Fish Gaucho - Paso Robles, CA

Hello Baseball fans! While Scott, the horses and crew and I are at the Pacific Coast Cutting Horse Futurity in Paso Robles we are also cheering on our favorites, the San Francisco Giants. My Mom and I wanted to go out and celebrate a good first round for our futurity horses but Scott wanted to stay in and watch the first round of the World Series. So we called a truce and the ladies went out and he stayed in to watch the game.

We decided to have dinner at a place we have never been before, Fish Gaucho. It is owned by a friend of our's son-in-law so we were anxious to give it a go after hearing many good reviews. To get our meal started night we decided to try their signature margaritas: Watermelon Mint and Blood Orange. They were both fabulous, totally worth giving a shot. the menu is described as California Mexican so I was muy muy excited to give it a try... 

 My mom went the surf and turf route and ordered the Filet, Shrimp and Scallop plate. The 6 oz filet was cooked to her desire of a perfect medium rare, two shrimp totally plump and scallop seared just like perfection. The proteins rested on a bed of jalapeno mashed potatoes and a warm ranchera salsa. She described it as "the best meal she has at a restaurant in a really long time..." 

When I saw Scallops on the menu you know I could not pass it up. The Crusted Diver Scallops complete with chorizo brussel sprouts, poblano crema and mashed potatoes made my day. I literally licked the plate until it was totally clean.

Our dinner was perfect. I rubbed it in to Scott so bad when I got home that he wanted to go for an early dinner today. This is how my second visit went...

I knew I immediately wanted to try the chips, salsa and Morro Bay guacamole when I came on this visit so we put in our order fairly quickly. The pineapple pico de gallo was Scott's favorite, while i favored the watermelon chipotle. The guacamole was totally fine too.

We were greeted with a gift from the chef (being a food blogger has its perks...) to kick off our meal. It was a pork belly taco, with crispy onion strings, spicy salsa and served with a slice of blood orange to squeeze over the corn tortilla blanket. I loved it. In fact, I was feeling quite full from all the chips and taco at this point. The taco will be featured on an upcoming menu and I felt pretty cool to get the inside bite.

Feeling already pretty full, I decided to solider on with the Oysters Oaxaca. Six Blue Point Oysters topped with what they have described on their menu as chorizo and cotija crumbles. It actually was topped with a thick layer of thick cheese that took over the delicate taste of a baked oyster. I literally took off the layer of cheese before eating so tasting an oyster could be detected. I think these need to be switched up a bit. 

Scott is a Lobster Enchilada fan so when he saw it on the menu I knew he was old on it. Let me start off my saying, the portion size is huge! You get a lot of food. He noted that the lobster meat was only claw meat and would have been excited to get a piece of tail meat. He could only finish two but did enjoy the zesty tomatillo sauce.  

As I explored the menu on my second visit it obviously was not quite as successful as the first but I do believe the third time will be a charm as we have to go again to let Cowboy Ron have a turn at bat!

Hello Fall! - Ojai, CA

Last Saturday was the most beautiful introduction we have had to Fall in many years. The morning air was crisp and the warm, fuzzy it gave me inspired me to get cooking! I love cooking when the seasons change. Goodbye Summer. Hello Fall! Upper Ojai was just stunning, I had to snap a photo from my porch...

I set the table with candles, flowers and cloth napkins. It was just too pretty of a day not to go all out.

 Scott put on music and sweet tunes blasted through our outdoor speakers. 

Hi Scott!

My grandmother's wicker furniture makes for a lovely outdoor living space. We have used this sitting area so much this year. I see many more evenings of front porch sitting in our future! 

What I love most about cooking all day is the ability to have your meal ready and waiting with a fully clean kitchen to work in! Always clean as I cook, I hate dirty dishes. So with my kitchen spotless I decided to start cocktail hour...

 Cheers!

Scott requested his favorite, Deviled Eggs, to start. I like making them because it is such a labor of love. You must kindly handle the eggs to boil, crack and peel them without injury to the precious whites. Then whip up the yolks to your creamy desire. It is just such a personal recipe. A little of this, a little of that - add what makes you feel right. This time it was mayonnaise, mustard, sweet pickle relish, cherry pepper juice, salt pepper and a sprinkle (or in my case an accidental downpour) of paprika.

Our sweet friends Dana, Brandon and Ryan came over to enjoy eating with us. It is so nice to have local friends who appreciate good eats like we do! When I called them last minute to come up the hill and dine with us they were good enough to jump in their cars and join in. 

I love this shot of everyone digging in! Scott was in charge of cooking the steaks and salmon on the barbecue and he knocked it out of the park! Scott loves barbecuing so I knew he would love his job. He does get nervous about cooking up my seafood selections but every time he does it comes out perfectly. I love a little surf and turf with my meal.

My plate was complete with a piece of salmon, a big scoop of Melissa's Broccoli Salad, a twice baked potato (made with copious amounts of butter, sour cream, cheese and love...) and a slice of garlic bread. 

What is in Melissa's Broccoli Salad you wonder?

• Broccoli - 5 heads - finely chopped
• Red Onion - Only 1/2 - very finely chopped
• Cheddar Cheese - shaved, 1/2 cup
• Sunflower Seeds - 1 cup+, I used extra...
• Dried Apricots - 1 cup, also chopped finely
• The dressing - Mayonaise, sugar and vinegar - make a paste and adjust to your liking! I overly dress mine because I like my food saucy. But do remember as the vegetables "sit" the will sweat some of their liquids out and make the salad extra wet.

Mix it all up in a bowl and let it rest in the fridge for a couple hours!

Our party was a success. It was low key and last minute just like the best parties are. No fuss, no muss and just enjoying quality time with the people you love. 

Happy Fall everyone! Now get in your kitchen and start cooking!

El Rancho Futurity #2 - Rancho Murieta, CA

 Days came and went with early mornings and warm evenings during the 8 day show. It seemed like it all blended together and I opened my eyes and the last day was upon is. We managed to get off the show grounds a couple times and during one of those trips we decided to give Big Al's BBQ in Elk Grove a try.

Animal hide on the wall, different BBQ sauces to try and an all wood interior got us in the mood to get our fingers messy with some BBQ. The menu was pretty straight forward: Pulled Pork, Brisket, Chicken and Ribs. 

 Scott went for a Brisket Sandwich Special with Beans and Potato Salad. He said the brisket was tasty as he doused the entire sandwich with their BBQ Sauce that is made in house. The potato salad was fresh and the beans lacked the pizazz he was looking for.

I wanted to get down with some ribs so I decided to do a Combination Plate as well. The ribs were fine, nothing that my momma can't do better. The french fries were divine. I was really craving french fries. Dipped in the BBQ Sauce was just perfection. They served a small piece of cornbread that I was not expecting and that was my favorite thing on the plate! Ask for the cornbread...

Back at the horse show...

Cowboy Ron made both of his finals the in the Non-Pro Derby and Amateur Derby. How cool is that? He walked away with a big check and two trophy knives!

Are you curious how Elvis and I ended up?

We navigated our way to Reserve Champions of the Non-Pro Futurity! I could not be any prouder of my horse, help and myself! It was just an outstanding experience. I got to add another El Rancho Futurity buckle to my belt and I could not be any more thrilled to sport it.

Thank you to show producer, Carol Ward and her entire staff... 

Cheers to the memories!

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! 

Silver Fox - Fort Worth, TX

Sally Harrison Photo

Yesterday was such a fun day! Not only was it my husband's birthday but he won the NCHA Summer Spectacular open Derby Gelding Finals! He drew up first and "Ruben" came out firing! They cut two cows and stayed hooked for tons of working time. I was screaming my guts out cheering for the duo in my one man band! I have some pretty fierce lungs though...

Sally Harrison Photo

We had to wait through two sets to see if our score remained on the top of the leader board and sure enough it did! We are both so honored to have such a fabulous horse in our barn. The only thing missing from yesterday was this guy...

Sally Harrison Photo.
Cowboy Ron! We wish you were there to celebrate with us and see your horse in action! Congratulations on your horse's big win!

We wanted to celebrate our success in the arena last night but I also wanted to treat the birthday boy to a nice meal as well. It was getting late by the time we were done with chores so we decided to stay close to our digs and dine at the Silver Fox. We haven't been there for years so it seemed like a visit was due. I ordered a bottle of Silver Oak to go with the theme of the Silver Fox and away we went...

Scott started his meal with the famous III Forks Salad complete with field greens, blue cheese, granny smith apples and pecans. I am not sure why it is called the III Fork Salad but all I can imagine is maybe when one person at a table orders it three fork's of other diners try to go in and enjoy it as well.

I had a tough decision on how I wanted to start my meal I was thrown Lobster bisque, Scallops and a Crab Cake into the list of options and I was just so torn. Ultimately, I went for the Crab Cake. The Crab Cake always wins. It was a large portion, enough for two people to share or just one really hungry loper.

Mid way through our dining experience Scott was brought over a chest to pick his option of knife to use for his upcoming steak. I though it was so clever. It is the little things that make a dining experience memorable and this is one of them.

This bright, cheery plate was of course mine! I went for the Chilean Sea Bass because I a seafood eating machine. The fish was cooked perfectly and was a real whopper in size. The one thing I missed on my plate was mashed potatoes, I think wild rice is fine but I just love, love the mashed potato of heaven. Green snap peas, slices of tomato and creamed corn made me feel like I met my vegetable quota for the day so I left feeling quite healthy.

The birthday boy ordered a filet was pleased with his order of medium rare. He was lucky enough to receive the prized potatoes as well as his favorite creamed corn. We also ordered asparagus on the side but I didn't grab a photo of it. 

Our waiter was so kind to have brought out a little bite of dessert even though we declined when he offered. I sang "Happy Birthday" in my best outdoor voice and Scott closed his eyes and made a wish...

We came home to enjoy a cupcake made by my friend, Mica Chartier. She is extremely talented so I hit her up to make an order for Scott Good Taste. When we got back to the hotel last night we both enjoyed one and called it a day!

What a really great experience.

Happy Birthday Scott!

Button's - Fort Worth, TX

First off, I usually brag, brag, brag on Button's. We have always had a good time and left satisfied. Last night I went in with the same expectations and even made a reservation on Open Table. I checked in with the host and was seated in the bar, not the most desirable seat in the house but it worked.

As soon as we were seated we ordered the Fried Green Tomatoes because it was always a favorite of ours from past visits. When it was placed in front of us it looked NOTHING like and tasted what it did in 2012... 

This is what is what it looked like in 2012 - It looked as delicious as it tasted. Last nights version with its flavorless gravy and floppy ham was just sad. 

We thought ordering the Flash Fried Skrimps would make things better but it was just food. The shrimp was served nice and hot, I knew it was made immediately for us. I appreciate that.

Cowboy Ron ordered the Oxtails and it looked like a mess of food. I hope it tasted better than it looked because I was staring at it during my entire dinner service and it looked very unappetizing.

Scott ordered the most expensive steak on the menu and it looked and tasted like something the Golden Corral could have produced. It was as thin as jerky, they really could have sent out a more quality cut of meat. The medium rare order was more medium, and not to the chefs fault - It was so thin the carry over cooking baked the steak right through.

My Shrimp, Fish and Grits was blandsville due to the same gravy that was used on the green tomatoes. I was happy with the catfish but the grits and flavorless gravy just brought down the quality of the dish completely.

I figured maybe ordering dessert could salvage the meal but the "Pecan Sweet Thang" was so sweet, it hurt our teeth. That did not stop me from taking bites of vanilla ice cream and nibbling on the crust under the pecans. I am not a quitter.

Let me finish by saying, I have always loved Button's because the food was so tasty and it is was something different from what I was used to eating. The difference in a couple years is astounding! The food quality low, service quite snarky and the worst of all - the host did not honor my Open Table reservation so I was dinged for not honoring a reservation! It was not so busy that they should have missed it, in fact there were three employees at the hostess stand. 

Get it together Button's.

Button's - Fort Worth, TX

First off, I usually brag, brag, brag on Button's. We have always had a good time and left satisfied. Last night I went in with the same expectations and even made a reservation on Open Table. I checked in with the host and was seated in the bar, not the most desirable seat in the house but it worked.

As soon as we were seated we ordered the Fried Green Tomatoes because it was always a favorite of ours from past visits. When it was placed in front of us it looked NOTHING like and tasted what it did in 2012... 

This is what is what it looked like in 2012 - It looked as delicious as it tasted. Last nights version with its flavorless gravy and floppy ham was just sad. 

We thought ordering the Flash Fried Skrimps would make things better but it was just food. The shrimp was served nice and hot, I knew it was made immediately for us. I appreciate that.

Cowboy Ron ordered the Oxtails and it looked like a mess of food. I hope it tasted better than it looked because I was staring at it during my entire dinner service and it looked very unappetizing.

Scott ordered the most expensive steak on the menu and it looked and tasted like something the Golden Corral could have produced. It was as thin as jerky, they really could have sent out a more quality cut of meat. The medium rare order was more medium, and not to the chefs fault - It was so thin the carry over cooking baked the steak right through.

My Shrimp, Fish and Grits was blandsville due to the same gravy that was used on the green tomatoes. I was happy with the catfish but the grits and flavorless gravy just brought down the quality of the dish completely.

I figured maybe ordering dessert could salvage the meal but the "Pecan Sweet Thang" was so sweet, it hurt our teeth. That did not stop me from taking bites of vanilla ice cream and nibbling on the crust under the pecans. I am not a quitter.

Let me finish by saying, I have always loved Button's because the food was so tasty and it is was something different from what I was used to eating. The difference in a couple years is astounding! The food quality low, service quite snarky and the worst of all - the host did not honor my Open Table reservation so I was dinged for not honoring a reservation! It was not so busy that they should have missed it, in fact there were three employees at the hostess stand. 

Get it together Button's.