Bubbaque

Joe Mamas Pizza

2012-02-18T06:35:00.000-06:00

As many of you know I love pizza. Really good pizza. Recently the wood fired pizza restaurant in Panama City closed and I have been longing for that unique flavor wood fired gives pizza. Well I have found the place. Joe Mamas in downtown Port St. Joe really hits the spot. Recently my wife and I took the one hour drive to Port St. Joe to try it out. Saturdays are a hecktic day for me, so I look forward to some down time. The drive to Port St. Joe gave me time to unwind, listen to some music, and spend time with the wife. Joe Mamas is located on Ried Ave. which is downtown Port St. Joe. When we arrived I noticed this place looked great, not the pizza dive some may believe. This place is modern and upscale in decor. The staff is friendly and attentive.

The menu offers six craft beers on tap and something called a Beer Flight allows you to choose four beers that are served in 4 oz. glasses so you can sample several at one time. I chose four from light pale to dark, from citrusy to dark and roasted. As for pizza we tried two. The first was a pepperoni, Italian sausage, olive trio, and onion. They offer onion raw or caramelized. Nice twist. The other pizza was an Artichoke, Cappicola ham, freash garlic, and basil. All in all the pizza was great. Crispy, thin crust with toasted edges, fresh ingredients, and artfully made with just the right amount of ingredients. The thing for me with pizza is that every bite should be different. Back in my college days the more ingrediants the better. We used to order a kitchen sink, thant's right Da Kithchen Sink, loaded with everything. I have out grown that desire. My only complaint of Joe Mamas is the freash basil. Those leaves were huge and almost covered the entire pizza. It was hard to eat. A shifinade of basil would have been better.

I highly recommend Joe Mamas. I will return and soon.

I give Joe Mamas four stars.

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Uncle Ernies

2011-10-16T13:45:00.000-05:00

I'm really, really, really, trying to like Uncle Ernies. I just can't. Uncle Ernies boast great veiws, and it delivers, but the food and service more than trump the sunsets. Recently my friend Mike Healy had some friends in from Indianna. We met this couple last year during their visit and we ate at Uncle Ernies then. This time they got married here in P.C. and wanted to go back to Uncle Ernies. My wife and I showed up a little early to get a table. On the chaulk board was a tomato cream cheese soup, so we ordered some to share while we waited for our friends. The soup was acitic and bitter. Cooking tomatos should have sweetened them. I couldn't tell if they were fresh or canned, but I think the cream cheese added to the bitterness. After my friend arrived we ordered some beer and looked over the menu. I chose the Grouper Imperial and the wife ordered the crab cakes. Grouper Imperial is simple. Grilled or sauted grouper topped with sauted crab meat, scallion, and parsley. This version also had sauted shrimp surrounding the Imperial. The Imperial was good, but the shrimp were not pink, and were soft. Not under cooked soft, but as if they were farmed, frozen, shrimp.My wifes crab cakes were claw meat ( a real No No) and a lot of breading. Come on guys. Crab cakes are not that hard to make. Acually the best dish on the table was the brides filet mignon topped with crabmeat. The service was spotty. Twice I had to go to the bar for more beer. The waiter was a no show between the salad and entree arriving. Not good. Uncle Ernies has sooo much potential, but has been a real let down everytime I have gone. Uncle Ernies get 1 star for atmosphere.

Weekend in New Orleans

2011-09-12T09:06:00.001-05:00

After 2 1/2 years, I decided to take some vacation time. The wife and I discussed going to Atlanta, Austin, Smokey Mountains, or Charleston. We settled on New Orleans. The boys are there and so are Aven and Harley our grand daughters. We choose a weekend that the New Orleans Seafood Festival was scheduled. No other town or state throws a festival better than New Orleans.

We left Friday morning and headed to our first stop, Bruce Cafe. Bruce Cafe is located at the intersection of State Hwy 20 and 81. The Cafe is a small house known by locals as a place for good home cooking. In the kitchen is an old lady cooking from scratch on a standard home range in cast iron cook ware. Nothing better. I always get the sweet potato pancakes. These pancakes are light, fluffy and sweetened with the taste of sweet potatoes. My bubble was burst when I asked for the recipe and the waitress told me I could get them on line. They are Bruce's sweet potato pancake mix from Louisiana. The Bruce family packages sweet potato products and are know for their quality. That being said, I will still stop at Bruce Cafe for its homey atmosphere and delicious food. The drive to New Orleans was easy having done that drive hundreds of times. Next stop Adams Catfish. I have traveled all over the south, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas (not the south) and Mississippi, and eaten fried catfish in all those states. I have even eaten catfish in Indianola, Mississippi the home of Delta Pride Catfish. No one, I mean, no one fries catfish to perfection like Adams Adams is located in Belle Chasse, Louisiana on the westbank across the bridge from New Orleans. My father in law had a Western Auto store there and I remember when Adams first opened. It is a small restaurant that does one thing and one thing well. It is the best catfish I have ever had. I went for the six piece fillet plate with fries and coleslaw. I left nothing on my plate. I really do miss this place as it was one of my families regular stops with the in laws. We met my sons, daughter in law, the grand babies, and some dear old friends. We had a great time seeing Woody and Karen. I was full of love and catfish. The next day off to the seafood fest.

The festival, located downtown at Lafayette Square, provides plenty of grassy area to throw a party, and party we did. The food represented by local restaurants, was plentiful and delicious. We shared, crawfish and spinach served in a bread boat, crab cake remolaude salad, Cajun egg rolls, meat pie, seafood pie, and a New Orleans snowball to cool us down. Also available was Drago's grilled oysters, softshell crab poboys, shrimp poboys, oyster poboys, seafood Penna pasta, and fried Alligator on a stick. You know, Alligator taste exactly like, Alligator. Music was provided by Amanda Shaw who is now about 18, but started when she was about 13 playing Cajun style fiddle. She really got the crowd dancing. Next was hometown artist Kermit Ruffins and the Barbeque Swingers. Kermit is a trumpet player in the New Orleans style and vibe. He played several N.O. standards, as well as, adding his own N.O. style to other songs. It was a long day, but well worth the trip.

Last night we visited an old favorite Cafe DiBlasi in Gretna where we once lived. We have known Mario DiBlasi since we first got married 32 years ago. We stumbled one night into his restaurant and have been going back ever since. Simple Italian fare done well. It's the first place I ever tasted Braciolle and I get it every time I go. He also has the best fried eggplant ever. It was heart warming to see the restaurant busy. It's one of those neighborhood restaurants New Orleans is famous for. Lori got the seafood pasta, Josh had the veal DiBlasi, veal topped with a lemon cream sauce, and Andrew had the steak Marsala, a beautiful beef fillet topped with Marsala sauce. To me when you want comfort food, Italian works for me and Cafe DiBlasi is my go to place.

Sunday was a day of rest and time to spend with the girls. We went swimming in the pool and relaxed in the room, anxiously awaiting or reservations at Restaurant August, John Besh's flagship property. When we arrived my son Andrew knew the bartender. Once seated we were presented a bottle of Champagne. It's good to know Andrew in New Orleans. Our waiter was Richard and as he described to nights offerings you feel like he could make a Michelin sound delicious. We started with hot and cold appetizers. Of course we had the gnocchi with blue crab and truffles, we also had an heirloom beet salad with quail eggs, mizuna, and black eye pea croutons. We had the foie gras done three ways served on brioche toast points. One version was topped with a muscadine jelly, one wrapped in a sponge cake topped with a champagne gellee, and the last done terrine style with oxtail mouse. We also had the organic greens served with a pumpkin seed vinaigrette, with point Reyes blue cheese and pumpkin seed brittle. Last but not least we had the crispy pork belly, with kimche cucumbers and grilled plums. I could have walked out right then, but of course I didn't. Main courses included, Red fish Courtbullion with the sauce was poured from a tea kettle at the table, Duck with smokes bone marrow, Softshell crab meniere a brown butter and lemon sauce, Snapper crusted an olive bread crumbs in with a peprine sauce topped with an roasted eggplant marmalade, and I got the crispy pork tenderloin and pork shoulder, the latter served with a ravioli on topped filled with a pork sauce, so when you cut the ravioli the sauce showered down over the pork. Phenomenal. I told Lori that we should go to Cafe D'Monde for bengnets and coffee, when our waiter told us the Chef had a special treat for us. 5 plates of sorbet with shortbread. And if that wasn't enough gifts from the kitchen, Richard our waiter said the chef was sending out another treat. We all ordered coffee and shared a plate of chocolate genache cakes, blackberry pasties, a raspberry square in the style of a firm jello, and pralines. I guess I'll get the beignets some other time. What a meal. If you go to New Orleans, make August one of your stops. Oh yea, ask for Richard, he was awesome.

On my way out of town tomorrow I'm going to the Gourmet Butcher Block, he is the guy who made John Madden those six legged Turduckens, for some specialties. Also for lunch my beloved hot sausage po boy. This has been a great vacation. If you have never been to New Orleans, please go and enjoy what america's culinary city has to offer.

Withdrawl

2011-08-21T19:22:00.000-05:00

So last Sunday I drove to Atlanta for some training and the launch of the 21st. century Beetle. I'm telling you this because Sunday is my day to cook. I also lost my day off because I drove back Monday, so I am in withdrawal from the kitchen in a bad way. Today I will make up for that.

Breakfast

I did a New Orleans take on the classic Eggs Benedict. Last night I made Andouille, cheddar cheese grits that I let cool over night in a lined round cake pan. First, I diced the Audouille and sauteed it in olive oil. Next I added the water and stone ground, organic, white corn grits, and let them thicken. Next I added the sharp cheddar cheese. This morning I cut it into rounds, dredged in flour, egg wash, and Panko bread crumbs, and fried them golden brown. Now how can that not taste good? I topped the fried grit cakes with two poached eggs and covered that with a Tasso/lemon, Hollandaise. The richness of the Hollandaise, the silky texture of the eggs, and the salty, smokey, crispy texture of the grit cakes, was incredible. This will definitely be in the Sunday brunch rotation. I also got to thinking about my shrimp and grits. How about serving the shrimp and Andouille over fried, smoked Gouda, grit cakes? That would be different. OK, so now I have to prep for lunch.

Lunch

For lunch I'm grilling chicken wings and glazing them with an apricot, chipotle, sauce and serving with homemade ranch blue cheese dipping sauce. First after washing the chicken wings I dried them, placed them in a bowl, and drizzled oil over them. Next I seasoned them with my Bubbaque rub seasoning. After about an hour in the frig, I grilled them over a low charcoal fire until crispy on the outside. The glaze is made by melting a jar of Apricot preserves in a sauce pan and adding three chipotles in adobo sauce. I removed them from the grill in a bowl and drizzled the glaze over them, tossing as I go. Returning them to the grill I let the glaze set and served with the dipping sauce. Maybe I can get the wife to serve me in some orange shorts and a tank top. Na!!!!

Dinner

Tonight is steak night. I'm going Tuscan style. Large Porterhouse steaks marinated in garlic and rosemary and served with a lemon gremolata. My side dish is fire roasted tomato Risotto. First I cut some fresh rosemary from the garden and chop it with about four cloves of garlic. Drizzle some good extra virgin olive oil on the steaks a rub the rosemary/garlic mixture in to the steaks. Place in a zip bag and let them sit in the frig for an hour. Grill medium rare. To make the gremolata, I steep garlic and lemon zest in olive oil on low for about 30 minutes. This allows the garlic and lemon zest to release they're flavors without burning the garlic. Last I add the juice of one lemon and some fresh parsley. For the Risotto I use canned fire roasted tomatoes. I start with sauteed shallots and garlic then toast the Aborio rice. Slowly add warm chicken stock a cup at a time until the rice absorbs the liquid and releases it's starch. Slowly add more stock until the Risotto is aldente (to the tooth). Take it off the heat and add fresh grated Parmesan cheese and some fresh parsley. Well I think I satisfied my cooking habit for a while.

The food scene in Panama City

2011-08-21T08:44:00.000-05:00

I have been back in Panama City for 6 years now and maybe I'm spoiled or maybe my standards are too high, but I have a problem with most restaurants here. Lets face it. The restaurants at the beach have a philosophy of feeding the masses, and feeding them at a reasonable price. Quality is not part of the equation. I have two hard and fast rules that have been true of every buffet I have ever eaten at, which includes a $60.00 a person Champagne brunch in New Orleans and Shoney's breakfast bar. 1. You will never eat your moneys worth period. You can't eat $4.99 worth of grits and eggs or $60.00 worth of Champagne and prime rib. Buffets make money. 2. When you cook in bulk as apposed to cooking per order the quality looses. I remember Capt Anderson's when it was small and the food was good. Now they are feeding hoards of people and as I said, when you cook for the masses, and not per order, the quality will always suffer. I don't like the noise and I don't like the food. Angelo's used to be a place where you got a good steak (not a Ruth's Chris) but a decent steak, cooked over real wood. Now with the size of the restaurant and the size of the crowds, I prefer Outback if I have to have steak out. Montego Bay's "fresh catch of the day" is Talapia. Really? Really? I guess we haven't shaken that redneck riviera persona yet, despite those new high rise Miami style condos. The food here has no personality, no style. The French, Spanish, Native Americans, and the African Slaves have contributed to Cajun and Creole cuisine. The Spanish inhabited Florida, but when you think of our food it is influenced more by the country cooks of Alabama and Georgia. You have to travel up hwy 30A to find any inspired food. In November I ate at Fish out of Water. What a refreshing experience. Incredible food prepared by hands who care and a chef with a vision. Our back yard is the Gulf of Mexico for Gods sake. We have access to fresh seafood and produce from local growers. In the right hands this could be awesome. I guess nobody cares. Certainly not the tourist. My mother has had a house on the beach since 1966. I can't tell you how many times I have had to clean up the beach after a busy day. I can't tell you how many times people have relieved themselves under her house, used her shower, sat on her deck at night thinking no one was home, or parked in her driveway. Really? Do they do that in your hometown? If you go on the web site Urbanspoon.com the number one fine dinning restaurant in Panama City is Pineapple Wiley's. Really? Really????? Is that where we are. We will never get our beach back thanks to the money hungry commissioners. Unless we demand better, we will never get better. If gambling is brought here we will see more high rise buildings and long buffets. I shutter at the thought. Come on people, wake up.

Tonights dinner 8/7/2001

2011-08-21T08:19:00.000-05:00

Tonight's dinner with an Asian theme. Thai chicken satays with pork pot stickers and lo mein noodles. The chicken strips were marinated in coconut milk, fish sauce, honey, garlic, scallions, and lime juice, grilled on bamboo skewers. The lo mein noodles were whole wheat linguine with carrot, scallions, garlic, celery, and soy sauce. The Satays were wrapped in bib lettuce leafs and dressed with a Thai peanut sauce. We washed it down with some Strawberry Daiquiris.

Tonights dinner.

2011-07-31T19:43:00.000-05:00

I had to work today. Last Sunday of the month. It was good. I sold two cars. Tonights dinner is grilled shrimp and Grouper with grilled Asiago/Parmesan/garlic cheese grits. This morning I made the cheese grits and when they were sufficiently cooled I poured them in a cake pan lined with plastic wrap, placed in the refrigerator and let them set up. I seasoned the fish and shrimp with my Bubbaque seafood seasoning. Grilled over hardwood charcoal and served with a lemon buerre blanc sauce. You have to try the grilled grits. They were awesome. I brushed olive oil on the outside. They did stick a little, but the outcome was delicious. Creamy exterior, grilled exterior, warm and cheesy.

Grilled Pizza

2011-06-16T20:01:00.000-05:00

If you haven't grilled pizza, you need to try it. The smokey flavor adds a great edge to the crust and toppings. Tonight I grilled two pizzas. One a traditional pepperoni, meatball (homemade), black olive, and onion. The other is my Cajun pizza. Shrimp, Andouille, Artichokes, and onion. The Andouille was sliced thin like pepperoni, and the shrimp were sauteed in my seafood seasoning before hitting the pizza. The local grocery store has pizza dough in the bakery. I use a pizza stone purchased on line at Red Sky Grilling. You must let the stone pre heat like the oven. I have had some difficulty getting the pizza to slide off the peal. I use corn meal, but it has been a struggle. The outcome has been delicious. You must try this pizza.

Simply Thai

2011-05-22T20:39:00.000-05:00

Tonight I took my cousin Pam and her mom, my Aunt Betty to a new Thai restaurant on the beach. I have been visiting My Thai in the Cove for some time and have reviewed it here. I have come to enjoy the fresh flavors Thai food brings to the table. I do enjoy Chinese cuisine, but sometimes I get stagnet with it.

Simply Thai is located at 944 Thomas Drive across from the Navy Base gate. It's in a strip shopping center there. The location has been home of other restaurants to no avail, so I don't know how long it will be there. The service was friendly although the food arrived too quickly for me to enjoy the appetiser of chicken Satay's or my bowl of Tom Yum soup. The chicken Satay's were good. The peanut dipping sauce was not too salty or too peanutty. It was spot on. The Tom Yum was delicious, full of flavor from the chili oil, fish sauce, and Kafir lime leaves. I did find the occasional tough lemon grass shoot that I had to remove from my mouth. For dinner I tried the Drunken noodles. The description said it is made with wide noodles which were like Lasagna noodles rolled up. It also had vegetables, chicken and shrimp. This is the first time I have tried this dish and I would recommend it to you. My wife stuck with the classic Pad Thai noodle dish. I tried a small sample and it was what I expected of it. As you know I normally like to test a restaurant three time before a review is written, but with this place being in a location that other have failed, I wanted to let you know so you could try it. I will not rate Simply Thai until I tray it two more times, and I will.

Dee's Hang Out revisited

2011-05-22T20:14:00.000-05:00

If you haven't visited Dee's in a while, he has moved several doors down from his original location. The new digs are larger but not too large, and the decor is not overstated with the same throw back pictures of old Panama City Beach. The menu remains the same, a good variety of seafood dishes with a New Orleans theme. The daily specials on the chalk board are inventive and delicious. Recently he offered fried Snapper topped with a fried soft shell crab, then topped with an etouffe sauce. You know I love soft shell crab. This was truly spectacular. The wife had the shrimp etouffe. It satisfied her Creole craving with gusto. The gumbo remains satisfying and flavorful. On a recent trip I called ahead to find out if they had any soft shell crabs. He said he did and when I arrived the chalk board had a soft shell crab sandwich on special. I was not in a sandwich mood so I asked Dee to fix me some soft shell crab meuniere. Meuniere is a brown butter sauce with lemon and parsley. I also had the blackened grouper as well. As a side I tried the fried cheese grits and the collard greens. The fried grits were creamy in the middle with a crunchy exterior. You really have to try this. I like them better than the hush puppies. The greens are torn so they can be difficult to eat. I prefer them to be smaller in size. The pot liqour is great sopped up with the hush puppies. My only disappointment with Dee's is the seafood platter. For the money I expected more. I guess I've been spoiled by Deanies Bucktown Seafood in New Orleans. All in all Dee's remains at the top of my list of resaurants in Panama City.

Old Florida Fish House and Bar

2011-03-06T10:55:00.000-06:00

I normally don't review a restaurant until I've tried it at least three times. This is more for consistency of food and service, which I believe is imperative in the restaurant business. My personal view is great service will overcome mediocre food, but bad service will not overcome great food. We eat out because we want to be served and we want something we probably wouldn't cook at home, i.e. a seafood platter.

Friday night I took my wife and some friends to "Old Florida Fish House and Bar" located at 5235 E County Hwy 30A in Santa Rosa Beach. It sits back from 30A so the only landmark to notify you of it's location is a sign on the road. The parking is a little hard to find as it sits behind a small business center. It sits on one of the many lakes you will find on 30A and has a picturesque view of the lake from inside the restaurant. The decor is upscale but not pretentious. It is definitely not a shack as the name might imply. We arrived at about 6:00 and were greeted promptly and seated next to a window that looked out over the lake. Our server promptly greeted us, took our drink choices and told us about the nights specials. The menu is simple but ample with choices depending on what you are in the mood for. The only thing that baffles me is at the "Old Florida Fish House" there were no oysters on the menu. Not raw, baked, fried, or in the gumbo. We do have oysters here in Florida. Famous Apalachicola oysters. Go figure.

As always I tried the seafood gumbo, shared a wedge blue cheese salad, and a fried seafood platter of shrimp, scallops, fish, and a soft shell crab. I asked the waiter if the soft shell was fresh. He asked what I meant by fresh. I asked if it had ever been frozen. He said yes. I don't understand with all the seafood harvested here in Northwest Florida why blue crabs are not more prevalent in the markets. In New Orleans you can go to a seafood market and order a hamper of crabs to take home a boil. The most I have ever seen here is about six. Soft shells are a seasonal thing so it's hard to find fresh ones anywhere here. I do love me some soft shell crabs. If you ever attend the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and you should at least once, try the soft shell crab po-boy. The seafood was fried perfectly, not over battered, and had a good crust. It was served with the obligatory french fries. My wife ordered the crab cakes served over pasta with a lemon caper cream sauce. The crab cakes were nicely sized with a crusty exterior and full of crab meat on the inside, not too bready as some crab cakes can be. The lemon caper cream sauce was a perfect accompaniment to the dish. The chefs special was a blackened Snapper topped with crab meat. This is a classically simple dish that can goo bad fast if the seasoning over powers the fish and the crab meat is not lump. I have seen this dish done with claw meat. No no. My friends wife tries the Grouper Fish House. Sauteed grouper with topped with shrimp, crab meat, and a beurre blanc sauce. Again a classic presentation of a simple dish, but full of texture and flavor.

To cap off the night we moved to the bar. By this time the restaurant was filling up and the band "The Fish House Band" started to play at 8:00. The band consisted of a keyboardist, sax player, and a conga drum player, all of which took turns at vocals. The music was great and a fine way to end our outing.

At this point I will not assign "Old Florida Fish House" any stars until I go back two more times, but at first glance, I will return. I hope you try this establishment.

Good eating.

Fish out of Water

2010-12-04T07:16:00.006-06:00

Last night my wife and I enjoyed our annual anniversary meal at Fish out of Water restaurant at the Water Color resort on 30-A. We celebrated 32 years Thanksgiving day. A blind date gone good. The dinning experience was the best I have enjoyed since moving back to this area from New Orleans, 5 years ago.

We started with a drive along 30-A as the sun set sent orange and blue brush strokes across the skies. Alys Beach, Rosemary beach, and Seaside, were decorated for the season which made the drive that much more special.

We arrived and were seated in the wine room just in time to see the last of the sunset vanish from the horizon. The wine room is a small room off the main dining room surrounded by walls of wine. The table setting was simple but elegant. Our server Tim, who was spot on with his service, presented us with a drink menu that listed house specialty drinks, craft beers, bottled beer, and wine by the glass. I started with a Rob Roy and the wife a Pomegranate Martini. This gave use time to study the menu in detail. The only change on the menu was the pasta type for the Bolognese.

From the raw bar, we shared Wild Hopper Shrimp cocktail and Snapper ceviche. The ceviche would take several minutes to marinate which gave use time to enjoy the shrimp cocktail. The large wild hopper shrimp were perfectly cooked and served with the traditional catsup based sauce we love. The sauce was a perfect balance of sweet and spicy, not over powering the shrimp. The snapper ceviche was small diced pieces of fresh snapper tossed with red onion and jalapeno julienne, marinated in lime juice. This was served with super thin, fresh fried, potato chips. I could have stopped there and eaten the chips and drank craft beers for the evening, but I was there to dine. The chips were awesome. Next we chose the marinated olives and the sweet brass dairy cheese plate from the snack portion of the menu. The black and green olives were marinated in olive oil (duh) with herbs. The cheese plate offered an Asher blue, French Chevre, Thomasville Tomme, and a Brie. The cheese was served with preserved figs and a quince paste. I love blue cheese and the Asher answered the call, but the textural and taste difference of the cheeses made this a most enjoyable course. Next I had the Dragonfly field lettuces salad, comprised of small lightly tossed greens with hazelnuts, thinly slice watermelon beets and speck (a dry cured ham like Prosciutto). The salad was refreshing and woke up the palate for the main course. The appetisers were paired with craft beers. We tried Sessions Lager a pre Prohibition style lager from Oregon, a southern pecan lager, and a stone smoked porter.

For the main course my wife ordered the Tagliatelle pasta and I had the Florida wild hopper shrimp. The Tagliatelle wider than fettuccine and was colored with squid ink giving it a black appearance and a fresh ocean scent and taste. This pasta was combined with blue crab meat, jalapeno, and bread crumbs. I never thought my wife would eat squid ink pasta. but after 32 years of me telling her to eat outside the box, see did. The Florida wild hopper shrimp were served on a bed of herbed risotto with hen of the woodsman mushrooms. All I can say is exquisite. Again the shrimp were perfectly cooked, the risotto was creamy, and the mushrooms sauteed masterfully. You must try the plate. Put it on you must eat bucket list. The main course was paired with Leaping Frog Savignon Blanc. Crisp, light, and clean, it went well with the seafood entrees.

We sat back allowing time to reflect on the meal and 32 years of life together when Tim said those dreaded words. "Would you care for a desert menu"? Well lets just see what they have. First to catch my eye was a fresh Florida blueberry creme brulee. The wife is a sucker for a good creme brulee so I couldn't resist. Looking further down the menu I saw something that pulled me in. Bomboli, Italian yeast doughnuts served with two sauces, a chocolate sauce, and hold on to your palate, a maple, bacon caramel. Now how can you turn that down. Tell me how you going to turn that down. Man that was incredible. Fried yeast dough filled with pastry creme, covered in sugar, and dipped in MAPLE, BACON, CARAMEL, SAUCE. This has to be on the menu in heaven.

Chef de Cuisine Philip Krajeck has created an inspired menu based local fishermen and farmers to bring the kind of dinning this area sorely needs. Please try this restaurant. You will not be disappointed. Ask for Tim.

I give Fish out of Water 5 stars.

Good eating.

Bonefish Grill

2010-11-21T07:47:00.001-06:00

I am usually not one to visit corporate/franchise restaurants, but my exception is Bonefish Grill. On the many occasions that I have eaten there, I have always had good service, and the food has always been consistant and spot on. I even went to Bonefish on New Years Eve, the worst night of the year to go out to eat, and it was fine.

We normally start with the Bang Bang shrimp, a signature Bone fish dish, and the bacon wrapped Scallops with the mango salsa and chutney. The Bang Bang Shrimp are always sized right for an appetizer and the play on the crispy fried shrimp and the spicy creamy sauce is always been a winner. I love scallops and the salty crisp bacon playing off the sweet taste of the scallops and salsa has been a favorite of mine for a long time. It has even gotten the wife to eat scallops, which she normally doesn't eat. Last night instead of the scallops I tried the coconut crusted shrimp. This dish has popped up at many restaurants but I still think the texture and flavors are a winner and Bone fish does a great job on this one as well.

Living on the Gulf of Mexico I normally shy away from seafood that doesn't swim in the Gulf, but Bonefish offers a variety of fish that I trust to be the freshest available here. Talapia, Salmon, Wolf fish, and Rainbow Trout are offered on the menu as well as shrimp and scallops. I have never tried the steak, but since Bonefish is under the same umbrella as Outback Steak House, I believe it would be good. Last night my wife tried Lily's chicken a grilled chicken breast topped with spinach and goat cheese. We both enjoyed this dish.

We ate at the bar last night and was served by the bar tender and a kitchen staff. If you love fresh seafood, great service, Bone fish is a good choice.

I give Bonefish 4 stars.

Nick's Place

2010-09-19T10:11:00.000-05:00

After a long week, last night I wanted to try some place different. I have driven past Nick's Place near Freeport, Florida several times and have always wanted to try it. Last night I did. It's 50 mile drive down Hwy. 20 from my mothers house on the beach. We took Hwy. 79 north to Ebro and the headed west down picturesque Hwy 20 through wooded canopies and rural scenery. Nicks Place is located outside Freeport and the back Chattahoochee Bay. It is an old fish camp purchased in 1954 and is now a restaurant. If you like dives, and I do, this is one for you. The place is old with memorabilia, deer heads, and autographed photos everywhere. The view is great. You can see the high rise condos of Destin and Fort Walton to the south across the bay.

We were told to sit wherever we wanted and choose a table by the big window for the view. The menu is simple, fried and grilled seafood. The waitress told us the fish of the day was Tilefish and that they didn't have oysters. I asked about the oysters and she said they don't serve oysters until the water get at or below 72 degrees. Well somebody finally gets it. The whole month with an "R" really has some truth about the quality of taste of oysters during those months. We ordered some steamed crab claws for an appetizer and a pitcher of Amber Bock. The crab claws were seasoned with Old Bay seasoning, but some had no seasoning on the at all. For dinner I ordered soft shell crab, the wife fried shrimp, and my mom fried scallops which we were told they were local bay scallops. The soft shell crabs were fried correctly, but had been cleaned of the top shell and cut into two sides. I guess I better stick with New Orleans for soft shells where they really now how to handle them. The wife's shrimp were butterflied, large, and crispy, as they should be. I have often been disappointed in local fired seafood because the crust doesn't adhere to the seafood as it should. Mom's scallops were another story. As often is the case the crust fell off the scallops when speared with a fork, and they had no flavor. Scallops should be sweet and salty. These were bland. The sides are the proverbial Cole slaw, French fries, sweet potato fries, new potatoes, and hush puppies. Those hush puppies were cold and hard as a rock, not the warm, light and fluffy, balls of joy, I really like.

Over all Nicks Place was OK, nothing to make me take that journey again unless I want a dinner get a way.

I give Nicks 2 out of 5 stars.

Besh Steakhouse New Orleans

2010-05-16T20:07:00.001-05:00

I just got back from New Orleans and my taste buds have been renewed. My soul has been lifted. My stomach has been filled. Thursday night my son Joshua graduated from a local Community College. I am soooo proud of him. Thursday night we went to Deanie's Bucktown seafood and tore into a large seafood platter and some onion rings. This seafood platter contains two soft shell crabs, two crawfish balls, and enough shrimp, oysters, and fish, to feed 5 with leftovers, all fried to perfection. As good as it was Friday night was a true dinning experience. We went to Besh Steakhouse in Harrah's casino in New Orleans. My son Andrew is friend with the general manager Miles, and a waiter Brian, so we were taken care of like royalty. Truly one of the best meals I have ever had.

First we were brought out hot french bread baguettes with real butter. Next Miles suggested a red wine called Two Angels. It was a 2006 vintage high altitude grow divinity bottled, Rhone wine. Out standing. Miles brought out some chicken pate with fried crustini to taste as we enjoyed the wine. Next Miles asked us all what are preference was to meat doneness and disappeared. Next arrive 5 appetisers. Oysters in Bourdelais sauce, Natchitoches meat pies, stuffed crab shells, Besh Barbecued shrimp, and plum lacquered pork belly spring rolls, and a dish called Louisiana seafood done three ways. Shrimp Remoulade, Crab Maison with caviar, and fried oysters in a blue cheese dressing. I'm not finished.

Next came the main course. Josh the graduate got the 32 oz. Cowboy Ribeye, Andrew got the 30 day aged 18 oz. prime New York strip with blue cheese butter and Abita Amber onion rings, Kristi got the Wagyu flanks steak, Lori got the surf and turf which was two small tournedos of beef topped with crawfish bernaise sauce, and I got the seared yellowfin tuna with lentils, spinach and foie gras. I'm still not finished.

Dessert arrived. Bread pudding, my favorite, Chocolate cake with brandy marinated cherries and ice cream, strawberry shortcake, cream brulee with mixed berries, and a white chocolate cake with a rum ice cream.

Saturday was Po boys, boiled crawfish and shrimp, and today was a Muffaletta.

Now I'm finished.

If you go to New Orleans please go to Besh steakhouse. It will be a dinning experience you will not soon forget.

BP and the spill

2010-05-02T10:45:00.001-05:00

OK, it's time to get on my soap box, and no it's not those cute wooden cars I built with my son's in the Cub Scouts. I'm talking about BP and the spill. I have a unique perspective and I want to share it. I was born and raised in Panama City and my mother lives in a house she built on the beach in 1966. I have spent countless hours cleaning up after our "wonderful" visitors. Beer cans, beach toys, fireworks, and yes condoms. She is now surrounded by ugly condos and the thousands more visitors than the beach can support. She has strangers park in her drive way, use her outside shower, and use the underside of her house as a toilet. Where were we when the Bay County Commission was allowing our beaches to be polluted by this massive over building on our beaches. Remember I spent 15 years as a kitchen and bath designer. I did the Southern Living house at Water Sound, but lost my job when the construction boom ended. We need to wake up and realise that we need more than white sand to make Panama City grow. Where are the amusment parks? Where are the attractions? What do you do on a rainy stormy day? I also lived in New Orleans for 30 years, taught at the New Orleans School of Cooking, and I know this will devastate the seafood industry, thus the restaurant business there as well. I also know that the oil industry is important to the people of Louisiana both from a jobs stand point, but also those rigs are reefs for fish and shrimp. One third of the seafood consumed in the US comes from Louisiana. Where is our seafood industry? It's terrible that this has happened. Remember people have lost loved ones. Stop pointing fingers and bitching. Everyone is hurting.

Frankie D's

2010-04-14T08:58:00.000-05:00

Frankie D's moved from Thomas Drive to town several months back. As I have said before when restaurants move they sometimes lose something in the move. I can gladly say Frankie D's has not, in fact I think they have improved. They have a great neighborhood feel. Something I miss about New Orleans. Friendly service and good food are a staple here. The sandwiches, dinners, and especially the pizza (thin crust), are great. Served up in a sports bar theme, mainly Chicago, and you have one great neighborhood joint. You really should try Frankie D's.

I give them 4 stars.

Apricot Srirachi glazed chicken wings

2010-03-21T19:57:00.001-05:00

Tonight I was in the mood for some chicken wings, so I tried the apricot sriracha glaze from an earlier post. I combined an 18oz. jar of apricot preserves with 1/3 cup each, creole mustard, sriracha pepper sauce, honey, and brown sugar. I got the idea from a BBQ forum that I'm on. The recipe called for orange marmalade instead of the apricot preserves. Along with the wing I made fire roasted tomato risotto and balsamic glazed roasted chipolini onions. The wings are sticky and sweet with a back heat from the sriracha pepper sauce. I first marinaded them in my Bubbaque rub and grilled them on the Weber grill. The fire roasted tomato risotto was creamy and had a great sharpness from the Parmesan cheese. All together the meal was outstanding. My wife bought me an apple pie for later with some Breyers vanilla bean ice cream. I can't wait.

Good cooking.

Bubbaque Chicken Wings

2010-01-17T14:09:00.000-06:00

I frequent several BBQ forums on the web. Recently a guy posted a recipe for Orange Marmalade, Sriracha chicken wings. I had some left over apricot, creole mustard glaze from my New Years pork roast so I added brown sugar, honey, and the sriracha pepper sauce to it. I used my Bubbaque rub on the wings and grilled them. During the last minutes of the cook, I placed the wings in a bowl of the sauce and coated them several times returning them to the grill often. They were the best wings I have ever cook. Sweet and spicy. Just right try it.

Dee's Hangout Revisited

2010-01-12T15:57:00.000-06:00

I rarely get a day off, so when I did, I decided to take the wife out for lunch. Since we moved in town we don't get to the beach very often, and we miss some of our favorite restaurants there. We have not been to Dee's Hangout in a while and I was in the mood for some authentic New Orleans Gumbo and a Po-Boy. The special of the day was cast iron skillet fried chicken with your choice of vegetables. My grand mother fried her chicken in a cast iron skillet and Dee did not disappoint me. My wife got three large pieces of chicken perfectly fried moist and crisp. She got the rice with chicken gravy and glazed sweet potatoes. Man my mouth was watering. Of course nothing has changed in the Gumbo department. I got a cup of seafood gumbo that was loaded with shrimp, oysters, crab meat, and sausage. Staying with the same theme, I got a combo shrimp and oyster Po-Boy ( not on the menu) dressed (New Orleans for mayo, lettuce and tomato). I can't tell you how wonderful it is to eat a Po=Boy on true New Orleans french bread. For all those restaurants serving Po-Boys on a hoagie roll, shame on you. Go to Dee's and see what your missing.

Dee's was full when we arrived and had to sit at the bar. I'm glad business is good for Dee because I can always count on some truly wonderful fare every time I go.

Dee's gets 5 stars.

Triple J's Steakhouse

2010-01-05T08:42:00.000-06:00

When I first moved back to Panama City, Triple J's quickly became my go to restaurant. Now it's my will not go to restaurant. I always knew what Triple J's was, a simple steakhouse with consistent steaks, always cooked to order, good fried shrimp, and friendly service. It had that New Orleans neighborhood restaurant feel. The last three times I have gone there has been drastically different. I have always said that good service trumps mediocre food. What is it about P.C. restaurants that they don't get it. My wife and I went to Triple J's after not going for over a year. We were both hungry and looked forward to a good steak and a few beers. We arrived and were seated quickly. They were not that busy so we expected attentive service. It took the waiter some time to acknowledge us and ask what we wanted to drink. We ordered two draft beers. It was still happy hour and we were brought four mugs for the buy one get one. The table next to us complained about they're steak being under done. It took about 15 minutes before he returned to take our order. Warm bread is usually brought out pronto, but we had still not seen any. While we waited for our salads, another table received they're order and was given a wrong steak. We should have walked at this point. The wedge blue cheese salad was good. My only complaint was the canned bacon bits. I had finished both my beers and partial of my wife's second when the waiter asked if I wanted another. I asked if I could get another BOGO and he said that happy hour was over. I didn't bother to tell him that I missed it because he was so inattentive. I told him I would take one with dinner. Our dinner arrived. My wife's Nikki's filet a usual standard was rare, not medium rare. My cowboy rib-eye was medium, not medium rare. The beer still had not arrived. I finished my dinner before the beer arrived and my wife cancelled hers. I stated before, I will not go to Triple J's again.

I give Triple J's one star for the wedge salad.

Paparazzi's revisited

2009-12-25T10:48:00.000-06:00

My son Andrew came to town to take his mother back to New Orleans for Christmas. He had not been to Paparazzi's so we took him. Understand that I am a pizza fanatic and I think Paparazzi's is the best in Panama City, just slightly ahead of Marco's on the beach. So tonight I decided to try one of the pasta dishes and some appetizers. We started first with the fried ravioli and the rice balls. The fried ravioli was perfectly cooked, crisp, and filled with cheese, and lightly covered with Paparazzi's sauce. The rice balls were also good but I think they are a bit large. The filling of risotto and cooked beef didn't have the flavor that I thought it would. Something was missing. Again these were perfectly breaded and fried, topped with the sauce. Of course I ordered a small pizza so my son could try the fire roasted pie. We also ordered the family style Shrimp Parmesan. It arrived on a beautiful platter with spaghetti in the center lightly moistened with the sauce, and a bountiful amount of breaded shrimp with melted cheese on them. Delicious. Next time I must try something different. I just can't pull myself from the pizza.

Good eating.

The quest for fire.

2009-11-19T11:07:00.003-06:00

I grew up in a neighborhood full of kids my age. Kids I would follow through school from elementary to high school. Some of my fondest memories growing up were playing flashlight tag on a crisp autumn night when it got dark early. Flashlight tag is a version of tag but you play in the dark and if the flashlight hits you and "IT "says 1-2-3 tag then you're captured. What I also remember is the smell of grills starting up, hoping one of them was in my back yard. My mother did the grilling and her skills were simple, hot dogs, hamburgers, and steaks. We had an old Brassier style grill. I often wonder how we didn't loose more food to the ground on that old rickety thing. As a Boy Scout and later as a Boy Scout leader, I relished the chance to go camping, knowing we would build a large fire and sit around it for warmth and comfort. I have always loved cooking on an open fire. Recently while driving through a rural area, I caught the smell of burning leaves. I remember back in the day when you could burn leaf trash in your yard. The smell would cover the neighborhood. Man did that bring back memories. What makes the smell of fire so attractive to us?

I think it is quiet primal. Think about it. Man's first cooked meal was cooked by an open fire. Think for a moment with me. Man is a carnivore. He hunted for game and probably like other animals, ate his fill and moved on. The discover of fire and how to control it was probably one of the most important milestones in the evolution on man. This is one of the things that separate us from the rest of the animal kingdom.

So picture with me early man waking up one day with an unfamiliar smell in the air. As he walks toward it the smoke gets thicker until he sees the fire. Probably a tree or grassland set on fire by lightning. He puts his hand out and feels the heat. He probably burns himself in his curiosity. Once he learns to control and transport fire, he has warmth, light, and protection. One day he makes a kill and starts a fire to warm himself as he eats. After eating his fill he falls asleep. The next morning he looks at the carcase and notices it has changed. He reaches down to tear away a piece and finds it is warm and easy to pull. He also notices it is easier to chew and digest. Man has just discovered another advantage to fire, and we have been perfecting the art of BBQ and grilling ever since.

Whether it is hamburgers or pizza, everything taste better cooked with fire.

Amen.

Paparazzi Pizza and Pasta

2009-11-10T14:34:00.006-06:00

Wood fired pizza oven restaurants have been popular for a long time in the rest of the country and it's about time Panama City got a taste of this awesome way to bake a pie. I have tried Paparazzi's three times and can't get past the pizza on the menu. Next time I promise to try the pasta. As far as the pizza goes, it is the best in P.C. I eat two pizza's, a shrimp, artichoke, and fresh garlic, as well as, a pepperoni, meatball, olive, and onion. The crust I prefer is the thin crust. It has a chewy, yet crisp, texture that stands up to the ingredients. I hate a bready pizza crust. The wood fired oven is extremely hot and draws the moisture out of the crust giving it the crisp texture I like. The ingredients are fresh. The meatballs are homemade, the sauce is perfect, and the ingredients don't over power the pie. The Godfather salad is layers of fresh tomatoes and fresh, made daily mozzarella cheese, topped with basil, and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. You must try this salad. The chef who tosses the pizza also sings Italian songs, just to add to the atmosphere. One night he tossed pizza over the head of a young patron and had the whole house watching him. I promise to return and try other items, but for now know this is the best pizza in P.C.

I give Paparazzi's 5 stars.
Good eating.

Hunt's Oyster Bar

2009-08-16T16:10:00.005-05:00

Hunts Oyster Bar on Beck avenue in St. Andrews, reminds me of the small hole in the wall restaurants that New Orleans is famous for. Sort of the kind of place the locals go to. Last night the wife and I met Mike Healy, a friend from work, and his wife Julie for dinner. The place was packed as usual and we were told there would be an hour wait. A good reason to have a few beers outside, since the weather was nice and the humidity was tolerable. Of course Hunt's is famous for raw Apalachicola oysters freshly shucked and served cold. We were seated quicker than expected. The interior lives up to the local dive decor that you would expect. It is a small place, which raised the noise level to an uncomfortable level, but that comes with the territory. Mike started with a dozen raw, and I had the baked Cajun oysters. Mike enjoyed his oysters with plenty of hot sauce, horseradish, and cocktail sauce. I found the Cajun baked oysters salty. The combination of Cajun seasonings (possibly Tony's) and Parmesan cheese probably accounted for the salty flavor. I ordered the seafood platter, as I usually do the first time I try a seafood restaurant. The shrimp, oysters, scallops, and grouper were fried perfectly and was enjoyable. The stuffed crab came in the form of a cake, and as usual it was not what a crab cake should be. Usually they are more bread than crab and this one followed suit. The wife ordered a combo fried platter of shrimp and grouper. Mike ordered the Buffalo shrimp and his wife ordered the grilled shrimp. They both enjoyed their dishes. This is the first time either of us had been to Hunt's and other than the noise level, I would recommend this restaurant, especially if you love oysters. We will give Hunt's a second try.

I give Hunt's Oyster Bar 4 stars.

Good eating.

The Shrimp Boat Restaurant (second time around)

2009-07-12T06:27:00.007-05:00

What a difference our second visit was at The Shrimp Boat Restaurant. I arrived after work and went to the bar to wait on my wife. Erica was very attentive and knew what beers they offered, unlike our last experience. I started with a Newcastle Ale, properly poured, with a thick tan head and served in an ice cold glass. It was just what I needed to end a long day. The wife arrived later and we patiently waited for our table. The hostess seated my wife as I totaled out of our bar bill. We were seated near a window and had a great view of the sunset and harbor and Jake our server was actively engaging my wife keeping her company until I arrived at the table. Good job Jake, it's the little things that make a difference. The special appetizer was batter fried oysters with a Tabasco dipping sauce. I decided to try it and found the oysters perfectly fried although typically I don't like batter fried food , as well as, corn flour dredged. The dipping sauce seemed to be a mayo based sauce with seasoning and Tabasco. I love Tabasco sauce and this dish had a hint of the world leader in hot sauces that went well with the oysters. We shared a Blue cheese wedge salad, which was huge. Glad we shared this one. For me it missed onion. At Charlie's Steak House in New Orleans the salad is served with or without onions. They are sliced paper thin and drape the wedge of ice cold iceberg lettuce served with a tart blue cheese vinaigrette dressing. I would have loved some on this salad. The blue cheese dressing was good, but not homemade. For entrees the wife went with the grilled Shrimp with the burre blanc and capers sauce. Over time I have convinced my wife to eat things she first doesn't like and capers are one of those things. I make a Grouper Piccata at home and she has learned to enjoy them. The only draw back to this dish, was that some of the shrimp seemed under cooked and the vein was visible in some of them, although they had been split along the back as if to try to remove it. The vein was not an issue for my wife, but the under cooked shrimp was. I had the Shrimp Pompano which are bacon wrapped and grilled, served with a sauce. I have always loved the combination of smokey bacon with grilled food. My shrimp were perfect. The only glitch last night was that the appetiser arrived promptly, but there was a wait for the salad, and before we finished the salad the entrees arrived. We had decided to package the salad anyway, but timing is everything. By the way, Erica make a great Mojito. The perfect foil to the smokey, grilled shrimp, was a cool, minty, tart lime drink. Kudos to both Jake and Erica for making our second turn at The Shrimp Boat a good one.

The Shrimp Boat Restaurant gets 3 stars.

Good eating.

My Tai Asian Bistro

2009-06-28T06:50:00.006-05:00

Located at 301 Cherry Street in the Cove, this restaurant has brought something different to the Panama City restaurant scene. This place is located near the Cove Condominiums in what was once a 7-11 convenient store. My wife and I have eaten there three times and have always come away pleased with both the service and food. We are not very versed in Thia cuisine and there seems to be several Chinese inspired items on the menu. Last night I had the Lo Mein. I have especially enjoyed the Tia soups, as well as, the curry's. The soups are made with coconut milk and your choice of meats. You must try one of the soups. My wife doesn't like spicy food so she usually stays away from the spicy dishes. The summer rolls are rapped in a thin rice paper and served cold with a peanut based dipping sauce. The spring rolls and the Satay's are also very good starters. The service has always been friendly and on time. If you want to try something different, please try My Tai Asian Bistro. You will be rewarded.

I give My Tai 5 stars.

The Shrimp Boat restaurant

2009-03-15T09:33:00.013-05:00

Why do we eat out? I think for most people it's because we like being served. I'm not talking about cruising through the drive through. There is something about going to a restaurant, being served, eating, and walking away from all those dishes and mess. There are those times when we have had a tough week or hard day that a visit to a restaurant is just the thing to help us wind down and de-stress. Even if the food is mediocre, but the service is good, then our experience is usually a good one and we will continue to patronize the establishment. I also believe this to be true if the food is exceptional and the service mediocre. But if the food is mediocre and the service bad, well I'm not a happy eater.

Recently the wife and I decided to try The Shrimp Boat, on a Friday night, to celebrate my new job. Now in New Orleans, unless you are Catholic, you do not eat at a seafood restaurant, on a Friday night, during lent, period. The wait will be at least an hour or more. I wait for no man's food. We arrive to find out that there was only a 10 minute wait to our surprise. After being seated, things rapidly went down hill. The hostess seated us and within seconds our waiter arrived and asked if we had eaten with them before. We told him it was our first and he replied, "Seafood or steak?" We hadn't even looked at the menus yet. I responded that I cooked a great steak at home and that we were probably going with seafood, at which time he leaned over and explained the menu to my wife. It's a single sheet of laminated paper not a Faulkner novel. He completely ignored me. He quickly left and returned with two glasses of water and then disappeared again. At this point I was really looking for a cold beer. When he returned he asked if we had made a decision. I said "yes, I want a beer." Since the menu had no drink listing, I asked if they had a wine and beer menu and he said that they had so many he couldn't list them all. I asked what was on draught. He said they only had bottled beer so I asked for an Abita. "We don't have that" he responded. I asked for a Pilsner Urquell, and again he responded in the negative. How about a Sam Adam's and he said yes and Yingling. So we finally made some head way. When we entered the restaurant there was a tonight's specials sign by the front door. At no time did he mention them. When he returned with our drinks, again addressing my wife, he asked if we were ready to order. I told him we wanted to start with the shrimp and crab meat dip served with grilled pita chips at which time he again walked away, hopefully to turn in our order. Upon his next return we were ready to order. I ordered the cup of Gumbo and the wife, the She Crab soup. As entrees, I ordered the fried seafood platter with oysters, which cost $4.75 extra and the wife the stuffed grouper. Our waiter asked if we wanted our soups first and I responded "No we want our appetizer first then the soups." Did he really ask me that? The appetizer arrived and was white cheesy, saucy, combo of small pieces of shrimp and crab meat served in a large bowl surrounded by the pita chips. While this was a tasty dip the grilled pita chips failed to be firm enough to actually scoop or dip. I had to spoon the dip onto the chip with my fork and rush it to it's destination (my mouth) before the chip wilted and spilled it in my lap. The gumbo was adequate and the She Crab seemed to missing the crab meat. She Crab soup is so called because it is supposed to have some pink crab roe in but I have not found any in all the She Crab soup we have tasted about town. Why not call it crab bisque and get it over with. The entrees arrived in a timely manner. The seafood platter which included the ubiquitous stuffed crab was nicely proportioned with shrimp (butterflied to look larger), a piece of fish which was also butterflied to look larger, about six small scallops which were very uniform in size, and the oysters. As far as seafood platters go this is what I expect in Panama City, but cannot hold a candle to the ones I get in New Orleans. The wife's stuffed grouper was covered with a Bearnaise sauce, which is a Hollandaise with Tarragon added. The grouper was cooked well but the stuffing, as in the stuffed crab, was bready.

The most troubling thing to me was, as we were leaving, I stopped at the hostess station and inquired if our waiter was new. You could tell by the tone of my voice something had not gone well. The hostess said no, and I said OK. She let me walk out without asking if there had been something wrong. As stated before I give restaurants at least three visits before I rate them and I will return to the Shrimp Boat to give it another try, but I will make sure I don't get the same waiter. Check back for an update.

Good Eating.

The Shed BBQ

2009-02-24T19:48:00.004-06:00

I really like to try to eat at a restaurant at least three times before I make a review. Restaurants have bad days too. In this case the restaurant is out of town and after eating there I really don't think I'll return. The shed is located in Ocean Springs Mississippi just off I-10. The wife and I were heading to New Orleans to see our grand daughter and visit my wife's sister who lives in Oklahoma. Around lunch time I remembered a BBQ joint featured on the Food Networks, Diners, Drive-In's, and Dives. This place looked incredible. If you were going to design a BBQ joint this place would be the blue print. It is located at the entrance of a camp ground and it is a shed, filled with items gathered from dumpster diving. There were more seats outside than inside. The grounds a littered with memorabilia if you will from the dumpster diving. As you enter, you have to order at a window and then find a seat. No hostess here. I ordered the brisket and spare rib combo plate. My wife ordered the pulled pork. The menu states that all BBQ is served with sauce whose recipe was passed down from an old black guy that made the original sauce. The spare ribs were over cooked to the point that the cartilage at the top of the rib was the consistency of jello. They were dry and the sauce didn't help. The brisket was chopped and covered in the same sauce. Now I know that brisket is the hardest thing to perfect, but this was dry and tasteless. In competitions brisket is presented sliced not chopped. I tasted my wife's pulled pork and it was also chopped and dry. My anticipation of having some killer BBQ was met with wholesale disappointment.

The Shed get 1 star for ambiance.

Liza's Kitchen ( same great food, new location)

2009-02-19T13:37:00.007-06:00

Seeing a restaurant change locations has always scared me. I remember Momma Campisis that was a quaint, warm, great Italian restaurant in St. Andrews at the foot of Beck Ave. Momma would come around to all the tables and make you feel welcome and part of the family. Business grew and she moved to a larger facility and things were never the same for me. Today I lunched with the wife at the new Liza's Kitchen location about a block from it's former location on Thomas Drive in the Mirabella plaza, a small U shape center. It was packed with customers and the service was good. I know there are many Liza fans out there and my hope is they will keep patronizing Liza's. As I have said many times a sandwich is no better than the bread that is it's foundation. Liza's makes their on Foccacia bread and it shows. I am soooo tired of local restaurants calling a sandwich a Po Boy and serving it on a hoagie roll or bun. That aint a Po Boy. The menu hasn't changed and that's a good thing. I have tried the hot turkey, Muffelatta, and the black and blue sandwiches, and many of the soups. Today I had the tomato basil soup, all of which I recommend. The Hippie Chick is their most popular, but I have not tried that one yet. The soups are fresh and flavorful.

Good luck to Liza's Kitchen and the move.

I give Liza's 5 stars

My Marathon Man

2009-02-16T12:37:00.006-06:00

My son Andrew (the handsome guy on the right) completed his first marathon in 4 hours and 26 minutes. He ran the heartbreak marathon while deployed in Iraq with the Marines of the 1/3 and in a sand storm as you can see in the pictures. His only training has been a couple of 6 to 8 mile practice runs. Although he is a Marine, he hates running, but choose to run for a personal challenge. He has excelled at every challenge he has faced in the Marine, so for those of you who don't understand our military and what it is about, it is about making men out of boys and teaching them to face challenges with drive and purpose beyond their personal desires. Andrew will be home soon and wants to attend college. Before the Marines, I would have looked at that as a disaster. Now I view it as another challenge he will face and tackle with the same drive and determination he has learned in the Marines. He is my hero.

God Bless Our Military.

War is an ugly thing, but it is not the ugliest of things. The decay and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares about more that his own personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made so by the exertions of better men than himself.

John Stuart Mill

"It is the soldier, not the poet, who gives us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the reporter, who gives us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who gives us freedom to protest. It is the soldier who serves beneath the flag, who salutes the flag and whose coffin is draped in the flag that gives the demonstrators the right to burn the flag."

St. Valentines Day Dinner

2009-02-16T11:49:00.004-06:00

So it's Valentines Day and to add to the card and present I got for my wife, I cooked a great dinner. I went to Sam's club and they had fillet mignon on sale, so I bought a pack of four beautiful steaks that were bound for the grill. I also bought some 16-20 count shrimp that accompanied the steaks on the grill, at Tarpon Dock seafood. I used hardwood charcoal which for the uninitiated is wood that has been processed as charcoal instead of sawdust that has been processed with binders to make briquettes. It has a distinct flavor and burns hotter that briquettes. The steaks were marinated in my homemade steak marinade and the shrimp were seasoned with my Bubbaque seafood seasoning and skewered. Along with the surf and turf I served garlic and rosemary, roasted, baby Yukon Gold potatoes and some roasted Chipolini onions. The real hit was the pear, walnut, and Gorgonzola salad dressed with a Balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The contrast between the sharp, pungent Gorgonzola blue cheese, the crunchy, earthy, note of the walnuts, and the sweet, crisp, red Anjou pears, was spectacular. I could eat that everyday. We washed this all down with a bottle of Bolla Valpolacello, slightly fruity, oakey red wine. My wife broke out the fine china and silver, and added some candle light. It was an elegant dinner. For dessert I had a can of Ready whip and a bottle of Hersey's chocolate syrup, and that's all I'll say about that.

Good cooking.

Trigo an artisan bakery and cafe

2009-02-05T16:51:00.006-06:00

Located at 119 Harrison Ave in downtown Panama City, I have seen ads about this place and about the owner, so today my wife and I had lunch there.

The decor is very nice and warm. White linen table clothes topped with glass give the place a very classy look. It seats maybe 20 to 25 people with some additional sidewalk tables outside. It was a little windy and cold today so we stayed inside. The menu is simple. Salads, sandwiches made on fresh baked breads, and a soup of the day. Today was broccoli and cheddar soup. They have a combo meal with a bowl of soup and a half sandwich. My wife tried the roast beef with blue cheese and red onion, served on an herbed foccasia bread. If you have eaten at Liza's on the beach it is the very same sandwich. It was listed as a pannini, but the sandwich didn't look like it had been pressed at all. I wanted to try the New Orleans Muffler, but after reading the ingredients I changed my mind and had the ham and cheese pannini which also didn't look like it had been pressed. The reason behind the switch was the ingredients for the Muffaletta was pepperoni, salami, cappy ham and olive spread. Anyone who has had a true New Orleans Muffaletta from the Central Grocery in the French Quarter knows it does not contain pepperoni. In fact a true Muffaletta is genoa salami, mortadella, ham, with provalone cheese, and the olive salad. Don't try to mess with tradition. I would have been OK if they had called it an Italian sandwich, but it ain't no Muffelatta. The sandwiches and soup where good, especially the soup an a cold day like today. The bread was fresh and warm and the meat was piled high. Remember this: A sandwich is no better than the bread it is built on. The ham and cheese was made on an asiago roll with sweet red peppers on it. My wife enjoyed the roast beef, but did say the blue cheese overwhelmed the beef flavor. Trigo advertises Boars Head meats so you know they are of good quality. Trigo also offers some baked goods like scones, pastries, cookies, and souffles. We will definitely return to try the baked goods.

I give Trigo Cafe 4 stars

Hyping my Super Bowl food.

2009-01-31T17:54:00.003-06:00

Since my beloved Saints didn't make the Super Bowl yet again, I don't have a favorite this year, but I do pull for the underdog. What a story it would be if the Cards win this one. I will be home watching all the Hype getting my last big NFL fix before the off season. I decided to do a Sports Bar theme for my food. After Church we will start with Nachos while the grill gets to temp. Not your standard Nachos made with that gloppy, runny, tasteless, excuse for cheese that pours from a can. I have some extra sharp cheese that will sit high upon a bed of crisp corn chips, green onions, black beans and Chipotle taco ground beef. Next we will have some homemade steamed Chinese pork dumplings, served with two dipping sauces, both homemade. One is a sweet and sour, the other is an Asian soy sauce based. The final course is chicken wings, but not just any wings. They are marinating in an Asian marinade made of garlic, green onions, ginger, May Ploy, (a sweet chili sauce), rice vinegar, and lime juice. I have made a ranch blue cheese dipping sauce for the wings. The wings will be grilled of course. I hope your team wins or at least you enjoy some good food. I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

Good Cooking.

p.s. I got caught up in the game and didn't take pictures. Sorry.

J. Michaels

2009-01-28T16:19:00.007-06:00

My Church small group met at J. Michael's restaurant New Years Eve to have dinner. I was very disappointed. I have been told that New Years Eve is the worst night of the year to eat out because most restaurants are down to a skeleton crew and the ones who are working really don't want to be there. Both my wife and I have eaten there on separate occasions and we had similar comments on the food. My wife tried the gumbo and said it tasted burnt. As anyone knows, if you burn a roux it will ruin the gumbo. The only option is to trough it out and start over. I tried the famous roast beef sandwich which came open face, drowned in gravy. The gravy also tasted burnt. What's up??? Maybe I could give them a lesson in roux making.

At the small group dinner I tried to stay safe and went with a combo plate of fried shrimp and oysters. The order was accompanied by Fry's and what was called pepper slaw. My thought was the pepper slaw would be made with strips of bell pepper, right? It was cabbage, a wet mayo based dressing, and onions, lots of big chunks of onions. It was all I could taste. I like tarter sauce and make my own at home. Real tarter sauce has mayo, onions, capers, dill pickle, and a touch of lemon juice. Oddly enough this tarter sauce was a loose mayo concoction which was overridden with guess what, onions. Large diced, strong tasting, onions. It was unbearable. The shrimp and oysters were OK but the coating was not very crisp nor did it cling to the seafood as it should. A friend at the table got a plate of raw oysters which were large and beautiful. Obviously not the same ones used to make my dinner with. My oysters were small.

I know J. Michael's has been around for years and has a local following, but this just confirms my suspicions that mediocre food in Panama City rules the day.

I give J. Michaels 1 star.

Why do we like to gnaw ribs?

2009-01-25T21:00:00.002-06:00

It's simple. It's part of our make up. It's in our DNA. It's primal man. Let go back in time.

Man's first cooked meal was BBQ. Our ancestors lived in caves and were hunter/gatherers. Before fire man ate raw. Then one day cromag wakes up, steps out of his cave, and has a big morning yawn. Except this time there is a different smell in the air. It's acrid but enticing. He follows his nose and discovers fire. Probably a grass or bush fire started by lightning. After he burns himself a few times he learns to control fire and to bring it back to the cave. It provides light, warmth, and security against other animals. One day he brings home a kill and the family enjoys a fest around the fire. The carcass is left by the fire and in the morning when Og wakens he finds the meat has changed. It's darker, easier to pull, and easier to chew and digest. BBQ was born and we have had a love for it ever since, which leads me to today's dinner.

Baby Back ribs. For the last two hours I have been monitoring my temp gauge and my WSM (Weber Smoky Mountain) has been running true at about 250 to 260 degrees. I'm using the 2-2-1 method which is 2 hours exposed to heat and smoke, 2 hours foiled, and 1 hour exposed to heat and basted with sauce. I rubbed them with my homemade Bubbaque rub. The sugar caramelizes and forms a great crust. I know your mouth is watering. I know you can smell the hickory smoke. I'm serving them with pinto beans, hoe cakes, and left over mac & cheese from Friday night.

Happy cooking.

Friday night seafood

2009-01-23T08:38:00.002-06:00

New Orleans is a Catholic city. Having grown up in a predominately Protestant town, I knew there were Catholics, but they didn't stand out in any way, except going to Church on Saturday in order to not have to deal with the rush of Baptist and Methodist, to the local buffet after Church on Sunday. I grew up coming home from Church on Sunday to the smell of Sunday Dinner, provided either by my mother or my grandmother, Gran Gran. Sunday dinner is something that has been lost on today's hurried family life.

After moving to New Orleans and getting married, I soon found out how deep the Catholic traditions would bleed into the culture of the city. Friday nights were always seafood night. This is a hold over from the days when Catholics didn't eat meat on Fridays. This is why McDonald's created the fish sandwich. Although my in-laws were life long Methodist, we always went out to eat seafood on Friday nights. Seafood restaurants have lines of people waiting for tables on Friday night. In my logical way of thinking, I always thought we should wait until Saturday night to eat seafood therefore avoid the long wait for food. I don't like to wait for food. As it may, now when I ask my wife what she wants for dinner on Friday nights it is invariable seafood.

This Friday I went to Tarpon Dock seafood at the foot of the Tarpon Dock bridge, were they have the freshest seafood in town. The shrimp, snapper, grouper, and crab cakes looked great, so I chose a pound of 21-25 count headless shrimp, a small grouper fillet, and two crab cakes. The crab cakes were pan roasted, meaning they were sauteed in a cast iron skillet and when turned, they were placed in a 350 degree oven to finish cooking. The shrimp and grouper were fried. Seafood screams to be fried. The contrast of crispy outer crust and soft firm interior is a classic. Although frying can be daunting for some it really is easy if you follow some simple rules. Always have your oil or shortening hot. Remember when you put the seafood in the fryer the temperature will drop, so heat the oil above your target temperature of 350 to 375 before dropping the seafood. Cut your fish into small pieces so the fish will cook before the crust get over cooks. Always allow your breaded seafood to rest so the coating will have time to set on the seafood. I prefer Zatarain's seafood fry. I also use an egg and milk wash so the coating will have something to hold onto. I use two cups of milk, two eggs, and a good tablespoon of yellow mustard as my wash. You can add a couple of drops of Tabasco, if you like thing spicy. This Friday I served the seafood with some homemade mac and cheese. I used some smoked Gouda in the mac and cheese to give it a surprising smoky flavor. My wife would be mad at me if I served fried seafood with out my tarter sauce. Mayo, dill relish, green onions, capers, and lemon juice is all it takes. My wife actually makes her own sauce. She mixes my tarter sauce with ketchup. She's been doing that since she was a child.

Well I hope you will honor your food traditions and keep them alive.

Happy cooking.

Stuffed Flank Steak

2009-01-20T18:27:00.002-06:00

Saturday I made a stuffed flank steak. Flank steak is one of my favorite things to grill. It's relativley inexpencive and is full of great beef flavor. I stuffed it with spinach and artichokes. The stuffing was made with frozen chopped spinach, parmesan cheese, garlic, Italian bread crumbs, and olive oil. A layer of smoked Gouda cheese was added before it was rolled. I wrapped it in bacon and tied it with butchers twine. It was cooked indirect till it reached an internal temp. of 120 degrees. I served it with a side of Linguini tossed with garlic and olive oil. Note the theme. I hope you enjoy the pics.

Chef Dee's Hang Out

2009-01-20T17:11:00.004-06:00

Not since moving back to Panama City have I been so excited about a restaurant. After a recommendation from a friend, my wife and I went to Dee's Hang Out on Panama City Beach for lunch. After many attempts to find a place that makes a true Po Boy here, I have found one. Chef Dee comes from years at the Treasure Ship restaurant and Big City Fish. The restaurant is located on front beach road near Pompanos in a small strip center. I got a cup of seafood gumbo and a shrimp and oyster Po Boy. My wife tried the She crab soup and a roast beef Po Boy. The gumbo was filled with okra, tomatoes, andouille, shrimp, crab meat, and oysters. It was a roux based gumbo with a light brown color as opposed to a file gumbo. This gumbo is flavorful and rich. The Po Boy was served on real New Orleans French bread which is lighter and flakier than the standard fare found in local supermarkets. The oysters were plump and fried to a golden brown as were the shrimp. Ordered dressed it came with mayo, lettuce, and tomato. I was in food heaven. My wifes She Crab soup was good, but the roast beef Po Boy was not up to New Orlens standards. The roast beef was sliced thicker than in New Olreans and it had raw onion on the sandwich. Other than that, we enjoyed our lunch and will return to enjoy this place again. He said he is bringing in some crawfish when they are in season. Oh yea.

I give Dee's Hang Out 5 stars.