George's Garage – Ninth Street, Durham

For date night on last Friday, we ventured to George's Garage. I was craving seafood, and knowing our remaining date nights are dwindling, we opted to spend more then usual. While I love Blu, the menu is rather limiting to me these days due to my restricted diet and my distaste for oysters.

It was early (5:30ish) and it was nice and quiet, relatively empty save for a few of the after work folks at the bar. We were seated, given our menus and told the specials by our fantastic waiter, Patrick. Seriously he made our seemingly average experience extraordinary. We opted for our appetizer and entrees from the specials menu.

For our appetizer we ordered a seafood platter. This consisted of fried calimari, two seared large sea scallops and two jumbo sauteed shrimp. My hubby ate most of the calimari and one of the shrimp. I ate the scallops, the other shrimp and a few pieces of the calimari. My only complaints about our entire meal stem from this dish. The scallops and shrimp were almost room temperature. Other then that, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The cocktail sauce and tartar sauce were fantastic. The tartar sauce differed from the typical mayo-based, relish over-run stuff you're used to. It was creamy and filled with what seemed like a mild minced onion or perhaps even some celery. I loved it.

For my entree I ordered the pan seared red snapper served over shrimp lemon thyme risotto. The snapper was tastefully seasoned, perfecctly cooked and served on top of a generous pile of arborio rice with healthy chunks of shrimp. The risotto was a little off in it's texture, not the creamy stuff I'm used to, but it was still very tasty. This entree was a steal at around $12!

My husband had the NY strip with mushroom jus. It was served with homemade fries and broccoli. He said it was fantastic. For dessert we shared bread pudding (he'd never had it) with caramel sauce and vanilla bean ice cream. Typically I order chocolate desserts, but this was completely satisfying and I also thought it was a steal at only $4.

As I mentioned before, the entire experience was lifted to another level by a fantastic, informative waiter, who urged us to ask for him by name when we returned post-baby. That, we will definitely be sure to do!

Blu Seafood and Bar - Hillsborough Road, Durham

For date night on Friday, we finally visited Blu. I've read so many good things about Blu on Lenore's blog and decided it was time to give it a try. It's on Hillsborough road, right near the intersection of Ninth Street, next door to vin Rouge. We got there around 5:30 so it was relatively empty and quiet with the exception of the reggae and blues softly playing in the background. The decor is elegantly casual. It's an eclectic mix of blues and crisp whites.

We shared an appetizer of spiced calimari. This was calimari that was lightly breaded with a spicy mixture and coated with poppy seeds. It was deliciously crunchy and tender. It was definitely the best calimari I've ever encountered and it was served with a cilantro based creamy sauce that was equally tasty.

For my entree, I ordered the sauteed shrimp and diver scallops with butternut squash risotto. This had crispy prosciutto and sage leaves garnishing it along with a few filet beans. It was rich and creamy and all of the flavors melded really well together and I loved the mixture of textures. The diver scallops were amongst the largest I've ever seen and were perfectly cooked. The shrimp were just a tad overdone but still very good.

My hubby ordered the shrimp and grits which were equally delightful. His dish was also seasoned perfectly and had wonderful texture. I loved the large pieces of mushroom and bacon in that dish! With the richness of both dishes, we opted to skip dessert, but will probably give it a shot next time.

By the time we left, Blu was filled with diners. The menu is expansive and is a seafood lovers paradise. They had many daily features and specials. The service was friendly and great. The food was perfectly cooked, portioned, served promptly and hot. I have absolutely no complaints. We'll definitely be going back!

The Deckhouse – Charlotte Avenue, Carolina Beach

Sunday night my husband and I ate at The Deckhouse for dinner. The restaurant is an old converted church with nautical decor. It has really high ceilings and lots of decorative nooks. It was dimly lit and country music played lightly. We were sat at a wooden booth in the center of the restaurant and from here we enjoyed looking all around at old maps, collected glass bottles and the like that adorned the restaurant.

We shared a very generous order of mozzarella sticks for an appetizer. The marinara that came with them was glorified tomato sauce, but the sticks themselves were delicious. It's really hard to mess up fried cheese though, I imagine.

For my entree I ordered the shrimp stuffed with crabmeat stuffing. This came with a side ( I chose sauteed veggies) and choice of salad or soup (I chose salad). The salad was huge for a side salad. It trumped the entree salad (half portion) I had at California Pizza Kitchen last week that I paid $9 for. It was full of fresh lettuces, ripe tomatoes and crisp cucumbers. The sauteed veggies that came with my entree were also good. They were cooked tender crisp and not drowning in butter. The stuffed shrimp weren't really stuffed at all. What I was presented with were 6 tails poking out of a large gratin dish that was filled with bubbly creamy crabmeat stuffing. Upon further exploration, I found the rest of the shrimp body buried in the stuffing. The portion was very large and tasty! A squeeze from the lemon garnish finished it off perfectly.

My husband had a potato crusted tuna with a shrimp and lobster sauce. He loved it. I did have a taste of the sauce and it was really good. Oh how I miss tuna!

For dessert, we took home a chocolate cake layered with peanut butter mousse. It was heaven. Our experience at The Deckhouse was great. We'll definitely go back next time we're at Carolina Beach.

Papa Mojo's Roadhouse - Hwy. 55, Durham

Yesterday I met an old co-worker (old as in I worked with her years ago) for lunch at Papa Mojo's Roadhouse. For those of you in the park, this is in Greenwood Commons over near where Park Diner used to be. Oh how I miss Park Diner :( When I go out for lunch, I tend to like to go places where I can't easily prepare the meal I'm about to eat at home. I often will choose sushi or japanese, but usually not a deli or a sandwich shop (unless options are limited or I'm in a hurry).

Papa Mojo's serves Cajun food. It was very busy and slightly noisy from the lunch crowd when we visited at noon, but the service was on spot and we didn't have to wait long for our food. The decor is definitely casual (no tablecloths, some booth seating) and delightfully eclectic. The menu is expansive (and all Cajun) compared to many in the park and I love that they use a lot of local farms and fisheries.

They started us off with a basket of jalapeno corn bread. It was the perfect amount of heat, moist and the tops were glazed with honey. I devoured two chunks in a matter of seconds.

We both ordered 1/2 po-boys. I ordered the shrimp and she ordered the barbequed yardbird (chicken) po-boy. Mine consisted of a lightly crispy hoagie roll, 6 large spicy grilled shrimp, lettuce, tomato and a cajun tartar sauce. It was phenomenol and messy and I loved every bit of it. The po-boys come with your choice of side (again, many to choose from) and I chose the garlic butter green beans. These were also wonderfully seasoned, tender and firm, and plentiful.

My meal needed nothing else to be perfect and the service was the perfect combination of attentive and laid back. My friend loved her yardbird po-boy and potato salad as well. I can't wait to go back!

Crispy Thai tilapia

My aim last night was to make a healthy meal. I thawed out some frozen tilapia filets and searched my pantry for inspiration. This is what I came up with. The flavor is subtle, but I enjoyed it alongside some stirfried garlicky broccoli and sticky jasmine rice.
Crispy Thai Tilapia
2 servings
Ingredients:
2 thawed tilapia filets
1 egg
1/2 tsp sriracha hot sauce
1 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

If you are unfamiliar with Sriracha, familiarize yourself. This is the best tasting, non-vinegary hot sauce around (in my opinion). It's incredibly versatile. You've probably seen it in the asian section of your grocery or you could find it in an asian grocery.It's not usually this dark of a red. Mine is really old (expired 2006!) but I still used it last night and I'm not dead yet...Back to the recipe.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Rinse tilapia and pat dry. Salt and pepper both sides of the fish and set aside. In a large shallow dish, beat egg with sriracha and milk. In another dish, combine breadcrumbs, garlic powder and ginger powder. Stir well.

One at a time, dip tilapia in egg wash and then into the breadcrumbs. Turn and press breading into the filet to coat evenly. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and spray each side of the fish with canola cooking spray. Repeat with other filet. Bake for 10 minutes, flip and bake 10 minutes more.

Cornmeal crusted tilapia and crashed potatoes

Last night's dinner was a very healthy one. With all of my fellow food bloggers trying out Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potatoes (actually she got them from someone else, so I'm not sure if I should attribute them to her or them, alas I'm lazy), I decided to finally give them a try. I think I definitely should have boiled them longer and baked them at an even higher heat (450). When I went to smash them, they didn't smash easy, but instead slid around on the greased pan and just mashed a little. I made an ungraceful mess and it's only fair to share that with you. Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potatoes (my adaptation)
Ingredients:
medium red potatoes (I used 6)
olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper
chopped fresh rosemary and parsley

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400. Boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes or until fork tender (I ended up having to boil for like 20 minutes). Place on a seasoned cooking. Place the potatoes on the baking sheet and with a potato masher, gently smash each potato. Drizzle with olive oil, chopped rosemary and parsley, kosher salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. These would have been great topped off with a little bacon and some cheese too. I ate with a dollop of sour cream and it was sooooooo good, despite my mess in the kitchen! Big thanks go to Pam for her endeavor and her adaptation (which I based mine off of).We ate these with mixed greens (straight out of the can, but heated) and cornmeal crusted tilapia. Despite it not being fried, it was actually very crispy and wonderfully spiced.

Cornmeal crusted tilapia
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 egg
4 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
dash of cayenne
1/2 tsp salt
2 tilapia fillets or loins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Spray a baking sheet with canola oil cooking spray. Combine the cornmeal and spices on a plate. Beat the egg in a shallow bowl. Dip the tilapia fillets in the egg and then in the cornmeal mixture, turn and press breading into the fish to coat all sides. Place on the baking sheet and spray both sides of fish lightly with canola oil. Bake about 20 minutes.

Peony Asian Bistro - Patterson Place, Durham

Last night, after a couple of beers at the pool (not mine, oh how I envy the pool), my friend and I went to Peony Asian Bistro for some sushi. They opened a little over a year ago and I had been once right after they opened. The are located close to Kroger and have buy 1 get 1 free sushi rolls. The fancy rolls are not part of this deal. Basically any regular rolls (cucumber, spicy tuna, spider rolls, etc.) are the ones that are buy 1 get 1 free.

We ordered the crab rangoon appetizer to share. It came out quickly and hot! For $3.25, it's hard to beat. There were 6 little crunchy wanton parcels filled with cream cheese, green onions and imitation crab meat. They were served on a bed of shredded iceberg lettuce with a sweet/sour dipping sauce. For as simple as it was, it was yummy.

I ordered the spicy tuna roll and the philly roll. The philly roll was 8 pieces filled with cream cheese, salmon, tuna and avocado. It was very tasty. The spicy tuna was better. The spicy mayo was perfect for me and the roll had a crunchy tempura inside which complimented the texture of spicy tuna nicely.

The menu is a peculiar mixture of americanized chinese and sushi. The atmosphere and food aren't up to par with that of Shiki, but hey, it's a strip mall restaurant. I'll certainly be eating there again. Was it the best sushi I've had? Not by a long shot, but for a middle of the week meal, it definitely fit the bill. $7.42 after tax to be exact.

Oh and that buy one get one free deal is good on take-out orders as well!

Fog Harbor Fish House - San Francisco

My first full day in San Francisco was leisurely. I woke up at 5 am (still on east coast time) and got an early start. Around 9 I decided to walk up to Fisherman's Wharf. I stayed at a cute little hotel in the heart of the best shopping and a 5 minute walk to the convention center. If ever in San Francisco, check out The Mosser. The room was tiny, but clean, modern and super cheap for the location. And really, how much time do you want to spend in the room, ya know?The walk was about 2 miles through chinatown and north beach, and it was a perfectly sunny day.
On to the review of the restaurant I ate at for lunch, the Fog Harbor Fish House. There are probably 20 different eateries on Pier 39 and I'm not sure what made me pick this one. Perhaps the fact that it was less likely to have loud children and it was elevated, making for a nice view.I was in the mood for something seafoodesque and lots of veggies. The best veggies in the country are to be had in California and I always eat tons of salads when I visit. I was looking for a salad with grilled shrimp, but none was to be had (not entree size anyways). I decided on the crab melt sandwich. My friendly waiter offered up the sauteed veggies in lieu of the fries and I was thrilled to have the option at no additional cost. The crab melt was on fresh yummy sourdough, piled with fresh crab meat, a tiny bit of mayo, green onions, tomatoes (the only ones I saw my entire visit in the city) and melted jack. The sandwich was wonderful. The sourdough bread had the perfect combination of buttery crispiness. It matched very well to the mild sweetness of the crab and the zip of the green onions. The sauteed veggies were tender crisp, perfectly seasoned with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. The quality of the food was great, attentive and helpful service, the view was fantastic (that's Alcatraz in the distance) and no loud children were to be had.

Striper with Arugula pesto and roasted fingerling potatoes

Yesterday I was blog surfing and came across a recipe for arugula pesto over at Delicious Durham. I had never heard of this and it looked quite good. I still had arugula left over from the market a week and a half ago and didn't want to do a salad so this was perfect. I was too lazy to go to the store for pine nuts and to blanch the arugula (LAZY I know). So a little google search brought me to another recipe.

I tossed some fingerling potatoes with olive oil, minced garlic, chili sauce, salt and pepper and threw in the oven for 40 minutes (45 would have been perfect). I thawed some striper filets, brushed with olive oil, a little salt and pepper and baked at 375 for the last 20 minutes. Also defrosted some frozen asparagus (last time I buy those) and baked with some mushrooms.

The pesto was awesome! I like it better then basil pesto because it's not so overpowering. Very tasty.

Threw together a little cucumber salad too for the side. We're trying to load up on veggies and lose a few pounds before the honeymoon.

Arugula Pesto recipe (Courtesy of Simply Recipes)
Ingredients
2 cups of packed arugula leaves
1/2 cup of walnuts
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 garlic clove peeled and minced

1. Brown 6 garlic cloves with their peels on in a skillet over medium high heat until the garlic is lightly browned in places, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan, cool, and remove the skins.

2. Toast the nuts in a pan over medium heat until lightly brown, or heat in a microwave on high heat for a minute or two until you get that roasted flavor. In our microwave it takes 2 minutes.

3. Food processor method (the fast way): Combine the arugula, walnuts, roasted and raw garlic into a food processor. Pulse while drizzling the olive oil into the processor. Remove the mixture from the processor and put it into a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Striper with baby bok choy and pea shoot salad

We are very much eating seasonally these days, or at least trying haha. Last night I made dinner with mom. She came by to deliver wedding gifts! We're tryign to use up the rest of my farmer's market buys from Saturday.We did a quick marinade of soy, chili sauce, ginger and hoisin and baked the striper for 20 minutes on 375. For the baby bok choy we used this recipe and followed it exactly (except we didn't have a full pound of bok choy). It turned out lovely.

I know presentation is definitely lacking and as much as I wanted to drizzle some sesame oil on the plate and garnish the fish with some fresh parsley, WE WERE HUNGRY. So we just ate it haha.

Now on to the pea shoots...I've never had these before and we all agreed in hindsight that we should only use the leaves or perhaps steam it all for like 20 seconds. Even though we picked out the big stalks, the texture was a little tougher then what we're used to in a salad. Unique flavors, great use of the rest of a pea plant. Taste was yummy! I'll definitely attempt again with those modifications. We used regular honey and a little more bacon. I think I also used about 5 cups of the pea shoots instead of 3. Here's the recipe and photo.

Pretty healthy dinner if you don't count the bacon. And really you can't when it's mixed with all those veggies. M and I of course completely negated this meal later by binging on the rest of the box of kashi crackers and cheese hahaha.

Mahi

This is the recipe I think I'm going to give a whirl for the mahi tonight. I've got some zucchini I need to cook so maybe a little stirfry as a side? Sounds good :)