, however, is changing as the populace of Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam throws trash into the river as it moves towards the Mekong Delta.  Pollution is becoming an issue of great concern.

Food sourcing is of interest to me.  I don't pretend to know all that much about it, but I do know I'd rather eat local products whenever I can...and I'm not a huge fan of catfish in general, although I grew up eating a good amount of fried catfish as a child.  I much prefer trout, snapper, or cod (when I can get cod fresh in the northeast).  I'm sure I'll fry up the Basa...and save my steamed and saute fish recipes for the truly local fish - caught by my son or my generous neighbors.  I know EXACTLY where that fish comes from and the proof is in the delicious taste of Laguna Madre caught fish!

So, that's my shopping experience...and I'll let you know how the Basa tastes, how the steaks are, and if the shrimp is as good as it looks.  I'll hold off on rating this seafood market until I actually taste the goods!

UPDATE 1/12/2011
Used the steak for a week-night pan-seared steak on top of the stove.  The flavor was good but they were a little dry.  I really question whether or not they were indeed Choice Grade.  They were "okay" but $10.95/lb was too much for the thin steaks...and they performed like Select Grade.  I'll leave it at that.  I'll stick to buying my boneless ribeyes at Sam's Club in Brownsville.  They are awesome.

Used the shrimp while preparing Amy's Awesome Alfredo Sauce.  They were delicious.  The fresh smell maintained through the thawing and cleaning process.  Two thumbs up for freshness.  They were supposedly large - and I found about 4 or 5 "medium" sized shrimp in my 18 shrimp I got for a pound.  The size were not consistent.  You can see, in this photo of the shrimp I sauted, that a few of them are obviously smaller than the rest.  If I'm buying large shrimp...I want large shrimp.

The shrimp I purchased for $10.50 totalled 18 shrimp - not all large

I'll do another update when I prepare the Basa fish to let you know how it tastes.

UPDATE ON BASA

Here's a link to the post on the Basa preparation - Sesame Catfish

Hot Crab and Artichoke Dip

A couple of holidays ago, I wanted an exciting new dip to serve at a party.  I wanted to use my new chafing dishes I got at Bed, Bath, and Beyond as well...so I needed something hot.  A hot dip.  The search began.

I found a recipe that sounded really good - one I knew I could tweak to my tastes - from the Food Network web site and it was sourced from Gourmet Magazine.  It turned out to be just delicious!  I thought of it today while I was walking on the beach snapping pictures of the waves (which, of course, I put in a slide show and put on youtube - because that's just what I do).  Why, you might wonder?  A tiny little sand crab scampered across my toes as I was standing in the sand taking pictures of the waves!  Naturally (???) my mind moved to crab dip.  Really - that's what happened. 

So, now that I've finished playing with photos - I thought it would be high time that I share this delicious recipe with my peeps.  I looked for the original recipe on Food Network so I could give you a link if you didn't want my take on the original - but it said "no match found".  My printout is from 2007, so I guess it's off the site now.

Well, here's how I did it - and it was darn good if I do say so myself (my guests ate up every bit of it so I guess they thought so too).

HOT CRAB, ARTICHOKE, AND JALAPENO DIP
WITH PITA TRIANGLES

Ingredients:
2 (14 oz.) cans or bottled artichoke hearts, drained and chopped finely
2 cups bottled mayonnaise
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (green and white parts)
1/2 cup drained and chopped bottled pimento, or roasted red pepper (I used bottled roasted red peppers)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 bottled  (NOT one BOTTLE - just one out of the bottle) pickled jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (may want to wear rubber gloves)
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 pound crab meat, drained and picked.  If you use frozen, make sure it is thawed and drained
1/3 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

Pita Triangles for dipping (you can use store bought - or recipe for home-baked follows - it's what I did)

Now, before I get started, I'll tell you that the original recipe called for a large chopped green bell pepper, sauteed in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil...and instead of one jalapeno pepper - it called for three.  That's just too much pepper for me.

Method:
In a large bowl combine the artichokes, mayonnaise, scallion, pimento or roasted red peppers, Parmesan, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, jalapeno peppers, and celery salt (and the cooled bell pepper if you are going with the original - but I didn't use it).  Thoroughly blend the mixture (by hand) until it is combined well, and gently fold in the crab meat.  Transfer the mixture to a buttered ovenproof 2 quart chafing dish or baking dish and sprinkle it with the almonds.  The dip may be prepared up to this point 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled.  I did this - and I was careful to let the mixture sit on the counter a bit before popping a cold glass chafing dish into a hot oven.  If you use a fridge-to-oven approved dish - well, then you don't have to worry about that!
Bake the dip in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and the mixture is bubbly.  Serve with pita triangles.


PITA TRIANGLES
8 Large pita rounds, with pockets.  I used whole wheat
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Salt

Cut each pita round into 8 wedges and separate each wedge into 2 triangles.  (OK - that's what the recipe said - but I quickly found it was faster to run a sharp knife along the seam of the pita round and then cut the triangles - it was less labor intensive...and I had a party to get ready for...no time to separate each little triangle!)  Arrange the triangles, rough side up, in 1 tight layer in a sheet pan with edges (a jellyroll type pan).  Brush them lightly with the butter and season lightly with salt.  Bake the triangles in the upper third of a preheated 375 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are crisp and lightly golden.  Let them cool in the pans.  The triangles may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered in an airtight container at room temperature.

I told myself if I ever did this again, I would buy the pita triangles...but I didn't.  The next time I made this, I made the pita triangles again.  They just tasted so good.  So many people asked "where did you buy these?" and I liked saying "I made them" with a big old grin :-)

So, as the holidays approach - you might want to give this a try.  It is a great alternative to the standard hot dip of chile con queso you will most often find at holiday gatherings here in Texas!

Bon Appetit Y'all (and hope you get the hankerin' to visit South Padre Island if you take 5 minutes to watch the youtube...it's verrry relaxing!)

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!

Red Snapper en Papillote



Photo Source:  Google Images



As October approaches, it is one of the best fishing seasons of the year.  The weather is gorgeous, the Red fish are running, and speckled trout are plentiful.  October is also Red Snapper season.  Yum, yum!  Who could ask for anything more?  One of our favorite seafood dishes is derived from an Emeril Lagasse recipe and adjusted to our tastes.  The teen-ager "created" this particular recipe and I act as his Sous Chef on the evenings we make it.  He does enjoy telling me what to do!  One of our first efforts in 2008 is shown here, with freshly caught trout from the Laguna Madre, although we have tweaked it a bit since that time.  I've made it with jumbo Gulf Shrimp, I've made it with bay trout numerous times, and most recently, it's been Red Snapper.  If you want to impress your guests...this is a sure thing!

Bay Trout en Papillote ala Ian





Red Snapper en Papillote

Ingredients:

• 
  
  Whole Wheat Orzo (available at HEB in Port Isabel)
• 
  
  Chicken Stock                                   
• 
  
  White Fish (Red Snapper, Trout, Tilapia all work well) OR Jumbo Shrimp (just reduce cooking time to 15 minutes for shrimp)
• 
  
  Olive Oil for drizzling
• 
  
  Butter – 2 TBSP for orzo and 1 Tsp per piece of fish
• 
  
  Basil – about 3/4 cup, rolled and thinly chiffonade - do not use dried basil
• 
  
  Fresh Thyme if you have it – sometimes I can’t find it down here and do without
• 
  
  Green Onions – thinly sliced white and green sections – about 2 per serving (or thinly sliced shallots are a great substitute)
• 
  
  1 large clove garlic for 4 servings– extremely finely chopped
• 
  
  Lemon Pepper to taste                                               
• 
  
  Lemon Slices – 3 per piece of fish – thinly sliced – seeds removed
• 
  
  Lemon halves to squeeze over fish
• 
  
  Crisp white wine (like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc) - use what you need and drink the rest!
• 
  
  Parchment paper - one 18-20" sheet per serving to form individual packets
• 
  
  Baking sheets with edges  - half sheet pans - cookie sheets.

Prepare orzo in chicken stock instead of water per package directions – slightly undercook.

While orzo is cooking - prep all of the rest of your items so you can put the packets together without stress ;-)

Drain partially-cooked orzo and return to pan, toss with 2 TBSP butter, a pinch of salt, a handful of the chopped green onion, and some of the basil – set aside. 

Prepare packets by folding a large piece of parchment paper in half.  Lay it on the baking sheet so one side is down as a base, and the other side is a “top”.  Place a cup of prepared orzo inside the bottom half – close to the fold and place the fish in the center, on top of the orzo.  Season fish with lemon pepper and salt if desired.  Sprinkle with basil, a tiny sprinkle of garlic, green onions, and a bit of chopped fresh thyme if you have it… and top with lemon slices.  Squeeze lemon juice over it all (to taste).  Put pinched bits of butter all over and drizzle with Olive oil – sprinkle about a half tablespoon of wine over it all.  Fold the top (the cover) of parchment paper down so the sides meet.  Tuck the corners in at the fold, and starting at one of the folded sides, roll the parchment into a packet…working around to the other side, gathering and crimping as you go.  Roll it tightly, to the edge of the orzo.  Repeat for each packet – each cookie sheet will hold 2 packets, maybe 3.  If you can't get it to hold together - you can secure it by threading a toothpick to the end where the roll ends.  I've only had one packet leak...they hold together better than you imagine.

Photo Source:  Google Images

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or so depending on size and thickness of fish.   Place each packet directly on individual serving plates and open at the table.  With a sharp knife, carefully slice a steam vent in the center of the packet.  Cut the rest of the way across once steam is released and tear open the packet.  Eat directly from the packet on top of a dinner plate.

You can do the same process without the parchment packets by using a large chef’s skillet on the stovetop – put down a bed of partially cooked orzo, place the fish pieces on top, proceed as directed above, put the lid on the pan and cook on a medium low temperature until fish is done.  Will need a very large “fish spatula” to lift the servings onto serving plates, gathering up the orzo under the fish, and spoon the rest of the orzo onto the plate next to the fish servings.

We generally serve with a simple steamed vegetable, like broccoli, and a crusty loaf of hot bread.  Woo wee, them are some good eats!!!

Bon appetit y'all!