Sunday, April 29, 2012

Farmer's Market Finds! - Ojai, CA

Flat bread pizza with basil, goat cheese and Roma tomatoes from Knead Bakery. Snack, lunch or sliced up for appetizers at a BBQ - Easy, quick and simple!  

Fresh fruit. Think apples, lemons, limes and avocados. The more the merrier! 

This totally caught my eye. What is it you ask?...

 Salty Lemons. Organic lemons packed in a salty brine. The lemon rind when sliced thinly would be perfect in pastas or served with chicken or fish. I cannot wait to experiment with this special little find.

I don't normally like goat cheese but a sample of this Garlic & Onion spread made me a believer. I pan fried a hamburger patty for Scott's lunch today and spread a dab on the meat. Tasty!

Strawberries grown from right down the road. Hello Oxnard! 

I have had their Chardonnay before and I feel for $15 you get an outstanding bottle of wine. Nice and refreshing on those warm evenings we are starting to experience. Order your bottle today http://www.peacockcellars.com/ - Melissa Good Taste sent you.

A man and his dog, they just love each other so much! 

Happy Sunday!

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Bodee's Restaurant - Ojai, CA

Sometimes I just crave a cocktail. I love wine and even beer on draft but there are just times only a vodka tonic will do. There are many places in Ojai that serve great food but only a few have a full bar. One of those places is Bodee's - It is a drive from town but well worth it.

It was a cool evening so Scott and I elected to sit inside and it gave me good reason to order the soup, I always order soup. They had me at "Fire Roasted Tomato" so I dug into it as soon as it hit the table. I was slightly disappointed because it pretty much tasted like heated salsa but they made it right and took it off our bill. What classy folks...

Scott was craving vegetables so he ordered the House Salad with blue cheese. Actual crumbles of blue cheese made their way to the plate so that was a delicious surprise. The carrot ribbons were quite pretty as well!

Scott ordered the Prime Rib and I was almost going to copy him and do the same thing but I stood strong and ordered something different. He ordered it medium rare, it came about medium but it was so tasty with each dip in the au jus and creamy horseradish. He loved the roasted vegetables that came with it as well. He loves the fact it is available to order every night of the week!

My order. I could not turn down the Citrus Risotto, perfectly cooked Salmon and Snap Peas. Oh what a treat! I enjoyed every bite. There was not a speck left on my plate.

Bodee's is where you want to go when it is hot, or even when it is cold! When the weather is warm you can find a cool refreshing seat by the outdoor water feature. When it is chilly out you can snuggle up in the rustic, cabin-like dining room. There is nothing I enjoy more than good food, other than good service. Ask for CoCo to be your waitress and you will have an amazing experience.

Tell them Melissa Good Taste sent you!

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Blue Sake & Sushi - Fort Worth, TX

We have met our end of Texas Tour! Can you believe it? I first and foremost want to thank my husband, trainer, best friend and mentor... Scott Weis. There is no one else that could tune my horse, coach me through and keep me motivated the way he did through this whole show. What a process! We are so lucky to have own a horse like her, but  feel so blessed to have him respect her is just so amazing. He has gotten to ride so many talented horses and he just loves her so much!

Melissa Good Taste and her calories at work!

I just love this photo of us! We look like we could just make it rain! Isn't she just the coolest?

After I showed I put my foot down and declared us enjoying sushi. This place is just the cat's meow in Fort Worth... There isn't much better. Hot rocks? Yes, please. How about River Rock Tenderloin with Jalapeno Citrus Ponzu? Great start to a multi course dinner.

Martinis for the ladies...

And Ferrari Carano Fume Blanc for my little champion. 

I did all the ordering and knew Scott would enjoy the Ceviche: How about snapper, rock shrimp, cucumber, tomato, avocado, cilantro sweet onion jalapeno salsa served along side wonton chips and chili oil? Heaven! So refreshing. I was starving!

How do Blue Balls sound? Terrible name for such a wonderful appetizer. Tempura fried spicy crab, come on now... best thing ever! There is only one thing I love more than crab and that is spicy crab!

Surfing was on the big screen so Scott was in heaven. Nothing else mattered!

Itchy Salmon & Sea Bass - baked and served with jalapeno, cilantro and ponzu. The most perfect bite I have ever had in my entire life. No joke. I dare anyone to prove me wrong. MELISSA GOOD TASTE BEST EVER AWARD! I AM TYPING IN CAPITALS BECAUSE I REALLY MEAN IT!

A mix of rolls: Crunchy Blue, Hawaiian, The Beach... All tasty but nothing like the starters, go with those. They are the best. They are tasty don't get me wrong...

Creme Brulee - Just ok.

Fried Ice Cream the size of a human head. Just ridiculous. 

This was my last Texas post and i have to say the most favorite meal because my mom and husband were there. I love them so much. The food was tasty and not over priced and I was coming off a huge win. I just wish my dad, brother and sister were there. I am so blessed to live the life I live. It sometimes just makes me want to cry!

Goodbye Texas, thanks for the memories!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Uncle Julio's - Fort Worth, TX

Another Fort Worth post. Another Mexican joint. But, our days are numbered in Fort Worth, I promise. No trip to Fort Worth is complete without going to Uncle Julio's, it's large parking lot makes it easy access for the cutters to pull their truck and trailers into and they are open late! The chips and salsa are very reminiscent of Chevy's. 

Top- Shelf Margaritas are no fail. Keep sipping and they will keep them coming. No harm, no foul.

I ordered the Tacos Carbon - Steak and flour Tortillas. They were blah, blah, blah. If it was
wasn't for the delicious rice and creamy guacamole I would have been so disappointed. The steak served within in the tortilla was nicely cooked and seasoned so I guess it just was laking ingredients. My bad for not reading the description before ordering. All and all, I know i will be back because we always go here at least once during our visit. Maybe I will order the nachos next time... 

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Pulido's - Fort Worth, TX

Our days were getting numbered in Fort Worth and I was craving some Mexican food. With all the great meals I have had I just wanted the basics. Melissa Good Taste is always in the mood for Mexican food so away we went. Pulido's in located across the street from the hotel Scott stays in when he has judging jobs. He said he eats there at least once every trip so I just had to try it out for myself. Chips and salsa were ok, I plowed through two baskets.

I ordered the Pork Chile Colorado. I am not sure why but tender pieces of pork simmered in a hot chile sauce just sounded what I was craving. The rice was outstanding but I would have preferred beans to the standard potato, pepper mix they serve. There were some really fatty pieces of pork that grossed me out but other than that it was pretty tasty.

Scott ordered the Old Fashioned Enchiladas filled with Monterrey Jack cheese and onions. I am not sure what makes that old fashioned but he loved them. The beans were really good. I am still bummed I didn't order them, darn.

All in all, it did not fulfill my craving for Mexican food but it was a nice place to enjoy a meal. I know I should have ordered shredded beef enchiladas, rice and beans with extra sauce. I will do that next time, I am sure that would make my opinion a better one. I do have to point out that they had the BEST fountain Dr. Pepper in ALL of FORT WORTH! I tested them all around town and Pulido's won hands down!

Monday, April 23, 2012

Charleston's Restaurant - Fort Worth, TX

By the time we ate at this restaurant in Fort Worth we had been in Texas almost 20 days. It was starting to get to be a normal routine; try a new restaurant and then blog about it. Melissa Good Taste got a lot of action in Texas. We had enjoyed plenty of fancy meals, as well as Texas style foods so we decided tonight would be about comfort food. When I think comfort; margaritas do come to mind!

Scott loves to order salads at restaurants because I generally never make them when we are at home. Not because I do not love them, a Chinese Chicken Salad is heaven on earth but because we are rarely home long enough for me to keep a ton of salad stuffers around. We are home for about two weeks straight now so I should make more of an effort. A dinner salad was served with egg, bacon, blue cheese and a roll. Healthy? Maybe not, but very tasty.

 I ordered the Roasted Chicken, Glazed Carrots and Mashed Potatoes. Holy mackerel there were a ton of mashed potatoes! Too much, half were wasted. It was nice to eat roast chicken, I have really had more beef on this trip than I have had in my life. The glazed carrots were ok, but the carrots needed to be softer, they were not cooked well enough to my liking. 

Scott and I got twin meals, however he substituted his protein for Meat Loaf. He said it was almost steamed and didn't have that nice crunch on the outside that mine does. What I smart man to say that my meat loaf was better, he officially has been trained!

All in all this was a nice, clean place to grab a casual meal. It had a nice bar and friendly service. I might try Rock Fish, a seafood restaurant located next door on my next trip to Texas.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Del Frisco's - Fort Worth, TX

Scott and I make bets all the time. We bet how long it will take to get home, who will win American Idol, if the Jets will actually win - you know all the fun stuff in life. We usually make bets for Date Nights so it is a win-win for the both of us. Last New Year's Day we bet together against Lindy Burch and lost. Lesson learned, never bet against TCU for a dinner at Del Frisco's! From the wine all the way to dessert we went all out. Hello Duckhorn; great wine!

Classic Dinner Salad: The bacon and greed goddess dressing was amazing. 

Scott got his usual Caesar. Pretty much your standard salad. 

 So Lindy said the way to go was the Bone In Ribeye, all 22 ounces of prime beef. They ask you to cut into your steak while they wait at the table just to make sure it is to your liking. Perfection! We ordered the crispy potatoes as well as a side of asparagus to go with our meals. 

Lindy knows good Creme Brulee and do you want to know why? She doesn't like it flavored: mocha or any of that jazz, and it should come void of any fruit. We just like our creme to come au natural. Thank you very much.

So we made good on our bet, that is what good gamblers do. Will we continue to bet fabulous nights out on the town in Fort Worth? Yes, only if it is not against TCU. Man, did we screw that one up!

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Sunny Ojai, California

I just had to interrupt my Texas posts for a salute to my home state, California. The weather is amazing, local eats still out of this world and shopping still totally trend worthy.

Since getting home all I have wanted to do is make it beautiful. Both inside and out; my little nest is gorgeous and I am so lucky to live here!

I am still digging the Native American trend. Finding cool pieces of jewelry make my day, especially when you get a deal!

La Fuente is still kickin' out excellent eats for lunch and take out. I had carnitas tacos and a Mexican Coke. Heaven. I ordered four tamles to go - green chile and pork, the spiciest of salsas accompany these little precious presents of food.

My little guard dog has taken on the porch as his perch. He is the King of this Castle and is not afraid to show it! I had to brag on California just a little bit in-between the run down of my Texas vacation. Makes me appreciate where I am from. California Proud.

Buttons II - Fort Worth, TX

Waiting. We did a lot of waiting while we were in Texas. We waited to show, we waited to see if we qualified to advance through the rounds and then we waited to eventually make our way back home to California. While we waited, we drank - due to nerves or celebration. It just made the time fly by more quickly. A good place to grab a drink and food combo is my favorite House of Soul: Buttons. It was Happy Hour and Martini's were $5. Yahoo! I enjoyed this Orange Creamsicle, or two maybe three.

We started with an order of Flash Fried Shrimp: Gulf shrimp, serrano peppers and bacon served over a jalapeno ranch salad with lemon butter drizzle. SPICY! But, very delicious.

Chicken Wans: Not my favorite but Scott loved them. They were hard to eat but have to admit, finger lickin' good - especially when dipped in the chipotle blu cheese dressing.

Brisket served over jalapeno cornbread and beans. It was just the perfect amount of food for Scott and I to share. We felt so satisfied leaving Button's. I swear i have never had a bad meal here. I highly recommend a visit on your next trip to Fort Worth.