Eating through Chains - AZ

Scott and I hit the road late Monday night for Arizona for a 5 day horse show. While he drove I curled up as best as I could and napped during our drive into the desert. As soon as Scott decided to pull off the highway for a break, I instantly woke up and jumped out of the truck.

He pulled into a McDonald's and I was starting to configure what I was going to order before I even got out of the truck. I knew for sure I would grab one of their delicious Coca Cola fountain sodas. What made them extra delicious anyway? The hash browns are a salty treat, so I definitely would grab one of those but what else...

I had never had a Bacon McGriddle so I decided to go for it. It was sweet and salty with the bites of egg, cheese and bacon. I was throughly impressed with this breakfast sandwich! I am not much of a breakfast lover so this made our stop pretty much a success. Have you tried a McGriddle?

In Arizona where we are staying, it is like chain restaurant city and there is nothing wrong with that. As much as I enjoy fine dining, I also like to eat at everyday type of restaurants. They aim to please and are affordable. I hadn't been to an Applebee's in awhile so I was actually looking forward to it.

Ah, the good old Oriental Chicken Salad with extra dressing. This salad has ben on their menu for as long as I can remember and it always has been good. The dressing is creamy, but totally unique. They could bottle it and probably survive off the profits of the dressing alone. The crispy chicken with bites of shredded carrot, sliced almonds and crunchy rice noodles are just to die for.

Who doesn't love Texas Roadhouse? Have you been to one? They are the restaurant responsible for teaching your children to just throw their used peanut shells on the floor. I never understood the concept but maybe it made people feel like they were at home? Who throws peanut shells just on the floor? Ok. I am done ranting about the peanut shells, but I enjoy the salty snack waiting for me at the table as soon as we are seated. 

I was in the mood for a frosty beverage and thought a frozen margarita was just the ticket. The margarita itself was blended perfectly smooth but the mix itself was much too tart. A couple sips of the frosty concoction would leave you puckering your cheeks up tight.

My meal at the roadhouse was a very simple one. Grilled Salmon, buttered corn and loaded mash potatoes not pictured. The salmon itself was nicely cooked, maybe a little touch over done to my taste but it was nicely seasoned so it made eating it very enjoyable. The bites of corn and mashed potato were great sides and I couldn't have left more satisfied.

What chain restaurant do you just love? 

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!

Have you had pâté today? - Ojai, CA

I don't know when my obsession with all things pâté started but I have been on a liver eating kick as of late and wanted to share a couple versions I am currently crushing on. I started to do some back research with my Mom to see if I ate it while I was young or even force fed it when I was in the womb. She replied that my Papa loved it and it was served as an appetizer at family parties. Maybe I inherited food tastes from him. He and I both share a love for oysters, sand dabs, liver and Mexican food. Who knows, but lets get to the good stuff...

 

The Ojai Ranch House serves a delicatable Chicken Liver Pate. The recipe that is used is direct from Alan Hooker, original owner and chef of the Ranch House. Do you want the recipe? Do want to know why it is so creamy and delicious? The recipe is available to you my liver loving friends...

Ranch House Pâté

6 tablespoons butter
2 scallions -- trimmed and finely chopped
3/4 pound chicken livers
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 pinch ground cloves
4 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons cognac

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add scallions and cook until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.

Add chicken livers and cook, covered, over medium heat until just cooked through, 5-7 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and stir in salt, mustard, nutmeg, and cloves. Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Continue to process, blending in remaining 4 tablespoons butter, cream cheese, and cognac, then transfer to small bowls or well-oiled molds, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 24 hours.

I serve up bites of this pâté on crunchy crostini and top with sliced red onion. Simple, classic and delicious! The RH serves their version with caperberries, pickles, watermelon radish, red onion and crostini. The pate is topped with crumbled bacon and it is just heavenly.

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The next pâté that I have been indulging in has been the one served at Suzanne's Cuisine, also in Ojai. Her version is made with duck liver rather than the chicken version by The RH. Hers is equally creamy which tells me copious amounts of cream or butter is mixed in. No matter, it is delicious with bites of salad and sliced pickle.

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For a more rustic approach to pâté go to Osteria Monte Grappa. The pâté is made in house and local poultry offal is used. If i was a betting gal I would assume there is less cream and or fats added to this version based on the chunkier texture. Not smooth like the versions above that use more fat. I did not mind this version though. The grilled bread, sauteed onions and balsamic drizzle made it quite an enjoyable bite.

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I have started researching all things pâté because of my new love for the spreadable goodness and I have found a few interesting things to be true. Liver is high in iron, low in calories and full of vitamins A, D, E, , B12 and minerals copper and iron. I know adding lots of butter, cream and cream cheese does not make pâté a health dish but when consumed in moderation I will enjoy it one bite at a time.

Have you had your pâté today?

Bonnie Lu's - Ojai, CA

Bonnie Lu's is like "THE" place to go for breakfast in Ojai. On the weekend you cannot drive passed its arcade location without seeing people waiting outside to get a seat inside. I have had their breakfast before and it is solid. What I wanted to try was their lunch, could it compare?

Any lunch place worth going to has excellent soup selections. This is what they call their Chicken Tortilla. I didn't know if I should grab a fork and knife or what. The huge chunks of vegetables were what the cup was full of and lacked my craving for a savory broth. I ate as many pieces of the vegetables before the waitress took it away. 

When I saw the Strawberry and Spinach Salad on the menu I knew that is exactly what I wanted. With feta cheese, almonds and sweet creamy dressing I knew it would be delicious. The only thing that I thought was missing was a nice protein option so I asked for chicken to be added to it. I made this mistake all on my own. The chicken that was served on the salad was obviously cooked on the same part of the griddle as the eggs and other breakfast goodies because the chicken sopped up all that flavor and it was all I could taste. It ruined the salad and I could not take another bite.

I ate paying for a meal that I got absolutely no pleasure out of. I had high expectations for this lunch because of their breakfast success and left feeling disapointed. I hate that. I guess you live and learn...

Giorgio's - Ojai, CA

We are really into sports right now as the Giants are playing in the WORLD SERIES as a wildcard team! Yee haw! But, this particular evening we decided to try out the new Giorgio's to watch the San Francisco 49er game. We sat at a table in the middle of the dining area to give us room to clap, cheer and invite our friends in town to join us.

We started with some Mozzarella Toast with a tomato dipping sauce. This bread was perfect for snacking but if you are afraid of a little garlic breathe you had better stay away from this one. It would freak out the most evil of vampires!

Next, I had Mary's Organic Chicken Strips. The chicken was cooked perfectly and the all white meat totally tender! I loved the breading, golden brown and crunchy! Dipped in ranch dressing, it was just awesome. I even had enough to take home with me and mix it up with salad the next day. 

Scott ordered the Caprese Sandwich complete with huge slices of Mozzarella, tomato, cucumber and lettuce. A balsamic drizzle loosened things up and made the sandwich complete. If Scott could critique the sandwich he thought the bread to sandwich ratio was high. A thinner bun might be a better option.

Last but not least was the Fried Chicken Sandwich Special that Dana and Brandon both enjoyed. The Buffalo sauce made brandon think it was spicy but Dana thought it was just right. I am sure the chicken was the same chicken used for my chicken strips order because they both loved the chicken. The fries were a little under done but it was probably because they were such a thick cut. Thinner cut potatoes would clear that right up.

Giorgio's is the East End's best option for football and World Series action. Give them a shot!

Himalaya Cuisine - Ventura, CA

 

I have been burned out on my usual picks of food. Things have been blah to me lately because I have been lacking in variety so I decided to mix it up and eat at a place I have never been to... Himalaya Cuisine. It proudly serves food from India, Nepal and Tibet. I sat down and was given a menu that did not look too familiar to me so I made my best guess at what I would like and prayed it would be delicious.

While I waited for my food I noticed this ad for an Asian beer. How cute is the bottle?! 

They brought out a lentil soup called "Dal" that came with my Lunch Special order. It was lovely. The spices warmed me from the inside out. The ginger is the soup could be tasted and it gave me a comforting feeling that awakened my senses. 

After I licked my soup bowl clean my lunch special was presented in front of me. I ordered the Shahi Korma Chicken with rice and chutney. The chicken was so tender it practically melted in my mouth and the sauce of the korma was a tad spicy, I could have handled more but didn't want to be cocky my first trip out of the gate. The creamy base seemed to mild the spice. 

I will be back, for sure, ready to explore the rest of the menu... I still have a lot of countries to dine at it seems! The menu is separated by the regional cooking... How fun!

Pulido's - Fort Worth, TX

 Pulido's is the type of place where local working lunch crowds come because you can get seated, order, eat and pay your bill in your allotted lunch hour. Scott and I were not in that kind of rush but we were hungry so Pulido's seemed like the best option to get our food pronto. The chips tasted like heaven because of my hunger but I knew they were not the best. The salsa is spicy so be prepared before dunking.

Underneath all that Iceburg lettuce is my Crispy Beef Tacos. They were more like a taquito because all that was inside them was beef. They were topped with lettuce, cheese, and tomato and served with a side of sour cream and guacamole. It was good, not great. I did leave feeling full and felt the price was very reasonable.

Scott ordered the "El Flaco" and it made me smile because it reminded me of my old horse. If you remember Flaco he was sold last March and we recently just found out he and his new owner qualified for the American Quarter horse Association's Select World Show! That made me so happy to hear! Anyway, back to the food... The plate was a carb free plate of all kinds of fun things. Fajita steak and chicken, avocado slices, lettuce, cheese and a stuffed chile. It looked like a lot of food but ate like a salad. An excellent option!

Pulido's is fast, cheap and filling. There are several locations throughout the Fort Worth area and all have the same type of menu. We like to go at least once a trip because we generally are craving Mexican food on our trips, since we eat it here a couple times a week. Tex-Mex just doesn't cut it for us! 

Max's Wine Dive - Fort Worth, TX

You know I am always looking for new restaurants to explore so when I discovered Max's Wine Dive on 7th Street in the Cultural District of Fort Worth I was very happy. I had reservations and we were seated at a tall top in the very small dining space. It was buzzing with diners as the restaurant was quite full but I loved all the action.

We were treated with Chicken Meatballs by the Chef. He was placing them down left and right to patrons. I love that! It is such a fun way to get excited about your upcoming meal. It tasted alot like Chicken Fried Steak and Gravy, which I think is fantastic! 

After placing our orders the Chef surprised us with another goodie, Peanut Butter and Jelly Wings! It was actually Thai Peanut Sauce and a Blackberry Coulis but it was so much fun I could hardly contain myself. The fried chicken was messy but I had a great time getting my hands (and face) dirty. Yum, yum!

Scott went pretty simple for dinner and ordered a Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup. It really is a classic order when done right and this was! Guyere, provolne and a red pepper pimento cheese made this the perfect melt. I enjoyed the fried chips too, they were light and salty!

Cowboy Ron went for the Fried Chicken Dinner and loved ever bite. The pieces of chicken were moist on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The greens and mashed were tasty but served a little cold to his liking. The problem could have simply been because he dug into the chicken first, the taters may have been afterthought and cooled during his chicken devouring. 

And now for my wonderful dish, Blackened Diver Scallops. Three perfectly cooked scallops came afloat in jalapeno creamed corn complete with candied bacon and popcorn shoots. How delicious does that sound?! It tasted as good as expected and I recommend it to EVERYONE! Even to non-seafood lovers. It will make you a believer!

The house treated us to a sweet treat before we waddled out. How does a warm Bacon Sugar Cookie served with Blueberry Mascarpone sound? It was out of this world!! Cowboy Ron and Scott Good Taste let me do must of the calories damage on this one as I consumed 3/4 of this solo. It was just so good! They cut the regular amount of butter and replaced it with bacon lard so it was fatty, smoky heaven! I would go back for this again and again and again...

Max's and Chef Stefon Rishel surpassed all my expectations with our dinner here in Fort Worth. I do a lot of research on restaurants and Max's showed up on the radar but I never visited it before now and I feel foolish for not dining sooner! Make sure you make a reservation, order a bottle of Goldeneye Pinot and bring your favorite foodie friends. This place is fun!

Chicken Express - Amarillo, TX

 

We left for Texas in the wee hours of Sunday morning and did a pretty great job of steadily moving our way East until we hit Moriarity, New Mexico on Sunday evening. We put up the horses, got a room and woke up and hit the road again. By about 11 we both were hungry and in Amarillo. A stop for fuel and horse watering, gave me my one and only shot for lunch... Chicken Express!

I have not only never heard of Chicken Express but never had the opportunity to dine at one either. It is obviously filled with menu choices of all things chicken but fish fillets as well! You now I loved that! I opted for the extra crunchy pieces of chicken tenders, a side of corn nuggets, biscuit and gravy and a little dessert of apple pie to go. The chicken was fried to order and totally moist. What a winner! The corn nuggets were also a fun little snack, all I needed was maybe a dipping sauce of ranch and they would have been solid. The biscuit was tasty and didn't even need to be dipped in the gravy, eaten alone was fine. The apple pie, was good enough for hankering a sweet tooth craving.

Back on the road, I felt satisfied and enthusiastic for having tried a new fast food option while in Texas. With Chicken Express under my belt, what other "chain" should I tackle next?

Chicken Express - Amarillo, TX

 

We left for Texas in the wee hours of Sunday morning and did a pretty great job of steadily moving our way East until we hit Moriarity, New Mexico on Sunday evening. We put up the horses, got a room and woke up and hit the road again. By about 11 we both were hungry and in Amarillo. A stop for fuel and horse watering, gave me my one and only shot for lunch... Chicken Express!

I have not only never heard of Chicken Express but never had the opportunity to dine at one either. It is obviously filled with menu choices of all things chicken but fish fillets as well! You now I loved that! I opted for the extra crunchy pieces of chicken tenders, a side of corn nuggets, biscuit and gravy and a little dessert of apple pie to go. The chicken was fried to order and totally moist. What a winner! The corn nuggets were also a fun little snack, all I needed was maybe a dipping sauce of ranch and they would have been solid. The biscuit was tasty and didn't even need to be dipped in the gravy, eaten alone was fine. The apple pie, was good enough for hankering a sweet tooth craving.

Back on the road, I felt satisfied and enthusiastic for having tried a new fast food option while in Texas. With Chicken Express under my belt, what other "chain" should I tackle next?

At Home - Chicken Francese

 Last night I had the kitchen to myself while Scott was sailing so I definitely was inspired to experiment with a new recipe. The days and evenings have been warm so I was drawn to recipes with citrus flavors. I came across Chicken Francese with a Grapefruit and Tarragon sauce so I decided to make a play on that.

Too get pumped up for my evening in the kitchen I decided to bust out a Lyft Stick to my beverage of choice. Lyft can be stirred into any cool beverage and will kick up your energy a few notches when you need to get stuff done. They are easy! 

I had the perfect beverage on hand to get "Lyfted"! Cascade Ice sent me the cutest package in the mail containing Cocunut, Mango Coconut and Pineapple Coconut Sparkling Waters. They even included little adult beverage recipes that can be used as no calorie mixers for fun summer drinks! I loved it. But this evening all I wanted was a cold Coconut sparkling water and it delivered. My favorite is the straight Coconut so think of me and grab one off the shelf when you see one in your local grocery.

 Chicken Francese is what I decided to make and it was totally easy. The hardest part is dredging the chicken with flour and egg - I hate having messy hands. But other than that lets go...

Chicken Francese 

 Melissa Good Taste

4 Chicken breast filets - pounded thin

1/2 cup flour

3 eggs

2 T Olive Oil

2 T butter

1 C Chicken Stock

1/2 C a fruity white wine

2 T chopped Tarragon

Juice from one lemon

Salt and Pepper

1. Create your dredge station for the chicken. Flour first and then the 3 eggs mixed up in a shallow container. The thin, pounded chicken breasts should be seasoned with salt &pepper and then go in flour first and eggs second.

2. Two Tablespoons of olive oil will be enough to coat your frying pan to cook the chicken, make sure oil is hot before putting in dredged chicken. Three minutes on each side or, obviously until cooked all the way through. If you are a Nervous Nelly, use a meat thermometer or something.

3. Once chicken is cooked set aside on a platter.

4. Pour in chicken stock and scrap up the browned bits from pan, two minutes of cooking is perfect. Then mix in wine and let it play in the sauce for at least a minute. 

5.The recipe I was following asked for segments of grapefruit at this stage and I was not feeling it so I just used the juice of one lemon. Squeeze it in the lemon as well as your tarragon. Your butter will be added at this point and let it melt in smoothly rounding out your sauce.

6. Plate up your chicken and pour desired amount of sauce over the plate.

You could easily serve this up with any noodle, rice or potato but we just ate it protein style last night. It was enjoyed with a nice glass of Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc, I highly recommend!

Lazy Dog Restaurant - Oxnard, CA

I was invited to review the newly opened Lazy Dog Restaurant in the Oxnard Collection last week. I walked in earlier than I was expected and was wowed by the lobby decoration, I love a great horse art piece. This was absolutely stunning and I was certain that this place must be on the right track...

Apparently I was the only person in America that did not know Lazy Dog was a part of a chain mainly based in Southern California. It was compared to Cheesecake Factory by friends and I really could not wait to try it and see what all the "Lazy Dog" hype was all about. The menus, both drink and food, are jam packed with interesting choices. Take your time and make your choices wisely!

The suggestion of my server was the "Day At The Spa" Martini - Acai Veev Liquor , pomegranate juice, cranberry juice, raspberries and organic sweet and sour mix. The drink was absolutely delicious and totally dangerous at the same time. It tasted as if there was no alcohol in it at all!

 The starter that caught my eye was the Ahi Tuna Poke - Sushi grade tuna in a sesame peanut dressing with green onions on a crispy wonton topped with avocado, wasabi dressing and sesame seeds. It was phenomenal, in fact I would be tempted to possibly order an additional orders if I was lounging in the future. The seaweed salad served with the poke was ok, I treated it mostly as a garnish though really.

I was told that the Chicken Poblano was the one thing not to miss on the menu so I went ahead and ordered it. Boneless chicken breast, poblano cream sauce, sweet corn and bell peppers meld together to create a warm plate of spicy food. Tamale cakes served on top create a safe haven from the spice and cool down the bites. I loved that they incorporated Tapitio crema and micro cilantro greens. If I had to make a suggestion I would encourage Lazy Dog to only use the best cuts of the breast meat, I got a few "funny" pieces - You know what I mean, like when you get one of those weird tasting McNuggets... Other than that the dish was great and such a large portion that I took half home.

 When the dessert request was asked how could I possibly tell the waitress "No" to the Salted Caramel Creme Brulee?! I devoured that bad boy as soon as it hit the table. the real vanilla bean and salted carmel made in house was totally present in the taste. I loved it.

My very first visit to Lazy Dog Restaurant was a successful one. I learned that the owners of Lazy Dog are relatives to the creator of Mimi's Cafe, now that is a successful restauranting family! Also the inspiration of the decor of the restaurant was inspired by childhood trips to Jackson Hole, hence the horse art work in the lobby! I encourage you to go down to your Lazy Dog and give it a try, in fact bring your dog too and enjoy the patio!