Oak & Third - Mineral Wells, TX

Mineral Wells, Texas - Home of the Crazy Water. The "Wellness Capital of Texas" received this title when in 1881 locals noticed a woman drinking from a mineral well and claimed it calmed her "crazies". You can buy this water here today! Sounds like a simple solution for a big problem, water does really make the world go round. Located inside the Crazy Water Hotel is the restaurant, Oak & Third and this is where we had lunch today.

Blue Crab Arancini 

Blue Crab, Prosciutto, Risotto, Gruyere

Charred Lemon Aioli 

Okay, obviously I had to try these. They were on the shareables menu and I did not share them, in fact I ate them all. To be fair, I offered in between stuffing my face but maybe Scott noticed me enjoying myself too much to break up all of my joy? They were hot, salty and I love mayonnaise based sauce. Did I really taste crab? Not too much, but it didn't disappoint me because of all the other savory ingredients taking center stage. I really enjoyed the dish.    

Southwest Cobb

Grilled Chicken Breast, Roasted Corn, Black Beans, Cheddar, Tomato, Cilantro, Ranch, Tortilla Strips.

Scott ordered this salad because it has been hot, hot, hot in Texas. He found the salad to be refreshing, the vegetables were fresh and the ranch dressing was the "good ranch", everybody knows that is the kind not served out of a shelf stable bottle. He had one critique, he really wished the chicken was served warm. I have no doubt if we had asked if it could have been served that way or even sub out the protein it could have been accommodated (for a price upgrade of course) because we spoke to the chef on our way out and he seemed like a really kind guy.

Braised & Crispy Pork Belly

Brussel Sprout Kimchi, Fish Sauce Caramel

Okay, I don't normally order something like this. You guys know me, I am seafood girl but today I just went for it. It was like pork candy! I did share these with Scott and he said this would be great served over his salad. Clever! The kimchi was a nice touch, it made me feel like I wasn't being too glutenous eating almost an entire bowl of pork. Order this if you ever were curious about trying pork belly.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Soaked Date Cake, Butterscotch, Smoked Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Our waitress talked us into dessert and I am not sure we needed it. We were content with our lunch but let her twist our arm. It tasted like Christmas and that made me happy, I loved all the warm spices in the cake. I was content after a few bites because I was getting full and it was plenty sweet. it felt like that was all I needed to feel satisfied. The smoked ice cream was unique, I have never had anything like it before. It balanced the super sweet butterscotch and made it a nicely balanced dessert.

We had a lovely lunch at Oak & Third located in the Crazy Water Hotel. If you have time after lunch, go check out the shops in lobby - They also have Rickhouse Brewery that I cannot wait to try as well. The hotel is so beautiful and has so much to offer to the town of the Mineral Wells. I will be back for a dinner review! 

Stay cool Texas! And don't forget to drink water to keep the "crazies" away. Lol.

Cork & Pig - Willow Park, TX

Yay! James Good Taste is in town. I love it when my brother comes and visits because that means fun restaurant trips and more help on the ranch. He can drive the tractor, prune my trees, ride my horses, entertain the dogs and be just good company all together. It is fun. I knew the first restaurant I wanted him to try was Cork & Pig, it is one of current favorites and wanted his take.

The Frose is my favorite drink to kick things off. They have a really fun cocktail menu and a decent wine list but it is hot outside and the drink is pretty so yes, please. 

James was starving and so was I, the fastest starter was the Guacamole and it was good! The salsa was also really tasty - the server noticed how much we liked it and brought out another. 

My brother loves Hillstone in Dallas and one of his favorite dishes is the Pan-Asian Noodle Salad so when he saw a variation of it here on the menu he went for it. The "Noodle Salad" comes with Asian noodles, grilled fillet, mango, arugula, cabbage, carrots, scallions, basil, cilantro, peanuts and coconut. He absolutely loved it and even said it might be better than Hillstone! 

I ordered the Salmon with Blue Crab, isn't it just beautiful?! The Salmon is simply grilled with caper lemon butter, topped with jumbo lump crab and a healthy scoop of the best mashed potatoes I have had in a really long time. Listen as you guys probably already know, I order seafood a lot. Probably more than the average person and I can confidently say this was a high quality piece of fish cooked to the perfect temperature. There is nothing worse a farm raised, previously frozen, over done salmon. The crab was just an extra bonus, perfection.

I can recommend Cork & Pig pretty easily. You can go for drinks and sit around the lively bar. You can get reservations and sit towards the back for a celebratory meal. There are outside tables to enjoy a good food and drinks when the weather is nice. Cork & Pig is a wonderful addition to Parker County and I cannot wait to go back.

 

Whiskey Cake - Las Colinas, TX

Hi! This is me, fresh off a flight from California. Scott Good Taste picked me up from DFW and wanted to surprise me with a new restaurant because that is my love language. I have never heard of Whiskey Cake but it sounds fun, as well as the neighbor restaurant - Mexican Sugar.

Upon entering I noticed the air conditioning was excellent. I was warned that Texas was on fire - especially since experiencing a very mild California climate, so the Arctic air was a blessing. The restaurant was decorated beautifully. It gave modern cabin vibes, I liked it.

They had a Crab Cake on the appetizer list. I am sure this is one of the reasons why Scott picked this restaurant for me to try. He knows I love them. I am not sure if I have ever disliked a Crab Cake but I can certainly tell you this was not my favorite one. It was very wet and cool in the center, I wasn't grossed out or anything but it was just way too cold. The combination of the remoulade, cold lemon and room temperature hot sauce squeeze bottle made the temperature too chilled for something to be served hot. 

Fry me up some Green Tomatoes and serve them up hot, please! And they did just that. They were take a bite and try in breathe in air between weird open mouth bites hot! My favorite temperature. Salty and tangy and all the things that brought me joy. The best order of the night.

Call me boring because I always order the Fish and Chips. Boring Melissa Good Taste, I will take it. Beer battered wild Atlantic haddock, hand cut fries blah, blah, blah. You know I liked it but to be honest, I was getting full and was getting sick of remoulade. The same remoulade was served with the Crab Cake and Fried Green Tomatoes so I was kind of tired of flavor. Could I have asked for ketchup or Ranch dressing? Yes, I could have but I asked for a box instead. It would have a date with my air fryer the next day for lunch.

Scott ordered the Wood Grilled Steak Salad which included: sliced flat iron steak, house greens, roasted tomatoes, pickled onions, Gruyere, buttered croutons and a horseradish vinaigrette. He was excited about eating a few fresh vegetables because he had been eating like a bachelor cleaning out the pantry and freezer while I was gone. He mentioned his steak was chewy and ate around his salad until he claimed he was full. He didn't take his leftovers home.

We were both tired and ready to go home but we couldn't leave without the restaurant's namesake: Whiskey Cake, so we got it to-go. After an uneventful drive home we unboxed our dessert and grabbed two forks for further examination. Sticky toffee cake, bourbon anglaise, spiced pecans and vanilla whipped cream is what came out of perfectly boxed containers. It was fine. I think it is a dish better served fresh so the warm cake melts it toppings together for a - moist - bite. At home, it was just meh. We didn't think the calories were worth it so we tossed it. How mature of us. 

Over all I cannot recommend a visit. The service was friendly but the food was just ok. If you do find yourself there please order those Fried Green Tomatoes. And then maybe wander next door to Mexican Sugar and give a margarita a try for me! 

 

Inaka Fusion - San Juan Bautista, CA

Melissa Good Taste always goes back "home" to San Juan Bautista at the end of June and that means I get to check out the current local restaurants in the area. I love Japanese food and when I heard it was also fusion I thought, "How cool, let's go!". The inside is modern and clean. We were sat instantly and greeted warmly. Off to a great start!

I ordered a beer on draft without perusing the rest of the cocktail menu...

Our waiter suggested B&R Farms Apricot Sake and I though "Yee-haw! Why not?!"  This is dangerously good. Sweet, potent and all the things that make you enjoy a night out. Order this!

First up were the Crab Rangoon Nachos. I will admit I didn't imagine them to come out looking like little raviolis but they were excellent! They were deep fried wontons filled with crab and cream cheese filling - that alone would make them delicious but the addition of both the sweet chili sauce and the citrus aioli made them out of the world. Order these!

       

Obviously I am a sucker for a deep fried wonton because the Thai Chicken Tacos also caught my eye. Stuffed in the taco shell was lemongrass chicken, cabbage slaw and sriracha aioli. Their sauces really put each dish over the top. This is also another must order.

      

We veered over to the Sushi menu and decided on the Raiden Roll. Spicy salmon, cucumber, macadamia nuts, unagi, avocado and shredded bonito. It read to be delicious and I really love macadamia nuts so I was really excited to try it. It was good - maybe ask to leave off the bonito flakes if you try it. I think it might have taken away from all the really fun flavors it already had going on. There were other sushi rolls on the menu that I really want to try next time, specifically the Sashi Tataki Roll and the Johnny Tsunami Roll.

  

Molten Lava Cake? Don't mind if we do. The perfect ending to a fabulous dinner. Chocolate cake, a ooey gooey hot center, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and fresh black berries. Ok-aaaay now that was exactly what we needed to cap off a fun evening.

San Juan Bautista is a small town that certainly benefits from a restaurant like this. The restaurant business is tough and I want to support them so I can go back and visit on my next trip back home. Not only was the food delicious but the service was also really attentive. There are things other than sushi and small appetizers on the menu in fact, steak and pasta dishes as well so don't let a picky eater deter you from giving it a try. I will be back and if you go say Melissa Good Taste sent you. 

Teddy Wongs - Weatherford, TX

 😁 Melissa Good Taste is back at it again. 

Scott and I had lunch at the highly anticipated Teddy Wongs - Weatherford. We allowed our server, Charlemagne, to surprise us and order whatever he thought we should have on our first visit. Out came a Half Order of Hong Kong Peking Duck with spring pancakes, plum sauce, julienned cucumber and scallions. In addition to the duck, we were served Hot Oil Pork Wontons which made a fantastic addition to the assembled pancakes. The food was excellent, we left perfectly satisfied and cannot wait to return to try new items from the menu. Two thumbs up!

- Melissa Good Taste

Rincon Brewery - Carpinteria, CA

 

 How cool does this place look? I received a special invite from my sweet friends, Lindsay to check out a new brewery located in cool Carpinteria. Carpinteria tends to be a little busy on the weekends due to the safe beaches and downtown shopping so if you see a open parking spot, you better grab it!

All the beers sounded good for different reasons. The Bates Blonde is of course light and drinkable and there is also a nutty Mac Brown that would be fabulous on a cool evening. But the one that made it into my glass was a Mexican inspired Vienna Lager names "La Reina".

The menu read like a perfect combination of comfort food and fresh vegetables. I love the idea of the Fried Chicken Salad filled with with crisp green but then made naughty with the fried chicken and cornbread! We opted for a large bowl of Onion Strings to share and I ended up eating most of them. They were greasy, salty and just perfect.

Thank Lindsay for the invite!

Rubio's - Oxnard, CA

                                         

 Hey have you ever been to Rubio's? I had not ever been and while my Mom and I were running errands in Oxnard, we decided it was worth a try. It is that in between restaurant that is a step up from typical fast food and just under your common dine in restaurant. Think Baja Fresh type menu, order at the counter and take a number.

   
                                               

I knew right off the bat I wanted to try the Crispy Fish Tacos. The best version I have ever had are the Snapper Jack's version. These unfortunately did not surpass the quality of Snapper Jack's due to the quality of the fish. It was fried nicely but the actual white meat was not as big and flaky.                                         

                                        

Kathy ordered the Shrimp Taco and she said it was totally tasty. She also tried the chicken version and it failed to impress after consuming the shrimp. 

I liked that the restaurant was totally clean, had a salsa bar and prices were totally reasonable. For two people to get a lunch for under $20 these days is pretty amazing. I would return.

           After our errand running, we went back to my house to work on our Beef Jerky production. We went to the butcher inside our local grocery to slice a London Broil steak into 3/8 in slabs. It made less work for us as we sliced the meat into strips.

 After a quick soak in soy sauce we laid out the strips on oven racks. We then seasoned up the batches, experimenting half way to see which would come out the best. My version which included garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and a generic Barbeque seasoning seemed to really do the trick. What I learned from this experience is over season the meat, to the point you really thought you over did it.

 With your oven set a 170 degrees, place the jerky racks in and set your timer of 6 hours (all depending on the size and width of the jerky). I placed a spoon in the oven door, to keep the air flow going during the cooking process.

My brother taught me this recipe and I think he just may be the master. Although my version was good, it was not great like his. He should package, label and put his jerky in stores!

Little Napoli - Carmel, CA

While in San Juan Bautista over Christmas I got to spend a night out with James and Kate in Carmel. We kicked off our evening at the Caraccioli Cellars Tasting Room. Kate and I enjoyed a glass of their award winning Brut Rose. It was lovely, blend of not too sweet and not too dry. It was the perfect start to our meal to come!

Little Napoli is an Italian restaurant located in the heart of Downtown Carmel. James and kate like coming here so they wanted me to experience their little spot. We had late reservations but I was amazed at how packed the place was. I love a restaurant that serves late into the night. It was a quaint space, the lights were low and I felt like I was transported to somewhere in Italy.

When I saw that they had an appetizer special of Truffle Gnocchi I knew instantly that is what I wanted to start our meal off with. I ordered up the baked pillowy clouds of awesome intending to share but found myself pretty much polishing off the dish on my own. It would make an excellent entree order! 

Hey guess what y'all?! I didn't order seafood for dinner! This has got to be a first in a long, long time. I saw the New Zealand Lamb Shank "Osso Buco"on the menu and decided that sounded great. My lamb shank was very tasty, totally tender and the perfect amount of food for me. It came with mashed potatoes and they were a tasty compliment to the rich sauce made from the braised lamb and vegetables.

Kate did something every little foodie loves... She ordered off a secret menu! She almost spoke in code with our waitress! So cool. Kate wanted: roasted chicken, no skin, with special pink sauce and potatoes. It was amazing. The potatoes that usually come with the dish are oven roasted however they did not have them on hand that day so mashed potatoes were substituted and they just kind of disintegrated into the sauce. I think pasta might have been a better substitution because that sauce was so good.

 James ordered up the Chicken Parmigiana and it was jam packed with food. The "gravy" that the fried chicken was topped with was very good. The right amount of tang to sweet ratio. A healthy blanket of mozzarella was broiled on top. I switched plates with James at the tail end of our meals so I could sample his meal, and he could try mine. Bites of the chicken entree and tender house made pasta were delightful.

At this point we were almost uncomfortably full so we declined on dessert. Little Napoli was a great place for our little night out on the town. I enjoyed the ambiance, food and most of all the time i got to spend with my brother and Kate!

Christmas Day - San Juan Bautista, CA

On Christmas morning my Mom woke up peacefully to wander downstairs to make a hearty breakfast at an easy pace. As we did not need to do our usual Santa present madness this year as it was just us big kids to entertain. Christmas ham, hash potatoes and sunny side up eggs fueled us for a relaxed day ahead. 

We opened a few presents after breakfast. It was fun for me to play Santa and look at the faces of family as they opened each package. I would have to say, Scott was the best gift giver - my Mom cried with tears of happiness! Now that is what Christmas is all abut, making family happy!

My Dad got tons of books so he tore into them and starting reading after breakfast.

My Mom got started on squeezing lemons for her Lemon Meringue Pies...

Piping the meringue...

And finishing them off in the oven!

I got started on the prep work for our Shrimp and Scallop Puffed Pastry topped with Garlic Cream Sauce. New recipe...

Garlic, shallots...

Mushrooms... Chop, chop, chop.

I even made my Oven Baked Risotto recipe. It is a winner every time.

Too big of an Le Creuset pot for just 8 serving of risotto but it did the job.

James request these Stuffed Peppers at every holiday meal. Bacon, sausage, cream cheese, green onion... Easy peasy.

Dinner is served! It is not the most visually attractive meal but it tasted like heaven. Rich, creamy and totally the right amount of food. Everyone cleaned their plate and there were no left overs... Now that is the perfect sized meal.

Butter and cream live here.

Two of Santa's favorite elves!